Funky Traditional

So I've decided that my new decorating style is funky traditional. And yes...I made that up. My tastes have always leaned toward the traditional side, but lately I'm bored with it. I need a little funk to spice things up a bit. I wish that I was more of a risk taker, but I'm baby steppin it people. (Bob would be so proud)

This is what I call my funky traditional mantel. I moved the cheap wall art I showed y'all how to make (in this post) from above the sofa and propped it up against the brick wall. I like it much better here. But now I have a semi blank wall to fill. Oh joy...another project in the making! And before y'all say it...I know it's a little matchy matchy. I have such a serious addiction to symmetry it's not even funny. Once again, I'm baby steppin. For real...I AM working on it!

This was the boring before. See...I told you it needed some funk.




Most of the accessories on the mantel came from Hobby Lobby's 80% off section. Unfortunately, they were a little TOO gold for my taste. See the picture above? They were all shades of this bright gold before I started the makeover. Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothin wrong with gold. I just wanted a softer look. I really liked the shape and size of the finials and frame, and knew I could change them up with paint. And for pennies on the dollar, they fit my minuscule budget perfectly.




This little bottle of $1.27 acrylic paint worked wonders on the goldy gold. It's made by Folk Art and the color is Metallic Taupe. It turns the harsh gold into a subtle shade of champagne...gorgeous! I must give props to the brains behind this idea. Kate ... Centsational Girl, gave me this one. I'm new to her fabulous blog...she is so talented and has such great ideas. You must check her out.

See?

From garish gold...to sumptuous champagne.

Easy, inexpensive, and beautiful...3 of my favorite things!

From Shabby To Chic!

UPDATE :

There are few points I forgot to mention in my first draft. I had a couple people ask me if I had a board cut to fit inside this frame. The answer is...no...I just flipped the painting upside down and painted straight onto the backerboard. You CAN paint right on top of the actual painting (I have done that before), but if your painting has alot of raised texture to it, I wouldn't. Before you start, always wipe down the surface to be painted and make sure it is clean and dust free. If you're not using chalkboard paint in a spray can, I recommend using a foam brush to apply it, because they don't leave brush marks. If I've left anything out or you have any questions, I would love to hear from you. Drop me a line anytime at imperfectlybeautifulms (at) gmail (dot) com.

When I saw this at a friend's yard sale recently, I knew immediately what I wanted to make it into. And at only $3 I couldn't pass it up...what a deal. I also scored 4 toile tablecloths for 25 cents a piece, but that's totally random and off the subject. Let me get myself back on track here.

So this ugly duckling went from this,

to...

This!




I really love how it turned out. I so desperately need more light accessories against my dark chocolate walls. I am trying to repurpose things I already own or get them for cheap at yard sales and thrift stores. Slowly, but surely the new look of this room is coming together.





Here's a little close up of the detail. I thought the scrolly stuff was nice and needed to stand out more, so I lightly sanded and distressed the whole frame.



I am going to use it to display my business name when I do craft shows. I have no clue where I'll put it, but I will make it work!

Here's an oldy, but a goody that I've shared before. You can see it's transformation from ugly painting to cute chalkboard HERE.

I am linking up with Kimm @ REinvented, Gina @ The Shabby Chic Cottage for her "Crazy About Chalkboards Party".

And Julia @ Hooked on Houses for her "Hooked On ... Fridays".

Be sure and visit these ladies for some fun inspiration and ideas.

Life Changing Purchase!

UPDATE :

So many of you asked, so I thought I'd add some more info on the spray grip.

I purchased it from...{gasp}...Walmart! It is made by Rustoleum and costs a whopping $2.42. I have not had any problems with it falling off or not fitting onto the can right. Today I used it on 3 different brands of spray paint and it worked great on all of them. I hope this helps for those of you wanting to try it out. Good luck and let me know what you think!

Can I just tell you that this is the BEST $2.42 I've ever spent? Seriously, I feel like I just won the lottery. (well, maybe it's not that good...but it's pretty darn close) The Rustoleum Spray Grip is fantabulous! It fits any spray can and makes quick easy work of big spray paint jobs. I had seen it around blogland, and to be honest, I was a bit skeptical. But, for under $3 I was willing to try it.

I will never go back to spray painting without this little contraption.
It RAWKS!


I have a small confession...I don't really enjoy spray painting, and I'm not very good at it. I usually try to pawn it off on my hubby. He is the spray paint king! He takes pain staking care and his attention to detail is nothing short of amazing. You think I'm kidding...but I'm totally serious. Everything he has ever painted for me is absolutely perfect. So you see why I try to get him to do my work for me, right?



