….and………we’re back!

August 23, 2013 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout Leave a Comment

For those of you who’ve missed us, we haven’t forgotten about you.

Like all things, change has been upon us & we’ve been immersed in the business of family,

the Etsy shop

& a summer full of neighborhood kids filtering through our homes.

We’ve been inspired to post about one of our Etsy customers, Jen.

And it’s timely.

Teachers are some of our favorite people. With one of the most difficult jobs on the planet, it’s amazing that they have time to squeeze in a DIY flip just before the kids show up.

She purchased some delicious, 2 sided, Orla Kiely paper from our shop and decided to get all wallpaper with it. Because we love ourselves some Orla, some vintage school furniture AND some teachers………

take a look at her 60’s simplicity (which is a pretty good pick anyway)……..

And look at her now………

……..60’s, only better.

We’d like to wish all you teachers out there a great school year.

May your ability to be patient, creative & academic………..be epic.

Scout on.

from saggy to svelte. {i call a do-over.}

March 21, 2013 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout 2 Comments

“Hi. My name is Stacy and I’m calling about the sofa you have posted on Craigslist. $30. Sure. I’ll take it.”

She had no nasty smells and more importantly, she had great bones.

Now it seems crazy. Now, after the work is done, I can honestly say I’m not sure I’d do it again.

These old pieces are built to last & the upholstery was original which meant hours and hours of tack removal. It was after my hands were sore and wrecked that I began to really doubt my decision to restore this 7′ beast. However, fabric and supplies were ordered and it was going to be the centerpiece in the living room of our new home.

It’s when I’m overwhelmed that I do my very best procrastinating. I’ve been overwhelmed a lot lately. The sofa was now naked, down to her strong bones but she sat for quite a long time while I mustered up the drive to get started with phase two: the rebuilding of the inner stuffing, cutting the foam cushions and constructing the addition of a chaise section and frame. Then she sat a while longer.

With our new home construction cruising along, I knew I needed to get this project moving as well. As I worked, I became more confident in my plan and skills. Upholstery isn’t hard. It’s time consuming but not hard. From my experience, a project like this needs to be taken one step at a time, finding solutions as you go. I guess that’s true in life.

The project was much more time consuming than I bargained for but now that it’s done, I’m thrilled with the final result.

Time for movies, popcorn and a few Coronas.

sweet { h } & his new toy box {do over + a little sugar.}

December 12, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout 1 Comment

On our recent trip to Chicago, we were commissioned by Lauren to make her sweet son, Henry, a new toy box. She was wanting something vintage in look that would work for toys, books, stuffed animals or art supplies. We had her in mind as we set out on our afternoon scout in Andersonville. When we came across this sweet white washed vintage crate, we knew it was perfect for little Henry’s toys.

After a good sanding to break down any sharp edges & some cleaning, we added casters,

a little { h } monogram & two coats of matte poly.

If you’d like a similar custom toy crate for your sweet little bug, just give us a shout.

from mid century good to mid century gorgeous {i call a do-over.}

November 26, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout Leave a Comment

This beauty was scouted on our summer sugarSCOUT trip to Chicago. Although he certainly needed work, he was handsome as is. Our sweet client, Asia, wanted to bring him from good to gorgeous.

She chose a great charcoal, textured fabric & let us work our majik. The wood certainly needed some attention and after a good sanding, medium brown stain and three coats of satin poly, he was ready for his new suit.

a test run & a sneak peek….Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint

October 3, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout 6 Comments

We love old furniture…the kind with great lines & epic patina from years of use. You know, those pieces that look like they’ve been forgotten about for the last 7 decades?

There have been times we’ve admired the patina on a piece and have said, “You just can’t make that up.” Now we’re not so sure.

Introducing…..MILK PAINT!

Milk paint has been around for hundreds of years…since cave times really. However, Marian, aka Miss Mustard Seed, is working to bring milk paint to the masses with her custom line of the powdery goodness.

We’re always up for the challenge of trying something new & decided to order 4 boxes.

With Boxwood, Ironstone, Mustard Seed Yellow & Kitchen Scale in hand, it was just a matter of getting started. We’ve had a small buffet style piece sitting around waiting for a little lovin’ & decided to give her a sunny, sugarSCOUT style {i call a do-over}. It was easy to see early on that milk paint has a mind of its own and tends to decide if it “likes a piece” or not. Well, it clearly didn’t like our little buffet cutie, as the paint began to bubble right away.

DISCLAIMER: If you have any control issues with needing to know the final outcome of your project, milk paint is not for you. However, we loved it & found fun in discovering how the paint would act. Here is a little sneak peek. Once she’s complete with a wax finish and new hardware, we’ll post some cuter staged up photos.

