whitewashed.

As Christmas approaches and decorating is in full swing, I had a chance to (finally) finish some of my projects (and surprisingly it hasn't taken a year to post about it!)

I was looking for some owls awhile back and managed to find these scary guys off Craigslist.

there's a new meaning to Angry Birds.

With a good cleaning with TSP and a couple of coats of white glossy spray paint, these ominous owls were transformed into some bodacious birds. Well, at least less angry.

now they're holding up my little collection of old Shakespeare books I got at a garage sale for $5.

Another project was a bit of an unexpected one. My poor hubby and I drove about 45 minutes away to pick up a console that I saw on Craigslist. For a good 30 minutes my hubby tried shoving the beast into our car, nearly ripping our doors and seats just to make the trip worth it... to no avail, we drove away without the table, and with our tails between our legs.
Well... as luck would have it, when we turned the corner someone had a bunch of junk on their lawn for pick up, and I noticed this beauty.

well... more of a beast than a beauty, but after much pleading, my *poor* husband reached his long arm into the garbage from the passenger window and we drove off 'tray' happy ;) I was, at least.

like the saying goes: 'another man's garbage, is another man's treasure'...

With a really extensive scrubbing (the cheap wood-like crapola on the top HAD to go!), with a good spray of white glossy paint, and with a custom cut mirror glued to the tray...

it now sits prettily on our coffee table.

I found that glass egg canister at Goodwill for $1.50 and filled it with Turquoise jelly beans.. they're not only a pretty colour, but yummy too! And that acrylic deer was from a grocery store that was originally $8.00, but I got it for $5. 

I've been wanting a mirrored tray for quite some time and saw some really pretty ones on the market...

this is an example of one I loved at Chapters-Indigo, but the antique mirrored tray was selling for a steep $59.50

Altogether mine cost $10! 

tray = free

paint = used what I already had, free

custom cut mirror = $10.

take that, Indigo.

Project #3 was a bit of a doozy. I picked this table/credenza up for $25.

It was a heavy piece, and I wasn't quite sure about the size. It wasn't tall enough to use as a console in a high-traffic area, and only the middle 'door' opened (the other two look like doors, but they don't open at all).
It sat around for about a month while I pondered it use and how I could improve it (while I pondered, it became a dumping ground... as you can see from the picture)

With much deliberation (unfortunately I took all of the process pictures on a camera that I no longer have the cord to upload it onto my computer), but I decided to paint it a light grey (I know, alarmingly I decided something other than glossy white! Does the title of this post make sense now?), spray paint the handles a gold and place it in a strange nook at the top of our stairs that otherwise remained useless...

gotta love the trimless floors and door frames... and that hideous wood panel is crying out to be stained a darker colour.

Some more pictures (using a better camera than my iPhone) :)

 the original hardware was spray painted gold (it complimented the light grey of the credenza nicely)

 I added a framed postcard I picked up when visiting Paris & used a dollar store frame that I spray painted (I love the dollar store!)

The mirror on the top was another CL find (it's exactly the same vanity mirror as the one in my downstairs hallway). Here's a picture of what it looked like before.

 Rather than getting it for $5 like the last, I got this one for free!

After taking off the other side panels, using wood filler to plug the screw holes along the side, sanding it down, priming andddd of course, spraying it with white glossy paint, it's currently residing in our home.

As for some details that are a bit more Christmassy...

I managed to find a console for $15 on CL and decided it would be a temporary fireplace mantle.

  

if you look close you can see the very thing that makes me cringe...

I guess 'stockings hung by the printer and wire box with care' doesn't have the same ring to it...

you can't stop looking at it too, right? 

Well, I guess I can talk about the stockings now that you see them. I bought cheapo white ones from Wal-mart for $5.00, and added a felt poinsetta that I was inspired to make when perusing one of my favourite blogs, Centsational Girl. These were so easy and fun to make.

I bought felt snowflake ornaments that I found at Canadian Tire on sale for 33 cents each and glued on glitter letters left over from my wedding seating chart. 

I do have some other unfinished projects, but I'll post those at a later date.

Can you believe Christmas is exactly 15 days away?!