A Little Tipsy

Creative Tips & Ideas

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Update A Brass Kitchen Light Fixture With Paint

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Here she is in all her glory. I have hated this ugly brassy light fixture in my kitchen since I moved in 4 years ago. I finally got around to fixing her up with a new outfit. I chose a sleek black, mostly because I could not find oil rubbed bronze spray paint. Anyone know where to get that stuff? Home Depot and Lowe’s do not carry it.

  1. I started off by nicely asking my hubs over a period of days to to take the fixture down. I had previously purchased the paint and primer (both Rust-oleum brand) shown below.

2. I Totally forgot to take pics of the cleaning and priming. I ran the glass parts through the dishwasher and wiped down the rest to make sure it was dust free. Then, everything got a coat of primer.

3. Once the primer was dry (follow the directions on the can) I added a coat of Satin Black. I laid the rings on some newspaper, but found that it stuck and left little pieces, so I moved to the garden ornament/paint can drying method.

4. I hung the actual fixture from a tree in my backyard and coated it with a coat of primer and two coats of black. Here is my disclaimer: follow the directions for drying times on your paint. I am lazy and did not care if I obliterated this ugly piece so I just waited until it looked and felt dry to add more coats and it did start to crackle a little in a few places (Mostly on the circle that attaches to the ceiling). Lucky for me, I they don’t really show and kind of add a bit of a worn look so yahoo for me.

5. Once it is all painted and dry, start reassembly. Put the rings back on the nice clean glass and once again start the requests to hang it. This time won’t take as many requests since your hubs has been eating with no light above the table. Even little son wanted in on the action. This is the one time he got to stand on the kitchen table without getting in trouble.

6. Hubs had a bit of a rough time with this at one point, so some of the paint on the chain rubbed off. Lucky for me, I chose to use black paint so these scratches and dings were easily touched up with a sharpie. I am so ghetto. 😉 My hubs suggested black finger nail polish which is a great idea had I been goth and kept black fingernail polish on hand at all times. I will be picking some up when it rolls out for Halloween just for times like these.

So here she is…from gold lemay (had to look up how to spell that) to little black dress!
Before After

Go see the other transformations on Reinvented’s Trash to Treasure Tues, Santuary Art’s “You should have seen it before” party and

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Easy Back to School Centerpiece

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This Back to School Centerpiece was just the ticket to get our house in gear for fall on its way!

I love changing things around just a little for each season. I LOVE back to school even though I have no kids in school (my little guy is 20 months) and I have not been in school since I graduated from BYU in 2005. There is something about all those cheap office and art supplies that gets me giddy! Here are some quick little tips to get in gear without much effort or expense.

I am a big fan of the fill random vases with stuff method. This is SO EASY for back to school. We all have crayons, pencils, and other school supplies we can use. As an extra added bonus, this makes your decor usable for homework. I find that homework many times gets done near the centerpiece anyway.

I used apples, colored pencils and magnetic letters from my little guy’s leapfrog fridge phonics set. I put them on top of the fridge because they would be too big of a temptation for my little guy and he would be on the table constantly.

I also have a thing for lists: to do lists, grocery lists, menu lists. You name it, I love it! I like to update seasonally by changing the grocery list pad on my fridge. I buy them in the Target dollar section and change them every few months. Here’s my back to school list pad:

That’s all for now. I will be enjoying some sand, water, and sun at Bear Lake this week! So I’ve got to get to packing. Better make a list. 😉

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Feature Friday-Needle In A Haystack (Free patterns and giveaway)

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Our Feature Friday today is Shelli from

I met Shelli (a contributor to youcanmakethis.com and swakembroidery.com) at the Mom’s Who Make It Conference a few weeks ago (which was amazing by the way, thanks Quinn!). Someone asked me what my blog was and when I said “A Little Tipsy”, she said “You are the Tipsy girl?!” I was so excited to actually meet one of my followers in person! And come to find out I had bookmarked some of her cute ideas too! Small world! So I got to know her over lunch, but here’s your chance to acquaint yourself with the one-minute interview (It was Shelli’s idea to spice it up with some photos. Great idea!):

