glam in a can

Ballard Designs Horse Painting Knock Off

2016-02-29T09:39:00.001-08:00

Love this painting sold by Ballard Designs. Didn't like the price tag.

. . .so I painted my own knock off.

Craigslist Antique Corner Planter

2013-08-21T11:41:00.003-07:00

On my recent hiatus from The Daily Iowan (summer semester break) I was feeling a little inadequate. Although I had a wonderful break (we took our daughter to Las Vegas for her 21st birthday - had a BLAST!!) I was feeling like I needed a little project since it has been so long.

I found this awesome antique planter on Craigslist. Perfect for a quick afternoon makeover.
I sanded the side panels down to the naked wood and then masked them off. Spray painted the original painted parts - trim and legs. Took the masking off the side panels and painted the bird and twig pattern on with a paint pen. Once dried, I distressed the legs/edges and sanded over the design to lighten it up and make it look old and worn. Then I stained the wood panels and the distressed areas with a red mahogany stain. I was going for a hand-rubbed finish. It probably turned out a little more subtle than I had anticipated, but a fun, quick project for the sunroom.

Now I need to get it planted!!

3 Years

2011-12-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

today :)

Fall In Iowa City

2011-10-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

No recent projects to blog about. No, it is Hawkeye football season in Iowa City. That means there is tailgating and football watching to do. If you are a true Hawkeye fan, your weekends are consumed with all the Hawkeye Hoopla, leaving little time for much else. Have I mentioned that Hawkeye fans are the coolest around? I think I have. Well, if this wasn't awesome enough. . .Check this out!

This was the scene at the Iowa vs. Northwestern game last weekend. Yeah, I know. Pretty sweet.
This weekend. . .Homecoming. . .Iowa spanks Indiana. Bring it.
GO HAWKS!

au revoir brown armoire

2011-07-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

I finished the armoire for T's new apartment. I probably wouldn't have picked out what we ended up with, had I more time. But we were under crunch time since move out day is August 1. I found this 1970's something, somewhat tacky, yet sturdy armoire on Craigslist for $100. I was thinking of spending more like $50, but when you are under pressure to get something done, you have to cave and make quick decisions. It goes without saying that it is killing me she is moving out, but alas, it is probably time and I want to do all I can to make her new digs comfortable (and remind her of me. . . selfish? yes. I don't care).
A recap of the BEFORE:

Now before I post the after, I just want to remind everyone of the silver/mirrored dresser I did for her a couple years ago. And the fact that I am not letting her take it with her. Because of this, I thought it only fitting to redo the armoire in silver. I had best intentions of ditching the hardware and dated scrolly panels, replacing them with new, glam hardware and possibly fabric panels, but then I got cheap (thinking she may be moving back home in a year - wishful thinking) and this piece may end up on the curb.

AFTER:

I wanted to add some depth to the piece, so I brushed diluted brown acrylic paint over all the accent areas and rubbed off with a rag. I ended up painting the existing hardware and for a final,

whimsical touch - painted the inside of the cabinet doors with chalkboard paint.

Love you, Roo.

Restore It Wednesday

Up Next

2011-07-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

My lovely Miss Taylor is leaving me. Yup. She is moving out on her own. I have mixed emotions about it, I'm sure, like every other soon to be empty nester.
On one hand, it will be nice to not have to clean her bedroom and bathroom as often, I will reclaim my back coat closet (which is currently home to a mountain of ridiculously cute Miss Taylor shoes), I won't have to hear "there is nothing to eat in this house" and the best thing - - she is only moving a couple of miles away.

On the other hand, SHE'S MY BABY!!!!! And, I'm getting old! Time goes too fast.

Thankfully, she has already informed me that she will be coming home every week to do her laundry - - uh, thanks, Taylor. I will look forward to that.

Anyway, being the selfish mom I am, I am not letting her take the infamous silver/mirrored dresser with her. Nope. Too attached to that one. Which means we needed to get something else for Miss ~~Clotheshorse~~ Taylor to keep her goods in.

