Photoless Post :(

I am posting without photos again. :( Photos make the whole post, but I thought I should share anyways.

I got all the staples out, sanded, and painted just one of the chairs. As soon as I get myself down to Ace Hardware and get some staples I will start upholstering it. Later this week I may tackle the other chair...the blisters and cuts I caused to my poor hand can't take ripping staples out of another one quite yet. I promise I will share photos as soon as my camera appears.

Other news is that the sellers on the house are currently getting bids for the roof according to their realtor so we are waiting. At least he is communicating about what is going on so we aren't waiting with zero news. It makes me breath a little easier.

Colin is busy at work back in Spokane and I can't wait for him to be back here, two weeks is much too long. It will also be nice to not be living out of a suitcase in the near future. I am really missing my dresser as well....

Happy Birthday Jenifer... Moving News!

So first off I want to say Happy Birthday to my wonderful mother in law. I know lots of people that have issues with theirs but I couldn't have asked for a better one. And no I am not just saying that, she is pretty cool. :)

This is a busy weekend for us. Colin is working on a project for me that I have been begging him to do for over a year. It involves our poor old oak entertainment center he made years ago. Since it doesn't fit our new flat screen TV I had to find a use for it. Colin needless to say wouldn't get rid of it and wouldn't let me change it. I finally talked him into it and he added a back and is putting the doors that have always lived in one closet or another. Yeah! My own craft wardrobe to hide a small portion of my beads and packing supplies. Of course I forgot to take a picture before he started. So here is a preview of my new ribbon hanger and one door taped on for looks. I am debating painting it white in the future since it has some dings from moving ? # of times (8 that I know of). That wont happen until after this next move. After the move I will also be adding cork board panels in the doors covered in a fun fabric to use as a bulletin board.

Enough about my silly cabinet and on to the good news. :)

Colin emailed his head boss (the one in Denver not here in Spokane) Friday just asking if he would like us to give notice when we pay rent this month. We need a minimum of 30 days notice for our landlady. He said yes and that they should need Colin back in Denver around the middle to end of April. Double yeah! That means we should have time to get in on the first time home buyer credit. We should get written confirmation Monday or Tuesday so we can get planning. Without confirmation I cant do any scheduling. :( So today I am packing up my beads because I don't want the movers doing it and clearing out junk to get ready. We called my Uncle in Denver this morning to talk about dates we can come and look for houses. I am so excited that we will be out of the limbo our lives have been in the last few weeks/months.

Yeah for spring! Oh and if we have a house I might actually be able to plant a real garden this year! I feel like jumping up and down I am so excited!

Chunky Funky Button Bracelet

I am going to share a few terrible photos of a new style button bracelet. It is a "sample" of the jewelry my sister would like for her bridesmaids. She wanted chunky and vintage and of course I have an overload of buttons. :) First she wanted teal shades but has switched to "Horizon Blue" (Check out Davids Bridal to see that color). I am not terribly fond of the blue as I wore it in a wedding last October, but I will oblige. I kind of prefer this teal combo she originally chose.Please note I have very FEW buttons in that color and it is a rare shade to find. If you own any or see any I would forever be grateful if you would gift, sell, tell me where they are, or whatever to me.

So here are the gorgeous....cough cough hack photos of the bracelet. Maybe I should have taken the time to go downstairs and use my light booth. :)

An upcoming DIY Upholstery Job

This is a project I have been putting off since we moved to Spokane...well over a year. Partially I have been afraid to take it apart thinking I wont be able to put it back together. The sad thing is my mother gave it to me to practice upholstering something more complicated than a dining room chair. The right arm/side looks awful from her cat clawing it (if the cat hadn't been my grandfathers I am not sure poor Tu-Tu would be alive).

(Lots and lots of welting, this is my biggest fear!)

I finally got the guts to start seriously thinking about what this process will entail. As of right now pulling lots and lots of staples. I have read and re-read the Upholstery book I bought months ago. It is a great book, easy to read and wonderful photos. Its called Simply Upholstery published by Sunset. I think I bought it off Amazon for around $12. I need one more tool, tack strips, a bunch more staples and the right fabric. Still not so inexpensive as fabric alone is costly.

So here is my problem, I can't pick a fabric. First problem is I love bright patterns (I don't want our house looking like a circus), second problem is I can't pick a room for it to live in(that screws up picking a color combo), third problem is I want to spend less than $15 a yard (preferably less than $10 since this will be a trial).

We don't have enough seating in our family room and I think it will still be awhile until I can get the couch we have been saving for. So I think I might do the chair in a white/black fabric with black welting to coordinate with our other side chair. Maybe a fabric like this. This fabric is even under $10 a yard. :)

(Underside where I have began tearing it apart)

I am hoping that it is possible to stay under $100 for this entire project. Though I don't have any clue what tack strips cost. I will be reusing the zippers on the cushions to save. Tomorrow and the next few days I am going to spend my time taking the chair apart. Once I have that completed then I will purchase the supplies I need. Hopefully I get this done before we move so I don't have a giant mess. Wish me luck!

New Upcycled Ottoman and Pillows

Thought I would share our weekend project of turning our old glass top coffee table into an ottoman with storage.

Side View

Table before makeover, Colin also cut off 3 inches of the legs. Personally I think it was too tall before hand. The new top has a frame inside so it lifts right up and we can still use the glass if we ever want.

Two pillows that I recovered. I loved the old ones but the fabric was wearing thin on the corners and getting holes. :(
I had enough scraps left that I made Colin a small back pillow for the chair. I don't know what I will do with it once we get a new sofa since this chair doesn't coordinate with much. I probably will just recover this as well.
My new tea towels to cheer up the kitchen.

What did you do this weekend? Hope your Saturday went as well as ours. :)

I just linked this to Kimbas DIY day, check her out at: http://asoftplace.net

A few more items online

I have been working the last few days to get more of my stock online. I hate to say it but I always get distracted making new items. I need to make a rule that for every 5 items posted I can make something new or nothing is ever going to get uploaded. Because I can't seem to follow my own rules I made a new set consisting of a button bracelet and earrings. They both use many of the buttons I have been pondering what to do with. These buttons are from all over the U.S. and haven't worked in any of my current designs. Yeah! for Upcycling discarded vintage buttons! :)

Things are pretty low key here this weekend as Colin plans on relaxing and I hope to get some more things posted and made.