Entertainment Wall Before and After (Or, Cinderella Shelves)

(Note: I've recently updated this post by adding some brighter photos) 
One of the nice things about growing up is that I'm becoming more comfortable and confident with myself. For example, I'm not embarrassed to admit that I'm a little obsessive and type A. Therefore, when I dragged a pair of raggedy old shelves home and Jesse looked at me like I was nuts, I didn't feel hurt. I just said, "Wait and see! These are gonna be awesome!" and rambled on about paint, hardware and measurements.

As you can see below, the entertainment wall in our living room needed some love. Over the years, I've used various credenzas as TV stands but I never managed to snazz up the wall. A little paint, some modifications from my in-house carpenter *wink* and these raggedy shelves were going to be the ticket right outta boring town!

And they were! But it didn't happen over night. The project was relatively simple, but with full time jobs, a kiddo and other modern family stuff, the shelves took several weeks to finish. A big chunk of time was spent covering up the thick brown paint. It took four tedious hours for me to sand the bumpy / drippy spots to a somewhat smooth finish, followed by three coats of white semi-gloss paint and primer.

The shelves alone weren't big enough for the wall, and there was nowhere to set our TV. So Jesse added four shelves; one across the top, one in the lower middle and a box type shelf in the center. When he was finished making the shelves, guess who got to paint 'em?! Yep. me.

Ta-Da! There she is! The Cinderella of Craig's List book shelves!

Once the wall unit was in place, I spent some time styling up the shelves - my favorite part of the project! Back in my retail days I developed a knack for arranging displays, so it was fun to practice my little skill again. Everything on the shelves is from around our house except the two black canvas bins on the floor which I purchased from Garden Ridge - they're for B's toys :)

I'm so happy with how this turned out and I love having space to show off our treasures and tchotchkes!
Materials list and budget breakdown:
- Shelves, Craig's List - $65
- White semi-gloss paint and primer in one, Lowe's - $30
- Nickel and faux crystal drawer pulls, Lowe's - $30
- Pine lumber for modifications, Menard's - $80
- Large black canvas bins, Garden Ridge - $30
- Total project cost - $235

Have you ever transformed an old piece of furniture into something fabulous?  Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear about it!

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Easy DIY: Painted Bowl Succulent Planter

Sometimes (OK, at least once a week) I like to skip lunch and hunt for treasures at the Goodwill near my office. The other day when I spotted this bowl for three bucks, I scooped it up thinking, "Excellent, a mod serving dish!' But when I got home, I realized the bowl was pretty scratched up and wouldn't be a good serving piece. Then I recalled a project from one of my favorite blogs, Little Green Notebook, where Jenny painted the inside of an inexpensive bowl with acrylic paint and used it as a planter. Eureka! Part of my dining room plan called for a terrarium, but this is way more fun.



I was leaning towards pink, but I purchased champagne gold paint as well. Upon Jesse's suggestion, I tried the gold first; but after applying a thin coat, I knew it wasn't right. So, I washed it out and tried the pink which I absolutely love.

I tried the hardware store for succulents, but they didn't have much. So I made a trip to my favorite nursery, which was good because as it turns out there is a special potting mix for succulents. With my black thumb, I can use all the help I can get. Seriously, if these plants make it though the holidays it will be a Christmas Miracle!



I love the curvy mod shapes combined with the pink and the dessert plants; a little Palm Springs Kitsch to get us through the winter!

Feeling inspired? Good! Here is what you'll need and the cost break down:
-Clear, shallow bowl - $3
-Craft paint - $4
-Succulent potting mix - $5
-Three succulent plants - $12
- Project total - $24

Post shared at Thursday STYLE Link Party on Life in Velvet.

Seating Area Spruce Up

After I made plans to freshen up the seating area of our living room, I started by swankifying my lamp with a little spray paint. Pretty snazzy, eh?! Then I stored the wooden end table (i.e. stuck it in the basement) and moved the lamp and magazine rack closer to the sofa. Now I have easy access to my shelter magazines and a great reading light to boot!
I also made a few toss pillows on the cheap, including the super cute fox pillow . The shaggy faux fur pillow is actually from Wal-Mart. I stopped in for light bulbs and was tickled when I happened across it; cute and very inexpensive!

I would love to add this coffee table from Pottery Barn, but it's a little spendy. For now, we swapped the ottoman for a mid century coffee table that was stored in the basement. I think it's a nice little spruce up, but we aren't quite finished with the living room. Jesse and I are almost finished with a project for the entertainment wall that I can't wait to share.

Vintage Tension Pole Lamp Revamp

Have you noticed all the black with brass or gold popping up in home decor? I love it! The look is so moody, swanky and chic!



As part of my living room plan, I wanted to re-paint my vintage tension pole lamp which was a good opportunity to try some black and brass for myself. I had previously painted the lamp on a whim and thought bright red would look so CB2, but it just looked terrible. I thought a coat of black would look much better; so much for being finished with spray paint for the year!
So much better, and so Chic! Exactly what I was going for.

What do you think of the black and brass / gold trend? Is it for you? 

Sewing DIY: Applique Fox Pillow

As part of my living room plan, I'm using toss pillows to add some color and texture to our light brown sofa. I set my budget for pillows at $20 each which is dirt cheap, but not impossible. I really wanted a fox pillow, but the one from House of Fraser isn't available state-side and the adorable options I spotted on Etsy are priced around $25. That's reasonable, but I'm determined to stick with my pre-set budget. So, what's a crafty girl to do when she can't find the perfect thing? Make her own, of course! This looks fancy, but trust me, if you can use an iron and have basic sewing skills, you can make this.
The best part? Well, there are several great parts! First, the cover doesn't require a zipper. Second, it's removable and washable. Third, it only cost ten dollars!
Ready?! Here is what you'll need for a 20 x 20 cover:
- 2/3 yard of light pink fabric
- 1/3 yard of orange fabric
- 1/3 yard of no-sew applique fusing
- Yard Stick
- Pencil
- Tape
- Stencil
- sewing supplies


Follow the directions on the package and iron the no-sew fusing to the orange fabric. Find an image you like and print it on card stock. Use a little tape to keep the stencil in place and trace around it with a pencil. Easy peasy, right?

Looking good so far...but wait, something's not right...It didn't occur to me that the stencil would be a mirror image!

So, place your stencil BACKWARDS on the fusing and then trace around it.

Use your trusty yard stick to measure and cut a 21 inch square out of the pink fabric. Then peel off the applique backing and center the image on the pink square. Again, follow the package directions to iron the applique onto the pink square.

Next, measure and cut two pieces for the back of the pillow that are both 21 inches by 12 inches. These will make a flap closure similar to a pillow sham.

fold, press, pin and hem one of the long sides on each of the back pieces.

Pin all the pieces, right sides together, and sew them in place. I used orange thread because it's what I had on-hand and I thought it would make a cute contrast.

Last Step! Cut diagonally across the corners. This will help make your corners more "pointy" when you turn the cover right side out.

And there it is! I'm pretty sure this Fox says "I'm adorable!"