Green Polka Dot Chair Makeover

Today I thought I would share my green polka dot chair makeover. I reupholstered this chair last year, so it's an old project, but I never shared it, so it's new to you!!

It was the very first time I had ever recovered anything bigger than a seat cushion, so I was a little nervous, and wasn't sure if it would turn out. But after some googling, I felt confident enough, to at least try. Plus check out this before, it's not like I had a lot to lose.

The chair had become "Chumba's chair", it was full of dog hair, and it looked like it was falling apart. My mother and father in law had given it to us years before, and when we moved to Nevada, my father in law actually asked me why I wanted them to bring the chair to us, from California. I told him my plans for the chair, but he didn't see the potential.

It's super comfy, and it was my favorite place to sit during my many sleepless nights I had with Riley. I'd just throw a blanket over it, and I was good to go. The big cushy arms, and the fact that it reclines were really nice, and the wings on the sides made a perfect spot to rest my head, I would fall asleep with him in my arms, and actually be comfortable.

Once I picked the fabric, it took me months to actually start recovering it, it was a huge project!! I took tons of pictures while I took it all apart, to remember how, and the order that everything went back together. Of course, once I started putting it back together, I didn't take progress pics, so I have nothing else to actually share.

After lots of sewing, and pulling and tucking and stapling and stopping to admire how far I'd gotten, I finally finished!! 

I planned on painting the legs, I still think about it sometimes, but I kinda like them the way they are. They look good with the other natural elements I have in the room. It's in my living room, although these pictures were taken in a then empty playroom.

Here is a detail shot, you can see the piping real good here.

I really wish I had added new foam and stuff when I recovered it, but I didn't realize how badly it needed it until I was finished. I was saying that to Mitch the other day, and I said, "Oh well, maybe next time." He looked at me like I was nuts, but it's a solid little chair, so who knows, I just might give it another makeover in a few years!

This last shot is with Howdy Cow, he has been around since Riley's first birthday. It was Barnyard themed, so he was part of the decoration, plus a present from mommy and daddy. Riley likes to have us bounce on him, while he rides horse on a stick, and we chase each other around the house and make animal noises. It's kinda exhausting, but he loves it so much, we can resist!!

♥ Kim

Linking up here: Today's Creative Blog, A Bowl Full of Lemons

I ♥ Blue

I seriously LOVE blue.

Especially turquoise blue.

I'm sure you've noticed that in Riley's nursery. In fact, you'll find it in almost every room of my house. And if you can't (since I am slooooooowly getting it all decorated) I can promise you that it WILL be there eventually.

Look, even my diaper bag is turquoise.

My beautiful dream diaper bag, that my super awesome husband let me splurge on, back when I was still pregnant with Riley. I still smile every time I use it. It was love at first sight. Hehee.

Soooo, I'm writing this post to share my pretty fabulous (at least to me) stool makeover.

A can of spray primer, followed by a can of spray paint.

It's not exactly turquoise, it's Rust-Oleum’s Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2x in Aqua. But it's close enough to my lovely favorite.

Then a fat quarter of fabric (Moda Authentic Numbers Black), and waaalaaa.

Pretty.

I was originally going to use a black, white and yellow colored fabric. And I still think the yellow would have been SO FUN! 

But I like this print better, for this stool. And Mitch really likes the fabric, so his praises sealed the deal.

Here is the before.

I actually have four stools like this. I got them at Walmart a few years back for really cheap. I like the before. And was originally gonna keep them like this. But I recently realized that I haven't been decorating for me, like I should be. I've been too obsessed with what others would like.

I like FUN and FUNKY and COLORFUL! And now that I realize that, I am so much happier. I feel less stress about decorating, and I am actually making progress toward turning my home into a place that I seriously love.

It is freeing.

Anyways, now that I got that outta the way, here is the after.

I really like it. And so does my little Riley. When we walked downstairs after he woke up from his nap, and he seen the newly made over stool, he wouldn't stop staring. He wanted to touch it and sit in it and look at it.

Yep, desired effect achieved. :)

Linking up here:

I missed you too!

Hi!

Have you missed me???

