tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22385431606378525372024-02-20T01:25:26.508-08:00a place of gratitudeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-59293888728677190842013-10-31T18:50:00.000-07:002013-10-31T18:50:29.782-07:00ThenOne of my favourite movies as a kid was Now and Then. Loved it. It's no surprise then that I love a good before and after renovation, diy or decorating project. This week marks the ONE YEAR anniversary of my time in the condo. It has gone by so quickly. Like quickly as in I haven't even touched the bedroom and have done almost nothing in the bathroom. Keep in mind that this is a 651 square foot condo, so that's like 1/4 of the entire space. Before moving in, I remember thinking "Aw... too bad the move in date isn't closer to Christmas break... What am I going to do with those two weeks off since everything will be painted, decorated and perfect by then?" Those were the actual thoughts going through my head. My move in date was October 29th. I don't even think I was finished unpacking by Christmas, and I definitely only had a couch and a dresser in the living room. Obviously I was delusional.<br />
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Although it's taken a long time and it's nowhere near finished, I'm really happy with how everything is coming together. Throughout this year, I bought some furniture (most of it on kijiji for next to nothing) and put some time, effort and love into redoing the pieces so that they were unique. There were <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/04/how-to-recover-parson-chair.html" target="_blank">the chairs</a>, <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/04/painted-pedestal-table.html" target="_blank">the kitchen table</a>, <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/05/the-10-mirror.html" target="_blank">the mirror</a>, <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/06/dresser-to-tv-stand-part-one.html" target="_blank">the dresser that is living as a tv stand</a> (more on that soon) and some other fun projects that I'll post about soon. I've learned a lot and it's been a really rewarding experience to invest (mostly time, sweat and tears) in my home.<br />
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BUT it didn't all start that way. Well, sort of. It started with tears. Actually and some sweat too. So basically that's exactly how it was from the beginning. Walking into the condo for the first time was somewhat shocking. I had walked through it as it was being built (when there were just studs and the concrete floor), but I assumed that it would be pretty and perfect by the time I moved in. I was wrong. First of all, I decided not to go with the carpeting that the builder offered because I knew I wanted hardwood. So walking into my brand-new-saved-like-crazy-for-this condo, I was surprised to see that the concrete floor was still there. All naked, stained and ugly. There was also vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bathroom because legally spaces with water have to be "finished" before they can let me move in. That was great because we ripped it all up anyways. Fun times. Well, it was actually fine for me because I didn't do much of that step... The condo also didn't have high-end finishes, there was zero character and I started second guessing my decision. Cue the sweat. Two days later (two days before moving in) I discovered that I had three little cute mouse visitors. Cue the tears. Two humane mouse traps, a kind, brave boyfriend and a few viewings of "The One With the Pheobe's Rats" (which I can't find a clip of), the mice were gone, the floors were in (installed by Matt and my future brother-in-law - you are both amazing and I love you) and so was my stuff!<br />
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That was all a drawn out way to say here's what the condo looked like before:<br />
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This was the view from the front door. You can see the vinyl flooring (the green tape is where that floor ends and the concrete begins). Those rolls are the sub-floor that was going down under the hardwood. <br />
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The bathroom is directly to your right when you walk in.<br />
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And here's the view into the kitchen/"hall" to the front door. The bathroom is the door on the left, right beside the front door.<br />
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This is the living room. Doesn't it just scream "Come on it, sit down, stay a while"? On the right are some of the boxes of flooring (that Matt carried up the 3 flights of stairs because the elevators weren't working yet...)<br />
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After scraping the vinyl flooring this is what it looked like (with more flooring on the right).<br />
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This is the only photo I can find at the moment of the dining room area. And my helpers.<br />
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And this is the bedroom.<br />
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I know it's not the worst "before" situation, but I was definitely crossing my fingers that things would come together quickly. Once the floors went down a few days later it made a big difference. Thank the Lord. Matt has reminded me several times that if I never saw the condo like this, I wouldn't appreciate it the way it is now and I wouldn't understand how much work goes into transforming a space. He was right. This has definitely been a process in gratitude :).<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-10594388402731143962013-10-08T17:00:00.001-07:002013-10-08T17:01:12.738-07:00Goldilock's Favourite ChairAlmost.<br />
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In May, I had my family and Matt's parents over for <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/05/spray-painted-coffee-table.html" target="_blank">Mother's Day</a> brunch. It was a lovely day :) It wasn't until about 5 minutes before they all came in that I realized I didn't have enough chairs. There were 7 people and I had 4 <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/04/how-to-recover-parson-chair.html" target="_blank">dining room chairs</a>. What was even more awkward was that I only had one couch in the living room. It was the first time that my parents were meeting Matt's parents, and they were going to have to be VERY close. To solve the problem that day, I moved all of the kitchen chairs around the living room so that we could all <strike>awkwardly eat on our laps</strike> sit together. It was a temporary fix, but it worked. Since then I've been looking for accent chairs for the living room. I wanted something that was comfortable, not all wood, not all fabric (because the dining room chairs are mostly fabric), not too big but not too small.<br />
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After months of looking, I found these on Kijiji:<br />
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They were perfect! I loved the combination of wood and fabric and I knew the wheat/taupe/greige colour would work in the living/dining room (keep in mind this is a 650 square foot condo). It turns out it was an office furniture wholesaler who was selling them. They were originally asking $200 for both, but I got them down to $150. The owner reminded me several times that they were very expensive chairs. Very. Expensive. I believed him and was happy that I'd be getting them for $150.<br />
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The only problem with these perfect chairs was that they were 45 minutes away. And we'd have to take two cars. Because I really wanted two. Matt and I have small cars :S But it was okay because they were perfect.<br />
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When Matt and I finally got there, this is what I saw (except it was in a warehouse, not in my house).<br />
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These blue impostors were NOT my perfect chair! A part of me thought that maybe it was just the warehouse lighting and when I brought them to their home they would change to the perfect colour. That did not happen. I didn't love them. But I did love the boy who drove 45 each way to pick one up so that I could have both. So I bought them. </div>
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The chairs are super comfortable and they're the perfect size. It's hard to find chairs that you can cross your legs in, and these ones are the perfect width for that. The only think I didn't like was the fabric.<br />
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The material is also tweed-ish and rough instead of smooth like they looked in the photo.<br />
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What do you think? I imagine it would be expensive to have them reupholstered... Maybe I could try it myself? Have any advice?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-65845103248446818562013-09-26T04:26:00.000-07:002013-09-26T13:02:46.722-07:00The Science of GratitudeWhen I was in high school, Science was definitely my worst subject. It was difficult for me to wrap my brain around the equations and technical language. This video called "The Science of Happiness - An Experiment in Gratitude" explains an important theory in a way that even I can understand :)<br />
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Let's all try to be a little more grateful. Apparently we'll be happier. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-90740601123666619822013-08-11T18:19:00.003-07:002013-08-11T18:20:19.101-07:00Pillow TalkDo you ever feel like everything happens all at once? That's how I've been feeling lately. Although I technically have the month off work, it's been super busy!<br />
