table: from junk to painted glory. maybe. part one.

Hi again! So this is an ongoing project that I had hoped would be a weekend quickie, but it is proving to be a little more difficult than I had originally hoped. I found this table in a warehouse (a.k.a. FREE!) and thought it had a lot of potential! I haven't ever had to strip paint before, so here's my experience... so far.

To start this project, you'll need:

Paint stripper

Gloves (preferably some made for stripping paint)

Firm scraper

Bucket (that you don't mind throwing away)

Dropcloth

This table started off with a few layers of dirty white paint that had chipped and peeled, so that was the first thing that had to go. Here's what the table looked like after a light scraping (no stripper applied yet).

I went to Ace and opted for some low-fume spray paint stripper instead of the liquid paint-on kind, hoping it would be less messy (and less stinky). The kind I got happened to be orange, so I could see where I had sprayed and where I needed to spray more, and it actually worked pretty well. The only problem with this particular spray stripper is that I could only get what you see in this picture sprayed down before I emptied the can. You want to get a pretty thick layer of stripper down, so I figured I'd do what I could and worry about the rest later. Here's the table right after the first spray...

The instructions on the can said to let the stripper sit for about 30 minutes, so after a half hour, I went out to see if it had done its job. The paint was literally falling off the legs! I was pretty surprised that it would work in 30 minutes, so I thought the rest of the job would be easy.

I bought a firm scraper (you can find these in the paint sections at any home improvement store) and went to town! (TIP: Don't forget to wear gloves and yucky clothes - I didn't do either, and ended up with irritated fingertips and a new crappy t-shirt!!)

So this is where it starts to get messy. The stripper did such a good job that it literally liquified the paint, and that combined with the residual stripping chemical made a nasty brown goo that I ended up scraping off instead. It was kind of hard to get the goo into the bucket and I ended up dripping it all over the patio, so make sure you use a dropcloth when you do it! This is what the paint-goo looks like:

After I got to this point, I went back to Ace and bought the liquid stripper (the spray is a lot more expensive than the liquid) and a paint brush, and empty paint cans to hold the liquid after I was done.

Unfortunately, the liquid stripper didn't work as well as the spray.... So after waiting the recommended 30 minutes after application and not being able to scrape much of anything off, I quit. Don't judge - it was cold outside! I also thought that after a night outside, the residual goo on the table that I couldn't get off with the scraper would dry and I could sand it off, but that is not what happened. I read you are supposed to use mineral spirits to get the nasty off, but I haven't tried it yet, because it's been so cold outside, and honestly, I haven't wanted to go near the table. The goo in the bucket (after a week) was still in goo form, so it went buh-bye in last Monday's trash pickup. I think I might go at it with an orbital sander and see what happens, because I really would like to not have to deal with caustic chemicals that don't really work again. Plus, using the sander is so much fun! I also hope the sander can get through the laminate stuff that is under the nasty paint. I want to strip the rest of the table this weekend (or soon...) and get it ready for my adventures in painting, but Christmas projects might take over instead. Pictures to come (and more tips of what NOT to do :))! Have a great Friday!

creativity sometimes takes over

I don't know if it is the holiday season that has recently put me into creative overload, but whatever it is, my mind is overflowing with ideas, and this weekend was no exception to starting new projects. I would like to blame Chris too, because he introduced me to Google Reader, which now takes up a huge chunk of my evening relaxation time :). I have found so many amazing blogs with tutorials, pictures, ideas, and so much inspiration to start creating that I don't know how to stop the wheels in my head from spinning out of control! I did a few projects this weekend, and I'm glad to say that one of them actually put my sewing machine back into use.

My first project that I finished (finally, a few months after actually starting...) was my living room pillows! They were really really ugly, and unfortunately I didn't take

pictures to document the level of ugliness that these pillows embodied. Ugh. Anyways, I found this perfect paisley pattern and fringe that matched the couch perfectly, and added the splash of color the room needed. Of course, they don't all sit on the couch like this, and the fringe isn't shiny in person, but it's nighttime and the lighting is less than desirable for taking pictures. And, please, don't judge the ugly green carpet - after Mac is house-trained and we are done treading grout and paint throughout the house, we will be replacing it :)

I also had the privilege of going with a few friends to salvage some things from a building that was going to be demo-ed, and found some amazing things. Chris was an amazing husband and unscrewed probably about 50 doorknobs and plates, and helped me dismantle every single one so I can use them for my projects. I don't have pictures of all of my finds, but this is ONE of the drawers full of hardware:

I plan on painting most of them (I'm not a huge fan of brass...) and using them as art pieces. I think Chris is glad that I don't plan on using any of them on actual doors in the house!

