Everyone needs a Bar



 

 



With all the crazy holiday shopping, cooking, wrapping, sending out cards, more shopping and more wrapping I'm already exhausted! I was way over due for some *ME* time. I'm sure I spend my "me time" a little different than  most. As much as I love relaxing in a bubble bath I love creating even more. My me time was going to consist of creating something for my very own and NOT to sell! That doesn't happen very often or ... at all actually! I had this piece lying for years...

When I bought it from my neighbor many years ago I loved it. The style was unique and well... what woman doesn't love margaritas! With my kitchen being somewhat smaller than what I'd like I had to get creative because I wanted the bar and I also needed the space for prepping and cooking. This was the perfect piece for doing so. Knowing the uses for this bar I made sure the top was going to be durable and ready to withstand much use. With the kitchen being the first rooom you see when you enter my home I also want it to be stylish.

PROCESS: First like most pieces it needed a light sanding so that the paint would stick better and rid of the many stains on the top. After sanding wipe with a tack cloth to clear your surface. I used BEHR paint and primer in one. I have used this paint several times and was astonished when it worked quite well! (I'm used to using primer separately... you get to skip a step using this paint!) If I wasn't doing all this in my kitchen I would have loved to use a sprayer for this project. The paint got very tedious with the many divots and crevices. I did two coats and let it dry completely. Now for the top I bought this...

 

 

I've wanted to use this many times before but it's a bit pricey for me. Just under $30 for 1 box. Depending on how thick you'd like your coverage to be you may need more than one box. I like it to be pretty thick so this one box did it for my small coverage area. It comes with clear directions so follow them carefully. Just make sure when you pick the super glaze up you also purchase containers for mixing (measurements need to be on the containers), and also mixing sticks. All the required items needed I purchased at my local Home Depot Store (www.homedepot.com). Now the stylish design on the top is actually fabric. I measured the top and cut the fabric to fit. I sprayed the back of the fabric with adhesive so when I poured the glaze over the fabric it didn't move. F.Y.I the super glaze does have a very strong oder so I do reccomend that you use it in a well ventilated area. I used painters tape around the egdges so the glaze wouldn't drip....

 

 

And finally the complete project when everything was dry and ready for use ...  

 

 

Room Make Over- An Office Transformation

So it's pretty much become a daily routine for me to find something around the house or even some room to redecorate (Yes, I’ve painted each room several times). I think that I get this from my dad. When I was young he would go from room to room redecorating and when he reached the last room he would just start over. Since this redecorating happens to often I'm on a VERY tight budget. I'm often finding ways to get stuff for FREE (tag sale leftovers, craigslist) and if it's not free well then it's pretty darn cheap (thrift stores). I'm a believer that anything can be recycled. When I moved my office from one room to another I decided that I wanted more vibrant colors incorporated with the room being smaller. So this is what I did...

       Key Lime Green!! It's such an invigorating color. It really does... somehow... help keep me motivated. These lamps were free from a friend who moved and wanted to trash them. They were once an ugly brown with even uglier off white marble shades. So all I did here was spray paint them! Rust-oleum is all I use for spray paint. The bases were done in metallic silver. The shades were a bit trickier because I had to stuff plastic bags on the insides and use painters tape to tape the edges so the paint didn't bleed on the inside. I used a Key Lime to spray the shades.

 

I live by the quote "Organization is Key" so I am constantly finding creative ways to organize EVERYTHING! So here we have a couple of accents vases. I use these for everything from a simple flower to spruce up the room (yes every now and then my boyfriend surprises me, but it has reverted to more of a then so I don't mind replacing real flower with fake one ;) to the obvious pens pencils and other office supplies. These were a great way to add color and not take up too much space.

 

  

Once again, back to the organization! I get a lot of both of these ^Bills ^ and ^Mail^ .. unfortunately. So to make my life easier I found the most convenient way to keep up with both. I also have a few more baskets for other business related paperwork and receipts. The baskets were from Joann’s and were a whopping 80% off! I customized them using scrapbooking materials and hot glued them on. You can get scrapbooking supplies at any craft store. I'm a fan of A.C Moore because I'll print a coupon for 50% off any regular priced item and just make frequent trips. It totally pays off!

 

I'm a corkboard hoarder. I use them at home and work so when I find one I don't let it go. There are so many ways to customize your corkboard. You can get fancy using anything from ribbons to fabric or stay simple and just use paint. I needed this one done pretty fast so I'm guilty of not giving my ultimate perfection here (as you can probably see). All this entire project needed was the three variety of colors and some painters tape. It’s the drying time that had me tapping my nails.  

