New web site

Hey girls! Well I have found a new website (at least to me!) sugarstacks. It is a wonderful website that shows how much sugar is in a food or beverage item through pictures of the food item with stacks of sugar cubes next to the item. I was shocked at some of the item, and okay not so shocked at other.

However I know I have always said I am a visual learner and figured someone else out there in blog land might find this interesting as well. See ya'all tomorrow!

Random Projects-modge podged coasters, and canister make over

Well "project Amy" is back! At least that is what my hubby has proclaimed, and since everybody is scared I might start painting them, maybe it is true. Well here are some pictures of some random small projects that I have done the last few days. Some are better than others, but all were fun to work on!

Well the first project I thought I would work on was creating some Zebra printed coaster to match my daughters new room. I can not remember if it was Lowe's or Home depot who advertise buying cork board coasters and modge podging fabric onto the coasters. Well when I was at Michael's the other day I asked if they had cork board coaster and was told "no" but I could buy a roll of thin cork board and cut it into circles. I thought that was a pretty good idea - that is until the tight wad in me saw that it was approx $9.00 for a roll of cork board. However on my way out of Michael's I passed their cute little (addictive) $ section and I spotted the above Rooster coasters. Cute, but not quite the look I needed, but I thought I bet I can modge podge on that! So you guess it, I bought a package and home I went to modge podge Zebra print scrapbook paper onto the coasters. One coat on the coaster, then apply paper directly onto coaster, then seal coaster with another coat of modge podge. Then for good measure I sprayed with a coat of varnish. Here is how they turned out:

Well that is all the Zebra crafts I have for now. My second project I decided to do, was when I was at Walmart in their craft section their rub on decals caught my eye. I simply love Fleur De Li's! What do you know they had some! So I grabbed them up not knowing for sure what I was going to do with them. I came home and was putting my groceries up and my eyes spied my boring, plain canisters. Yeah~ I felt like Fancy Nancy (Fancy Nancy is a character from a children's book series, who fancies everything up, she does not like plain!) So I came home, and spray painted the silver lids black. Then went to town rubbing on those decals.
Here is a picture of my finished canister set on my kitchen counters:

I love working on small projects around a house that personalizes the space to where it reflects the occupants personality!!! Thanks for letting me share my projects!

beat up hope chest to zebra coffee table

Hi ya'all! Well you know I have been redoing my tweens bedroom in purple and zebra print. It has been so much fun! I get to do all kind of crazy things and it is ok, because it is for a teens room. Well the first thing my tween said she wanted was a couch, futon, anything really for her friends to sit on and hang out on when they are over watching movies, or listening to movies or face booking whatever the case may be. So I was trying to be frugal (I have 3 girls remember and I got into this mess by allowing them ALL to switch rooms - so yep, this is only the 1st of 3 girls room I will be doing ~ call me crazy! I do! and did I mention I am going to try to have all of it done by the time school starts (yes, that sound you heard was me laughing hysterically)

Well first of all while I was brain storming I thought of an old hope chest I had before my hubby and I got married. It had set at the foot of our bed when we first got married, and over the years had been moved around and lost a sense of purpose ~ that yes, I do believe most furniture needs a purpose. Well, the forgotten (but loved) piece of furniture is pictured below, and yes it really was that scary. Yes, that was exactly what my tween thought at first too! I first brought it outside (for some reason no one likes me to paint inside) and took the lid off, well it was almost falling off.

The second step was I took the fabric off of the top, and painted the whole thing matte black. Top to bottom two coats. Then I painted a clear matte varnish over the whole thing. I let this dry (the paint took 24 hours which surprised me because it was really hot outside!) Then I took the top and replaced the foam padding and covered it with Zebra printed decorator fabric. How fun is that! I stapled gun the fabric to the top of the lid. The very last step was that I scotch guarded the fabric really really well.! I hope approve, my daughter does- she loves it!

Confession time: I think in the past I was too quick to get rid of pieces of furniture before I thought outside the box. Is anyone out there in blog land guilty of similar mistakes? What was your favorite save, or looking back what did you give up on to quick?

Zebra print dresser and mirror

Here is the project that I started on a previous blog: ta da! Finished!!! Yeah!!!

On the previous blog I showed how I modge podged decorative tissue paper on the above mirror - however when I went back to the store they were out!!! Ahhh!!! was my reaction! Then I stopped and thought about it, and scrap book paper for the dresser drawers would really be a better option since the drawers would be handled every day.

The dresser was off white and yellow. That I sanded down, and painted black (matte finish). Once the dresser was painted I removed the drawer handles and modge podged on the zebra print scrap book paper to each drawer front. Then I painted the drawer handles that were white and gold with black with settled into the lower area and made the drawer handles black and white - which I think really looks cool with the zebra paper.

A teenager will be using the dresser drawer every day with flat irons, and curling irons on top. So I put 3 coats of clear matte varnish on top of the dresser and sides that were painted black, as well as the drawer fronts and mirror.

This project is far from "perfect" but it was fun to do, and salvaged a piece of furniture that was to uncool for a teen room for approx $17.00. Yeah!!! I love when I can salvage furniture and make it fit in a room so perfect that someone would assume it was bought for that very room!

Summer Reading - Book Review

I love summer! Summer means to me staying up late, sleeping in, drinking sweet tea, and making a trip to the library each week for a new stack of books to read. I read a little bit of everything from Chick Lit, espionage thrillers, christian lit, historical books you name and I probably love to read it. However one of my favorite Chick Lit author: Hester Browne (she is the author of the "Little lady agency series") Hester Browne just released a new book called "Finishing Touches". What a delightful read!

"Finishing Touches" is a story about a girl named Betsy who after the death of her adopted mother returns to the Academy that her mother had ran for her entire life to try to save it from financial ruin. The Academy is a finishing school for the uber rich of society. It is a fun romance full of fun adventure filled with life's ups and down along with some helpful tidbits about being a lady. What a fun, lite summer read!