~hmmm~

We had a very fun and eventful day celebrating Pioneer Day (a Utah holiday). We spent the majority of the time at This is the Place partaking in their many activities for the kiddos...their favorites were the candy cannon and the pie eating contest!

We also ate dinner at Red Robin - YUM!

Finally, we ended the day by going to IKEA in search of a couch.

I have to say that I am not quite sure of that place...it seems to be a cross between a ZOO and a furniture AMUSEMENT PARK!!!!

My kiddos sure had fun jumping from couch to couch! YIKES :)

Anyway, I do know that I have never seen so many people carrying measuring tapes in one place before! And that it is WAY too modern for me...

I guess the search continues...

~Have a great evening~

~UH OH!~

This is what happened Monday night when the cable to our door broke!And this is what I am HOPING for....

My FAVORITE :)

Choosing one seems to be the hardest part!

Thank goodness our HOA's only requirements are:

1. It has to be a solid color.
2. It has to be an earth tone color.
   

~Have a great day~

~For Sale~

I forgot to mention...all the Cabinet Doors are for sale! They are $35 each and if you are interested please send me an email - aprilfrancom@hotmail.com

Thanks!!

~Cabinet Doors~

See what you can do with a few of these...

Several of these...

And a visit to Hobby Lobby...

VOILA!!

LOVE this paper...

Isn't that crown just ADORABLE???

This paper too...

~Have a great day~

~SCORE!!!!!~

Look at what I SNAGGED today!!!!!

Isn't it just FANTASTIC???



Can we say I LOVE fireplaces????

Can we say I LOVE people who sell BEAUTIFUL fireplaces on KSL????

I am so excited I can't stand it...and yes, I am going to PAINT it.
When I said that to my neighbor today, she kind of looked at me like I had two heads!!! LOL!
Yes, it's very beautiful the way it is but...I paint EVERYTHING!
Sadly enough, before my mother in law passed away 7 years ago, she made me PROMISE to NEVER paint the GRAND PIANO my husband was inheriting and I said absolutely, I PROMISE :). Therefore, everything else is free game!
Now, I just have to figure out what color...
~Have a great night~

~So Sorry...~

I am so sorry for the lack of or actually NO home improvement projects thus far...:( I hope I am not BORING you to death!!!!!

I figure I might as well take advantage of this warm weather to get all my furniture pieces painted and then tackle the inside when winter comes????

So far, I feel like I have only scratched the surface... UGH!!

Fortunately, I still have a bit until it gets colder :).

My plan right now has been to paint/work on things during the day while the kids play then when EVERYBODY is in bed (including my husband - he keeps Netflixing good shows for us to watch! DARN HIM! LOL!) then I go back out to the garage until about 2-3am. It is soooooo nice to work without ANY interruptions :)

Although, I sure do pay for it with the 6-7am wake up call from the baby - good thing he his ADORABLE!!!

LOVE that cute guy :)

Anyhow, I do have a few cute projects I have almost completed with some cabinet doors and they will be for sale too! As for the nursery set I started a few weeks ago....can we say NIGHTMARE!!!

I decided to make the crib into a bench and that is where I went wrong! I have had issue after issue and we both need a break from each other or I will admit DEFEAT and the crib goes to D.I.! :)

~Have a great day~

~I'm being Featured~

YAY!!!

Kierste over at Brown Paper Packages was so very kind to ask if I would like to be featured on her blog!! Of course I said YES!! Who wouldn't want too...her blog is amazing :). Although, I'm a bit nervous because this is my first time EVER creating a post for someone else so here goes...

My name is April Francom and I live in the BEAUTIFUL state of Utah with my husband and 4 darling and active little boys. Not only am I so very lucky and blessed to be a stay at home mom to these great kiddos but, I also get to refinish furniture and be creative on a daily basis! I would say my husbands only compliant is that he would LOVE to get his garage back!! LOL!

I began this furniture refinishing adventure a little over 10 years ago when I became hooked on HGTV and I kept telling myself "I can do that"!

We were so very poor, as my husband was finishing school, so I scoured the local D.I. and yard sales looking for cute pieces to re-do for our cute home.

Little did I know how much I would actually love doing this sort of thing and that it would soon become a small business and hobby for me :).

Through much trial and error I have found many techniques, types of paint, tools, ect. that have helped me create some really beautiful pieces.

Sadly, I had no idea what a "BLOG" even was back then and of course it never occurred to me to take "before and after" pictures so, all I have to show you is what I have done since starting my blog The Painted Cupboard not quite a year ago.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces and techniques so far...

~Fireplace~

here and here

~Headboard and Nightstand~
here

Lastly, my favorite products and must haves for re-doing anything include...

1. An orbital sander.
2. Black sanding blocks (several different grits).
3. Vinyl gloves (so you don't stain your hands too !).
4. Scott brand towels for everything! -cleaning furniture, staining, polyurethaning, etc.
5. Minwax Walnut Gel Stain.
6. Minwax Wipe On Satin Polyurethane.
7. Foam brushes for painting if you are not spraying - it is so nice to just toss them!
8. I also use plain old latex house paint in a satin finish. Walmart's Antique White is a great color too.
9. I have found that a good sanding, cleaning and several light coats of paint, stain and a few coats of polyurethane can update just about anything!!

Finally, my advise to anyone who is thinking of refinishing a piece is to "JUST DO IT"!! It's only paint. Start with something you don't really care about so, if you do mess up then you can just haul it back to where you found it in the first place:) Trust me I have done that many times myself!!! LOL!

Thank you Kierste for having me...

~For Sale~

24 x 20 Pink Shabby Chic Mirror - $35 - SOLD!!! Thank You!

58 1/2 x 22 1/2
Antique White Message Board (chalkboard on the bottom half)- $75

~M.I.A.~

WOWZER'S

This has been a CRAZY, BUSY summer!!!!

Chasing after and keeping these kiddos entertained has left little time for painting furniture but lots of time for FUN!!

This is what we have been doing the past few weeks...

~Hanging out in Provo Canyon~

~Westlake Football Camp~

~Lots and Lots of Swimming~

~Lessons~

Finally...

~Stadium of Fire~

~Carrie Underwood was AMAZING!!!!!~

~The Fireworks were pretty great too!~

~Our own Fireworks show!!~

Hopefully this week will be a little more productive??? :)

We'll see...we are having too much FUN!!

~Have a great week~