I've shared my dining room conundrum with you in a previous post, and we're really making progress! My wonderful mother helped me score 14 chairs for free! The old Plumsteadville Inn was sold to new owners and they were getting rid of many of the old dining chairs. She knows her daughter well and within five minutes she and my dad had all 14 chairs in their garage. Best. Parents. Ever. Look at these beauties…
Ok, well maybe I have rose colored glasses, but I think they can one day be fabulous! I do wish they had either a more square, modern look or a more ornate, detailed look. They're somewhere in the middle… somewhere around"blah and boring"… but don't tell them or you might hurt their feelings… they do have star potential, I just know it!
oh and the fabric…
So, my first order of business was to create a chair assembly station in the basement
Did I mention this is going to be a Big Project? Fourteen of anything takes a while…
4 screws x 14 chairs = too many to count (It's my goal not to lose any of these, but it's quite unlikely)
14 ugly cushions
Now, comes the decisions… What new fabric to use and what color should the chairs be painted. Originally, I was just thinking black, but hmm… I do love grey, or slate blue, or yellow??? See what I mean, I need some help! I've decided that I'm going to choose fabric first and then work the chairs and the room around the fabric. Here are the options… Yellow and Sable Birds
Grey, Yellow, and Slate Blue (black chairs?)
Slate Blue and Sable Birds (perhaps with blue, distressed chairs?)
Not sure I love this one…
My plan with these fabrics would be to choose a few and have a variety of fabrics for the chairs
Green and Grey (Charcoal chairs?? Black??)
Olive, Orange, and Blue (something about this really appeals to me)
Grey and Green
Bold Yellow (Grey Chairs??)
Here's where you come in… Please give me your opinion in the survey below. Help a Sister out because I'm stumped on this one! Oh, and if you have another Fabulous fabric, please send it my way!
(oops # 1 and # 9 are the same!) Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool. Thanks! Can't wait to hear your ideas!
P.S. The Hubs just previewed my post… BIG MISTAKE …"Birds?? Birds?? No Birds! When did Birds become cool?? We have Birds on the mantle; we don't need Birds on our chairs!"… I'm pretending he just told me he likes all the options and whatever the readers choose is going to be great. {Wink Wink}
My house has never been without some kind of stripes… EVER. I guess I just love 'em… Back at our old house I actually used all the old paint samples and leftover colors to do a crazy, random stripe wall in my basement office. This picture was before the ceiling went in, but in the end, it was pretty crazy and cool.
We've also done stripes in the same color, with different finishes. This was flat enamel with eggshell.
So, since we're in a new house… we needed some stripes… I was feeling lost without them! Family Room Stripes
. Since we've done stripes many, many times we've learned a few things along the way. Nothing is more frustrating than crooked stripes or bleeding lines. I've told you over and over that I can fall into the perfectionist category… bleeding stripes are NOT COOL in the Mangin house. How to Paint 99 percent Perfect Stripes (It's 99% because I thought Perfect sounded a little cocky!) 1. This step is optional, but I highly recommend it… find a handsome helper. It definitely is a 2 person job. 2. Determine the width of your stripes. For the family room I wanted BIG wide ones, so I did 18 inches 3. On both the left and right side of the wall, use a pencil to mark where your stripes will end. Just a little line will do. 4. Get a chalkline. It's the best thing ever for stripes. Just shake, pull tight, snap, and voila! Perfect guide to tape by.
Eric just loves when I'm supposed to be holding a chalkline nice and tightly and I have a camera in my hand at the same time!
5. I'm the taper in the family. I will ONLY use Scotch blue tape. Eric like the blue tape with the orange inside because it's extra delicate, but I like blue with the blue inside.
The key to taping is just making sure the edge of the tape is in a smooth line and not jagged where your pieces start and stop. I also take a credit card or wooden spoon over the tape when I'm done to seal it.
6. This is the magic step people… Take the current wall color paint (the color that your new stripe will touch, not the color of the new stripe) and paint along the edges of your new taped space. This will ensure that if your paint bleeds (which it will at least a bit no matter what you do) that you won't see it because it's the same color at the wall! It works like a charm!
You can see a difference in the color, but that's because it was still drying. I'll also add that we just let it dry for like 15 minutes, because it's a nice, thin coat.
I've also heard of this technique using ModPodge if you don't have leftover paint, but I can't say I've ever tried it. Let me know if you have and how it turned out! 7. Roll your main color… this one needs no explanation
8. Remove the tape. We always remove the tape before the paint dries. We wait just long enough to be sure we're done and don't need another coat of paint, then we take it down. My technique is slow and steady and at a slight angle.
If you've done step #6 you're guaranteed crisp lines, so this is no longer a stressful"I wonder how it's going to look" moment!
Once the wall is totally dry you might need to take a damp cloth to get some leftover blue chalk off, but otherwise, you're done! Overall, I'm really in love with my new stripes!
But … I'm not so in love with the artwork anymore! I can feel my husband rolling his eyes when he reads this post. I like the shape, but they just don't work anymore… and honestly, I'm not sure I ever LOVED them (and yes, I only bought them 6 months ago!)
The next part of this room re-do is to stripe curtain panels for the opposite wall. I'm excited to try this after my vacation next week!
So, are you a lover of stripes like I am? Have you conquered the perfect stripe?
We'll admit we're not the first ones to DIY a headboard…there are so many awesomely creative headboard ideas out there! What we wanted most for this headboard was to create a juxtaposition of old and new. You might remember the accent wall- a classic houndstooth, with a modern multi-colored flare… well, we felt like it needed a fabulous antique headboard.
What do you think? We love the end result. But guess what?? It was actually our Plan B… Plan A was a flop. And because we're all about keeping it real, we're going to show you the Plan A.
This door is amazing. The layers and layers of old, chippy paint are incredible. As soon as we saw it at Architectural Antiques we knew we had to have it. We hoped it would be enough of a contrast on the wall, but we wrong. It got completely lost with the stencil.
