From old and drab to new and fab... Repost

This is a repost of one of my favorite redos.... I have several that I will be sharing soon.... I have LOTS up my sleeve! I'm linking to Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday.

Friends, you are looking at my first ever upholstery project.... It was hard as a MOJO, but it was well worth all the sanding, painting, cutting, cussing, stretching, cussing, sewing, cussing, and stuffing (cussing). This chair belonged to my great aunt and uncle, and I believe it is either from the 50's or 60's. It had a Broyhill label on the bottom seat.. If anyone knows more history about my chair feel free to chime in. Jenny took it after the aunt and uncle died, and she used it for a few years until she passed it onto me a year ago.... It's been in storage just waiting for it's grand redo!!!! Here she is:

Look how droopy and sad she looks with her ratty upholstery, missing button. and dull wood....

I had to rip off all the old (and YUCKY) upholstery from the arms... That stuff was gross, and trust me. The Broyhill people didn't shy away from staple use. This part and sanding took a good 3 hours or so.

Next came my FAVORITE part... The painting..... What did I use??? Yep, that's spray paint... Rustoleum in Antique White....a little tip from my friend, Centsational Girl....

The original cushions were NASTY. I mean disgusting..... I took the cushions out in the back yard with a big garbage bag. They actually disintegrated into a pile of 100 million little disgusting nasty pieces. Since I didn't have the cushions to use for a pattern I dissected the original cushions to make a pattern.... That fabric was SO DIRTY and GROSS.... Have I mentioned it was nasty??? Anyway, I traced around the pattern pieces onto the backside of my new fabric.... After that came all the cussing and trial and error....Making those cushions was A LOT harder than I imagined.....

BUT it was SO WORTH IT!!! Look at her now!!!! Isn't she fabulous????

I will have to admit that I've been a bit full of myself over this chair.... Even LOGAN said it is amazing!!!!

Back view.....

Close up of the back cushion...
I thought it needed a little contrast, so I recovered this old pillow I had.....
Here it is now....... I LOVE this fabric....

I need to work on some things to hang around it.... This place in my living room is tricky... THAT'S a story on it's on for another post later... Here she is in her new place of honor in our living room.....

I have been reading decorating blogs for a while but have been scared to take the plunge. People, I am afraid NO longer..... Next up is our master bedroom.... The walls are a chocolate brown, and I've bought some yummy french blue and brown fabric to make roman blinds, new bedding, and to RECOVER a small rocker.... I'm also going to repaint the bathroom to match and PAINT my dresser.... Oh, there are fun days ahead........ Let me know what you think of this redo.

Birthday dress and a new sewing place

I can’t believe that my little Miss Anne Pearce will be 3 years old this Saturday. WHEN did that happen?? We’re taking her to see Toy Story and are having a little dinner for her….then next week???? We’re going to see our Jenny Poo (my sister) in Orlando!!! Little Miss Priss will get to see the real “Ninny Nouse” for her birthday. We have fall break, so we’re heading on down. I always make my girls something special to wear for their birthdays, so I made AP a new dress. She loves the cupcakes. She looks good enough to eat in it too…. I’ve had several rehab projects going at one time. Remind me not to try that again. I’ll tease you with some “befores” and will share the “afters” soon.

The birthday dress…. I used Sandi Henderson’s petal apron dress pattern, Robert Kaufman cupcakes and dots.

A birthday skirt for our Bella….. They’re birthdays are only 5 days apart.

Now for the befores…. A black bookshelf that my grandmother had built to store all her Harlequin romances about 30 years ago….

Dirty…..boring…… BORING.

Open backed shelves…..

And a BORING farmtable. This is where the new sewing space comes in! Can’t wait to show you what I’ve turned these beauties into!

Front porch fairhope style

This is my front porch. We live in a cottage close to downtown Fairhope. We totally lucked out finding this gem 2 blocks from downtown. We walk all over the place and love it here….

 I think I heard the hallelujah chorus cued when our weatherman announced that the heavy humidity is FINALLY leaving us Sunday. It was like manna from Heaven. I haven’t been able to sit out in my comfy rocker for months. Summers are killer in southern Alabama….In the next few months this is where I’ll be in my free time with a big ol’ glass of tea and a good book. This place is now a sanctuary for me, but before it was just a drab white blank canvas with a gray concrete floor.  It didn’t beckon to you, “Come join me…come sit a spell.” The use of color and different textures brought this space to life. This is now a happy spot and one of my favorite “rooms'” in this house.

