The Making of a Bar/Console Table-Part 3 August 15, 2010

The bar is finally finished.

It went from this

to this with the addition of some wrapping paper

to this with the addition of a fabric curtain panel.

The console section of the bar is complete. There is plenty of room for shoes, purses, mail, keys and pesky receipts. 

The bar section looks empty, but that’s because I stocked the bar after the photo. I didn’t want you to think that all we did was drink ^_^

After using the bar, I’ve decided not to add a wider top for now and I need to add a nice tall plant in the corner instead of the tall table. I might add some curtains to the bar as well so all the goodies are on display.

The final tally for the bar/console table:

• Bookcases, 3, =$39

Everything else was on hand at the house. So for less than $40, I have a nice piece of furniture to welcome guests and serve tasty adult beverages.

The Making of a Bar/Console Table-Part 2 August 10, 2010

Remember my cute design sketch for the console table/bar?

Well, a trip to Target threw those plans out the window.

The home decor aisle called my name and as I wandered longingly touching the pretties, I noticed several red stickers on some beautiful simple bookcases.

Hmmm, the bar is basically going to be two bookcases…why not purchase the bookcases pre-fab and then modify them later?

At $13 a piece, this was a better deal. Heck, no cutting, nailing, gluing or measuring required. Loved it.

So now the bookcases are put together and standing proudly by the door. Of course I need to add some flair to the front of the bar (the former back of the bookcases) as well as decide if I will add a wider top to the bookcases so that there’s ample bartending space.

Yes, I did put the backing on backwards for the two bookcases that would serve as the front of the bar.

What do you order at the bar? Is it Shirley Temples, Vodka Punches or Apple Martinis?

The Making of a Bar/Console Table-Part 1 August 5, 2010

I saw this great idea on Design on a Dime. The crew made a combination console table and bar for the family. I loved the idea. It would be perfect for us since our front door opens directly into what we call the lounge.

The project seemed fairly simple so I sketched a simple plan for the bar.

The back of the bar would hold wine bottles as well as other bar essentials, the console has a slot for mail, keys and our guests’ purses and shoes. The front of the bar would have a medallion of some sort to tie in with the ethnic decor scheme of the lounge.

What have you sketched out lately?

5 Minute Crochet Flower July 25, 2010

I’ve been trying to make good use of my time lately and enjoying the thrill of completion. This means that I have also been chosing smaller projects that can be started and completed in a matter of hours or minutes.

I had some scrap yarn and my trusty needle-also my active kitty who insists that yarn is the dessert of choice for cats.

Five minutes later-well, seven if you count the time that I had to pull yarn from my kitty in his attempts to digest the colorful string-and I had the first of many crochet flowers.

Which can be placed in the hair

or on a shoe for a quick change.

What’s your favorite way to update an old look? New buttons, belt, paint color, etc?

They Work Hard for the Money July 20, 2010

I tend to make things work hard in our household. We wear things out and down until it’s crying and holding on to the last inch of life. Even my bush clippings work hard in my house.

After clipping the bushes in preparation for a murder mystery party, I took the clippings and filled a white trash can with the clippings and extra water.

I also took extra clippings to fill vases in the house

to provide a bit of nature indoors

and provide extra fillings for my flowers

that made a $4 bouquet spread throughout the house.

What have you done with branch clippings?

5 Minutes to a Potted Plant Redo July 15, 2010

I’ve been trying my hand at gardening and nurturing plants-which is a bit of a challenge considering that I often kill cacti. My newest baby ivy sits on my brand new redone dresser that I’m still drooling over and I hated it. Not the plant-but the pot.

Enter leftover wallpaper and hot glue. A bit of measuring and careful spots of glue

and I have a brand new pot.

What do you like to do when you have an extra 5 minutes? Check email, play free cell, visit social networking sites, take a walk or savor a piece of chocolate?

Hubby’s Desk Redo-Part 2 July 10, 2010

Hubby’s desk got a mini-remodel recently and the next step of the plan was to add a wide shelf on the wall to create a L-shaped desk so he can have some additional room to spread out as well.

Remember before?

Well, after finding some scrap wood in the garage, scrap black vinyl,

nailhead trim, ribbon 

and shelf brackets

I created an additional space for hubby to spread his papers out on. Hopefully his will keep the banister clear from now on.

Dresser Redo June 5, 2010

Ever since I saw Centsational Girl’s cabinet redo, I knew that I had to do this for my house.

 

I knew that I wanted a nice buffet for the dining room and I lucked out and found an old dresser on Craigslist. I also lucked out and found crystal knobs at the Restore for $1 each-SCORE!

The dresser had a strange yellow color as seen in its matching mirror.

A quick coat of white paint and pearlized glaze, along with textured wallpaper in the inserts and a coat of silver spray paint for the pulls was all it took

to transform the dresser into one of my favorite pieces.  The piece now stands in the family room as I was lucky enough to acquire my mother’s large ornate German Shrunk for the dining room. Sigh, that piece brings back memories of our time in Germany. Oh, the dresser-yes, I love it. Thanks Centsational Girl for the inspiration.

Month of Challenges May 20, 2010

Apparently this is the month of challenges. I started a hair challenge and so why not pair it with a craft challenge and what about a writing challenge as well?

Protective Styling Challenge already started. So far so goo.

Craft Challenge: finish three projects, hmm, does painting a plant pot count as a project?

Writing Challenge: He Touched Me series. 25,000 words typed within 30 days.

Good News, Bad News May 12, 2010

Good news. My friend is engaged to be married.

Bad news. As a result of the wonderful news, I will not be helping her reorganize her home office.

I’m glad that this is the reason for not completing this project