Painting a vintage dresser is no big thing

When I saw this curved vintage dresser for $70, I knew I had to have it. It wasn't in the best shape and needed some wood glue and filler at the top but I took care of that with my newly found vintage dresser repairer skills. And then I painted it green. The most lovely green.

I didn't need to sand or use any varnish removal because it was already rough and most everything worn off. I washed it with some soap and water, and then painted. The color is Valspar's La Fonda Nightfall. I love it. I also loved it white and all distressed but the green ... oh that green.

Make Curtain Rods Out of Tree Branches!

Now that I live in the mountains, there are trees all around me. And branches. Which sometimes fall when the wind is strong. I guess that could be a hazard. Some we save for firewood, but I picked out a few to make curtain rods for my dining room and laundry room.

I took the branches and cleaned them off with a rag and scrub brush. Then I spray painted them black and used a water-based polyurethane to seal them.

To hang curtains on them, I used a really thin wire to thread through the curtain and secure onto the branch.

Then I had to use a curtain rod bracket upside down to fit the branch.

I like to hang the curtains higher than the top of the window to give it a longer appearance. More dramatic that way.

Voila!

The curtains are from Urban Outfitters as are the tie backs. 

Loving it!

I painted the chandelier, too. It was gold. I see a chandelier and I want to paint it black. No colors anymore I want them to turn black ...

And those thrones at the end of the table -- vintage. Scored for $20 for both!

I Made a Shelf!

I've been feeling rather crafty lately -- in the process of painting and glossing my kitchen cabinets so they have that distressed, antique look. I saw a shelf for sale and thought ... I could make that! So I did.

I took this ...

... and made this ...

Painted the wood and then staple gunned a fabric on the back. Put some of my dia de los muertos items on the shelves and hung it with a thick twine through holes on the top of the wood. Hung on a hook instead of a nail.


It's over the bed. In a stud so it won't fall. We hope!

The only thing I would do differently is to use a thicker wood. It's not a perfect shelf if you look up close because those nails needed a super steady hand, which I don't have. But I'm still super happy with it.

Now back to those kitchen cabinets!

UPDATE! Winners Announced. I Won! And I'm Doing a Giveaway to Thank YOU!

UPDATE: Congrats to Kelley and Emily for each winning a pair of Naya boots! Thank you all for your support and for entering! Now let's get to those random acts of kindness. xoxo

Friends, it happened! I won Naya's Buckle Up Bloggers contest! I'm so excited since I never win contests except for that time way back in 1994 when I won Soundgarden's Superunknown CD for calling in to a radio station. It's been a while. Of course, I won big when I had my beautiful twin babies (who are now 3 and I guess technically not babies anymore *cries*) but that's a whole different kind of winning.

So I won! And I have you to thank -- big time! Because I won this contest due to your votes! In a huge thank you thank you thank you, I want to giveaway two pairs of my winnings! Yep, I won shoes from Naya. Mama love me some shoes. And I'd like to giveaway two to two lucky readers right here.

This is what you need to do to win: Comment here telling me how lucky I am to be lucky ... oh wait I am totally kidding there. Just leave me a comment that you too will do some sort of random act of kindness for someone. Things like opening doors for others, giving compliments to strangers with a smile, or helping a kid pay for something at the checkout when they are short some cash. Let's all be kind to one another -- we all need more kindness in this world. So just tell me you will be kind in a comment, and leave your name, tell me what Naya shoes you want and what size, and make sure to comment from a source that I can get in touch with you if you are chosen as one of the winners.

Rules: You can only enter once. You must leave a comment promising a random act of kindness (or acts) and you should follow through with your promise. Of course I won't know for sure, but do you want that on your conscience? Didn't think so. Comment must have a way I can contact you if I don't know you already. I will choose two random winners. Contest ends Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 11:59 pm. Winners will be selected and notified just in time for Christmas.

If you win, you'll get one pair of Naya shoes! Ready, set, enter! Good luck and happy holidays!!

I'm wearing the Sabre in the photo above -- check out all of them here.