We headed back to Architectural Antiques and walked around their huge outdoor salvage yard. The bold blue color of the shutters jumped out at us. We loved how we'd be able to use three panels to create a solid look. We were back in business! Of course the blue wasn't the right color… Boo! That just meant we needed to DIY the doors a bit. We simply dry brushed the blue color we used in the room over the existing blue.
How To Dry Brush: 1-Put a small amount of paint on your brushDab most of it off on a paper towel 3- Quickly sweep the"dry brush" over the surface
(Late night phone picture FAIL. Sorry!) We also rubbed the paint in with a paper towel because we wanted to preserve as much of the original character of the shutters as we could. It gave just enough of the new color to make it work in the room. Installing a shutter or door headboard is really simple. So simple even a rookie DIYer can do it! Jess used this method when installing her door headboard and it worked like a charm! How to Install a Headboard: 1- Get a 2x4 piece of wood2- Cut the wood about 6 inches shorter than the width of the bed (you don't want to see the board)3- Determine the height you want your headboard and mark the bottom4- Use a level to straighten the 2x4 on the wall, where you marked it5- Find your studs and screw it in
6- Rest your headboard on the 2x47- Put a few screws in the headboard for extra stability
It took us all of about 10 minutes to get ours installed. We love an easy DIY!
So what do you think of our Plan B? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ok, so there are a TON of Shabby Apple lovers out there (we told you that would happen!), and we're thrilled to announce that the winner is:
It's your lucky day, April G.! Email us to claim your prize.: ) For the rest of you, don't forget to use the code EASTCOAST10OFF to receive 10% off your order at Shabby Apple. Thanks to everyone who entered! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This giveaway is closed. Well, you'd think that with Creating with the Stars coming right around the corner, and the loads of amazing prizes that will be awarded, we wouldn't have anything else to give away! Not so! I was browsing Etsy one night (one of my very favorite things to do if I have time) and came across the fabulous shop, Design Atelier Article.
I immediately fell in love with their quirky, fun and awesome items and emailed them to ask if they would like to give something away to our amazing readers. They were game, and so this giveaway was born! You guys seriously need to check out the entire shop, but here are a few of our ultimate favs.
Vintage Clock in Paris Blue
Mustache Candleholder
Scandinavian Dala Wooden Horse
Butting Deer Bookends
One lucky winner will win these adorableBicycle Bookends!The giveaway will be open until midnight on Wednesday, February 27th. The winner will be revealed on Thursday, February 28th. To enter: 1."Like" us on facebook! 2."Like" Design Atelier Article on Facebook 3.Leave a comment telling us what item you've fallen in love with! a Rafflecopter giveaway
I know, such cute stuff, right? If you love their shop, spread the word! Good luck.; )
Imagine my thrill when I was gifted with this fancy-schmancy sandblasted Fiestaware plate from a Homer Laughlin Fiesta Collector's Association!
It's perfect!
Is this not the cutest thing ever?
I had already been making my jewelry from broken plates and pottery for quite a few years when one day I was approached by a Fiesta collector to enter a contest in which artists create something from broken or damaged Fiesta. Of course, now I cannot find a photo of my winning piece, but it was a piece of jewelry, a heart pin brooch with fancy edges and so pretty! Here are a few photos of some other things I have created with broken Fiesta over the years.
Pin brooch (sold '02)
Mosaic teacup plaque. Doubles as the most awesome bird feeder ever. (sold '03)
Backstamp pendant (sold '04) (approx 1.25")
Bracelet
Love these earrings!
Another necklace pendant (approx 1.5")
Mosaic heart — perfect for the Fiesta kitchen! (approx 6")
Earrings with Swarovski crystals and Czech glass pearls (1/2" by 1 & 1/4")
Read on for some interesting history about Fiesta ware colors:
'At its introduction in 1936, Fiesta was produced in five colors: Red (orange red), Blue (cobalt), Green (light green), Yellow (deep golden), and Old Ivory (yellowish cream). By 1938, two years into production, a sixth color was added: Turquoise ( robin 's egg blue). With the exception of the Red, this color assortment remained in production until approximately 1950. The original Red had been discontinued before 1944 (see below).
The lack of this vibrant color, plus the general changes in society due to the United States' participation in World War II, had caused a slump in sales of the larger serving pieces from the early 1940s. Prior to this reduction in the number of shapes offered, only one or two very specialized shapes had been discontinued and those by 1938. Later items which were discontinued, such as covered onion soup bowls in turquoise glaze and mixing bowl covers in any color, are scarce and highly prized by collectors.
By 1950, home decorating styles and colors had changed. The Homer Laughlin Company discontinued some original glaze colors and replaced them with four new colors. The original Blue (cobalt), the original Green (light green), and the original Old Ivory (yellowish cream) were discontinued, replaced by Rose (pinkish-brown), Gray (medium), Forest (dark green), and Chartreuse (bright yellowish green). Two existing glaze colors, Yellow and Turquoise, continued in production, so the company continued to offer six colors through the 1950s.' Excerpt from the article 'Fiesta (dinnerware)', which can be found HERE in its entirity
One of my later designs, about 2006 (1/2" by 1")
I will have some new jewelry in these and similar designs up for the holidays so be sure to check back!
Ahhhhhh…I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Well, kinda. Our kitchen renovation that I've chronicled here, here, here and here, is done…for now! You may remember that it all started like this:
Ugh. That's a sad picture, people. It's not sad anymore, though, just look at it now in all it's *almost* finished glory!
Seriously, that is one big difference! I am absolutely crazy about our open shelves, new kitchen layout and big opening to the dining room. (Although I REALLY wish I made some sort of effort to clean up our dining room before snapping pics! Bad blogger!) I've been decorating and undecorating the shelves for weeks now, and I'm pretty happy with them, so I figured it was about time I shared. This is how they look right now, but I can absolutely guarantee you that they won't stay this way forever, since I crave change after about 4 days of anything staying the same.
