We all know how much we've grown to love our favorite characters from the DreamWorks Animation films like Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and more.
For a special time, Big G and DreamWorks Animation have teamed up to create four collectible DVD samplers containing content from Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar, just for you. Each DVD contains fun episodes, behind the scenes footage and bonus material from your favorite DreamWorks Animation movies.
Hurry and collect all four! Plus, look for an exclusive sneak peak at “The Croods” coming to theaters, March 22, 2013.

In order to get the party started properly, be sure to enter to win the following movie mania gift pack, perfect for a fun-filled family night!
The movie gift pack will contain:

• Set of 4 DreamWorks Animation DVD samplers
• The Croods: Grub's Survival Book
• The Croods: Movie Novelization Book
• Film Reel tin filled with some of your favorite movie theater treats

So Happy November!

and How to renew your house hardware without spending a fortune to make it look like a fortune.

So I had a very ugly white furnace register and I was shopping online for a nice, decorative or even just one that wasn't white or that ugly brown they come in. We suffice it to say that they where around $200+ for the 20" x 20" I wanted. I was bummed for about a second, then I was struck with the obvious solution. I would do it myself, why not? And then I went to Walmart for some supplies...

I love Rust-oleum Hammered collection! I have  used this easy paint on numerous other metal projects. It is super easy to use. You dont need to sand or strip the paint that is already on it. I do reccommend however that if there is rust that you sand that off. Not that it won't cover it but the rust leaves the finish surface less to be desired.

 

 

 

I just layed down a sheet or a drop clothe and I took the hardware off the wall. I took a small peice of wood aslso so I could drill the screws from the register ion the wood so I could paint them as well. I sprayed the paint slowly and evenly until it was coated and nothing showed from beneath. Make sure to spray it at an angle so you get the grates coated as well or it with show the old color. You can do this for switch plates and outletplates as well. I happened to have an antique outlet plate I used so I didn't need to paint it.

 

 

Here is the picture of before I did the hardware.

 

 

And here is the finished wall..

 

Well yesterday I was quite the busy bee. I painted the wall in my family room finally. I had a bunch of color samples that I had painted on a few months ago to see which I liked. Well I hated all of them so I just went went with to dark shades of gray. This is the same pattern as above but different colors.
 

 

 

 

 

 

I also was like stir crazy and while I was waiting for the kids to get home from school I decided to organize my pantry herbs and spices. I just took a case of Ball glass Jars and a great website, ElephantShoe, has great free label downloads. See below.

Pantry Labels

 

 

I also promised to show you the bed I made Patrick for our 6th anniversary. I wanted it to be special because this is our first actual "bed' I used to sleep with our mattresses on a metal frame and I would make a headboard when I felt the need. I am not one for all matching furniture in my bedrrom and all the beds in California where either very boring or very gaudy. Here in New York, I had all the resources to make it myself.

I was able to find an awesome Amish family that had a sawmill on his property and was able to cut my CHERRY wood rough cut style with the bark still attatched. I then cut some Birch down from my 4 acres of land. With the help of my awesome father who used the saw for me, We created the image in my head. A four post rustic style bed with a slice of my eclectic style. We even made the slats to hold the mattresses. I love it. Patrick loves it

 

 

Stay tuned I am doing to refinish a very old bench/sofa from the eighteen hundreds, I would way 1870. I am very excited. I will start on it tomorrow and I will also make a post on how to make amazing Four Berry Jam.

 

Have a great day!

 

Last nights festivities

 

 

 

Me as a Sugar Skull

 

James as a Ninja!

Hailie as a Vampiress!

 

 

And Gwyneth as a Pumpkin

Part of the awesome neighborhood we Trick or Treated in!! 

 

 

I hope everyone had as awesome of a time that we did!!

My Dresser Redo!!

My new favorite blog, Primitive & Proper,  which I just discovered last week, is having a furniture link party!




Since I am brand new to the East Coast and New York, I have been working like crazy around this house. It is our first house and I am taking great pride in it. The funny thing is I can't sit still. My husband tells me to take it easy and relax, he just doesn't understand that working around the house and refinishing are my ways of relaxing and taking it easy.   Anyways,  this is a dresser that Patrick got for his clothes when we got here in September. I actually had a set exactly like this one when I was a child. This dresser however had the misfortune of having someone painting the gold inlay a horrible black. And since the dresser was made in the 80's and is not real wood, it made this project a little difficult. The drawers where easy enough, but the varnish or whatever the coated the dresser in was impossible to strip. I tried sanding first but after 7 minuts of that not working I tried stripper, which did not working very well either. So with a combo of the both I managed to at least make the surface a little abrasive.  

  And here is the finished product! I LOVE IT.

 

Happy Halloween and have a fun and safe night!

 

A windy late October day in the Campbell House!

 

 

So, here I am in upstate New York! I love it, my kids love it, my dog loves it and even my husband loves it. On this windy day when Hurricane Sandy is headed straight for us and I should be daunted by the thought and nervous. Instead I have been painted some pieces of furntiure that have been in my garage for the past 2 months. Last night I finished this table! Aged and distressed it, and it is the perfect setting for my late Halloween decor. Hey, I have been a little occupied!

 

I also finished this chair early this morning. I get up at 6:30 am to see the kids off to scholl and I can't sit still. I am not one for tv during the day. I usually turn on my country station, Wild Country, and paint or craft. The wall in the picture above was from last week. I plan on doing the family room next. This is our first home as a family and so I have been pulled in so many ways. I will post some pics of the previous 2 months in the next post. I have to colloect them and maybe take some pictures of around the house. Anyways, here is the old wooden chair that the previous owner left and it was covered in paint specks, I sanded it down, here is the before  picture:

 

And here is the finished product! So the pics dont do it justice.  ;(

 

Any-who, stay safe and inside if you are in the storm! Ta-Ta for now.....

My Sabbatical

Well, ok now. I am back after several years and plan to keep this blog, diary up. Since I was on here last, I had a beautiful baby girl named Gwyneth Moira. she is now 19 mths old. Crazy how fast time flies. I plan on doing some highlights on people and some giveaways... I really need to start taking more pictures to share my reconstruction projects and my children and my weird pets, Like my cat Lynx, thinks he is a dog and has never seen a litter box in his life and mainly stays in the house when he wants too. I somehow trained him to go to the back door and meow at me when he wants out for whatever reason.   in these cases I have so much to share, stories to tell about my girlfriends and I and anything wlse that moves me. Well, alot of things move me. Anyways, I will to it soon.

Lots of love. Thanks, Danielle

Giveaway

Want to win this pretty little thing?? I sure do. For rule to enter to win visit this Creature Comforts' contest post or Annie and Imogene's shop. Good luck!!