Happy Birthday Daddy!

I'd like to wish my beloved dad a happy birthday!

My dad is the best man that I know and he's definitely the first man I've fallen in love with.  No other man can have that special place in my heart that's reserved just for my daddy.  My dad has always been so giving that he never took a vacation just for him.  He always opted to spend the time with us and to spend the money on us.

Thank you dad for teaching me how to be self confident, how to stand for what I believe in, and how to be strong while still maintaining integrity and humbleness.  

Thank you for carrying me on your shoulders when I was too little and too tired to walk anymore.

Thank you for having me hang out on your lap as I caressed your face and talked.

Thank you for being supportive and for cheering me on when I didn't believe in myself.

Thank you for being so selfless and for being the most generous man that I know.

Thank you for still being there for all of us and for loving my daughters the way that you do.

No "Thank yous" are ever enough for a man like you.  

All I can do is pray for you~

May God grant you all that your heart desires.

May He give you a long, healthy, happy, and blessed life.

May you and mom be blessed partners in this life and in the hereafter.

May He grant you the highest levels of Paradise and make you from among those that he loves and from among those that are near to him.

I love you daddy and miss you dearly every day even though you're only four hours away.

Not only are you the best daddy ever, you're also the best grand-daddy any little girl can dream of having.

Thank you for being you.

Love,
May

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Yesterday, was my first daughter's third birthday. Oh how time flies....I just want to say that:

The day I had you is the day I become a mom for the first time. I felt emotions that I never knew existed and felt a love stronger than any other love I've known. You bring me joy and happiness everyday and I'm so thankful to Allah for giving me this gift. I pray that Allah gives me the ability to raise you well and to instill in you good values and morals. May you live a long fulfilled life with much success in this life and the hereafter. May you achieve all your potential while maintaining your great sense of humor and simplicity. Finally, May Allah protect you and bless you in all that you do. I love you more than words can express and I'm so grateful to be your mother.

Then it was time for a photo shoot with little sissy!

Love you always sweet little "monsterettes",

xoxo,

Mommy

American Flag Coffee Table

This is a makeover that was pretty time consuming but at the end it was totally worth it.  I got this table about a month ago and it was in excellent condition and sturdy.  I had it just hang out and wasn't sure what to do with it.  I was thinking turquoise but that was so predictable, then I was thinking dark top and light bottom but then I've done that before. I let it sit around for about a week before I actually decided to do the American Flag, I have thought about the Union Jack but that's been popping up all over blog town everywhere and plus I'm American :)

I work pretty slow and I'm pretty meticulous but at the end it was all worth it...Here's what I had to work with.

It was in pretty good shape as you can see.  Then I took out my tape, ruler, and calculator and started measuring and dividing (that was fun for a math teacher like me).
Here I had already painted the blue box and started on the white stripes.  Don't you love my little mint plant hanging out by the patio door? Nothing like some middle eastern mint tea after dinner :)

Then I was busy busy busy for a few days and didn't take any further pictures till I was finished.  I mean seriously do you expect me to photograph each step? Once I'm into it I'm really into it and the camera is the last thing on my mind.....

I ended up giving it a rub down with some clear wax mixed with a gel stain.
So here's the after shots!

I didn't have any star stencils so I traced a star off the computer screen from google images.  I then transferred the star on card stock paper and cut it out with an exacto knife.  That's it I had my own homemade stencil :)

I really like how it turned out! I'll probably go ahead and give the top a poly coat for extra protection.

I love how the American flag and just country flags in general really go with any decor style.  Flags are truly timeless additions to any decor.

Please show some love and let me know what you think.... Any Americana projects on your to do list?

xoxo,

May

I'll be linking up to the following parties:

Photo Post: Vintage China

I've been busy busy busy refinishing furniture this past week and have tons of projects going on.  I actually found some awesome pieces on craigslist yesterday and they are happily hanging out in the garage.  I bought all of the pieces from the same girl and she had some great stuff around her house. I actually like her too and we got to chit chat about furniture and randomness. Don't you just love when you meet neat people that share snap shots of their life with you.  I believe you meet anyone and everyone for a reason. Anyway, these makeovers will be shared as soon as possible.

