Shab it up!

So I entered my full blown obsession with all things shabby right before Christmas time. My husband was especially thrilled with this when I decided to decorate our tree again.

But here is a quick transformation I want to show you guys that is a little skewed because the after pictures include the Christmas decor. But then again...doesn't everything look so much better at Christmas time!?

Here is our TV wall. Its painted a few shades darker than the rest of the room. I love it, and the black media cabinet Dave and Jenna gave to us right after they moved in next door. (Thus beginning our love of them!) But when the shabby fever hit, I decided it looked too contemporary.

So I referred to my oldest and wisest friend...my sandpaper.

It was a relatively quick job aside from the fact that I decided to haul the big honkin' piece of furniture outside by myself (the kids were napping, I had to act quick!)

A little insight into me: Patience IS a virtue, however it is not MY virtue!

I love how by simply distressing the edges, all the curves and details of the piece really pop!

And the end result + a little Christmas pizzaz

Distressed furniture, baskets, birdcages, and lots of natural elements. Thats shabby to me!

What does shabby mean to you?

(See that funky junky chair in the corner!? Thats an upcoming project that is put on hold til Christmas projects are done...but I can't wait!!!!!)

Holiday Cloche

Here's another great (great=cheap) quick project that can easily be transformed for each holiday.

I found these beauties at our local consignment shop for a whopping total of $3.50.

I started by pulling the legs off of the cheese plate with a pair of needle nosed pliers (sounds painful, I know)

Then I painted my mini urn and the cheese plate black and sanded them to give them that distressed look that would eventually occur in my house if I didn't start it out like that anyways. Then I glued the two pieces together with Locktite epoxy.

Ready to be stuffed with holiday!

This was our harvest cloche

I spruced it up even more for Christmas. I placed it in a tray (which I already owned) and bunched up  some red place mats. Then I wrapped some garland around the bottom and stuck some ornaments inside.

               Don't ask me how to pronounce it, but I am linking this little ditty up
to the Holiday Cloche Party @ A Stroll Thru Life