Lamp Revamp and DIY Throw Pillows

I am addicted to Target!  I can go into a Target for a loaf of bread, and will come out with a cart full of goodies and a receipt for $250.  I truly believe that time stands still inside of Target.  There have been times when I could swear I've only been shopping for 30 minutes and three hours have passed.

Last week, on a grocery run, I did my usual quick walk down the end caps of the home goods department. I love finding items that I've been eyeing or cool linens on clearance that I can repurpose.

I flipped when I found a gorgeous medallion print lampshade on clearance for $9.  Then, a few aisles down, I found a set of cloth napkins for $7, and a body pillow cover for $5.  I knew exactly what I could do with these!

I've had a blah-beige lamp sitting on my end table for months (a year?)  I got it for $5 at a local thrift store and had intended to paint it--someday.  Well, after finding this lampshade, I knew I would  be painting it Provence by Annie Sloan Chalk Paints. (DIY cost: $14, plus paint)  LOVE!

I sewed the napkins together to make two beautiful throw pillow covers, and I used the body pillow cover to make 2 square and one rectangle throw pillow covers.  (DIY Cost: $12 for 5 pillows, plus inserts.)

I can't wait for my next Target trip!

DIY Decor Week

Things started to settle down a tiny bit last week, so I had a little time to tackle my long DIY to do list!  Some were half-finished projects, others were ideas on my DIY wish list and a couple were inspired by necessity or a really good sale.  Here's a peak at what I will be sharing with you this week!

Easy {DIY} Vintage Sewing Cabinet Makeover

The months of August and September have been crazy busy for me!  I thought for sure that when the kids were back to school that I would have SO MUCH TIME to get all of my housework, work-work, volunteer-work, and DIY fun-work done that I would be literally searching for something to do...WRONG!

Housework has been on hold, work-work has picked up, and volunteer-work comes in almost daily. This means that DIY fun-work gets squeezed in at all hours of the night while everyone is in bed and I am desperately trying to catch up with my "Mom-only" guilty pleasure shows (Mistresses, Devious Maids, Real Housewives of Miami...)

Here's my latest midnight project:

My Easy DIY Vintage Sewing Cabinet Makeover

My daughter has been asking for her own desk since school started, but she doesn't have a lot of space in her bedroom. As I was searching for a small table I could transform into a desk, I came across this vintage sewing cabinet at my local thrift.

These are a fairly common item at garage sales and thrift shops.  In fact, there were two different ones for sale on the day I found her.  Yep, it's a her....

She was marked at $35 because she came with a working sewing machine installed, still a pretty good deal, but I really just wanted the cabinet.  The tag showed that it was the 7th day since she had been put out for sale, so I asked the manager and he brought the price down to $20, machine and all.

This girl weighed a good 40 lbs, so even if I wanted to just tuck away the machine, I knew it would just be way too cumbersome to keep installed. I unscrewed the bolts and set the massively heavy machine aside for my upcoming charity yard sale.

As part of my search for a desk, I had come across a new (to me, at least) line of chalk paints at a local home goods consignment shop and I decided to try some out.

I fell in LOVE with this coral color called Gypsy by Vintage Market & Design Furniture Paint.  I coordinated it with some Annie Sloan Provence, used the Annie Sloan clear wax and left the hardware with its existing patina.  Not much work, but boy, what an update!

My daughter LOVES it, and it fits right into the little corner of her bedroom.  I'm still debating whether to hang a basket in the hole where the sewing machine was or to cover the hole completely with a thin piece of board, but for now she can do her homework in the comfort of her own room.

Adorable, right??  Now on to search for the perfect chair!




Click here to see the amazing sites where this and my other projects are linked!

 Other\ fun parties:
Saavy Southern Style

Magazine Rack Redo

I have a bit of an obsession with magazine racks, especially the old-school wood ones. While I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across the perfect rack for my guest bathroom.  Yes.  I said BATHROOM.  Every bathroom in my home (other than the kids' bath) has its own fully-stocked magazine rack.  I don't know about you guys, but the only privacy I seem to have these days is when I lock myself up in the john.  Why not use the time to catch up on my reading? :)

This super sturdy rack caught my eye at a Salvation Army in Wesley Chapel, FL.

Lucky for me it was blue tag day, so I snatched this up for $3.50

Here she is after two coats of Annie Sloan Provence.

I decided not to distress this piece.  I loved it just the way it was.

I used only Clear Wax.

Here it sits, in its new home, the Powder Room, fully stocked with local magazines. Perfect for when our out-of-town guests come to visit.

 

Click here and here to see where this, and our other projects are linked.

Glad to be back!

I want to second Autumn's apology.  I spent the last week and half traveling to and from my home town of Tampa, FL, so I have been neglecting you.  Sooo sorry!  However, the trip was just fabulous.  I was able to spend lots of time with my friends and family.  I was also able to spark up some of my creative juices that had been running low since my move to Virginia almost three months ago.  I also was lucky enough to miss both an earthquake and a hurricane that hit my area.  Thankfully we had power when we arrived, and only a couple of very small items fell off of one shelf in my daughter's room (on to a carpeted floor, causing no damage).  God is great!

