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The right Ryobi tools make all the difference

I received a 40V-X EXPAND-IT STRING TRIMMER and Edger Attachment from Ryobi and a trip to Ryobi headquarters in exchange for writing a review.  

We tackled our backyard with the help of a generous family friends but - as you can see from above - our front yard was still a hot mess. Sure, there were no concrete planters but there wasn't much else either. We had two giant yews and two small but extremely sharp holly bushes planted directly in front of the water spigot and electric outlets (convenient!)

How to paint wood veneer

Remember The Project to end all projects? Well, I haven't stopped working on it. I have stopped blogging about it because cleaning out my kids' rooms just wasn't that interesting and I'm currently bogged down in cleaning out my memorabilia (a PROJECT in and of itself...and a post for another time! Look forward to some posts about baby Sarah in the near future and GET. EXCITED.)

Meanwhile, as I work my way through my house room by room, I've also taken on some design projects I've wanted to tackle forever and just haven't. First, I tackled the wall in my kitchen. Next up? Our entertainment center.

This is what it looked like:

Big and dark and squat and sort of ugly. Inspired by all the painted dressers I saw on Pinterest, I thought I might go that route and started scouring thrift stores around town.

No luck.

Finally, at a furniture consignment store, I found a modern TV stand a little bit taller and MUCH prettier than the one I have now. Only one problem...it was espresso brown. Another dark TV stand. I wasn't going to do it.

The only solution was to paint it. I looked at a lot of spray paint tutorials online but decided I wasn't wiling to risk it and it wasn't going to give me the smooth finish I was looking for. 

Instead, I (what we call in the South) "jerryrigged" the process and adapted it to my own (somewhat lazy) purposes. 

First up, I sanded the heck out of it with a rotary sander. One of the best tips I got online was using tack cloth to take off all the sand residue and that stuff worked like a charm.  

Next up, I took some notes from the spray painting idea and used a spray primer - Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Primer for anyone wanting to know. I probably should have gotten the coat more even but it worked really well otherwise. 

Next up, I took some notes from the spray painting idea and used a spray primer - Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Primer for anyone wanting to know. I probably should have gotten the coat more even but it worked really well otherwise. 

I was hoping to skip this final step but alas, it was not to be. I also painted on two coats ofMinwax Polycrylic Gloss Protective Finish and we were good to go! Because I'm lazy, I painted right over the metal hardware and then scraped it out with steel wool when I was finished! 

I mean when I'm right, I'm right. How much better does that look!?!

My Ever-Changing Living Room

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I just redesigned my living room…for the fifth time…in four years.

On the same day, I switched around furniture in Griffin’s room, Amos’s room, and my den. Oh, I also just completely redid my bedroom. 

I can’t help myself. I am a creature of change. In many ways I’m still the little girl who would rearrange the furniture in Barbie’s dream house three times before lunch. 

For some people, a living space is static. My mother is like that. She tackles a major renovation every ten years but then that’s that. Everything stays the same until another decade passes. I think my constant redos and updates stress her out but I can’t help it.

Some of the change is because our family is constantly changing and our living space must reflect that. I needed space for a baby swing. Now, I need space for coloring. I needed a nursery. Now, I need a big boys’ room. Hopefully, I’ll need a nursery again before it’s all over and then there will be more change.

The living room redo came about because I wanted a space to truly escape from my work. My desk is in the middle of our den and kitchen so if we spend all evening in the den I feel like I never escape work. In fact, I sometimes spend all evening at my desk. Now, with the addition of some of our more casual furniture, the living room has become a place to relax at the end of the day. 

The best part is my “new” living room cost me zero dollars. When I say I renovate rooms, I’m not talking about custom drapery or new furniture. I’m talking about using what I already have and a lot of creative energy. My “new” living room contains a free couch a friend was getting rid of, a chair passed down from my mom, a new chair that was a gift from a friend, and a family heirloom. Two of my girlfriends came over one rainy Friday and we re-arranged and re-arranged and re-arranged until the room finally made sense. 

I absolutely love it… for now.

Is your home constantly changing? Or do you like things to stay the same?





A Glamourous Master Bedroom

 

When we moved in four years ago, my focus was on the nursery. I was seven months pregnant with my first child and I wanted to create the perfect space for him. So, I poured all my time and energy into his room. Slowly, I moved my attention to the other rooms in our home. I redid our den and designed another nursery. 

I wouldn't say our bedroom was an after thought but it certainly wasn't high on my list and my lack of effort shows. 

When my dear friend (and genius) Sara Falder of Flower + Furbish began helping me redesign my space, I knew the bedroom is where I wanted to start. Over a week (the week before my renewal!!!), we transformed the blah space you see above into a glamourous retreat!