Little Wicker Chair

     

So my mom saw this as she drove past a garage sale in a small town in the Catskills and screamed for my dad to stop the car. For ten dollars she picked up this little chair for my toddler. It is in great shape but just needed a fresh coat of paint.

Eleanor decided to help me of course, as always.

 

Here's picture of the back, you can see that the paint has chipped pretty badly off the bottoms and that it just looks worn.

This is the paint I used. I love rust oleum products. I bought two cans and used one and some of two. It maybe could have been done with one can but intend to go heavy on the first coat.

 I save old boxed from toys to paint on so I don't get the grass all different colors. Lets be honest it ends up getting painted, but at least the bulk of it is on the box and there's no grass stuck to my project when its done.

 

After one heavy coat. It looks really nice. I like the antique white. It makes it more modern feeling but stays true to the style.

 

I gave it one more light coat and just went over the spots where it seemed like it needed it. I think it looks pretty good, though the sun may not do it justice.

Lillian seems to be enjoying her freshly painted chair! She loves being outside and we sit on the screen room every day. I think she will get some years of enjoyment out of this yard sale find!

Added Saftey of a Gate

When we put our flagstone patio we took a railing of a lower useless deck (it was too narrow to sit on and snakes just denned underneath it because it was right on the ground). So we saved some and my husband made a gate to keep our toddler from going down 14 stairs. He wasn't that handy when we married but three years in and he's made some progress! He made it all from recycled wood from the old deck. I'm still painting it but here are some pictures:

He had just finished building it with leftover wood from the old railing.

 

I still need to give it a second coat and go around the hinges but it looks pretty good!

The Railing is Done

This is a follow up post to my previous one regarding our screen room.

Securing Our Screen Room

 (This picture reminds me how badly we need to have the house painted. maybe next years budget.)

While we are still in the process of rescreening some of our more tattered screens thanks to our dogs, and the ones the squirrels literally ate through, I thought I would show our railing.

No more worrying about my toddler falling! YAY! coffee on the screen room can resume!

Securing Our Screen Room

When we bought our house it was winter. The inside of the home had been renovated but the outside was in direr need of some TLC. Nonetheless the weathered two story screen rooms were instantly my favorite rooms in the house. I love drinking coffee and looking out over the yard, my gardens and watching the dogs sunbath while thumbing through a magazine or a book. Since I had a baby these moments are limited but, very much valued.

However, when I had my daughter it became apparent to me that there was a problem. The elderly woman that owned the home before us, the original owner, never had children. She never worried about them falling two stories. It hadn't occurred to me that the screens went to the floor until I was on maternity leave and was sitting out there. Call it maternal instinct but, it suddenly hit me that something would need to change.

So after over a year of debating the best way to secure the second story screen room without it looking out of place or ruining my view I decided to go with preform rails from HOME DEPOT. these are very similar to the railings on the rest of the deck and I don't think take away from the aesthetic. I showed these pictures to my co-worker and he thought they added to the look, which made me very proud of my choice.

 

This project is taking us sometime because we have to stop and start with the baby and we had another hiccup when we discovered there was a large yellow jacket nest in our drainpipe. My poor husband was stung. (I think its safe to say this was a good inclination that we are overdue to clean the gutters). But I wanted to post some of our progress.

This is where I am going to give some credit to my husband. He was not very handy going into the marriage but he has really proved himself on this project. A man who never used a power tool until we were in our house, now had all the bolts and brackets and thought through almost all the issues. I was pretty proud.

 

 

We still have to do the other side and attach the rail behind the drainpipe. OH and put the screens back in, which I'm thinking I will replace because they are old and kind of dry rotted with some holes. But its coming along.

 

I'm also repainting all the existing white on the deck. it was definitely due, it hadn't been done since the year we moved in, three years ago.  I have to say projects that I would have done in a day now take 3-5 because I stop to play or feed or clean or just calm my little one. Kids really do make things go slower ! But they are only little once, so I try to embrace the 'breaks'.

 

 

Apparently our Cocker Spaniel rubbed against the rails because when we finally sat down at night we saw that Bon Bon looked like this. We should have named her Shadow because she always has to be with you even in the close to 100 degree heat and her new white markings prove that to be true.

 

I will  post once its complete but, I thought I would share our progress.

 

My latest obessession: Kate Spade New York

Kate Spade New York!
So, let me start from the beginning. I am a full time lawyer, mommy, wife, which means pretty much I'm all things to all people. I'm constantly busy, 10 minutes late and in a rush. I have to carry with me everything I need for 12 hours.  With a toddler, I'm finding I carry too many bags. A diaper bag, my work tote, my purse, whatever else I had to run in and pick up at the grocery store or the pharmacy.
So I have been on a quest for a good looking, larger tote style bag with some interior pockets and a optional cross body strap- because sometimes I just don't have a free arm.
But finding one I like, that is well made and cute is HARD!

I am not much for pattern and I do love designer bags, I'm a old fashion leather Coach girl. Last summer I 'broke' and modernized with a bowling bag style cross body satchel in grey leather from Michael Kors. And don't get me wrong its GREAT bag (a good addition to my gorgeous black coach satchel for winter and my painted leather beige purse for summer also Coach because I am who I am) but it sometimes is overflowing.