No more! From here on out, I WILL do my own work. The spray grip really does make it a whole lot faster and much easier. And on top of that...no more spray paint finger. You know, the trigger finger covered and coated in whatever color you're using that is also throbbing in pain from holding down that tiny little nozzle for an hour? Yeah...no more of that.

On a side note...Hobby Lobby has a huge selection of housewares for 80% off. I got some great stuff today to revamp my mantle. First I have to give some of it a tiny makeover. I'll show you what I'm doing with it later this week!

Hanging Plates

I'm linking to an older post and joining in Amanda's Decorating Dilemmas Party. Be sure and visit Serenity Now for more dilemmas and solutions!

I don't know about y'all, but I absolutely love to hang plates on the wall. I think they are a beautiful and inexpensive way to fill up that empty wall space. Or add just the right finishing touch to an existing wall hanging. OR...

to cover up that hideously random phone jack from 1975. Can you see it? Yes, I know that's funny... of course you can see it. Here let me show you a close up of it in all it's horrible splendor.




Yuck, right?
There was also another little box with no purpose that I took off. I attempted to remove the silver one, but when I did, I realized there was a big gaping hole in my wall with lots of unknown wires poking out from it.
Ummmmm...no thanks. I think I'll just cover it with some pretty plates instead!




I played with this arrangement till about 2:oo this morning. I'm a recovering perfectionist...what can I say? I really liked this one, but I was limited because the large platter HAD to go on top of the ugly box. It sits pretty low on the wall, so it looked weird to hang anything below it.




Now, I'm sure this tip is nothing new to y'all, but I had to share it anyway. I used to just eyeball the placement, and it looked ok. (Remember...I'm a LAZY perfectionist). But if you want it to look really good AND have the option of playing around with the arrangement... with no commitment...then do this. Take all your plates and trace them onto a sheet of paper, cut them out, and use double stick tape on the back. Now you can play around with placement till the cows come home. When you get it just right and you love every single thing about it...then you're ready to hammer in those plate hangers and make some holes in your wall!



Not only did I hide an ugly useless feature on my wall, I also was able to showcase some of my favorite collection. I got a box full of these beautiful brown and white ironstone dishes at a flea market several years ago for $20. I think there were 6 dinner plates, 2 dessert plates, 4 teacups and saucers, and an oval serving dish. The instant I saw them, I fell in love. I had absolutely no where to put them, but I knew that I was going to take them home. At the time we lived in a 1000 square foot apartment with 2 kids and 1 closet...for all 4 of us! I had no storage space and no china cabinet or buffet to display these lovely dishes on, but that didn't stop me. I eagerly brought them home and proceeded to hang them on my ugly white walls and display them on top of my hideous white laminate cabinets. They were worth every single last penny. What a difference they made to an otherwise stark and boring space. They brought life and personality to the decor of our little home. And they made me happy every time I looked at them. When we moved I packed them up and stored them in a closet. I am so happy to have them out again, gracing the walls of our new/old home. And now that I do, they make me happy all over again!

Junk Party!

Fun times, people! Kennesha is having a Junk Party and I am ALL about good junk!

Let the fun begin...

I got these great vintage t.v. trays at a Utah yard sale while on vacation. (Yes, I go to yard sales on vacation...doesn't everyone?) They were 25 cents a piece and I absolutely could not pass them up.

I love them as is, but I have plans to make them into magnet/message boards for my new workspace.




This was also a find while on vacation. I wanted it sooooo bad, but absolutely could not justify paying to have it shipped home. My sweet cousin Seth ( who was my yard sale host and driver) must have seen the pain and regret in my eyes, because he ended up buying it...for $3.

Is this not the cutest little chair ever? It has SO much potential. I feel good knowing it went to a loving home!

Ahhhhh...books. Junky old books at that...one of my very favorite decorating accessories. The tan colored books in the back were salvaged from a condemned building. They are old law books for Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida. How cool is that? The small blue books were my great grandmother's. They even have her handwritten name on the first page. What a treasure! The other stack is from my husband's grandmother. And that is only a tiny sampling of the books she gave us...there are lots more. I love to use them mixed in with my decor...leaning up against things, elevating small pieces, pretty much anywhere. Some people probably see them and think junk. Well, I do too...the only difference is, I think they are fabulous junk!