I missed you too! :o)

We are barely two months into 2009 and my life has been filled with so much, everything!!!

I moved to Reno. LOVE my new place. Well besides the kitchen cabinets, they are awful, and scratched. But I'll deal. Our refrigerator that I was cleaning on my last post... clean, but stinky! I have been forbidden from my husband from eating anything that comes out of it! Come on! A girl needs her milk!

It smells moldy. And he thinks that it will hurt the baby.

Did you catch that?

I am pregnant again!!!!!
We are trying not to get our hopes up too much. I'll tell you more in a minute... back to my fridge.

Mitch says we are gonna get a new one. I wish we could make this one work. It is a decent fridge, and I promised him that our next BIG purchase would be his flat screen TV. He wants it so badly. Poor babers. He works so hard for that TV he wants. :o(

I want him to get his TV, so then I can get my furniture... I have a family room now, and guess what? It is totally and completely empty. Except for bar stools, and a halfway ripped apart chair that I really like and am gonna reupholster. I am so excited, it will be my very first time. But I gotta wait until Mitch gets me a *good* staple gun. He has high standards. You know since he used to use one all the time when he installed flooring.

I think my staple gun is lower on the priority list than his TV, {sigh} I feel like I am never gonna get all my projects done. I have so many, and am SUPER duper excited about all of them. YAY!!!

I feel bad that I haven't posted any pictures at all lately. I LOVE pictures. But I don't like ugly pictures. So I found one good one to share. My pretty Valentines Day flowers I got last week. See?




We never celebrate Valentines Day. So I was shocked to find my flowers when I woke up. And I was being such a meanie that morning too, I felt bad.

It was kinda funny, because I called him at midnight {he works graveyards} to ask him to pick me up a sausage and egg mcmuffin, hash brown and orange juice from McDonalds when he got off work in the morning. I was totally craving it and HAD to have it in the morning. It was before we knew I was pregnant, and his coworker asked him if I was pregnant. Shoulda known!!!

So all I was expecting was my breakfast, and getting flowers and breakfast was a perfect start to my day. I just love my babers.

So remember how I told you that my sister Danetta is pregnant again? Well, it turns out that we are only a few days apart in our pregnancies. I hope everything goes good this time for both of us. I think it will be so awesome to have someone so close to me to go through this with. And our kids will be the same age. How cool is that!!!

I am trying so hard to not stress out. But having two miscarriages in the past 6 months is making it hard to not stress out. During the day I decorate, and watch TV, and surf online, and am preoccupied, so the bad thoughts don't creep up so much.

But when I'm laying in bed, it gets harder. And last night I had a dream that I started bleeding, and lost the baby. I had cramps last night, and when I woke up to go pee {yeah, I do that like 2 or 3 times a night} I remembered my dream. It was awful. Because I laid there thinking about everything, and it took forever to fall back asleep.

Plus Mitch keeps freaking out every time I touch my stomach. Asking if I have cramps. And the look on his face makes me feel so bad. Then when I tell him I am fine, it's just mild cramping and normal, he grabs my boobs to see if they still hurt. You see, last time, I woke up on the 14th, and my boobs didn't hurt anymore. And I just knew.... and within a few hours I started bleeding. So I totally do the boob thing every single morning. And even though they hurt SOOOO much, I am grateful, because I take it as a good sign. Go ahead, laugh, I am! It is funny! I am the weird pregnant woman that wants all those crappy symptoms, at least for now.

I have a doctors appointment set up for March 17. I will feel so much better after I see the doctor. I can make it until then. I will.

And until then, I will read your blogs, {because they are all fabulous} decorate my new place, and finish my "time out" bench. I have before pictures, and soon I'll have after pictures. It is so little, and it's gonna be so very cute in my living room. You'll see!!!

Coupons, bills and a funny little drawing

Not much new to share today. I had a funky weekend while Mitch was gone fishing with his parents. I was very tired, and mostly slept and played on my computer. So much for lots of creative goodness getting done while he was away.

