Sing Us A Song... You're The Piano, Man.

This week has been extremely busy as I've been working on a project for my wonderful husband for fathers day (more on that to come at the end of the week).

For today, I thought I'd share with you a piece of that project...my newest challenge... my piano bench reupholstery.

Now, before I even start, let me tell you that this definitely was not one of my best creations. But what kind of blogger would I be if I only showed you the good stuff, and never shared my flawed work with you?

So here it is. My hideous, pink piano bench...

Let's take a closer look...

Horrid, isn't it? I've been wanting to change it since we got the piano three years ago and was ready to start doing a victory dance around the house when I finally pulled the fabric off. But before I got that far, I took detailed photos so I would know how to put it back together.

From what I had heard, it's best to use a flat head screwdriver to loosen the staples, and then a pair of needle nosed pliers to wiggle out any stubborn ones. This worked as long as the staples were somewhat loose (which were few and far between). I also used a pocket knife, which I do not recommend. It definitely closed on me a few times. Fortunately, my pocket knife is extremely dull and allowed me to keep all my fingers.

Taking a few more photos along the way...

It helped to have a magnet to hold the staples as I went...

Hooray!!!!!

Then I laid the old fabric out over the new fabric, giving an extra inch and a half or so to each side as I cut. Without doing this, I wouldn't be able to pull it tight when attaching the fabric to the bench. I got this nice, thick fabric on sale at IKEA for $3.99 a yard!

Next, I placed the new fabric over the seat, centering the design as best I could.

This is where things went a little rough. As I said before, this is part of a project I am working on for the hubster, and the project is going to be a surprise. Which, of course, means that I couldn't ask for his help. Bummer.

Time to staple the fabric to the bench seat. I'm still not sure if it's the fact that I've never used a staple gun before and just have no idea what I'm doing, if the staples were the wrong size, or if there are different types of staple guns for different jobs. I suppose I'll find out after I show my darling. Whatever the problem, my staples left a lot to be desired...

Anyway, I started by stapling the middle of one end and then pulling it tight and stapling the middle of the opposite side to keep it centered. I did the same thing with the other two sides, opposite each other. Once I had my four middle staples in, I could work my way to the outer edges. The corners were folded in and kept in place with several staples.

Once the staples were in, I trimmed away the excess fabric.

Then I used the backing piece that was attached before, and stapled it back on to give it a more finished look (as finished as it could be with my cooky staples) and slapped it back on the bench!

Regardless of my staples, it turned out great! I was pressed for time so I didn't make the loop thingy to pull the seat up with. I'll probably do that some other time, but for now I am very satisfied!

:)

Wordless Wednesday : Beach Bums

I Am Home

Have I mentioned that I love being a Floridian? If I haven't, then let me assure you... I certainly do!

After a morning spent at the pool with my two favorite ladies (my sister and my mother of course) I spent a lovely afternoon at Honeymoon Island, catching up with an old and very dear friend. It was so good to be in the company of another wife/mother that I could relate to. While I wouldn't trade this life for anything, I cherish the little bit of "girl time" I get. We gabbed for hours as our kiddos splashed around and soaked up what was left of the days sunshine.

I don't think I could ever live far from the ocean. Maybe I could... but I certainly wouldn't want to. There is something about the salty air, the cool breeze, the feeling of soft sand between my toes and the sound of waves crashing onto the shore that lets me know that I am home. There is something about it that makes me feel freedom, love, excitement, comfort and completion... all at the same time.

♥♥♥

Birthday Wishes And Other Fun Things

Today has been a fun day. The kind of fun day that is filled with all that summer brings... sprinklers to run through, pools to swim in, slip n' slides to test bravery, big smiles on dirty faces, good BBQ to eat, warm sunshine to soak in, good friends to catch up with, and lots of laughs to touch your heart.

Our sweet little friend Annabelle invited us over to her house to celebrate her 4th birthday party, and we are so glad she did! But before we could leave the house, I had some presents to wrap.

One for today's birthday girl...

One for our goddaughter Avree, who just had her 2nd birthday...

And one for our godson Tyler, who also just celebrated a birthday. Happy 4th birthday to you buddy!

Oh, how I love wrapping presents. Seeing gifts wrapped in pretty bows always brings a smile to my face =)

Once that was finished, we were off to see our friends. I, of course could not pick which photos to share with you (because I love them all!!!) so there are a lot of them on today's post. I hope they fill your heart with joy as they do mine...

Children are such a blessing. Just being around their joy and excitement make life worth living.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." -Psalm 127:3

The Little Booger's Got Style

Maybe it's just me, but it always seems so difficult to find cute clothing for boys. Especially cute clothing that is affordable! So, I've started making my own. After my dear friend Janine posted the cute shirts she made using iron-on transfers, I decided to give it a shot...