Enter my latest Craigslist find. Stay tuned. I gotta get this bad boy done before moving day.

Citra Solv Laundry Project

2011-05-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Just can't get enough of this technique!
I wanted something to fill the space to the right of the train rack in my laundry room, but couldn't
really come up with anything appropriate other than laundry related stuff, so I made my own subway art.

Total cost: $4.50 (half price canvas at Hobby Lobby. . .and yes, I already had the fabric - snap)

hmmm. . .wonder if the fam will get the subtle hint at the end.

Benchmark

2011-05-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

I spied this little bench at my sister-in-law's house on a recent visit. She had intended to recover it to sell in her upscale furniture consignment store Revisit. I begged her to let me take it home with me. Just kidding, I asked her how much she wanted for it and she was kind enough to just give it to me!

I have been wanting to try the Citrasolv technique on something. The beautiful thing about this technique versus printing on fabric with your inkjet printer is that it is machine washable/dryable and you can do it on a larger format. So I thought I would give it a go and make a cushion for my new bench. . . thank you, Cindy ; )

Using a graphic from the Graphics Fairy, I created a monogram design and transfered it onto some fabric (yes, the same zebra fabric (reverse side) I have used for all my blog projects - - -wow, I just realized I have really gotten a lot of mileage out of this stuff - - -good investment heidi ho). The technique was really very simple, but I didn't have any luck with the copy straight from the laserjet printer, I had use a photocopy.

Bench AFTER:

It fits perfect between the french doors to our master bath and the french doors out to the balcony from our master bedroom. But I am thinking this little bench would be awesome in one of the bathrooms. . . who knows where she will land.

Linking up to:

Fine Dining

2011-05-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

Patty had a kitchen table and chair set from. . .I want to say the 70's. . .not sure, whenever they were from I am sure it was before my time. ahem.
Anyway, she was ready to kick the chairs to the curb -

but wanted to salvage the table so she gave me a call. The table had really good bones - pretty pedestal legs, but the top was formica. We decided to paint the table black, but I wasn't sure I wanted to attempt painting the formica top; I just don't think it would have held up well to card parties, dinners and the grandkids. (plus there were four leaves that went with it) Leaving well enough alone, we decided to paint just the legs. I suggested Patty find some chairs that would be a combination of stained and black painted wood to tie in with her new table.

Table BEFORE:

Table AFTER:

What do you think? I think Patty did a swell job picking out the chairs. And I love how the chair cushions really glam up the whole look. Now she's ready for some fine dining!

yes, i said swell. . .and i lied. . .the before table and chairs were not before my time :(

Tray Chic

2011-04-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

I have been searching to find something that I can glam up with a coat of chalkboard paint. It's obviously a rage and I have been admiring all the chalkboard paint projects out there in blogland. . .I just had to try it myself.
Not willing or ready to commit to an entire wall or refrigerator or countertop or one of the other awesome venues (I see ceilings, floors, entryways, garage doors to name a few), I wanted to start small. . .like a framed chalkboard in the kitchen or laundry room or something. When I make my mind up to do something, I expect to get 'er done just as fast as the bulb lights up in my head. Never happens. Couldn't for the life of me find anything to spray chalkboard paint magic on.
. . . . . . that is. . . until I was putting a re-purposed placemat (used under a fern pot in the sunroom cause HECK NO do we set a table at the Owen Crib) away in an ONLY TWICE (actually maybe once) A YEAR visited linen drawer.
Came across a Goodwill HAND-ME-DOWN serving tray. I'm sure I've had it at least five years. Stuck it in the drawer and pretty much forgot about it. It had good bones, really cool aluminum twisty handles and rim, but not so cool fake wood grain MDF for the middle.

This was it. . .what I've been searching for, right under my own nose. . .in my very own kitchen.

Why thank you. . .don't mind if I do.

