This is no longer your grandmother's ottoman...

I found this great ottoman at an estate sale for $6.  I love the shape of the legs and it is such a great height. 

Obviously, it needs a little help.  But, it definitely has potential.  I started to take the cushion apart and remove all the fabric so I could paint it and recover it.  This turned into a two day project.  As I really started to get into it, I discovered there were about 1000 upholstery tacks and 1000 staples holding the fabric on.  I got about half way through it the first day and I thought my hand was going to fall off.  I couldn't pull any more tacks out.  So, I walked away and took a break from the entire project.  The next day, I decided I wouldn't let this ottoman beat me.  So, I sat back down with my tools and finished removing the rest of the cover.


Finally I got them all out.  The cover was off and now it needed a whole new look. 

A little turquoise paint, a black and white print fabric and a staple gun...

How adorable is that?!?!

And all for $6!!

My First Vegan Pizza

It's not pretty...


It's not complicated...

It's doesn't even have tomato sauce...

But, it was delicious!!!

I became an ovo-vegetarian in July 2009 and I haven't had any cheese since then. I don't miss it very often, but sometimes I see a pizza commercial and all I can think about is the ooey-gooey warm and melty cheese. So, I finally decided to be brave and try the vegan cheese. I had a few people tell me that the vegan cheese tastes like the real thing, but I was still pretty skeptical. In fact, when I went to take the first bite I was making that face that a kid makes when they are forced to choke down the rest of the vegetables on their plate. But! Surprise! Surprise! It tasted just like mozerella cheese! I couldn't believe it! It was just what I was looking for!

Thank you Mr. Vegan Cheese Maker!

A few baby gifts...

I have made several baby blankets as gifts over the last few years, but I this one is definitely my favorite.

I love the random mix of fabrics...not so matchy-matchy.  And of course the ruffle makes this blanket ten times better than any other blanket.

Plus, who doesn't love minky dot?  So soft and cozy...it makes it feel so rich.

I was pretty tempted to keep it.  I would never get away with it though. My friend and I picked the fabric out together for her daughter, so she was expecting it to arrive. I threw in a couple of other gifts as well...

A wrap sling...all dolled up.  This sling is basically just a long thin piece of jersey knit, but I dressed it up a bit with this playful glitter butterfly gauze fabric.  It really turned out great. 

And last, but not least...I made a sleep sack.  I love the criss cross top.  It has a bit of a kimono feel to it, which is perfect for my friend's style.  Both top and bottom are made from heavyweight knit. 

I probably should have made it out of fleece or flannel to provide a little extra warmth for the winter months, but I didn't think that far ahead. One of these days, I will learn to think through the whole project before I jump right in and start making it. 

A much needed make over

During one of my semi-weekly trips to Goodwill, I found this great chair.  Very sturdy.  I wasn't crazy about the cushion, but that is an easy fix.  What I was crazy about was the beautiful, ornate back.  It was so unique.  I just knew that it would look so much better with just a little bit of help.  So, for only $10...I couldn't pass it up.

I just knew that a little black paint and upgrade on the cushion was going to make this chair look like a million bucks....

Was I right or was I right? 

I love how this turned out. It is such a great chair.  I can't believe someone would give this one away.