Turnaround Tuesday: Kendra from House of Ficek {and Guest Posting at The Way We Are}

Hello everyone, I am so excited to be here today with you for Turnaround Tuesday.  My name is Kendra and I blog at House of Ficek.

I just recently got to know Carly and her great blog Honey and The Moon, but I feel like we have been friends for a long time.  Maybe it is that we have a southern thing going for us, although I am a transplanted southerner, so it probably is because she is such a sweetie.    

I am a stay at home mommy to a wonderfully active one year old, and married to my high school sweetheart for eight exciting years.  I love coffee, blogs, and beautiful spaces.  I am on a no budget kinda budget, so you can usually find me re-purposing objects.  Which brings me to why I'm here today, this is my Turnaround Tuesday project: 

Over the past two weeks I have been diligently working to make this tv cabinet that I purchased at a furniture resale store into the {this is my bias coming out folks} cutest play kitchen of all time!  We had been planning on purchasing a play kitchen all finished, but my discriminating taste kicked in.  The plastic kitchens are fine, but lets be honest they aren't the prettiest things ever.  This is going to be in our kitchen for a few years, and I want it to look good.  So on to the wood kitchens.  Ugh, most are pink and for girls.  REALLY?!  I'm sorry, but boys like to get into cabinets and bang the pots and pans around too!

After being inspired by the wood kitchens my exact statement to hubby was "Oh, I could make one of those.  It would be cuter too!".  So off to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Antique Square, and finally a furniture resale store with that little guy for $15.  Done and Done!

 

Step 1: This piece of furniture was a laminate tv cabinet.  I knew in order to make it last with a destructive little guy I was going to have to do some good prep work.  Before painting, the cabinet was transported over to a good friends home where I conned the hole for the sink was cut out.  The cabinet was sanded all over, primed, sanded, painted, sanded, painted two more times and two good coats of polyurethane were added {do NOT skip this step, it really makes everything so much more durable for persons who aren't careful...i.e
. children}.  I already had all of the paint in the garage, which determined the color scheme.

Step 2: Anything that was going to have a silver base coat got spray painted {sorry for the pictures, most were done at night in the garage}.

Step 3: Two coats of chalkboard paint were directly applied to the laminate side.  Using a tip from the brilliant Janell over at  Isabella &Max Rooms, chalk was applied to the entire side after it had dried and then erased.   It really does help not getting a lasting image of previous drawings on it.  

Step 4: Using some scrap wood we had in the garage a frame was made to go around the chalkboard wall.  I put it together and painted it prior to attaching it to the cabinet so that I wouldn't have to trim it out at all.  Then I just touched up the areas where the nails were covered.

Step 5: After searching for a faucet to use, I decided to not invest the $30+ price tag of an actual faucet and become inventive.  I found this little "J-trap" in the plumbing isle.  It came with that base/washer.  After spraying it with a good coat of silver paint, a metal washer was dropped into the base and screwed into the cabinet.  The actual "J-trap" was then screwed onto the base.  Not only does this allow for durability, but the "faucet head" is able to turn like a real faucet would.

Step 6: Actually this came after the base coats of paint, but prior to the polyurethane. Black paint was applied to create the "stove top".  

Step 7: Holes were drilled for the knobs being used as faucet handles as well as stove knobs. 

Step 8: I found some scrap fabric at Hobby Lobby that coordinated with the colors of paint I was using {I didn't purchase any new paint, but used what I already had in the garage}.  Using stitch witchery I made a no sew curtain to the opening size.

Step 9:  The only type of curtain rod that I could find to fit this opening was a tension rod.  I know my son, and this would become a fun game to tear that curtain off.  Instead I cut down a dowel rod to slightly smaller than the opening.  I drilled small holes into the center of each end on the dowel rod.  Holes were then drilled through the cabinet so that a screw could attach the dowel rod to the side of the cabinet {fabric was already on rod before being hung}.

Step 10: I drew an outline on the cabinet doors of what I wanted it to look like {this came in handy, because I didn't like how the oven and microwave were and repainted them}.  Then the appropriate paint colors were added.  Finally, a few stickers were attached for the fridge "big chill" logo and the microwaves buttons.

Step 11: Pretty it up - All of the accessories that made his kitchen extra unique were added including {to hubby's dismay} all 95 pieces of food.  I really liked that "F" hood, but if I had it to do again I would get a shorter hook.

Adding up the Cost:

cabinet - $15

supplies - $9.65

knobs - $12.36

replacement of broken knob - $3.99

fabric - $3.67

storage - $7.99

accessories - $22.98

Total - Priceless $75.74

and drum roll please...

Alright, before I let you all get back to your lives here are some pictures of the little man playing in his kitchen all.day.long!

{I know his outfit doesn't match, it was early on Christmas morning and we had to grab a sweater to keep the little guy warm!}

 

 Is that not just the cutest thing? I cannot believe what a huge change it was...tv cabinet to an adorable play kitchen..I was blown away. So cute, Kendra! x

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Today I am guest posting over at The Way We Are, while the very fabulous Leah is on vacation in Hawaii. I'm posting about one of my New Year's resolutions, so head on over to Leah's blog and show me a little love. Oh, and while you're there, be sure and take a look around her blog {if you haven't already}...I promise you won't regret it.

