la maison LaFortune

Trapunto Anyone?

2012-01-21T17:57:00.000-06:00

Trapunto is a form of quilting.

I came upon this at a local thrift shop today.

It's in excellent condition.

A nice example of Trapunto.

That's an old piece of wood it was stapled to.

I'm guessing it may have been framed once upon a time.

It would have looked great in my dining room, before it was my Dining Room...

Really bad picture!

The details of the back-

Even the fish got stuffed!

You can really see how the stuffing makes the deer have depth.

Here's what it all looks like now.

These deer are hoping to find their "forever" home.

Right now they're spending some time in Etsy Shop.

ann marie

Quilt Craziness!!

2012-01-08T08:36:00.001-06:00

Remember these?

I put them in my Etsy Shop because I really liked them.

So did a lot of other people!!

So, I had to make about 270 of them between the 1st of November and Christmas.

Back in October, before my road trip with Taylor to Boston, I found this on Pinterest.

I loved that it was a chevron, but I really loved that they used prints instead of solids.

I decided I would make 3 small (app 60"x60") quilts for my grand daughters.

I bought the fabric and started putting them together before the road trip.

I wanted the grandbabies quilts to have vintagy looking fabrics.

This is what they look like.

To add to my craziness, I had decided to make three more quilts.

One for each of my daughters.

I found my inspiration quilt on Steve's blog,

An Urban Cottage

This is what they ended up with on Christmas morning...

Andrea wanted Gold & White.

Marquis wanted Red & White and Taylor wanted Navy & White.

I only had time to make the tops. Well, most of the tops.

I still have to add about 5 rows to each quilt.

I hope to get them finished in the next few weeks.

Hopefully before next Christmas!

Let's keep our fingers crossed...

ann marie

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-31T16:38:00.013-06:00

Christmas has come and gone like a freight train!

All the grand daughters were here!

So were their parents.

And their aunt.

And their Memere and Pepere.
7 adults and 3 children in our cozy home.

And 4 dogs.
And lots of toys that made me feel like I was in Vegas!
I may have been a little over stimulated!

Cousins!

Good food was enjoyed!

Babies were enjoyed!

Gifts were enjoyed!

The boxes were enjoyed even more than the gifts in some cases!

Even the dogs got some lovin!

A wonderful time that went by too quickly.

It's just Marc and I this evening.

Shrimp Cocktail, Steaks on the grill (it's 77 degrees here right now),

Baked Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and a Spinach salad (spinach is from my garden).

Wish they were all still here...

My wish for them and for you is for a happy, healthy, prosperous and exciting 2012.

Be Safe!

ann marie

They'll Be Home For Christmas!!

2011-12-20T19:32:00.001-06:00

Just a quick Hi! and Merry Christmas to you!

I've been CRAZY busy with my Etsy Shop!!

That's slowing down now and I'm getting the old homestead ready for Christmas.

All 3 of our girls will be here.

All 3 of our granddaughters will be here.

It's going to be amazing!

Here are some shots of what I've done around here.

The reindeer are ready to go.

I did a little sprucing up inside too.

This room will see lots of use in the next week.

Lots of food, drink and cards!

The kitchen smells so good with this wreath.

My mom got this child's sleigh from her good friend and neighbor years ago.

It was his as a child.

My folks had it packed up professionally and sent to me here in Texas.

I swear they could have dropped it from an airplane and it would have been fine.

It took forever to uncrate it.

When we moved to this much smaller house, the only place I could keep it was on top of the wall unit in our family room.

So, the trees are trimmed.

And we're waiting patiently...

Merry Christmas everyone.

I wish you peace and joy in the coming year.

And lots of DIY projects too!

ann marie

Christmas Stockings-Yay!

2011-11-20T19:37:00.001-06:00

Life's been busy...such an understatement!

On the 5th of November, Taylor and I had a girl's road trip-
to Boston.

She's moved there to find a job.

It was a beautiful trip.

However, I kept getting these emails on my phone.

Confirmation of an Etsy transaction.

I got lots of them!

First batch-16 Christmas Stockings.

Today I finished 6 shower curtains and a floor length gathered/cord table cloth.

I'm a fast sewer-as in sewing.

So...as of right now, I only have 104 more stockings, a couple of pairs of panels and some dog beds...as of right now.

Oh, and throw in the Christmas music that's already on the radio 24/7.

I'm a fast sewer.

However, my studio is a casualty of being this busy.

The good thing is I know where everything is...kind of.

I'm very flattered and excited that so many people like and appreciate the things that I make.

It's like Christmas for me, ok-I'm a fabricaholic, when the weekly fabric order arrives.

20-30 yds of different fabric makes my heart go pitter-patter.

I guess I should get back to work, after all, I have my own personal projects that need finishing before Christmas.

It's a good thing I'm a fast sewer!

ann marie

November Garden

2011-11-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

Evergreen Wisteria

Lantana

Rose on Trellis

Mini Rosebush from the grocery store.

You know, the ones that are about 8" tall.

It's about 2 1/2' tall now and blooms all summer until we get a freeze.

Shrimp Plants

Lavender

They're all blooming better than they have all summer.

ann marie

Blue Angels = No Work!

2011-10-30T16:50:00.000-05:00

I took these pictures standing in my driveway or 5 houses down by the park.

Randolph AFB, which is 3 miles from my home had an Air Show this weekend.

Living by an AFB gives us our little dose of reality.

At 6:30 am, we hear Reveille.

At 5:30 pm, we hear Retreat.

And at 10:00 in the evening, we hear Taps.

I'm pretty sure that troops all over the world have these same traditions.

Enjoy.

They're very impressive to watch, and I apologize for the bad pictures, but I only have a point and shoot.

When these guys fly, they're cruising.

They're also rather loud.

My husband used to tell the girls when they were younger that the sound of those jets flying overhead was

"the sound of freedom".

You can hear them, but you have no idea what direction they're coming from until they're right over the house.

I got one shot per pass...sometimes.

I really couldn't see the little screen on my camera either. As you can see, it was a gorgeous, sunny, day!

This following shot is taken over our neighbor's house.

Buck was born on April 29, 1918.

He still volunteers every day at the clinic on base!

This is the same view we have of the 4th of July fireworks.

Small town America, you've gotta love it!

A few other aircraft I was able to run out in time to capture!

These guys were so pretty.

They reminded me of colorful birds.

C-5

Blue Angels

Needless to say,

I haven't gotten much work done this weekend.

ann marie

DIY Over the Carriage Doors Rose Trellis

2011-10-26T14:24:00.000-05:00

This is the climbing rose I planted last fall.

souvenir-de-la-malmaison

I was lucky to just keep it alive after the summer we've had.

