Counter Top Cleaner

They don't call me "Counter top Cleaner" for nothing!

It's one of the many terms of endearment my family gave me when it comes to my tidying up habits. That, along with "Lazy Christy" for "Lazy Susan" and you can begin to surmise that I'm not the cleanliest of all housewives behind closed doors.  Outwardly, on any given day, most of my counter tops are spotless. In drawers, closets and cupboards, it's another story entirely.

Well, the other day, I had had enough.  I set out to pretty things up!

I  had to laugh when watching Modern Family this week when Mitchell was complaining to Cam about their weekends night being spent shelf lining their cupboards...Cam retorted "but just think Mitchell how great you'll feel when you're shelves are all lined with new shelf liner"!

I thought Claire was my alter ego from that show, but I think I have a little Cam in me too! :)

I had already lined my shelves earlier in the week and yes Cam, it did make me feel great!

I found this contact paper at TJ Maxx for $4.99 for a double roll.

Super easy to do and so rewarding!

I was bummed that I had already used up most of this chevron striped liner for another project last month.  I had just enough left to cover the area underneath the sink.  Can I tell you how happy it makes me to see this when I go to throw something away in the trash now? I know I am easily amused.

 Here's another pantry area that needed some attention. Sorry I didn't get the 'before' shot of the full cupboard. It was too incriminating.

 Feel the Zeel, baby!

If you're looking to tidy up a few spaces of your own, I highly recommend the expertise of a new friend of mine, Karen Kempker who has a business called "Evolve Organizing Solutions".  She is incredible! Seriously Chumps. You would have to see her closets and cupboards to believe it! She works magic! Contact her for hourly rates and scheduling if you're interested:

karenkempker@me.com

www.evolveorganizingsolutions.com

I've been keeping myself busy with our mini kitchen remodel and don't want to post pics before the shoe molding is on and the new island counter top is in. So far, so good but I broke all my own design rules and slowly the updates are creeping into other rooms as well, down the hallway and to the right in fact.... 

...into my half bath today.

This one was quick and easy and fairly painless (other than jacking up my wrist by painting furniture for my booth all morning and not knowing when to say 'when').    

Love this Benjamin Moore color called "Kendall Charcoal". I had bought a quart of it a month ago to use on furniture pieces, but ended up slapping some on the upper walls in there earlier today. 

Greenish Gray Walls before shot:

 BEFORE:

AFTER:

Oh, the lighting is so bad. Subtle difference I know, but as we always say here at Room for Change, "A little change goes a long way".

 Here's one of the pieces I about sprained my wrist working on. :)
Sanding the chunked up veneer top, priming it with two coats and painting it with two coats of "Inspired Awe" (Clark and Kensington color) in Semi-gloss finish. This will be heading to the booth this week sometime.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 My niece ordered this for her brother, my good-looking but non-committal single, bachelor nephew.  Love you Ben. 
Someday is still not today. :)

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Spring Almost Sprung

 
So sorry Chumps for all my whining about the weather!  I am happy to report that the sun is shining in Zeeland, Michigan today and all is well in my world. 

And with the benefit of sunshine, I thought it wouldn't hurt to get a jump start on some spring fling items to freshen up our interior spaces this time of year. I  swiped some great items from Joss & Main, one of my favorite sites for home decor collections. The link is at the bottom of this post. The bunny pillow above would look adorbs on just about any style sofa for spring. 

I'm still hooked on this geometric pattern found on this rug below. Fresh aqua makes it extra yummy!




Pair that rug with this vintage french inspired pillow and you've got a design direction for your spring infused room.

I think it's so crazy how design trends emerge and then fade away.  For some crazy reason, mustaches, birds, owls, and cupcakes have been a hit this past year.  I see them lasting for just a bit longer, so jump on that trend while it's still around and order this cupcake pillow for your little girls room or a playful addition to a playroom or sunporch.

 I like the softer hue of this rug.  Can you picture it in a baby girl's nursery paired with lots of white ruffles? Or for a more urban look, pair it with black or grays.

These tea towels are really popular right now.  I love these-just in time for Easter and spring!

Another neutral  but "makes a statement", rug.

Can't be on trend without an owl roosting somewhere in your nest!
And some more 'spring-a-licious' finds:

https://www.jossandmain.com/Spring-Awakening~E3387.html

Check out the Joss & Main collections sometime.  Every day is a new event. 

