Blogger Updates and Dremel Deserves a Crown! Welcome to the 156th Metamorphosis Monday!

Greetings Friends!  I hope you've been having a marvelous weekend!  I have a mini-metamorphosis to share for this Met Monday, but before I let cha see what I've been up to, I want to share a big change Blogger made recently, a change that made this girl very happy.

You may already know, Blogger added one of the most oft requested features to the Blogger platform a few days ago: the threaded comment system.   In the past, when several comments/questions were left on a post, when I moderated and published the comments and tried to answer a question or reply to a comment, my reply/comment always ended up way down below the comment to which I was replying.  Not any more!  Now I can reply directly under the comment, and so can you.  YAY!  This greatly enhances and encourages the flow of conversation.  It should make it much easier for you to find any follow-up replies that are posted.

If you see someone asking a question, feel free to jump in and answer.  I don't have all the answers by a long shot so I welcome your input.  I'd love to see us all pitching in to answer the questions that arise...or just to add something to the conversation.  For example, if someone asks where I purchased a particular item, if you've seen it for sale somewhere, feel free to reply.  This helps everyone.  I'm so excited about this new feature!

BNOTP has the most positive, friendly, caring, uplifting readers around.   Your comments are always so appreciated and I read every single one.  In fact, a recent comment solved a problem I had and you'll be reading about that in today's post.

If you are a blogger and you would like to know how to activate this awesome, new feature on your blog, visit Blogger Buzz and you can read all about it.  Don't ask me how to do it because I just sort of clicked this and clicked that, and then suddenly realized it was working.  I have no idea what I did, but it seemed to work.  I just followed the directions I found in the Blogger Buzz article. It wasn't hard and only took a few seconds to get it working.

Mini-Metamorphosis:
I've been dremeling.  Yep, I'm using that word as a verb today.  You may remember I recently shared a post called "Fun Stuff Worth Sharing" which included, among other things, a wee addition to the office.

The addition was this little mercury-glass and silver crown I found at Marshalls about 1-2 months ago for just $12.99.  I had been thinking about adding a crown to the top of the dress form for a while, but most were a bit more than I wanted to spend.  The only problem with the crown I found was it had a rather large hanging loop attached to the top.  I guess the crown was supposed to be an ornament, although, it is so heavy a Christmas tree branch would definitely droop under its weight.

I really wanted to get rid of the hanging loop so I tried to cut it off with some heavy duty ceramic cutters I already had.  No going.  The cutters weren't even making a dent.

About a year or so ago I was cruising around one of my fave stores, the Home Depot, and I came across this Dremel set on sale.  I had no idea how I was going to use it, but I thought it might come in handy when I began renovating a vintage doll house that adopted me a few years ago.  I used the Dremel recently to do a little sanding on the doll house in THIS post.  (Still haven't painted the dollhouse trim...it's on my to-do list, though.)

When I posted about my "loop" dilemma, Labbie (who blogs at (The Adventures of Garrett Squared) suggested using a Dremel.  Duh!  Why hadn't I thought of that?

I got out my trusty Dremel and sure enough, there was a "cutting" attachment that looked like it just might do the job.  I didn't have any safety glasses so I wore my dorky sunglasses I bought at Wally World a while back.  They are curved and designed to fit over regular eye glasses, which is good since I wear those most days (since I'm on the computer a lot) instead of my contacts.  The sunglasses worked well for shielding and protecting my eyes since they curved right up to my face, but they made it sort of tricky for seeing.  lol  I recommend wearing real safety glasses when using a Dremel.

I cut from both sides of the loop and I snapped this pic below right before I cut the last teeny thread of metal holding the loop on top.  It worked great!

I attached this little tool to the Dremel and sanded down the top edge a bit to make it nice and smooth.

And here she is, back in place.

Come a bit closer and check it out.

Loopless and much better! :)

So, that's my wee metamorphosis.   Do you have a Dremel?  If so, what have you been using it for?  I'm sure there are a 101 things I could be doing with mine that I just haven't thought of, yet.

 Oh, I almost forgot...another change I made this week that really seemed to help was I moved the lamp to the other side of the chest.  I kept thinking I needed it right beside the chair to read, but I decided to try it over on the other side and it looks so much better.  It seems to balance out the space much better this way.  And I can see to read just fine.  Lesson learned:  you don't always have to have the lamp on the side where the chair is located to see to read.