 This front porch was such a fun project to do, and it cost around $200 total. I got the outdoor rugs and adorable green folding chairs at World Market for around $150….4 chairs and 3 rugs for $150. SCORE. The other things are items that I had laying around….in storage….in the attic…pieces I had stuck away and almost forgotten about. That red table used to be a dreary off white almost gray color. The little rocker was a $30 find at a flea market and was stained a dark green color. Someone told me it was called a nursing chair from a child’s nursery long long ago. I spray painted that rocker, half moon table, and one of those cheap accent $5 tables from the dollar store. It’s amazing how a can of spray paint can change the look of a piece immediately.

A cheap little table can be transformed into a fabulous pop of color as seen above. I used to be one of those people who was afraid to take on projects like this. What if I painted it, and it looked really cruddy???What if I ruined it?? Now, I realize that if I screw something up I can just repaint it. We don’t have to be afraid of furniture…Paint is not a scary monster. Look at some of the things around your house, stuck in corners, in your garage, or up in your attic. Look at your old things in a new light. Think about what they COULD be…What would a coat of paint do??? What about a different fabric on the seat?? What could this piece BE? Open up your eyes and really look at your things. You probably have a gem sitting right under your eyes…. a boring mirror, an empty antique frame, a lumpy frumpy chair,  a bench, a stool…start with anything…look at your end tables with a new light…that old chest in your guest room…that ugly brass lamp your Aunt Agnes gave you when you got married…All these things can be transformed into something new and wonderful. I know that all of us are feeling the financial crisis that is plaguing our country. We don’t have the money to go buy new furniture or expensive pieces of art, BUT we can afford a $3 can of spray paint, a roll of raffia ribbon for $2, or a little bit of sandpaper and elbow grease. We can use what we have and the simple things around us to transform our homes into the perfect place for us. Go look around your house and choose one thing you would like to change… I’m going to be doing several furniture projects over the next couple of months. I’ll show you the things I’ve learned and figured out… Together we can transform our spaces and make our old things new.

 

Is it wrong to love a button??

Lookie what I got in the mail today from Zelda's Buttons on Etsy. I love me a vintage button... The colors are so rich and the textures are fabulous. You just can't find buttons like this anymore.... I could look at buttons for hours.... I know... I'm a creepy button lover, but I admit I have a problem. That's a start right? Those red ones are DIVINE.... I have the perfect fabric that I want to use these with. My favorites though are the clear ones with tortoise edges. Aren't they precious?

This picture really doesn't do the button justice.... It was hard to get a shot of the little buggers... What I can see are all the scratches on my coffee table.... Guess that'll be a rehab post soon...

Speaking of rehabs, I went on a tear through all of the antique stores I could fit in the 3 hours my girlies were being entertained at pre-school. The desired target was a desk for one of my boys. I didn't find a desk, but I did SCORE on an amazing hutch in excellent condition. I am going to totally redo it with about 3 different shades of paint. I can't wait to show it to you guys. Right now said hutch is on lay away. Yes. Layaway. In the state of Alabama it's a law that you must be able to place desired antiques on layaway. Big lovey should be in her new home in the next month or so. I also scored on a farmhouse table in great shape for $100 dollars. That table will become my new sewing table, and my sewing table (desk) will be redone for son #2's bedroom. See, things always work out in the end. Didn't go looking for a table, but a table was the solution to my problem. It will also be getting a dandy paint job.

Jumping to children's fashion, I had a set that I owed my friend Ragan. We did a trade. She redid my clothing blog in exchange for this outfit for her daughter. THIS is what I started with this morning: ONE HOT MESS.


This is what I ended up with this afternoon. Look at little Rosie all grown up. My little model is only a size 3, and this is a size 7. It swallows her, but I still wanted to imagine what it would look like on Miss Precious. I still need to trim some threads and finish up the waistband, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. I didn't have a pattern for this size top, so I just made one myself.


I have missed blogging. I have to have somewhere to share my creative side. I have SO many projects and furniture redos that I have planned over the next several months that I want to share with you. I am also going to offer some tutorials to get some of you mamas sewing. My friend Steph and I were discussing last night how sewing is becoming a lost art. I'll bet more than half of my readers had clothes made by their mothers or grandmothers. I am going to show you all that you don't have to be scared of your sewing machines. I'm going to send you to the best pattern and fabric sources while I give you tips and tutorials along the way. You also don't have to be scared to tackle some decorating projects. I hope you will see as you watch me transform pieces that YOU CAN DO IT TOO!!! That's my goal for this blog: a place for us to come together and share ideas and inspirations. I'm no expert in any of these areas, but I am willing to share what I know with you. First project?? A bookcase/cabinet that I inherited from my grandmother. That will be tackled beginning this weekend, and I'll share pictures with you along the way. I know I've been a HORRIBLE blogger, but stay tuned. The best of Loulou is yet to come!

lovey, lovey

MIA: Renound Blogger Loulou has mysteriously disappeared!

