J.S.Lately Design

BAMBOO BLINDS AND YARD SALE

2014-05-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the look of bamboo blinds with curtains in magazines and other blogs but never pulled the trigger on buying my own, not sure why I haven't before, maybe its that I don't have a Lowe's or a Home Depot any where near me and its seems most people buy from these two places.

I am a visual person and sometimes buying online, colors and other details are different online (computer screen I should say) verses when you get them in front of you. Like in my last POST. So maybe that's why it has taken so long.

Sometimes I just go for it and if I don't like it or its different than the picture I usually just return it unless its a huge item and its way too much hassle, and I like to buy from sites that have a return policy, that can make or brake a sale for me. But back to the blinds..

I knew I wanted tortoise shell bamboo blinds with the bamboo slats being chunky and not those itty bitty little sticks, and I wanted them to be on the lighter color side, didn't want the espresso color, I was looking for more of a "natural" color.

I went on an online hunt for the absolute cheapest but what I wanted blinds, and I did find exactly what I was looking for this time! Well almost. I have a huge sliding door in my living room that is 105 inches wide and I think 85 inches tall. That makes it impossible to find one humungous blind to fit my humungous "window" door. So my solution was two blinds hung together, I have seen a lot of that happening and I was fine with that. The problem was that the blinds I found were 72 inches wide each, so that was a lot of overhang.

My solution was to rap the ends of the blinds in painters tape while they are rolled up, mark where they needed to be cut and just used my chop saw and sliced the ends right off. It worked like a charm. I took pictures of this process but my memory card in my camera got corrupted and I lost them..but if anyone wants details just email me :)

I do love the texture and warmth it added , I hung them up by myself and hung the right blind a little off which makes the middles where they meet a little gapie so I must fix that and I am so happy that these are Roman Shade Style so they actually look like blinds when raised, no roll at the bottom.So happy I found these guys!

Also I wanted to share what I picked up at a yard sale on Saturday.. I am liking little animals as of late especially brass or gold ones :)

I seen these little guys for 50 cents and just had to bring them home..

When the blinds are down they pop out against the bamboo :)
Anyone else a fan of little golden animals?
See you guys soon!

NEW DINING ROOM BANQUETTE AND DECIDING ON PILLOW FABRIC

2014-04-16T08:37:00.002-07:00

As you can see in a second in the picture below, my dining room is on the small side and when I have company over we can only fit just the 4 chairs around the table, which limits how many people can actually sit like a grown up at the table. Its a bummer, so I looked around at some ideas on Pinterest and my solution was to go with a dining banquette, I figured that should solve my seating problems? I hoped..

I went ahead and ordered one from Overstock that was on sale, and on top of the sale price I also had a coupon code that was emailed to me, so I got a really good deal. My only complaint is that it took almost 6 weeks to arrive, and lots of back and forth phone calls regarding the delivery issue (how long it was taking) and so on, but FINALLY it did arrive! Overstock was great and returned a lot of my money back for all the hassle and waiting.

I couldn't be happier it's so much better, it totally provides that extra seating that I needed! Now a normal person should be fine and dandy with the seating problem solved right? Well not me...I am so not normal I have concluded.. and here is my dilemma..

I inspected the photo of this banquette several, several times to make sure that it would match my existing dining chairs and I was convinced that this banquette would totally match, ha darn computer monitor lies.. it so lied.. It doesn't match and I just am not digging the color mixture of the two.

I know in this picture they look like they match, but believe me they don't (see that monitor is so deceiving sometimes). The banquette is more of a greyish and the chairs are beige. I know the littlest things drive me nutso I just cant help it, I annoy myself and my poor hubby I am sure, So I decided if I could just recover those chairs I would be much happier. I searched for some fabric at a deep discount and picked up some this fabric, ($34.99 for the entire yardage) which was 4.5 yards, Score! I am hoping it will be enough to recover the three chairs. I just want to make the tight fitted slip covers just to cover the beige existing fabric. This way I can remove them and wash them if I need too. Sounds so easy in my head, but once I get the fabric in front of me I realized I have no idea what the heck I am doing..

Again I have never made slipcovers so I think I will be watching a lot of You Tube videos in my near future. Hopefully I can learn a little, be brave and just go for it. I will keep you posted on that.

I also want to make some pillows for the banquette (boy that's a lot of sewing). I have these two remnants, (just threw the fabric over a couple pillows) and I am not sure if I want both or just pick one fabric, it might be a lot of pattern going on with the chairs also in a pattern too although all the fabric is from the the same designer and I have seen all these mixed before, but I am on the fence.

Oh the decisions..any opinions? I am off to start my video watching, See you guys soon!!

ANOTHER CHEAP WAY TO FRAME OUT YOUR PLAIN CABINET DOORS

2014-03-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

I loved how my bi-fold doors came out so much that I decided to also pretty up my hall cabinet doors too! I used the same materials as I did in the bi-fold door project, MDF trim, wood glue and wood filler, that's it! Fast, and easy I promise.

I roughly sketched out some idea of the door design...

At first I thought about just simply framing them out with no real "design", but then I thought that was no fun and if I am gonna do this it cant be too "plain". I didn't want a real busy pattern either, I have a love for graphic patterns everywhere else in my house so I didn't want to compete.

