Our big weekend project

*This is an old post from October 2009 but I am editing it to add to:

This is the "inspiration" picture.  This full size bed costs $799 (just the bed frame - not including matress or anything)


Here is what I picked up at a garage sale:
advertised as "antique girl's bed" - yeah it is not really an "antique" but I really liked the style of it, and $35 for a full size bed - headboard and metal frame was a really good deal.  It doesn't matter to me that this was a "girl's bed" even though I needed a bed for my 6 yr old son.



So how to give it a makeover anywhere close to the pottery barn inspiration?
Spray paint super quick and easy! So we go to Wal-mart, buy 2 cans of primer, and 4 cans of paint. I let Thomas choose which color bed he wants (I want a dark blue), I am thinking about this headboard project on one of my favorite blogs, but he is very strong in his opinion that he wants RED. I do want to give my kids choices and let them make decisions for themselves, and I am not convinced it will look good, but I think I can always spray paint it another color if it doesn't work out. Also, the red he wants is the cheap Wal-mart brand that is $1.12 a can, so it is not a huge investment if it doesn't turn out good.

So Chris helps me set up the spray painting station above (2 old curtains - one laying on the floor and one pinned to the garage wall. I have done this before when I painted my dining chairs black.
I start with the primer and one of the cans malfunctions somehow and the spray starts coming out in dots and it jams up so I throw that can away and continue with the other can. When the paint dries a little I wipe away the excess with a dry towel where the paint came out in dots.

So now the bed looks like this - I think it already has potential and can see it would look nice a dark gray or a blue color.


And now it's red - this is a bad picture because the paint was wet and the flash made it look worse.

I give the bed another good coat of spray paint and we let it dry well a few more hours.

So now the after pictures:


headboard - $35
sealy pillowtop mattress and box spring - $50 (from Craigslist)
spray paint - $7
much heavy lifting done by my lovely husband = happy wife
a big new bed and a good night's sleep = happy 6 year old


(see it's huge, all his bedding looks good with the red headboard and we did not have a bed skirt so one of his fitted spiderman sheets works to cover the box springs base)
*editing to add we did buy a navy blue bedskirt and that is what is on it now.

Some other little details in his room:

this big black car was from one of our garage sales a few weeks ago - the lego table was a garage sale find too we've had it several years.
these little stars are actually Christmas ornments
a few more "train" accessories


So now I need to find a cute desk like this I can paint to match his bed!

Super heroes

Wolverine and Wonder Woman

Halloween is coming

So in my house other than talking about what do you want to be when you grow up, or "Kate, how old will I be when you are 12?" (yes I think Thomas has finally figured out he will always be 2 years younger after asking this question many many times!) The other topic that comes up is what do you want to be for Halloween. We still need to go out shopping for costumes but so far this year I think Kate wants to be Cleopatra and Thomas some kind of super hero.

So let's take a tour back of our Halloween costumes........

2008 camp rock girl and Scooby Doo

2007 - Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Shrek

2006 another "fairy princess" type costume and a pirate. I had bought a generic pirate costume, but Thomas was in a major Wiggles phase - which lasted about 4 years! so when I found the captain feathersword from a garage sale we had to have that one. It got a LOT of use.

this is the after assessing the candy picture

2005 Elmo and Cinderella

2004 - a little frog, I borrowed this costume from a friend

hey, get this off of me!

Another princess year - maybe a "fairy princess" this time.

2003 - Thomas was a lion and Kate an elephant

2002 before digital cameras. I had recently gone back to work teaching and Kate used to go to the school I taught at too and wore this little uniform. I couldn't find a picture of her costume this year but she was just a 'princess' which was a pink sweat suit and tutu

2001 Little Bo Peep

I made this bonnet for her and made her a little 'staff' with a coathanger and ribbon wrapped around it. We used to go to a playgroup with some other 'new Mom' friends and this was at our party.

chasing seagulls

I don't know if I've uploaded a video to the blog before, just trying this out....

picnic on the beach with Nana

Decorating dilemmas party

I need a few ideas for decorating in my bedroom, I really like the space, wall color etc and don't want to make any big changes, just want some ideas for bedding colors, art work or other things to hang on the walls. In the next 6 months or so I can probably talk my husband into changing the ceiling fan / light fixture.




I just got these wall tiles from Southern living at home - they were one of my "free" items for having a party. Should I hang them higher, or a different way?

The tables are some we've had several years from IKEA, they serve their purpose well but I could keep my eyes out at goodwill and yard sales for some other end tables to refinish - or could paint these ones, black or white???

The lamps are pretty new - I got them from Home goods and I love them.

They are pillow shams from pottery barn that are makeshift table cloths right now. Not sure if you can see the print on the them but I like that fabric.

The white square mirror was an old southern living at home item I got from my friend Julie
the other side of the room - this ikea CD chest which is our TV stand in here. We have had this a long time and it has always been unfinished pine like this, any thought on painting it, what color or stain??

and another picture that was on my camera when I took these ones.......

This last week I found this blog post on black painted beds

Any thoughts on painting the bed / or other simple / cheap decor I could use in the room?


SO, I'll take any free advice I can get, thanks for visiting my blog if this is your first time here.
Make sure you visit Serenity Now if you have a decorating dilemma to share.