Ski Pole Floor Lamp

I have been wanting a tripod floor lamp for like, um, forever. But my lil' old budget doesn't allow for spending $500 for a light bulb and three legs.  Here is some inspiration and the price tag to match.

Door to Door Furnishings
$580

"This Tripod Floor Lamp features simple yet transitional style, which will add more comfort and coziness to your living room environment."

I love this marketing statement: For $580, you can add comfort (uh, I am not sittin' on the thing) and coziness ( never understand how a light is cozy) to your environment.

Uh for $2 I can just turn on my fireplace and do the same thing and then send $578 to the starving children in Africa.

Sorry just don't think a lamp is worth that much, I don't care who designed it.

So now my mind is working overtime to make one of these things for less than $20 if I can.

I had a lamp shade that I got for $0.95 which started the whole hunt for suitable legs. Remember these?

You'd think I'd use ski poles for well, skiing. Now really, don't you know me by now? That would never happen. But I did have a little fun with them before I made them into my lamp........

I look so natural

Great form!

Indoor Olympic ski jumping

Crap! That's a long way down!

Just a little story first: My husband came around the corner and scared me half to death or really I probably scared him half to death. He's been questioning my sanity again and these only added fuel to that fire.

Okay enough with the goof ball pics. Here is my version of the tripod floor lamp. Not only did it cost only $18.00, I got an extra leg!!!  

(And if anyone has any advice on how to stop my pics from looking so fuzzy when I enlarge them on blogger, I'd appreciate the email. I use Photoshop Lightroom editing software and they look great when I edit them and then as soon as I make them extra large to be viewed better, they get fuzzy.)

Okay- onto the eye candy!

Would you call this a quad-pod lamp?

Yes my wall paper is peeling, little hands who were bored found a little corner that was lifting....

So what do you think? 

Pin it if you like!!

Please come back tomorrow because I'll have the tutorial on how skiing became an indoor sport and produced lighting!

So now I have a challenge for you, yes you. The ones who read other people's posts and say, "Oh I could never do that! I'm just not creative like that."

I want you to look at one thing in your house or at at thrift store etc. and just look at it for awhile. Pick it up and turn it over (could you turn a bowl into a pendant lamp for example), look at it from different angles. 

 Ponder.

Think of things you want to purchase for the house and then think of something you could use as a substitute. (suitcases for end tables). This is usually how I come up with my ideas. I need something and I try to find an alternative first that might save me some money. I'm usually pretty successful. If I can't come up with a suitable solution then I don't mind buying something and using a table for a table. Or a lamp as a lamp. 

Now look at it's shape and not it's function. That is where most people get hung up. They can't get past how to use it. 

Look at the outline of the object and write down just one alternative way it could be used. Or try and change one thing about it; color, shape, could it be taller, or shorter? 

Okay, now if you thought of one alternative way, try another! is 3 too much to ask? 

Now here is the really hard part..... 

Do it.

 DO not worry if it will turn out exactly right the first time. It took me three attempts to figure out a way to make my ski poles stay together. The process is half the fun and it makes you think. Your exercising your mind. And if you looked at the skiing pictures closely, you will probably agree that I need to exercise my mind less and the stomach a whole lot more =0)

The important thing is to push yourself. It will make you giddy when your done, you'll be more willing to step out again and I betcha, you will stand up just a little but straighter. 

You might even strut

Please, if you take this challenge I will most definitely be interested in pictures and you will get a post all about your bad self. Let me know how this inspired you.

If it just made you think you wasted 2 minutes of your life you won't get back. Please, just stay quiet.

My mind is very fragile remember =0)

Always being renewed,

Please stop by the Linky Page to see where I submit my projects and visit those ladies. They host every week and it helps us all out.
    

Virgin Guest Blogging!

I am sooooooo excited.  Did I just say I am sooooooo excited?  Short term memory loss.

Why you ask?

I was asked by Olga at Stardust- Decor & Style to guest blog today! Or is it guest post, I'm so new to this I am not even sure which is the correct term to use. So this makes me a virgin guest poster. I told her if this relationship didn't go well, then I'd have to stalk her blog. And then she'd need to get a PFBA ( protection from blog abuse) on me. Who knew guest posting was so complicated?

So I am heading to Greece for a few days to do the post and then I'll be back. Ha! I love the positive aspects of the Internet as it allows you to hook up with people, like Olga, who live, like, half-way around the world!

Okay, so after reading these first few paragraphs, I realize I am making absolutely no sense and it is out of giddiness that I am rambling. Please forgive me and head over to Stardust to see me but more importantly to get to know Olga if you haven't already made her acquaintance.

