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How-to Turn a Secretary Writing Desk into a Computer Desk

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I found this little diamond in the rough while cruising Craigslist a few years back.  At first I avoided it because, well, it was so outdated and the paint job wasn’t my taste. After a few weeks of watching the price go down, I broke down and bought it.  So, if you have an old secretary that was mean to use for writing letters, I’m here to give you an idea of how it can be brought to the twenty first century computer age. 

 

Here’s what it looked like when I purchased it. Rather tired and in need of updating at the very least, but with great possibilities.

secretary desk before only

How-to: Make a Self-Welted Envelope Pillow Cover

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I love sewing. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s in my blood. When sewing for profit, I found ways to get the look my clients wanted, without taking the extra time they often took.  This not only saved them money, but it saved me time. Anyone that’s worked for themselves, knows how important that is. 

 

The Pillow:making of a decorative pillow slipcover 026 800

My first client was a Grandma-to-be for the first time. Her daughter was expecting twin girls.  I was sewing everything for their nursery except the sheets. Included was two decorative pillows. Grandma wanted each pillow cover to be washable and have large welting. For easy removal I made them in the popular envelope style where the back opens via overlapped sections.

Follow along and you’ll see my version of making welted pillows. They are easy to make and save you time too.  

Pie Crust Pedistal Table From Shabby to Chic

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I never quite understood Shabby Chic design style. Shabby meaning “in poor condition” and Chic  being “elegant and sophisticated“.  An oxymoron if I ever heard one. So I set out on a mission to save all furniture from this style. Just kidding, really, though I do enjoy making neglected pieces of furniture look new again.

Shabbylittle tables step 2 002

Before every spare space of our home was filled with old furniture I cruised Craigslist and shopped local thrift stores looking for furniture to refinish.

This little beauty along with a couple other small pedestal tables that I had to have, was found via CL in a  small town not too far away.

Six Perfect Midsummer Garden Projects

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Summer is half-gone, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing more to be done in the garden! Take advantage of the time you have left before fall and winter to spend in your beloved garden and work on keeping it up. There’s still so much you can do, even if it is nearly autumn.

Here are six gardening projects perfect for this midsummer season:

planting crops for the fall harvestPlant Fall Crops

Want to get a little more out of your vegetable garden? Go for it! Crops like spinach, broccoli, carrots, members of the onion family, kale, bush peas, and certain varieties of lettuce are all excellent vegetables to harvest in fall when planted right now.

When choosing varieties of any vegetable for a summer garden, be sure to pick a winter-resistant variety that fits in with your climate zone (which you can easily find on the USDA website to check against seed packets or seedling tabs) and add 14 days to the maturity date on the seed packet or seedling information tab to find your planting date.

Keep the soil moist and soil temperature lower than 80 degrees Fahrenheit to keep plants healthy. This can be achieved through the use of drip irrigation bottles buried in the soil, shade netting over the plants themselves, and any natural shade from trees. Then simply harvest in fall for even more fresh vegetables than you’d planned on.

Touch Base and Evaluate for Next Year

Now is a good time to just take a day out in your garden to evaluate it. How did your plants fare this year? What pest problems did you deal with and how are you going to face them next year?

Buy or create a garden journal and take it out with you. Take notes about various plants and diagram your garden. Make notes about what you liked and didn’t like (including color, taste of edibles, etc.) and about the things you’re thinking of trying next year. Writing these ideas down will make sure you don’t forget them between now and late winter when you should be starting your seeds or orderings seeds and seedlings.

Choosing a New Wall Color… Without Losing Sleep Over It.

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paint chip wall 1Need a Quick, Inexpensive, Drastic Change to Any Room? PAINT.

Go From Out-dated to Sophisticated:

From Dingy & Dreary to Bright & Cheery:

Or From Worn-out to Chill-out:

To quote my decorating guru, who happens to be my Mom, “Paint is the quickest and cheapest way to freshen, brighten, change the mood of, or add drama to, any room in your house,” other than on Thanksgiving, of course, when both sides of the family are invited.

Don’t be afraid to be BOLD with paint color. Color is your friend. Besides, the beauty of changing any paint color in your home is exactly that: you can always change any paint color, in your home, again.

With today’s new products such as Home Depot’s tintable Behr brand paint with primer added, making the change is easier than ever.
Even if you don’t have volunteers lining up to help with your living room transformation.

My Helpful Husband’s Note: Menial labor — that’s why we had kids, right?

One Way to Find Your Feel Good Color

Yes, that wonderful rainbow of paint color chips, though beautiful to behold, can be quite intimidating to the untrained eye, but don’t panic. In my first few entries, I am going to show you how to narrow your choices from an artist’s perspective, even somewhat scientifically.My first suggestion is a bit less calculated than the scientific method:

My first suggestion is a bit less calculated than the scientific method: Choose a favorite article of clothing that you feel oh, so beautiful in, even on bad days.

Although we are looking for a color that makes you happy, ideally, it should be a color that compliments your skin tone, making your face almost glow against it. If you never notice these things, which color do you most likely get complimented on when you wear it out? Ask your best friend, or spouse (Yes, some DO notice.), or your Mother. You can bet she’s noticed, although you may just have to pick the opposite of the one color she constantly reminds you “makes you look washed-out and sickly.” You definitely do not want that on your walls.

Smaller DIY Kitchen Renovations

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Smaller Kitchen Renovations for DIYers and Other Budget Conscious Homeowners

A full-kitchen remodel project can easily cost a homeowner tens of thousands of dollars.  With costs from designers, contractors and products/materials all adding up quickly, many homeowners simply don’t have the budget to take this on.  However they would like to do something to spruce up an aging kitchen.  There are several projects that can spice up a kitchens appearance without breaking the bank.  What follows are four ideas that can done for under $1,000 each to help homeowners plan something to spice up their kitchen.  More savings can be gained by doing the project yourself rather than hiring these projects out to home improvement professionals.

Not another Brick on the Walls

Change what’s on your kitchen walls. If you have old wallpaper, please don’t paint over it, rent a steamer from your local tool and equipment rental firm and remove the wallpaper.  After cleaning the walls, be sure to fill any holes and prime all surfaces.  Find a new wallcovering and an installer to hang for you (I wouldn’t suggest wallpaper hanging for the DIYer).  A simpler and less costly Smaller Kitchen renovations for DIY homeownersalternative is to simply brighten things up with a fresh coat of paint. Kitchens have less wall surface area that needs to be covered since cabinets and appliances generally block a large portion of the wall real estate.  Thus making it simpler and less costly to update.

Cabinet door and drawer updates

The cost of brand new cabinets is typically the largest expense in a full kitchen remodel.  There are three alternatives to update the look of your cabinets without replacing them.  First, thoroughly clean them and change out the cabinet drawer and door hardware.   Second, there are many resources available to reface your doors and drawer fronts using a few different materials and several different style options.  Depending on how large a kitchen you have you will likely exceed $1,000 to do this option.  Lastly, paint your cabinets–shell fronts, doors, and drawer fronts.  Remove a cabinet door and bring it to your local paint store for advice on the proper paint to select.