Love to all. x

Turnaround Tuesday: Jamie from Happy House, Happy Home

Welcome Jamie from Happy House, Happy Home!

Jamie is a fellow newlywed who married her husband just this past August. She lives in Seattle, WA with her husband and their 3 puppies/2.5 wiener dogs (read the story behind the 2.5 here). Jamie says that they painted the entire downstairs of their house the weekend they moved in, because she could just not stand those white walls...Girl, I totally understand.

When Jamie emailed me the pictures of one of her first big DIY projects, I was floored. I mean, hello! The girl chose to sand, paint, and re-stain a piece of furniture all in one project. I still shy away from sanding anything. Needless to say, I think her refinished antique table was a huge success! Check it out for yourself...

 Jamie's Mom had this antique table in storage and offered it up when 

Jamie was looking for a place to toss all their "stuff" (keys, mail, etc) on. What a great find!

The first step for Jamie was to buy all of the necessary supplies:

• Elmer's Wood Filler
• 3 Cans of Rustoleum 2x Coverage Spray Paint in Heirloom White
• Minwax Wood Finisher Stain in Cherry
• Minwax Polyutherane 
• Hand Sander in medium
• Spray Paint Gun Attachment (which Jamie says was a life saver)
• Electric Sander
• 80, 120, 160, 200 Grit Sand Paper for the Electric Sander
• Painter's Tape

Next, Jamie sanded the legs of the table by hand and then the table top and bottom shelf with the 80, 120, 160, and 200 grit sand paper. Yep...she sanded that baby 4 times!

Then Jamie spray painted the legs of the table with the Rustoleum spray paint in Heirloom White. And don't forget that spray paint gun attachment...

Next, Jamie used the wood filler to fix any gashes or cracks in the wood. Be sure to allow time for the filler to dry.

Jamie then stained the table top and shelf. Then she stained, stained, and stained some more making sure that the wood filling matched the rest of the table.

After that she applied a coat polyutherane. She allowed it to dry. Lightly sanded again, and then applied another coat of the polyutherane.

And finally, Jamie went back and fixed any mistakes or imperfections in her spray paint job. 

After lots of hard work, Jamie and her husband were finally able to enjoy their new table. So gorgeous isn't it??

Great job, Jamie! It looks fantastic. Thank you so much from being a part of Turnaround Tuesdays. If you haven't checked out Jamie's blog before, be sure to head over there now and show her some love!

Psst--If you're interested in being a contributor for Turnaround Tuesday, please contact me at carlyhoneyandthemoon [@] gmail [dot] com

All images from Happy House, Happy Home xo

Turnaround Tuesday: Michaela from Michaela Noelle

Hello, to all the sweet readers of Honey and the Moon!  Carly is so adorable and is such a wonderful blogger. I've so enjoyed getting to know her over the past month or so!  I'm thrilled I'm able to share my bathroom on her fun series, Turnaround Tuesdays.

We've lived in our ranch style house for about 10 years now and have done work in every other part of our home, except for the bathroom.  That is, until this past spring, when I finally had enough of the flowered wallpaper!  What took us so long, you ask?  Fear.  Fear that the wallpaper wouldn't come down easily and fear we'd have to hire someone to come fix the walls after we tried to do it ourselves.  Well, my friends, wallpaper is hard to get down, but we sure did it {my mom and I}.  

Here are some before pictures:

Horribly embarrassing, I know.  So we started the adventure in removing the wallpaper.  At first, the process was slow, because we didn't know what we were doing. I spent 6 hours and got about a third of the wallpaper on that back toilet wall off.  Then we regrouped, got educated- thank you internet- and came back with a plan.  

Here's what we learned:

• Score the living heck out of the walls with that round scorer you can find at Home Depot.  I went around 3-4 times the entire bathroom scoring.  It took a long time, but helped so much because that way, the water can penetrate through the little holes
• Mix hot water and laundry detergent or dish soap together in a spray bottle.
• Spray the walls 3-4 times, waiting 10 minutes between each round.  This will ensure that the water solution is getting through the holes and lifting the glue.
• Start at a corner and just peel back the edge, ripping slowly and pulling at a diagonal.

Afterward, we sanded the walls down to remove any imperfections.  We had a lot few, because when we first started we were using metal scrapers.  Oops! So after 2 days of removing wallpaper and sanding, then we primed (2 coats) and painted (2 coats).  

Here are the results:

I made these vases out of old clear bottles I found in the recycle bin.  

I did puff paint designs on them, then spray painted the outsides white.  

To find out more, go here (:

This painting was found at Z-Gallerie and was the inspiration for the whole space.  

We drew the wall color and everything from this piece of art. 

We found our accessories at Pier1 Imports

I picked up four small canvases and painted them as wall art for behind the door {okay I may have used stencils}.  Then we hung these fun towel hooks underneath the canvases.

There ya have it, folks!  Our newly finished bathroom.  Every time I walk in to the bathroom, I like it even more and also can't believe it ever had that busy wallpaper.

