I have always wanted an antique utility sink, not only because they are cool, but also because I hated washing my brushes at the kitchen sink. With my new quartz countertops, there was even more reason for an alternative. So, when our addition renovation plan for my mother-in-law also included a first-floor laundry room and there was room for a utility room, I was beyond excited. I immediately started looking for sinks and found out quickly that we would not be buying a new one at a cost of a thousand dollars or more. So, I began looking on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace where I found them already pending or they were in terrible shape. Just when I had almost given up, I found the perfect cast iron sink at Rehouse Architectural Salvage in Rochester, NY. It was priced at $165 and in great shape. I bought it on the spot and took it home. The sink had no rust or holes; it just needed to be cleaned and reglazed. But just like I had been surprised at the cost of a new sink, I was equally surprised at the cost of reglazing at $500 or more. I did not want to pay that much, so I researched doing it myself. I found a refinishing kit (all products used will be listed at the end of this post) for $48 much better than $500. With the kit in hand, I got to work:                           The first step: I cleaned the sink with a mild abrasive cleaner and rinsed it thoroughly. The second step: I sanded out any rough spots and rust, rinsing thoroughly again. When it dried, I used a tack cloth to remove any remaining residue. As you can see, there is discoloration at the bottom. I checked the box for further directions, but there was no mention of this. However, I followed the instructions given so far and decided to proceed. After finishing the prep, the next step was to mix the epoxy. Can (A) is the activator and can (B) is the base. I stirred each one at the same time for a minute per directions. After stirring, I added the activator to the base and mixed thoroughly. Once mixed, I used a 1/4-inch nap paint roller and sponge applicator to apply the epoxy. They also said to wear a respirator mask and use gloves strong enough to resist chemicals. The directions said the first coat would be watery and they weren’t kidding. I have to say I was nervous after the first coat. It was streaky and uneven. I had to wait one hour for the next coat. Second coat was a little thicker, but still streaky. When I was applying epoxy, it became tacky and pulled the roller. I decided to let it dry for two hours and use a new roller for the next coat. The third and final and cost.    I am very pleased with this product and the results I got. Now that the inside of the sink is done. I have to decide what to do on the outside. My design plan for the laundry room will have this fun wallpaper as an accent wall and the floor will be a dark gray tile in a herringbone pattern. I also want to paint the base of the sink. I was thinking of yellow which will pick up the yellow in the wallpaper or black which would ground the space and draw your eye in. I just don’t know. Let me know what you think. I would really appreciate the input. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Products used: Soft Scrub Cleanser Rust-Oleum Tub and Tile Refinishing Kit

