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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Gel Staining the Guest Bath Cabinets

Our guest bathroom got some updates quite a while ago, you can see that here. (always strange to go back and look at old posts!)  But the cabinets, like our kitchen, were a golden oak color that seems really dated.  I guess that was "the thing" in 1986.  

See the one door with one coat of gel stain?  I'm embarrassed to tell you how long ago I removed that knob and applied the stain to ONE door of the cabinet in our guest bathroom.  And also, honestly, I don't remember how long ago it started.  But we'll say it was approximately ONE YEAR AGO.  


The bathroom is small and hard to photograph. It has a matching cabinet over the toilet, which I would remove completely - except the storage is so nice.



The week after Christmas I took some vacation and ended up with a couple days home alone.  I completed one project and this was it!



This stuff is messy - wear gloves!  It gets a little darker each coat.  It really brings out the wood grain and with the three coats I applied, also the imperfections. But I like a distressed look.  I can identify with distressed. 



Time wise, it really didn't take all that long.  I think it was the messiness I was avoiding.  I was very happy with the way it looked when I finished. I kept going back several times a day to look again. Do you do that when you finish a project?



Thankfully, when SuperDave came home from work he liked the new look - because there was no going back at that point.



Several weeks later, I've forgotten about it a little, so when I go in there it's a nice surprise.  And I'm still pleased every time!

Much love and laughter,

Laura


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Thursday, February 5, 2015

A perfect outfit feels like pajamas and looks like a million bucks

Wow! I've been gone from my blog a long time.  I need to try to visit more often the rest of 2015 - which is already flying by!  I do have some projects underway, but none are finished.  I don't like to share until the project is finished, but finishing projects seems to take me longer every year!

Here's a confession. I have a closet FULL of clothes. A big closet.  I love fashion. I'm all about a cute outfit that makes you feel good about the way you look. I love when I buy a new piece of clothing and find that it is the perfect thing I needed to pull together a great outfit when paired with other items I already own.

My mantra is, "A perfect outfit feels like pajamas and looks like a million bucks!"

You should understand that, I'm also all about comfort.  And the older I get the more important the comfort factor is to me, but I'm not willing to completely give up the wow factor, even if I am a grandmother. After all, I'm also still a woman and a wife.  Gotta look good for SuperDave!

When we got married (many years ago) I had a fairly limited wardrobe for a teenage girl.  My new husband must of been surprised when he moved my stuff from my home to our apartment, because he asked if that was all the clothes I had. So I've been making up for that ever since. 



Now if we move, he would be asking, "How many more clothes do you have?"

Sometimes I buy something that seems awesome in the store, but when I wear it, it just isn't as great I thought.  Case in point, this sweater I bought a few years ago.  


I love this sweater, because
it's a great color - matches almost everything, 
it's long - mid-thigh long, 
it has patch pockets - very handy for keys or phone, 
it's warm - snugly on a cold February day.  

But, this furry collar is itchy and in my face.  


There are times and places that I would put up with fur for the luxe look.  But let's face it, most of the time when I leave the house I'm going to work.  And sitting in front of a computer 8 hours with a fur ball around my neck doesn't meet the feels like pajamas rule. I don't want to THINK about my clothes during the day. I want to look good and not feel a pinch, or a bind, or an itchy fur collar.


I love that texture too!

Anyway, most every time I took the sweater out and put it on, I removed it and returned it to the closet. And I told myself, "I'm going to take that collar off." But modifying a piece of clothing I paid good money for is always a difficult step for me to take. Why? I don't know.  I'm just like that.

I finally looked at it carefully and determined that I could remove the faux fur and if I wasn't happy I could easily sew it back on.  A hazard of being a seamstress!


Out came the seam ripper and in a few minutes the sweater had a regular collar that wasn't all up in my face (or itchy on the back of my neck).  And once it was done, I was no longer thinking about my sweater at all!


There's just no point in having it at all if I keep putting it back in the closet. And of course I can always add buttons and loops if I want it to be convertible, but for now I think it's just fine with no fur.

Stay safe and warm my friends!  Spring is just around the corner, regardless of what a groundhog may have said on Monday.

Much love and laughter,

Laura


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