The blue and green add just the right pop to my otherwise serene color scheme. I really do love the contrast of the fancy stencil with the trendy aqua blue accents. So fun! Those two round pie plates were wedding gifts, but they're only hanging out there until I can find a tray or something that I love- the blues just aren't perfectly spot on.
Up close and personal:
You've already seen the printable I made, but the plate right next to it is from the Pottery Barn Outlet. Can't get enough of that thing. That and the bird (from Joann's) are the only new things I bought for the shelves. Everything else was gathered from around the house- you got to work with what you have sometimes, right? Ok, I lied. I forgot that I bought this blue vase at a flea market this weekend for $4, and the mugs came from Ikea.
I have been scouring the stores to find dish towels that I liked and that matched the kitchen, and couldn't find anything that wasn't chevron (no offense to all you chevron-lovers out there, but I'm just not on that bandwagon!), but I found this one at Kmart! Yes, I was shocked too.: ) Cute, cute, cute!
I'm showing you this picture of all our mail for two reasons: 1) I just got this mail sorter from Kmart and it's a lifesaver. Really. All that stuff used to just lay on my counter making my already frazzled brain even more frazzled (if that's possible), and 2) See that uncovered outlet? I didn't even realize it didn't have a cover on it until I looked at this picture. It's so ridiculous what you get used to living with, and then start to ignore. *Fingers crossed that that baby EVER gets a cover.*
Here's a view of the other side of the kitchen:
We finally cut and hung two more open shelves to house our microwave. I gotta tell you, I so enjoy the extra space on the counters now that thing is off of it. So roomy! And if you're wondering about that crack in the counter, it's there because we moved a cabinet and it's counter from it's original spot on the other side of the fridge. It'll stay like that until we upgrade our countertops, and then it'll be seamless. Technically, I could hide the seam using a painting method a friend told me about, but, honestly, there are so many other things I'd rather be doing with my time.; )
I'm thrilled that, after 8 years of marriage, I can finally easily access my china. What a nice surprise to see that it actually works really well with my damask stencil and the colors in the kitchen. Woohoo for happy accidents!
Oh yes! I almost forgot that we installed this new light fixture above the window, and it's stinkin' awesome. Forget about all the additional light it gives off, it's adorable!
***Update: Several people have asked where I got this light. It's Allen + Roth from Lowes.
And finally, a view from the hall. I'm contemplating adding simple, wooden blinds to the window because it seems a bit bare. Anyone have thoughts about that? Should I or shouldn't I?
So now I've promised my husband that I'll tackle only really easy projects that don't involve him for a while.: ) I think this room has come a long way, and it just feels so much more like me. After a few annoying touchups on paint, fixing some broken tile and installing one more light switch, this pretty baby will be complete. Phew! Next week I'll show you what I finally decided about the curtain situation on the other side of the room.
Next on my agenda? A dining room redesign! I can't wait to show you what I have up my sleeve.
So, what's your favorite part about my new kitchen? Color scheme, open shelving, white cabinets, something else entirely?
My summer wouldn't be complete without a few visits to the Blue Ridge Flea Market in Saylorsburg, PA! This is one of my very favorite flea markets and one the best places in the Pocono area to shop for antiques and vintage treasures. It's about a thirty minute drive from my home, so I consider myself one lucky chick! Today the temperature was in the 90's but that wasn't going to hold me back. It had been a while since I had last been to this market and I was excited to discover some new goodies!
The first two parking lots were full (as they always are) but way in the back grove parking area (which is the best place to park anyway because of its scattering of old shade trees) I was pleasantly surprised to find it empty of cars ' yay! ' it was going to be a good shopping day!
Empty grove=more stuff for me!: -)
Flea market ahead!
One small view of a very large complex Of course the very first thing I came upon was two stacks of monogrammed vintage china. I had to laugh because just yesterday I blogged about this exact same china and mentioned how hard it is to find! Seven bowls, four plates, each with a beautiful floral rose design and bright capital letter K initial monogram. Their condition was new, and I knew they were from the 1940's. How much? I asked the man'$2 for all? SOLD!
My first great find At that point I could've gone home a happy girl, but I was only five minutes into it. A short while later and up a few rows I spied two pretty, antique English transferware dinnerplates that closely resembled the Flow Blue patterns that I adore'How much?....$2 each or you can have them both for $3'SOLD! Cha-ching and woo hoo!
My new lovelies
I don't think this was an antique, but it was neat none the less: a decorative ship's figurehead or maidenhead complete with her very own treasure chest... Arrrgh
My 5-year-old daughter wanted to drive this mini car home! Ahhh my favorite part... little boxes, on the hillside...
little boxes full of....silverware! And boy, was it HOT to touch! Everything was sizzling from the sun. What? You can't find your keys? Here they are!
When I got to this point it was seriously like: What to my wondering eyes should appear?....Keys! Hundreds and hundreds of glorious keys! Short keys, long keys, fat keys, skeleton keys, lots of rusty keyness!
Ahhh, vintage chandelier crystals! These are super good for craftin'
Various taxidermy oddities (note the bears on the roof of the van) A few handfuls of vintage silverplated flatware, antique skeleton keys and vintage chandelier crystals were among my best finds... all will be put to very good use in some new projects I have brewing for the upcoming holiday season!
After several days of blue bird skies and cozy sunshine, we're having some rainy days. The tulips bring some brightness to these grey days. I love the white against the robin's egg blue walls (Opal Essence by Benjamin Moore).
I haven't put fresh flowers in here (our downstairs bathroom) for awhile, although that's exactly what the table is for.
I'm still loving my toile shower curtains from Pottery Barn.
Today I also hung a piece of art I recently framed. I found the nude drawing at an antique show several weeks ago. Shortly thereafter, I found the Victorian frame for $35. I think they go quite beautifully together. I just love the combination of the formal ornate detail of the frame, paired with the lovely simplicity of the charcoal drawing. I also love the gold hue against the blue walls.