When our architect was able to fit a pantry into our kitchen renovation plans, I was over the moon with excitement. Like everything else happening in our home, I had already imagined having a pantry in my head and what I would do with it. In my head, it had an antique door as the entrance. So, I started looking and found one on Craigslist. It was located in a barn, and the ad said to bring help because it was very heavy; I enlisted the help of my son, and we picked it up. This is what she looked like when I bought her off Craigslist. She had been sitting in an old barn for years. At this point, I should have taken notice of all the red flags screaming at me to not buy this piece, but my heart won out and I brought it home. Was I sorry? Let's see what I did, and you be the judge. The first thing I did was test to make sure the paint was not lead. Once I knew it was not, I started stripping and scraping for what seemed like days. Oh wait, it was days. The reason it was taking so long is because it had multiple layers of paint. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to get all the layers of paint off, which left an uneven surface not suitable for painting. I was ready to give up (actually, I was ready to throw it in the road and run over it). My husband saw my frustration and volunteered to sand the rest of the paint off for me. What a great guy! Even though I had taken layers of paint off it still took an additional two days to get down to the wood. Did I mention I love my husband! Next up filling in the holes left by the lock. I cut out a circular piece of wood to fill the space left by the lock, then made a template to use for cutting wood for the hole where the latch was, then secured both with wood glue. Once the glue dried, I filled any gaps with spackle. It took two applications to get and even surface. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Keep a lookout for "Pantry Door Part Two: The Reveal!" It was time to fill the holes. It was all patched up, but it still needed a little something. I added molding to the panels on the bottom of the door. And also to the glass panels at the top of the door. When I first started the door, I was not sure if I would paint it or stain it. With all the repair work that it needed, I had to paint it. To help me choose a color, I took my drapery fabric and a picture of the dining room chair fabric as references. I ended up choosing “Starless Night” from Behr in an eggshell finish. I primed and painted. Took off the old hardware. I replaced it with antique hardware I found at Rehouse Salvage in Rochester, N.Y. I also wanted to do something special to the glass windows on the door. Not only to hide the pantry contents, but some of the glass was scratched. I thought of frosting the glass or using a mirror effect spray paint. Either would have been beautiful, but I wanted to tie in the antique hardware somehow. I remembered seeing some kind of grating at Home Depot. It comes in a variety of metals, including brass and gold. This definitely did the trick! After measuring I got my trusty metal cutter snips out. Cutting was easy. It was the sharp edges I needed to watch out for. The first piece was cut and ready to be put in window. This is how it looked. The finished door! Love the combination of the metal grating and the door hardware! It was a long process, but worth the end result! Addition updates: This week was probably the most chaotic it has been in the house since the project started. We had people working most everyday, but Wednesday and Thursday were unbelievable. There were about fifteen people working in the house at the same time. The electrician, plumber, HVAC, window people and framers each had there own team. Managing all this was our contractor, Vinny Orologio of V.J Construction. It was truly amazing to watch! Everyone did what needed to be done very efficiently. This was the street in front of our house with all the workers’ trucks parked. This is just a little bit of what was going on.

It is hard to believe I have written 50 posts! I started this blog in June of 2019. What a journey it's been. I built a rock wall, visited many wonderful places, was a vendor at The Purple Painted Lady Festival, met Annie Sloan, and showed you my furniture refinishing projects, room transformations, and my ideas for gardening and holiday decorating. I am so happy I was able to share what I love! Can’t wait for the next 50 posts! Here are some of my favorites: Obviously, I had to include the post that started it all: my rock wall. I dug, tossed, and hauled nearly a hundred rocks, then painstakingly stacked each one. It took several weeks to construct the wall, but I was very proud of the wall and the first blog post talking about the journey. Visiting Rochester Local Landmarks and Artists retreat in Saratoga N.Y I had an incredible time visiting two of Rochester, New York's regional attractions, Rochester Public Market and the George Eastman House, during the Christmas holidays. It was not only a source of pride for me, but I had a blast doing it. This was the first time I had been to the Rochester Public Market during the holidays. It definitely did not disappoint. They had horse drawn carriage rides, any type of food you could imagine, fresh greenery and all kinds of Christmas decorations. The George Eastman House is stunning on its own but add gingerbread houses that were so creative and beautiful it took your breath away. " Yado" I was lucky enough to visit "Yado" an artist's retreat located in Saratoga Springs N.Y. The retreat was a dream of Katrina and Spencer Trask who bequeathed their fortune and estate to establish this residency program for artists. The litany of talented artists who stayed at "Yado" the likes of James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Leonard Bernstein, and John Cheever to name a few. It was surreal to think some of the talented artists I mentioned above walked these same grounds that I too was walking on. Purple Painted Lady Festival I had the honor of being chosen as a vendor. It was an incredible experience, and I got to meet Annie Sloan! When the festival was over, it marked the end of months of hard work. I have never been more exhausted; it took weeks for me to feel rested again. Would I do it again? Definitely! Some of the pieces I worked on for the festival                                                 Room Transformations Master Bedroom Similar to many people, we renovated everything except the master bedroom, but once it was transformed, going to bed became a true delight. Hallway refresh Gardening Holiday Decorating Tablescapes These are just a few of the things I shared with you last year. I love what I do and am honored to have people come back weekly to see what I am up to! I will continue to share my adventures, new ideas, successes and missteps with you. Let's continue this ride… next stop 100! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

