Better After

3 In kitchen/dining

Island Getaway

Erica had some irreconcilable differences with her kitchen island. One being that it was partly made from cheapo fake wood, and I know because this is exactly how my kitchen island is. Only instead of actually matching the cabinetry like Erica’s does, mine is slowly fading into a garish orange everyday. Something must be done! Erica decided to use wood paneling instead of beadboard due to cost, but ended up liking the knotty wood look even better!

Check it out on her blog The Polka-Dot Umbrella.

November 1, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

33 In Uncategorized

Tricks and a Treat

This post is a Halloween favorite, so here it is again, with a couple new pics added. Enjoy!!

(originally posted Oct. 30th, 2009)

Here’s a little Halloween trick for you. You know what else is “better after?” Anyone! After some serious Photoshopping, that is.

Do you despair when you see makeup ads featuring pore-less faces? Or smirk at the Victoria Secret models splayed across the catalog, like, do they even NEED push-up bras? Ever wonder why Madonna, at age 53, barely looks a hair over 20? Well, she doesn’t.

Whatever you do, don’t let some pretty picture in a magazine get you down, because only about 5% of the images we see in the media have any sort of basis in reality. I just made that statistic up. But it’s probably true.

Tyra: not flawless, but still fierce!

Mariah: Riiiiiiiight.

Jessica Alba is so slender and well-lit in the magical land of Photoshop! Even the wrinkles on her clothes disappear!

If you want to be on the cover of a magazine, prepare to have half of your arm shaved away. Isn’t she good enough as-is? I think so!

Hi Britney! Have you had some … work done?

I don’t know who this girl is, but she either has a case of Photoshop-itis or secretly hates her glossier, perkier, symmetrical-ier twin sister.

Kim Kardashian is a pretty gal, no question. Her top half doesn’t seem to be altered much, but her bottom half sure does.

Koy asked “Mom, is that you?” Ha! I should be so lucky! My after shot couldn’t live up to Naomi Watt’s before!

Look, Photoshop can even take away your scowl and replace it with a sexy smirk! Not to mention your years of hard partying!

Or take decades off your face AND boobs!

And no, the men aren’t immune to it either.

Hellooo magazine editors? Mick Jagger is 45 billion years old, he’s supposed to look like it!

Oh, Justin, don’t be mad at me. You know I love you.

Rowr.

Happy Halloween!

November 1, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

1 In decor

Skull on a Shelf

Admittedly, this is not the same pile of stuff, or even the same shelves in the before and the after, but you get the idea. And hey, if you really did polish off several bottles of ~~wine,~~ er cider, making that Halloween craft I posted this morning, look! You already have the skeleton’s nose! (Teeth too, if you kept it classy).

From Hero, the Feng Shui consultant (dream job!) at Style It Chic.

October 31, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

2 In decor

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Here’s a spooooooky little redo for you from Ginny at Ginny’s Art Blog. I guess it would be smarter of me to post these holiday redos before the actual holiday, in case you wanted to recreate them yourselves and enjoy them for more than one day, but hey, it’s early! There’s still time! Break out the spray paint and get drinkin’!

(I’m talking about apple cider, of course…)

October 31, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

6 In living room

Lauren’s Living Room

Wow. Just wow. Laura inherited quite the stunning living room when she and her husband purchased their house. Pros: um… fireplace? Cons: just about everything else.

First step, burning that slap in the face to real mantles everywhere. I mean, C’MON! Then they salvaged the fireplace with a modern stacked-rock facelift, tore out those ‘handy’ built-ins, (where do you suppose that one small door led? Fire escape? Firewood storage room? Rabbit hole?) and updated the lighting, flooring, and feel of the whole room.

Much better! Check out more on Lauren’s blog Studio Orange. Thanks for sharing Lauren!

October 30, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

13 In fashion

Fashion Friday

Hey everyone! It’s time for Fashion Friday! Put on your excitedface! Today, for your viewing pleasure, we have dresses turned into shirts and shirts turned into dresses. Wha? I know, I can’t hardly picture it myself either. Let’s take a look.

Alida found this dress that was matronly, mauve, doily-ed and dotted. But the fabric was soft and sumptuous, so she knew there was hope. All the mauve needed was a few cute yellow accents to update it (plus everyone likes polka dots, admit it), and the doily … well, it went to live with Grandma on the farm. Super duper cute. See it on her blog I Make Stuff.

Speaking of Grandma, it’s time to raid her muumuu stash, because this t-shirt looks like the 3rd comfiest item of clothing ever invented, right behind the Snuggie and Pajama Jeans. Who would have predicted that the fabric would look so fresh and fun too? Check it out at Finger, Chopsticks and Bobbins.

Ellen was excited to find not one but two of these matching shirts, not because she was headed to a luau-themed Sadie-Hawkins dance with an open-minded date, but because she knew she could transform them into the cutest, most colorful little dress you’ve ever seen. I want! See it on her blog To Catch a Thrift.

And finally, next time you’re out thrifting, take a walk through the men’s clothing section and see if you see any potential skirts hanging in the racks. I like the tapered edge here, but a straight edge would look fantastic too! And in pinstripes … ahh, so many possibilities. But first I need to uh, learn to sew. See the whole tutorial on Ninth and Bird