Did you know that spray painting a chandelier is really simple? The
hardest part is getting it down. I wouldn't know how to do this, but
thankfully my husband is good with all of the electrical stuff.
When I first laid eyes on this chandelier it looked like this. It was pretty, but dated. And covered in many layers of dust.
I decided to paint it red. I think it was because of the roses.
A few years later I rearranged some things and decided to get rid of the red.
This is what it looks like today. Ok, the table and chairs are different, but I am saving that for another post.
Green was the perfect color to add to the breakfast room. It was just as simple to paint the second time around. And just in case you are wondering, the color is Ivy Leaf by Krylon.
Here are a few tips to keep this project simple.
-Dust the chandelier well.
-Hang
a chain with a hook to a sturdy tree branch. Then hang the chandelier
from the hook. This will make it really simple to get the spray paint to
all of the places it needs to get to on the chandelier.
-Give it a nice coat of spray primer.
-Once
it has been primed, you can start painting. Be sure to keep that spray
can about 10-12" away from the chandelier while painting.
-Several thin coats of spray paint are better than a few heavy coats. Heavy coats will cause the paint to drip.
-Let the chandelier hang until it is nice and dry, and then it is ready to re-install.
I've been on a smoothie kick for breakfast recently. I wanted to share my newest favorite with you. It's so good and so easy to for a quick on the go breakfast!
Pineapple Mango Smoothie
1 cup of diced frozen pineapple and mango
(I buy this in the frozen section at Sam's Club. It's diced really small)
8 to 12 ounces of orange juice
1 banana
1 handful of spinach
Blend in blender until nice and smooth.
Pour into your favorite cup or mason jar and enjoy!
Today I am talking about this painted urn that is on my frond porch. I was in the process of another project on the porch, so I only photographed one, but there is actually a pair.
I found these in my neighbors trash pile. Yes, they look rough. Yes, they are plastic. But, a little bit of black spray paint that is made for plastic, and they look as good as new. Very Simple!
Have you done any simple painted projects lately? If so, what did you paint?
Have you seen the new Erin Condren Teacher Planners yet? I am really excited about all of the changes they made.
This is my third year ordering an Erin Condren Teacher Planner and I was just as excited this time as I was when I ordered the first one. I don't normally like things that look like they are specifically for teachers, but I really liked the Good-To-Go cover this year. I didn't think I would ever not get a paisley cover; but it happened.
The back cover is my favorite part.The heart/apples are so cute mixed with the white font. Erin Condren is a pro at mixing colors and patterns.
Since I was already ordering the planner I went ahead and ordered the new pens. I will go ahead and tell you that they are not my favorite pens to write with, but they are beautiful.
Here is a break down of all the changes I noticed as I went through the planner.
1. The inside of the covers now have white space for list making and notes with a dry erase marker.
2. The clear pouch is no longer coiled into the back of the planner. It is separate and comes with coil clips so that you can put it where you want in the planner or use is separately. It also includes inspiration cards and a new sticker sampler. The new stickers are adorable!
3. The color scheme has been updated to jewel toned colors.
4. There are 3 lined notes pages in each month instead of just 1.
5. There are now 3 color options for the coil - original, gold, and rose gold
6. All of the monthly tab pages have been updated with new graphics and quotes.
7. The keep it together folder in the back has been redesigned. The front is still similar to the previous style, but the back side of the folder has this style of pocket.
8. The date dots are included. (Not sure if this is permanent or was a promotion.)
9. The stickers have been updated to include the new flag style as well as the original rounded rectangles.
Which update are you the most excited about?
I wasn't sure that I liked the dry erase covers to begin with, but now I think it is my favorite change.
I think that about covers it! You can see my peek at the Erin Condren Teacher Planner on my YouTube Channel.
Last year I shared how I personalized a lot of the pages to make them more homeschool user friendly. You can check that out here on the blog and in this video.
This is not a sponsored post, but I do have a referral link to share with you if you would like to place your very first order. Use my referral link to receive $10 off of your first purchase. I will also receive a credit that I can use on my next purchase.
Are you already gearing up to start planning for next year? If so, what planner are you going to use?
