Makeover Monday: Getting back to the Blog, Plus a Small Wardrobe-Type Thingy.

I am guilty of making promises to myself that I don't keep.

To be sure, I intend to keep them.  I am a hopeless optimist that way.

But I let life get in the way of pursuing the things that set my soul to singing.

I shall try - again - to carve out time.  I can write a little in the mornings.  Right?  Less social media, more pen to paper  typed words on a screen.

And because I am undiagnosed OCD, I shall jump right back in with a schedule that satisfies my compulsions.

I'm thinking, Makeover Monday: for furniture-refinishing frivolity.
Wordless Wednesday: just for pretty pictures.  Cute stuff.  Puppies.
And to round out the alliteration fun, perhaps a "Smalls Saturday": up-cycled and re-purposed and prettified small stuff.  Mason jars.  Wine bottles.  Barnwood galore.

So with that in mind, I shall post a couple of (very poor) pictures of a wardrobe-type thingy I picked up at a yardsale.  Really cute little piece.

I didn't do much repair.  I left chipped veneer as it was for the most part.  I cleaned it up, gave it a coat of shellac (because it looked to be mahogany and I didn't want bleed-through), and painted it.  I did a custom color of Annie Sloan Antibes Green, Graphite, and Old White to get a celery-seed kind of color.  I painted the upper drawer fronts in a black chalkboard paint so that the drawers could be labelled.  I used adhesive spray to cover the interior of the doors with some burlap.  Lastly I added some new drawer pulls.  I totally cheaped out with them and got some 99 cent knobs I found at Home Depot.  They're actually really cute little black metal knobs with a simple raised pattern.  Finally, I distressed and waxed with AS clear wax.

I think it's just darling.  Very old-timey.  What do you think?

This piece is for sale at Consign-it Furniture in Kennet Square, PA.

PS: I'm linking this post up to some blog parties!  See list in my sidebar.

Toilet Talk. #FeelingProud.

This post has nothing to do with DIY decor, or furniture refinishing, or how to mix up your own chalk paint.

It has everything to do with feeling proud of myself and wanting to share that feeling. Especially with any others out there that have found themselves on their own and trying to learn to be more independent and self-sufficient.

The downstairs terlet has been broken for a couple of days. I finally had a chance today to go out to see if I could find a replacement part for the piece that was missing. I had no idea what I was even looking for, but was not afraid to ask for help. By the time I left the store I felt like an expert. When I got home, I found the missing piece under the "tower" (toilet lingo. Don't even worry about it) as I had been advised to lift it up to see if it had gotten stuck underneath.

I was delighted. I probably wouldn't even need to use the new piece I had bought. However, when I replaced the part, and gave it a trial flush, it popped right off again because one of the flanges was broken. So I got the new piece out of the package and figured it out. I replaced the old hose with the new one, clipped the new piece in place, waited with baited breath for the tank to fill, and gave her a flush.

Voila! The toilet flushed. The new piece held. The hose held. Everything remained in its proper place and the tank refilled again.

For $2.97, plus the confidence to talk to the plumber guy at my local hardware store and put aside my fear of looking like a moron, I was able to fix my toilet all by my lonesome.

I am woman.

Hear me flush.