Paint it Black

I have tried to become more colorful. I just can't help it. I like BLACK. I don't wear much color. I just don't think it looks right on me...most days. I will don a pink or a red shirt, occasionally, but, most of the time, I am in black. I've done a little better with decorating around the house and have really tried not to use too much black, but in my office ~my space~ ... black is becoming predominant. I did paint the walls pink and opted to go with a white desk and white Battenberg Lace curtains, but black is slowly making it's way to the top as the accents are put into place.

Here is some stuff I'm painting black today....

Here are some songs about black that I like....

Pearl Jam ~ Black

Johnny Cash ~ Man in Black

And, of course, I must include the Rolling Stones ~ Paint it Black ;)

Miss Lollypop & a Cubby Re-Do

I made a trip to Re-Store (the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store) yesterday and found this adorable vintage Avon Miss Lollypop Cologne Mist for only $1.00! I had to have her and she is now residing in my office.

 

I did a quick search to see what I could find out about her. I believe she was produced in the late '60s. I found an advertisement from 1967...

I'm pleased with my office redecoration project so far, but there is still lots to do! I decided it was about time to tackle this messy corner...

That cubby is just a big old junk magnet. I keep shoving stuff in there and it really makes the corner look awful. I was inspired to do something with it after seeing photos of Cathe Holden's awesome bins.

I started the project, a few weeks ago, by searching for bins that would fit in the cubby. I didn't have any luck finding bins the right size and I was anxious to get this project started (and finished!), so I decided to try and make my own. I trotted out to the garage and found a bunch of matching cardboard boxes. With a few cuts and folds and some spray paint, I ended up with perfect bins and they only cost me the price of a couple cans of spray paint!

 

After spraying them completely black, I decorated them with scrapbook paper and then went on a hunt for just the right labels for the fronts. I've been searching for just the right labels for a couple days now, but nothing was tickling my fancy. I'm trying to do this project super cheap and use supplies already on hand, but the labels were stumping me. I made a trip to the scrapbook section at Hobby Lobby to see if I could get some inspiration. I did! I found some lovely die cut cardstock labels that were beautiful....BUT....the wrong colors. I went ahead and got them anyway, picked out my favorite and slapped it on the scanner. Next, I converted it to gray scale and then added some pale pink to match my walls. I chose one of my favorite fonts, typed up the descriptions, printed on parchment paper and VIOLA!...I had labels that I was very pleased with :) Next, I cut out each one and glued to the appropriate bins. Something was missing. I decided to add tiny black brads and then I was done. 

Here is the cubby corner now...

I think it still needs some decorating and I might do some more bins for those bigger cubbies in the center, but it really is a whole lot better than it was! It's amazing how much easier it is to stay organized when everything has it's own little home ;)

Thrifty Chair Re-do

When I  rearranged my office, I really wanted to make room for a comfy chair. A chair for visitors, a chair for me, a place to sit in my office besides at the desk. As the saying goes...I have champagne taste and a beer purse. Therefore, I've been, ahem, ~sitting~ on this project for a while.

I was at the thrift store the other day and spotted a sad little pink chair for only $6.99. Now, I have lots of these types of projects around here...you know, pick it up cheap, have all kinds of plans, never get around to the plans. I knew if I got the chair, I was going to have to do something with it fast or Mr. NeverBored would give it the old heave ho. So, long story short, I got the chair and within a week the project is complete! I believe this may be a new record for me.

This project consisted of: 1 sad pink velour chair ($6.99 thrift store purchase), 1 black satin sheet set ($6.00 thrift store purchase), 1 roll of pink organza wired ribbon ($4.00 ~ half off! ~ at Hobby Lobby), some safety pins (about $1 at Wal-Mart), old beat up throw pillow ($0), and one pair of old silver cherub earrings ($0) = $17.99

Basically, I just draped first one sheet and then the other and tucked and pinned until the fit was just right. For the pillow, I stuffed the old throw pillow into the satin pillowcase, folded over the top, pinned in place, tied a pink bow around the whole thing and that was it!

Check out my $17.99 Thrift Chair Re-do!

BEFORE...

AFTER!

I do think it looks better in person. It's difficult to photograph black satin in a dark, downstairs OfficeCave. Oh, looking at this photo, I see that one of my next projects needs to be to tackle all that junk on the bookcase behind the chair ;)

Here is a close-up photo of the organza bow with little cherub earring decoration. I really wanted some big, gaudy rhinestone brooches in the bow centers, but didn't have any on hand.

Has my creative funk lifted? I sure hope so...