I was a good girl tonight, I clipped all my Sunday coupons, and paid all my bills, it is so sad to watch my checking account get lower and lower with each check I write, but it makes me feel good too to know things are caught up. :)

With this short post I decided to share a framed cartoon drawing of me and Mitch, you might find it amusing!
Seriously, when did my chin get that huge? Mitch laughed so hard when the guy handed us our finished drawing, I wasn't so amused. But, I have grown to love the thing, and have it hanging in our living room.
Hope you all are sleeping well tonight! Talk to you soon!

Pretty new blog makeover

Yeah, so I've redesigned this thing like 5 times in hmmmmm, 5 months? Sound right? But it is staying this time. All the other times I used others peoples designs, except last time, it was half and half. But this time I spent hours and hours designing most of my own elements (and altering a few small things that I loved too much not to use) Anyways, I really like it, especially my pretty new header. It is very me, and matches the colors of my studio, except that my studio is much brighter shades of blue and green.

Speaking of my studio, I know exactly what I want, unfortunately we can't afford to buy all my shelving, and I won't bother painting since we are moving in a few months, but I thought I'd let you take a quick peek at a few of the little details. I told you, just detail, no "full room" shots. It is seriously that way with my whole house, everything is half done. And the only half done stuff I ever share is my artwork, because I know it will be done soon enough for you to remember the "before" once I show you the "after", haha.

So, lets see, picture one is my curtains, that I made before we even moved my scrapbook supplies into our new house. (Fell in love with the fabric, cause, I LOVE butterflies!) It was just curtains in an empty room, LOL.

Then we have my ribbon, I have organized my ribbon 3 different ways over the years, but this is by far my favorite, it is more organized, takes up only a tiny bit of room, and looks so perty!

Next up, paper lanterns, i LOVE these. I also have a blue one right above my table/desk. I actually electrocuted myself sticking my finger in the light socket of the white one years ago... I really didn't know better, and if you want the story you'll have to ask my husband. He tells EVERYONE!

After that is my basket of colorful paints, and next to them you see my nephews birth announcement that I made, my sister Danetta thought they were so pretty tied up in their little ribbon when I finished, and last I heard never mailed them out!!!

And finally we have my pretty sewing box. I love this thing. Couldn't pass it up when I seen it, it matches my room perfectly.

Anyways, that's all! Hope you enjoyed today's mini tour of my studio. Now, I'm gonna go and put this room to good use, and maybe finish that card I promised to share!

I finished my desk!

Hmmmmm, you know what? I finished my desk. I kept meaning to talk about how I was (or wasn't) working on refinishing the desk, but I don't think I ever did. And gosh darn it, I hate taking pictures of ugly things, which would have to explain why silly ol' me never took a before picture of this thing.

Gosh you should have seen it. It was an icky stain of some ugly brown wood, with "ancient" brass knobs and way unworthy of being photographed in my living room, or anywhere else for that matter (sorry Connie, aka mother in law who gave it to me). Mitch used this desk as a kid, his initials were so cutely written on the pull out drawer in black marker. That is until I finally got it sanded way down and re stained it. And that process took at least 4 months, maybe more!!!

You know it's funny, but every time I worked or didn't work on this thing I thought of Kim Wheeler and her black table, hey Kim, did your table ever make it into your house???

It only took me so very long because I got pregnant (temporarily) and my sweet husband refused to do it for me. I begged and begged, but I couldn't go anywhere near the stripper because the chemicals were bad for the baby, and the thing would have taken years to sand without the darn chemicals. So it sat in my garage for 3 long months, while I imagined what it would look like completed. Well TA-DA!

After I lost the baby, the chemical stripper was no longer an issue. So..... this is how I healed. Really, this desk was the first and only thing I did once I was able to function as a normal human being again. It helped me keep busy, and the first day of sanding it my mommy actually told me that I sounded like myself again, I was actually laughing. Making this desk beautiful was an emotional journey for me, and now it is something that I can always be proud of, and be thankful for.

Plus it give me somewhere new to put all my mail, and then some, since Mitch told me I was no longer allowed to have a "kitchen" junk drawer. Do you think he meant junk drawer in general? Hehehe. Well baby, so far so good, I filed all my junk away yesterday! Now lets hope I stay organized!!!

Yay for new Curtains

I got my pretty curtains!!! Well, at least for one window, the other window in my living room still has ugly blinds. Ughh!!! I hate blinds, they are u-g-l-y.

