Shelf

We built a new shelf recently for the living room.

Hubby's Craft Project

Last year, Hubby rebuilt his 1983 Jeep piece by piece.

This is the original color this Jeep was when it came off the assembly line. We found this color when he partially rebuilt it in the 90's. He painted it black back then, but we thought it would be cool to make it look like it did when it came from the factory this time.

Cross Stitch

I finally finished the Christmas sampler cross stitch I was working on.

Then, I finished the Christmas snowman cross stitch. I have a Santa cross stitch to do, but I think he's going to wait until next year.

Projects

I got some brick wallpaper to hide the crooked old tile backsplash behind the stove. I didn't know the cabinets and hood were crooked until I pushed the stove back many years ago and I've been trying to hide it ever since. I think this finally did the trick. I patched the grout lines and sanded it and wiped it and then used wallpaper border paste on it and so far it's sticking good. I really like how it looks.

I decided to try to make an easy quilt for something different to do. I think it came out good for a first try. I had the checked fabric because I liked it, but didn't know what to do with it. I also made Christmas pillow covers for the couch pillows that day.

I finally finished my Halloween cross stitch sampler. I like how the colors are muted in this one.

More Projects

My Mom and Dad made this doll high chair for me when I was really little. They also made a cradle and carriage to go with it. I thought I would slap a coat of paint on it and use it for display. I like how it came out and I might do the cradle next and use it as display in a bedroom.

Projects

I've been getting some projects done lately. This is my childhood rocking chair. I saw the same one painted and distressed in a store recently and wanted to try it myself.

I used an ivory color, but it looks really white. I wish it had some more color to it or a little more yellow, but other than that it looks good.

This is my latest knitting project. It was a simple block pattern.

I made a new cross stitch recently. I got a bunch of new patterns to work on during the Summer.

Yard Work

I've been expanding planting areas around the house this year. I enlarged the corner near the stairs out front because the stairs block most of the sun and I thought some shade plants would work better here.

We added a couple bushes out back and changed the black mulch to rubber mulch so we won't have to do it every year.

I enlarged the area in front of the porch so I wouldn't have to trim the grass along the foundation and because it's one of the only sun areas we have so I could select different plants.

New Blanket

I am finally done my most complicated knitting project yet. I think it took me about 5 months to finish. I love the pattern and how it came out, but I hated doing it. I prefer simpler patterns like the one I'm going to do next. I still have some chilly days and nights to enjoy it before it gets put away for the summer.

Painted Hutch

I painted the hutch and yet again failed to take a before picture. This time it's because I thought I would use the before picture from the microwave stand and then realized it was only the bottom. Anyway, you can see what it looked liked like in the decor picture from Christmas.

I painted it in Whipple Blue from Benjamin Moore. I used the Advance paint in matte finish. I love this paint. It's what I used on the kitchen cabinets. It's not chalky, but it's not shiny either. I removed the doors because they blocked most of the space on top and I filled in the extra adjustable shelf holes and the metal lock things that hold it together. I think it gives it a higher end feel.

A Little Painting Project

So right before Christmas I decided I had to paint the microwave stand with my kitchen cabinet paint since I have so much extra leftover. You know I'm terrible at taking before pictures and I failed to again. Luckily, the hutch is the same thing on the bottom (minus the new knob and the color swatch, more on that later).

I really like how warm it looks now and I love the simple black knobs. The hardest part is letting this paint dry in between coats, but it comes out smooth and almost professional looking.

Sweater

I made my husband this sweater. It's only my second sweater and I hate making them, but this one came out pretty good.

New Shelf

I loved this shelf so I got it and then had to reconfigure my dining room wall to set it up, but it's worth it. It looks great over my faux fireplace and I can't wait to decorate it for each season.

Faux Fireplace

I saw this faux fireplace in a magazine and I loved it. I ripped out the page and figured we could make it later, but then it was on sale and had free shipping so I just ordered it.

Kitchen Window Sill

As I was looking for kitchen cabinet inspiration, I found someone's kitchen that had the window sill decorated for Christmas and I loved it so much I got some stuff to do mine. I also got the stuff for Fall.

Kitchen Cabinets

I've thought about painting my kitchen cabinets for a couple of years, but I always chickened out because I didn't want it to look too DIY. I'm glad I waited because Benjamin Moore just came out with Advance paint in matte finish and it was exactly what I wanted. No brush lines or roller marks. Aside from a few blemishes it looks almost professional. I love them! I'm super bad at taking before pictures, so those have wallpaper in them still, but you're just looking at the cabinets anyway.

Slippers

Just made my first pair of slippers. My Mom used to make these for us when we were little and I loved them. They were easy to make with all my experience now, haha. They are a great use up for some scrap yarn.

Another Blanket

I finished my first crocheted blanket for the bed. I love the colors and it was fun and easy to do.

More Things...

I bought this new chair a few weeks ago for the living room. It's more comfortable than the chair we had there and it fits in with the style better. I moved that one into the master bedroom.

I painted the bottom of the TV stand black to blend in with the TV cover we made. I will get some wood knobs for the bottom to tie it in even more. Hubby might make some raised panel doors for it later which will make it look more primitive too.

It's Been A While...

The main reason it's been so long, is that I've been working on this blanket. It was fairly easy to do, but the different stitches involved made it go so slow. The pattern doesn't show up great in pictures, but it's the fanciest thing I've knitted so far.

I also took a couple of weeks to make this cross stitch. I will rotate it in the hallway with my other seasonal cross stitches. I have a small block colonial house to put on the shelf under it.

I got a new quilt for our bed in the new light brown room. The other one was a comforter with a flannel duvet cover and it was way too hot. This gives us the option of using one of the many blankets I've been making.

Room Update

I redid the small third bedroom. I used the same creamy light brown that we did my Mom's bedroom in last year. I loved it so much I found a room to use it in. Mostly, I used decorations from other rooms to update it. I had to remove the border that was in there. I like that it makes the room look a little bigger.