Hot and no rain.

Now that it's gotten a little cooler, she's started to grow.

I sat with pencil and paper to draw a very simple rose trellis for over the carriage doors.

I used regular pine lumber because I knew I was painting it and it's pretty protected.

You could use cedar too.

I bought 2-2x4x8's, 2-2x4x10's and 4-2x2x8's.

My brackets are as simple as I could keep them.

I figured it wouldn't show very much once the rose covers it.

I used wood glue and 2 1/2" screws to assemble.

For the pieces that are perpendicular to the house,

I just cut the 2x2's into 2 foot lengths.

I had 16 pieces. I measured my 2x4x10's, they had a few inches cut off because of the light fixture and divided that number by 15.

Then I measured and marked and glued and screwed each one on center.

Add some paint into the mix...

Voila!

A nice vintage detail for our little cottage.

Can't wait to see how it looks in the spring!

ann marie

The Cute Kid Photo Op

2011-10-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

Is this not one of the cutest little girls you've ever seen?!?

This is my grand daughter-Matry

She's in the running for this-

Parents Magazine's

Parents Photo Faves

Congratulations!

Thank you for sharing your photo with Parents Photo Faves while visiting TheCuteKid.com. Your photo is currently in the running to become a weekly winner. The photo with the most votes in each category will take home the honors!

So go to this link and vote people!
(You have to click on the refresh button after you vote a few times until you get the code)

http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/1084148

Let me tell you, every time I look at this picture, I can't help but smile!

When she smiles, she lights the whole room up!

And she smiles alot, she's a very happy baby!

Thanks!

ann marie

Estate Sale, New England Style!

2011-09-28T17:33:00.001-05:00

Recently, I flew to Boston to visit Andrea and Mark...

and of course, CAF, aka Caroline.

She's growing so quickly and I don't get to see her as often as I'd like.

She's very active and always exploring.

At the end of the day, she gets her bath and is ready for bed.

Her puppy, Bretten, skips the bath.

Directly to bed for her.

Anyways, I just had to share.

Now, the Estate Sale.

During the week I was there, a sign for an estate sale was posted on the telephone pole in front of their home.

It was at the old farmhouse behind their house.

At one time, they owned all of the land around them.

Now there are houses and apartments that cover that land.

It started at 9am and I was the only one there!

Gorgeous old home and the family was so sweet!

I had $22 cash and this is what I walked away with.

Federal Style Convex Girandole Mirror

About 2 feet tall.

Wood.

Smaller one, thrown in for free.

You can see brush marks where the mirror finish was applied.

Amazing hand made table with the most delicate legs I've ever see.

And it survived in the barn for years.

Small alabaster or marble lamp.

Wood tray, about 2' wide.

Somewhere in the past there was an inlay in the center.

Andrea blacked it out with a sharpie and put their monogram in gold paint pen.

Here's the brass handles.

Finally, an oval side table with pretty tapered legs.

Can you believe I got all of these wonderful things for $22 !!

These are some of the things I had to leave behind with a heavy heart!

2 antique bear skins, if I had to guess I'd say one was a black bear and the other was a grizzly

antique beds and dressers

spinning wheels

6 antique small scaled windsor style chairs used daily in their kitchen

All these plus so much more.

And the really amazing part?

This was their second sale!

I'll remember this one for a very long time.

ann marie

Linking to...

Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

$25 Guest Room Makeover!

2011-09-19T17:06:00.001-05:00

I've got family coming into town and my Mother in Law will be staying with us.

And the guest room was looking sad and dingy.
Time for a facelift!

So, I had one day to do something about it.

Off to Lowes I went.

I bought a gallon of Olympic's One- a paint and primer combo.

$25

The existing color was quite a bit darker, but it took two quick coats and that was finished.

I also put a coat of paint on the baseboards and windows.

I shopped my home for the panels and whipped up a new Dust Ruffle with some Natural and Black Ticking I had on hand.

I need to dig up some shams or maybe a couple of vintage embroidered pillow cases,

I know I have a stash of those hanging around too!

Not too bad for a day's work!

A big silver pitcher full of roses and I think mom will be very comfortable!

ann marie

Dog Door Days of Summer

2011-09-06T16:40:00.002-05:00

This DIY project started with the adoption of this sweet little puppy.

Taylor's puppy.

Noble.

Or, Chernobyl, depending on how her day goes...

I work from home, and they live close by, so I volunteered to provide some doggy day care.

I, however, did not run this past my three "girls".

They were OK with it until Noble started to use their heads as a teething ring.

Rizzo and Wrigley are both around 8 years old and quickly put an end to all that nonsense.

Sophie, however, is a pushover.

She is probably the least dominate dog I know, which makes her such a sweetheart.

And a good teething ring.

By the time Noble went home each day, Sophie was a slobbered mess.

Noble also like to chew on sticks, big sticks that we have no idea how she gets them through the doggie door.

Then she would proceed to shred them all over the house.

Something had to be done.

We started with this kitchen door that led to Taylor's back yard.

A trip to Lowes and we were on our way.

They had this door on special last week for $128 , it usually sells for $188.

Doggy door for large doggy was around $75.

10% military discount on all that and we spent about $185.

It really was an easy project.

The new door fit into the old door's frame.

The template is included with the doggy door.

Drill a hole in each corner,

then cut on the lines with a jigsaw using a blade made to cut metal.

Our blade wasn't long enough to cut all the way through, so we had to do the same on the outside.

I think that actually made it easier.

A quick whack with a hammer was all that was needed at this point.

The door assembly is really easy too.

You mark where the screw will go through on all 4 corners, drill the hole and put it all together!

Now everyone's happy!

Well, almost everyone...

ann marie

Even in this Extreme Heat the Hunt Still Goes On!!

2011-08-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite finds...ever.

They're Italian.

One's 10" tall and the other is 12" long.

Old brass.

Very tarnished, with a wonderful patina.

They were just lying in a corner and no one else saw them.

Then there was this lamp.

Industrial and vintage.

I can't get a decent picture because it has to be screwed to the table or wall.

It works and I think it might be a nice addition to my studio.
I found another lamp.
Definitely not industrial, but it was very vintage.

The lamp part was downright ugly, pink shade and all.

However, the Cockatoos are gorgeous and in perfect condition.

No chips or cracks, just some crazing which is to be expected.

I think one of the best deals I've gotten in a long time were in the "Free" pile of a local yard sale.

There was a cardboard box with a round piece of wood at the top.

This is a picture from the web, but my freebie is the same.

It's 5 or 6 feet long and the shells are probably 2-2 1/2" across.

It'll be finding its way to my Etsy Shop.

