New Fleece on Life

I really enjoy repurposing and rehabbing old, unwanted objects and making them new again, usually with something as simple as a can or two of spray paint.  There are multiple well-loved objects at my house that have several coats of paint on them as I've changed rooms, changed moods, and changed my style over and over again.  One of the easiest things to do to freshen up an object or an entire room is to go to Home Depot, pick out a color, and get to spraying.

My latest project actually is a new-to-me object that has been in my parents' house since I was in high school.  This urn used to sit on their fireplace, and was a pretty nice piece when they bought it.  But time was not kind to the ram urn, as time can be to any of us, and he got chipped, tired, and fell out of favor.  So few weekends ago, my mom asked me if I would like to take this urn home and see what I could do with it.  I, never one to decline a good rehab project, obliged, and the old urn got loaded up and left in the back of the car for a few weeks while I pondered his fate.

Then today after church, Ryan suggested we swing by Home Depot and grab a can of paint so that we could paint the ram urn (aka unload it from the car).  Always up for shopping for spray paint, I immediately agreed, and then debated the color for the rest of the trip.  Ryan suggested white because "everything like that in our house is white" which is a fair point.  We can't exactly have the white linens and furniture I dream of, so I tend to compensate with white accessories that can easily be dusted, cleaned, and wiped of dog drool.  I was not completely sold on white for this piece, however.  I felt like something as funky and ornate as this ram urn deserved a statement color.

And nothing says statement like a glossy coat of Key Lime, does it?  Lime green is an accent color I love to use in conjunction with the soft blues, breezy white, and punchy corals in our living room.  So after about four coats of paint and an hour or so to cure, Mr. Ram found a new hue and a new spot in our entryway.

Doesn't it look great?  I'm pretty pleased with the results, and I'm always happy when someone's trash turns into my treasure for the mere cost of a can on paint.  Thanks, Mom!

Mellow Yellow

In the previous post about the planting we did this weekend, you may have noticed something.  Here, I'll let you look again:

Awesome new plants, but see that patio set?  Wop wop.  [I think that's how you spell the "downer" sound.]  We bought this set from The Home Depot not too long after we moved in here at Chateau Lowe, around 4 years ago.  And man, has it seen better days.  Check out the bland color, complete with rust.  Not exactly screaming at me to come kick back outside.

So this weekend, after I planted like a fool and rode a pony, I decided it was time to give this guy a little upgrade.

Here are my accomplices:

Oh yeah, kids.  Mama's spray painting something!!!

I decided the old patio set needed a new spring wardrobe, and what color says "Spring!!" better than a cute lemon yellow in a gloss?  I decided to use some primer because this bad boy sits outside and has a lot of debris on it.  I decided to use the mask because I care about my health.  And I decided to go ahead and get the spray gun because, well, it's sweet.

I literally laughed out loud when I read my best friend Lara's post about spay painting, because I definitely feel her pain.  I am a results person, and spray painting yields great results, but you have to follow the tedious process to get there.  And half the time, I end up with drips, missed spots, and chunks missing because I too spray too much too soon and then try to handle it.  Darn you, impatience.  But I did my best to be patient on this little patio set, and I am pretty happy with the results:

Hello, cheery yellow.  And hello, Spring.