It is a dreary Tuesday morning here in Portable 1, from wherest I am joining you.  I am currently in week 2 of a 2 week sub job and the teacher for whom I am subbing is so uber organized, I find I have little to do during the prep half hour before school.  I LOVE organization (I suppose everyone does, but I really like it, like I like it like it. I might love it.) and have been taking note (and some iPhone pictures) of her organization.

I start a new job Monday. I will be working a leave replacement in the district office of a school district closer to my apartment, which will end in August. Perfect for summer, if by perfect you mean I will be working 8 to 5 all summer.  I can't complain. I need the work something fierce.

I have recently been feeling very naked on the hands due to the exit of a certain piece of jewelry about 7 months ago.  I was looking at every little shop I passed for something kitschy and fun, but to no avail.  A very sweet boy I happened to know witnessed this search and bought me this little delight:

and you guessed it...

How adorable is that? I totally love it. I am waiting very anxiously for it to arrive. It is from lovinganvil on etsy. Very cute stuff.

Movin' on Up

I have moved up. Literally up in distance from ground and up latitudinally.  Up in accommodations? No. But such is life. Unpacking I don't mind.  Finding a place for everything, I absolutely do mind.  Any creative storage ideas are much appreciated. I have two closets.  Almost 1,000 square feet of apartment space and two closets.   And on piddly substitute pay, not much I can do about it.  I will post photos when things here do not look like a tornado hit a Goodwill.

Almost Famous

Babble  is a blog for new moms and the like.  As I am not a new (or old) mom, it's not really my bag, but have seen it mentioned on other blogs that I do peruse.  However, this changed last week when a nice woman on Etsy contacted me to let me know she mentioned my State Love onesie in her babble column! Hot dog!

Check. Me. Out.

Oh, yeah.

Also, I've moved.  I am not living the single life in my Liz Lemon apartment.  It is a disaster area.  Moving a 1,200 square foot house into a 900 square foot apartment seems easy enough. Nope. Not easy.  My 2nd shower is now a closet.  I can find nothing.  But it is good. It will be good. It is for the best.

Happy Thursday.

Etsytastic!

State Love onesies are posted and live!  So far, they have lots of views and two people have added them to their "favorite" list, but no buys.  UGH!

Go look at my things, people.  Buy them. Put them on cute, chubby babies.  

www.etsy.com/shop/yerlie

First Furniture Project

Last week, I took an old metal folding chair I had in the garage and used it as a guinea pig for my furniture updating ambitions.  It ended up being about $10 (plus the cost of my new shiny staple gun, which I don't count because I'll use it again and again). 

My old blue folding chair from my computer desk in college.

Walmart special, circa 2000.

Complete with my initials in Sharpie.  

First step, unscrewing upholstered pads from back and seat. 

Fabric and pad are stapled on. Easily removed! (Notice the holes were the screws attach it to chair? Yep, didn't think those through later on.)

Same on seat.  

Chair without pads.

Spray paint of choice, Rustoleum Textured Metallic in black. Has little flecks of silver in it.  More interesting than regular black? Yes.  Do the little flecks of silver clog the spray nozzle? Absolutely.

First light coat.  Notice uneven spraying? Thanks, clogged nozzle. Followed up with infinity more coats.  Used almost two whole cans of spray paint.  Why do I never just go ahead and buy two cans? I always run out!

  

A girl's new best friend.  Stanley Heavy Duty Staple gun. The husband only had the scary plug in kind that also works as a nail gun. Way too complicated for me.  I like the basics. I used the small "tack" staples so they won't poke through the cushion.

I got one yard of upholstery fabric.  I used a 50% off coupon. Good deals all around!  

I chose a lime-ish green print with white swirls.  Lime green is clearly my new favorite these days.

I

I reused the same chair pads.  Center the pad and wood face down on the fabric and then just stretch and staple around the edges as you go.  Remember those little holes? I stapled over them and had to redo it.  To be safe, I trimmed the fabric AFTER I stapled to make sure I had enough.  The corners were a bit tricky, but folding and stapling a little bit at a time ended up with a pleated corner, and it worked really well. 

Finished chair back (first time...when I accidentally stapled over the screw holes)

Did the same thing to the seat.  Matchy matchy!

Test drive, cat style.

Used same screws to reattach back and seat to chair.

Ta da!!!! Much better!!

 BEFORE:

AFTER:

Reupholstering

Attempting first, small reupholstering project as we speak.  We'll see how this goes!

Unfortunate Boots Update

After receiving no shipping notification for over a week, Target cancelled my order.  I WANT BOOTS!