Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Shauna's painting skills in 5 EASY steps!

I found a unique piece of furniture at my favorite store Breezy's and decided it needed my touch! I couldn't pass up a good deal, $15 for this boring white hunk of wood. What to use it for... Use the shelves, take them out, towel holder in a guest bath, wine rack, the possibilities are endless! I opted for the wine rack. Here's the before and after!


BEFORE: BORING!!!


1) I took out the shelves and sanded the whole piece.

2) I painted the whole thing dark red. If you have ever painted with red paint, you know that it takes numerous coats. The piece went from pink to dark red after 4 coats!

3) I let it dry overnight

4) I then painted the black accent marks. I wanted a distressed wood look. This process is a lot easier than you think! I started with a 2 inch wide DRY paint brush dipped in jet black paint. I lighted painted the top and then wiped the excess off with a damp paper towel. I continued with the shelves and then the overall piece itself. (Whole paint and wipe off process took less than 20 minutes)

5) Let dry and then insert the shelves.


AFTER: Pretty red and black wine rack!




This whole process took less than 3 hours, and was cheap! $15.00 initial investment, and $8.00 in paint. (I already had the sander and the sandpaper on hand). So, for $23.00 I have a great looking wine rack that would have cost LOTS more if I bought already finished. And who is to say that I would have found one that was red and black, and just my style?!?!

Gotta run, time to look for another project!
XOXO

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Tips and Tricks!

Who doesn't love a little tip or a trick to make your day go a little smoother? Well,I have compiled 10 of my favorites for you. Hope you can use one or all of them to solve your problems!


1) Smelly hands from an onion or garlic?


Rub your hands on your stainless steel faucet or over a stainless steel spoon. Rinse with warm water.

2) Rust spots on your hand held can opener?

Use an old toothbrush dipped in apple-cider vinegar to scrub away the rust. Rinse off vinegar and dry (a hairdryer makes this super fast!)

3) Do you have left over rubbery shelf liner?

There are actually numerous uses!
*Place under a rug for a non-slip surface.
*Cut a small sqaure and leave in the untensil drawer to help open those pesky tight lids on your jars.
*Tape a piece to the back of a photo or painting to keep it in place on the wall- the texture grips the wall and doesn't harm it.

4) Stuck zipper?

Rub it with a bar of dry soap

5) Tired of mosquitoes bitting you??

Rub yourself down with a dryer sheet or place one in your pocket while sitting outside to avoid being bit!

6) To remove old wax from a glass candleholder

Put the candleholder in the freezer for a few hours, take out and turn upside down, the wax should fall out! (I have done this numerous times and have saved many of my crystal pieces!)

7) Blood stains on clothes?

Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogenperoxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!

8) Streaks on your windows?

Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Or hire a housekeeper to do the dirty work for you!!! :)

9) To clean artificial flowers


Pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm even on greenery and plants too!

10) Burnt on food in your skillet

Simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top. Rub lightly with a scrub brush and dry!

Since I love reading up on and testing out new ticks and tips, I will start posting more on a regular basis. Enjoy and see you soon!
XOXO

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Rice Krispie Pumpkins!

Just reposting a favorite receipe for my famous pumpkin treats! They are always a huge hit and fun to eat! I like to make mine bite size where you can eat it in 2-3 bites! (Click the title to preview the step by step instructions)



Falling in love with fall

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year... cooler temps, the State Fair, OU football and Halloween! Here are some of the fall crafts that you will see around my house and some some of my favorite decorations!

Halloween Invitations!


Mummy pumpkin
I have also made mummy coozies for our Halloween party. You can mummy just about anything! All you need is a little gauze, some googly eyes and a drop of glue!


Flower pumpkins. You can use the faux pumpkins and flowers for a piece that will last from year to year!


Super cute and simple to make!!! All you need is some paint, paper sacks (which come in all colors), paper plates, some scrap paper, markers, glue, staples and some free time!






I am thinking this for my front porch, but a little smaller scale!


Carve a pumpkin using a drimmel tool! Too easy!!


Happy Fall Ya'll!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I've been gone awhile!

Well, I hate to neglect my blog, but over the last few months I have been a bit busy. I HAD A BABY!! I hope to update more often now that things have settled done a bit. Here's some pics of my hectic life over the last 13 months! Carson is now 4 months old and doing great! He is the light of our lives!