all that glitters is gold

If you asked Rob, he would probably say I have a serious obsession with gold. The other day I told him I was going outside to paint something and his response was, "Let me guess, you're painting it gold." He isn't totally wrong. Looking around my living room there are quite a few hints of gold. What can I say! Sometimes a girl just needs some gold in her life!

A few weeks ago my cousin, Jenn, gave me a tea set as a house warming gift. The tea pot and tea cups were white porcelain but knowing me well she gave them to me with the intention that I would jazz them up a bit!

I woke up this morning to a miserable grey day. As I was making breakfast I opened the cupboard and those little tea cups were staring out at me. It was like a little gold lightbulb popped up above my head. I grabbed the tea set and a gold sharpie and got to work!

*Note: online reviews say to use an oil based Sharpie instead of a regular one. I only had a regular Sharpie and no desire to go out in the pouring rain, so that's what I used. I just plan on washing these gently.

I popped them all onto a baking sheet and into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. I haven't washed these yet but my fingers are crossed. They aren't perfect but I kind of love that about them!

to blog or not to blog

That is the question. Since coming home from Barbados I really haven't done much that I find "blog-worthy." I love Kingsville, it's a great town. But in all honesty, there isn't all that much to do. We have a great foodie community and as much as I would love to share restaurant reviews, it isn't exactly common to see people with big SLR cameras snapping away in Kingsville (compared to a big city I suppose). I would love to share travel photography, however I'm not exactly in a finacial situation that allows me to travel. I love lifestyle blogs and wardrobe posts, but Rob wouldn't be so willing to take pictures of my outfits every where we go. So that leaves me with DIY and home projects. Is that enough? I guess we'll see. With that out of the way, I guess I should start sharing some DIY projects right?

Do you remember the black and white pillow from this post? I was at ikea a while ago and had a black and white pillow in my cart ($16.99 with the pillow, pretty good price). Before checking out I headed to the as is section and found a black and white pillow case for $2.00! I knew I had inserts at home so I ditched the pre-fab pillow and grabbed the pillow case instead. One straight line of stiching later and I had a pillow cover. I was also left with about 8 inches of fabric from the pillow case. Being the fabric hoarder I am, I decided to keep it. A few weeks later and I was staring at this mustard yellow stool I had taken from my grandma's house. It had the cutest hairpin legs that had seen better days, but captured my heart. So I grabbed my favourite gold spray paint and had at it. I originally planned for the stool to act as the chair for the desk in our kitchen, but I couldn't decide on a fabric for that room (we haven't really done anything in the way of decorating in there). As I was digging through my fabric remnants I came across the piece from the pillowcase. A few staples later and I was in love. See for yourself.

It's become the "aquarium stool." Rob and I often sit there and just stare into the aquarium (which is coming along nicely, I must say). And there you have my quick stool update!

packing up

I'm finding it a lot harder to leave my apartment than I thought it would be. It was a bit of a last minute decision to move out. It was really the practical thing to do. Paying rent in Barbados, paying rent in London and not having any income just didn't seem smart no matter how I tried to convince myself.

So here I am now, packing up boxes and waiting for people to snatch up all my collected treasures. I think that's why I am so sad. I spent last summer at flea markets and garage sales trying to find items I could revamp and make my own. Most of the furniture in my apartment was cheap but I put blood, sweat, and tears into every piece (Literally! Who knew upholstering a couch could be so dangerous!) But in the end, I know it's the right decision to move back in with my parents and try to get rid of as much as possible. This just means I get to start collecting again for my next place!