Have you ever tried to make your own shaving cream?

We did.  Here's how our's turned out & what you'll need.

•  1 cup conditioner
• 1 cup shampoo
• 5 tablespoons lotion
• 5 tablespoons baby oil

We used an empty shampoo bottle, rinsed it out and then started putting in the ingredients.  We just spooned them in, starting with the conditioner, shampoo, lotion then the baby oil.  Closed the lid and shook it really good.  You are supposed to let this sit about an hour before using it.  We did.

{RESULTS}

This is supposed to resemble 

 which is what both of our daughters use and they love it!  This homemade version worked just fine for me, however the girls didn't like it.  The original is much thicker and the homemade version is rather runny.  I'm sure you could play around with the ingredients, but my girls have decided that shave cream is like cheese.  You don't skimp and buy the "off" brand!

Here's where we first got the idea to try our hand at making our own via Pinterest.

Have you tried making your own?  Did you like it?  Do you have any other homemade recipes you'd like to share?  

PS - Don't forget about the DO IT YA SELF Monday link party that is going on right now!  Link up then go tell a friend, the more the merrier! 
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Craigslist TIP!

I'm sure you all love searching Craigslist for vintage pieces, I know I do.  I've definitely noticed in our neck of the woods that the early bird gets the vintage furniture.  I have to work so I cannot browse to see what's available until mid afternoon or late evening.  By that time, all the good stuff is sayonara!

 Losing out on great vintage pieces may not have to be the case anymore.  I was waiting for an appointment this morning and was browsing craigslist on my phone and came across "alerts" through google.  It appears that you can get email alerts from HeyCraig.

Did anybody else already know this?  Is it new?  Old?  It's new to me so I'm sharing!

 All you need to do is enter what your looking for, your email address and what city you are looking in then click Yoink!  Your all set...I think.  I just set mine up and immediately got emails.  Hopefully it will continue to be this easy.  I was so excited I had to share with you guys.  Go here to set up your HeyCraig alerts.

Oh yeah, please do not do this if you live near me! LOL  I'm hoping this will help me get some good deals!

AND while your here you should check out the link party that is going on right now!  Link up & browse people. {wink!}

Click here to PARTY!

I'm also linking up to...
Kurtz Korner  
Stuff of Success 
Type A Decorating 

Stock Farm Buffet

I thought that I had bit off more than I could chew with this one.  My sweet man even thought this one might end up in the fireplace as kindling.  But as luck would have it, we saved it!

Here's how we transformed this ugly duckling into one of my favorite pieces of furniture yet!

See what I mean?  The back was literally falling apart, the top was held on by nails and you didn't dare lean on it for fear it would topple over and completely fall apart.  It was bad!

My best friend/handyman/best guy I know took it apart and with wood glue & screws put this thing back together again.  Added some bracing, beadboard & shelving to finish it off.

Now the fun part {for me anyway} deciding what to do with it!  I used to paint everything black.  I haven't done that in a long time and figured it would hide a lot of imperfections with all the bracing we had to do on this buffet/dresser/side table so black it is!

After two coats of black I turned my attention to the top.  If you've read my blog for very long you know how much I love typography.  I can't stand to see raw wood not painted {sometimes there is an exception} and I can't not paint something on top!

I looked around the Graphic's Fairy {I so love her site} but couldn't find anything that really spoke to me other than frenchy images.  I really wanted this one to be more "country" if you know what I mean.  So I found some vintage {1800's} invoices that were from hog/chicken/cattle farmers.  Changed it up a bit and came up with this...

The original invoice was actually dated 1896 and was from a breeder in Tennessee.  

After several coats of sealer this is what we got from that ugly old dresser.

And here's a closer look at the top and hardware.  I drooled over this hardware!  I wanted this because of the hardware. LOL

Just so you know, I wanted to keep this one bad.  I even thought out a rational reason why we should keep it and had my story all ready.  However, it was shot down because we have no room and where I wanted to put it would have broken up our matching dining room set.  I guess he didn't hear me when I said matchy matchy is so out of style these days!

However, he saw my troubled expression and agreed that if it didn't sell within the consignment time frame at the Depot then I can bring him home!  So, is it weird that I'm hoping it doesn't sell?
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UPDATE:  It sold in two days!

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Turquoise

Each project is different and we can't knock everyone of them outta the park so to speak and that's how I feel about this sofa table.

I like it - I just don't love it.  When I got this table it was definitely lost in the 80's.

I started out by taking all the wrought iron off and giving it a little sanding, then covered it in turquoise.

 Then I added "Welcome" to the center and distressed it.

At this point I had started adding the stain/glaze mixture.

Here are some close-ups.  I decided not to heavily distress my typography this time.

Here she is in all her glory.  Sorry about the dark photo, it was late when I finally got done.

 I think it's an improvement.  What do you think?
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Linking up to...
Type A Decorating
Kammy's Korner Trash to Treasure  
Skip To My Lou - Made by you Monday's 
Coastal Charm 
The Kurtz Corner 
The Stuff of Success 
Domestically Speaking - Power of Paint 
Blue Cricket Design 

Still Slipcovering!

For those of you who have been following the slipcover saga, here's an update:

It's slow going & still kicking my butt!

Here's some pictures to show just how inept I am at sewing.

   Our sofa cushions are sewn into the back.  I played and fiddled around with the drop cloth but couldn't get it how I liked and figured the best thing to do was to start taking the cushions off so I could just slipcover them individually.  I probably would not be this brave if the sofa was in good shape, this one was not.