I know I haven't been around in a while, but we've had a crazy summer.... So much has been going on, but I'm starting to get back to a new "normal". The big kids are back in school, and the girlies are in preschool 2 mornings a week.... AHHHHHHH! Gotta love some preschool!!! I have fallen off the diet and exercise wagon...I still am running but not really watching my diet. I've gained a pound and a half back. I know that doesn't sound like much, but sometimes it takes me 2 weeks to lose half a pound! As of Monday, I'm back on it seriously. I'm going to blog about my journey here as well as other things going on in my life. Monday I'm posting BEFORE pictures and all my measurements. I'm hoping if I'm accountable to you guys that I'll follow through and lose these last 12 pounds. We have a new rec center here in town with child care, so I'm going to start going 2-3 days a week in addition to my running 3 days a week. Hopefully that will help my metabolism get going..... Also gonna be counting those Weight Watchers points. It works. I may get tired of counting, but it works. I've worked so hard to lose these 13 pounds and start getting my body back in shape, and I'm not giving up now! My goal by my 40th birthday (July 28, 2010) is to be in the best shape of my life....Andrew and I are going on some fabulous get away, and I plan on rocking several bikinis!!!

I'm not sewing for others anymore....It started taking over my life. I will still do things here and there to make a little pocket change, but it'll be nowhere near the production I had going on before..... So, if anyone has stuck around this long, I'M BACK! Being accountable to others helps me, and I need you gals to stay on me!!!

love and hugs,
Loulou

Why I am the WORST blogger ever...

These little cookies keep me BUSY and on my toes all day long....They are such an exhausting joy. I also took the plunge a few weeks ago and finally got a monogramming machine.... I like being able to add to my outfits, but I'm not a maniac monogrammer by any means! I've been planning and working on my fall line, and it will be ready in a couple of weeks.... The fabrics are so delicious they make me want to roll around in them.

On the health front I'm still exercising and counting points... It's SLOWLY coming off.... I'm really running again, and it feels amazing. I'm almost at 3 miles! I would have never dreamed that this sickly body of mine was capable of doing that again. I thank God everytime I run, because it is a miracle.....It gives me a break and rejuvenates me....I am always a better mama when I get that time for me. I just wish it wasn't do doggone hot out..... I have to wait until at least 8 or so to go for my run....It'll be much more enjoyable in the fall.

I'll continue to give you peeks of the fall line as they're ready.....


Here's Miss Prissy Pants....She does this everytime she thinks something's funny. It's hilarious.


My Anne Pearcey Poo.....Miss Thang....Ignore the dirty rug...

The girlies having a little morning tv.....They still dig some Wonder Pets....

The Halloween outfit.... The top is reversible to a black and white polka dot with lime green monogram.... That way it can be worn LONG after Halloween.....

Whew! Where have I been??

I come to this blog everyday to check on my creative peeps, and I just realized that I haven't posted a thing in WEEKS on here....It's been crazy around here lately. Both my big boys are home from school, so the house is full....somedays I love it....somedays I want to go on an extended vacation ;)..... We took a last minute trip to the beach last weekend and had a great time...... I got to spend an entire afternoon on the beach by myself. By. Myself. No kids. No screaming. No "MOMMY"?????? It was fabulous. The girls loved it and had a fabulous time. I am still working out and watching what I eat.... I haven't weighed in about a week, but at that count my total weight loss was 9 pounds. Honestly, I would have thought I would have lost 20 pounds in these ALMOST TWO MONTHS, but it's coming off at a snail's pace..... I am running again thanks to a program from personalrunningtrainer.com. It has hokey music, but he keeps me on track. I'm starting week 4 tonight.... By the end of week 4 I will be running in 1 mile increments with a minute of walking in between. I am LOVING it........We started a new church here in Fairhope... We walked to church last Sunday, which is fabulous.... It's literally a block away. The girls LOVED the nursery and are starting summer preschool there on Monday (cue the hallelujah chorus here).....I've been doing some sewing for them and am going to take some orders for others next week. I'm not going to sew the entire time they're at preschool. I may just sit and stare at the walls some ;) Here are some random pictures from the last few weeks.....

