Turn File Cabinets into a Desk!

One of the many challenges with moving to a new house is figuring out how to fit furniture in ways that are functional and aesthetically pleasing!  It's sort of like Tetris.  But with prettier colors and shapes.

We have a large, yet weirdly shaped open living room.  Our only furniture configuration leaves an empty corner in which I've placed a wingback chair that had no other place.  I wanted a functional, yet pretty spot to use as a mini home office/homework spot.  For cheap.  BUT.  I want it be pretty.  I want, I want, I want, I want.. Yikes!  Now we come to the WHOLE point of this post:

I found matching two-drawer file cabinets at Goodwill for $6 each! The price range for brand new file cabinets is $40-$150. That alone was a deal!  (Goodwill can be overpriced at times, but sometimes you get 'lucky'!) 

I bought six 1x4's (6 feet in length) from Lowe's and cut them 5 feet in length.  After lightly sanding down them edges and corners, I stained the planks with Minwax stain.  I used two light coats of the Classic Gray color, and then one light coat of the Honey color.  The mixture of the two stains gives an aged look instead of just stained.  Had I not spilled about 7/8ths of the Honey colored stain, this project literally would used a teeny tiny bit of stain!  I COULD have sealed them with wax or polyurethane, but we will NOT be using this surface for food so I left off that step!

Next, I already had 8x1-1/4" screws and 1x1-1/2" wood pieces that are cut in 17 inch lengths.  I pre-drilled the holes so the 1x1-1/2" wood wouldn't split and attached the connector pieces to the 1x4's.  I attached the connector pieces 24-3/4" apart.  I didn't use 1x1/2" cut to the actual depth of the table because I didn't want to be able to see the connector pieces poking out when you look at the front of the desk.

I did NOT attach the table to the file cabinets.  I placed the table portion on top of the cabinets with the connector pieces lying on the inside of the side of the cabinet.  For now, this works perfectly!  The table is heavy enough that it doesn't shift or shake.  

And there you have my easy, frugal solution to an empty corner of my living room!  My oldest is excited to have a special desk to use for homework, and I'm happy to have another surface and area to decorate! 

Here's the breakdown of the materials and cost:

2 Two-drawer file cabinets = $12

6 1x4's (6 feet each) - 6 x $3.72 each = $22.32

Sandpaper (already had it!) = $0

Stain (already had the Honey color) = $7.77

10 8x1-1/4" Screws (already had them!) = $0

1x1-1/2's cut into 17 in. (already had it!) = $0

Total = $42.09

Considering one of the purchases (the stain) will provide MANY more uses, this is a GREAT deal for a customized piece of furniture!

Thanks for reading, friends!!

Jess

Simple Flower Bed { for renters! }

We are so, so happy to live in seminary housing.  Seriously, we couldn't be happier to live in a community that understands EXACTLY what you're going through financially, spiritually, emotionally, etc.!

If you've rented before, though, you understand some of the not so exciting aspects.  I so wish we could paint our walls... I dream of updated cabinets and hardware... and most recently I despised our 'landscaping'.  (No before pictures, unfortunately!)  Imagine with me... scraggly boxwoods, half-dead, broken off, weeds galore, good ol' Mississippi clay not conducive to life except for moss...

I literally encouraged the neighborhood kids to jump on and break the bushes in hopes they would just die completely!

My sweet, sweet hubs helped me fix my sad little flower bed a couple weekends ago, and I'm so happy to share it with you!

After pulling our bushes out with our car (Hubs wrapped straps around the bushes, connected them to the car, and yanked them right out!), we broke up the clay a bit.  We were fortunate to have recently had rain so the ground was still soft.

Using pallet wood and stakes, we formed our raised box.  The front view (it's hard to tell...) is about 3 or 4 pieces of wood.  We added compost and topsoil to the dirt and mixed it up.  I chose all perennial plants so they will (hopefully) stay/come back again.  There's something about having flowers that will die after their season that makes me sad.  Don't get me wrong, they're beautiful!  I just wanted to start out with flowers and plants that I would get to enjoy for awhile!  I may plant some annuals in some pots I have on the other side of my door later...

