Painted Headboard

Last summer I started redoing my Birmingham granddaughter’s bedroom.    She was transitioning to a bigger bedroom since she was getting a baby brother in August.    Fast forward several months and the room is about 85% complete….just waiting on me to get the headboard painted and curtains made.     Since it is 70+ degrees here today I decided to “make hay while the sun shines” and get started on finishing the headboard.     I had already applied a spray primer to the headboard but it had lots of streaks and was very rough to the touch.      So off to Home Depot I went and bought a sanding block, a Purdy paintbrush (which I can’t say enough about), and some Floetrol.      I read over at Centsational Girl’s blog about the Floetrol which is a paint additive used to extend the time for painting and doesn’t leave roller or brush marks.    And boy howdy, that is one of the greatest products on the market!      Floetrol is used with latex paint and Penetrol is used when using oil based paints.
I had hubby take the headboard outside and took my sanding block to the bed.     I used a very fine/fine grit sanding block which is used between coats and for light sanding.    It quickly eliminated the rough texture on the bed as well as smoothing out all the streaks.    Since I didn’t have a tack cloth I wiped it down with a damp wash cloth and then followed that with a dry cloth.     Then I added some Floetrol to my paint, stirred really well and started painting.  
The bed is extremely old and took several coats to cover.    I am going to do one more coat but I ran out of paint as I had bought one of those “try me” sizes in case I didn’t like the color.     I had used about 1/2 of the “try me” paint on a nightstand I’d already done so of course I wanted to use the same color on the bed.    It is called “Popcorn” by Behr.    

Here’s the “before” pic of the bed.    There is a footboard but DIL does not want to use it.





And here it is after 2-3 coats and I wish you could feel how smooth it is……like a baby’s hiney!     I’ve often wondered how people get their painted furniture so smooth with no brush marks and now I know.     I found out that by taking a few extra steps – like sanding and wiping down and adding the Floetrol to the paint - you get a great result with your painted furniture.   Sorry for the poor quality of the photos with all the shadows, etc.  but I wanted to show how it’s looking so far    

 


I love the shape of the bed…so feminine I think



And one more full shot


I’m thinking about adding an applique to the middle of the headboard.    I had one on hand but it was too big so I’ll have to look into getting one a little smaller.   
I love days like today cause I really get motivated to get some of my many projects started and/or done.    I’ve been putting off this headboard project for months so it really felt good to get it ALMOST done!     Now I’ve got to make some curtains for the room and then we’ll have the big reveal.
I hope everyone has a safe and WARM weekend!

Grands Are Great! ….(and I don’t mean biscuits)

First, I’d like to thank each and every one of you that left a comment on my last post.    I think we all have times of feeling down in the dumps but what a blessing to be able to reach out and get the support you all showed.    I am truly grateful for all the love and encouragement ya’ll shared.

 

If you have grandchildren you know there’s nothing like them!   I sometimes wonder if my heart is big enough to hold the love I have for all four we have….it feels like I’m going to burst with love every time I’m around them.   On Saturday night we kept my daughter’s twins.   Now we’ve been around these little rascals since the moment they came into this world and I can hardly believe how fast they are growing.    They are 6 1/2 (Taylor wants you to be sure she’s that extra 1/2!).     We decided to cook hot dogs and roast marshmallows but hubby didn’t want to cook outside on the firepit or grill cause it was 21 degrees and none of us wanted to get sick.    So we used our fireplace, being careful to put a rug down in front for any messes.    Taylor really got into it but Jackson only participated a few minutes…he was more interested in watching Sponge Bob and playing with his trucks.   

 

 

Hubby likes his crispy (burnt!)

 

Taylor just likes to blow off the flames!

 

 

Jackson finally decides to get in on the fun…

 

….he’s just not sure about standing that close to the fire so Pop roasted his for him

 

Earlier in the day we had gone shopping and Taylor found an Auburn cheerleader outfit she wanted.    So what’s a grandmother to do but buy it?     Of course, it’s too big but she should be able to wear it next year.   When she got to the house, she just HAD to put it on….you can see how big it is but that didn’t stop her from modeling it for us!

 

War Eagle!