I decided to go with sketch number two, almost similar to three but without the added trim on the insides of the doors.

Here is what they looked like before: Pretty plain and in need of a paint job..

Here was my first step:
First I measured the width and length of the doors an calculated how much trim I would need, I purchased 16 feet of mdf which was plenty and it only cost me $4.23!

I cut my trim down, basically to "frame" the outside edges.
Next I cut 8 small squares (of the same mdf trim) all the same size, and applied them to all the corners after I "framed" out the edges. I used my brad nailer and wood glue to apply all the trim.

After I cut my trim down it literally took my like 5 minutes to apply it, so easy! Cutting it was super fast too.

Next I used wood filler to fill in all the gaps so that it looks as seamless as possible.
After the wood filler dried, I sanded it down, gave it two coats of paint, and I was finished!

Paint still wet in this pic :)

Not bad for a $4.23 project! Now my doors have some pizazz and personality!

Here is a before and after just for kicks again..

BEFORE

AFTER

I don't think I have anything else to "trim" out on my list yet, but I am eyeballing those kitchen cabinet doors.. so maybe I will tackle those too, but I haven't decided yet :)

Are you guys doing some projects to spicen plain things up in your home? I think its that time of year! See you soon.

TRIMMING OUT MY BI-FOLD PANTRY DOORS

2014-03-06T09:11:00.001-08:00

I know a lot of people have those plain flat not so attractive bi-fold doors in their homes, am I right? I do, one of which is seen in the main part of my house from all rooms. My kitchen pantry door. Where there once were pulls on these doors now remained two very large holes from opening and closing the door so many times, the pulls literally created holes, then one day they just fell out. So instead of buying new doors I came up with a way to make them pretty and reattach some new pulls.

First I measured my doors length and width, then determined how many feet of trim I would need, I needed around 63 feet but wanted to make sure I had a little extra just in case I made a mistake. I hate having to go back to the hardware store mid project because I ran out of something, so by buying five 16 footers I would have extra.

I picked up some 2 1/4 inch MDF trim x 5, total cost $21.00.

I started at the top and measured the left side of the left hand door, but left an 1/2 inch gap closest to the wall so that the trim wouldn't hit the wall when the door opens. I made my first cut with my chop saw, put some wood glue on the back and stuck it on, My brad nailer was giving me issues so I used a clamp to hold the first one on until I got it working.

Sorry for the weird shadows, it was really dark and gloomy on this day..

I did the same step for the next piece, it going right next to this one at the top on the same door. Then I measured length wise taking off 2 1/4 inches from the measurement (for the bottom trim piece), glued then nailed in. I repeated this process until both doors were trimmed out, remembering to leave that 1/2 inch gap on the right side door, like you did on the left, next to the wall so it doesn't interfere with opening the door.

Next up are the pieces that go in the middle of the trim you just attached. You can make any design you would like two pieces of trim in the middle to make three insets or 4 or 5 whatever tickles your fancy. I wanted five insets so I had to cut eight pieces of trim per door. I recommend measuring for each piece of trim, they will have a slight variance.

After all the trim is on I starting using wood filler to fill in all the nail holes and seams, let that dry, sand it and its ready to be painted!

Sorry for the TERRIBLE pics couldn't get a good one to save my life!

I Love the details it added to this plain old door! This was super easy and didn't take a lot of time to do and it only cost me $21.00, now I wanna trim out every door and cabinet in my house!

Oh and I have two options for the pulls:

This one...

Or this one..

The first option is a vintage set of pulls I have had for a while, I don't really dig the green back round so I think I am gonna try and paint it a different color, and then choose. After I choose I will get a better after pic for you (come on sun shine already).

If you guys have any questions for me on how to do this just let me know, I am off to see what other doors and cabinets need some loving, after I decide on the pulls and attach them, gotta finish this one first! Have a Great Day!!

CRAIGSLIST LINGERIE CHEST TURNED JEWELRY CABINET

2014-02-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

I know its been awhile since I have posted, I guess I have been in a slump lately, and super busy. I have found myself not really having time to be creative, and when I do have a small amount I haven't been using it wisely.. but I guess if you love something you have to make the time. I really am going to try and set aside as much time as I can from now on :) SO now on to my first little project in a while..ready?

I have a lot of jewelry, now its mostly costume jewelry not the real expensive stuff, but still have accumulated a lot of it over the years. When I would go into my jewelry box to find something it would take more time and effort than it should ever take, it's a little frustrating, but I fixed that!

I found this lingerie chest on Craigslist for $20, and the fist thing I thought of when I seen it was that it would be perfect for my jewelry debacle. It definitely needed a makeover, but to me that is the fun part, right?

This is the picture from the Craigslist ad, its faux bamboo too, one of my favorites! These are made in the 70's and I personally think these older pieces are made so much better than the "new" stuff.

It was a little adventure getting this home, I got lost, and it started to rain and I didn't bring a tarp, but it survived.. fun times :) I brought it in a cranked the heater to make sure it was good and dried out. I got to work on this the next day, the sun came out all day this Saturday finally, time to get my paint on. These were my weapons of choice...

