I finished a project!

Now to get the pictures posted before I forget! I repainted the kids' toy box. Eventually I will add a lid to it also but for now, at least, it is painted!

Before Picture; not so pretty. This was my Husband's toybox that his grandpa built when he was 3 or so. That is the origional paint job. (His sister added her name later to the corner.)

 Primer White It took 2 cans and a part of a third of Krylon "2 in 1 Primer and Paint" in White

 Taped off. Random spacing because I'm too lazy to measure. I don't care if the lines are crooked or uneven. It will add character. At least I will say it's character.

Painted and waiting to dry so I can remove the tape! Krylon Pistachio (green) and Krylon Peekaboo Blue (blue) are the colors I used for the stripes. I did one blue one green rotating colors. it helps to spray a bit of the base or top with the correct color before doing stripes so you don't mess up.

Ignore the screen in front of the camera. I got lazy. Note to self Clear coat the white before taping off! Yeah, I will have to go back and touch up the white.

My desk-diaper-play-kitchen-ma-bob

I've seen many online DIY tutorial thing-a-ma-jigs recently on how to convert a desk, nightstand, shelf, or porcupine into a child's play kitchen. They are great. Using materials you have on hand is much better than purchasing everything separate or a prefab kit. To demonstrate how awesome these things are I shall now plug someone else's blog; her husband actually installed a semi-working sink. Thank you Nap Time Crafter.

So for our oldest's 3rd birthday I am hoping to turn what used to be a desk into a play kitchen. If you read some of my older posts there once was a desk that became a diaper station. It shall now and forever more be the basis for a play kitchen. Probably. Hopefully. Maybe. We'll see...

I promised more than a year ago to post a pic of the diaper station, here it is. Not much changed I can assure you.

Stay green,

Yasha

My "new" old picture frames

I have some old picture frames that just don't match. You know the kind, every shape, size, material, and color ever thought of. Some how my taste has changed over the years and I decided to buy new frames while never throwing out the old ones.

I finally got fed up with my frame fetish and decided to fix the problem only to discover a new and much larger problem.

I'm broke.

So what to do? What to do? Hmm... Don't I still have a can of spray paint around here somewhere? I do. I do! Hooray!

I am now the proud owner of 7 "new" black frames. All it took was a little bit of time and effort. No my frames don't all match in size or shape but they are all the same color. It gives it a kind of eclectic feel without being overwhelming. Since the color scheme in my living room is pewter and black this worked out pretty well for me.

Tips for decorating on a tight budget:

• Look around. You may have something you can use. The picture frames and spray paint I already had.
• Check resale, yard sales, and charity stores. Since I'm painting all the picture frames the same color and don't care if bevels or sizes match I could get any frame I want.
• Redefine your limitations. For the longest time I wanted frames from only one collection. One shape, one size, one bevel. I'm much happier with reusing my old frames and actually being able to display my pictures than having to wait and save up to buy the new frames at $8 a pop.

My next project will be a DVD stand that currently has a wooden finish. It will soon be black to match the rest of the living room!

Stay green,
Yasha

My New Bag

I was shopping the clearance section of my favorite store the other day and I came across a cute little bag. Since I need something to tote around extra toys for my little girl I decided to get one. I picked out my favorite flavor and headed on to the checkout.

The bag, which I have gotten many positive comments on, is made from empty Capri Suns. The company calls it upcycling and encourages students to start a campaign at their schools to collect Capri Suns and send them to be upcycled. Schools are compensated for collecting the pouches so there really is no downside to this.

If you want to start a campaign or for more information check out Terra Cycle.

Stay green,
Yasha