Ugly Ducklings

Recently, I've developed a bit of an obsession with the Dollar Tree. How come no one ever told me all the great finds they have at that store for ONE DOLLAR?!?! I almost feel like I shouldn't tell anyone about how great the Dollar Tree is so I can keep first dibs on everything. Just in the past few weeks I've found everything from Halloween decor to glassware to home improvement supplies. As I was getting ready to check out, these little ugly ducklings (or birdies) caught my eye:

Who would think that sand glued on to them was a good look for these things?!? I mean, really? But I saw the potential and knew they would look great with a coat or two of my secret weapon:

That's right. The ridiculously popular (in blog world, at least) spray paint color called "Heirloom White". Not too white, not too yellow. Just right for a nice creamy color.

I first attempted to sand off the...er...well...sand! But that crap was stuck on there and not budging much so I just decided to paint over it. Here they are with the first coat (notice my super amazing "drop cloth"...also known as an empty bag of dog food):

After a couple more coats and a little drying time they transformed into beautiful swans:

It's really amazing how much cuter they are now! And the paint really brings out the detail on the wings, which I love.

I love my little "nest" that I created for one of them. The glass container was also from Dollar Tree and the moss I already had from a previous project. So total cost for that little bird's nest was less than $3!

This picture is way too dark but you can get the idea. I am in love with my little birds now!! I want to buy more and put them all over the house.

A Little Frame Makeover

My great aunt Ellabeth was quite a crafter when she was alive, and she also had a knack for painting. I was lucky enough to acquire one of her paintings that I love but unfortunately I was no longer loving the bronzey-gold frame holding it. However, the frame has great detail to it so I figured just a couple coats of spray paint would work wonders. Here she is all taped off and ready for spray paint. All I did pre-painting was wipe off the dust and grime that had accumulated on the frame. I didn't bother with sanding it or anything {lazy}. Then away I went with a couple coats of Dover White spray paint and voila!
{Please ignore the dog body in the background and the fact that the frame is resting on an ironing board}

I'm happy with the way it turned out and I think the white frame really makes the painting pop now! Also, although you can't tell in the photo, the paint job has an "antique" look to it where some of the spray paint didn't completely get into some of the nooks and crannies {aka I didn't spray it properly}....and I really like it that way! Sometimes laziness pays off people...I'm just sayin'.

So thanks, Ellabeth, for providing me with a one-of-a-kind painting that looks beautiful hanging in my living room. I miss you!