Before/After daisy bookshelf

I just got this vintage wicker bookshelf last week and I'm so happy with how my paint job turned out! I painted the shelf light pink and then I painted the daisies off-white with yellow centers. It was a much more time-intensive job than I anticipated, taking about 4 hours total, but it was so worth it! Here is a before and after shot to show what a difference a little paint can make!



The shelf had originally been painted dark green, and then somebody spray painted it a light cream color on top. But they didn't do a great job, with lots of the dark green seeping through. The cream color was also yellowing from age, and even though I wiped it down it still looked really dirty. I think it would have looked so pretty natural, without any paint at all, but I wouldn't even know where to begin to get it to look like that. I absolutely love how it turned out, though! And I'm so glad that I painted the daisies white and yellow instead of slathering the whole shelf in pink paint. It adds more visual interest and makes the piece look more unique, I think!

I bought this piece used (obviously, haha) but someone on ebay has shorter 3-shelf versions of this shelf brand new, right here. I actually bought one of the little ones and I'm debating whether or not I'll paint it to match. Hmm..

if you like it then you should have put a coat of paint on it

Recently at Target I overheard a woman lamenting the fact that the (easily paintable!!) item she loved came in a color she didn't. I wanted to run over to her and preach the gospel of paint. But, being a shy person who avoids talking to strangers at all costs, I decided to avoid the soapbox for the time being and pour my passion into a blog post instead ;)

Paint allows you to see potential in things that you'd otherwise avoid. It can turn cheap toys (like... plastic dinosaurs) into cute decor, and ugly flea market finds into treasured possessions. And it's fun!! If you haven't seen a horrendous color disappear while you're waving a can of spray paint over it like a magic wand... well you simply have not lived, my friend!

Here are some of my favorite paint transformations!



Thanks to spray paint, I turned a bright red french fry bowl and a neon yellow clearance basket into pretty purple organizers for my closet! The same color also came in handy for my DIY lipstick holder!



Packing orders for my etsy shop requires the use of some terribly ugly utilitarian supplies like tape dispensers. The green one began life in a dull beige hue, and the peach one was originally black. I'm so much happier working when my office supplies are this pretty :)



This lamp was a flea market find almost 10 years ago. It was black and rusty and the original wiring was frayed. A little sandpaper and spray paint and it looks as good as new! My mom and I re-wired it, and now it's a one of a kind lamp that is right at home in my bedroom.



My IKEA dresser was originally completely unfinished wood, but I decided a couple months ago to spruce it up by painting the frame the same grapefruit shade as my door and closet. I also switched out the standard knobs. The flowers are from Anthropologie and the cats are from Urban Outfitters.



While I had the paint out, I also decided to paint my office desk! It too was unfinished wood and needed a little pick-me-up. I love unfinished wood (the desk behind me in my outfit pictures doesn't have any stain or paint on it) but sometimes a bright coat of paint is just so much better!



For the dressers in my closet I did the same thing that I did in my bedroom and just painted the frame. I think covering the original plain birch wood with mint green helped make these look more at home in my 60's beauty parlor themed dressing room!



Last but not least, my absolute favorite paint makeover! It was so easy (and cheap! I didn't even use one full quart of paint) and it made SUCH a huge difference! My room feels so much bigger and brighter since I painted my bed frame mint green.

And I mean, isn't it a nice thought that when you're shopping for a bed -- or a dresser, or a lamp, or a table -- that the only thing you really NEED to consider is the quality and basic structure. Even if it's the most hideous hue you've ever seen or covered in a blinding pattern fit for a fun house, as long as there is paint on this planet it doesn't matter. Just something to remember next time you're at Target and see the most beautiful vase you've ever laid your eyes on in the most apalling color known to man ;)

sweet and gentle

Today is one month since I said goodbye to Hypatia. It's been, without a doubt, the worst month of my life. But I'm trying really hard to let all of the good memories comfort me instead of making me sad. I was talking to my dad a few nights ago about how much I miss her, and then we got on the subject of painting and art, and how I hardly ever feel inspired to put paint to canvas anymore, as if all of my creativity has been completely drained. He suggested that I consider the qualities that made Hypatia such a special cat -- her gentleness and her sweetness -- and try to channel that into art.. to let her live on as a muse.

