China Hutch Makeover

This gem unexpectedly found our way into our lives a few years ago. Some friends of ours were relocating to another state, and offered it to us for FREE! I didn't ask questions, I just said emphatically yes! It sat for years holding odds and ends, with no design or purpose. One day I decided to pick up a paintbrush and get to work. That happens pretty often. I wake up and decide, it's time to paint. Luckily I had some white paint (sorry I don't remember what color) and some sand paper so all I needed was time!

 
This is what I call a Junk Hutch.

 

I am not sure but I think I was a little bit obsessed with "Gone With The Wind" memorabilia. These days I collect children. A much better investment:)

 

I started on a Thursday and by Sunday the Hutch was bringing light into my life. Happy Sigh.

It was a tedious process and my husband helped a lot. He and I took turns sanding it with a hand sander, mostly on the sides. It had so much wear and tear it didn't need much sanding. And the paint soaked right in. It was just LARGE! A lot of area to cover and all the trim inside took a bit long. During the painting he thought of putting bead board over the mirrors and I couldn't be happier. He had some scraps from another project and they fit perfectly. Imagine that! He measured and cut them to size after I had painted them the same color as the hutch. Using wood glue he put the bead board over the mirrors. I like how the bead board makes everything cohesive, bright, and oh the WHITENESS!  The hardware was fun too. I just took it outside and spray painted it with rust-oleum metallic gold.

 

We have decorated the Hutch for Holidays and special occasions. It's the perfect size for hanging a banner or displaying pops of color for each season. Here's a shot of my fall banner ( and daughter) I made and put on the Hutch. Yes I made both. :)

A fun summer time banner! I had an end of school party for my daughters 5th grade class. I was searching for Frozen themed parties and came across this idea from I Can Teach My Child... I really like her website and loved her Frozen themed party! I have no idea why my daughter is holding a tennis racket! My children seem to find their way into all our photos one way or another.

I snapped these photos of my husband and daughter on their way to a Daddy Daughter Valentine's Day Ball. They won a contest for best dancers that night, by the way. My husband taking over the dance floor, swinging his daughters around, pshhhhh, no couldn't be.

The Hutch holds some Valentine's Day décor made by my daughters and I one afternoon. The heart picture is a canvas painted by my 12 year old.

 

 

I love this China Hutch and all it's purposes. It brightens the dining room and is a great storage piece also. In the cupboards and drawers I keep all things party. Cups, napkins, table cloths, themed décor, everything! So glad it became part of our home. It's kind of my favorite piece.

 

 

Thanks for reading! Catherine

 

 

Snow Day!

The snow has arrived! And it's not the fall and melt kind! I can safely say my kids have been waiting for this day all winter. Do you want to build a snowman? This girl does! Building a snow man might not be for everyone, but driving in it? Yes yes yes says my 16 year old boy! Why do boys in particular like to maneuver tires over the snow...it's a mystery I tell ya. But a moment of fun with the boy? I'll take it! I'll take the wet, snowy, dirty, slippery floors. The sopping wet gloves, hats, pants, socks, and red faces. I didn't use to be so relaxed when it came to the mess after a day of snow. "Ugh! Who came in with their boots on! Why did you take your pants off right there!" Now I am more of a, "Hey the tile is easy to wipe up, it only happens once a year, and my children are going to have such fun memories." Who was that stressed out mom in years before?? Glad she made her exit...

Now THAT is a snowman!

Every activity that the kids can involve their pets in, they do!

Best friends doing life together! Sweet times with sweet sisters.

 Finishing the day off right with some hot cocoa and Daddy's favorite cookies.

 

Happy Snow Day! Catherine

Pumpkin Patch!

We have been making the short trek out to the pumpkin Patch for 9 years now! It has been a wonderful place to get your FALL ON! Every year we get a tractor ride, games, fun photos, treats from the cute general store, the corn pit, the corn maze, and sometimes heavy rain! This year the weather was beautiful outside. The kids favorite part is picking their pumpkin form the huge pumpkin field. The fall colors were amazing this year. Enjoy the pictures from our fun day.

Now for a walk down memory lane. This was 4 years ago! The kids have changed a lot. I am so glad they still love coming to the pumpkin patch as they are getting older!

2010!

Such cuties. I can't stand it. Stop growing! :)

 

Thanks for reading, Catherine

 

Color Pop Dresser Makeover

Update! This dresser makeover was featured on The Happy Housewife Blog! How exciting! I am thrilled because I have enjoyed that website for a long time and to have one of my pieces on there is an honor! Thanks so much Toni Anderson.


What a find! I was strolling through our local thrift shop and came across this beauty. The picture doesn't do it justice, NO scratches or wear and tear at all!

 

We were in the process of moving our 2 youngest to a shared bedroom, and needed an upgrade in the dresser department. I quickly snapped this picture with my iphone and sent it to my commander in chief. As I waited for a response I asked a worker if the price marked was final. She said to come back in 2 days when everything would be 25% off. What! 2 days! And risk losing it! The better half of me said to wait..so we did. Good things come to those who wait. I was amazed that this piece, being in pristine condition, was still there! Are you ready for this? After the markdown this piece was a lot cheaper than 25% off! I scored this for 20 bucks. My daughter helped pick the paint color. She chose Glidden Teal Zeal. We slapped some paint on and let it dry. So easy! I left the hardware as is. After it was completely dry, we wiped a poly coat over the top to help with future wear and tear. Easy Peasy. We primed the insides for some color-filled combinations to finish later.

 

I also primed a couple of other pieces I was working on.

Done! My daughter was anxious to decorate:)

 

 

I remembered an old mirror I had, and hauled it out of storage. It was even primed and ready to paint! I love it when things work out that way! So that got some Teal Zeal too and we were in business.

I added some fun elements to the room to tie it all together. The dresser pops in the girls room next to their bright curtains and chevron rug. My daughter is happy to have a big girl room, no more baby pink she says. This was such an easy project and suites their needs perfectly. I like the wide drawers and the little inserts in the two top drawers. The secret compartments:)

Hope you've enjoyed this art deco furniture makeover! We sure enjoyed this project. 

 

Ciao! Catherine

 

 

 

Our New Kitty

It's bottle time in our house again. We recently lost one of our favorite cats and did not plan on getting another one so quickly. It just so happened that I saw this cute little thing on social media and it was free. Now I'm not saying you should rush out and get another pet before you have time to grieve for your loss, but in this case it was too good to pass up. This little kitty looks identical to the one we lost. She has brought tremendous comfort to our daughter.

 

 Our dog is over it already. She didn't even acknowledge the kitty when we got her. New baby jealousy??

 We named her Candy.  She sure is a snuggle bug. Here she is when she was just 3 weeks old. One of the reasons I agreed to take her was that she was 6 weeks and did not need a bottle. That wasn't accurate! So kitty formula made its way into our lives again. Thankfully she did well on the bottle and is now growing and thriving!

Candy has no shortage of love in this house. Thank you for sharing in our fun kitty cat story.

 

Thanks for reading, Catherine