This is What My Brain Looks Like

I was out for a day of Doctors visits with my oldest son on Monday.  Just a routine check that I had to make much harder, since my brain doesn't seem to exist.  We live in Estero, between Ft Myers and Naples, about a half hour to each city from our house.  His first appointment was at the new Endocrinologist we have been seeing, at 10am.  The second appointment was at 2:50 in Naples at the Dermatologist, and I had planned to go with him to the first, drop him off at home and have my husband take him to the second appointment, since I had a mile long list of things to do.

But we drove the half hour to get to the office in Ft Myers only to be told the appointment was at the Naples office (an hour away).  I told them I didn't even know they had an office there, and didn't know my appointment was supposed to be there, but they kindly set up with the other office for us to come in late.  So off to Naples we went.  They were very gracious in the Naples office, and I began to think on my way there, that I vaguely remember them mentioning a Naples office and choosing to come to that office since it was a slightly shorter trip from our house (haaa, haaa).  At least his visit went well, his HBA1C was 6.9 (for those who don't know that is a great number, especially for a 16 year old boy).  But then we had 2 hours to kill before the next appointment.  So he choose lunch at Five Guys, and then said how about going to the Military Mall, which happens to be inside an Antique Mall?  Sure, fine by me!


I just looked around since I was not planning on buying anything, but came across this and it just caught my eye. 

 

The color was the first thing I noticed, more green than in the photo from my phone, then what it was, had me thinking of Halloween projects since the head was hollow, but I just couldn't see spending $20 when I don't even decorate much for Halloween.  So we left her on the shelf and headed off to the next appointment and had good results there also.  I just keep wondering if my head were cut off would it be hollow inside also?

Would you have bought the hollow head?

Wrought Iron Something

I've been enjoying Would You Buy It Wednesdays over at Junker Newbies blog for the past few weeks.

Each  post makes me think about things in a new light, how they have used something I would overlook, or suggestions from readers as to what they would do with that certain odd thing.

Now, I find myself adding in.  Heaven and my husband certainly know I bring my fair share of junk home.  Most I find a use for, some sits for a while.  If it sits for too long it disappears when my husband is "cleaning".  Is it just me or when they get rid of it do you figure out what you "could" have done with such a great item?

Well, if I'm not careful, this will be the next thing to go.

 For right now it is sitting on my front porch keeping all the millipedes company (if anyone knows how to get rid of millipedes I will pay you for the information!).

I actually got it for free from Goodwill, on a half price day, with my full punch card.  It's in good shape, and has a marble top (though not my colors of choice on the marble).  But what to do with it.  Plants are the most obvious choice, but in South Florida, it gets so hot, and the plants dry out so quickly, and I forget to water them, it would just be a massacre.

 You can tell the marble doesn't quite fit, but works okay.

Would you have "bought" it?  Well how about if I tell you there was more to it when Goodwill gave it to me?

This was the part I liked!  It must have originally had glass in the sides to make it like a terrarium (or whatever word that would be).  Our kitchen is large and has this dumb soffit that runs around the whole room with florescent lights underneath and then high ceilings above that.  I have tried decorating the top to breakup the vast space, but most things just looked dinky.  I realized I needed pieces that were larger or more solid and this fit the bill.  The pieces (top and bottom) were held together with screws and nuts that had rusted, so I had to cut the screws to get it apart.

After seeing both parts would you have taken this home?  Any suggestions as to what to do with the base?  I'm also asking for suggestions as to what to do with the kitchen. I plan on painting the cabinets, and at some point replacing the laminate countertops along with the appliances as they expire.  But what color appliances? Definitely not the 2 tone I have now!  I am thinking either distressed white or black (or possibly green my favorite color) for the cabinets, something that contrasts with the wall color which I like.  Everything is too much the same tone now.

Thanks for stopping by to look at my junk!

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Nature Made Jewelry Holder

I don't remember where I saw it in Blogland, it was just a picture hanging on the wall in some room, but it jump started an idea for me.  It was a frame, with twigs where a photo or painting would go.  

I like trees and nature.  I spend a lot of time walking the dog and hiking for geocaches, and just observing the trees and creatures I come across (unless the dog is pulling me trying to get to the creatures!).

I had a frame already and the idea perking in my mind that I had seen.  Then I noticed, while walking the dog, an old orange tree from a grove behind our house that had died and fallen over during a storm.