To take a break from all the brushes and waxes today I decided to take out my camera and shoot some of my vintage china.  I have a lot of china but not a lot of vintage china so I'm slowly increasing my collection.  I'm happy with how the pictures came out so here's some eye candy!

How about you guys? do you collect vintage china? or vintage anything for that matter? Would love to here from you.

xoxo,

May

Painted High Side Table/Entry Table

This table is another project from this weekend...notice I say "another" because it's surly not the last...I've been super busy painting this weekend and it was so much fun..

Anyway, this table is a Drexel Furniture high table.  The top was pretty scratched up so I stripped it...If only I knew how yucky stripping was, I would have just sanded away...There was a sticker on it that said "Property of US Government" which I though was charming so I went ahead and stuck it on the bottom in an effort to preserve it and protect it from the paint.  :) yeah I'm sentimental like that..

Here's the before! More masculine then the Queen Anne Table and the finish is too!

The top had a very thin layer of veneer so I stripped it to the wood...

 I painted it this blue color but kept the drawer and the top stained.

blurry but ok :)

I then gave the top another color wash in blue and some dark wax.

The height of this table makes it perfect for an entry way, and so does the drawer and the shelf.
So how do you like? Show some love!
xoxo,
May

I'm linking up to these parties:

Painted Queen Anne Table

This table is now truly fit for a princess! I love the outcome!
I got this table off of craigslist over a year ago and it has been sitting in my garage collecting dust.  I finally dug it out yesterday (actually hubby did the digging out) and I finally gave it a new life.

Here's this old school looking table before it's fabulous makeover.

Don't sneak in the background :) I was working on multiple projects this weekend!

Inside one of the drawers I found the company's stamp! It's a well known furniture manufacturer from back in the forties according to my humble research.. Researching "Boring" doesn't really yield positive results.

Well here's this beauty after some painted chipped nails and splattered clothes! I'm in love!

Look how curvy and feminine this piece is...

I painted the original hardware in this perfect gold paint...

The girls approve and couldn't stop touching it and playing with the drawers... I think this soft lavender is perfect for a feminine decor or a girl's room....
How do you like it?!

xoxo,
May

I'm Linking to the following parties:

Gossip Bench Makeover in "Duck Egg Blue"

I haven't blogged in a while now because I've been really busy.  I haven't had a chance to show you but I've been busy crocheting, busy visiting family in NJ, busy refinishing furniture, busy hunting down furniture, busy re-arranging furniture, and busy being a wife and mom.  I've been feeling quite productive lately and today especially since I got out and cleaned up a part of my front yard to get ready for spring.  The longer days make me happy :)  Anyway let's get down to business and let me show you my latest project.  I'm totally in love with it.

So exactly two weekends ago I landed an awesome gossip bench.  I've been on the search for one for a while now and I really thought it suitable for my foyer.  It was on craigslist so I contacted the seller and got it the next day.
I wanted to paint in in Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue but I honestly can't afford it at the rate that I paint furniture.  By all means I love it but it's just pricy so if price isn't an issue then go for it.  Anyway I searched blog land for inspiration and as always I learn something new.  I love blog land and how everyone is so willing to share information.  I came across Altard.com and found Annie Sloan color equivalents and was so happy.  Check out their post on Color Comparisons.  So my Duck Egg Blue in Behr paint was Gray Morning.  One trip to the Home Depot and I was set! I also bought Polished Pearl which is like the Old White because you can't go wrong with having it around.

Here's what I started out with (ignore the background and focus on the bench) working on my kitchen table.

 And here's my paint :) you won't believe that I only bought a sample for $3! Yay! Plus I only used half it it so $1.50 is a drop in the bucket compared to Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint.  I was so proud of myself.

Here's the result after the first coat!

While my final coat of paint was drying and I went ahead and popped my fabric in the washer and then dried it.  I bought a drop cloth canvas and used it to reupholster the seat.  Cheap and sturdy and french looking and this was inspired by a lot of projects in blog land but mainly by Miss Mustard Seed.  I love her blog and her house please be sure to check out all of her awesomeness I spend hours on her blog and I love it.  Seriously though who am I to give her a shout out when I'm such a young blogger I'm just giving credit where credit is due :)
Anyway here's the fabric.