I also started another project, but it is a work in progress, so once I get it completed (or more completed...) I'll start that post. I'll give you a hint about what it is: It includes paint stripper, orange rubber gloves, and lots and lots of patience. Oh yeah, and a really nasty-looking-yet-has-big-potential-for-something-cute table I found :) Happy Almost Turkey Day!

ambitious thoughts of the day

Wow! It's already the middle of November! Where has the time gone? I can't believe 2009 is almost over and that it's about to be Christmas again! With the upcoming gift-giving holiday approaching, I've been thinking a lot about pieces I want to create, but also things that I would like to learn how to do, or things I would like to become better at doing. Since both lists are infinitely never-ending, I thought I'd write down a few of the things I would like to learn how to do in the future. I guess all the work on the house has also inspired me to learn new things, so though some of the items on my list seem completely random, I promise, there's a source for the thought!

1. Learn about Photoshop and Lightroom. There are so many ways having the basic knowledge of these programs could open up my creative world and make some of our pictures of life even more spectacular!

2. Learn how to cook one dish that people request at get-togethers. Most people know that I don't cook at this point in my life, but I would love to have one thing that people really like that I know that I make really well. I'm thinking something that people ask to borrow the recipe for because they want to make it too... Wishful thinking, I know :)

3. Purchase, then master the scroll saw. Hello?! Infinite possibilities knocking!!

4. Be able to cook an entire (real) meal by myself. No help from Chris whatsoever. Let him be my cheerleader in the kitchen for once!

5. Be able to go for a run and actually enjoy it.

6. Learn how to use our awesome camera so I can make what I see with my eyes something I can frame and share with the world.

7. To make my computer and the internet tools that will make my life better, instead of something that kind of intimidates me!

8. Become focused enough to follow through with my home projects without becoming distracted by a new thought or creative project. (I now have a dresser, 2 tables, a mirror, and a chandelier that needs refinishing!)

9. Learn how to turn my electronic creativity into something I am happy with. My blog is a little too plain for my taste, and I hope to have a personally-designed website of my own one day!

There are too many moments in my life that I wish I could capture and share with people somehow, and I'm hoping if I can accomplish a few things on my list, if anything, my dream of becoming more independent will be that much closer to coming true and I can share more of my creativity with the world!

Happy Monday, everyone!

movies, football, and puppies

Happy Sunday! I mean, Sundays aren't really my favorite day of the week, but at lest the sun is out! Chris and I had a good weekend - we rented a couple of movies and watched the OU game (even though we lost...) Saturday, and today he was busy getting packed up to go to California.

We rented The Proposal and Monsters vs. Aliens and they were both great! I'm pretty confident that any movie that Dreamworks makes is going to be a good one, and once again, we were not disappointed. If you are looking for something to entertain you without having to think too hard, this is a great movie to rent! We also watched The Proposal on Friday night, and I was really glad we finally got the chance to see it. I had been wanting to see this pretty much ever since it came out in theaters, and it was available, so I snatched it up! Sandra Bullock is really a great actress, and it was funny and entertaining and had a really good story, all rolled up into one. I'm glad, because usually movies that have a story like that aren't necessarily that funny. I think Chris enjoyed it too, which was a nice bonus - I hate feeling like he's watching a movie just because I want to, and it's nice to see him getting a laugh every once in a while :).

In other news... Yes, the Sooners lost... Chris, Mac, and I went down to Norman to our friend's house and watched the game and let the dog play all day. It turned out to be a pretty good game! I was scared that we were going to get our butts kicked, but we held our own! I think that we could have won the game with no problem, but someone has to lose, and unfortunately yesterday it was us. At least it was a good game to watch! An added bonus was that the dog played all day and was so tired by the time we left, he slept all night and gave us a little break.

