I still do stuff....during nap time

The new house is coming together, finally. A year and a half after we moved in.
Paint needs patched or redone, furniture needs purchased and/or arranged, built-ins need built, etc. Funny how a tiny person, when cooking, and even more so when out; slows to a crawl (harhar... but not yet thank god) any projects or house update progress.

This kid. Showing my cousin her impressive jaw flexibility.

BUT, now that little miss is happily occupied/trapped for MANY minutes at a time in her bouncer (girl wakes up wanting to jump), and naps reliably for 45-90 minutes in a stretch; let the (small) projects begin!

HAPPY lil dumplin'

I have knocked out several projects recently, but a good one of note was whitewashing an antique low oak trunk that came from an estate sale for $17.

It looked great as it was when I got it, but the opportunity to try out whitewashing without having to strip or sand a piece was too good to resist. Because there are only so many nap times and it was 100 degrees out that week. Mamma didn't raise no fool.

I researched approximately 3 million different whitewashing techniques, and ended up going with a milk paint sample packet, water, and additional white paint to make it go further. That sample pack was not cheap; so I was not going to get 2, or god forbid a quart. I like my first born too much to sell her for what that costs.
After two or so washes with the paint, I lightly sanded and went to town with a homemade liming wax.
Minwax plain 'ol furniture wax + acrylic white paint > $20 fancy pants liming wax.
Heating up the wax before mixing in the paint really helped de-lump the consistency and make it much easier to apply.

nice grain there mr. cabinet

Turned out a very Restoration-Hardware like finish. A bit brighter than the photo above in real life, but does have good grey undertones.

Original hardware, or just old (who knows if it really came from this piece) was a nice surprise to find bagged up in the drawer once I got the piece home. It had several layers of paint, so I stripped and scrubbed it back to bare metal. Brass I do like, but not here, so I spray painted with metal-specific sparkly grey rustoleum paint. 

I used the same paint as on The Cabindo curtain rods and several other pieces, to the point that this is the only metal paint kind and color I use for anything. It applies/wears well, looks good, and keeps me from expanding my already alarming paint can collection. 

Et voila. Now mr. man can fill it up with his downstairs collection of electronics/camera/AV gear/flashlights/cords/treasures. 

Like this guy. In 25 years.

Storage for the more formidable 'archive' of upstairs electronics in Al's office is yet to be decided on....... perhaps 2017?

picture this, but 10% smaller. and all still in boxes so...
IT'S A FUN MYSTERY AS TO WHAT ANYTHING REALLY IS

To be fair, my office/craft room goes by 'the crap room' for now. Whatevs, we prefer to snuggle babies.

squeeeee!

- Lindsay

Cheater, Cheater, Baby Blanket Eater

I know infants gnaw on their blankets, I just fake-make them. Don't get me wrong, I have made many an adorable crocheted baby and large person blanket; I just lucked out recently and got to pass off someone else's handiwork as my own.

I stalk Craigslist, as is well known. One day I came upon a photo-less listing for two bags of yarn, located just a few streets over from me (in the swanky part of town, no less).
Yes please!
Upon pickup, I saw that there were several already worked on items in the bags. Bonus! Perhaps I can finish them, thinks me. But they were already done. And BEAUTIFUL.

I fish out a lime green cable knit baby blanket and think about a blanket I have already promised a friend with a very pregnant significant other, which I have neither made nor even started.

He might have forgotten if I'd substituted a cake.

But then I told the momma-to-be that I’d add her little man’s initial (which I had never done before). 
Look at me go with lots of talk and no plan! 
So with a looming deadline and a perfectly good blanket literally in hand, I knew what I had to do….fake it.

I've liked lime green & turquoise color combinations recently and decided a darker border and baby's initial, on top of the existing lime green blanket, would look nice.

Bing, bang, boom: a boarder.

I dont have a picture of the initial, as I finished that up minutes before having to wrap up the blanket to go to their baby shower.

 Just imagine an 'L' in the corner pointing to you. For baby Logan. Awwww
(I can say that now as he's out in the world; the name was a closely guarded secret before his arrival).


-Lindsay