 

Future Auburn Tiger cheerleader!    She’s already planning on going to Auburn (smart girl)

 

Later on I found her on the computer AND the phone calling her mom and dad who had gone out to eat and a play….I think we’re going to have our hands full in a few short years.    She’s already very computer savvy and LOVES to talk on the phone.

 

 

 

I’ll leave you with a little project I just did on Friday.    Like so many of you, I get a lot of inspiration from Pottery Barn, just not loving their prices.    

 

Pottery Barn

$39.00 for a set of 3 book bundles from Pottery Barn

After seeing how everyone was making their own book bundles I got myself a few books for 75 cents (vs. the $39 price tag from Pottery Barn), tore the covers off and tied them together with some jute twine I had on hand.     I showed hubby the PB photo and mine and he actually thought I had bought them from PB….silly man!

 

 

 

 

I love the way they turned out and will be making several more bundles.    This is a quick and cheap project.    Just get yourself some books at Goodwill, thrift stores, your home, etc. (be sure they are not collector’s editions!), rip off the covers and tie them together.    For someone who likes instant gratification, this was a perfect project for me!   

 

I hope all of ya’ll have a great week.    Be safe & stay warm!

I Have Nothing To Blog About

I’m in a real blog slump.    I can’t seem to get motivated to do anything around the house and everywhere I look there are things that need to be done.     Guess I’ll just be like Scarlett O’Hara and “think about it tomorrow”!   

I think part of my problem is that there has been a lot of sadness around me lately.     My mom’s last surviving friend, who turned 91 last Saturday, will probably not be alive in 30 days.    She had a massive heart attack on Christmas Eve, then when she went in the hospital, they discovered she was ate up with cancer.    Her only child (he was in his 70’s) died last spring and she essentially gave up from that point on.    This is a real Christian woman but she says she’s ready to “go.”    My mama is taking it pretty hard.     Mama will be 91 in June.

Yesterday a friend of ours was murdered!    No one knows much right now but his truck was found on fire and he was on the ground a few feet away stabbed to death.    My husband just saw him at the bank last Friday.

There are also some other things going on I’m not at liberty to discuss.     A friend is having a hard time with some life changing events and needs reassurance.

I know the power of prayer and I would ask that you join me in asking God’s “peace that passeth all understanding” be felt by these precious folks and the family of our murdered friend.

Auburn vs Oregon National Championship Game Tonight....WAR "CAM" EAGLE!

Princess In Training

Seems like I fell off the face of the earth since Christmas, I’ve been totally uninspired to post anything, I think I was just wore out from the holidays.    And now today, this part of the country is under a severe weather advisory with ice and snow warnings!    The south totally shuts down with those dire warnings, we just aren’t equipped to deal with that kind of weather.    Husband went out to get some firewood this morning and then we went to the grocery store and when we got home I made chicken tortilla soup AND hamburger soup, don’t want to go hungry!

The twins (our 6 year old grandchildren) just got their progress reports last Thursday….both had all A’s!!!   So Saturday was “their” day to do whatever they wanted.     Taylor wanted a manicure so after lunch at The Golden Corral (Jackson’s choice) we headed to Tips & Toes for Taylor’s mani.   

I had picked up mama and took her to lunch with us and she really enjoyed her lunch at Golden Corral.     I’m so lucky she can still get out and about at 90 1/2 years old, she is amazing!

Here’s my Tater Bug getting her first mani….

 

 

 

 

Look at those sweet little hands….she’s growing up way too fast for me..

 

Taylor then decided she wanted green polka dots on top of the pink polish

 

  

 

 

 

She recently lost both of her front teeth!

 

After Taylor got her manicure her mom decided to get one as well

 

  

Taylor is “consulting” on her mom’s polish color….they decided to get the same color.   

 

 

 

After the manicures, we headed out to do some shopping then on to Game Boy for some Wii games for Jackson.     At that point, I left to come home cause I really don’t understand all that Wii business!

I just got off the phone with daughter and she told me that after they got home last night, Taylor said “mom, this is the greatest day ever, I don’t want it to end!”

 

Like so many of my Southern sistas, we might be without power for the next few days.    I hope it doesn’t get as bad as predicted….just as long as we have power Monday night so we can watch our Auburn Tigers play Oregon for the National Championship.     WAR EAGLE!

