Counter Stools from Frontgate

It's October and also my 26th anniversary! I can hardly believe its been that long.  Joe is in Switzerland this week but he let me pick our gift this year. Maybe so I wouldn't feel so sad this week.  Although I didn't mind our old metal barstools, they were super easy to clean, comfort seemed in order.  I wanted to eat at the counter and be able to linger a little longer.  I was in love with Frontgate's Angelina's counter stools for a while.  They are modern, and feature iron and brass details and the fabric is Dove Gray Velvet. They combine several of my favorite textures and colors. They are very study and heavy too.  They finally went on sale so I jumped on the opportunity to upgrade.

Our kitchen island needed a little love too and since the new chairs were arriving I decided to paint the island a shade of pink. In order to save a bit of money and use what I already had on hand I decided to mix up a 50/50 blend of Farrow and Ball's Sulking Room Pink and White to reduce it a bit.  Our guest room is painted this color and also the downstairs doors. It made sense to stay within the same color family and it saved me about $80.  I don't know too many people with a pink kitchen island. But that's okay.  It actually feels really warm in here and reads darker in the evenings. You actually hardly notice it at eye level. 

I pray they stay this nice for a long time! They do have a nifty handle on the back to slide them in and out. And velvet is generally easy to clean.  

I am painting the eat in kitchen table pink at moment as well in order to save even more paint. Stay tuned for that makeover!

xo
Cathleen

DIY Halloween Reaper

We made a new guy to creep our front yard.  He turned out pretty cool.  A stone-like Grimm Reaper to haunt our cemetery at night. Below you'll find instructions to make your own.  It was pretty straight forward to make, but make sure you have two people to help drape the fabric.

Supplies:

For the body:

One foam head (from craft store)

About 12' of 1" - 1 1/2" PVC pipe (Habitat for Humanity Restore had plenty, for cheap!)

Either an umbrella stand, or 6 feet of PVC that is one size larger than used for the body

Two 90 degree PVC elbows ( shoulders) and one cross fitting for neck

Optional but recommended: Two 45 degree PVC elbows (gives a more realistic shape to arms)

PVC adhesive (to glue PVC pieces)

Hacksaw (to cut PVC)

Chicken Wire

Foam Pool Noodles or foam insulation from the plumbing section of hardware store

To make the coverings for the reaper:

5 yards of Gauze fabric or 1 Gray King Sheet for cloak 

Two yards of canvas fabric for shawl

To make monster mud (enough for 3-4 reapers:

 One five gallon bucket (mixing bucket)

1 gallon of Black paint

5 gallons All Purpose Joint Compound

Optional but recommended: Mixing bit (find it in the painting section)

Thompson's water seal for masonry (waterproofing)

Plastic Sheeting for ground to protect your surroundings

Build your prototype: 

We went very minimalistic with the body shape, just using 90 degree elbows for the shoulders. With the next reaper, we will also use 45 degree elbows for the...elbows. If you don't have pool noodles lying around, the plumbing section will have nice foam pieces to bulk up the arms.

After cutting and dry fitting the PVC, follow the instructions for PVC adhesive to glue the pieces together, posing as you want it (will it be holding a scythe? a Lantern? Just standing ominously?)

Use the chicken wire to provide a rough body shape. Pay special attention to the shoulders and clavicle area, as the PVC looks too blocky if you don't provide some curves.

Dry fit the clothes to get the look you want. We used lots of safety pins to get the shape right, it took a couple of tries. In the end we just cut a hole through the sheet and draped most of the sheet over the front, and pinned folds around the back to give a more streamlined look.

Prepare for some heavy lifting, as you prepare to apply the "monster mud", which is just a 5:1 mixture of all-purpose joint compound to the cheapest black or grey latex paint you can find. 6 gallons will be enough for at least three full sized reapers, or some other Halloween projects. Now is a good time to make sure that your PVC form is very stable; otherwise it'll tip right over when you lay the mud-soaked sheets on the body.

To prepare monster mud, pour about 2.5 gallons of the joint compound and 0.5 gallons of the paint into a new bucket.

Mix the joint compound and black paint in a large bucket and mix with mixer attachment on your drill.

