Spring brings new shopping trips to celebrate the end of winter. This post is sponsored although all content and opinions are D&LP.  Last night I arrived home from a trip out west. When I left my neighborhood last week it was still slowly waking from winter. Today I stepped out the door with the trees bursting with blooms, tiny pink buds let me know this sleepy world woke up.

Fall Mod Podge Pumpkins

   A recent Fall trip to our lake home was not providing the desirable effect. Cold, wind, and rain were dampening my mood. Do you remember my Mod Podge Miracle post?
 My Prince Charming had to drive to the store. Normally I would skip the grocery store to stay lakeside but, not today. He offered to go to our local +Michaels Stores with me, then I could find a creative outlet to brighten my gloomy day. Now a trip to a craft store with my guy, may not be every girls cup of tea but, I was happy to get to spend time with my busy man.

  I spotted an affordable, easy Fall craft project, on sale in the first aisle. This display of sale items led to Fall Mod Podge Pumpkins. We bought two items on our shopping trip paper pumpkins, and cocktail napkins for this craft. We all know I could never walk out of a craft store with two items. Two carts were full! Those items are for future posts. Hey! It was a Clearance Sale.  I already had the paint brush, and Mod Podge from previous projects. 

Pretty Painted Mirror

         Today is the Beginning of The First Giveaway I have participated in with 19 other Bloggers.

     The Silhouette Gift Basket filled with over $200.00 in prizes.

"Favorite" Silhouette Challenge

   

  This "Favorite"Silhouette Challenge is one I have been waiting to share with you. I had this project waiting in the wings.  A family emergency kept me from completing my design for an earlier challenge this year.

   List of Supplies, 

50 % to 80% Off now that is a DEAL!

     Holidays Sales may be winding down but this sale rocked the scales with some huge savings. I am currently creating my First Creative Space!!!!! Can you tell I am excited? I bought a rug about 2 years ago on sale, to start the space, but some little bumps in the road, and challenges changed my path. Well I am back on track, saving,creating and filled with the joy of anticipation, to see how I develop My Space. Luckily since I broke my Elbow, my trusty Prince Charming is helping me assemble, lift, arrange my space too. All the while he is looking more handsome than ever, holding down the fort, and helping take care of me. He is truly the one who can bring home the bacon, and fry it up in a pan, never letting me me forget he is my Man. Tee-Hee. OH Lord I am dating myself!
   On a -13 degree day my son needed to go back to College. The short version of this story is on the way home he insisted he wanted to get +WeatherTech liners for my new car. I thought we should go home but, went along because he was right. Yes Ladies I said he was right! This post is turning out to make him look AWESOME! His timing could not have been better, we were already near the Outlet, and it happened to be two miles from the school we dropped our son off at to work, and ride home with the Basketball Teams of his College. We walked in and were the only costumers in the store. That took about twenty minutes for us to decide how the product they have would work best for us, he want outside to put them in the car. I was not going out in that frigid weather, nor did I want to hurt my elbow. We waited a few minutes for Prince Charming to warm up at the complimentary food and beverage counter. Yummy!
   Now we are on the road again, and as we are driving, I am in awe of the beauty of the snow painting each limb, snapping pictures with my cellphone. Why did I not bring my good camera? Well to be honest I forgot but, the extreme cold would not be good for it anyway. My cellphone fits in my pocket and was warm.

 Next Stop home one
 would think, but wait +Michaels Crafts is already right next us us on the corner, and they are having a Huge Sale. Well my Prince, said let's go and I have to admit I hesitated. Yes I have my head held down in Craft Shame.
  About an hour later after filling two carts I am in Craft Heaven.
1/2 price frames + an extra 15% off .........Check
1/2 Storage from +Recollections...............Check
80% off Christmas.................Singing Fa La La  Stock up for next year.................Check
1/2 Bulk Paper......Score for the Auction I am running in a couple weeks................Check

   Alright I know you want to see what I bought but one more thing happened.Our son working at another store calls my husband. My car won't start I need a jump. So when we arrived home he picked up the jumper cables. Left my car loaded and went to store to help our son. Our son arrived home safely my husband went to a wake picked up dinner and then unloaded the car. I think I am going to nominate him for Sainthood. I have to go take pictures now.
So here are the pictures of my Sale Loot!!!!!

Here is a little Sneak Peek!  You did not think I would show you it ALL?

 Yes he even already put them all together for me. Pinch me I am feeling Tingles.

    

I have so much to share with you in the coming weeks. I have been working on some new projects,  while stretching my blogging wings toward some new adventures.              

                Until Next time Stay warm and share your Creativity!

