Electric Shock? Lamp makeover

My Aunt Lena died almost 10 years ago at the age of 92, but she is alive and well in my house and heart. I have so many of her things, not because they are my style, but because I just can't bear to let go of items she cherished and took care of - it's clear she lived through the Depression, as she took meticulous care of everything.

While I take as much care as possible with the items I've inherited, you can't fight salt air and ancient wiring (and kids and dogs and time). In addition, this lamp, with its Early American style key and brass, was made worse by the beaded shade that was in style for about a minute back in the early 2000's.  Ugh.

To make matters worse, the brass was corroding - we are at least five miles from the ocean, but it's still a problem...:

I sanded the lamp thoroughly to remove all the rust and then used Rustoleum primer for metals - hopefully it will hold up well and prevent additional corrosion. Time will tell. I have black accents in the great room, so I decided to try a black lacquer paint that was suitable for metals. I was shocked how easily it covered and only two coats were necessary. 

Once it was painted, I had to tackle the part that frightened me the most - rewiring the lamp. I bought a rewiring kit at Lowe's, but then when I went to look for barrel shades, I was shocked at the prices. Then, I stumbled across this great damaged lamp on clearance at Home Goods for $12.00 - the shade was the perfect shade of green to match the accents in my kitchen, AND it had a silver harp, which I thought would pop against the green and black. I used an eHow tutorial video and it's amazing how easy it is to fix a lamp! 

Here are some "after" pictures (I DO need to find my digital camera - the iPhone pictures aren't cutting it. 

The best compliment? My daughter said "mom, you're really rocking the house...."

Lazy Lake Cottage and Fabric Decision...

Yes, those are my feet resting in the hammock and peeking out at Lake Michigan from my sister's cottage in Harbor Springs. The families meet there every year so the cousins can get together (we are now spread across the country and can't always be together on holidays).

I wanted to show a few pictures of her beautiful home - I didn't take enough, as we were too busy having fun, but the place has pickled hardwood floors and ceilings, with beautiful white bead board everywhere. The whole place is crisp and white and looks out onto the lake through a stand of pine trees. Truly one of the most relaxing places on earth.

The stairs back up to the house...
















The master suite from the watchdog's viewpoint....

Still in the master suite - my sister inherited my great Aunt's bedroom furniture, which was beautiful hardwood but firmly ensconced in the early '60's. She painted it a beautiful mossy green and added glass hardware.  

And here's a corner of the master bedroom with the stone fireplace that also passes through into the family room. The former owners built the place as a rustic ski lodge, and my sister removed the rustic but didn't have the heart to change the fireplace much.   

This is the view from the master bedroom - like most people on the Lake, they've used plexi inserts instead of the usual material so as not to ruin the view. The sunsets are gorgeous. 
While life "up north" in Michigan is notoriously slow and not terribly civilized, they have gained a big box fabric store recently and I was so happy to find a fabric that I can use on the back of my chairs (I'm STILL waiting to see if my sewing machine will be fixable). Here's a picture: 

I was even MORE thrilled to get the yardage at 60% off!! Having said that, I do need to check out some of those fabric websites, as their everyday prices seem much better than the box store major sales....

Silhouette Envy and a Great Project

I love, love, love this wall plaque made by blogger Infarrantly Creative. I think she should change her blog name to Infinitely Creative. Because she is.  She used her new Silhouette machine (which the company GAVE her, and I think you can still enter a contest for a new one on her blog. Click on the link.) I want to make one of these, but I'm not sure I can actually remember the addresses of our first couple of places...maybe Google Earth will help?

Field of Dreams...and a fresh start

On our anniversary trip, my husband and I passed these gorgeous fields of sunflowers that stretched as far as we could see. They felt very symbolic - flowers that give not only beauty, but function as well, and I felt compelled to stop and take some pictures. They may be my new favorite flower. 
I'm posting two pictures of the reed glass I used to replace our quail cupboard. I didn't have time to style the cupboard properly (as I was supposed to be packing for our trip, not making major kitchen changes), so I'm disappointed in how these pictures turned out, but in any event, it's a vast improvement over that dark corner that the stained glass created. The kitchen is starting to become a brighter space, and that's what I'm working toward.

