CHANDELIER MAKEOVER {Paint}

I have a candle chandelier in my kitchen.  I love it.  I think it brings a lot of character to the space.  We recently took it down to put up streamers for a party we were having.  Having it down for awhile made me realize how much it closes in the room.  I feel like my downstairs is so dark.  I am always trying to lighten it up.  I used to feel like it was light enough, but then I think our trees got big and now we get too much shade.  I am a person who needs sunlight…I think I am addicted to it actually.  So, I really dislike when any part of my house feels dark.

Anyway, I love my chandelier but I didn’t want to put it back up and make the room feel darker again.  I left it down for a long time.  But I finally decided to paint it and see how it would feel.

Here it is before.  I LOVED the rusty finish on it.  But it just wasn’t working in my house anymore. (The ribbon was part of a party decoration for my son’s milk and cookies party)

So, I hung it up from the swing set out back and started spray painting away.  I used a white color.  I finished it, brought it in and hung it up and didn’t love it.  It was just sooooo WHITE!

So, I took it down and glazed it.  It looks a little better now and I am getting used to it.  I may have to take it out back and spray it with some off-white paint.  We shall see.

Here it is now.

Don’t mind my messy table.  Ignore that I STILL haven’t painted those mirrors and hung them up.

Here you can see the glaze a bit.

What do you think?

 

GOOD FINDS @ GOODWILL {Thrifting}

My son had a birthday party to go to on Friday at a rock climbing place about 20 minutes from my house.  So, instead of wasting the gas to drive home and back again to pick him up, I used the time to go thrifting at Goodwill all ALONE!  I don’t get much time to be alone, so this was fun for me.  After I walked around Goodwill like a million times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything wonderful, I checked out and then went to get myself a bite to eat.  Most people think eating alone is lonely, but for a mom of 5 kids it is actually wonderful!  You can actually sit and enjoy your meal without having to get up even one time! 

I thought you might like to see what I got.  These items will all be transformed into something spectacular and then posted on this blog for you all to see!

First thing I found was this little thingamabobber.  I guess maybe it was for a candle or something?  Who knows.  I know just what I’m going to use it for!!  It was marked at $.50 but was half price so it was a quarter!

Then I found this lamp.  It works.  I really wanted to get a lamp but was being a bit gun shy when I thought the price was $15.  Then I found out it was half price so at $7.50 I decided to go for it!  The harp was bent a bit but I straightened it out with ease.  It will be getting a makeover and going in my living room.  I need to find a shade for it still.  I am debating on what color to paint it…safe white or fun blue???  hmmmmm

Up next are two of these super tall candlesticks!  I first picked them up thinking they were going to be a steep $12.99 each.  While I shopped I kept debating on whether I should buy them or not.  Then I found out it was half price on white stickers so they would only by $6.50 each.  That sealed the deal.  But, much to my delight I found out the price was for BOTH of them, so they were only $6.50 for both!  Aren’t they ugly now?  But they are going to be fabulous!  These will probably end up for sale once I am finished with them!

The last fun thing I picked up are these big wooden blocks.  I know you can make your own from a 4x4 but that sounds like a lot more work than buying them from Goodwill!  They will be getting a makeover asap!  They were $1.99!

There were some furniture pieces I wanted to get but I have vowed not to buy anything till I get my big buffet done and out of the garage.  LUCKILY, my husband gave me a coupon to get a really good paint sprayer for mother’s day!  I am  SUPER excited!!! So hopefully I will be able to bring home more furniture finds soon!

Do you thrift?  What have you found lately? 

30 Minute Craft-Sea Glass Candles

I had these cream colored pillar candles that were totally dented up thanks to my wonderful children knocking the candlesticks over with various balls and other effective methods.  They looked like crap.  I wanted to get some blue candles because I was adding some blue accents to my kitchen.  I couldn't find any.  So, I came up with this instead

I picked up a couple bags of this sea glass at the dollar store and hot glued it to the outsides of the candles.  I actually used a low-temp glue gun so it wouldn't melt the candle waz too much.  I love the way they turned out and I feel happy I didn't have to trash the candles and spend the money to buy new ones.  In true "Keeping it Real" fashion, I will tell you that the back sides of the candles aren't covered because I ran out of sea glass!  I went all the way around the top rim and around the sides, but there is probably 1/3 of the circumference on the back that is bare:)  Better not try to use these for a centerpiece!