Better After

7 In bedroom

Snacking goes Packing

Are you in the mood for a kitchen makeover or a bedroom makeover? Pick one.

Can’t decide?

You don’t have to! Brit at House Updated is offering you a two-for-one deal today with this kitchen she turned into a bedroom. Whaaa? That’s right. For reasons unexplained, this kitchen was upstairs alongside the other two bedrooms in the house. Maybe it was actually a bedroom all along, but the previous owners got tired of going downstairs for a midnight snack or something? Not a bad idea, now that I think about it.

But Brit didn’t want her new baby girl nestled against the stove, (which I’m pretty sure wasn’t up to code anyway) so she gutted the whole thing and turned it into a lovely bedroom mere hours before giving birth. Wow! Be sure to check out her blog for more views, you won’t want to miss what I like to call ‘the cookbook collage.’

The best deals of the whole year are going on now on all Silhouette products! Check out these bundle offers and SAVE big!

December 3, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

7 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree

I have an idea. You know that person on your gift-list who is ridiculously hard to shop for? Your step-grandpa or great aunt Ida, or whoever? How about this … don’t shop at all. Instead, simply find a treasured memento from their past — like this fabulous curved-wood rocking chair — reupholster the faded, dated fabric, give it a little shiny shine, and bam! You are the new favorite step-grandchild/niece/nephew/beneficiary!

That’s what Caitlin did, except swap out the ‘treasured memento from the past’ for ‘found it at a yard sale’ and it’s basically the same story. Check it out on her blog The Picket Fence Projects.

December 2, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

6 In outdoors

Wintertiiiiime, and the livin’ is eaaaaasy

I feel like I should share something wintery now that we’re in December, but I have this spring-time fresh front porch makeover that I like a lot, so we’re going with that. Maybe our friends in Australia will appreciate it. Or Phoenix! Not to rub it in, but it’s total front porch weather here. I pretty much wear flip-flops all month. I don’t think I own a coat. I haven’t shoveled a driveway or scraped a windshield in at least six years. OK, now I’m rubbing it in.

But anyone can appreciate the transformation Ashley’s porch went through, from former motorcycle parking/dumping grounds (do I spy a cactus garden?), to the serene space it is today. I’m loving that built-in bench. Read all about it on her blog Domestic Imperfection.

Hey cyber-shoppers! The Black Friday Silhouette deals are still going on for a few more days! Get ’em while you can, (use promo code AFTER).

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December 2, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In My House/ Uncategorized

You Are The Best Thing: stenciled canvas of luv

So found this enormous canvas at Goodwill a few weeks ago for $10. It’s four feet tall and wide, huge! I tried so hard to find the original pre-makeover picture I first took , but it’s nowhere to be found. Here is as close as I could recreate in Photoshop:

Basically a giant barf galaxy.

Here’s another before pic for you: this awkward bare wall in my bedroom, made even more awkward by that ridiculous baby window on the left. What the? Why? Someone please explain.

And here’s my completed canvas:

Ahh! So much prettier! I was inspired by this project that I helped with at Mandi’s Epic Room Makeover last year.

The lyric is from one of my favorite songs, “You Are the Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne.

I used my Silhouette to make a reverse stencil. First I painted the frame black, and the entire canvas white. Then I used gold to paint the approximate space where I wanted the words to go. I cut the words out of vinyl with my Silhouette, placed them over the gold area, then painted it all white again. When it dried, I removed the vinyl, and tada! Finito.

I could have just used gold vinyl on a white canvas and been done, but I like the permanence of paint, plus the metallic gold has a little iridescence to it which looks really nice in the light.

Whatcha think??

November 29, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

4 In Uncategorized

Black Friday starts now!

Holy moly, today’s the day! The VERY BEST DEALS of the entire year on the Silhouette Cameo and Portrait!

But first, let’s see if you won the giveaway. Is your name Anne Elkins? If so, you’ve won! Woohoo! Please check your email ASAP.

If not, don’t cry friend. There’s never been a better time to get yourself a Silhouette than right now. Not only are these bundles the lowest prices of the year, they are the lowest prices Silhouette has offered, EVER.

I’ve participated in this promotion for several years now, and they always sell out right away, so if you are serious about getting one, jump on it now!

Here are the deals of amazingness:

Here’s the magic link to all of the Black Friday deals you see above. (And don’t forget to use the promo code AFTER to receive the discount! Important!)

Check out everything that comes with the bundles:

★ A Silhouette CAMEO®, a Silhouette Portrait®, and two $25 download cards for $299.99. That’s right: If you buy a Silhouette CAMEO® at full price, you get two $25 download cards and a Silhouette Portrait® ABSOLUTELY FREE! Retail price for all of this would be $406.93 (over 40% savings!)

★ A Silhouette CAMEO®, Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition Software, a dust cover (the color is decided by Silhouette), a $25 download card, a hook, a scraper, a spatula, and a pick-me-up® tool for $229.99. Retail price for all of this would total $406.93 (over 40% savings!)

★ A Silhouette Portrait®, Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition Software, a dust cover (the color is decided by Silhouette), a $25 download card, a hook, a scraper, a spatula, and a pick-me-up® tool for $129.99. Retail price for all of this would total $286.93 (over 40% savings!)

★ 40% off consumable products at silhouetteamerica.com. This excludes machines, subscriptions, download and gift cards. Cannot be combined with any other offers. Rain checks not available.

★ FREE SHIPPING on orders over $25.

Once again, you can find all of those special deals right here, and don’t forget to use the promo code AFTER. Promotion ends on December 8th, but remember they often sell-out before then!

Hope you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

November 27, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

14 In bedroom/ kitchen/dining

Think Big, Live Small

I recently received an apartment makeover that is not only lovely, but inspirational too. I decided to let the owner tell you all about it in her own words. Take it away Natasia!

“I’ve lived in my 272 sq. ft Los Angeles apartment for three years. I moved in after I got sick and tired of dorm life, and absolutely loved having a place to call my own!

However, I admit I never really put effort in personalizing and maintaining the apartment, since I figured it would just serve me as a place to sleep and store my stuff while I was in school. As you can see in the before pics, it was an untidy, mismatched space with free curbside furniture and half-hearted attempts at decor. I had planned to live with it in that state until I moved out into a bigger apartment after I graduated.

After my boyfriend and my pet lizard came to live with me a year ago, and after I graduated from college in June, I quickly realized (due to the dismal state of the economy and our credit scores) that moving out into a more spacious adult apartment was not going to be possible for the foreseeable future. That’s when I decided to turn my college bachelor apartment into a suitable home for two new adults and one lizard.

Everyone that has seen the apartment has been amazed at the transformation! I have also inspired a few of my friends to downsize, since they live in overpriced, over-sized apartments that they barely enjoy due to their busy schedules. After seeing my place, they realize that they don’t need a large space in order to be stylish and comfortable.

I hope you can feature my before/after on your site to inspire others to think small.”

Are you inspired? I am! What a beautiful transformation and attitude.

Pretty good stuff to think about as we head into Thanksgiving, right? More is not always more. Be grateful for what you have and make-do with what you’ve got, even if all you’ve got is 272 square feet and a lizard roommate. You might just surprise yourself!

Looking to create the perfect, personalized gift?

Check out our sponsor PhotoJewelryMaking.com

for everything you need to make your own photo jewelry!

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<<Today is your last chance to enter the Silhouette Portrait giveaway! Winner chosen tomorrow, AND steal-of-a-deal Black Friday promotions announced! Best deals of the entire year, stay tuned!>>>

November 27, 2013 By Lindsey @ Better After

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