little things

little things :: the hand edition

23 November 2015 by Andrea Leave a Comment

Recently I had the opportunity to finish a little project that’s been curing for a while. If I’d known it would be so quick and easy I would have completed it ages ago!

I bought this awesome cast iron hand to hold jewelry in my bathroom from one of my favorite shops in Columbus, Elm and Iron (they have a shop in Cincinnati too)…

And while the cast iron look is great, it was not the look I was going for in my bathroom. So I broke out some leftover champagne metallic spray paint and gave it a spritz.

After a mere two quick coats, it looks like this…

Exactly the look I was going for.

So I hung it below my affirmation art…

…and added a little gold paint pen to the screw heads so they didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. (Get it? Sore thumb?)

Add jewelry and voila! A stylish piece with a practical application!

Hands down, a super fun project!

(OK, I’ll stop with the puns now.)

little things :: closet edition

10 September 2014 by Andrea Leave a Comment

I decided to have a little fun in the closet…man, your mind is in the gutter! I mean the place where I store my clothes!

I found these awesome, vintage-look galvanized metal letters at Michaels. I especially fell in love the the letter “F” since it’s so thick and chunky and stylized. So I had to buy the “F”! And what word could I spell with the letter “F” other than “FUN”? (Well, there is one other word I could think of, but I was trying to come up with words that wouldn’t have anyone calling children’s protective services on me…)

So here it is…FUN in the closet!

It’s kind of perfect, since it’s someplace I visit every morning and now I have a friendly reminder to have FUN every day!

A view of FUN with my laundry basket…

As I’m walking into the closet…

Some people might not even consider decorating their closet, but I say, why not have some fun in the closet? 😉

little things – bracelet edition

6 January 2013 by Andrea 2 Comments

This is a broken vintage bracelet…

This is a broken vintage bracelet used as art…

Pretty clever, huh?

As much as I would love to wear this bracelet, there was no fixing it, because the metal wasn’t strong enough to repair. But I still love the vibrant colors and beautiful design, so on the wall it went.

Works perfectly next to my print of First Kiss by Bouguereau, which I bought at Target a number of years back for $3.78. Can’t remember what I ate for breakfast today, but can remember how much I paid for something clearance 10 years ago! Go figure.

Yeah, it’s the little things, people…

Showing off this project at Funky Junk Interiors.

little things :: empty frame edition :: part deux

19 November 2012 by Andrea Leave a Comment

OK, so I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted a project, and now all of a sudden I’ve had a burst of creativity with 2 projects in 2 days.

Why?

Most likely because I’m avoiding cleaning my house, since I’m hosting Thanksgiving dinner in a mere 4 days. There’s nothing like it to inspire projects!

But mostly, I haven’t been doing much because I haven’t had the funds for new purchases. But then I began to tidy up a bit and found a little frame that I’ve been meaning to use for years.

I wasn’t back in cleaning mode not even for 5 minutes after hanging the little frame when I saw the same gorgeous frame that’s been leaning against my desk for probably several years, also waiting for real home, where it would be loved and cherished as it deserves. (Yes, my office/studio is like the land of the misfit toys.)

Don’t mind the crappy photos…it’s late and my iPhone is tired.

And I thought, “Damn it, after all these years, this frame deserves a real home…where could I put it?” Which sent me on a wild goose chase through my house trying to find a place for this awesome frame, while I conveniently avoided cleaning.

With this crappy quality closeup photo, you may or may not be able to see that the frame has lovely rosettes and a layered look with gold metallic topped with a creamy off-white paint.

I found this bad boy at Michael’s for a mere $13. It was originally all gold metallic, but I spruced it up with an antique white finish. Then I let it cure for a couple of years.

Since the frame is a little bit ornate and a little bit shabby chic (sung to the tune of Donny & Marie’s Little Bit Country, Little Bit Rock ‘N Roll. And yes, you’re welcome for ensuring that tune that will be in your head all day long), I figured I might find a place in my master bedroom, which is full of shabby chic awesomeness.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I got here…

The heavens parted and the angels were singing, until the record scratched when I realized that this spot, while a clever vignette, was missing a little something. Something along the lines of an ornate, yet shabby chic empty frame…

The heavens once again beamed down upon me and the angels resumed their singing. It was the perfect addition to top off this vignette. And because I’m getting comfortable with imperfection, I LOVE the off-center look! It makes it unusual and a bit mod.

(However, don’t ask my 12-year-old-son for his opinion…he walked into my room and shouted, “THAT FRAME IS OFF CENTER. YOU NEED TO FIX THAT!” To which I said, “No, I’m getting comfortable with imperfection.” His response was to turn on his heel and run screaming from my room. If I’d known it would have had that effect, I might have tried it years ago!)

So now that I’ve got that project wrapped up, it’s back to my pre-Thanksgiving attempts at cleaning. Let’s see how many more awesome projects are spawned by my avoidant behaviors.

little things :: empty frame edition

18 November 2012 by Andrea Leave a Comment

I’ve had a little empty frame sitting around my house for quite a while now. Probably years, if I’m honest. Been thinking that eventually I’ll do something with it.

