Gettin' Plum Shabby with Lily

My first guest blogger is Lily from Plum Shabby!

Way back in the day (we're talking pre-school - middle school peeps) Lily and I went to school together. We even took a fun trip with our moms and other students from our school to London and Paris back in the 6th grade. (Sorry- I am NOT posting pictures back from that era-- talk about that "awkward" stage for me, ha!)

Lily lives out in Colorado these days with her hubs, Chad and their pups! She is always finding cool things at yard sales and thrift stores and incorporating them into her home. Check her blog out to see all the fun stuff she finds and what she does with them!
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This is so exciting!  My first guest post.  Whitney shot me a message earlier today and I couldn't turn down such a great opportunity.  My blog is Plum Shabby.  I write about random things but mostly about my Saturday Finds.  I love to thrift on Saturday mornings.  It gets my mind off of all things accounting (my day job) and lets me get my shopping itch out while keeping some cash in my envelopes. I live for Pyrex and state souvenir plates.  Yummyness.

Portion of my Pyrex and plate collection

Strange photo of Goodwill excitement

Like everyone else Pinterest is a mindless activity that I partake in way too much.  I have increasingly noticed fun striped walls popping up on my news feed and had to get in on the action.  My husband is a mega boring design dude so I knew that it couldn't be anything that was too bold or out of his design realm.

I shocked myself with this project.  

1. Chad likes it

2. My mom likes it

3.  I didn't get any paint on the ceiling.  Hey! What what!! ( I just threw my arms up in the air... just sayin')

Step 1
Pick a wall in your house... any wall.  Mine happened to be one adjacent to my desk in the basement so I can marvel at it when I spin around in my chair while I am thinking deep thoughts

 Step 2
Measure floor to ceiling... Include your molding and then divide it by the number of stripes that you are aiming for.  This will give you what the width of your stripes should be.

Step 3
With a level or a laser trace you lines across your wall with a pencil.  Do this very lightly... Trust me.  I didn't do it so lightly and had to go back and erase (hehehe).

Once you have traced your lines tape them.  I use Frog Tape.  I painted a  line of my original wall color over the edges of the tape so I got a nice tight seal before my final color.  I always have paint leak through.  This method never rarely fails...

 Step 3
Paint your desired color every other stripe.

 Step 4
Rip the tape off.  Probably the next day... Step back and have someone pat you on the back

Step 5
Actually use the space.  If you aren't going to use it what's the point of doing it.  It's Quincy's time out..

My little chest next to my bench holds my hammer and screw driver.  I found it at a Goodwill for $5 one week,  the bench is scratch and dent from Pier 1, the lamp is scratch and dent, pillows Marshall's that I was using on my couch, mirror given to me from a friend, paint left over from a previous project, dancing man $10 at Ikea, and my plant was from a friends plant at work that she split over the summer... Total cost for my project less than $30 if you don't include the pillows and bench that I had previously bought years prior.


Don't be intimidated to shop at your local thrift stores.  The cashiers all know me by name and I have signed up for their email alerts for 50% off sales.  You might need to paint or clean your items but the cost is totally worth it in the end!

Visit me sometime...Plum Shabby

Thanks Whitney! Happy Anniversary and Brodies birthday!  Fun stuff.


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Thanks Lily for such a great post! I love seeing all of your thrifty finds and how you incorporate them into your home in such a unique way!

Come back tomorrow to catch a herring!