Wanna see my kitchen?

Well, what started out to be a simple "plain old paint the cabs to be thrify reno" is now lookin' like this:And this:


Yep I may just be the only gal in the history of the world to almost have to have her arm twisted to say yes to a brand new kitchen...hubs said Do It..so we are.

More to come...keep checking back, y'hear? Now to make dinner in our makeshift garage kitchen!

PB style stools almost FREE!

I was bummin' on these green stools a

loooong time before I spotted

this pic in the PB catalog for "Napoleon" counter stools

at $209 EACH!!

Mine were identical...all I needed to do was gear up my trigger finger and start a-spraying... I had the paint, tape, and poly so this project rang in at: $0.00!!!

This is what I did:
1. Cleaned stools with Simple Green, wiped down and let dry...

2. Taped off the seat portion, which I wanted to remain the wood color...

3. Grabbed my "2X Faster" Rustoleum Semi-Glass spray paint in Black, along with the must-have accessory, the Trigger Sprayer attachment.....

4. Sprayed on 3-4 light coats, letting them dry about 2 hours between coats (this took a whole day)

5. Next day, I sanded the corners and "wear" areas lightly to expose the wood a bit for that lightly distressed look....

6. Wiped off dust w/tack cloth... (ok, ok it was a mate-less sock)

7. Used Wipe-on Poly.... this took forever.... it looks great but I had to use like 6 coats. (Next time I will use spray on sealer)

Viola! Here they are and I saved $418.00 plus tax & shipping!

Bella`s Room ♥ by AnnHouseFinally featuring Volcom

and the kitchen.............

Dream Kitchen by AnnHouseFinally on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Crateandbarrel.com face powder, $999
Paradehome.co.uk, 422 GBP
Amazon.com, $138
Crateandbarrel.com kitchen electrics, $90
Ikea.com cookware, $44

We're IN!!! Let the reno begin....

OMG!! We have the keys and we're IN our House Finally!!!!!!

In less than 24 hrs DH has removed all the doors/hinges from kitchen cabs, sanded, demo'd one wall of cabinets (the rest are staying), and removed the countertops. Today we are ready for prime & paint... I just have to pick out a color!!! I want white, but not white-white... I don't want yellow in it, more like a grayish-white... I think? I've gotten tons of samples and none is quite right.

Off I go to blogdom to search and see other's cabinet redo's and hopefull get a good color recommendation!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I am soooooooo happy!

Paint It Black!

No colors anymore I want it painted black... Rolling Stones, circa 1972

I've been busy.

Painting lots of things black.

It started with the Napoleon Pottery Barn stool I saw, price was $209 or something like that, each!: (my orig post about these here)

It looked a lot like my Lowe's stool I bought 5 years ago for 60 bucks:

So I searched on all my fave blogs "paint furniture black" and came up with options: Spray paint, Low-Lustre Benjamin Moore, Black Suede Eggshell from Behr. Of course I decided on the easiest-sounding , umm I mean, most appropriate technique for my project: Spray Paint.

I went to Home Depot and saw the "one coat" Rustoleum in "satin" and thought: hmmm... I have a coat rack that may look good in that... I also had some Oil Rubbed Bronze for the hardware...

A little sanding to distress the edges, and I was in business...... again, BEFORE:

AAAhhh, AFTER:
After..... (hard to get this whole stinkin thing in one pic...)
OK, OK, this is what it usually looks like. Very functional.


And these stools, too which I bought years ago from a model home outlet center... painted the legs black then recovered:

Ugh, the following pic looks like a "before"... but I swear they don't look this distressed in person... the camera either makes things look much better or much worse....


I'm not done. These victims are next:

Free dresser I picked up off the curb














I got 2 of these for 20 bucks offa Craiglist

My inspiration is Just a Girl's Black dresser redo... its devine!!"Ask and you receive"
about the fab black paint she used...no sanding! and great results

Tiny red/gold lamp was 1.25(yes !!!) at Lowes (Christmas clearance I snagged 2 of them)

and finally, the bane of my existance...my china hutch. It pains me to call it that-guilt wells up because this once belonged to my fave aunt. But that was when it was in its glory-- now its dingy and dinged up and so outdated looking. See this is where the camera makes something look better than it really looks.... I actually discovered the home-decor bloggin world as a result of entering "paint china cabinet" in a desperate google search spurned on by this baby... I still haven't got the guts to begin it...soon, soon.....

