Old pair of lamps.

While turning my entire townhouse "White and Blue" I noticed two really old lamps that

were sitting on two end tables... "Well, they could be white also", I thought!

Out came the "Spray Paint"! I took a bit of time to "tape" the areas that were to be 'silver' or 'pewter', not sure at this point?

 

While I thought about the color choices for the lamp base, I went to work to cover the two shades.. I had this nice fabric hiding away from another project and thought it might just be cute.. and it was just a small piece of fabric.. enough for the lamps. I had some white trim for the top and bottom edges.. turned out nice!

You know, "I think it's a  perfect color"!

Once the "White" was spayed and dried I took out the 'pewter' craft paint and did the design on both the bottom and the top of the lamps.

Now 'that's better'!  Goes with my "All over white" theme!

Wonder what I can 'paint next'? 

The townhouse is getting such a 'face-lift'... One day it will be finished.. (one day) I will walk around each room and get some photos... 
(At the speed I'm going with this entire Reno, may be months!)

I will be linking to these Parties

Show and Tell Friday 

"We must save the Gulf of Mexico"

I'm normally not one to "Join A Cause" but living only 2 miles from the Beach of Clearwater and knowing

how beautiful and how much we need the "Gulf"... I have to ask all;   'Take Notice'... this "Spill".. or rather "Gushing Pipeline" is going to affect we humans and kill all wildlife  for years to come! No matter where you live!

I've also come to the conclusion that we should "Not" Boycott BP
We need to let them make money,,, so we can "Bleed Them Dry"
They need to pay for the damage they have done!

This sign was spotted in a "Ohio BP Station"

"The arrogance of this company"....So many "Fisherman and Business People" are begging for help.

I'll not rant here on my "Happy Blog"... Just wanted to "Speak Out"......

"BP has been lying to the public".  All they are concerned with is 

"Saving their Pipeline for Future Revenue"

"Imagine the Billions of dollars they will loose on this disaster" 

"Hog Wash"

I called BP several weeks ago and spoke to three Engineers telling them "My thoughts"

"Bury the entire area with tons of Cement" Entomb it!! All the scientists and brilliant

minds, can not figure out how to stop this so "Bury it"

BP refuses to stop it, "Future Revenue" to recoop their losses!

The "Gulf of Mexico" will be forever known as a "Dead Zone"

"This is indeed a Shame" 

A few of my favorite things in the yard....

I'm joining A Southern day Dreamer for her "Outdoor Wednesday Party"

I'd like to show a few of my ceramic/terracotta statues... I love these little people scattered around my yard.

Above is my Angel who sits out on the back deck... She brings Joy!

And this is my "Gargoyl"... he keeps the evil away...

I wounder if I could talk to him and see if he can also

keep disease off my plants?  Oh, and the bugs that

love to eat my Basil?

This is "St. Francis"... he is the keeper of the animals and critters....

I have a creek out back.. it's called "Alligator Creek" and yes their

are Alligators out there.. We have raccoons, armadillo, squirrels,

huge frogs, very large tropical birds, great blue herons, egales, large vultures and a very large assortment of birds and lets not forget the snakes.. lots of them!   I've registered my yard with "The National Wildlife Fed." as a "Back Yard Habitat".  So I've become very picky as to what go's out there! No spray of any sort are used! 

They say "I might see a Florida Panther" one day?

Oh, we also have a monkey, it has been loose for months now!

"Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay 

(I never go out on my deck when it's dark)

Here are my "Flys"... I have five of them scattered around the yard.. some people think they are really ugly and creepy!

  I love them, rust and all!

This little lady greets all that enter my driveway.. she holds a "Lilly Pad".

You can find many different items scattered around my yard... One of my "dear sweet" neighbors

said with sarcasm "Your yard is looking like a junk yard", but I just smiled and walked away!

He is old and besides "What does he know"?

I have more to show, but I'll wait for another post... 

It's hot here today 94' and really "humid".... when I walked outside around 2pm, it felt like

I was back in "Texas"..... So I watered my flowers then went to sit in the a/c...

And how was your day!

Master Bath re-do, continued...The Vanity

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/I've been working on my master bath for quite some time.  So far I've made new linen closet shelves and painted the inside. You can see this Here.   Then I put molding around the little window, added shelves to the window, painted the metal window frame from brown to white. You can see this Here.   My master bath is a good size and each area takes time.  Well, I finally got around to painting the vanity. 

This project turned out to be a j-o-b!   Took me days to get the entire vanity finished.

Sanding the wood and painting the hardware was more work than I first thought.

I used the same "Enamel " that was used on my kitchen cabinets.. I first primed with a water base primer. After much thought I chose not to distress these cabinets, as I'm not sure how long I might stay in this townhouse.   Although I promised myself, after about 35 moves in my lifetime, "I was going to die here".  It's been 6 years now and this will be the longest stay I've had.  I'm thinking forward,  "What if someone who might buy this townhouse does not like distressed?"

