Redoing a bargain bookshelf.

I've been looking for a bookshelf for Tabitha's room for a while. But I didn't want to spend a fortune, especially not after she ripped (ie chewed) a chunk out of her wooden Pottery Barn Kids bed. I don't know about your kids, but mine is a little tornado. She is hard on everything. So I've been going to the DI every few weeks looking to see if they had anything. A few weeks ago I made a MAJOR score! I found a kids bookshelf for $8! It was disgustingly ugly in crazy bright primary colors, but who cares it was $8! Besides I had my free paint from Ace from a few months ago to fix this sucker up! (BTW Ace is having its free paint deal again today August 4th 2012. Go here to get the printable coupon.)

Here it is in all its glory! Haha! I do really like the cutouts on the side, though I wish the shelves were a little taller. 

So the first thing I did was wipe it down with vinegar. Then off to Walmart I went to get spray on primer in white. If I were doing this again I would probably get regular primer and roll it on. The spray did not go on evenly no matter how I tried. It was either drippy or blotchy. I used 2 cans of spray on primer for this bookshelf but could have easily used a 3rd, I was just cheap. 

Here it is primed. As you can see it really needed another coat of primer, I was just really too cheap. Besides, I was painting it dark pink, I could just do an extra coat, since that paint was free. 

                                

I used a small roller I got for free with another free paint sample I got from Lows a few months ago and did 3 coats on it. On the inside I only did 2 because Eva started to get fussy and you can see a little of the other paint behind it, but i'm the only one who noticed and its gonna be jam packed with books so its ok. 

 I love that little star and heart. 

Ok so for the shelves, i only did 2 layers of paint because they were going to be covered with fabric. 

It really depends on how big your shelves are and how many different kinds of fabrics you want to use, for how much you will need. 

So what you need: 

Fabric Modge Podge. I only had one new bottle and I ran out and ended up covering the fabric and the bottom letters with glossy modge podge. 

a foam paint brush, 

fabric

scissors 

a rotary cutter or exacto knife really help, but aren't necessary. 

The top fabric I only had a fat quarter that I got in a fat quarter swap a few years ago. I love this fabric but it wasn't wide enough to go all the way across so I measured and cut off what I needed and started with the small piece. I put down some modge podge and then laid the fabric down, carefully stretching it and smoothing out all bubbles as I went. 

I

I then laid the larger piece over the smaller piece, so they overlapped just a little. I then painted on the modge podge and carefully laid down the fabric. I tucked it around the back of the shelf so you didn't see any raw edges. I went over the seam with modge podge to make sure it stuck and moved onto the next shelf. 

I covered the next two shelves the same way, although I had enough fabric that I didn't have to cut and lay two pieces on each shelf. For the back of the shelf since I couldn't pull the fabric around, I made sure there were no loose threads and got the edge of the fabric right up against the back of the bookshelf. After all the shelves had fabric on them, I went back and covered them with a coat of shiny modge podge. I did this for two reasons, if Tabitha spills anything on it I can wipe it off easily, and I don't have to worry about the fabric bubbling up later. 

Since the bottom is going to hold her bedroom toys I added the word at the bottom (Although I probably should have printed off letters and then traced them rather than free handing it but oh well.) I also noticed after I had gotten the Y on that it was very off center. Thats what I get for hurrying so I could get it done and the room aired out before bed time. I've decided I'm going to paint some blocks on it next to the T to even it out.

You can see the back of the shelf where the fabric is right up against the back. When it dried I cut off any of the fabric that was sticking up the back with an exacto knife and re modge podged it. (The modge podge on the letters was still wet which is why it was white around them, it dries clear).

Tabitha loves her new bookshelf, she always asks for alone time to read her books in her room now, which is so cool. 

Over all this project cost me about $15. The bookshelf was $8, the paint was free, the fabric I already had (The top and bottom shelf I got from fabric exchanges and the middle shelf was left over from a dress I made Tabitha). I bought a paint brush (which I didn't like the look of, and would recommend a mini roller instead. I ended up going over everywhere morgen painted with the brush to give it a more even look)$0.50 and a paint tray $0.50, 2 cans of spray on primer $3 each. If your paint has primer in it, you can skip the primer and just do some extra layers of paint. 

I'm really loving how this came out and now I want to repaint more of our furniture! I'm trying to get Morgen to let me ombre paint our dresser, and I need to repaint the crib since Tabitha ruined it. 

