Pots en Argent

I saw these lovely pots the other day while reading Jennifer Boles' Peak of Chic. Read her post about them HERE.

I have been searching for something I really like to cheer up my half dead gardenia tree.

If you read my post about fake flowers you would know that I purchase poor, unsuspecting plants who, upon realizing my identity, commit suicide.

Gardenia trees are supposed to look like this.

I digress, this is about the silver pot.

Even if I melted down my great-grandmother's silver I could not make a real silver pot big enough. So off to the craft store I went.

I thought that there was a very good chance of failure and considered two small pots as an experiment. I was shocked at the lack of suitable pots and bought a large one.

 First I had to cover the blue glaze.

I used outdoor craft paint in silver.

Two coats. Then opted for a liquid silver leaf.

Here is the liquid leaf on the left side

It was all very easy and the paint actually adhered to the glaze which was my biggest fear. The pot does not have the glossy look of the original so I may go back to the craft store for a high gloss sealer that I saw.

Also mine does not have the aborable feet of the original and I'll need to figure that out.

My pot

Monsieur Givenchy's silver pot

If my gardenia continues her downward spiral I shall buy an orange tree. I have always wanted one. I figured if they can be grown in France, surely Virginia will work.

Unpacking, birthdays, and a project

I am still unpacking from the move while preparing for two birthday parties and little/big projects that I feel compelled to do now.

I have spent an inordinate amount of time hanging pictures and

curtains. Someday the white walls and horrible mini blinds will go.

I have a bank of four identical windows in the family room, behind the sofa and across from the TV.

They currently have white mini blinds but will be getting these bamboo shades as soon as I finish lining them with blackout lining.

 It is a process that is easy but I have been working on the floor-ouch. First you remove the string from the rings.

I cut the lining to size and using Fabri-tac "hem" the edges, then flip it over and glue in sections sclicing a tiny slit for each ring to pop through.

I thin the Fabri-tac with acetone and use a paint brush to apply a thin, irregular coat to the lining. Once it is dry you restring the shade and hang it.

I have so much work ahead of me in this house including the birthday party for my littlest on Saturday. She is two today and I am off to enjoy my day with her.

Making things suck less

This is such an embarrassing photo of my pantry but it is the beginning of what we affectionately call "making things suck less" or getting our house ready to sell.

None of these things are showstoppers. They are the fixes that just make the house not suck.

In defense of the pantry, we have an 18 month old and must overstuff all of the high shelves to keep most of it out of her reach. In a few weeks the bulk of it will be moving with me, leaving only the best looking items in nice and neat rows.

I'll continue the humiliation with these kitchen renovation pics.

This is the early part of the $3000 update.

The plans are simple because we are not staying.

The walls originally had this wall paper (before the orange which was my biggest color mistake ever)

We've removed lots of dated wallpaper in this house. 

The cabinets went from this...

to this...

$300 for paint and hardware (and my husband's one week vacation in time invested)

$ 1700 for new solid surface counters and sink

$ 400 for new faucet and an additional cabinet to replace the peninsula in the photo above.

$40 for fabric and boards to make three custom valances.

The valances were super easy. I got 1 1/2 yards of fabric on sale and used lining I had left from other window projects.

I cut 18 inch pieces, this worked on my window width with 54 inch fabric, and sewed three sides with right sides facing each other. Turned it right side out to iron flat and then iron in the center pleat. It is then stapled to a fabric covered 1x3 board and mounted using "L" brackets.

I have done this in several rooms where I never got around to dressing the windows. I like the custom look and its cheap and easy.

We did not remove the goofy cabinet valance because it woulld expose an unsightly light fixture.

This week instead of decking the halls and stuffing the turkey my talented and patient husband is taking our kitchen floor from this crime...

to this, in progress $400 improvement.

Making things suck less has involved bunches of boring stuff like painting the underside of the gutters and  the fascia around the screened porch along with replacing 45 year-old plastic swichplates with new plastic ones.

It won't make anyone say, "Wow" but they won't say ,"Ewwww" either.