Strike it SILVER

I picked up two of these FAB chairs and KNEW they had potential.....a nice black linen look / denim like fabric in GREAT condition. I was going to paint the trim white BUT thought about it....and wanted a lil more EDGE! So as you can see I pulled the trim off......

Taped plastic garbage bags over the fabric......(which was a major PITA {PainInTheAss} and took days in between coats)......
and VIOLA!! Here is the finished product at the Kane County Flea Market last month! In case you hadn't guessed, I went with SILVER paint! That made these fab chairs modern and hip! A lot of people liked them too! Which is why they S O L D!!! (and honestly I was a lil sad when they sold.....I really liked them....thats the hazard of this business).
Dont be afraid to take a CHANCE! Make it MARVELOUS MONDAY!

p.s. See that FAB silver tree stump?!?! I painted that too - LOTS of people loved it....the husbands and boyfriends couldn't justify PAYING for a tree stump! LUCKILY I got to keep this bad bird!

Carnivale Paint Treatment

If you live in Chicago or are planning to visit make sure you go to Carnivale Restaurant......FAB food, GREAT atmosphere and TONS of inspiration! The designer Jerry Kleiner has kept classic bones with an infusion of color! See for yourself here http://jerrykleiner.com/. Below is a photo from Carnivale restaurant.....

(PHOTO credit Jerrykleiner.com)

Which was the inspiration for THIS project......this bathroom started out LIME green (which used to be my favey color BUT after seeing it splashed all over the bathroom walls, I have had a lil change of heart)

There was a lil boo-boo here from the doorknob hitting the wall......
SO all these elements combined were the PERFECT excuse to try out what I imagined was a similar paint technique to Carnivale.......
I simply dry brushed all the paint colors used in the rest of the house......accented the walls with "art" cut from magazines and framed (do you see how PERFECT the "prints" match the ceiling at Carnivale?).



I think the finished product is a FUN, UNEXPECTED something for your guests to ponder while in the loo kinda bathroom!
So the moral of this story is DON'T be AFRAID to try something new.....don't let fear hold you back - it's ONLY paint! And the other lesson - I L O V E Carnivale! I'd love to know if you've ever been there.....if so leave me a comment!

Beauty Brigade

HELLO! It's been AGES, I know! Personal changes have prohibited me from being able to blog BUT the good news is I'm bbaaaacccckkkkkk! I thought a FUN first post would be a beauty post! Some of these are news products I have yet to try (so when I do I will give ya a review and a yay or nay on them) and others are PERSONAL faves!

Here is my loot...........elf ultimate eye collection in 'Summer Ready', Exfoliating natural loofah pads, bigsexyhair Spray & Play, Shady Lady theBalm, elf Superglossy lip shine and Hydralane Moisturizing Eye Contour Care

I cannot say ENOUGH about how much I LOVE bigsexyhair Hairspray.....I go back and forth between this and Redken (because I feel my hair needs the change up every now and then so it doesn't get used to one brand). This spray however is an amazing hold SO when I can find it on sale I snag it up (Marshall's $11.99 vs. $18.00 elsewhere)
eyes lips face = elf. Have you ever tried their products? These are FAB lil gems that cost anywhere from $1.00 - $5.00 MAX and can usually be found at Target (sometimes the Dollar Store and Big Lots - which is where I got mine from). I have used the gloss before and love it, this is a new shade....Mauve Luxe
I also picked up this ultimate eye collection kit in a "summer ready" palette. Truth be told, I have used the eyelid primer and LOVED it (just ran out) and the primer is $1.00, this entire kit was $4.50 - I figured I couldn't go wrong as I was going to spend the dollar anyway on the primer. There are some really nice nude / neutral shades as well as a fab sparkly dark grey - can't wait to try this!
While at Marshall's I came across Shad Lady...has anyone used this product? The packaging is way too cute! (thanks to my friend Jen and her adorable bathroom I've come to appreciate a good pack job - that doubles as a fab display)

Packaged similar to a CD, once opened, these fun eyeshadow shades were revealed....
Natural exfoliating loofah face cleansing pads....I liked the natural look and think they will be fab displayed in a small apothecary jar and a great way to exfoliate my face.
Also pictured is Hydralane Eye Moisturizing Contour care.....having just celebrated a birthday last week, I am feeling the need to be more vigilant with a skin care, anti-aging routine. I have never tried this product BUT will also let ya know what I think!

Make it a BEAUTIFUL day!

Summertime and the Grillin' is EASY

With this Midwest heat wave I want a dinner that's fast, easy AND delicious! Kabobs are an easy way to make ALL that happen! These were made from items I already had on hand (stew meat cuz I didn't have any larger cuts of meat, zucchini, green and yellow peppers and cauliflower [which surprisingly was SO GOOD] I marinated the meat in some olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic powder and Adobo marinade for about 8 hours.....the last step was to slow cook on the grill while sippin' on a cocktail.....

Here's to summer grillin'!!

I ♥ NY

It's Wednesday and that means I am linking up with Lindsey http://thepleatedpoppy.com/blog/......

What I'm wearing....

I ♥ NY T - Street Vendor in NY

Jean Skirt - Ralph Lauren

Flip Flops - Walmart (check out the "studded" bling on the straps - L O V E)

Assorted silver and pearl bracelets (left hand), Silver bangle (right hand) Salvation Army and illusion pearl necklace - gift

I will have you know I curb side shopped in this outfit...

wearing a skirt makes it a lil more challenging to hoist a bookshelf into the car!! BUT so worth it!! (I originally picked this up to put in the kitchen at the rental house as there is a vent right where the cabinets are going BUT it wouldn't have looked right) SO I am planning to use in the dining to create a bar area.....pics to follow once we get all settled in!

Coral and Leopard

I decided to try the trend and do one pattern and polish....

(Notice the ankle friendship bracelets....LOVe this trend too!! Thought since it's summer it'd be fun to wear on the ankle)

I am wearing a FAB coral color by OPI called "A Good Man-Darin Is Hard To Find" and using a leopard decal from Sally Hansen (left over from this post here http://objectofmayaffection.blogspot.com/2011/01/she-wears-leopard-on-her-toes.html). I LOVE the fun and fresh take on the Sally Hansen trend! AND I have gotten compliments! Don't be afraid to try something new!

WIWW Tryin' Something New

This WIWW post is about tryin' new things and dressing a lil out of my "Norm".....you will usually find me wearing black....just plain black or grey. In this pic below I was inspired by Shana of Colorblind http://shanaandadam.blogspot.com/ Check out her blog - she finds the BEST things thrifting and has an AMAZING way of putting them together!! This pic is of me and my guy after church having a picnic in the park.....

Black Tank - Target

Patterned Skirt - Thrifted .45 (THIS is the piece that is out of my element dressing)

Multi-colored beaded necklace - No idea where I got it

Stack of multiple sterling and pearl bracelets...amassed collection over time

This next outfit was yesterday and I have to confess that I have had the shirt for over a year and JUST removed the tags yesterday....I always felt it was a lil tribal BUT the fit was pretty amazing! Luckily yesterday I was looking for a lil something different....(and ignore the weird bang combover that was going on for this pic)

Brown Beaded T - Maurices 2010 $5.00

Plaid Shorts - Maurices 2009

Mustard Sandals - Expresss via Marshall's $5.00

Assorted Necklaces - Turquoise Cross - Made by me

Illusion Pearl Necklace - Gift from my sis 12 yrs ago

Brown beaded Peace Necklace - Swoozies going out of business sale 2010

When I first looked at the pic the plaid looked like some kinda crazy pattern SO I snapped a pic of the plaid.....