Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Awesome Orange Mirror and 126 Starbursts

A while back I made an AH-MAZING yard sale find.  My husband and I spied this mirror at a yard sale, with the $600 price tag still stuck to the back!  It wasn't in the greatest of condition, it was dirty and peeling.  I don't want to tell you what I paid for it (much less than 10% of that price tag) because you'd be so jealous you wouldn't read my blog anymore!  At first my husband and I WALKED AWAY and left the yard sale.  It was just so big and heavy and we didn't know what we'd do with it.  Then we got our heads back on straight and drove as quickly as we could back to the sale to snap it up!

This mirror is very large and hand carved in India.  It weighs about 50 lbs. and is about 4 ft. by 3ft. in size, and of all things, it hangs by a serious iron chain on the back!  Like the kind of chain you'd see on Jacob Marley - that kind of chain!




So what does an incessant DIY-er do when they find something like this?  They paint it orange.  Duh.  I got out some lovely Annie Sloan Barcelona chalk paint and got to work.  Progress was verrrrrrrry slow with all the deep nooks and crannies on this thing!  Here's a picture after I was off and running.



Soon I ran out of stream and got distracted.  Here's where the Starbursts come in.

Theatre Boy, my 17 year old son, bursts in the house after drama rehearsal and announces he needs 10 large bags of Starbursts.  Of course my reply was "YOU NEED WHAT????".  To which he confirmed said request for a ridiculously large amount of candy.  After continued interrogation on my part, I come to find out that the cute little choir girl I've spied him holding hands with after school has a favorite candy.  You guessed it.  Starbursts.  But not just any Starbursts.  Her true favorite is only the YELLOW ones.  See where we're going?

So after a late night run to Target, we all sit down to open bag after bag of Starbursts and sort out the yellow ones.  (might I mention the kids said "hurry, throw away the wrappers before mom finds something to Mod Podge them onto - love these kids).  After all the sorting there are 126 yellow Starbursts.  "Just enough" Theatre Boy says.

Time to ask a girl to the Homecoming Dance properly (see my mirror back there? soo neglected).


Now this is one sweet offer.  I mean, when did these kids get all fancy shmancy in how they ask a girl to the Homecoming Dance?  Seriously, when I was in high school the guy came up to you in the hallway and said "Hey, you wanna go to Homecoming?".  And that was it.  Now there's flowers and posters and well...I'm jealous.

So the next morning I was part of the plan.  I had to wait in the parking lot with this poster so he could get it right before the class he has with this cute girl.

Waiting in the car...



She said YES, and since then has acquired a gorgeous purple gown for the dance.  Pictures will be forthcoming. 

Now I could finish my mirror.



Even though all that orange was, well, Awesome! - it left me feeling a little flat.  I mean, all those little carvings and nothing to make them shine.

So first it needed some distressing.  I got out a sanding block and distressed every single raised edge on the entire mirror.

After I had beat the heck out of it, and couldn't feel my arms either, I was totally dismayed.  It still looked...flat.  Like my chest after breastfeeding all my children.



Enter Martha Stewart Living Metallic Glaze in Muscovado.  You know I love these glazes and use them, like, on every other project.



You just paint it on...


And wipe it off...can you tell the part that was glazed?  I was finally satisfied.


But now there was a dilemma.  I had NO place to put this mirror!  That's what friends are for though.  I've known my friend Erin for over 20 years and one of her favorite colors is orange!  And she just moved and has bare walls!  What could be better?  So this wonderful piece went over to Erin's house.  I figure if I die first she can keep it forever and if she dies first she'll just will it to me.  All settled.

 Here it is up on her wall - can you see how awesome the glaze is in defining all the details?



And here's a bigger brighter pic -



So that's it!  Thanks for tagging along today!  I'm gonna go eat some Starbursts.

