DIY: Dining Room Chair Makeover

Hi LMS readers, Breanne here again to share a DIY Dining Room Chair Makeover I just completed with you all. 

I started by removing all the seats with my handy electric screwdriver. Note: Every homeowner should own one of these! My husband helped me sand them with an orbital sander or you can use a detail sander, both are great tools to have for refinishing furniture. We first used a medium grit sandpaper to strip off the finish and went back over it with a fine grit sandpaper to smooth out the wood. The second sandpaper is especially important when you are lacquering or using a high gloss paint. The glossy paint will show every blemish in the wood. We hand sanded the detailed part of the back of the chair.

We primed the chairs using the Black Krylon paint from Ace Hardware for $4.50 per can. Each chair took about 1 can of primer and one can of paint. I recommend letting the chairs dry overnight. Tinted primer for whichever color paint you use is best. Then we went over the primer with the Krylon Black Gloss spray paint also $4.50 per can. Be sure to use long even strokes because as we found, if you spray too much in one spot you'll get drip marks.

I wanted the fabric for the seats to be a contemporary print, but wanted to keep my black and white theme. So, I found an upholstery fabric in a great Ikat print at JoAnn's. I purchased 3 1/2 yards for $30 and still had some left over which I can use to make place mats or a table runner with. I didn't get fancy with upholstering them. I simply lined up the fabric and pulled it tight around to the under side and stapled the fabric with a staple fun. I screwed the seats back on the chairs and Voilà! My "new" chairs were done just in time for Thanksgiving.

Now I just need a bold print rug and some curtains and my dining room will be complete. If you're willing to put a little elbow grease into it, you can create some really beautiful custom pieces!

Enjoy!
Breanne

The Best DIY Necklace Display Rack

I've had my share of a number of necklace displays - tree branches, hooks, organizers, see through jewelry boxes - you name it!  However, no matter what I did, it usually resulted in an additional 5 minutes of untangling necklace knots before I could even leave the house.

In my opinion, this display is what I found to be the easiest, neatest, most efficient, and inexpensive way to keep your necklaces in order.  Accessories are just as important as your wardrobe - so, why not treat them like part of your closet and hang them up on their very own "hanger" hooks?

 Here's all you need:

Rail & S-Hooks from IKEA

 END RESULT:

$10 + No Necklace Knots = a VERY :) Kathy

DIY: Gold Spray Paint = High End Makeover

With just a little Gold spray paint, my white owl gets a Golden makeover

and..

My distressed mirror gets a rich Golden finish

I like using Krylon Metallic Spray Paint in Bright Gold.  It's an inexpensive and simple way to update old pieces you have a home to give it a little shine!

Happy Monday!

-Kathy

DIY - How to Make $13 Sunglasses Look Like $130 Sunglasses

I bought a pair of Jessica Simpson rose gold framed sunglasses from TJ Maxx a couple months ago for only $13!  I love the style, but wanted to add some "bling" to it with my Swarovski Elements flatback baguette crystals.  You can also just use some crystals sold at your craft store for a less expensive alternative to the Swarovski ones. All you need are the supplies below:

- Inexpensive sunglasses or an old pair of sunglasses that needs some revamping (you want to look for flat areas to apply the crystals to)
- Flatback crystals (Swarovski Crystals are the best quality, but I also found some flatback acrylic crystals from Michaels that could work also)
- Jewelry Rhinestone Glue (you can also try to use Super Glue, depending on the surface you're working with)
- I used jewelry tweezers to help grip and apply my crystals to my sunglasses (you can use regular tweezers or flat nose pliers)

BEFORE...

AFTER...

Not bad for a pair of $13 sunglasses!  No one could believe it only cost that much!  Have fun with it...the more bling, the better! ;)

I hope you have a great week everyone!

-Kathy

DIY Baby Photo Shoot Tips

Although, I'm not a professional photographer I certainly do have fun pretending I am! The end result is always rewarding to see how your work has turned out :)

Most of the photos taken on this website (like my banner and most of all my blog post photos of my family) have been taken by my Canon Rebel T3.  I just use simple photo editing tools - mainly iPhoto on my iMac is my best friend and Picasa works great too.  Both the camera and tools are pretty simple to use and here are some of my DIY tips on how to take some creative photos of your own!

