I Am Lovin' this Tray from IKEA!

I am in love with this simple, metal tray from IKEA.

It is not new.  

It has been in their regular stock for some time.

However, I find myself reaching 

for another one each time 

I make trip to IKEA.

Which is not that often, 

since a road trip is necessary.

It is called ROMANTISK 

and retails for $10.00

I find them handy in places all over my house.

They are great to corral books and magazines

in the bedroom.

Have a dark bookcase?

They make great backdrops

to lighten up a dark area.

How about in the living room,

atop a stool to give a little extra height  

to an end table?

By the way,

isn't my lamp gorgeous?

It was hand woven by my 

friend Katherine, 

who is an outstanding basket weaver.

This week I found another use for my

favorite tray.

I have wanted a chalkboard in my kitchen

and created the perfect one!

Bet you could find all sorts of handy places for one too!

Linking this week with:
Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple
Brag About It Tuesday at BeBetsy andVMG206
Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters
Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage

The Yellow Painted Wardrobe

Don't you just love it when a project

turns out as you envisioned it in your head?

An ongoing project for me since last year

has been to lighten up my house a bit.

This is the view from the front door 

inside my entrance.

I know,

a lot of brown,

a lot of wood.

I have had this wardrobe for a long, long time.

Its size is perfect for its space

and since I do not have a coat closet

it is a great place to hang my coat.

It is a given for me that I will not be

painting the oak wood that is a part of the house

(i.e. stairs, room divider, woodwork, etc).

So, I have been debating painting the wardrobe

since last Spring when I painted the one above,

in my bedroom.

Yes, I'll do it.

No, better not.

Yes, no, yes, no.

I've gone back and forth for months.

About two weeks ago something popped up 

on my Facebook feed from HOUSE BEAUTIFUL Magazine,

titled something like "How to Make Your Home Look Happy."

One of the suggestions was to add a "pop of color" 

to your entrance.

That was the just the push I needed.

I love the mustard yellow background

in one of the fabrics of my window treatments.

That was the color I would go for.  

I found it in Lowe's Valspar, "Autumn Moon."

I also decided I was going to use chalk paint

since I had had good luck with it with my

other wardrobe.

My chalk paint inspiration is from Sherry at

No Minimalist Here.

She's the expert and you can get more info 

about the technique from her.

So last weekend, I finally took the plunge.

The wardrobe is a BIG piece of furniture,

so it would have to be painted inside.

I emptied it out, 

moved it away from the wall,

and spread plastic.

Here goes.

First coat on.

This is always the point when I think,

"Have I made a horrible mistake???"

Carry on and paint another coat.

Then came the "distressing."

This was the step that gave me the most anxiety

since I had not done it before.

However, I watched several You Tube videos and

stoked my courage.

.

I could not be more pleased.

My test of success is,

if I saw this piece in an antique store,

what would I think of it?

My answer,

"Wow, that piece would be PERFECT

for my entrance!"

Linking this week at:
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Give Me the Goods Monday at Rain on a Tin Roof
Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Open House Party Thursdays at No Minimalist Here

Simple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted in Thyme

Our fight continues.

You can read Pinky's story here.