Before and after: Dustin’s re-purposed tiles

By Mary | Published: August 9, 2011

Hi everyone! I know, I know, I’m a terrible blogstress. I was really busy with various summer activities – like grilling, reading by the pool and drinking margaritas at various outdoor locations. To make up for being so fickle, I’d like to share something with you…that I did not create.

My friend Dustin recently moved to Roanoke and discovered the wickedly cool Black Dog Salvage Shop.They are an architectural salvage shop, and I’ve already wasted more time than I care to admit looking through their online shop at things I can’t afford. (Tell me you don’t think I need this $12,000 horse and rider statue!)

Dustin purchased these antique tin ceiling tiles from Black Dog:

He re-finished/re-purposed them to hang above his bed:

Dustin said he used TSP, paint thinner, a wire brush, spray paint, and glossy spray to clean up the tiles without completely losing the fact that they are old, and therefore, cool. I’ve recently moved into a new place and I’m thinking a trip to Black Dog might be in order – perhaps a DIY headboard is in my future?

I’d love to feature more projects like this (especially if it highlights local businesses!), so if you have a DIY/before and after project or know someone who is transforming old material into something shiny and new, e-mail me at mary@dreamboxcreates.com.

PS: For those of you who have yet to see my new portfolio site, now would be a great time to head over and check it out!

Posted in Design, Projects | 2 Responses

Luciferus Bagleus

By Mary | Published: March 21, 2011


Fast Tube by Casper

I know she’s my dog, so I automatically think this is hilarious, but seriously, tell me she’s not the weirdest bagle you ever did see.

Many thanks to Chris for catching this magical moment and feeding her all of those reduced-fat Wheat Thins to teach her to sit up like that.

Posted in Bagle Bytes | 4 Responses

Why Hibernating is a Bad Idea

By Mary | Published: March 21, 2011

Fact: If you deal with winter by spending the cold months curled up on the couch with good books and red wine, you will be incredibly sore when you decide to hop on your bike and ride 11 + miles.

Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.

Everything is starting to bloom, and all I can say is, it’s about time you got here Spring. I’ve needed very badly to put down the red wine, hope on my bike, and pedal downtown as fast as I could to take up drinking outdoors. I went outside yesterday to snap a few shots of the greenery around our house (greatly upsetting my dog who sat at the window and cried at the injustice of being left inside), and got a few great pictures of this tree on the Huckleberry that’s already flowering. I miss being up North very much during the fall, but spring down here is so much better. Mostly because it starts to warm up in Virginia right about now – and I hear it snowed in CT today. Suckers.

Posted in Life, Photos | Leave a comment

To be filed under “Random Crap I Don’t Need”

By Mary | Published: March 15, 2011

An indoor herb garden is on my list of things I’d eventually like to create but will probably never get around to because I can think of a million excuses along the lines of “we don’t get enough natural light inside” to “I could go get supplies, but I’d rather watch another episode of Dexter.” But if something was going to motivate me, it would definitely be these slate seedling markers from the Brooklyn Slate Company.

Come to think of it, the cheese board would probably suit me better – I spend a whole lot more time eating cheese than I do planting.

Posted in Food, Style | 2 Responses

A case study in cool

By Mary | Published: March 3, 2011

Exhibit A:

Fast Tube by Casper

Exhibit B:

Fast Tube by Casper

Should have just left that one to Etta. Apparently, “roll with me” was far too sexual, so the lyrics had to be changed to “dance with me, Henry.” I get kind of embarrassed listening to the Georgia Gibbs version – kind of like any time I hear Pat Boone singing, well, anything.

Posted in Bitchin' tunes | 1 Response