You never know? Besides, it's not easy for me to 'mess up' all my hard work, not yet anyway!

The hardware was really too nice to toss so I chose to spray paint the old brass to pewter.  Tip: push the screws into styro, or as I did, a cardboard box. Makes spraying so much easier!

There is a center section of the 'pull' that is a really nice white ceramic. Had to save that with masking tape.. then the spray.  

Then on to sanding the wood of the vanity.. being sure to use a 'face mask' because the sanding took place in the bathroom, with no ventilation!  Much too hot outside to open the windows, the a/c was going full blast!  Fun, cleaning the bathroom that night!  I was very lucky, the a/c did not carry the dust around the house.

To me, the hardware, taking off and putting on, took up most of the time.  Imagine 25 years those little screws were on.  I loose my patience when something takes too long.. not good I know!

But look at the results....

Taking your time is so worth it!

The Bathroom is  looking 'larger and clean'.  I love it!

Next step, "Two" new sinks and plumbing to make the two.  Then the new 'Counter top'. Black is the color I'm leaning towards.

I've started some research on the plumbing.. yes, I'm going to attempt it!  From what I've read, it only takes a new small fixture to create the two pipes.. hmmm? We will see if that is true? I don't want to pay a plumber several hundred dollars for a half hour job!  Wish me luck!

To be continued..................

I'll be linking to

Weekend Wrap up Party

Saturday Night Special 

Sunday Showcase Party 

I'm linking to these Friday parties

Todays Creative Blog 

Finding Fabulous 

The Shabby Nest 

It's a Hodgepodge life 

A Few of my Favorite Things 

Trendy Treehouse follow me Fridays

Chic on a Shoestring 

Furniture Feature 

504 Main 

Remodelaholic 

I'll be linking to these Thursday parties

Strut your Stuff 

Get your Craft On 

Hooking up with HOH 

We can do it Cheaper 

Ideas under $100.00

Sunday Morning feels good moment...

"Shirley Goodnest and Marcy"

A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn't want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he had some independence but yet know that he was safe. So she had an idea of how to handle it.
She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn't notice her. The neighbor said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed. The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor girl he knew. She did this for the whole week.
As the two walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy's little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every day all week. Finally she said to Timmy, 'Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?' Timmy nonchalantly replied, 'Yeah, I know who she is.' The little girl said, 'Well, who is she?'
'That's just Shirley Goodnest,' Timmy replied, 'and her daughter Marcy.' 'Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us? 'Well,' Timmy explained, 'every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm with my prayers, 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life', so I guess I'll just have to get used to it!'

May "Shirley Goodnest and Marcy" be with you today and always.
I know you smiled! I sure did!

 

7th in line to the family throne....

The World around us seems to be suffering and having such difficult times, then a little happiness enters to let us all know, "It's going to be ok"!

I'd like to introduce, my Grand-Nephew, "MM".

This little "Guy" is my sisters 7th grandchild.
7th in line to the "Khodair" family throne!

June 3, 2010

His Mom and Dad are introducing him to the world on his third day!
Little JoJo, his sister, will be dragging him along in life,, show him the ropes so to say, but then, I do believe JoJo will teach him all the loving ways of the 
Khodair-Al Hajjaj Families.

don't you just want to squeeze those little cheeks

"Much love to Mishal and Mona"

"You make pretty babies"

yummm "cup cakes'

Nothing like waking up to find yummy cup cakes in your mail box!

Jen @ Tatertots and Jello   sent me an e telling me...I won these!

Thank you to   Andrea over at "Ginger Blossoms"    

check out her sweet shop!

Thank you ladies!!

Chair find...

Did you ever drive down the street and need to slam on your brakes only to look into your rear-view mirror to see a long line of cars behind you?

Well today, early morning, I found myself doing just that!

Look what was sitting on top of a garbage pile!

Is this not the sweet'st thing you have ever seen!

The long line of cars behind me forced my car around the block to circle once more.. I had to put a bit of speed into it, "Lord don't let anyone else get it"!

Then I noticed a few motorcycle police hiding in the bushes so I had to slow it down and not look like a nut trying to get around the corner too fast!

           Well "I made it", in the drizzle rain, I jumped out of my car and put this sweet, dirty, wet chair in the back seat... I'm sure much to the humor of the other drivers!

I got her home and stood in the rain with the silly'st smile on my face!  "I got it"!!

I peeled off a few layers of peeling veneer to find really nice wood... 

Although it had no seat to speak of, I do have a scrap of plywood to cut a new one...

I'm so excited and will share the 'remake' of this sweet find with you another time.

Look at her! She needs to be my new sewing table chair, or maybe in the guest room?

Does not take much to "Make me happy"!  To be continued......

I'm linking to....


Todays Thrifty Treasures

Creeping Moss...... How To!

Have you ever seen 'Creeping Moss' growing on trees, rocks, bricks and terracotta flower pots, and wanted some,,, hard thing to buy I know... I can tell you how to make your own grow and flourish in your garden! The photo above is my big "Hickory Tree" and last year I painted it with Yogurt..... yes Yogurt!

