Faux Fireplace Mantle

I found this awesome mantle at a yard sale for ten bucks.

A little corner got broken off then glued back on, so I fixed it with a little wood filler.

I found a mustardy yellow quart of paint in the reject isle and swooped it up. and that faux fireplace became this:

I'm totally in love!

A Tufted Seat

Last week I tried tufting for the first time. I took a bench that looked like this:

And with a button kit, upholstery needle, duck cloth, and love made it look like this:

Hooray for first tries! I want to try diamond tufting next. You know, the really incredible stuff that looks like this:

via here

No Country for Old Men

Today the first few hours of my morning consisted of its usual routine: waking up, being mom-ish, taking pictures, going hiking with my siblings/baby in the pack, and being in a general state of awesome.

I went outside to cut some goldenrod I found and came across a three foot long black snake. Now, if you remember, we had a pretty big snake living in our house. I think it died in the attic from eating poison mice or escaped. I never showed you the scary picture I took of it trying to leave:



Anyway, this snake was not the same snake, or maybe it was, but I stared at it for a good forty seconds trying to decide whether to let it live and chance it making home in my house, or chopping it’s head off with my herb scissors. Ultimately, I chose the latter.





I’m tired of finding critters in my house. Like the garden snake I found the other day. Sorry, no picture of that. One of the reasons I loved Big Blue was because she scared all the “things” away. Sigh. Oh well. Turns out this is no country for old men. Or squeamish little girls.

A Pretty in Pink Breakfast Table

A Pretty in Pink Breakfast Table...with a hint of minty freshness! About a month ago I got this table and chair set. 

Now, I didn't need a table and chairs because we already have one that we made from an old, wood road sign. But for some reason I really, really, really, wanted to paint this table, thus, I told My Honeypie I would sell it. (Yes, I am selling it. I didn't just tell him a joke.) 

I really don't like light colored wood, so I sanded, painted, and re-stained the top. 

I painted the base pink...I found it in the "oops" paint for 50% off. Naturally, I couldn't help myself! I love pink! This is a newly developed love. I used to hate it. Now, I can't seem to get enough of it. 

Kind of girly, but the colors remind me of a candy shoppe. Who doesn't love candy?!

*If you are interested in purchasing this piece or having one like it please contact me.

An Orange Surprise!

Once upon a time I hated orange. Then one day I realized it was just certain types of orange. Like construction cone/vest orange. So bad. And orange orange, as in, oranges. Anyway, back to business. I got this dresser off the side of the road, for freeeee! 

In perfect condition! I think it was made of some sort of wood and laminate yuck-i-ness. This was part of my sneak peek for last week, but I couldn't drag it up the stairs by myself, so I waited until My Honeypie could help me. I turned it into this:

Since I overestimated my awesomeness, I didn't get all of my sneak peeks finished last week, so there is no sneak peek this week!

Orange!

Remember this post on how much I hated orange? Well go to http://beatnik-barn.blogspot.com/2012/09/an-orange-surprise.html to see what I just did for our little babe's room. Plus, you'll get a sneak peek of his floor if you haven't seen it already!

The Outside

{phlogging} Sad things happened this week...well just one sad thing for us mostly. Our mastador, (black lab/mastiff) Big Blue, got run over by a truck and died. Sad face. But even though we miss her she is now safe in doggie heaven.

Also, I don't know if you remember all the trash on the sides of our house...but I do. Guess what: it's all cleaned up now!! A neighbor let us borrow a bobcat and My Honeypie got it all picked up and in the trash pile in the back. You should see it. It have to be cleaned after we burn it...it's like we have our own dump yard.

Blue and Lime

A chair, a chair! 

Hold on. Look to the right. There is a little, tiny poll. Not pole. Go ahead and vote! 

Now.

Here I have a wicker back chair from part of the Sunday Sneak Peek this week...and it turns out I only have one before picture from my phone. So here it goes: 

Now:

The best part is that I got the green vinyl for 50% off as a remnant! Yay! The worst part is that I have somehow misplaced the screws for the seat...which means I have to make a trip to get some. Ugh. 

Also, check out this awesome preview which was not on the sneak peek this week:

I'm so excited about it I can't hold still!

A Very Merry, Yellow-y Hutch

I had a neighbor friend ask me to paint a pine hutch for her.

This is how it turned out: 

A very merry, yellow hutch! 

I removed the top door because it was breaking, and honestly, I like the look better. 

Sunday Sneak Peek for the Week

{phlogging} I'm so excited for this week! Here is a quick sneak peek of some projects I will be starting (and hopefully finishing) this week.

Tomorrow I will show you the finished product of a pretty sweet hutch I painted for a neighbor friend. Stay tuned for a bunch of Beatnik-ness!

Beatnik Be's

Just taking a quick minute to phlog here and tell you about our new look! I guess we can't really consider it "new" considering the blog is only maybe two weeks old.

At any rate, let me explain it: I call the header the "Beatnik Be's":

Be Colorful
Be Creative
Be Curious
Be You

Not just as a reminder to myself, but to everyone! Be different. Be a Beatnik!

Blogging from My Phone!

I had no idea one could blog from their phone! So fetch! Considering I live in a place where "we don't service [Internet] out that far", my phone is my connection to the world wide web. That, a 5 gig Internet card (which isn't a lot when you're trying to upload pics), and my parent's house.

Let me give you a sneak peek on what I'm working on...a hutch for a neighbor friend! I'm totally loving it. I'll post a before pic when I'm totally done...I don't have one on my phone!

Still so totally boggled by this. Blogging on a phone! I'll call it "phlogging".

I Just Discovered Phlogging

I just discovered phlogging...don't know what that is? Blogging...from your phone! I know right?! genius!

This will help me keep you all updated on our house happenings.

Since my last post about a bajillion things have happened.

1. There is beadboard/wainscoting in the downstairs bathroom.

2. We have crown molding in the downstairs bathroom and living room! Holla! That's considered "high class" around here.

3. I painted Baby's ceiling and floor, but that's an entirely different post. If you follow me on instagram or happen to be my friend on the Facebook you have been privileged to receive a sneak peek.

4. I have become a hoarder. Kind of. I feel like it. Basically, I've discovered how much I love fixing furniture so I've been collecting it and making it cute again. Aaaand I started a blog for this separate adventure at beatnik-barn.blogspot.com ....as if I didn't have enough blogs already. It's totally new and this is the first time I've actually announced it. There are only three posts right now, but hey. If you like this blog chances are you will like this new one too.

Anyway, let's try a photo dump with this new phlogging thing shall we? Fair warning: I don't take very good pics with my phone.

Roadside Table: A Tale of Rescue!

Once upon a time I went to a tiny town called Kidder...technically, I have a Kidder address, but I don't live in Kidder. There are approximately 299 people in this little town.

Anyway, I'm getting off the subject. I went to Kidder and saw this table:

And I thought to myself, "Self! That table needs some lovin'."

Especially since it got abandoned.

So I texted My Honeypie and hinted that I wanted him to pick it up for me (I was supposed to be in a meeting) and he went and saved it from it's fate as dumpster debris.

I had some extra paint from painting my door an impossible green, and some extra white from our walls and it became:

It looks a little yellow in these pictures because of the lighting, but it's really this color:

Don't mind the disarray. It's currently how we live.