Louise strikes again!

My "free to me" partner in crime, Wendy (she is the Louise to my Thelma) texted me one morning to tell me she was GUARDING a free desk on the side of the road and I needed to get there ASAP. Greg, who blessedly is always down for a hilarious curb find, and I jumped in the truck and found her parked immediately in front of a home essentially blocking all comers from taking an old warped waterfall desk and mirror.

That, my friends, is love.

I am peeved that I didn't take a before shot cause that thing was SHOT. Glue, sanding and a few brad nails later, the body was in better shape. I started with a pickling stain to lighten the stank but thought the inlay dressers were kinda pretty so I left them. The inlay between the column was done, as in DUN so I applied some Aubusson Blue ASCP. Progress shot:

What's a junk find without a little humour?

A little dark wax, lots of elbow grease and this is starting to look like something I would actually wheel inside (lovely brass casters yo).

Back to trying to finish off the livingroom....did I mention Greg painted the whole room white last week? Now......what to do about that mirror?

Muahahahahahahahahahahaha

From SPAZ to Spaaaaaaaaaaah with only $80

So here is the thing. I am a cheap Scot. No, really. Cheap.

I like a bargain but mostly I don't buy anything because even fabulous bargains have that horrible part of the process where I actually have to lift my wallet out of my purse. If you opened my change purse the Queen would squint from not seeing the light of day in weeks ;)

When I decide to "redux" a room, I always challenge myself to do it as cheaply as possible with the biggest TADA for every dollar.

I feel like I hit this one out of the park, yo!

Here is where we started.

10 year old paint job in BM's Straw Hat, fabulous green laminate and some quite decent cherry-ish builders cabinetry. Not HORRIBLE but not awesome. Not "rustic modern beach cottage"...like my inspiration shot.

So, like all cheap, albeit inspired, Scots....I started planning. The plan started with reusing all my former paint and transformation materials and we got to the point where the green counters were now black ala Rustoleum's Countertop Transformations and the cabinetry was going Old White (ASCP).

Greg busted out and completed painting the whole room BM's Cloud White, which is now going to be the Casa's signature colour (listen for the Steel Magnolias drawl there y'all) and then it stopped.

Like a needle on the record. Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech.

I had the inspiration, I knew what I wanted but how is a girl like me, a.k.a CHEAP, going to achieve that look for NO MONEY? So far, I was in it to win it at $75.

So, I started shopping the house for my accessories, hoping I was only going to have to incur the cost of the paneling for that wood look I wanted behind the sink. I found an old tin Spongebob tub at the Salvation Army ($2) that I painted up and distressed, I printed out a sailor/ mermaid pic for the frame I wanted to use, knew I was going to finally hang our brass door knocker and I located the spa rug and slat.

The shower curtain was reversible to a nicer, softer colour so....I almost had it. I found more shells, a few nautical IKEA lanterns I had bought years ago and a cool stainless basket for the mags I like to have nearby. Switch out the garbage can with the one from the downstairs loo, bring in the $3 table I distressed a few weeks ago and BAM. I am good, right?

Yes, grasshopper....but what about the paneling?

Cue the light tinkling of bells in the background, cause I think this is where someone's (me) Guardian Angel finally came in from having her smoke outside and realized I needed a hand. Friday night, out at a friends for bevvies and I see this ripped up building leaning against his shed. Apparently this is an old hottub enclosure that is about to be firewood....being nosey I go take a gander. As I approach the pile of crud.....I smell it. No, not that. I smell CEDAR. Yards of tongue and groove red cedar slatting jammed into the framing of this pile of walls leaning, waiting for their demise on the bonfire.

"OMG! BILL! CAN I HAVE SOME OF THIS?"

Bless my husband down to his wee boxers, he and I were up and pry barring, removing screws and hauling 3 piles of slats the next morning. I think he may have woken up to me sitting on him, clapping with glee to get going at 8am....and not the way he probably would have liked that to have worked out LOLOLOL

So, Dharma busted out her old friend Chomper. Because these slats were pretty rotted at some ends. You can see that.

Chop, saw, chop, saw, measure, chop, saw, measure, screw, chop, measure, saw, chop.

C'est FINIS! I have never liked one of my redux more than I like this one. $80, I did it myself, I got someone else to do the painting on the walls and I reused all my own beachy stuff I have hoarded around my house forever. The room feels like it grew 3 sizes that day (Grinch shout out).

I am verra proud of this lass, she did her Scots Grandad proud.

C'mon you knew there was going to be a mermaid somewhere!

Thanks for diving in!

