Trash Picking 101: The Oar

This beautiful thing

was once here

Yup, that's right...definitely my neighbors' trash can. 

In proper garbage picking fashion, I waltzed over there, shoeless and in my p.j.s, to grab it. You gotta be quick in this 'hood. Good stuff goes quickly!

There was so much potential in this rustic piece that I couldn't pass it up. With a bedroom redo underway, I was looking for artwork to fill the newly painted walls.

With a little cleaning up,

help from the Pup,



some white paint

and the perfect display spot

I got this and I'm so in love with the accidental beachy theme I created. The full bedroom reveal is coming soon, promise!

I know I'm not the only trash picker out there...right? Tell me about your best garbage find!

<3 dani

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Plastic Pot Covers

This morning it was 34 degrees outside. Yesterday, it was colder. I guess that means it's time to take in my mums. I probably should have taken them in before Halloween (you'll agree when you see how pathetic they look), but they finished off the outside decor so nicely.

Bringing them inside created an issues because I have zero extra pots to put them in and turns out most stores stop selling planting pots when November hits. I can't have ugly black plastic pots inside my house! So, I came up with this:

See how sad those mums looks? In general, I don't have a green thumb. In fact, the way my plants die, it's like I don't have thumbs at all. I'm hoping that bringing these little guys inside will bring them back to life. As of this morning, they are looking better, but are still in plant ICU.

There wasn't much precision involved in this project (like usual) and I had to make sure not to cover the bottom drains.

I took some left over brown ribbon, some hot glue and brown packaging paper and went to town. Seriously, I just guessed how much paper I would need, cut it out and folded it down to make it fit perfectly (or as perfect as I get). Then glued it on, tied it off with ribbon and added a little piece of fall for decoration. It may not look as good as a new pot, but it definitely masks the unappealing black pots.

Now if only there was a craft to bring my plants back to life...sigh...any suggestions?

<3 dani

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Duct Workin' It Out

A few weeks ago, I got rid of my counter top spice rack. As much as I love my current utensil holder, my plan was to find a larger one. Not only will this fill in the open space the spice rack left, but it would allow me to keep more utensils out and available. So far, I've had no luck finding a style or a price that suits me.

I made a quick pit stop at Menard's today to pick up a furnace filter and when I turned the corner, I saw this:

Okay, okay. I didn't see that, exactly, but I did see this:



and figured I could definitely turn a couple dollars of duct work into a kitchen utensil holder.

It's open on both ends and kinda sharp, so a little modification was in order.

I made a bottom by tracing a circle onto cardboard, cutting it out and gluing it on.

Clearly, keeping a clean edge wasn't important to me, but I can totally rationalize that. One, I didn't want the sharp edge to poke through and B) it's clear glue...

To be sure the bottom wasn't going to bust out the first time I mashed a spoon in there, I dribbled some glue on the inside too. Even prettier.

This is when I thought I was done. I took it upstairs and put my utensils in it...it was too tall. I couldn't see anything in it. So lame. Back downstairs I went.

I grabbed a pair of needle nose pliers and went to town, bending and curling. I was sure to turn in the sharp corners.

and here it is, before and after

p.s. - my fantastically creative ceramics BFA college roomie made all of the beautiful pottery you see in our house, including this piece. 

I'm going to keep searching, but for the time being, this industrial looking piece might work.

<3 dani

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S.L.E.E.P. A Little Reminder

I'm slowly finishing our bedroom. Seriously, by the time I give you the full reveal, I'm sure all the bits and pieces I'm showing you will be shifted around the room. But you'll get the idea, smart little cookies.

Wall art lettering and I are getting along very well lately. The bathroom has a sign that says "BATH." The living room mantel has a big "S" on it. In the dining room hangs "Live, Laugh, Love." You see the trend, right?

I cannot leave the master bedroom out of the cool crowd, so here's what I did:

It started out as a different project than it ended. The ribbon wasn't ever part of the equation, but I found it at Salvation Army for like .50. I had always pictured it reading horizontally. Where I had originally wanted it to hang will now be the home to something I pulled from my neighbors garbage...(seriously...I'll post about that this week too), but here we sit and here it hangs -- above the dresser.

I used:

five letters from Hob Lob ($1ish each)

ribbon

craft paint

hot glue

Then I glued my letters on to my ribbon.

And hung it up.

Oops, I forgot to tell you about the little bow I put on the top. That was just extra ribbon smooshed into a shape that resembled a bow, held together with some hot glue. Nothing fancy.

The Hubs asked if I hung that "just in case we forget what to do in here?" Exactly, dear.

I'm still trying to decide if the ribbon works, or if the ribbon makes it look like it belongs in a child's bedroom. Whatcha think?


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