I am so very grateful for our local hardware store, who very patiently listened when I brought back the acid-washed glass I tried first. The acid wash had several small flaws in it that really stuck out in that corner, and I just wasn't happy with it. So they worked with me and I traded out the acid wash for something called "reed glass," which is created by raking through the hot glass. It gives a bit of an optic effect which I haven't decided if I like, but I KNOW I like it better than that poor brown quail. If any of you have ideas for what should go in the cupboard, let me know. I think it has to be white or a color because clear glass doesn't show at all.

If you look below the cupboard, you'll notice a glass mosaic backsplash - I'm quite proud of that as I did it myself in early July using something called Bondera from Lowe's. It was almost too easy and I worried for a while that the whole thing would fall off. But those tiles are clearly on there for the long haul, and I didn't even have to tear off the laminate.

If I can take time before we start our return trip, I'll post as much as I can of the process (I did this before I knew to take "before, during, and after" pictures). But for those of you living with a dated kitchen like mine, a new backsplash really does make a difference, and mine cost under $200. If I'd used subway tiles instead of glass mosaic, it would have cost less than $100. So it's something to think about adding to a project list.

New Inspiration and RIP Quail Stained Glass

Please excuse the commercial photo, but my husband and I are traveling to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary, and I didn't want to intrude on our night last night by taking pictures of chairs!! So, I found this one on-line. We ate last night at Aerie (amazing food by the way, if you're ever up at Grand Traverse Bay in Michigan). I love the way they've upholstered the chairs in a grey menswear solid on the front and bottom, and used a gorgeous print sparingly just on the backs. It prevents the print from entirely dominating the room. I may not be able to use that idea on my dining room chairs, but I have other chairs that will definitely work with that technique.

The Friday before we left, I finally replaced my stained-glass insert in my kitchen cabinet. My husband always claimed he liked it (ugh) and so I lived with that quail for 14 years. I think, though, that he just didn't realize how much it took over the kitchen. Here's the quail after I removed it, and I'm pained over what to do with it. A friend suggested that I hang it in the garage above the trash, but it IS a piece of art that someone put considerable work into, and so I feel I have to find some proper place or person to enjoy it.

Tomorrow, I'll try to upload a picture of the replaced insert to document my after...and I'll jot down my husband's reaction to the quail's demise.

Design Photography

I try, I really do. I repeat the mantra: perfection isn't necessary, it's a process, just do it...

So I quickly snap my progress pictures with my iPhone (and it's not even the iPhone 4.0!) and I figure they're good enough. But then today, not one but TWO wonderful blogs showcased truly art quality photos.

You should look at them if you haven't already - Lindsey at Better After  and Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia (who was featuring Heather at Pretty Petals) (sometimes giving others proper credit sounds like a convoluted soap opera plot...) have them posted on their sites. When I scrolled through them, I was suddenly not content with my quick and dirty phone photos, and my overachieving gene kicked in, and I remembered how much I used to love art photography, and I started thinking of a new camera, and perhaps taking a class, and...and...and. But as Janelle at Isabella and Max Rooms reminded me this week (read her Monday's post if you need a reminder too), you really can't do it all at one time.

To remind myself of that, I went back and found some of my favorite photos from last summer. This year, I'm on to enjoying working slowly through our home. Right now, I can't handle both actually doing the work and then worrying about whether the picture of it looks wonderful. (Although I so appreciate those who do take the time to do so, and so it's enough to know that someone else is out there doing an even better job than I could do!) I'll close with a picture of one of our goldens, Haly, who looks about as contemplative as I feel right now.

Remix Crossroads - Input Anyone?

So.....I won't find out if my sewing machine is fixable for another three weeks. Apparently there's an epidemic of broken sewing machines and people wanting them repaired. The economy perhaps?

I finished painting the chairs black, and I'm very glad I did. They look much crisper and will work well as I start to transition other pieces in my dining room. But if anyone comes across this blog and has an opinion, I'd like to hear it. Since my sewing machine is on the injured list, I have time...

What fabric should I chose that will work with a yellow and white wallpaper? That's the one thing I want to keep - I love the classic look and the white chair rail and casings. (The window valances are a deep purple with dragonflies and those are gold sheers. Both need to be replaced, and whatever I choose for the chairs will be echoed in the windows somehow.) So the only color I have in the room is yellow. Should I stick with all yellow and cream with just black as an accent?

