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

Next stop...the Living Room

I had so much fun getting to meet new friends through the Roomspiration link party on Monday, that I just had to come back for more! Today's stop is at the lovely, View Along the Way. Stop by and visit Kelly while fueling your tank on lots of other living room ideas.

We moved into our house 3 years ago. Since then, I have managed to completely redecorate. Thank goodness for an understanding husband! I felt so bad asking him if we could repaint that I told him I'd do it myself this time and promised he wouldn't have to touch a roller at all. Whew, was that a big job! Here's what I've come up with so far.

The pictures over the fireplace met a can of spraypaint. I used white on the mats and high gloss black on the frames. The "pictures" are scrapbook paper. Sure do wish I was blogging then and had taken a before shot. I found the mirror at Lowe's and used L-brackets to hang it so it has a 3-D effect. I love it when people ask, "How'd you do that?"

Moving on...

My windows got some fancy new clothes when I found this fabric at Premier Fabrics. I love the texture and of course, the geometric print. I'm a sucker for all things graphic!

I created a gallery wall with some of my dad's artwork and a handful of prints the hubby gifted me for Christmas.

You can read more about this piece of furniture here. It's my favorite piece of furniture in the entire house! The little side table you see just got a fresh coat of paint. I'll be posting soon about that makeover. It was so easy and I didn't even have to sand!

Lastly, the coffee table...

It's from Pottery Barn and I really like how it marries my styles...contemporary rustic. Well friends, thanks so much for stopping by, it's been fun!

Linking to: Stuff and Nonsense

Tea towels

Have you ever found yourself drawn to something and you're not sure why? I was searching etsy and came across these tea towels. The artist is Leah Duncan and you can find her shop here.

 

They're completely not my style, but I love them! Do you have fun tea towels hanging in your kitchen? I don't, because I'm too cheap to buy them. Maybe that's why I like them so much. It's something I wish I would allow myself to splurge on, but just don't. I find myself admiring them at other people's houses quite often.

Check out some of Leah's other goodies, like great scarfs and pillows.

What's something you wish you could allow yourself to splurge on? I'd love to hear from you, give me a shout!

Random Act of Kindness

Hey friends!

I'm really hoping that you will find various forms of inspiration through my blog. Not only decorating, but  general ways to touch the lives of others. Once a week, I'm planning on bringing you a challenge. Most of these challenges will be in the form of a random act of kindness. Ready for this week's challenge? It's quick and easy and should only take you about 5 minutes tops.

RAK (random act of kindness) CHALLENGE: Send someone an email today telling them how much you appreciate them. It can be anyone, just think of someone in your life whom you think might need a thank you or an atta boy!


I did this recently for the teachers of these two cuties:

When you stop to think about it, teachers spend A LOT of time with our kids each day. Sadly, they probably hear more complaints than they do thank you.

 I sure am glad they are up for the job. If it were left up to me to homeschool, my poor kids probably wouldn't make it out of elementary school!

Both of their teachers sent me very kind responses and said it made their morning! Isn't it great to see the power of kind words?

So friends, go out and meet the challenge...show a little love and appreciation to someone who deserves it!

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.

Reality vs. Fantasy

As I trod my way through my lack of computer skills and try to build this blog, I enlisted the help of a great photographer to help take some shots of my house. I'll be posting a home tour soon, so stay tuned.

Anyway, my sweet daughter loves her some clutter! Quickly, before the photographer arrived I realized her room needed some major styling/editing. So what did I do? Take a peek for yourself...

Reality

Yes, that is the bottom of her closet! Thank goodness for closet doors. Don't think you'll ever see me taking the doors off to add a pretty curtain! I need those doors.

Does it make you feel better to see the messiness of another's life? Isn't it nice to know we're all alike and  only an insane person could possibly keep a 9 y.o. girl's bedroom spic and span at all times. So here's another shot, just to help you feel better about yourself, of course.

In my fantasy world, I walk into her room and this is what I see...

What's that? You mean there actually is a white top on your dresser?

Aaahhh! So much better. Clutter makes me cranky. My dear, sweet child, can you make you're mama happy and keep your room like this for more than just one day?! Love you, angel!

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