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My <strike>seamstress</strike> mother (who's work you've seen <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/04/how-to-recover-parson-chair.html">here</a> and <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/06/let-there-be-privacy.html">here</a>) said when I bought the fabric for the curtains that she would make some pillows for me. I was super grateful but wasn't sure if I was a pillows-match-the-drapes kind of girl. Turns out, I like it! The pillows really brighten up the couch.</div>
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Here's what the couch looked like before with the cushions that my wonderful friend Stacey gave to me when she leant/gifted me her couch. Love her!</div>
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And here's what it looks like now with the new pillows :)</div>
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Now I just feel like I need more!</div>
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I know it's not a huge difference, but they still make me smile :). Except for when people touch them or sit on them. I'm working on that.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-90718022328640116872013-07-30T20:08:00.002-07:002013-07-30T20:09:02.724-07:00Grateful for...The south of France.<br />
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Although I could stay in Paris forever, it's always nice to spend the last week of <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/07/grateful-for.html" target="_blank">the trip</a> in the south. It's a nice change of pace and I love that we get to go to so many places. We stay in Antibes and do afternoon/evening trips to Cannes, Monaco, Nice and Juan-les-Pins. It's pretty amazing.<br />
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I'm also grateful for my colleagues on the trip! A few hours after talking with another teacher on the trip (who became a good friend) after a difficult day, I came out of my hotel room to find these waiting for me. She knew I was a sucker for fresh flowers. I may have cried a little.<br />
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I got to know the wonderful woman who cleaned my room during the three weeks in Paris, so I left them for her with a card when we left for the south. You know, passing the joy along.<br />
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While we're on the subject, here are some photos from the flower market in Nice. I could have stayed there all day.<br />
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On the excursion to Grasse to do a tour of Fragonard (the first perfumery), we stopped in a little village called St-Paul-de-Vence. That's where I snapped this photo. People actually live here. Crazy. It's hard to tell but there's a beautiful view through that crack between the two buildings.<br />
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This last photo I took in Eze, a village we stopped in on the way to Monaco. I am absolutely in love with this sign. In English, it says "If you take my parking spot, take my handicap". Amen.<br />
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I probably should have taken many more photos during the last week, but because they were all places I had been several times before, I wasn't as trigger happy as I normally am. Either way, it was a wonderful month but I'm glad to be home!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-5911251398707491482013-07-09T16:24:00.001-07:002013-07-09T16:24:36.209-07:00Grateful for...Paris.<br />
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For the past two summers I've worked for a company that pays you to travel the world for the month of July. And everything is free. Everything. Oh wait, except lunches.<br />
This summer, I'm doing the same trip that I did last summer - Paris for three weeks and the south of France for a week. Hard life, I know.<br />
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Although it sounds amazing, there is some work involved. The company is called Global Journeys and it's for students from Ontario who want to get a credit over the summer while traveling overseas. Last year I taught for the first week, and then was the Group Leader of the trip; in charge of everything that happened outside of the classroom. This year, I'm teaching the grade 11/12 French Immersion class solo. And it has been amazing. Amazing.<br />
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Here are some of the things I'm grateful for from the first week:<br />
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Sitting in Jardin du Luxembourg watching the jets practice for Bastille Day this weekend after having a picnic and teaching in the park.<br />
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Getting to the Louvre before anyone else and watching the Parisians head off to work.<br />
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Hot chocolate and pastries at the famous Café Angelina.<br />
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The beautiful village of Chartres.<br />
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And it's incredible cathedral.<br />
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Walking the Champs-Elysées (this year, no floods or storms!)<br />
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Spending time in Monet's gardens and walking through his house.<br />
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Nighttime boat rides on the Seine.<br />
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And the fact that I am doing all of these wonderful things for free. And getting paid.<br />
Last time, I promise.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-25689159317019116312013-06-17T19:33:00.000-07:002013-08-12T13:43:04.719-07:00Dresser to TV Stand (part one)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibT949LnPPCz6umSpdxFcB2abNoHSj-DTY_lxjGBWKQVcRxXfiHORkhCwiRfjxqGDfOyUfaYF-OwzRPFU0hx8RWkDvVeb0sIyJHYuPLJSu4KobsyQogYgnHESeTns_hig41GOG8i3YWJo/s1600/Dresser+to+TV+Stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibT949LnPPCz6umSpdxFcB2abNoHSj-DTY_lxjGBWKQVcRxXfiHORkhCwiRfjxqGDfOyUfaYF-OwzRPFU0hx8RWkDvVeb0sIyJHYuPLJSu4KobsyQogYgnHESeTns_hig41GOG8i3YWJo/s640/Dresser+to+TV+Stand.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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I've mentioned <a href="http://www.twotwentyone.net/" target="_blank">Chelsea's blog</a> once before because she's done some pretty amazing DIY projects. My favourite project of her's is t<a href="http://www.twotwentyone.net/2012/07/dresser-turned-tv-stand/" target="_blank">he dresser that she turned into a TV stand</a>. You should check it out because it's AMAZING! It's that post that inspired my current tv housing situation. I knew I didn't want anything that was black, chrome or a wall unit. It wasn't until I saw Chelsea's stand on Pinterest that I knew exactly what I wanted to do.<br />
Instead of doing what most people do when they decide they want a new piece of furniture (going to a furniture store), I decided to check out kijiji in my pjs. It took a few weeks of scouring and inquiring before I found this baby:<br />
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I had originally taken some photos of it on my phone, but when I bought a new phone not all of them transfered properly. Here's the only one I can find (I had already primed the gold inlay and taken the pulls off). It actually looks much nicer than it was, trust me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKJdxlqOnUokcJsrHw1isH7ZwqalWxkYGvprpGD5D8PKh7oCzJiUoT-u6zGo5RtvDVCXWZMOH6kY5GMVQe2PUiL9jIh3d4hj4JupcbpXJg9DATyK2ji4Y5OzV3HeyLbfk0Q2BLnfIZJg/s1600/DSC_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkKJdxlqOnUokcJsrHw1isH7ZwqalWxkYGvprpGD5D8PKh7oCzJiUoT-u6zGo5RtvDVCXWZMOH6kY5GMVQe2PUiL9jIh3d4hj4JupcbpXJg9DATyK2ji4Y5OzV3HeyLbfk0Q2BLnfIZJg/s320/DSC_0237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I scored this dresser, as well as a night stand and a smaller dresser that I'm using in the dining room (pictured below) for $125, delivery included. Not bad for solid wood, good quality dressers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeks8e-lCVl7rQLwnpvFp3NrZHLsPsD94xA0GZQob6quDqhBBSf9YqVSREnL-D6bqSSyKN4gXuFbMpkQXnqnlCzKbKu8SVj0Eb9sQ7CDxh6H6d3KkHy4SBm0vkjtf-gMFun9BesPa-WKk/s1600/photo-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeks8e-lCVl7rQLwnpvFp3NrZHLsPsD94xA0GZQob6quDqhBBSf9YqVSREnL-D6bqSSyKN4gXuFbMpkQXnqnlCzKbKu8SVj0Eb9sQ7CDxh6H6d3KkHy4SBm0vkjtf-gMFun9BesPa-WKk/s400/photo-13.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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One night while I was watching tv I decided to open up a can of primer and cover all of the gold inlay. I had already decided that I wanted to paint it the same colour as the dresser, so I knew I had to do this step, even if I hadn't picked a paint colour yet. This is usually how my DIY projects start, randomly without much of a plan.<br />
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After priming the inlay, I sanded and primed all the drawer fronts. Living in a condo with just a balcony, it's hard to do big projects here, so I only did the drawers at my place.<br />
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I used a spray primer, Zinsser BIN, which is a shellac primer. The woman at Home Depot recommended it when they didn't have my favourite Zinsser primer in a spray can.<br />
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In this shot you can really see that it needed some love... I had already sloppily primed the inlay at this point.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGa57jSoQIBbWnHX2pOQsHORKN_EnX-KpPvYf4gyP9xWXXUFP6gS7jXlv33omqZGnqno8AxIdrEQjIXWTyRSL5GMBBw_JRg3cjw22-50g6jBGdeMl3zWcC1ZiPM5pfh2Xfb-yL9BHYy8/s1600/DSC_0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGa57jSoQIBbWnHX2pOQsHORKN_EnX-KpPvYf4gyP9xWXXUFP6gS7jXlv33omqZGnqno8AxIdrEQjIXWTyRSL5GMBBw_JRg3cjw22-50g6jBGdeMl3zWcC1ZiPM5pfh2Xfb-yL9BHYy8/s640/DSC_0228.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I sanded the drawers, wiped them down, vacuumed the creases and sprayed them with a coat of primer.</div>
