Favorite Projects of 2010

It's been fun browsing other bloggers' favorite projects of 2010!
Here are mine:
Updated laundry room, where the cabinets went to a cleaner white:

 

Space saving laundry organizers/risers, with detailed sketches by talented architect hubby:

1920's Antique Buffet makeover, 
which I sold to a home stager looking for a statement piece:

New black front door:

 

Large executive desk that I sold to another home stager looking for a statement piece:

I'm excited to see what 2011 has in store, and especially growing friendships with my blog buddies!

Love,

Christa

Linking to:

Southern Hospitality Top Projects of 2010

In the Shop

I'm working on it as often as I can in nooks and crannies of time...it'll eventually get done. All the nerdy books I've ready over the years on refinishing will eventually come together :)

The Aftermath

And Romeo's big surprise for me was...

  It wouldn't thrill most women, but it totally filled my love tank.
Sick, I know.

I thought it was my favorite gift until the girls fired up their new Wii game. 

I can't stop. 

(Really, I can't stop.)

My sister and I pretended to be Brittany, Rihanna, Tina Turner, 

flappers, salsa, hip hop, and disco dancers for most of the day.

I hope I can get out of bed tomorrow - maybe even do basic activities of daily living.

I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Christmas!

Christa

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

If I could send a card to everyone, this is what it would look like.

Nothing fancy, just us being us!

It's hard to believe that last Christmas I did not know a single one of you. 

You truly enrich my life with your emails, comments, and compliments. 

I hope I do the same by inspiring you to make junk pretty! 

Can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for all of us!

Love,

Christa

Cherishing The Season, and a Family Breakfast Tradition

 
Who's ready?

It's so nice to finally be home in my jams with my favorite Christmas candle going,
checking off my list, and looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus.

The crowds once again reminded me to start in September next year, but as all the stores' employees (minus a rogue few) are only allowed to say "Happy Holidays," I love to see the relief on their faces as I smile and wish them a good old fashioned, "Merry Christmas."

But, political correctness surely won't stop us from enjoying our fun and memorable traditions...
...and if I really went into much detail you'd think my family was wacky - although contagiously fun!

It sits right in the middle of our front room window, where honored guests come to knock.

Fortunately, we still haven't had a shattered major award over here.
The lady of the house embraces electric se*  gleaming in the window, just fine.
(Surely everyone has seen the movie.)

There will be a cloud of flour dust in the kitchen over the next few days,
as I spend  important time with The Little Women during their Christmas break.
I'll remember to put the cookies where Liberty can't get to them while we sleep this year.

And, I would be remiss if I didn't share with you our Christmas breakfast tradition for two decades.
If you like the taste of a little Southwest, you'll love it! You can make it the night before, and stay out of the kitchen Christmas morning. Just don't let it get too brown. (Printable recipe at the end.)

I'm also putting the finishing touches on several of the latest pieces I'm working on.
Furniture is flying in and out of here faster than I can post about them
or remember pictures before they go back to my clients' homes.
I'll be sure to slow down and show you some good ones after The Reason for this magical season is celebrated!

Eggs Ole

Before and After :: 1920's Table Set

(This week's Project Diaries linky is here.)

 Phew!

I think I grew some nice curvy shoulders with this one.

My client brought this table over. Originally she just wanted the table re-pained white and to finish the other two chairs in blue like in the background.
She had hired someone to do it, but she didn't want to finish it, so I took it over.

 

 It didn't look bad at first, but when I took a closer look at the finish...

Thick, rough paint was in every nook and cranny and it desperately needed to be stripped.
So I put the music on and got to work.

I talked to her about changing her vision
to a stained top with a white base and white chairs, and she trusted me.

And here is is...finally!

Everything is all nice and smooth again. She will be recovering her chair seats.

 Just look at that top! I have to touch it every time I walk by. It has the most beautiful walnut grain that this picture doesn't show. She's going to looove it!

And p.s., I've officially resigned as a stripper ;)

Linking to:

Project Diaries, Volume 12

I am extremely tardy for the party this week! Yesterday I was determined to finish two projects for two clients, and I stayed away from my computer. Pictures are coming in the next couple of days.

Thank you all for the great inspiration last week!

 

Erin at the Stucco Bungalow made this table a total keeper, and I absolutely love the result. I visited her blog for the first time, and this girl has projects coming out her ears!

Don't you love this coat closet that Sausha at Show & Tell  framed out? This girl can build anything. I can't enlarge the image, so you'll just have to go to her site to see it better!

Okay, your turn!

Please remember these oh so simple guidelines ~
* Be a follower and/or subscriber to Stories of a House.
* Add the Project Diaries button to your post (second one in the sidebar).

* Add the URL of your post, not your general blog URL.
*Feel free to link up Christmas related projects, as well as home decor and furniture makeovers.

What's happening at your house? 

A Cedar Chest and a Fresh Start

As the commissioned table and chair set I've been working on for a few weeks draws to a close,
I wanted to share this piece that has offered me some reprieve from stripping and sanding.

 I transformed this cedar chest for a friend who happens to be the mother of one of my girls' BFF's.

It was a gift from someone....
...we'll just say that the heart needed to go.

She was going to get rid of it, but a mutual friend convinced her to let me have a crack at it.
 
You will be seeing said mutual friends' kitchen cabinet project in the near future, as soon as I can convince her that we can do so much better than the 1990's pickle finish.

 You hearing me, Lizzie?

I veered from my usual rub-through method with denatured alcohol and removed some paint with a damp cloth while the paint was still wet.

It is easy to remove from edges, as long as you have a steady hand.

I used Valspar semigloss in the blackest black, and Zinsser Ultimate Polyurethane, semigloss.

Elena is thrilled with her first furniture makeover.

I'll be transforming some other pieces for her as she embraces her new house and new life.
She has a large armoire that she wants to be turquoise. I can't wait!

I must add that I'm a glutton for punishment because she is a strict pilates instructor
and will be returning the favor with sore muscles.

Go easy on me, girlfriend.

Linking to:

Before and After :: Black Sideboard

Hi there. Remember me?

I finally have a project to reveal.
In my last post, I spoke of two pieces that I had sprayed 7 times. Well change that to 9.
There seems to be a white dust epidemic in my work area which is problematic when spraying black.
I eventually found a decent solution, and finally have something to show for my effort.

I picked this up at Goodwill for $34.99. (It was actually $39.99, but I teased the furniture guy about the 9 looking like a 4, and he wrote the ticket accordingly.)

Before

After

I actually first sprayed it white. 

Then, I thought it was a little masculine for white, and it needed to be black. 

I had to be a hero. 

It would have been great in white with black cup pulls, 

not to mention saving me the agony of spraying it 9 times.

Getting a really deep black paint can be tricky, depending on the brand and who is doing the mixing,
so I asked Sausha from Show and Tell what she uses, which is Valspar in the blackest black.
(I liked it, and would use it again.)

Eventually the black worked out, and here it is after its' makeover.

Did you know you can get satin nickel cup pulls for $1.79 on Ebay? 

The seller I used and recommend is The Knob Shop.

They have 100% positive feedback.

(Opinion is 100% mine.)

I usually don't do sleek black finishes, but I think it works for this piece.

It would be a nice sideboard or large dresser with a plasma t.v. over it.

(It's bachelor pad material.)

Hey, when does The Bachelor start up again? I love that show.

Linking to some favorites: