Repurposed

I found arms to a vanity mirror at a second-hand furniture store. They had a fun shape and there was already a piece of wood screwed into the back of one with a little hook... I'm guessing the previous owner had the same idea.

All I had to do was distress them with sandpaper and spray a clear coat to give them some shine. Then I screwed the piece of wood into the other arm.

And abracadabra...instant wall art!

Crushing on a Lamp

Since my husband stole me away from my single life a year and half ago my only crushes (besides the one I have on my hubs) have been on home decor. I'd like to introduce you to my current crush.

Don't mind her she's just being Modest. ;)

I found her at the flea market and I basically stole her from the seller. It was the end of the day  and the seller dropped the price 40%.

Here's a negotiating tip and something to keep in mind when buying old lamps. First, ask what the price is and then always ask if the lamp works. The seller knows that it's risky for you to purchase the lamp if it doesn't work. They will almost always drop the price for you to take some of the risk out of the purchase. Also, always, Always, ALWAYS go at the end of the day on the last day. 30 minutes before they close is best. Use 20 minutes to scout out the items you want and then return to buy when there's about 10 to 5 minutes left. You will get the best price possible this way. Sellers at flea markets want to sell and they will drop their prices dramatically at the end of the day.

I liked that this old lamp had interesting glass, was in good shape, had little crystals drizzled about the leafy bobeche, and it came with a lamp shade.

So, I headed to Joann Fabrics to get inspired by some fabric for the shade. I found this floral pattern. It's something I've had my eye on for a while and this was the perfect project for it. Plus, I already have coordinating paint.

I painted all the brass parts of the lamp Norway Aqua by ColorPlace. The same color I painted my Armoire.

Then I wrapped the fabric around the shade which was a little tricky because the bottom of the shade was wider than the top. I did a little manipulating and secured it to the shade with hot glue. Also, I added a grey ribbon for trim on the top and the bottom.

Ooh La La!

Painter's Block Mirror

You know that scene in the movie He's Just Not That Into You where Jennifer Connelly finds her husbands cigarettes? He had been lying to her about smoking again on top of cheating on her. She finally flips out and I'm sure most of us were thinking, Finally! She's mad! It's about time! And we start to cheer her on as she starts cursing and throwing his clothes down the stairs. Well, there's a beautiful ornate white mirror hanging on an exposed brick wall that she grabs and slams on the ground. It bursts into a million pieces and she heads down the hall sobbing to fetch the broom immediately to clean up the mess.

Well, I love that scene and that mirror. I've wanted one like it since I first saw the movie 2 years ago. I finally found one in a second-hand furniture shop a week ago and it was only $20. My husband bought it for me as an early Valentines Day gift.



As you can see it is very gold which I am no fan. However, it seems that if you are shopping second-hand and you want something beautiful and ornate in design you will usually find it in gold or brass. Who cares? You can paint it any color you like! I did. I painted it several colors and I'm still experiencing painter's block.

First, I primed it.



Then I painted it this pale aqua color.



It wasn't what I wanted so I decided to white wash it which is just watered down white paint.



Still not happy with the results even though I enjoyed the white washing technique. It looked too beachy for my taste. So, I painted it this dark blue-green color and distressed it a bit.



I like it but I'm still unsure if this was the color I really wanted. I'm going to sleep on it and see if my painter's block lifts in the morning.

Chandeliers Make Me Weak in the Knees

I dedicate this song to Chandeliers everywhere.

Weak by SWV at Jango {You must play this song. It will take you back to 1993}

I get so weak in the knees I can hardly speak.
I lose all control and something takes over me.
In a daze, your love's so amazing, it's not a phase.
I want you to stay with me, by my side.
I swallow my pride, your love is so sweet.
It knocks me right off of my feet.
I can't explain why your loving makes me weak.

Seriously, I love chandeliers and I'm not talking about the ones hanging high in expensive hotels. I'm talking about the ones lying low in the dirt at the flea market covered in brass. I lose all control and something takes over me. I have to buy it!

Recently, I found two! So I bought them both.

I really wish I would've taken a before picture but I was so excited about painting them that I completely forgot... :( Basically, it was old and very brass. Google Brass Chandelier and you can see many examples.

I'm not a fan of brass so I did a little painting and  a little drizzling to make them look like this.

And now one is hanging in my bedroom.

How to do-it-yourself:

Materials Needed: spray primer, spray paint, gems/crystals, clear string, crimp beads, and fabric

1. Clean it off.

2. Remove the candle sleeves and wrap the electrical bit in painters tape to protect.

3. Prime it.

4. Paint it.

5. Let it dry 24 hours.

6. String your gems/crystals in any pattern you desire.

{I found mine at Michaels in the floral section next to those colorful glass beads you put in vases. However, there are many websites that sell chandelier accessories and next time I will probably shop online for mine because there are many fun things you can do to embellish your chandelier like adding a bobesche}

7. Wrap  end of stringed gems/crystals around arm of chandelier, string crimp bead and crimp in place. Be sure to pull the string tight and close to the arm.

8. Sew 3" of fabric for cord cover. Hem the ends of the tube first and then pin inside out and sew 1/2 in" hem along the side. Turn inside out and feed cord through your new cord cover. If you don't sew, don't worry. You can spray paint the chain by wrapping the cord in painters tape and then spray painting the chain to match.

9. Get weak in the knees over your very sparkly and pretty Chandelier.

Now the hard part is hanging it and YES I did hang it myself after some reasearch on how to install a light fixture.

This is a how-to video by HomeAdditionPlus.com on how to install a chandelier.

If you're going to be working with an old  chandelier like mine be sure to know which wire is the black, red and ground wire. Also, if yours didn't come with everything you need to install, I found a screw collar loop kit at Lowes for $4.

ENJOY the fixture and the song!

Boring Glass Vase

Am I the only one that has a large collection of boring glass vases?

Well, I've come up with a fun and easy way to make them a little more interesting.

I took this glass vase.

Some Elmer's glue, water, paintbrush, lighter and pages from a book and I came up with this...

How to do-it-yourself:

Burn the edges of the paper carefully. Avoid burning yourself or catching anything on fire. Keep a glass of water nearby.

Mix half and half water and glue.

Paint the glue on the surface and on top of the paper.

Slowly adhere the paper to the surface with your paintbrush. If the paper starts to tear don't worry it just adds some character.

Let Dry.

Tickle Me Turquoise

I recently accepted a job where I get to work from home. Yay! My parents gave me this armoire that is actually a computer desk armoire.

Since I need to fit a home office in my one bedroom apartment and still have room for my husband this was perfect. And I can simply close the doors at the end of the day and I don't have to stare at my work while eating dinner.

All it needed was a splash of turquoise.

Topped off with some chocolate brown glaze. Voila! Home office complete!

If you want to do-it-yourself only a few items are needed:

1. Paint - Norway Aqua by ColorPlace (Wal-Mart, $10)

2. Glaze - Chocolate Brown by Valspar (Lowes, $17)

3. Paintbrush

4. Dishcloth

5. Something to paint

This is a very simple project. You don't have to have a lot of experience. Glaze is ever so easy and it gives any item that aged vintage finish we're all looking for. You simple apply it with a brush and wipe it off. If you are painting it on a flat surface like I did, then you do have to pay close attention to your brush strokes. Be sure to keep them even and going in the same direction. Also, a little goes a long way.