Anywho, I am buying my curtains one panel at a time. They are from Target, and I have had them picked out for months and months, but I haven't been able to afford to shop lately, at least not on pretty things for my home.

I can't wait to have the other window done, it makes my living room look so much more cozy, and decorated. Seriously, by the time it is all just the way I want it, our lease will be up and we will be moving to the Reno Sparks area. Oh well.

I also took a picture of my favorite chair, my first purchase and piece of furniture from when we moved into this house, I got it from Pier One Imports.
And my growing collection of 2 pillows, I say growing because I just got the blue silky one that matches my curtains 2 days ago, when I bought the curtains. And I picked out like 5 more I am adding, but at $15 to $25 a pillow, I am "slowly" increasing my collection.
I am super happy with the way things are turning out. I just can't wait to be able to take a "full room" picture of my living room! In time...

Today I cleaned my bathrooms, yeah, fun!

I had such an exciting day, really! First off, I slept all night, and almost all day, seriously! And coming from me, that is AMAZING, at least lately it is, nothing has been able to keep me asleep for more than 2 or 3 hours in the last month, and finally I got a great, wonderful, LONG 15 hours of sleep. And dreams, I miss dreams!!! YAY, I feel rested, and unfortunately am wide awake when I was trying to go back to night time sleeping. Darn it. Am I forever doomed to be a night owl???

Sooooo, after I woke up at 2:30 this afternoon, I cleaned. Yeppers, I started with my two icky dirty, in much need of loving cleaning bathrooms. And hours (yeah they were that bad) later my bathrooms look, smell and feel clean. Bliss!!!See!!! Clean! This is bathroom #1, MINE!!! Meaning I use this one the mostest! It is in my bedroom, and I love monkeys, I am sooo glad Mitch lets me decorate how I want.

Don't you like the M and K I put above the perty decorator towels we NEVER ever use. I threatened much violence if Mitch ever touched them, LOL, the ones we use are on hooks on the back of the door.

The rug is my favorite. But unfortunately it is taking a temporary vacation in my closet... my kitty Karma just arrived at her new home (she was in Cali at our old house with my mommy forever, but finally joined us here in Nevada) and her litter box is in the bathroom. I hate litter boxes, and she has never had to use one, but I won't let her outside yet, so I need somewhere for her to potty. Well, you should see the other side of the rug, she really scratched it up BAD!!! But this side is still pretty. So to save poor Mr. Monkey, I moved him to the closet for now, but I brought him out to share with all of you!And here is my other bathroom, I haven't put as much time and money into this one yet. The toilet seat is usually up, because Chumba will only drink outta the toilet. But I closed it for the sake of picture taking... trust me it is sparkling clean!

After the bathrooms were done, I cleaned my bedroom, and vacuumed upstairs. I even made my bed. I never make my bed, I just get sooo sad when Mitch messes it up to get into it that very same night! Sorry no pictures, Mitch is sleeping. Maybe when I decorate my bedroom... someday. Poor bedroom, the bed is lonely with no one to talk to but the nightstand. I seriously need more furniture. Once again... someday!

Now tomorrow, I need to tackle the cabinet under the bathroom sink!YIKES!!! Look there is even a scrapbooking magazine under there, maybe it'll inspire me to make some new pages.

So after that I made dinner, pork chops, asparagus, and pesto. Yummy! Then after Mitch went to bed, I was having a sweet craving so I made Betty Crocker cookie brownie bars. Only I never cut them into bars!!! I'll just continue to eat them outta the pan, hehehe! Anyways, since then I have sat here and caught up on myspace, and wrote this blog. At least I was semi-productive today. Now if only I could fall asleep...

What am I gonna do with him?

So, do we all remember the post about my beautiful plastic oranges??? Well 2 of them suffered a terrible fate today at the hands (or should I say teeth) of Chumba! Poor little oranges, and BAD little doggy!!! Mitch had to vacuum them up, and Chumba got banished to the backyard, with the blinds shut for a few hours. GRRRR, I tell you, that dog is never gonna learn! Thank goodness I learned from our first basset hound Bongo to keep my shoes safely put away at all times in their home, my closet!