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It took about 45 minutes to sand and spray all 9 drawers. And look at the difference!<br />
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It was looking better already. After seeing how much better they looked, I contemplated keeping the dresser white. But then I changed my mind back to charcoal grey.</div>
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Here's a little peak into the chaos and disaster that always happens mid-project.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIYfh8A6fm5L4F7zfuy9bTikdh-FfZirZ_McEh62GH7ZMOdaJVJFz84IjI3z7Zl86pE8b56i623FxvwzMG7U-J53bX_gQdb48Eh9Ng6WJk6phtur4j4IsQ01lcx09iZrSQJgiDSMD800/s1600/DSC_0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIYfh8A6fm5L4F7zfuy9bTikdh-FfZirZ_McEh62GH7ZMOdaJVJFz84IjI3z7Zl86pE8b56i623FxvwzMG7U-J53bX_gQdb48Eh9Ng6WJk6phtur4j4IsQ01lcx09iZrSQJgiDSMD800/s640/DSC_0263.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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After doing the drawers, I took the dresser to Matt's house to sand, prime and paint the dresser. Two of the drawers didn't close properly, so Matt fixed it. You can see in this photo that the top of the dresser was in rough shape.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuukfUBbSNeBaOvML70h_tAJY8YnOahpw8zvsQF6dAPio9ACeFJDm9JZLXtrrtENPReftf5ggv-Nhbps3W2Uyv8TovIbQQ0Ef7Ia78qwjFkQS17wiHkPwN8HlwtcY1_WuWElVOrUyZKW0/s1600/IMG_00000014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuukfUBbSNeBaOvML70h_tAJY8YnOahpw8zvsQF6dAPio9ACeFJDm9JZLXtrrtENPReftf5ggv-Nhbps3W2Uyv8TovIbQQ0Ef7Ia78qwjFkQS17wiHkPwN8HlwtcY1_WuWElVOrUyZKW0/s400/IMG_00000014.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's a close-up of the grungy-ness. You can see that stickers were removed, which wasn't the case with the night table, which is sporting some pretty bad ass glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs.<br />
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We (yes, we - even though there's only photographic evidence of Matt's contribution) sanded the top with the electric sander and hand sanded the rest.<br />
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The spray primer wasn't working like I'd hoped, so I went back to Home Depot for a can of the same Zinsser primer. I figured it'd be best to keep it the same as the drawers.</div>
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There is almost ALWAYS a moment in a project where I feel like I've ruined it and that it will never turn out the way I imagined. So far, this has never turned out to be the case, but in that moment I figure it's over. I have even been known to throw my hands up and cry. Then Matt gently puts my hands back down and tells me we can fix it. This happened during this project once I had finished priming the entire piece.</div>
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The whole thing was covered in this thick, coarse, popcorn ceiling yuck!</div>
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I freaked out and felt like crying. That's when Matt came into the garage and said "Uhh were you planning on wearing those jeans again?" You see, only I would decide that I'm such a pro that I can paint in my favourite jeans without getting any on me. False.</div>
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I thought it would be a great idea to save money and buy foam rollers at the dollar store. Matt tried to dissuade me, but I wouldn't listen. They kept falling off throughout the priming stage, and I kept having to use more (good thing I got 6 for a dollar). Apparently at some point in the process I sat on one of those rollers. Sweet. He proved his love for me by saying "Let's go buy paint, then we'll come back and sand the dresser" instead of "I told you so". He's a keeper.</div>
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That's when I found I also had paint in my hair. I'm still picking little pieces of it out of my hair to this day. This primer really does stick to anything.</div>
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I chose Benjamin Moore Advance water based enamel alkyd paint (like I used for <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/04/painted-pedestal-table.html" target="_blank">the kitchen table</a>) in Kendall Charcoal. Turns out it wasn't as dark as I thought it would be, but I'm happy with the result.</div>
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After a quick sand job, the dresser was looking smooth. I decided not to do a second coat of primer to save my sanity.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ0qdO91GqKwxjlQ41fmuxEDKvdSGgJBQd5iQZxXm1gFCvpWfXmCeuvPO9MFq8ZN9FCdJXbSl6BvAHCxaVNryuLDMoWciG6R9z7HWO7q4-qkT1tlRhMvjq2xn2fMxA6LrGfHNkuayqjA/s1600/IMG_00000023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJ0qdO91GqKwxjlQ41fmuxEDKvdSGgJBQd5iQZxXm1gFCvpWfXmCeuvPO9MFq8ZN9FCdJXbSl6BvAHCxaVNryuLDMoWciG6R9z7HWO7q4-qkT1tlRhMvjq2xn2fMxA6LrGfHNkuayqjA/s640/IMG_00000023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The paint dried much darker than this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9EiAro0bAUuaNy22EwKfSRjMVLeXvu8d9_eB5J27sNl_3yxS0NWYbAtYn2YHyKV6IFp_RyEKtYf6EBGL5SBkceZMuvJSJnzgwLrDXBICiATwaEYWSACIy3MUbwgWrtzJAlEmAFIqJV0/s1600/IMG_00000053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9EiAro0bAUuaNy22EwKfSRjMVLeXvu8d9_eB5J27sNl_3yxS0NWYbAtYn2YHyKV6IFp_RyEKtYf6EBGL5SBkceZMuvJSJnzgwLrDXBICiATwaEYWSACIy3MUbwgWrtzJAlEmAFIqJV0/s640/IMG_00000053.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After two coats on the dresser and drawers it was done!</div>
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Here's what it looks like now:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuPNYkqbkXrsLZxpmvWzBa4O_DHwRzdkqIMXwX8zMhGMhenfmBcP4GfC9j91Ak-2Wpwl7ejj6JsPy_nm5TvLJRiA12jLcCBPgGW_rdUJgA9nICuvGjodqQwBO4masoDtcIQS_B-XMQC4/s1600/DSC_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuPNYkqbkXrsLZxpmvWzBa4O_DHwRzdkqIMXwX8zMhGMhenfmBcP4GfC9j91Ak-2Wpwl7ejj6JsPy_nm5TvLJRiA12jLcCBPgGW_rdUJgA9nICuvGjodqQwBO4masoDtcIQS_B-XMQC4/s640/DSC_0421.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm really happy with it! Now I have to do the second step - removing the top drawers, painting inside, adding some wood shelves and cutting some holes in the back for the wires. I have a feeling it may be a while.</div>
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I'm linking up with:</div>
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<a href="http://carriethishome.com/" target="_blank">Carrie This Home</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.myturnforus.com/" target="_blank">My Turn for Us</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rainonatinroof.com/" target="_blank">Rain on a Tin Roof - Give Me the Goods Monday</a></div>
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<a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Thrifty Decor Chick</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/" target="_blank">Remodelahilic</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-4648892932289271092013-06-09T12:36:00.003-07:002013-06-09T12:36:50.581-07:00$4 well spent<br />
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Take a look at this photo and try and guess which one of the things I bought this weekend (keep in mind that I paid $4).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCSCIyS2G7bQHyPQkOvlS-cB1fLIeRJ46HLBgT1aEzJbtySNc6BNElaPL5D0GYlDf6sBf4zHZIjxjwSGua2p5M19WXPI5IYMFWxYXcPzpmpLzf0CLPK7nmHLf6CICWbPzWARrcqsiZvg/s1600/DSC_0491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCSCIyS2G7bQHyPQkOvlS-cB1fLIeRJ46HLBgT1aEzJbtySNc6BNElaPL5D0GYlDf6sBf4zHZIjxjwSGua2p5M19WXPI5IYMFWxYXcPzpmpLzf0CLPK7nmHLf6CICWbPzWARrcqsiZvg/s640/DSC_0491.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="428" /></a></div>
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If you guessed the Audrey Hepburn book, you're wrong! It's actually the table! I stopped into Goodwill with Stacey this weekend to see if they had any little treasures, and I found this guy. I thought that for $4 I couldn't go wrong. I was originally thinking of repainting it (probably white) but I'm actually loving it just the way it is.</div>
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What's the best thing you've spent $4 on this week?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-63321060162022521062013-06-08T11:55:00.000-07:002013-06-08T11:55:45.881-07:00Let there be privacyI've been living in the condo for just over seven months now, and this week I finally hung curtains in the living room! SO exciting :) I'm on the third floor so it wasn't as urgent as if I was on the ground floor... although I guess that's debatable. During the day I usually want them open anyways, but it's nice to be able to close them at night when it's easier to see in - especially since my unit faces the parking lot :) I'm sure I'll be getting high fives and thank yous when walking to my car.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinu1ItiDVCu1XwI6r5Gn3C7nhFsh1_KwD3nAXO8sYZzSuddL9jkOZjAyMBbWNH0RK_pJV9Gg_4846BkdmlgbO7Hdg8O2al43Mh_XjrO4WRDf0r-FBRvnx8YFJGnhURx35xXtfpGCjHtuM/s1600/DSC_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinu1ItiDVCu1XwI6r5Gn3C7nhFsh1_KwD3nAXO8sYZzSuddL9jkOZjAyMBbWNH0RK_pJV9Gg_4846BkdmlgbO7Hdg8O2al43Mh_XjrO4WRDf0r-FBRvnx8YFJGnhURx35xXtfpGCjHtuM/s640/DSC_0471.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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I've had the fabric for a few months - I bought it from Fabricland for $6/meter, but I've been waiting for my seamstress to have the time to make them :)<br />