After planting everything, we laid down some mulch.  We were fortunate to have a neighbor just outside of our townhouses that had a tree stump ground up just a day before we needed mulch.  She was so sweet to let us grab as much as we wanted!  Though mulch is not very expensive, it's always exciting to save a little bit!

Finally, I added a couple fun details.  The plain wood was bugging me a little bit, so I painted an alternating triangle pattern along the front of the box with acrylic paint.  Though the paint won't last forever, I look forward to the natural distressed/aged look after rain and sun do their thang.

I also added a chicken wire frame behind my ivy so it has a somewhere to climb!  I'm probably most excited about my ivy!  I LOVE the crawling look of the viny plants.

Walking up to my front door is SO much more exciting now!  My plants are still little and wimpy, but I can't wait to watch everything grow.  I'm excited about tending my little garden... I just hope I can keep everything alive!

For our whole project, we spent around $40.  And most of that was for the plants!  Not too shabby!

Thanks for letting me share my little garden with you, friends!

-Jess

P.S.  We are all okay after the storms yesterday.  We are so grateful for God's protection in such a scary situation.  I know others were greatly affected... Praying for restoration and peace in Mayflower, Vilonia, Tupelo, Pearl, Tupelo, and some towns in Alabama.  

'Your art is the best art of all the art...'

It the most heartfelt voice he could muster after seeing her watercolors in her art show, Roy Anderson tells Pam Beasley, "Your art is the best art of all the art."

Deep.

{I'm so sad if you don't know these people... that means you also don't know Michael Scott or Jim Halpert... My life is a little happier because of the humor they provide.  We're pretty close, you know.}

Friends, my life is lacking a little art...

If you saw my Living Room Tour, you may have noticed my very simple walls.  Though I've yet to tackle this problem, I wanted to share some of my inspiration for bringing a little LOVELY into my home:

This could EASILY be anything you wanted:  a tree, a child's profile, a unicorn. LOVE the pop of color.

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 I LOVE CHALKBOARDS.  This chalkboard accent wall gives you the option to change the feel of your room depending on your mood!  For those of us that can't make decisions (ME!), this is FANTASTIC.

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I love the marquee letter!!  I would love to make one for my little guy's room! 

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Why not make a gallery wall??  Though there's not one large piece of art, the gold frames tie the gallery together.  I LOVE the ornate mirrors, and THE CHALKBOARD.  Obsessed.

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How fantastic is the geometric wall???  Top it off with a deer head AND a coral console... I'm in heaven.  Would you ever guess the wall was done with a SHARPIE?  I need one in my life.

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 One of my favorites:  Piece of plywood and paint.  Simple Concept, FANTASTIC result.

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Though I can't paint my wall with chalkboard paint OR draw on my wall with Sharpie (at least not while we're renting!), both ideas are concepts I can tweak for a rented home!  A chalkboard gallery wall?? Yes, please!

Ok, I'll stop with the chalkboards.

Are you inspired, too?? 

If you're NOT and you have the funds to purchase art, check out Hillary Butler {Fine Art} and         The Kibnit Creative.  Both ladies are SUPER talented and fantastic people.

DON'T FORGET, friends!

Enter our GIVEAWAY!!!!!  We're giving away some of our favorite beauty products to YOU for all of your love and support!!  We are so, so grateful for our bloggy friends!!!

To enter:  CLICK HERE!

Freezer Paper Stencil.....and Giveaway date announced!

Well, baseball season is upon us.

My oldest is playing for the first time, and I can honestly say, I had no idea how much it entailed.  (I think I owe my parents some extra thanks for running me and my two sisters around to our various sports and club meetings for years.  Whew!)

All that to say, we decided to let our oldest (who's only 14 months older) play something first.

I had no idea how much that would affect our youngest.  

They are so close in age that they do practically everything together, so I've tried to come up with some ways to make our youngest feel special while his older brother is getting to play a sport and get all new gear.

Don't get me wrong, J LOVES going to his brother's games, and I think it is good for them to do things separately, but I thought it would be fun for him to have a special shirt to wear to support the team.

PLUS, I've been itching to make my own Freezer Paper Stencil.

