Sunday, November 30, 2014

DIY Advent Calendar Roundup

Tomorrow is the first day of December - can you believe it?!  If you're on top of things, you are already prepared to start your holiday countdown with an advent calendar but  just in case you're still in need of ideas, here's a roundup of some fun advent calendars you can DIY before it's too late!



TOMFO-DIY-Santa-adventcalendar

Advent Calendar Wall Chart (with FREE printables!) | The Painted Hive


Love the clean look of this simple Advent calendar and it's surprisingly well-suited for making with kids of all ages!


Pretty fun ideas, right?  I had an idea to make a new advent calendar this year but decided instead to be lazy just use my pillow again (see first link) --- next year though, it's on.  I better get started soon so it's finished in time for next Christmas...

Monday, November 24, 2014

Mid-Century Modern Peacock Blue Desk

Hey, hey there friends!  Happy Thanksgiving week to you!  I’ve got a short work week in store so I’m looking forward to spending time with my kiddos and getting my holiday bake on… #bringonthepie.  But first, how about a furniture makeover reveal?  Here’s my Mid-Century Modern desk, redone in a gorgeous peacock blue.


This makeover has been a long time in the making.  I bought this desk off of a local mom’s garage sale page a looong time ago and between the repairs it required and finding time to actually work on it, it took quite a while to finish.  Here’s the desk when I first bought it (for 40 bucks!):

photo

Although it appeared to be in great condition, one of the drawer bottoms had a hole in it and the back panel had an even bigger hole in it.  Whoever owned this in the past was not very gentle with it.  There were numerous dings to the top and sides, but I just decided to embrace those as part of the piece’s history and after moving this desk, I have no doubt why it’s dinged up – this thing is seriously heavy.  No joke. 
After a good cleaning, I painted this with bonding primer and two coats of Martha Stewart’s Plumage Blue, a gorgeous peacock blue color.
MCM Peacock Blue Desk

The hardware was one of the reasons I loved this piece – it was a little tarnished, so I cleaned it and added some Rub-n-Buff in Antique Gold.  I love that stuff: remember this Golden Mirror Makeover?

MCM Desk Redo

I love fun details on furniture, so I lined the drawers with a gorgeous blue and green ikat fabric I found at Hobby Lobby.  Simply cut the fabric to size and use Mod Podge to adhere to interior of drawer.


I used the same fabric in an additional, unexpected place.  Remember the back panel hole I told you about?  I was concerned that removing the panel would damage the surrounding veneer, so instead I covered it, using a foam mat board, the ikat fabric, and some ribbon trim.


One last peek -


I am loving our new-to-us desk, which moonlights as a craft table.  It’s the most recent addition to our ever-evolving office makeover; I still want to add drapes and replace our existing TV cabinet with an IKEA Hemnes unit, among other small touches.  It’s neverending, isn’t it?

Hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving week!

Linking here:

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

{Work It} Wednesday - Pencil Skirt and Booties

Happy Wednesday friends!  I'm so happy to be back with another edition of Work It Wednesday, where I share my version of work-appropriate style.  Mind you, I'm a nurse, so I've spent the majority of my career in scrubs and clog, thus finding my work style is a recent and ever-evolving process.  Today, the look is pencil skirts and booties - yes, it can be done!


This week, I stepped out of my comfort zone and paired my leopard booties (here) with a high-waisted black pencil skirt (old, similar here).  The top is a flowy blouse with interesting detail (old Loft, similar here) and a colorful cardigan (here) adds some fun.

Have a great rest of the week - break out those booties and have fun with them!