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When Matt first hung them, the rod (that I got for free from my Mum) wasn't long enough to span the width of the wall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNP-mYFRa3wzplPLZ74CuMgmlrvBPNn12d7MqRVazMBgsYMwTBk3ZLZtDjb1r4iFcI0OS2JVZHWVGWnei5l29dA6vED5Vxfkb1rfp_TApvp6Df-3Jh_9bEN3iSiTHlvVdRLj6DbYKSY0/s1600/DSC_0402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNP-mYFRa3wzplPLZ74CuMgmlrvBPNn12d7MqRVazMBgsYMwTBk3ZLZtDjb1r4iFcI0OS2JVZHWVGWnei5l29dA6vED5Vxfkb1rfp_TApvp6Df-3Jh_9bEN3iSiTHlvVdRLj6DbYKSY0/s640/DSC_0402.JPG" width="416" /></a></div>
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Although I was happy to have curtains, I decided I wanted a longer rod. So when we were at Ikea this weekend, I bought a longer rod (for $6.99!) and new hardware. It makes SUCH a difference!<br />
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I'm in love :) Here's the before:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacv510vKbpnYsJ9doXeFXc-mHy0Fcxf5s6aYxj75Jf3mdzYiTRQ-KE7c5GjrghzYRZy6Uzxq-kO1aMXhMYbQW9Waz7pox7BvRq5jcvx-UerCt1D7z_Vlhw2jmVkpv4FTgKG3bsYNP8T0/s1600/DSC_0360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiacv510vKbpnYsJ9doXeFXc-mHy0Fcxf5s6aYxj75Jf3mdzYiTRQ-KE7c5GjrghzYRZy6Uzxq-kO1aMXhMYbQW9Waz7pox7BvRq5jcvx-UerCt1D7z_Vlhw2jmVkpv4FTgKG3bsYNP8T0/s640/DSC_0360.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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And after!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdmn0j8nITmbI8dIR_aC48L_mWZIZqHJfHNTysUXoIpDqYY0LB1WJ10VLhwWpg_5LhN9WIPhatvNsa5HQ_04Rnm-T6rHnQTpHPOpgODDvlc4xt9IFQOFfuHZbAXEHLcSJNH5Il70zaTk/s1600/DSC_0467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdmn0j8nITmbI8dIR_aC48L_mWZIZqHJfHNTysUXoIpDqYY0LB1WJ10VLhwWpg_5LhN9WIPhatvNsa5HQ_04Rnm-T6rHnQTpHPOpgODDvlc4xt9IFQOFfuHZbAXEHLcSJNH5Il70zaTk/s640/DSC_0467.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love that I can push the curtains completely to the side so that more light can come in through the doors.<br />
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Don't mind the giant plant on the chair outside, I was given a planter of various types of lettuce from one of my students this week.<br />
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<b>Budget Breakdown:</b></div>
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Fabric: $6/meter = $30</div>
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Rod and hardware: $10</div>
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Privacy: Priceless</div>
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Total: $40</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-85049815192767213202013-06-01T19:12:00.000-07:002013-06-01T19:12:41.129-07:00Grateful for...Tea Rooms, antique shops, small towns and my Mum (she should probably be first).<br />
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My lovely mother's birthday is in January. And today, on June 1st, we finally went out to celebrate. For birthdays I love giving experiences as opposed to things. In her card, I wrote that we'd be going to her favourite Tea Room in Dundas, Ontario. I had never been before but I love me a good Tea Room. It's a little crazy that it took 5 months for us to find a date that works. She's retired and volunteers like crazy for about a million causes <strike>and has a much busier social life than I do </strike> and seems to always be on vacation somewhere incredible. I'm sure we could have made an earlier date work, but for some reason this is the date we picked. Here's the Tea Room we went to:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWvJAdz2Qv25vxw230_7PPJhajce_QxisKAe84NvC6Yv5gdSd3eeNERP1Y0NAesAAkdEJL8xtzhNcBVm52uSTwhl_WTU-HMAjiDmylzzFUfl7FTjYzUjh-URtzGQamYe04W6GRDzpnzU/s1600/IMG_00000107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWvJAdz2Qv25vxw230_7PPJhajce_QxisKAe84NvC6Yv5gdSd3eeNERP1Y0NAesAAkdEJL8xtzhNcBVm52uSTwhl_WTU-HMAjiDmylzzFUfl7FTjYzUjh-URtzGQamYe04W6GRDzpnzU/s400/IMG_00000107.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Isn't it so lovely?! The food was delish. I could put devon cream on anything.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAPyAtADwB5QycYSMqXvV0WIIjQKqwjUeANcT_oEB9ovakFfTx66znMd2J7V_1zUwzD8QYFVHfXdgePg7IR6DCmORDzRCIOHKBZLeoYpaOz7A1TMD6NJ_ls6jP1oNu8BtPsy0M0Jxl7g/s1600/IMG_00000109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCAPyAtADwB5QycYSMqXvV0WIIjQKqwjUeANcT_oEB9ovakFfTx66znMd2J7V_1zUwzD8QYFVHfXdgePg7IR6DCmORDzRCIOHKBZLeoYpaOz7A1TMD6NJ_ls6jP1oNu8BtPsy0M0Jxl7g/s400/IMG_00000109.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then we went for a walk down Main Street and went furniture/antique shopping. This store had BEAUTIFUL things for LOTS of money. I'll stick to my Kijiji furniture re-dos for now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOnotMf3nnbkWe-YKYksNCdXDeSmPaBYvgTi57jgLU3KEC6X1vHcHeOu9tNbrng8qjKSytr_KePoEOaSZXT4Dpso5B9dozGEt1Gqa8j2wv0UkEmL2vVXUOVCnhlehin44-Z6FFSB4drc/s1600/IMG_00000112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOnotMf3nnbkWe-YKYksNCdXDeSmPaBYvgTi57jgLU3KEC6X1vHcHeOu9tNbrng8qjKSytr_KePoEOaSZXT4Dpso5B9dozGEt1Gqa8j2wv0UkEmL2vVXUOVCnhlehin44-Z6FFSB4drc/s400/IMG_00000112.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-I_IWmgkiELUZ9_g7uQRo3UHjZwgrK72A7MkdTvMlifFm0IaHxlW0wXc2BingbFYwRn0xUcXC4oINjb1roGdDp_XCNCxmZOiN7KoCdngNEBr_cgL3qiyL8kdAj9fR1PM_MW4QFKYoE0/s1600/IMG_00000113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-I_IWmgkiELUZ9_g7uQRo3UHjZwgrK72A7MkdTvMlifFm0IaHxlW0wXc2BingbFYwRn0xUcXC4oINjb1roGdDp_XCNCxmZOiN7KoCdngNEBr_cgL3qiyL8kdAj9fR1PM_MW4QFKYoE0/s400/IMG_00000113.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What a lovely day with my favourite woman in the world :).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-90083661164574026862013-05-24T16:18:00.001-07:002013-05-24T16:18:44.276-07:00Happy Feet ! New Rug<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsLkA-m8qS1VRZvrQfZSweMoAdtBI27RKDUMSHQhNO1IJ7q11cmOh37azTJEddag9wUv2g3YWZ69YmMtWIToCirjsWxJARz05K84jh3sdnN1UOual6-eNWEG_a0ev_U-S0khYQdfVQT4/s1600/DSC_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsLkA-m8qS1VRZvrQfZSweMoAdtBI27RKDUMSHQhNO1IJ7q11cmOh37azTJEddag9wUv2g3YWZ69YmMtWIToCirjsWxJARz05K84jh3sdnN1UOual6-eNWEG_a0ev_U-S0khYQdfVQT4/s640/DSC_0340.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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I've wanted a rug for the living room since I moved in - but I wanted to make sure I loved it first. I recently stumbled across the <a href="http://www.maillardvillemanor.com/" target="_blank">Mini Manor Blog</a> and I've fallen in love. Ashli and her husband live in British Columbia, so it's great that most of the things she posts about are available in Canada! When I saw her library/office area, I fell in love with the carpet! When I was showing it to Stacey, I googled "Mini Manor Blog Rug" and found a <a href="http://www.maillardvillemanor.com/2011/08/new-library-rug.html" target="_blank">post explaining where she got it</a>! It's a Debbie Travis rug from Canadian Tire. I went to go check it out at the store, and was slightly disappointed that it seemed like a cream/green pattern. I crossed my fingers that it would look different in the condo lighting, and it did!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pUviqx1tpIvL-LgKljEO1JtL9al3ej8PZTuckA4McQUiWiG6TpiPmBk-pqxYIAy9Xuk0nmbIi2b8-yn6gaaO2w8cp-fNRO15EDIuXB9Xbl11fLwvIhfgaeMcn-TbfDscG_xhzA1l00E/s1600/DSC_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pUviqx1tpIvL-LgKljEO1JtL9al3ej8PZTuckA4McQUiWiG6TpiPmBk-pqxYIAy9Xuk0nmbIi2b8-yn6gaaO2w8cp-fNRO15EDIuXB9Xbl11fLwvIhfgaeMcn-TbfDscG_xhzA1l00E/s640/DSC_0348.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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I didn't realize that I missed the feeling of a cushy carpet on my feet! I'm love how the rug makes the room seem much more homey/finished.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxHtxBRerIHmFQFeCAC6krVrOWrBRNXBLA7RP7xOcHMchkcvXqs93ptjngRkkPQ5KtsDGBd_vethZb-u2mJzJqF_cOx0KuZzHxairQExKWF4KxeTPE0lpa6jiR7iY4W3NRtYnULvC1bs/s1600/DSC_0356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxHtxBRerIHmFQFeCAC6krVrOWrBRNXBLA7RP7xOcHMchkcvXqs93ptjngRkkPQ5KtsDGBd_vethZb-u2mJzJqF_cOx0KuZzHxairQExKWF4KxeTPE0lpa6jiR7iY4W3NRtYnULvC1bs/s640/DSC_0356.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I purposely didn't capture the left side of the room in these photos - I've just completed a projected that I'll be posting about soon :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-56505118281071698872013-05-21T17:05:00.001-07:002013-05-21T17:06:40.597-07:00Spray Painted Coffee Table<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTa5UoJwHeIWKJNUUTwNeZ_CzExRLRL9s2irsnyb2Say_3N7vLC1kBFRAk0iXAsx1HezqRSdjEl0WH20azJskkM50Rhhp9liIxDbh75-tdVSeyXKIWExGH0pEXfienC0StozOQyX1YCs/s1600/DSC_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTa5UoJwHeIWKJNUUTwNeZ_CzExRLRL9s2irsnyb2Say_3N7vLC1kBFRAk0iXAsx1HezqRSdjEl0WH20azJskkM50Rhhp9liIxDbh75-tdVSeyXKIWExGH0pEXfienC0StozOQyX1YCs/s400/DSC_0322.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So up until now, the living room has been looking pretty empty. There's a couch (that was leant/gifted to me by a wonderful family), a dresser (that I bought on kijiji and plan to turn into a tv stand <a href="http://www.twotwentyone.net/2012/07/dresser-turned-tv-stand/" target="_blank">à la twotwentyone</a>) and a smaller dresser that I've had since I was born (which has been primed, but not painted because I can't pick a colour I like). It's looked pretty bare for the last six months, but the bright side is that it's a great place to work out - lots of open floor space. Thank God I've started filling it up, because now I have a legitimate excuse for not having worked out in months.<br />
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Step one in filling this room up is a coffee table. I've been looking for <strike>FOREVER</strike> a while because I<br />
