Beverage Cart Pinterest Challenge!

On my last post, I picked three contenders to try to link up to the Pinterest Challenge.  I picked the one that  1)took the least amount of time and that  2)I already had the items needed on hand.  Sounds lazy, I know, but I am planning my daughter's 7th birthday party this weekend here at my house and have many other things going on, so I needed it to be that way to make the Tuesday deadline!   However, I do plan on painting my pottery and stenciling my dining room wall (see last post for those inspirations).  I already bought my stencil and paint and got the wall prepped!  From tutorials I have read on this project, I know it's a loooong process so I didn't try to break my neck (and hand) doing this one yet.  However, this month of July is sacred for me being a teacher because the month of August will be busy for me getting my classroom ready!  I still plan on doing projects and as many posts as I can in August but stenciling a wall probably won't be on the schedule.  So my goal is to do that this month, cross your fingers for me on that.

Anyway...back to my original topic...I chose to do the beverage cart as my Pinterest Challenge.  Here was the inspiration picture that I chose from Pinterest:

Pinterest

Remember, my metal cart came from my parents' basement laundry room and was holding their detergents and supplies.  I know we had this cart in our laundry room even as I was growing up, so it's been around the block.

Here is what the cart looked like when I took it from my parents' house.  This is after I swept major cobwebs and nastiness off of it just to put it in my car.  It had major rust on the bottom shelf.

All projects seem to go more smoothly when you have a cute 7 year-old helper in her PJ's, don't you think?

I ended up taking the cart apart so that I didn't have to tape or try to cover the chrome handles and sides.  I want this cart to primarily go on our enclosed back porch (see recent post on that project here)
and I wanted it a fun, punchy color, so I decided to go with this bold red.

I love that the cart is on wheels.  I plan on using it to put drinks on when we have company, plants on when we don't , and everything in between.  I have never had a cart before, so who knows?  Eventually it may turn into a mobile office.  :)

Here it is painted and put back together:

And for right now, I decided to embrace the season and make it a fun cart to go on the porch.

 I plan to use it this weekend to hold all kinds of fun for Riley's birthday party.  I can't wait to post some pictures of that soon.  I have never hosted a kids birthday party at my house before, so we'll see.

Be sure to stop back soon to see my painted pottery, stenciled wall, and birthday shenanigans.

Also, make sure you check out not only my Pinterest Challenge beverage cart, but the tons of other inspirations here.

Linking up to:
NOT Just a Housewife- Show Me What Ya Got
Centsational Girl-Pinterest Challenge
Young House Love-Pinterest Challenge
Ten June-Pinterest Challenge
Shabby Nest-Frugal Friday
French Country Cottage-Feathered Nest Friday
It's A Hodgepodge Life-It's a Hodgepodge Friday
I Love Pretty Little Things--Friday Pretties
Romantic Home--Show and Tell Friday
Sassy Sites--Feature YOU Friday
Savvy Southern Style-Wow Us Wednesdays

Back Porch-Best Room in the House

When we went house searching for our current home 5 years ago, we looked at about 50 houses in a week because our other house was in contract.  The last house we looked at was the one we ended up buying.  One thing that really sold us on this house was the existing enclosed back porch.  It was decent in size, had a beamed ceiling, and connected to a small deck that all faced our back yard.  We were sold.   Through the summers we have lived here, we have really enjoyed eating and relaxing out there.

Last summer we decided to put windows in.  This has really transformed not only the look of this outdoor "room" but also has given us the capability to sit out there on colder fall and even winter months when using a space heater to warm it up a bit.  I used the same idea for "curtains" as I did over my kitchen window.  Fabric dinner napkins at $10 for a set of 4.  Works for me!  The large space above the windows is going to have a shelf going across it soon.  We love the ceiling on our porch.

The furniture (2 chairs, loveseat, and sidetable) were also new purchases last summer.  I love the look but do not love the cream color cushions that they came with.   Our black furry friend and muddy paws do not mix with these cushions.  However,  we are currently sticking with them until I find or make the color or pattern that I want.  The rug was a steal last summer at Bed, Bath and Beyond--it doesn't match right now, but I may paint it or switch it out with something else in the future.

The little crock with the patterened top?  It's one of those meaningful pieces I posted about before from my mother-in-law.  It had an ugly country-blue vinyl top on it before and I just recovered it with some cute fabric.

 I am super excited about our lovely little porch.  We already spent tons of time out here, and now I know we will spend even more. Whether you have a front porch, back porch, or just a stoop, make it a happy little place to be.  Porches are underrated.  It is slowly becoming our Best Room in the House.

Happy 4th of July!!!


Linking up to:
Not Just a Housewife  Show Me What Ya Got
Savvy Southern Style  Wow Us Wednesdays
At the Picket Fence  Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage  Feathered Nest Friday
Chick on a Shoestring Budget  Flaunt it Friday
DebbieDoos DIY--Newbie Party

Pillow Trick

See this sweet little dog?

This is Cole.  Our 3 year old black lab mix.  He can be very naughty.  I think it's totally ironic his name is Cole.  (think Christmas stocking)  We didn't even name him.  This little guy likes to nab our stuff and take it through the doggy door on the porch and out into our backyard.  What's funny is even when I think I've lowered the darn doggy door low enough so that he can get through but not he AND one of our back porch pillows, he manages to do it anyway!  When we got these pillows last year, he chewed a hole in one, tore buttons off a few more, and dragged others into the backyard to try to bury.  Yep.  I caught him in the act one time.  Throw pillows at my house have sadly been off-limits on our main floor.  Sniff, sniff.

Until one day recently Hubby and I had a brilliant idea.  Brilliant because we thought it would look good, and, more importantly, be a way that sweet Cole could not get our pillows.

Here is one of the pillows before:

 We bought several of these last summer on clearance at Target for $5 each.  Our back porch has a  2 chairs and a matching loveseat that we got at World Market last summer.  (I will be posting soon on this favorite room/porch of ours!)  We like the patriotic theme--but not a in-your-face flags everywhere way.  So I did three things with these pillows so that they would be Cole-proof and hopefully look good:

1.  I took off all of the buttons.  They were extra tempting for Cole.
2.  I glued a piece of red ribbon across the center of the pillow to give it more color and to go with our theme we have going on the porch.
3.  I tacked the ribbon to the sides at the seams and left extra length on each side so that we could TIE it to the back of the chairs.  YES, did you hear that Cole?  They are tied.  Ha.

So here is what our pillows look like now:

And the back:

We did something slightly different with the pillows on the loveseat.  Cross your fingers our little fella leaves them alone.   I can't wait to show you the whole porch in a future post!

Linking this project up to the following parties:

The Shabby Nest-Frugal Fridays
French Country Cottage- Feathered Nest Fridays
Chic on a Shoe String Budget-Flaunt it Friday
Simply Sweet Home- Friday Favorites
Featuring Your Sassy Sites
Nap Time Crafters- Friday Favs Party