Brass is Back

My body is in shock and is protesting this cold weather.  I mean, really.  Did Mother Nature forget it is Spring?  It is mid-April in Southeast Texas and feels like 35 degrees outside.  Yesterday, I sewed curtains all day to be productive and hide from the weather.   Let's just say, it wasn't an overly productive day with the curtains.  I did however, get a few things done around the house and worked on a few little brass treasures I have inherited recently.

These are before pictures.

In the past few years, brass started making a come back in home decor.  From fixtures and knobs to furniture and accessories.  It has been popping up more and more in my favorite magazines, blogs and on Pinterest.  I personally have never been a fan of brass, yellow gold or anything in that color family and brass will probably never dominate my home but I do love having a few pieces here and there.

Here are a few makeovers that I have done with brass.

The custom dresser

The Drexel china cabinet

The Drexel curved front set

The gorgeous, painted and glazed buffet

The 1920 painted cabinet

Sometimes you can't even tell pulls and handles are brass because they are so tarnished and dirty.  Take the custom dresser.  Here are close up before and after pictures of the pulls.

Crazy how cleaning and polishing will change things!

Over the past few months, my mom has given or offered a few pieces that she has come across over the years.  One of them is an anchor candle holder.   I polished it and now it lives on our counter in the kitchen.

Side by side before and after.

Then there is this guy.  I am in love.  It is an old door knocker in the shape of a shell!   I told my parents I thought it was solid brass.  A solid brass door knocker that looks like a shell!  Who would put this outside?  Will I be able to put it outside?

As soon as Blittle and I got home, I got to work on it.  Here are the results. 

Before

After

Side by side

I want to put it outside so it is actually seen and used but it is almost too pretty.  Plus, we don't have a front door.  I know.  Weird.  Most homes in our neighborhood don't have front doors or front decks.  Everything is in the back of the house facing the water.  We are working hard on updating the outside of our house and have what feels like 1,203,453 DIY projects going on at the same time and I can't seem to get any of them 100% finished.  With all the time I am spending outside, I am sure to find the perfect spot for it.

Tomorrow I am going to show you how I polish brass.


Have a great day everyone!

DIY Floor Cleaner

Hi all!

I hope everyone had a great week.  I don't have much to talk about today so this post is short and sweet.

Things in the kitchen are going well but have slowed down.  The countertops are installed and have to be "waterproofed" now (more on that later).  I have to put many coats of several products on every 24 hours then after the last coat it needs 7 days to cure.  SLOW.  A 24 hours dry time is almost painful to me at this point.  We are so close!  Until the countertops are done, I can't do the backsplash...hopefully next weekend will be the start of that adventure.

I have painted the office, put in it's new ceiling fan, worked on our dining room table,  and worked on another dresser (this one for me) this week!  Very productive!

Just so I didn't post for a whole week again, I want to share with your  a great floor cleaner I came across on Pinterest.  We put laminate floors in our first home and I hated that I could always see my mop marks on the floor after I cleaned it.  I would have to dry the floor with a towel to get a streak free look.  So after we had our vinyl planks put in the new house, I was a little worried about mopping them.  I found a DIY floor cleaner recipe on Pinterest and I LOVE it.

1 Cup White Vinegar
1 Cup 70% Rubbing Alcohol
1 Cup Water
Several Drops of your favorite dish soap  (I use Dawn)

This can be modified, of course, but its mostly about equal parts of each then some soap.  It works great! The alcohol makes the moisture evaporate quickly so no streaks and no staying off the floor for a long time to let it dry.  You can put it in a spray bottle or I found this guy at Target.

Its the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop.  You can put whatever kind of cleaner you want in the bottle and it sprays from the mop (like a Swiffer).  The pads can be put in the laundry and you can buy several extras!  Love this.  It is easy to store and the pads have held up well in the wash.

Just a side note:  I saw one lady post that it smells "yucky" on Pinterest but I don't agree.  When you first use it, there is a vinegary smell but it fades quickly and the floors will look clean and the room will smell clean.  If you think the vinegar smell is too much, put  a little less in your mixture.  

Happy weekend everybody!