Now you can dip your first sheet layer (the robe) into the monster mud. Dunking the entire sheet in the bucket won't work; instead dip piece by piece, then sandwich the pieces together to quickly and efficiently spread the monster mud. Remove as much as you can from the sheet to reduce the weight, but it will still be quite heavy.

Now lift up the sheet and carefully place it on the body form. Adjust the layout, and try not to tip it over. Then wait. Let it dry out overnight, then adjust the layers to give a more robe-like appearance, pinning up the ends around the back. Add folds and creases to give a more detailed appearance, and allow to dry for a few days.

After the first layer is mostly dry, repeat with the second layer (canvas or gauzy cloth). This will be lighter as it is smaller in area, and doesn't absorb nearly as much monster mud, but be sure that this won't tip over your reaper either! Then wait again.

After a few days, the monster mud should be dry, and it will feel like papier mache. Apply a nice layer of water seal over everything exposed, to protect against bad weather.

To mount on your lawn, you can either use an umbrella stand, or you can just drive a 6 foot piece of PVC pipe that is barely larger (internal diameter) than your reaper body (external diameter), about 2 feet into the ground. The reaper will slide right into the PVC piece and lean eerily.

Add filigree like a solar powered lamp, glowing eyes, a scythe, etc. 

When night fell, we think adding a little solar spot light will help illuminate him at night.  Can't wait to see if people think he's real on Halloween night. 

Happy Haunting!  🎃

xo
Cathleen

 

Turn an old dresser into a desk

Yay! I'm back in business baby!  I finally have a dedicated work space with a super fast computer!  I just love it!  It wouldn't have been possible if my son didn't love building computers and shopping for parts.  He is only 15 and I must say I'm pretty darn impressed. I'm actually sitting here now writing this and I couldn't be more pleased.   A little back story, my husband works from home so took over the home office a few years ago. I had my computer in there, but working next to someone who is on calls all day is quite distracting.  So I decided to make use of the guest room that anybody hardly uses. I didn't want to spend money on a new desk and have to sell this beautiful dresser I made over a while back so I decided to convert it to a desk.  Also my old computer was REALLY old and painfully slow. 

It's a bit tall, but with an adjustable chair it works.  You see that the keyboard and mouse are out of sight.  

We removed the top drawer of the dresser and installed this slide out pop up keyboard and mouse tray (link below.) We had to do a bit of a configuration underneath by adding a piece of wood to the inside for the mount since it wasn't quite flat. But it ended up working perfectly!

I love how it's cozy and not too sterile looking like in a normal work office.  I can also just tuck the keyboard tray away and use this monitor as a TV for when guests sleep in that Murphy bed you see in the mirror. 

Here is a close up of the keyboard tray.  And it's very convenient to have the drawers below for office supplies.  I like a clean look when it comes to organization with not too many things sitting out on the desk top. 

Here is a visual of the parts used in my computer. The box is not shown, but it's called a SAMA and comes with a slot for a DVD/CD player.  Who uses those anymore, this old lady does! BTW, my child may have gone a bit overboard on storage and speed when building this. Like did I really need a Gaming Graphics Card?  Who knows.  It's pretty awesome though and I'm uploading photos at light speed now.  All I really cared about was a cute white monitor and keyboard, lol.  But glad I have both the cuteness and functionality. 

Here is a source list in case you are interested:

1) Keyboard and Mouse  Newegg MSI Vigor GK30 Combo White, 6-Zone RGB GK30 Gaming Keyboard & GM11 Gaming Mouse, Water Repellent & Splash-Proof, 5000 DPI

2) Monitor: HP HP Series 5 27 inch FHD White Monitor - 527sw 27" FHD (1920 x 1080) 48-100 Hz

3) Keyboard tray:  Amazon Mount-It! Under Desk Keyboard Tray, Adjustable Keyboard and Mouse Drawer Platform with Ergonomic Wrist Rest

4)Webcam: Newegg  Logitech Brio 100 Full HD Webcam for Meetings and Streaming, Auto-Light Balance, Built-In Mic, Privacy Shutter, USB-A, for Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom and More - Off White

6) Desk chair - Home Goods 

5) All of the computer components came from Newegg.com 

Also tomorrow is the Fall equinox and Halloween ideas are swirling in our heads over here. 

xo
Cathleen

Cottage Grove

I gave the Master Bathroom a little refresh over this past week by painting the cabinets a new color.   This green just spoke to me at the hardware store. It's called Cottage Grove by Magnolia Home.     

