We wear the masks....

It's the time of year when you get to choose what face you wear and parade as someone else for a day without being trucked away in a new custom tailored winter white wrap jacket. Halloween.

I like to participate just like any other drama camp deprived kid turned adult so I get into the festivities, stage makeup style. My daughter has chosen a witty costume. German tavern girl dress + brown child= German Chocolate. (This kid is a riot)

I haven't decided if I want to be a comic book or a black and white movie character but either way, I'll be sure to share it with ya.

After halloween, I will be attending a masquerade ball! I have wanted to go to one for quite some time so off course I had some plans on attire and a coordinating mask. I decided to DIY my mask and I am thrilled with the results, hence why I am sharing my project before it's been completed.

I started with a mask from Michael's Art Store. It set me back $4.99 (big spender). I had the other supplies but if you do not they are not expensive.

You will need:

1 mask (plastic)
Black acrylic paint
gold metalic paint
1 small round acrylic brush
1 flat medium acrylic brush
pencil

First, paint your mask with acrylic paint. I used 3 coats of paint painted in short strokes until almost dry to give my mask the appearance of hair since my mask is a cat shape. It helps if you tie the ribbons on the mask together. There were a few times I almost dropped the mask while wet and the string was the only way to catch it workout ruining my project.

After the black paint is dry use a #2 pencil to sketch a pattern. This process is important and if you make a mistake you can erase without a problem.

Once you are satisfied with your sketched plan paint using your metalic paint and small round brush. Take you time with this step. If you rush, it will show. I tried using a metalic sharpie instead of paint. I do not suggest it.

The results were very dull. 

In my normal impatient manner, I could wait to go to the store for metalic paint so I opened a metalic paint pen. More work than necessary but, wowzers-the results are amazing!

This is what I have so far. I would like to go back over the stray gold brush strokes with my black paint again, seal with a matte protectant and I'm thinking about adding rhinestones and/or feathers. I really love the result and although I would love to add a lititle sparkle I don't want to ruin a good thing.

This would be a great project for anyone still looking for a low maintainace halloween costume with umph.

Well, until next time happy crafting ya'll!

The making of the wand!

I stumbled across another blogger who did this...tried it...and thought I would share. I went out the other day looking for a curling wand. Being the DIY/ El Cheapo that I am- I started wondering, what differentiates a "wand" from a curling iron? The answer- the clip. So I began to wonder why pay $10-$30 more for less of a product. I went home and decided to try this on a curling iron I planned on discarding.

Step 1: With your curling iron off and unplugged- assess and remove the "clip" from your curling iron. In my case, the clip was held on by screws. I simply removed the screws on either side of the base (handle end) of the clip.

 

Step 2: After removing the clip I noticed a spring toward the base (handle end) of the clip. In my case this too was screwed in. Take note that some springs are just just inserted in a "pocket" type set up.

 

Step 3: Be sure that all clip mechanisms, screw, springs and hinges are removed. Lastly I chose to wipe down my new curling wand. I have had this curling iron (pictured) for at least 7 years. As you can see it has taken a lickin'- but since it keeps on tickin' I figured what do I have to loose.

Result: In my case this barrel was WAY too large to create the great curls that I see others accomplish, but-hey, I tried!

Turning Pages

Don't judge the book by it's cover. Judge the owner by it's condition.

-me..like just now...lol.

If one were to walk into my home last week you would be greeted by this atrocity...

which would garner this response from you...

...tragic. lol

To stop this reaction from friends and family- as well as make a better home for my family and myself- I have set out to redecorate my living room with a focus on the book case.

I have never been one to like the living room's focus to be the television. I feel it is wormhole of time. You sit on a Saturday to watch one measly HGTV show, next thing you know your entire day is gone. What  I do like is bookcases as the focus of the room. I have seen a few places online that have color coordinated their bookcases and I think it looks fantastic.

These styles look great, but when I was doing research into how this was accomplished I only found two answers. Actually organize the books by spine color or cover them. I don't know about you, but I haven't covered a book since Jr. High and even then it was an ordeal! That got me thinking. If only the spine is showing, why cover the entire book?

Well...I had a stroke of DIY genius this weekend. To coordinate my bookcase I decided to cover the spines of each book. How?

Duct Tape.

No, Seriously! This isn't your grandfather's old roll that he used (sometimes unnecessarily) to do quick (and cheap) repairs around the house!

None of this! Funny ones here

I found a wide range of colors and patters by Duck Brand and Scotch.

I settled on 3 rolls and 3 pens: 

Solid Black (Ace Hardware)

Solid Gold (Duck Brand Duck Tape)

Lace Pattern (Scotch Duct Tape)

1 Black Sharpie

1 Silver Sharpie

1 Krylon Shortcuts Gold Paint Pen

You will also need scissors.

I love the lace pattern.

I also started with 2 new bookcases. I choose to double up because I feel it gives the project a better look.

I simply held the book, spine up, between my knees. I was sure to cover all of the spine to keep this project from looking sloppy and used my scissors to cut the end. DO NOT try to tear this tape. It was created to be flexible but secure. It WILL look bad. When I finished my first book, this is what I got...

After a while it came to this...

Then eventually this...

