MyColor inspired by Pantone Blog-A-Dazzle winner is...

Jennifer C!!!!

Congratulations to Jennifer who commented on last week's painting par-tay, saying, "I've got a few pieces of furniture I've found that I want to paint"...

Well, girl, your painting destiny is about to be fulfilled with 3 jars of MyColor inspired by Pantone paint in whatever colors you choose!

Now go get your PAINT on...and please feel free to send pics of your project, would love to see the transformations!!!

Congratulations!

Magic Mushrooms!!!

Y'all, I've had these two vintage mushroom-shaped ottomans for a while now. Love! They're quirky, small, portable and quite comfy. Problem is they're both rockin' the original fabric that they were "grown" in...heinous shag situations...that wouldn't be so bad, except I've already got a vintage shag rug in our living room...and that's just too much shag on shag action, even for me:

That, and one of them is full on disintegrating from the inside out...that's what happens to foam from the 60's:

Anyway, I'm giving these gals an update with new fabric! This print is going on the rotten mushroom:

J'adore this fabric! It's kinda like a barkcloth in texture, which is great for durability. And the colors/print just style-slapped me right across the face! Hello Ikat-realness!!! The 'shroom will also get all new foam and batting...the other ottoman is going to be redone in a solid canvas, most likely some tangy shade of blue, which as soon as I get, will share. I could've easily done both in the same fabric, but didn't want them to be too matchy-matchums. Check back to see the other fabric and HOT AFTER Mushroom Makeover shots!!!

Children + White Upholstery= A MUST!

Y'all, long gone are the days of being terrified of white upholstery. Especially those of y'all who have little ones. YES!!! I'm working with a client who has two boys, both under the age of 10. We recently got this luscious ottoman for her living room:

Damn! Are we absolutely cra cra, y'all ask? Well, yes, generally speaking, but before you get all manic panic contemplating how anyone would make such an insane choice for their living room-- AND put that bad boy dead center for all the world to kick back on, get a load of this:

To all those parents and others prejudice to white upholstery, may I introduce y'all to your new BFF, Scotchgard for Fabric protector spray.

This fabric protector has actually been around for a while, so this isn't anything new, but I just wanted to share. Also, it seems everyone is gearing up for Holiday parties, so do y'all-selves a favor and get a can of this protector and follow the easy application steps on the can. Whether or not you are in the market for any light colored upholstered pieces or you already own items that currently hide under towels, blankets, etc for fear of them being stained-- this will be the BEST $10 you've spent in a long time. It goes on clear, dries in minutes and does wonders for protecting fabric and upholstered pieces. So, for those of y'all out there who LOVE white/light colored furniture, and have always been too afraid of spills and stains to own any-- ESP folks with children-- go forth my friends and buy with confidence!

It's ON: MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® Painting Party!

Woo-hoo! It's 12p EST and y'all know what THAT means? It's par-tay paint time!

Welcome to the MyColor inspired by Pantone painting party! Let's GET this! To review: there are a group of awesome diy blogger dynamos, including yours truly, who have all done up some projects using My Color inspired by Pantone paint. Expect to be inspired (duh), mesmerized...titillated even...by paint! Uh huh! Y'all could even win stuff! OH! And maybe, just maybe, today's the day y'all are gonna finally have your decorating destinies fulfilled, not only here on Blog-A-Dazzle...oh, no, y'all...you're embarking on a full-on painting treasure hunt, today! YES!

See, after you experience what I've got to share, you'll click on over to Cassie, at Primitive and Proper blog, who will beguile y'all with her paint magic! Here's the complete list in order:

Courtney @ A Thoughtful Place *Go Back to the Beginning!* PJ @ Blog-A-Dazzle *You Are Here!* Cassie @ Primitive and Proper *Continue to this Blog Next!* Holly @ Life in the Fun Lane Angela @ Number Fifty-Three Heather @ Paper Princess Studio

But first, I'm gettin' all kinds of diy dirty up in here with My Color inspired by Pantone Paint, 'cause that's just how I roller-on my parties (pun intended!) Oh shiot!:

I'd been given these three amazing graphic popsicle art prints from the amazing designer & illustrator, Erin Wengrovius, a while ago:

Y'all can score some of her work right here.