Love the bike motif!  Makes me want to head out there for a spin today.  It won't be long now.  Hang in there Chumps! Spring is almost here!  

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Snowed in and Searching for Sun

There's an old jingle that goes something like "Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day".  Do you think there's one out there about SNOW??  I'm plenty sick of it and judging from some of your facebook posts, you are too. 

How did my girlies and I celebrate another Michigan "Snow Day" off from school? 

Movie Marathon number 2! 

They've watched Jim Carey's movie, "Yes Man" a ridiculous number of times these past few weeks.It's their all time favorite movie. I don't get it, but in honor of that I thought I would post a pic of my girls staging a scene from that movie in the exact location in L.A. where it was shot...the Griffith Observatory when we traveled out west this summer. I know I've got you curious now and you're just gonna have to watch it. Not a complete waste of time but don't say I didn't warn you. 

And while I was cutting stencils for signs today, I couldn't resist sitting down with them to watch MY all time favorite movie, "Bounce".  It's an oldie but goody and it's when I first fell in love with Ben Affleck.  It also brought back memories of our trip to California and walking on Venice Beach where we literally stumbled on the exact house they used for the movie!  (See below)

Now you have some movie suggestions for the next time you're snowed in, which may be tomorrow. :)

Enough nonsense for now.  I'll try to stay focused even though my brain has turned to movie watching mush.

A couple of months ago I was asked if "Room for Change" would be willing to make or refurbish a piece of furniture to support a fundraising auction that donated the proceeds to our local schools' athletic department. I said of course I would and then did what I typically do...pawned the whole thing off on "too-nice-to-say-no- husband". :)

We have oodles of shutter doors and windows in our attic storage so I immediately googled some pics of some ideas in re purposing them. 

I found a picture of a small scale piece that I felt wouldn't restrict any potential buyer from purchasing it, so that's what we built. 

Here's the "before" of the unfinished piece after Ken built a cabinet around the garage sale purchased doors.

I actually didn't mind the stain color all that much and considered just painting the box a creamy white with a dark glaze, but I saw this paint technique online and wanted to try my hand at this.

This is the donated piece.  A wonderful Chump I've worked with in the past bid on it and won it that night! She has it in her laundry room and when she had me over the other day to pick paint colors for her half bath, I got to see it in place. (Which I'm grateful for, because I never snapped an "after" pic of it before I donated it).

Again, "BEFORE"

One more "AFTER":

 As you can see, I was pretty random with the colors I used on the piece. Each side was painted a different color that was muted over with a light brown stain. The edges of the front doors I painted cream and while it was still wet I dragged a stain brush with walnut stain over them to darken them.  Each shutter plank, I used a mix of light washed out looking paint. (All of which I had already in my cupboard).
Not gonna lie. This one took a while. 
I was super flattered when Chump Lisa told me that she liked it so much she didn't want to leave it in the laundry and she's trying to make it work center stage in the living room/entry. 
Made me feel like my time was valued. Thanks for bidding on it Lisa!

This piece below I inherited from my neighbor who was remodeling upstairs and couldn't see it working with her new decor. 
BEFORE:

 
 Just used my tried and true "Ivory White" to bring it back to life and once again, be neutral enough for the Chumps who shop my booth at Not So Shabby to be able to find a home for it. 

 This one I would like to say came from Ken's workshop, but it was actually constructed by a contractor who is working on my other neighbor's bathroom remodel.  My 'fabors' asked me to paint it black for them.  It will be outfitted with a granite countertop and used as their vanity. I thought the style of it was just beautiful. 

 (Sorry about the spots on the photo, my camera does that with dark pieces).

 And one more sneak peek at my mini kitchen remodel  before I got out the paintbrush.  New doors are mounted, primed, painted and hardware hung.  I am waiting on my new bamboo flooring! Can I get a woot-woot?

Island is getting torn out this weekend. 

 Stay tuned.

And if you don't mind indulging me a minute,  I just have to relive my trip to sunny California one more time before I go out to shovel snow: 
"Wish we all could be California girls"....

 Santa Monica

Laguna Beach

 San Diego

La Jolla 

Malibu 

Looking back at these pics, it's hard to remember being so stifling hot you could hardly breathe. 
I'm typing this now with a heater blasting my back while trying to warm my typing fingers with my warm breath. 
Oh Mr. Sun...please come visit soon. 
Stay warm Chumps. 

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