Planter – Before & After August 15, 2011

I picked up this little planter a few weeks back at the Salvation Army for a quarter.  It was in sad shape, a little dirty and dingy.  Would you have picked it up?  I liked the details of it and knew with some spray paint magic it would perk up. 

 

     

 

I chose Sunshine Yellow spray paint by Krylon in gloss finish.  I wanted a pop of color for my desk and knew this sunny yellow would do the trick.  I washed away the dirt first and then started spray painting it.  After a few coats of spray paint (I did not use primer on this piece), I added a cactus plant with some pea gravel and VIOLA, so much better! 

 

 

Here are shots from overhead and from a different angle. 

 

  

 

This peppy planter sits with 3 other plants on my desk.  Here are a few pictures of my other plants on my desk. 

 

 

In case you want to know the names of each plant, in clockwise order starting with the turquoise planter…

Mother-In-Law‘s Tongue or Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), Buddha’s Hand (also called by many other names – Hooded Dwarf, or Hawaiian Hearts Elephant Ear, Chinese Taro, or Alocasia cucullata), a type of Barrell Cactus, and ???.  I do not know the type of cactus in the yellow planter.  Sorry! 

 

 

 

 

 

My that planter looks so much better!  Here is a side-by-side comparison. 

 

  

 

 

 

Definitely worth the $.25 I paid for it.  I had all the other supplies on hand.  I like the added pop of color to my desk.  Do you decorate with plants?  I have them all over the house, 9 in my office alone! 

 

Bedroom Before/After July 3, 2011

Hello!  Hello! 

 

We still have two days left of the long weekend!  Yea for 3-day weekends!

 

Is it just me or does it seem that I can normally get the house clean and tidy, except for one room…Our bedroom!  Ugh!  By leaving this room as the last one to get cleaned, it rarely gets cleaned and picked up.  Today I changed up the cleaning order!

 

Our bedroom just was not working for me anymore.  The bedspread was too heavy and fall-ish”…dark brown.  I was tired of looking at the same mantle stuff.  And of course there are clothes to put away.  So today I was determined to clean/update our bedroom.  I could have worked on other parts of the house – I have piles of “stuff” scattered all over the house, literally.  So after a few hours of picking up and updating the look, here are the before/afters of our bedroom. 

 

Before view from the bedroom door

I put anything that was on the floor onto the bed.

 

 

 

There is a chair under here, I promise. It is playing hide and go seek and I forgot to go seek.

The chair is so easy to pile stuff on.  I kid you not, I removed 1 bedspread, 1 down comforter, 3 pillows, my hospital bag from MARCH and a load of laundry out of this chair! 

 

Before view towards the bedroom door.

Anyone want/need a hospital gown?  I have one on my dresser.  Don’t ask.

 

 

Before look of the mantle

I love the painting, I am just tired of looking at it for now.  It was a great thrift store find a few years back.  $10! 

The “Listen to your Heart” sign is a favorite of mine.  It has been moved to the kitchen. 

The Love plaque is in my Valentine’s Day décor box. 

The kissing people may go in the yard sale. 

The 2 vases and plate on the left will be packed away for the time being.   

 

 

 

And the After pictures:

I spent $3 sprucing up the bedroom.  I bought the bedspread and two pillow shams earlier this week from Salvation Army.

 

 

I think the wrought iron piece is a little too high, but the hanging support was already there so I went with it. 

I have a weakness for buying colored glass, especially in blues, turquoises, and greens.

 

 

 

This bedroom set is the 1st set I bought for myself a few years back.  I am considering painting it white one day. 

Some thing needs to go above the bed.  Will work on that. And I would like new lamps, or at least new lamp shades. 

 

 

 

 

The tree covers up a hole in the plaster where we had plumbing repairs performed.  Patching it is on the to-do list, but we are waiting until we get ready to put the house on the market to make the repairs..

 

 

 

 

If we were going to live here for a few more years, a few updates I would make to this room mainly involve painting.  The ceiling and walls currently are a yellow color with a hint of green.  Depending on the lighting, the color can go more green looking, but it is not a pretty green in my opinion.  I would prefer (I think) a medium gray color for the walls that will really pop against the crown molding and trim.  Not sure what color I would paint the ceiling, but it definitely would be changed from the yellow ick color.

 

In the vanity area, I would remove the wall paper lickety-split.  I hate dislike the wall paper strongly.  Then I would paint, but I am not sure what color.  I would also replace the vanity top and sink vessels.  The current sinks are seashell scallop shaped…awesome!  LOL!  The mirror above the vanity is coming with me when we move.  I love it.  I want to paint the frame, but oh I love its curves.   

 

Ahhh, the bedroom is so refreshing now. I love how it turned out. Should make for peaceful rest tonight.

Have you made any updates to your bedroom lately?  Please share! I love before and afters! 

 

On the agenda for tomorrow?  Start on a terrarium and bake 2 cheesecakes.  Yum Yum! 

 

Good’n Tired for now.