Yesterday was the 2 year anniversary of the day I flew down to Guatemala to get Anne Pearce FOREVER!

Sassy Essie.... We should've named her Sassy.
Crazy Anne Pearce....We should've named her Crazy.

Anne Pearce and Hayden at the beach

Essie at the beach

Three new outfits.....

This season of my life....

You want to know what season I'm in??? It's called CRAZY season... Really. It's crazy....crazy busy, crazy fun, crazy lovin'...... We all know that toddlers are....................well............................ crazy. At least all 4 of mine have been. Logan and Hayden were little boy crazy.... Running all around the house, climbing on all the furniture, wanting everything their way... Hey, wait a minute. That sounds like AP and EK ;) We were supposed to be in Orlando right now for my nieces graduation. At the last minute we decided not to go. Andrew said the thought of being trapped in a hotel room with 4 kids reminded him too much of Guatemala and being trapped in the Marriott. It was supposed to be raining like crazy down there, and nothing could be worse than being trapped. in a hotel. in the rain. not able to go to parks. no swimming. You get the picture. We had also gone through some crap with one of our teenagers last week, and it was just TOO much. Does anybody else understand this??? That sometimes a vacation is the LAST thing you need??? That's where I am. Megan told me that in another year I will be breezing with the kids.....that traveling will be so much easier. I'm holding her to that!!! I don't want to wish away the terrible 2's though... I will NEVER get this time back. Essie is still so much like a baby, and sometimes I wish I could freeze her right now. Then I come back to my senses ;)
On the exercise front, I'm still going at it.... It's been 5 weeks of exercise, and my scale is STILL stuck at 7 pounds. I KNOW I have to be gaining some muscle or SOMETHING. Yesterday while I was climbing the mountain back up to my house I was envisioning my body using that fat...KILL THE FAT!!!! I'm not giving up and expecting one week to weigh and 5 pounds or so will have mysteriously disappeared....
I'm leaving you with some of my favorites from the last week or two.... Love you guys. Mean it!


Sassy Essie

How sweet is this face?

Look at this girlie! Who would have EVER thought her hair would look like this?? Remember all those crazy hair baby pictures??

Little Devil....um, I mean angel. ;)

I want some of that instant gratification

yeah..... gimme some of that..... It's been 3 and a half weeks since the big lifestyle change. I lost 7 pounds the first 10 days, and now the scales are frozen.... I haven't lost an ounce since. I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW: your body kinda goes into shock....you're building muscles....those muscles are retaining fluid....muscle weighs more than fat. My head knows all these things, but I don't like it! I'm walking about 4 miles in an hour at least 5 times a week.... I'm watching what I eat and counting calories. I'm really doing well with that. I do splurge here and there, but I have to be realistic if this is going to last. I know that you can tell that I've lost weight... I can tell in the mirror, but I am obsessed with that large number on my scales. I can't help it. I KNOW it's just a number, but sometimes a number says a lot....The big test is next week. We're leaving Sunday to go to Orlando for 5 days. 5 days of being tempted by eating out and all kinds of goodies. I don't want to sabotage myself... I want my new habits to carry over. I WILL NOT go to Orlando and gain those 7 pounds back!!!! I have made a deal with myself. I'm not getting back on that scale until 1 month from today. I'm going to keep up with my exercise and new eating habits. I CAN DO THIS I CAN DO THIS I CAN DO THIS!!! I can. I know I can. I HAVE to..... Why does it just have to be so stinkin' hard?? I guess if I knew that answer I'd be a kazillionaire, and none of us would be fat.......

I am beside myself......

Nat and I are going on a vacation. by ourselves. with no kids. just us. I am totally beside myself.... Our sweet hubbies are sending us for a 4 day weekend to stay on Orange Beach.... We thought about Charleston or somewhere like that, but we just want to lay and relax. and chat. and laugh. and talk. and talk. and talk. then laugh some more. God has blessed me with a best friend who is a sister...... We're going at the end of June, and we can't wait.....

Here are a few of my favorites from the last 2 years:

Down by the bay in Fairhope....

Natalie's first trip to Mary Ann's and her first Mississippi Mud Pie.

At Nat's on my first visit to Utah:

One of the all time favorites: Shoved in the backseat of a TINY taxi in Guatemala with our 5 kids! This is when we lived in Guatemala at the end of AP and Bella's adoptions.... Good days.

lifestyle change

Me and my EssieKateBabyCakes.... Anne Pearce won't sit still long enough for a photo... This is the fountain down by our beautiful bay. I go to walk here everyday...

Me...walking with my babies.... happy.... happy at last.

