Nesting: The Kitchen Nook.

 

Back when I was in full-fledge 'nesting mode' this area was one of my projects.  I'm glad I jumped on it when I was in nesting mode, because these days I am more in lazy mode.  As in, if we are fed, sometimes clean & surviving, we will call that day a success.

 

All three of these walls started yellow, then they were all three green & then the two on the side went back to yellow.  Yes...all of that occurred while I was pregnant.  Oh yeah...and the drapes too.  I tell ya, I should get pregnant more often just for the nesting that occurs.

 

The drapes were something that needed to happen for a long time, but it just took me forever to figure out what fabric and/or drapes I wanted...that and the winter sun shift made sunscreen a requirement while eating lunch at this table.   I was actually at the fabric store looking for fabric for the kids' rooms, when I came across this & immediately knew it was to be my kitchen drapes.  It was just what I never knew I wanted.  Okay, I did know I wanted something that kind of looked like burlap & felt more natural...

Originally, I thought about doing a trellis, like these:

 

@Ballard Design

Then I painted my walls green & decided I should do something more natural like these: 

 

@Ballard Design 

 

This was my first time sewing drapes & I did zero research.  Instead I used my tired & true method of winging it & given that they were really just two long rectangles, I'd say it was a success.  There are a few things I'd do differently & the next time I'm pregnant, I'll probably go back & fix a few things that bug me...but until then, sunscreen is no longer required for lunch.

Making Room for Baby

Over the last 3 or 4 months this ol' house of mine {which really isn't old at all} has seen plenty of change.  I've painted 2 rooms, moved 3 rooms, hung multiple picture walls {wait, I made my sister do that}, sewn drapes, hung drapery curtain rods, not once, but twice, recovered a chair & a myriad of other things...all for baby number 3.  He should already feel so loved, right?  And how will he show it?  By keeping me up all night, I'm sure.  But I think I will be happy with my sleepless accommodations & I'm sure he'll be cute with a head full of hair, so I'll take it.

Back to my room renovations...I had quite the time trying to figure out just where I wanted each little person in my life.  I had the baby pretty well locked onto a room, but there were 2 other rooms & 2 other people & the playroom?  Where to put all those dang toys.  I did not want to part with my play room & I was unsure of a room sharing possibility with a boy & a girl.  Is that even legal?  Not sure, but Scoobs & the Lady are bunking up...all so I can keep a door shut on the toys.

I figure this is the only time they will be able to share & it will probably only last 2 years before they are too old for such nonsense inflicted by their mother.  But until then this was Nesting Project No.1.  This room had to be done, so I could move the play room, so I could set up the babies room, etc, etc.

Here is the room 'in progress'

 

I spent a couple days prepping the walls for paint.  Seriously, I spent days prepping.  This room used to be the Lady's & I had a picket fence along that window wall, so I had lots to putty, sand, wipe down & prime.  It was a complete pain in the butt, but it was worth it.  Once I had that done & then taped, I banged out the painting in one night after Scot got home from work...maybe 3 hours?  I was pretty impressed with myself.  I used a paint with the primer already in it & it was worth the extra $10 to not have to do a double coat on the whole thing {there were a few spots I double touched}. 

For beds, we decided to go the bunk route, since I wanted to keep as much floor space as I could with two in there.  And it may have been the only I way I was able to sell Scoobs on the idea of sharing a room with his sister.  According to him, 'She bugs me.'  Shocker.  I bet when she is 16 he will feel a bit different about her...and her friends.

 

For the bedding, inspiration struck on the clearance aisle of Target.  I've never found so much, so randomly & so just what I needed on clearance at Target.  To be honest, I wasn't totally sure on the shared space idea, until I saw the bedding for the Lady.  The orange damask comforter? $19.98.  When I saw that, I thought, 'okay, she can do orange floral, he can do navy...I already have navy dressers...yes.  They are sharing.'  And that is how thought out my plan was.  Then that same trip I stumbled on that navy floral rug.  It is 5x7 & wool & I paid $39 for it.  sold again.  Scoobs sheets were $9.98.  His quilt almost broke the bank at a whopping $39 {not on sale} and the accent pillows were about $20 each...I figured I deserved a splurge there with all my other savings.  The only other thing I had to pick up were the baskets under the Lady's bed.  I got them at Hobby Lobby for about $30 for both & they house all their shoes.  And so, just like that, they were sharing a room...and I kinda love it.

Just this morning Scoobs informed me that his sister woke him up this morning with her 'heavy breathing.'  He actually imitated it & even in my own bed at 6 am I had to laugh.  My sister & I shared a room for 12 or 13 years & it took me right back.

Refinished.

continuing in project mode...this one kept me busy for awhile. i started first with the hutch.

sanded.
primed.
spray-painted...

and spray painted...

and spray painted some more.

i think i went through 8 bottles of spray paint on just the hutch. it was so so so bothersome, but it would not cover the white primer. even more bothersome, was i didn't love the turn out of the color.

so i re sanded it and went to the depot to choose my perfect blue. i took scoobs pillow shams along so i wouldn't be confused once i got there and was faced with 481 'navy' blues. how can there really be that many? regardless, my little trick worked. i picked the blue in under 2 minutes {don't tell my mom...she would like that decision to be agonized over for 2 days}.

then i painted again. and sealed it with a polyurethane & moved it back in. i have hardware that needs to be added, but that is scot's job.

i've had a few people ask how to do it & there are so many ways.

sometimes i sand, sometimes i don't. sometimes i prime, sometimes i don't. sometimes i spray paint and sometimes i use a roller.

the main thing is this: just do it.

if it is a piece of furniture you dislike enough to want to refinish who cares if you make a few mistakes along the way? i mean, i refinished this hutch twice because i didn't like it the first time.

and another thing...it takes time. i started the hutch 4 months ago. finished it the first time 2 months ago & then the dresser & hutch took me about 5-7 days of working on it...because the 'unfinishedness' of things was bugging me. but that being said, i worked about an hour, maybe two each day during the lady's morning nap and within a week it was done.

but here is my formula for the dresser...i didn't screw this one up first.

1. sand. i use an electric sander that i've borrowed from my sister. i sand it with a grittier sand paper first. and i don't sand until all the finish is off...i just do a general sand to rough it up a bit, so the paint sticks better.

2. paint. i bought a gallon of paint {usually you don't need this much, but there is another dresser i need to do & i thought i might use some of the color on his walls down the road} & i use a little foam roller. make sure your roller is foam...the other ones leave little fibers in your paint. this dresser took about 3 coats & there was no sanding between coats...if you spray paint you typically have to sand between coats with a very fine grained paper.

3. coat with polyurethane. i use a low shimmer one, but for sure use it on everyday use furniture, or stuff you glaze. it makes it so you can wipe it down easy & i like the bit of gloss it adds. you have to use a paint brush specific for oil based material...just ask the paint department & they will hook you up.

then move it in your house & enjoy...even with the few inevitable mistakes you made! no one knows they are there but you. in fact, look at scoobs dresser & see if you can see mine.