Laundry Quandry

2011-03-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

When Tim and I built our house in 2006 we had to leave certain things unfinished due to budget constraints. The laundry room and basement among them. Since then, we have worked on the basement, but never did anything with the laundry room. We purchased a laundry sink and faucet along with all the other fixtures when we built the house and until last week, they sat in a closet in the basement.
Tired of waiting until we can afford custom cabinetry. . .who knows when and if that will ever happen in this economy, I decided I could be happy with purchasing an unfinished oak cabinet from Menards - anything to get that sink hooked up. I could glam it up and customize it myself with a little paint and decorative knobs. Tim was on board with this idea. . .C-H-A ching! I'm saving us money (that's what she said).

So. . . here is the (small) laundry room BEFORE:

Add an unfinished oak base cabinet. . .

A little leftover Sherwin Williams Austere Gray paint (from the antique dining room buffet), pre-cut cornices for "feet", and knobs from Hobby Lobby. . .

Pre-cut 6' laminate countertop from Menards, 12"x12" mesh mosaic tile squares from Lowes and I now have the laundry sink I have been longing for. I told Tim I don't think I could be happier. We were able to do all of this for around $250. Sometimes being on a budget isn't so bad. It really narrows down the choices you have and gives you the opportunity to get creative. (I have to note that we did not have to make one tile cut - - the length of the wall is just under 6', so we just had to cut one row of mosaics off the mesh backing and the top border tiles fit across perfectly - - too easy!)

I can eventually add overhead cabinets and finish them to match. . .or not! I don't really need more storage space. I will add some decor on the walls eventually.
Oh, and Sully couldn't be more thrilled either since this is his dining room. . .actually I don't know if he is all that thrilled or not. I just said that.

AFTER:

Linking up to:

Reflections of A Dining Room

2011-02-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

I finally moved the Guy Buffet prints down to the family room/bar area where they have been longing to hang out. . .get it? (hang). . .sorry.

Anyway, I found a round mirror for the spot above the dining room buffet. Hubs says I hung it too high, but I wanted it to reflect the chandelier. . . and who wants to see themselves pigging out anyway?
(actually, slim chance of that beings as we have NEVER eaten in this room. . .which leads me to ask myself. . .why am I even concentrating on decorating this room? I really should focus my energy on the great room)

BEFORE

AFTER

I don't think it will look too high once I get some “stuff TBD (to be determined)” on the buffet. I am so liking the glam of all the mirrors in the dining room that I am on a mission to find several more for the two remaining empty walls. Welcome to Heidi's Glam-O-Rama Dining Room, but you can't eat here, it's just a place for reflection. . .get it?. . .sorry. Beautiful by candlelight at night. . .darned if I can get a decent photo.

Craigslist Dresser Makeover

2011-01-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

UPDATE! SOLD FOR $500 AT REVISIT!

Before:

This is the dresser I got to keep me out of trouble during my holiday break from work.
It was a $50 Craigslist find. I really didn't have a space in mind for it. . .I didn't think it
would fit in anywhere. . .I just got it because I thought it had good bones. . .and I needed a project.

During:

I used a combination of Silver Sage metallic paint and Bronze glaze over my SW Austere Gray. To erase the brush marks I used a dry roller over it all. I thought about distressing in areas, but thought it would look more formal to leave it alone.

After:

LOOK - - it fits perfect on my diagonal dining room wall! What do you think? Can I keep him?
My house lacks many accessories mostly because we don't have many furnishings. But now that I am slowly adding pieces I can start picking up accessories to add more interest. (but not too many - - have I mentioned I don't care for clutter. . .or dusting?) I am thinking a few apothecary jars and maybe a tall rectangular mirror on the wall. . .but I'm up for suggestions. . .

What Is It?