1) I hardly ever use the Flash. Although you have to be more still when taking the photo the colors are less harsh because the flash can be quite abrasive at times so I choose to not use the flash at all and opt for more natural light.  You can always adjust the lightness later when editing.

2) Most professional photographers recommend overcast weather when taking photos outdoor or using natural light indoors at around sunset.  The shots I've taken below were taken in my bedroom at around 6 pm on my bed that is adjacent to a pretty large window that lets a lot of light in.  I do have sheer white curtains hanging, which I love because it keeps the room bright without compromising privacy, plus I love how the light shined through in these shots.

 3) I like to zoom in quite close to get more of a creative angle.  This particular photo above of Ryker looks a bit angelic because the light is shining on him plus I exaggerated it a bit more by increasing the exposure and lightening up the overall photo to get this effect. I then softened the edges.

4)  In this photo above, I had the camera focus on Ryker's hands and it auto blurred the background (again with no flash). I edited the photo on iPhoto and played with the saturation and color balance to get an in between sepia and black & white color effect.

5) With this closeup shot of his feet above, I played with the Sepia color effect and adjusted the color balance to where I wanted it.  I also increased the exposure and lightened it up more to intensify the areas where the sunlight hit.

6) Now this one photo above is my favorite shot because my 3 year old daughter took this herself from her angle as you can tell from where her feet are.  I helped her with the zooming in but she snapped a number of shots and I chose this one to edit.  Once again I increased the exposure and brightness to where I wanted it and I just love this end result!

* Sometimes the best photos come from your little ones point of view!  Just make sure you strap your camera on them well in case they drop it and the rest you can do with a bit of editing on your computer.  You'll be surprised with how "creative" of a photographer your little one can be!

Enjoy!

What to pack in my Hospital Delivery Bag?

The time has come to finally pack my hospital bag in case I go into labor.  The last ultrasound I had before I left the hospital said that Ryker's due date moved up to June 25th, which is today, but it could just mean that he's just a big boy.  Nonetheless, he could come any day now and here's what I decided to pack in my labor bag:

I love this LV Graffiti Neverfull Bag - I used it as Keira's baby bag when she was born.  It fits a ton of things and the bright pink graffiti writing makes me smile :)

What's in my Labor Toiletry Bag?

1. Organix Hydrating Moroccan Argan Dry Body Oil:

I ran out of my Mama Mio oil so I wanted to try something else so I picked up this Organix Argan Dry Oil which says it helps to restore elasticity. You can also use this oil in the shower for added moisture and when you get out of the shower to seal it in.  So far I LOVE how it feels - not greasy at all plus the price is great at $8!

2. Travel Q-tips Pack

I don't think they provided these at the hospital but they're always good to have

3. Neutrogena Makeup Remove Towlettes

4. Aveeno Daily Moisture Lotion

5. MAC Liquidlast Liquid Eye Liner

This eyeliner is AMAZING because it just does NOT budge, especially along the waterline.  Eyeliner is part of my daily makeup routine, it helps open and brighten up my eyes.  I normally use MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, but this waterproof one would be best to apply before going into the hospital so it won't come off during the labor process and your eyes won't look so tired in photos :)  Plus it doesn't irritate my eyes at all and I have to wear contacts, so I absolutely love it.

6.  Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten Baked Blush

Blush is one of my favorite beauty products because it can help contour and brighten up your face. I got this blush in color SUNSWEPT it has golden and pink tones that are beautiful together.

7. Soft Lips

This was in the Labor Kit that Kim made - I had to take all her essentials with me!

8. Scunci Hair Ties & Claw Clip

These were also in the Labor Kit that Kim made.  You can never have enough hair ties or clips to keep the hair out of your face during labor!

9.  OptiFree PureMoist Contact Solution travel size

I can't forget my contact solution and case

10.  Toothbrush & Toothpaste

TIP:  Use Large Ziploc bags to help separate your clothes from your little one's clothes so it's easy to find and their clothes stay clean in the bag.  

