Power Tools...

In my book, my father was the original tool man.

He was a large man in both spirit and stature.

You see, he had his own industrial business, built furniture, and even built homes.

He was a visionary, extremely mechanical, and loved making things with his hands.

My husband is also a tool man, in fact, he inherited many of my father's tools. 

All this to say, I've been around large, loud, sparking industrial tools my entire life.

And I'll even admit, I love the smell of a hardware store and fresh cut lumber.

I've used a few power tools in my day, but they are sooo big and heavy! 

What usually happens around here is...I typically have an idea, begin the project, 

but then my husband has to finish what I've started...poor guy. 

So when I see all the neat DIY ideas on Pinterest and in Blogland, 

my husband's "honey-do" list gets longer and longer.

He's sweet and gets to things in his "spare time".

However, on days like today, 

when he's out of town and

 I have extra time on my hands and

the creative bug bites...hard...

I thought, 

"You know, I can do this..."

So today I was rummaging around in "his" garage and found a battery operated tool.

A tool that would make "his" honey-do list shorter,

a tool that I could handle much more easily.

The icing on the cake? It was charged!

YIPPEE!

My project for today? 

Making a top out of pallet boards for a set of sewing machine legs.

 I found them in Burnett, Texas at a favorite antique shop while shopping with my sister. 

They weren't even priced yet, but knew they'd be perfect for my sewing machine lamp.

{You can see that post here.}

The best part? They were below my budgeted amount!

I love when that happens!

So the project began:

 measuring, measuring, cutting, 

{you know, measure twice, cut once}

sanding, staining, sanding, and reinforcing.

Yippee! The top was complete.

Add the little lamp...

...and I think it's ready for a new spot!

I'm linking to Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday.

See you there!

I knew you wanted to ask...what is under those lace curtain panels?

Boxes and boxes.

Yep...we're moving.

I'll keep you posted!

Please use great caution if using power tools: read all instructions, wear protective eye-wear

Trumeau Mirrors

I really like Trumeau mirrors.

They are basically the same, however the details can vary quite a bit.

Here's Miss Mustard Seed's mirror. She found it at a yard sale and painted it to match her room.

Isn't it pretty?

Simple, yet makes quite a statement. 

Read all about her transformation here.

There are quite a few images on Google, here are a few of my favorites:

source

It's from Horchow, $795.00

or this one from One Kings Lane.

Sadly, it's no longer for sale on their site.

But, I found a few sites that give tutorials on how to make your own.

Hm...

Amy over at The Idea Room

Susie over at her blog, Susie Harris

and

Larissa over at The House on Harrison.

I think I'm going to try it.

When my husband is away...

Ok, probably not the best title, but when he is away on business trips, I usually have more time to complete a few projects. I've been known to paint rooms, rearrange furniture, stay up really, really late and make huge messes without feeling guilty about neglecting him or the house. I love having a clean home with dinner prepared, but on these days I usually forget about eating or cleaning and, well,  just dive right in!

On a recent trip to Burnett, Texas, my sister and I found a cute, cute Singer Treadle sewing machine at one of our favorite hangouts, the local antique mall.

source

It looked something like this, but it wasn't in great shape, wasn't connected to its table, nor was it working. It was just hiding on a bottom shelf at the back of a little bitty booth. In fact, if you weren't looking carefully, you would completely miss it.

But there she was...waiting for someone to notice.

As soon as I saw her, I knew that I had to take her home with me...and the best part?

She was $29.99

really.

And the date? Early 1900's.

really.

You see, on our annual trips with our husbands to their hunting mecca, my sister and I always tag long because this Texas hill country has THE best shopping. 

We have found such amazing, unique things each and every time we visit.

One of the restaurants at the midway point has the cutest lamp ever.

Guess what it's made of?

Yep...a sewing machine.

So on this particular trip, I was on the hunt for such a machine.

While shopping, we saw this little lamp...

...and this beauty.

She must to have been a sister of my new purchase.

When we returned home, 

 my so.capable.husband got out his trusty tools and started the conversion.

See? 

I told you he was a handy-man..

I put a shade on her...but something just wasn't right.

But there she sat for weeks and weeks...

...until my sister sent this link to me.

Wowzer!!!

Beautiful, but at a price!

Well, that got the wheels rolling... and since I had a spare afternoon, I decided to make a knock-off shade.

A pattern of the different parts of the shade were made from tissue paper...

 ...glued on to the original shade, then trimmed.

Pieces were added to cover the seams. {I just folded  the edges to make a hem.}

The next part was easy too, ruffling...just pull one strand and the burlap will ruffle - no sewing.

The ruffle was glued in place, a flower added {also made of a ruffled piece} and it's complete!

No longer is she on the bottom of a back shelf...

she's front and center! 

So what do you do when you have a few hours to yourself?

I'm joining Susan's Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch
and
Angie's



Be sure to drop by for amazing sights!

Trying Special Treats

We received very special treats for the holidays, 

delicious cookies from our relatives who live in Bonn, Germany.

Springerle biscuits.

They are a traditional German Christmas cookie made from flour, eggs, sugar, and anise. The gorgeous embossed designs are made by pressing a mold onto rolled dough and allowing the impression to dry before baking. 

Here's an example of the type of rolling pin used:

source

Isn't it unique? I've never seen these types of pins before. 

{Hm...I'll be sure to look for them from now on while shopping}. 

Having these special biscuits were perfect on these cold winter evenings,

especially with a nice cup of hot tea!

Thank you Eike and Albrecht!

Frohe Weihnachten!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

If you're interested in more information or a recipe for Springerle, click here.

Want to join a party?

Everyone loves a party, right? 

Well, there's a great one about to begin and you are invited to join too!

Vicki over at 2 Bags Full is throwing a fun, fun, party called "Grow Your Blog!!"

Just click on her link and you can get all the scoop!
I'm joining, won't you consider it too?

See you January 19th!

New Home...

Our new home is progressing nicely...I can hardly believe that we're tackling this HUGE undertaking! 

With the encouragement of my sister (who also built her house) we forged ahead and made the commitment. So here we are, at the framing stage.

It's a one story. yea...no more climbing stairs.

View from the back...the blank slab is my husbands shop for his wood-working and other hobbies.

Front left view.

Front right view.

Stay tuned...I'll keep you updated.

Rust-oleum Spray Paint

Using spray paint is nothing new in Blogland...I'll bet most of us have cans and cans stashed away, plus project after project in which spray paint has been used.

However, 

I tried something different...

here's a clue:

Want another hint?

Yep...painting my sandals.

As you can tell, these babies have been my staples...well worn and well loved.

They are Naturalizers and ever-so-comfortable!

I even have a brown pair!

I wanted a pair in silver, but they are not to be found 

(probably because they are about 5+ years old and I'm sure they don't make this style any more.)

Anyway, I thought I'd try painting them.

I crossed my fingers and pulled the trigger.

What do you think?

They are really great for pants - they peek out just a bit.

It's really a win/win for me...they are still very comfortable and now I have a silver pair!

I've already worn them twice and the paint has held up very well! 

No paint on my feet, no cracking or peeling!

Yea!

I'm linking up with Susan's Between Naps on the Porch for her Metamorphosis Monday.