What about fabric like these? Advice appreciated!

 
Or, would a tone on tone yellow be crisp against the black, like this: 

A Snag - Stubborn Sewing Machine and a Hideous Kitchen

Well, my Elna sewing machine hadn't been touched in about five years, and apparently felt quite uncooperative as a result. I dropped her off at my local repair shop, but alas, I received a call today saying it's something in the electrical board...so now I have to find an actual Elna dealer and cross my fingers that it's fixable.

I'm not in the mood to buy a new machine or search Craigslist for a used one. I have too many other house projects to spend money on! I did, however, get one coat of black paint on my chairs, and I'm going to like those a lot. Still no decision on fabric though. And I dropped off one of the old MDF boards from the chairs - our local hardware store is wonderful and they're cutting new boards for me so the chair seats will be solid. It's always nice when your guests don't fall through during Thanksgiving dinner.

While I'm waiting for a verdict on the sewing machine, I'll be searching for ideas to replace my very dated, very large stained-glass quail in my kitchen cabinet. I couldn't bear to take a picture of it as a stand-alone, so I'm showing one from my son's college graduation. It's embarrassing. (Not just the quail stained glass, but the entire kitchen!) Eventually, I will muster the courage to paint the cabinets that beautiful white I see in so many inspiration rooms, but for now, I have to master smaller projects.

Step Two: Sanding and Priming

Well, my least favorite part of any project is the prep work. Since "they" say that's the most important step, I suppose I'd better find a way to enjoy that aspect. Maybe I can combine meditation with sanding and priming? Probably not....

It was so nice out that I did do most of the work on our deck, though I know I can't finish the paint coats out there - too many butterflies and floating pine needles to risk ruining the final coat.  I'm curious as to whether this new primer will hold up to heavily used dining room chairs. It's called Glidden Gripper and was recommended on Remodeling for Geeks (a very helpful site, by the way).  Bob Vila likes it too, and who doesn't trust Bob Vila?

My husband brought the chairs in for me before dinner, and now they sit waiting for me in the dining room. After reading Kristin's post on My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia today about foam rollers giving a smooth finish, I realize I'll have to make a trip to Home Depot tomorrow before I can start the actual painting. Fortunately, I love any chance to wander around home stores and discover new projects. I just have to discipline myself not to start another one before I've finished this one!

Step One: Unstapling and unstapling....and unstapling

Ok, so it took many hours and a few chipped nails, but I removed all the fabric. Whoever put it on in the first place sure was staple-happy. (Note to self: consider gluing the trim rather than stapling for easier removal on the next remix).

What I found underneath the fabric was, well, a bit crumbly. I'm going to put new foam on and I'll have our local hardware store cut new MDF seats for me.

I'm undecided whether to paint the chairs cream or black. I painted part of one in cream, and although I love that look and am planning to paint my kitchen cabinets that color (when I work up the nerve and time), right now my cabinets are that awful oak. I have no other painted cream, but I do have black accents throughout the kitchen and great room. So I think I need to stick with the black idea.

Now I'm off to look for replacement fabric and drop off the pattern for the chair seat MDF boards. Enjoy the day - it's a gorgeous one in our coastal town, and although it's still hot, the humidity has finally broken.

Stay? Sell?

We're so fortunate to live in a wonderful neighborhood with incredible privacy, safe streets, and good neighbors. But, our home was built in the late 80's and we've spent our 15 years here focusing on paying our mortgage. Besides, with three kids, two dogs, and everyone's friends over, it just seemed to make sense to let our home be well-lived/loved. So we put our own design sensibilities aside and now we're living in a time warp. Now that we can see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, we're looking forward to couple-hood again. Part of that means deciding where and how to live as a couple - it's a remix of sorts, both personally and physically. And another part means deciding whether I have the commitment and talent to take on some major projects like the ones I've seen on so many blogs like My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Better After, and Isabella & Max Rooms.

In creating our remix, I've been so inspired and encouraged by the many blogs by women all around the country. What incredible talent and warmth!

Tomorrow, I'll be working on remixing some horrible chairs that I picked up at a consignment shop. I'm still deciding what to do with them, but first, I have to rip off all that fabric!