I need a Favor...

I normally would never ask my blog friends to help me out, but I think I have a chance at winning.

So here is the deal:

There is a local lady here in Texas, that distresses furniture and though I am in the same business, I do my work for fun and family.

And for you to read about,, of course.

But this lady is talented and I do love her stuff.

The favor:

Just go to her website, leave a comment telling her I (Melissa Orsak) sent you.

That's it, it's painless.

And I promise, when your cutie pootie is in a contest I will click their picture until my finger falls off and then I will switch hands until my other finger falls off.

I promise, to vote for your furniture remodel and/or project, just as long as you provide me with the link.

Help a girl out. I would very much appericate it!

Have a fab weekend!

Brighten It with Green.

We have been gearing up to put our house on the market.

With packing up most everything we own and the personal things, our house it mostly bare.

But also boring.

I have been trying to work on making it more inviting more homey.

Warm even. A place you want to visit and stay.

Even buy!

The majority of our furniture is neutral. And boring.

We have lots of black and some brown. Which makes it dark and dreary in our home.

We are nothing close to that. So I making some changes here and there and a change I want to incorporate is color. I have taken down most of the black decor and either painted it or packed it.

I took the mantle from being the mantle of a funeral palor to one at a beach house. Now, it's time for the rest of the living area. I am adding green. Lots of green.

I picked a shade of paint that I love and will be incorporating as much as I can.

Here is my first step in working with the furniture.

Before:

Here it is after the $6 pillow shams. That also happen to match the table cloth I also bought for $7 at Home Goods.

It's not a huge change but I am liking where it is going.

Lantern Overhaul!

The other day I headed over to IKEA to find some cute, cheap decor. Something to summerize our home and brighten it some.

I have been reading The Nester's tips and really like her ideas.

Of course I love ALL of her ideas, but this one I had to try.

Ok, I try most of them, anyway.

This lantern was the cutest and it was on sale for $5.

I had to have it. Though it only came in red, navy blue and forest green, there was no way it would work with my brighting plan.

So I walked away only to find the dang cart I was pushing, pull me back over and pick one up.

I COULD PAINT IT!

So here it is right out of the box.

Green and all.

Out to the garage we went and I used my best, most favorite white gloss spray paint money can buy.

No, just what HL had in stock.

Assembley was required.

Thank goodness it came with directions! HA!

So I thought, on the mantle it will go, but the thing was too big and I knew a little two year old would throw a ball in that direction and glass would go everywhere.

So no go with the mantle.

Then, came another fabo idea, I could place it over the TV with one of the cutest globe lights that IKEA has ever made.

Then I placed it inside.

I think I like it!

What I am Working On.

 This is my new project.

Thank you so much to the hubster and my lil' terds to taking the hour long drive one way to pick it up.

I found this piece on, yes, you guessed it Craigslist. And originally was not too thrilled with the price. I contacted the lady and was under the impression she would not budge from her asking price.

So I gave up.

A week later she contacted me desperated to give it a new home as they were running out of room and had to let it go.

She dropped the price $20.

SOLD!

Oh, the stories this desk could tell. I am charmed by it's luster.

Or lack of.

And can honestly say that I have never been intimidated by a piece of furniture before.

Before this one.

I believe I am just going to give it a good polishing and let the originality of the piece shine though!

Let the polishing begin!

Lamps Once More

My original post about these fab-o lamps.

This picture is after I painted them black, but still had a small problem with the border ribbon on top. It was brown and beige striped.

And it stayed that way for weeks.

Shhhhhhh!

But then I grew tired, oh so tired.

Every time I walked by the lamps said to me, "oh please do something about this up-matchingness!"

Yes that's a word.

So I did.

I am loving this detail!

Before:             After:

A Little Canvas Art

I have been wanting to try this form some time and since I am smack dab in the middle of brightening up the ole living room I thought what a better time then now.

I went to my local HL and bought to canvas that were the closet to the size of the doormat I already own.

I picked the cheapest kind plus 30% off sale I got these for less then $10.

I used a semi-gloss paint in a gray that I already had as well.

Just rolled it on and it took no time at all.

Sorry I did not get a pick with the mat on the canvas.

I spray painted over with white, but the 1st time, yes the first time, I sprayed too heavy and it leaked out and made a mess. So I had to start over.

The second time I took my time and did two light coats and it worked out well .

The President's Completion!

So I have been updating a ton on this piece and have really enjoyed flipping it.

Really because it has so much character.

I really think by taking down completely to the base and then starting over has really helped this piece and showed it's true colors.

But I'll let you be the judge.

I also Mod Podge the drawers with some scrapbook paper and really liked how they turned out as well.

So here we are:

I used a spray paint color I just loved but purchased it in a can of semi- gloss because I don't think I am good enough to spray paint an entire piece maybe another time.

Original Hardware!

Walnut stain on the top.

I really like the contrast!

The drawers lined wtih paper!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

Oh, Lamps!

I really like lamps.

Vintage Lamps.

Fat Lamps.

Gold Lamps.

Lamps with Tassels.

I also agree with The Nester's philosphy on lamps in the house.

But I grew up with the same idea. Or my mother pounding in our heads to turn off the overhead lighting, it's TOO bright and it warms the house.

I agree with that now that I am a mom and I see that electric bill come in the mail. But living in Texas it's hard to keep a house cool and the last thing you want is to have unflattering light aging you and making the ole electric company richier.

Right?!

So when my hubby and I moved in together so did my 20+ lamps. He did not understand all the fuss, but now I catch him enjoying the ambiance just as much as I do.

As well as the electric bill.

The entry buffet/sideboard/cabinet finally bit the dust. I was so tired of seeing a broken drawer and for the space the piece was weak.

So I found another baragain on Craiglist to take it's spot.

You'll have to wait for a later post to see the new recruit.

But I moved some old lamps from the storage closet onto the, we'll call it a sideboard. But that weren't cutting it either. I think they were too short and just not able to compete with the magnitude of the new piece.

I had eyed some lamps at HL that were 66%, but at the prices they started at I was still spending more than I wanted to. So I thought about the lamps that I love and already own.

Where did I get those?

KIRKLAND'S!

So I headed on over and picked up two tall lamps for a 1/4 of the price for one at HL.

Of course they were going to have to blend with the decor.

So project on.

You can't really tell, but they are chocolate brown with golden accents.

So I taped off the globe.

And, the prongs.

Are those called prongs?

You know the bars the shade screws on to.

A little black satin spray paint and they are like new.

Well new with some new paint!

Except for the shade and that's for another day!