Wine Rack Towel Holder

I absolutely love the idea of using things for their unintended uses. Like plant stands for nightstands or end tables. Or topping a big pot with some wood/cement/door/whatever and make a really cool outdoor table. Door or shutters as a headboard. Sheets as window treatments, etc.

Well. Here is my new unintended use item:

Yes. That would be a wine rack as a towel holder. See, before, my tub use to look like this -full of towels:

And thats not at its worst...at least this is somewhat organized....and the towels are folded :)

I used to have a basket under the sink for our towels. But, my husband could never remember they were there. I guess, out of sight out of mind. So, they migrated to the tub's edge. Which was fine cuz it was a cinch to just fold and throw them there. But it was an eyesore. Albeit, a behind the door eyesore. But I knew it was there.

And then I found this baby at the thrift store. For $3. And a light went off in my head.

It got itself a paint job and a new purpose in life....

...to organize my towels.

I'm thinking that I like this new look...and it frees up the tub! Can't beat that.

Read More

Matching Lamps....finally

Do you see what I see?

Yep. Over there in the left hand corner.

I'm all smiles.

As you know.

I found a lamp to match the one on the right but couldn't find the fabric to match.

Then after looking long and hard.

I obviously found the fabric.

Here's what the lamp looked like before.

It was only $4:

And after:

I just followed the same steps I did with the other one and my burlap lamp, found here.

So, here it was in the beginning.

No painted furniture.

No matching night stands (not that they have to match, but anything would be better than my little table there)

And no matching lamp:

Here it was after the before.

With matching, painted night stands:

Getting better.

Right?

And now!

I'm totally liking it.

Now to just finish the rest of the room.

I'm sure eventually I'll get around to it.

Just from a different angle:

Here's the post, just in case, to making a super easy and cheap headboard, like mine.

So, here's another before.

Blaaaah:

And after:

Sorry for the crazy colored pictures.

It's rainy and cloudy here,

which apparently doesn't make for the best lighting when taking pics.

Stay tuned....

for more of my master bedroom makeover.

It may not come tomorrow,

but,

hopefully, it'll come soon.

Cuz i'm sick at looking at oak colored dressers.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Read More

Decoupaged Plant Stand

So. I don't consider myself a paint genius. Not at all.

I spray paint.

That's what I do.

But something in me lately has gotten me to start 'painting' more.

I'm not sure...maybe I have sustained too much unknown damage from all the spray paint fumes and my subconscious is telling me to go easy on the spray painting.

Anyway.

So I found this beaut at the thrift store.

It was $10.

I'm not sure why I paid that much for it.

And I'm still not sure.

But what's past is past.

Maybe I was drawn to the nice oak color, gold accents and emerald marble.

Hmmm. No.

I think I bought it because I was excited about the possibilities!

So here's where my no-paint-expertise comes into play.

I went to home depot.

Bought some paint that I liked.

Thought that it was just like the other paint I had been using but a different color.

Huh. No. No, my friend.

Not all paint is created the same.

I somehow found myself with enamel.

Enamel??

I put on the first coat and am looking at it like, why the heck isn't it covering very much?

Twenty minutes later.

Why the heck is this not dry yet?

Why is it all sticky?

What is going on?

That's when I look at the paint can.

Ugh. Yeah. Enamel.

I have no idea what this stuff is used for.

But its definitely not to be used if you are an impatient person like me.

So. My poor body has now sustained more unknown damage from the spray paint fumes due to my lack of not looking...and reading carefully...before you buy paint saga.

(Side note: I'm pretty sure I'm really not sustaining any damage, just in case you guys are concerned).

So. I got this baby spray painted (cuz I had no idea how enamel worked, so I went with what I knew would work) and gussied it all up.

I'm not quite a fan of marble or green marble for that fact.

But I am a fan of decoupage and pretty paper with pretty flowers :)

Which is now the new top.

I haven't quite decided what to put on it yet.

But at least I have a place for it.

So. Question.

Do any of you use enamel? If so, what do you use it on? Cuz now I have a whole paint can full of it.

Read More

Quick Lamp Transformation

Okay. So you guys should know by now that I have an obsession with lamps. Well an obsession with pillows, candles, and lamps.

But this post is about lamps. Well A lamp.

You wouldn't believe what this looked like before:

Are ya ready?

Okay. Here it was:

Striped lamp shade? Brass base?

WHAT???

I'm still trying to figure out what the room must have looked like with this 'beaut' in it.

But I don't want to know, because it was probably a decorating h-e-double-hockey-sticks.

