NO MORE RED KITCHEN

We have been in our house for ten years.  The kitchen was the first room that we painted a month after moving in. While my friends and most of my family still liked the red and thought I was out of my mind for wanting to paint it again I went for it.  It was difficult because I had to match the color to the eat-in area and family room, however I wanted a little more of a creamy gold instead of a beige.  Sooooo after fifty thousand or so non matching paint swatches I finally found one that matched and started painting.   While I loved the new paint color, I still felt a couple changes were in need so I added a pot rack I got at GW for $10.00 and a new desk chair that I found at Ross. 

    Here are a few of the before pictures. 

Some of the paint swatches

I didn't realize how much was on top of the cabinets

I forgot what a mess painting a kitchen can be 

Behr paint and primer in one is the best paint. 

 It only took one coat to cover the red.  

That is a great man on that ladder :)

AFTER 

Now onto project number....  too many to count. 

Hope you have fun with your next project, no matter how large or small. 

Today I am linking up with          

Newbie Party - http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/
Masterpiece Monday - http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
Monday Link Up Party - http://makingtheworldcuter.com
Motivate Me Monday - http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/
Table Top Tuesday - http://www.astrollthrulife.net/
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday - http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/
Tuesday's Treasures - http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com
Wow Us Wednesdays - http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/
Welcome Home Wednesday - http://www.vintageonadime.blogspot.com/
Open House Party - http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/
Whimsy Wednesdays - http://thenymelrosefamily.com
Thursday favorite Things - http://katherinescorner.com/
Feathered Nest Friday - http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Thrifty Things Friday - http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

                                                                                                                        

Lisa

This little cutie was FREE...

One of my favorite thrift stores has a FREE box outside of it.  It usually contains old books, mismatched items or items that are broken.  I noticed that a lot of people walk right on by it but not me or my good friend, we head for this box first.     The other day I found this really cute bird statue and absolutely fell in love with him.  Yes he was broken but he wasn't anything a little glue couldn't fix.  I grabbed him right up and stuck him in my purse.  The only problem that I noticed was when I went to glue him was he missing a couple tiny pieces.  No worries, a little twine and he would be fine.   Isn't he cute?

 What great finds have you come across lately?

Lisa

A Little Project - A BIG Mess.

A couple years ago while yard sailing, I came upon a nice gentleman selling leftover wood flooring from a house project he had been working on.  I took a look inside one of the boxes and low and behold it was the EXACT flooring I had in my house.  It was a quarter of the price it would have been at the store so I picked it up and tossed it into my suv as quickly as I could.  I hadn't really thought about where it was going to go until my husband (shaking his head) asked me while he unloaded it from the car.  Hmmmm, let me think a moment....... where on earth was it going to go?  I really had no idea.  But it was such a GREAT deal.  He was not on board with this one.   So it sat for quite a while in the basement until one day while cleaning out my master bedroom closet I came up with the idea of where it was to go, right HERE. Within a few days I started to unload the closet.  Have you ever done  this?  You start to clean out a space and then suddenly realize exactly how much stuff you actually have somewhere.  I really had no clue.  It is kept really organized so it didn't seem like so much INSIDE the closet but OUTSIDE it was an explosion. Thank goodness I had already gotten rid of a lot of it.   Here is a peak of what was left.  

This is after my initial clean out of the closet. 

The completed closet floor.  

Now to search for a prettier mirror and better lighting.   

What "fun" projects will you be working on?

Lisa 

   

Cakes for the Chocoholic (like me)

I don't know about you but I LOVE chocolate.  This has been an addiction from as far back as I can remember.  I love everything chocolate.  Candy, Ice Cream, Milk, Fondue, Hot Chocolate and just about anything else chocolate.  I seem to be drawn to everything chocolate on Pinterest.  Recently I went to a cookout and took a chocolate cake which I frosted with chocolate icing and surrounded with Whoppers.  It was a HUGE hit and so easy to make.  

I had so much fun making that cake that I decided to make another Pinterest cake for my son's birthday.  He chose the chocolate cake with chocolate icing surrounded by KitKat bars and the top filled with M&Ms.  It was a hit with him, his sister, brothers and friends.    I have to admit I loved it as well but it was almost TOO much chocolate.  Wait..........did I actually say that? 

