Better After

5 In other rooms

Come in, I insist!

Quit pouting because everyone else has a cooler entryway than you. It only seems that way. You probably have one and don’t even realize it! Bethany insisted that this little wall space between her doors was actually an entryway in disguise. All it took was a trip to the thrift store for a $6 mirror and a $25 dresser, a little paint, accessorizing, and magic, and yep, now I totally believe her.

Check out more from Bethany at This Little Estate.

October 29, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

273 In Uncategorized

Downtown Washi Tape Giveaway! (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED)

** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED **

Are you a washi tape lover? Of course you are. Who isn’t, right?

Washi tape can pretty much save the world, in my opinion. Save it from boringness and unattractiveness, at least. Which is why I’m excited to share this fabulous washi-tape giveaway with you, sweet reader!

Downtown Tape, washi tape purveyors to the stars, are offering to give one Better After reader 10 rolls of any washi tape of their choice, plus 25 tags!

They have the cutest selection of sweet washi goodness over there.

Confession: I have a bit of a problem with washi tape. I hoard it, but then never use it, because I don’t want to use it up!

That’s silly.
Don’t be like me.

Let loose. Be free. Stock up. Because Downtown Tape
offers flat rate shipping of $2.95, no matter how many rolls you order, (well, up to 100) and they ship within 1-2 days!

PS: Hot deal alert: their tape is only $1.99 a roll!

So, do you want to get your mitts on all the washi tape you can handle?
Enter to win 10 rolls of washi tape of your choice now!

Entering is easy!

Extra entries include liking Downtown Tape on Facebook
and/or
subscribing to their email newsletter to receive news on sales, specials and new designs. Plus, you will receive a free printable sheet of gifting tags when you do!

Even better: Downtown Tape ships worldwide, so ANYONE can enter! Hooray!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Is rafflecopter working for you? It’s being weird for me…)

(Giveaway ends next Monday at midnight … so technically, Tuesday.)

October 26, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

16 In decor/ miscellaneous

Hey, FUN STUFF!

Today I have rounded up an assortment of little makeovers that I like to call “Fun Stuff.” (I’m really creative at naming things, I know. I had a pet rabbit when I was little. I named him Thumper. I also had a pet lamb. I named it Lamby). Anyway, do you even need anything more descriptive than that? If I saw a box labeled “Fun Stuff,” I would open that box first.

ANYWAY. Here comes Fun Stuff. Buckle up.

First, Kristy at Shona Skye Creations fixed this rickety old plant stand into the Taj-Mahal of pet steps for her daughter’s adorable little furball, Abbey. Abbey is a fancy lady, because even though she looks like she’s experiencing some major trepidation up there, she actually took to the steps right away. I think because of the tassels!

Shannon at Compartment Life shows us that you don’t need money to make things look expennnsssssive. (Read that in your best Nina Garcia voice). All it took was a coat of glossy black and a swipe from a metallic gold paint pen on the edges of this tray to give it a luxe look for cheapy cheap.

Next up is a genius little idea from Sherry at Inspiration Cafe. She turned a plain old bulletin board into a calendar, but wait! It’s so much better than a calendar. Notice the little clothespins? They’re perfect for clipping all those permission slips and concert tickets and shopping lists and what-have-you on the specific day you need them. Duh! This was seriously a light-bulb moment for me. Why don’t all calendars come with clothespins?

Oh my gosh, I had a friend who collected these horses when I was a kid. I totally did NOT get it. They were freaking expensive, like $35 each, they didn’t have any movable parts at all, they didn’t even have hair you could brush! It was just an expensive plastic horse. But painting it silver and gluing it to a wooden stand and using it to accessorize the living room? That I get.

From K at Claiming Our Space.

And finally, get ready to die from cuteness. Kate, who is mother-of-the-year in my book, is all about creating a magical, wonder-filled childhood for her little guy. She secretly added a couple ‘fairy doors’ throughout her house and waited for her son to discover them. Isn’t that the most delightful thing you’ve ever seen? Don’t tell my kids, I might do this at Christmas-time!

Check it out on her blog Kate’s Creative Space.

Now, wasn’t that fun?

October 26, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Skulls & Experience

As you slowly scroll through these before and after pictures, this is probably what you will think: “Ok, an old rocker … aaand I see it got a sweet little turquoise paint job … woahbeans! Didn’t expect that!”

(Unless you’ve already scrolled through and didn’t even read what I wrote here. Cheater!)

The story goes like this: one day Michelle decided to try her hand at painting furniture, and this is what she came up with on her FIRST TRY! Yes, that calavera skull is hand-painted. No, I didn’t already know they were called ‘calavera skulls.’ We call them ‘sugar skulls’ ’round these parts. Sweet and spooky! See more on her blog Mich L. in L.A.

October 25, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

18 In kitchen/dining

Kitchen Keepsakes

You know how some families like to save a little bottle of sand from every beach they’ve been to, or buy those state spoons for each state they’ve visited? I think this family did the same thing. Only except sand or spoons, they chiseled off a bathroom tile from every public bathroom stall they ever used, and took them home and made a backsplash for their kitchen. No other logical explanation exists. I spot at least seven different colors in there.

So, it wasn’t at all hard for Better After reader Karen to part with the potty patchwork, nor the badly spray-painted cabinets and the wallpapered soffit when she bought this house. A year-and-a-half of hard work later, she has the beautiful restroom-relic-free kitchen you see today!

October 25, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In tables/dressers

A yard-sale specter.

No, this dresser isn’t a ghost from the past, even though it looks the part, all shrouded in a chalky white, and even though you might have seen it already when I accidentally pressed ‘publish’ on this post about a week too early, because I’m accidentally rad like that. So, I guess it kind of IS a ghost from the past.

But don’t be scared, because now it’s just an awesome dresser made even awesomer by Better After reader Julie who bought it for $6 measly bucks at a yard-sale and painted it turquoise. The last thing I bought for six dollars was probably from the Value Menu at Wendy’s and not nearly as satisfying.