Friday Update ~ 11/20/2015

Y'all.  What a crazy few weeks.  Wait.  Crazy few months.

Lots and lots of changes to share with y'all soon.  I have transformed an impressive amount of furniture the past few months and I haven't shared any of them!  And the house is looking amazing.  If I do say so myself.  The mini makeover in the bedroom is almost done...still looking for a headboard.  The bathroom is done except for the vents and shower door....being installed the 30th.  There has been great progress in the living room too.  It is finally starting to look like the vision in my head!

I promise to share everything. Just not yet.  :)

Things I can share:  I had two great features the last few weeks.

One of my favorite blogs, House of Turquoise, featured the kitchen and dining room.  Seriously, I was speechless in Homegoods when I found out.  House of Turquoise is one of the first blogs I started to follow and provided lots of inspiration for my projects.  I still can't believe my home is on there with some gorgeous, dream homes.  Check out the feature!

Then the skiff bed got a feature.  When we built the skiff bed years ago, I never would have thought it would get so much attention.  It is one of the first things people notice and comment on when they enter our home.  And of course our friends in the fishing community love it.  A great fishing blog, Skiff Life, saw the bed and did a fun write up about it.  See it here!

There has been lots of inquiries about me building more beds for purchase and I haven't decided.  BUT if I do decided to make a few, I will post on here and my other social media.  It would be a prepay, set amount being built type thing.

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend.  My next few weeks are filled with some fun and exciting events.  Even when the blog isn't updated, I try to share on Instagram as much as I can.  Be sure to follow me to get all the behind the scenes.

Happy Thanksgiving, too!  Stay safe and don't eat too much.

Friday Update ~10/23/2015

I am here! I promise!  Things have gone quiet on the blog and much of my social media.  Just not feeling it lately plus I have been unbelievably busy.  This post started last Thursday and was supposed to be finished for Friday but I couldn't make it happen.  Even my friends were starting to wonder.  We see each other every few days usually (we all live less than a mile or two from each other) and I didn't see them for over a week.  I refuse to complain because I am so grateful for all the work but not going to lie...I am tired.

The past three weeks have been extremely productive even if the blog wasn't updated!  We went out of town for a wedding, finished the fire pit area, I hung the shelves in the bathroom (LOVE THEM), rearranged our living room layout, bought new chairs, finished/started several FWF projects, cleaned and reorganized the shop, my parents came over one evening, my mom visited a day, and Blittle's parents visited several days.  And those are the highlights.

A quick pic of us looking like fancy adults at the wedding.

MASTER BATHROOM

I do not have pictures of the bathroom shelves.  For now on, no more bathroom pictures.  The kitchen I kept mostly hidden and only showed certain parts until it was finished.  The final result, for the most part, was a surprise. The bathroom has been blogged about a lot and the surprise factor is out.  Now that we are down to the finishing touches, I want to wait until it is complete to post more pictures.  There needs to be a few unknown things for the big reveal.  :)


FIREPIT

The actual construction part of the fire pit and side yard is complete. I built some benches last weekend and we hung patio lights.  I still need to decorate to make it feel "homey" and set up the cooking area.  Blittle wants to build a smoker as well.  Still lots to do but we can enjoy the space while it is in progress.

FURNITURE

These chairs went home.

I will get after pictures later.  They are now a gorgeous blue and covered with new fabric.

This vanity is finished.

Again, I'll get photos of it in it's new home next week.


I built this cool out door table out of an old fence gate and legs the owner got from the Galveston Historic Foundation Store.

Now I am working on our entertainment center.  My mom bought it and wants it navy.  The table to the dining set she bought will get its makeover next week and I have two end tables to refurbish.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  It is supposed to rain A LOT here over the next few days because of Hurricane Patricia (No, it is not hitting us but the rain will make its way to Texas).  The weather person is saying 100% chance over the weekend.  Pretty sure its going to rain.

