Framed Cork Board

I was pretty excited about this cork board project. It was a lucky find and fairly "free." 

I spotted the giant backless weathered frame, hanging in my father-in-law's cluttered garage. I just had to ask if I could have it - he said yes! I think it was actually given to my brother in law David but he hadn't used it for anything yet, so there it was, collecting dust, just begging to be given a new life. So, I took it home with big plans in mind. I'm sorry David! And Thank you! I owe you. 

The four foot frame already had a really great weathered patina. I debated painting it or leaving it as is. In the end, I really wanted it to have color since it would most likely be displayed on tan walls and I didn't want it to blend in. Pops of color baby! 

Store bought frames like this kept coming to mind. I was drawn to this distressed dusty blue/gray/green style. 

I picked out a color and decided to go for it. 

This was the main reason I got an 8oz sample paint from Home Depot for $2.94 (yes!) and had enough leftover to paint my little side table too. Win. Win. 

I painted one coat in no time, then wiped some of the paint off with a rag to expose the rustic weathered wood beneath. It looked even better than I hoped! 

Being able to take home a large roll of cork from work on clean out day was a huge blessing! I cut the cork to size, along with a piece of foam core for backing, spray-glued them together and stapled it into the frame. Voila! 

I just love it in my new home office! Now I can literally "pin" to my hearts content - swatches, notes, inspiration, whatever strikes my creativity. A real live pin board!

Pocket Wedding Invitation

This summer, I designed an elegant pocket wedding invitation set for a sweet bride and groom. I went to high school with Tom and also designed his sister Nicole's wedding invitations a couple years ago. I was excited to design a pocket style invitation and see all the pieces come together. I ordered the pockets, envelopes and belly bands from CardsandPockets.com. Everything arrived as expected and the quality of the materials is really nice. I printed the inserts and initial seal locally. 

I mocked everything up during the design stage to present how the completed set would look. I really like the simplicity and elegance of this design. I also like Jesssica's choice of colors - slate gray, silver and fuchsia. So pretty! Matches my blog too. 

The happy couple wed yesterday! I got a sneak peek of their wedding photos (via FB of course). 

How cute are they? Stunning. (This is one of Jessica's photos)

Beautiful new sisters, Jessica and Nicole. (Another one of Jessica's photos)

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Resser! May God bless your marriage and new life together. Thank you for allowing me to design your invitations! 

Side Table Facelift

Confession #1: I really don't like painting furniture. In fact, I hate painting furniture. But I still always want to, because the results are so amazing. It's usually worth the effort in the end.

Confession #2: I admit to curb-side shopping (also known as garbage picking). I prefer to think of it as thrifty repurposing. This darling little side table was one such find from a certain neighbor's trash night. I saved it! There was nothing wrong with it, just some dust and light wear and tear. Perfectly good junk treasure, I say! 

It sat in my kitchen for a couple years, holding a basket of snacks and cookbooks. Plain 'ol boring brown wood. I often thought about painting it.

Then, when I started assembling and styling my home office, I needed a little side table next to my reading chair. Something small that wouldn't take up much space, but big enough to hold a coffee mug, yet be decorative. I wish you could have seen the light bulb that went on in my head. 

This curbside salvage was a perfect fit! And it was time to dress it up with some quick color. 

Did you know that Home Depot sells 8oz paint samples for $2.94? Did you know that a little jar like this can paint a couple of small projects? It does. I painted one coat on this table and one coat on a large wooden frame and only used about half of it. Yeah! I used flat paint in the color "venus teal". A nice dusty aqua/teal/gray. It covered really well too. 

Next time you have a small painting project, you could buy one of these samples in your choice of color, instead of buying a whole quart or gallon. This secret almost makes me want to paint another piece of furniture sitting in my basement...

Painted Red Chandelier

One of the first home office projects I couldn't wait to try, was painting a chandelier a bright bold color. What's bolder than red, right? My challenge was to find a second hand chandelier on the cheap that I wouldn't be afraid to paint (or mess up). It took some time scouring thrift shops and Craigslist to find the right one. 

I hit the jackpot when I found this light fixture on Craigslist, new, still in the box, for $12! It was the perfect size, just not the color I had in mind. 

Faux bronze chandelier, meet glossy red can of spray paint. This paint really gave it a high gloss lacker look, which I have been seeing everywhere lately. 

I rigged up a spray painting setup in the backyard, using a shepherds hook to suspend the chandelier. I covered the electrical cords with a plastic bag and stuffed paper into the sockets. 

It took 3-4 coats of the glossy red paint to completely cover every nook and cranny. I instantly loved it! 

I couldn't wait to see it in the new room. Andrew helped me switch out the old fixture and install this beauty.The cord and chain were a bit tricky but we made it work. I chose to use round light bulbs to make it a little more modern. This room used to be somewhat dark, but now there's tons of light! This little chandelier is both beautiful and functional. So bright! 

These are some chandeliers (found via Pinterest) that inspired me to even try such a dramatic project. I just love the fun pop of color and interest that it adds. 

If you have an old chandelier hanging around (pun intended) or find one at a thrift shop, don't be afraid to give it new life. It's amazing what spray paint and new bulbs can do!