I painted my Range Hood!!...

Yes, I've only been in this house 2 years...

and Yes, I did ask hubby if he minded...

and Yes, I'm really glad I did it!

 

So let me tell you WHY I painted my range hood...

 

Can you see the discoloration?  I rounded the corner of the kitchen on Saturday and there it was - staring at me like "Hey you, I'm tired of being all white - I'm gonna go all cream on you!"  Plus all the smudges that would not wash off - I'm thinking the heat from the stove might  have been playing tricks on the finish in the front.  I don't know for sure - just a guess because I. COULD. NOT. wipe off those prints!

So right then and there, I went and got my painters tape, taped it off and went to work...

I wasn't even patient enough to go out and buy paint - I just went to my stash and started mixing.  I knew I wanted a blue/green color.  I really wanted to use MMS milk paint in Kitchen Scale but it was to risky since I didn't have any bonding agent.

So.. I mixed and mixed until I liked it......."this looks good" I thought....

 

WRONG....it was to tealish...

Add in some blue... Better... but still waaaay to streaky...

 

YES.  Finally after mixing some white and blue - a much creamier finish with the weathered look I was hoping for.

 

 

Then I sanded it a bit and whitewashed it lightly.

 

And now, I can honestly say...

It really did break up all the white - which I love my white cabinets BUT I knew from the time they put up the hood - it WAS to much of a good thing.

 

And besides - it's just paint - I can change the whole look of the room with just this one splash of color!

 

Hope you are having a great week!

A 30 minute Mini Makeover...

...not on me, but a piece of furniture that is.

 

 

I've had this dresser for a while - we use it as a side table.  It was o.k. - just kinda blah or as hubby would say, "BORRRRing".  So the other day I had a few minutes - and literally that is all it took - a very few minutes. 

 

 

I yanked out those drawers - taking off the knobs took the greatest amount of my 30 minutes with this project.  I dry brushed on some "Flood Tide" blue from a Lowe's sample jar.

 

 

It was dry in a jiffy. 

 

 

And that's it - just a little paint on the drawer fronts really gave it some life that it desperately needed.  Now on my next trip to Hobby Lobby - I'll pick up some pretty knobs and I'll be content.

 

 

 

These little projects are staring at me everywhere and since we are on the Christmas Home Tour again this year - I'd better be getting busy!

 

Now, only if a 30 minute makeover would work on me - sadly, I think it'd take a lot longer for the help I need ;-)

 

Happy November!

 

Fall "Salt Dough"...

Salt Dough... a fun, easy and inexpensive lil' craft project.  These pictures are from 4 years ago but I pulled them back out to share  with you.  I still get lots of e-mails about my salt dough ornaments so here goes the "how to".

 

 

2 c. All Purpose Flour

1 c. Salt

1 c. Water

 

Mix the salt and flour then add water.

Add a lil' flour if sticky, a lil' extra water if to dry.

 

 

Shape using your hands or cookie cutters - these are all free form.

 

 

Add details with toothpicks and insert wire at this time.

 

 

Bake at 325 degrees for 1.5 hours.  Adjust if necessary depending on thickness.

 

 

Paint to your liking...

 

 

Then glaze for a "not so harsh" look.  Spray with polyurethane to seal.

 

 

 

Ta Da - that's it!  Great bowl fillers, ornaments, package tie-ons, gifts  - well, the list goes on and on!

 

Salt dough is great fun for kids as well as us "Big" kids too.

 

Have Fun and Happy Fall!

 

 

My "New/Old Kitchen Hutch...

Well, I've been in another project - a "new to me" kitchen hutch.

 

 

When I found her - she looked like this - kinda dirty, kinda dreary, well, just kinda UGLY.

 

 

What I loved most about the cabinet was the wide boards in the back - that is why I had to buy it!

 

So I started out by painting the back with Miss Mustard's Seed Milk Paint in the color "Kitchen Scale".

