Another Quick Before and After - Let there be Light!

If you have read my blog for a while you probably know that I don't get around to actually doing a lot of what I want to do.  I make big plans, but then take a while to carry them through.  Some might call that procrastination - I just call it lazy being thorough.  Making sure before I start anything..

Back here I worked up a wish list for my dining room.  OMG that was literally a YEAR ago. The only thing that has been accomplished in that room (until now) was the hanging of the gold mirror. Period.

I still haven't painted the room, or found/made the perfect tablecloth, or painted the table, but last weekend I did do one thing.... and if you follow me on Instagram you probably saw a peek!  What I really, really have always wanted is a beautiful brass and crystal chandelier - that costs around $2500!  We all know THAT ain't happenin' for some time..  And then it hit me (like, I-coulda-had-a-V8 kinda hit me) why don't I Rub N' Buff the light fixture?!?  DUH.

This thang - in my humble opinion - had an enormous case of the Uglies.  (Don't let Hubby hear that because he picked it out and he really liked it - oops)  I mean the boring metal and those brownish globes!  It just wasn't jiving in here.  Enter Rub N' Buff in Grecian Gold.

I didn't even clean it very well - I took the globes off, dusted it with a rag real quick, and started rubbing and painting. I'm a little impatient when it comes to getting things going.. I just want to jump right in.

 (i spy someone in the mirror hehe - oops!)

 I couldn't BELIEVE how great it was turning out!  I was in love!  I used a small artist paint brush for most of it, but on the long, flat pieces that swoop up I just used my finger.  Just like when I painted my bench, I used a small amount of deglosser in a little bowl.  I would dip the brush in the deglosser then drag it through the Rub N' Buff that was poking out of the tube.  (And alas, as usual, I didn't photograph that part - I was so excited about how this thing was looking!)  Sammy at Renew Redo has great instructions for using Rub N' Buff here...

Can you get over how it is the same gold as the mirror?  Why had I not done this MONTHS ago?  Why?  Once I was finished all I needed to do was run to Lowe's and grab some new globes~

I am seriously in love with the light now.  If I don't get my fancy brass and crystal chandelier for a while it won't matter because I think this baby is perfect!  Once I put the new globes on you could see the white socket thingy that holds the bulb.  Hubby suggested I go ahead and paint the sockets gold too, so I did..

I love how the Rub N' Buff doesn't cover like stray paint; it has depth.

It took me a few hours to do this - I did not take the fixture down, so I kinda got a little crick in my neck, but it was totally worth it.

So yeay!  I have a "new" chandelier for about $17 (the cost of the 5 globes and part of the tube of Rub N' Buff).  I still have almost the entire tube of Rub N' Buff left that I can use on another project.  Next I will be painting the room gray.  Hubby needs to do a little maintenance on the wainscoting in the room first, then we'll be ready to go.

So tell me what you think about my chande!  Do you like it?  Think it's pretty?  As usual I have been dragging people in to look at it~~

Have a great week people!  And shout out to my youngest, Robbie, on his 14th birthday today!! Love you kid!

Linking up with Thrify Decor Chick!

 

Love, Kelli

Happy Valentine's Day

It's a fun day, isn't it?  Full of pretty hearts and lots of love!  Since I didn't do any wonderfully sweet craft/dinner/breakfast/card or anything else like that for my family to show you - I thought it would be nice to share some things that OTHER bloggers did..  Here are some of the blogs I follow and the cool & crafty stuff they are up to.  Yes, I have blog envy :/

{Hi Sugarplum!}

{Angie in the Thick of It}

{For the Love of Cooking}

{Young House Love}

Hope you all have a beautiful Valentine's Day!

Love, Kelli

Crafty! Arm-Knitting

Hello!  It's a beautiful day here in Georgia.. cold, but the sun is shining and that goes a long way toward making it a good day.

Have you ever seen a craft/project on Pinterest that you thought was awesome so you pinned it?  Yes!  I love finding stuff to pin!  I'll sit for hours finding recipes, outfits to wear, fun things to do..  But I realized I haven't been so good about doing the things that I have pinned... Am I the Lone Ranger here?  Exactly..  So recently I found this pin and immediately thought of my BFF, Joanne, who knows how to knit (I don't) and thought, if anyone could figure this out it would be her.  So I sent her the link and thought, okay, one of these days we'll do this.. (haha, yeah Right!)

Source: Simply Maggie

Isn't that the coolest scarf?  So warm and cozy looking!  I wanted one so bad.  The opportunity presented itself a couple weeks ago when I was working on my curtains and my sewing machine started acting up..  I had to finish just one hem, so I called Joanne and asked for her help.  She was wonderful and told me to come right over. 

She not only hemmed my curtain for me, she also says "hey I figured out how to do the arm knitting, do you want to make a scarf?"  (Seriously?  I just sent the link to her three days before!  Dang, she's good)  I wasn't sure there was enough time, because you know, I had to get home, make dinner, be the mom, blah blah blah.. (I mean, really, I can't actually take time to DO something like a CRAFT; two in one day is just outrageous) but she's like, no, seriously, this takes about 30 minutes..  And it did.

Sorry for the crummy pictures - I took them with my crummy phone because I was not prepared! (see my curtains in the background there?)  Joanne is a "DOer"  She doesn't say "oh I can't do that" if something seems complicated..  no, she says "humm, how can I do that?"  She's awesome and has been one of the most influential and inspirational people in my life.  Love her!

So if you are interested in making one of these for yourself you should go to Simply Maggie's blog and watch her awesome tutorial!  I love my scarf!  

The yarn Joanne bought cost about $9.  She got it at Hobby Lobby, but I'm sure you could get it anywhere they sell knitting stuff. So, yeah, you get a super hip scarf, you get to say you made the scarf, and the price is unbeatable.   I made mine a little larger then Maggie's.  I, uh, have to be able to get it off quickly... like super quick if I start getting hot.. hot flash hot.. and so as not to mess up my hair either.  So, am I the Lone Ranger here?  Didn't think so.

What Pinterest projects have you done/attempted/completed?  I would love to hear about them!  I would also love to know that I'm NOT alone in pinning lots and doing little.. 

There are obviously so many awesome pinners out there.. Some of my favorite people to follow on Pinterest:

Sheaffer Sims

Jillee

Sammy - Renew Redo

You can follow me on Pinterest here.  And you can follow Joanne's here, but honestly, she's out there Doing stuff, not sitting here pinning stuff.

Have a great weekend!!

Love, Kelli