My purty little budget friendly lamp makeover

A while back the girls and I made a run to Austin to see my mom and oldest chicken.  Before heading to mom's house, we ran to my MOST favorite Goodwill ever of all time!  (because as you can see, I have my priorities in perfect order!)

There are 2 areas I hit first before perusing the entire HOME section of the store.  The pictures/frames (which also is where the furniture is... but there's rarely anything earth shaking at this particular store) and the lamps.  I came across, not one... but a PAIR of the most FAAAABULOUS brass lamps!!  It was love at first sight!  And for $14.99 each... they were mine all mine :)

Well, since bringing them home, they've moved from room to room and have had shades that I knew weren't going to be their {forever} shades.

I've been on the lookout for something fun and funky and have had zero luck!  SO.... last night while at HomeGoods, I came across 2 matching drum shades in white!  They were a whopping $16.99 each (which is about $8 cheaper than WalMart!) and my mind started to race and the ideas were coming and coming and BAM!  I had a plan that was set into motion.

[if you know me, you know that once I have an idea it's literally 

"Katie bar the door!!  Momma's got crazy eyes!"  

SO I ran over to Michael's for some grois grain ribbon to make stripes on the shades.  BUT....  Sometimes while riding the crazy train, it gets derailed by something even MORE fabulous!! 

I spotted THE loveliest wrapping paper in the dollar fifty section!!

YES... 

wrapping. paper.

^^^ Here's the lamp and new white shade ^^^

 (good lord almighty I look skinny in this reflection!  I think momma's found a new mirror!)



And here's the lovely wrapping paper I put around the shade using double sided tape.

 

By the way... trim the paper!
A mistake I made here and had to go back to correct.
Because DUH!!!
You can actually SEE the trim thru the shade once the light is on! 

I tell ya.

I worry about me sometimes ;)

And yes, I do know there are two different bulbs in the lamps....
I am trying to decide which bulb I prefer.

The "daylight" on the left
or
The "soft light" on the right.

What do you think??

Either way... I am THRILLED with how fun and HAPPY they are!

Lookin all pretty and ready to greet you when you come thru the door :)
 and at $1.50 a roll... I can and WILL be changing these out....
often :)

 

**note to self**

when taking a picture of a mirror.... clean up the crap it'll reflect!  

geez!!

 Anywhoody~

Whacha think? 

 LEFT or RIGHT?

hugs,

k.

Lamp re-vamp

Most of you know, we are in the middle of buying a house, selling our house and moving to another city so, I've not blogged in a good long while... especially a crafty-how-to blog.  Well, today, I got my paint and my Frog tape out and re-vamped my lamp!

I found this funkadelic pendant light on Pinterest... and ohhhh how I want this in our new house!

Source: bellacor.com via Kristy on Pinterest

But this baby ain't cheap!  {$328.00}  And I'd need TWO!

So I started thinking about how I could have this look by re-vamping something I already have.

Welp, I came across a lamp that's just been sitting in a closet and I thought "Hey! I'mma try somethin".

So.. I took this here lamp 

(my sincerest apologies for the super crappy pictures!)

And I started making stripes using my tape. I used the width of the tape to "measure" my widths of the stripes.  

After all... it's Frog tape... the stuff is amazing because it doesn't remove the paint or leave any kind of residue behind. 

 &I used a black dry erase marker to mark my spots.

And I painted my striped black with regular ol' acrylic craft paint.

 I then taped over the black, leaving a teensy bit of the gold to show and painted off white (I just mixed white acrylic with a touch of gold) and got this...

I added some embellishing/personalization and VOILA!

I most definitely need a new shade!  Not diggin the shade!! 

And I'll also spray a glossy sealer over it for added protection. :)

  

((and again.. I am SOO sorry for the super crappy pictures))

But, otherwise..

Wha'cha think?  Not too shabby for a ditto, eh!?!

hugs,

k.


Linkin up @

two yellow birds decor 

Broad stripes and Bright stars

I have always had a love affair with the American Flag! ~Always~

When I was in 1st grade, I remember my teacher, Mrs. Landry, telling my mother something was "wrong" with me!  Why? Because I cried during the Star Spangled Banner.

(blah, blah,blah.. what can I say.. I have always had a very vivid imagination!)

So, in honor of Memorial Day and Independence Day, I made my own American Flag to hang proudly in my Family Room.

***

Big Daddy found a "half pallet" for me and I knew IMMEDIATELY I was going to use it for this purpose.

First, I spray painted the front and sides white.

Then I got just regular ol' craft acrylic paint in PRIMARY BLUE to make my backdrop for the stars.

I got lucky here because the nails were perfectly centered so I had an automatic guide!  {and if you know me even a smidge, you know the word "lucky" is seldom used  when describing or referencing myself ;)}

 

Then I painted my LIPSTICK RED stripes.  
(2 coats)

I couldn't find a sponge, but I did find a piece of Scotch brite hanging around so I used it as my star.

('cause I was not ABOUT to get in my car and go to the store to get a sponge in the middle of my project!!)

I like that it's kinda beachy looking too!

Ok.. so if you've counted the stars, which I KNOW you have,(don'chu lie.. you know you have! heehee) 

I didn't actually have enough space for all 50 states.  So just pick your favorite 40 and those are the one's being represented!

(only kidding... I don't have 13 stripes either, but it's a gesture people!  lol)

I love it!  But I think I'd love it even more if it were old looking... You know... Had a little LIFE in it!

Time to break out the sand paper!  

Oh yeaaaaaah babyy!!

(savin that for the reveal)

***

Next, you're gonna need to hang it.  This thing weighs 23 lbs, so a little tooth hanger ain't gonna do the trick.  You have to pull out the big guns!  Eye hooks (or D rings) and picture wire.

 

TA DAAAAA!!!! 

It's EXACTLY the way I pictured it! 

I L♥VE IT!

***

And now, in honor of Mrs. Landry, I sing for you....

The Star Spangled Banner 

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

 

 Let us not forget those who fight selflessly for OUR freedom every day!  
For those who lay down their lives and sacrifice for OUR freedom every day! 
Let us keep them safely in our hearts where prayer is ever present!

~Be blessed my friends~

hugs,

k.

Sharing the spirit at:

Serenity Now

Flamingo Toes

Twigg Studio

I Heart Naptime

You're Talking Too Much

HOH

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Our House Story

413 Sparrow Lane

In this house...

Hi.

My name is Kristy. And I am a Pinaholic!

I can never seem to get enough decorating/design OR crafts OR quotes OR just all in all whimsy! There are sooo many things I am determined to do and this little project ranked SUPER high on the list!

On Sunday, BD {Big Daddy} and I were riding out somewhere between the middle of nowhere and here and there.. On the side of the road was THIS little beauty... All lovely and weathered...

I'm pretty sure I was driving the man insane with my ranting "flip a U-ey.. FLIP. A. U-EEY!!"... but I'll do what it takes for a total score !

I knew immediately that it would be a great fit for a blank wall in my dining room! It's the first thing you see (if you turn your head to the left) when you walk thru our front door. AND the room is in the middle of an overhaul. Therefore, it's PERFECT!

So today, I got out an almost-empty-but-certainly-I-can-find-SOMETHING-to-paint-with-it paint I had left over from one of the many, many... many times I've painted a room in my house and roughly painted it.

I then free handed.... because I kinda like the "easy go lucky" look and I don't have a stencil.... the words that inspired me! Aren't they awesome! And just so you know, I think we have the LOUD part down to a science! ;)