Saturday, May 21, 2016

Feeling "discombobulated" ??? !!!

Hello dear friends & readers,
Goodness . . . I did not mean to be away for so long.

A week or so ago I read the word "discombobulated" on sweet Pom Poms blog
I liked the sound of the word . . . so I looked it up in the google dictionary
"to confuse . . . if something has you in a state where you don't know your up from your down . . ."
Yes I thought .... that sounds rather like me !!


We have been lost in a world of prepping & sanding & painting these last few weeks
It all begins to look the same after awhile
I did capture these few pics last week while preparing the new (2nd hand) window for painting
It pays to do these jobs while small 4-legged beings are locked away somewhere !!
I am pleased to report our walls & ceiling are now painted . . . we hired a large airless spray unit & completed the job in a weekend.
There are still lots of fiddly bits for me to complete.

This large round cane basket was one of my friend Joyce's throw-outs way back in January.
I scrubbed it & then promptly left it in a corner of my deck to get covered in dust & cobwebs all over again.
Last weekend while we had the spray unit on hire, I quickly grabbed it & gave it a dust off.
"Could you just whip that spray gun across this for me" I asked my Stepson who had come to lend a hand.
Gosh - what would've no doubt been 3 days worth of painting & drying & painting - took approx 3 minutes !!
I fancied making myself a large work basket to sit by my lounge chair & toss all my handwork into . . . I thought this large round size would be just perfect . . . so I dug into my treasured vintage fabric stash & found a lovely piece of Sanderson fabric to line the base.
Firstly I covered a circle of heavy duty cardboard with 2 thick pieces of wadding.

After covering with my fabric, I glued a length of gathered cotton lace around the edge, then glued my circle into the base

Just exactly what I had visualised.

This tall wooden wall unit was one of the very few things my first husband & I ever actually agreed upon.

We both really liked it when we bought it all those years ago . . . though it has been shifted around with me many, many times over the years, I still love it but it was looking tired, tatty & worn (rather like its Owner to be honest)
My friend Jane suggested I think about painting it . . . although it is showing in my photos as a nice golden colour, it was actually a very dark brown stained pine
After mulling it over for a couple of months, I took the plunge last week & slapped a coat of chalk paint on it . . . 
This photo above was taken while I was at the stage of "wondering what on earth I had done but pretending I was just fine & dandy about it all!!!"
I ended up giving it two coats of antique white & then decided to apply the pale duck egg chalk paint over this . . . I felt the antique white was too stark looking & am so pleased with the duck egg colouring . . . you can just see the white peeping through in some places
I have lighted sanded the edges & have waxed the top half but still have the lower half to complete . . . I can visualise it filled with some old china pieces . . . 

I can hardly wait to fill it up & find the right spot for it in my new lounge room.

Guess who turned One this week ??!!]

My dear little grandson Alec had his first birthday this week & celebrated with two parties . . . one on his actual birthday . . .
. . . in which Granny made him a feijoa cake to enjoy . . .
& then another party today with some little friends in which his Mummy made him a chocolate cake  . . .
& even though he got a wonderful fancy new bike from his Mummy & Daddy for his birthday . . . he loved the cheap blue Pak-n-Save ball the very bestest of all !!!
Happy Birthday my dear wee Alec . . .
 I have so enjoyed watching you grow & develop your little personality over this past year.

Thank you dear friends & readers for your welcome visits today 
I shall leave you with this pic I snapped of Blackie last night sound asleep in his basket -  yes, legs in the air dear Willie !!  I am always fascinated when I see the perfect line under his chin.
I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing weekend & be kind to each other & to yourselves,
with much love & friendship,
Julie & the furry ones
x0x0x0x0

25 comments:

  1. I am glad for you that the painting is complete and you can start using your new space now. The dresser came out really well, I have one the same and am still promising myself I will chalk paint it one day! Have a lovely, restful weekend, Betty

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  2. p.s. many happy returns to little Alec. x

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  3. Yay you're getting closer to having your new lounge finished! I love the hutch with it's fresh new look and the basket looks the perfect size for a few handwork projects;O)
    Hope the weather we've been having hasn't wrecked to much havoc in your lovely garden...
    Take Care
    PS Happy Birthday wee Alec!

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  4. Happy big number 1 birthday Alec. Love your pretty work basket and your dresser is a triumph!

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  5. Sweet Blackie and his markings. The hutch dressers look a Million dollars! yes some nice china will look lovely nestled in and on it, I'm sure you will decorate it just the right way. Alec has a lovely head of hair on him and so handsome, I bet you enjoy his company and he enjoys yours.

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  6. Blackie!x...Your a poser! HaHa! Bless!
    And, Pippi's being 'framed' again l see!
    Bless her! She's just checking the paint
    work...!
    Though l did get worried when l saw those
    'empty' baskets....HeHe! More cats are called
    for Julie...just to fill them!!! :).

    I do like that top wooden wall unit...Similar
    to mine, though mine is more like the lower
    one...And, it's Scandinavian Pine, rare now,
    and very expensive. It goes with a 6x3 dinning
    table and book case..My Dad bought it for us,
    when there was a 'us' as a wedding prezzie...
    Goodness! Back in 73.
    I would'nt touch the top one, leave as is..it
    has character, and looks regal..!

