Once again focusing on Centerpieces.  This time I needed a fall centerpiece for a relief society dinner.  I want something live, and something that the ladies could see over while they were chatting. After seeing some pumpkin centerpieces on Pinterest I decided to design my own.  I took a flat white pumpkin from my porch and gutted it.  I made hole on top so that it would fit my water container (sour cream carton) snugly.  I then cut wide slits all the way around the pumpkin.  I used a safety pin pinned to the end of my ribbon to help me weave the ribbon in and out of the pumpkin.  I used a ribbon 3 x the circumference of my pumpkin.  I secured the ends of the ribbon with some bling :). After cutting down the container so the top didn't show over the edge of the pumpkin, I filled it with the last of my fresh baby roses :( this fall and branches from a bush in the garden.

Picture Centerpieces for Reunion

I needed to create 17 centerpieces for a reunion.  The specification was that they had to display old pictures for people to stroll down memory lane during the reunion.  I had a minimal budget. I took old wood from behind my shed and cut it into 8 inch pieces.  Then I nailed them together in the shape of a box without a bottom.  I took old nails and nailed one nail into each side of the boxes.  I then dry brushed the boxes with white and aqua acrylic paint.  I placed a canning jar in each box and miniature roses and carrot flowers and some broccoli flowers in the jars.  I punched a hole in each picture and hung them around the boxes.  These could be used at type of gather and almost anything could be hung on the nails.

Fun Cupboard

I used scrapbook paper to put a fun background in my glass fronted cabinet.  Using modgepodge I modpodged this scrapbook paper to the inside backwall of the cabinet.  , Although I like the result, I'm not in love with how this particular pattern looks on the inside and will probably redo it in a couple of years.

Using an old wooden frame take out the middle stuff :).  Cut a piece of magnetic metal to fit the opening and use a glue gun or picture nails to secure it to the underside of the frame.    Tape off your board ( or paint it before you put the metal in :)) and paint the outside.  I used an interior latex paint I had around the house.  Use sandpaper or a disk sander to distress the frame.  Apply vynal decals to the board.  My board says, "I am a Child of God,  to remind my daughter of who she really is.

I felt like this very tall window needed very tall curtains, but very tall curtains are very expensive.  I created these curtains out of three fabrics I had.  I bought the fabric that lines the bottom panel and the thread.  The Top fabric is a remnant of a Henredon Fabric http://www.henredon.com/  I purchased at a Henredon warehouse sale for $15 a Bolt.  The middle fabric is the bottom of a curtain I had used in a previous home, the bottom portion is a gauzy linen curtain I had also previously used which was originally from Ross, http://www.rossstores.com/ , I cut it in half, sewed the halves together to make it wider and gathered it to create a soft flowing look at the bottom.

TIP:  If you have a fabric you LOVE (a curtain, a tablecloth that was stained, etc...) don't toss it, tablecloths, etc...can be recycled into pillows, curtains, trims on your next design project.

I have always enjoyed the look of the old stepback cupboards but not the price, so I decided to create something similar on my own.  I found the top piece of this cabinet at a garage sale.  I found the bottom piece in the PennySaver http://www.pennysaverusa.com , It is an old bottom kitchen cabinet.  I screwed both pieces together.  I then took the doors off the bottom piece and painted the entire piece the same color. Once again I invaded my old knob collection and I found some large old glass knobs that I orginally found on http://www.ebay.com/ and used them to complete the project. The whole project cost me less than $100, way better than the $3000 dollar price tag on the cupboards I've admired at antique shops, and every item I used had a previous life. Even the paint, although not previously used,  was left over from a previous project. :} The top portion has made an awesome  storage area for unsitely media cases.


TIP:  Old knobs can be used over and over again, if you find one that speaks to you...keep it and use it again somewhere else.

So this was my problem:  After years of putting up family pictures, by the time we moved into our current home I had a large collection of pictures and frames. My kids love the pictures of themselves and their sibblings lining the walls.  But I don't, it drives me crazy, too many different colors, too much mishmash.  I love the look of  all the same or similar frames on the wall but I didn't have the budget to go out and buy all new frames.  I decided I would use the frames I had.  I painted all of my frames white with some paint I had leftover from painting the trim in my house, distressed them and then added all kinds of embellishments I have collected over the years (garage sales, friends, thrift stores,and furniture which had been junked).  I also reprinted my pictures in a black and white/sepia/washed out colors format. I! now love my family pictures and the wall in my livingroom

Hidden Pond After

Hidden Pond Before

The biggest difference we created in this family room was to highlight the fireplace area by adding large built in cabinets in the recessed areas and replacing the the lame fireplace mantle with one my husband custom built (he also custom built the cabinets).  The windows which look over a ravine were  shorter than they should have been for the wall so I created drapes that hung about a foot higher than the window.  I couldn't find drapes I loved in the height I needed except at a high price, so I took some  84 inch drapes I bought and took out  the pocket on the top and the hem on the bottom and added rings to the hang them, this gave me almost another foot of curtain length.  I then  covered the wall space above the window's but below the drapes, with soft blinds.  I think the look emphasized the windows and the view.

Farmhouse Kitchen Before

This was an exciting project for us in our new farmhouse.  We started with a small 1990's kFarmhouse kitchen After

The cupboards from the before pictures are the same as the cupboards in the after pictures.  We routered the edges and painted and glazed them for a completely different look.  The chandelier was my great grandmothers. 

itchen and a relatively small budget.  We decided we needed to recycle anything we could and still get the look we wanted.  The first thing we did was take out a small bathroom behind the back wall of the kitchen and turn it into a cooking area and a pantry.  Because the bathroom was previously there we were able to utilize the hot water previously plumbed to the bathroom for a pot filler over the stove. We kept the toilet and sink which were in good condition, for a future bathroom project downstairs.  We also removed a 6 inch false ceiling that was put in so the previous owners could have  recessed lighting in the kitchen.   We pulled out the old cabinets, they were made of oak and in use-able condition, so we  routered  the edges to update them. We then sanded, primered,  painted and glazed them.  We also  took one of the old cabinet doors off and reconstructed it to accommodate two glass panels.  Then we put the cabinets back in in a new configuration and added open shelving which my husband and I built, where we wanted things we love out in the open. Two of the open shelving units, the plate rack and the shelf over the sink came from previous homes where they had other uses. 

Because we recycled the old cabinets we were able to use our budget for a new island with a honed black granite top, and creamy granite counter tops on the perimeter cabinets.   I called multiple places that advertised great prices on Granite however I only found one place who's price was actually the same as what they advertised, Stone Mart in Salt Lake City even priced matched a price I   found on a remnant of Honed Granite. I chose the Honed Black Granite because I have been fascinated with soapstone counter tops but have been super wary of the durability.  With a family of 7, 3 of them teenage boys, our home gets beat up, we needed something durable.  When I saw the remnant of honed black granite at one of the granite suppliers I knew I had found what I was looking for, the soapstone look with the durability of granite!! I also really wanted an apron front sink, but again the price was outrageous.  I found this large and beautiful sink at Ikea for under $300.

The cabinets also display my collection (or should I say obsession) of old glass cabinet knob.s I used recycled old glass knobs of different sizes and shapes on all the white cabinets.  

The Chandelier was  My great grandmothers dining room chandelier.:)

Often times, in this day and age, a kitchen remodel means throwing out everything and starting anew.  These cabinets are oak, what better material could I find as a starting point?