10 in 10 guest post {Julie of Joy’s Hope}

Let me introduce you to Julie of Joy’s Hope. She is hilarious, random, fun, full of joy and always makes me smile. I first ‘met’ Julie when I purchased a Cora Messy Flower pin from her etsy store. After Jess’ daughter Cora Paige passed away, Julie jumped to action to help raise money for the playground being built in Cora’s honor. Julie made awesome Messy Flower pins – she took what she knew how to do (and do mightily well) and used it to benefit someone else. Julie donated the profits from those pins to the playground fund and she sparked a movement of other etsy sellers doing the same. I love that about her. She did what she loved…for someone else…sacrficially…it multiplied more than she could have ever imagined. She still does that kind of stuff all the time. She is generous like that. Another reason I enjoy her blog is the randomness…you never know exactly what you are going to get, but you always know it is going to be good. Meet my friend Julie…

I’m a nerdy, Jesus loving, recovering Diet Pepsi addict. I am all about flip flops on rainy days, English literature, going to the movies alone and anything turquoise. I can’t be in the same room as someone eating a popsicle and the smell of ketchup or bananas makes me gag. I used to hate the color pink, but now have a houseful of girls. I am married to a youth pastor, wish I was still a teenager and would go back to high school in minute. I am not ashamed to admit my love for Star Wars or the fact that I pretend that Dave Matthews is my boyfriend. I am a horrible sleeper, have a compulsive need to sew or bake something every day and fight with my A.D.D. on a continual basis. I hate talking on the phone, or talking in general, but am the best listener you will find, fiercely loyal and way too sensitive for my own good. I don’t remember the last time I was bored and having a day with nothing to do is on the top of my bucket list. I may or may not need to enter a twelve step program for spray paint addiction.

Which brings me to why I am here.

Ten.

When pondering what I would choose for my 10 in 10 topic, there really was no other choice.  Well, there are my ten inches of roots, or the ten dentist appointments I am currently suffering through, but honestly who wants to hear about that?

So I came back to one of my favorite things.  Spray paint.

Spray paint is happiness.  It is fast.  It is easy.  It is cheap.  You can change the ordinary into extraordinary.  Then change it again.  But most of all, how great is it when my thirty-ish self gets carded while buying it at Home Depot?  Seriously, cashier boy, you just made my day.

What can one do with spray paint?

What can’t one do?

1. Who doesn’t need a lime green canopy bed in the middle of a suburban running trail?

2. Or a 1980’s-tastic Craigslist find, turned into a funky guest bed?

3. Dollar store trays?  Bring it on.

4.  An old broken camera?  Instant artsy sculpture.

5.  A cookbook holder? Coincidentally painted to match my favorite cookbook.

6.  My squirrel loving daughter’s pinecone collection?  From cabin to chic.

7.  Ikea frames?  Still waiting for pictures, yet still sassariffic.

8.  An accidental project?  Born out of the silhouette of said Ikea frames.

9.  Giant, easy and cheap wall art?  Done in one night while watching Man Shops Globe.

10.  A reminder of someone who changed my life?  Quietly comforting me in unexpected moments.

If per chance all of this bright Caribbean color makes me crazy in a few weeks, months, or years, I can always paint everything white or beige….

But that will never happen.