Yellow china cabinet

Sometimes I have no plans for the day, but then I find a new piece of furniture or a project around the house comes up and I am busy all day. 
On Friday I drove home from work and a few doors down when I turned on my street I saw someone had put a china cabinet on the curb, so I hurried home and told Chris, of course he rolled his eyes and said yes he had seen it, but had hoped someone else would have picked it up before I saw it.  Wow he knows me too well.
So we get in the car and drive down and he helps me get it.  We have recently downsized cars from a mini van to a small SUV, and Chris had hoped that would mean no more chance of big pieces of furniture coming home, but as this was on our street I could just drive on back home with the trunk open.

I will say the cabinet was not a fine antique, or in perfect condition.  One of the doors on the bottom was broken, but I still liked the style and size of it, and I knew even if I couldn't make it work I could at least give it away to someone else who could use it.

The green was not bad, but in searching google images for "painted china cabinet" my favorites were the yellow ones, so I went and bought a sample can of pretty yellow paint.  I decided to leave the inside green for now, I thought the books and china looked good against a dark color.

 

To solve the broken door problem I just took out the panels (they were just thin plywood), as the bottom shelves I wanted to use for book shelves anyway and I didn't mind it being open.  I could get more glass panels made later on.

 

Trash to treasure, I think so!  Not bad for just $6 for the little can of yellow paint and a days painting.

 

This is my second free china cabinet, I also have this one I painted gray.

 

The one little china cabinet I paid for is more space for collecting.

 

I'm thankful for a patient husband who puts up with me for bringing this junk home, usually he is surprised with the way things turn out in the end.

 

 

New, very pink find

Last week on facebook I noticed this dresser for sale.  It was already super bright coral pink, but needed some work as it had been used as a tool chest by the owner; Jen from Metamorphose Upholstery and Furniture.  She was auctioning it off and I was lucky enough to have the winning bid - $40.  It really was a great deal, it has 9! drawers and only one of the drawers needed some work re-attaching some wood to the back.  She even gave me some extra paint, so today I cleaned it off and touched up the paint, and then gave it a clear coat of poly to protect the paint.

I added some wallpaper to the drawers for the final finishing touch.

It looks great in Kate's room with her blue walls.

 And it is a perfect match to the New York picture that was already hanging in that spot.

Lots of storage and lots of space on the top for all the stuff that girls gather.

I brought in this low coffee table I wasn't using downstairs anymore and made a bench seat for when she has friends over.  We already had this quilt too and see some of the squares are also a perfect match for the new dresser.

I finally gave in a few weeks ago and let her get a poster, her beloved One Direction, and this is about as good as it gets for a made bed.

Kate's other green dresser is a very similar style and it is now in her closet for storing clothes.

linking here

Green yard sale chair and some fall decor

This is my latest find, high back green chair, in great condition, it was only $20!

The pillow was from Homegoods a few weeks ago, as well as the green one on the sofa, which just happens to match perfectly to the new chair, must have been fate that I found the chair....

And some real little pumpkins on the coffee table.

I also found this owl to add to the collection at Homegoods a few weeks ago.

and put up the fall wreath that I made with the kids a few years ago.  I need to re-attach some of the berries that are falling off and maybe add some more leaves too.

The white pumpkins on the mantel, I think I got these 3 years ago (or more) from Dollar tree.  The little gold planter was $1 at an antique shop.

And one of my new favorite fiestaware colors, I think it is called "Persimmon".

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Foyer

I wanted to join the party at Cottage and Vine.   This little area is pretty plainly decorated.

Our "foyer" is decorated at the moment with some of my favorite thrift store plates, an old shutter, and some other little art pieces.

Eventually I would like to paint the walls, but as this is open to the stairs, and then the upstairs hallway and kids playroom, I have to find a neutral color I really love that I want to paint through the whole place.

These little cross stitch pieces - the one on the left is from Goodwill, and the orange flower one was $5 in an antique shop.

 Not sure the story behind this little picture below, but it came from my parent's house and was in my room there.  It is very heavy and old.

This plate I found at Goodwill, it is poppytrail by Metlox

I really like the pattern on this plate.

a favorite (candid) family picture taken at the farm in east Texas

The chair is a garage sale find.  I like the natural wood right now, but it may get a paint job one day.

The foyer is open to our living room

Click the link below to check some more inspiring foyers and entry ways, I know I need some inspiration for mine!



Garage sale table makeover

little garage sale table:

+ some spray primer

+spray paint (Krylon Ivy Leaf)

 = fun new little lamp table

Linking to Southern Hospitality

The cool new couch

This couch was really almost FREE (not really), because I sold a few little pieces of furniture and home decor and with the money I made from that I bought us a couch!  The seller was asking $100 but I asked if they would take $80.  It is made in the USA by Bernhardt.  It is big and solid and very comfortable.  So now the room we call the front living room actually has a place to sit.

linking to Southern Hospitality (click on picture)

Painted book shelf

 Here is a "before" of my bookshelf.  I had stained it this dark walnut a few years ago.

And after light and bright (painted light gray)

notice something else "new" in the picture.  This is Emmy, she is a beautiful 3 year old cat, we adopted her from the SPCA.

My green chair is her favorite place.

the shelf is a good place to display some of my thrifty finds, all these (except the little cup on the left) are from garage sales or Goodwill

the milk glass pieces are all thrifty finds too 

some of my owls and other little things collected

my office is also home to some of my other favorite painted pieces too.  This white chest of drawers I use to store all my scrapbooking and craft supplies

this cabinet

the green desk and white chairs and table

Emmy approves of the room, it gets a lot of morning sun

I thought of one more thing in this room I've painted!  The light fixture!

Here is a "before" picture of the whole space, the only thing I'd painted so far was the chairs.....

and "now" - the french door can only open a little on the left side now because the bookshelf is behind it now.

I got that heavy antique mirror that sits on the sewing machine table for $5 last weekend.

My family is very used to me in my "painting clothes" now.  At least in a couple of weeks I will be back to my teaching job and not so much spare time to just paint!

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