A Gem from Goodwill

I like to pop into goodwill every once in a while to check out the furniture for sale. We found a beautiful wooden dresser there when we first bought the house! I actually didn't even want to change it. Loved it just the way it was. This time I found a 3 drawer/shelf bench. It is grey and has some scrapes and marks on the top....my plan is to sand down the top and stain it a dark brown. Originally I wanted to had legs and raise it to become our new TV stand, but Ryan likes it at its height now so plans changed. I also want to either paint or change to knobs to something more quirky...I love quirky knobs! So these are some of my plans now....we will see what I actually end up doing!

Here it is! 

So above you can see an over view of our new set up. I sanded and stained the top using a mahogany tone. I switched out the brass style knobs with a pale broken yellow knob. 

Small changes canake all the difference! 

Nicole Curtis

Chasing dreams on this early Saturday morning...

This morning I woke up and decided that I was going to start being serious about pursuing my dreams and passions. For those of you that do not know me, I have heaps of passions but the main one is creativity. I love DIy projects, challenges, upcycling, designing, decorating and hands on hard work. I am that type of person that Pins and Pinterest to actually create, not just admire and the person that goes to stores to browse and get ideas on how I can make it for myself and make it my own way. 

I like to create things and if it doesn't work or go then I go with it and change it....but Ryan does not ride that boat. I rattled of heaps of ideas and thoughts daily, some of which I know aren't the best or the most realistic but I just speak my thoughts out loud- ALL THE TIME...he helps me to increased my skills of criticism :) He is a rather logical person so my crazy thoughts almost never make sense to him.....Hey this could be beneficial though! This morning I thought hey why not contact Nicole Curtis- my idol and someone whom I could only dream ever learning from, working for/with or being anything like. I emailed her assistant some mumble of an email- totally fumbled for thoughts and words...just starting typing and went with it :( that is terrifying to think of now that I look back on it- wish me luck. 

Now that I am typing this my list of why nots is endless. 

Here are a few: 

-IT IS Nicole Curtis for goodness sakes! 

-She is a public figure who has enough going on in her own life then worrying about some chic with little experience wanting to become her

-has about a million better things to do that teach me how to do all that she does

-is in Europe right now 

-has an assistant, I should have stopped there when I saw I had to email her assistant! 

-is amazingly talented...why would she want to teach someone else to do what she does

I could keep going but i fear I will only scare myself more so I am done with that for now....good thing I am optimistic and am reminding myself the following:

- I do believe that everything happens for a reason 

-I live in Minnesota

-hate sitting still

-have endless thoughts and ideas 

-am passionate about DIYprojects

-love to help others

....I'll stop now :)

Nicole Curtis is an amazing talented person who does exactly all that I could ever want to do. I don't need a show but the hands on creativity that she delivers is unbelievable- I want to do that and love being able to watch her at work. Only if I could be more involved and learn from her :) I do not have the schooling for interior design or decorating....but i have the ideas and passion and willingness to learn. I learn hands on and by being involved in situations.....I have heaps of ideas and paths of how to create them but no proper terms...maybe one day. I figured that is was a good time to post the finished front entry nook since the stained shims were inspired by Nicole Curtis's love for scrap wood. 

I also posted on my facebook page to her Nicole Curtis's Rehab Addict FB page for support...here is the link if you would like to help me. Nicole Curtis Also you can post your own DIY projects or dream chasing with the #Chasingdreamswithamandajoadams

Chase your dreams and have a extremely happy Saturday! 

Fugly to fabulous

During out moves in the past years Ryan's rather old Ikea lamps have had a run for their money. In the last move into our new house we decided to take the ripped, dirty and old lamp shades off in hopes to just but new ones. Well ikea doesn't sell the lamp shades seperately for this particular style so I took the opportunity to creat my own! 

I have been on this kick of but what is on sale and make the best of it!! A bit more fun and interesting...I guess I think... well, I can always change it! 

Here are the lamps I am referring to: 

And here is after: 

I used outdoor fabric and fabric glue...that's all!! Just cut slits to wrap around top frame and glued all the slits around and one large seem all the way down one side. 

Super easy and cheap if you don't mind the selection of fabric on sale. Plus I have a new best friend, fabric glue!! 

Happy Tuesday!