We have a new friend hanging out in the kitchen. I found this faux deer head at Hobby Lobby during a 50% off sale for $12. If you know me, you know faux animals are my weakness.

For a while it sat in the playroom—six months, maybe more—until I had a small intervention and decided I needed to stop hoarding things in that room. I told myself, “Use them or lose them,” and launched a little initiative I’ve named “Dude, Get On That Already.” The “dude” is me. Over the next few weeks I plan to sort through the playroom, decide what to keep and actually use, and what to donate, sell, or give away. Most items end up tucked in there for one of two reasons: either I haven’t decided where to display them, or I plan to alter them with paint or stain and then never get around to it.

I finally dug in, grabbed my antlered friend, and wandered the house looking for the right spot. The kitchen near the fridge felt right, but the original black finish didn’t work well with our grellow walls. So I took him outside with a piece of cardboard and a bit of leftover white primer and spray paint.

I always use thin, even coats when spray painting. You don’t get full coverage with a single thin coat, and that’s intentional—you build up coverage with about three light passes. Keep your hand moving and hold the can 8–10 inches away to avoid drips. The antlers were darker on the underside, so after letting the front cure for a day I flipped the piece over and sprayed the back so it would look good from all angles.

We briefly considered louder colors—plum, navy, even yellow—but decided white would complement the nearby laundry room and its gold mirror without competing for attention. That said, some of the other items hiding in the playroom might get more adventurous colors down the line.

We still have some paint touch-ups to do in the kitchen; they’ve been on the list for a month. I’ll get to them—unless I get sidetracked spray painting more faux animals.

Once the paint was fully dry, I hung the deer head on our paneled wall. Anchors are invaluable for this kind of thing. We keep a small box of wall anchors for general hanging needs; they usually last a long time, which is convenient because a trip to the hardware store for tiny pieces of hanging hardware is always annoying.

For anyone unfamiliar: the plastic anchor goes into a small pilot hole in the wall, then you push or tap it in so it sits flush. The screw goes into the anchor, and you leave a little bit of screw head protruding so the item can hang on it. The anchor supports the screw and helps the screw hold more weight than it would in drywall alone.

The whole project—from pulling the piece out of storage, spray painting it in several thin coats, waiting for it to dry, and mounting it on the wall—took less than an hour of hands-on time. Drying time doesn’t count since you don’t have to watch the paint cure. I’m optimistic about continuing my “Dude, Get On That Already” effort; even small wins like this feel good. And if I need to remove the deer head for a special occasion, it would make a playful hat or fascinator.

Are you with me on this self-imposed challenge? Is there a drawer, shelf, or entire room of things you’ve been putting off? I’m aiming to tackle at least one project a week, though life with kids and everyday chores might slow me down. Still, it’s a goal worth pursuing.

Also—naming this guy is a debate. Is naming a white, faceless faux animal strange? Malcolm keeps popping into my head. Thoughts?

On another note: we’re in the middle of a lighting update, which explains the odd shadows, ladders, and drop cloths in some photos. There’s just one floor lamp lighting the back corner of our interior room right now, so everything looks a little dramatic. It’s messy but it’s progress. I’ll share more details once the new lighting is fully installed and the space is cleaned up and photographed.