First it got a good cleaning, and then the primer went on (love this primer) I did two coats. Next after primer was good and dry I used the Rust-oleum spray paint, this stuff is awesome too sticks to just about anything, I did three coats of the paint. After it all dried it looked so much better! But those pulls were not me so they had to go. I had these ring pulls that I got from a yard sale, they were on some old kitchen cabinet doors and the owners said that if I took all the doors they would be just give them to me, so I brought all the doors home and took off each pull, it took a little time but they were free. I gave them all a coat of the gold spray paint, attached them a wallah!

SO much better right? I love how it turned out. I had some plastic organizers not being used so I popped them into the drawers and loaded the jewelry in. I think the next Ikea trip I make I will be looking to get some better organizers but these will do for now.

It is so much easier finding what I am looking for now, and will be even better when I get more organizers, but in the mean time this has made it easier and saved me from some frustration :) For about $30 (that's both the chest and paint) for a HUGE jewelry box customized to me is fantastic!

How about you guys? What little changes has made your everyday life easier? I have another little change up happening in my head that I plan on doing very soon that I think will make life easier, I will be back soon to share! Take Care!

WEST ELM CAPIZ CHANDELIER

2014-02-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever found yourself in a store where they are having some outrageously good sales, sales that are so good that your heart races and palpitates with excitement, and walk away with something that you don't need or doesn't serve a purpose or function, but its so beautiful and cheap you cant walk away? This happened to me ( shameful me) a couple weeks ago.

We were in San Fransisco for another one of my little ones doctor appointments, after all of our business was taken care of we ventured around a little with the help of our GPS of course, its crazy in the city, you WILL. Get . Lost.. and I stumbled upon a West Elm, I have NEVER been to this store,(I know crazy right) only browsed online but never physically been to an actual store, I walked in a was in Love! But before actually going inside of the store while I was parking I noticed that at the back of this West Elm in the back parking lot workers were stacking and unloading stuff from what looked like their stock room leaning things against the building and laying rugs, lights, all kinds of things out, then came the sign that said 70% off everything! Jackpot! I parked and noticed other people starting to walk that way, I spotted something while walking (okay speed walking) something shimmering from the sun shining on it. A Capiz Shell Chandelier! It was gorgeous, and had no price tag...I thought this has gotta be pricey, but I will ask anyways, which I did, when the lady said she would let me have it for $20.89 (.89 is code for no returnable I guess) I had a heart palpitation! A few of them!

I didn't NEED it and really didn't know where I could use it, but I just couldn't walk away from it because of the price and it was gorgeous. I love you West Elm! Lets just say I am always going to try my best to hit this store every trip :)

I decided to put her above my coffee table in the living room, I have never tried this idea before but I gotta say I love how it looks. When the sun coming from my window shines on it it makes me happy, $20 for a happy room isn't so shabby.

I am trying to hide those dreadful popcorn ceilings...and I have not figured out how to get rid of that reflection from my mirror, it drives me nuts, but you can see the beauty of those shells!

Are you a sucker for a sale? I guess I am officially a sale sucker these days..

BRASS PHARMACY DESK LAMP

2014-02-03T08:22:00.001-08:00

I was out at my local thrift shop last week browsing around, really just wasting a little time before an appointment, no better place to waste time in my opinion, I went to the lighting section looking for a small lamp for my desk, something with a small base to leave as much room as possible for my things and spotted this awesome solid brass pharmacy light! Holy cow I have wanted one of these for a while and who would have thought I would find one at a thrift store? I thought to myself "I have to get over there to that shelf where it is sitting to snatch it before someone else does" (yes this has happened to me more than once, someone snagging something before I could get to it)I walked very fast but not so fast that I drew any attention to myself (at least I hope not). I tried to pick it up all not shalontly and almost dropped it on the floor! This baby is super heavy! This is a good sign, its not a cheapie light weight light,nope it sold and heavy and brass! Woohoo!

It has some tarnish that badly needs to be cleaned but nothing that some brasso and a good scrubbing cant fix.I hope to get this done soon. Maybe that's what deterred other buyers, but I can see the potential in things, some tarnish and dirt I can see through.I found my new desk lamp, and I am in love, its the perfect size and it was crazy cheap!

Any one else find a great deal on something thrift shopping recently? Do you think thrift stores hold some great treasures? I do! See you guys soon!

STATEMENT CHAIRS AND A GREAT GUIDE ALL ABOUT THEM

2014-01-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys! Hows Your New Year coming along? So far so good ? I hope so!

I wanted to share with you guys today this fabulous resource guide by One Kings Lane they call their "Home Decor Resource Guide". This is a great, informative page filled with all the information you could ask for about Statement chairs and lots of other furniture. It covers history,style,time periods, everything you would need to know to identify any chair! Wouldn't this make a great App for those who shop thrift stores and antique shops?

One of my favorite subjects is Statement Chairs (wish this was taught in school I would have definitely aced this class) I LOVE me some chairs and find that my home is definitely not in need of these, I have them in every room! And why you say? Because they make me happy, and of course the obvious, everyone needs a place to park their tushes after a long day, or just a day at home hanging out with your family, right? Maybe you need some extra seating for when company comes over, or maybe you just have the ONE chair that is your vocal point in a room that makes you smile when you walk into that room? Escaping to a room to read a good book. With every room's decor add in another style statement chair, you can never go wrong with a cute chair in my opinion. Not sure how to incorporate your own statement chair into your decor? Here is some great tips on how to do this on their web site.

