Kids have a way of springing things on you – it just comes with motherhood territory.  Friday, my daughter announced to me that she was expected at the social event of the season.  Okay, it was just another invitation to yet another kid’s birthday party, but it happened to be taking place that very afternoon.  Need gift, need it wrapped, pronto !

In the past, whenever these kinds of social events had arisen, I always found myself scrambling for wrapping paper and ribbon.  It drove me crazy.  I had no place to store wrap in my office and I didn’t want to store it under the bed.  Then I thought, hey, I’ll use the space behind my laundry room door.  Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.  Genius, I tell ya.

I searched around online for a quality organizer, and even considered buying one like this, but most of the consumer reviews said it was junk.  Then I had a light bulb moment.  Light bulb said, “Gurl, what the heck are you thinkin’ ?  Git yer beehind on down to Lowe’s and build yerself yer own, dagnabbit !”  So I did, lickety split.

This project took about two hours total from start to finish over the course of two days, but now I have this great little wrapping paper organizer and I’ve maximized storage in a place I wasn’t using before- behind the laundry room door !   Yeee haw !

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I started working on this idea a few weeks ago, and finally got around to finishing up this little experiment of mine just the other day.  I wanted to create some original candles with plain glass containers and soy wax for the holidays and to give as gifts. 

Here is the first of the four candles I created.  This version has a cranberry tinted soy wax inside a plain glass oval container – it is painted and embellished with a glittery seasonal message. 

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I heart strippers. 

No not those kind.  I knew your mind would go there. 

No, I like the kind of strippers that take layers of paint off an old piece of furniture.

Last week, I was working on a dresser and nightstand combo for my brother’s bachelor pad.  I found this set at the local thrift for $25 dollars for the pair.  They’re solid wood !  However, the chipped pistachio green paint job was not the shade we were going for. 

So with the help of a chemical stripper, I took them from this:

To this:

I picked these pieces because of their modern streamlined design and the pewter hardware.  Also because they were inexpensive and the perfect size for his small bedroom space.  He rents in San Francisco where large bedrooms are very rare.  I thought it a good idea to strip the paint off of the pieces to get right to the wood so we could start over with primer and paint.  A chemical stripper was the fastest answer. 

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Lately, I’ve been inspired by several bloggers to embellish some glass objects with frosting.  What finally motivated me were these etched glass wine bottles I swooned over at my favorite shop in St. Helena called ‘Vintage Home’.

Not only did I want to enhance some decor, I also had a practical purpose.  I needed to transform my glass bath cabinet doors from a clear to opaque surface.  So last week I grabbed some of Rustoleum’s ‘Frosted Glass’ spray paint to conduct some experiments.  In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted with the results. 

I must say that this post was almost titled, “Somebody Stop Me”.  When I’m armed with a product that makes me giddy, I need someone to hold my arms tightly against my body, look deep into my eyes, and say to me:   “PUT DOWN THE CAN.  STEP AWAY FROM THE FROSTED GLASS SPRAY PAINT.”   I didn’t stop using the stuff until the can was empty.  And all of the other glass in my home is now breathing a sigh of relief. 

Here are the five glass objects I enhanced with (yet another) can of spray paint. 

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I had a little problem.  In my recent attempt to spruce up the guest bedroom space, I realized I had a small closet for my guests, but no dresser.  And the end table next to the bed was a bit small.  So when I spied a small three drawer chest at the local thrift for $13 dollars, my brain clicked into gear. 

Now most people would walk past this piece, and for good reason.  It had a spotty black paint job with gold trim and gold hardware.  Viva Las Vegas !  Well, it’s actually a Dorothy Draper knock off but I’m just not a fan of this paint job.  Funny, because I typically adore classics. 

I really love the lines and the design, just not the black and gold paint.  Some designers might gasp, but this color combination is just a little old school for my taste – and it was unsuitable for my blue and white space.

I’m all about freshening a classic piece with great lines in a new and modern way, and I am not alone. 

I loved the detail of this chest, just not the paint job, so I decided to make it my own.  As much as I long to paint everything white, I like to mix it up with dark wood tones or pieces painted something other than white.  

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One month ago, I bought a spindly old fashioned twin headboard at the local thrift store with every intention of turning it into a bench.  I’d seen the idea traveling around on some blogs, and loved it.  The headboard cost me a total of $12 dollars.

After some thought, I decided I had less use for a bench, and greater use for a coat rack in my guest space.  I had a bare wall, so why not fashion the headboard into a rack for scarves, sweaters, jackets, robes, or hats for my guests ?   You may recall, I’ve done this before, turning a footboard into a message center with some white and chalkboard paint.   

So I decided to do it again, but this time with a headboard.  I also used a different paint technique to give my coat rack an antiqued look.  Now, the twin headboard has been transformed into an architecturally decorative piece, providing both form and function. 

Follow along and I’ll show how I turned this:

into this: 

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Last week, I hinted at the table I transformed into a desk for my office/library in this post. 

For some time, I’ve been drawn to the idea of a writer’s desk in lieu of my traditional dark wood desk with its big and heavy drawers.  By definition, a writer’s desk is more like a table, with few or no drawers, open and airy, forcing the user to be clever with storage, and always organized.  And I’m the type that has to force myself to be organized. 

In my decision to move from dark to light, I found a table at a local outlet that was closing its doors, and decided that with a little paint, and a glass top, it could become my own version of a writer’s desk. 

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I have a thing for French style chairs with pretty legs.  I am drawn to any piece with traditional lines, and love to revamp something and give it modern flair.

I really needed an extra chair in my new home office for a co-worker or a visitor.  So when I spotted one on the floor of the local thrift for $15 dollars, I quickly grabbed it with the intention of repainting and recovering the seat.  In anticipation of my friend Amanda’s Decorating Dilemma’s party at Serenity Now, yesterday I repainted the chair, and recovered the seat this morning. 

Here’s a glimpse of the Before and After:

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There’s a little saying that goes through my head every time I see woodwork that is extremely unattractive.  I don’t know where I picked it up.  Was it during those embarrassing days as a teenage cheerleader?  Is it from a movie? The little ditty goes something like this:

“U.G.L.Y. You ain’t got no alibi, you ugly, yeah yeah, you ugly.”

Sometimes you own see a piece of furniture, and at that moment it strikes you.  You simply must grab some paint and transform the piece that very instant.  When I feel the need, the need for speed, I turn to my trusty spray paint. 

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I was finishing up a bench this morning, using one of my favorite tools: spray paint.  As I was working, I was going back over all of your emails that you’ve sent to me asking questions about spray paint, expressing your fear or relaying your love for the aerosol can. 

In my humble opinion, these are the top ten pros and cons when it comes to the use of spray paint.

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