What fun things from Pinterest have you done lately?


Happy Pinteresting (oh and if you'd like to follow me, here's where you'll find me http://pinterest.com/hackettl/ )


Today I am linking up to:  

http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/fall-dessert-recipes.html

Lisa

HOW TO REMOVE WATER SPOTS FROM WOOD

On Memorial Day we had a cookout.  It was hot out so I decided to keep all the food inside on the kitchen table.  I put down a fairly thick table cloth and used trivets for any hot items.  To my surprise when the party was over and I was cleaning off the table I removed the table cloth and there was a bright white water mark in the shape of one of the trivets.  I have no idea how this happened and was sickened by the thought of having to refinish this table or having to purchase a new one.  I went online and did a little research and saw a post about ironing the table.  I figured at this point it can't get any worse, so I grabbed one of hubby's white T-shirts and the iron.  I set the iron on warm and ironed the T-shirt right on the spot.  After a minute I looked under the T-shirt and the spot started to fade.  I never would have thought of this and have NO idea how it worked but it did.  Thank goodness.  


Today I am linking to the following blogs: 

http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2012/06/121st-table-top-tuesday.html
http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/tuesdays-treasures-90/

What helpful hints do you have to share?

Have a blessed day. 

Lisa

TIME FOR A POOL PARTY!!!

I am so excited, our pool is finally complete.  It took a couple weeks longer than we had anticipated because we had to wait for the landscapers to finish a job ahead of ours but it was worth the wait.   

I have to admit that while we were in the process of the pool installation I did NOT think that a pool was worth all of the hassle.  It was a huge headache trying to coordinate the pool company, the electrician, the landscaper, fence builder and the patio company but now that it is complete I am so happy with it.   The one thing we agreed on was that we did not want a typical rectangle pool.  

I really like the design of the circular pool.  My husband wanted a pool that reminded him of a pond but I wanted our existing paver patio to meet up with it so that friends with small children can sit pool side.  The river rock and patio extension turned out to be a great compromise.   

Have a great day everyone, I myself will be sitting pool side (well after I link up to the follow blogs)

http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/

http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2012/06/wow-us-wednesdays-70.html

http://thenymelrosefamily.blogspot.com/2012/06/whimsy-wednesdays-15.html

http://www.handymancraftywoman.com/

Lisa 

BEFORE THE EXCAVATION STARTED 

(my husband had to chop down my favorite 25 foot tall ash tree)

STARTING TO DIG

THEY HIT A TON OF ROCK SO THEY HAD TO JACKHAMMER

THE LEVELED OUT POOL (AND ROCK)

THE STEEL WALLS BEING SET

THE POOL BOTTOM BEING SET

WE HAVE WATER (and gravel, clay, mud, etc.....)

THE FINAL PROJECT 

KITCHEN ISLAND REDO

We moved into our home 10 years ago.  I loved my kitchen but absolutely hated the island.  Not only was it very boring with no trim or detail whatsoever, but the fake wood grain panel on the back ran side to side instead of top to bottom like it should have.   After several years of disdain for it I decided that I would just replace it.  However, my wonderful hubby decided it would be easier to just makeover the old one instead.  Sooo......off to Home Depot we went, having NO idea what we could get, we decided on bead board.   Once home he started working.  I still had no idea what it would look like but wanted something country, kind of farm house like.  Once hubby was done I started painting and glazing.  That afternoon my teen son came home from school and took one look at the new and improved island and says "YUCK, what did you do to the island? It looks like a piece of furniture from an old barn"  YES!!!!!  YES YES YES, I was so happy.  That was the exact look I was looking for.   This was actually done about two and a half years ago but I still love it to this day. I am linking up to Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2012/06/wow-us-wednesdays-69.html  


and http://junkintheirtrunk.blogspot.com/2012/06/link-it-up-wednesday-33.html

THE BEGINNING (see the fake wood grain on the right?)

WAY WAY BETTER (I wish I had a total before shot)

THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CHANGES SINCE THEN BUT THAT WILL HAVE TO BE ANOTHER POST. 

What I really like is that now when you look into my kitchen you don't see a whole ocean of wood tones.  Well not as much. 

Well that is it for today.  Enjoy this lovely Monday. 

Lisa