Win.  Win.

To begin, you'll need Freezer Paper (of course), fabric paint, and a sponge brush.

(You'll need an iron in a couple minutes, so get that ready.)

1.  This picture just shows the look I was going for.  I planned on using the stencil to create the same number as E's and then using the fabric pen (pictured above) to write 'Eli's Bro' above it.
2.  I cut a small piece of Freezer Paper and traced the two from the back of E's shirt.
3.  Cut out shape with scissors.
4.  Place and iron on Freezer Paper stencil to back of shirt.
5.  Use sponge brush to apply fabric paint.  I used a hair dryer to speed up the drying process because I wanted to do another layer of paint.  Use sponge brush to apply second layer of paint.
6.  Let it dry for 10 minutes or so before carefully removing stencil.

And you're done!

I think the fabric paint is supposed to set for 72 hours before being washed.

I haven't finished the lettering on the front and back but will post pictures as soon as I do!

This project was very simple.

Jessie used a similar process to make her boy and my two boys some Star Wars pajamas for Christmas.  She shirt has a Darth Vader silhouette and are by far my boys favorite thing to wear to bed.  She'll have to post hers soon!

Annnnnnndddddddd..........

Don't forget to check back Monday, April 21 for your chance to enter our Giveaway!

You don't want to miss it!

DIY Faux Gel Manicure

Ok, y'all.

Just keeping it real.

I don't have the prettiest nails in the world.

But I also don't like acrylic nails either.  

And while I may splurge on a pedicure once or twice a year, I rarely ever spend money on a manicure.

(I think the last time was for youngest sister Aly's wedding in August.)

All that to say, I love the look of a manicure but don't want to spend the money constantly.

So, after perusing Pinterest and a few trial-and-errors, I came up with a process that lasts as close to a gel manicure as I could get.

Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps // American Classics Gelous // Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat //
OPI Nail Laquer in Bubble Bath // Orly Laquer in Halo

(And just a note to begin with, make sure each layer is pretty thin and wait around 3 minutes in between each coat)

Start with a layer of Sally Hansen 'Hard as Wraps' (found at Target).

(Since this nail color is semi-sheer, I wanted to include 3 coats of the actual color)

Next, one layer of OPI in Bubble Bath.

(By the way, I'm loving this soft neutral that has a slightly pink tint for Spring!)

One layer of American Classics Gelous (found at Sally Beauty Supply).

Second layer of OPI in Bubble Bath.

Second layer of American Classics Gelous.

Third layer of OPI in Gelous.

(I added an extra layer just on my ring fingers of Orly in Halo (found at Ulta).)

Lastly, I topped with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

This is not exactly a super quick process, but I promise it lasts!  

Plus, if you give yourself a pedicure at the same time, by the time you complete a coat on all fingernails and toenails, it's time to start the next coat anyways.  

If you are using a nail color that isn't sheer, I would just omit the third layer of color.

Last time I did the pedicure with this process, it lasted a good 2 weeks without chipping!  

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Rox

{ The Baby Bob }

To cut?  Or not to cut?

THAT is the question.

Right?

Ok, baby haircuts in the grand scheme of things is not REALLY that big of a deal.  But for the mama, baby's first haircut FEELS like a big deal!  Mamas of curly-haired little ones, I can only imagine saying 'Good-bye' to those sweet curls the first time would be traumatic!

My babies don't have the sweet curls, so I said 'Good-bye' to a stringy, straight mullet.  Not quite as sweet sounding as 'Baby Curls'... either way, it was weird to give my baby girl her first haircut!

Ok, peeps.  I took the ram by the horn and pulled a DIY.  (Ok, did I just call my little gal a ram?  With horns?  Ok, weird... just replace it with your favorite line.. I can't think of a different one...)

I found a video tutorial for a little girl's bob haircut complete with a stack in the back! (Video found HERE.)  I decided it was worth trying for FREE.  I could always take her to get it fixed at a salon if I needed to!!