Hopefully with all the rain, I can get my blog posts for the furniture before and afters done today or this weekend.  There will be a post about the fire pit are and the benches I built soon, too.  Another goal is to get all the quarter round installed in the bathroom and start painting the trim.

Friday Update ~ 09/18/2015

It's Friday!  This was the quickest, long week ever.  Things were super busy, I worked hard every day,  my body made me go to bed by 9:30 most nights (8:30 last night) and now it is Friday already.

FURNITURE

My shop is filled to the max.  I finished up my mom's dressers, worked on a desk, stool, and  sofa table for a client, plus had another client dropped off a vanity.  Earlier this week I shared our master bedroom bed side tables.  Love them!  Read about that makeover here.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

MASTER BATHROOM

If you follow me on Instagram you know that we have made tons of progress over the last few weeks.  The goal for the weekend is to have all the water lines and plumbing hooked up!

PAVER PATIO

Apparently I don't feel busy enough so we started the side yard/paver patio makeover.  Really, the bathroom is taking longer than expected since I took time off of the project to focus on furniture work and here we are in September already.  We want the side yard ready for fall and oyster season.  There is a plan for a smoker, fire pit, setting up a grill area, outdoor furniture and much more.  After lots of discussion we decided to hire out most of the prep work.  

One of the biggest struggles we have as DIYers is knowing we can do it.  Blittle and I did a paver patio at our first home.  There is no part of the project beyond our ability.  The problem is time....and energy.  We decided investing the money for someone else to do the heavy work was worth it.  And I am not going to lie, writing those checks have been painful but the work has been done in hours, not days.

First step was to tear out all the grass and frame the patio.  This work was done late last week then Brian and I framed the space over the weekend.  Today, the crushed concrete will be brought in and leveled.  That leaves us (we will actually DIY this part) laying the pavers and building the fire pit.

Blittle started the paver walkway to the dock last weekend.  The house originally had a concrete walkway that was putting pressure on the bulkhead and was broken.  It was the very first thing we tore out.  Seriously, our first weekend at the house we rented a jack hammer and tore it out making tons of noise that I have no doubt the entire neighborhood could hear.  Two years later we are putting in a new path to the dock.  We decided to do a simple paver walkway.  The grass will be removed and each paver will sit flush with the grass.  

And that's what I did this week.  This weekend will be busy with hunting, furniture delivery, birthday party and bathroom work.

Have a great weekend everyone!  To see what we are up to this weekend, follow me on Instagram.

Friday Update ~ 09/11/2015

Hi, all!  I hope everyone had a great 4 -day work week!  Here in the Houston/Galveston area it has been raining all week with a cool front on its way.  The weekend is supposed to be dry and gorgeous! Fingers crossed.

MASTER BATHROOM

We made HUGE progress in this room.  I seriously can't believe how it went from looking like a major construction zone Friday morning to feeling like a real bathroom by Monday night.  There was lots of laboring over Labor Day weekend.

Here is what we had Friday.

And this is now.

I haven't had much time to work in there this week but the plan is to get the tile caulked and faucets and sinks installed over the weekend.

FURNITURE

(HUGE SIGH)  I am having some finishing problems with the two navy dressers I have been working on for my mom.  It is extremely frustrating.  This is not my first, second or third project and I am using the same products I usually do so it is annoying when products act weird.  There is a chance it was the heat and/or humidity but that is something I always have to deal with so I really don't think that is it.  Those dressers should have gone home at the beginning of the week and yet, they are still in my shop.  On top of that, I am trying to finish up some client pieces that need to go home early next week.  I am feeling a lot of stress and pressure to get things done quick and my products (and weather) are making it hard.

I know I will get it done.  It just gives me anxiety when I get so close to or go over my completion dates.  I like to stay on schedule.

Earlier this week I shared our master bedroom dresser and was supposed to share our end tables' makeover yesterday.  Well, I didn't.  Things were just too busy (and I was too exhausted) to finish the post.  Sorry.  I hope to get to it this weekend and share first thing next week.

Here are the master bedroom dresser before and after shots.

