Chair Makeover

I'm a procrastinator by nature but thankfully this blog gives me a little push in the butt to get all my projects completed.  You probably thought I had put that cane back chair in the garbage since I've neglected to mention it in the last couple of months.  Well here she is all shiny and new.

I hadn't intended to remove the caning but when I took off the pillow back I noticed that the previous owner had cut the caning in 5 spots to add the buttons.

It also became apparent that with only the slightest amount of pressure applied that the caning was ready to pop out of the frame.  Well at least this part.  The rest of it took some herculean strength, pliers, scissors and a hammer...did I mention a large glass of pinot noir?

Finally I had it stripped to the bare bones.

The chair got a coat of spray primer and a couple of light coats of glossy blue spray paint.

I added a layer of drapery lining on top of the springs.  Why drapery lining?  Because that is what I had and really all I wanted to do was to stop the foam from drooping so really anything could work.  Staple, staple, staple.

Next the foam was cut to shape.

A layer of batting on top of that.  I stapled this to the frame of the chair underneath the foam.

The fabric was turned face down and stapled to the frame at the front and then flipped right side up and to the back.  This is where the magic happened.  I just turned all the raw edges under and stapled the fabric to the frame.  

I haven't yet decided whether I want to give the chair some piping but for the meantime I'll say I'm finished.

Happy Monday

These happy fellows are going to a party at the beach for my daughter's class today.  While I don't normally post recipes I couldn't resist sharing this because the cute factor is 10/10.  It's been nothing but end of year and end of season activities around here right now so it's hard to focus on design.  As you can see from the lopsided smiles, baking is never going to take over for design so don't worry.  More diy projects coming your way very soon:)

Ingredients

- 2 boxes brownie mix
- 2 cans chocolate frosting
- 2 bags yellow candy melts
- candy sticks
- edible pen (I used a candy writer but I think you could be a lot more precise with the pen)

Directions

- Cook brownies and let cool.
- Once cool, crumble into bowl and add frosting (start with one can and add more as necessary.
- Form into balls and place on wax papered cookie sheet.
- Melt a small amount of yellow candy melts.  Dip end of stick in and stick into brownie ball.
- Place in freezer for 1/2 hour.
- Melt candy melts and dip each ball in covering completely.
- When candy dries use your pen to create the face.
- Enjoy!

Friday Musings - My House and My City

It occurs to me that you have never seen the outside of the lovely house we call home.  I am about to show it to you in a terrible and sanded down state because it's currently undergoing a facelift.  For those of you like me who are not accustomed to wet weather homes built from cedar (oh, I miss brick!) here's a look at the extraordinary amount of maintenance that these houses require.  Workers have been here for 3 days and I am anticipating about 7-10 additional days.  That is only if the weather cooperates.  Don't hold your breath 'cause it IS Vancouver.

Cedar planks needed to be pulled off and replaced before it was all sanded and filled.

Clearly the back of the house has a lot more bad than good going on.  There's nothing but filler.

I'll keep you posted on the updates and hopefully you'll see a brand new beautiful exterior soon.

Any of you who are hockey fans probably know that beautiful Vancouver was the victim  of an outrageous riot last week after hooligans took to the streets when the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup to Boston Bruins.  There were cars burned, windows smashed, property stolen fires set.  

It was a beautiful sight for me yesterday as I spent the day downtown.  Where glass store fronts had been smashed there were plywood panels installed.  They have been referred to as the "Wall of Hope" and each of them are filled to the brim with signatures of people who love the city and want to send good wishes.  

My daughter and her friend leave their message

I love the message, "Be good role models man".  Truer words have never been spoken.

Just When You Think You've Seen It All

You know the expression, "there's no new invention since the wheel?".  I usually wholeheartedly agree with that.  Then you spend a little time on Pinterest (okay more than a little time.  A whole lot of time actually) and you find that it's not the case at all.

Clever beyond belief  PLUS your makeup area will smell delicious all the time!  If you wanted a more glam look you could add beads instead of coffee.

How beautiful is this?  I love books and I think this is a perfect way to fill a wall with some excerpt from a favourite book.

My son is a mountain biking fanatic and this would be perfect for his room.  Definitely adding this to my project file.

Nobody in my house plays with kitchens any more but damn, I wish they would.

I am constantly running out of things to hang pictures in my house.  How cool is this?

A canoe turned garden.  Upcycling never looked so good.

Yes, Pinterest has tons of inspiration and great ideas however I could have read War and Peace in the same amount of time that I spent looking for cool things to post about.  Can you say addictive???

Decorate a Plain Frame

I am STILL working on my daughter's room.  What is wrong with this picture?  By the time I finish it she'll be a teenager and want a completely different look.

We purchased some plain brown frames to add some of her personal photos.  I like the brown in her room but they looked too grown up for a little girl.  Ribbon to the rescue.

With some simple coordinating ribbon and a stapler I made the boring frames perfect for a little girl's room.

I'm determined to finish this room by the end of the month.  Must stay focussed, must stay focussed.

The Vancouver Chronicles - Gastown

I know, I know.  It's been a while and I know you're sitting at the edge of your seat waiting for the next edition of The Vancouver Chronicles.  So here we go...

Gastown is the spot where Vancouver originated so it is steeped in history and has some amazing Victorian architecture.  It has one of the oldest commercial strips and stunning cobble streets.  

Today Gastown is one of the hippest spots with some hot home decor shops, amazing bars and restaurants popping up every day.

The most visited sight in Gastown is the steam clock.  It happens to be a reproduction (shhh!) but every 15 minutes it sets off chimes on 5 brass steam whistles.

Gastown is also where the cruise ships dock when they're either departing from or visiting Vancouver.

You can also grab the seabus if you're heading to the North Shore.

This is still an area that is undergoing some gentrification so there's a seedy side to it as well so be sure to walk with your eyes ahead but you'll have a great day in Gastown.

Faux Roman Shade Tutorial

Thanks to everyone who commented on my faux roman shade that I showed you here last week. I felt like some of you were under the illusion that the shade is a functioning blind.  I did say "faux" but I know us blog readers like to scan so maybe you missed it.  

If you still think it's sweet then head over to House of Fifty blog for a tutorial on how I made this. Remember that I said I whipped up 2 in one night.  That is the truth and I have been known to take over a month to complete lined curtains.  Just letting you know so you have an understanding of truly how simple these are.