kitchen cabinets: one coat of primer!

I painted one coat of primer on the cabinets! :)

before with 80's cabinets

It's all a huge freaking mess.  But, progress none the less.  It is so much brighter!  I can't believe it took me 3 years to get to this!  I love it :)  I plan to put on the first coat of paint in a minute and the second coat in the morning.  The paint I am using says second coat after 6 hours, but before 24.  Here's to hoping 2 coats get it done!

xoxo

Large Red Lantern for $15

Remember when I scored this lantern from a thrift store for $10.  It started out freaking fugly, but it had potential.  It was so damn heavy and I immediately got to work on it.  Yes, I had other crap going on, but come on.  

All the glass was in great shape and was beveled.  It was going to be a total bitch to tape it all off and try to get the spray paint in all the nooks and crannies.  So, with my super arm strength I held it above our dumpster and took a hammer to the glass.  I bet my neighbors think I'm nuts.  I was doing it and my mr. came running out of his garage to see what was wrong.  Nothing just breaking some glass.  He didn't even flinch, just nodded and went back to working.  It's not uncommon for me to do something crazy.

I haven't decided if I love it red or if it will eventually be black, but here she is:

Remember the before:

One more after for you from the other direction:

Yesterday I scrubbed the top cabinets, took the doors off, and taped the cabinets in preparation to paint the top cabinets white!  I also sprayed the hinges white.  Can't wait to show you pictures soon!

So, what do you think black or red lantern.  If I leave the lantern red, do I repaint the back door black?  I am currently painting all the doors black room by room, so it would make sense.  

xoxo

old light made new with a neon pink duct tape & gold ceiling dots

My hilarious friend Jess moved in to a new apartment a while ago and she has been slowly been making it hers.  It's super cute guys.  Seriously.  So cute!

Anywho, she recruited me for my super good looks and mad skills....kidding I do have mad skills in making cool stuff for cheap!  So, we have been working on some stuff.

Scored this light from craigslist, it's brass and old and awesome.

I cleaned it up and it was lovely.  But, it needed to be a plug in light and the light bases were falling apart.  In steps some glorious neon pink duct tape.

Now, I am going to teach you how to rewire a chandelier to make it plug in.

It's super easy...I may be plotting to do this to a few lights. Don't judge.

DISCLAIMER: I am not an electrician. I did this myself.  I am telling you how I did it.  I am in no way responsible if you fuck yours up and burn down your house.  

REWIRING A CHANDELIER

1.  Collect your supplies: chandelier, wire strippers, needle nose pliers, a lamp kit from Lowe's (for the switch), electrical cord for your needed length, duct tape to cover the cord when finished, and electrical tape (it's must be electrical tape, no duct tape won't work for that part)

2. Cover the light bases with duct tape. 

3. Cut cord to decide where you need the switch.  You may skip this part if you don't need a switch.  Her plug was behind a bookcase and we needed it to be able to be turned on without having to plug it in every time.  Pull apart the wires with some pliers and wire strip the ends.

  4.  Join the ends together by twisting them like so, it doesn't matter which side you connect it to, just keep each side of the cord separate.

5.  Now tape each exposed wire with electrical tape.  You are going to be super excited at this point.  After each connection has been made, (I had to do it in 4 spots) and all the electrical tape is on PLUG IN THE LIGHT!!!  Do not wrap in duct tape until you have plugged it in.  If it doesn't work you are not going to want to undo all the duct tape.  I luckily thought of this ahead of time.  

6.  Sit back and realize how cool you are, text your friend pictures of her light.  Seriously. Awesome. 

Now recruit someone to assist you (I made Morgan and Hayley help hold it, child labor is free, woot woot!)

and cover the cord in duct tape.  I didn't get a pic of this step because all the hands were holding the cord so the tape didn't get covered in Harley's dog hair!

Before I show you the finished product, I have to show you one more addition to this light for her dining room.  My mom bought 2 packs of these dots at a garage sale, each pack had 4 sheets of dots.

I spray painted the dots gold and..............drum roll..................

It turned out so amazing!!  

Plus the Brass Folding Ghost Chairs I found on Craigslist found a home at her place.  They are perfect for her house!

