Make Your Own Pottery Barn Look-a-like Lamp

Why pay high prices for the looks that you like for your home? It is much more fun to recycle and redesign items into the looks you like. I fell in love with a Pottery Barn lamp. Needless to say it was well over $100.00. So I decided to make my own. I kept my eye out for lamps at the local Goodwill. During one trip I found matching wooden bases. Then all I needed were the perfect size of matching shades.  Bases, shades and the following items were all I needed to make my version of a "Pottery Barn" look-alike lamp:

Enough burlap to cover shades
White Flat Spray
Paint Black Flat Spray Paint
Paint Adhesive Spray Paint
Trim
Hot Glue Gun
Scissos

 

Find a base you like.

 

 

Spray a light coat of flat white spray paint.

 

 

Spray with flat black spray paint.

 

 

Sand off edges to allow the white to come through giving a  vintage look.

 

 

Next find a shade that has a good size and shape in proportion to base.

 

 

You will need enough burlap to cover shade.

 

 

Cut burlap to fit shaed.  (Note: You will need to cut on bias.)  Spray adhesive to fabric and cover shade.

 

 

Glue trim to give a clean edge.

 

 

And for less than $30.00 I have two lamps I love.  (And obviously my daughter loves them because somehow they ended up in her room!)

 

 

Leave comments with ideas you might like to share.

 

 

 

 

DIY Pillow Form (A Recycling Project)

To recycle cotton cut old pillow casing away from cotton.

  

 (Or you may purchase cotton.)

Use light weight cotton for cover.

 Iron if needed.

Create a straight edge the size of pillow you desire.

Create a square or rectangle.

With right sides of fabric together pin around all edges.

Mark two “Xs” for starting and ending place.

Starting a “X” stitch a 5/8 allowance.

At corners raise pressure foot and lower needle and pivot.

Stop at “X

Clip all four corners.

Turn pillow casing right side out and stuff.

Stitch up opening.

You have recycled an old pillow into a new pillow form. To cover pillow form see: Decorative Pillow Form Cover Tutorial

Laundry and Life

Laundry is a bit like life.  Each day it builds from the day before.  There are things to be sorted out.  Sometimes there is dirt to be dealt with. Some problems need to be tended to quickly and others can be put at the bottom of the pile. Some items need to be handled with care while others can take a beating.  And if it's not tended to daily it will undoubtedly become overwhelming!

Get in There and Dig!

The first day of the month brings about a lot of great deals if you don't care to get in there and dig.  Dig, search, and wait in line.  It's all worth it when you find your favorite brand of pants for $2.15 and they still have new tags.  Cashmere sweaters, down vest, jeans, shirts, pants, and much more.  American Eagle, Hollister, Ann Taylor, Victoria Secret, and Ralph Lauren.  Lamps, wreaths, pictures, and frames.  Cookbooks, decorating books, and novels.   Wow! The latest Harry Potter book in hardback.  It looks like it has never been cracked open.  Crowded aisles, long lines, smiling people, and carts filled to the rim.   Check it out!  Goodwill Saturdays.  First day of the month and 1/2 off tags. Take yourself, take your daughter/son or husband, take your friend.  Something for everyone!  If you don't care to get in there and dig!

Fashion Finds.

Dress and Boots $14.00.

Goodwill a great place to find items to redesign or recycle.  Check out: 

No More Ugly Ducklings

What's In Your Purse?

"I can't find my keys!"  I thought I put them in the side pocket.  Oh there is my fingernail file that I was looking for.  Oh, well.  Now where are my keys?  Wow! Why does anyone need four lipglosses?  And two of them are the same color.  Back to my keys.  I really need to start using the keyfinder.  That is such a neat little gadget.  You hook it to the side of your purse and there they are when you need them.  "Then why don't I use it?"  Lotion, coupons, receipts, open bilfold, gum, gum wrappers, ooh...gum wrapper with gum, earrings, more receipts, date book (need to schedule time to clean out my purse), and much more.  Finally keys!!! 

Does my purse say something about me?  About my home, my life?  Unfortunately it kind of does.  I am constantly organizing but never organized.  I love shopping for baskets, containers, and folders.  Everything I need to get organized.  I am "a work in progress".  Just ask my girls.  Ask them where the  toaster is?  The cookie sheets?  The cups?  Etc.  Odds are that I have reorganized the kitchen AGAIN.  Searching for that perfect arrangement.  The one that makes sense. Then why do I find myself here, in a state of disarray? 

I guess life is like our purses.  Sometimes you can find what you are looking for.  Sometimes you have to dig for it.  Sometimes you hang on to things you don't need.  And occasionally it gets turned upside down and you have to pick up the pieces and put it back together again.  

Now where is that phone bill that I need to pay?

What is in your purse?

Approval From the Little Birds

I shared my thoughts and ideas with my girls about becoming a "blogger" and developing an outlet for my thoughts,  ideas, expertise(if you will) and projects.  They seemed to be excited not only for me I might say, but maybe for themselves as well.  A little focus off of them gives them some room to grow and breathe.   I read my first blog to them and approvalling they said, "Mom that's actually really good".  They were giving me tips an ideas.   And of course that made my heart swell.  So in ""Emptying the Nest" could I actually be creating companions, friends, with a common interest.  Hmmm...Time will tell. 

I hope all of you empty nesters will feel free to share your ideas and thoughts as well.  Maybe we could be in this "nest" together.

Fly Little Birds Fly!

So where did this blog come from?

Well, as I watch my daughters, ages 17 and 19, start to become independent young women ready to take on the world I realize I needed to find my way back into the world. Most of my time an energy has been devoted to being a mom. Approaching the empty nest is sad an exciting. While I choke back the tears as my daughters talk of moving out and moving on, I am told I need a hobby. So here I am. My attempt at fulfilling my days as I "Empty the Nest".