Speaking of the dog, he is doing ok, but he's still not quite getting the whole peeing in one place thing. I only have two complaints about him right now that I wish I could snap my fingers and fix in an instant: the constant biting, and the partial pee-pad usage. I feel like I'm doing something wrong because he's not getting better by leaps and bounds, but I need to remember that he is a puppy, and that he's not going to learn anything in a day, or even a week. The biting part is the thing that is the most frustrating to me - you can barely pick him up because he wants to play all the time and biting is part of his playing. We have started watching The Dog Whisperer and hopefully we can learn something from his shows. All of the ones we've seen are about older dogs who need rehabilitation, as Cesar calls it, and he makes it look so easy! I'm hoping that at least if Mac grows up to be anything less than what we want him to be, we can learn something from these episodes that might help us shape him into a good dog. Chris keeps telling me it's just because he's a puppy, and I really really hope he's right! I can't wait to see what kind of dog he is going to turn into!

Well this week is going to be interesting for me, as Chris is on his way to California and I have both pets and the task of getting ready for Chicago next week. There are a lot of things I want to finish this week, so we'll see what happens. Hopefully Thursday comes quickly! I miss Chris already! When I get my projects done, I will be posting again, and hopefully those posts come sooner than later :) Have a great week everyone!

boomer sooner!

It's that time of year again... OU/TX weekend!! Though we will be staying at home, we will be screaming Sooner pride on the inside :). I hope that everyone that is going to Dallas this weekend will be safe, and hopefully our boys can kick some burnt orange butt this year!

A big reason why we are staying home is because we are still working on the house, and this weekend's project is our third bedroom. This room is our future nursery, and our current office. It had turned into Chris' computer room/junk room, and we are both so looking forward to finishing it once and for all! We were planning on going to Dallas next weekend to get new desks and shelving, but we are going to have to put it off until a different weekend because I am going to Chicago for a week to be with my family.

Well I hope that everyone has a great weekend, no matter who you root for, but know that at our house, we will be singing "BOOMER SOONER" and wearing our crimson and cream proudly!! Oh, and I forgot to say one thing: "TEXAS SUCKS!!"

busy, busy, busy, busy....

So I know it has been forever, but we have been so busy lately that I haven't had much time to actually sit down and write! Most of the work we have been doing has been on the house, and I can't believe how different it looks!

I am really, really proud of Chris and all that he knows how to do, and I can't believe this is our house anymore! We repainted the living room, hallway, and entryway, added crown moulding to the master bathroom and everywhere but the kitchen and bedrooms, put in new lighting in the hall and entry, added a new ceiling fan in the living room, new baseboards everywhere, added new doors and hardware in the whole house, painted all of the trim white, bought new living room furniture, and..... I think that's it! Oh, wait - we also finished the backyard/patio area. We did all of this in just over a month. Of course, we have a lot more to do, but what we've accomplished in the past few weeks has made the house look like new, instead of like we were living in the 60's.

In addition to all of the work on the house, I've been also working like crazy on getting my business started. I had been trying to decide on a name for the longest time, and it took Chris all of 5 minutes to come up with the name I decided on: Du Coeur. It means 'From the Heart', and it couldn't be more perfect! I've also set up a business email address, so if anyone wants to order anything or ask questions, email me at ducoeurdesigns@gmail.com. I am so excited to get more established, and I also can't wait for my first official order to come in!

Well I think after all of the work we did this weekend, I am pooped and need to just relax. I will hopefully be updating more often from now on, and I can't wait to share more of what's been going on in our lives! Have a great week, everyone!

hello, world. it's me, danielle.

So it's been a while since my last post... A lot of things have been going on and I've been trying to figure out what to write about next!

Probably the biggest thing flying around in my head lately is how to get my business up and running. A lot of you know that I've recently started making custom diaper cakes and wooden letters, and as more and more people are requesting them, I figured I would try to make this more than just a hobby. As I'm writing this, I find myself wondering, "What is the defining moment that makes a hobby an actual business?" I have sold a couple of things, so I guess for lack of a word that describes the limbo between 'for fun' and 'really making some money', we'll call what I'm doing a business. 

