Spring Into Action – Week 3

It’s here – the Spring Into Action finale! 12 bloggers and their final reveals…good or bad!

You can catch up on Week 1 here and Week 2 here

As a reminder, here’s what I started with:

And here’s how it looks now:

Doesn’t it look so much better?! I decided to lightly distress this piece to show off all of the details. You really lose sight of the details with such a dark color.

I bet some of you are surprised I didn’t paint it white – we all know I love me some white furniture! I decided to paint it black to go with my black dining room table. My entertainment center is white and I’ll eventually paint the china hutch white, so I didn’t want the dining room table to be the oddball piece of furniture.

And can we talk about the new hooks and the plant? Icing on the cake! 

Seriously, I think the hooks and plant really make this piece standout. Hopefully I don’t kill this plant. If I do, I’m buying a fake orchid. They make some very realistic looking ones nowadays.  

OK, let’s talk money:

Cost

Hall/Entry Tree – free (see details here)

Primer – leftover from previous projects

Paint – leftover from nightstands

Hooks – Home Depot $6.97 x 4 + tax = $30.39

Plant - Lowe's $8.98

Total $39.67

I want to thank Linda for inviting me to participate in this challenge. I wouldn’t have finished this piece so quickly otherwise. It’s amazing what a little peer pressure will do!

And don’t forget to stop by and check out the reveals from the other participants!

Suzy – Saved by Suzy

Tiffany – Living Savvy

Kerry – Design du Monde

Laurie – Traditional & Modern

Cathy – Room Rx

Carrie – Hazardous Design

Lisa – A Room with A View

Becca – from Gardners 2 Bergers

Jean – Flower Hill Design

Nancy – Powell & Brower Home

Linda – My Crafty Home Life 

Spring Into Action – Week 2

I’m back for another week of the Spring Into Action challenge!

Last week we announced our projects (see Week 1 here) and today we’re sharing our progress. Next Thursday will be the final reveal!

Before we start, I just realized that I never told you where I got this piece from. Well, you might already know if you’ve been following me since last February…which you probably weren’t because hardly anyone was back then. Anyway, last year my grandpa was getting remarried and his new wife was starting to move her stuff into his house. So, I got first dibs on everything he was getting rid of – including this entry/hall tree. You can see some of the other items I got from him and read my feelings on the situation here. Honestly, it’s over a year later and I still feel the same way. I don’t dislike his new wife, but I don’t know if I like her either. She’s nice, but there’s just something about her…

Anyway, let’s talk entry tree progress. I think I’ve made really good progress so far. It’s amazing what a little motivation will do for you!

So far I’ve removed the old hooks, filled the holes, and lightly sanded everything down.

I also primed the piece using some leftover gray primer (from the bathroom vanity makeover).

Oh, and I bought new hooks – no more eyeball hooks!

Can you believe these are from Home Depot?! They are exactly what I wanted for this piece. I couldn’t believe it when I saw them!

So that’s where I’m at right now. I still need to paint, install the new hooks, and buy a new plant. I definitely think I can get that all done by next Thursday!

Don’t forget to check out the progress from the other ladies participating! Progress is such a tease! Now I really can't wait to see the final reveals!

Suzy – Saved by Suzy

Tiffany – Living Savvy

Kerry – Design du Monde

Laurie – Traditional & Modern

Cathy – Room Rx

Carrie – Hazardous Design

Lisa – A Room with A View

Becca – from Gardners 2 Bergers

Jean – Flower Hill Design

Nancy – Powell & Brower Home

Linda – My Crafty Home Life 

Spring Into Action – Week 1

I’m excited to announce that I’m joining 11 other bloggers for the Spring Into Action challenge!

Linda at My Crafty Home Life created this challenge to inspire us to complete a project we’ve been procrastinating. Well, I have plenty of those!

Today we’re starting off by announcing our projects and plan of attack. I had a really hard time picking a project because my entire house is a project I’ve been procrastinating! After some thought, I decided to pick the first thing you see when you walk in the door – this entry tree:

For over a year it’s been greeting guests with its eyeball looking hooks and old lady-ness. I say, “No More!”

As you can see, it really is the first thing as you walk in the door.

*In all fairness, there used to be a plant on it and it looked a little better…then the plant died.

OK, so let’s talk about my plan of attack:

Sand

Prime

Paint

New hooks

New plant…and try not to kill it

Next week we’ll talk about the progress I’ve made (or haven’t made) and then the week after that is the final reveal! I better get my act together and get started!

And don’t forget to stop by and visit the other ladies taking part in the challenge! Some of them are really brave and taking on even bigger projects!

Suzy – Saved by Suzy

Tiffany – Living Savvy

Kerry – Design du Monde

Laurie – Traditional & Modern

Cathy – Room Rx

Carrie – Hazardous Design

Lisa – A Room with A View

Becca – from Gardners 2 Bergers

Jean – Flower Hill Design

Nancy – Powell & Brower Home

Linda – My Crafty Home Life