I thought about it a lot, and I kept coming back to one image - a photograph of my dad's mother taken in the 1940's near the water (you can view the original here) I was still very young when my Grandmom Eve passed away, but my own recollections of her, along with all of the stories I've heard from my parents, reflect an incredibly kind, gentle woman whose memory still brings comfort to my dad and my mom. I like to think that if there is anything after this life, she's taking care of my Hypatia for me right now until I get to see her again.

As usual I'm not 100% happy with the final product (is any painter/writer/artist ever?) but it was so nice to paint again, even if I did feel pretty rusty. But this particular piece wasn't so much about the final product, anyway, as it was about the process. I forgot how therapeutic painting could be.. letting myself get enveloped in the warm memories of two gentle souls and releasing some of my heartache onto the canvas.

a little bedroom update!

It's amazing what a few tiny changes can do to a room! My room feels so much more fresh and airy now, and all I did was paint my bed and add shelving storage underneath. I think the new color makes my room feel SO much bigger! I have a pretty tiny space and having a dark wood frame taking up about 1/3 of it definitely made it feel more cramped.



I pieced together three different sized ikea expedit bookshelves to fit around the perimeter of my bed. They fit so perfectly it's like it was meant to be! ;) I'm probably a total dork for saying this but I'm absolutely giddy about the storage. GIDDY I tell you! I have boxes and they're organized and nothing falls on the floor when I pull them out!! wheeee!! Also, my Dunder Mifflin boxes fit perfectly in the expedit. yay!



While at ikea I found these gorgeous glass cups, too. I got four to hold my various business cards for packing orders and another four that I stashed away for my future house :)  They also had matching bowls so I picked up four of those, too. I want to have mix-and-match dining things so I like the idea of slowly piecing together a collection over time.





At the foot of my bed I'm using the shelving for my records. There's a little space where the two shelving units meet so I'm using that for records I'm currently listening to, and rotating records with fantastic covers on the front for display. It's wonderful to be able to pull a record out to listen without all of the other records falling over lol :)





Lots of Hypatia in this post! Every time I wanted to take a picture she was there lol :)



I've wanted to organize under my bed for so long... I store a lot of stuff under there (I have a whopping 22" space between my mattress and the floor thanks to a tall bed and 6" risers!) but it was just kind of crammed in there all willy-nilly. Whenever I pulled stuff out a landslide of other stuff would cascade onto my floor. But not anymore! :)



It would have been a huge hassle to actually move my bed to paint it, so I painted all of the visible parts and then taped the paint chip to the inside of the frame. I do have some leftover paint, but this way if I ever use that up (or, knowing me, lose it) I can always finish up the job with the exact same color.

hello paintbrush, my old friend

I haven't painted in almost a year, and until last night I completely forgot how much I love it! I always wanted to be a painter, from the time I was old enough to hold a paintbrush, but I gave up on that dream when Flapper Doodle became a full time endeavor. Last night I was reminded of why I love painting so much, and realized I need to find the time to do it more often. The process itself is cathartic -- the world and all my troubles just melt away while I'm painting. And then seeing the finished product (if I like how it turned out...) makes me so happy. I'm not an incredibly confident person, but my paintings are the one thing that I'm very proud of. After I finish one I just can't go to sleep at night without constantly turning the light back on to look at it one more time. One more time.

Until yesterday, I had forgotten how much painting means to me, what a sense of accomplishment I feel when I finish a piece, and how euphoric I feel while I'm working. I know it sounds super corny, but I feel like there was a little hole in my life for the last couple of years, and I finally figured out what was missing.

If there's a hobby or passion that you've forgotten, try to revisit it this weekend. I hope someone else can feel as fantastic as I do about rediscovering something that makes you happy :)