I'm pleased to say, it turned out alright!  A hairstylist would probably be MORTIFIED to say the least...  BUT Y'ALL.  I saved 20 bucks!  Seminary life calls for cutting costs!  I can't say, "Go on!  Try cutting your little girl's hair yourself!!"  I CAN say, "Proceed with caution."

This little endeavor took about 2 hours... complete with numerous breaks for fruit snacks, goldfish, turning on new TV shows, getting hair out of said snacks, spraying, re-spraying hair, taking deep breaths, trying not to freak out about sweet baby hairs on the ground, and more.

Anyway, thanks for reading and NOT judging! :)  We're friends here, right?  Shoot it to me straight.  Would you cut your little ones' hair to save a few bucks??

Have a fantastic day, y'all!

-Jess

Renewing Old Tile Grout

First of all, please do not judge me for how disgusting our tile grout was in the before picture.

Thanks so much.

Our house that we are currently living in was built in 1997.

And as you probably know, we are fixing it up in hopes of making it easier to sell.

And something HAD to be done to the tile floors.  

We have tile in both the kitchen and dining areas (that are attached).

After doing a little bit of research, I came across this product from Home Depot (after seeing the lovely people from Young House Love use it in their blogpost found here.)

My husband was actually the one who worked long and hard on this whole project.  

I just read a couple blogposts, decided on the color, and gave the occasionally "great job!"

Whew.  Exhausting.

Actually, I was busy painting the doors black while hubby worked on the floors.

I have to admit, my project was MUCH easier, and I'm so grateful he agreed to do it.

TileLab's Grout & Tile Cleaner and Resealer was used to clean the tile, mainly, before the Grout Renew was applied (both can be found at Home Depot).

M applied the Grout Renew (we went with Oyster Gray color - it still looked clean without being too white) with a tooth brush, and wiped any excess off of the tile with a damp towel.

Since this tile is in the kitchen and dining area, and because our home is small, it was hard to stay out of these areas completely.  We tried to be pretty careful for the first 24 hours, and tried to keep water off the grout for 72 hours (per the directions on the bottle).

We bought 2 bottles and ended up taking one back.

We used less than 1 bottle and have enough to finish up both bathrooms. 

It seriously looks like we just had new tile put in.

All in all, it's a super inexpensive way to revamp old tile floors!

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Rox

Stone Statement Necklace -tutorial-

I love necklaces.

I think it's because a necklace can transform a plain outfit into a stylish one!  T-shirt and jeans become a fashion statement when you add a pretty necklace.

Today, I want to share an easy necklace you can make yourself! 

Here's what you need:

Hot glue gun // felt (Wal-Mart - 50 cents) // stones/pebbles (Dollar Tree - $1) // ribbon (Wal-Mart - $1.50) // beading wire (JoAnn's - $???)

1.  Cut felt into desired shape of the 'bib' portion of the necklace.  This will just be a rough cut.

2.  Play around with the placement of the stones.  Be sure to take a picture to remember where the stones fit best.

3.  Carefully hot glue the stones to the felt and each other.  I had to use the hottest setting and used quite a bit of glue!  It was nearly impossible to keep the glue from peering through the cracks.

-After all the glue dries, carefully trim the excess felt around the edges.

4.  Wrap the beading wire in between cracks of the rocks.  Use as little or as much wire as desired!

5.  Feed the ribbon through a loop of wire towards tip of the bib.  Cut to desired length.  I also put a dab of glue between the ribbon and felt AND tied a gentle knot in the ribbon.

6.  Secure the necklace in the back with a bow.

YOU'RE DONE!

This necklace would look great with beads, rhinestones, painted stones, buttons, etc.

Thanks so much for reading, y'all!

-Jess

P.S.  We always appreciate your feedback!  Leave us a comment or write us an e-mail.  Also, remember you can keep up with us by following us on Facebook, Pinterest, and BlogLovin'!

Drab to Fab: Tribal Print using Freezer Paper

We've ALL seen the tribal print craze.  Leggings, purses, shirts, jackets, scarves, pockets, and more and more and more!  Here's a way to join the trend (or add to your tribal print collection!) without spending much or ANY money!

1.  Draw your favorite tribal print on the paper-y side of freezer paper with a pencil.  (There's a waxy side, too.)  Before you draw, decide the size you'd like your print so you don't have to erase a bunch of times!

