A blank slate - need your help!

Yesterday I really did it. I mean really, really did it. I was tired of looking at this old, unused piano. I knew that it was too heavy for me to move myself. Even too heavy for my husband and I to move it. So I did what any warrior woman on a mission would do.

I took it apart, piece by piece, until all of it was outside. HA! Was my husband surprised, or what!

But now I have a fresh blank wall ready for something - something fresh and new. I'm thinking of a faux fireplace like some of these here, but I am open to other ideas. What do you think?

Table Transformation

I love my house - but if there was one thing I can't stand about it, it would be the monochromatic color scheme. Beige carpet, beige couches, brown furniture, brown drapes and taupe walls. GAG.


Yesterday, I gave this brass lamp a makeover which inspired me to do something about the drab table.

In the background you can see our guesthouse... which really deserves its own blog.

On my way home from taking the twins for some blood work, I stopped by Home Depot and perused the Rustoleum spray paint selection looking for the perfect "happy" shade.

While the twins were napping, I gave it two coats of "Lagoon", let it dry, then roughed it up with some sandpaper. I love the varying colors, from the new "Lagoon" to the dark brown and then the light original wood peeking through at spots.

I am loving this color! Now, what to paint next??

Lamp Gets a Facelift

 This is a brass lamp my mother had given me a few years ago. (My mom has a lamp fetish and has tons of them. I don't think I've ever actually purchased a lamp. Ever.)  To be terribly honest, I can't stand brass (Sorry, mom!) and today I decided to finally do something about it.  I spray painted the lamp a "hammered steel" gray from Rustoleum.

Using ONLY what I had on hand (because, well, I'm cheap resourceful!) I made a lampshade. I took cardstock, taped end-to-end, and hot-glued around the base of the existing lampshade.

 Here it is with the cardstock hot-glued around the bottom of the existing shade. Now, to snazz it up.

This step took FOREVER. Using coffee filters, I hot-glued them in a brick-laying pattern covering the entire shade. 

 Several hours, and a few diaper changes for the twins, later.

Here it is in our living room. I think it looks great! Now, I've got it on my to-do list to repaint that awfully drab looking table. Teal, maybe?