What painting projects have you been doing this summer?

Yep I'm behind again: Summer Blog Challenge

You guessed It i'm behind again, so here is my make up post. I will be skipping some days because they topic for the day really didn't apply to me.

July 12 Favorite Vacation.
Every year growing up my family went to Lake Tahoe, When We got older my sister resurrected this tradition and started going with her friends. A few years ago she invited my family and my mom and step dad to start coming too. Tabitha absolutely loves going to Tahoe. She loves spending time with her cousin Viv, and her Nana. She loves making sand castles with Avo and chasing butterflies. We didn't go this year, because it really interfered with Morgen's school schedule and my sister had her baby boy in June. We probably won't go for the next few years either, since next summer Morgen will be doing his internship, then we have no clue where we will end up after that. But hopefully someday we can can go to Tahoe with my sister Sara, her husband and children, my sister Jenny, and my mom and stepdad again.

Tabitha and Avo building a Sand Castle

Tabitha and her Cousin playing in the pool

Then and now pictures July 13

 

These are pictures of me from I think when I was around 14ish? Maybe 15. Oh my Gosh the almost not there thin eyebrows! But dang I was skinny! That was before I developed PCOS and gained a bunch of weight. 

These are from Mother's Day this year (the last pictures I have of myself). Well the Eyebrows are definitely improved! But I weigh a hole olson twin more than I did when I was 15. But I am down 80 lbs from when I gave birth to Tabitha so I think thats a real accomplishment, especially seeing as I have PCOS and it makes it difficult to lose weight. 

July 14th one piece of advice you want to give to your child. 

Don't be a bully, don't be a queen bee, But don't be a follower and most importantly be your self, Love yourself and stand up for yourself. Bullies don't like to pick on people who are confident, they pick on the weak, so love yourself and be yourself and everyone will respect you for it. 

July 15th was about makeup but since I don't wear any I'm skipping it

July 16th. Favorite room in your house. Right now I'd have to say my bedroom, because its where I sew and were I nurse Eva most of the time. I also spend a lot of time reading and playing with Tabitha while Eva sleeps in here. 

July 17th a random act of kindness. This wasn't specific to one I've done or one that was done for me. So the latest one was something I've done. A friend of mine recently had a baby and she is concerned about her milk supply so I've been taking her things that I find useful for my milk supply, to see if she likes them or they work for her, like coconut water and oatmeal. I also took her some meals, because who wants to cook after you've had a baby?

July 18th 5 things to do if the power goes out. 

1. if its a long power outage not just a blip, eat the ice cream.

2. gather flashlights and batteries

3. cook any food that will go bad on the BBQ

4. Read stories and play games

5. Put up a tent and sleep together. Make it fun for the kids so they don't get scared. 

July 19th If I were president for a day what one law would I change? I would put an end to indefinite detention. It violates peoples constitutional rights. People have a right to a fair trial.  

July 20th What would you do with the money if you won the lottery?

1. I would take the yearly payments, too many lottery winners blow it all within 5 years. 

2. I would put half of the yearly payout into a high interest CD for the kids for when they grow up.

3. Buy a house

4. Buy a new car, either a Chevy Tahoe or a Honda Pilot. 

5. Buy a ton of cloth diapers, I would buy 2 dozen D&G Designs fitteds, 2 dozen Glow Bug Cloth Diapers, a Dozen sibish, some Rars, and a bunch of cute WAHMs. 

6. I would buy some clothes for me! I never shop for me

7. New computers for Morgen and Me. Both get Macbook Pros, but Morgen also wants a Mac Pro and a server room. 

8. New iphones and ipads and other gadgets

9. Build Alton Browns kitchen from Good Eats complete with root cellar under the kitchen. 

10. Get the girls the coolest back yard ever! With a Cederworks playground and a bounce house and a pool and a Hawaiian ice shack!

11. Get a Cal King sleep number bed. 

12. All new Furniture

13. A new sewing machine, a serger, a silhouette Cameo, and all sorts of great craft stuff

14. and indoor pool in our new house

15 a shower with multiple heads and a fireplace on the opposite wall to keep warm. 

16. buy both girls Diono Radian Carseats

17. Buy a Baby Jogger City Select with extra seat and kickboard.

July 21 Free activities with children. We have done a lot of free things this summer. 

