Hitting a Wallpaper

Friends, I think I've lost my mojo.  Summertime has sucked me dry. My pal Brooke said it best today, "Summertime comes around and I feel like I'm breathing with one lung, trying to keep up with it all." Amen, sister.  I don't really have a point in telling you this, other than to hear myself whine for a minute, but if you feel like sending a virtual high-five of encouragement my way, I could use it!

And while we're at it, let's virtual high-five, fist-bump, hip-shimmy with Cheryl and her beautiful dresser makeover.  It had some water damage and a few scuffs and scratches to begin with, but the big issue was that this was going in her two-year-old daughter's room.  Does this look like the type of furniture that would excite a two-year-old girl?  Maybe if she enjoys cigars and playing poker with the boys, but that's unlikely. It's a bit masculine, is what I'm saying.  Cheryl girlified it just enough with a paint treatment meant to look like vintage wallpaper, and it turned out so, so beautifully!  Check it out on her blog It’s Two AM.

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Frigidaire Out Of There

Mel's little kitchen was already limited on space, so that dominating hulk-monster of a fridge parked right in the middle of the counter was the first thing to go. Who needs a fridge anyway? Mel ditched it in favor of eight gloriously uninterrupted feet of counterspace instead.  (Ok, ok, she just moved it to the other end of the kitchen, where a built in desk used to be).  Everything else got a shiny new update, including that backsplash which she made herself with whitewashed planks. She's handy, that Mel. 

Much more to see on her blog Junkin’ Junky.

 

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Easy Entry

I just love a quick and easy makeover, although this entryway by Cait is probably anything but.  First there is the matter of repainting the wall, then hanging an awesome new light fixture, then procuring an old fashioned coat rack and painting it red (so fun!)  THEN it's just a matter of finding the perfectly proportionate shoe storage solution and peppy accessories to match, and boom, you're done! Yeah, that seemed easier in my head.  See it on her blog My House. My Canvas.

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When one becomes two.

Ever wish you could be two places at once?  Me too.  Mostly for boring reasons, like being able to get housework AND yardwork done at the same time. Thrilling! Or maybe going to the gym while simultaneously sitting on the couch eating chips.  THAT would be nice. 

Well, this little dresser from Faye has perfected the art of bilocation (that's a real word my friends, don't say I never taught you nothin) by being both a bench AND a vanity at the same time!

Bottom half: bench!

Top half: vanity!  

Pretty durn cool.  See the whole process on Faye's blog MacGIRLver.

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Fresh and FAB

If you are on the hunt for some colorful, quirky designs for your home, then let me guide you straight to the source: Fab. 

Fab is your one-stop-shop for discovering the most unique products in home decor, from top-name designers to vintage finds you won't see anywhere else. Be careful.  You could literally spend an entire day on this site.  Ask me how I know.

You may recall the last round-up of Fab finds that I did while looking for inspiration for my oldest son's bedroom. This time around I thought it would be fun to do something a bit girlier.  My poor daughter's bedroom is the most neglected room in the house.  I had big plans for a pink and yellow color scheme that has so far gone nowhere.  I think that's because I don't really enjoy the colors pink and yellow together.  Too babyish maybe?  Plus we can't seem to get her wall color right.  We've repainted it FIVE times in four years! (I say we, but I mean Matt.  He's a gem, that guy).

So, I think I'm going to ditch the yellow and try for turquoise instead, with some neutral tones to keep it from feeling too cutesy. I really love that color combo, and I'm feeling majorly rejuvenated by all the fun products I found on Fab.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

  

1: Botanical Cards: (I'm planning to buy these and frame them, end of story.)

2: Insekt Desk
3: Maui Chair
4. Duo Vase
5: Peace Globe
6: Eames Pink Elephant
7: Shadowbox World Map
8: Peacock Rug
9: Sea Prints (other colors available too!)
10: Vintage Electric Fan
11: Gourd Basket
12: Peacock Print 

13: Turquoise Zig Zag Pillow
14: Quantum Floor Lamp

The deals expire quickly, so head on over to Fab to register for a free account and never miss a sale! Have you found yourself any fun Fab finds lately?  I'd love for you to share!

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Fashion Friday is back!

A reader recently let me know that they missed Fashion Friday, a feature I haven't done in a long while. And since I aim to please, I thought I'd dig around and serve one up today!  So get ready for some high-fashion refashions coming your way, and see if you can guess what they all have in common.  (Hint: it's stripes!)


How cute is this shirt turned skirt from B. at 49 Dresses? Here's how I would make skirt out of a shirt: squeeze my legs through the neck hole, and I don't know, tie the sleeves in knots? She made a bona-fide skirt with a waistband and everything, not to mention a ruffled peplum! Talent.