Did I mention that tulips were on sale yesterday? I bought some pink ones too. They're a french variety that look like sweet little peonies. I was surprised when the florist told me that if I wanted the tulips to last longer, to not trim the stems when I got home. She said that when you cut them, they release an acidic substance (that gooey stuff) into the water that makes the blossoms deteriorate faster. Has anyone ever heard of that? Well, I thought I'd try it. I didn't cut any of them, just plopped them in their vases 'as is' (which felt a bit neglectful). I'll keep you posted on how long they last. UPDATE: Go here to read that the above information on tulips is completely false!
The weather is finally warming up and I feel like summer is right around the corner! I thought I'd invite you over to my awesome yard and beautiful patio furniture! Doesn't it look welcoming and just scream, let's drink some lemonade?
Oh, and how rude of me, I need to offer you a comfy seat!
No… you don't want to come? You don't want to get rust all over your clothes? Hmm… Okay, so clearly I had two choices… buy a new set or figure out an update on a budget. You may or may not know that I have a BIG project up my sleeve (a new paver patio coming soon!) so I didn't want to spend much $$$ on the table and chairs. I turned to my go-to solution… Spray Paint! Looking a wee bit more inviting wouldn't you say?
Here's how the transformation happened… First, I removed the legs of the table. Not sure it was ever meant to come off, but after removing some screws and jiggling it a bit we had it off. This would allow me to paint the base and not the underside of the glass.
Next, I needed to cover the glass top, so it didn't turn red. I turned to Scotch Blue painter's tape. If I have a job where I need the tape to really stick well, but NOT pull off paint, I use Scotch Blue. I had to use little pieces to get around the curves, but it was worth it to get a nice, crisp edge.
Then, I needed to cover up the glass in the middle, so I took trash bags, cut them along the seams so I could flatten them out.
Then, I tape it down on the table. I had some weird open areas, so I patched holes with scrap paper. It looks pretty fancy doesn't it?
I painted it on a sheet, so I didn't make my grass red (not that I haven't done that 100 times before)
Since I knew this furniture was going to take a beating, I opted for Valspar's Outdoor spray paint.
The improvement was instant! I was so excited as soon as the base was started!
Next, came the chairs, and again it was instant improvement! I used a little steel wool on really rusty spots, but other than that didn't do any other prep. It was really quick and simple!
I originally thought I'd go with solid grey cushions, but these striped ones from Target's spring line caught my eye ($12 each). They're a perfect match!
This Before and After makes me happy (and apparently my chairs too!)
All ready for a fun get together! Now let's play I SPY… what's missing in this picture? Yup, 5 more cushions. They're still"In Transit" from Target.
The total cost for this project was $30. I used 2 cans of red and 5 cans of blue. I know it won't last for five years or anything, but I'll definitely get another year or two out of them. I've learned something from this experience… if you own nice outdoor furniture, cover it up in really bad weather. So that you don't have to learn the hard way, like I did, we're giving away a $75 Gift Certificate to Empire Patio Covers They sell covers to fit everything from tables and chairs, to grills, fire pits, etc. My fire pit always got rusty without a cover.
To Enter: Comment on this post with the words"Empire Patio" Bonus Entry: Like us on Facebook leave a comment letting us know Bonus Entry: Visit Empire Patio and tell us in another comment what product you need the most on their site Giveaway Closes: Friday, May 18th at 11:59pm. Winner will be announced on Saturday. Details: One winner. Prize ships to the US and Canada. One entry per email address. Winner is selected through random.org
So there you have it. A patio update on a tiny budget. For $30, I couldn't be happier with the results. So, now do you want to come over?
I received the most beautiful crib for my birthday. Our neighbours have a second hand market every Saturday and Sunday. I have bought several items from there, but when I saw this crib I simply fell in love. So a couple of days ago my Man surprised me with it. I am SO happy! It's from 1821, isn't it just amazing?
The cats thought it would be a nice idea to pose, by the way.
The chair I also bought from there and I plan to paint it white and change the fabric to a blue-grey with a little bit of grey-silver mixed in it.
The blue-white vase I also got for my birthday and I just love it. Blue and white is my middle name. The flower I'm a bit unsure of, is it Amaryllis?
The other images is from earlier in the summer, they are taken just outside the house.
This weekend Jess and I got up bright and early on Saturday morning to attend a barn sale. We weren't 100% sure what to expect (the details were limited) and on the way we were laughing at the possibility of us walking it and it being all farm equipment! Thankfully it wasn't! The sale was inside and out of this cool, old barn
There were plenty of random things, but also tons of furniture, mirrors, and stuff that was right up our alley!
I REALLY wanted to buy this piece for my dining room, but it's a corner unit that wouldn't fit. I was bummed!
Jess almost bought this mantle to turn into a headboard, but I kind of talked her out of it!
We both loved this cool sign!
I spotted and scored this awesome"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall…" style mirror for $5.00!
DIY Chalkboard Mirror Have I mentioned I'm impulsive?? By Saturday afternoon I was ready to start working on my mirror project! I make my poor husband take all kinds of dorky pictures of me holding things… He accidentally got himself in this picture (don't tell him I used it on the blog!)
Here's the mirror before… Jess is in a gold phase, and liked it gold, but me… not so much…
I went to Lowes and after staring at the spraypaint choices for an eternity, I decided that blue will now be my kitchen accent color. A worker actually made a comment about how long it took me to choose.: )
Did the blue in the above picture worry you?? It just looks crazy bright in the pic, in reality, it's a really great, dark blue! Love it! If you're doing this project with a mirror, I recommend spraypainting right over the mirror as well. It acts like a primer for the chalkboard paint.
See the little cobwebs?? I clearly didn't take the time to prep the mirror. Thankfully, they wiped right off. Impulsive remember?
Next, it was time to paint the mirror surface with chalkboard paint. You can get it by the quart at any Lowes or Home Depot.
Rather than using my real painting brushes, I opted for some art brushes because I was going to freehand the edges.