I'll be baaack (in Black)!

POLYVORE, the Time Vampire

Ut Oh... time waster alert. Don't go on this site unless you have tons of time...to waste...


Living Room by AnnHouseFinally on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Rugsoftheworld.net rug, 3,500 GBP
Jaysonhomeandgarden.com sofa, $2,850
Mecoxgardens.com, $900
Crateandbarrel.com, $899
Gracioushome.com lamp, $645

And the Dining Room:


href="http://www.polyvore.com/modern_casual_dining_room/set?.mid=embed&id=13302956">
Modern Casual Dining Room by AnnHouseFinally on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Net-a-porter.com earrings, $155
Rugsoftheworld.net rug, 3,000 GBP
Crateandbarrel.com, $699
Homedecorators.com decor, $219
1stdibs.com, $215

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Master Bedroom... ok going on 2 hours here.....I.can't.stop!!

Romantic Escape Master by AnnHouseFinally on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Southofmarket.biz bedroom furniture, $8,950
1stdibs.com lamp, $7,900
Rugsoftheworld.net rug, 2,000 GBP
Crateandbarrel.com, $1,799
1stdibs.com accent chair, $1,596

Update on House.........

Ugh--- I just am very very tired of waiting. We were supposed to close this week, but thats not gonna happen. We are still awaiting "docs" and the bank assures me its all ok, but this is my 5th sleepless night thinking about all the things that can happen.

Now that I am picturing in my mind all the things I want to do in that house, I am itching to get started. But I am so afraid to buy anything , or set anything in stone, until I have THE KEY........... don wanna "jinx" it. We've been househunting sooo long, and fell for sooo many houses that didn't work out (I have a notebook full of plans for 4-5 homes we were hoping to get over the past 3-4 years), I am afraid to hope anymore. Sigh.

I called the floor guy yesterday, though. He is at the ready. I am leaning towards Sam's Club Laminate in Russet Oak... I will have to order that color online though and have it delivered via freight-which someone told me takes a longer time than they say.... there is also the Brazilian Cherry in stock AT the club. Depending on time constraints (ie. if we don't close soon)I will go for the Brazilian Cherry. I think either one will work.

This is the russet oak, above. I just love it.............................

Send good thoughts my way, pleeeeeaaase!

Pretty Glass Dessert/Cake Stand by Ann at HouseFinally This is is my first entry of any kind in the blogosphere. Thanks, Shanty2chic !

I wanted to make something from cheap items, but not for the end result to look cheap. I have never used Gorilla Glue before- so this was my maiden project!

My inspiration was this month's Country Living Passion=Profit...Hillary, who makes beautiful cake stands out of found plates and brass candlesticks...ChicksPicksbyHillarydotcom


OK, here is what I started with, a glass plate (made in Italy! I heart Tuesday Morning clearance!) and a lovely glass candlestick. They cost me all of 7-8 bucks....

The hard part was getting the price tags off! I was so impatient...used my fingernail then had to break out the microfiber cloth....

I left the "made in Italy" tag on the plate--is that tacky or what? But I love Italian glass........... the fact its an age-old tradition and that this plate came all the way from Italy to my hands----FOR 3.99!!!!




I decided to go with the Gorilla Glue "Dries White 2X faster" product, since my glass was clear and the Epoxy says it "dries tan"... I dampened the plate where it would be attached, as per the instructions. This part seemed odd to me, but what the heck, I applied the glue sparingly to the candlestick part, because it said it would expand:

















I kept my fingers crossed as I put the plate on top...centered it..... it wobbled a little bit because of the ribbed texture of the glass I chose(note to self: smooth would have been much easier), so I just wiggled it until it felt like it was not going to slip off.

