Better After

4 In decor

Not Lamé

The head honchos who make all the decisions at Urban Outfitters, things like “what the world needs is MORE gold lamé bodysuits!” and “That mannequin’s pose is not sufficiently awkward!”… oh wait.

I’m thinking of American Apparel. I actually like Urban Outfitters. What I was saying is that they were probably trying to be all environmentally friendly with their fabric-like shopping bags, no doubt hoping that the bags will get a good reuse or two. Did they ever imagine them reused into a pillow though? I doubt it! From Ginny at Ginny’s Art Blog.

June 20, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

12 In desks/hutches/buffets/ outdoors

Gone to Pot

Hey there! I hope you had a good weekend! I hope your weekend involved buying dumpy junk and making it into something beautiful, and taking pictures of it and sending those pictures to me!

And speaking of birds and dumpy junk, Robin from Robin’s Nesting Place took these two items below, which looked suitable for firewood and not much else, and made them into probably the most lovely potting shelf I’ve ever seen. In fact, it turned out so nice, Robin decided not to use it outside as originally planned. Kind of a bummer she reports, “Because I really wanted a potting shelf!”

June 20, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

118 In Uncategorized

Giveaway: Mini Portrait!! (Giveaway now closed)

*** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED ***

What would the world be like without music, art, fresh flowers and Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Pretty dang awful, that’s what.

Which is why I’m happy to offer a sweet little giveaway today from the mega-talented artist Karen Hetzer. That’s right, original art! (Sorry, you’re on your own with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch).

There are only a few things I know for sure, and one of them is this: A house is not a home without some sort of original artwork. Sure, that pre-framed print from IKEA is lovely (and I have a few of those myself) but there is so much more joy in owning something that has come directly from the artist’s hands to yours. It doesn’t have to be big.

It can be small.

Really small!

Karen is offering this handpainted “painted bunting” (measuring a wee 2″ x 3″!) complete with easel and protective coating to one lucky Better After reader. It’s so cute, I want to reach through my screen and cradle it to my bosom!

Here are a few other that are available for sale on her website, Karen Hetzer Daily Paintings. Flamingo, I love you!

If you like birds, art and tiny cute things, then please, enter to win! If you don’t like any of that stuff, well, you probably know someone who does, so enter to win it for them! If you don’t know anyone who likes birds, art, and/or tiny cute things, then geez you should get out more.

To Enter:

Simply leave a comment here!

How easy is that, huh? Winner will be chosen Monday. I hope it’s you!

http://karenhetzer.com
http://karenhetzerartworks.blogspot.com
http://karenhetzerdailypaintings.blogspot.com

June 18, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

9 In kitchen/dining

Like Licorice

Janet’s kitchen table was covered in battle scars: scratches, cup rings, burn marks and petrified cheerios. But even after decades of servitude, it still had a lot of life left! All it needed was a serious sanding and a fresh coat of paint. I shudder to imagine how non-fun painting those intricate chairs must have been. Kudos to you Janet! See more on her blog I Heart My Glue Gun.

And Heather from Shabby2Chic had a two problems to contend with: an ugly kitchen table AND totally non-matching chairs. Would you ever suppose that the two could coexist in the same room, let alone as a matching set? Nay. But she worked her magic, and I’d say she pulled it off! It reminds me a little of Alice and Wonderland, which reminds me of Johnny Depp, which reminds me that it’s time for me to gaze out the window and sigh dreamily.

June 17, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

21 In chairs/ottomans/seating

Take a Sit

Diana found this IKEA chair left behind in an alleyway and thought it could look a little more inviting. And what’s more inviting than a chair imploring you to SIT?

I thought maybe she found the letter S at Hobby Lobby or something, but nope, Diana is a rockstar and made this herself with scavenged wood, a cereal box template and an overheating jigsaw. She’s like the MacGyver of makeovers! Check it out on her blog Fine Diving.

June 17, 2011 By Lindsey @ Better After

8 In desks/hutches/buffets

Not So Nana-like Now

I don’t think I’ve featured a hutch makeover in a while, so here goes! Collette took this very grandmotherly china hutch to the dark side with a few coats of black paint. She also stripped it of it’s doors and outdated handles, and replaced the mirrored back with some harlequin paper. Nobody is going to recognize this thing at bingo night now!

Check it out on her blog The Fun and Not-So-Fun Adventures of Our Family. (Totally worth clicking on just to see her header picture, this is truth).