It is just me or do other people like taking pictures of open cans of paint? I always think they look so cool!
Thankfully, the mirror had an easy edge to follow and I was able to get my lines nice and crisp (perfectionist tendencies!)
The chalkboard paint went on really evenly and only required one coat.
And of course I hung it before it was dry! Ahhh I love it so much!
We decided we'd use it for a countdown for this kids for now. Eventually, I'll need some kind of quote that makes me seem way cooler than I am.
Here's where it's hanging in my house…It's on a small wall area between the kitchen and living room. And look, I've been using my Key Hooks and you can see them in this picture!
So, do you have any cool frames or broken mirrors that you can make into a cool chalkboard? What do you think of my Mirror, Mirror on the Wall turned Chalkboard?
We're linking up to a few Great Blogs! Shabby Nest, Remodelaholic, Under the Table and Dreaming, Today’s Creative Blog, DecorChick, Finding Fabulous, The DIY Show-Off, Be Different Act Normal, Tatertots and Jello, Polly Want a Crafter?, Shabby Chic Cottage, Stories of A-Z, House of Hepworths, Beneath My Heart, Shanty 2 Chic, The CSI Project, CRAFT, House of Grace, Domestically Speaking, Creations by Kara, Southern Hospitality, Lolly Jane, Keeping it Simple, Somewhat Simple, Making the world Cuter, Young and Crafty, My Backyard Eden, Dittle Dattle, A Glimpse Inside, At Home with K, Brambleberry Cottage, Beyond the Picket Fence, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Someday Crafts, Serenity Now, The DIY Club, My Girlish Whims
If you missed all the amazing projects in the first three weeks of CWTS, be sure to check them out below! Round 1 Projects & WinnersRound 2 Projects & WinnersRo und 3 Projects & Winners
We want to thank HomeGoods and Homes.com for partnering with us for this competition. They believed in this contest from the start and I'm positive the contestants have knocked their socks off! Since this is the Final Round, and we'll be crowning a CWTS 2013 Champion, we needed an awesome Grand Prize Package! The Grand Prize Winners -Contestant and Blog Star- will EACH receive: $500 from Homes.Com $500 Gift Card to HomeGoods Project featured by HomeTalk
Also, for this round, HomeGoods provided each contestant a $100 HomeGood's gift card! Jess and I adore HomeGoods and just last week we picked up about 8 rolls of the best wrapping paper ever! You never know what awesomeness you'll score!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, now let's get to business! There are only 3 projects this week, so you're voting for your 1 and only favorite! We're so proud of each of these ladies and we know they've worked crazy hard the past month! As you're voting and commenting, please keep things positive & encouraging and just pick your favorite project. We've tried to keep things as anonymous as possible, so don't bother playing Sherlock Holmes.: ) Without further ado, We present to you… The Round 4- Grand Prize Projects
#1- Guest Room Makeover For my final CWTS project, I chose to makeover a guest bedroom. I envisioned a guest room that was full of personality…fun pops of color and an interesting mix of textures and objects that feels comfortable, unique and welcoming to guests.
What do you make with an old fireplace mantel and a shower curtain? Create a headboard of course! I loved the gorgeous detail in the border of the dark wood, in addition to the design of the shelf with the mirror and paneling. To complete the transformation to a headboard, I closed in the fireplace opening with plywood. and then I upholstered it with the blue and green ikat fabric---A.K.A a shower curtain from Target!
After I spent about an eternity installing bead board and chair rail, I felt like the room needed a really fun pop of color that would also work well with the headboard fabric. For balance, I purchased a white round side table at HomeGoods, and painted it with some fabulous emerald paint! In selecting bedding, I chose to go with a crisp white duvet cover, so as not to overshadow the headboard fabric and pillows. Picking out pillows was super-fun and HomeGoods never lets me down when I am in need of a"new pillow fix." I fell in love with the vintage camera pillow (also from Home Goods) and felt it added an interesting and unique element to the room. The blue lamps added another great pop of color. My goal was to incorporate interesting objects with a mix of coordinating colors and textures into the room…the collage below shows all the details that I hope will make overnight guests feel cozy, comfortable and inspired.
Homegoods was the perfect sponsor for the home decor round. HomeGoods is one of those stores where you may go in with the intention"just to browse"…but never leave without something"you just had to have!"
#2- Colorful, Texture-filled Bedroom Makeover The home decor challenge gave me the perfect opportunity to complete some of the projects I have wanted to try for a long time! Starting with a bare white room, I couldn't wait to add some color, pattern and texture
. To frame the bed, I created an accent wall covered with grasscloth wallpaper and used trim to frame the bed and nightstands. I love the touch of glamor that the nailhead adds to the space. While installing the nailhead, I tried a few new techniques that made it go surprisingly fast! Best of all, this wall is completely removable, renter or indecisive designer approved! I added a few accessories from Homegoods. And customized a few pillows using scarves, napkins and paint.
I constructed the headboard from lumber and cut the detail in the arms with a jig saw. I then upholstered it with foam and a bright coral fabric. I love the simplicity of the headboard, but the curved detail and bright coral color make it extra special!
I love the subtle texture of the grasscloth, and how the nailhead adds a little extra detail. I hope you enjoy this colorful, energetic transformation!
#3- Reading Room Makeover When it was time for the Home Decor round, I waffled back and forth on what to do until I remembered that I had this nice (relatively) empty room in my house just waiting to be turned into something fun. After playing around with a few ideas, I decided I wanted a place to relax, read, and spend a little quality alone time…and the next thing I knew, the reading room was created.
I took regular ol' Ikea Billy bookcases and turned them into built-ins (thanks to some crown molding and a little DIY magic) and amped up the room a bit with trim and some paint in a traditional"library"-ish color. To make it more modern, I painted the back of the bookcases with some chunky gold stripes and tossed in a cozy chair and pouf, a DIY-ed tree stump table, and a ton of bright and colorful accessories.