 

 

I suppose I missed the... painting the outside in "Ironstone" picture.

 

Anyway, as you can see - that is what I did.

 

 

I just love all the "chippy goodness" that milk paint allows to happen - it is instant age, instant beauty!

 

 

 

I'm loving my new jars from Burke's Outlet - just 10.00 each!  My plan is to fill them with white beans and some candles - but I gotta get to the grocery first ;-)

 

 

A close up of the drawers - love how they turned out.

 

 

I think this hutch fits in my kitchen perfectly - at least for now.  This area seems to be my "rotating cabinet" area.  I buy them, paint them, love them for a while and then sell them.  It's fun to be able to change it out!

 

 

I can't wait to decorate it for Christmas!

 

 

Linking up to Miss Mustard Seeds Furniture Feature Friday!

 

Happy beautiful weekend!

 

It's A Fall Front Door...

I think I've wrapped up my fall decorating - and the last thing I finished was our front door.  I just used things I already had plus a couple of mums and some pumpkins purchased from local growers.  As many of you know, I grew thousands of mums for 12 years - so it is still a bit odd to purchase them elsewhere, however, we are blessed to have a local farmer who grows some of the biggest and prettiest mums you will find anywhere in the country - I guarantee it!

 
Welcome to the Murray's...

 

 

On the right side, I have a wooden "Welcome" pumpkin sign I've had for years.  It simply rests against the door that is surrounded by some leaves that are also.. YEARS old.  I do love fresh garlands much better - BUT - I like for my decorations to last a long time, hence the artificial leaves. 

 

 

In my planter box - I just wasn't ready to part with my asparagus fern - so I simply placed a mum right in the middle and added a few dried gourds.

 

 

On the left, I added a fodder shock to a tall basket and filled the voided space with dried gourds and Indian corn.   A Harmony Bronze mum along with my dried African Kettle Gourd and other pumpkins, gourds, and cushaws fill the space.  Nothing fancy, just simple.

 

 

I was able to purchase this lil' banner from sweet Dailey for a school fundraiser.  Her precious mom and grandmother made them to order and I just love the way mine turned out!  Thank you Dailey!

 

 

So, that's it - our fall front door.

 

 

I would hope if you visited - that you'd feel happy and welcome!

 

 

 

 

Linking up with Rhoda

 @  Southern Hospitality 

 

 

Happy Fall Friends!

 

Behold the Apple Peeler...

For the last two years my Dad has gifted me with beautiful apples from a nearby orchard...

 

 

...yummy Johnathan apples...

 

 

...two bags full waiting to be peeled (honestly - I've always dreaded that part - I mean... like I get serious hand cramps after a while - you know what I'm talking about?

 

 

So I'm having this discussion at work about not liking to peel apples - and my friend, Nick says "Debbie and I have an apple peeler, let me bring it to you and you can try it out."  Sounded like a great idea to me and the next day - SHE arrived on my desk!

 

Is SHE ever the trick...well let me tell you!

 

 

This thing peels....

 

 

....slices....

 

 

...and cores in about 3 seconds flat!

 

 

My son thought it was the coolest thing ever!

 

 

I couldn't hardly get him to quit - he said, "Momma, you gotta get one of these - and I want my own too....and we need to get Nana and Papaw one and Meme and Mamaw Ruby and...."  well, you get the picture.

 

 

We had these beautiful lil' apples all stacked up...

 

 

...just cut once down the middle...

 

 

...into the freezer bags they went...

 

 

...22 bags later - they are tucked neatly in the freezer.

 

 

As for all the peelings, well they went to the cows and they were loving that!

 

 

 

I can't tell you how much time this lil' gadget saved me.  I know apple peelers have been around for years but I had never personally used one - well, I'm sold.  Mrs. Evelyn ordered us some at work and I'll be the first in line to purchase one.  Thanks so much Nick and Debbie for sharing with me.

 

 

Now it's time for some fried apples...MMMMMMmmmmmmm good.