 

And last we have these candle holders. I added these to the room for a more cozy and homely feel. I bought these on clearance at a store closing. They were more of a bronze and although I didn't mind the color it just wouldn't match with my new theme. So using the same metallic spray paint I updated the look. Candles are pretty cheap in a variety of stores so just keep your eyes peeled!

 

 

Easy Accent Jars

I am always looking for fast, easy, cheap (did I say cheap!) projects to help stage my larger pieces of furniture. Adding accent pieces can help others see an item in a way they wouldn’t have otherwise viewed it. And to me… the cheaper the better! So a great way to add some color would be these Bright Accent Jars. I save EVERY glass jar from the spaghetti sauce jar to the Starbucks Ice Coffee (saves my day) and even down to the small salsa jars. Variety is always better to me and you never know what you'll need it for!

 

This project is very simple. First you can sprits the glass bottles with a primer (for glass), RUSTOLEUM is my recommendation. Let dry. Drying time is important in between all coats for a smooth finish. Believe me! I’ve been in a rush many a times and was left with some unexpected surprises. Choose your colors. To me the brighter … the better. So I chose Rust-Oleum American Accents Ultra Cover 2X seaside, key lime, and real orange. Spray each bottle and don’t forget the inside (top only). You can spruce the jar up a bit using a simple clamp ($1.30 at hardware stores). I spray the clamps with the same three colors and and switched them up so they would pop. Some jars will come with added flare already but others (like my spaghetti jars) are quite plain. To add some quick detail I took a hot glue gun and wrote the famous words… *LIVE* LAUGH* and *LOVE* (before spray painting). There are many ways to spruce up any jars lying around the house so don't be afraid to play with some ideas!

 

And WALA! They are great for a variety of uses and add some pop of color! ENJOY!

D.I.Y CURTAINS with a money and time saving trick!

What You’ll Need

Fabric

Sewing thread

Measuring tape

Sharp scissors

Straight pins

Sewing machine

Iron and ironing board

 

To me having the right curtains really make a room. The hard part… they can be expensive! For as long as I can remember I have been making my own curtains. This really helps add some personality to a room. If you are a sewer this is a fairly easy thing to do.  I’ll go to Osgood’s since they have the largest selection of textiles!! (http://www.osgoodtextile.com) Or I can also recommend Joann’s (www.joann.com) since there is most likely one of these closer to you and they always have coupons available.

People like their curtains at different lengths (myself.. LONG!) so measure and then … measure again! Starting at the curtain rod measure to the length you’d prefer. (A big perk to making your own, you chose the length). Don’t forget to add about an inch on all sides so you can sew the hem. Depending on the type of curtain you are looking for your top (curtain rod pocket) may vary. If you are using rings that clip onto to your fabric (my favorite look) then treat the top as any other side BUT if you are NOT then you must add extra length so you can fold enough fabric over to make sure your curtain rod slides through easily. Now many people will also add a hem to the top as well before folding and sewing the curtain rod pocket. I DO NOT. I change out my curtains so often that I don’t mind saving time and skipping this step. It’s not a big deal because you can’t see it anyway (just try to cut straight) !

Now for making your hem: you are going to start folding over anywhere from ½” to 1’ for your hem (I like narrower hems) then using your pins and iron start to flatten and pin each side. You will first sew each side then you will go the bottom, the top I save for last. I highly recommend a sewing machine because sewing this by hand can take a very long time! Thread your machine and sew away!  

MONEY AND TIME SAVING TRICK

Now I’d also like to share with you another little MONEY and TIME SAVER! While shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond I ran across this shower curtain on the clearance rack that was once used as a display.

 

It was VERY cheap. Cheaper than buying fabric in fact! AND I only needed to hem two sides in which had to be cut to fit each window. So I not only saved money but time since they were already the length I love and less sewing needed!

 

DIY CHEAP APARTMENT FIXES

So for those of you who are in my shoes and are still enjoying the perks of apartment living ;)
You’re probably experiencing similar dilemmas. You want to have a nice looking place to live BUT don’t want to spend the money since you aren’t getting the return value. So throughout the years I have learned a few tricks to save on $$$ BUT also add some class and a little spark to your new place. I’ll share with you some tricks to plump up your place!

To start… I LOVE the charm of older buildings: larger windows, wood floors, molding… But it also comes with the not so loveable traits such as unevenness (try hanging a picture and it actually looking straight!), outdated looks, remnants of other DIY projects gone wrong, and a laundry list of other things!

A fresh coat of paint can liven up any room up, with of course the OK from your landlord. Many places don’t allow tenants to paint on their own. I won’t move to a place where this occurs because I LOVE COLOR! Places that don’t allow painting are usually some version of WHITE in EVERY room! So with that said and your landlord’s permission get out the paintbrushes folks!

