Back in the saddle again

I'm back from a great vacation/reunion/wedding week in Colorado.  Sadly, now I'm watching so much of my old stomping grounds go up in flames! Yikes!  Prayers for friends and followers in all of the affected areas!

No pictures this post, I have no idea where the camera even is.  And with the extreme heat in the midwest today I won't even step foot in the workshop.  I will say that I managed to snag a few good finds to bring home and work on soon while in CO.  My Mr. even managed to hit a garage sale and was so proud to tell me that he found a small table to drag home with us for a dip and a re-do!  Funny.

Anyway, didn't want you to think that I had skipped out permanently and I'll be back with some new things very, very soon.  Have a great week, and if you don't hear from me by Friday then check the laundry room where I could very well be trapped under a massive amount of dirty clothes!!

Deb

Gaga Sighting

No, not Lady Gaga, though not long ago she was here visiting her boyfriend's parents about 15 miles away from here and shooting a music video in the same area.  We're talking a Gaga Ball pit in the backyard.

Last weekend the Mr. and my 3 minions children went to work and built the Gaga pit in a day. 

Here it is layer by layer.

The last board going on!

144 bolts, nuts and washers, not to mention some team work, and we have the kid corral
Gaga pit.

If you build it they will come....Sorta like our own personal field of dreams!

Last 2 standing.  Gaga ball for those who have no idea what I'm talking about is played in the pit with either teams or individually.  It is essentially dodge ball where the idea is to hit an opponent from the knee down.  If you hit the ball out of the pit you are out,  if you hit someones head you are out, if you get hit or your toes get run over by the ball you are out.  You may use the wall of the pit to bounce the ball, but once you touch the ball you can not hit it again until it has been touched by someone else.  When you start everyone stands with their heels to the wall and the ball is bounced in for 2 bounces "ga ga" then it begins.  It's an equalizer type of game that allows kids of all sizes and skills to play.  I anticipate we'll have many wild gaga ball events around here.  And if I ever decide to get a bunny or a goat, I've got a pen!

Have a great week!
Deb

We get this request for measurements, etc. fairly frequently.  Have fun!

Here is the design information for the Gaga Pit you requested. 

First off, ours is six-sided with 8 foot long sides.  You can make them larger, 8-sided with 10 foot sides, but we wanted to keep the size manageable.  We used three 2”X10” X 8 foot for each side with ~1 inch spacing between the boards.  I used treated pine just to make it last longer.  I eventually stained it to make it last even longer and look nice.

The corner brackets were made at a local welding shop out of ¼ steel plate or whatever they have available.  The attachment shows the size (30”X12”) with a 120 degree angle.  I had them punch in the 3/8”  bolt holes to save me time drilling and they can do it really easy.  The only change I would make is to move the center bolt holes out further .  The computer drawing shows the pencil changes.  I found it was tough to get a bolt into the center holes as they were too close to the angle corner.  I used galvanized 5/16 bolts with nuts and flat washers (total of 192). 

When it is all put together it is really heavy, so you want to assemble it close to where it is going to sit.

Hope this helps and good luck

Dennis

Sweet Dreams

I say it to my girls every night before bed, "sweet dreams".  It's our true wish to have a restful sleep, full of only happy, dreamy thoughts.  Maybe this could help them achieve that.

I just finished this vintage Basset bedroom set in the last week.  It's pretty sweet and ready for a young lady somewhere out there!

It boasts a full sized bed with a decorative headboard and footboard.  Some pretty little french provincial lines.  The set is painted in Old White with some distressing for a shabby chic feel.

Here is a before picture of the desk/vanity showing it's age and potential all at the same time!

Look at her now all freshened up. 

Do you see the potential for a desk here like I do?  That little tray lifts out, and those 3 long slots would make a great area for a charging station with a simple hole drilled in the back and a multiplug bar mounted underneath or behind.  If not it also makes a great place to sit and dream and learn to put your makeup on.

Here's a close up of that gorgeous pink/gray/green fabric that covers the seat and lines the drawers!

Finally there's the highboy dresser.  Wow, I love this piece.  It is still in pristine condition inside the dove tailed drawers.  I refinished the top in English Chestnut, an homage to the original set color.  It just seems like such a stately piece to me!

I don't know about you, but I think only sweet dreams belong here.

More to come this week!  Deb

Linking up to:

http://primitiveandproper.blogspot.com/2012/06/poww-92.html

http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/2012/06/be-inspired-features-and-link-party-23.html

http://missmustardseed.com/2012/06/furniture-feature-friday-features-a-link-party-3/

Busy Bees

We are just busy little bees over here this weekend.  My oldest daughter is off taking her ACT test.  She can't possibly be thinking that I'll actually let her leave to attend college in a couple of years.  I'm still trying to adjust to her driving herself to school activities!

My other two are alternating between irritating each other, helping their Dad with a project, and hopefully getting cleaned up enough to go for haircuts this morning.

The Mr. is working on building the much anticipated GaGa pit.  I promise pictures of it in use and an explanation as soon as it is completed.

Me, I managed to paint the inside of a mid-century modern buffet I'm working on.  Hope to have it finished in the next few days to have it to share.  Now I have to scrape paint off my arms (and somehow one knee) get cleaned up enough to be able to take the minions to their hair appointments.  But because I have not given you much good blogging of late I'll leave you with a couple of pictures from a recent custom completion and the promise of a bigger reveal in the next few days with another recent completion.  See, I do stay home long enough to get a few things done! :-)

Remember the top that had me doing the church lady imitation?  Sigh, didn't it turn out sweet?

  J & M finally have their cute little side table/desk completed and ready to be put back in action!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Deb

Sunny summertime

Which is why I keep hearing the water running in this house!  The super soakers are out and the neighbors are being subjected to lots of screams and screeches, but it beats the "I'm bored" drumbeat on what, the 2nd week of school vacation!  Holy Cow it might just be a loooooooonnnnnnngggggg summer!

I'm staying busy at least!  Here is one of my latest finishes.

I'd say it was a fast one, but anytime upholstery and I cross paths it never seems as simple as it probably should be.  I'm sorry I didn't take a before, or maybe you should thank me for that!  It actually had a separate pillow top that I did away with, and some lovely mauve colored 1980's fabric covering it. 
Think about it, when was the last time you said "mauve" or saw much in that color for that matter.

I think this is much more fun than "mauve"!  I love the sleek black legs.  And this fabric is so bright and fun.  I really wish I had a room in my house where it would work darn it!  It's super comfy, and super sturdy, and I think super cute once again!

Have a SUPER week now!
Deb