Statement chairs always will and always have been a vital part of design and function, they can "make" a room, adds that extra something, something to a space, ya know what I mean? They can really define your personal taste too. When I walk into a home I can most of the time sum up a persons taste by just looking at what style their furniture is. Its kinda a fun game for me! Not always does this formula of mine work, I have several friends that have many different "styles" happening but the important thing is to make them cohesive with one another, like similar fabric choices or painting in similar colors, the possibilities are endless!

I am such a HUGE chair fan, think I already said that, but just wanna be clear on this subject,I and cant imagine my home without them. I have to say that I also LOVE the thrill of the hunt for awesome chairs . One Kings Lane is a great place to find that this is "THE ONE" I have to have it piece.

"THE ONE" statement chair I had to have in my home is definitely my Chinese Chippendale Arm Chair, well really I have three. But I just Love the details with the fretwork and the fact that on a whim I can repaint them or change out the seat fabric for a whole new look. Like this..

Changing out the fabric is fast and easy and can totally change up the look, gotta love fast and easy! Here are some photos of my go to Statement Chair, I throw a pillow in the back and read a book to escape sometimes, I love this little spot in my room.

The next time I am on the hunt for a new statement chair I will be referring to One Kings Lane's Decor Resource Guide, it can really make the choice a lot easier with their tips.

Hope you all have a terrific day, and I will see you soon!

Blue Ikat and Black and White Stripes

2014-01-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys! Hope your new year is off to a great start! I have had a long vacation this season to spend time with the family and make new memories, it has been great, but its time to get back to normal which I am also exited about!

My mother in law was here for a week from Los Angeles visiting for the holidays and she is always up for a good shopping trip, my kind of lady! She says that things are much different up here in Northern California, that the thrift stores are cheaper and have much better stuff, and the sales are better here too? Who would have thought that? I thought for sure it would be better in a big city, but according to her, no. Maybe its just there is less people here, so more stuff left to shop for.. maybe that's it.

My Shopping buddy(mother in-law) and I were at Ross looking for some after Christmas deals and I ran into this really cool blue and white Ikat rug! It's a 5x7, 100% cotton (yea can wash it) and the price was soooo good, $26.99!! For a 5x7 rug that is unheard of! I couldn't walk away from a deal like this so It came home with me. Rugs are right up there with my pillow hoarding problem...

The black and white striped basket I found at Target, its from the RE Style Collection, its perfect for holding my Christmas gift (a Silhouette Cameo) supplies! My hubby did good this year with his gift! The basket was $24, a little pricy but I couldn't resist, I had some Christmas gift money to spend.

I am doing some re-arranging again, got the itch after I started taking down the Christmas decorations. After I am all done I will show you guys what I managed to change up.

This week I will be talking about accent pieces, chairs in particular! I have a problem with those too..See you soon!

A FEW LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

2013-12-18T08:46:00.002-08:00

Its been a very busy last couple of weeks here in my house, there for a lack of posts. Tis the Season! Here are a few ideas for some last minute gift ideas that I know I would LOVE to have. The first one being a runner or any size really classic black and white striped rug. Black and white will meld into anyone's color choices in their home, its classic and on trend too...

There are so many places that are having last minute sales and most of them are offering free shipping upgrades so that it will arrive before Christmas, gotta love that!

The second idea is a pouf or ottoman, it provides function and style all in one, and with most of them being made of leather they will last for many years to come, so its the gift that keeps on giving! Again I have seen sooo many coupons out there that you could pick up one of these very reasonable priced. This one is my favorite, gold!

And for the guy, my hubby is a musician, who loves to play video games, so what to give a person like that besides spending a fortune on a new instrument? I wanted to find something that could combine the two of those things together so it would be a hit both ways..and I found this...

A video game that comes with a mic, and cables to hook up your real guitar, so that you are playing your instrument and playing the game too! Genius! Even if they are learning this is a perfect tool to teach too. I wish I could say that I am completely finished with my shopping, but I forgot about the stockings! They get me every year, somehow I forget those! How is your holiday shopping going? Are you "finished"? See you soon!

CHRISTMAS COFFEE TABLE

2013-12-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Decorating your coffee table for Christmas, it can be challenging for some people and expensive too. My secret is that I hit the thrift stores! You can find some really neat Christmas stuff in an abundance, they are overloaded during this time of year it seams! I knew I wanted sparkles and gold ( I keep my colors down to a 3 color scheme) so I went into the store with those things in mind and picked out just those things, you can easily get distracted with "pretty" stuff and when you get home it looks like you just threw a bunch of stuff together that doesn't necessarily go together. Just try to stay focused.I found two clear round circles that open up so you can put something inside of them,perfect for adding the blue and silver sparkle ornaments, (that I bought at the same thrift store too for 15 cents a piece). I also found two gold turtle doves, and a gold wired Christmas tree..

The deer horns I already had (I painted them here), the tray has been on my coffee table for a couple years already, I put a plant in the tray to add some greenery and wallah, a Christmas coffee table! It only cost me $4 bucks!

The tray keeps everything all nice and tidy which is a good thing! Do you guys see Mr. Snowman in the background? I have been trying to donate him for the last 3 years but my husband LOVES him..! You press his hand and he sings Christmas songs.. I catch him singing with him all the time..hehe so I guess he is a part of our Christmas family now for good. See you guys soon!

