The Power of Spray Paint

I love spray paint. I always have a can of white and black on hand. I am convinced that almost anything you buy can be made to look chic, fabulous and fresh with a coat of white paint! That being said, today's post doesn't feature white, though the project probably would have looked equally good in white.

I bought this "dream" sign at Goodwill for $5. A little pricey I think but considering it still had a $24.99 sticker price on it, I'll take it. (Side note: When you take donations to Goodwill take the price stickers off if at all possible. I've noticed that they price higher on the things with tags! AND...can you believe someone paid $24.99 for this?!?) This is just a quick, easy redo. Here is my before picture.

Can't wait for the flowers to be blooming again!
And here it is after in its new home above the bay window in my master bedroom.

Easy peasy and it just added that little something extra, ya know?

Ballard Designs Inspired Laundry Drying Rack

Hello fellow bloggers! I must apologize for my absence. The holiday season was exceptionally busy this year. I got, quite literally, no crafting done. Then right after New Year's I came down with the flu. Needless to say, I have been out of commission, hence the lack of posting.

This week's project was a laundry drying rack. I line dry more of my clothes than not, so it is important to me to be able to have a space to do so. Why do I line dry my clothes you ask? Well, it saves money, by not using energy for drying, and it saves money by extending the life of my clothing. Those little fibers you find in your lint catcher are your clothes coming apart! Who doesn't like saving money?!? Before my laundry room redo (which you can find here) I was able to hang clothes on the wire rack over my washer and dryer. After the redo, I had no such place. Once again, in steps my wonderful step-father to the rescue. Granted, it was my mother's idea, but my step-father made it as a birthday present so we'll give him the credit (thank you for asking him to make it Mom). Here is the inspiration for our design.

This laundry drying rack comes to us courtesy Ballard Designs. It retails on their website for a cool $139, plus shipping of $20.95, plus taxes of $9.60, for a grand total of $169.55. Mine was made for less than $25 in materials. And at the top of my drying rack is a handle to help you get it open. Take that Ballard!!

Here is the one my step-father made me for my birthday. I won't get into specifics about how it was made because, well, frankly, I don't know. I know he used wooden dowels for the "rods" and that you need to be good with power tools and measuring and cutting. The rest I wisely leave to the experts. :)




Remarkable isn't it?!?!? We modified the size slightly to accomodate the area I needed to hang it in, but other than that, it's essentially the same thing. For less than 1/4 of the price!

Not that you all really want to see a picture of my clothing, but here she is doing what she was made for.

 Best birthday present ever!!

And just in case you're wondering what the rack looks like when it's closed. It only hangs out from the wall a little more than three inches.

I'm partying here:
Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence
Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Latest & Greatest Friday at Days of Chalk and Chocolate
Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things
Debbie doos Newbie Party
Savvy Homemade Monday at Home Savvy A to Z
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Show & Tell Party at Mrs. Hine's Class
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming
Frugal Friday at the Shabby Nest