I've always had the best intentions to have them framed in some 'licious way, but y'all know how easy it is to blow out your decorating budget with custom framing...am I right? So, when asked to participate in this event, I knew just what I wanted to tackle: frame these lovelies!!! What's that got to do with paint? Well...

When framing, I love to take my color cues for my frame choice right off the artwork that's being framed and then sass up the whole situation even more by surrounding artwork with a thick white mat-- yummy! I also j'adore the idea of contrasting subject matter in the artwork with the frame type, like my modern & poppy art prints, paired with frames that look like this:

I scored these ornate-y frames for value dollars at thrift stores and flea markets. They're all kinds of janky-- some chips & dings, one was missing glass, but they're giving us all kinds of gilded glam that will contrast perfectly with clean & modern art prints.

The real icing on the cake starts oozing when I paint each one of them in a different coordinating color from My Color inspired by Pantone paint! Paired with the white mats, these sweet treats are gonna style-slap y'all with bright bold painted frame realness!!! Paint biotch!

FIRST: With either your artwork or measurements of your artwork in tow, troll area thrift stores, flea markets or other fun places you know that could yield used frame bounty. Each of my three frames were less than $15, so go dig up your own value!

SECOND: Take both your artwork AND your "new" frames to your local art frame shop. Have them cut mats for your artwork to fit into the frames you're providing in the color you choose. I almost always choose white, single mats. Prints Charming in Brooklyn is my go-to spot for these types of projects, they're awesome! (Note: Avoid drama here by calling ahead to your frame place to confirm they'll do this service for you. Most locally owned shops allow you to bring in your own frames, but there are some that prefer you purchase frames from them. By just purchasing mats and having them customized you are saving a small fortune with this step. Another great note: The frame you find doesn't have glass? Most frame shops offer glass for frames for dirt cheap, so GRAB it!)

THIRD: Prep frames for painting. Remove backing and glass. Clean frames. Once dry, paint frames in desired colors.

Depending upon the original color and finish of your frame, expect it to take two to three coats. Allow to dry between coats and before next step. For reference, the colors I used were: Tangerine Tango for the orange creamsicle art, Dandelion for the rainbow popsicle and Blithe for the rocket pop.

FOURTH: Reassemble frames by carefully inserting glass, your artwork with new mat and secure in back of frame. Now, go rock yo walls with your new artwork, y'all!!!

So as you can see, my mis-matched ornate-mess frames turned out stunning when style-slapped with bright poppy paint that matches the art within. How hot is that y'all? Tangy!

BUT WAIT, there's more: If y'all want to win a sample of MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® for y'all-selves, just comment on my post (you'll have up to a week from today to do so for y'all lazy a$$ skanks) and share how you’d use MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® in your next project or your life! Feel free to comment on the other blogs in the party too – they’ll all be giving away samples-- oh my, y'all, that's 5 potential samples! For a second chance to win, tweet your project ideas to @MyColorPaints using hashtag #PassItOn. Also check out and like the MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® Facebook page to get access to the schedule for today’s parties as well as the rest of the parties going on this month! Share your project ideas there for one more chance to win!

And don't forget to continue your DIY Painting Party journey with my fellow Par-tay bloggers. Next stop on this party bus is with Cassie at Primitive and Proper. Happy paint party!

Dazzle Disclaimer, y'all: MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® reached out to me to participate in the MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® Painting Party. My post represents my honest experience with MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® paint. I am not being paid for my answers, but I did receive MyColor™ inspired by Pantone® paint to use for this project.

Blog-A-Dazzle & MyColor inspired by Pantone Painting Party TOMORROW 10/17, 12p EST!!!

Y'all, I'm thrilled to share that I was asked to participate in a painting party for MyColor inspired by Pantone paint!!! Holla! What in hell does THAT mean, y'all ask??? Well, along with four other awesome diy bloggers, who will be blogging at the same time with cool projects of their own, I'll be completing a special diy project using MyColor inspired by Pantone paint.