Who knew a little duct tape could go so far! I am very happy with the result and  love the fact that it only took an hour and  half to complete. None of my books are damaged an everything flows! I accessorised my book case with an old rotary phone from my grandmother, 2 large chess piece candle holders from Target ($2.50 each), an anniversary clock I had lying around and a recently repainted giraffe sculpture.

I am very excited to see what my new space will look like when my gold accessories are hung and the new furniture arrives (read about that here).

Stay tuned for updates!

À bientôt!

Redecorating-DIY style

For a long time I have been living a lie. I love decor. I receive Better Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, House Beautiful and other publications just because I love having a comfortable home. My home, however, is what I would call "stupid ugly". You asked what stupid ugly is? Glad you asked.

Stupid Ugly: [stoo-pid, styoo‐]+ [uhg-lee] adj.
1. very unattractive or unpleasant to look at; offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance and dully tediously dull, especially due to lack of sense; inane; pointless.
2. Useless and horrid at the same time.

-used uncommonly to describe rooms that have useless knickknacks and offend the visual senses. Rooms that make you feel like you have become dumber by walking into them. Room that make you question if "sight" is a blessing curse.

Orgin: [C16: from French stupide, from Latin stupidus silly, from stupēre to be amazed]  combined with 1200–50; Middle English ugly, uglike < Old Norse uggligr fearful, dreadful, equivalent to ugg ( r ) fear + -ligr -ly.


Yes...it is THAT bad...Don't believe me, huh? Okay, but remember that you have brought this on yourself....Here are pictures.

Extremely unorganized bookcase

The last tube TV alive

Hubby on the sofa playing games

The hub's granny's table- which he protects more than myself and the child.

Uggg. I can't take any more..I may get sick!

Okay maybe it's not that bad but as an adult woman who works VERY  hard and has not made ANY large purchases (other than the cars we need to get to work) I think I deserve a remodel.

Now, the next thing you need to know about me is that I am frugal. My mom knows it, as does my husband, sister, daughter, boss...you get my drift.Its so bad that when I brought up the idea of new furniture my mom and sister talked me the whole way to the store, my boss called my cell to make sure I wouldn't get sticker shock and chicken out and my 5 year old sat in the back saying "cheeeeep, cheep, cheep cheep!..I got the hint guys!

Before diving into my project, to make myself feel better I had to justify the spend. So I found places in my annual budget that I could cut back like the $84/month I pay into a storage unit that I only visit once a year and I also found ways to offset my costs by selling things I was getting rid of (still working on).

Next, I researched my preferred style. It changed probably 5 times before I settled on this look for my inspiration....

 aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! So posh, so elegant...so clean....(note to self).

I started by de-cluttering my home (still working on...too...much...junk...)

Next I went shopping for my new furniture. I found lots of styles that I loved and also discovered that I have Champagne taste and beer pockets! Dang it!

I loved this but it was more than I wanted to pay for an APARTMENT with a small child...one day my love, we will be together. 

I settled on this look instead.

(minus the red accents)

the new look will include on sofa and two arm chairs...similar to that sofa I wanted in black micro suede. Livable and classic.

Okay so get to DIY...I hear ya!

So once I get the furniture in (10 days or so) I need to have everything else ready to match the inspiration. The two things that stand out the most to me are the gold accessories and the color coordinated book case. I started with the accessories. I could have gone out and bought some gold items, I realize that. But, I am more of a project woman so I went to Michael's Arts and Craft store to pick up some gold metallic acrylic paint and a sponge brush. Then I dug through my closets. There were SO many things I found that I could just paint to make it work. I also went to Bed Bath and Beyond for shelves as well as a local junk antique shop for items.

Metallic paint and sponge brush came to a bit under $4.00

Shelf from Bed Bath and Beyond on sale for $19.99  $9.99! Score!

Also found cast iron hooks hooks for the wall at $4.00 each and various frames in the closet for free.

So here is what my collection looked like after painting!

I am really looking forward to seeing the geometric shelves hung on the wall!

I also noticed the gold lamp shades in the inspiration photo. I have two tall floor lamps with white shades...lets paint those too. The one thing that I did and suggest is remembering that since these

  are lamp shades they will look transparent when on- meaning an uneven painting job or product will leave it looking streaky.

To fix this I used Krylon's Black and Silver for plastic spray paint on the inside.

The black stops the light from showing so much on the outside and after it dried I sprayed a layer of silver to help heighten that light source that we are cutting a bit. This is what the INSIDE of the lampshade looks like. BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A LAMP THAT HAS ENOUGH SPACE TO NOT CAUSE A FIRE FROM HOT BULBS! I was confident in this process for me because on the lamp I use the shade and bulb never come in contact. the shade attaches to the base of the lamp head, followed by a large plastic washer to keep it down and I use Energy efficient bulbs that do not get as hot as traditional bulbs. Team that with the fact that we rarely used the lamps in the first place and it made sense. BE CAREFUL!

This is the outside painted

And powered on.

Tada! see what I mean about the silver inside?

Lastly I tackled the bookcase but that will be in another post. I had a moment of DIY genius! Click the post "Turning Pages" to see how I took this...

And created this!

Things are shaping up!