CHRISTMAS GOLD DEERS AND MAKING DUE WITHOUT A MANTEL

2013-12-05T09:24:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again! Pulling out boxes of Christmas stuff and seeing what has survived over the last year sitting in boxes that have been squished by other things that somehow got thrown on top of them. So far so good..have only found a couple of broken ornaments..not to bad. I thought I had bought last year after Christmas (ya know when everything is like 75% off) a set of gold deers, I thought I had or I just remember it that way, but I looked in all my Xmas boxes and nope I didn't find them, so I am guessing I just thought I bought them and didn't..booo..well guess what? I was out a thrift store yesterday and guess what I found? A pair of gold deers! The ornamentation around the neck area isn't really my style but I had plans..

I just popped those flowers and ribbon off and I had a clean slate. I wanted something black and white to go around his cute little neck so I dug out some fabric I had left over from my patio pillows I made over the summer and cut two long strips, leaving some black on one side and white on the other.

Then I just wrapped it around the neck and tied it in a bow. So much better! I did the same for the other deer but left a little more black on the fabric than white.

I don't have a mantel that I can hang stockings from or decorate with pretty garland, so the closest thing I have is my t.v. console, which is right next to my Christmas tree so I figured that it was the most appropriate thing to use for these purposes. So my new to me little golden deers new home for this season are here right above the stockings, along with two little golden turtle doves I also found at the same thrift store. One day I will have a real fireplace and mantel but for now this works!

I hope to find some garland this weekend to put up here too, it needs some greenery! Here is a little table my little one put together with his favorite Mr. Nutcracker..

How's your holiday decorating going? Did most of your stuff make it through the year without getting broken? See you soon!

CHIANG MAI DRAGON FABRIC

2013-12-02T08:41:00.001-08:00

Hi! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I have been seeing this fabric called Shumacher Chiang Mai Dragon everywhere for a while now and while browsing online I found a website that you could order a fabric sample of this fabric for $5.00 with free shipping, so I decided I wanted to see what all the rage was and still is over this fabric and ordered me up a sample in the alabaster color. The website said "Our swatch is a memo sample ranging from 4 " x 6" to 12" x 18" in size", so I figured even if it was a small sample I could still get a feel for the fabric. Well my not so small sample arrived about a week later, and when I opened up the package I was so dang darn happy! This was a huge sample! The colors are so vivid and its pure linen to boot!

So guess what I am gonna do with my sample?? Any guesses?? If you know me, you know I am a pillow hoarding freak of nature, so yes, surprise a pillow! I have to get my Christmas stuff up first, I am in the middle of doing that but, after that its a pillow making time! I threw it over an 18x18 pillow I have to just give an idea of what it would look like, LOVE!

Are you a fan of this fabric? See you guys soon!

CAMPAIGN DRESSER IS FINISHED AND A DINING ROOM MAKEOVER

2013-11-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

My little $30 Craigslist Campaign dresser is done! As for the color I chose to go a deep navy blue. I originally had a lighter navy colored blue paint that I was going to use, but decided I wanted something darker, so I mixed in a little black with the navy color until I got the perfect shade I was looking for. I got my color mixed and ready then a little wood filler, taping, sanding and rolling on the paint and it's a whole new dresser! I did take off the handles and buried them in Brasso ( I went back 15 minutes later to check on them and they were blue..that kinda freaked me out a little, but they were fine.Wheww..Scrubbed them for a long time, I mean ALONG time, they were really corroded. As I was resting my hands after scrubbing that darn brass I got a switch twitch (the urge to switch and move random things) is what I am calling it now, so I started moving stuff around, so much for resting..hehe

It didn't cost me a thing for the new look, I just shopped my own house again. I grabbed my two Chinese Chippendale chairs (which were also a Craigslist score) and recovered the cushions (Kravet Riad fabric) and put them on either side to flank my new adorable campaign dresser. This dresser is much smaller than the other cabinet that I had in here, so I don't know if it was just that I was used to seeing something so much bigger that when I put this one in its place it looked not finished, too puny maybe, but after I put the two chairs on the sides I thought it looked much better.

I had these lamps sitting in my garage for a long time (Target clearance score from a couple years back) and decided to break them out, the color they were originally was like a dark greenish color, didn't mix well with the dark navy.

So spray paint to the rescue! My bestie spray paint.. First I primed them with 2 coats letting them dry completely before applying the second primer coat. ( Zinsser 123 primer works great) then used white lacquer,(Ace brand) using the same step, applied 2 coats letting them dry in between. I think they look so much better this color don't you? I am a high contrast kind of girl.

I added some black ribbon around the shades,put my coral, orangish tray that I got from Target a while back from the modern cottage collection, and boom totally different look.

For a little somethin somthin extra to add to the dresser, I had a Chinese wind chime outside forever and took it apart and painted it gold then hung it on the handle with some clear fishing line, I actually really like how this looks, thought it would be too bulky but looks great :)

Here is a little before and after of the dining room area..

BEFORE

AFTER

And here is a before and after of the dresser..

