No sanding required

 I think it's really fun to hop around blogland and see all the uber cool painted pieces of furniture. I look at them, get inspired, and think "I can totally do that." Then, reality sets in...the time, the sanding, the sanding, and oh, yeah, did I mention the sanding? I like quick projects and refinishing/painting furniture typically does not fall into that category. So, you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a great little tip from Jenny at Little Green Notebook. You can hardly contain yourself, right?! Oil-based paint by Rust-oleum! It goes on thick, dries real smooth, and best of all, gives a great glossy finish. Did I mention there's no sanding required? Score! The product for those without patience. Ready for the before and after pictures? Here ya go...

I used Gloss Smoke Gray, as seen above. There aren't too many colors to choose from in this line. That's the only downfall.

BEFORE

AFTER

I had an extra drawer knob hidden away, so I popped this baby on and presto! 

Here's one more shot that helps you see the sheen from the glossy finish.

So friends, if you're lacking in the patience department, like myself, then this product is definitely the worth your while.

Linking up to the following sites:

House of Hepworths

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

At The Picket Fence

French Country Cottage

The Shabby Nest

Miss Mustard Seed

Come on in and stay awhile!

Hey friends! Today I'm linking up and sharing my entryway with Roomspiration, blog hop and link party. The fun starts here, at Abode Love, then hops around blogland until October 7th. Can you believe it? What fun! Carve out some time and prepare yourself, because I'm sure there's going to be lots of pretties!

Welcome and come on in!

Prepare for a sniff. Maverick likes to show off how he blends with the rug!

Can you tell I have a thing for stripes? I painted these just a handful of weeks ago and let me tell you, could I have started with a more difficult space?! These walls are rounded people, hence the name, ROtunda. I had a secret weapon. Guess what it was? No, it wasn't a professional painter. That sure would have been nice, but I'm too cheap! I'll spill the beans, but you have to promise to come back for the complete DIY real soon. Promise? Pinky promise? Okay, here it is...

You smarties, did you really know what I was going to reveal?

I love my entryway, although it's still a work in progress. I'm thinking some convex mirrors would look stellar. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Wanna know the sad part? I'd say about 95% of people who visit my house, don't even enter through the front door! We've got crazy sidewalks and it's much easier/quicker to enter through the garage. So, instead of pretty stripes, they're greeted by my dirty laundry. "Hello, how are you? Check out my families undies and my sweaty running clothes." How's that for a first impression? Oh well, it's all about keeping it real.

I'll leave you with a few more pictures. I like to change things up each season, so here's what my entryway looks like in the fall.

My new little blog is getting a facelift this week (hopefully). I've enlisted the help of Elizabeth from The Mustard Ceiling to put some makeup on it and turn this beauty from blah to vavavoom! Can't wait to work with her and see what she creates. By the way, you can stop by her blog on Oct. 5th to continue the Roomspiration fun. She's featuring laundry and mudrooms.

I'm so glad you stopped by. Don't forget your pinky promise! See you soon!

Linking to The DIY Showoff.

Goodwill Mirrors meet Rub 'n Buff

 My other fabulous Goodwill find was a set of 4 mirrors. I've been looking for something to fill an art niche but didn't want to pay big bucks for a super large piece of art or super large mirror.

Here's the niche before:

After my Goodwill find:

When I stumbled across these mirrors, in all their beauty, they had a bright gold trim and a patina finish (not on purpose). I'm sure the nice patina finish is most likely what led them to their new home at Goodwill. Don't people know that others will pay big bucks for an aged mirror? Oh well, their lose, my gain! After hanging them and looking at them for a short while, I decided something was a little off and the bright gold needed to be toned down. Enter, my new favorite product...Rub 'n Buff.

Antique Gold

This cheap little tube of wonderfulness took my mirrors to the next level. It was so easy to use.  Here's a few pictures of the process. 

All you need to work your magic!

You literally just rub it on then wipe it with a cloth. It dries really fast and the act of wiping it just gives it the finishing touch.

How about a side by side for comparison? 

Warning, blurry images! New camera, with much improved blog photos is totally on the list of things to do!

While I was at it, I began searching for more things to Rub 'n Buff. How about a candle holder? Might as well, nothing's safe when there's paint involved.

Next time you're looking to make a color change and don't want to go the spray paint route, grab yourself a tube of Rub 'n Buff. You won't be disappointed.

Linking to the following sites (check them out for great inspiration!):

Christina's Adventures

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Somewhat Simple

Fireflies and Jellybeans

The Brambleberry Cottage

House of Hepworths

Trendy Treehouse

The Shabby Nest

Bamboo Placemat Art

    While browsing the aisle of Dollar Tree, I ran across some bamboo placemats that caught my eye. Immediately, I thought, "Wow, those would look really cool in a black frame!" That's normal, right? I mean, it's a perfectly normal response to see placemats and think artwork.

Here's what I came up with...

                      

                                                                                 AND

This is definitely one of the quickest and easiest projects ever! Here are the details...

Items needed:
Bamboo placemat (varying colors available, pick your favorite!)
tape
scissors
scrapbook paper (in a coordinating color)

How to:
Step 1: Tape the paper insert that comes in the frame to the bamboo placemat. This will keep it from slipping when you begin cutting.

Step 2: Cut along the template.

Step 3: Place in frame. Can't get any easier than that!

Step 4: Think it needs a little something extra? Grab your scrapbook paper and cut out something pretty to place top of this textured beauty. I quickly sketched out a "F" for our last name, Frieling.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope your next trip to the dollar store is just as inspiring! If you decide to create your own piece of art, send me a picture, I'd love to see it!

Linking to the following parties:

chic-and-crafty

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Stuff and Nonsense

The Shabby Nest

Whipperberry

Simply Sweet Home

Sassy Sites!

At The Picket Fence

Be Different Act Normal

Funky Junk Interiors

Under the Table and Dreaming

The DIY Showoff

Simple DIY Project

Yesterday I set off with a client in order to find something fun and different to fill a wall space in her kitchen that was bothering her. She had tried many different options, but just wasn't happy with any of them. We searched high and low and finally decided to get creative and make something original.

                                         So, let's take a look at the area before we started.

BEFORE

We started by finding 3 small baskets from World Market, then stopped at Hobby Lobby to buy some canvas cloth.

Cutting strips for the handle and to use to attach the baskets

Close up of the basket and beginning the process

Top handle completed and beginning to tie the lower baskets.

Holding it up to eyeball the height

Screwing in the hardware

 The final product:

AFTER

 We "shopped" her kitchen for items to fill the baskets. A potted plant was added on top. Then colorful dishtowels were rolled up and allowed to peek out in order to add a bit of color. Lastly, we found a miniature rolling pin, some silverware and a mango to finish off the look.

Linking to: 

House of Hepworths