I also got 2 framed vintage Japanese prints on tiles.

They are just like this one being sold on Etsy!

They found a new home at Taylor's.

There's nothing like a good bargain to get your mind off the heat.

It was 110 degrees here yesterday and its 106 right now.

ann marie

Stencil Wall Transformation-TaDa!!

2011-08-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

Remember my kitchen update project??

Well, we kind of did a trial run.

We Guinea Pigged it.

On Taylor's hallway wall.

Started out like this.

Yeah, I know, not too spectacular.

So we began experimenting in our own peculiar way.

Taylor wanted this wall to make a statement.

The first bit of color, our mantra...it's only paint!

I say we, but by this point my fingers are pretty much stuck together.

As I sit here typing this post, my fingers are sticking to the keys!

Anyway, Taylor has a puppy, Noble, who obviously wanted nothing to do with this whole project.

That was fine with me, the last thing I wanted was to pet a shedding dog with sticky hands!

We used regular wall paint and had a wee bit of seepage, Taylor thought it just looked more like an Ikat pattern and who was I to argue with that logic/rationalization.

This cottage is under 1000 square feet, so you have to get creative in how you use space.

This is Taylor's makeup table.

She uses a jewelry box that her Memere gave her years ago

to keep her makeup in.

So, the question is...

mirror, centered or off center???

In real time it took about two hours and we had some great mother/daughter time.

ann marie

Artwork Finds...

2011-08-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

I found a couple of special pieces,

at least they are to me.

I'll get to enjoy them for awhile.

The first one is colorful and vintage.

They're all vintage.

Must bring back childhood memories or something.

This is hand painted on silk, I think it's signed and has stamps on it also. It's sandwiched between two pieces of glass in the frame.

The colors are so clear.

Peonies and birds, it doesn't get much better than that.

It puts a smile on my face.

I think the next one is a lithograph.

It's by George Hitchcock,

Girl with Flowers.

It also has old wavy, seeded glass.

It could be the original glass it was framed with.

I've hung her with my Grandmother's Madonna picture.

I think she likes it there.

And my last one is a tapestry.

It was done by the La France Art Company.

It so reminds me of the villages we visited when we were in Europe a few years ago.

And the detail of the stitching amazes me.

The frame has a faux tortoise shell finish and what seems to be a little gilding.

I love it.

I'll enjoy looking at it until it finds another home.

I can't keep everything, and I can't stand to think wonderful things may get trashed because others don't appreciate them.

So, some things will end up in my Etsy Shop.

Some things I'll keep, at least for awhile.

ann marie

Kitchen Tease

2011-08-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

I'm going to attempt a Kitchen update.

Here's my inspiration.

Here's my kitchen.

Here's what's involved.

White paint too.

And this little do-dad.

A wall stencil.

Wish me luck!

ann marie

And Time Moves On...

2011-08-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

I have a special place in my heart for clocks.

Small timepieces too.

Some of my earliest memories involve a clock.

It hung in our kitchen, I was no more than 5 or 6 years old.

There was a picture tucked into the glass of the door.

Me and my brother sitting on Santa's lap.

I still have the picture.

After my Mom passed away, it seemed the clock wouldn't work properly.

When we drove home a few years ago, my Dad said I could have it if I wanted.

It now hangs in my home.

It's been working since the moment I hung it up.

I also have my Grandmother's watch.

It hangs from a filigree pin with her monogram on it.
EA
Eva Auger

She wore it as a young woman.

She was born in 1895.

We have Marc's Grandfather's pocket watch also.

A couple of years ago, we went to Germany for my oldest Daughter's wedding.

We came back with another member for our clock family.

A Cuckoo clock from the Black Forest.

We once again went to a few Estate sales today.

I picked this little Cuckoo Clock up for only $5, they said it didn't work.

It still had the instructions attached to it.

The instructions are dated from the early 70's.

It won't work if you don't take the clips off the bellows.

It works just fine now, except I need the weights to be a little heavier.

I'm still working on that.

Finally, we walked into a very unassuming little home, to find it full of wonderful artwork, furniture and clocks.

This poor guy was only $35, and then they took another 25% off , because it wouldn't work.

I brought it home and started playing with it.

It works just fine, and after putting a little pressure to bend the chimes, it sounds wonderful.

It chimes every 15 minutes, Westminster, and gongs the hour.
The sound is amazing.
It's so soothing and it makes me very happy to hear it.

I'm not sure what style of clock this is,

but it is also a German clock.

Yeah, I guess you could say I like clocks.

There's something very comforting about them.

ann marie

Adjustable Wall Sconces??

2011-08-03T12:19:00.000-05:00

Have you run across a wall sconce like this before?

It's a sconce that is adjustable.

It's 15 1/2" tall and can extend to 19".

It will hold a rather flat item, maybe like a mirror.

It won't hold a plate.

I wish they would.

A pair of Marc's grandmother's plates look great in/on them.

I wish I had a pair of older mirrors for them.

I tried this charger, it'll do for now.

There's a tiny brass screw that tightens on the side to lock it at the position you want it at.

It has pony/horse heads and oak leaves and acorns.

A rather interesting combo.

Let me know if you've seen these before and what they're supposed to hold.

Thanks.

ann marie

Walrus Doctor's Bag

2011-07-31T18:48:00.001-05:00

It's actually a bag for a people doctor,not a doctor for a walrus.

I'm having lots of fun shopping for my new Etsy shop, The White Elephant Shop.

I came across this vintage Dr's bag and couldn't pass it up.

I Googled the Dr's name and saw that he graduated from Med School in 1941.

I love Google!

It also looks like it was made of walrus by the Pandora Co in Birmingham, Michigan.

Medicine has come a long way since then.

There are no tools or instruments in it, but it's still very interesting.

It has a top that opens,

with compartments that snap closed.

One compartment has a smaller compartment in it.

I can only imagine what was stored there.

Now to figure pricing.

Here are a few other things I've picked up.

Vintage Miniature Nativity Set

Vintage Hand Hemmed Embroidered Men's Handkerchiefs

Vintage Unused 1956 Baby Memory Book

I have 4 different scenes of these 1961 prints

of an Antique Chinese Brocade of different birds.

They're quite long and I think they're beautiful!

That's it for now.

ann marie

Demijohn and Wooden Boxes

2011-07-23T09:15:00.002-05:00

We went to a few Estate Sales yesterday.

We did avoid the tow truck adventure.

We came home with these...

small wooden boxes.

With teeny tiny dove tail joints

These will be great for displays.

They're not too big and they have some age.

The second find...

An old Demijohn.

The color of the glass is nice and what I can see of the body through the wicker looks like old wavy, seeded glass.