2.  Using an Exact-O Knife, carefully cut out the print to create the negative.  Iron the print with the waxy side DOWN.  Smooth out/iron down the fabric first to avoid bubbles and creases.

3.  I chose to use Martha Stewart's Multi-Surface craft paint.  I'm unsure of the durability of regular craft paint on fabric, and the only color of fabric paint I had on hand was black!  (Look back HERE to see where else I used this metallic paint!)

4.  Carefully dab the paint onto the fabric in the negative space.  Make sure to put cardboard or extra freezer paper in the middle of the shirt to prevent bleed-through.  

After deciding if you need another coat of paint, carefully peel off the freezer paper.  (My favorite part!!)  I chose to do only one coat of paint and peeled the paper off immediately after finishing.

Be careful to follow instructions for the fabric paint!  Some paints suggess letting the paint 'cure' for 48-72 hours, then heat-setting the fabric either with an iron or in dryer.

Now it's time to rock that print!  You can obviously choose a more intricate pattern to paint, but I like ease and time to be on my side in my projects!  This was literally a 30 minute deal.  You can make it even EASIER by printing out the tribal print from a template.  But we don't have a printer... bummer.

Let me know what you think!  This project is obviously VERY versatile.  Paint a word, picture, etc.

Thanks for reading y'all!!

-Jess

Front Door, Back Door Makeover

This VERY rarely happens.

And by 'this' I mean completing a project this quickly after blogging about it.

M surprised me this weekend with a TON of time spent on home projects.

And I couldn't have been happier!

The project I worked on was painting the inside of both the front and back doors black.  

And it did not nearly take as long as I expected.

We used Valspar outdoor paint and primer in one for the first time, and I was very impressed.  

2 coats (with about 2 hours of drying time in between) and I was done!

And I love the results.

I hope M doesn't read this, but I am tempted to paint all the interior doors black in our next house, I like it so much.

1.  Remove ridiculous pillow cases from back door window.

2.  Tape off window panes.

3.  (After first coat of paint.)

4.  After 2nd coat of paint (and glass frosting).

I used Young House Love's glass frosting technique like I mentioned in the last post.

It was fairly easy and is removable in case future owners don't like it!

(Oh, and if you look at the tile floor in the before and after pictures of the back door, you can get a sneak peak of some grout work that M was working on while I painted the doors.  Check back soon for a post on his hard work!)

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Rox

Front Door, Back Door

Almost everything in the house we are living in needs to be repainted.  When I think about it, I tend to get overwhelmed at our "to do" list.  BUT, I also know, we must get all of these things done in order to sell our house.  So, if I throw in some fairly "easy" projects along the way, it saves me from getting as overwhelmed as I could be.

One fairly quick project that needs to be done is paint our front and back doors.  

I love the look of a black door with white trim, like these examples below.

We also have a window about the same size as #6 on the back door that I plan on using this technique from Young House Love to frost it.  

So, basically these are my plans.

AND, I thought if I actually shared my plans beforehand, I'd be more likely to actually complete them.

So, here goes nothing!

I'll be back next week with my progress.

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Rox

Simple Christmas Door

After a short hiatus (Shopping Party, Thanksgiving...), we're back!

BY THE WAY, y'all are stinkin' amazing... to all who were able to come and shop our party, THANK YOU!! Also a big THANK YOU if you helped pass the word along. sent encouraging words, or even WANTED to come and couldn't.  We so appreciate your love and support!!

I literally can't believe we are in the month of December.  Where did the fall go??  I have a little miss with a 2nd birthday tomorrow, 20 days left to shop for and make presents, and more Christmas decorating to do! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

But we're all in the same boat, right? So onto the reason for the post...

I am NOT a scrooge, y'all.

BUT, I don't like a ton of Christmas decorations in my house... mostly because I don't want to have to clean it up after just a month of being out.  I'm usually content with our simple, little, fake (yes, fake) Christmas tree, a wreath on the door, and a simple 'mantle'.  And I have this thing about red and green and bright colors... I can't do it... I like the subtle hint of Christmas mixed in with my everyday decor.  AND not to say that I don't like YOUR colorful holiday decorations!  NO!  I love to see them!  I love, love experiencing them!!!  No hurt feelings, right?? Agree to disagree on our decorating differences???