Showing off at:

Seeking Lavendar Lane

A Stroll Thru Life

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Vintage Inspiration Party @BlissRanch

Wow us Wednesdays @SavvySouthernStyle

Flaunt it Friday @ChiconaShoestring

Eau de toilet....

I started working on the very first room I ever painted in the Casa over 10 years ago now. How I ever got ready in the morning in a YELLOW main bathroom I will never understand. Maybe I have been jaundiced for years and couldn't tell?

The original room was Benjamin Moore's "Straw Hat", which do not get me wrong is a beautiful shade of warm yellowy green, but maybe not what I would pick now as a hue I'd like to reflect first thing in the mirror....ya know?

The cabinets were the warm cherry-ish that is throughout the builder's special and the counters were the same spectacular green laminate with a scroll design that became the bane of my existence in the kitchen. BANE! Thankfully those were replaced 2 years ago now.

So as it happened, I had 5 days off over the long weekend and I said to myself...."SELF, you are worthy of a new bathroom makeover!". But then my other self (am I the only one who has a few me's in there??) said...OK ShopperJo, you got $200 buckeroonies.

So here is the breakdown so far:

I rejuvinated (which means I busted out the leftover Rustoleum Transformations Kit from the kitchen, where I originally tried to cheap out on new counters) the countertop in the black stone finish. Used my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White and clear wax on the vanity drawers and doors. This is an in progress type post so here is an in progress type picture, LOL.

So far, free to me and only incurred the cost of repetetive motion on my tennis elbow.

Greg is painting the walls and most of the trim BM's (pun intended...teehee....I am 6) Cloud White as I speak. That was 50 dollars....But I have big plans for that blank, square wall behind the sink!

Here is my inspiration from Me and My DIY.

Like Arnold, I'll be back.

Turnin' the tables

I was very busy this very rainy weekend. After purchasing and having a shed built within the last 2 weeks, the garage at Casa Dharma has finally realized it's glorious purpose.

My Workshop LOL!!! 










Seriously though, I have room to paint, turn up my tunes, create....and give me two solid days of rain and create I did. I put all my new workshop skills that I learned at my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint class to the test.

I started with a plant stand Q and I had rescued from the Salvation Army this spring. You have to love my model lololol

ASCP in Old White and clear waxed for protection. The relief work
on this piece makes it!

Then a pair of $3/each beauties picked up a local thrift shop....

ASCP in Aubusson Blue, top coated in Old White, clear waxed,
distressed and finished in dark wax.

ASCP in French Linen (grey), clear waxed, distressed and
finished in dark wax.

This little grasshopper is getting her learning on - WAX on and WAX off.

Partying at Funky Junk Interiors

The table that took 8 months?

No....it didn't. I've just been a bad blogger. Like, really bad. Bite my lip and hope for a spanking bad, Mr. Grey?

So to make up for it, I took on a mother of a project. No, really this dining suite came from my mother :) Here it is all granny'd up for Thanksgiving. Old Country Roses china and everything.

....and here it is all modern and funkified. Dharma-style. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for the very first time. We now have a distributor here in Niagara! Simply White  with their full ASCP line and lovely staff were a great help. I am planning on taking a workshop there with the lovely owner, Brenda, mid-June.

Tada!!!!

I used Versailles on the chairs which is a taupey sage, and Aubusson Blue on the table. Very Le Francais....no? I will keep you in the loop as to whether all the paint falls off given how much my menthings use this table daily :)

Nice to SEE you, thanks for coming in and seeing if I was still breathing.

Over at Flaunt it Friday for fun!

Dr. Dharma (Not Berman) - In the Kitchen

So.....remember that list? Yeah, that one. The one that was a mile long and wrapped up at about $2500 for the kitchen cosmetic redux? I have dragged My husband and I cheerily have wandered into a kitchen design centre, done a bit of online sleuthing and brought home countertop samples. Our quote will take place this Friday complete with installation measurements to be taken and the addition of a new undermount sink to be spec'd out.

Has anyone had more options put before them in their life than when they are shopping for countertops? Corian, Silestone, marble OH MY! Originally I said to myself "Self, you deserve stone." then that same chic said loudly "Not at $60-80 a square foot you do not!" So on this teensy budget what is a girl to do? This girl went to Pinterest and typed in laminate counters and found..... wait for it......

FORMICA 180FX

When did formica get sexy? It's like when that kid Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter movies got sexy. You're all "Wha????". Trouble is there is only one supplier of this product in my 200 km vicinity. I tracked down their 1-800 number and found a local supplier/ installer. Price for this magic? $26 a liner foot. Hello....lover!

WARNING to this local company - I will be reviewing your business, this product and your installer. Send the best looking one you got. LOL

For an extra cost they can even install an undermount sink (with a stone ring to make it last), further install the delta Touch H2O tapset I won last year and do a slab finish to further trick the eyeballs. I have chosen this stainless 18 gauge deeper sink by Wilsonart.