The wicker has a really nice patina too.

It's 15 1/2" tall and the diameter is 7".

They look good together.

They'll all be in my new Etsy shop,

The White Elephant Shop.

I haven't listed anything yet,

but I think it'll be a good place for all the vintage finds I come across.

ann marie

The Nine Lives of the Side Table

2011-07-16T18:02:00.002-05:00

Remember this curbside pick up?

Both the coffee table and side table spent the last year in Taylor's apartment on campus.
Taylor didn't need a side table, so we recycled it, again.
A quick trip to Lowes to pick up supplies.

This was a fast and easy project, and Taylor got some time in on the miter saw.

We took the legs and corner braces off the table. We used a 1x4x8 for the apron(?).

Taylor spent some time glueing, painting and staining her new project.

A few minor calculations...
the finished bench is 4 feet long by 15 inches deep.

and finished.

Now it has a new home,

in Taylor's Dining Room!

ann marie

Laundry Room Updated

2011-07-01T16:41:00.000-05:00

It was time to make my laundry room more attractive to me.

It's come a long way since we bought the house 3 1/2 years ago.

You can see it at the very back of the garage.

The floor was concrete and the walls were just studs.

There was no insulation and no sheet rock.

It was really dark and dreary.

We took out the old door that was solid, no windows, and replaced it with this door and added a doggy door.

Doggy doors are one of the best inventions ever!

In process...

I painted it a whimsical, bubble gum pink because that was my grand daughter's favorite color and I thought it might be fun.

So now it's a little more subdued, and I like it alot.

So refreshing.

It is such a great place to do laundry now.

ann marie

Almost Missed It!

2011-06-29T07:44:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I bought a stack of vintage linens at an estate sale.

An old linen sheet was in the stack, and I thought it might make

a really pretty shower curtain.

The inset is a crocheted lace, very tiny stitches.

I didn't notice this...

It's so pretty and the stitching is amazing.

It took me awhile to figure out the initials,

but I think it's a T and L.

Do you see something different?

ann marie

Estate Sale Fiasco!

2011-06-26T17:08:00.001-05:00

Maybe the title of this post should have been...

Funny Story.

Marc has Thursdays and Fridays off.

We decided we'd hit a few Estate Sales Friday morning.

First one was in Garden Ridge, and we got to see a set of twin fawns running around with their momma while we waited to go in.

Picked up a few small things and moved on.

The next one was in Alamo Heights, and parking was nonexistent.

We went around the block, got a drink at McDonald's and walked the short distance to the sale.

There were so many great things, but we only bought a blue and white pot and a small Spanish pendant light.

We were very happy and having a wonderful time.

Our next stop was a sale in Castle Hills.

Except it's really hard to get there when you go back to your truck and IT IS NOT WHERE YOU PARKED IT!

You see, there's a sign at McDonald's driveway that says if you are not in their restaurant, you will be towed.

Of course we didn't see that as we were driving in with all the cars behind us, and there weren't any signs in the parking area.

Marc was not amused.

So, we had to wait for Taylor to pick us up.

Then we had to drive 30 minutes or so to the impound lot and wait while they processed our paperwork.

We saw about 10 other cars being towed from the same area while we were waiting,

so I can only imagine how many were actually towed in the course of one day.

Sounds like a pretty lucrative business to me.

Originally, I thought I got a really good deal on my little light.

It has such pretty details.

And the etched glass is in perfect condition.

So, I replaced this generic light in our hallway,

with my new lantern.

I like it.

The Estate Sale price was a sweet $12.50.

The real world price after paying the $288.25 for the towing & impound fee rounds it up to a nice even $300.

I realize it was our fault for parking there, even if it was for a very short time.

I do have to say that we have never run into a sign like theirs before.

I guess they call out your license plate and if you don't respond, your vehicle is history.

I would be a little paranoid about going to the rest room there.

The moral of the story is-read all the signs.

Especially at the Mickey D's across from Central Market in Alamo Heights!

ann marie

French Sevres

2011-06-22T18:03:00.000-05:00

They are most definitely not perfect.

They've obviously seen their share of mishaps.

And someone has taken the time to put them back together-Humpty Dumpty style.

I think they did a pretty good job too.

When I walked into GW today,

They called my name, loudly.

Both are hand painted and signed.

There are also marks on the inside.

They're 18 1/2" tall and very graceful.

I think the little details are amazing.

I'll be taking them apart, very carefully, so I can realign the gorgeous handles and base and clean them up a little.

I realize there's not much value to something that's been broken and put back together, but I really feel like I got my money's worth with this pair.

$3.99 each.

Love doesn't have a price, right?

ann marie

Jardin Tuteur

2011-06-22T08:56:00.001-05:00

A few days ago, I had a brilliant idea.

I think I'll go out to the backyard, in the 100+ temps, and attempt to build a Tuteur for my wonderful heirloom tomato.

The one that is 5 feet tall and has yet to produce a single little yellow BLOOM!

Yep, I can say "Glutton for Punishment".

Here's what I started with.

About 8 dollars worth of wood.

I didn't use pressure treated, because supposedly,

it'll be holding up a plant that will produce food for me to eat.

I also finally broke out the new toy Santa brought me for Christmas.

It took me longer to put this together than it did to build my tuteur.

It cut through all that wood like butter.

Love it!

So, once I kind of figured out how tall I wanted it,

I had to figure out the angle for the top of the legs.

It was a very scientific procedure.

I cut them at a 13 degree angle...I think.

Add crossbars wherever you want/need them.

You can get really intricate and detailed.

I did not.

All I needed was something strong and functional to support all those branches full of heavy tomatoes.

Cover the whole thing with some Oops paint and a mermaid, and Voila!

Your very own Jardin Tuteur!

Oh, why a mermaid?

I had a really nice empty wine bottle that I was going to invert and use as a finial.

Somewhat like a bottle tree.

Except that with only two of us living here in the house,

it disappeared.

No one knows how it found its way to the recycling bin.

So what's the next best thing for a tuteur finial?

A mermaid of course!

We got 2" of much needed rain last night.

Maybe my veggies will produce now?

We'll see.

ann marie

First Day of Summer...Really???

2011-06-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

For those of us in my little corner of the world, it's been summer for way too long already!

When I started the truck Sunday afternoon, the thermometer registered at a whopping 116 degrees!

As I started driving, it dropped to a much cooler 107.

And to add insult to injury, we really haven't had much rain since around Christmas.

It did rain while we were in Arkansas for Taylor's Graduation, but not very much at all.

So, it may be an understatement to say my garden is not having fun.

We started with such hope!

Planted our seeds and seedlings.

Everything seemed fine.

