Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana stools get a new look!

Miley Cyrus has died..well, at least in my house! No one likes Hannah Montana anymore. That has been true for many years but the kids have been using EVERY darn day the Hannah/Miley stools they have at the arts and crafts table for homework, projects and other things.   

I have been looking for some appropriate stools for a long time to replace them..too short, too tall, too cheap, to expensive, too much wood or too much plastic. In an attempt to not spend any  money (as usual!) I started brainstorming ideas...then I remebered the card table project it dawned on me that I can do the same to the Hannah stools. DUUUUU. I swear the fibro fog makes some very basic, obvious things escape me for far too long. 

So I started by flipping over the stools and unscrewing the bottom from the top.

I used a flat head screwdriver to remove the staples as the staple remover was not up to the job!

Surprise! Its just a piece of cardboard with a thin piece of foam to protect the tushy.

I had the kids pick out the fabric they liked. I certainly would have done all four matching in something a little more sophisticated but the stools do belong to them, and it's a new practice of mine to NOT be in control of everything...(gasp at the thought!)

 SO I laid out the fabric and got to stapling. (Before you staple read the tip below!) You have to pull and staple, turn it a little, pull and staple, and repeat a million times since its circular, you obviously want to make sure there are no bulges and gaps and when its flipped over its still in the shape of a soothe circle.

 

So after I was done I flipped it over to admire how awesome it was and ran my hand along it to revel in how smooth it was aaaaand I was immediately stabbed by my staples. BOOOO. No one wants the kids bums poked with staples!!

Tip: Make sure you are using staples that are not too big to go all the way through the cardboard. I knew the staple gun staples were too long, so I assumed without checking your everyday run of the mill paper stapler would do the job. WRONG

Staples out. Second attempt.

Glue gun. Worked great. 

Problem solved!

Next was time to cover with the vinyl.

 Same process but you MUST take care with the glue gun here!! If you dab the glue and pull the plastic too tight the heat will melt it and it will rip, and you may have to start over. Position it where you want it and then just gently push down into your dab of glue and hold till dry. My fingertips did get a little "warm" a few times here and there so I did  end up using a pencil to hold it down and give my fingers a break. I also used the pencil to mark on the fabric where the screw holes were so I could line it back up with the bottom and reattach. 

So here is the finished product. They are extremely happy.

 Of course in my mind I had envisioned something along the lines of ...this...

or this...

or this...

But when they are finally done with them forever, I have great visions involving a can of spray paint, some tassels and some new fabric. I think if the thin almost invisible layer of cushion is removed, it would make a cute little table for a tiny spot next to my rocker..hhmmmm...

Card Table Makeover

As you know when you get a burst of energy you have to jump on all the things you put off, couldn't get done or had no energy to do. Even if you know your going to pay for it later, unfortunately. Lately I seem to be more stressed than ever, out of key supplements, and generally not having a good few months.
I am back on the coffee because of it and it's terrible for my adrenals (about to "quit again) ..but today's post isn't about how I am doing. It's about what I have been doing.

Spring has Sprung!

Being cooped up in the house has had me on Pinterest a lot, and other random websites. It sparked a mental fire to get things done but since disability pays crap and work is only part time and sporadic, there are a lot of projects around here I had no money to start. So looking around, facebook, craigslist, my backyard and other places, I found a few things I can do for free or next to nothing. Then I just waited for the energy. And It came in an unlikely place. Stress. Although my brain feels like its melting, I want to drive far far away from my house some days, and I think I am going crazy....rather than eat or stay in bed (which are both VERY TEMPTING) I started some projects. And I have found focusing on that rather than all the crazy going on right now..its very helpful.

Covering a Card Table

What you will need:

1 1/2 yards of fabric

1 1/2 yards of vinyl (8-12 gauge)

Staple gun or stapler

Socket  or screwdriver

Hubby's Butt Ugly Table

Flip it over

Find the right socket (or screwdriver)

Unscrew all the screws and the remove the metal frame

This is the table without the frame

Pick your fabric. I got this at Target it was just a wool tablecloth on clearance for only 3.97!!! I got 2 because I loved it and knew I could find a use for them.

Lay your fabric wrong side up, smooth it out and place the table on top. A staple gun is easiest. Mine only had staples that were too long and would poke right through the other side so I had to resort to a regular stapler. Oh YES you bet, my hand were KILLING me afterwards. Whatever works! 