  • What is your favorite crafting tool or secret weapon? Hmmm…tough question. I have so many, but for my stitchery business in particular, one of my favorite tools has to be my light box. When I first started my business years ago, I used to tape my patterns to a sunny window to develop and trace them, and it worked just fine. But for my birthday one year, my sweet friends pitched in and bought me a “Light Tracer”. It changed my world! It’s a flat *box* with a hard surface and a light inside that allows me to trace my patterns right on top of it. I use it multiple times a day when I’m developing new patterns or when I’m tracing them onto fabric. It’s a super simple tool, but a lifesaver for me.
  • Where is your favorite vacation spot? Well, we just returned from the Oregon Coast this summer, and that is currently at the top of my list. The beach is incredibly beautiful and unique, as well as the forest that fringes it. There are so many extraordinary places to explore, that we couldn’t even get to them all in the time we had. Beach-combing, skim surfing, kite flying, hiking, and exploring the tide pools were some of the things we enjoyed the most. My family already wants to go back. I highly recommend it. It was amazing!
  • How do you come up with your cute patterns? Good question! Wow. I have to think about that. I guess truthfully, I’m inspired by several things, but really, I try to soak in what’s around me and turn it into something on paper that makes me happy. Most of the time, a quote or phrase that I like inspires me to begin a new pattern and is the jumping off point for me. I then build my art work and lettering around it to add emphasis to the feeling or meaning of the words.
  • When I created, “No Greater Joy,” I simply began because I loved the scripture from 3 John 1:4 that stated, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” I wanted to create something for my home that could be a part of our furnishings and something my children could read and be reminded of frequently. I wanted to embellish the words with something that felt solid and strong, and pine trees came to mind. I drew two trees to one side to represent my husband and myself, and then four more along the other side to represent each of my children. It is such a simple design, but I wanted the emphasis to be on the words, and the whole image is meaningful for me and my little brood, and that’s what I was shooting for. It’s completely customizable for your family as well.

  • Often I’ll see a new line of fabric that reminds me of something or stirs up some creative thoughts. When I created the “Groovy Love” pattern, it was totally inspired by a line of fabric by Amy Butler. I was trying to come up with a pattern for Valentine’s Day, and when I saw this fabric it was so fresh and funky, it got me thinking of all the affectionate and sometimes crazy terms of endearment we call our loved ones at times. I experimented with a variety of writing styles and sizes, and “Groovy Love” was born.

  • How many pairs of shoes do you own? This is a question I’ve never been asked before, so until now, I’ve never actually known. But I can now say, I have 23 pairs of shoes.

To learn more about Shelli, read the *s in this post. I am totally creeped out my earwigs too, Shelli!!

These adorable burp cloths and receiving blankets were displayed at the Mom’s Who Make It Conference and guess what…Shelli has the patterns FOR FREE. You luckys. What I love the most is they have the cute fabric on one side and the ever absorbant cloth diaper on the other. She’s got smarts!She’s showing me up with the burp cloths, but c’mon my ribbon burp cloths are still good for not sewing in 15 years right?!

Back to school is here and we all end up with that one giant pic in the package of school pictures. Go ahead, take them out of the package this year and display those school pics on clipboards like Shelli. What a fun simple idea and so easy to update with new pics or art projects!

In this next post, Shelli shares a touching story she learned from her Father about recognizing the special things surrounding us. The story is titled The Golden Windows. It is short and sweet, but a really good reminder. I hope I can leave lasting memories and values like this for my kids.

Speaking of fathers, I had to share this idea because I am IN LOVE WITH IT!! I wish I had time to do it for my Dad’s bday next week because it is…well there is not a word to describe, that is how much I love it. See for yourself.

This Father frame is the perfect portrait of how I think of my Dad. He was an LDS seminary teacher, Bishop and now Stake President so I saw my Dad in a white shirt and tie most of my life.