Since this photo was taken on the 17th of April, everything has grown.

See that little tomato plant in the cage in the far right corner?

This is what it looks like today.

At least 5 feet tall, and I haven't seen one little yellow flower yet!!

The leaves were curling, so I didn't water as much.

Hasn't really made a difference.

And yes, that is a mermaid sitting atop the tuteur.

Here's what my summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers look like.

Not bad right?

Other than a few small onions, this is the only thing I've been able to harvest.

I thought there would be so much more.

And that the whole process wouldn't be such a challenge.

It was delicious!

Now something's eating all the blossoms off of the squash.

I'm trying to not use chemicals...any suggestions?

This peaceful, relaxing gardening experience is driving me crazy.

No rain, extreme heat and insects...

last year's squirrel issue doesn't seem too bad right around now!

ann marie

Drapery Panels Available at LaFortune Linens!

2011-06-12T10:01:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to add dapery panels to my Etsy shop, LaFortune Linens, for quite some time now.

So, now that grand daughters have been born, a house pretty much finished being renovated, and our baby graduating college, it's time!

These are really nice quality fabrics, 100% cotton.

Great patterns, wonderful, fun colors.

Here's a sampling-

You can see the other color choices at

LaFortune Linens.

ann marie

Hill Country Road Trip

2011-06-05T17:31:00.001-05:00

As I sit typing, it's 97 degrees outside.

When Taylor and I went on this roadtrip, it was about 28 degrees.

I'd be happy for somewhere in between.

Ah well...

This was another CL find.

The ad read something like this...

French Provincial Bedroom set-$175 obo.

Kerrville.

That's about 1 1/2 hours from here.

We were on the road at 7 am.

Kerrville is in the Hill Country of Texas.

Even in wintertime it's beautiful.

The gentleman we bought the set from was kind enough to help us load it all in the truck.

And he accepted $150 for it.

He just wanted it gone.

The set includes a full size bed, perfect for the guest room.

A small nightstand, and a large 9 drawer dresser with a wonderful mirror.

Sorry, bad picture.

I have a new camera now...so much better!

Here's the bed.

Headboard, wood rails and such a pretty footboard.

You can see it leaning against the headboard.

So far, only the dresser has received a makeover.

A bold and dramatic makeover.

It went from this...

To this!

I can't wait to show you what else she's doing around her cozy cottage.

ann marie

Cardinals..

2011-05-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

I have a pair of nesting

Cardinals right outside my front door.

Really.

About 2 1/2 ' away.

Everytime I look out the window I see her sitting patiently.

They make me slow down and smell the roses.

I snapped this while she was away.

These are the second pair of nesting birds of the season for my front porch.

I have a pair of sparrows up by one of the lights.

We must be bird friendly.

Good thing the cat doesn't go out front!

ann marie

Mirror, Mirror...

2011-05-24T07:18:00.000-05:00

Taylor's cottage...
progress is being made.
We got a few things up in the dining room.
She wanted mirrors.

Except for the large oval mirror on the left, all the mirrors and frames were under $2.

She loves them.

We painted the mirror she had at school with her and used it in the bathroom.

There's so many things to show you guys.
Her garden.
Her new puppy.
Furniture makeovers.
Here's a preview of one of her projects.

More to come. Soon.

ann marie

Taylor's Graduation!

2011-05-21T08:14:00.001-05:00

We are so proud of her!

Taylor graduated last Saturday, the 14th of May from Hendrix College.

She received a BA in Environmental Studies with Distinction.

It was a hectic couple of days.

We reserved a UHaul to be picked up Friday morning in Conway.

We got a call from a location about 25 miles away from there Thursday, while we were driving the 9 hours it takes for us to get there.

The trailer we were supposed to pick up had been stolen from their lot.

It was graduation weekend, and trailers were not to be found.

We had to get all of this back to Texas, and Plan A was to leave after graduation on Saturday.

We had to pack all of this on Friday.

We were very lucky.

Eddie, at the Maumelle Uhaul went above and beyond for us.

He went to someone's home to get a trailer for us.

He was wonderful and saved the day.

So, after graduation, we hit the road.

It was a great ride home.

Lots of good music and conversation.

Taylor and I drove the Honda.

Marc drove the truck and was happy to listen to whatever games were on the radio.

The Queen Anne's Lace was blooming from Little Rock to Dallas.

Gorgeous!

We'll miss visiting Hendrix. Taylor had a great 4 years there, and Arkansas is a beautiful state.

What we saw of it reminded us of New England.

Taylor's back home now, job hunting.

More on what's going on with her cottage soon!

She's been busy.

ann marie

Dining Room Gets a Makeover, Again

2011-04-29T18:25:00.000-05:00

So, I'm on Dining Set # 3.

That's just since we moved in 2 years ago!

I first had this old Ethan Allen set that I bought from a neighbor about 15 years ago.

The wood chairs are the ones that go with the table.

They are all at Taylor's house now.

I replaced them with this set.

I loved this set, but didn't realize how LARGE it was til I got it home.

I had to turn the table on the diagonal, and we still had a hard time maneuvering around it.

We lived with it for a few months.

Then, yesterday Marc and I went to an Estate Sale.

They had some beautiful things.

Like the petite settee that I have absolutely no room for.

However, the Dining Room caught my attention.

The chairs were more in scale with what I wanted.

They have a French influence to them, at least I think so.

They're a Drexel Heritage set, although I don't know exactly how old .

And the seats are all needlepoint flowers.

I put a bid in on it,

and got the call yesterday afternoon to come and pick it up.

This is what it looks like now.

The room still needs a few changes, like the apple green lampshades.

It feels and functions so much better.

Set #2 was listed on CL last night.

It is now living in an older rock home by the lake.

ann marie

Birthday Words

2011-04-28T21:09:00.000-05:00

Where did I learn to feel the breeze, nurture a flower and welcome the rain?

Where did I learn to dance with the fireflies, respect the Earth and sing with the birds?

Where did I learn to jump in, adapt to the depth and dig my toes in to the sand?

Where did I learn that the world can weep, decisions can change and things can be forgiven?

Where did I learn to honor truths, embrace challenges and appreciate grace?

When a flower is more than a developed seed

When the rain is more than the weather

When the breeze is more than the wind

You have taught me how to learn, how to love, how to laugh and how to cry

You have taught me how to appreciate, how to nurture, how to sing and how to dance

You have taught me how to hold on, how to forgive and how to change

Because of you mom, I have learned

You have taught me what it means to be a mom

And now, because of you I will teach

When I look at her I see the world-and because of you I will teach

All because of you

These words were written for me today, and I am honored.

I turned 52 today.

I feel about 28.

