De-Vinyl Dragonflies and Butterflies

I seen this on an upcycle post for old vinyl records so I thought I would give it a try to decorate the patio fence area.  Trace the shape of your dragonfly/butterfly, etc onto the record with a crayon.  Use a dremel to cut the shape then bake in the oven for a few minutes to make it pliable.  Old LP's are usually less than $1 at thrift stores.

I also made use of some left over pallet boards and paint.  Thrifty fun on a rainy weekend. 

My BFF's Counter top Make-over

After seeing how awesome the counter top in my kitchen turned out my best friend decided to do hers.  She went with more of the browns that will compliment the flooring and the rest of her house.  She purchased her rustoleum and put the base coat on one night.  I stopped by and helped with the sponging the next day and she completed the project the next morning with the application of the Envirotex lite.  I believe she came out at about $80 in her kitchen makeover.  I love the new look and think she did an awesome job!

A little more inspiration for anyone thinking about doing it.  

Before - white on white

Wheat tinted Rustoleum counter paint

 The sponging process - copper, brown, tan and a few specs of black were used

The awesome finish!  

Diva with a Dremel

I recently ordered a rotary tool from amazon.  I think this may qualify as my first power tool even though family and friends try to tell me it's forbidden due to my accidental prone self.  If I prove I can master this without any stitches, maybe they will agree I'm ready for a skill saw or drill. :)  

Here's one of my first projects with the dremel tool.  Drilling holes into pretty blue beer bottles donated by a bestie to make birdfeeders.   I hope to get better but it's a start and it's upcycling! :)

Supplies:
Safety Glasses (protect those peepers)
Bandanna or something to be sure you don't breathe in glass particles
Rotary tool or dremmel with diamond bit to drill through glass
Copper wire (actually needed a thicker grade but went with what I have)
Small plates (goodwill for 50 cents)
E6000 glue to adhere bottle to plate

Penny Pincher Pallet Porch (Pallet Deck)

I’ve been trying to think of a way to raise the level of my patio to meet the sliding glass door on a budget for some time.  Over the years and the good intentions gone bad from a friend moving dirt around in my patio area several years ago, the dirt and water causes a huge mess when it rains.  It has the appearance of a small pond after a heavy rain.  Well, maybe not a pond; more of a huge mud puddle. 

Years ago I had a Jacuzzi on a deck that I built beside the concrete patio.  It didn’t flow well then and I’ve talked about using pallets or scrap lumber to build it up and blend the area more.  (I got rid of the Jacuzzi a while back.) As luck would have it, one of my BFF’s dad had some pallets in his barn and said I could have them!

Day 1

What does any Dimestore Diva do?  We loaded up the truck and moved them to the Gypsy Hut!  Also known as my humble domain, me casa, crib, cottage, dwelling, home.   Moving these heavy pallets from the upstairs level of a barn and hauling them to my house was very tiresome.  We definitely got a good workout that day! 

So, after we load and unload, we sorted through and used the best ones for the base.  The original plan was to use leftover hardwood flooring (also donated by Du’s parents) to fill in the gaps between the pallet boards.  I suggest if you plan to use pallets, make sure they are the heavy duty type.   We were steadily cutting pieces to fit into the spaces and trying to disassemble the other pallets.  Remember, pallets are built to hold a heavy weight for shipping, thus they are NOT EASY to dismantle.

Day 2

My friends were supposed to be bringing more scrap hardwood pieces for the completion of filling in the gaps.  What a nice surprise when they showed up with decking boards!  Their logic is decking boards aren’t the main expense of building a deck and the foundation was there from the pallets.  We spent about four hours drilling screws into the deck boards connecting them to the heavy pallets below.  The result is pretty awesome and on a budget!  I still have some finishing touches to do and we have a few more boards to complete, but the bulk is finished.  I owe these guys for sure!

These two BFF's are Exhausted!

I think the next pool party and cookout will be much more enjoyable!  However, now  I realize how desperately I need new patio furniture.  I see more thriftstore shopping in my future!

What you need!

Awesome Friends! (time, muscle, and ambition)

Pallets ( these can also be found free on Craigslist.  Make sure you get the quality/heavy pallets for the Deck frame)

Deck boards

Deck screws

Power Drill

Fabulously Frugal Kitchen Cabinet Makeover - Less than $25

Not everyone could live in my house, that's no secret to me.  It's colorful and different, like me.   Why be boring and predictable?    

With all the other projects I have undertaken within the past month or so to give my humble little home a facelift, I don't have the energy to take down the kitchen cabinets and resurface them.  That's also a big task and now that the pool is open I plan to soak up some sun on my weekends for a while. At some point I will take them down and re-do them. Not that I won't still be doing my DIY Diva projects, but I will allocate time for fun as well.