BEFORE

AFTER

Well thats my little dresser/dining room revamp, nothing major but still different! I am so exited that its time to start doing some Christmas decorating this week, time to get in the holiday spirit! Yea my favorite time of year, cant wait, ! See you soon!

OOPS I DID IT AGAIN, CAMPAIGN DRESSER

2013-11-21T09:06:00.000-08:00

Who is a crazy happy buying dresser freak?? I am!! Okay so I know I said that my goal wasn't to buy anything that I didn't need..I know, I know. That is exactly what my husband said to me last night when he came home, after I kindly asked him to go with me and pick up a dresser..again, I had to through in a.. but honey, I have wanted one of these dresser foreva! It's only $30, that's unheard of! I had to get my point across that this was such a good deal, ya know. Well I must have gave some really good puppy dog eyes or something because it worked! He said okay if you really gotta have this thing lets go and get this over with. See I have heard these dressers are really heavy, if it wasn't for that I would have let my poor hubby stay home. Don't you wish that there was some magical pill you could take to make you strong for just 30 minutes? Just long enough to pick up a heavy dresser and put in in the truck. In my case, a crazy, blogger, Craigslist dresser buying pill if you will. Ya that would be awesome! On to the dresser, it has some cosmetic issues, not too bad, but for $30 I cant complain.

Oh and it was REALLY heavy, and a lot smaller in person than I expected, but still I am a happy girl! Now what color should this new addition be? I went online to see what kind of inspiration I could get as far as painting this baby, and there are so many colorful options, and they all look really good.

VIA

This green one I seen over and over again, this is a really popular photo.


VIA

This one is just like mine, really like this option.

VIA

Then there is classic black. I have noticed a lot of people really like the white option, but I think I am trying to get out of paint everything white mode. My hubby did say he liked the white which was a shocker because he usually has no opinion on my little projects, but for some reason I think he likes this guy as much as me. Time to go get my paint on, to the paint store I go. What do you guys think? Any opinions on a color choice?

A LAMP IN YOUR KITCHEN?

2013-11-19T09:08:00.002-08:00

I was at Ross this weekend and spotted a cute little lamp sitting by itself on a shelf. I had some credit there so I put it in my cart. It was super cheap and I had credit so why not? I have a fetish for lamps, don't know why, but I do. I wanted to try it in my kitchen on my counter under the the cabinet. I thought would that look okay? I like having a little light in the kitchen at night instead of having that big bright light on all the time, its more cozy. Well I did buy it and put on my counter, I left the wrapping on just in case I needed to return it. What do you guys think?

Ya or Na?

GOLD AND WHITE DEER HORNS

2013-11-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I have been on a spray everything gold kick lately! I cant help myself! I did a little project yesterday with some deer horns I have had for about a year or so, I don't know if animal parts are on the outs as far as decorating goes, but I didn't jump on that band wagon until now. With Christmas around the corner, (I am reminded of that every time I turn the radio or T.V. on) for some reason gold and white antlers remind of Christmas.
We finally put our bedroom T.V. on a wall mount so now I have extra space on the dresser for "stuff". For some reason when I have extra space I just gotta go and add something to "fill" it up. Its a problem I have, a real life problem! Anyways here is what the horns (or antlers) looked like after I just sprayed them white..

They need Gold don't ya think? YES! To make stripes (what I wanted) just use some painters tape and wrap around, super easy..

I took a plastic bag and tape to cover the white part I didn't want sprayed like this..

Spray with gold paint, I used Krylon in gold leaf, my favorite gold spray paint.

Let it dry and peel off the tape and Bam, Gold Bling!

I have one more set to "bling" out. I am going to use them somewhere in the living room as part of my Christmas decor this year, which I will be starting to pull out that stuff sometime in the next week :) Things are not safe right now muahaha..from my gold spray paint, but I am gonna try and control myself. Hmm a gold painted tree??? Have a Great Weekend!

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING

2013-11-12T09:08:00.001-08:00

I have been contemplating going out this year and doing some Black Friday shopping, but I am a little disappointed that most stores are on the bandwagon of starting their sales on Thanksgiving. What is with that? It's not even Black Friday any more it Black Thursday! If you are contemplating this, in my experience you have to pick the store that has the best deals (Target all the way for me) and wait in line outside of the store for at least 4 hours for them to open the doors to get those deals. One year we waited in line for 4 hours mind you in the freezing cold (make sure to dress warm and bring a thermos with something hot in it along with a few snacks too) and by the time the doors opened the line outside had grown all the way around the entire building wrapping it once over! I know, crazy!! So by the time those back of the line people get into the store all the deals are pretty much cleared out. This is why.. when those doors open it complete chaos! People running like crazy people filling their carts!

And when inside it gets like this.... Instantly..

These poor guys, a million people and questions flying around, and some of these folks are not nice at all, learned that the hard way one time.. So I figured if I don't wait in line outside before the doors open to be one of the first people to enter the store, what is the point? Maybe some people like the thrill of the experience instead of the actual shopping? I am there for the deals, but sadly they are gone in a instant, in someones shopping cart that beat you to it.

So, I would essentially have to "give up" Thanksgiving so that I can be in line waiting since now most stores open at 8pm on Thanksgiving day :( What to do? I am on the fence this year, but when your on a budget for Christmas this is THE DAY of DAYS to get it done. I have tried to shop on the internet instead of going out to the stores and almost always the sites crash...and I cant get through! What is a girl to do?? If you are going out be safe, never go alone, bring snacks and warm stuff to drink, and have a cell phone for emergency's. Any one else planning to head out this Black Thursday?

