Old Desk Make-Over

This old desk make over isn't an over the top DIY project, but it was important to me that I did it well. I started it in August and just recently finished. When you look at it, it just simply looks like I sprayed it all white and called it a day, but unfortunately that is not the case. This old desk need some extra TLC which included lots of sanding, cobweb cleaning, replacing old rusty nails and making it more structurally sound. Why did I care so much? Well this old desk has a history, it was my Moms old manicure table. She was a manicurist way back when, before acrylic, gel or any other kind of fingernails were mainstream. It was the mid 1980's and she was one of the first in our town that could offer acrylic nails and do it well. She created quite a business for herself, along the way making many friendships and having some very interesting conversations across that table. As her business grew she replaced it with a larger more functional type workspace. She and I had many great conversations at that little desk as she filed and painted my fingernails. So this desk, which from the looks of it was probably someones DIY project many decades ago, was a project close to my heart. It was a little more than I bargained for, the wood was soft, and bumpy at the same time. The nails were nailed at weird angles and there were a lot of them that had to be replaced. This is why it took so long, I would just get to a point that I needed a break and step away for a little while. My daughter kept asking when it would be ready, I would say "soon" and then hit another bump in the road of my should have been easy project. The purpose of the make-over was to give my youngest daughter a desk for her room. It is the perfect size for the space and the rest of her furniture is white, so it was a no brainer. she loves it and uses it a lot. Well worth the effort. Ta Da...A little white desk.

I like the white against the purple. I heart purple!

Well lets look at how rough this looked like before......

Rough, but with character.

Taking it all apart and sanding and sanding...

The tracks for the drawers had to be adjusted, sanded and re-nailed.

Let the fun begin...

And more...fun.

I had to get all the little nooks and cranies.

 Well, that was my make-over desk from my mother to my daughter. I have a feeling I will keep this desk a long time and continue to revamp, redo, and make-over. I love to have pieces of furniture that has a story, meaning, memories. Family is everything and doing things for them makes me do the happy dance. Today a child that attends my school who is my daughters age passed away this morning. I feel sad, overwhelmed,  shock, disbelief. Why so young? It reminds me how everyday is so precious and can not be taken for granted. Hug your kids, kiss them, tell them that you love them, EVERYDAY. My thoughts and prayers are with this sweet precious family.

God Bless,

Cori Ann

DIY Art: Smile, Laugh, Create.....

 As I mentioned before I have a ridiculous collection of old frames. I've been saving for a few, or well several years. It's hard to throw out stuff you know can be all prettied up easily and inexpensive. So this summer it  was on the "To-Do" list to give those old frames new life. I used some of them in my Bathroom Revival which was so fun and easy, I thought I would keep going. As you know, school will be starting before you know it and I am an art teacher, so I wanted to make some DIY art for my desk in my classroom. I am also working on some more DIY back to school fun stuff. It makes going back to work fun when you are surrounded by fun stuff.

CREATE.........That pretty much sums it up for me!!

First I found some cute scrapbook paper on sale. I am not a scrapbook girl. I appreciate it as a craft and it can be beautiful. If I am going to put that much work, energy and money into something and make it all gorgeous with photos I don't think I could close that creation up and stick on a shelf, it would feel awkward and wrong, like I'm suffocating something beautiful and worthy of showing off. That's my opinion, anyways. I can still go wild on the scrapbook isles at the craft stores and enjoy their gorgeous products!!

I spray painted my frames white glossy. Using either the frame or the glass from the frame, I cropped a section of the pretty paper, then cut is out. I then used some of the more simple papers for banners where I attached my pretty letters and spelled out fun words. It took some playing around with different combinations of papers. But I was pleased with how it turned out. I'm sure you noticed already, but I like flowers and butterflies. I found a whole pack of of papers called "Blossoms and Butterflies" it was only $12 for 48 sheets. I will use them for most of my fun back to school stuff. The fun words that I chose were "Create, Smile and Laugh". This is how I think life should be, therefore I also want my students to know that I value these qualities and I hope they can smile, create and laugh while in my classroom. So here they are....

I hope you find these fun words as inspiration for living life. All three make us happier and more fulfilled. So laugh a lot, don't stop smiling and create your world.

Cori Ann

Bathroom Revival: Mother and Daughter Project:

The bathroom is finished and we are very pleased with how it looks and I had so much fun doing it, along with the help of my lovely assistants daughters. I had offered my oldest daughter who will be turning 13 soon if she wanted her bedroom updated to look more sophisticated and she said "No thank you, my bedroom is fine, but will you please do something about my bathroom, it looks like it belongs to an old lady." I can so this!

The big reveal.

Before: Old Lady Bathroom

Love this blue: Martha Stewart Aegean Blue

My favorite part: Scrapbook paper + spray painted frames= Instant Art

Adding ribbon to plain white towels. I fused it together and then stitched.

Adding ribbon trip to a cheap candle using double sided tape.

Making it just right!

My daughter's personal touch: Adding a bow to the towels.

Here is what we did:

One of the lovely assistants helping with painting.

The bathroom is ready for all of the fun stuff. By the way that green frog tape really does work.

My ridiculous collection of old frames.

Picking out just the right ones and spray painting them glossy white.

Adding pretty scrapbook paper. Only 49 cents a sheet. Score!

Then we added pretty ribbon to two bath towels, four hand towels and a plain white candle. We selected a pretty white shower curtain from target and soap dish and toothbrush holder from Home Goods and white shaggy rugs from Kohl's. My daughters and I had so much fun shopping together and choosing items. I hope they had a much fun as I think they did. It is their bathroom, so I thought it was important that they were involved. I can't wait to attack with decorating gusto the rest of the house. It is long over due and very "Old World". Lots of warm colors that need to be replaced with cool crispness and bright happiness. The warm browns, golds and red was O.K. for a while, but it has got to go. One room at a time:)

Our original inspiration.

 My girls feel proud that they were involved in the decisions and it turned out just the way the had hoped. Future designers, perhaps?

Love, Laugh, Create..
Cori Ann

Trampoline: Before & After, or DIY ?

As I have mentioned before I have quite a to-do list for summer. One of the items is to repair and replace all things damaged from the tornado last Spring. Well here is a before of our fence and trampoline.

I'm glad they are smiling..what they didn't realize was it would take us 3 months to get that crumpled mess back to normal.

We hired someone to fix the fence, but I thought my big girl self could put the trampoline together. I have the summer off, I can be kinda handy, I've got two willing daughters to help, I CAN do this! So the trampoline arrived and oooohh, so many parts, yikes!

By the way, replacing this hideous carpet is on my to-do list also, so embarrassing!

In three days and 3 gallons of sweat and tears ( O.K. I'm exaggerating. It wasn't that bad) we finished. Despite ridiculous directions with awful pictures from the 70's to go with it, we figured it out and and the three of us felt like this when we were done.

I love it! 

So here is the after and my sweeties doing their happy dance...jump, jump, jump.

There it is, and the fence is all new and pretty. Yea, check that off my list. We are almost done with the bathroom re-do. Here is a sneak peak to what is going on.

I will have a show and tell bathroom re-do post on Friday!

Smile,Laugh, Create,
~Cori Ann