Better After

12 In kiddie

The Kiddie Pool

Last night I was watching a pretty stupid TV show, The Choice. Basically it is exactly like The Voice only instead of wannabe singers desperately trying to woo celebrity judges from behind, it is a bunch of single women desperately trying to win a date with a male celebrity. If the guy likes what he hears in the 20 seconds the girl has to sell herself, he’ll spin his chair around. Then they go to this even more desperate speed round, where the girl has to answer rapid-fire questions from the ‘celebrity.’

One example that stood out to me was the question: “Do you like kids?” And the women would always reply with a near-hysterical YES!!!!! I LOVE KIDS!!!! KIDS ARE AWESOME!!! I WANNA HAVE KIDS!!!! Like, geez, calm down lady. You are scaring people. I like kids too, but I am not screaming it from the rooftops to win a date with Dean Cain, ok?

Anyway, my whole point is this: Do YOU like kids? If so, you will probably like these makeovers. And you even might win a date with Dean Cain! But probably not.

So let’s check them out!

A swinging swing redo from Amy at My Infernal Journal:

A very ambitious quadruple-stroller makeover from Kathryn at The Junk In Our Trunks:

A de-Dora-ed kiddie papasan from Better After reader Hayley:

And a ridiculously cute kid kitchen from Kim at Easy Peasy Pie.

I hope you enjoyed that more than I enjoyed The Choice!

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July 13, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

11 In bathroom

Heal the world, make it a better place.

Believe it or not, Janet’s before bathroom was super eco-friendly. The shower, for instance, was a real water saver, because nobody ever wanted to be in that creepy thing for longer than 30 seconds.

But don’t worry. It’s so luxurious and beautiful now, that people probably spend more time staring at it than actually using it. And even if it did waste gallons and gallons of water, our eyeballs are spared, so I’d call that a fair trade.

And how about this vanity? Also earth-friendly, in that I’m pretty sure it was made from the recycled cabinets of my junior high Home Ec classroom. But think of all the positive ions the new vanity is putting out into the atmosphere! (I don’t think that’s a really a real thing, but pretend it is.)

See lots more on Janet’s blog House Four.

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July 12, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

11 In miscellaneous

Yearning for Yellow

Jen was yearning for some color on her front door, but her front door wasn’t up for it. For starters, her front door is set way back in a dark tunnel-esque entryway. Secondly, the exterior of her house is a peachy-colored stucco. Unless she was planning on painting her door a pastel teal and sticking a coyote in a bolo-tie out there, very few colors would work with that vibe. But, not to be deterred, she painted the inside of her door instead. Fun! I love the quote too, that’s pretty much all we really need to remember, right? Check it out on her blog Twiddler House.

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July 12, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In tables/dressers

Race and Chase

So, I’m taking it back to the old school … cuz I’m an old fool … who’s so cool … Seriously, I don’t know why I get the lyrics to Whoomp, There It Is stuck in my head so often. It’s like a disease. But I am also serious about taking it back to the old school. Let’s revisit our childhoods today!

For instance: endless days of carefree bike-riding. Remember those days? Of course you do. Once you ride a bike you never forget … or something or other. I actually still ride my bike all the time. Not that I am a serious biker, I am just to lazy to walk to the mailbox. And I am really loving this snazzy bicycle dresser from Kymberlie at Gameel Designs.

Did your childhood include board games? Then maybe this dresser from Martha at Leone Design will drudge up some old memories of Parcheesi. It looks awesome, even though I can’t quite see the Parcheesiness myself. However, I’ve never played Parcheesi. I was more of a Pollyanna gal. Ever heard of that one? We should play it sometime!

The Ugly Lamp Contest is coming up! Submit your pic by August 10th!

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July 12, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In chairs/ottomans/seating

No End to the Trend

If people shake their heads at you, and try to tell you and your chevron-loving self that the chevron trend is over, simply agree sweetly. Then say “But have you heard about the new zig-zag trend?” Then show off the chairs and ottoman that you’ve recovered in chevron fabric (shhh) and they’ll agree that zig-zags are the next big thing and that it looks fantastic, because really, it just does.

Who wouldn’t agree? I love the look on Jen’s dining room chairs here. See more on her blog House of Wood.

And check out this chevron – I mean ZIG ZAG – ottoman makeover from Better After reader Lauren. If this trend ever dies, don’t worry. There’s always the veering-from-right-to-left-alternately trend too.

The Ugly Lamp Contest is coming up! Submit your pic by August 10th!

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July 11, 2012 By Lindsey @ Better After

5 In lighting/ Ugly Lamp Contest

Ugly Lamp Contest!

Hoo boy, I am excited to announce the
UGLY LAMP CONTEST 2012
is about to be underway!

I’ve already received a few submissions and am fearfully awaiting more.

Who will emerge victorious this year? Can your lamp out-ugly our previous winners:

Transgendered Alien Matador???

Or Broken Leg Lamp???

Good luck. You’ll need it.

Deadline to submit your ugly lamp is August 10th! To enter, simply send your ugly lamp picture to me at BetterAfter@live.com, subject line: Ugly Lamp Contest.

You don’t have to actually OWN the lamp yourself, but it does need to be your original picture. No just googling “ugly lamps.”

And of course, there will be an awesome prize for the winner!

See past year’s shenanigans HERE and HERE.

(Previously, some people have mistakenly thought that their ugly lamp needs to be made over into a nice lamp to enter the contest. This is not so. I’m just want your pure, unfiltered, 100% ugly lamp, nothing more.)

Can’t freaking wait!

And to get you in the mood, here is a half ugly lamp from Heather at Decor 4 Poor. She found it for $4.99 at the thrift store and loved the half brass part, so she did up the hot pink side in a classy white. It looks rockin, especially against all that graphic goodness happening in the space. I kind of like this half-painted idea … maybe I’ll give it a go on something laying around my house too! Let’s all do it!