Point is I'm not really trendy usually when it comes to bags and I don't want a bunch clogging up my closet because I just don't need them. I just want well made, classic bags that I can use day in and day out without worry of broken handles and outdated patterns.

So why suddenly Kate Spade New York? Its easy: feminine design with scalloping or a small bow, and the STRIPES. I love her stripes!

cape drive card holder

*cape drive card holder

*Kate Spade New York Hawthorne Lane Small Ryan Tote - I LOVE this one but it doesn't have a long handle option. WHY KATE WHY?

*Kate Spade New York Catie Striped Bag

*Kate Spade New York Crossbody - Fairmount Square Monday - Black/Sandy Beach


Its pattern but when will stripes go out of style? I cant foresee it happening. But finding exactly what I want is near impossible, even if I go to other brands, that I can actually afford, so sorry Louis Vuitton, you're out.

But im having trouble finding one that is everything I wanted.


*This "cobble hill stripe adrien" is close and cute but its cotton and leather, how do you clean that when you accidently drop your coffee when your toddler starts a temper tantrum while holder her and everything else?


*This "cameron street stripe candace satchel " comes close but, I don't know if I like the firm square shape. It might be the closest I'm going to get though.

I have to wonder if other full time "all things to all people in all places at all times" have the same dilemmas I have?

*This is not a sponsored post. All of the above opinions are my own. All pictures are property of KATE SPADE NEW YORK https://www.katespade.com/.

Can't Keep Up!

Despite my best efforts I can't keep up with my housework, cooking, shopping list. It seems likes it never ends. Pre- baby I kept everything in its place and would not go to bed unless my house was camera ready at all times. Now, I'm lucky if there isn't toys under feet, laundry in the living room, and the office, we just keep that door closed because who has time to file?

My friends are proud of me being able to let go...  I honestly try to remember that these days with my daughter will fly by and remembering her smiles are more important than the mess. But it's really hard for me.

                     (she's "helping" me clean up boxes from her birthday)

My mantra right now is: I'm a full time lawyer, mother and wife. I can't do it all.

Ohh I wish I could. I'm spending as much time cropping the mess out of my photos as it would to clean it up, ok not ,true cropping is a lot faster, but still, I could probably at least fold some towels.

PaInT paint PAINT

The week before Easter my sister agreed, as she is always my partner in crime, to come and help me do some painting in my house. We moved in three years ago but the color of the main area I really liked, Agreeable Grey by Sherwin Williams and rest of the house was plain 'contractor cream'. We had painted the nursery a minty aqua (Valspar I can't remember the exact color) before our little one was born but other than that, I had just been doing touch up with the paint the contractors left. (Our house was a flip.)

All the walls were done with flat paint. I hated it from the moment we moved in. The creator of flat paint should be brought on trial. It shows every bump, mark, scrape. Not so friendly with a husband that's less than careful, dogs and a toddler. I had literally scrubbed down to the sheetrock in some places.) So I decided it was time to paint the guest room, which had seen better days after a friend had stayed with us for a period of time, the bathrooms and the hall. And this time use a washable, wipe-able paint, in a satin sheen.

I always use VALSPAR paint. I've tries Behr, Benjamin Moore, Glidden, Olympic, American Tradition (by Valspar), Dutch Boy, and that's just for wall paint. I could do a whole other post on spray-paint, furniture paint and polyurethane.

So this time I made the mistake of asking the sales person's opinion. I had picked all Sherwin Williams colors, because I just love their color wheel but, I had planned to buy Valspar. He told me he had been a rep for both and that he thought Sherwin Williams was more durable and that it was the only way to get a color guarantee.  Against my better judgment I made a rash decision, and went with Sherwin Williams.

I WONT MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.

Valspar is superior in my opinion and here's why. Sherwin Williams showed every roll, edge mark, change in pressure. It didn't cover as well as Valspar and therefore didn't go as far either. I mean don't get me wrong, if I couldn't get Valspar I would choose Sherwin Williams over Behr, Olympic and Dutch Boy (I can't remember what I didn't like about Benjamin Moore but I just remember not liking it as well).

~ I only photographed one bathroom. I painted both Sea Salt by SW. Its a chameleon color as its blue/gray/sage. it looks blue during the day in this bathroom and a slate grey at night but in the smaller downstairs bath, it looks more sage/grey. I really love it. If you don't want to commit, this is the color for you.~

Valspar pretty much covers in one coat, goes on even, you don't see streaks or marks from your edgework, assuming you don't drip or leave pressure lines, no paint can forgive that. It wipes down easily and wears well

I just like it better. Lesson learned. Going forward im going back to Valspar.  (Ohh but for trim work I like Glidden high gloss).

~The guest room we painted Anew Grey by SW. It was a last minute decision. My sister thought that my choice of Dorian Grey was too dark for this basement level one window room and she was right. As a note, we painted the hall Agreeable Grey again but in the satin sheen.~

If your thinking of painting I hope you will consider my review, because Valspar is superior. I know I know SW just bought Valspar- well all I can say is I pray they don't change the formula.

*this is not a sponsored post.