It was my first time using this type of paint.  I have to say, it has it's pros and cons.  The pros are that it seemed to level well and not show the brush strokes.  The color is beautiful. The cons are that it took me three coats to get it completely opaque.  The verdict is still out on how well it will stay on. I did sand the existing painted cabinets but I did not use a primer.   

The green cabinets really feel fresh in here and go well with my existing rose artwork.  I also updated the bathroom with a new rug and Green chenille mushroom stool.  

A new soap dispenser in a pretty pink glass and toothbrush holder add a bit more color to the counter. The black and white hand towels from Rachel Zoe are fun too.   I would like to save up and replace the faucets in this bathroom eventually and the light fixtures above the mirrors.  That is on my to-do list.

Seating in the bathroom, it turns out makes the whole space feel more cozy.  

xoxo

Cathleen

New Year, Old Rugs

Happy New Year! 🥳 2024 is going to be the year of color! Who's tired of Beige? Greige? Grey? All things monotone and natural?  In my humble opinion, your house should bring you joy and comfort. It shouldn't subscribe to some Shea McGee standard of decorating where you bought everything at Target to decorate your house. Get out there and pillage your local thrift stores and FB marketplace. Decorate your house the way you want to and not succumb to what Instagram thinks looks great. Buying things second hand also eliminates purchasing items made in China and has chemical off-gassing.   This year, spend less, and give your house the color and character is so drastically needs.  

My new old Rug is from the 1920's, a Persian Spartan Antique rug with lots of Navy and Maroon/pink wool. It's 9 x 12 and I snatched it up from my local Restore. It had been donated by The Persian Carpet Company across the street.   I got it for an embarrassingly low price.   I saved even more money by laundering it myself with the good ol' garden hose, a bucket of dish soap and water, and a scrub brush.  It air dried for several days in my garage with fans running.  This corner of the room needs more color or perhaps I leave it neutral and let the rug shine.

I purchased the rug in late November and it took several weeks to launder so I had time to give my lampshades new pleated fabric from Joann's. I wanted to add even more color that would go with the rug. I also found this beautiful wool throw blanket from an Etsy seller called SultansGem.  

My vintage knitted Peacock feather tablecloth works so well in here and I have new books to read for the new year. One is called the Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds. A place I'd like to visit some day.

Does anyone else leave up their New Year's Eve lights all through January?  It really helps me cope with the loss my Christmas decorations. 

Also I don't care if my living room/house makes me look 80 years old.  80 year olds know what's up. 

 Happy New Year, now who's down for Thrifting??

xo

Cathleen

Vintage Karastan rug

One of the great things about living where I live is the tremendous Estate Sales that pop up.  For whatever reason there are hardly ever any lines and people have nice things.  At a recent Estate sale for example I had my eye on a rug that was in their preview photos. I zoned right in on it and stuck a "Sold" sticker right away.  I don't really think I even looked at the price tag.     

I scored this beautiful vintage Karastan rug for a mere $250!   The colors were perfect for our dining room and the pattern very pleasing. It has a thick wool pile and even better after I put a 1/2 felt pad underneath it.  It's 8'8" x 12' Antique Ivory Medallion Kirman #781 American wool.

When I brought it home I went to work cleaning it.  I used my water hose, a bucket with soapy water and a scrub brush.  I hand scrubbed it and then rinsed it.  I also used my Bissell cleaner to suck out the dirty water. Unfortunately the amount of dirt that was coming out if it was too much for my little Bissell. I think it even started smoking at one point! I decided to let it dry and I rolled it up and took it to a great Persian Rug company that gets great reviews online.  At $3.40/square foot to have it cleaned, which for a 9x12 rug ran about $370 + tax. But in the end, it's nice to have a rug that feels brand new, yet from the 1950's with all the charm of a vintage rug. 

With care, this rug should last another 70+ years.  It's so well made and just absolutely stunning. 

I have been really drawn to cozy English style homes, so I've been wanting to incorporate more pattern, more mismatched furniture and having everything work. I have a ways to go to get that feeling, but I'm enjoying finding things that I love to fill our home.

 

I was ready to get new end chairs, but I think these Cheetah print Parson chairs go really well with the new rug. 

Happy New Year! 

xo

Cathleen