Revamp Ikea

I like Ikea. Call it what you want, it works, especially for city dwellers. There are not many places where you can buy stuff that doesn't look too terrible and have it be as cheap as Ikea is. However, sometimes, the ol' birch veneer just doesn't quite cut it. I am going to attempt this weekend to repaint one of our Ikea bookcases and found this handy little how-to guide online......if you care to join me in my attempt this weekend....I will let you know how it goes.

How to Paint Ikea Furniture

"Painting is a great way to add some personality to your furniture by hiding the cheap, Swedish, utilitarian vibe. Ikea's material of choice is usually particleboard covered in a faux-wood veneer, so getting the paint to stick is your biggest challenge.

The required supplies are cheap and available at your local hardware store.

-Rollerbrush or paintbrush

-Paint Tray

-Plastic drop cloth (newspaper will work fine if you're painting outdoors)

-Water-based primer

-Indoor hi-gloss latex paint

1. Disassemble your piece as much as possible. I chose to makeover my little birch BILLY bookcase.

2. Hold on to all your hardware. Remove the nails securing the back panel, then slide it up out and out of the track along the frame's edges. Use a damp sponge to wipe the dust from all the surfaces you'll be painting.

3. Use your roller to coat each side of the shelves, frame, and back panel. Stand the frame upright and you'll be able to reach all sides. You'll only need to paint the front of the back panel, and the shelves can be turned over, and edges painted after one side of the shelf has dried for a few hours. Let the whole thing dry overnight.

4. Cover each side with a coat of latex paint. Let dry 4-6 hours before applying another coat. 4-6 more hours and another coat should be all you need (although you can skip that third coat if you're lazy like me).

5. I chose to paint the back panel a bright blue to stand out against the stark, glossy white of the shelf. The idea is to have the whole thing blend in with the white wall, with a peek of the blue back panel over my books giving an unexpected splash of color. If you really want to give your bookcase a unique look, use wallpaper to cover the back panel. Bright geometric patterns look best, but anything will work.

When you've given all pieces ample drying time, reassemble the unit. If yours is a little wobbly like the BILLY I've dragged to 5 apartments in the 7 years I've lived on my own, you can take this time to reinforce everything. Hammer in nails to keep particleboard pieces from chipping away and losing their grip on other parts."

You Go Girl

I saw this on a friend's blog and had to share. It's wonderful.

Kaitlyn Ruth.

Kaitlyn Ruth Ray

Today I wanted to take time to celebrate and honor one of my beautiful and wonderful best friends--the one and only Kaitlyn Ruth♥. Kaitlyn has always been an inspiration to me, in SO many ways. Her generosity, her kindness, her intelligence, her dedication, her friendliness, her goals, her warm spirit, her joy in life, her love of others..basically she is just AMAZING! I know Kaite hears this all the time and already knows the many wonderful traits she has, but I wanted to remind her on this day how special she is. So here is a little list of things I love about her:

♥Her desire to always choose and DO the right

♥Her sweet disposition in all situations

♥Her zest and enthusiasm for life

♥Her perfect smile--and she's ALWAYS smiling!

♥Her love for Jordan--seriously it's inspiring

♥Her crafty creativity

♥Her encouragement of others--she's the most AMAZING friend!

♥Her support of others

♥Her generosity

♥Her love for her family

♥Her beauty and grace in all she does

♥Her dedication to others and her responsibilities

♥Her happiness for others

♥Her style--always the most fashionable and beautiful in our group

♥Her testimony

♥Her energy and excitement in life

♥Her photography

♥Her strength

♥Her willingness to help and give to others

♥Her ability to think of others

♥Her fun and friendliness

♥Her thoughtfulness

♥Her laugh and ability to laugh with others

♥Her friendship.

Love you so much Kaitlyn, thank you for being in my life and being the most amazing friend!! Happy birthday!!!

quick... are these cool or weird??

Hopefully Mormon

I wanted to share this wonderful site with you all. A friend of mine is one of the creators, and I have found it to be an incredible, daily inspiration. In a few words, it is a site where people can share the wonderful, happy things about being members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  For those who are not LDS, it is a site where they can see what LDS people feel, think, and believe when it comes to the church. It's a wonderful, testimony building site. Hope you all take a chance to look at it, and maybe even contribute. :)

Hopefully Mormon

the knot wedding of the year

WE GOT NOMINATED!!!!! Pretty please go and vote for us.

