WingBack Chair Re-Do

A few weeks back my neighbor had a garage sale to benefit their adoption fund and I nabbed this {ugly} chair and ottoman from it for a mere $25!! I knew I was gonna recover it someday and it took a while to find the right fabric (which I also nabbed for a steal of $4/yard!!).
It took me a month to get it done, but today I finally completed it!!! I'm so happy it's done, because it's one less thing out of the garage, and because it looks awesome!!!!

Custom Desk

For a while now, I've been wanting a desk. I knew exactly what I was looking for, but I needed it to fit our printer (with a pretty big footprint) and my sewing machine, and a lot of other "crafting" accessories that little hands seem to find themselves in everyday. I found the overall "look" I was going for.

Walmart

Sauder 

But I didn't want a flimsy pressboard POS that I had to put together and replace after one move with the military. So then I explored buying a real hardwood desk but I saw the price tags grow, and that just wasn't an option.

That's where my amazing father comes in. I drew him up some pretty rickety plans and along with these pics, he was pretty confident we could build it. 

We started the project back in December, but since I don't have a table saw (**birthday's coming up, Paul...just sayin**) the cuts weren't square and he wasn't going to "make it work" and have it turn out crappy, so we waited for his next visit when he could bring his saw down and do it correctly. 

For a mere $150 in materials, here's what we did...

I'm so happy with the results I can't even tell you. It fits everything perfectly!

Thanks again for all the help dad!

KITCHEN CABINETS!!!

Well it's only taken me 2 shorts years to get up the guts to paint these kitchen cabinets. The Standard Builders Oak color wasn't cutting it for me but I was apprehensive of the undertaking. After reading blogs and getting google help, I finally decided I could do it.
I labeled everything, set up shop in the garage and after 2 weeks (off and on) they were completed. One coat oil based primer and 2 coats paint. Swiss Coffee was the paint color, doesn't that sound yummy??

So here's the before...

Bear in mind this is the DAY we moved in...notice the lack of refrigeration...(and lack of cleanliness)

And here's the after!!!

Now, we want to get a new darker countertop and sink...we'll see when that happens...

I love it though! It's so bright and NOT dated looking!!! YAY!
...and I get to leave it to someone else in a year...*tear*

Light Saber Holder

I don't know a cooler name...do you? I'm taking suggestions... :)

Ethan was in need of somewhere to "store" his light sabers. We have four now, and every few months, we seem to accumulate one so we needed a holder. Some sort of a display case. I thought I knew what would look nice, but Paul (the Star Wars expert) instructed me EXACTLY how it should look. Diagram and all.
I took Ethan with me to the Big Orange and we got our supplies.
I didn't take pictures throughout the process, but here's what I did...

3-1X4, 1-1X3, and 2-1X2

I took my big ole circle hole drill bit (pretty sure that's the technical name) and drilled 4 holes in one of the 1X4's. I glued and nailed that to the other 1X4 and clamped and let dry. This made the base of the unit.

I used the 2-1X2's in the back as the stands and attached the last 1X4 to that for the "holster" part. The holsters are made out of some plumbing attachment. They were $4 a piece and I cute them in half, so $8 total. Then I cut them vertical so they open but will wrap around the base of the light saber to hold it in place.I lined them up with the holes on the bottom and attached them with small nails.

Then I glued and nailed the 1X3 to the front to "finish" the look.

I spray painted the whole thing black before I attached the "holsters", as they are rubber and were already black.

Now he's equipped anytime Darth Vader makes a surprise appearance!

My Model

...works for food.

isn't she just darling?! If Hannah's ever having a rough day, I know how to cheer her up, put her in a dress and do a photo shoot! YAY!

Saying, "Thank you for my pretty dress!"

Dress Shirt Shirt Dress

Ok, I've been eyeing THIS TUTORIAL for a while now and I finally got the guts to try it. I think it turned out really well! She went to bed before I could finish but I will definitely be getting a "princess picture" tomorrow.

The only thing I changed was (obviously) the cinching at the waistline, which I may still put in, just have to try it on her first... and the cap sleeves, instead of making another casing for elastic (which I hate BTW and don't understand why anyone would use it if they can get elastic thread!)  I just shirred the hem so it made a puff. I used one of my old shirts and I like the pleats it already had in the front and back!

Well, hopefully she likes it, but given the fact that any dress makes her act like a princess, I think I'm golden.