The Cake Saga

Hi All,

Well my daughter is officially in double digits today!

She is quite a character and very head strong.  She got an image in her mind of a Luau cake and there was no negotiating.  She wanted this.

So on Friday, I made 4 boxes of Devil’s Food Cake.

3 boxes went in this bad boy.  It was huge!

Once the cakes were baked, we got busy.  And I put the birthday gal to work!

She wanted a Tiki Hut, so we used an empty icing carton and glued 100’s of tooth picks to it.

For the top of the hut, we glued more tooth picks to a drink umbrella.

All done.

We cut out and glued a door and windows from scrapbook paper for the Tiki Hut.

The next layer was made from the fourth box of cake and covered in homemade butter cream frosting tinted beige – like sand.

We then covered the second layer in crushed graham crackers.  Again, we were going for the look of sand.

I made fruit kabobs – if you see all the fruit in the back.

The bottom layer was a blue butter cream.  She then applied all sorts of sugary sea creatures.

The Palm trees were a disaster but they worked out.  Rolled sugar sheets made the leaf part and Cowtails and Twix were the base.

This was my back up plan.

Nutterbutters rock, especially when they look like flip-flops  So we just wrapped them up and sent them home with the girls.

For the amount of time it took to make this cake, I could have painted 6 pieces of furniture.  But as most mothers know, you do what you can for your kids.

She was happy.  So I was happy.

XO-

A $40 Dining Room Update

Hi All! 
Hope you had a great weekend!  We were busy with a celebration for a soon-to-be 10 year old.  I will share my 8+ hour cake decorating story tomorrow. 
But I wanted to show you our dining room makeover that cost us $40.  Yup, that is all and it made a great impact.
And was easy.
Can it get better than that? Cheap & Easy!!


About 5 years ago, I decided to use some new product that left a metallic sheen.  So I painted in a brownish color and then applied the product on top.  I hated it from day one but it took a lot of time (rookie) and cost way to much money, so I left it as it was for a long, long time.
Last week Hubby was game to finally tackle this room!  Yeah, I love a project when someone else joins in and does the work.
Here it is in all its glory.


It was such a simple update that really transformed the room. 
Here are the details:

• 4- 8ft sections of primed poplar trim            less than $40
• Compound Miter Saw
• Elmer’s Wood Glue
• Trim Paint

We measured the wall and decided to take the easy approach.  We cut the trim into even squares.  For the first square we found the center and arrived on a height based on outlets and registers and our preference.  Then the rest of the squares were installed following the same method.
A little wood glue on the back of the trim helped position it.
The walls were primed and painted with the trim paint used throughout the house.  Once the trim was installed using a pneumatic nail gun, Hubby back caulked with painters caulk.  This step makes all the difference.  Caulk is your friend.

Once all completed, another coat of paint finished it off.
Let’s revisit the before & after.

Ahh, so much better!
Of course now this gal is exploring hardwood floors to completely finish off the room.
It never ends!
Cheers to the start of a great week!
XO-

Kammy's Korner

MyUncommonSliceofSuburbia

Power Of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
Swing Into Spring Wednesday @ DIY by Design
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Piece of Work Wednesday @  Primitive & Proper
Good Life Wednesday @ A Beach Cottage

Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed

Remodelaholic Friday @ Remodelaholic

Frugal Friday @ Shabby Nest

Look What I Found Friday @ Vintage Revivals

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

What’s for Sale?

Happy Friday!

I brought in what I could to my spaces yesterday during the pouring rain. Yuck!

My latest addition is a side table.

It is a dark grey with touches of white and distressed to highlight the details.

The desk and chair.  Oh, I love this desk.

Do you spy another neighbor-hater screen?  This one is actually vintage, wood screens linked together to block my neighbor in B-20.  I stamped the fleur-de-lis on each screen.

B-10 also was reworked.

The mirror is fabulous and would work anywhere (bathroom, bedroom, foyer).

Pair of rustic bedside tables.  They are priced individually.

Look at my man on a stand.  He’s ready for Valentine’s Day.  The black wood shutters are great.  I considered placing them in Hubby’s office, but they did not work.  Available individually.

If you follow Vintage Restyled on FB, then you know what’s arriving soon!  You can like us on FB here.

I have some makeovers to share and our dining room received some love this week.  I look forward to catching up next week.

Off to strategize my cake decorating.  Wish me luck.

Have a great weekend!

XO-

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I am Not a Baker

This is the cake my 10 year old would like for her birthday.  Made by me.

I am not a baker.

I do not rock the fondant either.

Darn that cake boss!

After convincing her that fondant was not happening, we arrived at her consolation cake.

Yes people that is a Tiki hut!  And Palm Trees!

Remember being 10?  All things were possible.

I am flattered that she thinks I can do this.

I’m freaking.

The three day project will begin shortly.  Stay tuned.

XO-

All pictures are from Pinterest.

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Sleek to Rustic

Yesterday I shared that we are slowly switching our black furniture out of our master bedroom.  You can read the post here.

What to do with perfectly fine furniture?

You beat the heck out of it with a power sander, of course.

The furniture was originally purchased unfinished.  We stained it and used it in the country looking style.  Once we tired of that, we painted everything black.

We completely covered the furniture with black paint – giving it a sleek, sorta modern vibe.

Fortunately, when I attacked everything with the sander, the stain came through.  Resulting in a Rustic finish.

Then I used a stain, to hand finish the piece.

And now, here are the finished night stands.  They are available.  The armoire has already found a new home.

Have a great day.  Do something creative today – anything.

XO-

Never Dust Again

Wouldn’t it be great if we never had to dust again?  No dust accumulating on top of furniture?

We had black furniture in our master bedroom.  I would dust and before I left the room, there would be dust back on the furniture.  It drove me crazy.

My solution?

Paint your furniture white! 

 

Our bed is super high off the ground.  I have to vault into bed every night.  Our old nightstands ended up being too low, so we each got taller pieces that work great!

Here’s the original piece that was given to me – yes, that means free.

Here is the new and improved version after some ASCP Old White was applied.

I am on the hunt for a basket to go where the S currently sits.  I seem to accumulate a ton of crap stuff on my bedside table, so I need to hide it.  The door is perfect for more of my crap stuff.

And the best part is that the table is the perfect height!  So a free piece of furniture solved multiple problems!

Have a great day!

XO-

Rustic Charm

Hi All,
Hope you had a great weekend.  We spent ours nursing a puking child and cheering on the other at an all weekend swim meet.  The meet required the alarm to chime at 5:45 am.  Brutal!
On to the project at hand.  I seem to be into the Rustic look as of late.  There is something about the charm of old, well loved pieces.
My brother-in-law picked this table/desk for me.  I was almost giddy when I saw it.  It was abused, well used and then left for dead.  It had more dust and filth than any piece I had worked on.


Using the remains of my ASCP Paris Gray, I followed the grain using a dry brush technique.

This technique brought out the different wood grains.


And finally, she is ready for the store.

It would work as a table but could certainly be a desk.  Despite its Rustic appeal, the top is smooth to the touch.
Are you into the Rustic look?  Prefer Classic?  Shabby?
Hope this is a good week for all!
Partying here:
http://www.homemakeronadime.com/
XO-