For the counters I originally thought the Calacatta marble knock off but the hubs is convinced it would make our kitchen look like a public restroom off the I-95...lol. So after bringing all our samples home we've settled on this:

Soapstone Sequoia

Backsplash.... I just want a strip to meet the wall where the counter slabs end. I do not want coving or any part of the counters on the wall. I think that will give the Formica away as quick as you can look at it. So off to Home Depot to check out options. I first liked the Fasade panels, they looked easy to install and a dude at the check out swore by them. I have a coworker who has used them and she is a happy camper. But then I saw the peel n' stick stainless Aspect tiles. They come in individual tiles sold in a pack or longer sheets by the foot. I say GROOVY! Check out the finished look, like I said I don't plan on these many tiles....but it is awesome :)

Now to find out Friday how much all this "extra" means in extra dollars....I'll keep you posted.

It's time to get serious!

Obs I am not talking about blogging. I've been more absent than a 16 year old stoner in English Lit lately....but I am getting serious about a total refresh of the Mermaid Cave. Our home is now going on 11 years old and you can tell precisely by looking at the finishes done last by the builder when the owner ran out of $$$. So I have made a list, checked it 467,893 times and I am starting with a $5000 budget.

WOW! $5000 you say! Doesn't that sound like a lot of money? Nope. Try refreshing and fixing over 8 years of living-in-ness by a family of men in a total of 10 rooms (not counting what Mister has planned to overhaul the basement) on a measly $5000. It will be a challenge for sure and I had best wring out my shopping Keds and get cracking at Craigslist/ Kijiji and the Habitat store soon.

First up - the kitchen. You may remember I painted our counters. YES? Well, although they turned out pretty great, they have not stood up to my chef's expectations. Yes, I married a cook. Hate me.

Here is a listing of what is planned for the hub O ma home!!

KITCHEN


Remove drapery/rod over kitchen sink, paint Touch up paint/ mud
Replace with drapes from TVroom
Replace pendant light

Swap fridge door left to right
Apply film to Door Window & Pad doorknob
NEW garbage/ recycling containers
Replace vent cover
Install Screen door
Replace counters
Backsplash behind stove
Install OTR Microwave
Replace kitchen sink
Install tapset
Swap Kitchen Table & Chairs with Mom
Recover kitchen and bar chairs
SELL Kitchen Table & Leaf
Donate water cooler

TOTAL = $2,560.00 EST

Considering over 1/2 of my budget is already spent in the kitchen, you know I am going to be swapping, bartering, buying second hand and thrifting garage sales like a maniac this spring. I know some people spend $5000 on a sofa but I don't have that kind of scratch and I would be tearing anything more of a budget out of my husband's cold dead fingers :)   Wish me luck, here is that before shot.....stay tuned yo!!  

A pallet’s tale…

 

As you may or may not be aware (you are if you follow me on Pinterest), I’ve been skulking around dumpsters in my neighbourhood lately. On the hunt. For these.

I’ve amassed quite a collection. This doesn’t show off what’s lurking in the garage. Greg figures when we are ready for a “hillbilly campfire”, we are good! But there is a method to this madness. As discussed in previous posts, Greg and I are spending the WAD of Gubment $$$ back in taxes this year on a wharf to sit alongside this monster…

So of course this leaves very little money, a huge requirement of inspiration and mucho perspiration on Greg’s part to come up with some cheap outdoor furniture for the GAH-zebo (say that slowly)

Here is my inspiration shot.

I also got as ton of ideas from Sunny at Life in Rehab over here!

I tried out a few configurations for a low coffee table, but the general weight of these pallets is deceiving. Suckas is heavy!!

I bought the necessary wood screws and castors. 2 stationary castors for the back and 2 swivel castors for the front. In doing so I can almost guarantee the boys won’t use this for a skateboard and none of my Magarita-Madness beotches best girlfriends will push it over when they fall down.
Please refer to the following pics as my attempts to outshine the Pioneer Woman’s ass shots of her rancher husband

Let’s get this going already!

To make the depth and strength of the pallet enough for the castors we had to add a little oooomph, as in beefing the corners with scrap wood. But here is the finished product. My thinking (OK, OK Greg’s thinking) is that the top section is good for drinks, candles etc. but I surmised the bottom section (as it is very big) would be nice for putting your feet up.

Staining to follow. I like it!

Good boy Greg! Kisses!!! Pudge, kiss Daddy for me.

Nostalgia or NUTS?