After six months of waiting the construction has finally begun. Who knew having a big hole in your backyard could be so exciting. I am not going to lie it is pretty awesome watching big machines tearing stuff up. Let's see what they did: Before he began digging, I took a picture of my husband's beautifully manicured lawn. All in all, he handled his lawn being destroyed quite well. We were both captivated watching Glen Amesbury & Son use his machinery to compact the soil and create perfectly squared corners. It was evident that he had done these types of jobs many times before. After Glen finished, a truck arrived to remove the dirt, which took eight truckloads to complete. Later that evening, the two bunnies that frequently visit our yard made an appearance, and their response was priceless. If you did not know it already, people in construction work very hard. The different crews we have had working on our new addition usually arrive around 7:30 am and leave between 4:30 and 5:00 pm. Each group has a specific task to perform in order for the next group to take over. The excavator (Glen) dug out the hole with precision detail, so the masonry group could put in foundation footings, build a cinder block wall and pour a concrete slab for the crawl space. After they were done, the framers came and put in two huge steel I-beams, floor joists and sub-flooring. Next, they will be back to start putting up walls. Yeah! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Keep an eye out for more addition updates!

I have been checking Craigslist every week or so for years in hopes of finding French-style dining chairs. It started when I actually found four French chairs and purchased them. Ever since, I have been on the lookout. When I say years, I mean years. Probably 10 years, but who’s counting? They are hard to come by. As I found out, I am not the only one looking for them. Last week, I was checking again and there was an ad for eight French dining chairs. It only showed one, an armchair, and that seemed like it was in great condition. And they were still available! The seller and I discussed social distancing, and we agreed that she would put the chairs in the garage and open the door when we arrived. She wore a mask and so did I. When I got there and saw the chairs, I was so excited. They were in great condition, except some of them needed new caning. The chairs themselves were solid and well-built. I asked the price, and she said twenty dollars. I thought she meant twenty dollars for each chair, which would still have been a great deal. But she was only asking twenty dollars for all eight chairs. She said they needed repair, and she already had a new dining set. I took them, and if I say I was beyond excited, that is an understatement! These are the French chairs I purchased. As you can see, the caning is broken on several of them, but they are all structurally sound.                                           When it comes to removing upholstery, I rely on tools like an upholstery tack remover, a small screwdriver, and pliers. Ideally, the tack remover would easily remove the tacks, but that's rarely the case. It can be a time-consuming process, sometimes taking up to 10 minutes to remove just one tack. With eight chairs (I will be starting with the six dining chairs and tackle the armchairs another time) to work on and each one having a 100 or more tacks you do the math. The most frustrating part is that despite all the effort, the chair remains unchanged and the whole process can feel futile. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about the hundreds of staples that also needed to be removed! After removing the upholstery tacks and staples, the next step was to strip the furniture. First, I applied the stain remover with a brush, allowing it to sit for 20 minutes. Following that, I used steel wool to remove the stain and a wire brush to get into crevices to remove the sticky residue. I wiped it down with mineral spirits and repeated the process another two or three times. As you can imagine, it took many hours and days to complete, but the difference here was that you could see the progress. (A list of products used will be listed at the end of the post). After the stripping was complete, I painstakingly used a toothbrush, and a small wooden kabob stick and a dab of mineral spirits to remove the leftover residue in hard-to-reach areas. When I was satisfied that as much of the stain and residue was removed, I hand-sanded each piece using 120 grit to start, then ending with 320 grit sandpaper for a smooth finish. I don't know the exact number of hours spent on refinishing these chairs, but I do know that I worked on them every spare moment I had, and it took six months to complete six chairs. But the results are amazing, and now I get to pick out fabric and send them out for reupholstering. Here they are! I chose an indoor-outdoor fabric in navy to cover them with. So beautiful! Just a reminder of where we started and where we ended up. Quite the transformation. I cannot wait to have a dinner party! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Products Used: Klean Strip Paint Remover And Stripper Steel Wool Pads Ballard Design Performance Fabric Navy

