Beadboard Doors - HCE - and Chandelier Facelift

I think my National Folk Farmhouse Kitchen is done?

Now that all of the ends of the cabinets are covered with the beadboard panels, there was a little bit left.  From the remaining sheet of beadboard, Steve was able to cut out five more smaller panels. He had to really carefully plan the cuts, so the beadboard pattern would be equally balanced and centered on each side where it sets into the door. These were then glued to each cabinet door of the island, using contact cement. 

He utilized my rolling pin to help make sure that each piece of beadboard was firmly pressed down onto the door panel.

Once they were in place, he went around the edges with a bead of caulk to finish in the joint all around.  After the caulk was dry, I gave each of the cabinet doors two coats of paint. I was very pleased with the final result. It looks like they were originally made that way with beadboard.

The first thing this morning, before he even had his second cup of coffee, Steve got the doors all mounted back onto the island. He made sure they were level and each one shut perfectly and was correctly lined up.

These two smaller ones were just regular cabinet doors on each side of the island stove. A while back, we added pull out Rev-A-Shelf kits to make one a trash bin and the other one a recycling bin.

This is the back side of the island that faces the sink.

I'm really glad we did this. It was a lot of work. I wasn't sure if I wanted a white kitchen, because this was Steve's idea.  But now it looks so bright and cheery, I smile when I walk into the room. 

My Oh My, 

this really dressed up our 

National Folk Farmhouse Kitchen!  

I also repotted a couple clumps of ivy that I had rooting in water. I found the perfect shade of red flower pots in our newest store in Oconto, a Dollar Tree. So for a dollar apiece I got these pretty little flower pots that look so nice in the window over the kitchen sink.

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Tuesday was pretty busy for me. Since we've moved back to Oconto, I rejoined with my HCE Homemakers group. HCE stands for Home and Community Education. I jokingly say it's kind of like 4-H for Old Farm ladies! LOL

Various times throughout the year we meet with other HCE groups from around the county and work on volunteer projects. We call it "Stitches of Love". 

The two main projects we worked on this time were making fleece tied blankets that go to cancer chemo patients and other hospice related recipients. Also we sew little fabric book bags for a program called Books R4U that gives four-year-old Head Start children in our county story books, coloring books, crayons, pencils etc and a nice little fabric book bag to keep them in.

The day was filled with laughter and fun, and especially a nice feeling because we were doing something for someone else. Donors furnish us with the funds for the nicer quality fleece fabric as well as donations and sponsors for the supplies and fabric for the book bags. It's so nice to be back with my familiar ladies again. I had been a member of this group for 13 years before we moved away in 2012.

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We spent the rest of the evening assisting a family member in the hospital. It was a long evening and we didn't get home until after 11 p.m. Prayers are still greatly appreciated!

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This afternoon I had a little project of my own to work on. While Steve is still finishing up some of the electrical ceiling boxes with the new wiring, I felt it was time to give a little face-lift to the beautiful crystal chandelier that hangs in our bathroom. Today was the day, because he was going to be putting it back up soon. So if I was going to do anything to it, I better get my own butt in gear.

The chandelier is beautiful, and it's actually newer, but it is made to look old. I did not care for the aged distressed look on the surface of the metal. So my plan was to dress it up with a spray can of chrome metallic paint.

Before I started removing any of the crystals, I took very close photographs of which ones were located from which little hole in what part of the light fixture. There are six different configurations and shapes of crystals... some had three beads above the main crystal and other ones only had one bead above the main crystal. The crystals were three different shapes and three different sizes as well. I wanted to be sure that I was going to put it back together the same way that it came apart.

(wow... those crystals were dirty!)

There were 25 various strands hanging from the framework, and if you count even each little crystal bead of each strand, that means that there were 75 individual crystals in total. I didn't want to mess anything up.

My plan was to remove the crystals and then paint the frameworks silver. Everything else in our bathroom is silver and chrome. The legs on the clawfoot tub, the faucets on the sink, the other light fixture over the sink and the metal trim on the shower are all silver.

One hint I learned long ago, is that after you remove any of the glass shades (or crystals in this case), cover up the light sockets with pieces of tin foil crumpled up around them to make sure that none of the spray paint gets down inside of the light socket.

It didn't take me long to spritz spritz spritz and I had it covered from all directions with silver paint. I did that work down in the basement, away from anything that could get overspray on it.

While that was drying, I was able to clean all of the crystals in a vinegar and water solution and rinse them off after a little soak in Dawn dish soap as well. They came out gleaming, and I wiped each one to a pretty glistening finish.

The other part of the face-lift that I performed was on these 4 yellowish plastic faux candle sleeves that go over the sockets. They were an interesting vintagey looking color, but they were more yellow than what all of the trim in the bathroom. So out came my little paintbrush and dip-dab-dip-dab I had them all spruced up as well. Now they will harmonize a little better and look good against the silvery light fixture and glittery crystals.

Steve was working hard to finish installing the last few ceiling fixture boxes so the lights could be securely attached in proper fashion according to code. Of course, the old wiring was just two old wires stuck through the plaster ceiling. That is all non-functioning and safely removed.

Once the main chandelier fixture frame was dry, I carefully put back each little strand of crystals. Following my photographs from earlier, I was able to put everything back in place. Each little strand of crystals is attached by a thin fine keyring type circular metal band. They're very fine and tiny and you cannot pull too hard or they would bend out of shape. Soon the fixture was back together and Steve was on standby, anxiously waiting for me to hand it to him. As I held the chandelier up from below, he was up on the ladder above doing the proper connections. Soon it was back to its former glory, but with a nice face lift of glittering silver instead of the rusty and vintage distressed frame of before.

I think it made a nice improvement and looks much more feminine and elegant for my master bathroom!

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We are due for more snow again tonight. It started to snow right before supper. We made up a nice hot supper of chicken vegetable soup and crackers. Perfect for a snowy evening. It is even sticking to the windows. 

It's starting to get blustery and blowing and really coming down out there. They said only a few inches, but we will see what is what by morning.

Time now to settle in while he watches an old western or two, and I am going to sew on my quilt...  or soak in my tub and gaze up at my face-lifted chandelier!