Dining room...

The dining room is the next big project on the agenda.
Here's a before shot:

(when I say 'before', I have already removed the metal curtain track and put up the pole, painted the orange smoke stained ceiling white, stripped the lumpy wallpaper and smoothed over the walls, we also replaced the window and the radiator...)

See how the table is not centred in the room?  The light is in the centre.
This is because there was a door in a very stupid place. If we moved the table to the centre of the room you wouldn't be able to close the door. But we have never once closed the door in all the years we have been here. So, I've removed the door. 

The room feels so much bigger! You can see three walls now from this angle. The table is centred. There is space around the table. I've filled the hinge holes in the door frame so it's now an opening rather than a door frame.

The floor is covered in disgusting black tiles that were lurking under a dated green carpet. The wood floor is ready to be layed.

I'm going to paint the table legs and this is the colour scheme I'm leaning towards:

All three together! The table top is wonderful as it is. It's chunky, worn and warped.

I don't want anything too precious. I'm going for a rustic farmhouse look.

Speaking of not being too precious, I've been looking for a rug to go under the dining table. It'll add a bit of warmth to the room and alter the acoustics in there what with wooden floor and all wooden furniture. The flooring we have is a pale oak that is oiled, not lacquered. It shows grease marks from food that falls on it. It probably wouldn't be noticeable if we had a darker colour but it drives me mad. So another reason for needing a rug.

I like good quality and natural fibres but I didn't want to pay a fortune for a huge wool rug that will end up with bolognaise stains. So I kept my eyes peeled for a damaged rug. I saw a huge pale blue oriental rug at the flea market one day. It was £5 as it was bald in the middle. I regretted not buying it. It would have been perfect.

Some months later, I saw this one:

It's large, clean, pale, pure wool and the best quality. It has been eaten to death by moths. My husband didn't get it. He said we could spend a few hundred on a new rug. That wasn't the point. I didn't want a new rug that I would get stressed about if food fell on it or the cats scratched it. He doesn't like me stressing, so he caved and we got the rug. It was £30 so I get an expensive looking glamorous rug that is damaged and perfect to drop food on. Yay! You know it makes sense don't you?

Anyway, I spent ages steaming it to kill any remaining bugs. Then it went out in the sun for a day as that works too apparently. I haven't seen any moths yet...

The curtains will be replaced with floor skimming ones. I got some at a boot sale still in their packet for £5. The walls will probably go neutral as I'm using colour on the furniture.

The other end of the room has this pine dresser/ bookcase which will be painted:

...perhaps the same way as the table legs.

Then there's this window:

...which will go on the wall above it and that shelf will go elsewhere. I'm going to do something to it... not entirely sure what yet.

And I found a plate rack, just what I was after, with the bars so people can't knock the plates off...useful in a small room.

It's had a bad paint job (not by me) but I can rectify that. It came from eBay. (As did the dresser and the table.)

The light will be changed and I think there's something in the loft I can use. It'll be so nice to have a light centred over the table and it means it can go a bit lower. That's good as we don't have high ceilings. 

So that's the plan! Subject to change. The use of colour on the legs is scary, but I don't want everything to be white. (I think.) I'm going to try colour anyway. I can always go over it. And probably will. I'm slightly colourphobic. If that's a thing.
I've got my work cut out for me with all of this. First step: flooring. Obviously we get a man in for that as it's done in a day and perfect. I'd take six weeks and it wouldn't be perfect. Some things are worth paying extra for!

Oh and Sports Day? I'd been talking to the school, talking to Constance, not knowing what to do for the best, all totally upsetting. She didn't do the long distance as that was optional for the whole school. Which is nice. But she did fine in the race she ran. So we are not ever having that conversation again. It's not just her, there's a huge range of non athletic kids, and it's right that they all do their best. I entered the mums race and came last on purpose as a shining example of ''who cares?''
I waved and blew kisses to Constance as I ran by. Apparently if you really embarrass your children they actually beg you not to run next time.
Bring it on.

Prized vintage crate...

I've just packaged this off to my giveaway winner Loo from Jumbles and Pom Poms
She chose the text and liked the font. It's a little bit like the Coca Cola font. I lightened the wood slightly. I didn't have my usual 'Skimming Stone' so I mixed one part Wilkos 'Cosy Grey' and one part 'Coastline' and it worked fine. Very similar to 'Skimming Stone'.

The lettering is more of a contrast if the wood is slightly lighter.

After I did the wording I sanded it very lightly for an authentic 'old crate' look.

