Add Some Color In Your Life!

Are you tired of your old decor and looking for a few things to brighten your rooms up? Well, don't  you don't have to go out and buy anything new.  Take what you have and recreate it!

Look at these two decorative items.  Pretty plain right?

Just add a little bit of color and....

and maybe a bit of whimsy...

and you will have fun new decorative items to play with.   :)

Give it a try.  

Paula

Paint Paint Paint

It's cold and rainy here in SC so my big furniture projects are on hold for awhile...  In the meantime, I'm painting the little things that I find along the way.  Sometimes, I see a piece that leads me to some inspiration.  Like this beautiful ring dish from Mackenzie-Childs.  I love the colors and the bird!

Enter ugly pieces from a craft store...  I know these are hideous, but you have to look past the finish - just like old furniture.  If the form is good, then you can re-create and paint just about anything.

I bought these not sure what I was going to do with them....and then I kept looking at the birds on top.  Hmmmm.....

So I gave them a coat of chalk paint....

And started to add color....

And checks and stripes....

And then a clear coat of poly to seal the paint and make them shiny.

The weather made it difficult to get a good picture, but hopefully you can see how pretty they turned out.  :)

Don't be afraid to try something like this.  You can do it!

Paula


Linking With
Boogie Board Cottage
The Dedicated House
A Stroll Thru Life
The Style Sisters
Savvy Southern Style
Ivy And Elephants
Shabby Nest

Ceramic Fruits Of Your Labor

Ya know.....you can really paint just about anything today.  My friend found these large ceramic clay fruits at an estate sale (each of them is almost as big as a basketball).  They aren't very attractive, but she has a great eye for finding cast away things knowing that they can become something awesome.  So she gave them to me and said to do something with them that would work in her kitchen.  Hmmm....what do I do with large ugly fruit?  :)

Painting clay and ceramics can be tricky because the paint needs to adhere to the surface.  When in doubt, you should seal the surface with a product like Ceramcoat.

You can see the Ceramcoat on the two fruit on the right.  It seals them and gives your paint something to grab on to.  

With a little paint and your imagination you can take anything and turn it into something fun and whimsical. Who'd have thought these ugly fruit would turn out to be so darn pretty?  

Do you have something that isn't quite working for you as is?  Go get some paint, recreate and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Happy Tuesday.

Paula

Linking with:
Ivy and Elephants
Savvy Southern Style
The Dedicated House
Worthing Court
Dwelling In Happiness
A Stroll Thru Life

Give Thanks and Promote Kindness

Hard to believe that I have been blogging for almost a year now.  I have learned so much through this process and am thankful for all of it. I am amazed at how you can find the answers to almost any "how to" question through bloggers and I'm amazed at the warmth and willingness to share throughout the blog community.  But what has been the most rewarding part of this experience has been the support and encouragement that I have received from fellow bloggers and from my readers. I am thankful for all of your thoughts, questions and suggestions.  It has been such a great environment to create, learn and inspire.  It really should be a model for our home communities.

I want to share an adorable creation that came my way last week.

I received the sweetest little package from a reader in Midlothian, Virginia.  She sent me these adorable little felt acorns that she makes for her friends.  Aren't they just the cutest things ever?

I am touched by the kindness of my new friend in Virginia and hope to continue to pass this kindness along to others.

In a world where competition is so prevalent, I am inspired by kindness and those willing to share their experiences and creations with others.

          “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

― Marcel Proust

Have a great week!

Paula