Kaitlin at Wunderbar mashed up two different shirts for one outstanding look. Did you notice the little triangle detail at the neckline?  I'm sure there's a technical term for that thing, please enlighten me sew-people.

Let's get the kids in on the action. Dora at Untrendy Life has a boy who refuses to wear jeans.  I have one of those kids too.  He has to wear 'soft pants' at all times, which means he looks like he's going to or from athletic practice at all times.  These soft pants made from men's polo shirts are quite a bit cuter, I'd say.

And I love this little girl's dress from Grey Luster Girl, who scooped up a stack of XXL t-shirts at Old Navy marked down to 49 cents a piece.  The only way you could get fabric cheaper than that is stealing! (Not that I encourage stealing.  I don't.  Even though I ate a gummy bear straight from the bins at Sprouts, and my daughter was horrified at me for the rest of the day.  I had to make sure they were FRESH, SHEESH).

And here's a dress for the big girls, from Katja at Of Dreams And Seams. As you can see, she made it out of three different shirts, and I love that it has a moose on it.  How deliciously random. I want a moose dress! Also, sewing skills would be nice too.

But if sewing ain't your bag, don't worry. There's still room for you on the refashioning train. How about some stripey stripes for your feety feets?  Liz at Cotton and Curls dolled up this plain black pair of pumps with nothing more than paint and tape. (She recommends paint with resin for a lasting look).  Stripe-endous!

Have you or someone you love refashioned something lately?  Send it my way and help Fashion Friday make a comeback 'round here more often! 

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RV Rockstar

Although it's a definite step up from sleeping on the ground, RV camping is still nothing glamorous.  Unless you are, I don't know, Bret Michaels or someone.  But from my humble experience, you will most likely be contending with an iffy toilet and lots of fakey veneer and baby blue velvet all up in your space.

That wasn't good enough for Audra.  She made-over this outdated RV with white paint, wood floors,  slipcovers, and even a classy accessory here and there. She plans to sell it, and I hope she finds someone really tidy to sell it to, because it is immaculate! Beautiful job. Much more to see on her blog The Wright Family.

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Feeling Chairful

Is summertime kicking anyone else's butt?  We're only like, two weeks in, and my butt is considerably kicked. It's the heat. It's like labor pains. You forget how bad it really is, and then you're totally unprepared to handle it the next time around. Do you know when the temperature gets above 110 degrees, they call it a triple-double?  I think there should be a law that the governor goes door-to-door handing out free ice-cream at that point.

But if you'd like a sugar-free way to get your self out of the summer slumpytimes, why not makeover a chair or two?  They are easy enough to find at any thrift-store and can usually be successfully made-over in a matter of hours, if you aren't doing any fancy upholstering or anything.  Here's a few to quench your thirst.  

This chair had belonged to Better After reader Carrie's grandmother, so of course she didn't want to part with it, but it just wasn't going to work in her home as is. Plus it needed a cushion, as comfortable as sitting on the plain cane would have been. (Hint: not very).  So she whipped one up, attached it with nailhead trim, topped it with a summery pillow, and it sits proudly in her home today.

This chair from Beck at Beckwith’s Treasures also has a unique history, her parents found it in a field when she was a baby!  They hauled it home, refinished it, and many years later, it was her turn to do the same. She tore out the old upholstery and gave the original walnut a deeper stain, and hopes to pass it on to her kids someday too.  Not a bad life for an old abandoned chair in a field!

And Jen gave this old chair a whole new look with a happy mix of red and white.  I love the screw hole covers, what a fun little detail!  She could have easily just painted them red too, but it really makes a difference in white. See it on her blog Girl In The Garage.

And one more unique seat fix, from Laurie who suspects this chair came from a pizza parlor.  She gave it a good, glossy coat of Banner Red from Krylon, but still wasn't thrilled with look of the well-worn veneer on the seat.  Instead of a new cushion (time! effort!), she decided to just cover it with twine. Looks great and so easy! Just think of all the variations you could do with different thicknesses of twine.  See more of her before and afters on her blog Fix it Up When It’s Worn Out.

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Stains and Stripes

Need a quick and easy way to update your old kitchen table?  I say quick and easy, because all I have to do is cut and paste the pictures, but if you really want your table to look like this one from Kate at Bleak 2 Chic, prepare yourself for many, many hours of physical labor.  But hey, it's totally worth it!  I love the deep new stain on top, and the fact that it's not super-duper glossy anymore makes it look more current too.

Here's another update on a table with pretty lines, but a pretty uninspiring paint job. Joelle had repainted this set years ago when she was a newlywed, and was never satisfied with the way it turned out. "Eh," she thought.  "I'll just put a tablecloth over it."  But that's no way to live! She finally had enough and dragged it out to the garage for a chic little set of neutral stripes, and is happy to report she's 100% satisfied now! See more on her blog Little House on the Prairie.

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