The Tale of Two Owls: A Spray-Paint Story

'Member the sad day when poor Owl-rick bit the dust? :'(

Well, ever since then, I've been searching for another sweet ceramic owl to take his place (albeit a higher, safer place this time-- out of reach of little grabbing hands...) Sadly, Target no longer had the little owl pencil holders. And I couldn't force myself to shell out $16 for a similar one from Anthropologie (though I seriously came close-- that's how badly I wanted an owl!)

I thought I had scoured every thrift store in the area, but last week I decided to stop at an out-of-the-way St. Vincent de Paul that I hadn't been to in a while (they also have exorbitantly high prices, for a thrift store!) Lo and behold, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but not one but TWO ceramic owl figurines!

Yes, twin brother owls, just waiting for me to adopt them, bring them home, and give them a makeover!!! No, they weren't exactly the same as my stubbier, chubbier Owl-rick, but they were OWLS, and they were adorably cute in their own way. And for the price of $1.00 each... well, how COULD I say no???

I knew what I wanted to do with them already: give them glossy white coats, just like the one I had given Owl-rick shortly before his untimely demise. So the next time I was at Walmart, I grabbed a 99-cent can of gloss white spray paint, and got right to work.

I decided to do a "test" to see if scuffing up the surface made a difference in how well the paint adhered. I used a scuff pad to rough up one of the owls, and left the other untouched (neither of them had a really shiny coat to begin with).  It seemed like both of them took paint just as well-- they both required about four coats to completely cover their "dark past" (one can of spray paint just finished both owls)

I did learn an important spray painting lesson, though... I was wondering why, like the time I painted my wicker basket chair, the spray paint only seemed to stick to some parts and not others! Then I realized that I was holding the spray can only 4-6 inches from the owls, and the air from the spray was actually "blowing" the paint out of the crevices that I was trying desperately to fill!  Lesson learned: hold the spray paint can about 12 inches from the object you are trying to paint, and let the paint "mist" onto the object, instead of "blast"! Maybe it wouldn't have taken four coats if I'd have sprayed it right from the beginning! LOL!

(Want more spray-painting tips? Check out my other spray paint projects here)

So the twin brothers are now great white owls! They currently grace the TOP SHELF of my dining room bookshelf. My littlest monkey is fascinated with them, however-- he stands in front of the shelf and makes "hooting" noises at them! :)  It's a good thing he can't reach these guys!

Fittingly enough, the day after I finished my pair, I spied these at One Kings Lane:

Source: onekingslane.com via Kathryn on Pinterest

For only $19.00 for the pair, I might just have bought these in my previously owl-desperate state. But I think I like my price of $3.00 (including spray paint) a lot better!

I'm still trying to think of appropriate names for them, though... Hooty One and Hooty Two?  Screech and Scratch? (Sounds too much like Cheech and Chong...) *sigh* Guess I'll just have to wait for the right inspiration to strike..

So have you done any thrift store rescues lately? Any spray paint makeovers? Got any name suggestions for my owly pair? Let me know!

Parties I link to:

Sunday:

• Nifty Thrifty Things: Nifty Thrifty Sunday
• Southern Hospitality Blog: Thrifty Treasures
• Under the Table and Dreaming: Sunday Showcase Party

Monday:

• Craft-O-Maniac: Craft-O-Maniac Mondays
• Flour Me With Love: Mix-It-Up Monday
• This Gal Cooks (formerly Jam's Corner): Marvelous Mondays Link Party

Tuesday:

• Adventures Of a DIY Mom: Terrific Tuesdays
• Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
• Elizabeth & Co.: Be Inspired Link Party
• Kathe With An E: You're Gonna Love It Tuesday
• Mercy Ink Blog: All Things Heart & Home Link-up
• My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday's Treasures
• Uncommon: Uncommonly Yours Link Party
• The Winthrop Chronicles: Share It Link Party

Wednesday:

• Embracing Change: Creative Inspirations Link Party
• Hooking Up w/ House of Hepworths
• The 36th Avenue: Party Time!
• Vintage Gwen: Show & Share

Thursday:

• Live, Laugh, Rowe: Live Laugh Linky Thursday
• My Repurposed Life: Catch As Catch Can
• The Shabby Creek Cottage: Transformation Thursday
• Two Yellow Birds Decor: Thursday's Temptation

Friday:

• A Heart 4 Home: Finished Friday
• Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: Flaunt It Friday
• Decorating Insanity: Furniture Friday
• Five Days, Five Ways: Feature Friday Free-for-All
• Here Comes the Sun: Fabulous Friday
• Jennifer Rizzo: Fabulously Creative Friday
• Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
• The Cottage Market: Junkin' Joe Party
• Two Sasters: TGIF Party

Saturday:

• It's Overflowing: Overflowing with Creativity Party
• Classy Clutter: Spotlight Saturday