Pinterest, Oh How I Love You!

I'm going to need a Pintervention soon :-).  What a great concept.  For a long time I've been saving links and photos to various files on my laptop.  How great to have a really nice format for everything.  

Don't you get a thrill when someone repins your post, or leaves good comment?
Also like being able to share things with pinterest buddies that I know they'll enjoy/find useful.

Bonus: Finding other pinners who share your interests, sense of humor (or lack, thereof), etc.


Now I need to figure out how/ever to set the Pinterest button on my blog...

Check out my Boards and let me know what you think (you can even "follow" me!)

Sara

Almost Free Dining Room Chandelier

Really starting to love this ORB (Oil Rubbed Bronze) spray paint! 

Our original dining room chandelier (circa 1955):

The replacement:

This is an originally brass Williamsburg 5 light chandy.  It was in my parents' new condo 20 years ago.  They replaced it with a contemporary fixture, so this has been in the basement of our various homes over the years.

Since the size of our to-do list is greater than the size of our to-do-it-with-budget, I deceided to copy follow the lead of many others out there in blogland and spray it with ORB paint.

Figuring the easiest way to spray this would be to suspend it somehow.  Out came the sawhorses and a slim metal rod we had (sorry it doesn't show in the pics.)  This worked very well.  I unthreaded the electric and ground cords from the chain to spray and rethreaded them after everything was dry.  Press and Seal wrap worked to wrap the candle stems for spraying.

By giving the chandelier a little push, it rotated around making it very easy to spray.  When it dried, I was able to stand it upside down and touch it up from that angle.

A photo with the lights turned off:

This is just a small part of the updates we are doing to our LR and DR.  The upcomimg larger projects are slipcovers for the sofa and loveseat, painting some of the furniture, and curtains.  My Annie Sloan Chalk Paint color card arrived yesterday!  Happy Dance!!

Here is a  (poor resolution) photo before last year's re-painting of the walls and trim, new DR windows, new windows treatments.  I had posted on Rate My Space if you want to see it.

I think everything is looking much fresher now.  What do you think?

I'll be linking to Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphis Monday.

Sara

Sometimes Love Is Not Enough

We were on a road trip to a rowing regatta in Eastern PA.  Outlet Mall.  Pottery Barn.  Enough said.

It was love at first sight.  Wanted it.  Needed it.  Had to have it.   Knowing that it probably would not be used right away, I left without it.

All weekend, it stayed on my mind.  Finally decided that if it was still there on the way home that we were meant to be together.  It was.  We were.  Cue sun breaking through and angels singing.

Thought we could replace this one:

Or this one:

With this:

Oil rubbed bronze double pendant chandelier with a vintage/industrial vibe.  Dual, fabulous, fully functioning pullies.  Finally out of the box!  The electrican is coming Friday.  Still madly in love.  But sometimes love is not enough.  Multi-level, built in the mid-50s.  7'10" ceilings.  This is SO not going to work :-(

This beauty is BIG:

 Looks like we will have to find her a new home.  Can you say "Craigslist"?

Time for Plan B!
Sara
If I do this correctly, this will be posted to Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphis Monday.

Thank you, Sherry and John...

Well, the coffee table formerly-known-as-brass is back in the living room.  And, I've got to admit, it's a big improvement.  Not wonderful, but it certainly sucks less...

Why the delay in posting the after pics?  This is why:

and this...

Had a fabulous 5 day getaway to beautiful Longboat Key, FL.  Beaching, shopping, eating, and just hanging out with a great friend.  Did I mention the shopping?

The before:

In process (the saved plant containers made wonderful risers):

The mess (Thought I was being very careful - used a drop cloth covered with newspaper. Did not realize til afterwards how far the spray went.  Thank goodness I moved the cars!):

The after:

Still a dated piece, but a nice change for the cost of one can of ORB spray paint.  Okay, so Sherry and John over at Young House Love may be on to something good!  I see more cans of ORB in my future!

Slipcovers for the sofa and loveseat are on the to-do list.  Dropcloths have been purchased and the sewing machine is out for a tune-up.

Enjoy this lovely fall day,
Sara

Curse you, Sherry and John!!!

You know that nice, young couple over at Young House Love...???
While perusing the home goods aisles at a local thrift shop I couldn't help but look at EVERYTHING and wonder: "How would that ceramic whatever-it-is look spray painted in a nice, glossy white??"  Or, "Hmmmm, wonder what a spray of ORB* would do to that thing I could maybe hang on a wall???"
(*Oil Rubbed Bronze for the unbrainwashed uninitiated)

I knew it was bad when I caught myself wondering how this cookie jar - cutely shaped like a Christmas ornament, but hideously painted - would look in our kitchen.  How bad?  We're Jewish - Santa doesn't stop here for milk and cookies (a bowl of matzo ball soup and a nice,warm sweater is always good on a cold winter's night...)  And spell-check even auto-corrected my spelling of "ornement"... Oy!

Okay, Sherry and John, maybe you're not all bad.  I did buy a can of Rustoleum ORB and the base of our crappy-cheap, fake-brass, older-than-either-of-you, second-hand coffee table is currently in the garage drying. 

Have to admit, the old thing looks better already.  After pics to follow ;-D

Sara

3rd Times the Charm???

Going to take another run at the blogging thing :-)  Once again, it's been so long that I had to look up my user name and password for the blog account...

Lots has happened here since December:
Had cataract surgery in both eyes - can see without glasses for the first time since kindergarten, amazing!
Started Weight Watchers - down twenty pounds so far, 30 to go.  Diet and exercise work, who knew???
Miss MML1 got her first apartment.  Out of the house, but close to home - best of both worlds :-)However, her room here is still not clean...
Miss MML2 started college and working - two big steps!!!

Multi Level House-wise - starting to pull together some posts on the various project we have done in our home.  Hope to get those posted soon, or at least in less than 10 months (yikes).

Post #2 How New is this Blog??

How new is the blog?  So new that in order to sign on tonight I needed to look at my user name and password cheat sheet!  Oy!

At least I remembered the name of my own blog - to be fair I had considered several that were already taken.  Guess that's what happens when you come late to the party...  Bettter late than never.

Next order of business will be to spend time learning how to set up my blog page, add photos, links, etc.

Good night!