Ok, chill, Jess.

OK, NOW.  My Christmas door:

I found 5 sticks (8-ish inches each),  glued them into a star shape, and wrapped twine around the 'joints' just for the effect.  I used a rustic empty frame hung from a wreath hanger (Dollar Tree) and green burlap ribbon (Wal-Mart) to hide the wreath hanger and hang the star.

That's it.  Simple, rustic charm.

How do YOU decorate for Christmas!! We would love to see YOUR Christmas doors!

Have a lovely day!

-Jess

A Lamp Revamp: { Part Two of the Even-More-Dramatic Tale }

So, I know you're probably like, "Ok, again?  Enough with the lamp!"

I CAN'T leave it alone!!!

Sometimes I have projects that I can't stop thinking about (as in they show up in my dreams, peeps...) until I'm just IN LOVE with the result.

Enter the main character of this dramatic story:

Mrs. Thrift Store Lamp needed a better shade, y'all.

(Don't remember??  Check out Part One HERE)

I found the PERFECT shade at a thrift store for a couple dollars.

BUT.

Once I put it on... I'm not so sure it's that perfect.

DEFINITELY better than Shade #1.

The shape is fantastic.  Like, I absolute PERFECTION.

But, I'm thinking Burlap maybe?  Or do I need a pattern?

What do YOU think??

Until next time...

BUT, before I go... I wanted to share with you the latest addition to our 'of Dwelling and Dress' contributors:

She's adding a unique style and approach to home decor and fashion.  We can't WAIT to see what she has in store!

Thanks for reading, folks.

-Jess

Colorblock Utensils

Being a pastor's wife, I have many weddings and baby showers to attend.  And don't get me wrong, I absolutely love going to all of them.  Seriously.....wedding and baby festivities are one of my favorite things to do.  And while I don't want to skimp on quality for each gift, I do have to be a little creative in order to stretch our money as far as we can.

So, I am always looking on Pinterest for ideas.  

When I search on Pinterest, I don't look for "easy DIY gift ideas".  I usually just look for items that I would like to make for myself, or that I would want in my own home that I think I could recreate.

I've seen these colorblock utensils from quite a few different sources and have been dying to try them. 

Some companies make them now and are usually only sold in specialty or upscale stores.  

We recently attended a wedding shower for an Ole Miss loving couple (hence the red and blue) and I wanted to give them something around this theme.

So, I got to work!

Target sells these large bamboo utensils in packs of 3.  

I taped them off low enough so that food would not necessarily have to touch the part where I painted.

I then used acrylic paint (I actually purchased a deeper royal/navy blue because I couldn't get the color exactly right), and sealed it with Mod Podge.  

Once it was dry, I removed the tape and they were done! 

I paired these utensils with a couple of hand embroidered dish towels!

(Spray paint and sealer could also be used - I was just trying to use the supplies I had on hand).

I'm itching to make some for myself now - maybe in a minty green color.....surprise, surprise!

What Pinterest projects have you tried lately?

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Rox

A Lamp Revamp: { Part One of the Dramatic Tale }

Once upon a time I found a lamp at GoodWill.  It was cheap.  It worked.  It NEEDED some work.

And it came home with me...

Then it sat in the closet for a few months.

Then I decided to paint it:

Here she is 'before'.

I dusted her off, taped off the bronze accents, and covered her vital parts with plastic bags...

Using Rustoleum in White Gloss, I painted her up.... I paint her down... I painted her all around...

Can you fall in love with a lamp??

Um, yes.

"I love lamp."  -Brick, from Anchorman

I DO love lamp.

At least I DID until I put on the lampshade...

It's almost like seeing a girl that's wearing a skirt that's too short:  kinda awkward.

SO.

That's where I leave you:  with Part One of the Lamp Saga...

