Front Entry Facelift!

My front entry is now one of my favorite places. Before I gave it a new look it was a sad, dreary place. All that lived there was a tired, washed out rocking chair I got at a rummage sale for 15 bucks. While checking my mail one day I realized this is the first impression you have of my home and knew right away I needed to fix this. I am also painfully aware that my house needs a paint job. We purchased a fixer upper and almost everything needed to be redone....this is on our long list. ;)

This was it before, minus the table....sad right. :( I sanded down the chair really well and cleaned the daylights out of  it. Then gave it a couple good coats of paint. I used "Gentle Rain" by Behr. It is a  beautiful blueish gray. So when all was said and done I had a beautiful chair but it still needed help.

We had just painted our patio and gone through all the planters and little tables we had. I came across this neglected little stand and knew it was perfect. Sorry it isn't a great pic but it I (being my forgetful self) forgot to get a good pic of it.

I gave it a good cleaning, sanded the rough spots, and cleaned a little more.

The top was a pretty washed out and dirty. I gave it a good scrub and went in search for my spray paint colors. With a little paint and painters tape this is what I ended up with. I am very happy with how this dreary little table came to life. I used aqua, red, and white spray paint.

 I also added a pretty white planter found at a garage sell. Do you like my pretty mums? So what do you think? I am in love. I sit and read my mail here while watching my boys play. It is wonderful.  Just remember next time you come across a "seen better  days" item in or around your household take a second look ....it could be your wonderful.

Linking up with ... Beneath My Heart

An oraganized and decluttered Medicine Cabinet :)

So the other day Mr. Wonderful says to me " Do we really need to keep the boxes and papers to all these meds?"  Well of course we need to keep these, crazy. He doesn't like clutter at all. So I thought of a quick fix that would keep us both happy. This....

Now let me explain.....

I took out all of our medications and  separated them by what they were for and who they were for. Then I took all the boxes and paper work out. I like to keep the boxes and paper work because sometimes they say more than the bottle and what happens if I need that info and the box is in the trash.

I forgot to take a pic but all these boxes were in this cabinet with the below items. I sorted this a little in the bottom pic because I was to embarrassed to show you how crazy it was in there. :-O

I cut all the boxes down to only kept the important parts. On the underside of these boxes I wrote notes that come to mind with each medication that I felt was  need to know info.

I then found my hole punch, a freezer bag, screw hook and a drill.

I punched a hole in the top of the ziploc under the threads where it would hold up to hanging.

I pre-drilled a small hole that would accommodate my screw hook in my cabinet door. Make sure this won't interfere with your cabinet door shutting. You may have to place it in a certain spot so it isn't in the way.

Placed all my info, thermometers, and little misc. items that were lying around the cabinet into the ziploc.

Then I placed my baggie onto the hook. They are all  together in the cabinet and everyone is happy. 

Our meds are all in place by person, purpose, and use.

Now I can look at this cabinet and know exactly where everything is and have everything I need without the clutter. Mr. Wonderful had a great idea. He said I should sew a fabric bag with a vinyl front so it would hold up longer. Awesome idea....now just to get around to it. I have a to-do list longer than the Mississippi. Ha! I will get to it though....that ziploc will only hold up for so long.

Hope this gave you some ideas in your own home.

Book + Little Boys = Book Repair Post

My boys love to read. They also do

not quite understand the importance of treating their books nicely . In their excitement to read a new/old book this happened. Luckily for me throughout grade school and high school I worked in the library during some elective spots I had. We came across many neglected books. Being a smaller school with  even smaller funds we had to repair rather than replace. This is how we did it.

Repair supplies:

Scissors

Clear packing tape

Victimized book

You start by lining up the torn pages or in my case the cover and the remains of the book. Place the packing tape at the top of you page so that half of the tape is on the torn page and the other half is on the spine and book. Cut your tape at the bottom flush with your book. Wrap your tape and press really well, making sure to keep everything lined up.

For the pages you line them up just the same. Make sure there are no gaps between the pages and the spine or your book will not line up when closed. Place your tape at the top of the page straddling both pages. Press firmly. Trim tape flush with the bottom of your book.

There you have it. Good as new! Well maybe not brand new. How do you like that lovely bite E took out of the corner. Silly kid. I have since had to move all the books up a couple shelves. This lovely book was one of many a friend gave me when I was pregnant with K. They were from her childhood in the 50's. One of my favorite shower gifts.

Yes ...that is a hot pink robe sleeve. LOL It was early  and I was still in P.J. mode. ;)

So next time your little monster slays a book see if it is salvageable before tossing it. Books can be expensive and a penny saved is a penny earned! ;) Happy Reading Everyone!

Added tip....we would also do this to a book at the first sign of damage to prevent more damage. Say you have a small tear at the base or a page is coming loose. This will help prevent further damage.