When I was shopping for the room, one of the first places I wanted to hit up was HomeGoods — I'm obsessed with basically everything they carry and knew their store would be perfect for our bookcases. I managed to snag that gorgeous throw pillow for the chair, as well as several of the cute accessories you can see on the bookcases (including my personal favorite, the blue elephant up at the top)!
I'm so excited to have this space now, and I can't wait to settle in and start reading!
Now, it's time to Vote!
You can only vote once and only for one project.(the past weeks you could change your vote if you wanted. You might have thought you could cast multiple votes, but nope- it was just changing your vote- it was set to just one per IP. This week we didn't allow vote changes, so make sure you have your mind made up when you vote! Good Luck- it's a tough choice!!) In order to vote, you must first LIKE EC2 on Facebook.
Pendant approx. 1" "I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn."
-Henry David Thoreau
American china with bird motif Bluebird China
'Bluebird china enjoyed a brief but spectacular history, first appearing in the late 1800s, reaching its zenith in the early to mid-1920s, and was almost entirely gone by 1930. China decorated with the bluebird motif was produced by over 50 different American companies including Anchor Pottery Company, Atlas China Company and Atlas-Globe China Company, Chippendale China, Homer Laughlin China Company, and Steubenville Pottery Company to name just a few.'
-Excerpt from the book Bluebird China (Schiffer Book for Collectors), above, which can be found Here
Classic Homer Laughlin "Fluffy Bluebird" Pattern
Homer Laughlin Fluffy Bluebird pattern china
Necklace pendant
Necklace Pendant
Bracelet made from a broken tea cup
Broken china mosaic heart with bluebird Bluebirds of Happiness 'The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc. Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird. ' -Excerpt from Bluebird of Happiness, which can be found HERE in its entirety. Other Bluebird China Patterns
Vintage Lovebirds — Unknown pattern Some examples of a few less common American bluebird china patterns:
Necklace with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal
Necklace Pendant
Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals
Bracelet displayed on the plate it was made from
Link bracelet How about these sweet little birds? Looks like they've made their nest in a basket.
Necklace pendant, vintage American china
Necklace pendant Entry May 18 'Your words are born not spoken. Dimensional soft-vowelled words palpable to the eye or to the fingertip. Exquisitely curved as the young that flowers conceive. Often I have watched your lips shape words... and your tongue nudge them out like small birds not wholly certain of their wings. Your sweetest words are those shaped ovally like plums or wild birds' eggs. And the long bright ribbons you laugh, the multitudes of hyacinth and bluebells.' -Walter Benton, This Is My Beloved
Pin brooch with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals An older, unusual bluebird china pattern, probably circa 1920:
Necklace pendant
Pin brooch with freshwater pearl and Swarovski crystal
Necklace made with Amazonite, Rohodonite, and sterling wire
Necklace
Necklace, unknown pattern Mount Clemens Robin pattern
Heart Pendant
Heart pendant
Pendant
Pin brooch with sterling beads and Swarovski crystals
Heart pendant
Charm bracelet with pearls and various crystals and gems
Silver spoon bracelet
Silver spoon bracelet
Silver spoon bracelet
Pin brooch with crystals Another unusual American bird pattern. These look like lovebirds or budgies. Notice the motif surrounding the heart design in the second photo below.
Necklace pendant
Pin brooch Bird of Paradise & Pheasant Patterns "The bird of paradise alights only upon the hand that does not grasp." -John Berry
Unusual, ornate pattern. Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls.
' The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species in this family are found on the island of New Guinea... with a few species occurring in the Moluccas of Indonesia and eastern Australia. The family has forty species in 13 genera. The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of most species, in particular highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat.' -Excerpt from Bird-of-paradise, which can be found HERE in its entirety
Antique pattern. Pin brooch with heart-shaped coin pearl and crystal.
Heart charm, approx 7/8"
Pin brooch
Beautiful colors! Pin brooch with Swarovski crystals
Pendant Parrots & cockatoos
Art deco china pattern with parrot motif, American china
Same pattern as above. This pin brooch was made from the design on the center of the plate. This Parrot pattern is from England:
Pendant
Pin brooch
English china, necklace pendant Blue Willow birds:
Pendant
Blue willow porcelain from Japan. Necklace made with glass beads, glass pearl beads and sterling wire.
Necklace A few other bluebird and bird china patterns:
Pendant
Pin brooch
Silver spoon bracelet with 7/8" heart charm
Bluebird china earrings
Heart charm approx. 7/8"
Shelley fine bone china. Flow blue bird motif with gold overlay. "One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Pin brooch with amethyst briolette drop. Newer porcelain.
English transferware with swan motif. Pin brooch
Heart charm, approx 7/8" English transferware
Vintage American pottery with doves motif. Pendant Birds are flyin' south for winter. Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north, Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin', Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth. He says, "It's not that I like ice Or freezin' winds and snowy ground. It's just sometimes it's kind of nice To be the only bird in town." -Shel Silverstein Weird-Bird
Birds are one of my most requested china patterns for jewelry. Because they can be hard to find, sometimes even rare, my finished jewelry pieces made from these patterns on average cost a bit more than other patterns. I hope you enjoyed this look into the world of vintage bird china! No matter how often I look at these patterns, they are still delight me each time I see them! -Laura (all jewelry shown above was made by me!)