a) Don't want to spend a lot of money<br />
b) Don't want it to take up too much visual space<br />
c) Don't want to spend a lot of money<br />
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After searching kijiji for a while, I found this table for $40. And the woman happened to live two minutes away, which made it extra awesome.<br />
The table is a metal/glass combination, and originally it was silver/chromish, which didn't really go with what I had done so far. I decided to<strike> channel my inner <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOFAnpb8I3E" target="_blank">Goldmember</a> </strike>spray it gold so that it would tie in with the <a href="http://aplaceofgratitude.blogspot.ca/2013/05/the-10-mirror.html" target="_blank">mirror</a> in the dining room.<br />
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The whole process was super easy and took about 15 minutes! My kind of project :)<br />
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Here's the table before (with the glass pieces removed)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGaeAMafHHQuQRskIfAfvSgBJYk9hXNr8Js20zUEECQLzflzTmXUeNZY6BYFoRN5zENp5IrTe1lkanNJkzPH6ng5agGMw0NjuOQXBkXCOrBvhKS-SgPb5CTgzTfuSU4LIBHQCbQru8o4/s1600/photo-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGaeAMafHHQuQRskIfAfvSgBJYk9hXNr8Js20zUEECQLzflzTmXUeNZY6BYFoRN5zENp5IrTe1lkanNJkzPH6ng5agGMw0NjuOQXBkXCOrBvhKS-SgPb5CTgzTfuSU4LIBHQCbQru8o4/s400/photo-11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Step One: Lightly/quickly sand the table and wipe it down.</div>
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I spray painted it in the underground parking area because it wouldn't fit on my balcony. But I was super careful and took all of the necessary precautions. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnJ7plGFuLNpQduTTsLpLUsu_PEQGjSyzzCnZNQ7etHMQAkRvhDrFONbwiJV5Z-X5OTfbmm1HuDrT1mabcdk-QMAwFp7xfIDHz2AIzsykwIKRqjyGvAyQBcLPx2aiPYc2k-h6kCB_iPw/s1600/photo-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnJ7plGFuLNpQduTTsLpLUsu_PEQGjSyzzCnZNQ7etHMQAkRvhDrFONbwiJV5Z-X5OTfbmm1HuDrT1mabcdk-QMAwFp7xfIDHz2AIzsykwIKRqjyGvAyQBcLPx2aiPYc2k-h6kCB_iPw/s400/photo-10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Step two: lay newspapers to avoid painting your parking spot. Or the floor.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq71yoM0dxMZyJILXrKa8S4t9akBvGEFkb7LRL08XQiKrDim01BJmvkik2sQwDWxkkyhnvLUu7XcmThipNstqWxe_70Bxgf92l5OpBzWHDAvECrEnokh14D2tlt_Rj9PUF6-HY4N-Qdk/s1600/photo-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQq71yoM0dxMZyJILXrKa8S4t9akBvGEFkb7LRL08XQiKrDim01BJmvkik2sQwDWxkkyhnvLUu7XcmThipNstqWxe_70Bxgf92l5OpBzWHDAvECrEnokh14D2tlt_Rj9PUF6-HY4N-Qdk/s400/photo-9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Step three: paint the table and let it dry for 15ish minutes</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTa5UoJwHeIWKJNUUTwNeZ_CzExRLRL9s2irsnyb2Say_3N7vLC1kBFRAk0iXAsx1HezqRSdjEl0WH20azJskkM50Rhhp9liIxDbh75-tdVSeyXKIWExGH0pEXfienC0StozOQyX1YCs/s1600/DSC_0322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTa5UoJwHeIWKJNUUTwNeZ_CzExRLRL9s2irsnyb2Say_3N7vLC1kBFRAk0iXAsx1HezqRSdjEl0WH20azJskkM50Rhhp9liIxDbh75-tdVSeyXKIWExGH0pEXfienC0StozOQyX1YCs/s400/DSC_0322.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Step four: replace glass pieces, position, and enjoy!</div>
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I love the way it turned out :) I also love having a spot to put my feet up when watching tv!</div>
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Here's a quick peek at the before:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx-zik_PZfVI8qLc7PvwR5VAYKcHhtw0YyfejCffxnCKDJxjzkRRkFjYxtb8zoqd2Vr2yEA79lqz7i76Tg4LjNbXSQ4NRwvRdJalJzWM1p03-SNKnb0K0oziQcKhqYAF2H61-0KBomnI/s1600/photo-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx-zik_PZfVI8qLc7PvwR5VAYKcHhtw0YyfejCffxnCKDJxjzkRRkFjYxtb8zoqd2Vr2yEA79lqz7i76Tg4LjNbXSQ4NRwvRdJalJzWM1p03-SNKnb0K0oziQcKhqYAF2H61-0KBomnI/s400/photo-12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And after! This photo is from the Mother's Day Brunch I hosted for the Moms! It was the drink station :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYDr14hgztk8x8SOkdcVmURaT0gI2R6K4R25UZ7RtMlKgd8hUV0e7kGmHdu4t4CmoEoeEnt6sBp957v5TBLaPSSIMsKUNcdHkgnUe5peN3qBCPL-qWC8_PhyTM317ZIneMv0m0-h3LRo/s1600/DSC_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYDr14hgztk8x8SOkdcVmURaT0gI2R6K4R25UZ7RtMlKgd8hUV0e7kGmHdu4t4CmoEoeEnt6sBp957v5TBLaPSSIMsKUNcdHkgnUe5peN3qBCPL-qWC8_PhyTM317ZIneMv0m0-h3LRo/s400/DSC_0274.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-65460791498446800142013-05-19T11:27:00.000-07:002013-07-10T13:55:10.982-07:00The $10 Mirror<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I think this mirror may be my new favourite piece in the condo :) And it cost $10, which makes me love it even more. It's hard for others to understand just how much I love a good deal...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eO_jSLBM6NK6S74r7UJpQZftFey80R9XshuKqR88VZYlRksm2jFED6l7PC7jh1oukOofXftpgY095C_AH0sXVklnOJEtLVN9eE0w9WJ2U0YfkyZoXNMcjIda-rg8KGb0Pq3ocyIEnOM/s1600/DSC_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eO_jSLBM6NK6S74r7UJpQZftFey80R9XshuKqR88VZYlRksm2jFED6l7PC7jh1oukOofXftpgY095C_AH0sXVklnOJEtLVN9eE0w9WJ2U0YfkyZoXNMcjIda-rg8KGb0Pq3ocyIEnOM/s640/DSC_0288.JPG" width="408" /></a></div>
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I love pretending what it would be like to actually have people read this blog. When doing a new project, I'll say to my boyfriend "Wait! Let me take a photo of this step!" And he'll look at me with an almost pleading look of "But it would go so much faster if you didn't have to do that..." to which I reply "But my readers won't understand how to do it if I don't capture this step!". Then he gives me a look that is a combination of "Aww.. it's cute that you think that" and "Maybe one day..." but he says "Okay, let's take the photo" and I win :)<br />
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This project took about 30 minutes and I did it on my own, so I didn't have to make anyone stop to pose. Maybe next time.<br />
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A few weeks ago I was driving to visit my Grandma. I stopped at a Goodwill on the way because it's not one I normally go to, so I was hoping for a good find. And I got one! This mirror was $20, but it just so happened to be a 50% off furniture day! I couldn't believe that nobody else had snatched it up - the lines were perfect!<br />
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Here's what it looked like before:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2zHOe2amRe24Wc0lj2uE-3B9sb5JvgJFKDZqk3rdB6yvLsduePZ8RNTF82e4YVpV6BwcyEjsLMJu8ex_PlavCAqTMkcSIr1c5EL413to0GEeC6STT_9h3_1j-ktxJkHNAtCZ-j5X65Y/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2zHOe2amRe24Wc0lj2uE-3B9sb5JvgJFKDZqk3rdB6yvLsduePZ8RNTF82e4YVpV6BwcyEjsLMJu8ex_PlavCAqTMkcSIr1c5EL413to0GEeC6STT_9h3_1j-ktxJkHNAtCZ-j5X65Y/s640/photo-1.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
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My wonderful future sister-in-law let me spray paint it in her garage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcNDhKQggCtSJ9tBijPvKtzPMPDxLPQRYrRsPc_E1odWKWERCwVLhyphenhypheneo_Pkg8xRHG0XJZTJYmgi2BabRYqJ5lIxbRPD5eH1baftEraMhIvJnHTECtv90LvVJLjNMVuePYtOEhrV2P7Zw/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcNDhKQggCtSJ9tBijPvKtzPMPDxLPQRYrRsPc_E1odWKWERCwVLhyphenhypheneo_Pkg8xRHG0XJZTJYmgi2BabRYqJ5lIxbRPD5eH1baftEraMhIvJnHTECtv90LvVJLjNMVuePYtOEhrV2P7Zw/s640/photo-3.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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You can tell from the holes in the side that it used to be a part of a tri-fold mirror that probably sat on top of a dresser. They only had the middle part, but that's all I needed! gave the whole piece a quick sand using 80 grit sand paper, and then filled the holes with wood filler.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wV0onRh4ffCODp_UYp9Im_9PTTA4B2l4K7YgawyoCIodnjiOLb-68C6n1FUvo8UJMq8cNHBt4ZN1eA_2c6hgWI3_RhaZQ8F9sxocYoISklJ8gIK6yqkqCKvWtXoLwb9MopDvoy-vSl4/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wV0onRh4ffCODp_UYp9Im_9PTTA4B2l4K7YgawyoCIodnjiOLb-68C6n1FUvo8UJMq8cNHBt4ZN1eA_2c6hgWI3_RhaZQ8F9sxocYoISklJ8gIK6yqkqCKvWtXoLwb9MopDvoy-vSl4/s640/photo-2.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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After I had sanded the wood filled areas and wiped the mirror down, I taped the inside of the mirror so that I wouldn't get any spray paint on it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCum3m2FrLak49tUUuDYdXxGL-5xubDEcC4oHTMEgYwHP1Ti1wlYsKPQimXXC7KVGPNQcRZmRUv4ENaXYQPozOT9nPNUowQ5IE34fNfIshx563alMFTXIiscnOYEKRU-9kSNNJNUtiUCI/s1600/photo-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCum3m2FrLak49tUUuDYdXxGL-5xubDEcC4oHTMEgYwHP1Ti1wlYsKPQimXXC7KVGPNQcRZmRUv4ENaXYQPozOT9nPNUowQ5IE34fNfIshx563alMFTXIiscnOYEKRU-9kSNNJNUtiUCI/s640/photo-5.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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And then I covered the mirror with newspaper. One layer is enough, it won't leak through to the mirror. If when you're done you realize there was a spot you didn't cover, don't worry, you can use a razor blade to scrape it off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoeuwGT4qQMvDTs1I_i78PKwk51cMCZkmlKJdPkCVmBxbxPDTzpe23qJw65oamcxEPc46I0_J9rrGLE9BLgfT0mFBZxuQXm3hcF6QkJ49hR_1u3GxqjdAcpF-wgGnpz92E2F0GeMtAF8/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoeuwGT4qQMvDTs1I_i78PKwk51cMCZkmlKJdPkCVmBxbxPDTzpe23qJw65oamcxEPc46I0_J9rrGLE9BLgfT0mFBZxuQXm3hcF6QkJ49hR_1u3GxqjdAcpF-wgGnpz92E2F0GeMtAF8/s640/photo-6.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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I lay the mirror down on newspaper so I wouldn't ruin their floors (although there were a few spots that I didn't cover perfectly - sorry Stacey!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T4kxo7GdMXrq8WOWXEaAwh0sz0rGV54J60YeCHj_egdBm8TevaKDh1ST6fQ0c1s47bbfoYwnoTOpjLFw7C_uOPza5DoLstkSss-EqBcNErNJ0byX10CEvjxXFtbi17H9F_V5WkqDF9Q/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T4kxo7GdMXrq8WOWXEaAwh0sz0rGV54J60YeCHj_egdBm8TevaKDh1ST6fQ0c1s47bbfoYwnoTOpjLFw7C_uOPza5DoLstkSss-EqBcNErNJ0byX10CEvjxXFtbi17H9F_V5WkqDF9Q/s640/photo-7.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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*TIP! Make sure you raise whatever you're painting slightly off the ground. I put two little cardboard pieces underneath so that I could get good coverage on the sides and I wouldn't have to worry about the mirror sticking to the newspaper underneath.</div>
