Little Worn Out Cabinet Becoming A Cute Little Unit to House Sound Equipment Has Me Singing

We have a little room off our pool we call the Cabana.  It's not really a cabana because it doesn't have running water, unless you count the hose off the side of the outside.  No sink, no bathroom, nothing.  It's kinda just a little 15 X 15 place to rest and enjoy the lake views and chill.  My hubby wanted to put a small sound system out in the space, so that we could enjoy some music while relaxing with a cool beverage.  The problem is that we keep this room wide open at all times and putting sound equipment in this space unprotected was just plain stupid.

We devised a plan to find a little cabinet that we could use to house the equipment.  We know over time that this little cabinet will probably take a beating from the weather, so we didn't want to spend much money.  I have a pretty awesome, under shopped thrift store near my new house, so we set out to find a cabinet.  Lucky us, we found one.  I really like the size, basic lines and the hardware on this little gem.  For $14.95, how could we go wrong?!





The cabinet was in pretty rough condition, with a rut in the top from someone's drink and pitted hardware, I had to get my elbow grease and creativity out to get this job done.

I got to work using AS Chalk Paint in Old White on the cabinet and Rustoleum Metallic Silver spray paint on the hardware that we removed.  I sanded lightly, applying more pressure to the area that had the rut.  Three coats of paint did the trick.

Even my not-so-crafty hubby helped out with the hardware.

Don't get me wrong, he's a great guy and is super amazing at what he does for a living.  Let's just say, he isn't a carpenter.  Here's proof...

I asked him to drill two holes in the back so he could get the cords and wires into and out of the cabinet. Notice the "workmanship."  Oh well, the cabinet is for his stuff and this will work.  I said nothing to him about it.  I guess I kinda snagged myself here.  He reads my blog!!  Sorry Mister! (wink)

I finished the piece with a coating of BriWax in Clear to give it a little seal.

Done.  Ready to play some tunes...

Fun, quick, easy, cheap.  My kind of project!

-The End-
Linking this to:
Metamorphosis Monday
WOW Us Wednesday - Savvy Southern Style

How To Root Coleus. It's Easy. (and a Feature!)

Summer is here and many of us are using Coleus in our gardens and planted containers around our patios and porches.  I love Coleus because they are so hardy and thrive in the heat of the summer and the beating down of the sun's rays.  They are also filled with all sorts of varieties and colors too.  I think they add a little personality to any setting.  Better yet, they are pretty cheap.  Even better yet, they are the easiest plant to root.  I buy a few plants and multiply them through the season by taking cuttings as they grow or get a little 'leggy.'  Plus...as if I needed another great reason...they are a delight to have on my kitchen window sill as they root in cut little glass containers.

So here are the steps:

1.  Take a clipping from the top of your coleus.

2. Clear away the bottom of the stem of leafs.  I do this to cut down on rot in the water.  You only need the stem to get roots.  Extra leaves just get in the way.

3.  Find a cut clear container, vase or whatever.  I like clear so I can monitor the root growth as it comes through.  Fun to watch the miracle unfold.  Fill the container with fresh water that covers the bottom of the stem.

4.  Wait a few days to a week and the roots will start to show. 

5.  Wait until the plant has a healthy amount of roots and plant it in a pot with wet soil.  

6.  Make sure you give it a little water everyday for about a week to help it establish itself in the pot.  Done. New plant!  

This particular new coleus found a home on the table on my back screened in patio next to a few succulents. I also rooted that succulent there in the front middle.  How did I do that?  Well, it was a little baby or offshoot of a large succulent.  I just plucked it off and set it in this pot. Watered it daily and now look at it!

So simple.  I learned how to do this by trial and error.  I clip almost anything in my garden and try and root it this way.  Have you ever done this? You should!  Get clipping!

********Before I leave today,  I wanted to say THANK YOU to Kim over Savvy Southern Style for the nice feature of my White Living Room.  I have been posting links to my blog on her Wow Us Wednesday for over and year and this is my first feature!  Click HERE to see the feature.  Thanks Kim!

Click HERE to see the Original Blog Post about this Living Room

-The End-
Lined to:
StoneGable: Tutorials and Tips
Fishtail Cottage Garden Party

My Chippy Vintage Mantel Makes The Move To a More Colorful Locale

A few months ago I did a radical makeover of a chippy vintage mantel.  I revealed the mantel in the post entitled, A Transformed Vintage Mantel Finds A Home in My Master Bedroom.  You can click on the title to see the full transformation.  Just after I completed this project, something happened...we decided to move.

It was a strange feeling seeing so many of my projects get left behind, like the neat Master Bathroom Renovation and the cool White Shutters that I made for that room.  But, for the most part, all my projects and furniture came along for the ride.  On move in day at the new house, each piece was placed in a new location, but the mantel just didn't have a place.  So it sat in a hallway between my garage door and our family room.  It was awkward there.  Even my sister expressed how much she hated it in the hallway.   When my sister says something like that, I know it is time to make a change!  She's the boss around here.

It took me a few days of carting the darn thing all over to figure out where to place it.  Then I tried something a little crazy.  I added to the master bedroom "foyer" area.  It fit perfectly and helped give this tiny pass through space a little presence.  I added a few things, like one of my red ladder back dining chairs with a pillow and a vintage #5 jug with a small live plant on the mantel.

It's funny how something that is designed for one location can work in a completely different place.  The previous room was pale yellows and whites.  Now the mantel is sitting within a very colorful locale. I am sure that I will be re-decorating this spot.  But for now, I'm okay with it.  I think it works wonderfully.  What do you think??

This tiny foyer to the bedroom is just off the White Living Room that I blogged about just a few days ago.  I love the transition of fresh whites to bright colors.

It almost beckons one to enter to see what is beyond the doorway.

-The End-
Linking to:
Show and Tell Friday: My Romantic Home
Savvy Southern Style