Go get your milk paint on & order a box or two here.

from putrid to perfect {i call a do-over.}

September 26, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout 5 Comments

These two were in major need of a little lovin’ but we knew they had some serious potential. The retro styling and swivel mechanism were tough to appreciate given their condition. However, we worked our majik & think they’ve gone from putrid to perfect. You decide.

Now these sisters are not only sexy, but super comfy. New seat foam and soft grey cotton velvet makes for one…oops, two sweet seats. Book it….find them, sold as a pair, in the sugarSCOUT shoppe.

from SAD to SUNNY {i call a do-over.}

August 13, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout 3 Comments

sugarSCOUT to the RESCUE…..

There’s no denying the fact that this girl needed some saving.

We started with a hard core sandblasting and then both priming & painting. After the new foam was upholstered in this great indoor/outdoor Robert Allen print, she was ready for her big debut.

You can now find her in the sugarSCOUT Etsy shoppe.

from bargain belt to beautiful headband. {a little sugar.}

August 8, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: a little sugar., a wicked good idea., i call a do-over., SugarScout Leave a Comment

How many times have you walked by the thrift store rack of belts and seen 25 little girls d-ring belt cast offs hanging there?

Let me hit that for you, LOTS.

Well, and it’s no surprise. If you’re like us, just getting the clean outfit ON, and in reasonably unwrinkled condition is a miracle all on it’s own. Procuring a matching belt is not high on the priority list.

Until……….

you consider what you can do with these little 50 cent prizes.

Step by Step:

1. Book those bargain belts. Grosgrain, canvas, woven…….you pick.

2. Decide what type of headband works best for you or your little. Hard band. Elastic. Tie.

3. Unless you want to use the D ring as a design element, remove it, or any other waist fastener. We keep all of them, you never know what the next up cycle will bring.

4. Many belts are double thickness already. Use this primo opportunity to do LESS work. Slide your hard band, elastic, or extra length tie between the layers with the right length for the head you’re fitting.

5. Stability. Headbands are dead in the water if you don’t want to wear them because they don’t provide optimum function. Here are some tools that we use to make them more functional.

– apply soft or hard Velcro to hold them in place on the interior side of the band.

– apply a strip of hot glue to give it some grab.

– add a few thread loops inside to insert bobby pins for extra hold.

6. We don’t discriminate when it comes to hair pretties (cocktails are another story). If you’re belt find is too small for a headband, make a barrette, hair clip, book mark, purse handle or anything else that requires a little kapow.

7. Next time you’re thrifting………..book these cheap finds. You won’t regret it. They’re easy to hang on to because they don’t take up a lot of room. Plus, they are also perfect for gift wrapping.

Special thanks to the following folks from whom we borrowed their photography expertise. You’re awesome.

http://italiangirlingeorgia.blogspot.com/2009/01/winter-wardrobe-blues-no-more.html

http://www.alittleknickknack.com/2010/11/ribbon-belts-with-d-ring.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/275134/handmade-gifts-for-her/@center/307035/santas-workshop

http://www.etsy.com/listing/85547553/preppy-belt-pink-and-green-floral-fabric

http://ballstonarts-craftsmarket.blogspot.com/2012/06/froggy-pants-creations-july-14th.html

http://craftycupboard.blogspot.com/2011/01/d-ring-belts.html

http://www.iloveitallwithmonikawright.com/2011/06/grosgrain-ribbon-belt-tutorial.html

http://travelingwithbaby.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/reversible-ribbon-headbands/

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86340780/ribbon-headband-kids-headband-polka-dot

http://www.missprissstyle.com/item/Head-Wraps-Zinnia/769/c76

http://i-really-should-be-cleaning.blogspot.com/2011/09/birthday-giveaway-for-alex.html

it’s a twofer. {i call a do over.}

July 30, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout 4 Comments

Urban Dictionary = twofer:

/ˈto͞ofər/

“When you get two things for the effort, price, time or space of one.”

Today we have a sugarSCOUT twofer of sorts…..two great wood stained projects for the price of one. You might remember the teaser of the roadside ladder and we’ve also completed the sweet little a-frame chalkboard piece that will be using in our wedding rental collection with LOLA Event Productions.

a project in process….{i call a do-over.}

July 23, 2012 by Sara Garcia Filed Under: i call a do-over., SugarScout Leave a Comment

Are you tired of our sneak peeks yet? We promise, the “Full Monty” is coming soon on many of our projects. It’s just that our sugarSCOUT project cue has gotten quite deep & we’re just trying to dig out. This great roadside find needed some major love…don’t you agree?

After a load of sanding, some sweet dark stain & little creative use of a salvaged bike basket & some left over wood, we are on our way to having a great & useful storage ladder.

Once he’s completely finished, we’ll stage him up with towels and bath goodies for your viewing pleasure.

Stay tuned….

Again, thank you for understanding as our blogging this summer is a bit hit & miss….well, a lot hit and miss. We’ll be back blogging daily once the sugarSCOUT littles are back in school this fall.