Lil' Miss Whippy - Cozy Coupe Makeover!

100% inspired by some very clever and creative people I came across online I just HAD to give a Cozy Coupe makeover a go as a first birthday gift for my Niece.
I scored the 2nd hand, ride in (Playschool brand) car, for $20 on eBay. A quick inspection showed me that the two screws on the front of the roof were the only "hardware" so I undid them the the rest of the car kind of puled/popped apart easily. I also popped off the back wheels without any tools - they then literally popped back in place when it was re-assembled.

Master Giggleberry was my little helper for this part and together we got to scrubbing and cleaning and peeling off the stickers. We then wrapped the steering wheel, tyres, and any other bits I didn't want painted, with newspaper and painters tape.

I had decided to turn the car into a mini version of the classic Mr Whippy Vans. You know the kind, pink on the bottom, white on the top playing 'Green Sleeves' as it slowly cruises the streets on a summer night. So a quick trip to Bunnings to find the perfect colours in spray paint and some cardboard boxes thrown down to protect our pavers and I was spray painting away! It did take a few coats to fully cover the blue nicely and I probably went through 3 cans of pink spray paint in the end.

Next I hopped on good old eBay and found stick-on reflector lights and mini mirrors. I also measured up the 'boot' of the car and found the perfect clear perspex icecream cone holder to fit it.

Back together it all went and was starting to look the part!

We needed some 'branding' I thought so with a quick email to the every so lovely Christina of CC Design Management and some measurements I took of the car we created the Lil Miss Whippy, number plates & ice cream stickers.

Now, no ice cream truck is complete without a selection of soft serve cones. This was all sorted by one very talented lady I found on etsy. You must check out Duncan Creative by Karen Swimmer. Her amazing crocheted designs!! Karen made a bundle of soft serve ice creams in different flavors and toppings just as I requested and then even made a sundae in a cup too!!

They fit perfect in the ice cream holder on the back of the car and Ta Dah we were ready to roll!!

Wrapped with a big bow this bargain car I found on eBay was very well received by my cutie pie niece and will hopefully see lots of love!

Dining Table & Chairs Makeover!

Excuse the recent absent from the blog (i.e. no Happy Friday Find) but I have been at the very end of a DIY project over the past few days and was so close to finishing that the excitement and any spare time was being put into it.
About 4 months ago I had the brilliant idea to give our pine dining table and 6 chairs a makeover. I knew it would be a big-ish job but didn't quite bargain for just how much time it would take. With a small family and Giggleberry Creations keeping me busy, finding spare time to sand, sand, sand back all the chairs and table's nooks and cranies was tricky but I got there in the end! (this is where a HUGE thanks needs to be mentioned to my gorgeous family who have put up with using our outdoor setting in the kitchen for meals temporarily)
There was nothing at all wrong with the dining set. It was just 'loved' shall we say. It has been around for many years so the original lacquered finish was chipped and wearing away. It is a great table, with two 'inserts' that can be added or removed to make the table accommodate a range of amount of people which I love but it just needed some new life...
Not a great BEFORE pic (from a few years ago at Milla's rainbow party) but you get the idea...

A few process pics...

Sanded!

Under coated!

Painted!

'Aged'/ Beaten up / Made to look 'rustic' - this part was tough to start as I had a freshly painted table and wasn't sure if I was about to ruin all my hard work by attacking it with sanding paper and a wooden block!

Table top stained! I controlled myself and left it all to sit and dry for 24hrs. I finally convinced hubby we had waited long enough and asked him to help me carry it all inside.
With a freshly mopped kitchen floor and a few bits on the table top, just to finish it all off, I am absolutely in LOVE with the end result!!!

I LOVE the turquoise colour under the dark stain table top against the red frames on our art gallery wall... and the beaten up legs and chairs almost make it look like it was rescued from an old farm house (and a great way to hide any extra bumps it will get in it's new life with my crazy kids!)

Harris was the first to try it out with a quiet game of Beetle while I stood back and admired my work!

What do you think??