Bottle Stoppers: Summer Pinterest Challenge

So....I decided to Pinterest(Summer Edition)Challenge it. . .

 Meaning (for those of you that don't read Young House Love) that you complete a project inspired by something you pinned to Pinterest and then all meet up back at YHL (or Bower Power) and link to your project. It's fun you can see what other people are up to and I do love a deadline!

I didn't get too lofty or overly creative with this project but it was cute, easy and I am happy with how it turned out. I was initially inspired (and pinned) these swanky geode bottle stoppers I saw on cupcakes and cashmere. Not being super swanky myself and also not having any geodes on hand I grabbed a few bits I did have lying around, some heavy duty glue, a couple of leftover corks and 24 hours later I have unique bottle stoppers for our bar area. Here is my process.....

 

Supplies! A friend gave me this tiny, glow in the dark Virgin Mary years ago and she has hung around in a lot of spots but I thought she she would like to make her home among our liquor for the time being. I also have this random rose rock (it's an Oklahoma thing, read up on them here) that we dug up in the back yard last year. I though it was a homey sub for a geode.

 

I put some glue on the base of the objects and on the top of the corks, pressed the objects on did a little clean up around the edges and. . . .VIOLA!

 

Well okay, first I secured the object to the cork with a trusty rubber band and let them dry about 24 hours. Better safe than sorry when letting glue dry. . .and then. . .VIOLA! For real this time.

So what do you guys think? Are you pinning, making, drinking anything of note these days?

All You Can Eat Buffet

Over the weekend I got busy sanding, painting and otherwise revamping the hand-me-down buffet we have been using for the last five years. This little guy was my grandparents (I've mentioned their/our other dining room furniture here) and has been painted at least twice, once blue and once white with varnish over the paint. The white version, with aged and yellowing varnish, is what we had kept it as up until now.

Aside from the discoloration of the paint it had a few chips, cracks and problems, both from us and it's tenure in my grandparents attic.

After sanding, painting and new hardware it is looking fresh and lovely!!!!!

This buffet make-over is also making me realize I need to do some work on the dining chairs. I will take some complete shots of the dining room after I work on the chairs. . . but . . . one thing at a time.

Festivus For the Rest of Us

I FINALLY got our Christmas decorations up! I used a two room set up. . .adding some buntings and bits to the bookcase in the living room and put the tree and an adorable table runner in the dinning room. It is really feeling more festive around here. Now I just need to address the cards, wrap presents and do the baking (my favorite part).

Quick Change

Two weekends ago I was visiting my grandparents in north OKC. As always, they are wonderful and generous and offered to let Jerod and I use their old dining table. After some hunting in the attic we found all of the pieces (they had taken it apart to store) and hauled it back to Norman. Last week I put it back together and Jerod helped me get it in place. Below is a shot during the re-assembly and a shot of the full dining room with our lovely new to us table.

The table is in good shape and with a little cleaning, oil and Old English (for the scratches) it looks shiny and great. Unfortunately, the chairs are a different story. . . while we love the shape of them the once blue paint is looking a bit green and the originally sky blue and white upholstery has become faded and stained, after decades in an attic. Realistically, I will not get the chairs repainted until spring (I don't even know what color I want them yet) but we needed to do something to spruce them up...QUICK! Sunday (Jerod's parents came to dinner that night) I pulled out a cute cream, red, pink and green plaid fabric and set to re-covering the seats. While, I still will be repainting the chairs the new fabric added new life to old chairs.

As everyone knows I love "vintage" for it's character and uniqueness (my grandmother said they bought the table in the early 1950's) but it makes it even more special to have things that have been loved and used by people you love.
I can't wait to have more people over for dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!