I think that I'm pretty creative, and for as long as I can remember, I've had a really hard time keeping all of my ideas in check. I actually have an entire binder full of pages ripped out of magazines and notes of things I want to do in the future, or ideas that I have to turn into rea

lity someday. It's kind of an obsession! There isn't a store I can go into without having some type of "I can do that!" moment, and I find myself buying TONS of things that I will 'someday' use to create one of my ideas :) It's kind of a problem, and I'm currently trying to keep that part in check... I'm sure Chris is grateful for that! Since lately I've only been making diaper cakes and  letters, I want to branch out and see what else people are interested in, but I think I'm starting to get more into the 'business' mode. I've been finding myself thinking about how I can market my products, or how many prototypes of things I will need to make so people know what I can do, but it is so hard to limit my options! I have to keep reminding myself to stick with what I know and start slow... I'm proud to say that I am getting orders for letters a couple of times a week, and I'm hoping that more people will notice my cakes and possibly order some of those as well. I can't explain to you how exciting and flattering it is when someone chooses you to make something for them, and it's even more exciting when they are willing to pay you! It is great motivation to keep going, and to keep looking for more things that I can make to make people happy. 

So the first thing that I have to do (which I keep having to remind myself of...) is to come up with a name for my business. I am getting to the point where I am needing some sort of website, and you can't have a website without a name! You would think that with all of my other ideas, a name would be easy, but it is the hardest part for me to come up with. I think I get scared because it is so permanent, and choosing a business name is really really important. You want it to convey the type and quality of product you are making but you want it to also be original and true to who you are... It is extremely intimidating. I've been researching web hosts lately and kind of spying on other people's sites to see what I like and don't like, and I think by the time I get my own site going, it should be pretty effective (I hope). I guess I just haven't ever thought about what it takes to get a business going, but man, there are a ton of things to consider! When you are selling things that you create, I am finding that you must must must have boundaries and have the skill to hold back. I am afraid that I am offering products that are entirely way too custom, and to start this off, I need to have more of  a simple offering. I have to think of pricing, how and if I am going to ship products to other places in the country, where I can start getting materials cheaper than where I am currently getting them, and I have to keep an eye on my competition. It is quite an undertaking, but this is something that no matter its success, will be really rewarding and hopefully will bring joy to someone else's life!

I'm sure future posts will be related to this somehow, but I just wanted to get this out there, and hope that I continue to get the love, support, and praise from the people who have been with me and have helped me get this started! It makes a world of difference when people believe in you, and I am so thankful that I have many supporters through this process. It takes a lot to create something and put it out there for criticism, praise, and whatever else might come, but it sure has been great getting feedback from people and seeing how what I do for fun impacts someone else in a positive way :)

**If anyone wants to see some of what I have been making, please leave me a comment on this post or check out my facebook page!

there's something wrong in there

This is a serious post, so if you are in a good mood or are looking to read something lighthearted, this probably isn't the nighttime reading for you.

As many of my friends are aware, I have been extremely frustrated with things going on with my body for a while now. I probably come off to them as just another person complaining about the mundane things in life and are honestly probably pretty annoyed. I try not to let it affect my life outside of home, but I know it is not just taking a toll on me anymore, it's Chris, it's family, it's coworkers, it's everyone. It all started with bad 'times of the month' for me, and after seeing a few doctors we thought we had it figured out. Boy, how we were wrong. After seeing a bunch of doctors, I was diagnosed with PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome*, and with my unfortunate history of a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) a few years ago, the 'easy' fix of taking birth control pills isn't possible. The PCOS makes me a different person, someone that frankly, I hate. I've gained a ton of weight, my skin has reverted back to looking like I'm going through puberty, I'm anxious, I'm depressed, I take narcotic pain meds once a month to get through the first day of my period, I have panic attacks, and I am extremely emotional. That's not even all of it. Basically, I am a man's worst nightmare every day of my life. I don't know what to do, because I am sick of seeing doctors, sick of having blood drawn, and I'm sick of feeling like this. As if all of this wasn't enough to handle, the past couple of years have revealed some more problems. I have something going on with my stomach, and it isn't uncommon for me to feel like I have food poisoning at least a couple of times a week. I get horrible stomach cramps, I feel shaky, sick, and just downright gross almost every day. A couple of months ago, I was so nauseous, I didn't eat for days and even ended up in the ER because I felt like I was out of options and wasn't getting any better. I've been through a colonoscopy at 23 years old, an endoscopy procedure at 24, and TONS of blood work with no results. I keep getting the same answer: "We are pretty sure something is wrong, but we don't know what it is. Follow up with your other doctor." Lately I've been getting dizzy, like almost blackout dizzy, and I am extremely tired all the time, no matter how much sleep I get. I am so incredibly sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I know that to a normal person I sound like a hypochondriac and I don't know what to do.

