Another over-ambitious project

5 years ago, I inherited my Great-Aunt Corinne’s dresser.  It was a beautiful dresser – solid wood, intricate details…so I painted it black (HOLLAH Emma and Mishc!).  I just prefer black furniture!

Anyway, after 5 years, it was looking a little hashed - so I thought instead of just giving it another black coat, I would get a little crazy (stupid Pinterest).  I love the idea and I love the end result, but this dresser was NOT easy.  See all the “beautiful” curves and molding details?  Yeah, they’re a pain in the butt to paint.   If any one wants to attempt this project (which why wouldn’t you? It’s awesome!), I would suggest using a dresser with FLAT surfaces.

Here's the BEFORE:

Taping it was one of the hardest parts, so naturally Brody had to help with this :)  The paint liked to get to underneath the tape on the curvy parts - boo

AFTER!!!!!:

Friends Quote:

[Scene: Chandler and Joey’s, there is lumber all over the apartment]

Chandler: Hey-hey-hey. So what happened? A forest tick you off?

Joey: No. Y'know how we’re always saying we need a place for the mail.

Chandler: Yeah!

Joey: Well, I started building one. But then I decided to take it to the next step.

Chandler: You’re building a post office?

Joey: No, an entertainment unit, with a mail cubby built right in. It’s a one day job, max.

Chandler: Okay. (notices that Joey is wearing some really tight jeans) My word! Those are snug.

Joey: Oh yeah. These are my old work pants, Sergio Valente’s.

(Chandler goes to his bedroom and opens the door. However, only the top half opens, and he trips into his bedroom over the bottom half.)

Joey: Power saw kinda got away from me there.

Owl Pillow

This post is for Jacque :) I made an owl pillow a few weeks ago - the fabric is a kitchen towel I bought at the Mall of America with Missy! Ahh...owls and chevron...
Friend's Quote:
Chandler: Hi, my name’s Chandler. I just moved in next door and I was wondering if you would be interested in battling me in a post-apoplectic world for control of the galaxies last remaining energy source?
Joey: Sure, neighbor come on in.
Chandler: So, is Janine around?
Joey: Uh, no, she’s at dance class.
Chandler: Can I check out what she did to my room?
Joey: Yeah, but, hey look, don’t go through her stuff. She gets really mad.
Chandler: (The room is filled with flowers and a floral print sheet on the bed.) Oh my. What is th… it’s like a guy never lived in here. Look, you’ve got to be careful. This girl thing is dangerous. (Looking around the living room.) It’s spreading already.
Joey: (Looking around the room.) It is???
Chandler: (Picking up a pillow.) Yeah, is this your pretty pink pillow on the couch?

Books I Read This Year

Here we go again! One of only 6 post this year :)... Books I've read in 2011:

• Fallen by Lauren Kate
  
• Building You Paparazzi Business by Ryan Daley
  
• See Jane Date by Melissa Senate
• Wicked Games by Jill Myles
• Start Something that Matters by Blake Mycoskie
• Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
• Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
• Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver
• In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
• Bossypants by Tina Fey
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling
• City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
• Way to Be! by Gordon B. Hinckley
• Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
• Deceit by Brandilyn Collins
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
• Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Condrad

Favorite book of the year: Divergent
Favorite re-read: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (I cry every time)
Most influential book: Start Something That Matters (Read it! You'll want to change the world)

And now I'm looking for book suggestions for 2012! Go!

Copycat

I am a total copycat. I fell in love with this mirror from IKEA:
Isn't it AWESOME?!? It is also $129, whomp whomp....
SO, I conned Brody into helping me make one! I took an old floor length mirror that I've had forever (the frame was held together with Duct tape - HOT) and chucked the frame:
This is the back view of the mirror (photographing mirrors is hard!) Then Brody made me a sweet frame:
And I bought the most amazing orange paint at Home Depot (did you know you can buy sample jars of ANY color for $2.95???) And WAHLAH:
It's so pretty!! And I love the reflection of my alphabet picture in the background (also an IKEA find) :)

Yes, Traci went Camping

We had a lot of fun in Moab with Brody's family over the Memorial Day weekend.

We went 4-wheeling...
And hiking...

Found a giant hole...Did NOT almost fall in, thanks to me...
and stood on top of an arch!
And we got to experience all types of weather.
SUNSHINE
80 mph WIND...

and when we got home, SNOW...boo

And I got to read!!! If you liked the Hunger Games - read "Divergent" by Veronica Roth. It's awesome. And here's a Friends quote about books and wind!

Friends Quote:
MONICA: Rachel you have to read this book. It's called Be Your Own Windkeeper. It's about how women need to become more empowered.
PHOEBE: Yeah and oh, and but there's, there's wind and the wind can make us Goddesses. But you know who takes out wind? Men, they just take it.
RACHEL: Men just take out wind?
PHOEBE: Ya-huh, all the time, cause they are the lightning bearers.
RACHEL: Wow.
PHOEBE: Yeah.
RACHEL: Well that sounds kinda cool, kinda like The Hobbit.
MONICA: It is nothing like the Hobbit.

Before and After

We did a little bedroom makeover this week. I've been wanting something gray and yellow for awhile, and of course my Target had the perfect thing. And my handy-man, Brody, helped recover the headboard. I think it turned out pretty great :)

BEFORE

AFTER

Harry Potter Land

It's been a month since Brody and I went to Orlando and I've finally gotten around to blogging about it...sounds about right. It was a spur-of-the-moment vacation and it was wonderful. My favorite part, of course, was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I want to live there. It was magical.
Here are just a few pictures - check out my facebook album for the rest of them :)

Hogwarts Castle

Butterbeer! Sooooo good

Hogsmeade

Blue Man Group