Revamped Chair Preview

Today I am going to be finishing up this...



I can't wait to reveal it to you tomorrow!

Upcycled Vintage Window & Chalk Ink Love

Three houses ago...my husband and I had a 1937 bungalow. When we had the windows replaced I saved a few. For what? I wasn't sure at the time, but I knew I could come up with uses for them.

I decided this one would make a perfect kitchen nook chalkboard. I busted out the trusty chalkboard spray paint and got to work. Yup, sprayed it right on to the glass of the window! Then I discovered Chalk Ink!



These markers write on a multitude of surfaces and wipe off with a little water - just like chalk!
I used it on some glass containers I had for coffee, nuts and grains.



I love all the fun colors and how easy they are to clean up.

Happy creating! What are you working on this Wednesday?

Tea Towel Curtains (With An Unexpected Vintage Trim)

A few weeks ago I came across this idea and I knew I had to recreate it!

I was lucky enough to find these tea towels at Joann for $8.99/ 3-pack:

I added a little pocket to the back using some left over fabric from my dish towel project so that the curtain rod could slide through without having to fold back the fabric and lose the top stripe.

Here is the end result...sort of:

I would have been happy with a simple curtain made from just two tea towels.  Unfortunately, the fabric of the two towels was not long enough. Since I am in a rental, and the curtain rod was already attached to the wood trim, I didn't want to make another hole in the wood.  Instead, I added some vintage eyelet trim I found at a thrift store in Florida many months ago.

It's a little more "country" than I had envisioned, but I have grown to love it, especially since the trim reminds me of home.  I also love that it's a mix of old and new.  Very fitting for a girl who just moved out of state for the first time EVER! :)

Sooo...what do you think? You know we heart comments here at Aqua Seventy6!

Linking up to the parties listed below.

Signs of Inspiration

My latest obsession - well one of them-  is vintage wooden signs.
I have always been drawn to typography and so these old signs just make my heart happy.

I have been searching around the blog universe to find some good tutorials for making a custom sign with that vintage feel. Something to display in my home. Here are the ones I will be drawing inspiration and instructions from. Once I get around to making one (or 10) I'll post some pictures!

lil blue boo

Mrs. Adventure

They make it look so easy! Now...what will my sign(s) say? 

DIY: Shabby Lamp Shade

I love me some fun lamps. However, I do not love those "fun" prices that come along with said lamps.
Lately, I have been browsing the plethora of adorable Franklin,TN antique shops and gathering a lot of inspiration. Among the treasures were tons of unique desk lamps - which is exactly what I needed to go with my revamped desk!

Well, these beautiful antique shop lamps were not in the ole budget,
so I had to get funky with my GW lamp.


As you may have noticed, I ripped off the stained fabric that was the lamp shade before I snapped my photo - but I am sure you can dig into your imagination to envision the before look.

Redoing the base was simple: Krylon spray paint in Almond.

For the shade, I had bigger plans (details to follow) that required a tad more elbow grease.



First, I sprayed the frame a light yellow. Next, I cut up some random fabric and burlap scraps, then tied them around the top and base of the lamp shade frame.



And now she lives happily on my desk!
I also love that I can rotate the shade to get a glimpse of different fabrics.
This was super simple and only took about an hour.

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!

Affordable Sheets Become Dream Curtains

When we decided to move to Virginia, one of the things that I knew we would miss the most is the short drive to the beautiful Florida beaches.  As I set out to decorate my children's new bathroom, I found a sweet frame that summarized my personal feelings about the beach: Sand between your toes, waves crashing, sunsets...it doesn't get much better than this.

I was lucky enough to find matching towels and a bath rug, but what the bathroom really needed were curtains.  I scoured the fabric stores, but nothing stood out.  It wasn't until one afternoon perusing Ross that I found a sheet set with the perfect pattern and color to match the bathroom.

So this...

Became this...

A perfect compliment to my beachy bathroom-in-progress.

What makes this even sweeter?  These microfiber sheets cost just $12.99.  I only used the flat sheet for these curtains so I still have a fitted sheet and two pillow cases to use for future projects!