I love Shanty2Chic’s easy photo displays! 

I wanted to make some for Christmas presents, but I didn’t have a piece of 2x8 lumber…  so what’s a girl to do?

I did have some of these left-over pieces of beadboard though…. hmmm….

So, I made some easy photo display gifts (a la Shanty2Chic) with my own twist… beadboard!

The beadboard gets an aged look with some Ralph Lauren Glaze in Smoke applied thinly with a brush.

I sawed a small piece of scrap 1x4 at a shallow angle (just eyeballed it) for holding the beadboard… and nailed in on the bottom.

I hammered some upholstery nails on the bottom to hide the ugly nails ;)

Hot glued a scrap piece of cap molding (spray painted Heirloom White) along the top,

hot glued a mini clothespin on the top,

covered the base with scrap paper.

It was pretty quick and definitely painless… until I have to give it away.

Maybe I’ll make one to keep!

That’s my precious baby up there… I really love this photo display!!!   

 

Finally, here’s a sneak peak of an Ikea furniture transformation I’m working on.

Can’t wait to show you!

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Latex paints, particularly gloss and semi-glosses have poor print resistance. 

They dry soft, and anything that presses against the paint leaves an impression.

 

This is particularly problematic for bookcases.

 

I painted my cases with an interior acrylic latex semi-gloss to match my wall color.  As it is, it would have very poor print resistance…  but it can be helped.

 

 

I top-coated my paint job with 3 coats, sanding between coats, of Minwax Polycrylic, which dries to a clear, hard, print resistant finish.

 

 

If you are painting a bookcase, and want to avoid fusing with final coats of polycrylic , a good alternative would be Kelly Moore’s DuraPoxy paint which also dries to a hard, print resistant finish.

 

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So today I finally succeeded in checking an item off my to-do list!

I finished refinishing my $10 thrift store light fixture and installed it.

Painting it with brushed nickel spray paint was a cinch…


but then the lamp shades I had didn't fit (plus Bamm-Bamm broke one today) and installing it was't going so well either...

So I went to the store and picked up what I needed...

3 glass light fixture shades and this


an offset swivel crossbar... to allow me to install the light even though the screw holes don't line up. 




I love it!!! Goodbye Miss Piggy Lights!!








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I'm linking this post up with

Funky Junk's SNS Cottage Instincts Between Naps on the Porch Beyond the Picket Fence Tatertots and Jello Under the Table Dreaming Making the World Cuter Crafts Keep Me Sane Sew Can Do The Girl Creative Mad in Crafts It's So Very CreativeSumo's Sweet StuffTools are for Women Too Support Blog for Moms of Boys Finding FabulousHoo's Got Talent Trendy Treehouse Creative Share Someday CraftsCreations by KaraThe Shabby Chic CottageHouse of Hepworths Somewhat SimpleLife as LoriThe DIY Showoff Thrifty Decor Chick Before and After Party Show Off Your Stuff @ Fireflies and Jellybeans Strut Your Stuff@Somewhat Simple

So I did not get anything marked off my list yesterday though I did make a valiant attempt!


I screwed some wooden bits (cut from the ends of some turned wooden legs) onto the ends of my thrift store light fixture and painted the whole thing brushed nickel.  It looks fabulous.



Then I went into my closet where I keep things I have earmarked for particular projects, and pulled out these great light shades... 


and...

they don't fit!  


Oh well, I guess I'll have to buy or make some that do fit (I've seen some awesome wire ones in blogland).  Until then, this project is shelved.


Anything not working out like you hoped lately?




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This is the crib my son used to sleep in.  YES, I do know he's 3 (only just :) and what were we thinking!  It's cool... he didn't mind sleeping in a crib... but you are all right - it is time for a big boy bed!

Yep, I'm such a nerd!  I spend the morning making this pretty new "cool tools" button!

It's for my new series!!! on tools!  How can Pregnant... with power tools not talk about tools?

Every Monday, I will write a new post about a tool (not necessarily a power tool, but those are my fav :)
Part tutorial, part review, all fun and useful information!

Since tools are used for doing stuff... I've written a page that will be used to organize and group these posts according to the tool's purpose (sanding, cutting, etc.)  This page will be an excellent starting point for many a DIY project (I hope :) You can find this page titled "(Power) Tools" on my tab menu (just below the blog title)!

Hope you love the new series!!!!

We've had a pretty wet spring (for Northern California), and it makes me want to add more blue to my workspace. (The color will liven it up sure, but why blue - specifically aqua and turquoise?).  Maybe it just says summer.  It's also calming and very pretty (in a not pink way).

I have a plain ugly mirror left over from building my own medicine cabinet.

So... I bought some polyurethane molding and corner blocks to zazz it up a bit, for hanging in the nursery! 

I painted all the molding with Kona Brown spray paint.  It's just easier to get it shiny and in all the crannies with spray paint.  Don't forget to paint the other side where the mirror will reflect the molding!!

That cheap little metal flower pot made the perfect pegboard pen cup!


It was soooo easy and soooo fast (and sooo cheap, perfect for me!)

Before I started building the faux wainscoting in the nursery, I decided on the colors I waned the room to have: white wainscoting, soft green walls and bedding, and a rich brown on the furniture.  And I did not want to buy that furniture if I didn't have to.

So sometime in January, I refinished my crib from white to Kona Brown (Rustoleum).

Here's a before picture I borrowed from the internets (white Jenny Lind Crib - hope they don't minds).




You can see that the tines/spokes/ bars on this thing are pretty elaborate.  No way was I going to try and sand them.  Being frugal, I also started painting this thing with a can of paint and a brush.