I know this is ruining relationships, and making me seem like I'm crazy. I don't know how Chris puts up with it all, and I'm honestly surprised that he's still around. I see it in his eyes every single time I tell him something is wrong. I see his face when I tell him that there has to be something going on inside me that isn't normal, and it kills me every time. He's trying his best to be supportive, but I am terrified that he is going to just give up on me some day. I've watched the medical shows where people say that when you feel in your gut that something is wrong, keep pursuing it, keep pushing it to your doctors, keep going until you get answers. Well I'm tired. I'm tired of explaining my symptoms to doctor after doctor that believes that taking pills will 'fix' me. I feel like I'm losing myself and that there's no possible way I can be happy again, because I don't feel like there is an end to all of this in sight. Sometimes I catch myself thinking, "Surely a person can't feel like this forever - there HAS to be some resolution eventually," but then I revert back to feeling defeated. I'm stuck, I'm tired, I feel horrible, and I just want to get better. I used to see the women on these shows saying how they were ready to give up because their life was so devastated by whatever illness they had, and I would sit here and wonder how on earth someone could feel that horrible about feeling bad, but now I get it. I feel their pain. I feel their sadness, I feel their defeat. I need help, and I need someone to help me feel better again. I'm sick of taking pills to block the feelings and I'm sick of this shell that has become my body. 

All of this sounds like an exaggeration because no, I don't have cancer, I don't have anything really visibly wrong with me, and I know there are millions of people who are really truly sicker than me, but believe me when I say it's not. All anyone really knows is that I always say that I don't feel well, and I am always frustrated with life. Well, this is why. I feel like something is wrong. I know that how I feel isn't normal. I don't know what else to do. I haven't said all of this to anyone before, and I'm hoping that if I keep reaching, maybe someone with some knowledge or connections will somehow be reaching back. This is me reaching.

* http://women.webmd.com/tc/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-topic-overview

a new year...for me, anyways

I am officially a quarter century old! I can't believe that I am 25 now - when I was younger, I remember thinking that 25 was just so old and grown up, and now it's here... And I don't feel any different. I will admit that I have unrealistic expectations when it comes to my birthday, but I believe that your birthday is the one day of the year that is completely yours and it should be a big deal! Growing up, my parents made a HUGE deal about our birthdays and had the home parties with the homemade invites, party favors, and games that had homemade coordinating prizes... You get the idea. Each one was amazingly memorable, and I can say with confidence that I will do the exact same thing for our kids - and I will love every second of it. Well, now that I'm getting older (and have married someone who doesn't put birthdays on his top-holiday-of-the-year list) I'm needing to realize that unfortunately, the homemade-big-deal birthdays might just be a thing of the past. This year I also realized that I am really lucky. Everyone had been asking me what I wanted for my birthday, and I couldn't give a single answer to anyone. After realizing that I didn't get any presents because I couldn't tell anyone what I wanted, I decided that the reason why I couldn't come up with anything must be that I already have everything that I could want :). Sure, everyone loves to get presents on their birthday (and part of me wishes that I would just get surprise presents), but when it comes down to it, if you can't come up with a single thing that you want just because you want it, I think you are in pretty good shape. I got texts and messages on facebook from people I haven't heard from in years, a few unexpected phone calls, and lots of birthday wishes from the people who matter the most to me. We also went out to The Mont in Norman and had a great night with a great group of friends, and I hope that those nights continue to come my way! Honestly, I think I looked forward to that more than any gift I could have gotten. Spending time with a wonderful husband, old and new friends alike, and lots of great drinks on the patio made for a perfect night out. I hope that everyone that was with us had a good time as well, and I really appreciated everyone coming out to celebrate with me. As my 25th year begins, I wish for happiness, new opportunities, and hopefully a lot of great memories to come. A few flowers and surprise presents might not be too bad either, but I can't have everything, now, can I? ;)

finally home!

