Valentine’s Day wreath

saw this Valentine’s Day wreath on Pinterest and made it with my own little twist.  grabbed some old school clothes pins, sprayed them white, and pinned them to the clothes hanger with some burlap. get ready!  just got my Datevitation in the mail for my love.  so excited to share these exciting dates throughout the […]

Downloadable daily schedule for your baby and kids

call me a freak.  i use Excel for everything.  my MBA has certainly come in handy for this project! when lil G was born, i couldn’t remember anything.  did i feed the baby?  what time?  which side did i nurse last? so, i created this daily schedule to keep track of the kids.  it started […]

downloadable kids’ reward sticker chart

  i’ve gotten a few requests to post the reward sticker chart for download. yup, another nerdy Excel thing i did for the kids. most nights after baths, we review the chart.  they get a sticker for each ‘task’ they accomplished. this has been successful to get them to learn behaviors such as brushing teeth, […]

tutorial :: vintage door restoration with chalk board panel

this is one of the doors from the craigslist vintage door score. after a close inspection, i noticed mold on these doors.  so, these are being refinished to be used in outdoor areas. this one’s a single panel door which will eventually have a black chalk board in the panel.  first, i washed the door […]

Darth Vadar, Spidey, and Lightning…oh my! How to make a reversible duvet.

i’ve been making duvets forever.  ever since the hand sewing days.  ouch! they’re super easy to make, and they can change the look of your room so easily. and there’s just something about snuggling down in a super soft, luxurious, personalized duvet under a soft snuggly down comforter. i prefer cotton. you can wash it […]

top 2012 projects at imeeshu!

hi everyone! can you believe all that’s happened this year?  woah. i’m amazed that i have a single reader on my blog.  what a treat to be able to see that there’s a trend going on here…people love the restoration hardware look. lucky me…so do i. rustic and industrial and distressed are still HOT…   […]

How to refinish furniture with a Restoration Hardware wood finish :: Annie Sloan tutorial

oh Restoration Hardware… how i love thee… Big A is currently in his converted crib.  Problem is that he’s getting too big for us to comfortably snuggle and read books in the glider. and sitting on the floor to read to him isn’t fun. so mamma started searching for a new bed on craigslist…. and […]

industrial tae kwon do belt rack :: galvanized steel pipes to the rescue

  this is lil G’s room.   notice it’s a bit disheveled.   but it’s real. he loves maps….and lightning mcqueen….and books….and tae kwon do. for a four year old, he’s quite accomplished, having earned his 4th belt already. i’m pretty sure little kids don’t fail their tae kwon do exams…. maybe they learn a […]

Restoration Hardware inspired wood growth chart :: DIY

i’ve never met a piece of wood i didn’t like. i made a makeshift wooden deck around the kids’ playhouse last spring. there was a 6′ piece left. i knew i’d use it. someday. somehow. today was mr. woods’ lucky day. Ecowood Treatment is pretty nifty.  But what I’ve found is that on smooth wood, […]

antique pedestal table refinishing project :: step by step how-to

this adorable side table was handed down by my hubby’s grandparents, via his uncle. pretty beat up, but good structure.  the legs were nearly perfect. then, we had a garage sale and one of the kiddos put his half-eaten donut on the table. (confession: i love my kids…almost as much as i love donuts). some […]

queen anne dresser :: grand finale

don’t you love when life knocks you for a few loops?  i got the flu shot, and low and behold, got a 4 day mini flu.  at least it wasn’t the whole shebang, but 4 days of fever es no bueno, as we like to say in so cal. so, i took a few weeks […]

queen anne dresser :: part 2

The Queen Anne dresser is coming along quite nicely. This is where I started:   These are the steps I’ve taken thus far: Pulled out all drawers and sanded the body of the dresser with a 220 grit paper.  Definitely wore a mask and had the garage door open as the dust was everywhere!  Wiped […]

queen anne dresser refinishing :: part 1

my husband and i took care of our uncle george for the past 18 months.  he was a kind man with a generous nature.  he had nothing, but gave everything he found to those in need. he treasured this queen anne dresser, which belonged to his parents. i decided it should stay in the family. […]

beachy cottage laundry room reveal!!

very excited to share the new laundry room with y’all!  it was previously just a plain, boring ole laundry room.  no flavor, no pizzaz. so here we go. a fresh, very beachy, killer laundry room! hooks on the left wall.  a rod to hang ironed items.  front loader washer and dryer lifted on the awesome […]

spring garden party

the party went off without a hitch.  we’re blessed with amazing friends who lend their time and help!  in between setting up, politely bossing my friends around, and trying to be a gracious hostess, i tried to snap a few pix…. the weather cooperated….it rains one day a year in california.  and thankfully, the first […]