Here is my solution to brighten up the kitchen cabinets.  Laura Ashley contact paper!  I picked up four rolls from Amazon for less than $25.  I had an extra roll left over and passed that on to my sister-in-law to release her DIY Diva as well.   If you recall, I had already made the cracked glass pulls a week or so ago.  Another great thing about contact/shelving paper is it's not permanent.  If I change my mind I can simply peel it off and go back to the original cabinets!

Here is the result!

Cracked Glass Door Pull

Roast Pepper to Spice Up the Bedroom Floors!

I hate carpet.  Not dislike, pure hatred for the stuff. 

I have been talking about pulling up the carpet in my bedroom for over a year and staining the concrete underneath.  I finally decided there was no time like the present.  It's a holiday weekend and I took Friday off as well to make it a 4 day weekend. Be sure to thank a soldier for their service and remember those who died for our country.  That's what this weekend is truly about.  

I ordered the Roast Pepper dye made by Eagle along with the clear coat from Home Depot.  It looked a little more brown online in the color samples, but it may be that my room is painted red that causes it to look redder to me.

No doubt about it, this was one of my tougher projects.  Pulling up carpet and padding, cutting it so it's manageable to put at the curb, and removing those dang carpet tacking strips was a bitch.  Antique furniture is freaking heavy when it doesn't have wheels to roll it across the floor. Luckily, half of my furnishings have wheels.   Plus, I've picked up pieces along the way and I don't think I've ever literally moved each piece to a different room.  When painting, I've always shoved everything toward the center which required moving it just a little.  I think I got a good workout.

Again, those tacking strips are a bitch.  It took a while to pull all of those up. I'm not sure  how many nails the builder thought it needed or if the laborers had a nail quota to fill, but there were more than enough to hold down that cheap carpet.  I swear I don't remember there being tacking strips in the LR/kitchen area when my brother put down the laminate flooring years ago.

Also, a big thank you to my son who found me sleeping on the couch when he got in from work at 12:30am and told me I could sleep in his room that he would take the couch.  Love that man child of mine!

Alright, enough rambling.  Here's a few pictures of the project.  I'm pretty darn  proud of myself.  Like my friend Kym said, I think I straight up OWNED this project!   I feel better about my room, that's for sure.  Carpet is disgusting in my humble opinion.  I spared you the gray stained carpet pics.

Supplies
Eagle Interior Concrete Stain
Eagle Gloss Concrete Polish
Sprayer (pump type with nozzle)
Paint Roller
Paint Brush(corners, edges)
Broom & Mop, etc.
Tools for removing carpet

The finished room.  

After removing the carpet and padding.

Spray the dye in circular motion. 

 I put on one coat, then followed with a second.  

When the dye dries, add the Gloss Coat.  I used two coats total.

Voila!  Drab to Fab!

And now, my much needed glass of wine.  

Cheers to another DIY project complete! 

Brown Bagging It Taken to a Whole New Level

Sometimes things are so ugly you must put a bag over your head to endure it.  This is the point I was with my bathroom.  After many years of makeup, haircolor, and cat litter being dripped or spilled onto white linoleum, it had definitely seen better days.  

At lunch one day a week or so ago I was telling friends I plan to rip up the nasty carpet in my bedroom and stain the concrete.  Fran asked if I had seen the brown paper bag floors.  "Huh?"  Oh, snap!  Something else for me to investigate.  There are a lot of tutorials out there for brown bagging your floors, so I'll just link to the one I used.  I think they turned out pretty good.  Better than the stained linoleum that was there for sure.  Here's some instructions if you're brave enough to try it. http://www.recyclart.org/2012/07/paperbag-floors/

While I like the floors, I thought they needed a little something extra.  I'm not a beige type of person.  I don't know if I even own anything beige.  I stenciled a bit on mine.  I think if I do the main bathroom floor I will buy some stain and stain them vs the brown.  Still, not bad for the first try.

Trash to Treasure for the Garden

This weekend was more low key for me.  Mother Nature decided to rain Saturday so I wasn't able to do as much outside as I had hoped.  Today has been a very muggy Sunday!  I started digging in the dirt but decided it was just too humid to make much progress.  I had done a little treasure hunting Saturday at Goodwill and got an old chair from the trash Friday.  Time to be crafty.