Bonus Picture:
I was playing around with the "effects" mode on the Nikon D5100 a few weeks ago, just seeing what it would do...and I snapped this photo with the sketch effect.  Christmas is long over, but I thought this might put a little smile on your face.  It's a photo of one of the dormer windows in the Upstairs Family Room, stuffed full of my son's old Teddy Bears.  They were too cute to toss so I tucked them into one of the dormer window seats.  They make me smile when I pass through that room.

And they make me a little nostalgic.  Wonder why?

It's the little things...ya-know-what-I mean? :)

Looking forward to all the Before and Afters for this Metamorphosis Monday!

Links referenced in this post:
Office
Blogger Buzz
Doll House Renovation
Upstairs Family Room

To receive the latest posts, as well as updates about blog parties, subscribe via an RSS Reader or have BNOTP delivered right to your Inbox.  You'll find links to subscribe via RSS and Email on the sidebar to the right.  Thanks for reading; so glad you are here!

Reading this post via e-mail or RSS feed?
*If you are reading this via email or RSS feed, to view all the Before and Afters linked for Metamorphosis Monday, click HERE.


Metamorphosis Monday:
If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday you will need to link up the "permalink" to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the "url" box for InLinkz.

In order to link up, you'll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party.

If you'd like to include the MM button in your post, just copy and paste the Met Monday button to your computer or grab the html code from underneath the MM logo under the "BNOTP Parties" header at the top of this blog.

PLEASE DO NOT type in all caps...it spreads the links waaaay out. Thanks!

Let's try something fun today! Please visit the person who linked before you and after you...that way everyone will get some visits. Hope you'll visit more, of course.
Welcome! Thanks for coming to the party!

Fun Stuff Worth Sharing: Part II

Sometimes I think these are the most fun posts.  I've accumulated all these tidbits and ideas to share with you, but somehow I just never found the right day or time to do so.  So here they are, all lumped together.  I dare say, there's something in here for everyone.  :)

Before Christmas I found this cute little deer door hanger at Lowes for $9.99.  He ended up out here on the porch.

I decided to leave this wreath up for a while.  It may look a bit Christmasy but I don't mind.  To me it says winter.

And besides, I am still enjoying this silly guy.

He may end up in my  "hunt themed" family room HERE once winter is over...maybe for a wreath on the door to the porch.

Last year I spent a ridiculous amount on a calendar from one of the local office supply stores.  Determined to not do that again this year, I stopped by Dollar Tree and look what I found.

These will be perfect for keeping up with my blogging schedule, personal schedule and other important dates.  The small red one is for logging down mileage expense.  So if you're in need of a 2012 calendar, these aren't fancy but they'll get the job done for only $1.

Of course, you know I had to check out the glassware while I was there.  Do these look familiar?

If you liked how they looked in this tablescape, apparently Dollar Tree still has them in. (Tablescape can be viewed HERE.)

I also used them in this celebration/transformation of the porch for the 4th of July. (Tablescape and porch makeover can be viewed HERE.)  They pack a lot of punch for just $1 each.

They also had these whimsical martini glasses with wavy, silly stems.  They are great for serving desserts if martinis aren't your thing.

I used martini glasses I found in Dollar Tree for dessert in this tablescape below.  (Tablescape can be viewed HERE.)  Don't they make cute dessert dishes?

They also still had plenty of these fun lemon glasses.

These are perfect for lemonade during the summer months. (This mini scape can be viewed HERE.)

I also used them in this summer scape,  HERE.

Office Musings:

I've been playing in the office AGAIN!

Two wee changes:  I added a little "preserved" boxwood wreath to the mirror for Christmas and I like it so much, I think I'll leave it up for a while.  Do you see the other tiny change?  (Don't look at the lamp.  I stole that one from the porch since the lamp I had stolen from the dining room really needed to go back in the dining room for Christmas.  One day I'll find a lamp I like for this spot.)

I've been looking for a crown to top off my dress form, but the ones I found just didn't quite fit the "crown budget."  You have a crown budget, right? ;)

I found this adorable mercury glass crown at Marshalls for only $12.99.  I think it's supposed to be an ornament...note the hanging loop thingy at the top.   It would be one heavy ornament, though--don't think a Christmas tree limb would support it for long.

I tried to snap the loop off with some ceramic cutters I have, but no going.  I think it will have to be cut off by someone with some serious cutting tools.  Ummm, gotta work on that.

I've been on the hunt for a rattan or rattan and fabric ottoman to go in front of the chair here in the office, something that would nicely coordinate with the woven baskets I have in this room.   While I was shopping in HomeGoods last night, gift certificate in hand, I came across this neat globe.

