Monthly Archives: August 2012
When Inspiration Strikes
You never know when inspiration will strike you. And it’s never really practical.
For me, it is usually late at night and I wind up in the backyard spray painting something at 11:00.
Today, it just so happened to be at 6:30 in the morning. That’s a new one.
I remembered that I had a few odds and ends lying around for jewelry making, and thought today would be the day to wear it.
I poured my morning coffee, and got to work.
It wasn’t the most practical moment to start on a project. Sometimes when the inspiration bug bites you, you’ve just gotta go with it.
Live in the moment a little bit today. Let inspiration strike you. Take ten minutes and act on that inspiration.
Those ”striking moments” aren’t all winners and gems (like the night I just had to create my own frappuccino recipe – major fail). They won’t all be great, earth shattering events. But it will change your day a little bit. It will give your day a little spark. Sometimes a little spark is all you need.
Have a beautiful Wednesday!
Get the Look for Less: Lamp Edition
If I had a secret box of cash buried in my backyard (I don’t. Please don’t come dig up the backyard.), I could probably go crazy at Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Crate & Barrel to outfit our home with all of the current looks and trends. Not probably. I totally would. The reality is, we’re making our house a home on a budget. On a little newlywed, Goodwill and spray paint budget. While there are some key items in your home that you should put more of your money towards (the ol’ “you get what you paid for” adage), there are other items that you can find in a much more economical way.
Exhibit A:
1) I spotted this GORGEOUS embroidered lamp shade from Anthropologie on Pinterest, and then continued to die a little bit inside when I saw the price tag ($128). Oh, Anthro. Me being in love with you is kinda like when I was in love with Johnny Depp in his early pirate days. Except I never chose to settle with this Johnny knock-off I found walking the streets of Hollywood.
2) I found this shade, with the same basic idea, from Pottery Barn. At $69-89, it’s still pricey (in my opinion), but it’s a little more budget friendly.
3) This shade comes from Ikea ($14.99-19.99). It has more differences from the “inspiration shade” than the one from Pottery Barn, but it is successful in giving you a more unique vibe than your run of the mill white shade. With the right lamp base, it could be a great way to add color and character.
1) I love this lamp from West Elm. It’s just so lovely, and can fit in with any decor style. I just can’t bring myself to spend $150 on a lamp right now, no matter how beautiful it is. I think my husband will be so happy to read this. 
2) If you’re going for the clear glass look, Target currently has a great option for $39.99 — and if you stalk their stuff until it goes on clearance like I do, you could score an even better deal. You could definitely take advantage of the open base at the bottom to add extra character. It has a little cloche jar vibe to it.
3) This lamp! Aaron at The Thrifty Abode earned major points in my book with her DIY West Elm lamp knock off that came in at only $18. Not only could you have a great lamp without completely emptying your pockets by DIYing…but you get that great sense of accomplishment and pride that YOU made something beautiful. Does anyone else get a crazy high off of the things you make yourself? Or is that just me?
Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m sure you could totally DIY the embroidered shade look as well. Hmm…I might have just added a project to my ever-growing list.
Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t seem like you can afford the look that you want! You totally can! You just have to put a little more elbow grease into your search or creation, but it’s that much more rewarding.
Have a great day, y’all!
Thrifty Finds Extravaganza 2 : Home Decorating Staples
Happy Friday everyone! I’ve got a few more great, thrifty vintage finds for you today! These are some of my favorites, as they are great decorating staples to have around the home. There are so many different ways to incorporate them into your home decor.
I snagged this beautiful, vintage printers tray for only $5 one Saturday morning while garage sale hopping. These usually go for somewhere between $40-50, so I was thrilled about my deal! These trays can be purely decorative or functional. There are about a million and one ideas floating around the interwebs for these.
I love incorporating pieces like this that have great texture and a story to tell. They can really warm up a space and add character.
Globes and maps are another great way to bring texture and character into your space. They come in so many colors and styles, they can look awesome in any room.
I found this globe at a small flea market in Austin. I bought this plus a vintage scarf and a couple of milkglass bud vases all for $15.
Flea markets are fantastic places to find deals on vintage and statement pieces for you home. You can usually bargain with the sellers, and if you go at the end to the day you might score and even better deal! Many times, sellers don’t want to lug all of their stuff back home, so they’ll be more willing to part with some items for less money. At this same flea market, my sister got a hot pink vintage pyrex dish for practically nothing, because the seller hated hauling them back and forth.
Vintage books are one of the best, cheapest items to pick up at thrift stores or garage sales. They also bring in some great color and texture, and come in handy for adding height, etc.
I bought this book [Lord Hornblower] for $1.39 at Goodwill. I decided to do a publication date/Google check to see what kind of deal I scored. I found out that this book is actually a first edition, and is being sold online for $40.
Y’all have a great weekend and happy thrifting!
Yellow Side Table Makeover
Once upon a time, when I was in college, my parents were going downtown for a New Year’s Eve party and for some reason welcomed us to have a party of our own at the house. It was a “WILD party” complete with a garbage bag balloon drop and a few rounds of Catchphrase. I know. We’re just that wild and crazy.
My best friend in the whole wide world, who weighs all of 100 pounds, went to join her [now] husband and his brother to sit on the coffee table. Apparently, her little body was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the whole thing collapsed. I had to call my mom the next morning to tell her about our hard-partying ways. She was secretly excited. She hated that table.
That story really has nothing to do with what I’m sharing with you all today, except that the coffee table’s relatives survived and were later given to me to do whatever I please with. And picturing that table completely fall apart still makes me laugh.
My baby sister [Katy] and I decided to give one of the tables a fun, bright makeover that would pop in her new cute room in her new cute apartment.
To start things off, we gave it a good sanding before giving it a zap of sunshiney yellow. The color is called “Mellow Yellow” by Behr [in semigloss]. But there is really nothing mellow about it. I’m a lazy DIYer, and didn’t prime beforehand. Laziness = many, many coats of yellow paint. Lesson learned. Maybe.
My favorite part of the table is this inside of the drawer. We painted it with some leftover blue paint I had from another project that matches her desk [which has very similar lines to the side table]. I love unexpected details like this! They can make a great project even better.
Even ugly, beat up, unwanted little tables can be something beautiful with a little bit of love. And a LOT of yellow paint!
I’m linking up at:
