Project of the Week

Here is a beautiful buffet created by Mara Oatman of Mara Oatman Designs.

Mara's instructions - I got this buffet at the Goodwill for $40.00. It was in pretty rough shape- lots of marks/blemishes and paint splatters on the finish. I sanded it and painted it with black spray paint. Then I sanded the edges to get a distressed look. I then finished it off with a coat of poly. And now its finished!

Here is the before

And here is the beautifully finished project

A close up of the finish

Tips and a New Mirror!

1. My first tip today is a cleaning one. Every once in a while take your knobs off of your oven, dishwasher, anything that comes off and run it through the dishwasher. These things get just as dirty and gunky, but we don't always think about cleaning them.

2. I have not tried this one yet, but I'm going to. If you are plagued by mosquitos, try using mouthwash...apparently it works better than repellent.

3. If you buy icing....beat it with your beater before spreading. It will spread easier and you'll use less...saving you calories. Plus I always like my icing fluffy!

I bought this mirror for $5 at a flea market a couple of weeks ago. I knew right away it would look fabulous once painted.

Here is the before. If you are wondering about the image in the mirror...it was laying on back cement pad under our deck when I took the picture.

Here is the after! Don't look at the little fingerprints on the mirror (miss dolly!!!) or the pencil mark on the wall...lol.

Project of the Week and Flea Market Finds!

Wow, these weeks seem to be going by fast!

This week's project is garden related. Now I don't really have a before picture, but this was made from 2 old windows, old barn wood and spindles.

Window Garden Box

This is how it looks once construction is completed.

Here is what it looks like in the White Garden!

This project was created for a friend by Jeanne S. You can find her hanging out at the Garden Junk forum at GardenWeb. Here are her how to's:

Put 2 screws toward the middle top of the 2 windows to hold them together in a upside down "V" shape... then put "L" brackets on each end of the top.

Stand upside "V" on floor so you can measure the length & width to make the box. Then make box and add floor to the bottom of the box. Then we used 2 hinges (on each side) to attach the windows to the box (to hold the window in place).

The we laid it on it's side and attached the legs to the outside of the box ...but we put the screws on ...from the inside-out of the box. Ta-dah!

Thank you for your inspiration Jeanne!

I also had the chance to go to the flea market this last weekend. I got a few fun things to share with you.

Here are a couple of telephone insulators that I will be using as outdoor candle holders. They were 50 cents each.

I also found these heavy metal brackets. I want to paint them white and create a really pretty shelf!

I think this was my favorite find. It's a metal umbrella (without the handle). My first idea is to attach it to some copper tubing and put it in the garden with some pretty flowers around it. If you've got another idea, please share with me.

Here are a few more things. This pretty bowl was just $2.

Lastly, I got these small beveled mirrors. The frames are going to be painted white and I already have the perfect spot for them to hang.

A Winner and a New Project of the Week!

Wow, this week went by fast. I hope I can keep up with a new project every week. If you know of any that you think are fabulous, please let me know!

First of a big congratulations to Joanne Kennedy from My Little Cottage in the Making! She is the winner of my blog giveaway. I hope you enjoy your goodies Joanne!

Now for our next project of the week. Here is how you can take a simple, but beautiful table...that at first glance does not seem to fit the cottage decor....

and turn it into something spectacularly cottagey!!

This piece was done by Mandi at Shabby Vintage Dreams! She did such a great job of painting this table.

Ok, I contacted Mandi on her method of painting and here is what she said...

First I wipe down with mineral turpentine and give a sand with my electric sander. In between each coat of paint (Dulux Antique White USA Oil Based Semi Gloss) I lightly sand with very fine grade sandpaper. I coat all my furniture in 3 coats of paint. If adding floral appliqués I normally attach before the last coat of paint, that way they are painted at the same time since these only need one coat of paint. I also do all my painting the old fashioned way with a brush!

Watch for more of her projects in upcoming weeks!

More Tips!

I found a great list to create a cleaning caddy. What a great gift that would be for someone who just moved!! You can even make it pretty by using this pink caddy!

Personally, I like to have one of these in each of the bathrooms. Saves a lot of time running back and forth.

Anyways, here is the list...

COTTON SWABS: Great for cleaning corners and crevices. Makes the job of cleaning keyboards, cameras, window tracks and shoes a breeze.

CLOTH DIAPERS: Reusable, absorbent, lint-free and perfect for polishing. Use for wiping up spills, washing your car, cleaning windows and polishing furniture.

MICRO-FIBER CLOTHS: While they’re made from nylon and polyester, they’re still a good eco-frugal choice because you’ll use less water, chemical products and paper towels.