I don't do diets..... I DO them for a week, and then I'm back to stuffing myself with cupcakes... I always have the excuse of my heart and dysautonomia if I'm tired and lazy... 2 weeks ago my dr. changed a medication... He changed ONE LITTLE medication, and it changed my life! I have had more energy over the last 2 weeks than I have had IN YEARS.... I'm exercising at least 5 days a week and just being more conscious of what I'm putting in my body. I'm not denying myself anything. If I did I would fall right off the healthy wagon. I am so thankful to have some of my spark back..... I felt like I had lost me. I had, but now I'm back!!!!!Everyday I go do something. It used to be that I could only muster up the energy to go places once a week or so. Not anymore! Now I load those babies up and just go.... Go to Hobby Lobby.... Go to Target.... Go for a stroll.... Go get a Fairhope Float (more about this miraculous goody in a later post). I've taken pride in my appearance again. I had been so down on myself that I didn't think I deserved anything..... You would be amazed how much better life is when you feel cute......This short hair I thought I hated??? Now I love it...... I will probably have hair this short for a long time... In general, my life is good again... even better than it was before. I prayed that God will help me, and He did through my general dr..... He listened to me and HEARD me..... Andrew wants to send the man flowers ;) I just can't wait to see him again and give him a big old hug..... People, Loulou's back.

Please read Trina's story and help.....

Please go to http://www.areyou1in8.blogspot.com/, and see how you can help. I am donating 2 outfits..... PLEASE pray for this sweet mama.....

How I became a mother....

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends....... This is such a special day for me.... I remember my first Mother's Day when Logan was a baby. His daddy gave me A Child's Garden of Verses, and I bawled like a baby ( I was still pregnant).... Then came sweet Hayden the week before Mother's Day. He gave me his first smile (not gas induced at all ;) that day.....My heart was so full of love for my 2 boys. They were the greatest gifts from God and still are. As my love for motherhood grew everyday with my boys I knew that I wasn't done being a mama. God had placed the strongest desire on my heart to mother more children. I remember the day I had my hysterectomy at age 27. I bawled, thinking that was the end..... HOW UNFAIR! I wanted more children! My boys were my life, AND I WASN'T DONE! Little did I know the surprises God had in store for me.....More wonderful surprises than I could ever imagine.... First came the love of my life who has the same heart for adoption that God planted in me..... Then, one by one, came our girls.... Each on a long journey of their own to my heart with twists and turns and ups and downs. They were born IN my heart, as my boys were born under it..... None of the 4 any more special than the others, but each one fabulous in their own right. Each one a gift from God. Today I reflect on my mama and how wonderful she is..... SHE was the example that led me to be the mother I am today....she stood by my side through HORRIBLE pregnancies, and supported me as we headed across an ocean to bring home a little girl (named for her) and then another... She is there everyday for me in every way. I also think of our wonderful foster mothers in Guatemala, Carolina and Margarita, who cared for my girls when I couldn't and love them as their own. I think of their birth mothers, Felicita and Aura, who made the most unselfish decision a mother can make..... They sent them to us. I know they are thinking of them today, and I pray they know they are happy, healthy, and where they are meant to be. I also know the ache in a mother's heart who is waiting for her child somewhere else. Know today that you're not alone. We all stand beside you holding your hand. Mother's Day is a wonderful day and a day to be thankful for SO many blessings......... I am thankful for the honor and joy God has given me and for LETTING me be a mother to His children. They all are His, after all, only on loan to us here on earth. I pray everyday that I His desire and make the decisions for them that He would have me make..... Happy Mother's Day to you all!


My first blessing, Logan. He was 2 years old here, and this is my favorite picture of him... I was only 24 when I had him, and at times I couldn't believe that God was actually trusting me with THIS PERSON. This little man.... this precious child.

Ahhhhhh, my little Hayden at 9 months old. He was the sweetest baby I've ever had and still is! He was such a mama's baby and tiny just like Essie is..... He honestly was so beautiful the moment he was born that he took my breath away.......

This is my first moment with Anne Pearce as her mama...... I can still feel the joy in my heart I felt at that moment. This was the little girl I had prayed and longed for in my heart for years. Here she was. Sometimes I still can't believe it.....

The joy returned soon after as I met Essie for the first time..... Such an expected miracle she is! We thought we were done (at least for a little while), but God had other plans for this little one. She is surely one of His. He chose to save Essie from what would surely have been horrible circumstances. This is the moment I became her mama......

Does anyone read this blog?

Just wondering if I'm talking to myself.......