GRASSCLOTH NAILHEAD PANELS TUTORIAL

2013-11-07T09:17:00.001-08:00

Hey! As I promised here is the tutorial to the Nail head Grass cloth Panels. Let me first start by saying if you are going at this solo be prepared for it to take a lot longer than you anticipate, nailing in all those nail heads are very time consuming! I used around 4,000 nail heads! I know crazy!

The first step was to gather my building materials which were:

Three sheets of 1/2 or 3/4 inch plywood
Grass cloth wall paper, (one roll)I used THIS stuff (HGTV Coastal Cool Grass cloth)
Wall Paper Adhesive ( I used This) bought from Walmart, I used almost 2
Nail Heads ( Got mine from eBay from THIS seller) 4,000!
Trim for the outsides, I got the cheapest stuff my local hardware store had
Primer In any color (it seal the plywood so that the wallpaper glue doesn't seep into the wood)
Brad Nails for applying the trim
Wood Filler
Wood Glue
Sandpaper
Paint for the trim
D rings for hanging the panels on the wall

Now the Application materials:

Rubber Mallet
Felt tipped pen
Pattern ( I downloaded mine from Sarah off her blog HERE)
Lots of Patience and a pillow to rest your knees on

I got my plywood for free from Craigslist so I had to cut my own, two cut at 3feet wide, 6 feet tall and the other I just cut the length to 6 feet and kept the 4 feet as it came. I used my level to make sure that my line was straight before I cut it.

After I got my wood cut, I primed the side I was going to put the grass cloth on again so that the wallpaper glue stands on top of the wood and doesn't seep into the pores. After the primer was dry, I got out my wallpaper glue and applied it to the boards, then applied the grass cloth.
I carried inside and started on the first panel. Get your pattern and poke holes through the dots and lay it down on the panel and start getting the pattern on it, I learned it is much better if you copy down the pattern on the entire panel first before you start applying the nail heads.Oh and learn from my experience dont let anyone else try and help with coping the pattern ,its tedious and when your in the zone stay there! My dear hubby tried to help but kinda messed up...oh well..

After the pattern is down Start getting those nail heads in! This is the time consuming part but also very gratifying when you start seeing the nail heads make the pattern and come to life. Use a rubber mallet for this, a regular metal hammer will damage the nail-heads finish.

After all the nail heads are applied cut your trim to fit, Paint, then glue together the mitered edges and then apply to the outsides of your panels with brad nails. Fill in the holes where your brads are with wood filler, sand and touch up with paint. Apply your D rings to the back of the wood, make sure you put these baby's in studs cuz they are Heavy!! Hang up and your done! Wheww.. I would do it again because I LOVE them did I say LOVE!!!! them! I decided that I would hang a mirror I got from Target in the center of the center panel, It helps with my light issues (bounces the light off the panels) and it looks pretty too!

What do you guys think? Would you ever do a project like this? I cant help myself, when I see something that I totally love I have to give it a try! Thanks again Sarah for your inspiration! See you guys soon!

GRASSCLOTH NAILHEAD PANELS DONE!

2013-11-05T08:38:00.003-08:00

Remember when I posted about THIS project around a month or so ago? Well, I am finally finished! This was one of the longest projects I have ever done to date. That being because I did most of it by myself, my hubby did help me some but not too much. I got this idea from the crazy talented Sarah M. Dorsey, she is a rock star blogger, and she whips out these crazy good D.I.Y. projects like they are nothing. Here is the LINK to her blog on her grass cloth wall. Sarah made an actual "wall" which is what I considered doing too, but I didn't have the room to make one that big (I would have had to empty my entire living room almost to have the room) that didn't sound like any fun, and knowing it would take along time I didn't want to live that way. My solution to this was that instead of an entire wall, I made three "panels" and hung them together like this..

I was hoping to have enough grass cloth left to put behind the panels to cover the entire wall, even if I had to cut the paper in half to fit behind just the openings, but nope, there just isn't enough left. I cant justify buying another roll just to do this because it is on the more spendy side, more on this side than I like, so this is how it will stay. I do LOVE how this turned out, it's a huge statement wall and because it is behind the sofa it looks like it was done intentionally and not just thrown up there because it was pretty. This is definitely the focus of the room now instead of the T.V. yea for that!

I do have one flub, can you spot it? The hubs and I were both coping the pattern on the same panel and well lets just say he messed up, I am gonna blame him this time..it's okay he knows..anyways I will be back tomorrow with the full details on how I made it, until then here are some more pics! Have a great day!

I will be sharing this on the linky party over at LisMarieBlog HERE, check out all the talented peeps over there!

BAMBOO DRESSER'S NEW SPOT

2013-11-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I have finally decided on putting the bamboo dresser I painted last Saturday in my bedroom. It seemed like the most obvious place to put a dresser but sometimes I like things a little mixed up, like a dresser as a T.V. console or as I was thinking as a dining room buffet. But it was easier to do this for the time being, you never know it might end up in the dining room tomorrow..I did manage to keep my hands off the white paint and leave it blue, but again you never know it might be white in a week. I am still letting the color sit for a while but so far so good!

