Get Your Color On! Yellows

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Get Your Color On blog series yellow buttercup lemon ochre gold schoolbus taxi cab dandelion psychology decorating tips home decor furniture accessories lantern vase fabric Greek key bees dandelions rug shower curtain frame dinnerware IKEA Pier 1 World Market Crate and Barrel Kohl's Threshold Rachael Ray Joann Fabrics Fabrics.com

Yellow is quite the powerful color. It’s inspired many songs in various music genres, is a color guaranteed to grab your attention, and is symbolic of wisdom and optimism.

My inspiration for this current post of Get Your Color On! is the abundance of sunshine and warmth we’ve had here in northwest Ohio. With summer on its way, it’s the perfect time to celebrate yellow by decorating with it.

Because yellow is a very stimulating hue, it can be tricky to decorate with. It comes in a spectrum of shades that can spark a variety of moods in our homes. Creamy, pale hues like buttercup evoke a sense of happy calmness, while saturated yellows like lemon or schoolbus yellow inject energy and cheer into a space.

Continue reading for my tips on using this color in your home, decor projects & tutorials from other bloggers, and my personal selections of yellow decor items.

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Work in Progress: IKEA Rast Dresser Makeover

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Note to self: cut yourself off from painting anything with drawers. Seriously. If you hear me talking about another dresser or desk to make over with paint, contact me, stat.

I started this project of painting two IKEA Rast dressers about a month ago. Almost every piece of furniture I’ve made with over with paint has had drawers.

Drawers=more planes=more sanding=more painting=more work=less fun.

Here’s a close-up shot of them so far:

IKEA Rast pine wood dresser furniture makeover latex paint Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Sterling Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover in flat white Minwax Polycrylic in semi-gloss light cool gray mid-century modern decor bowtie

My weapons of choice: Behr Premium Plus Ultra in Sterling (flat), Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover in White (flat), Minwax Polycrylic in Semi-Gloss.

This round of furniture painting has taught me a few lessons. Continue reading after the jump to see what I’ve learned through this process.

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Pretty in Pink: Patio Inspiration Board

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Pink Balcony Inspiration Board coral salmon flamingo patio outdoor decor brick quatrefoil terra cotta planter glass candle votive

Do you ever get ideas that seem to come to you from nowhere? I don’t believe in coincidences, so when these ideas appear to me “out of the blue,” I embrace them. I consider them a form of creative intuition.

However, my latest epiphany left me scratching my head: re-decorate the balcony with PINK.

Now, I’m not an anti-pinkite. Pink just isn’t a color that strongly appeals to me. So when this idea came to me, I was skeptical. I decided to entertain the idea and see how I could make this work. Read along to see what decor items I’m using for inspiration and some of the accessories I will include in my balcony makeover.

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Share the Light This Mother’s Day by Making these Easy DIY Soy Candles

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I’ve inherited many things from my mother: a corny sense of humor, a love of baking, her nite-owl nature, an appreciation for reading… and a love of candles.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful, practical gift for the mother in your life, consider setting a date with her and making some candles together. Or you could just make the candles yourself to give as a gift to that special mama.

easy DIY soy candles Swan Creek Candle Company refill wax glass containers thrifted glass tealight votive cotton wicks Mother's Day project gifts Fresh Bamboo Buttercream Vanilla Lilac Mist Amber Musk

A couple weeks ago, my mother and I spent the day together replenishing our arsenal of candles. It was great to share a creative experience with my her and I think she still enjoys teaching her daughter a thing or two.

Thanks to modern technology, candle-making is quite easy to do and can be a thrifty project. Continue reading for the tutorial on how to make these candles, plus my mother’s handy tips.

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Eclectic, Green Art and Decor in the Great Lakes

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Another Earth Day post? Madness!

I’d like to feature this piece from Houzz on the home and artwork of a fellow classmate/fellow creator/fellow Toledoan, Danielle Herrera. I’m happy to share this article not just out of hometown pride, but because her decor encompasses a personalized, thrifty, and one-of-a-kind style. Check out a sneak peek of it:

paperDENIMart artwork collage newspaper paper fabric Danielle Herrera Toledo, OH framed art wall art interior decor butterflies tripod lamp gallery wall

How to be a Successful Thrift Store & Secondhand Shopper

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Happy Earth Day! In celebration of today, I’d like to share tips for a way we can all enjoy a greener lifestyle: using thrifted and secondhand items.

Earth Day how to be successful thrift store secondhand shopper

In my last post, Why Thrift Store Items, Like, Totally Rock… Plus My Secondhand Finds and Reincarnations, I discussed the various benefits to using secondhand items. One of those benefits is that used goods help decrease our carbon footprint. Less energy is expended to create additional items, less packaging is produced and disposed, and less garbage goes to the landfills.

Ready to shop? Now that you know the many benefits to secondhand shopping, arm yourself with my personal pointers for thrifting success. Continue reading →

Why Thrift Store Items, Like, Totally Rock… Plus My Secondhand Finds and Reincarnations

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Why Thrift Store Items Like Totally Rock 80s valley girl Halloween costume 2012 bright colors neon acid-washed off-shoulder sweatshirt denim skirt

I have continued a legacy that my dad started: garbage-picking. Well, not garbage-picking per se; rather, a delight in secondhand items.

My dad would take pleasure in shamelessly sifting through curbside items, dressed in the blue jumpsuit he wore when doing dirty work and car repairs. Most times, he took home electronic items like computers and radios, as he was a ham radio operator. My fondest memory of his garbage-picking skills is the Easy Bake Oven he procured for me as a young girl. Knowing it would be a great “just-because” gift, he brought it home, cleaned it up, and repaired it before giving it to me.

I don’t think most of us kept using those Easy Bake Ovens once we learned how loooong it took to bake such a tiny treat. But the love behind my dad’s action remains and always will, as I’ve been given a deep appreciation for thriftiness and my dad’s giving nature.

Over the years, I’ve developed even more of a liking of thrift store/secondhand items, especially in my decor. Thrifted items are great for cost-conscious shoppers, but provide more benefits than just saving money.

Read along to learn these benefits & to check out my secondhand finds and reincarnations. Continue reading →