Then after stapling my fabric to the seat I painted stripes on it using some burgundy/purplish oops paint.  Always nice to have oops paint on hand :)

Then a few hours later as this was drying I glazed the bench with a little bit of gold craft paint diluted in water.  It was so thin more of a wash and I glazed to add some sheen and gold accents then I'd wipe lightly with a cloth.  That made the blue more green so then I made another wash with the blue and went over the whole thing again. Then some sanding and distressing with a hand file and I was done.

A photo shoot was in order:

Don't you just love all the details?! I know I do.

It's total luck that my oops paint stripes match the hearts on my It's Good To Be Queen pillow :)
So this is it! Just a $1.50 worth of paint and this baby has been transformed and is sitting happily in the foyer.  Please share some love and let me know what you think.  Would love to hear from you!
xoxo,
May

I'm linking up to these parties:

Happy Birthday to my Mom

Today is my mom's birthday! My mother is a very special woman in every way I can think of. She is so selfless that I know for a fact that I can never be like her.  I also know that God has truly blessed me by giving me a mother like her and by allowing me to experience what it means to be a mother.  She's also an awesome grandmother to my two girls.  I wrote this simple poem for her today.

Happy birthday to my mom

The one who raised me well

The one that gave up on her dreams so that her children may excel

 

Happy birthday to my mom

The one who with my dad left their country, people and all that they considered home

Happy birthday to my mom

And may she with dad in paradise roam

 

Happy birthday to my mom

The one who taught me how to walk, sit, eat, and speak

Happy birthday to my mom

That showed me how to be strong even when I felt weak

 

Happy birthday to my mom

The one who insured that all we ate was homemade

Happy birthday to my mom

The woman who taught me about God as she prayed

 

Happy birthday to my mom

That taught me how to be humble so that God elevates me

Happy birthday to my mom

That showed me that good manners where always the key

 

Happy birthday to my mom

May she be blessed with health, wealth, and happiness for all her life

Happy birthday to my mom

That after all these years proves to be the perfect wife

 

Happy birthday to my mom

That knows the true meaning of being a mother

Happy birthday to my mom

 The best grandma to my girls, she’s truly like no other

 

Happy birthday to my mom

The most selfless woman that I know

Happy birthday to my mom

And may her face on judgment day with light glow

 

Love you always mom!

xoxo,

May

Photo Post: Northern Cardinal

I've been wanting to take a picture of a Cardinal for so long and I finally was able to this past Friday.  I really love these birds, not only do they look so pretty but they sound so pretty too.  I was able to get a picture of the Male in red and also the Female :) they were chasing eachother around the tree just in time for Valentines day.

Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed capturing photos of them.
xoxo,
May

Crochet Slippers

I've been looking for a crochet pattern for some cute slippers to make for my little monsterette.  I came across a lot of patterns and finally decided on one that I thought to be the easiest.  I found it at

 http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/Accessories/CD205-05+Adult+and+Child+Slippers.htm 

and after downloading the FREE pdf file I decided to crochet the children's slippers in a Medium which equates to about a size 9.  I found this pattern to be super easy.  I didn't crochet 4 soles like the pattern and instead decided that two would be enough since little Monsterette will be wearing them at home.  I also added the little white single crochet on top for a bit of a girly touch. I crocheted them at night and when she woke up I told her to go see what's on the table and she was jumping up and down and dancing and sliding on our wood floors.  Ahhh the things that make me happy :)

They are a little loose though so I'm thinking to crochet more single crochets to create a little of a cuff or a mini boot.  Here they are for now!

The little slippers are of course for little little monsterette but they are not finished yet! I'm also working on a full size blanket in this orange and it's only about a foot and half wide.  It's going to take me a while to finish such a large project but hey next winter is a year away right? :)

That's all for now! How do you like? would love to hear what you have to say :)
xoxo,
May