2011-01-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

Beats me. Oddly, this Goodwill find was hollow like a vase, but only about 6 inches of it's total height was hollow; the bottom 2/3 was solid wood. I guess it could have been a taper candle holder, but more than half of your candle would be swallowed up in the deep hollow. I guess you could have put fake flowers in it (yuck). . .or use it to clobber an intruder. . .it was Heidi. . .in the kitchen. . .with the big, heavy wooden Goodwill thing. (yes, I played Clue as a kid)

Anyway, I saw potential so I plugged up the hole and whipped out a can of glam.
A little sanding over the carvings, slapped on a little stain and. . . .

now I have a pillar holder for my sunroom. Thanks, Nanc! ; )

Keeping Out Of Trouble

2011-01-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

Working at The Daily Iowan on the University of Iowa campus is awesome because we don't publish during university breaks. This allows me three weeks off over the Xmas and New Year's holidays. Such a blessing during the first two weeks when I am busy last minute shopping, decorating and hosting parties, but now that the tree has been thrown out the front door, (I mean literally thrown out the front door. . . what a freaking mess. . .I may have all the needles vacuumed up by next Xmas) all the entertaining over and the decorations put away; everyone else is back to work and Heidi needs something to keep her out of trouble (I don't actually get in trouble. . .I just need something to give me a sense of accomplishment).

ENTER: My latest Craigslist find. Yeah baby. . .and only $50.00. I don't really have a good space for it, but it has such good bones I couldn't pass it up.

So I got to work on it right away. It had two large cracks down both sides. A little wood filler, sanding and primer. . .

I am going to slap on a couple of coats of Austere Gray (the color used on the dining room buffet; I think I have just enough for this project so it will be nice to use that up) and I am going to attempt to glaze over the gray with a mixture of bronze and a silver sage metallic paint. I am kind of nervous because I know I will have brush marks to deal with. Any furniture I have ever done metallic has been spray paint so no brush mark worries. I have my fingers crossed that it will turn out the way I picture it in my head. If so, I will have to somehow find space for it somewhere. . .if not. . .look for it on Craigslist. . .jk.
Check in tomorrow or Wednesday. . .I should have it done - - -GASP! But then what will I do the rest of the week?

probably paint something. or print on fabric - - stop.

Happy Birthday Hubs!

2010-12-31T08:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, my husband was born on New Year's Eve. Anyone who knows him isn't surprised to learn this.
He came out of the womb sporting a party hat and cranking a noise maker. He loves to have fun and is the life of the party. Happy Birthday Timbo. . .we love you!!!!

Happy New Year to all my friends in Blogland. Here's to a wonderfully happy and prosperous 2011!
Cheers!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T07:47:00.000-08:00

While waiting for my potatoes to boil and before I start making the cheddar biscuits, I wanted to take time to post these pics of Sully watching the cardinals eat their breakfast in the snowfall.
. . . and I want to wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday.

More Of The Same

2010-12-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

No long explanation for these photos, just more of the same. . .can't get enough of this printing on fabric.
Someone stop me. . . Okay, that's it, I won't post anymore pics of this stuff.

. . .unless I think I've come up with something brilliant. then I may have to share. . .

Now everyone. . .GO PRINT ON SOME FABRIC!

Door Knob Pillow

2010-12-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

I made this little door knob pillow for my mom. She enjoys drinking tea in her sunroom, so it says, “Salon de thé Ladd” - - Ladd's Tea Room. This was also put together with fabric glue. . .the button is the only thing sewn. I am going to make monogram drawer sachets using the same concept. I better get busy though, as I plan to give them as Xmas presents!

Goodwill Frame Makeover

2010-12-14T19:55:00.000-08:00

I bought this frame for $1 at our local Goodwill 3 years ago. It originally had a replica of Blue Boy framed in it. I immediately tossed that out. . .and there the frame sat. . .in the spare bedroom. . .for the last 3 years. I contemplated donating it back to Goodwill, my philosophy is: if you haven't worn it, used it, touched it or thought about it for the last year, time to get rid of it. (I think I've mentioned that I have a phobia about having too much stuff. . .not into clutter, hence the reason my house is kind of sparse.) But for some unknown reason this frame survived Heidi's suffocating plastic garbage bag – death grip trip to the donation drive thru. And you know what? I am actually glad I held onto it.