Clothes I packed for ME:

- 2 PJ Sets

- Nursing Tank Tops & Bras

- Comfortable Underwear

- Lightweight Robe 

- Leggings

- Comfy and loose clothes to come home in

- My eye glasses & case

Things I packed for BABY:

(* Before I packed his clothes I washed them all in DREFT and put them in the dryer with Bounce Free & Sensitive Dryer Sheets to prevent irritation)

- My BIRTH PLAN

- Baby no-scratch Mittens 

- Tiny socks (that look like little Jordan shoes)

- Onesies 

- Hat

- Soft blanket

- Little Pampers bag with a couple newborn diapers and wipes (the hospital should have these too)

- Clothes for Picture Time (most hospitals have a photographer that comes around to take the babies first photos so it's good to have an outfit picked out in case)

Other things I'll take are:

- Camera
- Slippers (which I'll probably wear on my way to the hospital)
- Flip Flops to wear in the shower
- Hair Brush
- Installed Car Seat & Base for taking the baby home
- My Nook for reading during the day
- A mini reading light
- iPhone for playing music in the room
- My list of contacts (family & close friends) for Erik to text when I go into labor

Now, it's just time to wait for those lovely contractions to begin!

For all of you expecting soon, I wish you the best of luck for a beautiful and safe delivery! Congratulations!

The Most Creative DIY Baby Shower Gifts!

My friend Kim (who is also expecting a baby boy in July) made me the CUTEST Baby Shower presents that I told her I had to do a post on it! It's so creative and useful and I just love them! 

Thank you so much Kim!

The Diaper Cake on the left and she cut out Ryker's name!
The gift basket on the right was labeled "Hospital Survival Kit" and you have to see what's in this!!!

So cute I don't want to ever take it apart!

Genius! You bet I'll be taking these with me to the hospital!

Kit Contents:  Chewing gum, Cotton Candy, Mini Oreos, Hand Sanitizer labeled "Sanitize before Snuggles",  hair ties (can't have enough of these), mini Aveeno lotion, mini facial tissue box, makeup remover cleansing wipes, a hair clip, soft lips moisturizer

Remember to always tell people, "Sanitize before Snuggles" when holding the new little one!

Thanks so much Kim! You're so creative!

Work in Progress: Ryker's Room

Ryker's room is getting closer to being finished.  Wall #2 is finally painted!

Here's the Black & White CHEVRON wall 

Here's how it looked before (below)

I originally planned on using a stencil to do the lines, but they seemed to be even more difficult to use because I wanted the lines to be as crisp as possible and the only way to achieve that is to use painters tape.  So, I mostly taped the design just by eye and used a level to help me out a bit. I was crossing my fingers that since it was a busy print that it might not be as noticeable if the lines weren't perfect.

Once I painted the black, my perfect Little "DIVA" Helper - Keira, helped pull all the tape off (with her heels on of course)

Here's the finished wall!!

I found this vintage wooden bar on Craigslist, which I thought of originally painting over, but lately I've been loving the look of natural wood, especially with the black and white tree theme of Ryker's room.
I actually plan on using this as Ryker's changing table once we get the changing pad and a yellow cover for it, which I haven't found a yellow one that I like yet. I really want a bright yellow and white striped pad cover so if any of you have any recommendations please comment below.

I also received my Cockatoo Art Parrot Print on a vintage dictionary page from BLACK BAROQUE and framed it.  It's perfect because it wen't with my yellow cockatoo pillow I got from the One Kings Lane sale when Room Service was featured. I really loved it and thought it would be perfect against the black and white blanket I got for my glider.

It's coming together...on to the next project!

These cockatoo's are AWESOME - they remind me of a little boys mohawk!

** See how Ryker's room turned out HERE **

DIY: Dollar Store Accents

Happy Monday Everyone!

Why pay over $30 for a faux floral arrangement when you can customize your own?

Here's what I picked up at the Dollar Tree for a total of only $3.00!

1 bunch of faux peonies, 1 small vase,  1 bag of Glass Gems - Each just $1

Directions:

1) Empty out the glass pebbles inside the small vase 

2) Trim the flower stems to fit the height of the vase

3) Stick the flowers in the vase and make sure the stems are hidden

Finished!!!

* Now is actually the best time to shop for faux florals at the dollar & craft stores since they have a greater variety for the Spring Season

Whether "Faux" or "For real" - Flowers are always a great start to kick off your week.  

It's a great way to add a pop of color on your desk or dresser!

I hope you all have a beautiful day!

-Kathy