Now in many older buildings the baseboards look something like this…

 

The problems I have run into time and time again no matter how straight of a line you can paint, it NEVER looks good. The baseboard is chipped, uneven and over time pulled away from the wall. So I decided to give this issue my full attention since I have this issue in EVERY room. Good news.. easy fix! You are going to paint a straight line on the wall, it kind of connects the baseboard and the wall and leaves a smooth line. So,  After you have painted your walls and let them dry decide on the thickness you would like the line to be and tape it off like so…

 

 

For the areas where the baseboard has pulled away from the wall I tried a few different things from rolled up tracing paper to Spackle, depending on the size of the gap being filled. I painted two coats of pure white on my baseboards and the after effect…

 

Simple! It now looks clean and modern. You would never know how ugly it really used to be!! It does take time to go around and do this to every room so have patience. Choose a different room each weekend until you have conquered them all! It really is worth it in the end.

TANGERINE ORANGE RUSTIC DISTRESSED METAL CHAIR

This unique metal chair stands at 2'10". The old red and yellow rusted paint was stripped off and repainted with this vibrant Tangerine orange. It was then sanded down once again for the rustic, distressed feel that seem to fit the unique style of the chair.

CAST IRON BAR CHAIRS

The final touch to any bar, inside or out! This versatile fabric not only looks great but cleans easily for those messy guests.

AFTER

 

 

BEFORE & AFTER

 

BEFORE

 

Indian Orchard Mills Art Show

COME ONE COME ALL!

Its almost here. Our Grandest Show of the Season. Open Studios Art Show & Sale. Saturday & Sunday, November 9th & 10th. 12-4 pm. Come see our all new show in the Dane Gallery and visit with the Artists as they Open their Private Studios to the public. Refreshments will be served.

 

 

LOCATED AT:

34-40 Front Street

Indian Orchard, MA 01151

 

UNUSUAL FIT STUDIO #27

Starting a Dream - The Indian Orchard Mills

Every dream has to start somewhere. For me the Indian Orchard Mills is where my dream starts to take shape. The influential environment filled with talented artists and business owners puts a sense of pride in oneself. It’s about being a part of something bigger, something that gives you the audacity to move forward. The views of the building, both inside and out are enough to inspire anybody. 

 

 To read about the Indian Orchard Mills and their interesting past as well as pictures click below.

 http://www.indianorchardmills.com/history.htm

Located at:

 34-40 Front Street

Indian Orchard, MA 01151

Welcome to a new Adventure... Starting your own business.

So I want this blog to be more than just a place that I market and present my amazing pieces of work.. ;)

I want this to be a place where you can go to be inspired, learn, and share. Trying to start your own business leaves you with a plethora of emotions. Although I am a starting as a sole proprietor, I am going through this with great friends and family BUT… I want to hear from others who are going through the same adventure as I. I want to know what it is you are trying to do or accomplish, how you feel daily when you are faced with both positive results and disappointments.

Starting your own business is a life adventure. This is something I have wanted to do for so long. Finally having the chance to do so is quite the rollercoaster ride. There are things people don’t understand and I have had to go through in order to learn. Yes I am my own boss, and yes I choose my own hours. BUT… through the process you have to be harder on yourself than you have ever been. Harder than your previous boss was on you and work more than your average 40 hour a week job. You have to push yourself for that payoff you are looking for. So as I start this adventure I’d like to share with you, in hopes you will also share with me.

RETRO STYLE TELEPHONE DESK

This antique telephone desk was given a good modern clean up! It now can serve many uses from a childs school desk to an entryway bench. This unique piece was my great aunts and was used quite often as she sat and talked on the phone in her kitchen. I love to see such a great piece be passed along with such history.

 

BEFORE / AFTER

CHEVRON CHAIR

CHEVRON CHAIR

For Sale: An old worn out chair was in major  need of TLC! So... I gave it some fresh sky blue paint and reupholstered the seat with the popular chevron fabric and wala ... A bold modern look!

AFTER

 

BEFORE

PLANTER TABLE

 

This was once an old rusted plant stand. After a little TLC it became a perfect little bedside table. I had to sand down the rust spots and give it a few coats of RUST-OLEUM bright white. Since I pretty much collect all types of junk I had this glass top lying around from another piece that was given new life. It was the perfect "UNUSUAL FIT" .. haha! Now you can place items for display inside or on top!

BERRY PINK PAIR

BERRY PINK PAIR

 

The perfect pair of chairs refurbished to add a touch of cottage chic.

 

This pair was a bit touch. Sanding down the old chipping paint took a lot of time and several different sanders to reach each nook and cranny! But at the end it was worth all the effort! I did leave some of the old paint to add to the cottage chic feel.

 

 

 

 

<----- BEFORE