While in Tampa, I was able to visit my very favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint stockist, Robyn Story Designs.  There, I picked up some Aubusson Blue, Arles, Primer Red, and Chateau Gray.  My good friend and fellow blogger, Marcy, shared some of her Louis Blue, Provence and Graphite with me, and my cousin Minh gave me some of her Duck Egg.  I can't tell you how I badly I am itching to start painting!!  But, alas, school starts in just a few days and I am busy school supply shopping and hanging with my kiddos before they are off to 3rd and 6th grades. (Sigh!)

While I was in Tampa, I hit up some of my old thrift stores and picked up a few small, but awesome items to work on.  Just typing those words makes me want to run into the garage right at this moment!

So, needless to say, I don't have a project to share with you today.  :(  BUT, since it's my adorable dachshund, Oscar's 4th birthday today, I will leave you with this:

This smile inspires me!

Featured: 5 of our Projects on 3 Great Sites!

It's always a good week when our projects are featured! This week, not one, but THREE of our projects were featured on  One Pretty Thing's Before and After Round-up!

Autumn's Aubusson Desk & Duck Egg/Old White Buffet and Yvette's Skirt from a Man's Dress Shirt

Creative Itch featured Yvette's DIY Placemat Clutch on Sew Cute Tuesday

And, last but not least, our blog was given some love and Autumn's Thrifted Chair Revamp popped up on On A Whim!

Take a moment to visit these super sweet sites today!

Le Bain: Powder Room Sign Redo

Here's a quick little project I tackled over the weekend.

I had a little wooden sign that was cute, but just didn't have a place in my new home.  I painted it Annie Sloan's Old White and then attempted to use my super-awesome (sarcasm!) freehand to write Le Bain (the bath). 

Don't judge my poor excuse for a drop cloth, nor my choice of dog food. I'm on a budget people! ;)

I then traced the letters with Glidden's Deepest Aqua.  I got a 2 oz. paint tester at Walmart for less than $3!  When it was dry I used clear wax to set the paint.  I finished off my little sign with a fabric rosette made from the same fabric as the curtains and voila:

As much as I like my new sign, it confirms how badly I could use a Silhouette!  This is definitely another project in the "it doesn't have to be perfect..." book. 

Scroll below to see where this and other projects are linked.

Easy Powder Room Prettification

My little downstairs powder room was in need of a some life - and some storage!
So I took this old 4-square shelf...



mixed a little Old White and Duck Egg and ended up with this.


The color turned out to be the prettiest sea foam green - I just love it!
It is the prettiest little thing to look at while using the bathroom washing your hands.
Plus I have storage for diapers, TP, q-tips and my Grandmother's vintage hand towels.
So happy with the result!

Buffet Makeover in Old White and Duck Egg

Now that I have started painting and revamping furniture...I can't seem to stop myself.
(My husband has started calling me Sir Paints A Lot. Adorable, eh?)

Here lies my boring old buffet (R.I.P) in good ole black laminate. This was the first piece of furniture my husband and I bought together; we needed more storage for all the kitchen crap wares we registered for. She has been a good girl, served her purpose well, but it was time for a rebirth!



Yup, you guessed it! It wouldn't be a post these days without the help of our chalk paint!
Two quick coats turned this black laminate silky white in 1 hour!



For the frame I used Old White. For the doors, Duck Egg.


I did the lightest of light distressing on this one. I just can't have it too "finished" looking. Not my style.



Helloooo, gorgeous! Once this gal was done, I just couldn't stop staring at her. So I did what any great decorator would do: moved it into the darkest, dreariest hallway in America.
(With terrible lighting to boot! Thank God we are moving in  days!!)



I cannot wait to find just the right spot for this piece in the new digs!



Linking to:

       

  

Formal Dining Chair Turned Funky Cottage Chair

About 8 or 9 years ago, before I discovered the wonders of thrift stores, I purchased a pair of "scratch and dent" dining chairs at the Rooms to Go Outlet store.  I can't remember how much I paid for them, but I am pretty sure it was about $100 for the pair (GASP!)

I reupholstered the chairs, and set them out in my living room as extra seating.  When we moved to our next house, they ended up as desk and vanity chairs.  With this current move, I only have room for one of the chairs as seating for the built-in desk in my super-sweet kitchen.

I had a can of Annie Sloan Old White Chalk Paint that I purchased on my visit to Robyn Story Designs in Tampa that was screaming to be used.  This chair was the perfect candidate:

Here's the chair in its original state.

Annie Sloan Old White

Check out my very appropriate painting outfit!

After the first coat (it needed 2)

I dug out a piece of remnant fabric I had purchased at Joanns a few months back to reupholster the seat.

Here's the finished product. 

I distressed and used some dark wax to enrich the color.

I love how a little paint and fabric turned this formal dining chair into a funky cottage chair!

So what do you think?

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