While it is not at all ugly or obnoxious (or even in poor condition), I just never found the right thing for this frame. My initial intentions were to frame an old black & white family photo in it and hang it in the spare bedroom. Said bedroom being a beautiful shade of porcelain blue and butter yellow (one of my favorite rooms in the house). . .the frame is metallic blue and an antiqued silver (hard to tell in photos, cause yet again I do not claim to be a stellar photographer; better yet. . .I refuse to read instructions. . .which are probably still stuck to the bottom of my digital camera box).

Enough rambling. I have been so inspired by all of you who have created DIY grain sack creations; ie. pillows, stockings, upholstery. . .you name it. Love the look. As a new follower of Restore Interiors,

I came across a post about how to print on fabric using an inkjet printer, imitating the look of authentic vintage grain and flour sacks. (Thank you Kelli for sharing your tutorial. . .you are so talented). While I cannot sew, I thought I would attempt a project utilizing this concept AND my lonesome, forgotten Blue-Boy Goodwill frame from 3 years ago. So. . .here is what I came up with. . .

I painted over the metallic blue with black acrylic. Our powder room rocks a bee theme so I designed a graphic to compliment it. Oh how hubby loves the bee theme. . .really? No. Honestly, if you ask him, he probably has no idea what the theme of our powder room is. Here are a couple of links to our powder room and this that show some of my bee stuff. The design translates into Owen's Powder Room and I put Tim's and my initials to the sides of the bee. I am really excited about how this project turned out and can see endless possibilities. If only I could sew. . .if only I could quit my day job and stay at home and play. . . .

I used the wrong side of the zebra fabric from T's bedroom chair; same fabric used on the pillows and table runner in the dining room to print on. What's really kind of cool is that the inner-most molding of the frame is actually wrapped in linen. . .

Christmas Glam at the Owen Fam’s

2010-12-11T16:16:00.000-08:00

I think I am about to call it good on the Christmas decorating. Hubby wants to put another live tree in the lower level. . .but I think the 12 footer upstairs is enough. I'm not much on Christmas decorating. Don't get me wrong. . .I think Christmas decorations are beautiful and I love seeing all the gorgeous holiday decorating out there in blogland, but I'm not into storing all the stuff. I have a phobia about having too much stuff. . .I like empty closets and cupboards. (I also have a sticker phobia. . .but that's a whole nother story. . .I know. . .weird) I took some pics of my meager decor. . .not the best pics, I haven't quite mastered the art of photography.

After reading many posts about Krylon Looking Glass paint, I wanted to try my hand at the stuff. I found these tea light holders at a local thrift shop, they are hollow underneath. I am somewhat happy with the results. I sprayed several light coats, let rest for a few minutes then sprayed water/vinegar solution on them and blotted/wiped in spots. One note: Krylon Looking Glass spray paint is S-T-I-N-K-Y. You want to make sure you have a well ventilated area.

Two years today!

2010-12-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Today I am officially a two year survivor of breast cancer! . . .just sayin’.

Thoughts and prayers for all of the amazing women out there who are battling bc.
Live strong.

No Sew Bolster Pillow

2010-12-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

My latest blog posts have all been about my dining room. I guess I felt it was time to give the DR some much needed attention. We have been in our house for four years this December. . .yeah, I think it's about time. Since I got the buffet done, I messed around with the arrangement of the room. The table with all the leaves in it and all six chairs around it really cramped the room (and blocked my newly glamified buffet). So I took one of the leaves out of the table and moved two of the chairs aside. Better. But the two chairs looked naked. They needed some glam.

“I think I will try my hand at a couple no sew bolster pillows” I said to myself.

I already had a bunch of zebra fabric left over from Taylor's chair that I thought would be a nice compliment to the colors in the DR. Joann Fabrics had pillow inserts for 50% off Thanksgiving weekend so I bought two of them and some No Sew Glue and got busy.