I hope she's pleased with it. It's on it's way Loo.

KRISTA W I haven't heard from you! Please email me about your prize.

I'm typing this in my dressing gown without my glasses on so it's probably full of mistakes.
Sports day today. Ugh! My daughter is running. That means I have to run too. Obviously I'll have to swing it so I come last. It won't be too hard. I gave it my all last year and came second to last!

                                                       Linking to Funky Junks Party Junk

Vintage dressing table reveal...

I was up at about 5 this morning. My punishment for allowing the cats to sleep with me. Bad Bobby walks on me and paws me until I give in. Despite being up and out nice and early, the boot sale was rubbish. This is the second week in a row!

I did find these cute wooden scissors at the Friday flea though. They are massive and about as useful as a chocolate teapot but I like them.

The only thing I don't like is the carving.

 

I don't want tribal scissors! Tribal scissors make no sense. Huge wooden scissore however make perfect sense! So I've tried a bit of wood filler to see if I can lose that look.

It's a work in progress...

I have however finished waxing the vintage dressing table that I painted in milk paint. This is a lovely shape and with the removal of the mirror it would make a gorgeous desk too.

Here's the before again...

The wood was actually in poor condition and there were some holes in the veneer.

 And the after...

I really love this chippy look. It's the Kurt Cobain of furniture. You can only get this grungey look with milk paint. It took lots and lots of coats to get an opaque coverage as dark wood and pale milk paint is a tricky combination. But I love the contrast.

I'm going to be selling this one as it's pretty large and won't fit in our home. But not until I have refurbished a matching dressing table stool to go with it. I've been lucky enough to find one that's a perfect match with those Queen Anne legs. If you're interested, get in touch and I can upholster the stool to match your decor. My husband is just thrilled at the thought of hauling it outside again for another photo shoot when the stool is done!

I'm sure it gives the neighbours something to talk about, that strange lady from number 9 who's always dragging her furniture outside to photograph it. I even tried posing with the furniture this time! But those photos didn't work. The dog walkers put me off.

Thanks for your kind comments and support after my last post. I do feel much better now, it's not such a shock and I'm going to try and be stronger for my little girl. No more tears. I'm too soft. She was sobbing in the classroom the other day as someone told tales on her and it nearly set me off! The culprits said sorry and she happily ran out to play a minute later. I need to toughen up.

She made me laugh as we were waiting for a a prescription at the chemists and she said, ''Mummy, If it's okay, I would like to keep these legs.''

Bless! I'm sure we can arrange that.

Linking to Funky Junks Party Junk and these other blogs

Odd week...

Odd week. I've been asked if I want to do some painting on telly! Very flattering and exciting! Just call me Lawrence.

Then we found out that my daughter has a hip condition that should have been diagnosed at 8 months, and if it had been it could have been dealt with non invasively. It's a bit late for that now as she's almost 7 years old. So I don't know if they will do something drastic or do nothing and just try and limit the damage and give her stability. I'm really trying not to dwell on the missed opportunity and the stupid, incompetent, idiotic health visitor who failed to pick up on this at the 8m check. But I'm failing.

It's such a shame this wasn't detected sooner. Her hypermobility has probably masked the symptoms. It's sports day next week and I just want to phone in sick to protect her self esteem. I've spoken with the school and they have been great and far more rational than me.

So I have achieved precisely nothing. Except for turning this...

  into this...

and this...

into this...

 ...yucky black tiles that will be covered up soon!

 I hope to be back with completed projects soon. Bear with me!
I'll leave you with this little marble topped table I picked up a few weeks ago for £4! I'm longing to paint it but I won't let myself until I've waxed the dressing table.

I mean marble? £4? Seriously? How could I not?

And a picture of my peony bush.

When I say, bush, it's really more of a twig. But I'm thrilled with my peony as there wasn't even one last year. Perhaps next year we'll get two.

How to follow me with bloglovin...

 Just click on this link if you follow and read with Google Friend Connect because apparently that's all coming to an end.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Also, Krista W and Loo please get in touch about your prizes!

Car boot treasure...

My friend Theresa and I hit the boot sale this morning and I did really well. I mean, REALLY well.  I scored this little beauty for 20p. The sellers were astonished I wanted it and were glad to see it go.

 

Swoon! It was love at first sight... and it's actually not that little!

 

A bit of bird poo was no deterrent...

Look at that chippy loveliness! And dirt.