This dresser sat on my sister's porch for many years. It was loved, but a bit neglected. When the time came to get rid of it...I willingly took it. I think it makes a beautiful buffet. But, unfortunately I needed the room for some of my crafts, so now it serves as my craft station.

There's more of my treasured junky books!

And last, but certainly NOT least...what junk collection would be complete without an old chippy window? I have been wanting one of these so bad. I scanned the trash while driving down the street, I watched for them at yard sales, I cruised the thrift store aisles...with no luck. But a few weeks back my sister told me she had something for me. They are in the middle of a major renovation right now. And who did they think of before throwing out all those great old windows? ME, me, me! I can't wait to get it hung up. I think it will be lovely against my dark chocolate walls. There are so many possibilites for what I could do with it, but for now I think I'll leave it. I like it just the way it is!

Trash to Treasure Mini

Kimm, if it makes you feel any better...I totally copied my trash to treasure idea for today from YOU! I feel ya girl. The lazy days of summer it is NOT. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? I'm trying not to feel totally lame for my shameless copy job. My laundry room needed just a little sprucing up...with little time and no money. I got this cute black cabinet recently for $3, but it looked a little sad and plain all alone in the laundry room. So I rifled through my huge stash of frames and found the ugliest possible one. I sprayed it black, sanded it down real good, added some cute polka dot scrapbook paper, and my initial...and called it good! The topiary is from Dollar Tree. I painted the pot black and added some cute ribbon...and voila...it doesn't look like dollar store crap anymore.

Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the ugly frame before I painted it. It was very similar to this one, but uglier. Yes, that IS possible. These are some butt ugly frames, but hey...they were free. I rarely pass up free, especially if I can give it new life!

I so wish I could take credit for this beauty. It was in my inspiration file, and I just had to share it with y'all. This is a great example of trash to treasure. They just took an old scruffy nasty globe and painted it with chalkboard paint.

GENIUS!

How stinkin cute is that? I LOVE it.

For more trash to treasure projects and inspiration, head on over to Reinvented.

Weekend Thrifting

First of all, let me say thank you to Ms. Rhoda for hosting this weekly link up. I love to share my thrifty finds, and even more I love to see what other's have scored on their thrifting adventures. With that being said...let the sharing begin!

I got a late start yesterday because I overslept (ooohhhh, it felt so good). Even though I didn't make it out till almost 10 am, I still scored some goodies. The large swirly green fabric in the background was 25 cents. I think it's almost a yard. I am so excited because it coordinates perfectly with my girls' room. I wish I had more because I want to use it for pillows, valances, bulletin boards, and more. Oh well, I can make do with what I got! The two small white shelves were $1 for both. They were black in a previous life and then painted white. Absolutely perfect conditions for when I started sanding and distressing them. I think I'll add a little stain to age them a bit more. The gold starburst mirror was $2. I LOVE it. Do you think it would be as cute painted white? That's my plan, but I'm open for suggestions. I know it's a bit small, but in a grouping I think it will shine! I have always wanted one of those big beautiful starbursts with the mirrored rays. Maybe one day I'll hit the motherload and find one while thrifting...a girl can dream, right?

This chippy bucket was only $1. I am already using it on my desk to hold a notebook, pens, and various whatnots.




See that price tag on the bottom? Marshall's $12.99 (compare at 20.00)


SCORE for 1 measly dollar!


What wonderfully fabulous treasures did you score this weekend?

Recovering from Vacation

I think I forgot to tell y'all that I was going on vacation. For the 5 people who read this...we've been in Utah for the last 9 days. We had a wonderful time visiting with family we don't get to see very much. I think we packed in about 3 weeks worth of stuff into 1 week. It was crazy busy, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I miss it so much already. Especially the unseasonably cool weather we got to enjoy. We probably wore hoodies every single day. For me it was an absolute treat...the best trip gift EVER! I am all about nice cool weather. Yes, this southern girl HATES the heat. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but I deplore the unbearable heat and humidity. Do you know what we came back to? 96 degrees with 95% humidity. Do you know what that feels like? Yucky, sticky, sweaty...ALL.THE.TIME. Let's just say I can't wait to get our hillbilly pool back up and running! Oh sweet relief!

I have some Utah yard sale finds to share, but I think I'll wait for my new friend Kennesha's Junk Party on June 18th. Yes, I found the time to hit some yard sales while I was there. My frugalicious cousin Seth and his sweet girlfriend Sierra invited me to go thrifting with them Saturday morning. We didn't have much time, but we had so much fun. I hated having to pass up some big ticket items, but I just couldn't justify shipping pieces of furniture home. I did, on the other hand, buy an extra suitcase to bring some treasures home with me! There are some awesome stores in Utah...Tai Pan Trading, Rod Works, IKEA, and D.I....just to name a few. I could have filled up numerous suitcases with everything I WANTED to buy...but I didn't.