If you have been around here, or my YouTube Channel, for any length of time, you know that I really like planners. I seem to like them all and want to try them all. I know this isn't for everyone, but I do enjoy changing it up.
The last planner post I did was at the beginning of the year when I showed you my planner picks for 2016. I was "planning" to not do the planner shuffle this year, but it didn't last. No surprise there. Sometime soon, I will give you more details about how my planning/planners/systems have changed.
For now, I am going to tell you about the changes I have made to my personal size Filofax Malden.
The first significant change is that I made new dividers that are appropriate for summer. Give me all the flamingos and watermelon.
I cut them out of scrapbook paper, laminated them, hole punched them, and then added tabs. It's a little time consuming, but it's not hard.
I also added and changed several of the sections. I even labeled them this time. It was time to commit.
My current sections are labeled as: -Calendar -Meals -Fitness -Projects -Lists -Contacts
I use 2 different monthly spreads, a weekly spread, and daily sheets for those days that I need help managing my time.
I don't have any in this particular setup, but I am also a fan of punching holes in the note pads from the Target Dollar Spot to use for quick lists.
You can watch the video HERE for the full planner tour.
I found this set of rattan chairs on Craigslist a few years ago and recovered the seats. I went back and forth about painting them, so I decided to put it off until I was SURE that I wanted them painted.
I finally decided that I wanted to paint the chair white. (The chairs are now separated. One in the master bedroom and one in the office.) That lead to needing to find fabric to recover the cushions. I happened to run across this green and white shower curtain (new in package) at Goodwill. It was originally from Target.
The chair was very simple to to paint. I removed the cushions and then took it outside to spray paint. It took a good 2 cans of paint. I used several thin coats, let it dry, and then reattached the cushion.
I have a thing for accent walls. I like to add stripes, or patterns, or a bold color on a single wall to add some interest. Stripes are my favorite, but I will be the first to tell you that an entire wall of stripes is not what I would consider a Simple Painted Project.
I can also tell you that adding just one large stripe is pretty simple. There is still measuring, taping, and levels involved, but on a much smaller scale.
Do you have a room that could use a little bit of color with a large single stripe?
I know what you are thinking...how is this a simple painted project?
I have a few tips to keep it simple, but first let me walk you though what you are looking at.
1. This is what this media cabinet/bookcases looked like when we got it.
2. I painted the main body of the bookcases white, and then painted the back a light blue.
3. We got new light blue couches, so the blue was too much blue. I added coral as a new accent color.(It was a TERRIBLE shade of coral.)
4. I was over the coral and painted the back yellow.
How I keep It Simple
- I use those little sample size pots of paint from Lowes. They introduce new colors each season and it is an easy way to add a new, updated color. It takes 2 of those to paint this set of bookcases. I can also finish this in about an hour.
- I don't paint behind the tv or dvr each time. They are painted a color that just blends into the tv so that it doesn't stand out. It would not be a simple project if I had to deal with that every time.
And then I changed it again! We ended up rearranging this room and do not use this as a media center anymore.
I got rid of the middle piece and added a desk. It makes the perfect little office set up. As you can see, I painted the backs another color.
One of my favorite things to do is a simple painted project. And when I say simple, I really do mean simple. I enjoy projects that can be completed in a short period of time with very little effort on my end. I really enjoy spray paint and anything that I can do with a small set of paint brushes and acrylic paint. I have done my share of painting furniture the old fashioned way, but I don't enjoy it, and do not consider it to be simple.
I am going to be posting a lot of these projects here over the next couple of months. I did a series of these on my old blog and really want this content to be here at Carry Grace. I really hope that you enjoy seeing these. They were all fun projects.
This is one of my all time favorites. I found this lamp base at the rescue mission. They happened to be running a special on lamps this particular day, so I only paid $1 for this lamp! I came home and found a can of orange spray paint in the cabinet. It was the perfect pop of color for this room... way back in the day. Unfortunately, as the room progressed, the orange didn't stay. Spray paint is easy, so you will see this lamp again this month sporting a different color. Oh, and the lampshade is by Better Homes and Gardens for Walmart. (Not sponsored)