Getting Shady

Once upon a time I bought a fun lamp at an estate sale.  (Yes, I'm going with a fairy-tale theme today, go with it.  It'll end up being a choose-your-own-adventure...)

Since "bumble bee" really didn't go with my current decor, I knew it needed to be painted.  At first I was thinking of rub-n-buffing it gold, but after a trial it just wasn't feeling right.  It's actually reading better in the pic than it did in person.  To stick with the fairy-tale thing I apparently started, the slipper didn't fit.

So I tried another color.  And it fit!

I really do love the simple white with the fun shape of the lamp base.  Now to figure out the shade.  Here's where you guys come in hopefully, because I can't decide!  I got a cute shade at Lowe's on clearance for $5.  I'm not in love with the pattern, but figured for the price, it was perfect to paint.

Here's where I'm a little stuck and would love your take on it.

Should I paint the shade a solid punch of color? (not necessarily bright green)

Go with a 2-tone?

Or paint the original metal shade a new color to modernize it and banish the rest of the bumble bee effect?

I'm trying something new here and would love you guys to weigh in with the embedded poll (if you're reading this via e-mail or RSS and the poll isn't showing up, please click through and vote!)

What shade should I go with?

Solid, bright color

2-tone with white band

Paint original shade

Other

Please Specify:

free polls

Planting in Air

As I'm awaiting the final leg of kitchen install (supposedly Saturday- YAY!!), I've been trying to work out the details in the space.  The kitchen now has a few new living additions that I'm hoping (keep your fingers crossed for me) that I can keep alive.  Air plants!

Indoor plants and I don't generally have the best relationship.  The only plants I've manage to keep alive for any amount of time are 2 spider plants that you'd really have to make an effort to kill.  Even my well planned out pretty succulent terrarium met a grim ending.

I've never had air plants before, but with directions to put them in water once a week and spritz them once a week, they sound very manageable (and tough to kill).

Once I adopted my new little friends, I knew I wanted the 3 larger ones suspended.  This may have been the easiest and quickest kitchen project yet: twine and knots.

Using 3 lengths of twine, I made sure to knot a loop at the top for hanging, and tied an additional knot for each plant to sit.  Then all you have to do is place your plants and move the leaves until they sit the way you want.  If only all kitchen decor projects were this easy!

Once the final installation is complete, I still need to grout the naked tile and style my little heart out.  If all goes well Saturday (it better), you can expect to see long anticipated kitchen "After" pics hopefully next week!

I'd love to hear your experiences with air plants- good, bad?  Can I manage to keep them alive?

Animal Color Pop

Have you heard of Scoutmob?  I'm kind of obsessed (and no this isn't a sponsored post, I'm just a shopaholic).  I've bought a few things from it and they have STELLAR customer service, but my favorite thing to do on the site is window shop.  They have awesome local hand made goods, vintage inspired jewelry, decor, and quirky prints. The latest thing to catch my eye is Morgan Kendall Art and I thought they were so cute I just had to share!

Quick, someone have a kid so I can design these into a nursery!

Any of these prints alone would look amazing framed up in a room or as part of a gallery wall, but I love the idea of a grouping 3 or more in a nursery.  Just picture these above a crib or vintage dresser-turned-changing table!  Are you picturing it?  Whimsical and colorful without being something your baby will outgrow.  With the variety of colors and animals, you can easily gear the grouping toward boy or girl (or not if you're patient enough to wait).

I think mister elephant is my favorite- although the swan is in a close second.

Now I'm just looking for a room that I can design these into- do I have any volunteers?

What gems have you come across in your online window shopping lately?

images via scoutmob