Chic Shelf 2

Y'all, last week, major dreamzzz were fulfilled when I scored a lucite shelf to display my Dansk cast iron candleholder hoard on:

Now, this fabulousness needs to be hung, and hung well-- if y'all know what I'm talkin' about! OH SHIOT! Seriously, the candleholders are cast iron, so safety must be accomplished here, but I'm certainly not sacrificing chic-ery in the process either. I'm not THAT giving! I want the shelf to appear as if it's floating on the wall, like this:

I've seen those brackets for glass shelves-- surely there's something out there for an 8' long shelf? I mean, 8' is pretty standard in terms of shelf length, right? Here goes PJ down the diy rabbit hole...see folks, this shiot happens to me ALL THE TIME. Cool idea, then trying to find the pieces and parts to make said cool idea a reality-- isn't always cool. In fact hardly EVER. Many, many a day/week/month is spent searching all over for the right piece to make an idea work. And more oft than not, I have to end up making what I need. Guess that's how I got my DIY groove on in the first place. Custom IS next to Godliness. But for this, I really didn't sink too much time into finding a potential bracket, b/c we were already trolling Big Reuse when we found the shelf, it didn't take too long to uncover this baby, which, naturally, someone had put in a corner...the SHADE:

This is a chrome, glass door metal bracket of sorts (think it was originally intended for a shower door?)...it's almost as long as the shelf and has pre-existing mounting holes. It's almost a perfect fit on one side of the shelf. And it's only $8. This place is SERVING ME SERIOUS VALUE, y'all!

There's gonna need to be some hardcore safety mounting to my wall for this scenario-- but honestly, y'all, ALL mounting should be safe -- YES! I'll also have to secure the lucite shelf from below (note the pre-existing holes on underside of bracket) for even more OCD safety. In theory, this SHOULD work. I think. Dylan, cast here as 'hunky engineer', seems more confident about this method, but kindly reminds me that the SAFEST solution would be to use L brackets...how thoughtful. 'Cause y'all know looking at a narsty bracket holding up all my cast iron sculpture is the very definition of artful display. But what if my L brackets were pretty AND functional? Enter lucite L bracket from stage right, betch:

Are you kidding me with THIS? GORG! The problem here is these brackets are custom and run $15 EACH. I need at least 4. Kinda spendy for me, since the shelf was only $5. Then I started thinking about alternate L brackets made from metal that I wouldn't mind looking at and immediately I thought of brass! Holla! If y'all aren't aware, brass is baaaaaack! Way back. And the combo of brass and lucite is giving me a raging case of style chills. Taking to the interwebs like a brass bat outta hell, here's what I dug up:

Simple, straightforward and available in a few sassy finishes from Signature Hardware, but the polished brass shiot cost $32.95 EACH. How rude.

These antiqued brass babies from Liz's Antique Hardware are also kinda hawt:

But at $95 EACH they got real ugly, real quick. Damn! Why has brass gotta break a betch?! These kids from House of Antique Hardware are cute, and at $11.95/each, they're not cra cra, but I'm not convinced I could write home about them:

Then, I started searching for generic, simple brackets that I could potentially spray paint gold. Rabbit hole, right? SEE!!! Though, gotta say that the spray on metallics don't always melt in my mouth. But then shut the F&$K y'all, look what I found on Ebay! WHAT?!?!?!?:

2-set of vintage Baldwin brass shelf bracket babies for $10 value dollas!!! Betch got me 2 sets (total 4 brackets) for $20 + shipping!!!! Now, that's some good and tasty, DIY y'all...Yum!

I mean. #brassobsessed. Needless to say, I'm MORE THAN happy about these brackets and how amazing they're going to look paired with my lucite shelf! Be sure to check back for the big brass betch REVEAL soon!

Thrift Whore Thursday

Y'all, the Brooklyn Heights Housing Works WERKED me over recently when I stopped in for a Thrift Whore session. Look at all this sensual candy:

Imagine that gumdrop reupholstered in some fab fabric, like a graphic plaid or geometric, then the wood trim all turned out bright white, or in an accent color lifted right out of your fabric? Dripping gorgeousness!

If y'all haven't saddled up for a ride atop the brass train yet, go ahead and spread, 'cause it's BACK in full effect-- as far as home decor goes! And not the chintzy, cheap variety...I'm talking about 100% real deal brassness...lucky for us whores, I see it ALL THE TIME at thrift stores, like these babies:

Those little bits and bots of brass are perf for those of you out there who aren't convinced that this home decor moment is really upon us...they're small, really inexpensive and will pizazz-ify y'all's shelves, mantles or coffee/end tables. Go brass or bust!

