Very few things are perfect straight from the shelves of your favorite shop. But with a little love and a little thinking-outside-the-box, the world is your oyster. I’m practically famous for dreaming up the oh-so-perfect gizmo I need, only to find out later that it doesn’t actually exist. For example, do you ever find yourself in a pickle after deciding you want, say, a simple black dress? You scour the mall, the online stand-bys, even your best friend’s closet. But you soon realize everything you’ve seen is too long, too short, too beaded, too strappy, and, well…that dress you imagined in your head just isn’t out there in the world.
So what’s my point? I’m not gonna lie. It’s frustrating, and to be totally honest, a real downer. But the good news is that there isn’t much a needle and thread, a hot glue gun, some duct tape, or a tube of paint can’t solve. You don’t like what you’ve found? Then make it your own.
I am going somewhere with this. So with that in mind, here’s a story. I recently stumbled upon etsy seller the love shop and was immediately sold on her cheery prints. I immediately snatched up one for our household, and not-so-patiently waited it for it to arrive. Not a week had passed when I came home and saw a bright red envelope waiting for me on our kitchen counter. I very excitedly – but carefully – peeled back the sticky tape and pulled out my new little piece of art. Next stop? The craft store for the perfect frame.
On my checklist: pink, square, and minimum of 15 inches. I left with an off-white square frame measuring in at 16×16. Two of my must-haves were practically handed over. But off the shelf, the poor frame was screaming for help. The ivory paint had a rustic faux finish that made Scott cringe, and the inside mat with it’s too-many photo openings for the oh-so-popular family photo collages was less than desireable to the eye.
I could hardly wait to make it mine. I eagerly scooped up a super thrifty mat from Frames-By-Mail, which has me sold as a customer for the long haul. Their outstanding prices and helpful customer service won me over years ago, and the fast shipping is just an added bonus. Next, I whipped up a batch of barely pink paint using a big dallop of white and a single drop off bright raspberry. Any simple craft store acrylics will do the trick, and most small tubes will cost you no more than a buck or two. Not bad for a major makeover. Ten minutes later it was time to say buh-bye, lil’ sprout and hell-o, gorgeous.
The love shop has got me feelin’ alright. These blushing bunnies are another welcome addition to our growing family.
Kim,
When you order a mat from frames by mail, is the mat pre-cut to your dimensions as in the above project?
Dave, Frames By Mail has so many options! You can pick your mat outter color (and inner color, if you so choose), plus textures if that’s what you’re feelin’. Then you input the dimensions in inches on all 4 sides of the art, and you can see a little diagram of what you’re getting. It also tells you what sizes your creating. It’s a little confusing at first, but I’ve ordered all of my mats through them for pretty much all the artwork in our home. They’re such a great deal, and the quality is always outstanding.
the pink frame contrasts so nicely with the green wall. where’d you hang it?
Jill, we ended up switching out the art on one of our gray shelves in the living room. Now the bunnies love on the same shelf as your subversive cross-stitch gift, and the contrast is actually very spunky!
So sad – The Love Shop is closed for business until July 14!
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