New Lights!

So, it's raining really hard here today. Like, flooded my backyard, really hard, but despite that the boys and I HAD went to Lowe's this morning. I went with every intention of buying ONE piece of wood and two corbels for a shelf, but you know how that goes.

I came home with four - FOUR - lights and a new lampshade, no wood.  (in my defense, the lampshade has been on the list for ages, but I kept forgetting).  AND, one of the lights is for my sister, so I really only came home with three lights and a lampshade.  Would it sound better if I told you I only spent $25 on three lights???  And no, they weren't the cheapest things I could find either - Lowe's was having a HUGE clearance!!  Yay me!  At that price I couldn't pass them by.

Despite the fact that the boys and I are living in a rental house right now I could NOT pass up a new light fixture (wait until you see the before picture!) and for $7 who can argue?  Onto the pictures!

I am in L-O-V-E with school house light fixtures.  Like this one from Restoration Hardware:

But, I can honestly say I do not like the $139 price tag.  No sir.  Not for me.  But $7??  Yep!  Sign me up.

The hall light was the same as this kitchen light (I forgot a before photo of the hallway...too excited to replace it!):

Nice, huh?  Comes complete with a clip on plastic shade (bugs are free).

Here's the $7 steal I got from Lowe's.

What a deal, right?  While I was there I also scored this new pendant light for above the kitchen sink ($8 for this one instead of $42):

Here's that beautiful before light again:

 

And now:

And it even works!  (I've never installed a light before - today I installed two!  Yay me!!)

The third light is a wall mounted swing arm lamp for the guest bedroom.  ($10 instead of $41).  I'll install it another day.  My boys are up now, naptime is over..time to get back to work! 

Have a great Tuesday!

 

Using a tension rod as a spray bottle hanger

I saw this pin on pinterest the other day and was awestruck at the utter simplicity and brilliance of it.  Using tension rods under the kitchen sink to create hanging storage for spray bottles.

So, armed with a clever idea I put it to good use this morning while my kids ate breakfast.  I had some leftover tension rods in the garage from my recent move, and while none of them fit under the sink (they were all too big) I figured I could cut it to length and then wedge it between the walls so it would hold.  Sure enough, it worked brilliantly!  Here are the pictures:

After:

 

Nice and tidy, with room left over for storage of other very important stuff :)  (note: I store my garbage bags in the bottom of the garbage can under the bag that's currently in use so I don't have to store them someplace else).

And here's the before.  Obviously, everything was just shoved under the sink with no attempt to organize anything.

So, I took a standard oval shaped tension rod and held it in place where I wanted it.  I chose to go front to back along the left side wall because there's no wall on the right side under the sink for a rod to hang (see above picture).

I measured the rod accurately ;) then cut it with a hacksaw.  I just sawed back and forth a few times and then bent it to break it.  Super easy.

 

I pulled the extra cap off the side of the tension rod I wasn't using.

 Unfortunately, it was a little too big so I just shoved a paper towel under it to make it fit.

I wedged it in place where I wanted it.  I didn't put a level or anything on it I just eyeballed it.

Then I hung all my spray bottles and voila!

It's all clean and organized now!! 

If you have any questions just leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.

Thank you!  Happy Friday!

 

Breakfast nook before and after

It's amazing how quickly life just takes over, isn't it?  In the past three months, EVERYTHING has changed.  Since we talked last there was Thanksgiving, (too much turkey, anyone?), Christmas (had some great family time!), New Year's (totally missed it - went to bed early :), my house was leased, the kids and I moved to a new place, we've had a couple birthdays...all in all, a LOT has happened!

I thought I'd share what I've been working on - well, part of it at least.  We (the boys and I) got a rental house not too far from where we used to live, but in much more convenient to everything.  I still have some boxes to go through, but in under three weeks we've really started to settle in to our new home.

Here's a before of the breakfast room:

The plate wall started because I don't have as much storage in the kitchen as I do stuff (shocker, I know!) and I couldn't store some of my most favorite platters.  So, I decided to do what any normal person would do and hang them on the wall.  I figure they're my favorites, yet, they're so large I only use them a couple times a year, so why not hang them up and enjoy them year round?? Genius, if you ask me :)

I started with my favorites, and added others for color and interest.  I only bought one plate for the entire wall, so the wall only cost me one $3 plate and the price of the dischangers.  (and they are WELL worth the money).  No wire hangers, no wondering whether or not they will hold, they're just great - and no I'm not being paid to advertise them, I just love them.

First came the new light.  Metal plant hanger painted teal and turned upside down, wired into the existing fixture.

terrible picture, but you get the idea...

Vintage Edison bulb from Lowe's.

