Restyle!

I've been looking for a round table for my kitchen forever. Unfortunately, they are usually very expensive, and the nearest Ikea is 3 hours away from here. I was beginning to give up hope.

BUT luck struck me while on a trip to the ReStore. The ReStore is run by Habitat for Humanity and sells things like used furniture and building supplies to benefit the organization. I found not one, but TWO round tables at the ReStore, for $25 each!

The only problem is...they looked like this:

Nothing some sanding and a couple coats of paint couldn't cure:

I love Love LOVE having round tables! I put the second one (the one in the picture above) in my craft room and it's given me much more room to walk around it as opposed to my other one.

And the white paint makes it look so lovely!

And while I was at the refinishing thing, I took a look at this drawer I bought at Target some time ago:

I used it in my bedroom before I made my new bedside table and haven't had much use for it since. A few coats of paint and some scrapbook paper and viola!

Now it's in my hallway holding my fish tanks filters and other goodies.

I love giving old items a new lease on life! It's amazing what a few coats of paint can do. :-)

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, lets talk plants.

I'm always excited for Spring so I can plant my garden. I usually buy starter plants, but this year I decided to try starting some seeds myself. This was a big jump for me, since the few times I have started seeds before they've all died rather quickly. But I was bound and determined that this year, it was going to be different.

To start everything off, I did some research. I got this wonderful book called You Grow Girl by Gayla Trail. It's got all kinds of lovely information in it and I highly recommend it.

I also bought a greenhouse kit like this one to start my seeds in. I really like it too. It was super easy to set up and use and with this one I can get new mini peat pots and use is again next year.

I plan on building a garden box outside sometime in the very near future. Until then, though, my little babies have to stay inside. I bought these two clip on shop lights at Lowe's for about $8 each and fitted them with a Compact Florescent Light Bulb. Plants only need the cool spectrum of light, so CFLs work as good grow lights.

To make things easier next year, I'll probably install a light under a shelf as suggested in Trail's book and put the whole system on a timer I can set and forget about. But for now, my plants seem to be doing fine in front of my shoe cubbies. I just have to remember not to trip over them...

Almost all the seeds I planted in the greenhouse have sprouted and are doing well except for my lavender plants. I know from my farmer friend that lavender usually has a bad germination rate, so I planted 30 seeds in hopes that at least one would make it. Three have popped up so far but only one is really doing well, so I've got my fingers crossed that that one makes it.

I also was very happy to see that my lilies from last year came back in full force this year. I even re-potted and separated them and they survived!

Here's to a good growing season!