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I used <a href="http://www.homedepot.ca/product/metallic-finish-gold-312g-aerosol/980040" target="_blank">this spray paint</a>:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu2tNC67xWeb223cA4o8dYULmwfi0QiCZ5PN-PHasnKvgSi_Wig2thfrqAhpajO8AWkmYt832FSqrZnM1TqwsI5hVFVLxDSqFiN4UHHRjw5djtiSfEd4GNrihK70W5X1nYUgoD4FdGT4/s1600/N1910_830_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIu2tNC67xWeb223cA4o8dYULmwfi0QiCZ5PN-PHasnKvgSi_Wig2thfrqAhpajO8AWkmYt832FSqrZnM1TqwsI5hVFVLxDSqFiN4UHHRjw5djtiSfEd4GNrihK70W5X1nYUgoD4FdGT4/s400/N1910_830_4.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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I already had it from a previous project, it's just $8 at Home Depot, not bad!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXyxQi2EWHTWPD3MQQnU5m7as4RZTHUyPU37pdeC76kvaz5iRD-9-OmXopviUBOrNp8B34x3yTYxtgWU79rhVs_gqVIx89zEp9e-2B8u_WUD0TeA5c4Xl3RONCQGtExcjThvuJYn7LKA/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXyxQi2EWHTWPD3MQQnU5m7as4RZTHUyPU37pdeC76kvaz5iRD-9-OmXopviUBOrNp8B34x3yTYxtgWU79rhVs_gqVIx89zEp9e-2B8u_WUD0TeA5c4Xl3RONCQGtExcjThvuJYn7LKA/s640/photo-8.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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I did two coats and let it dry in between, but it dries super quickly. I wouldn't leave the newspaper on for too long, because you don't want the paint to adhere to it, and then pull off parts of the paint with the newspaper.</div>
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(Please pardon the poor quality iPad photos).</div>
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Here's the before:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eO_jSLBM6NK6S74r7UJpQZftFey80R9XshuKqR88VZYlRksm2jFED6l7PC7jh1oukOofXftpgY095C_AH0sXVklnOJEtLVN9eE0w9WJ2U0YfkyZoXNMcjIda-rg8KGb0Pq3ocyIEnOM/s1600/DSC_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eO_jSLBM6NK6S74r7UJpQZftFey80R9XshuKqR88VZYlRksm2jFED6l7PC7jh1oukOofXftpgY095C_AH0sXVklnOJEtLVN9eE0w9WJ2U0YfkyZoXNMcjIda-rg8KGb0Pq3ocyIEnOM/s640/DSC_0288.JPG" width="405" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxXxjwxr16kmqpALC9IrmAKQRZJ4iOIEG5mr3pncTfhyphenhyphenh22p65IOtk5xLHaM8FG5Qp115PggRXGYILmdhsx9DudVOOsZK5AI2Z2U2SYb2Lj8YhilYkBnyGgSOhx8DZNJl1VF5aIcIxu4/s1600/DSC_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxXxjwxr16kmqpALC9IrmAKQRZJ4iOIEG5mr3pncTfhyphenhyphenh22p65IOtk5xLHaM8FG5Qp115PggRXGYILmdhsx9DudVOOsZK5AI2Z2U2SYb2Lj8YhilYkBnyGgSOhx8DZNJl1VF5aIcIxu4/s640/DSC_0294.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
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I like that the wood grain almost gives it a gold-leaf-ish finish.<br />
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I couldn't be happier! The gold ties in perfectly with the coffee table I just painted for the living room, which I'll show soon :).<br />
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I'm linking up with:<br />
<a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a><br />
<a href="http://www.myturnforus.com/" target="_blank">My Turn for Us</a><br />
<a href="http://www.creationsbykara.com/" target="_blank">Creations by Kara</a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-52053121559182866802013-05-10T15:22:00.002-07:002013-05-10T15:24:05.097-07:00Grateful for...Magnolia trees.<br />
This one was so beautiful I had to take a photo - and it smelled delicious! Too bad they're only in bloom like this for a week.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SjjhSOQNvIewcHgAgScV6Sll4FHtKnw6rc2E8Z4-YyOpnoH0bg1fUUCqA6x8K6b56w7wxHhmW5IXB506qq7NBml0d4kQV07KiTl5mPQdvPN55Mt9CuoKkw03oxkI62x4Z4c_oWhf_9c/s1600/IMG_00000008_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SjjhSOQNvIewcHgAgScV6Sll4FHtKnw6rc2E8Z4-YyOpnoH0bg1fUUCqA6x8K6b56w7wxHhmW5IXB506qq7NBml0d4kQV07KiTl5mPQdvPN55Mt9CuoKkw03oxkI62x4Z4c_oWhf_9c/s400/IMG_00000008_edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-23683526770156153432013-04-26T16:59:00.001-07:002013-04-26T16:59:58.957-07:00The Perfect Tray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently purchased a glass and metal table for the living room. I love that it doesn't take up very much visual space (because you can see right through it), but that it's large enough to store all of the necessities. I've been looking for a tray to keep on it. One that would be a combination of warm and slightly heavy, to contrast with the table.</div>
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Last night I went shopping at Winners with a friend and found this beauty! It was $12.99 - the perfect price.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GpLPn6Vec6IpBZVcwX3SIGJJ06Tm2J3e3Q5SAhHh0R-q0Xirvn8nUt1G72eqTT-Kb1OSE44TqIwuvLwWvsAV6OHrnOGfAlUJi-uYt46Mx5EeIkyXXiuZDdx118mgsmm5idyq9msp8qI/s1600/DSC_0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1GpLPn6Vec6IpBZVcwX3SIGJJ06Tm2J3e3Q5SAhHh0R-q0Xirvn8nUt1G72eqTT-Kb1OSE44TqIwuvLwWvsAV6OHrnOGfAlUJi-uYt46Mx5EeIkyXXiuZDdx118mgsmm5idyq9msp8qI/s640/DSC_0176.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I love the warmth of the wicker and the size of the tray. Things just seem so much more organized when you corral them on a tray.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcge_k4TZtH4cgFagmqinujCp1FnXIv_fNIaTRfVJTdN4ixNnI9CG-7WxhuwLqJDwqL_G5wkYg6wQjb1NrT36LC1TrV1mUvrw3cdipxeePfMw_7p67oARepn-bLFM5rOjRbLr_KMUDP5w/s1600/DSC_0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcge_k4TZtH4cgFagmqinujCp1FnXIv_fNIaTRfVJTdN4ixNnI9CG-7WxhuwLqJDwqL_G5wkYg6wQjb1NrT36LC1TrV1mUvrw3cdipxeePfMw_7p67oARepn-bLFM5rOjRbLr_KMUDP5w/s640/DSC_0179.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlTPsjb9YdcU1S5AnL_esqQnzgs7qk2_EzOQr2VN0xO67pqZ3sLrlQdSRYQjsJnm0N8y0Rd-UZWnJthbV0x7PDxgrnbydfs3p82fbLo-v5sbH6UGR7NC_STBSGyQQMICYsCZiOWDwSUg/s1600/DSC_0181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlTPsjb9YdcU1S5AnL_esqQnzgs7qk2_EzOQr2VN0xO67pqZ3sLrlQdSRYQjsJnm0N8y0Rd-UZWnJthbV0x7PDxgrnbydfs3p82fbLo-v5sbH6UGR7NC_STBSGyQQMICYsCZiOWDwSUg/s640/DSC_0181.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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While I'm showcasing a tray, I thought I'd share another tray that I use on a table in the dining room. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(I moved it over to the coffee table because the lighting is better by the window)</span>. A few weeks ago I was shopping at Indigo (which I'll have to do a post on because I'm in love with their housewares section) and donated to their charity. My name was entered in a draw, and a week later I got a call telling me I had won a basket! This tray was base that held all of my winnings together. I love the woven pattern.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROEUZl4AQx5esdJtumUfnrIKvlDHhtt6SJrd8pPxRUizxBtkX6ljQcQjrxv43a2ZHovGUyhSqESScgyz6A7s9sgBAe6CL8FCAMFMBVbUyRVOP1lecppcMwXlyF58EabLHzONw2f1by9U/s1600/DSC_0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROEUZl4AQx5esdJtumUfnrIKvlDHhtt6SJrd8pPxRUizxBtkX6ljQcQjrxv43a2ZHovGUyhSqESScgyz6A7s9sgBAe6CL8FCAMFMBVbUyRVOP1lecppcMwXlyF58EabLHzONw2f1by9U/s640/DSC_0184.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kf1FBUKeUSMsDDcbWQudlIQuJo-ZGXPKzwOVgDdZqvAAFr6w_cFMFCUwUBe8x_asi02YyJJMEMTs_rbcJu30z3Y0o_vESYK1b7ivMjgCczsl94lrjK9lrIOpqOv-zGCS7mPxllHx16k/s1600/DSC_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kf1FBUKeUSMsDDcbWQudlIQuJo-ZGXPKzwOVgDdZqvAAFr6w_cFMFCUwUBe8x_asi02YyJJMEMTs_rbcJu30z3Y0o_vESYK1b7ivMjgCczsl94lrjK9lrIOpqOv-zGCS7mPxllHx16k/s640/DSC_0185.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have a few plants around the house that are constantly dying, and then coming back to life. I'm not very good at watering them. When I saw this watering can for 50% off at Indigo (wait long enough and <b>everything </b>goes on sale - at least 30% off) I hoped it would help my poor plants. And it has! The little dish and the vase/milk jug are also from Indigo. I know, I have a problem.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-38471368954870282512013-04-15T17:46:00.000-07:002013-08-12T15:40:04.923-07:00How to Recover a Parson Chair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrF_W9nnQrRAI_1Eci1bVGNgdnvY1SCYUEbjfF5kPQTit0r7sDrQYFxSaO1t_uAuyzpEECpFLzQwCoNodG4e-BVU24MOEYPDtwTvmaB7tJhWSLeMPh-5b3xy0HLhSo04z08g-COR96rc/s1600/Parson+Chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrF_W9nnQrRAI_1Eci1bVGNgdnvY1SCYUEbjfF5kPQTit0r7sDrQYFxSaO1t_uAuyzpEECpFLzQwCoNodG4e-BVU24MOEYPDtwTvmaB7tJhWSLeMPh-5b3xy0HLhSo04z08g-COR96rc/s640/Parson+Chair.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
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After I bought and refinished my kitchen table, I started looking for chairs. I knew I only needed 4 because the condo is small - only 651 square feet! When I have company for dinner, I figured I'd make it work somehow.<br />
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After visiting several stores and not finding anything I loved, I decided to search kijiji. After a few options I liked fell through, I decided on a set of four parsons chairs. They were a dark brown pleather and had little tears in them - the owner must have had a cat! She was asking $80 for all four, but when I mentioned I'd be reupholstering them she dropped the price to $60 - so $15/chair wasn't too shabby!<br />