 

Then I started hanging them.  It took me about a week or so because I just hang two or three at a time so I could see how I felt about them.  I'm big into pre-planning, you can tell.  I finally finished about three days ago.

Enjoy!  Happy Tuesday!!!

 

Goodwill Hunting with bonus tutorial

I heart goodwill.  Like super big red glittery ruffeldy puffy {heart} goodwill.  I heart it as much as I heart driving around looking for trash people put by the road for me to stuff in my car to take home and make something new out of.

I like other thrift stores too (notice I use the word like).  I know a lot about goodwill and their pricing too.  I know there's one by me that charges more than others because apparently they think THEIR donated stuff is worth more than other stores donated stuff.  It's ok, I still shop there, but I'm careful what I buy.  I know where four goodwills are within driving distance.  I know there's an awesome one across town that I go to when I head that way (it's like 45 minutes from me).  I also know that they open at 9 am.  Perfect timing for me when I have to take kids to school at 8:30, I can stop and get a coffee and be there when they open.  Genius.  

I have been to all four GWs near me this week.  Hm..what does that say about me?  Nothing else to do it seems.  That's so not true.  I'm getting ready for Christmas (first time I have EVER been ready to decorate so early - thanks Pinterest!) and my shop needs more stuff! I thought I'd share a few things I've found this week.

First - this nifty lamp.  Lovely Terrible phone pics here, sorry!  White ceramic barrel base.  Wooden stem (is it a stem?  who knows.  looks like a stem to me!).  I thought I would cover the flat part of the base in some awesome damask.  Maybe paint the stem a nice bright color - maybe teal or fuschia, and a new shade.  I found a couple shades also, but neither worked with this shape.  This one needs a drum shade - nothing with even the tiniest of taper, trust me, I tried.

This (again, wonderful pic) is the shade I picked up.  Medium gray with a little texture.  Perfect shape and size!  Here's the lamp is trying it on for a fitting ;)

 

Three silver candlesticks.  While they all look similar they do not match.  I also got some glasses to make into mercury glass and put on the top of these.  I thought they'd look nice on a Christmas mantle.

Then I got these glasses.  They're the perfect size for the candle holders.  I'm trying to get the mercury glass technique to work on them.  Honestly, I think I have a bad can of looking glass spray paint.  This can isn't working at all like the others have.  I need to go get a new can and try this.  Because if I hadn't done mercury glass before (see here) I'd have given up by now!!!

See?  Fits nicely.

Two drum shades and a stick lamp.  The chocolate shade would be perfect for a pendant light.

And a bonus tutorial for you :)  Yay!  I know you're SUPER excited now!

I also picked up these candle holders (the pic shows one, I promise there really are two).  Wouldn't they look great on a mantle?

I mean, you know WITHOUT the candle holder thing on top and then painted white?  Maybe even with some Christmas lights poking through?  I thought they were Awe. Some!  So, here's how I did it.  Take your hammer.  Beat the metal round thing on top.  Beat it some more.  Wait - a few more times.  All around the circle.  If it starts bending down, then beat it from the bottom.  There's nothing nice and sweet about taking this bad boy apart.  Mad at someone?  Great!  Use it to beat this thing apart.  Eventually the welds (there are 5!) will break and the circle will come off.  Then you're left with this:

Throw the circle in the trash.  Save the tree.

Get your spray paint out.  Paint them.  I didn't want mine perfect.  I actually liked them the way they were, but I wanted them white, so I painted.  Here they are.  Sitting in my garage waiting for their place on my mantle.  :)  yay!  I think they're so pretty.  They'd be awesome in a bright color too.

And one two last photos. I'm raising my boys right - already painting furniture! I'm so proud.  lol.

Go forth and create!

Anthropologie knock off vase

My very own Anthropologie chrysanthemum vase!

I LOVE this vase (who wouldn't??)

I love everything about it.  Size, color combo (especially the color combo) but I'm to cheap thrifty to spend $28 on one.  I was in my favorite store (goodwill :) and found this obnoxious lovely number.  You might want to slip your sunglasses on.

I lucked out because it's a great shape, and has nice flowers, but seriously?  Pumpkin orange???  Don't worry, I fixed it.

Whew, better already.  Primed and painted with the aqua color.  At this point the vase itself is finished.

Then I hand painted the orange flowers with Gloss Enamel (found with the acrylic paints in the craft store).  I mixed some red with some orange to get just the right color.  Please pretend the mess in the background really isn't there. 

And here it in it's new home.  (Next to my new mercury glass chalkboard and my west elm knock off vase!)

Theirs

Mine

What's the verdict?  Like it?


Happy autumn!