Shelli celebrated Christmas in July (we’re a little late… blame it on the rain, ya ya) and is sharing two free patterns, a free e-book, and a backstitching tutorial with us. Phew, that is a lot of free. I love a good tutorial especially for something I think is so cute, but I am so inept at. Get your needles ready!

Lucky for us, Shelli is also doing a Christmas in July giveaway right now (ok, so it is august now, just count yourself lucky that it is still open for entries)! Head over and leave a comment by Sunday, August 9th at midnight to win this adorable Christmas Pillow!

The one thing I love more than a good tutorial is winning something already made for me. And yes, I entered, and I’m going back to enter again since I believe this counts as posting about it on my blog. he he.

Great ideas and free stuff Shelli! You are now entered in to the Hall of Fame as Tipster of the Week!

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Feature Friday-Life at Eventually Cottage

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Our Feature Friday this week is Dawn from Life at Eventually Cottage.

eventuallyhydrangea

I found Dawn’s blog a few months ago and immediately fell in love with her cookie sheet tray (don’t worry, I’ll share later). Dawn resides in Hudson Valley area of NY and has been transforming an 1850’s carriage house in to a cozy little cottage. I will take you on a whirlwind tour of some of her budget home decor tips. The transformations are to come, but for now, let’s get started with the one minute interview:

  • What is your favorite crafting tool or secret weapon? Ooh, do I really have to pick just one? Yikes, I have so many favs! I guess it would be a tie between Mod Podge and Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2X spray paint. I’ve just discovered this fabulous spray paint! It’s AMAZING! It covers lickety-split and comes in some gorgeous colors!!!
  • What is your favorite piece of décor in your house? Definately my trash-to-treasure radio cabinet!!! I absolutely love that piece!
  • What is your best piece of tween/teen advice for everyone with kids entering this phase? Yikes! I’ve yet to figure this one out! Consistancy and sticking to your guns, I’d say. Don’t let them break you!!! If anyone has any other advice on this subject, I’d gladly listen!!!
  • What is in the cup holder of your car? Some change, a gas station receipt, and an empty Dunkin Donuts coffee cup.

I love a woman who can decorate her home dollar store style. It makes the cheapo in me squeal in delight. Check out the beauties below from Dawn’s Frugal Friday post. Each project cost less than $5, be still my heart!



Now for the tray that was love at first site. I mean come on, this tray was a Dollar Tree cookie sheet. If you can paint and stamp you can do this!

I love when people take the Trash to Treasure challenge and make ew things turn in to ah things! Dawn found this old radio cabinet by the side of the road and gave it a beautiful makeover.

Had enough, too bad! 😉 I just had to show these before and after shots of her bathroom door and porch light re-dos. First off, the bathroom door…

Before

After

I am particularly in love with the fact that she spray painted the doorknob!! Why this never crossed my mind, I don’t know. I have slowly been buying new door knobs as I could afford them to replace the ugly brassy ones in the house. DUH. Why not instead buy a can of spray paint for the same price as one knob and give them all a facelift. This is why I love you guys! You give me those light bulb moments!

And the same thing with the ugly porch light. Again, we replaced out hideous lights. Why did I not think of this?!

Before

After

This next bit is Dawn’s room reveal. She tells you where she got each piece and some of them may surprise you or make you want to sift through other people’s unwanted stuff. Bet you can’t guess where that white cabinet came from. It is her cousins old hutch top. AMAZING!

Is it possible to have a crush on someone’s house?

Great ideas Dawn! You are now entered in to the Hall of Fame as Tipster of the Week!


Also, just as an FYI I will be on a pioneer trek all next week and for some reason they do not get wireless in a handcart in the desert of Wyoming, so I am planning on scheduling some posts so you will not get lonely. I warn you of this fact in case for some reason the scheduling goes haywire and you don’t hear from me for a week. If you don’t hear for me for 2 weeks please send help! 😉

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We have decided to truncate our feed to help protect against stolen content. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please love us anyway. 🙂