My Favorites from 2011

Happy New Years, friends!  I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that this New Years Eve was the first I can remember where I actually didn't even pay attention to the time, and realized it was a new year when our movie ended around 12:30.  Is that a sign that I'm getting old, or just boring???  Don't answer that...

It dawned on me after I realized that I had missed the ball drop, the kiss, the excitement of the New Year that I am so happy to be where I am in my life.  I certainly enjoyed my single and even married but without kids years, but I don't miss the constant feeling of being let down after setting such high expectations for holidays like New Years in particular.  It was a great feeling to know that I am so content where I am in my life right now.  I am blessed with an incredible and loving husband, a hilarious and tender hearted little boy, wonderful friends and supportive neighbors.  Who could ask for more? 

So, I thought it would be fun to take a walk down memory lane and share some of my favorite projects from this past year. 

Hands down the biggest and possibly craziest project I undertook was our Master Bedroom Makeover. I did this entire makeover in about two weeks time in order to enter it into a design contest, and thanks to the support of so many wonderful readers and fellow bloggers I took second place in the contest.

We did a LOT of work in a short amount of time, but I am absolutely smitten with the end result.  It quickly became my favorite room in the house.

The matching Faux Mirrored Metallic Nightstands from my Master Bedroom were a project and a half themselves, but also worth the effort and mistakes learned along the way.

I shared some fun baby shower ideas from this Nautical Themed Baby Shower that I hosted for one of my good friends.

I feel like my biggest growth this year in the project world has been in reupholstery.  I've learned a lot, and continue to get better with practice and experience.  My Reupholstery series shares some of the tips and tricks I have learned for those who are interested in tackling upholstery projects themselves.

This Chevron Chair was another crowd pleaser and one that I really enjoyed doing.

Another insane project for me was the Dining Room Set that I transformed for my own kitchen.  It also required a ridiculous amount of time and elbow grease, but I am so in love with how it turned out. 

This Antique Dresser that I refinished was a great learning experience for me and turned out to be beautiful and timeless.

I did several different dressers this year, but my personal favorite by far was this Heavily Distressed Desk.  It was a quick and experimental one day project that turned out to be one of the hardest pieces for me to let go of when it sold.  I'm still a little bit sad that I didn't keep it for myself...

And for the foodies like me out there a few of my favorite recipes I shared are Peanut Curried Chicken,

Easter Bunny Shortbread Cookies,

and the BEST Salsa ever,

So there you have it my friends.  It was a fun filled year for me with lots of projects.  I have big plans for next year and will share some of my goals with you this week.  Bring it on, 2012.  I'm ready for you...

XO

~Penny Wenny

The DIY Showoff

Southern Hospitality

Chevron Chair... Take Two

I realize you may all be getting sick of seeing my favorite chevron print that I've used HERE on my original Chevron Chair

and HERE on my Chevron Curtains,

but I just couldn't resist using the same fabulous fabric on my latest chair revamp.

Here is what the chair looked like when I picked it up at my local D.I.

I loved the curvy legs and caning in perfect condition on the sides.

As you can see, the seat was completely flat with absolutely no cushion left whatsoever.

This baby just needed a little TLC... and Chevron fabric

So TLC is just what she got. 

After I stripped the fabric and what was left of any foam, I gave her a few quick coats of paint using Krylon's Dual Spray Paint and Primer in One.

I've used this product a few times now and I will admit that it's not my favorite but it is definitely convenient.  I think that a coat of Kilz primer followed by Rustoleum's Painter's Touch is the best option for spray paint.  Then, I sanded lightly over the high points for a distressed finish.

Then, I finished off the chair with some new plump foam and dacron and my favorite chevron fabric.  Here's how she turned out.

Pretty cute, huh?

I must say, I don't think I'll tire of this fabric anytime soon. 

Thanks for reading, folks!

XO

~PW



Best tools for upholstery staple removal

I just wanted to share with  you all my new most favorite tools.  Previously, I have been using a very small flat head screwdriver and a pair of pliers to remove all of the staples on my upholstery projects like this one,

this one,

 this one,

 

this one,

and this one.

You would think that after so many chairs I would have learned my lesson, but no.  Very recently I purchased my first real upholstery staple remover and my life hasn't been the same since!  It had a hefty price tag in my opinion for how small the tool is (about $18) but it was worth every dime.  

I picked it up from my local upholstery supply store here in Utah, Furniture Mattress Supply.  I also found this fabulous magnet holder gadget thingy from Home Depot for about $10 to drop all the staples into.  It's amazing and saves me from stepping on runaway staples in my carpet, or out on the driveway where I usually do my thang.

So the tool works like this...

First, you pry the "ear" under a staple

 then you pull the tool down for leverage against the staple and to pry it out

 then the coolest part (which eliminates the need for pliers) is the twist action.  You rotate the tool towards you and it pulls the staple out.

 See?  Pretty cool right?

 If you've never pulled out a bajillion staples before with a screwdriver and pliers, then this post may seem irrelevant to you. 

If you have, this just very well may change your life.  :)

Good luck my upholstering friends!

XO

~PW