{the knot}

voting ends april 4th

If Pride and Prejudice were on Facebook...

...it would look something like this.


"Pride and Prejudice" News Feed

Charles Bingley is checking out real estate in Hertfordshire.

Mrs. Bennet became a fan of single men of good fortune.

Kitty Bennet has a cough.

Mr. Bennet is tired.

Nine of your friends are attending The Meryton Assembly.

Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley are now friends.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is so over this.

Elizabeth Bennet is tolerable, but not tempting.

Mr. Bennet politely requests that, next time, Bingley sprain his ankle after the first dance.

Mrs. Bennet joined the group Insulted Mothers Against Pompous Paramours.

Elizabeth Bennet would streak Meryton before she'd dance with Mr. Darcy.

Jane Bennet is attending A Girls' Luncheon at Netherfield.

Jane Bennet removed "riding horseback in the rain" from her interests.

Elizabeth Bennet is walking to Netherfield.


Fitzwilliam Darcy likes what exercise does to the ladies.

Elizabeth Bennet is tired of social niceties.

Elizabeth Bennet poked Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Fitzwilliam Darcy poked Elizabeth Bennet.

Fitzwilliam Darcy added "feisty girls with crazy families" to his interests.

Caroline Bingley wishes the earth would open up and swallow Longbourn whole.

Lydia Bennet is SOLDIERS SOLDIERS SOLDIERS!!!

Mr. Collins is looking to change his relationship status.

Elizabeth Bennet and George Wickham are now friends.

George Wickham is a fan of slander, but he's totally not intimidated.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is attending A Ball at Netherfield.

George Wickham is not attending A Ball at Netherfield.

Elizabeth Bennet would have preferred streaking Meryton.

Jane Bennet tagged six of your friends in the note "How to Go Out in Public Without Humiliating Your Family."

Charles Bingley changed his relationship status to "It's complicated."

Mr. Collins thinks his cousin's modesty adds to her perfections, and is thus by no means discouraged.

Mr. Collins needs a new place to crash.

Caroline Bingley will not be looking back on her way to London.

George Wickham is making excuses.

Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins are engaged.

Jane Bennet thinks London might make for a nice change of scenery.

Charlotte Lucas created the event Please Visit Hunsford Before I Strangle My Husband.

Elizabeth Bennet is on her way to the parsonage.

Colonel Fitzwilliam wonders why Darcy is dragging him to Rosings.

Mr. Collins is *thrilled* to be dining at Rosings, bathed in the generosity of her ladyship's spirit.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh must have her share of the conversation!

Fitzwilliam Darcy's heart is arm-wrestling his common sense. And it's winning.

Elizabeth Bennet joined the group Consider Civility in Declarations of Love.

Fitzwilliam Darcy tagged Elizabeth Bennet in his note A Faithful Narrative.

Elizabeth Bennet just is.

Lydia Bennet is following the SOLDIERS to Brighton!!$%@#!

Elizabeth Bennet is touring Derbyshire.

Elizabeth Bennet became a fan of Pemberly.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is hopeful.

Elizabeth Bennet is uncomfortable.

Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are now friends.

Lydia Bennet changed her relationship status to hahahahaha-wheeeeeee!!

Jane Bennet tagged Elizabeth Bennet in her note Come Home!

Fitzwilliam Darcy joined the group Gentlemen Against George Wickham: The Sequel.

Mrs. Bennet is a fan of overwrought weeping in bedchambers.

Lydia Bennet and George Wickham are now married.

Lydia Bennet Wickham removed "keeping secrets" from her interests.

Mrs. Gardiner tagged Elizabeth Bennet in her note He's Not Just Doing This Out of the Goodness of His Heart.

Charles Bingley is headed back to Netherfield.

Mrs. Bennet wants nothing more than for Bingley to shoot her birds.

Elizabeth Bennet wonders why the silent, grave and indifferent bother to show up at all.

Charles Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy are attending Dinner at Longbourn.

Mrs. Bennet invites you to hang Kitty.

Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley are engaged.

Elizabeth Bennet removed "meddling aunts" from her interests.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh doesn't understand when people refuse to bow in the face of her awesomeness.

Fitzwilliam Darcy added "meddling aunts" to his interests.

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy walked on without knowing in what direction.

Seven of your friends joined the group "Lizzy and Darcy are Getting Married!"

Mr. Bennet is quite at leisure.