Painting a piece of furniture refreshing white is one of the easiest ways to make an update. Each one of these pieces included white paint but came out with their own twist. Just take a look at these 5 white furniture transformations.

1. This childhood dresser was the perfect candidate for a makeover. All it needed was white paint, a pale purple for the details, and new pulls. Now it's a little girl's changing table.

2. Before: Old and outdated! After: A distressed beauty. A couple of coats of milk paint and some light sanding was all this coffee table needed.

3. This side of the road find became a classy kitchen island. I took out the bottom drawer and made a shelf for storage. The old, orangey finish had to come off, but the pulls stayed put.

4. Even though this white piece may be considered "shabby", look at the clean and pristine dresser to the right. What a difference the white paint and silver spray painted pulls have done!
These close ups show how dingy the piece was before its makeover.

5. The water stained, rough around the edges coffee table is now a game night delight. The white paint was glazed over to give an antique look. The center was spray painted with chalkboard paint. A so sad table turned into so much fun! 

 

How to Let Go of Sentimental Objects with 3 Easy Questions

 

It can be difficult to get rid of items you have held on to for so long. Whether the object brings back a memory, was handed down to you, or fills you with emotions, there are many reasons why we just can’t let it go! Ask yourself these 3 questions to start the purge.

 

1.       Does it serve a purpose?

This handmade tree is a decoration we put up around the holidays. It stays!

 

 

 

2.       Does it fit into your lifestyle?

Precious moments figurines definitely fit into someone’s lifestyle, just not ours. Off they go!

 

3.       Can it be reimagined?

This ABC poster was in my husband’s childhood bedroom. When the time comes we will reframe it and hang it up in a nursery. It stays!

 

If your answers to these questions are NO, NO, and NO then think about why you ARE keeping it. Is it guilt? Do you have good intentions to reuse it but they never come to reality?

Tips that might make giving away your sentimental objects better:

1.       Donate to a good cause. Find a charitable organization that could use your items for someone in need.

2.       Make some money! Could your item be of value? Try selling it first, you might be surprised!

3.       Can the item go to someone you know? Would another family member appreciate the sentimental gift? Mention it to the family and see if there are any takers.

 

As we go through our things before we move (3 weeks away, fingers crossed) we'll be asking ourselves these 3 questions. Wish us luck!

 

 

Selfie Station

 

Negative: The price of photo booths

Positive: A custom selfie station at your wedding!

Photo booths are a hit at weddings, parties, family events, and work functions. What’s better than a photo booth? A selfie station!

Advantage 1: Pictures are shared immediately. You don’t have to decide who will take one of the two photos the photo booth leaves behind.

Advantage 2: You can take a huge group selfie. A photo booth only holds so many people before it starts to get uncomfortable.

Advantage 3: Your wedding hashtag can live alongside the photos on social media.

About the selfie station:

The PVC frame is 6 feet long by 7 feet high. The curtain is a drop cloth from Home Depot which I painted with the couple’s name, date, and monogram. I hot glued the top of the drop cloth to make a sleeve so it just slid onto the top piece of PVC. I added some sheer curtains to match the venue and yellow ribbon.

 

Getting props for the booth is easier than you think. This bride asked her bridesmaids to bring props to the bachelorette party and everyone had various items to add to the selfie station. The bride posted her wedding hashtag and provided a few selfie sticks and guests went at it!

 

Tips for Selfie Station Success:

1.       Have the DJ/band announce that the selfie station is open at the most appropriate time during the event.

2.       Make sure your selfie stick works with all types of phones or specify which phone is it compatible with.

3.       Provide lighting. Some of our pictures came out completely black because we couldn’t turn on the flash.

 

 

Full Length Mirror

Negative: A bride isn’t able to see herself in her full gown on her wedding day

Positive: This custom full length mirror

The mirror was purchased from Home Depot at around $60. It’s 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide.

I used 4, six foot boards that were 3 inches wide. I cut the boards at a 45 degree angle and assembled using 1 inch pocket holes with my kreg jig attachment.

Before:

 

 

After:

 

The frame is stained Red Oak by Minwax.

I glued the mirror to the frame using liquid nails. I did not use any clamps as I didn’t want to damage the mirror.

***Helpful hint: Put the frame down and then lay the glass on top. The weight of the glass will help bond to the wood frame.

 

 

 

Do you see that beautiful gown?!

 



Our "morning of" spread.

 

The groom even sent her flowers every hour while we were getting ready!



It was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of their day. #bray4ever

 

 

What I Didn't Expect When Buying a Home

Everyone has their own home buying journey. I have heard great success stories and horror stories alike. Here are 3 things I didn’t expect when buying a home.

1.       Everyone will give you their opinion.

Only consult people you trust on your home buying experience to cut out the extra noise.

 

Naturally, we told almost everyone that we were house hunting and how it was going. Our friends and family wanted to support us by giving us advice and sharing their experience. Overall, I didn’t mind, but what ended up happening is EVERYONE wanted to give us their two sense. I mean from your hair dresser, dentist, coworkers, grandparents, and more. Don’t go to that city, its too far. That city has the best schools. You don’t want well water. You definitely want a well. Oil is cheap. Gas is better. Old houses are built better. Old houses have problems. And on, and on, and on.

 

 

What I would have done is ask a few close friends only. People who live in the area were the most helpful. They were able to tell us about the busiest streets, history of the neighborhood, and if they thought the prices were reasonable for the area.

2.       Just because you signed paperwork, it doesn’t mean the house is yours.



Don't start packing until you have the keys in your hand.

 

In one situation we heard “Congratulations, your offer has been accepted!”. Five hours later, the seller went with a higher offer and we didn’t get a chance to make a better offer.

I can’t say what I would have done differently because we did EVERYTHING THEY ASKED. I can only say that I wish we didn’t tell friends and family. We celebrated when we heard and let everyone know the good news. It was hard to tell our friends 5 hours later that we had lost out. Even though it is an exciting moment, maybe wait until the seller signs the paperwork or better yet when you have the keys in your hand.

3.       You will be pressured to make quick decisions.

Don't become emotional when making a quick decision about a house.

 

In our experience, when a house is updated and priced right it will go on the market on Friday and off the market on Sunday. I didn’t expect to feel so pressured to make a decision. We would look a house for thirty minutes and then need to decide if we wanted to put in an offer right at that moment.

 

What I learned is that when I needed to make a quick decision, to look at it as a business investment and not an emotional investment. Instead of saying, well I love the countertops and the pool will be great in the summer, we said things like this is a desirable neighborhood, the house is on a cul-de-sac, and the windows and roof are new. Putting into perspective the value of the property made it easier to decide to put in an offer.

After putting in offers four times and being denied the first three times, we should close on our house in June if all things go well. It's very 1970s and I couldn't be more excited about it! Check back for updates!