Daybeds inspired by Ana White

     I have to thank +Ana White for her terrific free plans for the beds my husband built. Each Winter we plan projects for inside our lake house. My husband wanted to build beds for our lake home. I searched everywhere I could think of  to find solid economical beds with storage, when I found Ana White's plans for a twin size daybed with storage. It has six storage cubes in each bed which gave me room to store linens on one side and a space for each guest to store their belongings while they visit. The design was perfect for our guestroom at night and a game room during the day. Please follow this link to get her plans, check out her site, and while you are there she has plenty of plans for many projects.
http://ana-white.com/2009/12/plan-stratton-daybed-as-request-by-you.html
 First we studied her list, changed the wood to oak sanded plywood, because we planned on staining it with Minwax Stain and Sealer(Ebony), and Ana painted the bed White. Then we added up what wood we needed for two beds, which was easy because instructions included a detailed cut pattern. We purchased the oak sanded plywood from Home depot for the body of the bed, and the facing was oak as well.
  I was concerned about keeping the cost to a down. After giving the design a bit of thought I realized we could save even more money if we bought the cheaper pine sanded plywood for the inside of the cubes. The pieces that we cut out of sanded pine plywood included: Three bottom cuts, 4 sides of boxes, and 3 center cuts for each

Look at the cube in the background and top of bed on table.

Original Design complete

  My husband followed Ana White cuts, supplies lists, and directions exactly on the first bed. We changed the cut pattern on the second bed to the make cutting, staining and painting easier. We tried making the top on this bed one piece of wood instead of three separate pieces. This way my husband was able to paint the bottom or inside of the cubes Oatmeal on the inside and stain Ebony on the top, ends and facing.

Close-up of bed 

The beds made but the room is not yet complete.

You can see the daybeds in our guest /game room.
I added pillows that  I made to ones I purchased. I also bought Colonial Mills round baskets to add colorful  storage. I am still working on the bedding and decor of this room. I post more pictures later when I finish the guest/game room. I think Ana White will be proud my husband made these beautiful daybeds using her plans. We already had some guest stay over they gave the beds rave reviews. Please Leave a comment to let me know what you think of the beds or about Dragonfly & Lily Pads. Thank you again to Ana White for the wonderful plans hop on over and check out her site too.

That's Entertainment

   We had been searching for a entertainment center for our great room at the lake house. I found the perfect one, except for the $$$$. It had white framing with the top, drawer, cabinet fronts, and legs in different stains of wood, with mismatched hardware. I scoured the Internet to find a deal or a substitute, but it wasn't comparable in structure or materials even though I met one goal of lowering the price.

  At a local antique store I scored this marked down buffet. It  was the answer to my entertainment center quest within my budget. It had a few blemishes but seeing past the issues was my vision of our entertainment center.

Before

After checking my supplies, I made a list of items I didn't have in my stash from other projects. I drove to our nearby Lowe's, which is a good resource for gaining knowledge, and bought my supplies. I began the process of  removing the knobs and hinges, taking  care to mark them because the wrong one may not fit properly. 

Next I sanded the top, doors, and center drawer front until all the paint was removed, and then the remainder of the buffet enough to rough up the surface to paint . We measured the opening for each shelf. My husband cut two shelves from oak plywood with his table saw, then drilled a hole through the back of the buffet between the two shelves for the cords. I used my new iron for the first time to iron on the oak facing to the shelves. Then I used Ebony stain(top), walnut stain(doors)and drawer front. Tape off the edges to insure clean lines to paint the frame, shelves, interior and legs with Linen paint.

After
  I was able to use this piece of furniture to blend the colors of wood
in my other furnishing throughout the space and
compliment the white painted trim in our home.  
Now That's Beautiful Entertainment!

Supplies                                                         @ Home Stash

Veneer facing Roll                                          Paint brushes

Black & Decker Orbital Sander                      Minwax Stain and Sealer

Sandpaper 80, 120 & 220                               Oak Veneer Plywood

Sanding Sponge Blocks fine grade                  Painters Tape

Latex gloves 

1 Quart Linen Paint                                                                                                                                                                          

These purchases proved to be such a mess, I switched to the sander

disposing of all these products;

Chip Paint Brushes, Rubber Gloves, Scrapper, Metal Bucket,

 Natural Paint Stripper

I look forward to your comments, please share your ideas too.

Something New

               Something New

                            

   The title of this blog today is Something New. Which seems like another day to most, but to me it is about the turn of a page, white with no words, directions, or calender.

 So what I am going to do about this blank page staring back at me? I am starting something new please join me on my blog.

 Dragonfly and Lily Pads is going to share ways to make your house, apartment, condo or dwelling into a home. I will show you how to fill your home with comfort, love and your story. Blending the new fresh trends, with trinkets along with pictures creating memories, and space to honor the past, with family treasures mixed in to create a place called home.
 This will not have recipe, unless it involves how to age a piece of new lumber. I have the tools, knowledge and skill to refinish, rebuild, remodel, reuse, or build furnishings. While knowing when to splurge purchasing key long lasting basics, keeping budget in mind at all times.
 I would be honored if you take the time to start something new with me. I can only imagine the possibilities.