That can't be bad.

ann marie

The Wonderfullness of Paint

2011-04-26T18:19:00.000-05:00

Wonderfullness.
I'm not sure it's an actual word, I think my spell check isn't working.
Anyway, that's how I feel about paint!
Some quick shots of what went on at Taylor's cottage today.

Unfortunately, the whole interior of the house was painted this dreadful flesh color.

Walls, ceiling and woodwork...everything.

This is the last door in the house to be painted.

It leads to the laundry room.

It's a decent size and will also have to function as a pantry and storage area.

The floor is in rough shape, so we decided not to tile.

Paint to the rescue.

It dried darker, thank goodness!

Now all we need is wall color and some shelving and some fabric and some baseboard.

All for another day.

I also finished painting all the baseboards that hadn't gotten done.

And I brought the bed from our house to Taylor's.

That bedroom set is a CL find and I'll post about it soon.

What can I say, it was 95 degrees outside so I decided to turn the air on and work inside today!

ann marie

Velcro Dog

2011-04-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

This is Rizzo.

I know, not funny.

She is a mini silky wire-haired dachshund.

She has a wonderful personality.

When we moved into this house, she weighed in at 18 lbs.

That's a bit much. I'm not judging, I'm just saying...

Her ideal weight is around 12 lbs.

After a few months of chasing those dang squirrels, she now weighs around 11 lbs.

Yeah, she looks good and she knows it!

She loves being around people, but one of her favorite peeps is Em.

She is so tolerant.

Really tolerant.

This is her "Gangsta" look.

The other girls do not mess with her when she

has this kind of attitude.

Seriously, would you?

For some bizarre reason, she likes turning her bed upside down on top of her.

She looks like a turtle waddling around

the living room.

She's weird.

And every once in awhile,

she turns superheroish.

TaDa!

Velcro Dog!

Everything sticks to her.

She's come in with feathers stuck to her.

Dried Asparagus fern fronds.

Sticks.

Unmentionable things she's rolled in.

This time, she has pollen strands from the pecan trees.

And the best part?

Everytime she comes in the house, she drops all this c**p/stuff all over the place.

So much for Spring cleaning!

Love you Rizz.

ann marie

Garden Beauties

2011-04-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

It seems that Spring is well on its way to Summer.

We've had warm temps and no rain for quite some time.

That hasn't stopped my yard from blooming like crazy.

It probably has a lot to do with my plants becoming established.

Enjoy.

I certainly do.

My Hydrangas...

My Amaryllis.

I actually took the pink ones with me from the old house.

The red ones in the first picture were here when we bought the house.

They were in the side yard just struggling to sprout leaves.

Goodness knows how old they are, this house stood empty for 7 years.

They're a very hardy flower.

I wish you could smell these!

Gardenias

This rose was planted over 2 years ago, and I thought it died.

Until it came out of nowhere this Spring.

That's why I'll leave plants in that I think might be gone.

Sometimes they can surprise you.

My Peonies have come up again this year, but so far no blooms.

Maybe next year.

The Hollyhocks weathered the winter and have come back stronger than ever.

Never had blooms on these either.

Now all I need to find is a Lilac that will thrive here and I'll be in Paradise!

ann marie

More Cottage Progress...

2011-04-12T16:32:00.002-05:00

OK, Taylor graduates in 4 weeks.

I have company coming out to visit the weekend before.

I'm making progress, and running out of time.

Oh well.

I've been painting the exterior this week.

When we closed on the house.

Today.

I still have the bed on the right side of the door to finish.

That's on tomorrow's list.

Here's the front entry...

We kept the door that was there, dings and all.

There is now R-30 insulation in the attic.

There wasn't any insulation at all.

The damaged sill plate was repaired and new wood siding installed.

Custom made drip thingy.

Even the overhang on the back of the house was removed.

Previous owners moved a door from the laundry room to the kitchen.

The overhang was

a: ugly

b: totally useless

and finally, I couldn't run a straight line of rain gutters!

There are now appliances...Yay for cold water!

CL find.

GE glass top stove

Whirlpool side by side

Vent hood

$450

They're not that old, the owners were updating to Stainless.

Cabinet hardware's on.

Mostly straight.

That's what you get with cheap labor- me.

Don't mind the chips (2) on the stovetop.

For someone that can figure out how to do just about anything, this was just stupid.

Yep.

Put your stove in the bed of the truck and don't tie it down because you figure it's pretty heavy and won't go anywhere.

Not so.

Once you hit 70 MPH, it goes somewhere.

It almost flew out of the truck.

I'm sure the driver behind me almost had a stroke, I know I almost did.

It tipped over in the bed.

All I could envision was a broken oven window or cooktop.

Just 2 chips.

Please learn from my idiocy.

ann marie

DIY Shutters and House Colors

2011-03-28T18:01:00.001-05:00

It's been a few hectic weeks here lately.

Who am I kidding, it seems to always be hectic here.

Taylor was home for Spring Break.

Andrea and Caroline visited from Boston.

Caroline hung out with her cousins,

Emry and Matry!

There has been progress on Taylor's cottage, too.

Paint colors were finally chosen.

Thanks Andrea.

This is what we chose.

Remember before?

This is where we're at right now.

I went to HD and picked this up.

A couple of hours, some paint and screws and this is what I accomplished.

Shutters and trim around that tiny awkward window!

I also made shutters for this window.

I've planted some plants and will make the beds around them, kind of backwards, but the weather is perfect for planting right now.

I still have lots to do, like paint the sides.

But I am making progress.

Taylor will be moving back home in 6 short weeks!

Can't wait.

Here's one more before and after.

The magic of paint!

Today's progress.

Sorry if I rambled.

ann marie

Before

The Beauty in My Life Today!

2011-03-17T19:07:00.002-05:00

Have you ever taken a step back from your life and marveled at how wonderful it truly is?

I do that as often as I remember to.

This is what I am so thankful for today.

I think I'm the luckiest person I know.

I have a husband who encourages me to do what makes me happy.

I have three daughters that continue to amaze me.

We were either really good parents or we got really lucky.

I like to think it's a little of both.

I have son in laws that I like and respect.

No small feat.

However, these little girls have stolen our hearts.

Emry

Caroline

Matry

Really, does it get any better than this?

A little.

Taylor and Andrea will visit us next week.

Andrea's bringing Caroline of course.

I'll have my three girls with my three granddaughters.

Someone pinch me.

ann marie

The Kitchen's Moving Along

2011-03-05T18:50:00.002-06:00

There were some good things to say about this kitchen.

The cabinetry was newer, although basic.

Plumbing and electrical updated.

That's it.

Add some sweat equity and this is where we are right now.