RUBBER OR NEOPRENE GLOVES: Protect your hands from bacteria, chemicals and extended time in water with gloves. They work well to grip jars for easy opening, too.

TOOTHBRUSH: Perfect scrubbing tool for hard-to-reach places. Clean around faucets, in sliding tracks, flatware, scrubbing stains, used as a nailbrush, for toilet hinges, jewelry, shoes and combs.

DISINFECTANT WIPES: Great for quick cleanups such as counters and doorknobs. You can make your own. Use thick paper towels cut in half with the cardboard tube removed, washcloths or cotton cloths. Place them in a container with a lid, such as a plastic ice-cream tub, plastic coffee container or baby-wipes box. For the cleaner, use a two-to-one mixture of vinegar and water or your favorite antibacterial cleaner. Dilute according to your cleaner’s label instructions. You can add your favorite essential oils, such as lemon or tea tree.

BAKING SODA: It deodorizes, scours and works well to clean proteins and grease. Often used on faucets to remove spots. Add it to laundry as a booster, or make it into a paste with water and use it as a stain remover. Use it combined with water for dishes that have baked-on food or coffee/tea stains.

LOOFAH: If you frequently use scrub sponges or scouring pads, try replacing them with loofahs. Loofahs can be grown by seed in your own backyard, so are versatile, natural and biodegradable. They’re natural scrubbers for the kitchen and bath.

RUBBER BRUSH AND BROOM: Readers with pets and children mentioned they liked using the brushes and brooms to get fur off furniture and carpet. The brooms are multipurpose and can be used as a squeegee, broom, mop and scrubber. They can be used indoors and outdoors.

MELAMINE FOAM: Readers love these products for their ability to remove crayon marks, stains, adhesive residue, spots and spills from various surfaces. To get the most use, they often cut the foam into quarters and rinse to revive.

FURNITURE POLISH: Combine 1 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Place in a glass jar, and you have a simple, homemade polish.

*Now I have to add in Magic Erasers!!! These things are miracles and take off so much stuff!

Here is also another tip about Baking Soda!

If you have pets that live in the house, you know how hard it is to get pet hair out of blankets. They just seem to grab a hold and won't let go. Just throw some baking soda in your wash and somehow it tells the little hairs that it's okay to let go!!

Lastly, I saw this on a tv show this weekend. If you have a small bathroom and don't have a lot of space to hold toiletries, get one of these shower curtains and instead of putting in pictures, put in makeup, shampoo, toothpaste, whatever you need to hide. Plus if you don't want it exposed, just hang your regular curtain over top of it and no one will even know your shower curtain is packing like a mule!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Drawing is on Wednesday!! http://vintagevavoom.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-50th-post.html

My 50th Post!!

Ok, here it is. I hope it was worth the wait. I have enjoyed this blog so much so I want to start this post with a giveaway.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post. The giveaway will be open for one week and I'll draw a name on Aug 13th.

First of all we have a beautiful faux pink diamond. So sparkly and pretty!

Next we have a set of bud vases. These are brand new, I just took them out of the box for the picture.

Lastly, a jar of pink sugar! Not only does this pretty up any cupcake or baking, they taste great.

Now for the big surprise!!

I love projects and I love seeing before and afters of what people have done. There are so many amazing and talented people in blogland. So I am going to be featuring a PROJECT OF THE WEEK. Each week I will showcase a project showing before and after pictures along with the instructions when possible.

So let's kick it off, shall we?

The first project comes from an extremely talented lady named Joy at Cupid's Charm. Joy is a jewelry designer who specializes in broken china jewelry. Her designs are simply stunning! Please visit her website and check them out. One day I am going to own one of her pieces.

Joy took these vintage wooden canisters...

and turned them into these beautiful pieces!

For her instructions and more pictures, please visit her blog, Notes from a Charmed Life!
Thank you Joy for sharing this with us.

Check back next week for another Project of the Week!

My Hutch

Where has the week gone?? All I know that it is hot, hot, hot in Missouri right now. I have been busy and will soon have quite a bit to share.

Do you remember this mirror I bought at Marshalls?

Well, I wanted to show you the finished product. I think it turned out quite well. Now to find the perfect spot for it.

I wanted to show a picture of my hutch since I reworked it. I found this at a flea market for $65 and my wonderful sister bought it for our anniversary. It is such a unique color I would not dream of repainting it, plus it really gives a punch to the room.

Here are some close-ups.

I've got a great giveaway lined up for my 50th post and a big surprise!! Keep checking back.