bodner006

Sorry. Sorry for being so out of the blogging game for awhile.  But like every Mom, I've needed to find a balance.  I've been overwhelmed more than my share this past year, but it's all been good.  I'm super busy with re-stocking my shop and taking orders from new customers.  But, summer is upon us and the kids are home, so that means it's time to re-organize my life.  I need the time to be the cook, maid, taxi-driver, terrorist negotiator, nurse, recreational director, lifeguard and referee, among other things.  So that means less time for blogging.  But I do have a few tutorials and projects in the works, and I can't wait to share them with you.  That's after I talk my 4 year old out of her meltdown. As for saving my sanity, that's where my husband comes in.  You see, last year we purchased one of those Intex Ultra Frame pools.  My son Jack is still battling leukemia and he can't swim in lakes, ponds, or rivers due to the chance of a b...

Tommy is a big guy.  And sturdy.  Everyone likes sturdy.  But not everyone likes boring, plain and faded wood.      Tommy is a fun loving, jeans and t-shirt wearing kind of guy.  And his exterior should match his interior.   He mellows out to Jack Johnson and likes to entertain his friends by playing his banjo around a bonfire down at the beach.    He's in and out of relationships but all of them end nicely. And on any given day you can find him biking down the beach with his rescued golden by his side. Since my previous bike dresser was such a big hit, and with summer upon us, I thought I would create another.  This is a great piece with fine construction.  I refinished the top and decided to brighten up the rest of the piece with some paint.  Annie Sloan Old White chalk paint is used for the base and I mixed a few colors together to use on the beach cruiser.  Of course I had to distress the piece to make it all shab...

My wonderful client Kami wanted a zinc finish for this plain ole' dresser.  She got a great deal on Craigslist and wanted a complete transformation by making this baby shine with a zinc finish. Why use a faux finish rather than paint containing zinc?  According to the U.S. General Services Administration , paints containing zinc are to be avoided when painting wood, as zinc attracts moisture.  The authority spoke, and I listened.  So off Google I went to look for instructions on a faux finish. It wasn't hard to find THE BEST tutorial on the planet.  Jami, at Freckled Laundry has the most complete tutorial for creating this kind of finish.  Actually, it is the most complete tutorial ever.  Yes, ever.  You can't go wrong if you just take the time to watch her multiple videos. And, after watching said videos, this is how the plain ole' dresser turned out: I added legs, as the original dresser looked like the legs had been cut out from underneath her...

Meet Adelaide, the desk. She was a little on the drab side before we met. But this little lady has deep ties to France. Born in the United States, she has many first cousins heralding from the sweet town of Evreux, north west of Paris.  Although never visited, she is saving her pennies to visit one day. She loves all things French:  eating croissants at the local cafe, proudly draping a Chanel bag over her shoulder, sharing bordeaux wine with friends, watching every movie starring Gerard Depardieu (before his escape to Russia, of course), and often enjoying a read from her vast collection of Victor Hugo novels. This lovely came to me from a family member who thought I could brighten her up.  Adding my own recipe of chalk paint, I added detail to make it look like a vintage grain sack.  She is coated in polyacrylic to seal it all in. Dimesions are 43 1/2" wide, 17 1/2" deep, 29 1/2" tall. If you would like to add some worldly charm to your home, you can find her at Ro...

This sweet little dresser came to me from my friend Nicole.  She no longer had a use for it and thought I could do something with it.  After it came to me, it got buried in my garage, like everything else.  Only the other day I unburied it, and was inspired. You see, my little guy is battling leukemia.  But we are tremendously fortunate to live close enough to Boston so Jack can get his treatment at the Jimmy Fund, which is the pediatric unit of Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  As with all horrible diseases, money is needed for research to end such diseases.  The Jimmy Fund is lucky enough to have the Pan Mass Challenge as it's number one contributor.  It is the most successful fundraising event in the country, raising $37 million dollars last year alone.  100% of every rider-raised dollar goes directly to cancer research.  Over 5000 cyclists, from around the world, get on their bikes and ride through Massachusetts for a two day event in August...

I love photos.  Most people do, and we should be proud to display them.  A galley wall can just include photos, but you can also mix it up with other media and interesting finds.  Here's some of my favorite examples: 1.  Loving the simplicity of the lines and color.  I think the matted frames makes this an elegant, yet uncomplicated kitchen.  The utensils on the wall are their own form of art. Source 2.  Hello pop of color!  It's great when you can start from scratch like this, using the same color and size frames.  It makes quite a statement. Source 3.  Once again, big fan of the white frames.  But I liked how they used not only photos, but quotes, child's art, etc . . . to create a very cozy wall. Source You also need to determine the "style" of your galley wall.  Perhaps you're the kind of person that needs every angle to match up perfectly.  Investing in a laser level will help you achieve that look.  For me, I'm ...

I have made a sweeping change in our living room.  Along with the kitchen, it is the heart and soul of our home, like most homes.  Previously, most of what we decorated with was brought into our marriage by each of us and then we kept decorating around that scheme.  Recently, I realized the scheme truly didn't fit our personality. I'm embarrassed to show you this first photo for a few reasons:  1:  it's a scanned copy from the listing photo 10 years ago and super grainy, and 2:  my husband was fine with keeping the pink.  Yes, I said he was fine with keeping the pink.  What I think he meant is we could live with it for awhile.  Or at least I hope that's what he thought.   Needless to say, Pepto Bismol walls were gone and turned into this over the first 6 months (note:  this is the first transformation): Like I said, we decorated with what we had and just continued added to it. Now to present day, we have a young family and I want ou...