This kitchen is so not square.

It took so long to figure out how I wanted to lay the tile.

Then I jumped in with both feet!

Before and Now

Tomorrow-grout!

Here it is grouted.

ann marie

Lamp Love

2011-03-02T21:59:00.001-06:00

The lamp love bug strikes again.

They were calling my name as I was in line at GW.

I didn't even try to resist.

Wonderful glazing.

Sweet, graceful lines.

Now on to mission #B.

Lampshades.

They're such a struggle for me.

Any suggestions?

ann marie

Is There a Plumber in the House??

2011-02-27T17:23:00.000-06:00

I'll try just about anything when it comes to renovating, but I like to think I'm smart enough to know when to call in the Big Guns.

This is one of those times.

The old galvanized pipe supplying cold water to the kitchen sink broke.

I was screwing on a new shutoff valve, the old one wouldn't let the water through, when the threads just kept falling off.

Not Cool!

So now I have all the water turned off until the plumber fixes it.

I don't have a warm fuzzy about that bill.

So, in the meantime, I figured I'd continue painting and adding molding to the kitchen.

Here's where we started.

This is how it looks today.

Not finished, but definitely moving in the right direction.

Next will be the floor and hardware.

My first choice for flooring would be a grey and white diagonal checkerboard using VCT Tile.

They're pretty durable, I have them in my laundry room and studio.

Sadly, I think we'll go with a Porcelain or Ceramic tile that will hold up better over the long run.

Plus, Taylor wants to get a puppy once she gets a job, and the ceramic/porcelain will offer more in the way of camouflage for muddy paws!

ann marie

Estate Sale Finds

2011-02-26T07:24:00.000-06:00

We went to 2 Estate sales this week.

One was in a home on 10 acres, and they had lots of stuff.

Of course, it was day 1 and I felt most things were way overpriced.

I did manage to score a few things that I loved.

One was a set of embroidered pillow cases.

White on white.

The other was a vintage game board in perfect condition.

The second estate sale was more of an indoor garage sale.

Not too much to offer.

But, when I went around the corner, I saw these little beauties and knew they would be right at home with Taylor.

Petite chairs for a petite girl in a petite house!

Please excuse my mess.

It seems I can't get things accomplished without making a mess.

The breakdown of what we spent?

Pillowcases-$4 each

Gameboard-$6

Mid-Century chairs-$3 each

ann marie

Cottage Kitchen in Shambles

2011-02-22T18:10:00.000-06:00

So, last time Iposted about the bath in Taylor's cottage.

She chose the floor tile and the fabric.

I've since moved on to the kitchen.

Why am I jumping to another room re-do when I haven't finished all the little details of the bath?

There's a sound reason.

Our insurance company is sending someone out to appraise the house.

They need a $ amount to insure the property for replacement value.

They were kind enough to extend the visit a couple of weeks.

I really didn't want this to be what they would be shooting for as replacement cost...

I think the replacement value at this point would be somewhere around "crack house".

While it isn't finished, here are some kitchen update photos.

I'm going to go scrounge up some Naproxen.

How do you like that "custom" secret hiding place?

Remember Geometry?

It actually came in handy!

Today, I finished cutting all those small annoying pieces and then grouted.

Then I cut the marble tiles for the countertop and mortared them on.

The hard part was cutting 3/4" pieces for the back of the counter.

Marble is my favorite for a countertop, but it doesn't play well with the wet saw!

And then I started painting the cabinets.

There will be a range hood of some sort over the stove, at least that's plan A.

Not too shabby for a couple of days work.

The kitchen definitely feels bigger and brighter.

Tomorrow I think I'll paint the rest of the cabinets,

add molding,

and maybe start thinking about what I want to use for the floor.

And I'll hook up the sink.

You've got to love old houses.

ann marie

Color in the Bath.

2011-02-15T18:53:00.000-06:00

Remember this?

I've made a little more progress in the bath.

All the baseboard has been cut, now I just have to attach it.

A telescoping(?) mirror has been added.

The mirror hasn't been installed over the sink because it's not here.

This will eventually be installed.

It's at school with Taylor.

So here's where we're at right now.

I still have to add quarter round along the base.

And I need chair rail too.

Another trip to Lowe's.

Tomorrow.

ann marie

To Paint or Not To Paint?

2011-02-13T20:38:00.000-06:00

I've been looking for a chandelier for the Cottage dining room.

And my self imposed budget is pretty small.

I like the challenge of finding something I like or can tweak for a nice price.

Maybe that's why I love Goodwill!?

This is what I found this week.

It came with the funky little shades.

I think it'll look a whole lot better without them,

a little more contemporary.

It's heavy, a silvery light brass metal.

There's no plastic.

It's traditional and modern.

It was only $29.95.

So, the dilemna is, do I keep it as is?

Or do I paint it.

Maybe something along these lines?

I found these on

Imagine Design.

One more decision to make.

ann marie

Bath Progress

2011-02-13T20:05:00.000-06:00

Progress has been somewhat slow, but I am getting some things accomplished.

There was an "Oops" moment.

As I was ripping the floor up, I also ripped out the toilet flange.

You know, the thing that the toilet attaches to so you don't tip over...

After trip #3 in the same day to Lowe's, I fixed my little demolition mishap.

It was really cold out, so I improvised.

This actually worked really well.

This tile went down easily and it has the vintage look I wanted for a very reasonable cost.

I used gray grout to accentuate the tile pattern.

This was a pretty quick project.

We changed out the toilet.

We put in a larger vanity.

This will be skirted soon.

After several more trips to Lowe's,

the toilet was working, the sink had running water and the tub spout was re-attached.

I decided to bring in a little contrast to all that white.

I painted the top of the wall gray, and I'll install a chair rail, hopefully this week.

I'll probably install the new baseboard at the same time.

We're getting there.

ann marie

Snow Removal-Texas Style!

2011-02-04T09:24:00.000-06:00

John Deere to the rescue!

There was speculation that he may be spreading deer feed for traction.

Who knows.

We woke up to this.

A dusting of snow.

That fell over freezing drizzle.

That has brought San Antonio to a complete standstill.

Most major highways are closed.

Schools and Colleges closed.

No garbage pickup.

We went for a walk to see the neighborhood.

Someone beat us to it.

The roads were pretty much solid ice under all that pretty white stuff.

Marc bit it only once, sorry Taylor, I didn't get a picture of the tread marks!

It's hard to believe we were at 80 degrees this past weekend.

Here are a few more pictures for your enjoyment.

Car. Stuck.

Here's Taylor's cottage.

I'm going out to enjoy the snow.