MISCELANEOUS

We have tons of stuff going on right now.  The bathroom remodel.  Our side yard was tore out earlier this week to prep for our flagstone/pebble patio but it has rained all week (pouring right now...so bad the dogs stepped out to see the crazy wind and rain then turned around to come back in) and we have a muddy mess.  The other business (tell you more about that soon) has had a big week, exciting week but it has taken up a lot of my time.  Furniture projects in the shop.  Things are busy, busy.

SIDE NOTE:  I can't believe it has been 14 years since the tragedy of 9/11.  That day is imprinted in my brain.  I was standing in my College Station apartment getting ready for speech class, watching the Today Show.  Then everything changed.  I skipped school that day.  I couldn't tear myself away from the TV.  By the weekend A&M had organanized all kinds of tributes to be done during the football game.  It still amazes me that in a few short days this was organized.  (I am in the red section).

Please thank your first responders and service men/women.  It is free and easy and it does make a difference in their day.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Update ~ 09/04/2015

Somehow I have let two weeks go by with no updates or posts.  Things have busy and as you know, the blog is put on the back burner when work and life gets crazy.  I promise I am here, I am just working hard.  Instagram has become my favorite social media since it is quick and easy.  Be sure to follow me to get all the behind the scenes updates.

MASTER BATHROOM

The bathroom is prepped and ready for the new countertop to be installed today!  I am so excited.  The backsplash, sink and faucets should be done in the next week or two.  Also, remember that the second sink was on the right?  Here is a pic.

The two drawers under that sink were dummy drawers.  Just drawers fronts attached to the front of the vanity.  I took those drawer fronts and built an actual drawer for them.  I stole drawer guides from the guest bath to use with the new drawers.  

The goal was try to finish by September but obviously that didn't happen so new goal is finish by November.

FURNITURE

Furniture has been out of control!  It is such a blessing to have consistent work.  In August, I refinished the Ebony & Brass buffet and its matching china cabinet, painted the White & Brass dresser, painted two dressers navy, AND refinished a large dresser plus painted two end tables for my master bedroom.  Oh.  And I painted my bedroom a new color (remember it is getting a mini makeover).  Right now I am working on a large desk, sofa table and bed for a client and with all the rain this week I am behind schedule.  EEK!  Looks like I will be working this labor day weekend.

Ebony & Brass Buffet.  Be sure to check out all the before and afters.

White & Brass

China Cabinet progress photos.  The reveal will be next week.

The dresser I refinished for our bedroom.  Reveal will be next week.

End tables I painted for our bedroom.  Their reveal will be soon.

Navy dresser progress.

MISCELLANEOUS

The month is another busy one. Blittle's parents will possibly visit next week, the few last weekends of the month plus first weekend of October are booked with parties and weddings (all out of town), and there is a good chance I will be headed to Round Top the last week of September.  Plus, I still need to do a few things for my sailing class so I can enroll for the next round (hopefully take in October) and they have to be done on a Saturday.  

We are starting a new home project next week.  A while back I mentioned that we wanted to change our side yard to a rock patio area.  The equipment is getting delivered today and the guy will do the dig out work on Monday. I am a little nervous about this one.  Right now there is no real plan, budget or timeline (mostly because right now we don't much free time).  It should be cheap and easy but things don't always go as planned.  

The grass has never grown well in the area and it is a bit of wasted space.  We want to do a pebble/flagstone patio area with a large fire pit, more outdoor seating, and a dining area.  The grill will be moved over to this space as well as a smoker we want to build.  Most of those things will happen over time but the goal now is to get the patio area and fire pit done in time for oyster season.  Roasted and chargrilled oysters are on the menu for fall!

I hope everyone has a great holiday!  We will be laboring on this labor day weekend.  :)  

Next week I will posting some items available to purchase.  Mostly furniture and a few home decor items.  I have been purging through some things and now that most of our rooms are set up and decorated I need to get rid of the left overs.  Be sure to check my Facebook page and here to see what is for sale.