I had no high hopes or expectations (I can't sew, so this was my only shot). But this No Sew Glue stuff actually works!!!! I love this stuff! So for about $7 each, I was able to make bolster pillows for my DR chairs!!!! $5 each insert, fabric left over, $1.50 for each tassle (Tuesday Morning), $4 for No Sew Glue and I already had the cording for the drawstring. They probably should have been tighter on the ends, but I kind of like how they droop over the sides of the chairs (at least that is my justification).

Dining Room Buffet. . .finally off my to do list!

2010-11-24T06:58:00.000-08:00

I said I was going to get my dining room buffet done this week and I stuck by my word. If you have followed any of my blog, I was really perplexed with what to do with this piece. Part of me thought I should refinish it, another part of me thought about painting it black, then another part of me thought I was maybe getting too much “darkness” in my house. (see why I struggle. . .too many parts) I asked you guys for some direction and I have to thank all of you again for your advice.

The before. . .

Many of you suggested to pick out a color from the area rug. I always admire the pieces you all paint in soft blues and grays, but never really thought those soft colors would fit in my house. Our house is Craftsman style and somewhat rustic so I always thought I needed to keep things dark or natural. After reading your comments, I realized that I needed to lighten up a bit. . .(not just talking my home decor here) so I chose Sherwin Williams Austere Gray.

It is a gray-green (looks more gray here) that matches a color in the rug.

So without further ado, here is my buffet now. . .

This picture was taken before my trip to Hobby Lobby to fill in the missing knobs.


I used the original hardware on the top drawer. I had the amber crystal knobs from another project. I bought the black knobs from Hobby Lobby and paired them with the backplates from the leftover original hardware.

Took the opportunity to move the table out of the dining room and give it a good vacuuming. You can get a better idea of what the rug looks like.

Thank you, thank you all for making me think outside the box. I love my new buffet and now have a soft gray-green piece like I have always envied. I have a mirror coming for above the buffet. The Guy Buffet prints will be moved downstairs to the bar/family room area where they were always meant to be. (I just stuck them in the dining room until we finished the basement) I am also planning on moving the little black sideboard to the basement as well.

Look out world, Heidi is finally lightening up!

My Corbel Glamification

2010-11-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

So this is what I came up with based on the iron willow votive candle holder inspiration (that's a mouthful). Theirs: $89.00 each. . .Mine: $8.00 each. (check my math below. . . was never good at math. . .that may be why I am a graphic artist).

I bought two 6 in. diameter aluminum fittings from Menards for the bases ($3 ea.), two 6 in. diameter styrofoam discs ($3 ea.), and some corkscrew willow branches from Hobby Lobby ($7). . . spray painted everything black ($3) and. . .

Now I want a big round mirror for above the soon-to-be glamified buffet. And I just want to say. . .I think I have decided on a color for the buffet. Wait for it. . .

I forgot to tell you that my other obsession of the week was flameless candles. Yup. Those are flameless pillars set on a four hour timer. Love, love, love them. I have a couple in my sunroom PB sconces as well. I would never light them because they were too hard to reach, but now I can just enjoy the beautiful candle light and not worry about blowing them out or soot on my walls.

So yeah. I can pretty much say I am happier with my dining room corbels now. I still have a ways to go before my dining room glamification is complete, but it's getting there. AND believe it or not, hubby even said “those are pretty cool”. He usually just rolls his eyes and thinks I am obsessively insane over my “projects”.

Insert round mirror here?!

After living with this project a few days, I think I will shorten the willow branches just a tad.

I will have to wait & mess with that next weekend.

I have also noticed that my wine rack is looking quite empty. Yikes.

PS - Don't you think this project would be cool on a smaller scale for the holidays?

Like spray paint the willows in silver or gold, or roll in glitter and cut the willows at different heights for a multiple candle centerpiece?