Bad Dog!

I haven't posted anything on here lately, I have been so freakin busy!!! Mitch just made chicken Shish-Kabobs. Well, he bought them at the store, and put them on the BBQ. They were really plain. Not what my tummy was desiring!!! And...... Chumba stole 2 of them off the BBQ!!! Crazy, annoying, disobedient dog! He never listens. And, because I try sooooo hard to make him listen, he doesn't like me very much. I'm the mean mommy, and Mitch is the nice, loving daddy, who spoils him!!! GRRRRRR. Here is a picture of the little punk.

He is an 8 month old basset hound. He thinks he is king of the world, seriously. I have never ever met a dog as stubborn as him. I really do love him. But seriously, I never knew such a cute little puppy with such an innocent sad little face, could make me sooooooo mad! He chews on everything! Like my coasters.....
Yep, he is the reason I need to buy new coasters. Well, these are rather plain to begin with, so I was gonna buy new, funky, unique, pretty coasters eventually. But now, they are at the TOP of my shopping list. Etsy has some cute ones.

He still hasn't learned how to howl. I only pray that my neighbors won't call the cops all the time when his howl finally comes in. They already have for his barking. Which is so very loud, you wouldn't think such a sweet face could make such awful noises. Whining, and LOUD constant, run together barks!He never even takes breaths in between, I'm shocked he doesn't pass out! I know I'm whining bunches about my little whiner. I really do love the brat. And someday, he will be all grown up (and fixed) and calm and normal. And I'll miss the crazy wild puppy he is right now. So I'm gonna end this blog, and go find my little Chumba, and give him kisses. Just as soon as I kick him outta my chair he knows he is not allowed in..... LOL!

The condition of home

You know, nothing gets my house clean faster than company coming over! Seriously!!! My mom called Sunday to say that she had a couple days off, and wanted to come visit me (her first trip to my home in Nevada).

The thought of mom and dad spending a couple of days together in my home was somewhat daunting, plus with dad sleeping in the guest room, I didn't really have anywhere but my living room couch and the floor to put my mom, Josh and my 4 year old nephew Dylan. But after talking to both mom and dad, I decided that moms visit would be fun, and was anxiously excited.

So, it's just family coming, and my thought was, why should I clean and especially mop, when I know from experience that it just gets dirty again 1 hour into their visit??? But, Mitch decided that he wanted the house spotless for moms visit, (though he didn't care too much when his parents came last month, and I was freaking out!)

We washed the couple dishes in the sink, wiped the counters, swept, mopped and vacuumed. He decided dusting wasn't necessary (although I think dusting is necessary everyday in this house... Nevada.... dessert.... dirt field behind the house.... so annoying!!!) So we didn't dust. Dad cleaned the bathrooms. And as I was about to ignore Mitch's comments, and dust anyways, I was banished to the upstairs.... to my bedroom, the messiest room in the house.

Since our California trip, I'd let things go. You know clothes everywhere (most of them his) and luggage still unpacked. Big mess! I really didn't wanna be banished to my room, I mean come on, it's "my" mom, she really doesn't care if my room is messy, but I reluctantly cleaned (half of it) and got to stop early when she called for us to met her at Smiths. Mitch decided we needed to meet her there, and have her follow us the rest of the way. We can walk to Smiths, that's how close it is. Luckily I got her that far. He originally wanted to meet her in Carson City, soooooo unnecessary!!!

It really was amazing how fast everything got cleaned up with 3 people working on it! And I was right.... they brought their 2 dogs to play with our basset hound Chumba while they were here. And between them, Dylan tracking dog poop through my dining and living room, and everyone going in and out constantly (I won't let them smoke in my house) my floors were gross and dirty almost instantly!!!

One night, they decided to play catch (and throw the orange at each others head) with my plastic oranges. Every time I came downstairs they stopped, and pretended they weren't. But I told them I could hear everything from my studio, and that if they broke anything I'd be MAD!!! They are all really scared of mad Kimmy, it is kinda funny, the fear I invoke. So I totally get made fun of for my bowl of plastic oranges. But I love them.