How about a reason to buy new scrapbooking supplies?
Do you ever find yourself flipping through a magazine at the grocery checkout, and you come across a page and say out loud to no one in particular, "Holy Crap! Look at this!" I do. Often. I have the memory of a gnat but I'm starting to think it usually happens with this BHG quarterly publication
With most magazines I (eventually) just tear out the three of four pages that really speak to me and throw the rest away, but this particular pub is usually so chock full of great ideas I just have to keep the whole thing. This issue is no exception, but the particular page that made me blurt out loud and buy the magazine was this
I really really love this idea (becky mollenkamp) as well as the photograph. So I then drove straight to the thrift shop to find an appropriate piece to finish. Appropriate meaning not a bunch of curves and bends...mostly flat surfaces. I ended up buying a table. I'll show you a couple of in-process pics first so that when you try this at home you won't think to yourself, "WHAT have I gone and done now?!"
Pretty ugly, huh? The thing to keep in mind is variety---both in sizes and fonts. The magic happens when you spray paint it, but after two coats I realized it just wasn't getting into the edges of the letters, so I pulled out some white paint and a small brush and smushed paint into all the edges and crevices...so that the spray paint didn't have to work so hard, you know? In the following photo the letters on the right side of the pic have been touched up and the left side ones (just under the table top) haven't.
Here's the final result:
Our new reading table! You can try and read the table, or read the books in that center *pocket*. Click to enlarge and you'll see I put our three grandkids names in there. It'll be fun to see when and if they ever notice. I was so proud of myself that I thought to incorporate their names before I finished...usually I'm in such a git'rdone! mode the project is already finished before I have any more "how about this?" ideas. I even thought to 'sign' it. :-)
I have plenty of letters left and am now on the hunt for the right "reading" chair.
Weekly weight loss report. (are you starting to notice I usually mention this almost as a ps in a much larger post?) I think it's because I don't want to bore the readers who couldn't give a fig about my weight, but I told Sharon at the start of the year that I'd report weekly and by golly I'm doing it! I lost another 2.2 pounds and better yet; went down a pant size! I bought a pair of Lucky jeans at Costco 2 or 3 weeks ago. They were too tight, and instead of returning them like I normally would, I put them up on the closet shelf knowing they would fit soon. And today they did!! Steady wins the race.
Have a great week!
Sept 20, 2010 update
Here's another application for you to try!
Holy C***** that is amazing!!!!
Posted by: Jane | March 30, 2009 at 04:36 PM
I love the table. It's so interesting. Good job on the weight loss. I started this week. :0
Posted by: sweetbabies00 | March 30, 2009 at 04:51 PM
WHAT?!?! I NEED TO DO THIS!!!!!
Where can I find those letters? I'm on the hunt tomorrow!
FABOO!
Posted by: CherryTreeLane | March 30, 2009 at 05:12 PM
AWESOME IDEA! Great thrifted table! Love the way you "personalized" it with names!
Posted by: diane | March 30, 2009 at 05:15 PM
Congrats on the weight and the pants size. LOVE THE TABLE! VERY NEAT
Posted by: Dandelion Quilts | March 30, 2009 at 05:35 PM
You did a masterful job! Thanks also for showing during pictures, because it is hard to believe that that ugly thing becomes that beautiful table!
Posted by: j. caroline | March 30, 2009 at 06:48 PM
Well goodness! Here I was wasting my time all day teaching and you were creating this great table. I love it! What English teacher would not love furniture with letters? My kids would say, "You rock!" ~Kelly
unDeniably Domestic
Posted by: Kelly | March 30, 2009 at 08:19 PM
simply rocktastic!!
Posted by: Des | March 30, 2009 at 09:20 PM
That table is divine! what adhesive did you use for the letters?
Congrats on your weight loss! It's always nice to reap the benefits of hard work.
Posted by: Kelly O. | March 31, 2009 at 05:10 AM
I love it! Good on Becky for the genius idea and good on you for wasting no time in making your own!!!
xo Di
Posted by: Diane Duda | March 31, 2009 at 05:44 AM
OMG!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE the table. SO uber-cool! Congrats on your weight loss and fittin in those coolio Lucky jeans!!!
Posted by: Barbara | March 31, 2009 at 05:46 AM
Holy Crap! That's awesome!!! Love that you snuck some names in there too. Very Cool!
Posted by: thimbleanna | March 31, 2009 at 06:44 AM
Oh, that is COOL! Thanks for the reccommendation on the magazine. Those always catch my eye at the checkout line but I've notice that sometimes they recycle the ideas from mag to mag so I hesitate to buy one where I've already seen 25% of the content before. But I'm with you--that project alone is worth the money! Your table turned out GREAT! I'd also like to know what adhesive you used on the letters.
Posted by: Heidi German | March 31, 2009 at 07:28 AM
I bought that magazine awhile ago and fell in love with that chair also, I love the way you used the idea!! it looks amazing! :)
Posted by: Casey | March 31, 2009 at 07:54 AM
That is quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen!
Posted by: paddywack designs | March 31, 2009 at 08:40 AM
Fantastic table...I know that many of US will be copying that idea! Good work on the weight loss...it ain't easy.
♥, Susan
Posted by: black eyed susans kitchen | March 31, 2009 at 08:51 AM
The table is amazing! I want to make one. The weight loss is great too, congratulations.
Posted by: Cathy McMann | March 31, 2009 at 12:10 PM
wow what a very neat idea and you did an awesome job, what glue did you use and did you do a coat of anything different at the end to seal it?
Posted by: Janet | March 31, 2009 at 02:06 PM
You are so amazing! It's so nice to see projects that are taken from ideas in a magazine and done by real everyday folks. I think I will try this with the shelf in my girls room. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: artfulife | April 01, 2009 at 01:07 AM
Your project ideas are the best! The table is just amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: sherri | April 01, 2009 at 10:31 AM
That came out so neat! Love it!
Posted by: Sarah | April 01, 2009 at 10:57 AM
I love the table Jen! I'm gonna have to give it a try.
Congratulations on the weight loss. New jeans...yippee!!
Posted by: Tracy Nuskey-Dodson | April 01, 2009 at 05:34 PM
I LOVE that! Thanks for sharing the in-progres pics. I wanna make something now too!
Posted by: jo james | April 02, 2009 at 10:03 AM
What a fabulous project.....I might have to get that magazine to see what else is in there!
Posted by: natalie Hansen | April 02, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Love, love, LOVE that table!! Thank you so much for sharing that!! I am on the prowl for a piece to do of my own!!
You are such an inspiration!!
Posted by: Roseanna J. | April 02, 2009 at 02:59 PM