A Theme For August

I have so many fun projects that I am finishing up right now and can't wait to share them with you!  And as I work away it seems that without even meaning to I have fallen upon a theme for August...This Into That!  This month that is what I will be doing, taking conventional items and using them in unconventional ways.  A great inexpensive way to decorate!

So let's get this party started...

I have been needing a little extra storage for my daughter's play area.  (Isn't it amazing how kids things just keep expanding!)  And I found a solution when wondering around the hardware store the other day.  My local ACE sells paint cans for $4.  They are new and shiny and clean and great for storing small art supplies like crayons, chalk and paints.  I picked up two cans and filled them right up.

Then I found these great "chalk labels" on Etsy and snatched them right up.  They are from Bradens Grace which has all kinds of fun labels for decorating.

I put the two together and looky what I made...

...art storage for about $10.  I could have saved even more if I had reused old paint cans from around the house, which I plan to do next time I empty one out, but in the mean time $10 isn't to shabby!

Yes, the second can says "chalk & stuff". 

Now it is time to get your This Into That projects going!  Misison Decorate will be hosting a This Into That Party on Facebook on Wednesday, August 31st.  "Like" the Mission Decorate Facebook page to get updates and to join in on the fun.

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A Painting Virgin No More

My mom, Stephany, is 64 years old and has never painted a wall in her entire life.  Well never until now.  As you know she recently purchased a Grandma Condo in Madison.  I call it a Grandma Condo because she really lives in DC but all of her children (my brother and I) and more importantly her grandchildren (3 lovely little girls) live here in Madison.  So in April she bought a condo here and has been enjoying it all summer...yippee! 

And because she is keeping her place in DC we had a completely blank slate to work with.  We have been buying lots of great furniture and having a blast doing it.  But now that the shopping is complete my mom decided she wanted one wall in her bedroom painted.  Against her better judgement she let me convince her that the two of us could do it no problem (which is the truth and I can't imagine calling someone in to paint one wall!) 

So last Friday we got to work...

Within minutes of starting I heard strange noises coming from my mom's side of the wall ..."ugh"..."sheesh"..."oh no"!  And then came the repeating mantra of the afternoon..."this is why you pay someone to do this".  Ah my mom is many wonderful things but as it turns out a painter she is not.  I do acknowledge (but never to her face) that her shoulder replacement surgery a few years back does hinder her overhead rolling ability and her fear of climbing a ladder does damper her edging abilities but I am her daughter so I did not cut her any slack.  And she did manage a smile or two in the process...

We chose a beautiful sage green called "Sagey" from Behr that complimented her custom made (by me) headboard beautifully.  Here is a shot of it for those of you who missed it the first time around.

And with the reupholstered vanity seat all the fabrics and colors are really coming together.  Great job us!

So at the end of the day my mom was no longer a painting virgin and I had sworn to never let her paint again.  Love you Mom!