 Here are a few of my favorite posts:

Of course, first up, a furniture re-do: http://stardust-decorstyle.blogspot.com/2012/04/update-of-dresser.html

and a great post on blogging tips: http://stardust-decorstyle.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-useful-links-and-tips-for-bloggers.html

and if you love stripes......http://stardust-decorstyle.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-hall-update-horizontal-stripes.html

She's like crack, you'll need to go back time and time again and there is no 12 step program to save you. Just give in to the addiction and learn from her and be inspired by her and the other guest bloggers she has on her site.


And don't forget to come back to see what my ski poles are turning into...

Yes it is April. Yes I am wearing goggles and a scarf inside. and Yes, I am crazy. Enjoy.

Always being renewed,

Ikea Chairs: Another 5 Minute Makeover or if you have more time.....

Remember these Ikea chairs I got at the Red, White , and Blue Thrift store for $35?

 Not bad but I am not a fan of the pine colored wood. Can we say "dated"?

So here is another 5 minute makeover:

What did I spray the legs with....wait for it....wait for it......yes, whoever guessed Rustoleum Oil-Rubbed Bronze spray paint is the winner of a $100 gift certificate to the "Good Job, you know me so well store"!

 Simple color change on the wood, BIG change in overall look. Much more modern and poshier.

Now you can stay here and like the instant gratification that spray paint gives us all, plus a few loopy ideas from all the fumes....

or if you have about another 30 minutes total for the two chairs you can go from great to....

SHAZAM!  That looks high class!

How is this possible you say? Covered buttons!!! These are thee single best way to make your projects (clothes or home dec) look custom and the ideas are endless because you can use any fabric. ANY!!! 

I just went through my fat quarter stash and found a cool sunburst pattern and the covered eight buttons in about 10 minutes. The drilling took another 5 minutes and the sewing of the buttons onto the chairs another 15= 30 minute makeover. Go here to see how to cover your buttons. Go, go now. I'll wait while you read.

Wow, your fast!Now did you really read how to cover  buttons or did you just buy the cliff notes blog post? 

Okay, back to reality.....

I made an 8.5 square template to mark on the back of the chairs because if I really screwed this up, the back might be maimed but the front would still be intact. Mark a dot at each of the four corners. 

Can you even SEE the dots?......

I didn't get a pic of this before I started drilling but you will want to make a hole in the fabric large enough for your drill bit to pass through. Why? Because if you don't, your drill bit will rip all of the fabric off of your chair and she will be bald. 

NOT a good look for any chair trying to get her groove back.

Drill through the wood and use a long Doll needle to sew on your buttons. Turn her back over and gasp in delight at your mad sewing skills! If this is your first time doing this, it might take you a bit longer but not much.

This is the back. These buttons help anchor the other buttons and keep the tufting tight.

Sorry about the pics. These didn't turn out as well as I thought but I was losing daylight and y'all know what happens then...zombies! Just kidding but my son is sitting next to me commenting on how I never include him in  any of my posts so that should keep him quiet for oh, about, a minute! Love you big boy!

Why do I like initials so much?

I love how they turned out and since tufting on furniture is all the rage these days, apparently now these chairs are uber trendy as well. Always wanted to use that term, uber......just rolls off of the tongue. I am just glad to finally have a seating arrangement in my foyer. Slow and steady feathers the nest....

What do you think? 

Always being renewed,

Please see my link party page to see where I submit my projects and give those ladies some love!   

Tessa Birthday cake

Hello world! So nice to be back in the land of the living! Yes, I have had a germ from hell that struck on Easter evening and has been hell on wheels....it took my voice, which no one in my house seems to be complaining about....hmmm. and it almost took my life. I kid you not. AN incident happened where my throat closed off and if it hadn't been for some amazing women at my church who saw my distress, I might not be here. But I am here and I am so thankful that I am. But enough about me and onto my Tess...she's 4!!!

If you remember from my last post, I had to make a Rapunzel ("Tangled") birthday cake for my Tessa. I thought I'd show you the cake she decided I could make =0)

Noooooo problem! 

I got it done in shifts on Tuesday due to coughing fits and needing to sleep every hour and a half. So here she is, I think Tess liked it. But then she has such a sweet heart she'd think anything is good.

See, here she is either looking amazed at her mother's handiwork OR she's saying, "this isn't what the picture looked like at all...."

"are you sure you didn't get this from the corner bakery?"

 Pink Pancakes for dinner!

She got her own cake to cut with blow out candles even!

Tea anyone? I could have just bought her this, she has played non-stop tea party since Wednesday and we have water everywhere.

Here are a few closeups:

Had to spray paint a purple Barbie crown gold. Can you believe we didn't have a single gold Barbie crown in our house????

Hee, Hee,  secret door from the movie

crown in the satchel

Wah-la!

Sorry for the lame post but I am still not 100% and I wanted to show you something!! It must be the West Nile Virus or something....

Always being renewed,

If you like it PIN it!!  and don't forget to check my link party page to see where I submit my projects. and