My name is Julie, and I'm addicted to spray paint. No, no... not huffing it, just using it on anything possible. Spray paint offers those of us with limited budgets (both financially and artistically) to produce something pretty cool.
It started when I found out you can spray paint shoes. What?! How awesome is that? So when I decided I had nothing to wear my brown shoes with anymore, I just spray painted them silver. Problem solved... a "new" pair of shoes. (Note: do not try this on real leather shoes).
If you don't want to become aware of the countless ways you can use spray paint to transform your surroundings, do not go on Pinterest and enter "spray paint" in the search box. You've been warned. Spray paint old metal folding chairs pretty colors? Never would've thought, and yet now it haunts my thoughts because I have 4 ugly ones.
My recent obsession started with this lovely product.
I actually bought this about 2 years ago to touch up some spots on a horse trailer. It never got done, and we no longer own it. What we do own are quite a few items the previous owner of this house left behind. Many outdated and ugly, but free nevertheless, so here they have stayed. Then I had an inspiration. What if I took that can of Hammered Bronze spray paint to the very outdated brass lamp? What if?
I'm in love with the way this lamp turned out! It now looks like a lamp I'd actually pay money for, but don't have to...because my friend spray paint came to the rescue. Since then I have done 2 more lamps. And a few heat registers. And the cold air return vent. I spend my days wondering what else I can spray with Hammered Bronze. I have a few light fixtures that aren't bad, except for the gold accents. Well their golden days are numbered. I also have very old kitchen cabinets I cannot replace yet, but the hardware? I see Hammered Bronze in their near future!
I have also found that spray paint of any color turns canning jars into things of beauty that can be used as vases, candle holders, etc.*
It also transforms ugly picture frames in just seconds. I had a collection of family photos in a total mishmash of frame types and colors all together in one spot on the wall. Now the frames are all a black matte color and look like they belong together. It was about an hour of work including putting the photos back in and cleaning the glass.
We also took a large, brown framed wall mirror that had been left in Alyssa's pink and black bedroom and painted the frame black with an overlay of glitter. Fabulous!
*Just a quick tip for those who would like to try spray painting. I'm lazy and impatient and hate taking any extra steps so for the lamps, picture frames, shoes, and most items, I have not used any primer first. I did find that the glass jars don't work well without a thin coat of primer. And of course if painting a light color over a dark finish, primer would be helpful. When in doubt you could always prime. You can buy a paint and primer in one but I think you get a better value for your money with separate primer since it isn't always needed.
And then I got busy with school.....................
And lost all time to comment on anything. At the same time, I wish I had more wonderfulness to report. I have done better in taking my afternoon supplements. I did better with waking up earlier and going to bed earlier. I haven't had any diet soda, and though I still have some Crystal light type drinks, I make them with double the water now, so less chemicals. But I still need to drink more. Any actual weight loss has been frustrating and full of road blocks. I got sick multiple times at the beginning of the year. I'd recover, determine to start exercising... then get sick all over again.
I have however gotten much more control over my eating portion wise. This has been a "two steps forward, one step back" routine, but getting better all the time. I can honestly say over the last month or so I've eaten less each day than in a long time. And yet, not a pound has left. By less I mean that before the next meal or snack, my stomach is truly honestly growling. I've had my off days, yes. But many more on days. Even on my "off days".... church party, birthday, etc.. though I ate more than my new slimmed down portions, I still ate less than I would have at an event like that before. So, frustration is the key word right now. I had hoped to lose just 5 lbs before my vacation next week. But no. A few years ago, I lost 17 lbs just with cutting back portions, but I also found out I was on too much thyroid and as soon as my dose was adjusted.... weight loss over.
I honestly feel jealous of all those joggers I see on the street (never thought I would say that). Because I would LOVE to go out and burn off a bunch of fat like that and feel like I had done something amazging for my body. But I don't think my body could handle it. It is my biggest obstacle right now. I think to myself, "I'm going to do yoga tomorrow", then I wake up with this terrible pain in my wrist that does leave for 10 days. Why? I wish I knew. Did I overuse it? No. Did I injure it? No. It just shows up with no reason, and leaves as suddenly as it came. Ack! And I never know when these will attack me.
So I've come up with a rotating schedule of types of exercise based on how I feel when I wake up. If my thumb or wrist hurts, then I can walk. If my hips hurts, then yoga or upper body weights, and so on. I might just have no other choice but to try and outsmart my body this way and be flexible (gosh I hate being flexible). I am determined to be healthier and stronger.
You never know what you've got til it's gone, right? When my body was stronger, I was too focused on surviving the day with a bunch of kids, or I exercised, but still ate too much so I never saw results. Now that I've got it all together mentally... my body has fallen apart. I will not let my frustrations side line me though. I'll keep finding a way to work around the obstacles. I don't even wish weight loss were easier. Just that I could DO what I want to be able to do to accomplish it.