In addition to learning all the 411 on my project, y'all will be able to scoot over to the next diy blogger's post in a pre-determined order and get more ideas and inspiration from their projects. The BEST part? Y'all can comment on my post for a chance to win a sample of MyColor inspired by Pantone paint!!! What-What?! FREE PAINT, y'all!!! Get IT! VALUE! Here are the other diy dynamos and the order of the party (they'll be links and more detailed instructions in tomorrow's post, this is a friendly heads-up):

Courtney @ A Thoughtful Place PJ @ Blog-A-Dazzle Cassie @ Primitive and Proper Holly @ Life in the Fun Lane Angela @ Number Fifty-Three Heather @ Paper Princess Studio

Remember, the par-tay starts at 12p EST sharp. So, this means, regardless of where you live, y'all need to do some math and figure out what time 12p EST is for you and then hit up Blog-A-Dazzle to fulfill your painting destinies, ok?!!

Y'all, Christopher Columbus has a nice a$$!!!

One of the greatest benefits to living in NYC is getting to experience some cool shiot-- from restaurants, museums, shops, shows, and tranny's. There's this amazing art exhibit happening right now presented by the Public Art Fund, Discovering Columbus by Tatzu Nishi.

If y'all can't tell what's going on here, it's basically a giant "living room" that's been built on a platform surrounding a pre-existing statue of Christopher Columbus in Manhattan's Columbus Circle. And it's WAY cool to be able to get so up close and personal to something that's normally 75 ft high! In this exhibit, Christopher "stands" atop a coffee table, (y'all know, where ALL of us keep our statues):

And shut the FU$& you, Christopher with this view:

There's armchairs, a sectional sofa, a bookcase with books, even a flatscreen tv (this IS America, y'all):

One of my fav decorative elements was this 'licious pop art toile wallpaper...

I also LOVED how we were encouraged to get all cozy in the living room as if it was our own...which naturally, Dyl and I took full advantage of...

For those who are able, get y'all-selves to this exhibit, which runs until Nov 18, 2012...for the rest of the folks who can't get some of this action in person, soak it up, there's a lot of HOT a$$ up under those skirts:

Show Me Your Teeth, Thrift Whores!

And that means it's Thursday, y'all! Get ready to do your Thrift Whore dance...5...6...7...8...cue dry ice...and when the smoke clears, look and see what the Brooklyn Heights Housing Works is serving us this week:

We've just been style-slapped by this pony covered settee! DAMN! It's so un-p.c., I KNOW, y'all, but the decorating deed has already been done long ago, so somebody better saddle UP and get this in your house...PRONTO!

Right about now is the point in my Thrift Whoring that I wish all my years of dreaming for some sort of warehouse space was a reality, b/c that settee would be on my back on it's way there...alas, one day...and this too...damn double hot in one place:

And the hotties just keep jumping off the shelves in the Housing Works...what what!

So chew on that, y'all! And happy whoring!!!

Forward Momentum

Happy Friday! Thought I'd end this week with a quick pic update of a clients new dining room light fixture...

Apologies for the poor image quality, but y'all get the idea of what's going on here:

This the Meurice Chandelier, from Jonathan Adler, in Brass, and I think It's pretty stunning! It's paired with this rustic and rectangular chunky farm table and this chic as sin paper from Tempaper! Gorg! I'll include 'to-buy' details later...oh, and that's superstar Henry already making good use of the new light by doing his homework! How inspiring!!!!

This, btw, is what we were dealing with BEFORE:

And...

We've still got LOTS more ground to cover, but I'm pleased as punch with how we're moving forward!!!

Happy weekend!

What the Fluff is going on???

OK Goodwill, message received: y'all scored a giant donation of Marshmallow Fluff! So much that I've now seen copious amounts in four different stores throughout NYC...this is getting gross, y'all...no one has more of a tolerance for questionable thrift than a Thrift Whore like myself, but even I have standards...dump this shiot, Goodwill and make room for the goodies we really want! Damn...

PJ Mehaffey opens online store!!!

Y'all may or may not recall that I started a new company last year called, Alchemy Eclectic, or AE. In addition to interior decorating and styling services, I'm excited to share that AE also has a new online boutique that just launched late yesterday!!! Woohoo! The AE Shop offers curated, one-of-a-kind, mostly vintage items that have been tricked out in some way by yours truly. It was a lot of work putting together...thanks to Dyl...and I look forward to it's evolution. Now y'all can get y'all-selves some PJ sass to decorate your space with!!!