Today I finally got tired of that frame curing. So I found a place for it.

Looks like there’s an empty spot just waiting for something, wouldn’t you say? Well, how about this…

There. That’s better.

OK, so that little project took me literally 5 minutes to complete. Now would someone like to tell me why the hell I waited for years to do it???

One of the many unsolved mysteries of the world we live in.

Go complete a super-quick project. Don’t be like me. Do as I say, not as I do!

little things :: recorder edition

5 September 2012 by Andrea Leave a Comment

If you have kids or ever were a kid, I’m betting that you have an old recorder lying around. Didn’t everyone play recorder in school? I know I did, my sister did, and both of my kids did.

And I’m guessing that you also have some weird little strip of wall that is too small for just about anything decorative. Well, guess again, people!

Dig up that old recorder make it sing again!

No, you don’t have to play Lightly Row…just find an awkward spot and hang that recorder up, just like this…

It’s just a tiny little speck of wall between two door frames. Perfect for a recorder! Don’t you think?

How much did it cost? $0, since I had not one but two recorders hanging around. And if you want to get all funky and colorful, you could spend about $5 and get one of these…

Now go play Lightly Row while you’re looking for a place to hang your recorder!

little things :: switchplate edition

8 July 2012 by Andrea Leave a Comment

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make your place uniquely your home. The little touches that no one else has. Small statement pieces…eye candy!

In the eat-in dining area in our kitchen I kicked up the punch on the switchplates, adding pops of color where you least expect it, using vintage advertising art stickers that I got a while back at the dollar shop at Target.

It was a pretty simple project. Quick & easy, just how I like my projects!

I unscrewed the switchplate, then applied the stickers in a collage-like fashion.

Using an exacto knife, I cut the stickers over the holes for the switch and screws and folded it under and stuck it to the reverse side of the plate.

For extra protection, I applied a layer of clear contact paper over the stickers and cut and folded the contact paper to the back of the plate as I did with the stickers.

Also, I painted the screw heads with orange and red nail polish to match the stickers so the white of the screws doesn’t blare out.

The vintage advertising stickers were a perfect match for my kitchen with their bold, rich colors, since the cabinets are dark wood with black chalkboard paint, creating a vintage schoolhouse look.

The look was especially good for this switchplate, which was cut by the builder to fit flush against the cabinets. Before it looked kind of tacky, sort of like a switchplate that was cut by the builder due to poor measurements. But now it’s become a miniature art piece.

The little things mean a lot!

Showing off at Funky Junk Interiors.

design vacation – keeping it real in the master bedroom

20 February 2012 by Andrea 5 Comments

Sounds kind of scandalous! But when you see this, you’ll realize how completely scandalous it really is…

Messy-licious! And there’s more…

Nothing like watching an episode of Hoarders to jump start the spring cleaning bug.

And that, my friends, is my bedroom. Let’s just say it’s gotten out of hand. So I started with a big cleanup. Which took a surprisingly long time. I’m sure that had nothing to do with treating myself to occasional trips to Pinterest.

While it’s not quite ready for the full reveal, here’s a little something…

Nothing wrong with this vignette, but I’ve been trying to add a touch of mod around the house, so I want to mix it up a bit.

I found a terrific iridescent vase at Target, and it looks pretty good…

…but it could use a little more height. Something along these lines…

These are pieces of wood that my son broke when he was in tae kwon do. But the raw wood looks too, well, raw, so I painted it with a gray craft paint, not worrying about priming or if the woodgrain showed through the paint. Call it character and texture.

There, that’s better. The painted wood adds height and texture. Plus the wood pieces have special meaning to me, and now I’m using them instead of having them stuck in a cabinet. My son even wrote his name on one pieces, making it extra special.

Plus it looks great, don’t you think?

Don’t forget to enter the Spring Cleaning Giveaway!

Showing off at these link parties…

little things – boot tray edition

17 December 2011 by Andrea Leave a Comment

Today I went shopping in my basement, where I knew I had a stash of river rock. I decided to fancy up my boot tray. It’s a small thing, but it’s so nice to spice up run-of-the mill household items.

Here’s the recipe…

Take 1 standard ugly black boot tray (black standard poodle optional).

Add black river rocks.

(You can find them pretty cheap at your local craft store or discount store that has a craft section.)

Add boots and other dirty shoes.

Another little thing that makes a big impact in your home!

little things – switch up the knob edition

12 December 2011 by Andrea 2 Comments

It’s not just the big stuff that makes for great decor…it’s also the little stuff. The little stuff personalizes your home in a way that shows you pay attention to every little detail. Plus the little things are quick and easy – and usually cheap!

My latest little update is to this table at the base of my stairs…

Nothing wrong with it. In fact, it’s one of my favorite vignettes in the house. But thought it could benefit from a little improvement. So I switched out the boring black wooden knob…

…and added a vintage-look clear acrylic knob…

For a more vintage funky look that I love!

Best of all, this project only took about 5 minutes to complete and cost me a mere $4.19, paid for with a Home Depot gift card that I already had burning a hole in my wallet! My favorite kind of project!