I found the perfect branch, at the right price, free.  My idea was coming to fruition!  Okay bad pun.

Just a trim and the frame a little glue and a few nails (put in with nail gun) to hold it all together...

and my idea actually worked for once!

Love the finished project!  So would you bring home dead sticks and hang them on the wall?

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Cabinets Paint dilemma

I've been wanting to paint the kitchen cabinets for quite some time.

Especially since we painted the kitchen walls, now the wall color and cabinet color just seem to be the same tone, and blend in with each other.  With the ceilings so high it's just way too much of the same.

Love the wall color though, it's called Pear.

My dilemma is what color to paint the cabinets to have some contrast.  White, Cream, or Black?

It's a large kitchen and we have plenty of sunlight in Florida, so I think it could handle the black, but wondering if it would make it too heavy.

White would contrast nice, but would it be stark, and dirty quickly with 3 teenagers and all their friends in and out of the kitchen?

Or would cream be the best choice?  Maybe it would end up the same tone?

Don't look at all the mess, the teenagers I was talking about keep me constantly busy!  This was a background from another photo I was taking, just to show the tones. 

So what is your advice?  What color would you paint the cabinets?

What I did for Chalk paint

Blogs are full of the wonders of Chalk Paint. Everywhere you look are beautiful transformations of furniture the turning of junk into treasure with just the application of Chalk Paint, no sanding required. It looked so good, even though I like sanding, but the cost was holding me back. But the Rednecks spotted me the cash. Yes, you heard me right, Rednecks. See my friends have a catering business (City Smoke BBQ the best I've ever had!  Look for them on Facebook), and they ask me to work for them sometimes to help out. Usually during the winter though is their busy season. But they had booked Redneck Yacht Club for the Fourth of July weekend and needed some help. The Redneck Yacht Club is a large tract of land just north of where I live, that has huge mud pits for mud pulls, trails for riding ATV's, camping area's, and dirt and mud everywhere. Oh, and a bunch of hungry Rednecks.  I actually enjoy working with my friends, and the Redneck Yacht Club (being a Redneck at some points in life myself).  The only problem with it is it was July.  In South Florida.  Tons of flies.  Over 100 degrees with the heat index.  And 100 percent humidity (well it did rain, so I guess at least that amount).  Working on a wood fired pit for 11 hours straight.  Yes, let's not forget having to use the porta pottie, that had sat in the Florida heat for 2 days, used by aforementioned Rednecks who had been imbibing quantities of liquid stimulation all weekend.  

I did get a chance to be driven around by my 15 year old who was having a blast on a 4 wheeler.  The best part was that I made enough money to not feel guilty about ordering Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, wax and a wax brush!

My first project to experiment on was a 3 drawer oak chest that I'd purchased at a Goodwill for $10.00.  It was a half price day, and I'd filled in a stamp card worth another $10.00 off, so the $40.00 chest only cost $10.  I stripped the old paint off the dresser, and made numerous repairs since the chest had water damage, the outer shell was fine, but the drawers needed fixing (someone filled in the cracks with some kinda glue I had to chisel out) and the bottoms replaced.  The paint, like everyone else says, goes on easily, distresses wonderfully and looks beautiful.  I choose Provence Blue, and love how the color blends with the tones I already have in my home.  A quart seemed such a small amount, but I painted so many things with that one can of paint, and still have over half the can of wax leftover. 

The chest looked so great in my craft area, that when I saw this great office chair I knew even at $20. it would be perfect in the chalk paint.  (How did the dog manage to sneak her rope toy into the photo when I wasn't looking?)

(Look at her trying to look so innocent!)

Then my 13 year old wanted to paint the vanity table and stool my mother had had as a child, so SHE used the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and wax with fabulous results.  No stripping or sanding the old painted chipped finish off for her, and the result was beautiful.  And yes, she has way more makeup than I do, but then she is a much more beautiful girl than me!

So 2 coats on the chest, 2 on the office chair, and 2 on each of the vanity and stool.  Just a little left in the can for my favorite makeover.  I don't have a before shot of the frame, just an average, black and gold frame, and a branch from an orange tree that died from old age in the grove behind our house.

Here's the before of the branch...

.....and the after, a nature made jewelry holder.  Love that I was able to bring in something from nature and use it in such an eye catching way.

So was the work I had to do to be able to afford the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint worth it?  Yes!

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