These busts kinda stopped me mid-skip in the store...I'm intrigued, slightly creeped out-- in a good way-- so naturally they worth sharing:

I would probably rock those out by painting them all white or the same color, like hot pink-- gasp wood-o-philes & art snobs-- it would totally modernize and take the hibee geebs out of 'em, right?

These lil guys just winked at me and are giving us full-on toe play...yummy:

I don't often bother with fashion while whoring...but c'mon, black COWBOY boots??? Y'all know you want them-- in your MOUTH!

Aren't these ladies just like Precious Moments statues?

They just need to be good and worked over, like most of us thrift whores! Lose those skirts and swaddle them in new amazing fabrics, ahhhh, they'll be LIVING in yo house!!! Their curvy silhouettes are giving us ALL BODY, ALL THE TIME!

This one here, style slapped me full on when I rounded the corner!:

But y'all know it's the kind of sting we thoroughly enjoy-- and SEEK OUT! More curves, round and stone-- YES! I always encourage my clients to go for the round (or oval) when selecting end tables, coffee tables, even dining tables...learned this trick from Tae...hey Tae...round is obvi feminine, it helps to break up all the masculine lines that most spaces are full of and it's easier to navigate around...keeps the energy flowing in a space.

But then again, so does this bamboo beaut:

What would she do to y'all's lives if she were painted an awesome parrot-green? You'd constantly be RIDING HER-- that's what!

And make no mistake about the one she's currently riding...

Y'all can't go wrong with these types of dressers...they're unbridled work whores! Great for storage, great as entryway tables, buffet & consoles, changing tables...sometimes y'all will need to retro-fit them for your specific needs, and of course, a can of paint in a cool color and some new knob or pull action will absolutely transform this piece-- and ultimately, YOUR LIFE!

And that's really the whole point of being a thrift whore, no? Happy Whoring!

Thrift Whores-- our theme song!

It's a 'special sauce' kinda Thrift Whore Thursday up in here y'all...we got us a theme song! YES! Y'all know your whorin' always goes that much better when you got some kinda beat or rhythm to shake it to! Well, get ready to get your groove on to this sassy situation...it's AMAZING!:

Happy Whoring, y'all!

Cheap chic served at Target!

En route to a beach housewarming party, Dyl and I put on our big girl panties to brave Target Atlantic Center on a Saturday. Which for those of y'all who've experienced this firsthand, you know I speak the truth...this isn't just some 'Dynasty' tv show drama...this is full on Tar-ghetto at its finest, y'all! Well, well, imagine my joy upon seeing this graphic greet us at the door:

Awww, that's a puppy after my own value-driven heart...y'all know biotch loves a bargain! And lo and behold, we found these wicker wrapped glasses on clearance that were just too cute to pass up, ruff ruff!

Have y'all ever beheld so much joy? That's not a glare from the glasses, oh no...that's bargain shining through!! HOT! And at $4.18 a pop, our new homeowner will have the happiest AND warmest home on the block! Cheers!

Y'all, go get your Art on!

The art you choose to display in your space says a lot about "who" you really are... it's not just a style statement... it can be a real journey into the psyche of the folks who live there... sometimes that's a trip you're eager to take-- especially when we're talking about yummy vintage yarn art-- holla-- or, it can be territory that's best left uncharted. Meaning, anything incorporating LED lights. And scene. Thankfully, the good peeps over at art.com have trusted yours truly to offer up my picks for adding some pizazz to your place... I tried to corral a varied collection of art, without loosing my style stamp of approval. Currently they're featuring a gallery of floral and nature themed art that I selected. Check out my gallery here (just scroll down and click my face - y'all know you want to)... even if my suggestions don't backslap you, you're sure to find something that will help tell the world who you really are!

Decorating with...Math?

Math has never been a friend of mine…and I’m not sure why that is exactly. I’ve always dismissed our dynamic as "just not having enough in common". Math is so precise and exact. So right or wrong. There’s no wiggle room with Math. No drama or intrigue, no gray areas. I thrive in gray areas…I mean, what color doesn’t work with gray, right y’all?

For me, the same holds true for decorating—there is no real right or wrong. There’s an infinite amount of wiggle room, and nothing ever has to be exact or precise. So when I was approached to create a piece for Easy Decorating Magazine called 'Instant Room' that would illustrate basic elements (sofa, coffee table, light fixture & rug) added together to equal a specific style of room, I was a little skeptical. But I was quickly backslapped by Math... despite all her exactness (1 + 1 equals 2...blah, blah, blah) I discovered there’s a lot of wiggle room, you just have to be open to it. And just like decorating, being open to the unexpected can make for one hell of an equation. Look how these rooms add up:

Now go get properly schooled by grabbing yourselves a copy, out on newsstands now! Holla!