We have a new friend hanging out in the kitchen. I found this faux deer head at Hobby Lobby during one of their frequent 50% off sales for $12. I’m a sucker for faux animals, so naturally it came home with me.

For a while it sat in the playroom—by “a while” I mean more than six months—until I had one of those “use it or lose it” moments. I told myself, “Dude, get on that already.” The “dude” in question is me. That moment kicked off a small decluttering initiative to tackle the playroom clutter I’ve been hoarding. The plan is simple: decide whether to keep and display items or pass them along via Craigslist, donation, or a yard sale. Most things sit in that room for one of two reasons:

• I don’t know where to hang them yet, so I stash them and tell myself I’ll get to it later—and later never comes.
• I plan to alter items by painting or staining them, so they get tucked away until “someday,” which also turns into never.

Not anymore. I grabbed my new antlered friend and carried him from room to room to find a good spot. The kitchen next to the fridge felt right, but the original black finish clashed with the space. So I took him outside, laid down a piece of cardboard, and dug out some leftover white primer and spray paint.

I followed my usual spray-painting approach: thin, even coats. You don’t get full coverage with a single feather-light pass, and that’s deliberate—you want several thin layers rather than one heavy coat that drips. Hold the can about 8–10 inches away and keep your hand moving. Drips are unacceptable.

The antlers needed extra attention because the undersides stayed dark, which would show once the piece was hung. I let the front cure for a day, flipped the mount over, and sprayed the back to ensure even coverage.

We considered bolder colors—plum, navy, even yellow—but decided white would complement our grellow walls and play nicely with the gold accents nearby. I still have big plans for other items tucked in the playroom, so more color experiments are on the horizon.

Ignore the paint touch-ups in the photos—we’ve been meaning to take care of those for weeks. Priorities, right? Sometimes faux-animal refinishing wins out.

Work it, antlers. Work it.

To hang the piece on our paneled wall, I used wall anchors. We keep a box of anchors handy; they last a long time and save multiple trips to the hardware store. If you aren’t familiar with how they work: drill a small pilot hole, insert the plastic anchor flush with the wall, then screw in the screw. Leave a bit of the screw exposed so the item can hang securely—about half an inch is usually enough.

The whole process—several thin paint coats and the hanging—took less than an hour of hands-on time (drying time excluded). I’m optimistic about this “Dude, Get On That Already” project and hope to keep momentum, tackling at least one item a week when possible. If I want to remove the deer head for a special occasion, it makes a surprisingly fun fascinator.

Are you with me on this small, self-imposed challenge? Do you have a room or a pile of things you’ve been putting off? I’d love company as I work through mine. My goal is one completed item per week, though life with kids and kitchen projects might slow that down. Also—help me name him. Is naming a white faux animal odd when it doesn’t have a face? I keep thinking Malcolm, but I’m open to suggestions.

And speaking of projects: we’re also updating the lighting in that interior room. Apologies for the odd lighting and the ladders and drop cloths in the pictures—there’s just one floor lamp lighting the space right now, which makes the back corner look oddly bright. It’s messy but promising. I’ll share full details and better photos once the lighting installation is finished and everything is cleaned up, photographed, and written up, likely early next week.

In short: find a spot for the things you love, give them the small bit of effort they need to belong, and enjoy them instead of hiding them away. Small projects add up, and a little progress each week makes a noticeable difference.