Pirate Map Art?

Once in awhile Bob and I take a little idea and run with it.  That's exactly what happened at Aidan's 5th Birthday Pirate Party.  It started out as a sports theme then morphed into all things pirate when I stumbled across lots of pirate dress-up, swords etc in the dollar bins at Target.  Aidan loved it so we picked up a treasure chest piñata, borrowed a balance beam for a "walk the plank" game and had plans for a treasure hunt. 

Enter Bob and his last minute creativeness.  The night before he spent around an hour making this...

Great, right?  He used some markers to draw it out on a piece of painter's canvas we had in the garage then burned the edges and a few holes in it with a lighter.  He also used this technique on "costumes" for us.

(I only put my picture up out of fairness to Bob...if he can wear a gold hoop, and rag hat I can suffer along with him. Yes, we are the parents who dress up for the kids' birthday parties and even other people's kids parties)

Throughout the day the map got used for the treasure hunt.

And a backdrop for photos of each kid in their pirate gear.  The photos then got sent to them in a thank you note.

(Isn't she the cutest pirate you've ever seen?!?)

Finally, the map became wall art for Aidan's room.  It was just too good to throw away so after he played with it for a few weeks I framed it for above his dresser. 

(the amount of Legos, army men and Pokemon cards I removed from the top of Aidan's dresser to take this photo is crazy!!)

Cheap, fun and extra special because his dad made it for him.

Garage Sale Junk Creation

If you have ever read this blog before you know I obsess over home design blogs and junk.  The two go so beautifully together like chocolate and peanut butter or ice cream and root beer oh now I'm hungry....okay back on task.  Several months ago I saw on one of my favorite blogs Funky Junk Interiors an idea for a headboard revamped into a towel rack.  It was brilliant.  Repurposed, creative and just enough funk factor.  You can see Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors version here.

I have been needing a place for the kids to put their backpacks, coats etc somewhere other than on the bench by the front door.  This became a new project.  The space I wanted to put the hook rack was too small for anything other than a twin bed headboard so I started looking and put my mom (who loves to garage sale as much as me) on the task of finding the headboard.  Within a week she called and said she had found what I was looking for, not a twin headboardbut a large piece of wood that was curvy, heavy and ready to paint.  She wasn't joking this thing is a brute and easily weighs 20 pounds!

However I still needed a bar of hooks and other accessories to pretty it up.  Jackpot last Friday when I found the hooks for a dollar at one yard sale and the numbers at another for $.50 a piece.

I'm not into the shiny brass but that's easy to change with spray paint.

I used a creamy white on the backboard and wood of hooks.  Distressed both pieces and then my favorite part, used Ebony stain in the distressing to age it a little more and it gives it so much character!

Here's where it gets really good.....I used the drill myself for the first time without any "help" from Bob.  He was at work.  I was impatient to put it all together so.....I figured it out.  May seem kind of like a small unimportant detail to most but I felt like I could do anything, at least for a brief moment, when I powered up the drill :)

I wasn't going to post about this until it's hung in the hallway ready for backpacks but because it's so heavy it's going to take special anchors to hang it.  Bob is on it and promises it will be hung this weekend but once again I'm impatient so here's the picture of it all finished sitting below where it will hang.

The only thing I purchased for this project somewhere other than a garage sale were the two outside hooks so here's my project cost breakdown:

Backboard Wood $5.00 (although mom bought it for me and was a sweet momma and just gave it to me!)
Bar of Hooks        $1.00  (garage sale)
Outside Hooks      $5.50  (Menards for $2.58 a piece)
Numbers               $1.50  (garage sale)
All paint and stain I had on hand
GRAND TOTAL  $13.00

So much more fun than an ordinary bar of hooks and no the numbers don't have any significance but if you want to make something up and share it I'll  go with it.

A little before & after

Well I aired some of my dirty laundy (almost literally) the other day when I showed you the office closet and my workspace.  It was just enough to embarass me into organizing them a bit.  It only took a little over an  hour last night and I feel so much better.  There's still work to be done before the desk can be moved in but one thing at a time.

Check out the cute white frame I picked up this week...thinking it will be my inspiration board once the desk is moved in.  Speaking of the desk!  I finished the drawers this morning!!!!  Now just to convince about 4 of Bob's friends to help him move it into the basement (fingers crossed) this weekend.

Time to Get Busy!!

Last week I was what I will call blog lite.  I wasn't feeling overly creative or even productive as far as projects go but I did do some things that matter more.  Hung out with friends, played with Aidan and had some amazing quiet time with the Lord.  A few things (laundry) did get done in between all of that and even had one burst of creativity Friday afternoon that included 3 different garage sale finds, LOTS of paint and my first attempt at using the power drill all by myself :)  I'm going to share that with you later this week but just have one final finishing touch to make....

I do want to give you an update on the desk project I (ahem) said would be done and in the office by October 1st.  THE DESK IS DONE .......but the drawers aren't and it's not in the office.  I ran into a handle dilemma that slowed me down a bit but I'm slowing knocking it out and fingers crossed it's done this week! 

Finally, does anyone else feel overwhelmed when your house is disorganized?  I don't mean the junk drawer is untidy or there is a mound of laundry but real disorganization?  I'm a fairly organized person and Bob is EXTREMELY organized.  I'm not kidding when I tell you this was sitting on our desk tonight when I sat down to the computer...it's our label maker.

(Anyone else think Monica from Friends?)

While other parts of the house are organized cluttered closets seem to be my downfall.  They creep up on me then scream "Take care of me!!" for several weeks until I break down and do it.  Here's just two areas in our office I need to take care of this week so I can finish that beautiful desk and move her into the space she deserves.

(Game/Craft closet - it's even worse in person)

(my desk/garage sale/project dumping ground plus overly amused husband)

I could walk around our whole house and do closet shots right now but then the pantry would be jealous so I will just leave it at this.....for now.

Nightstand Take 2

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I painted and used the tea cart from my Grandma as a nightstand in the guest bedroom?  Well, the other side of the bed was feeling kinda of lonely so I put together another nightstand....actually this one was started quite awhile ago but like most projects it kinda of stalled out and is getting jump started again this week.

Several months ago while shopping at Joanie's Junk (yes - that place again & I promise a full post dedicated entirely to the store and the amazing Joanie soon but not today..I know... I'm sorry)  I spied three vintage suitcases.  We stacked them on the floor and it dawned on me they could be a nightstand for the guestroom.  However, three was just too tall so I nixed one suitcase and picked up this low bench instead.

When put together they are the perfect height for a nightstand.  A coat or two of white paint and a little distressing occurred then added the suitcases.  Ta Da!!

Don't let it get past you that the trim on the bottom suitcase is the exact same color as the walls....just happened....but I just LOVE details like that!

So to finish it up I'm shopping for just a little lamp to add a modern touch.  Not sold on this lamp so it's going back to Target but threw it in for the pic.  The pillow is there to show you the accent color I'm using and hope to put some of it up behind the nightstand in wall art.  The muted orange is gorgeous and again adds some modern to contrast all the rustic I have going on here.

It's a little funky, not every one's definition of beautiful but I REALLY like it (Abby doesn't) so it will stay for awhile and when the mood strikes get taken apart and moved to new places in our haven.