    Little Alec..a year old, made me chuckle, l have
    a photos of my daughter, a year old...sat in her
    high chair, in one of them, l put the whole cake
    in front of her, she put her whole face into the top
    of the cake, her face was covered in sponge and icing,
    the photo came out great! :).

    Lovely post Julie...Hope you don't mind but, l is gonna
    put that photo of Blackie into my 'Pussy~Cat' folder!
    Bless!x

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  7. Were you tempted to line up some more baskets and things to be spray painted? I would be terrible at stopping at only one thing to be sprayed, a bit like dyeing clothes! The new room is nearly done, how exciting, you will have it looking fabulous in no time. I so love what you have done to your old dresser, it looks gorgeous. Speaking of gorgeous, your grandson is one? Where did that year go and my god he has gorgeous big eyes, the sort that will melt hearts now and latter in life.

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  8. Hi Julie happy birthday to your little Alec what a cutie he is . Oh your new rooms will look fantastic ,can't wait to see them finished and I love your cabinet in duck egg blue it looks fantastic,well done my friend xx

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  10. I love the word 'discombobulated' :)

    Gorgeous upcycling. I love the cupboard.

    Happy birthday to sweet little Alec. That cake is impressive!

    Your kitties are, as ever, adorable ♥

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  12. Hi Julie, cant wait to see your finished lounge, I sure it will look fabulous, wow 1yr old already, where did that year go, love his feijoa cake, feijoa's hmmm one thing I have never seen in Australia. Chris xoxo.

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  13. Hello Julie,

    Happy Birthday to Alec, I do love Fejoia's so a cake sounds delicious. I have had some of our bush recently, not enough for a cake though. The makeover on your wall cabinet is lovely, I can imagine it would be easier to dust now that it is painted. Love the fabric you chose for your quickly painted basket.

    Happy days.
    Bev.

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  14. Adorable Alec, happy birthday. Goodness how fast the year goes.Loving your painted hutch and the basket.

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  15. There is nothing quite like a loungeroom renovation to make one feel old and worn. =) I love the word discombobulated, so much more romantic than confused! Wow, your Alec has grown. My goodness where did that year go?? He is very sweet. Love your newly painted basket and LOVE that cute newly restored li'l china cupboard. Fabulous colours. Nothing like a good lick of paint to make everything spiffy again. Have a lovely week styling that loungeroom of yours. Xx

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  16. Hi Julie: I love the new look on the cabinet. It is calling out for some fancy china to hold. :) Little Alec is such an adorable child. What a darling face. I, too, celebrated with a grand-daughter who turned six today. They grow so fast. Glad to hear that your upheaval is coming to an end soon. I know all about living through renovations. Yuk! Have a wonderful weekend and hugs to the kitties. Deb

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  17. A lovely cheery post Julie, in spite of the discombobulation you've suffered (I LOVE that word too, try to slip it into conversations when I can!!). It looks liike dear wee Alex had a great birthday and good to hear you're making progress on your 'house work'. Have a lovely week xx

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  18. Happy Birthday Alec ...and I love the idea of spraying everything white. Have a great week and hope the decorating is nearly finished.xx

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    1. Thanks E.E. Just 2 more weeks til the carpet goes down, then I can move back in all my stuff :-) Oh YAY

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  19. Blackie looks suitably relaxed about the wild winter weather we are having! Happy Birthday to Alex. He is looking handsome!. Gosh, what fun you could have with that sprayer! I feel if it didn't move it could be painted white! The new look cabinet is gorgeous - I am very jealous of your painting skills.

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  20. Hi sweet Julie! You're going to be thrilled when the project is finished. I can't wait to see it! The cabinet looks beautiful! I wish you lived closer to me.

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  21. Hi, I made my way to your blog through Wood Fairy. It looks like you are very talented at repurposing things - both the basket and cupboard are lively.

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  22. Happy 1st birthday little Alec!! xxxxx

    Oh goodness, I so badly want to come play at your house. You always have so much fun. :-)

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  23. Yes, indeed. Happy birthday to that wee boy! I'd go with Granny's feijoa cake any day. I am well acquainted with the discombobulation experience, as you know, I think that's it's often when things drag on & on & stretch us just that bit too far that the wheels start to fall off. What a clever idea to hire the paint spray gun. Was it terribly expensive? It would almost seem worth lining up a whole range of things for the spray over treatment & do them all at once wouldn't it? Just love the basket with the Sanderson lining..very pretty indeed. I am sure you are going to feel so good about all the work you've all done very soon. By the way how's the leg? Much love, dear one, Catherine x0x0x

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  24. Lots has been happening at your place!! The work basket looks fantastic, as does the all unit! You are very brave painting it!! Feijoa cake sounds wonderful...we can get feijoas in the supermarket here ,sometimes, but they are $7.00 a kg!!! Find it hard to pay that when I used to sit under the neighbours wind break fence and eat all I could!!! Lovely to see your grandson enjoying his birthday!!

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