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Mystery Thrift Off Reveal Tray Chic

As you know per my previous blog post HERE, I was chosen for the Mystery Thrift Off from the amazing blog, BetterAfter! Lindsey sent this little beauty to me and I had to make it over....

It was pretty scary and quite dusty so the first think I did was wipe it down, and dismantled it piece by piece.

The twine was wrapped so tightly it was insane not to mention the ridiculous amount of glue use to secure all the twine. I seriously had to break out the big time hand tools to remove the twine. Gross.

Once completed, I sanded it and painted it. At the end of May here in Chicago, it was seriously in the 40s so spray painting outside was difficult at best. I sprayed quickly and then had to move everything into the house to dry immediately. But the end result was worth it.

To make the base of the tray, I cut out two circles of pine wood and painted one a bright orange for summer and one a deep navy, my favorite color, for the 4th of July! I made it so the tray is interchangeable because I could not decide on a color.

Here is the finished product of the orange tray. I added small round balls for feet for a touch of whimsy. I think it really turned out cute.

And here are the final products! I cannot wait to use it for the 4th of July or a summer soiree!

Thank you for stopping by to check out my tray makeover! What do you think? ;-)

Mystery Thrift Off Reveal Tray Chic

Unexpected Kitchen Project Kicks Off 2015!

Hello! Happy 2015! Lets start the year with a little quiz.... On New Years Eve, and all of a sudden I heard....

A. Fireworks to celebrate the arrival of a new year

B. Party horns and the sound of a fab party

C. The collapsing of dishes in a kitchen cabinet!

If you answered C you are absolutely correct! All of a sudden two of the shelves gave way in the main dish cabinet in my kitchen. The little plastic things which hold the shelves in place all seemed to give way at the same time. Very interesting! And frustrating.

I have always had trouble with this cabinet pulling away from the wall, etc. It is a large cabinet which holds a lot of stuff. Thankfully, nothing broke! I have no idea how that happened but I am extremely grateful! Most of the items in that cabinet have sentimental meaning such as Disney mugs which are no longer available and family heirloom serving plates. But now, I am face with the dilemma of what to do.

It definitely needs to be attended to and I dont want to risk just fixing the shelves and losing all the dishes the next time it decides to misbehave! But out of adversity comes creativity! My head is spinning with ideas!

The area where the cabinet is supported on each side by a microwave and glass cabinet on one side and the pantry wall on the other. So I really dont have to put the cabinet back if I dont want. I have always been intrigued by the concept of open shelving and this would be the ideal situation to give it a try.

Since the area above the cabinets houses electricity for over the cabinet lighting, the top of the cabinet cannot be removed. So as an option, I found this adorable cubby hole system on Pinterest which would work out perfectly! The instructions and blog post on Shanty 2 Chic can be found HERE.

I would make it a bit wider and only one level but it would also free up space in my pantry. WIN WIN!

Then still exploring ideas and options on Pinterest, I found these rustic and cost effective open shelves which I LOVE! These would be perfect! I think I also have a few pieces of stone left from the backsplash to fill in if I made the shelf level with the microwave. The tutorial and blog post from The Woodgrain Cottage can be found HERE.

So I am kind of being forced into jump starting projects for 2015 which isnt such a bad thing I guess. I am going to think about it for a few days before I decide to simply reinforce the existing cabinet or throw caution to the wind and try something new! This is starting off to be an interesting year already! Happy 2015 - I hope your DIY dreams come true!

Unexpected Kitchen Project Kicks Off 2015!

I was chosen for the BetterAfter Mystery Thrift Off!

Wow! I cant believe it is May already! I should totally be ashamed of myself as my last blog post was in March! Yikes - that is not good. Tennis season is in full swing and I am busy coaching and stringing racquets and all things associated with the Spring sports season. I have also been working on my guest room and that is another reveal post that is coming up shortly after I put up the crown molding. Then that room is DONE! What a great feeling! I love how it is turning out too.

