Prettiest Sewing Table On the Block :)

For starters, we Simple Girls apologize for the insane amount of inactivity happening over here. Summer always seems to be such a busy time for all three of us, but this one seems especially so! Brooke's spending the summer as our world traveler, Katrina's an extremely busy full-time mom to 3 sweet little girls and I'm filling my days with getting ready for summer camp, keeping my oh-so-precious niece and, well, this....

It's official. The office project is well underway. And by well underway, I mean that the walls and furniture are painted and it functions as an office again, instead of a room full of tables pushed to the middle of the room. I'm still working on getting pictures and such on the walls, getting some curtains made/purchased and picking up a few more accessories to finish it off. I'm EXTREMELY pleased with the results so far and FINALLY feel like I'm working in a classy adult space as opposed to a young, full of college leftovers space.

The biggest obstacle to completing the makeover was this one...

This sewing table belonged to my mom's mom. I love thinking about all the amazing things she created while sitting at this very table and how I get to continue that tradition! The honey color wasn't bad, but it really didn't match what I was going for in my new and improved office.

It's got some cool detail on the legs and sides.

And LOTS of damage on the top from wet ups and flower pots.

Check that out! The top folds open to create a bigger work surface. Back in the day, my Nanny was able to store her sewing machine inside the table and raise it up when she was ready to use it. That function doesn't really work now, but that work space is perfect for all kinds of sewing projects!

And after HOURS of sanding (definitely used an electric sander and totally not even kidding about the amount of time it took...I think it took about 45 minutes to get the feeling back in the hands and arms!), 2 coats of paint, several coats of varnish and loads of drying time, I'm pleased to present this beauty...

So polished and so chic in my new office (and yes, that's the new office wall color you see there! More on that in an upcoming post.)

To take care of the brassy hardware, I simply removed it, sprayed it silver and finished it with a clear spray sealer. Hopefully it will all stand up to some wear and tear.

If this pretty little thing doesn't motivate me to whip up some of the cutest little baby items, I don't know what will!! Stay tuned for more on my office makeover!!

-Sarai

Wanna see other cool projects?
Check out the blog parties happenin' over at House of Hepworths and The Shabby Chic Cottage!

Gotta Start Somewhere

Redecorating my office seems to be the project that never happens. I feel like I've been talking about it for months if not years, yet nothing seems to get the ball rolling. Yes, I have my handy little project book (thanks to another simple girl who knows me all too well) filled with paint chips and color palettes and furniture layout ideas. I have my to-do list ready. I have my shopping list ready. And yet...nothing. About the time I started seriously getting my plans together for this project, I took on the task of keeping my niece a couple of days a week. And while, that is one of the most fun jobs to have, it doesn't exactly lend itself to help in the home improvement projects!

A few weeks ago, my husband was out of town, and I was bored. I really wanted to dive right in and slap some paint on the walls. However, because of the stripes that are currently on the walls, I wasn't up for the sanding and priming that would have to precede said paint job. So I decided to start small. I checked out my to-do list and found that project that would require the least amount of time and would require only materials that I had on hand. And so, "Reupholster Desk Chair" had its day in the sun!

Here's the chair before in all its boring blue plain jane office-y glory. The office is blue now, so sure, it matches. But that doesn't mean it looks awesome. We need awesome.

And one hour, several hot glue gun burns and some black and white gingham fabric later...TADA!! Much more awesome and it will tie in perfectly with the black and white theme I'll have going on in here.
I didn't remove the old fabric. I didn't use a staple gun. I just folded and tucked and snipped and glued until it looks how I thought it should. No, it's not perfect, but it's prettier than it was. And while motivation for this project hasn't exactly turned into motivation (read: free time) to get the rest of the office started, it's one less thing I'll have to do in the long run. You gotta start somewhere, right?

The Dish on Summer

Crickets.....

Sorry about that, folks... especially after Brooke's super cute last contribution to the "Show Us Your Life" series. Between the three of us there's been road trips, mission trip preparations, end of school hoopla, camp planning, niece watching, and for me and my family...
The birth of this sweet angel (who consequently had her first family outing to a nearby town's Farmapalooza!)

In celebration of our third little girl, here are three summer favorites. Thankfully, due to the generosity of precious friends, we haven't had to do much cooking in the last weeks so I can guarantee these are simple recipes indeed.
The first one... not even a recipe really, but some hints on how to summerfy your tacos with this being the glorious season of farmer's markets and fresh. Add something new to your taco beef or chicken... like a combo of raisins, cumin, chili powder, minced onion. Grab some corn shells and layer them with everything from pinto or black beans and brown rice to avocado slices, tomato wedges, cilantro, and even peaches. Squeeze fresh lime juice right on top and slather with some Pioneer Woman goodness!

Number two... we make these babies almost every night or morning in preparation for eating at some point during the day. Simply blend plain yogurt, raw honey to taste, and frozen strawberries. Then freeze in one of those homemade makers (this one is BPA free)... easy as, well, popsicles!

Last but not least... pasta salad. You just can't go wrong with pasta salad! We enjoy Trader Joe's vegetable radiatore noodles, Italian dressing, and fresh basil (lots and lots of it!) The other ingredients are all up for the liking. Two favorite combos for us are sun dried tomatoes, feta, and fresh spinach leaves or raw broccoli, cheddar cheese crumbles, grape tomatoes, and chopped yellow or white onion.

Hoping you scoop up something delicious this summer season!
Katrina