Thanks for having me, Carly!  Merry Christmas to you and all your readers (:

Isn't that such a fantastic change? I seriously wish I had some of Michaela's wallpaper tips whenever I was taking down wallpaper in our old dining room.

Thanks to Michaela for stopping by, and if you haven't checked out her wonderful blog, please be sure you do!

Psst-Tomorrow I'll be posting more master bedroom redo details like I promised. I know they're a little later than I said they would be, but you'll still come back and check, right??

Turnaround Tuesday: Megan from Honey We're Home

Hi Honey and the Moon readers!!  If you’re like me, you were sad to see Carly take a break from her blog a while ago, but extremely happy that she’s back!  I appreciate her inviting me to participate in her Turnaround Tuesday series, how fun!

I’m Megan, author of Honey We’re Home blog.  I’m a part-time lawyer and stay-at-home mom to my beautiful 9-month old son.  My days are full of delight watching my son discover the world around him as I decorate our home that we just built.  For Turnaround Tuesdays, I’m sharing with you how I used fabric to add some drama to these bookshelves in our master bedroom. {I first heard of this when I saw Stephanie at Crea8tive Designs’ pantry}

BEFORE

I started by scouring the fabric stores and found the perfect pretty floral print. *swoon*

I decided to paint the back and sides of the bookcase a shade darker than the room to give the fabric a nice color to sit next to.  Rumor has it that after the fabric is applied, it is easily removable without damaging the walls.  If I ever tire of the fabric, the entire bookcase is already painted.

The most challenging part of this project was cutting the fabric to the exact width and length of the walls.  I realized my bookshelves were the same height, but the one on the left was considerably wider.  I cut my fabric into one giant piece before affixing the top corners to the wall with command strips. 

Then I used Sta-Flo liquid starch and a kitchen sponge to apply the starch directly on top of my fabric, really saturating it as I went.  I used a wallpaper straightener to stretch the fabric to the end of the shelves. 

 

  

Even though I didn’t encounter any air bubbles while applying, be sure to smooth the fabric down with the straightener because the next day I did have a few.

Then I simply inserted the shelves back in.

I’m still accessorizing the shelves, but here is a sneak peek.

Thanks for having me Carly, I appreciate it!

Thanks Megan for contributing! The bookshelves look so lovely. If you haven't read Megan's blog, I beg you to head over there now...I promise you won't regret it. x

PS: Interested in contributing to Turnaround Tuesday? Email me at, carlyhoneyandthemoon@gmail.com

Turnaround Tuesday: Kate from Twenty-Six To Life

I love reading about people's DIY projects, don't you?

Well, today is the first installment of Turnaround Tuesday, a day where we  focus on DIY projects 

from some wonderful blogs. Today we will be looking at a fantastic DIY project from Kate at Twenty-Six 2 Life.

Before:

Kate scored this find for $75 on Craigslist. She loved the red color, but didn't love the streaks of brown paint that caused the piece to look kinda dirty. There were also some holes that needed to be patched...

 Kate notes that this was the smallest hole in the piece..yikes!

Kate decided that she really wanted a red desk, but this red just wasn't working for her. So she bought some supplies...

 

Primed the entire desk...

And finally got that gorgeous desk painted!

After:

Don't you just love it? I just about died when I saw it, I really think Kate made a beautiful piece look even better...and she did it all for about $100.

Great job, Kate! I love it. And thanks for being a part of the very first Turnaround Tuesday.

PS: Would you like to feature one of your own DIY projects on Turnaround Tuesday? Email me at: carlyhoneyandthemoon[at]gmail[dot]com.

Images from Twenty-Six 2 Life xo

Introducing...TURNAROUND TUESDAY!

Last week I did a post on the beautiful update of Nellie's guest bedroom, which got me thinking...who doesn't love a great before and after?  

So I introduce to you, TURNAROUND TUESDAY!

Here at Honey and the Moon, Turnaround Tuesday's will be all about the projects that YOU have recently completed and want to show off to the blogging world! I recently wrote about celebrating the little victories, so I can't wait to show off all of your little (and big) victories.

If you are interested in sharing one of your beautiful turnaround's, please email me at carlyhoneyandthemoon[at]gmail[dot].com (my email is also listed on the sidebar under "contact me").

If you choose to email me, please...

1. Tell me your name, where you are from, and a little bit about you. (i.e.: Hi! My name is Carly Skinner and I am from Mansfield, TX. I am a newlywed, momma to two puppies, and a student at Dallas Baptist University.)
2. Attach any pictures you have of the project, in the email. If you have before and after pictures, that would be great, but if not please describe what the item, room, etc. looked like before.
3. Be sure to leave me a link to your blog (if you have one), as well. I'm always looking for new reads and when I know your blog information, I can include it in my post...I hope that by including your blog name, it will draw some new readers to your blog.

Can't wait to see those gorgeous turnarounds! Start sending them in NOW! x

If you missed Nellie's wonderful turnaround last week, be sure and check it out here! 


PS: Don't forget to leave my your thoughts and comments on my bedroom mood board!!