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Here's what I used to reupholster the chairs (plus a sewing machine)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge94urlpcOQt1EJdQyuS4JsXv3V_nFeGyDowsN71NCmQusw-4ENHT03jk8pdfv-AuApLvzj9HQG4wq2iTUURG44FqIu1SzyjNx5FssFxtmH59i8c8J3whXVUtZvIVmq9nLHc0vuWmt8vk/s1600/DSC_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge94urlpcOQt1EJdQyuS4JsXv3V_nFeGyDowsN71NCmQusw-4ENHT03jk8pdfv-AuApLvzj9HQG4wq2iTUURG44FqIu1SzyjNx5FssFxtmH59i8c8J3whXVUtZvIVmq9nLHc0vuWmt8vk/s640/DSC_0912.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I took the chairs apart and enlisted the help of my favourite seamstress - my Mom! Here's what they looked like before (with the back already taken apart from the seat):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGpv6ODjN_JX4zZZ4UEA2z-oEITrrrWtmbt2Mr6bebSRxQk90CBdPHDn6_zk272OjGDGzUdVaXG4whCdBh08t1Gi3O8R6CqxEqiRCtAbB-jpwTwz16NFlsL3pgNQmoTKrkFvnvt7CB6M/s1600/DSC_0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGpv6ODjN_JX4zZZ4UEA2z-oEITrrrWtmbt2Mr6bebSRxQk90CBdPHDn6_zk272OjGDGzUdVaXG4whCdBh08t1Gi3O8R6CqxEqiRCtAbB-jpwTwz16NFlsL3pgNQmoTKrkFvnvt7CB6M/s640/DSC_0925.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
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As you can see, they were in pretty rough shape. After discussing our options, my Mom said that it would be easiest to cover right over the pleather as opposed to taking the pleather off and completely reupholstering them. Plus, if stains get on the fabric they won't sink into the chair. Seeing as I've already spilled red wine on one, easy stain removal was important!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TLKpEYLH9skgI2cZ8qaliNyzq82QjLEwFJx7BFz5vj5MpyXJLoKvbDCQm36vVp46hjmaCr-DXxqSeY9jSs5IDXv5ZWOVkYaa0u3O0RA_YOdJjrNNj1x5VlLWWuA57zgVCZaxZWSZ6QI/s1600/DSC_0906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TLKpEYLH9skgI2cZ8qaliNyzq82QjLEwFJx7BFz5vj5MpyXJLoKvbDCQm36vVp46hjmaCr-DXxqSeY9jSs5IDXv5ZWOVkYaa0u3O0RA_YOdJjrNNj1x5VlLWWuA57zgVCZaxZWSZ6QI/s640/DSC_0906.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1EJ66I1Qd07qNDf3leFgysSg0icxH9IbgBqZ0sHr4tvNrqnaFWfrOONqutnIX0S4-fPpAHtOz3s2X7OnftlfWHuGqH87pCefbZ83PZOfihG-9cTtSn2g4I5fDrig714RW8l19rLwae8/s1600/DSC_0916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1EJ66I1Qd07qNDf3leFgysSg0icxH9IbgBqZ0sHr4tvNrqnaFWfrOONqutnIX0S4-fPpAHtOz3s2X7OnftlfWHuGqH87pCefbZ83PZOfihG-9cTtSn2g4I5fDrig714RW8l19rLwae8/s640/DSC_0916.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I bought this fabric from Designer Fabrics downtown Toronto for $12/meter.<br />
The first thing we did was measure the width of the back of the chair. We then measured the fabric and pinned it so that we'd know where to sew. I'm using the term "we" very loosely... It was mostly my wonderful seamstress who figured all of this out. She even made sure that the pattern matched up perfectly on the seam down the sides.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GJhczxTfVcLfhKWAw1w5d3LTD-IGZglqAyyjjUE_w18TfcWm5o75LubswNQNiTEWinqayWR1ipABP1_OoVq2gQpllhRVsxmGYIySJsErqNcoJV01oK3ZUnogn9K-nnteg92NH_DMJ6s/s1600/DSC_0907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GJhczxTfVcLfhKWAw1w5d3LTD-IGZglqAyyjjUE_w18TfcWm5o75LubswNQNiTEWinqayWR1ipABP1_OoVq2gQpllhRVsxmGYIySJsErqNcoJV01oK3ZUnogn9K-nnteg92NH_DMJ6s/s640/DSC_0907.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
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The plan was to cut a long piece of fabric and fold it in half so that we could sew the fabric together like a pillow case down the sides and to slip it over the back part of the chair. This meant we had to sew it perfectly so that it was snug enough not to wrinkle, but not too snug that we couldn't slip it over the top. <strike>Luckily</strike> Because my Mom is so skilled, it was perfect on the first try, but we had extra fabric just in case. (Notice that they were sewn with the fabric inside out).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQWjw-_p24Pt-8Og7DkqanavqdI2OkCw4edf9FsCngNj7WaWICrxXcy_OyAQ8WVJZOhKoSgLnPfan6u8oFUN2OJQbn3pHuHg6AzUoQjwU9xsSXcoBYj_-DIIGOVxzIwgyvnHMBnFtkbo/s1600/DSC_0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQWjw-_p24Pt-8Og7DkqanavqdI2OkCw4edf9FsCngNj7WaWICrxXcy_OyAQ8WVJZOhKoSgLnPfan6u8oFUN2OJQbn3pHuHg6AzUoQjwU9xsSXcoBYj_-DIIGOVxzIwgyvnHMBnFtkbo/s640/DSC_0920.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xbqUI7ATMRRi_CfHcqHYsF_iPSXL7B1jVfZKWz9vFslKhQDocZ6tAbHfkQhnbhVg8WHekZZBQ7KD2qNQBIKJG_HFkisAqRfCK4q0OwrHC9g5eMBuIr93Be4kXQfPdQg8dfvxDcA_1fE/s1600/DSC_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xbqUI7ATMRRi_CfHcqHYsF_iPSXL7B1jVfZKWz9vFslKhQDocZ6tAbHfkQhnbhVg8WHekZZBQ7KD2qNQBIKJG_HFkisAqRfCK4q0OwrHC9g5eMBuIr93Be4kXQfPdQg8dfvxDcA_1fE/s640/DSC_0924.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
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Here's what it looked like after step one of the process. I cut the extra fabric off of the bottom and the back and stapled it to the wood (just where the staples were in the pleather). You can see that it was one long piece of fabric that started at the front on the bottom, and went over the top of the chair and down the back. That way we only had to sew the sides.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DNC82hzwt8-Li_d9J1-UoAgIt1E1F7GEVriQlwmwXgRfFeylBHWMIyB0PJcz3yTFKwTdU1eRHM0VFxxy3tDk-ktVZRTzrqaUPm1LbekfHRduR7mKxQjpL63iDPPfCUczl62jzoJ6GVs/s1600/DSC_0932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DNC82hzwt8-Li_d9J1-UoAgIt1E1F7GEVriQlwmwXgRfFeylBHWMIyB0PJcz3yTFKwTdU1eRHM0VFxxy3tDk-ktVZRTzrqaUPm1LbekfHRduR7mKxQjpL63iDPPfCUczl62jzoJ6GVs/s640/DSC_0932.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xU-A2ywe7EzSW3KxyJ8Ik43gmn_UXL45U2Ph9ze2BV_mJcPVTHvp6BNgb72kHFFzp3x43Z8ti3q5iMmBlH3NWT8GnPhyphenhypheniNCaKkHEbRXF-zNl8kAUTcmUoeFBjLGwZWpY_elwDtR3Czs/s1600/DSC_0931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xU-A2ywe7EzSW3KxyJ8Ik43gmn_UXL45U2Ph9ze2BV_mJcPVTHvp6BNgb72kHFFzp3x43Z8ti3q5iMmBlH3NWT8GnPhyphenhypheniNCaKkHEbRXF-zNl8kAUTcmUoeFBjLGwZWpY_elwDtR3Czs/s640/DSC_0931.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
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See how perfectly the sides match up?! She's amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLbt9rfUTSsHODSrJz-Xkux3MabXUi8UkXgp12SYtx9d1_YvOlBYO6I-jRmi1k8hrY2f7fpoJZEA01eBMkEyfjwyTanyfUnVZnoq-EwH28opRo3QxeQfB2mrYH6bb4SbgLGhA9f0Enlo/s1600/DSC_0939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLbt9rfUTSsHODSrJz-Xkux3MabXUi8UkXgp12SYtx9d1_YvOlBYO6I-jRmi1k8hrY2f7fpoJZEA01eBMkEyfjwyTanyfUnVZnoq-EwH28opRo3QxeQfB2mrYH6bb4SbgLGhA9f0Enlo/s640/DSC_0939.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Above you can see one chair that I had already finished (cut off the extra fabric and stapled) and the two beside it still need to be finished.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzbAV-KM_J4mL4XU5EjzhbTfnNBNPTd8r8QE6iAyzMr_Dob0xZY_GK2Hfes9s0j16ArvVm2RkzkXG4-j0VlFvm1dhr4pETCKVjLm94RD_yffmbEQMc-4BExhiqxpym3ziOVEmpprs6HU/s1600/DSC_0937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzbAV-KM_J4mL4XU5EjzhbTfnNBNPTd8r8QE6iAyzMr_Dob0xZY_GK2Hfes9s0j16ArvVm2RkzkXG4-j0VlFvm1dhr4pETCKVjLm94RD_yffmbEQMc-4BExhiqxpym3ziOVEmpprs6HU/s640/DSC_0937.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a close up of what it looked like with the staples. It didn't have to look perfect because the bottom half of the chair would fit right in and cover all of that. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of how I recovered the seat of the chair, but it was just like wrapping a present! I made sure the pattern was straight and then folded the sides around the bottom and stapled them.<br />
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And here's what they look like now!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oKW0BkHvii27vDWormbDgzN9Mxcb8yh3ALMN_1OeK3BhBH57JBAv5iI-7pTsFsF6yPLGaovFHW3gd6t-6omfRzp-X6IF_-DS0G1RBLmMOrnNfxGrVlJUgX9mILMVXRDAJxmVufVrk4A/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oKW0BkHvii27vDWormbDgzN9Mxcb8yh3ALMN_1OeK3BhBH57JBAv5iI-7pTsFsF6yPLGaovFHW3gd6t-6omfRzp-X6IF_-DS0G1RBLmMOrnNfxGrVlJUgX9mILMVXRDAJxmVufVrk4A/s640/photo.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Budget Breakdown</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Chairs - $60 for 4</div>
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Fabric - $68</div>
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Staples and staple gun - already had them</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Total: $128 - $32 per chair<br />
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This post is linking up with:<br />
<a href="http://www.ablossominglife.com/" target="_blank">A Blossoming Life</a><br />
<a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/" target="_blank">House of Hepworths</a><br />
<a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a><br />
<a href="http://www.somuchbetterwithage.com/" target="_blank">Give me the Goods Monday</a><br />
<a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Thrifty Decor Chick</a><br />
<a href="http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/" target="_blank">My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-48591885466429930872013-04-11T18:43:00.000-07:002013-08-11T20:46:03.316-07:00Painted Pedestal Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfOIoYgizn6TaYRcLK99k_0iIe9UQPzx9IPlXPseGGeeddBGhcizQSyZ_LM6mdfupwF4AlgNJVERV8ij3dHgp5n62SZDnM7GUsrVzusK-OrOFvdeGJ5CSvZC_a70AKrTSOHzTIxAerEw/s1600/Painted+Pedestal+Table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfOIoYgizn6TaYRcLK99k_0iIe9UQPzx9IPlXPseGGeeddBGhcizQSyZ_LM6mdfupwF4AlgNJVERV8ij3dHgp5n62SZDnM7GUsrVzusK-OrOFvdeGJ5CSvZC_a70AKrTSOHzTIxAerEw/s640/Painted+Pedestal+Table.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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I figured my first DIY post should be the first big DIY project I ever did! I bought my condo pre-construction, so after the initial purchase, I had almost a year to plan and get everything ready.<br />