Anyhoo - if you read my blog regularly, you know I am a huge fan of the blog BETTERAFTER! It is like a daily ritual for me to visit and see the latest makeover. It is like I wake up, eat breakfast, brush my teeth and then... go and visit Lindsey at BetterAfter.net to see what incredible makeover is being freatured today! I have been extremely fortunate and honored that she has posted four of my makeovers on her site. First, it was my faux carriage garage doors HERE, then it was my faux granite countertops HERE, then it was my backyard shed HERE, and my Christmas sleigh HERE. If you havent ever visited this site, Im warning you now, make sure you have ample time and enough beverages to keep you properly hydrated because you once you go in, it may be hours before you come out! Seriously, not even kidding! If you need a good laugh out loud moment, read her post on her new bookcases. It is like snort laughing funny! HERE!

So, in February, Lindsey - the very talented and hilarious author of BetterAfter announced a crazy new idea she had. She partnered with Goodwill Industries to announce a new contest called #TheMysteryThriftOff! She was going to go to Goodwill thrift stores and find items which she would send out to those lucky enough to be selected via an entry questionnaire submitted to her blog. Well, of course I entered immediately!

Lo and behold, a few weeks later, I receive an email that I WAS CHOSEN. I was one of only 12 people and I couldnt be more excited. I totally felt like Charlie when he finds the Golden Ticket except there was no Wonka Bar with which to celebrate. Bummer. This was such an intriguing idea and I was super excited to see both the crazy items she chose and the transformations her followers created. And to know now that I was going to be given the opportunity to participate in the first annual GREAT MYSTERY THRIFT OFF, well, it is just very cool.

So each day I earerly awaited my mystery delivery. And then it finally arrived! The box was a little worse for wear but there it was! The box! Sitting on my front step in all of its General Splendour. Hmmm....what could be inside! Drumroll please...... TADA!

This is my item that I need to make over. I guess it could be described at a macrame wall hanging but all I keep thinking of is the hilarious scene in When Harry Met Sally with the Roy Rogers Wagon Wheel Coffee Table. So I do call this my Roy Rogers macrame wall art thing item. It is about 13" around and accentuated with pine cone petals. And enough glue to choke a small pony.

And it is signed by a BB Slater? Could the artist - this macrame genius - be a beloved relative of "Slater" from Saved By The Bell? Nah!

Initially, I came up with some crazy ideas such as an organic hipster hubcap... dope, right? LOL

Since I received it the day before the Kentucky Derby, I thought maybe if I added some flowers, I could have a one of a kind fascinator hat in case I road tripped to Kentucky....

Then I thought of a frisbee or one of those Native American dream catcher things with the feathers....

But as a devout Catholic, Im not quite sure how that works with the Indian Gods. Im sure my Mom wouldnt be too thrilled with that - even watching down on me from Heaven. So ok, no dream catcher. It isnt worth it to upset my Mom. Or Jesus. :-) Lol!

Then my peonies are coming up and they always flop over! Grrr. Well, did you know they make a peony ring? (Insert your own joke HERE). No really! It looks like this:

It keeps your peony from being floppy coz no one likes a ... Oh Nevermind! So I gave that a shot:

So that is where I stand right now. Ive thrown around a few ideas and I think I have finally arrived at a plan. The rules of the contest are that I cant reveal my final makeover here at General Splendour until it appears on the blog BetterAfter.net. The deadline for the finished project is May 23rd and they will be reaveled in June! And at the rate Im going, that will be about the time for my next blog entry. Seriously. LOL

And the final reveal is HERE!

I was chosen for the BetterAfter Mystery Thrift Off!

Notre Dame Kick off! Primping begins

Well here it is - August 13th! Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football begins in 18 days on August 31st!

Primping at "The Bend" (as in South Bend, Indiana) has begun. Lots of pre and post game parties are on the horizon! SO much yard work and projects to do but it is a labor of love! Go Irish!

The season begins in August this year with sunshine and temps in the 80s. By the time the last game is played this season, Thanksgiving will be one week away and most likely we will be shoveling snow. An outdoor fireplace in South Bend, Indiana, is a MUST for any football gatherings! :-)

Walking campus at dusk in the summer is one of my favorite things to do. It s SO quiet and peaceful before the students arrive in a few weeks. The stunning doors of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

The Golden Dome as the sun disappears for the day. A brilliant spotlight shines upon Mary as she watches over all of us atop the famous Administration Building.

Candles burn in the Grotto 365 days a year. Such an amazing, blessed place! These were taken with my iphone - my apologies. :-(

The Virgin Mary atop her Grotto watches over students and visitors from around the world who come to visit her here.

Notre Dame Kick off! Primping begins