Stay tuned for my finishing touches on this here beauty... I can't wait to see what happens!  Because I literally don't know what's next yet! :)

OH.  And Happy Halloween/Happy Reformation Day/Happy October 31st/Happy Normal-Day-of-the-Week-if-Halloween-Ain't-Yo-Thang!!

DIY Faux Ceramic Animal Head

Good Morning, y'all!

I gave you a little tour of my boys' room makeover last week.  One of my personal favorite DIY projects to complete the look was the faux ceramic animal heads.  I was quite honestly surprised at how well these turned out (because, don't be fooled, not all our DIY efforts turn out like this....I have had numerous "fails" along the way).

I've seen many pins on Pinterest, as well as many blogs, feature these ceramic pieces as part of their home decor, and I've loved the look.

But, as you probably know by now, I am constantly looking for a cheaper way to achieve the same look.  (And paying full price for those ceramic pieces just wasn't in the budget.  They can be expensive, y'all!)

While out on one of my "browsing" trips at TJ Maxx, I came across the moose antlers and gazelle head for about $10 each, and had an idea about trying to transform them into faux ceramic pieces.  

And a lot of times when I find something I like, I try and check Marshall's as well.  I don't think these two stores are owned by the same people, but they tend to have a lot of the same inventory.

And, lo and behold, I found the deer head!

So I grabbed my supplies and got to work!

                                                                 -Metal Animal Heads

                                                                 -Primer Spray Paint

                                                                 -Flat White Spray Paint

                                                                 -Pallet Wood

                                                                 -Jigsaw

1.  First I place the animal heads on an old sheet and sprayed them with primer.  I let that dry for about 30 minutes, then sprayed them with the flat white spray paint.  Each animal head was sprayed with 2-3 coats, depending on what it needed, waiting about 30 minutes in between each coat.

2.  Next I printed out an oval shape from my computer.  It wasn't quite as big as I wanted it, so I measured out about 6 inches all the way around and roughly sketched a bigger oval.

3.  I then used our jigsaw for the first time!  (Jess has been telling me I would love using it, and she was totally right!  I can't believe I haven't used it until now!)  If you've never used a jigsaw, don't be scared.....it's super easy to use and much less intimidating than a circular saw for sure!  (My husband attached a piece of wood to the back along with a heavy duty hanger.)

4.  The animal head is attached to the wood by a nail.  It could be pulled off pretty easily, but the boys haven't touched them once!  (I did threaten to take them totally off the wall if they touched them.....so far, so good! ;)

And that's it!

This could very easily be modified to your tastes.

I've seen the ceramic heads hung on the wall alone, inside a frame, etc.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Rox


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Geometric Print Drape Front Cardi {tutorial}

I went through a stage where I felt like I needed to get ALL solid printed clothing so it would be versatile... 

SO... what do you do if you need more patterns in your wardrobe without spending the bucks?

Do. It. Yourself.

Here's how I added a little pattern to a piece in MY wardrobe:

1.  I grabbed a plain black knit drape front cardi from my closet that I NEVER wear...

2.  Using a sheet of foam from the craft store (with adhesive on the back), I cut a couple triangles and attached them to a jar lid to create a stamp.  I used Martha Stewart's Metallic Gold acrylic paint and a foam brush to paint the stamp.

3.  After deciding to alternate the triangles pointing up then down, I started stamping in the middle on the bottom of the back of the cardi.  I didn't worry about perfect spacing or clean stamping.  On each 'drape', I stacked the triangles higher so the triangles would be more noticeable when worn.

-  After the paint dried, I threw the cardi in the dryer to 'set' the paint.

And that's it!

tunic:  Marshalls // cardi:  Target (refashioned by me) // 'leather vest':  thrifted // leggings: Wal-Mart //booties: thrifted //short necklace: Wal-Mart // long necklace: thrifted

{I styled my cardi over a sheer tunic with leggings and wedge booties.

I added a 'leather' vest for texture and stacked two necklaces for added interest.}

I know this piece will get a lot more use now that I updated it with a little pattern!  I can't wait to try this with a lighter colored cardi and and darker paint...  I'm thinking an aztec feel!

Let us know if you have any questions or if you try it out!!

Thanks for reading, y'all!

-Jess