Everyone is doing it....so I may as well!

Well, I have wanted to try this project for a while now but had other things going on so it got pushed down the list of projects until recently when I decided to just do it!

So here it is.....my version of DIY mercury glass.

First off I saved two small glass jars for this project and made sure they were thoroughly clean inside AND out. I had to use some Goo Gone on the outside to take off the remaining glue from the label and then I was ready to get started.

So first things first-here are the supplies you will need for this project:

Note: I had a VERY HARD TIME finding the Krylon Looking Glass mirrored finish spray paint in KC but luckily Hobby Lobby had it and it was on sale last week so I got it for about $8 but it usually retails for about $12 and I barely even used it for these two jars. A little goes a long way and hopefully more places in your city carry this paint.

In my water bottle I added distilled vinegar to it hoping it would help me achieve the look I was going for but I THINK plain old water would probably work just as well.

Now take your water bottle and spray inside your jar so the water beads up around the sides then lightly spray the Looking Glass spray paint like so-

The next step is critical to achieving the look you want- and I learned the hard way with my first jar....the trick is take your paper towel and rub some of the paint/water off the sides of the jar. You should do this immediately after spraying the paint otherwise your jar will not look as distressed.

After this just keep layering the water mixture and paint and continue wiping random sections inside the jar with your paper towel to achieve the distressed look real like real mercury glass has.

Here is my first jar and it looks only lightly distressed. I let the paint dry for a minute before wiping so it was stuck on there except where the water bubbles were, (see the bubbles?) so that is why it has more of a mirror finish with less distressing than my second jar.

The second jar below was distressed more with my towel and looks more like what I had set out to achieve.

All in all I am happy to have FINALLY tackled this project and now I have a list of things I would like to try this technique on! :)

Here are both of the jars again on my entryway table. They look great with the beachy look so that is where I currently have them displayed.

So there ya have it...my version of faux mercury glass and I love it! It is such an easy and fun project and I hope you have a chance to try it for yourself! :)

Jennifer

Wire Basket Organization

Today is Friday (woot woot!) and I was a happy girl when I pulled up in the drive and discovered my Country House order had arrived. I love this store-they have the neatest things and they are reasonably priced too.

Here was my box....awfully LARGE considering I had only ordered ONE thing! LOL

...and there she is. My new wire basket. Now you may wonder what I plan on using this basket for....well, in our house we have a TP problem. Too much TP and nowhere to put it!!! Soooo.....that is where my new wire basekt comes into play. She is the PERFECT SIZE and can hold roughly TWELVE rolls of toilet paper....and that's a LOT of TP folks!!!

TADA! There she is! Filled to the rim with TP and now its out of the hall closet and nicely stored away in the downstairs bathroom. This allowed me to free up a TON of space in the hall closet and who doesn't need MORE ROOM in their closet???!!!! I {LOVE} this basket sooo much that I may have to get another. The height of this basket is perfect for storing kids balls and bats, dog toys, shoes, umbrellas, wrapping paper, etc.

If you are interested in purchasing one, you can find the link here at the Country House.


.....and even though the heat has ruined most of my chances for fresh cut flowers, I decided to treat myself to a bouquet that I purchased from the local grocery store. Here they are for you to enjoy!!!!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Jennifer

Thrifty Finds and My New Do

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! As you probably know by now I am addicted to the thrift stores as its gainst my decorating 'religion' to spend a lot of money on any one thing, so away to the thrift stores I go to hunt for bargains. Here are some of the treasures I discovered:

I was SO excited when I looked over and discovered these two lovely candelabras! They were $7.99 each (which is close to my thrifstore limit for a single item, but they were both in PERFECT condition and I have BIG plans for them so I could't resist!

Then there was this silver tray/platter. I fell in {LOVE} with it the moment I discovered it. I am not sure how to clean it but I plan on cleaning it up and giving it some lustre and either displaying it or using it in a centerpiece somewhere.....you'll have to check back and see!

Here's a close up pic of the etching design and detail on the handles. Its in great shape and it was a steal at only $2.99!

Then of course was this little birdie. I thought it was cute and had originally intended on painting this guy but decided to leave him as is for now since his colors go well with my fall decor.

Next was this gorgeous pillow. As you can imagine, finding quality pillows that are clean and in good shape is hard to do at a thriftstore but this buttery yellow pillow is stiff and feels brand new. I also love the color and piping so I had to have it!

I also stumbled across this hob nob lamp. I am not sure about the electrical as it looks old and orignal to the piece but I thought it was cute and cottagey so I plan on finding a shade for it and displaying it in our office. (...which is another redo that I have recently began working on, so stayed tuned for more office pics in the near future).

And who can resist a glass jar in a cool shape like this?

I was also suprised to find this little gold mirror with the teeniest white/diomandy accents...its so feminine. I am not a big fan of gold so I may paint this one white...not sure yet.

If you have been following my posts closely you will learn that I {HEART} handbags...especially red, turquoise, or green purses. I found this shiney red Nine West purse at the local Red Racks thrift store for $4.98. It appeared to be new or very gently used and the inside was nice too so I HAD TO HAVE IT!!!

Then of course I snagged a new jewelry organizer and a roll of new RED TOILE wrapping paper....another one of my favorites....toile. Can't have enough of it. Over the years I have collected it then sold some of it at garage sales but I keep coming back to it. Its classic french country!

So there's my weekly finds, now for my before AND after:
(drum roll please!)

Here I am right before "going under" LOL

Here's another shot of how I normally look with naturally curly hair (with my mom)

And here are the AFTER photos. I went with a richer color of red this time and of course my stylst always straightens my hair after I have it done. I LOVE my hair straight but never spend the time irioning out in the mornings so its a little treat for myself whenever I have my color freshened up. The curly girls want straight and the straight girls want curly....I'm a prime example of it!!! :)


Enjoy the rest of your weekend and stay cool!

Jennifer