Spring break - fun with friends

Last weekend we went to Robbers Cave State Park - in SE Oklahoma.  We met up with our friends and stayed in an adjoining cabin.  It was a great time for the kids to play with friends and enjoy a lot of time outside.

 The last day was cold so the boys brought out the DS games.  Love our friend Marshall's hat!

Spring blossoms.



More painting and spring decor

Another small painting project this week, I started painting our downstairs hallway.  It is hard to tell the difference in the pictures, but the new color makes the white woodwork of the stairs stand out.

Before (taped and ready to paint):

After - eventually I need to paint that other wall going up the stairs,  but that leads to the upstairs hallway / playroom area, which = a lot more work so I will wait a couple of months to make sure I want this color or something a little different.

The color is similar to the color my kitchen is painted.

Kitchen and cabinets is Sherwin williams softer tan, wall under the counter is Seashell gray (Lowes) and wall to the right is Chatham Green (Home depot).

 Fiestaware and other vintage dishes. in my kitchen cabinet.  I have a combination of the newer and old fiestaware.

This yellow bud vase (below), Chris found at an antique shop for me on one of his little trips for work.

My little collection of milk glass vases.  The one on the left I just picked up yesterday for $4 at an antique shop in La Porte, TX.  They have some nice shops there.

My owl cookie jar and some bird friends also moved to the mantel.

The coffee table I bought a couple of weeks ago from Goodwill also moved back here to the family room.  That ladder shelf to the left was also from Goodwill and the vintage side table on the right from a garage sale.

The coffee table has matching "legs" to the dresser we use for a TV stand.



Quick little makeover

We started off with this little stool with fuzzy blue fabric on top, it was maybe one of the ugliest things I have bought, but Chris was at the Goodwill with me when I bought it, and he said "Anna, go ahead and buy it, it will be a good project for you." 

Step 1 - last night I took off 3 layers of fabric - blue fuzzy, red velvet, and an orange one too, as well as the old yellow foam.  Yuck, lots of dust in all those layers.

Step 2 - this morning I was left with just the wooden board, I used a nice clean white foam and a layer of cotton batting (from Hobby Lobby) and stapled them on and trimmed to size.

Step 3 - staple around evenly and make sure corners are nice and tight.

Step 4 - turn over and make sure everything is nice and smooth.

Step 5 - fabric of choice - staple around well

Looks good!

The AFTER - I painted it the same color as I used in Kate's room -  Watery (Sherwin Williams color)

 So much better now.  I took a picture here in the den - but this is going upstairs to the playroom.  Another chair I have up there at Kate's desk I re-upholstered with the same fabric.



Junk store find - gray pitcher, and a Goodwill table

On our little spring break weekend away I found this in an old store in SE Oklahoma.  It is marked Russel Wright.  My online research shows this piece is part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. 

"The American Modern line of dinnerware was designed by famed mid-century designer Russel Wright and manufactured by the Steubenville Pottery Company in Steubenville, Ohio, between 1939 and 1959. "

I paid $10 for it.  They make a reproduction  which sells for $40.  On ebay and some other sites I saw them for sale for up to $90.

 I love the style, shape and color of it.

What do you think of this coffee table I got at Goodwill last week?  It was only $9.99.  It is long and low.  It is in great condition apart from one place on the top where it looks like someone put a hot iron on it.  I don't think I will paint this, but I might refinish the top at some point.



I hope to also post this week a couple of painting projects I have going on around here, and pictures from our Oklahoma trip.

I LOVE spring break!