Then I realized I needed to carry it inside--how dumb, I shoulda just done it inside!--

but it was OK.

I placed it on a stable surface and put a can of paint on top of it to weight it down. Left it there for 3-4 hours....

The glue dried strong and clear.

I added some clear silicone to the seam where the plate and candlestick met, just for some extra stability.............

TA-DA!! Here she is:

Should It Stay or Should It Go? (A new feature)

I am seriously driving myself nuts about what I should keep and what should go.... I should mention I went through this moving 5 years ago and got rid of lots of things I wish I hadn't: years of Christmas, Halloween, and Easter Martha Stewart Magazines..... a coffee table I could use right now, and some other things. Overall, it felt great to lighten up. But now I don't want to bring unnessary clutter into my new home, although I do need to buy some furniture-- I am short 2 sofas-- so I do need $$$ to buy new furn for my formal LR and Den.....

I decided that since I am in the process of PURGING prior to my move, that I will post the items I am seriously thinking of getting rid of at garage sale in 2 weeks. I will post the pics with a short description, then you tell me if I should get rid of it. Maybe you'll have some ideas on how to transform them also (if I keep em?)

Outdoor Set: I only paid 100 bucks for this at Big Lots... the cushions really need recovering, but overall its an OK set- but it is NOT comfortable... I am envisioning more of a "ooo this is comfortable" outdoor set- but those cost in the 1200.00 range... whacha think? Stay or go?

Pier One rattan chair: Also NOT comfortable... its just OK with a lumbar pillow... but I kinda like the style... but I will have to restain some of the frayed rattan parts... overall not in love with this... Stay or Go?

Iron Rose Shelf-Thingy: I guess I bought this when I almost went Shabby-Chic, then I remembered a man shares my house--how could I ask my burly, manly he-man to live surrounded in ruffles and crystals and pastel colors? But can I paint it? What can I use it for? It travels room to room in search of a home and a use. Stay or Go?

Daughter's Dresser: I love the style of this, but one drawer doesn't close all the way and my daughter says it looks "dirty" (she doesn't "get" the distressed look!) I had dreams of putting it in my foyer but me thinks me style has gone more modern than this now, although you can successfully mix pieces in I suppose... Stay or Go?

3 cheapy side tables: Got these with my coupon at Michaels and I think they cost me all of 8 bucks for all 3. Maybe I can paint them (ORB?) and mosaic the tops? Maybe for outdoors? Or bathroom? They fold which is kinda nice- but their surface is so tiny they really barely hold a glass of iced tea. Stay or Go?

(yes, there are 3 of these...ones in my teenager's room covered in....stuff.....)

Shelf I have had FOREVER...in my linen closet hidden away: OK, I have had this since before I married-- 15 years! I was in love with these little carved wood folk-art shelves you'd find everywhere in antique malls... used to have 3 others that have since gone bye bye. Everyplace I have been , he just ends up stuffed away because I can't find a use for him.. Stay or Go?

CD Unit: I am really toying with the idea of painting this, with big numbers on the drawers, and using it in my kitchen as a spice storage or something.. I really, really like the way its made, its all wood construction and solid. But will I do it? That also means I get rid of the CDs in it too- but I am a big IPod failure... I really don't like earphones.....I just end up listening to talk radio in the car and silence is golden in the house when I am alone... unless I listen to Maria Callas right off YouTube... soooo... Stay or Go?

Birdhouse: I know, I know...But I am so over white and blue beach house..... but Stay or Go?

2 Office Armoires: these were cheap on clearance at OfficeMax. Currently one houses my son's stuff & TV, the other I tried, but failed, at re-inventing as a "Homework Station"... I organized homework supplies, had a cubby for each kid, but it didn't catch on.. partially because it lacked proper lighting... If it stays its definitely getting painted.. Stay or Go?

Daughter's hutch and desk: This was free. Maybe my other daughter can use it, she'll need a desk, but their rooms are small in the new house... how can I make it current? Stay or Go?

Thank you--suggestions and ideas appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!