Art.com is INSPIRED!!!

Y'all, I'm thrilled to share that I was selected as an 'Inspired Insider' for Art.com and my feature launched TODAY on their site! Woohoo! I curated several galleries of amazing AND affordable art, available with the click of a mouse! Check it here!

Stripping 2: Reveal-ations!

Y'all the headboard & footboard I scored while whoring a few weeks back is starting to take on a new sassy, albeit,stainless steel persona:

Blam! And look at this shiot:

But WAIT, there's more!:

The paint stripper is like liquid acid! Genius! I'm sure I'm forever changed, metaphysically, from breathing in the fumes at this point, and, of course, I'm not wearing gloves--- don't do this at home Dazzlers--- but the process overall has been smooth sailing, and I've been taken to new highs I never knew I could reach!!! Styleslapping to come soon!

It's Thursday & You know what to do!

Thrift Whores...Goodwill delivers, again!!! Hopefully one of y'all will find it in your hearts to give these kitties a loving home:

This glass set could do some damage, dripping in all that gold:

Copper cookware is serving IT:

Well, look at this little bamboo trimmed baby, just waiting to be made over!

And just when y'all think the whoring has been gettin' all tame & shiot, I'm serving you this plaster disaster:

Isn't it amazing how the pupil of the eye is in the shape of a heart!?! THAT's true love y'all, even with that angry ass eyebrow that looks ready to kill! Happy whoring, y'all!!!

Y'all, get some gourds...it's FALL!

I love Fall, always have. And it's one of the BEST times to be in NYC. It's also a great time to think about our decor and how to reflect the change in seasons inside. Here's an inspiring article on how to get really creative with gourds. Enjoy, y'all...

IT’S DECORATIVE GOURD SEASON, MOTHERF&$KERS.

BY COLIN NISSAN - - - - I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get my hands on some f&$king gourds and arrange them in a horn-shaped basket on my dining room table. That sh*t is going to look so seasonal. I’m about to head up to the attic right now to find that wicker f&$ker, dust it off, and jam it with an insanely ornate assortment of shellacked vegetables. When my guests come over it’s gonna be like, BLAMMO! Check out my shellacked decorative vegetables, a@@holes. Guess what season it is—f&$king fall. There’s a nip in the air and my house is full of mutant f&$king squash.

I may even throw some multi-colored leaves into the mix, all haphazard like a crisp October breeze just blew through and f&$ked that sh*t up. Then I’m going to get to work on making a beautiful f&$king gourd necklace for myself. People are going to be like, “Aren’t those gourds straining your neck?” And I’m just going to thread another gourd onto my necklace without breaking their gaze and quietly reply, “It’s fall, f&$kfaces. You’re either ready to reap this freaky-a@@ed harvest or you’re not.”

Carving orange pumpkins sounds like a pretty fitting way to ring in the season. You know what else does? Performing an all-gourd reenactment of an episode of Diff’rent Strokes—specifically the one when Arnold and Dudley experience a disturbing brush with sexual molestation. Well, this sh*t just got real, didn’t it? Felonies and gourds have one very important commonality: they’re both extremely f&$king real. Sorry if that’s upsetting, but I’m not doing you any favors by shielding you from this anymore.

The next thing I’m going to do is carve one of the longer gourds into a perfect replica of the Mayflower as a shout-out to our Pilgrim forefathers. Then I’m going to do lines of blow off its hull with a hooker. Why? Because it’s not summer, it’s not winter, and it’s not spring. Grab a calendar and pull your f&$king heads out of your a@@es; it’s fall, f&$kers.

Have you ever been in an Italian deli with salamis hanging from their ceiling? Well then you’re going to f&$king love my house. Just look where you’re walking or you’ll get KO’d by the gauntlet of misshapen, zucchini-descendant bastards swinging from above. And when you do, you’re going to hear a very loud, very stereotypical Italian laugh coming from me. Consider yourself warned.

For now, all I plan to do is to throw on a flannel shirt, some tattered overalls, and a floppy f&$king hat and stand in the middle of a cornfield for a few days. The first crow that tries to land on me is going to get his avian a@@ biotch-slapped all the way back to summer.