My family travelled a lot growing up, and still, to this day, we all get together one week out of the year, and vacation with each other in a new, unexplored (to us) location. I was also fortunate enough to live in Greece for three months during college. My friends and I (and my future hubby, unbeknownst to both of us), toured Greece, Italy, France and Spain with abandon, and I loved every second of it. Why am I telling you this? Over the past year, I've been trying to figure out what my design"style" really is. Instead of randomly acquiring or making things that may or may not fit the rest of my belongings, I want to be purposeful and intentional (there's that word again; ) with the design of my house. I want my home to have a nice flow, (which, if you've ever been to my house, is not the case), and to be comfortable and relaxing, yet beautiful. That's not too much to ask, is it? (Envision me looking exhausted). I find that thinking about the places I've been that have really impacted me and that I fell in love with, help me discern what styles I want to incorporate in my home. Each place has a certain feel that I would love to capture at home. This is the first post of three parts about my top 3 favorite destinations and what design elements I have gathered and want to incorporate in my home. Destination #1: Greece
Zacynthos, Greece (We affectionately call this place"Paradise Beach") Ahhhh…memories. This country holds a special place in my heart as it was the place I met and got to know my hubs (no, he is not Greek. He was on the same trip I was), and it was the first place that I really had to be completely independent. There are two main design elements from Greece that I want to include in my house: simplicity and history.
Source: perivolassuites.gr via Jessica on Pinterest This room is SO simple. Nothing competing with each other, no knickknacks. Just two beautiful blue bottles, a plant and a purple blanket. Makes me want to take a nap.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Jessica on Pinterest White on white on white. {Sigh} I told you I was in a white phase, and this depicts that perfectly. Even though it's devoid of color, it's still an interesting room with those totally cool stool/table thingies that add loads of texture, and the khaki/white rug. I understand it's absolutely not practical in any way with two little ones running around, but I so admire how peaceful and simple this room is.
Source: 79ideas.org via Jessica on Pinterest Again, nothing dramatic in this room, but somehow this room is perfect. That table looks like it has seen its fair share of dinner parties. I love the old furniture paired with the fancy chandelier, and beamed ceiling. I can totally envision eating a late dinner here with friends.
Source: flickr.com via Jessica on Pinterest If this doesn't inspire you to bring the outside in, then I don't know what will.
Source: trekearth.com via Jessica on Pinterest This is gorgeous, old and falling apart. It gives me hope that someone might find the peeling paint on my porch banisters gorgeous.
Source: indiehome.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest There is a very simple color scheme in Greece- white and blue, with a little pink thrown in there from the wild, climbing flowers. And still, it's so interesting and pretty.
Wow. That light fixture is fabulous. This room is breathtaking. Enough said.
Have you been anywhere that has inspired you to decorate differently? Please share!
I received a request to post on my collection of transfer ware. I have three different patterns, a collection that started when I inherited my Grandmother's red transfer ware.
They were her everyday dishes that I grew up with. She lost many of the original plates in the California earth quakes. However, it was a pattern that continued to be made, so she was able to order replacements.
This is the mark on the back.
I display the red after Thanksgiving as they're part of my Christmas decorations. They stay up until spring, when it's time to display my teal blue transfer ware.
I bought these at an antique store in Washington state. They were on clearance and I almost passed them up thinking that although they were so beautiful, what would I everdo with them? That is the day I thought of putting up my different collections by season — and that is how I rationalized buying them!
This is the mark on the back.
This was taken last spring....which was the first spring I displayed them on the shelves.
The brown transfer ware goes up in fall. I came upon my brown transfer ware at Marshall's department store, and thought they would be perfect dishes to use for Thanksgiving.
This is the mark on the back of the plate.
If we didn't have the open shelves in the kitchen, I don't think I would have started collecting the other two patterns. But the open shelves are like a blank canvas, and can create a completely new look for the kitchen depending on what I put on them. Soon I will be taking down the red transfer ware and putting up the teal blue bird transfer ware. This time, I'm going to try something different and attempt to create less of a kitchen feel and more of a 'room' feel. Jennifer at The Newlywed Diaries posted on this look here and I really love it! So we'll see how I do — suggestions always welcome!
Today marks our first day back to work filming for Knock It Off! We've had 6 weeks off so that Jess could enjoy time off with Baby Bennett- I was the lucky one to get maternity leave too! We really enjoyed our break, but we're also super excited to get back to helping homeowners with some awesome room makeovers! Before we went on our break we tackled our first Formal Living Room makeover. We were super excited about the challenge because neither of us have particularly formal homes. If you haven't watched the episode- check it out HERE!
Here's where the room started off… The family had a TON of amazing pieces of furniture, but some of them were being hidden because there was a lot of stuff in the room.
We used a bright, yet sophisticated kelly green on the top portion of the walls.
And added a clean, crisp board and batten on the bottom two-thirds. And of course, we couldn't leave the black piano alone. It looks okay in pictures, but it was pretty beat up and needed some love… you know what that means… Yup! We painted it!! (painted piano haters everywhere are cursing us! lol)
Isn't that so much more fun? The homeowner's kids all play piano and they were excited to have their first lesson on their blue piano. I kinda wanted to be a fly on the wall when the piano teacher saw it for the first time. Mwhaha. Actually, I heard the blue color made the kids play so well that they're all headed to Julliard! From the homeowner's submission video we actually hardly noticed there was even a fireplace in the room! It was so covered up by furniture and accessories.
We narrowed down all the accessories and furniture, replaced the glass shelves with wooden ones, lined the back with fun zebra paper (we couldn't resist adding a fun pop) and then displayed some of their amazing plate collection on the freshly painted white wall.
We kept many furniture pieces the same, but others- like the one below- we changed. The wood dresser on the left is what we turned into a mini office on the right. We painted it, added new hardware, removed the bottom two drawers and it became the perfect place to keep all their office supplies. You'd never know that it's totally functional… well minus the two printers I suppose!
The room had a huge picture window, but it was really covered up by the sheer curtains. Sometimes people think sheers are great because they let in the light, but in this case, they were hiding so much!
We brought in 4 curtain panels (you can only see three), and even though they're solid, not sheer- the window looks so much larger! These curtains are IKEA curtains that we painted to have a custom feel. You can see how to paint your own curtains in this post.
We were so happy with this room- it might have been one of our favorites from Season 1! We can't wait to see what season 2 has to offer!! Check back tomorrow to see how we added the fun pop of gold on the piano wall…
Since there's no flag in the world with the colours beige, brown, gold, white and blue (at least I think there's not), I guess I'll stick with my own, the Norwegian. I don't have much red to brag with. It's still a nice colour, though.