I've been on the hunt for a really SPECTACULAR project. I have also been on the hunt for a *hi-fi* for about 5 years. In fact I started collecting records without the turntable. Seriously, I have Thriller, it has yet to be played. That is a crime against nature, I know.

So I have been searching for a bit of both. How does this grab ya?

I'm thinking yellow.....or teal......new fabric in the speaker cabinets?

I know. I'm nuts. That however does not change the fact that you want to come over, sit on my livingroom floor and play oldies all day drinking root beer ;)

I shall let you know how this unfolds, shall I?

Pillow talk.....anyone?

As teased about....my lovely DIY Pillow covers came this week and I cannot wait to show some of them off in my neatened up livingroom :) This is the hardest room in my house to style. It is the first room you see when you come in, the last impression when you leave and it is a doozy of a space to make fit into our lifestyle. 12' x 22'...it's a bowling alley.

I am not a "formal" diningroom kinda gal. I aspire to be.....but with the amount of boys here and the dog (who you'll see) I gave that up for a sturdy harvest table, benches and $8.00 IKEA plastic stacking chairs in the kitchen/diner until they go to college.

So our bowling alley is actually an office/ library and sitting room adjacent to our kitchen/diner. Take a tour? Please do, don't forget to look at all the sexy pillows!!!

The new addition here is the sofabed from my Mom (who has a new teeny apartment and couldn't take it with her).











One problem....this is what is hiding beneath the slipcover....avert your eyes if you have a weak stomach.

Here is the other side, a setee just for you to rest into while I go get us something to drink...lovely little vintage piece I picked up for $40 that creates a neat seat and the right amount of tension in a very contemporary home.

The side table in here is a rescue from my husband's family cottage. I gained a sister-in-law over the past few years that likes to "clean out" and burn things up there. I have now rescued a number of things, this gateleg being one of them. Seriously, who would throw this on a pile?? Don't answer that. My husband already weighed in on this issue :)

Who doesn't have a book called the "Dangerous Book for Boys"? LOL













The office ended up being a corner of the bowling alley next to the front window and across from the "WALL of CRAP".

I keep the only puter in the house in plain view....again with the boys being the reason here. You know what boys google at 1 am? No? Don't ask.

Quinn likes this spot. He's secretly taking over the world from this location :)

We moved the mid-century desk I scored last year for Liam's room here and I labelled the drawers for the minions to place items appropriately. You know, so I'm not screeching throughout the house like a banshee looking for a pen! Don't worry about Liam, he's getting a better deal (wink wink).

The curtains are hung from a tension wire system from IKEA and are sari fabric from Vancouver that my sister sourced and bought for me on a trip back home

Told ya you would see the dog! So there you have it, my bowling alley, revamped and revealed :) Did you spot some of those sexy pillows????

Stairway to......

OK, calling all you DECOR DIVAS!

My sister has moved into her *new* apartment and this is the staircase to her domain. Please be aware she is suddenly single, has a daughter of 14 and is making the very mostest of a modest budget!!

This stairwell makes me think that whoever lived here previously worked in a kennell and had no training on how to remove one's shoes. That being said, the wooden steps beneath this carpet-nightmare are worn and not in the best shape...

So, my lovelies, any ideas on cheep-cheep, happy lovely ways to make this look more like the *Stairway to Heaven* instead of a waterslide to Hades?

I love you. Thanks for diving in with me. :)

I wanna ROCK!

Long story. I ended up at home this week with what I thought was chicken pox. Not the pox, hot tub folicullitis. So much less sexy. Plah! However, I ended up at home, contagious with nothing to do. Hmmmmmmm...... except getting to a few promises I made around here to this guy.

Quinn is a rockhound. He scales trees like a spider monkey and is constantly weighing down his pockets with shells and unusual varieties of stones he finds on his many adventures. A while ago (about 6 months or so but who's counting) I ordered and received a wall mural for his *new* bedroom. Quinn was moved into the old master bedroom when Greg and I renovated the two upstairs rooms into one. Quinn also channels Frank Sinatra.

So, with time on my hands and a husband who is off for the summer.....the going was tough so the tough got going.

I have been creating as cloffice for Quinn for a few weeks, it's still a work in progress as you can see. But we're getting there.

The canvas!

The crazy nightstand idea I got from a recycled set of kid's drums. Hey....the theme is ROCK!

One of the artists. This mural went up in a little over 2 hours. The shrinkage factor was a bit daunting and I'm not thrilled with the overlap but all in all a pretty good effect for the price.

Seriously, we need new linens, drapes and a single panel drape for the cloffice....but good things come to those that wait :)



We put up some shelves and a corkboard to organize all his booty!



I'm determined to make this cool! For the coolest 9 year old around.