I haven't decided if I'm going to keep it, hence the tag you see still attached.  But one of my goals for this year or at least for 2013, is to travel to Europe.  I've never been outside the U.S. (the Bahamas doesn't count) and I'm itching to see Italy.  Actually, I'm itching to see any place.  Universe, do you hear that?

I thought this globe would be a daily "in-my-face" reminder--a reminder to dream big, travel more and work less.  I have a birthday coming up, maybe that's what's got me in this "seize the day" mode. :)  Wouldn't it be fun to add little dots to the globe marking all the places I visit as I travel around the world?  lol   Don't look for dots anytime soon...but maybe some day.  ~~~Sigh~~~

Oh, one last thing...while I was shopping online last night for an ottoman for the office chair, I discovered Pier 1 is flush with Rosalie chairs, now.  So many folks e-mailed me after I posted about this chair last summer, but alas, Pier 1 had only 2 in stock here in the Atlanta area and none on their website back then.  Well, now there are bunches showing online and in the stores; so if you were one of the folks who fell in love with Rosalie, she's available again.

I just noticed their description in the ad.  Have you ever heard the word "chimerical?"  I just looked it up and it means: whimsical, fanciful, imaginative.  Love that!  I learned a new word today.

Here's how she looks in the office.  Oh, and the bee pillow is back on sale again at Ballard Designs for $29.

So that's it!   See ya tonight for Tablescape Thursday!

Playing in the Office

For last week's Metamorphosis Monday, I shared a couple of ideas I had for this big ole blank wall above the seating area in the office.  (If you're new to reading BNOTP, you can follow the evolution of this room from a child's bedroom to an office in THIS post.)

I've decided to keep the mirror that's a wee bit too big (for now) as well as the clock.

Instead of hanging the mirror, for now I'm just letting it rest atop the chest.  If I find one I like better later, I won't feel bad replacing this one since it was a great buy at only $20 from Marshalls.  It may even end up in a bath renovation around here one day.

Something tells me this wall will change with time.  I may move the clock up or down or to the left or right and add something additional to this wall space.  I've just started with a few things I thought I wanted for this area (mirror and large clock face) and I'm gonna take it from there. :)  Nothing is in concrete...but I do like the way this looks, so far.

I'm sharing a lot of pics in this post.  I know I share a lot of photos in posts here at BNOTP, but that's because each one offers a little something different...like a view of the chandelier in the mirror.  It's those little things that make me happy. :)

I haven't been shopping at A Classy Flea in several weeks.  The fever struck on Saturday, so a shopping I did go.

I found something I couldn't resist.

Beautiful silver candlesticks.  Do you hear that?   That's the sound of my heart beating faster at the sight of shiny silver.  ;)

Come a bit closer and look at the detail.  I was so excited to find these for just $20 for the pair!  Love that Flea!

I snipped a few mums from the arrangement I used for THIS fall tablescape.  They gave the office a touch of autumn.  

I love this old, worn and well-loved silver piece.  It doesn't have any monetary value, just lots of sentimental value since it was used every day on the dinner table in the home of Chip's great grandparents.  You can see the silver plate has worn completely away in spots.  That makes it all the more special and I wouldn't change one tiny worn spot, even if I could.

I've always loved the history and tradition behind silver.  You can read more about this at Silver Magpies.  BNOTP is fortunate to have a specialist in the field of silver as a Sponsor.  If you have any questions, I'm sure Nancy will be happy to help.

It's funny because I hadn't planned to use so much silver in the office but the hardware on the Pottery Barn Bedford office furniture has steadily sent me down that path.  Have you noticed it never works fighting a design.  Sometimes you just have to go where the room or furnishings are taking you.

The lamp you see on this little chest actually belongs HERE in the dining room.  I'm borrowing it for the office until I find something I love as well for this spot.  That may be a while.

Found this wonderful old clock at Fleu de Coop ages ago.   Amazingly, it still works, but it has to be wound every.single.day.  Just think, we used to have to wind our alarm clocks every day!  It was probably a nice little bedtime ritual, although, it's a pretty noisy way to awaken. lol

I had fun today playing with different pieces here on the this little chest.  I don't always know what I will want to use or put together.  But once I see it, I usually know if it works.  You know just what I mean, don't you?

Sometimes it's a big silver heart...

And sometimes it's an old timey clock.

What have you been playing with in your home today?   Are you having a little fun changing your decor for the seasons?