Ok, are you ready for our last guest post for the Summer? We are thrilled with all of the projects our bloggy friends have shared with us, and this one from Christina of Christina's Adventures, is no exception! Christina is a local girl and has a sweet heart and some serious DIY skills. And oh my goodness, this nautical summer wreath of hers made my heart skip a beat. A.dor.a.ble.
She's a regular commenter on our posts, for which we are eternally grateful! Welcome, Christina!
Hey East Coast Creative readers! I’m super excited to be here! I live just a short drive away from Jess & Monica – and I share so many of their DIY passions! I have a blog (Christina’s Adventures) where I share my stories about thrifty decorating, DIY upcycling, and creative living.
I am a former Autism Support teacher (just resigned from my job in June!) who lives with my husband & “dog baby” in an apartment attached to my parent’s house while we save money to buy our own house (so we can have real babies)! This summer has been filled with all things wedding! I am a bridesmaid in one wedding, attending a great friend’s wedding next weekend, and my brother is getting married in a few days! We hosted a shower for my brother and his fiancée, and I had a lot of fun decorating for the shower. One of the guest’s favorite DIY items was this trough:
And YOU can easily make your own! Seriously! Added bonus – no power tools are required. Here’s how I made mine: I have been dying to make a trough for flowers for ages, and then I saw this one from Thrifty Décor Chick and I fell in love! I just needed the occasion/space to put the trough. When we were looking for something to fill the space at the kitchen table for the bridal shower, I knew this was my opportunity! I first planned out how big I wanted to make it. Our table was just about 6 feet long, so I decided to make this trough 4 feet long. I went to Lowe’s, and found some cedar wood in their lumber section. What I love about Lowes, is they will cut your wood for you! Just give them the measurements, and they’ll cut it. Seriously – best thing ever.
Here were the measurements I used:
2 planks: 3/4” x 7 1/2” – 4 feet long
1 plank: 1 1/2” x 5 1/2” – 4 feet long
2 squares (cut from the thicker piece): 1 1/2” x 5 1/2” – 5 1/2” long
I will be honest – the awesome lumber man from Lowe’s helped me out a lot with this part – he made sure they all fit together correctly and “shaved” off parts so they were even. I first glued them together with some Liquid Nails, and let that sit overnight:
In the morning, I hammered in some nails at the seams, just to make sure it was secure. I then roughly filled in some of the bigger cracks with wood filler, and sanded it down. I didn’t want this to look perfect – I knew I was going to paint and distress it, so I wanted imperfections.
I picked out a blue color I had in my stash (originally an “oops” can for $3). I didn’t prime the surface since I painted right onto the bare wood.
I let that dry, and then I painted with a very light gray over top (the same gray I used on this desk). I did not do this meticulously – I tried to leave some spots where you could see some of the blue coming through:
I then had some fun with glaze and sandpaper. There’s no science to this – I sanded down in certain spots, glazed over areas, and wiped down with a damp cloth. I like to use this glaze, which can be found at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Finally – I let it dry, and it was ready to be filled! I would have *loved* to fill it with fresh flowers, but it just wasn’t practical. We knew we wanted to keep the decoration in my mother’s living room after the shower, so she bought fake flowers from Michaels. I usually hate fake flowers, but these look surprisingly pretty!
What I love about this project is that it wasn’t just a “shower decoration”, but we are now able to use it in my mother’s living room (come follow my blog to see the full make-over of her room – coming soon!)
A few more glamour shots:
What are your thoughts? Have I convinced you that you can easily make yourself one of these as well? If you want to see more projects like this, come follow my blog! We have so much fun over there, and I’d love to get to know you better!
This is a sponsored post brought to you by The Home Depot! We love them for sponsoring CWTS and challenging us with this awesome project! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few weeks ago, I introduced you to my vertical garden project — you can check out part 1 and 2 here and here. Today I finally get to show you HOW I made my vertical garden, and guess what? It was pretty simple!!
Since Home Depot has done a great job with providing both a video and written instructions for this project, I'm not going to give you every step, but I will share some tips I learned along the way!
You definitely don't need a nail gun for this project, but it would have made it so much faster!! Ours was on set for Knock It Off, so I did it the old fashioned way!
I went with a variety of colors for this project- I usually avoid marigolds, but I liked the orange and yellow contrasted with the blue/purple of the petunias!
When I was working on the holes for my irrigation tubes (which is just simple PVC that lets water get down deep in the planter) I found that if I drilled my hole in one direction and then once the tip of the bit was through, flipped it over and came in from the other side, it helped me not have any of my wood splinter or crack.
This is one step I added on my own… I spray painted my lattice- Shocker right?!? I know eventually it will be covered by plants, but in the meantime, I wanted it to look fun and colorful!
Once my box and frame were built, I gave them a coat of indoor/outdoor paint as well!
I love this color from Rust-Oleum (Blue Lagoon)- it's the same one we used on Jess' huge family artwork frame.
Once that was dry it was time to start planting!
I had an Oh Snap moment, when a realized that I forgot to buy the thin black meshing so all the dirt wouldn't fall out of my planter… thank goodness for the Home Depot Garden Community forums- I found out I could use some old material and it would work just fine! Phew!
Even before I added my flowers, I knew I was in love! The fun colors totally sold me!!
Here's just a taste of the awesomeness that the flowers brought to this project!
Tomorrow's my final day of this journey and I'll show you the finished product and where I hung it!
It’s home improvement time, and The Home Depot has everything you need to #DigIn for Spring. No matter what projects you want to tackle, they have great values on all you need. They’re ready to help you with renovation ideas and expert advice, too. Get over $300 in email exclusive savings each year, sneak peeks on new products, monthly lawn & garden ideas for your region and access to The Home Depot’s gardening experts. Click here to join the world’s largest garden community today! Or go to http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/ to see some of the many benefits of membership. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Home Depot.
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