My New Office...with DIY Projects

I have had this post in the drafts for awhile now, but I figure it's time to share what I did to personalize my space at work.  Our office moved back in the summer, and I wanted to make it a little more "me" since I spend so much time in there. And I don't even want to think about it, but tax season will be upon us in a couple of weeks and I will be spending even more time in there. 

My boss picked out the landscape picture from Kirkland's, so I centered my ideas around that.   I also wanted something a little more feminine and fun than I could really use at home, so I ended up with my sights set on using lime green and navy and fun patterns. But then I ran into the problem that pretty much nothing you can buy is lime green and navy.

I took it upon myself to do a few projects and just make the things I was envisioning in my head.  My thoughts kept coming back to a bulletin board to display current/favorite pictures on and anything I needed to remember.  I ended up finding a picture in a frame at a thrift store for around $5, taking out the glass and picture, and applying a sticky cork  sheet to the back part of the frame.  I believe I did two layers so it was plenty thick so the pins wouldn't push through to the wall.  Then I covered the cork with a pretty fabric and spray painted my frame.  I reassembled and "ta-da", a custom bulletin board.

Another thing I wanted was a pretty lamp.  I searched for one pre-made, but could not find one for a reasonable price.  So I purchased a lamp base from the thrift store for less than $5 and spray painted it lime green.  Then, I found the correct sized shade at Lowe's (I couldn't find something that looked like a good fit at the thrift store) and followed this tutorial I found on Pinterest to cover the shade with a pretty navy chevron fabric.  I have to admit I love the look of it, but it still doesn't even have a light bulb in it, months later!!  It's just there for looks! :)

Other than this, I just ordered a pretty canvas that was one of my favorites of our little family, found a shelf for the small space to the side of my desk at the thrift store and gave it a fresh coat of white spray paint, found a pretty frame from Hobby Lobby for my little man's picture,and modge podge'd a "W" with some green chevron paper.  

I also finally gave my poor CPA license and my AICPA membership certificate a frame.  You can't find navy certificate frames (at least I couldn't!), so I just purchased black ones and gave them along with the one I already had my college degree in a coat of navy spray paint.  I was worried that you would be able to tell, but they really turned out perfect!  I considered giving my clock a spray  painting too, but then I decided I was either high on the fumes or a little too spray paint happy, and just left it alone! :)  

Those shelves are soon to be full of W-2s and tax returns, but I'm going to enjoy my week off coming up and just not think about it!

*My apologies for the blurry iPhone pictures, I just couldn't make myself take my camera to work to photograph my office! :)