And last...but certainly not least...I'd like to introduce you to a new blog friend of mine, Kennesha. She is a fellow southern girl from neighboring Alabama, who now resides in Hawaii. She has the most adorable blog,

Me & My House,

and is hosting a Junk Party next Thursday June 18th. You know I am ALL about looking for, finding, enjoying, lovely junk. So I think this party will be a ton of fun, and well worth the visit. Hop on over to Me & My House and show Kennesha some bloggy love. I'm telling ya, you won't regret it. There is plenty of eye candy to enjoy! And mark your calendars for June 18th's Junk Party!

Paint Party!

I have been looking forward to this since Melissa asked me if I'd like to participate about a month ago. And although I do have some favorite paint colors of my own, I am soooo excited to see the inspiration of others. Actually, I am about ready for a change in color at my house. We've been in our house about 2 and half years and my colors are starting to get on my nerves. I do love them, but I can't wait to see some new fresh colors!

This is our main bathroom that everyone uses. The color is a soft shade of aqua. It is from Lowe's and is called Sea Air. I lurrrrve it. It is very calming and relaxing and spa like.

Another view of the powder room. I actually found that shower curtain first and then decided on the wall color. Is that backwards?

Paint chip.

This color in my girl's room is the softest sweetest shade of pink EVER.
Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the exact color. But it's from Sherwin Williams and is the very lightest shade of pink that they have.

Now, this room is somewhat controversial. People either love it or they hate it. There's not much middle ground. I happen to love it. It is called Turkish Coffee from Sherwin Williams. This is a deep dark chocolate brown. I think it is beautiful with bright white trim and any shade of blue...preferably aqua!

And of course, a post on favorite paint colors would not be complete without naming my spray paint faves...right? Pretty much any brand of black satin is good. And Rustoleum's Heirloom White is a great stand by. It looks good on just about anything, and gives great coverage.

THANK YOU

to Melissa for hosting this fun and fabulous party. I can't wait to see what everyone has to share!

Goodwill Party&Thrifty Treasures

I am thrilled to be linking up with 2 of my favorite bloggy friends today. Ms Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is hosting her weekly Thrifty Treasures Party, and Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick is having a Goodwill Party. How fun is that? Sadly, I cannot think of much else that would make me happier. Thanks ladies for hosting us!

Now on to the treasures...

I got an extra early start Saturday morning to get to a sale that I spotted in an exclusive neighborhood. In fact, after I got there the lady having the sale told me she was keeping it real low key because they are not even allowed to have yard sales in this particular neighborhood. Hoity Toity.

She had some reeeeeaaaaally good stuff. The garage was full, and so was the utility room, the kitchen, and two rooms inside.

Score one for me!

I so wish I had had more money and more space and more time...all of which I had little. So I carefully looked over every single wonderful thing and made some hard decisions. The 2 large frames above were each marked $12, which was a good price to start with considering those are some heavy, good quality, highly detailed frames. They even had a stamp on the back from a very upscale frame shop in town. I asked her if she would give me a deal if I bought both and she said, sure...$15 for both.

Sold.

I plan to take the prints out and paint the frames either white or black deoending on where I decide to put them. The picture really doesn't do them justice. They are big and chunky and have beautiful intricate detail.

Love.Them.

Oh sweet nest! This sucker is huge. It was brand new in the box with a tag still attached. I paid $4 for it and was giddy with excitement!

Compared to the bench you can see the scale of this thing. I have no idea where to put it, but it was love at first sight. The picnic basket was $3 and I plan to paint it aqua blue. Can't wait for that! Now, the bench did not come from a yard sale. My mom got that for me at a thrift store on one of her trips. I just think it is the cutest thing ever. It will be even cuter when I give it a new upholstered seat.

Look at that lovely scroll work. I am sure she didn't pay more than $10 for it. She is the Queen of thrift and more than likely paid pennies for it. Seriously, her thrifty talents are enviable. That is a post in and of itself. Maybe sometime soon I will introduce you to my sweet mother and her amazing abilities. Her all time favorite place to shop is a store called Dirt Cheap, if that tells you anything. She is the master and I bow to her!

To see more wonderful treasures and Goodwill projects and finds...hop on over to Southern Hospitality and Thrifty Decor Chick!