DIY Floor Refinishing - Sanding the Old - In With the New

So, as you can see, the project isn't finished but...it is getting there. And if you didn't see the floors before my hubby began this process - let me give you a peek.

This floor is 123 years old. So it's OLD fir flooring that has seen its share of wear and tear. But before my hubby could strip the layers of paint away, he had to do a few minor repairs--there were a few weak boards he wanted to replace.

You can see him here, reaching down into a hole to make a patch in the floor, and of course he had to use old flooring so it would match.  (A note to gardening friends - do you see him on his knees - yes, he's using a favorite gardening tool of mine - a Knee Pad, so there is more than one way to use this tool).

Anyway, then he had to strip off the first layer of paint with a machine he rented from The Home Depot for $60 for the day.

(You can see his patch job there - it won't show up so much after he strips the paint away from the other boards). But then he started the job, going slowly over the floor and being careful not to take too much off. He was concerned about gouging the wood but this old fir is super strong and you can see it was much improved after the first pass.

Of course he had to go over the floor a second time.

And then he actually got down on his hands and knees (using my gardening tool again) to get the last stubborn bits of paint up off those boards.

It was an all-day project and it was definitely a dirty job - he wore a dust mask to keep from breathing in the tiny particles floating in the air.

And you can see all the dirt left behind from the sander.

We're going to put a clear Varathane over the floor to protect the wood from scratches and wear but that's a project for another day.

HOLIDAY SPICE is now on Kindle

So if you want a HOT holiday, you might want to pick up this anthology on your kindle and curl up on the couch with a cup of cocoa then just wait for that warm holiday spirit to hit ;D.

HOLIDAY SPICE is only .99 cents this month. But remember this ISN'T a kids' book.

Other e-tailers will probably carry the book later in the month. http://www.amazon.com/Holiday-Spice-ebook/dp/B00GLEY2OY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384212470&sr=1-2&keywords=holiday+spice

My story is THE MESSENGER. 

DIY Wreath - Changing with the Seasons - Halloween to Christmas

It's so simple to live cheap and green. All you have to do is think "reuse", "repurpose" and "recycle". And I grew up doing that because in a house with nine kids, hand-me-downs was my way of life. New meant a new pair of shoes at the beginning of the school year--yep, one pair a year and I think I wore the same "gym" shoes for six years. I kept hoping my feet would grow so I could get a new pair. But anyway, back to this post about wreaths and refitting one thing to fit the next season.

Here's how this Christmas Wreath started out as a Halloween Wreath.

All I had to do to make the transformation was pull off the spiders and add large white pearl beads and a few rhinestones and rhinestone ribbon. It was that easy.

Oh and one floral pick with glittered apples and berries and a little holly to Christmasify the wreath.

Then I hung it back on the door and for about $2.00 I had an entirely different look to welcome visitors into my house for the holidays. See how simple it is to go from this:

to this:

So, if you've got access to a glue gun, load her up and morph that season into the next for very little cash but it will still be oh so cute.

Wishing you all, a Happy Holiday Season.

Button Wreath - DIY Ornaments

I grew up in a family with nine kids so Mom was always recycling, reusing and repurposing...before it was cool. One of the things I remember is Mom's button tin. When we wore things out - and I mean threadbare, holey, ripped and torn beyond recognition - then Mom would cut off the buttons and save them for later use.

I used to love to sit at the kitchen table and go through her buttons. It was like looking for buried treasure, searching for something beautiful in a pile of "usual" and "ordinary".

Today I still have a love for buttons. So when I was sitting home with a cold, I pulled out the pipe cleaners and started stringing buttons. Nothing special, just simple, ordinary buttons but I thought they looked pretty enough to hang on a tree. So I twisted the pipe cleaner and tied a ribbon on the top. . .

Now, I'm just waiting for Christmas so I'll have someplace to put this :D

"Sew" simple and yet it brings back old memories.

Three - Day Holiday Weekend Rolling In - Veteran's Day

It's not just a weekend to go shopping in the malls. There's some real history behind having Monday off from work. It's the 11th day of the 11th month...

History of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

I hope you all have a happy holiday weekend and that you get time to spend it with family and friends and take a moment to remember the heroes. 

Nail Addiction - Thanksgiving Nails

So, I'm trying different styles until I come up with the look that I really like for the holidays. And it's not easy because I've always been a bit of a Tomboy.  My husband laughs when I try different things and thinks I go a little far off the realm of average for style...maybe because I don't really have one...a sense of style that is. But it doesn't matter because I have fun playing around with the polish, paint and ...yep, glitter.

Today I took out the glitter pots and started painting. The first coat was a simple orange color that would be perfect for the Thanksgiving Holiday all on its own but, as is my motto, I always say why leave a good thing alone...?

Just ask my kids. They always say I work hard to come up with a good recipe and then when I do, I ruin it, by trying to make it "better". But, believe me, when I do make a recipe better...it is the BEST. So, I keep at it...playing around and trying to improve upon good enough. Things won't always work, not everything is going to be better, but nothing risked is nothing gained...right? And this is one easy way to make the holidays sparkle ;D

More Holiday Nails - Thanksgiving

I wanted to try some new nail designs so this is how I did it.

First I painted a topcoat on my nails.

And then I started painting them white.

Then I tried a couple different applications. One I used tape-strips to create a striped effect.

The others I painted each nail a different color and then I did my little turkey.

Of course the googly eyes make it :D

And my daughter thought it looked like a penguin...so it helps if you have better art skills - but I thought it was fun.