It won't be around very long, and we've been here 20 years and we have never seen this.

ann marie

Cottage Bath Update

2011-02-03T09:07:00.001-06:00

Well, I'm back from Boston.

The two weeks I spent with the new granddaughter flew by!!

So now I'm digging in on the Cottage Project.

Here's what we started with.

It wasn't horrible, but there was a whole lot of room for improvement.

We're doing this whole house on a small budget.

I like that challenge.

So, while we had rolling blackouts yesterday, this is what I accomplished.

It all started with a trip to Lowe's.

I replaced some damaged sheetrock.

I also didn't see any insect damage. That alone made my day.

Backerboard went up next.

This is a wonderful, large, old cast iron tub.

We love it!

After an hour and a half, this is what it looked like.

I didn't have my tile saw with me, so I'll be cutting and filling in next time I work on the bath.

This light fixture

was replaced with this.

Next bath project, once I've finished the tub surround, is the floor.

This is so much fun!

ann marie

Windows Make a World of Difference

2011-01-26T11:12:00.000-06:00

This is a long overdue post about our windows.

There were a few that were still the old wood ones.

The rest were old aluminum single pane.

Somewhere along the line the house had been painted using a spray gun, and there was overspray on most of them.

I changed this one and the one on the other side of the door out myself.

That's when I decided I wouldn't be able to do the rest by myself.

The aluminum windows were difficult to remove, and the new windows were so much heavier.

The new windows are single hung low-e vinyl.

They are so much better at sound proofing.

They definitely help with the heating/cooling situation here in Texas.

And now I can see out the windows!

So much more light comes in too!

Here's an in progress before & after.

While we were at it, we changed up the wall of windows in the Dining Room.

We went from this,

to this,

and finally, to this!

We added a window to the garage/family room.

The new windows have added so much charm and coziness to our home.

Money well spent!

ann marie

Architectural Antiques!

2011-01-18T15:30:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post about a pretty interesting place.

Architectural Antiques-San Antonio.

This is the room you walk into, it's the only heated spot in the whole place.

It was cold the day Taylor and I stopped by.

All kinds of hardware, door knobs and hinges.

They strip the pieces and you can purchase them and stain/paint them yourself.

There's lots of wood columns and balustrades.

What I loved the most were the doors.

They have vintage bath fixtures too.

Lots of lighting and things related.

They have the same windows we got at the Restore for $25 each.

Their price was $210 each!

If you're in the market for a safe, they have a doozy!

There were lots of other really wonderful things, I just forgot to get pictures of it all.

I'll get them next time.

ann marie

Sneak Peek

2011-01-14T15:33:00.001-06:00

I have 3 sneak peeks.

One good, the other...not so good.

The third-so special.

This is the dining room.

The good.

The bad.

The cottage kitchen.

Looks like subfloor, then original red linoleum and finally, 2 layers of peel & stick tile.

The good news is it's coming up very easily.

Also, the hump we had in the middle of the kitchen was only some one's poor attempt at levelling the floor.

They used some mortar like stuff that just disintegrated when the dry vac was used.

I guess this will be the next project I'll do when I get back from Boston in a few weeks.

I have more important things to do in the next two weeks...

Sweet Caroline arrived this morning!!!

Cottage project on hold for a few weeks.

It's not like it's going anywhere any time soon.

ann marie

Floored!!

2011-01-10T16:17:00.002-06:00

Remember this?

And this?

It was a little difficult for me because I really like doing the work myself,

but I took the advice given, and hired someone to refinish the floors.

It really was easy to rationalize the cost.

I would have to rent the sander, buy a bazillion sanding discs, hope that I got the staining part right, and then buy the Poly for the topcoats.

And did I forget to mention I may have spent days on end accomplishing what these guys did in a couple of hours!

This is how Saturday went.

The "magicians" arrived at 10:30 after picking up the supplies they needed from HD.

We took care of the last carpeted room.

They were going to tear it out for us, but we got bored and did it ourselves.

This is Taylor doing the "Happy Dance".

A picture is said to be worth a thousand words,

so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The floors were sanded 3 times.

Coarse, medium, and fine grit papers were used.

They had sanders that were used right up against the baseboards.

Then, the staining began.

All of the sanding and staining was done in 6 hours!

They were back 24 hours later for the first coat of semi-gloss polyurethane.

Again, they were back in 24 hours to do the second coat of poly.

First, they hand sanded the entire floor to remove any imperfections in the first coat of poly.

Then vacuumed.

Then applied the second coat of poly.

The transformation is truly amazing!

We used a dark walnut stain.

Both the stain and poly are oil based.

The company we used is

Best Wood Floor Sanding.

They were courteous, professional and knowledgeable.

They offer free estimates too.

So if you need some work done and are in the San Antonio area you should definitely check them out!

We had a little over 500 square feet refinished.

3 sandings

1 coat of stain

1 coat of poly

1 hand sanding

1 last coat of poly

All this for the measly sum of $700.

In my book, money so well spent!!

ann marie

Habitat ReStore Treasure Hunting

2011-01-04T08:30:00.003-06:00

We stopped by our local Habitat Restore yesterday.

We were looking for a vintage front door for the new project.

Taylor spotted 2 of these windows.

One side is green.

The other side is white.

They're about 36"x48" and in perfect condition.

$24.95 each.

We couldn't pass them up.

She also got these two vintage medicine cabinet doors.

They'll probably be used as decorative mirrors in the bathroom.

They really made things so much better back then.

I guess that's why they're still around and in wonderful shape.

And remember this chippy painted corner cupboard.

It looks like it has a new home in the guest bedroom.

And, last but not least, I picked this table up.

It had been on CL for quite some time, and the price just kept going down.

I finally called on it yesterday and it was still available.

I love the base of this table.

Oh, and because it was only $25, I love it even more!!

The decision now is, do I paint it or leave it the way it is.

It's not like I'll be doing anything to it any time soon.

I'm on baby (Caroline) watch.

Today is Andrea's due date.

I'll be up in Boston freezing my toes off any day now.

At least we hope it's any day now!

ann marie

Sticky Situation...

2011-01-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, in a cute little house, a crime was committed!

This,

was glued down all over these!

and these,

The only place we haven't found glue residue is in the hall closet.

Here we found a wonderful example of ugly.

Just ugly.

Sooo, in order for this little house (ok, me) to live happily ever after,

I need help.

Not that kind of help.

Not yet at least.

I need help/advice/magic with this...

Glue residue.

Have any of you ever had to remove this?

Did you just sand it or did you use a chemical/solvent to remove it first?

I'm trying to not reinvent the wheel and save myself a few white hairs in the process.

The only wood floor we haven't uncovered is the dining room,

and what are the chances they didn't use glue there too?

ann marie