Top Projects of 2010

I wanted to join the party and share a few projects I did in 2010.    Some are still in the “pending” stage (i.e. not quite complete) but hopefully they will get finished in the new year.

Okay, starting in January, I did a fun little project using two of my favorite mediums, monograms and drop cloths!     I ironed our initial to two dining room chairs that needed a little TLC.

 

     

 

I also started working on a couple of pieces of furniture in my sunroom and did get them done but for the life of me I can’t decide on a wall color so the room is still in limbo.  

 

 

 

I don’t think you can count this as a project unless you count it as getting my wall planters planted last spring…..springtime in Alabama….the best time of year!

 

 

Oh, now here’s a project I really had fun working on and I love the way it turned out….my guest room “Guest Cottage” sign.   It hangs over my daughter’s bed in her old room.

 

 

As the summer wore on, I was “commissioned” to decorate my granddaughter’s bedroom as she was getting a new baby brother in August.    DIL was going to move McKinley out of her old nursery into the children’s den across the hall and put the new baby in her OLD room.    We are 95% done with McKinley’s room but I’ve not finished her bed yet nor made drapes for the room.    However, I did get this cute oversized frame ready to hang over her bed (if I ever get the bed refinished!)

 

 

And here’s what we have done so far in her bedroom.    This photo was taken right after we finished painting and before her furniture was moved in.   I will post pics when we get it all done….it is really a sweet little room.   My inspiration was from Melaine at My Sweet Savannah….when I first saw her daughter’s bedroom a few years ago, I fell in love with it.   She has completely redecorated it now as that daughter is getting a little older but McKinley is only 5 and I think she’ll be fine in this room for a while.

 

 

Then we got started on baby brother’s room.    We have got to add chair rail all around and a few other touch ups.     How is it that projects are never ending?    These grandchildren live  1 1/2 hours away and it’s hard to get everyone off work long enough to finish!

 

 

I tried my hand at making little slipcovers for my ladder back chairs.   They turned out okay but “someday” I’m going to redo the bottom ruffles….my first try at making them and you can tell I don’t know what I’m doing!

 

 

That about wraps it up for 2010.    A few other little things here and there but nothing spectacular like a lot of other blogs I’ve seen.   I really want to tie up loose ends on the unfinished projects and then I have two rooms that are going to get a complete makeover…..son’s old room and the sunroom (just as soon as I decide on a paint color!)

I’m linking to Kim’s party at Savvy Southern Style and her Boring to Better Wednesdays.

 

 

There are a lot of great projects featured at Rhoda’s so be sure to check them out.

 

   

 

Ya’ll have a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I'm Still Here.....!

Not sure what's going on with my Windows Live Writer but it gives me a message to the effect it does not recognize my user name and password info.   I thought I could just delete the program and reload it but that didn't work either!    So I'm having to use the old blogger method to get out this post.    I was planning on posting about my FEW and FAR BETWEEN projects of 2010 but looks like that's on hold for now.

Anyone have anything similar happen to you with WLW?    Any ideas on how I can fix the problem?    

So for now I'll just wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

Judy

Merry Christmas From Our House To Yours!

 

 

 

 

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Cameron Newton–Auburn’s 3rd Heisman Trophy Winner

 

Congrats Cam!   The Auburn family is very proud of you!

Simple Supper of Cornbread and Milk

 

This is an old time supper that I remember my mom serving on Sunday nights.     Nothing better than big ole’ pan of hot cornbread and a tall cold glass of sweet milk.   

 

 

My hubby likes to start with filling an empty glass half way with crumbled cornbread, then adding milk, and topping off with more cornbread…..yummy on the tummy!   (He even called his mom to tell her what we were having!!!)

Have you ever heard of cornbread and milk or have you ever tried it?   If not, I encourage you to give it a try, I think you’ll like it.

If you’d like to see my cornbread recipe you can find it here.

It’s Great To Be An Auburn Tiger!

 

I am exhausted from our weekend trip to Atlanta to see our Auburn Tigers beat South Carolina 56-17!    Here are just a few pictures and will post more later but right now this girl is pooped!

 

 

 

 

 

Cam Newton and Coach Gene Chizik

 

Now on to the desert to play for the National Championship – watch out Ducks – we’re headed your way!