 That wasn't so bad - here is how it looked once I got it off.

 Don't ask me why these cushion's were so darn hard to cover, but literally took me several hours!  Maybe it had something to do with Marley wanting to play instead of let me sew!

 So you can see I am making progress!  I sew a little, go paint a little, do a load of laundry, cook dinner, take new furniture makeovers to the Depot, spend some quality time with the family & fit my full time job in there somewhere.  I do love to have me some projects in the works but I need to finish these before I start anymore for sure!

Remodelaholic

I'm so excited today because Justin and Cathy over at Remodelaholic

are featuring my Pottery Barn knock-off wall art!

Hope you will skip on over there to check it out!

Thanks so much Justin & Cathy!
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Chatelleralt Vanity

I've had this vanity sitting in my garage for months.  I finally got in gear and finished it.  Do you like it?

A Coat of paint, lots of sanding & elbow grease.  I really didn't know what I wanted to do with this vanity until I was in the middle of sanding.  I remembered this vintage image I saw on the Graphic's Fairy and that image inspired the rest.

Obviously I didn't use the entire image, but that's okay.  The description says that it came from an antique invoice for a flower seller.  However, I also Googled Chatellerault and found this from Wikipedia.

History

Châtellerault was an important stronghold on the northern marsh of Poitou, established by the Count of Poitiers to secure his borders in the early 10th century. The count's local representative, the Vicomte de Châtellerault was established as a hereditary appointment by the time of Airaud who was probably a kinsman of the counts of Auvergne and dukes of Aquitaine; his heirs were vicomtes (viscounts) until the mid-11th century.

The daughter of Aymeric I, Ænor of Châtellerault (ca 1103 - ca 1130), whose mother had been the "mistress" in the new courtly love poetry of thetroubadour lord William, sixth Count of Poitiers and ninth Duke of Aquitaine, who lodged in his tower the "Dangereuse de Châtellerault", married his son, William X of Aquitaine, and was mother of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

The title, Vicomte de Châtellerault, passed in turn to each of three great French noble families: La Rochefoucauld, Lusignan and, from the thirteenth century until the French Revolution, to the family of Harcourt.

However, in return for services offered to the Crowns of Scotland and France, the title of Duc de Châtellerault (1548) was presented to James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, Chief of the Name, and regent of Scotland during the infancy of Mary, Queen of Scots, and of France. This title, though now without any benefices, remains in contention between the heir male and the heir general of Arran, respectively the Duke of Abercorn and theDuke of Hamilton. (See Chatelherault Country Park, Lanarkshire.)

So, if I am reading correctly, this was an address in a certain part of France.  I thought the history was kinda cool so I put the whole thing in here for ya.  I'm sure you just skipped it if you not into that kinda thing!

After all that sanding, I thought the top turned out really good.  After putting on the graphic, I put a dark walnut stain/glaze over the top.  Once it was dry I sealed it.

I painted the original hardware, highlighted the details, put the same dark walnut glaze over the entire piece & made sure it was all clean.  

Put a final coat of sealer over the entire piece and left it to dry overnight.  Installed the hardware Saturday morning and enjoyed looking at all my hard work.

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Why do I want to keep everything that I paint?  Every time I finish one, I mentally find a place for it here in our home when I know it has to go!  Anyone else that loves to paint furniture for resale have this problem? 

Go VOTE!

It would make me so very happy if you would take just a couple of minutes today to go vote!  I entered three of my pieces in the favorite furniture of 2011 over at Miss Mustard Seed's blog.

My projects are #428, #429 & #430.

There is a ton O inspiration over there, go check it out.

Click here .

Slipcover Sneak Peak!

While I was waiting on the drop cloths to finish drying I made these no bake cookies.  Recipe found here.

Upstairs I tried to get my work space in order and grab everything I would need after ironing my drop cloth.

Now, here's a shot of the couch.  Keep in mind that this is in our upstairs family room where all the kids hang out.  Kinda embarrassing how bad of shape it's in...just keeping it real.

Um, Yuck!  Looks gross, but it really is a pretty comfy couch.

There are a bazillion tutorials out there on how to slipcover so I would read a few if I were you.  Get an idea of how you want yours to look and just go for it.  My simple instructions are: 

1.  Iron your fabric.

2.  Lay it out & give yourself plenty of room.

3.  Lay your cushion on top of your fabric.

4.  Cut out the shape, leaving about an inch all the way around.  {Cut 2, one for the top & bottom}

5.  Measure the width of your cushion then add an inch, measure the entire length of your cushion {times 4} and cut.  

6. Pin your bottom piece and the side piece, following the sides of your cushion.

7. Remove the cushion and sew along the edge of your pins.

8.  Lay your cushion back on what you have just sewed to make sure it all fits.  

9.  Now with your cushion back in position. Pin the top part to your side and sew again following the edge of your pins.

10.  Put it on your cushion, if it fits then add your ribbons for your tie back closure.  If not, then you and your seam ripper are going to become great friends.

These two cushions took me nearly all day.  I've only sewn easy projects before and really had no idea what I was doing, so I went really slow.  Luckily, I didn't get to know my seam ripper well at all. Yay!

I was surprised at how easy this was.  I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying that since I obviously have a lot more to do before this project is finished.  LOL

Anyway, hopefully I can finish this up this weekend.  What do you think so far?