                   
I simply bought a container of 'plain yogurt', took a paintbrush and went around my yard.. picked out choice rocks, flowerpots and a few trees... painted the yogurt on, and within the year the "Moss" was growing!

          

Moss doesn’t really put roots into the soil or surface underneath it so much as anchor itself to the soil or surface using a rudimentary structure called a rhizoid. Moss can grow on trees, rocks, soil, sand, roofs, old gym shoes, foam rubber, old rugs etc. but moss cannot grow or attach itself to a smooth surface because there is nothing to grip. Once I found Brachythecium salebrosum , a nice very thick carpeter creeping moss, growing on a smooth red clay brick in a dry stream bed. The frequent rains kept the salebrosum well hydrated and the moss hanging off the brick on the upstream side was positioned to brace itself against the rushing waters. Thinking that this moss had adhered to the brick, I lifted the brick and moss together and then carefully examining the moss found that it was not adhering or attaching to the brick at all, but instead just laying on the brick. Except when you are growing moss in containers you generally will want to use a soil or other surface that moss can grip.

The moss I grew seems to be laying on the surface of all the areas I painted the yogurt.

After 'painting' with yogurt try not to 'wash with the hose' for as long as possible,, several weeks if you can avoid it... then when watering your garden, 'do' get the yogurt spot wet.. it likes moisture and will grow very well!  Try to avoid 'sunny' spots, stick to the shady areas if you can... One of my 'Moss spots' is growing in about 4 hrs of sun a day...But remember, it likes water and often.

This was a trick my Mom taught me, many moons ago (her words not mine)...

Who knew?

"Happy Memorial Day" everyone... Fly your Flag proudly!

I'm linking to

Garden Party @ Soughern Fried Dreams 

Memorial Day....

When "Memorial Day" comes around each year, my mind always go's to my grandfather "Daddy Tom"!  The photo above is of my sister, on one of the many trips we have made to Hollywood, Florida, to visit my grandfathers grave.  "Daddy Tom" died because of a war wound he received during his many years of service as a "Chief Warrant Officer" in the U.S. Coast Guard, during WW2.
I'm proud to say the USCG has always been a huge part of my family.. My Father, Uncle, Grandfather and both my "Lt. Son" and "First Class Son-in-law" are serving careers in the USCG.

The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do not observe the day as it should be, a day where we actively remember our ancestors, our family members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice:
You can observe Memorial Day by

visiting cemeteries and placing flags or flowers on the graves of our fallen heroes.

by visiting memorials.

by flying the U.S Flag at half-staff until noon.

by flying the "POW/MIA Flag" as well.

by participating in a ""National Moment of Remembrance": at 3pm to pause and think upon the true meaning of the day.

by renewing a pledge to aid the widows, widowers and orphans of our fallen dead, and to aid the disabled veterans.

My thoughts go out to all who gave their lives, and to those who have and are serving our great Country. 

Family Room tables.. drab to fab!

I've had these three heavy duty tables for many years, and now that my entire design idea has turned to "White", it's time for them to make the change!
    At first I thought of 'Spray Painting", but, since I had  full gallons, of both "Primer and Cabinet Enamel" I thought better of buying new paint, as my cabinets came out beautiful and very durable. Time to  take them all out on the deck, and sand with my handy-dandy electric sander.   I want the 'Distressed' look.. so I did sand them to create 'worn' edges... after the paint, the 'worn edges' did not show? 

  The tables had only varnish on them so all I had to do was take off the shine... was  very fast work!

The first step in painting was the 'Kilz Primer"..... That first coat went on so beautifully I could have not even used the paint, it covered the wood so well.  For some reason "I love to paint with a brush"... relaxing to me!

Our weather here on the "Gulf Coast of South Florida" was in the 90's, so inside they went for the first coat of paint...The  paint went on so smooth.  I did let the first coat dry over night then applied a second.   

What a difference!  Really.  I have to tell you, my husband thinks "I've lost my mind" ( whow! In July we will be married 30 years!) Painting everything "White". "He will be a believer", when the entire house has taken on the "Soft hues" I'm after. ( to be quite honest, at this point in our lives, he really does not care what I do with the house.. he trusts me.) 

I'll tell you, "After living with dark wood for all these years"... 

"It's time for a change"!

I have a "Wine Rack" that I use as a stand, for the "Bird Cage" (notice it to the right of the end table, above),  blond wood, hmmmm?

Think I should paint that also?  Poor "Choopie and Molly"!! Their next!

"Run for your lives birdies"

Now I need to "Beat up the wood" a little,,,, but , it's so nice and clean looking?

Ok, Ok, when the outside is a bit cooler I'll take them on the deck, and do a bit of "distressing". But 'not today'... it's in the 90's again, and I'll surely pass-out!

To be continued......

I'm linking up to 


Second Round of Fabulous Friday