Have a great weekend!!

PAINTING MY NEW BAMBOO DRESSER

2013-10-28T09:25:00.002-07:00

Hi Guys! I had a very productive weekend, finally got something done! I was at a thrift shop on Saturday, and ran into this (also came with two matching night stands).

This pic was taken inside the thrift shop, not my idea of decorating the top :) You can kinda see to the right the one of the night stands, sorry I got so exited about the dresser the night stands got neglected. The price I wont even mention, they were a steal! Now did I NEED a new dresser and night stands? No I didn't, but I decided that I would sell my current dresser (which was not very attractive ) just so that I could bring these home with me, which I did in only 30 minutes, thanks Mr. Craig and your list, your a life saver!! So all three of these baby's were essentially free! Cant beat that, right? The night stands I am going to paint and sell (no room for them). We loaded them up in the truck and drove em home!

These were DIRTY! I mean nasty. dirty. gross. I used my T.S.P. and gave everything a good scrub, dried them off and let them sit in the sun for a little to make sure they were good and dry. Before I scrubbed them down I did remove the hardware, scrubbed those too. Now I needed to decide what color I wanted this baby to be...I decided not white, I paint everything white, I wanted to go outside of my comfort zone. I got in the car and went to Ace and looked around at the paint, and decided on a dark navy blue spray paint with gold pulls, I thought that would look good (crossing my fingers I was). I had to force myself to walk out of that store without white.. I didn't get a primer only because the paint said that it would bond to pretty much anything, so we will see how it holds up. I got home and got to spraying..

The color I chose only came in gloss finish (come on spray paint company's give us some more options) ya know! After the dresser was sprayed (3 coats) I sprayed the handles with gold..(3 coats too)

I let the dresser and the handles dry outside as long as I could until it started getting cold outside and foggy (living on the coast side effect). So inside they came. I think I like how it came out, the color is growing on me the more I stared at it when I brought it inside. Then my mind started swirling, I thought do I really want to hide this in my room? I never hang out in my bedroom, its pretty much just there to sleep in and I wanna see this dresser. So I am contemplating using it as my buffet in the dining room and using the piece I have in the dining room as my bedroom dresser..haven't made up my mind yet.. but here is where she is sitting in all her blue and gold glory until I decide..

I am trying not to break out the white and paint her all over again, I am gonna let it meld for a few days. What do you guys think? Blue or white?

EASY WAYS TO CHANGE UP YOUR WALL ART

2013-10-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Taking a large scale print and cutting it down is sometimes a great solution for a "in your face" print. I wanted to add a little color to my wall, not in a large dose, so this is what I did.

I had a large print of a rose I picked up at a yard sale for like 50 cents in one of my favorite colors, took a square coaster and traced out the square and just cut it out with scissors.

Then I just put a piece of tape on the back and stuck it in the middle of the mat. That's it. It adds a little dose of color, just what I wanted. I also did the same thing with a piece of this fabric that I D.I.Y.ed that I had left over from this pillow..

Switching up the art on the walls is a fast and easy way to change things up and add in new colors. It doesn't have to be expensive, mixing more expensive art with cheap D.I.Y. art is totally OK.

Got a weird reflection from the mirror, tried to fix it, but it didn't work.. not sure how long these will stay up, but it a change in the right direction as far as color goes. Have a great weekend!!

THE POWER OF THE LITTLE THINGS

2013-10-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is so true, adding just little touches to a space can make all the difference in the world. Some color and some pattern spices up any space in my book! I added a few little details in my "office" area this weekend that made all the difference. The first being that I recovered my chair with some fabric I had sitting in a drawer, the second was wrapping another piece of fabric around my mouse pad (haven't had time to glue it down yet) and then lastly I just popped a colorful pillow in this here chair for a nice soft back rest. Wallah insta change up, and it took me a matter of minuets. Who doesn't love a fast update? Here is what I was working with before..

Pretty boring right? I just popped off this chair seat (I made out of plywood and foam a while back) laid it on the floor and just wrapped my fabric around it and stapled to the underside, super quick and easy update to any old chair!

Boy, adding in just these few little details made a huge difference, and more importantly it makes me feel happy :) That's what's important right, doing what makes you feel happy? I do have some other plans for this little space of mine but for now this was a just quickie fix, but so impactful.

I think the bottom of these chair legs are begging for some gold caps (or maybe just some gold paint). A little bling never hurt nothing :) Have a great day, see ya soon!

FRAMING TURQUOISE STONES?

2013-10-18T09:29:00.003-07:00

Happy Friday! I have been on a kick lately with natural decor. I think adding in natural elements in your home is somewhere you can never go wrong, and it makes the space feel warm and cozy too, perfect for fall! I have an idea, using a warm toned wood shadow box with natural stones, like turquoise or maybe this blue crystal..

You can of course buy these shadow boxes already made, but I might have to give building my own a try. We will see..but this is definitely something I will be adding to my walls. You can pick up these turquoise stones pretty cheap, but I have a couple I have had in a drawer for a while, and my new motto is to try and use things I already have, so...its time to break them out! How about you? What's your opinion in adding in natural elements like rocks and stones? Would you hang them on your wall? Ya or Na? Have a Great weekend!