Funky n' Fun Flower Lamp Shade

Figured I wasn't much since I only spent 10 CENTS on this lampshade at a yard sale the other day.  Stopped on my way home from the boy's swimming lessons and a dime was about all I could find in the van!!!  So unprepared was I - never leave home without a stash of quarters, Kammy!!!  shame, shame. (especially since the sale also had the two perfect chairs I've been looking for for my front porch!  $5 for both!  grrrrr).  Anyways,  I took about about a dozen white roses and a few other white flowers apart and hot glued one layer of them all over the shade.

Once the shade was covered, I took it outside and sprayed the entire thing with silver spray paint.

Ooooooooo la la close up.

Wish I had a before of the lamp base - it was black and gold - which I painted turquoise and then put a silver glaze over the top.  The lampshade was PERFECT for it!  It's been sitting without a shade for too long.  $15.... any takers?

Elephant Walk Vanity Bench Before n' After

Another Jackson Resale Factory find (Make sure to pay them a visit if you live in Jackson County, MI - I was just in there this week and WOW,  if it weren't for my three little munchkins, I could have spent a few hours in there!  By the way, if you do go, please tell them I sent you!!!).  This is a bench that goes with a vanity, but I haven't gotten the vanity finished yet so all you're getting today....  is the bench.                                               

I don't know WHAT the previous owners were thinking.... covering it with an ugly pillow sham???  Then again, maybe it was a beautiful pillow sham when they did it.  At any rate, I guess they thought it was better than having this:

Some little two year old got their hands on daddy's stash of pens and had a great time scribbling on the white vinyl top!!!  Yup, guess covering it up with a pillow sham was easier than trying to get ink off!

I loved the sleek shape of it and no other color but black seemed to suit it.  But nothing in my chest full of fabric seemed appropriate for the cushion.  Then I found this upholstery fabric on clearance at Hancocks and my mom talked me into it.  The title of the fabric?  Elephant Walk.  I think it suits the piece splendidly,  eh?  (My 5 year old is always asking me if I'm Canadian, haha).

Close up of "Elephant Walk".  Hopefully the vanity pic will be coming soon!  In all honesty, it would probably be done, however I pulled the drawers half out to paint them and it got SUPER DUPER humid and I can't make the budge!  Not even a millimeter!!!!  Help!!!  So until I can get the wood drawers to slide either in or out, there it sits.  Hmph.

 

Time For a New Face

Clock makeover 101.  Fork over a quarter or two for a boring clock at a garage sale.  So boring you'd rather go out and watch the corn grow than look at it.  Disassemble it.  Or have your spouse do it if you aren't smarter than the clock. 

Dig some cool scrapbook paper out of your stash.  You do have a stash, right?

Trace the clock face on the paper and cut it out.  Use some kind of adhesive (double sided tape works good) to atatch the paper to the front of the face. 

Add some numbers and have spouse put clock back together.  Use a stencil or something for your numbers, unless your handwriting is better than mine.  Mine stinks.  I didn't have a stencil or stickers - might wanna plug your nose!  Oh and I forgot - paint the frame!  Please don't leave it, paint it whatever color you want, just don't leave it as is, kay?  Or maybe you can and still make it look cool.  Do your own clock makeover, send me a pic,  and have a good time.....

Uggg. Ugly Desk. And Countertop paint!

This thing was bad.  I mean, for Jackson Resale Factory to only put a $9 sticker on it.... well it was baaaaad.  You can't see all the nastiness.  I should have gotten a close up.  There was this nasty half decaying cork board on the back (which I yanked off, since it was only hanging on by two of the six screws), sticky gunk all over where I pulled tons of duct tape off (why someone went holding things together that didn't need to be held together on this desk, I'M NOT SURE!), and carvings everywhere.  I left most of the carvings for good measure.  Number one, I couldn't find my wood filler to fill them, and two, they might have sentimental value to someone out there.  Just kidding... I was lazy.

Not sure what the top was.  Some kind of brown slate.  I painted it gray, coating it with lots of Wil Bond first.  Wil Bond was more like Won't Bond.  Cuz it didn't bond!!  It peeled right up.  Then that countertop paint I said I found for $5 a few days ago in a thrift store?  Well, I used it.  Yessirree bob.  That should do the trick!  Only it's brown, not gray like I wanted.  Buttttt... can't have it your way all the time.  Well, not without spending some money!  And I don't do that.  Not very easily anyway.  Unless I'm buying more junk treasures.

My already gray stripes had to get redone with the brown paint. 

I used a stencil for the bottom to add a little bit of interest to an otherwise quiet, unpretentious piece.  It seemed to cry for something, so that's what it got. It's not the right thing for my space, but I hope it's just the right thing for someone's space.  It even has a light, hence the black cord hanging down!

 

Goodwill Kitchen Chairs Get Cute AND Kid Friendly

I had been haunting resale shops specifically for black kitchen chairs.  Then one day, I found SEVEN black chairs in our local Goodwill.  $20 for all of them.  Wahoo!  They were even from Pier 1 Imports.  But fabric seats didn't look nice after only a few weeks with my kids spilling, goobering, and who knows what else, on them. 

While I was in Hancocks last week out in Iowa with my mom, I found the perfect fabric for them (refer to pic #4).  Here is my pal, Jill, screwing off all the seat cushions so we can do this project before our company comes for supper in less than an hour!  I promise I don't make everyone work for me when they come to visit!  Just the ones named Jill.  And Mom.

