I proceeded to say thank you and he gave me a bewildered look. I told him Johnny Depp was one of the most stylish guys around and if he thought that Johnny Depp would like the suitcase then I was going to take that as a compliment!
Now Ryan likes the suitcase. Thrifting wins again! I think a lot of people approach second hand from the wrong mentality. I don't buy secondhand because I am poor and I can't afford new things. Or because I like to buy crap. I buy secondhand because it's green, it's easy on the bank, and I get a lot more stuff and its UNIQUE. A word that is slipping away in our society I am afraid. Who wants to dress like everyone else- not me.
I know wearing something that someone else has worn may seem "icky" to some people. But I invest in very good detergent, dry cleaning, and tailoring. You have to be able to know good fit, fabric quality, and look for things that are gently worn. But ok then, maybe clothing is not for you, but there are so many other things to be found! That's is why my heart really belongs to Restore. With everything from paint, to tile, to yard furniture, a crafting section, I could spend hours there. I do spend hours there.
When I was planning my wedding the same guy would always cash me out and I know what he was thinking - oh great here comes the crazy girl that buys boxes of crap like birds and candle sticks! But I got my entire wedding there on the cheap! And all of my money spent went to Habitat for Humanity! How awesome is that?
So you all are thinking, OK, we get it Ash, you love thrift stores but tell us something we don't know! The moral of this story is this- I got this brass chandelier for twenty dollars....
Kind of ugly right? It's OK Ryan thought so too. But when you remove the light bulbs and and faux- candle stick thingies like this...
Then wash the brass surface with a damp rag and soapy water, towel dry completely...
Finally tape off all electrical outlets for light bulbs...
Now you are ready to spray paint! Take a sheet or something that can be thrown away {I used a towel} and spray paint. You will need to make sure it will adhere to the surface you are working with. In my case brass, so I made sure this spray paint works for brass. Luckily I already had some on hand so spray paint was free. {spray paint in a well ventilated area and I wear a mask cause I am a gomer like that}
I used Krylon Indoor/Outdoor in gloss. It was different then the one pictured above because that can decided that he was not going to work and be a waste of 5 dollars- grrrrrr! So I used Celery Green instead and you know what? I love it, so take that can of spray paint who has it's own mind, I don't need you anyway...Cause now I have this purdy light for my farmhouse chic kitchen now. I am glad it's green instead of almond like the cabinets. Gives it a little more pop...
I am a little more then slightly obsessed with it. And Ryan has already come around and now thinks it's pretty cool as well. We have a ceiling pendant to go around it but we are unsure whether to paint it the same color as the light or the ceiling {which will be cotton white flat finish} To bad neither of us knows how to install a light so we are on the mercy of handy friends until then. Looks like I need to get my cookbook out and see what kind of bribes I can come up with!
*PS- Wait till you see what else I have been doing in my kitchen! I am still finishing a few projects up {and recovering from a horrible migraine} So it might be next week before you get to see the finished results but believe me the wait will be worth it!
**PS- Also coming tomorrow a brand new series will be featured so you better come back because if you love sneaking peeks inside real peoples homes....well let's just say I have a special treat for you if you do!
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