We are finally back home! The past week has been amazing, and we are home sweet home with lots of great memories of our trip. Not only was I lucky enough to meet Chris in London, but I got to spend a wonderful night in Chicago with my family and Erin, the wife of one of Chris' co-workers who was also in England with Chris. I got to see my family, my grandma (who I hadn't seen since our wedding over a year ago), have Lou Malnati's pizza, and have a great nighttime walk down Michigan Avenue and along the beach. It made me miss the city so much, and I wish Chris could have been there to share that perfect night with me! Once Erin and I arrived in London, we met the boys and began our whirlwind 3 days in the city. I don't think we've ever walked quite as much as we did in those 3 days, but man, did we see a lot! I was so thankful for Chris, and I think our traveling was made easier because of his knowledge of the subway system and his skill with reading maps of foreign cities :) We had a lot of fun, and after sore feet and lots of blisters, our London adventure came to a close and we headed home. I would like to think that we all had a really great time together, and not only did we get to see a new part of the world, we made some great friends and hopefully will have them in our lives for a long long time. 

world traveler

It's been a long 9 days, but it's finally time - I'm going to meet Chris in England on Thursday! I think a vacation has been a long time coming, and I couldn't be more excited! I have an overnight layover in Chicago tomorrow, so I get to see my family and my Grandma, who I haven't seen since our wedding last year, and then we are off Thursday morning. This trip kind of came out of the blue, so I feel like it's not really happening... Maybe that's why I haven't packed yet! Our honeymoon to France was planned out months in advance, so this will be an adventure, as we haven't really planned much of anything other than how we are going to get from the airport to the hotel. I'll keep this short, because it's 9pm and I need to get packing...  I can't wait to get there, and hopefully I'll be able to sleep tonight! Bon voyage! (I know, wrong country, but you get the idea ;))

miss independent

Lately I've been feeling like a lot of people don't really believe in me, or believe that I'm capable of doing much on my own, so I used this week to start finding my independence again. I think that I've let people take care of me for so long that I've lost some of myself, and I've been needing to find those parts of me again. I'm so ready to ditch this helpless image and make people believe that I am the smart, hardworking person that I know is still inside me. They say to start with baby steps, right? Chris being out of town and our really horrendous bathroom gave me some motivation - I decided that it was time to paint our second bathroom and do it completely by myself. I know this doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it's the first time I've done something like this 100% on my own and I needed to do it (and do a good job) to prove to myself that I can do things without someone else's help. I realized that painting by yourself is so much more time consuming and not as fun as if you have someone to do it with you! I'm proud to say that after just over a day, I completed my first task and it looks pretty darn good! I'd like to think that this is the start of something bigger, something more meaningful than just changing the color of paint on a wall, and maybe, just maybe, this is the start of me getting back the parts of me that I so desperately miss.

new beginnings

Today ended with a really wonderful experience - getting to see and hold brand new Riley Blaine Honan before he was even 24 hours old! I've never held a baby that new before, and it is really amazing to see all of their tiny features perfectly formed and working. I held him for a couple of hours, and he was so squirmy and cute and made me start to want one... but then I came back to reality and remembered that the time just isn't right for us. Until then I'll just have to watch my friends' babies grow up :) I think when we finally do get pregnant, our baby is going to be the most spoiled baby on Earth, and I can't wait for that time to come! Watching Erin and Jon, and seeing Erin's mom cuddle little Riley makes me so excited for Chris and I to have that experience, and to have our families be a part of the joy of bringing a new life into the world. Congratulations, Erin and Jon!

hello!

Welcome to my blog! I've never done a blog for fun before, but I thought this would be a more interesting way to update people about my life and thoughts than on a social networking site that not everyone has access to. I'm in the process of making my blog a little more visually appealing, so I'll leave this first post with a welcome, and a thank you, for being interested in my little slice of the world :)