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The first purchase I made was this solid wood pedestal table. I searched kijiji for a few weeks until I found one I liked for a price I loved ($40!). It also came with two leaves which was a bonus. You can see it had a few water stains and scratches on the table surface, but it was easily fixed with sanding and wood filler.<br />
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The inspiration for this project came from Kate who is the author of the amazing blog, <a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/" target="_blank">Centsational Girl</a>. I followed her post <a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2012/03/painting-a-kitchen-table/" target="_blank">Painting a Kitchen Table</a> to a T! It was the first time I had ever refinished any piece of furniture, so I wanted to make sure I did it well. I even bought the same primer (Zinsser) and paint. Check out her step-by-step instructions if you're looking to do a similar project!<br />
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Here's what the table looked like before:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9m7vg-_9HcpM-IfOz-hin0K5Yx7pMGNmLHVdsETa4hohwBdyjZh7oLJZvtMoLdGRN7OjoWbwdgL40cLiux_utNSHzUc55eCAl1sAAEzXAdJBlBFdTqLcho1QDElMH4TldWK6eW4iF3Y/s1600/IMG-20120915-00160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9m7vg-_9HcpM-IfOz-hin0K5Yx7pMGNmLHVdsETa4hohwBdyjZh7oLJZvtMoLdGRN7OjoWbwdgL40cLiux_utNSHzUc55eCAl1sAAEzXAdJBlBFdTqLcho1QDElMH4TldWK6eW4iF3Y/s640/IMG-20120915-00160.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's what it looks like now :</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaViOdxlmaRzHQCb5bXkU7yHss6l0g1xHJvlnXUHfpFRrHh271hMFWLBNcKK3mfqbY4iQ8H0Kc2h6fBubtBHKa2i15y27Epw-oV0Tv7ofDs5wwOy7oru36FemUz8YpBAMOsiWscG4mq8/s1600/DSC_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaViOdxlmaRzHQCb5bXkU7yHss6l0g1xHJvlnXUHfpFRrHh271hMFWLBNcKK3mfqbY4iQ8H0Kc2h6fBubtBHKa2i15y27Epw-oV0Tv7ofDs5wwOy7oru36FemUz8YpBAMOsiWscG4mq8/s640/DSC_0206.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Some more before photos:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Sorry for the crappy phone shots!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6c_rb-s4db7Y_oIN5UVT6DeAZp-GXag-KuiRIBB3u3qnrhrOW8hyphenhyphenAfif2jg3_g57bPgmR6PqiwMKGGITljMGvmh8UZk2GibIQJZnino2BBHGfdxDosGjoNy9oL9F4Rwn29hMX48PXe8/s1600/IMG-20120915-00160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6c_rb-s4db7Y_oIN5UVT6DeAZp-GXag-KuiRIBB3u3qnrhrOW8hyphenhyphenAfif2jg3_g57bPgmR6PqiwMKGGITljMGvmh8UZk2GibIQJZnino2BBHGfdxDosGjoNy9oL9F4Rwn29hMX48PXe8/s640/IMG-20120915-00160.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cP2gulMuNuEXx2zqZlMgCDoAMwss6Z-od2E6H20hRLRZYyhZz1m-odVmIvfvEvZbnu_isTMis0xTA-ajsArpY-pvVV_SttXkXUoZXuFONKK5elcpZVk2gNfbYoK2afL_XZjH94s0NCc/s1600/IMG-20120915-00161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cP2gulMuNuEXx2zqZlMgCDoAMwss6Z-od2E6H20hRLRZYyhZz1m-odVmIvfvEvZbnu_isTMis0xTA-ajsArpY-pvVV_SttXkXUoZXuFONKK5elcpZVk2gNfbYoK2afL_XZjH94s0NCc/s640/IMG-20120915-00161.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can see from the photo above that the table top was in rough shape. I sanded the table with 100 grit sand paper and an electric palm sander. I also sanded the base and legs with a sanding block, but only found out later that Kate only sanded the top. That would have saved time, but you learn as you go, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAO_HcGR5nQ69KNFhWgBi1hO525Jn7YbLEJsFKm9vmm5LMiGzDScCOD5fgvkie1fItV1CNUhFYh_8jiOmI_V5F4pKtDVp4YWADEh8tQfBHlDiYnC_78uYOYYjCFC8fQRpyR8F7jB_OMc/s1600/IMG-20120915-00162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAO_HcGR5nQ69KNFhWgBi1hO525Jn7YbLEJsFKm9vmm5LMiGzDScCOD5fgvkie1fItV1CNUhFYh_8jiOmI_V5F4pKtDVp4YWADEh8tQfBHlDiYnC_78uYOYYjCFC8fQRpyR8F7jB_OMc/s640/IMG-20120915-00162.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I tried each step of the process on the leaves first, because I figured if I completely messed it up, it wouldn't be as big of a deal as ruining the table top. You can see them (already sanded) leaning against the wall in the above photos. Like Kate, I used a combination of rolling and spraying to get an even coverage over the table.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfStPVJDYwf86jUZ9vtTAR03kdz23HJQSQ2D6FWrxhpw9k7AnYaiiaoL9yhHEftTwrGNGWY7tDVHpKrKub0WH9Gp4M9Dsrs3HvSlVvm3X42EmTmx598C21qrnsLzV_Dw9TgbtWnnCGkI/s1600/IMG-20120924-00181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfStPVJDYwf86jUZ9vtTAR03kdz23HJQSQ2D6FWrxhpw9k7AnYaiiaoL9yhHEftTwrGNGWY7tDVHpKrKub0WH9Gp4M9Dsrs3HvSlVvm3X42EmTmx598C21qrnsLzV_Dw9TgbtWnnCGkI/s640/IMG-20120924-00181.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyC_4cRrdNobDShMlXGBnSkJ73bpNf68BnVaB_RjphlobtpIMK9NFN4qmB_IoSN0lW-wfN45-qtqOZMTBMcfKze3AA_yaFhfQLhqxUaw297hv4NAlk-ZIAmJD4LRmJQPmd-bhtXgOFTU/s1600/IMG-20120917-00168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyC_4cRrdNobDShMlXGBnSkJ73bpNf68BnVaB_RjphlobtpIMK9NFN4qmB_IoSN0lW-wfN45-qtqOZMTBMcfKze3AA_yaFhfQLhqxUaw297hv4NAlk-ZIAmJD4LRmJQPmd-bhtXgOFTU/s640/IMG-20120917-00168.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I rolled as much as I could on the base, and then sprayed the rest with the spray paint primer to make sure it covered every nook.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_-t1Z8A5COY83auqQ6rkWdMn9pFUGdgRqIvbEYiqLm5XrpsruJpM-9S2CC54ZBSzfzkd0i38IBEvKigaVLsfhOgaE-tYA0XU0nG-p6AAXH6NtdCIZXHxyUNCoq9Z9gQA5FJjoYhTr10/s1600/IMG-20120924-00182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_-t1Z8A5COY83auqQ6rkWdMn9pFUGdgRqIvbEYiqLm5XrpsruJpM-9S2CC54ZBSzfzkd0i38IBEvKigaVLsfhOgaE-tYA0XU0nG-p6AAXH6NtdCIZXHxyUNCoq9Z9gQA5FJjoYhTr10/s640/IMG-20120924-00182.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's what it looked like after I had finished! I left the table slightly apart so until it dried. I didn't want to close it and then chip the paint if I were to open it. I didn't go into detail about the steps I took because whatever I say, I'm sure Kate says it better!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J0a9UOZ3m3i_UlnQr1I9FAZGQxh20ph2NqAH8v8b8tpZN-KG1oz_BS76u5FnfwmchkffVivWvkBC7yficHwJjIg8zIilU4seTTIN129lYtQdQodMAgXLmcVq-UppDWogFjbe_bN4WE0/s1600/Painted+Pedestal+Table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J0a9UOZ3m3i_UlnQr1I9FAZGQxh20ph2NqAH8v8b8tpZN-KG1oz_BS76u5FnfwmchkffVivWvkBC7yficHwJjIg8zIilU4seTTIN129lYtQdQodMAgXLmcVq-UppDWogFjbe_bN4WE0/s640/Painted+Pedestal+Table.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Budget Breakdown</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Table - $40</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Zinsser primer (spray) - $9</div>
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Zinsser primer (quart) - $12 <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(half left)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Paint (Benjamin Moore Advance in Swiss Coffee) - $29 <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(half left)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Minwax Furniture Wax - $8 <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(almost all of it left)</span></div>
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Sandpaper - already had it</div>
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Orbital sander - borrowed from a friend</div>
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Total: $98</div>
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It may seem like a lot for a DIY, but I have lots of materials left over for the next project!<br />
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This post is linking up with <a href="http://www.remodelaholic.com/" target="_blank">Remodelaholic</a>. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2238543160637852537.post-42804611126612626062013-04-10T12:52:00.001-07:002013-04-11T16:56:08.312-07:00The Very BeginningI love blogs. There are several that I read on a daily basis. My favourites tend to be home decor/design/organizing blogs, photography blogs, and blogs about personal finance. I love being inspired by others, and there are so many blogs out there that do just that!<br />
<br />
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to start one of my own. I'm not exactly sure what it will look like or where it will take me, but I'm excited!<br />
I have recently moved into my first place, and I've enjoyed budgeting and saving for the down payment, as well as finding ways to furnish and decorate it for less. I also love photography and traveling. This blog will probably be a mixture of all of those things.<br />
<br />
I spent a long time trying to think of a name for the blog. I decided that "A Place of Gratitude" captured what it is I want this blog to be. It's so easy to take things for granted, and I want this to be a place to share the things I love as a daily reminder to be grateful for what I have and experience.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjBkEBWncWwxXsLd8E5B0jDl4KrhftwDT8cYHHNENzmST4T3XkuJkRbRiRrJO0h6Y-RxVL8mAhQK_52XPq3OlOGdMHzw1-ibHZVDQArWx0VEDWu8wshjzHZlwiSIT7OcBQZX9s1V1eME/s1600/HS_1enough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjBkEBWncWwxXsLd8E5B0jDl4KrhftwDT8cYHHNENzmST4T3XkuJkRbRiRrJO0h6Y-RxVL8mAhQK_52XPq3OlOGdMHzw1-ibHZVDQArWx0VEDWu8wshjzHZlwiSIT7OcBQZX9s1V1eME/s400/HS_1enough.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.heidiswapp.com/a-rak-journal-inspired-by-gratitude/</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Thanks for stopping by.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13375815860037756108noreply@blogger.com