Anyway.

I looked beyond the obvious and saw that I could totally use this baby in my front room.

So I rescued it.

I used the same technique I did with my other lamps.

Pretty simple.

Clean. Spray paint. Recover lampshade with fabric, ribbon, and a little bit of spray adhesive and live happily ever after.

I'm trying.....trying so desperately hard... to not buy any more lamps.

But it is like totally impossible....anybody with me? Or am I just a crazed woman with a weird obsession?

I went to the thrift store the other day....and of course, found myself meandering near the lamps.

I found like 10 I wanted.

Yes. 10.

There were two with humongous drum shades for $5!!! They were like 4 feet tall!

Be still my heart.

Long story short. My husband was there.

The end.

No lamps for me.

Read More

Drab to Fab Storage Crate

Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile...I've been uber busy with work, but it took me to Las Vegas, so can't complain now can I?

So, those of you who read my ramblings probably know that we had a dumbo builder who decided to skip out on the closets when building our house.

We don't have ANYclosets except the ones in the bedrooms.

So I have like no place to put half my stuff....zero zilch nada storage.

I can go on and on at how much better my life would be with at least ONE linen closet or coat closet, but I won't.

So, usually where the blankets should go, they don't go, cuz there isn't one.

So they usually end up stashed in a corner somewhere.

But then....

I found this old milk crate (I think its a milk crate?) for $2.

And now I have some cute storage for the blankets!

Yay!

It use to look like this~

I liked the white already and how it kind of looked old and used. And I was lazy and didn't want to go through the process of painting it :) Truth be told. Cuz I was just going to paint it white anyway.

Then I took some rope I found for a buck fifty and wrapped the pretty little thing up.

I just hot glued the ends on both sides so they would stay. I loooove how it looks on the side:

I used my Cricut to cut this out with vinyl. I'm thinking I might put some more on the side....if I ever get around to it. But for now....

I'm happy that my blankets aren't in a pile in the corner somewhere...they have a place to live :)

Linked Parties:

Reinvented

A Soft Place To Land

Beyond the Picket Fence

Read More

Retro Lamp ReViVaL

Happy Wednesday everyone! Don't you just love Wednesday? Especially when its like 5:00pm Wednesday and your getting off of work, ....it means you only have two more days to the weekend! Yay :)

I am soooo looking forward to that 5:00.

So, I decided the other day that I think the world is against me.

I have spent months and months trying to find THE perfect lamp to redo. It had to have good lines, be cheap, and ....well... be cheap. I couldn't find anything, forever. I'm pretty sure the thrift stores around me think they are Neiman Marcus or something...they are always sooo over priced. I totally don't get it.

Anyway....so for months I couldn't find a lamp.

And then....I finally found one, which you can see the makeover here. It wasn't the best looking one and it was only $8 (more than I wanted to spend but I was desperate to get my craft on), so I bought it and redid it.

I was happy. But still not satisfied.

Then I went to a different thrift store. And found a lamp for $4! And then another one, and another one and oh so many more every time I go there! I mean.....I didn't have any lamps for months and now I wanted like 20 in a week.

But thank goodness I have a hubs that would KILL me if I brought home more than two lamps (although I did bring home three so far and am still not dead) I have self control.

So, here's my 3rd one....totally redone :)

(Way better than the 2nd, thats why it hasn't found its place onto my blog yet)

This pretty puppy was well.....quite retro before it got into my hands:

I mean, the lamp shade was flipp'n awesome...who doesn't love a huge shade? :)

But the brass had to go.

And the whole thing kind of looked a little 70s.

And knowing that it had been around for over 30 years had me dying to cover the lamp shade that was surely packed-full of mutt.

But....perhaps I made it a little more retro with the redo?

I don't know....but I love it :)

Thank goodness the lamp shade was completely round with no tapering because the before mentioned lamp was not fun to try to add ribbon to to hide the edges.

(wow...thats a lot of 'to's)

See here.....this was so simple :)

And I'm really bad at not checking to see if the lamps work before I buy them...I don't necessarily like going by all the grimy, grungy men that are usually checking out to see if the 20 year old jute box still works just to see if my $4 lamp will light up....and there's never a light bulb lying around anyway..

So....3 out of 3 times so far, I have been blessed, and the lamp still lights up:

Happy day!

Anyways....Here's how I had my room before with the old....now frightingly small lamp:

And after :)

Happy creating everyone!!

Lets get these parties started:

 Someday Crafts

Reinvented

A Soft Place To Land

Read More