I link up to these wonderful parties:  504 Main - Tickled Pink Fridays, Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Fridays, Tater Tots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party, French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday, Common Ground - Vintage Inspiration, At The Picket Fence - Inspiration Fridays, Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Nite Special, Romantic Home - Show and Tell Fridays, Delicate Construction - Delicately Constructed Fridays, Redoux Interiors - Fridays at Redoux, Shaken Together Life - What's Shakin' Link Party, Chic on a Shoestring - Flaunt It Friday, Liz Marie Blog - Link Up With Liz Marie, Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday, Shabby Art Boutique - Shabbilicious Friday, Maiden D'Shade - Maiden D'Shade Fridays, Too Much Time - Get Schooled Saturdays, Passion Parade Friday, 2805 - Potpourri Friday, Rooted in Thyme - Simple and Sweet Fridays, Be Different Act Normal - Show and Tell Saturday, Debbie Doos - Power of Pinterest Party, I Heart Naptime - Sundae Scoop, Flamingo Toes - Think Pink Sunday, My 1929 Charmer - Sunday's Best, Under The Table and Dreaming - Sunday Showcase Party, Twigg Studios - Sunday Showoff Party, Debbie Doos - Newbie Party, Mommy Sweet Confessions - Sunday Link Party, Nifty Thrifty Things - Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff - DIY Project Parade, Homemaker on a Dime - Creative Bloggers Party, Between Naps on The Porch - Metamorphosis Monday, Alderberry Hill - Make The Scene Monday, Thrifty Decor Chick - Before and After Monday, Boogie Board Cottage - Masterpiece Monday, The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Monday, Krafty Kat - Gettin' Krafty Monday, Mod Vintage Life - Mod Mix Monday, Sewing Barefoot - The Weekly CreativeCoastal Charm - Nifty Thrifty TuesdayMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia - Tuesdays TreasuresKammy's Corner - Trash To Treasure TuesdayDomestically Speaking - Power of Paint PartyOur Delightful Home - Show me what you got TuesdaySavvy Southern Style - Wow Us WednesdaysRestore Interiors - Restore It WednesdayPrimitive and Proper - POWWIvy and Elephants - What's It Wednesday, Between Naps on the Porch - Tablescape Thursday, House of Hepworths - Hookin' Up with the House of Hepworths, The Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation Thursday, The Crafty Blog Stalker - Blog Stalking Thursday, A Little Knick Knack - EBTKS Link Party, I Gotta Create - Wildly Original Linky Party, Somewhat Simple - Simple Link Party, Colorado Lady - Vintage Thingie Thursday, The Vintage Farmhouse - Creative Things Thursday, From My Front Porch To Yours - Treasure Hunt Thursday, The Charm of Home - Home Sweet Home Thursday, Blissful Rhythm - Home and Garden Thursday

31 comments:

  1. This looks fabulous! And good on your boy for being sweet and creative! Don't let him lose that as he grows up!! :)

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  2. I'm so glad that I found you on Be Different, Act Normal! What a gorgeous mirror! Thanks for sharing your awesome work. :)


    Katie
    www.funhomethings.com

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  3. Hey there!

    Stopping by from the GFC Blog Hop :) new follower! Glad I found your blog- love it!

    xoxo
    Anni // http://grapefruitprincess.blogspot.com

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  4. Hi there! Visiting you from the GFC blog hop. This is such a great link up to find great blogs! I am now following you via GFC and would love to get to connect with you more. You did a great job on that mirror. It looks awesome!
    I do have a giveaway going on right now that is for a great cause. I would love for you to come over and enter the giveaway and read an awesome story by one of my readers who is making a big difference in kid's lives. You can enter at http://dalaynadillon.blogspot.com/2012/10/coffee-for-cause.html
    I look forward to keeping up with your blog and hearing from ya soon! Have a terrific Tuesday :D
    Dalayna

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    1. Hi Dalayna,
      I followed you back and entered! Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. found your blog through the GFC hop!
    I love garage sale projects they are sooo budget concious and WAY more fun than just buying something at the store!

    newest follower!
    xo
    Hallie
    http://lifeoceanside.blogspot.com

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  6. Love how you redid this mirror! I need to redo one of mine, so I might use some of your tips :) Thanks for sharing!

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  7. I love the look of your new mirror. So pretty and it looks like you found the perfect spot!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by! Loved your blog and I'm your follower #70 :-)

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  8. i love the orange- makes a fabulous statement!

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  9. The color of your mirror is really nice of orange. Really makes a great statement. I also like the aqua lantern against the color, really looks nice together. I very nice area, and I love starbursts! Thanks for sharing your inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!

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  10. Gorgeous! I am one of those orange lovers!!!! :)

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  11. I want to be your friend! Lol! What a great mirror!! You son is every bit as creative....So glad she said YES after buying 10 bags of starbursts!

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    1. Hi Jeanne! Yours is such a neat blog and I've followed you back. I thought about what would have happened if she'd said no, my son would have had to eat the poster - Lol!

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  12. You did a remarkably job on the mirror. I trust you have it hung on s strong wall. You have a son to be very proud of.

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  13. Thank you so much for linking up at Passion Parade. I love your choice of color! What a great find!
    I featured your gorgeous mirror at this week's Passion Parade. Hope you could come by and link up again :)

    http://myricandreasen.blogspot.com/2012/10/hello-world-we-are-having-such-lovely.html

    xo
    Myric

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    1. I'm so excited! Thank you so much and I linked up again! Will see you next week too!

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  14. LOVE that mirror! Send it to me when you get tired of it! ;) Thanks for sharing at Gettin' Krafty!

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    1. I will definitely send it when we get tired of it! Lol! Thank you for hosting Gettin' Krafty and I'll be back!

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  15. kristin your mirror turned out fabulous and so glad she said yes! Thanx for coming to THT!

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  16. Kristen, cute post - I miss my kids running in the house and those events and projects we'd do together! Love the mirror - great detail and the distressing and metallic paint just made it perfect!
    I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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    1. Thank you Kathy! I will definitely be back to Home an Garden Thursday!

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