the before pictures

I'm pretty sure my grandpa made this rocking horse. It was up in the attic. The kids got a head start on decorating it. I'm not sure what color it wants to be. I'm guessing scribble chalk is not it though.


Here's a close up of the horse's head. Back in the day, someone did a little pencil sketch of where the eyes should be.


I got this bench for free from some neighbors. It is screaming for a glossy coat of red. If you listen really closely you can hear it.


You can't really tell from the picture but these are kid chairs. My neighbor gave them to me. The other 6 are not pictured but they are just as cute. My kids and I were over at her house watching the jackhammer guy one day. She was sweeping her garage. I saw the chairs in the corner and made a comment about how cute they were (even though they were covered in dust and spider webs). She told me I could have them. All 8 of them! I asked if she was sure and she said yes. I quickly hauled them over to my yard before she could change her mind.

I'm thinking I'll paint them blue, red, yellow and green. I have no idea where I'll put them but they're going to be stinkin' cute.


I love this old chalkboard. I think it was in the attic too. I'm not sure what color it wants to be. Maybe turquoise. Seems like that color is all the rage now-a-days. Here it is back in its heyday when it had a place of importance on my grandma's kitchen wall.


That's my mom in the furry slippers reading the paper. My dad's the guy on the phone.


When I was a freshman in college I lived with my grandma. This metal cart held my typewriter. I love it. I wish I had an extra bedroom that could be my office. If I did, I would totally have this cart in there. I kind of like the green color. Maybe it just needs to be washed off. I don't know.



See how the sides come up? That's where I used to put my White Out and extra typing paper. Remember White Out? I loved the smell.


This rocking chair was in the attic too. I have a picture of my grandma sitting on this chair in her kitchen holding my uncle when he was a wee babe. Maybe it wants to be turquoise too. If you look closely at the back of the rocker part you can see that that's the color it used to be. My grandpa probably made this too.


I bought this desk from my across-the-street neighbors. They were getting ready for a yard sale. I bought it for $10. I have no where to put it but I like it anyway. What color does it want to be? Who wants to volunteer to scrape all those stickers off for me?


This beauty was given to me by my other neighbor. For free! I don't know what's going on with these neighbors of mine but I love them! This desk needs some serious sanding. Maybe that's why I've done nothing to it yet. I kind of like the blueish/grayish color of the paint that's already on it. It would go in my office if I had one. Or maybe in the playroom (if I had one of those too). For now it just sits in the back garage waiting its turn to become beautiful again.


I have big plans for this chest of drawers. It's going in Cate's room. Right now it's in the front garage because it's too heavy for me to scootch to the back all by myself and nobody seems to be helping me. Ahem. I think it could be a nice creamy color with new handles. I think my dad might have made this. Or his dad.

And one more before picture:


You never know. If I ever have some "work" done I'll be glad I have this picture to remember my wrinkles, saggy jowls, droopy eyelids and the bump at the end of my nose.