Our charming little town has a free music series called Fridays by the Fountain.  A few friends and I went to it on Friday and listened to Angela Easterling perform.  Check her out, sort of folk/country artist.  We enjoyed it.  While we were there I noticed someone had put a broken old chair by the dumpster.  As I was investigating and checking it out, the lady who placed it there told me if I wanted it I could put by her store until the music was over.  Score!  I told her I thought it could make a pretty planter and Thanks!
Some old white spray paint and a plant from the clearance rack at Lowes was all I needed to give this sad chair a happy home in my garden.  I love it!

From Goodwill, I found a cup&saucer I planned to make a birdfeeder out of and a brass candelabra I thought I could use for a lightpost.

The birdfeeder $1.50 is super easy to make.  Simply epoxy the cup to the saucer, attach a way to hang it, and add birdseed.  I made one for my sister-in-law too.  She and my brother are huge coffee drinkers so it should work perfectly for them.

The lightpost was about $11 total.  I had black spray paint and glue/epoxy on hand.  Candelabra $3 at goodwill, Solar lights $2 each at Big Lots.  The post is from the tiki torch post that broke last year that used to be attached to the pool deck.  I think it's a darn good light post for $11!  Works for me. 

Half-Baked Ideas - Bubble/Cracked Glass Cabinet-Drawer Pulls for $1!

Hardware for cabinets and drawers can get really pricey!  I saw some bubble pulls on Amazon for $80 for 12.  That's over $6 each!  I have 25 cabinets/drawers in my kitchen!  You know I wasn't about to pay over $160 for my cabinets to get a little hardware.  That's probably why I never bothered to put pulls on after all the years I've lived here.  It's a new year, and apparently, I've become a domestic goddess the past month.   Needless to say, with my newfound love of DIY I decided to make my own.  They may not be perfect, but I doubt anyone will be inspecting them with much scrutiny.  If anyone comes over to visit and doesn't like them, I'll just serve them wine until their beer goggles tell them they are beautiful.  

My bubble pulls $1.00 for about 27 pulls.   Here's the comparison photo to the one I saw online.

Supplies
Dollar Tree Glass Stones $1.00
Epoxy
Flathead Screws

1. Bake the glass stones then drop them all into a sink of ice water.  They will crackle.  A couple may break but most will only crackle.  
2. Epoxy the flathead screw to the flat side of the stone.
3. Let dry.
4. Use a regular screw to initially make hole into cabinet/drawer.
5. Replace plain ugly screw with bedazzled pull.

Kitchen Laminate to Faux Granite!

I am one tired mama after this past week.  I think I will take a few days off of projects to recover.  I feel sort of guilty that I've broken my own rule I've had since my son was a baby of no fast food but about twice a month.  We've had stromboli, pizza, and sushi this weekend alone!  Hopefully, I worked off some of those calories. But on the bright side, I will now have an awesome looking kitchen to prepare some healthy meals!  

As promised, I am posting the photos from the Kitchen counter makeover.  I'm going to include the supply list again as well so no one will have to switch back and forth from this post to the bathroom counter makeover.   I am thrilled with the outcome.  Again, for less than $150 to refinish two baths and a kitchen is a deal!  If you decide to do it and don't have a bathroom you're willing to sacrifice if it goes bad, I suggest using a piece of wood or something to practice your sponging technique.  My advice, GO FOR IT!  I am amazed at how good these turned out.  I was almost blinded by the sun from the shine it made on the island when we came back from having sushi for Mother's Day Dinner.  It really shines!

Supply list:

Rustoleum Countertop paint  - I had them tint mine to Granite color. ($21)

Acrylic paints (I picked up about 6 or 7 colors from Michael’s $1.39 each)

Paper plates for different paints (use to dab onto sponge)

Glitter ($1.69)

Heavy Grit Sandpaper

Sea Sponges ($4.99 can break up a large one into smaller sizes for variety)

Toothbrush

Feather(s)

Trim Paint Foam Roller ($3)

Kiddie type paint  brush with thin bristles

Masking Tape

Polyurethane (non yellowing also on sale for $4.99)

Envirotex Lite (use the 40% coupon - it’s the most expensive part of the project.  I made 3 trips to Michael’s to get enough to do my counters for $60.  Reg price is $32.99 ea so that saved close to $40)
latex gloves for painting and final coat

Alcohol for clean up of Envirotex
Utility knive to score base of tape before removing.  Do this BEFORE the envirotex dries competely.  I did it around 3 hr mark.

Wine (Gotta celebrate once it's finished!)