Welcome to autumn, f&$kheads!

(Click here for the story as it appears in McSweeney's and here to go to Colin's website for more tangy writing! Pic above from The 2 Seasons blog story on how-to make a gourd centerpiece.)

The free things you find on NYC streets!

Not necessarily in the market for silk window treatments, but great to know that if I was, here they are...off a NYC street...for FREE:

Yes, y'all, they're kinda givin' us giant disfigured Twinkie from afar...here's a better view:

And

Pattern isn't horrendous, and with all that gathering, I'm guessing these are some sort of balloon shade...that could be unfortunate, but the silk fabric alone makes these gals worthwhile...

The obvious here is going all 'Gone With The Wind' and making some luscious gown, but you'd do well to get yourselves several throw pillows or even some pole pocket curtain panels that puddle ever so scrumptiously on the floor--- let them eat Silk, y'all! Yummy!

It's time...Thrift Whores...

For some HOT Before and After action up in this 'dazzle, what...THRIFT WHORE THURSDAY!?!This thrift store armoire was scored for a client while out whoring weeks ago:

Don't be shy babydoll, we need to see the goods:

Here's where we are today:

And:

YES, y'all! This armoire has been totally tricked out: new paint job, drawers lined in pink felt, custom mirror added to the inside back topped off with some interior lighting chic-ness!

The client is just thrilled beyond belief with how this turned out and so am I...just goes to show y'all what some good honest thrift whoring can do for your lives...happy whoring!

The stripping has begun!!!

Y'all, I've started to strip the nasty finish off my new bed frame that I scored last week while out Thrift Whoring...check it:

I'm using a liquid paint & finish remover called, Zip Strip, which is probably highly toxic beyond belief, but damn it sure does eat that brown finish right off...look:

I'm brushing the liquid on with a craft brush, letting it set a bit, then wiping off with an old rag. I've had to repeat this process a couple times in certain spots, but it's really easy:

Y'all can see the stainless steel showing through! There's some blemishes here and there in the steel, but y'all know we're all a little imperfect and I think it adds even more character! Imagine how chic this is going to look when totally finished? And remember, this frame cost me $20!!! After its all been stripped, I will seal it with butcher's wax or a matte polyurethane to prevent rusting...stay tuned, y'all!!!

Free Friday!!!

It's FRIDAY, y'all and look at this free dresser someone put out on the street:

Someone please grab this gal and give her some TLC-- oh I know! A fresh coat of paint & drop a bowl right on top & retro-fit this biotch for plumbing!!! YES! That's a sink console I'd LOVE to wash up in! Scrub IT:

There's wheels, storage potential AND look at that scalloped edge that's just sending y'all smiles, all sweet-like:

Damn! Consider yourselves STYLE-SLAPPED!!!

The day the Thrift Whores come out!

Thursdays are always such a treat around here! Especially when I've been out whoring for thrift. This week was even more treat-ful b/c I was accompanied by one of my nearest and dearest, Alane...a.k.a., Tae...we hit the local Housing Works, just in the nick of time too...look at the scene out in front of this place:

Damn! These whores are just ravaging those bins, y'all!!! Get IT! Why? Some sort of Fall sale--- there's a purple sign in the window that's partially blocked by a man's head, but it reads, 'Fall'...

Anyway, seasonal sales tend to set a special blend of frenzy in folks that your average every day sale situation can't touch...and as a Thrift Whore, I'm not immune either, folks...not at all! And throw in this metal bed frame and it's full-on manic panic:

Believe it or not, this baby is metal under all that brown blah...on wheels...and that rounded footboard is just slaying me with style! I don't need a bedframe, but at $20, I can't NOT buy this biotch...imagine how AMAZING she'll look when she's stripped down to bare metal...yum! The mirror is just as 'licious, but she's an ambitious $75, so she's gettin' left behind... There wasn't much else in the store to shake a stick at, sadly, but you know true commitment to the whore-ery when we forced that bedframe into Tae's 1984 Mercedes...that's a leg hanging out of the trunk with a pink scarf tied on for 'safety'...happy whoring, y'all: