There are times when DIY projects are a piece of cake. Then there is the majority of the time! I can’t even explain to you how hilarious most of my projects have been in the last week or so. The upside is that I am actually laughing about the mishaps. 
d i s a s t e r # 1 While transforming my candlesticks {should have been an easy coat of spray paint} the top of the candlestick came off in my hand. Enter wood glue and two more days of drying. First coat of paint and suddenly we have Santa Ana winds and the tarp blew into the candlestick. Needless to say, the sand paper was next. At long last, we have some white candlesticks. And I love them. Here is a quick before and after {I was too ticked off to remember taking photos during the mishap stage. I will get better at that!} I originally bought them from World Market in black. 
On a side note, I couldn’t resist this cute little vase from the dollar section of Target. 
I will never get over the idea that a $4 can of spray paint can truly breathe new life into an object. I heart spray paint. 
d i s a s t e r # 2 OK. I have seen all of you out there in blog land with fabulous drop cloth drapes. You know who you are! And Rene, I am basically copying you. She made fantastic curtains over at Cottage and Vine. Highest form of flattery, right??? As many of you know, I am shedding the red and warmer colors in our home and moving towards some cooler ones. Silly me. I thought I would jaunt off to Home Depot and grab some drop cloths. Seems easy enough. Not so much. My first set had been pieced together. Apparently painters aren’t too picky about unsightly seams. Second set wasn’t much better. Take a look for yourself. 
Yep. That’s right. One is five inches shorter than the other. Super awesome. I need them to be 108” so I need all of the 9’ the packaging promises. So I am still working on it my friends. I will be adding some stripes, but at this rate, I think I better wait until my luck turns around. Off to Home Depot to buy another drop cloth! So with all of the mishaps, I thought I better leave you with some pretty! I picked up this bowl at Home Goods and it makes me smile. 
And who doesn’t love a bundle of Gerbera daisies. I find them to be perfection. Amidst mishap after mishap a dose of perfection is much appreciated. 
Have you hit a DIY speed bump lately? And I am super excited to be guest posting over at All Things Bright and Beautiful. Aubrey is one of the sweetest bloggers I know and she asked me to share a bit about how I make my house a home. What an honor. Go check it out here. 
Thanks for the wee giggles!
I'd just like to say that I love that Rustoleum Universal spray paint, but here in New Zealand it is NZ$22 for a can, that is around $17US! What a ripoff 🙁 But it is great stuff.
xx Karen
That was funny:) I just love that turquoise lamp and the cushion! Beautiful.
I hear ya Karen, spray paint in Australia is just as expensive!
Megan 🙂
I'm laughing with you girl not at you LOL Oh my goodness…it's actually good to hear that you are normal and have mishaps like above. Your pictures are always so perfect and your projects are fabulous so it secretly makes me feel better that you have DIY mishaps also : ) Cuz lord knows I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I needed a good laugh this morning!
Paula
Courtney, they really need QC to take a better look at those drop cloths for us DIY-ers. The nerve! Ha! I'm sorry you are having a tough time with those, but I like the shot of the side table with the pillow and the sign in the background.
-Rene
So Funny! Last time I spray painted outside, I left the wine rack outside to dry and it was covered in leaves and dirt from the wind that stuck to the paint! Love the white candle sticks. you can never go wrong with white gloss!
Spray paint never cooperates with me and it makes me sooo mad because I'm pretty sure spray painting isn't supposed to be as hard as it is for me 🙂 I feel your pain.
Funny post this am. Haha–I think I have those DIY moments more than things going smoothly. However, your candlesticks turned out beautifully! I love love love the white. And yes, I too heart spray paint. (Mainly because I am not super crafty–but it allows me to feel that way. ) : )
It seems like with your candlesticks it was just 'one thing after another'… I will admit. I can't help but laugh a little, because it happens to the best of us. But you kept treking on and look how gorgeous they turned out! 🙂
I just came over from Aubrey's blog. Love your home and dig bloopers post. This happens to me a lot. I am your newest follower.
I can SO relate! I was adding some bands of fabric in a different pattern to some drapes I'm converting into shower curtains, only to have my "simple straight line" sewing turn into a bent/broken sewing needle debacle! I still have another panel to do, and I'm doing some deep breathing before I tackle it. 🙂
this is great, i hate it when a diy project goes wrong! maybe add a panel to the bottom of your drapery? are you going to paint the stripes?
Us DIY folks all have those moments. It's just funny that you shared yours. I think one of my panels was a bit off in length, too. I had to go back and buy another dc. I did notice that the price went up .50 from last week. Must be a lot of people making slipcovers and curtains 🙂 Wishing you the best of luck! Love your lamp, btw! xo
Too funny!
This is too funny! Thanks for keeping it real (: I love the little vase, too!
I've had days like that! Right now I'm waiting for stain to dry, but it WON'T!!
Oh so glad you stopped by and introduced yourself:) LOVING your blog!
🙂 Anna
Fresh flowers always put a smile on my face! And good to know that not all of your diy projects are instant perfection! Thanks!!
That lamp! Is that from TJ Maxx? I have been drooling over a green one just like it for months. I love spraypaint too!
Any time I use spray paint it ends up having to be painted by hand. I don't know why I bother anymore. I have done drop clot drapes before. I didn't buy two panels, I bought the largest one and cut it in half. I put stripes on them too with paint, but I would suggest fabric. Even though no one was going to be touching them the paint makes the drop cloth hard. Everything looks great, even though you had a rough time.
Love the little vase! Picked up a set myself yesterday (Live Love Laugh). Love the candlesticks. I too am longing for some brighter lighter colors. DIY speed bump…that would be two separate trips to the ER with both daughters in 3 days time!!
yeah, i can relate!
off to see your guest post!
Thanks for all of your sweet comments. So glad I am not the only one who can turn in simple project into a disaster!
Definitely not the only one! At least your husband didn't come in on the project and ask "You're not going to *leave* it like *that*, are you???" lol. Gotta love the DIYs.
Thanks again for your guest post and the sweet comment on your blog! It means a lot to me and everyone just adores your home! (c: You're a sweetheart!
There's always a bump in the road isn't there?! I've totally been there girl!
i'm liking all the changes 🙂 Happy drop cloth hunting 🙂
I so appreciate this post! Those DIY girls that post one perfect project after another make me a little nervous 🙂 If you could only see how some of the things in my house are rigged up, it would make you laugh.
I just asked my husband this past weekend why even the easiest DIY projects always seem to have a snag. Oh well! The end result of the candlesticks is fabulous! I am loving the lamp and the cute heart vase!
I can relate to your post! I've had a few misadventures on painting some furniture. The photo of the gerber daisies is gorgeous, Courtney! I have been looking for a really good gloss spray paint for some drawer handles. I tried one I didn't care for. Your candlesticks turned out beautifully. I'm going to try your gloss spray.
Funny, I never thought about the seams on drop cloths, and each time I get one it seems to be a different shade…good luck making them work! Janell
That's usually just about how all my DIY projects go….that's why I never seem to carry out the ideas, just come up with them!
I have to ask, I love that mirrored side table and have been looking for some for my master bedroom for a loooong time-can you tell me where it's from? Thank you~your blog makes me smile, so happy I found it!!
LOL on the drop cloths, that would so be my luck – yeah my DIY attempt at ribbon trimmed shades this weekend – total fail – I posted it on Monday – agh! 🙂
Thank you for all of the words of encouragement! The saga continues. Dina – the side table is from Z Gallerie. I have also seen similar ones at Home Goods as well. Good luck with it!
I totally sympathize with this! There are so many times I will abandon a project before its even done because I know it just isn't working out. I have a chest I repainted and threw out the old handles, thinking I would find new ones. Only then did I find they aren't a standard size, yeah it's been sitting handleless for almost a year now!
I was just asking another DIY blogger if she would write about her bloopers or disasters. I like knowing others out there have disasters too. The more outlandish the better. So it was fun to read yours today! Thanks. 😉