We are also working on her bar cart and this gallery wall, she has to finish up her TV stand to make sure it doesn't conflict with the height of the art. :)

henry the pug wants you to know only you can prevent forest fires and he'll eat the rest of that if you are done with it.

xoxo

Faux Subway Tile Back Splash and Kitchen/Dining updates

So, our kitchen is slowly being redone.  We have been working on little projects here and there and it's coming along.  It's nearly impossible with a hubs who works full time, I babysit and spray paint things, we have 4 heathens and a plethora of other things going on, to completely tear apart our kitchen for the sake of aesthetics.   Slow and steady wins the race for us.  Plus, I lack funds to go much faster. Keepin' it real.

I am dying to have a subway tile back splash.  It will happen, but not until spring break.  So, I started out by painting the wall white.  It was already so much brighter.  I was going to patiently wait for subway tile.

One wild hair up my ass and a sharpie later and I drew on my subway tile.  I have had some people over and they went, "Hey you got subway tile, then I say nope just paint and a sharpie marker!! Plus Mr. TSL put up/made some shelves for the kitchen :)

Before we moved in:

                                Currently:

-ripped out the nasty ass crapet (yep tile looking disgustingly filthy carpet)
-painted the subfloor (temporary)
-moved the cabinets up and added a shelf underneath
-took out the cabinet above the sink and replaced with shelves
-put in above stove microwave
-changed all the appliances to black that we scored sweet deals on and/or got from craigslist
-took out weird pergola top off island and straightened the island.
-replaced the light with barn lights from upstairs
-replaced faucet
-painted walls, trim, pantry doors and shutter door medicine cabinet.


Now on to the dining room, the view from the kitchen when we moved in:

and now:

more dining room pics and some simple fall decorating:

my i will survive planter....i gently ease plants to their death, so i was hoping for a planter that encouraged survival!

xoxo

Candy Corn Toes and Pumpkin Cupcakes

Revisiting a previous fall post:

I can't seem to like painting my fingernails.  They just chip and piss me off.  I do ALWAYS have my toes painted though! Seriously, I have had my toes painted as long as I can remember.

Plus, today I made pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream frosting.....to die for delicious!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Frosting

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl

4 eggs (at room temperature)

1 can pumpkin (15 oz)

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c oil

mix all above ingredients and fold in dry ingredients

pour into muffin tins (I use muffin cups too.)  fill 2/3 full.

bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (I do 25 minutes)

Maple Cream Frosting

8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)

3 tbsp butter (at room temperature)

1/4 tsp maple extract (it's like vanilla and located near it at the store)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 c powdered sugar

mix all ingredients except powdered sugar, fold in powdered sugar 

allow cupcakes to cool before frosting....unless you're like me then wait until they are warm and not hot :)  

These are so good you will thank me for introducing them to you or curse me for doing so....yum!

  

xoxo

little green school chairs

mr. tsl and i are recyclers of all things.  he and i are both teachers too, so that means when the school throws out old furniture, lighting, anything salvageable really, mr. tsl brings it home for me. love that man!

scored these two little school chairs for free:

before

xoxo

Lots of stuff going on around my house!

So, the other day....a few weeks back I was cleaning the bathroom and decided it needed to be painted white.  So after I cleaned the toilet, I put on paint clothes.  It's all painted, but not restyled yet, so I'll show you soon.

I also am pushing for the kitchen to get started.  I have begun hoarding things for the redo and have been doing the simple things I already can do, just to start the ball rolling.  The cabinets would be mid-paint job, but we are throwing Audrey and Oliver's combo birthday party on Saturday.  And I didn't want to be like, hey family come over....no don't sit there that's where the cabinet doors are drying, no not there either, that's the prep area. ugh.  So, I will wait until the beginning of October to paint it all.

I scored this set from Craiglist:

The long dresser will hold the TV, the short dresser is Audrey's, the mirror and the headboard I haven't decided on yet.

Plus on Saturday I get a new couch!!  I am so excited! Like ridiculously excited!!

I am currently obsessed with this space:

and this kitchen is what I am going for in mine:

xoxo