This is the Kindred (l) and Mindy (r).

These are the Jacintas.

Virtue (l), Gazelle (c), and Sabre (r)

Teak (l) and Tabby (r)

Bloopers! Vote! Enter to Win Boots!

The Buckle Up Bloggers contest is still going on! Four women. Four pairs of boots. Individual styles! One winner! They will announce the winner on Monday so there is still a chance for voters to win boots -- they already gave away two pairs, and one more lucky person will win a pair of Nayas just for casting a vote.

And if I win, I'll have another boot giveaway, too. So, if you like the look of a flowy dress with mid-calf motorcycle boots on a 40-year-old tattooed mom of 3-year-old twins (say that three times fast!), well then maybe I'll get your vote.

If you need a little refresher, and some new photos to giggle at, I have some for you! Look at Hunter and Pippi!

Ack! Ground is wet! I'm sinking!

Yay! Ground is wet! It's mushy fun!

I totally kicked this wheelbarrow's butt.

A polished one!

Please vote! Smooches! Thank you!

Check out more pics here. 

Vote here!

I did a photoshoot to model boots to try to win a contest!

I was given a very important blogger challenge: To style these Sabre boots by Naya. Take photos and submit. Cross my fingers. Hope for a win! These are the photos I submitted. UPDATE: CONTEST IS ON! Click here to vote!

The dress was a birthday gift from my sister from Free People. I'm wearing a fancy Anna Sui dress under it as a slip. I also have on cream patterned tights with knee high slouch socks.

I did my hair all nice, put on some makeup, and the hubs took the photos while the kids ran around the yard with us. Here two outtakes.

I was having a good hair day. Too bad it takes so long to do to make it look like that.

Hope you can show my pics some love.

Vote vote vote!

21 things I learned about living upstate

When you go north of NYC, things change. Some good. Some bad. Some totally like whoa. And to clear the record, upstate, for me, is the Hudson Valley. It's not as far upstate as Albany and Syracuse or those other way, way north and west regions of New York, but it's still upstate to me. And since we moved here to New Paltz a couple of months ago, I learned a lot.

1. There are still hitchhikers up here. And not just your murdering type looking ones. Kids. Thumbs in air. Hitching a ride to town from their home in the sticks. Still happens. Still won't pick them up.

2. The big and little dipper still exists. You start to forget when the brightest thing in the sky is the Empire State Building.

3. Crickets are loud.

4. Praying Mantises like to hang out on rocking chairs on porches for hours.

5. Too many frogs commit suicide and jump in the pool.

6. Not all frogs say 'ribbit' -- the ones in the pond in our yard squeak.

7. Frogs do some weird mating thing after the rain or something. They surround the house and make the loudest noises. Louder than the crickets.

8. You learn a lot about frogs.

9. When you kill a grasshopper in your kitchen in front of your twins, it makes one chant 'kill it!' every time there is a bug and the other one say 'don't kill it!' making you feel terrible for murdering a sweet grasshopper in your kitchen.

10. It's harder to pretend you don't see somebody that you used to know. You can hide and blend so much better in the city.

11. You can never have too many closets. Even when you have double the amount the used to have, you still have stuff for more.

12. Carpet isn't as horrible as I thought for the bedrooms. Hardwood would be better, yes, but carpet isn't the worst.

13. Having a pool is better than awesome.

14. The power often goes out during storms. It usually comes right back on, but it was freaky at first. And everyone seems to have a generator but us.

15. We need to get a generator.

16. The storms are incredulous.. Thunder and lightening rattles the ground and echos through the mountains. It's beautifully terrifying.

17. The neighbor's kids are a resource. They mow 2.8 acres for $20.

18. There are way more men working at the nail salons up here than in Brooklyn. It creeps me out.

19. The way the air smells after a rain is terrifical.

20. You can travel 30 miles in the same amount of time it would take me to get to Manhattan from Brooklyn. Which opens up a huge span of things to do in so many nearby towns.

21. You miss your friends. A lot. And love when they visit. And never want them to leave.