Best of all, I didn't get told off by the husband. I told him I would paint some lovely wordage on the glass and hang it on a wall and he said he ''gets it''. So thanks to Drew Pritchard and his TV show 'Salvage Hunters' my husband is turned on to architectural salvage! Progress!

Anyway, he couldn't tell me off for spending 20p could he?

I did get in trouble for buying a half bike that fits onto an adult bike as I'm still failing to teach my daughter to ride a bike. He didn't ''get'' that. Probably because we currently don't have an adult bike...but that is easily remedied!

And it was a bargain.

Still not quite finished this...

But it's coming along just fine!

Yes, I'm going hardcore again! The Marmite of furniture painting. Milk paint. Shield your eyes Curtise!

Happy weekend!

Giveaway results...

Well, the school fair was dreadful. Is it possible to sue the BBC weather man? After seeing the weather was going to be in the low 20's I changed out of my jeans at the last minute and went for a silk maxi dress. What a mistake. The 'light wind' was an icy northerly that almost took a double gazebo over a 6 foot hedge and into the field next door. If I hadn't taken double sided tape we'd have lost our tablecloths too. And I froze. The sun didn't appear for more than a few seconds at a time and it felt like 10 degrees to me. 

My daughter and I were simultaneously struck by a vomiting bug yesterday. And my goodness, children really can puke everywhere! I've been washing everything and scrubbing rugs and floorboards. Even doors! Not great when you feel pants yourself. My husband was away. :(

And Bad Bobby has been backwards and forwards to the vet with a tail abscess that won't clear up. He first got it at the last bank holiday which is typical of him, when the vets were closed! Apparently it's common in cats that fight as the tail is a good place to bite. And he's a tough guy.

As you can see!

So this post is a total winge fest!

Let's cheer ourselves up with the Bloggiversary Giveaway results!

I stuffed up on the dates. There was no Wednesday 13th. It was Wednesday 12th. Doh! Anyone hoping to enter at the last minute - tough.


Drum roll please...

The winner of the marmalade pot is... 

 KRISTA W!

The winner of the crate, nail polishes and tea towels is...

LOO from Jumbles and Pom Poms!

Congrats ladies! Please send me your addresses and Loo, have a think about if you'd like some text on your crate?

Painting progress is non existent but we have had a house full of sparkies today and we are now ready to do the dining room floor! Yay! Because at the moment it is this:

...which is upsetting. But certainly not the worst I've ever had. 

Nor was this!

Or even this... 

...nope, I've had worse than pot holes...

This is the all time worst carpet (from my last house)...

I mean, what were they thinking? It didn't stay long after I moved in! The mis matched bannisters were an unusual design feature too.

But before the floor can go down, the walls need a little TLC now...

Lovely! Good thing this house is a ten year project!

Table tutorial...sort of

Ok, I'm not a master carpenter. This will become apparent.

But I had these lovely rusty iron table legs and I thought I'd make a table top.

I mean, how hard could it be?

Well, it is actually quite hard. I found a big old plank in the wood pile I keep in the garage. I think I saved it from the old pantry.
 
I measured it carefully and luckily there would be just enough wood to make a table top with 2 shorter planks side by side.

So I divided the length by two and sawed it precisely in half.

Here's what I got:

Those observant people among you might have spotted that a miscalculation had occurred. These two 'halves' are not entirely equal. It was that tricky dividing by two that tripped me up. Should have used a calculator.
(I felt kind of foolish photographing what is not my finest moment but I also felt duty bound to warn you that this can happen.)

So, I decided I didn't actually need such a large table top anyway and sawed another piece off to make them properly equal.

At this point I was getting a bit fed up so I decide not to measure anything from this point on, just do it by eye. You probably don't want to do things this way. I just wanted to steer clear of numbers.

So I turned it all upside down, placed the legs in what looked like the middle, cut some bits of pallet to fit inside and drilled and screwed them on. You need to make sure your screws are not as tall as the thickness of the pallet piece and the plank as you don't want the screw tips peeping out of the top. I did mange to get that bit right.

 Then I turned it over, holding the top on, as it's not really attached  to the legs. 

Ta daa!

We hey! I then forced my family into the garden to admire my handiwork. My husband pointed out some possible deign flaws. So naturally I pointed out that he had never made a table in his life and that this was supposed to be rustic.

I had planned on painting the top slightly and distressing it but it's a perfect match for my crate collection so I will leave it be.

So there you have it. All you need to know about table building. If you already have some legs and don't care too much what it looks like.

Think I might stick to painting...

Next up? This baby...

School fair to get through today though...

 Funky Junk 190