Today, I introduce you to Laura Abbott, a talented artist. After art school, Laura began teaching art in various locations, including New Hampshire, Syracuse, and Rochester. She offers private lessons and has been a face painter at the Fairport Canal Days festival for over 20 years. Laura’s distinctive style involves exploring various artistic mediums. She believes experimenting with different techniques enhances artistic skills, similar to how professionals in other fields innovate to improve. I visited Laura’s home to discuss the blog. Her artistic eye is evident in her eclectic mix of artwork, found objects, and heirlooms, creating a warm atmosphere. After a tour of her home, we chose two projects to share: Zentangle animals and a watercolor painting she's working on. Laura is always seeking artistic growth and signed up for a watercolor class taught by Kathy Armstrong, an admired artist.   Laura is always seeking artistic growth and signed up for a watercolor class in the class each student picked a photo to work from. Laura chose one of a Peony. To start her project, she began by sketching the image on newsprint paper using a grid technique, gently marking the paper with squares. She explained that this method assists in maintaining the proportions of the picture. After completing this step, she transfers the image onto watercolor paper. Once the picture is sketched on the paper, the real excitement begins as she starts adding color! Using a paint palette, she carefully brings the painting to life by shading and highlighting. Here is Laura with her finished watercolor painting. It is so beautiful; can you believe this is her first time using watercolor? Amazing! The second project was inspired by Zentagles. Laura had been looking for something to give her grand nieces and nephews as gifts. She decided to make art pieces for each using Zentagle patterns and their favorite animals. This is an example of the patterns. She found images online of animals that her grandnieces and grandnephews liked. She then drew a contour line drawing. Using the original drawing as a reference, she divided it up into logical pieces—like muscles, fins, ears, legs—depending on the animal. The choices are endless for patterns and colors, so that part is what makes it special. She then chose a pattern for each part, outlined it with a Micron Pen, and added color with Prismacolor pencils. Along with the wolf I also included a cow and dog. Lucky nieces and nephews! I love them all, but my favorite is the cow! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and subscribe to receive posts as they are created.

Rochester, NY is filled with wonderful things to do during the holiday season! They offer a multitude of activities for all celebrations, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. The activities are for all age groups, very kid-friendly, and many of them are free! I was able to go to the Eastman House last week to see the Gingerbread House exhibit and attend “Holiday At The Public Market,” a tradition that has been happening for 25 years! Holiday fun at the Rochester Public Market. The first thing I saw, were the garland boughs and boxwood wreaths. The prices were amazing! I will definitely be back next year to get greens for my holiday flower boxes and a wreath for the front door. After the greens you enter the outdoor vendor area. Yes, that is snow, also it was windy and very cold! But that does not keep Rochesterian’s away! They were giving rides in an old horse-drawn carriage. How fun is that! This ornament was made from a gourd; look at the detail! The giraffe was also from the same booth. They were all made by artisans who are part of “One World Projects”. “One World Projects” strives to reduce poverty, restore balance in nature, and promote peace by giving artisans around the world a chance to earn fair wages and improve their lives and communities. For more about “One World Projects” go here. Ho-Ho-Ho! I saw more signs and Santas than you can shake a candy cane at! Now I've got my sights set on finding an old sled to recreate the one I saw here! When I entered the indoor market, I immediately began to salivate from the amazing aromas that filled the air. There is something for everyone! The aroma as I entered the pavilion made my mouth water! “Cosimano e Ferrari” Olive oil company offered free Olive Oil tastings. Delicious! They also sell lotions and soap. Cosimano & Ferrari website. “Taste of Supreme” offers 100% gluten free baked goods. I would serve these to everyone, not just my gluten free friends . Taste of Supreme website I purchased this pot pie for my son at “Newbury Park Pastries”. It did not stand a chance! Newbury Park Pastries website I had lunch at Hettie’s Delites Café ! The food was delicious and the portions very generous! The Rochester Public Market Holiday celebration is a diverse multicultural experience that everyone should enjoy. It will definitely become an annual tradition for me! Happy Holidays to all! May your New Year bring peace and joy! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