1. Clean counters really good and lightly sand with heavy grit paper.  Wipe them down again to get rid of the dust from sanding then dry.
2. Tape off the countertop.
3. Roll on your Rustoleum base coat then let it dry.   Be sure to open some windows, the smell is pretty strong.  Also, this is when I thought to myself, “Dear God, what in the hell have I done?!”   No point in stopping now.
4. Wet your sea sponge and squeeze all the water out.  Now start dabbing into your first acrylic and randomly sponge the countertop.   I started with my Metallic black, then gray, then a little cream color.  After that dried I went back over it with a little of the copper color with a feather to make the granite veins.  I dabbed the toothbrush into a little red paint and flicked a few specks as well onto the counter.  Then you will spread a coat of polyurethane then sprinkle a small amount of glitter if you choose.  Let dry.
   

   
   

   
   

   Supplies

   

   
   

   Kitchen Before - outdated laminate counters

   

   
   

   After sanding lightly add the rustoleum paint as your base/primer (smelly, scary looking stuff)

   

   
   

   When that dries, start dabbing your darkest color onto the counter to begin creating your faux finish. 

   

   
   

   

   
   

    You will begin adding your other colors in as well.  I started with my darker then went to the lighter shades.  If you get too much of a light color, simply go back over with one of the darker colors until you achieve the look you like.
   

   

   
   

   

   

   
   

   

    Rex guarded the supplies for a while, then decided he wanted to try lounging on the plastic used to catch drips. He may be getting senile...he's over 15 now. Don't worry, he didn't get dripped on.  I made him move.
   

   

    Cover your cabinets and put something down to catch drips.  I used cheap trash bags.
   

   

   Now, follow the instructions for the Envirotex lite to add your topcoat.  I did my counters in 3 separate mixes.  1 box for the island, then split the sink counter into two different applications back to back. 
   

   

   
   

   

    Love Love Love, my new countertops!  And on a Dimestore Budget!
   

   

   
   

   
   

Diggin' Up Some Dirt With Another Man's Husband!

I knew I would be diggin' up some dirt with another man's husband today!   Thank God my girls allow their men to help me with some of the projects!   I woke up before 7am today to put the final coat on the other bathroom from my Faux Real, Faux Granite project because I knew Chuck and I had a ton of work to do!  Honestly, it was mostly Chuck.  I love that man.  I can see why Duane loves him too!  A girl couldn't ask for better friends.  I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.  I think Jesus really does love me. :)

So, back in March the place I bank had an "ugly yard" contest.  Luck has been a friend of mine in the past and I hoped it was on my side once again.  And it was!  I won a $500 gift card to makeover my yard.  Well, as you may have guessed, possibly not quite all of it went to the yard. I have a faux counter project going on and also an upcoming staining concrete floor thing happening.  Remember... I'm a Dimestore Diva and I try to stretch my pennies as far as they will go!  Can I get an "Amen" on that one!  

Nonetheless, I did intend to spruce up my yard.  Unfortunately for me, I think everyone in the Upstate was at Lowe's today since we finally got a break from all the rain.  I don't want to even hear the word "drought" this summer.  Surely, we're ok by now!  Anyway, they were out of most of their edging supplies and I needed 70ft to do the front.  Ya do what ya can with what's available, so I got the 80ft of scalloped wire that was there.  Had to grab a fence post from another section just to get the last two rolls from the back of the shelf (5'3" can't reach very high.)

So, here's the pics of our progress today.  I was out of bloody mary mix, but Chuck was able to have a screwdriver or two as I had my Cabernet and enjoyed a little porch therapy and admired our hard day of work.  

Here's the photo that helped win the contest in April and the photo from today's work.  

Here are the events of the day... Whew, I need a shower.  I think I may stink.

9AM and the front yard is weeping... no one cares for me...

A renegade bradford pear decided to plant itself next to my house along with a few other random sprouts.  The butterfly bush needed pruning desperately.

While I was at Lowe's purchasing rocks, Chuck was dig, dig, diggin'.  Also, a thank you to the nice man at Lowe's who saw me loading a bunch of  bags of rocks into a beetle and helped me. 

Putting weed barrier down then the stepping stones.

Added river pebbles and pea gravel.

My rose of sharon had a few saplings, so we planted them near the property line as a future barrier.  Not that my yard is any better, but the neighbors back yard butts up to my side yard.  No one wants to see a trampoline when they look to the left of their front door. :)

After Chuck tackled the masses that were growing there.  Hmm, think I need some pressure washing now too.  It's never ending.

We managed to recover a few of my fairy stepping stones and fairy figurine so they will have their own section from now on...It's a work in progress. (and that's chimes made from a wine bottle if you can't tell)

Whether anyone else likes my yellow door or not...It makes me happy and I like doing my own thing.  Anyone can have oak, black, white, burgundy or green doors.  I like to think of it as a smile or like a ray of sunshine that greets and welcomes you.  My new walkway makes me very happy too. 

I Love the smell of the lavender and rosemary as I walk up my new walkway.