This was incredibly easy to do! The stitching can be a little time consuming, but doesn't require much thought (at least not if you go for the messy look like I do). I stitched this while the hubby and I watched a few episodes of Bones :)

And... between Google images and Picnik.com (Ok, and I like to use the tiny bit of knowledge I have in Photoshop) the options in what you can create are endless!

Here's a list of everything you'll need:

T-shirt ($3.50 at Walmart)

Iron-on transfers (I recommend Avery's transfers for dark clothing. $15.00 for 5 pk. at Staples)

Embroidery floss ($.99 at JoAnn's)

Iron

Pillowcase or other thin, cotton fabric

Inkjet printer

Needle

Some creativity

Let me know if you decide to give this a try... I'd love to see your creations!

Wordless Wednesday : Open Up Mommy!

My New Old Tank

After seeing Cheri's adorable paisley tee on I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar, I decided to make my own stamped shirt from an empire-waisted tank I had laying around and a couple of stamps I bought at Michaels.

First, I turned the shirt so that the design could wrap around part of the side. Then I placed freezer paper inside to keep the paint from bleeding through.

Next, I squeezed some fabric paint onto my stamp....

...and blended the colors (black and white) with a paint brush to make different shades of gray. I purposely left some of the stamp bare to give it the unfinished, messy look.

Then I stamped the shirt =)

After stamping the designs on the shirt, I used the tip of a thick, coarse paint brush to add some red paint.

The last step is always the hardest part... waiting for it to dry before you try it on! I'm impatient and used a hair dryer to speed up the process. This is such a fun way to make an old top into something new to love!

And, if you feel like being a little geeky, you can talk your sister into taking a photo of you wearing your new love =)

Sincerely Sunday : Smiles By The Sea

It has been such an incredible weekend spent with the people I love the most!

Yesterday Cliff, Elijah and I joined our parents (ok, grandparents for Eli) and Cliff's brother for some fun in the sun! We took the boat out to Anclote Island, did a little fishing, a little snoozing, and a lot of playing!

I sure do love being a Floridian :)

A few things I am thankful for:

1. Days spent with family.

2. My camera.

3. Sunscreen.

4. Sunshine

5. Aloe.

Things that made me smile this week:

1. I was surprised with a great deal on fabric at Ikea for an upcoming project.

2. Watching my sister graduate.

Something I am struggling with at the moment:

Usually, I'm trying to find things to do in order to keep our days busy so that Eli stays in a happy mood. At this point, I have just about every morning during the week booked up with something... scheduled 4 mile walks/jogs through the park with my mother and sister, play group, grocery shopping, cleaning for bible study, etc.. At this point, when it gets to be about noon, Elijah is very ready for lunch and a nap. Doing anything else during this time slot generally leads to a very cranky little boy and a very frazzled mama. A few of my afternoons are also occupied. All sounds pretty good so far, right? That is until the friends that I miss so dearly want to get together. Most of my friends are teachers, which means they'll be off for the entire summer. Trying to figure out how to finagle our routine in a peaceful manner is proving to be difficult. I am a creature of habit. I hate change. But I also greatly dislike being restricted by my own doing. So the first struggle that comes to mind isn't a big deal... but it's a struggle nonetheless.

Scripture Verse:

"If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me and Your right hand shall hold me." -Psalm 139:9-10

Things that I am looking forward to:

1. Going to the park tomorrow! I didn't get out there at all last week and I am really missing it!

2. Any happy surprises that may await us this week =)

Onto The Next Chapter...

Tonight I sat in an old, familiar place and could not hold back the loud cheers of overwhelming pride as my little sister walked across the same stage that I walked across six years ago. The little girl who once followed me everywhere sucking her fingers and carrying around an old, raggedy blanket is now all grown up and entering the great, big world. She is a beautiful woman of God with the biggest heart I have ever known. I cannot wait to see where life takes her and the lives she will touch.

Brittany - Your joy and laughter always makes my heart feel so big! Thank you for being you. I love you and congratulate you on your special day!

Wordless Wednesday : Showered With Joy

A Blanket In The Shade

This morning Eli and I enjoyed going to the park and sharing a blanket in the shade with our play group friends! It was a small group with big smiles :)

As nap time crept upon us, we all packed up our bags (overflowing with snacks and sunscreen) and the kiddos tried oh-so-hard to keep their precious little eyes open.

I wish we could have play group everyday. I love that Eli has familiar little faces to learn and grow with. I also love that his playtime always results in nice, long naps!

Aside from that, I am realizing that my life is pretty routine which doesn't do much for a blogger. Thanks for sticking around and listening to me ramble anyway :)