Guest Blogger: Twiddler House

Hello!  My name is Jen and I blog over at Twiddler House.  I am thrilled to have this chance to meet all you fellow Tattered & Inked readers, and to share some of what goes on in my little corner of the world.

First off, the basics.  I am 35, married to a guy that makes me laugh every day, and we have twin boys that somehow manage to make me laugh even harder.  I've always been "a bit crafty" (as my Grandma would have said) but in the last few years I've really embraced that side of me and have found joy and inspiration in trying my hand at new things.  I think being the only girl in the house has somehow kicked my crafty instincts into overdrive, because I find that I love bright colors, ruffles, flowers, fashion and sparkly things more than I ever did before.

My current obsessions are Pintrest, Doctor Who, Zumba, power tools, burlap, Photoshop, candied bacon, and Etsy.

My favorite movie is The Philadelphia Story.  Carey Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn.  Enough said.

My favorite color when I was 7 was yellow.  I went through phases of pink, green, peach, purple, burgundy, and orange and now after all these years my favorite color is....yellow.

My favorite blogs at the moment are Little Miss Momma {love her!}, Thirty Handmade Days {her blog design alone makes me happy}, We Talk ofChrist, We Rejoice of Christ {she's like the friend I've never met}, GallamoreWest {she's the friend I have met - and am glad every day that I did!}, BetterAfter {inspiring and just plain funny}, The Pioneer Woman {what's not to love?} and Tattered & Inked, of course!  I came for the cute printables and stayed to read...well, everything else!

And finally, if there's one thing that sums up my personality and gives you a glimpse into the real, honest "me" it would have to be this...

 (via pintrest)

Seriously, I'm thinking of having this tattooed on my forehead. 

As for my blog, I've only been at it for a short time but I am having a blast with each new adventure.  It's been a great excuse for me to attempt some fun, creative things I've always wanted to try.  Take this latest furniture re-do, for example:

I found this little guy on Craigslist over a year ago, and I had a vision for him.  He sat in our house, collecting our junk and being basically ignored.  Patiently waiting, while life carried on.  Then a couple of weeks ago, I took the plunge.  Armed with primer, paint, and glaze, I gave my new friend a makeover.  And suddenly he went from plain and neglected to "holy cow, I think I love you!"  Now he fits right in, like one of the family, giving our house the little pop of color and life it needed.  Check it out...

*Sigh*  See what I mean?  My little friend is kind of a rock star now.  I think I will call him Bluey.

Bluey was my first attempt at antique glazing, so I was a bit nervous.  But I borrowed some of this from a friend and gave it a try...

It was so much easier than I anticipated!  I didn't want to go overboard so I limited myself to just edges and corners, and those lovely curves.  I think it turned out just right.

I also spray-painted the hardware in a dark metallic color to help perk them up a little.  Here's a tip I discovered while doing my kitchen makeover last summer - stick all your nails and screws into styrofoam to keep them upright and steady while you spray. Makes the job quick and easy! 

 So do you love him as much as I do?  He's like a little piece of sunshine greeting me every time I walk in the door.

 And there you have it.  That's the kind of thing that goes on over at the Twiddler House.  I hope you stop by for a visit sometime, and if you do please take a moment to say hi! 

A huge thank you to Kelsey for having me as a guest blogger today!  Have a great vacation, Kelsey, and I can't wait to see what you share with us when you get back!