office redo

I had the pleasure of having my daughter home for a whole week! 

This doesn't happen very often since she is in the middle of college. I take what I can get! 

So I didn't do a lot in my workshop last week so that I could spend as much time with my daughter as possible. 

Well you know I can't just sit still..so spring cleaning was well under way in our house. 

I managed to get all my junk drawers cleaned out and my wonderful husband took it all to work today and threw it in the dumpster there :) 

I then tackled my dumping zone aka my office. 

It's the place where I store all my paperwork and all the things I pick up, clean up and put in my booth. 

So this is what I've started with. 

When people come in our front door my office is right off to the side in this room. I'm constantly trying to distract people and lead the away from that area in order to avoid my own embarrassment.

I moved some things out.

Cleaned it all up and moved in one of my sideboards. 

It's not exactly what I had in mind...I originally bought this piece for my office. 

But as luck would have it, someone else fell in love with it and I sold it :( Really happy for the new owners...but now my own search continues. 

Ohhhh right, back to my office. (had to take a teary moment there...lol ) 

 Until I find my forever unit, I will use this one.

 Baskets help to stay organized :)

 LOVE these aqua mason jars.

 Love the marble lamp...don't love the shade, but that can be fixed. Not sure if I'm keeping this or letting it go.

 I need to replace both this bookshelf and the car holding corner unit. But again, I haven't found a replacement. That will come in time. I'm finding that I can be patient when it comes to finding things for "me" :)

Now it's Monday, hubby is at the office, daughter is back in school and I better get off the computer and back to my workshop. 
Have a great Monday :)

Antique dresser in Green

Anyone who knows me, knows my favorite colours are red and green. I know they are Christmas colours and there may be a connection there somewhere. But really Green is my top colour. I love spring and summer and all things green in just about all shades, depending on the application that is. 

I may be colour blind or decorating blind, but I think green goes with just about anything, in any room. 

As luck would have it. I found the perfect project to play with my green paint. 

 Yes I know...the bottom drawer is missing in the pic, but I do have it. I had already taken the handles off since they were just 1980's kitchen handles and sooooooo did not go with this piece.

I did however like the little details at the bottom and the fact that it had it's original wood casters. Those things are special to me. yes I know, it doesn't take much to please me :) 

I did strip it all down, re stain it and finished the top in a dark stain before attacking the body with a simple green paint. 

 I switched out the handles for these cute white distressed ones.

 I did a very slight distressing at all the right spots.

 the top turned out amazing!

This girl is 1/2 solid wood. I'm not sure what kind of wood it is, but I strongly suspect it's Ash. 

Doesn't matter to me since I think it's just perfect the way it is. 

And it reminds me that Spring is just around the corner. 

Bring on Spring!! 

Sharing here
Miss Mustard Seed
 

Lemon Blueberry Muffins (Gluten free)

Does this title surprise you? 

I think most that come to my blog only see me as someone who "does furniture" But I'm so much more than that. 

I'm a mom (my kids have grown and moved out) 

I'm a wife (my husband might wonder if I live with him or in my workshop) 

I'm a sister and a daughter/in law

I LOVE shoes and purses and have learned (most of the time) to enjoy the shoes while they sit in the store, then go back for frequent visits :) 

I'm also a foodie. I think that's what people that cook or eat or whatever are called right? 

I love to cook, I love to bake and I love to do big dinners with new recipes. 

And I love to save money. (don't we all) 

A few weeks back I was invited to a facebook group that is all about bartering. As things go it was decided that I would bake some gluten free muffins in exchange for a haircut. 

How awesome is that? 

So off in search of a gluten free recipe I went, and I found a wonderful one at Simply Gluten Free

I am just posting the link to the recipe and not repeating it here. 

And just so I had something to compare it to, I also tried another blueberry muffin recipe from Cooking on the Side

Since this was my first time doing muffins gluten free I thought I would share it with you here. 

The first picture is from the first recipe just as they were heading in the oven. I do not have an after picture of this recipe because I was also baking a couple loaves of bread and making two home made soups at the time. 

 These two are from the second recipe. They look rather cumbly...but they aren't, I was just knocking off some of my mess from a messy scooping in before baking.

My daughter assures me that they are wonderful (I didn't eat any since they are for that haircut tomorrow)

So I got to bake, I got to save money and I am getting a haircut. Makes for a very happy Monday. 

Ohhh and the bread came out great as well, daughter and hubby were very happy at supper time. Fresh bread with soup always goes over well :) 

Sharing here:
A Diamond in the Stuff 
Someday I'll Learn 

I am not a hoarder

I am not a hoarder.

Ok, maybe when it comes to furniture and tins I am....just a bit. 

I Love tins and I love furniture and clocks and.....well maybe just a little bit I'm very picky about what I like to collect. 

I see some amazing things on different blogs I love. 

And I so wish I could be more...eclectic. 

My hope and dream is to do more with our home away from home...our cottage. 

So this year I'm going to be blogging about my cottage transformation. 

And I'm going to do it on next to nothing! 

So come along for the ride :) 

This is the back as we bought it 3 years ago, already it is changed, more open. 

 And this is the front...again, more open. But more to come.

 These inside pics were of the cottage when we bought it..again there have been some changes...but a lot more to come.

Hope you join me...I can't wait :) 

From Broken to Beautiful

Earlier this week I had to go out and get a chair for a project I was doing. On on my travels I was able to nab a desk. 

 I don't think you can see it but there is a crack right along the the top. Just some glue coming loose, easy fix, but I tell you because you will see it more clearly when I'm fixing it.

 Obviously the middle drawer needed to be repaired as did one of the bottom drawers.

But I saw beyond the colour and the poor paint job and the broken pieces. 

 After stripping the top down and stripping most of the rest of the desk I was able to begin the repairs needed. I think you can see the seam.

 LOTS of stripping...but solid maple under all that paint, so to me it was well worth the time and effort to do it right.

Just a bit of repair on the bottom of the legs and we are ready to go! :) 

After all that work we ended up with this!! 

TA DA :) 

 A beautiful maple top...stained and sealed with Poly

 The rest was repainted on a now SMOOTH surface.

 All the hardware was replaced with something a bit more up to date :)

So pretty and so ready for it's new home! 

So again...from this!

To this!

I'm so happy with it. 

Tomorrow I work on the matching chair. 

:) 

Sharing here: 

Knick of Time
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Beyond the Picket Fence 
French Country Cottage
Common Ground 
Miss Mustard Seed
A Diamond in the Stuff 
Some day I'll Learn
House wife How to's