After Jill got the seats off, I laid them on the fabric and cut around each one, then stapled them on tight.  Jill screwed them back on.  She's good with a screwdriver.

You can hardly tell it, but the fabric is actually plastic, like the stuff you use for picnic table clothes.  IT has the soft fuzzy underside, but is plastic on top for easy cleaning.  I'm so excited!!  The thought of going with a vinyl was just not sitting well with me, but you can hardly tell with this black and white damask!

At just $5.99 a yard, and using only 2 yards, the fabric was $12 and the chairs were $20, bringing the complete total for seven kitchen chairs to be $32!!!

And when Ty dripped ice-cream all over the seat last night, it wasn't such a big deal.  And he was glad I didn't feel the need to holler. :)

Big $1 Mirror Makeover

We didn't have time for garage sales.  So I was doing a "drive by" when I spotted this mirror (AND my $1 coffee table!!! Maybe I'll share in the future) and I hollered out my window - how much for the mirror?  ONE DOLLAR?!  Oh yeah, we can do something with that!

I broke one of my rules and had some dark gray paint mixed.  What's my rule?  Only by "oops paint" or mix my own colors with what I've got!  I'm not sure what got into me.  I was wandering the paint isle in Lowes and did it on impulse.  But it was the perfect color for this mirror.  I used stencils for the top, two different ones actually.  Took the bird from one, and then kind of curled a different one around it.

Have you ever tried to take a picture of a mirror?  It's not an easy feat.  If you know any tricks to the trade, please do fill me in!!

It's for sale - if you're in the area, please do take this off my hands! :)

Remodelaholic - the name says it all!

I was up laaaaate last night with a friend.  Not a good idea when you have three little ones, however she was visiting from out of state and it was my last night with her before who knows when I'll see her again!  I said goodnight and checked my email and WHOA - what's this?  An email from Remodelaholic.com saying they liked my kitchen makeover submission and were going to be featuring it today at 12:00pm.  Wow, there's even an appointed time for this to go live?  I got goosebumps.  Well anyway, it just went live so CLICK HERE to see it - I'd love for you to visit and I know they would too!!   I've been following Remodelahoic for a little while and it's always a fun place to browse.  If you're looking for awesome before and afters of kitchens or need some ideas for your own, then now is the time to head over there since it's all about kitchens this week (month?).  Oh, and to top it off, yesterday Rebekah (my late nighter pal) and I went to a huge resale shop and she found some brand new Rustoleum countertop paint - 2 cans!! - for $5 each!!!  I know, I know, I just did my counter tops.  But it comes in handy for plenty of other stuff - like it did for my clawfoot bathtub!

I think my first project with my bargain countertop paint will be on the top of this desk.  It's kind of a doozy, isn't it?  You should see it close up! The top is some weird slate-feeling top and I don't think a normal paint will do!  Be on the lookout in the near future for the before and after of this desk!

Manager to Mom Hosting Kammy's Korner Giveaway!

Hey Folks!  Need the perfect hair accessory for your precious baby girl's photo shoot coming up?  Why not try and WIN some?  One lucky winner will receive their choice of any TWO headbands/clips or one hat from Kammy's Korner Store!  Woo hoo!! A great BIG thank you to Kristy from Manager to Mom for hosting this giveaway!  She has a darling little girl, Starryn, who was sweet enough to let her mommy take cute photos of her in her headbands.  Head on over to the contest HERE!  There are many, MANY ways to get entered. You can tweet about the giveaway, like us on Facebook, become followers, well hey, just head on over to the contest and check out all the ways since I can't remember them all and my little boy is tugging on my arm to go outside and play.

Matching hair clips are the perfect thing for dressing up piggy tails!

p.s. I went to a wedding last weekend and nearly jumped with delight when I noticed a friend in her 20's wearing one of Kammy's Korner headbands and then I noticed another headband I'd made that a mom had bought for her daughter but the mom was wearing it!  Many of you are skeptical that the crochet headbands will fit infant to adult, but I guess they proved it. :)  Always makes me happy to see Kammy's Korner Headband in usage. :)  I wish I would have gotten a picture to post for ya'll - they (the women) looked so lovely! :)

Homemade End Tables Before And After

I was out in Iowa a few weeks ago visiting my family and wouldn't ya know it but a retirement center next to my sister's house was having neighborhood garage sales.  I scored these for $1.50 each and the man said he made them himself!  Double Score! :) 

See them hiding back there? They did as good as the kids did traveling back to Michigan.  Thank goodness for stow-n-go seats!

The wonderful thing about them (besides the charming cuteness) was their was no finish on the wood.  I painted them white and then with a dark gray paint, stenciled the top and painted the knobs.

 

Guest Post: The Brandt Family

Hello friends and followers of the ever-creative, paintin' machine, Kammy~  I'm Heather from the Brandt Family blog, where I share projects, recipes, printables, blog design, and other happenings here on the farm.  Kammy asked me to guest post on her blog and I couldn't pass up the opportunity!  I love reading Kammy's blog and seeing all her creative inspiring ideas.  I took a break from painting and spray painting while pregnant, and am just starting to get back into the groove.  Kammy's Korner has lots of inspiring ideas to get me going again. 

I can't take all of the credit for this awesome chair transformation.  My wonderfully talented mom did most of the work when it came to sewing.

Ahhhh!  Much better!  Stay tuned for the next part of the nursery room reveal!

Thanks for having me Kammy!  I'd like to invite you over to follow along with the Brandt Family there's never a dull moment here!

One of my most recent projects was the nursery for our newest addition to the family.... Dylan!