Hair Chalking

Making Puzzles

Paint Chip Matching Game

Park picnic and Splash park (our park has a free splash park)

Pirate Day

Making Banana Boats

Be sure to keep checking back for more Summer Fun With Kids Posts. 

Moving

Its been a while since i’ve posted, but i’ve been super busy. After Christmas we drove down to see my mom in Arizona, We were there for a week, and then Morgen left for Rexburg. The day before Morgen left, My mom got sick, the day Morgen left he wound up getting sick, and the next day I got sick. It was a horrible week of sickness for all of us. 

Tabitha and I ended up staying for a week and a half after morgen left. Then my mom and I drove to Morgan Hill so that we could pack all the rest of Morgen and my stuff up and we could pack the moving truck. With a lot of help from Shelby and the Missionaries we were able to get it all packed up. The day we left I took the car to get checked out, oil changed and so forth. We didn’t end up leaving until after 2:30 so we only drove to Reno the first day and we stayed at the El Dorato (thanks to hotwire.com we only paid $19 a room!) We had a super yummy dinner and breakfast at the buffet. The next day we drove from Reno to Rexburg, it took us 15 hours to make the drive, I drove most of the way because I get so car sick, but I started having a back spazzim about 4 hours from Rexburg that was so bad I ended up having a pannic attack wich made the back pain worse. We ended up staying at a subway resturant for about an hour. Then my mom drove the rest of the way. We got to our house just after midnight saturday morning. My mom had to take the Salt Lake express sunday morning and then took a plane home.

Morgen and I had to wait till Friday for the truck to get here and get our bed. I was so tired of sleeping on the floor so I was so excited to get our bed! Some of the guys in the ward came over to help empty the truck for us. Then I emptied most of the boxes by wedensday. The Downstairs looks pretty good, but Tabitha’s room still has about 15 boxes in it. The bathroom has 2 the hallway has 1 our room has 2 and the kitchen has 4. Tabitha’s toddler bed still isn’t set up, but I’m hoping we can get it taken care of soon since Tabitha’s been supper kicky lately and I’m not sleeping well. Plus she woke up and tried to climb out of bed twice both times falling out of bed. The first time she cut her lip really bad, the second time luckily she fell on some blankets I had put on the floor just in case. Our little bed gates aren’t really doing anything these days. =(

Tabitha is seeming to enjoy the snow, although she seems to not understand that its cold, and after a little bet she freaks out. But she (and I) loves to walk on the thin ice and crack it. However I don’t like walking on the 3 inches of ice that is our parking lot. 

Its been rediculously cold here. Aparently I do that to weather. When we moved to Morgan Hill it was the hotest summer in years, apparently its not usually as cold as its been here recently too. The other morning I had to go with morgen to school, and we couldent understand why it felt so cold! But when we got inside and I checked the weather it turns out it was -15! Crazy! I’m hoping that the weather channel knows what they are talking about because they said its supposed to be getting a little warmer. 

We are really excited to be in our own home and we are trying to get adjusted. 

right now

i'm...
watching Tabitha play in her ball house, shes laying in it kicking the walls and throwing balls in the air. Definitely a birthday success present.
thinking about doing a tutorial for the shirt I made Tabitha, but also thinking that its not that good and no one really cares. eh.
Tabitha is crawling on my back as I type.
really wanting to watch America the story of Us on the History channel tonight, I'm taping it for tomorrow.
just finished filling out the transcript requests for Morgen to send to CSU Bakersfield.
thinking I want another cupcake,
wishing Tabitha's cold or whatever it is would go away and I could have my sweetie pie back
Telling Morgen its time for him to be Tabitha's pony, my shoulder hurts
Thinking about how cheap it is to live in Bakersfield
Thinking I'd hate to leave all my friends to go there
knowing that whatever happens the lord has a plan for us.
counting down the minutes till Tabitha's bed time (If i put her down too early she'll be up in 2 hours and then not go down till 12)
trying to figure out how I'm gonna finish the new shirt I'm working on for Tabitha. loosely based on this dress
wanting to make this dress
Its from Tea Collection, I love their stuff but not their prices, yowza!
Excited that tomorrow I'll hopefully get more fabric from the fat quarter exchange I did on Sew Mama Sew!
Thinking I'm gonna use some of the fabric I've already received to do make a dress like that.
Listening to Tabitha "play" the piano with her feet!
Thinking the best sound in the world is to hear Tabitha say "mama mama mama"
Knowing I'm so blessed!