Sometimes I am minding my own business, and BOOM, an idea pops into my head. Once the idea is in my head, it just will not go away. I was at my mother-in-law's house trying to find something for her in a storage room when I came across something called a window mullion. BOOM! An idea hit me! As soon as I saw the mullion, I knew I wanted to use it to make a piece of artwork. I asked her if she needed it; she said no, and my project was born. This is a mullion. It goes in a window as a decorative divider. I plan on putting an image in each pane and making a frame to go around it. The first thing I did was spray paint it black. I knew I wanted the images to be black and white. When I started researching, I fell in love with an Italian artist named Piero Fornasetti. The images were on plates, but at $40 each, that did not fit into my budget. I knew there must be an inexpensive alternative and found it on Etsy. They were selling digital prints of the Fornasetti images for just $10. The download included two files with 20 prints. I would have more than enough prints for the project and could pick and choose the ones I wanted. These are examples of the images. I think they are so cool! After printing the photos on photographic paper, I had to find something to mount them on for added depth. I came across cake boards that were inexpensive and sturdy and the perfect size. I also searched for poster board to adhere the images to, but couldn't find a large enough piece, so I purchased two and plan to join them together. Upon returning home, I used decoupage to attach the photos to the cake boards. To conceal the corrugated interior, I used hot glue to attach black cording around the edges of the board. . With the pictures done, I laid them in the window mullion to figure out which pictures I would use, their placement, and background. I knew I was going to use black but could not decide on the second color. My friend Laura suggested gold, and I loved it. I marked out the pattern and decoupaged each of the black and gold squares to the grid. I attached all the faces using Velcro tabs and began working on the frame. My husband helped me by cutting the wood since I'm not skilled with the chop saw yet. I applied wood glue then used a corner clamp to hold it in place. After it dried, I reinforced it with finishing nails. To attach the mullion to the frame, I used screws, then painted it black. To complete the look at brought it to a frame shop and had glass put in. The finished piece. I love it! I managed to create a substantial piece of artwork for under $100. I am going to put it in the hallway upstairs. I promised my husband I would not hang it on the wall outside our bedroom. He said seeing the faces on the wall at night might freak him out! I f you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Products Used: Rust Oleum Matte Blak Spray Paint TiteBond Wood Glue

Life's defining moments can reignite dormant parts of you. This past weekend was one such moment for me. The overwhelming response to my work was truly heartwarming. Creating is about passion, not praise, but appreciation reinforces your purpose. Sharing this experience with supportive family and friends was the ultimate joy. Thank you all for your love and support! If all this was not enough, I met Annie Sloan. She came to my booth, we spoke for a little bit, and she took a picture with me! She even came back a second time and asked to take a picture of me with one of my pieces! Later I was able to have her sign my book. On to the Festival…. Setting up my tent was so exciting! Staging all my pieces and getting ready for the masses to view them was intimidating! But watching over 300 artists also putting together their tents and seeing them come together was mind blowing. So many people wanted to know about my furniture pieces. They asked about my techniques, what paint colors I use (Annie Sloan of course), and where I get my inspiration. By the end of each day, I was losing my voice (I also did not realize how much I use my hands when I talk). My first experience as an artist in the Purple Painted Lady Festival was beyond anything I could have imagined! I do not know what is next, but if it is anything like this, I cannot wait! If you liked this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are e created.

With just 6 days left I am focused on making sure everything is ready for Saturday and the Purple Painted Lady Festival! I hope to see you there, make sure to stop by booth # 56 and say hi! Can’t wait to tell you about it in my Blog next week!