Staple the middle section on one side, then go to the opposite side and pull the fabric tight and staple in the middle. Then do the side, again  pull the fabric tight and staple.  Lift it up and check that the fabric is still smooth and then do the last side (in the middle). Now with each side you can work your way out to the corners with the stapler, pulling and stapling, pulling and stapling. Corners are  the same start in the middle and staple. then pull the sides around and staple them down. 

Now after you have finished make sure you use a LINT roller and get any fuzz or lose string off before you cover it! You don't want to have something random stuck under the vinyl driving you nuts or have to take the table apart to get it out. 

Do the same steps with the vinyl. I recommend 8 or 10 or 12 gauge for the vinyl. Any thinner it will tear, stain or get misshapen too easily. If its any thicker than 12 it will be too thick to lace the table frame on easily, but you are free to do whatever you want!!  I also recommend that if you want to have less work pulling and smoothing the vinyl take a hair dryer to it and from a distance  (you dont want to melt it!) wave the dryer around to get the wrinkles out...though as you can see here I felt no desire to go that extra mile. Woops!

So here is the finished table. A great improvement over what it was before. Now I wont be scrambling for a table cloth every time we use it and I can just wipe it down rather than have to also wash the tablecloth that I used. Anything that can be done around your house to make life easier, or for you to have less work is a win in my book.. Our bodies really cant go forever like the energizer bunny.

So total cost of project was $8.96

Tablecloth $3.97

Vinyl $4.99 

 (It was $9.98 because I got 2 yards but I used a 50% off coupon!)

Painted Trash Bucket

before the white veins in the leaf

Yes, I was bored and had a slight burst of energy so I washed dried and painted a trash bucket. 

I simply googled "vine stencils" and scoured the internet until I found a pattern I liked and just eye balled it using paint pens.

 It is now happily in my daughters room. 

Bellydance dvd Giveaway!!

I am running a Rafflecopter giveaway on the website if you are interested follow this link for a few quick easy entries! Runs for the month of April

Click here for the article about Bellydance and its benefits for chronic pain.

GOOD LUCK and don't forget to leave your comment on the website!

AngryGirl.com

Too bad that domain name already taken because I would LOVE to call it mine. I spend so much time being angry. Angry I can't do what I did, go where I used to, have the job I really want, or angry at the body I now have.I am working on letting it go.

 Part of that is to stop blaming everything I DON'T want to do on one of my conditions, and only blame my conditions for the things I really CAN'T do.

There are some things you cannot blame on Fibro, CFS, TMJ, MS, Insomnia or anything else.
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't call you back..did I forget? Well it's possible because my memory is sh*t these days..but no. I just didn't want to talk you!"
No I don't want to rearrange the plans I have had for 3 weeks to give you a ride.
No I'm not able to babysit I have too many things to do right now and I just can't swing it.
I don't have time. My husband will get upset. I'm not going without my kids. I don't have enough gas. I really need some down time with the dog.
And if they are real friends, even if they get a little frustrated or even temporarily pissed, well they will get over it. And if any of this is a deal breaker for friendship..well, then they aren't friends and you don't need them anyway!

BAM! POW! How ya like them apples? 

Sounded angry again? Woops!

Well it seems as though I fall back on my ailments as a reason (NOT an excuse) to get out of things and not participate in things that really will have no bearing on weather I flare or crash or even feel better. 

"I can' sit too long, stand too long, sit in the car too long, lift too much, run that fast, run that far....
That;s too cold, that's too rough, that too itchy and that smells too bad, that makes me dizzy...
That makes my head, wrist, back, knees elbows and ankles hurt too much....
That will give me too much anxiety and I might pass out!"

Well you know what? Sometimes I just dont want to go and I am tired of pretending I want to, but declining for health reasons. Its like the boy who cried wolf. At some point people will catch on that I am not always in such dire straights at the exact moment they require my attention!

Especially when I am posting race pictures or pictures from some awesome cake I just made right?!?!

So I am going to be more true to myself and others. For me those have been little white lies, like work lies, "i'm taking a sick day" to go to a baseball game, or school lies "the dog ate my report" to get an extra few days.....

But I always want people to put themselves first, be authentic. Now I'm not converting to Buddhism (although I have thought of it!),  nor have I had an out of body experience. I will not be going "off" on anything too cray cray...but I will be telling people "I just don't want to" a lot more often. It's freeing, honest, and somehow makes me feel 10 pounds lighter. Just saying "i'm really not feeling it right now, sorry. Maybe next time" OR "I really just need to sit with the dog under a blanket and have some ME time" ,makes me just a little less angry.

That's it. Simple. Try it

Blessings!