So glad to be back to my little blog and working again — this winter I made like a bear and hibernated most of the season....but am back with lots of new pretty things and a refreshed Etsy store with tons of new stock! (Check it out below!) http://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns Note the new Etsy store name — missing the letter "a" in Dishfunctional — but alas, Etsy only allows so many character spaces for shop names....so I am without the a, but still dishfunctional if even now more so... I actually had one of the very first shops on Etsy way way back when they first began. At the time, I had been a steady eBay seller for many years (I started selling my broken china jewelry on eBay in 1999) Since then, I've amassed over 5,000 positive eBay feedback — the number they show is 3,788 give or take a few, as ebay no longer counts additional feedback from returning customers — a bummer for sellers, but what can you do? In any case, I closed my Etsy store after the first year, as I found I was spreading myself too thin, trying to supply both eBay and Etsy with new stock on a constant basis. Now times have changed. I've found the handcrafted market on eBay to be too....well, too complicated. Fees and rules are always changing, I get phone messages on my answering machine from eBay associates trying to sell me new features, etc etc... I figure it this way, life is hard enough, why complicate things? I'm still a registered eBay seller — I haven't cut the cord completely, but am definitely shying away from the eBay marketplace. My new items will now be listed on etsy on a regular basis!
I'm so dang excited to introduce you to today's guest blogger… seriously, can you feel how excited I am all the way from Mexico?? Let me introduce you to Lindsay Ballard…
As Tom Cruise would say, Lindsay"had me at layered frames." It was the first project of hers that I'd seen and seriously, I spent the next two days of my life reading through the rest of her blog, Living with Lindsay. She recently completed a crazy-cool master bedroom makeover that pretty much went viral in the blogosphere and on Pinterest. Lindsey, we're so flattered to have you here and I'm thrilled we're becoming blog buds! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Monica asked me to put together a post to share with you guys while the ladies were on their Mexican vacation (¡Olé!), I think I did a few high kicks. You see, I swear that Monica and I were originally fraternal twins separated at birth, and the RHBC gals are some of my favorites on the internet. Their combination of wit and style is something we all aspire to, right?Ever the Teacher's Pet, I really wanted to wow you (and them!) with a fun post. I racked my brain for days to come up with the right project to share. Then, it hit me (or I hit it, because I accidentally banged a ladder into it) that I knew exactly what project that should be. This is a design that I put together late last year, but it quickly became one my favorite projects ever… What do you think of when you hear the word 'drum'? I'd assume that most people think of their kids loudly playing a drum kit in the garage, high school football halftime shows, or their favorite rock and roll band. But, most people aren't us, are they? We DIYers and home decor obsessed people probably have a drum shade spring to mind instead. Or, at least I do. I've been rolling around the idea in my head for the past few months on combining the best of both versions of drums. I'm glad that I let my mind wander down that path — it's a lot of fun when I can dream up something pretty farfetched that ends up becoming reality.
Creating this fixture was actually a pretty simple process once I figured out what to do. I put together a tutorial so that you could do it, too. DIY Drum Pendant LightMaterials Needed: Used Tom drum Short piece of scrap wood 4 finishing nails Drill Jigsaw Pendant light kit (I HIGHLY recommend the cloth cord kits from Shanell's ) Scissors or X-Acto knife, if needed Canopy 1. I bought a used Tom drum off of Ebay for under $30 shipped. I'm sure I could have found a better deal at a thrift store or pawn shop around town, but I knew what I wanted and was willing to pay a little extra so that I didn't have to drag the kids all over town. This Tom is 12 inches tall and 10 inches wide. Any size will likely do — you'll just want to make sure it will fit in your space.
2. I removed the top and bottom of the drum by unscrewing the screws that hold it together. I was able to unscrew it with my fingers, but you may need a really small socket or"drum key." Please note, I know not one single thing about drums, and I'm sure the top, bottom and little screws have a name. I'm going to just call them my own terms so that other non-musician DIYers, such as myself, can more easily understand the instructions. The top and bottom will separate from the chrome ring.
3. I cut a piece of scrap wood so that it would fit tightly inside the drum without distorting its shape. I didn't curve the edges; I just cut it straight across. On either side, I hammered in 2 finishing nails to hold it in place (drill small holes first to make it easier). In the below photo, I hadn't hammered them in all the way so that you could see them more easily in the photo. Obviously, hammer them all the way in. I colored the nail heads black with a Sharpie marker since my drum is black, but they are pretty well hidden by the chrome rings once you put the drum back together, so you might not have to worry about that.
4. Once the strip of wood was in place, I needed to create a slot for my light fixture to thread through. I drilled three holes that were roughly the diameter of the the piece I needed to thread.
I used my jigsaw to connect all three holes into one long slot. The reason you need to do this is to be able to balance the drum. There is a clamp on the side of a Tom that attaches it to a drum kit, and it creates more weight on one side of the drum. The drum doesn't hang straight from the center, so a slot gives you the ability to slide the fixture around to figure out its balance point.
5. Thread your fixture through the slot. You can pick up a light kit at a home improvement store, which you will hang by a wire and chain. OR, you can do what I did and use one of the Pendant Light Kits from Shandell's. Instead of having the ugly chain, these kits are made from cloth cord. They come in several colors — red, gold, brown and putty — and in either nickel or brass finishes. These kits are $29 each and I couldn't speak more highly of them. They definitely give a much more finished and vintage look to a fixture.
I have a 60-watt blub in the fixture, but that could vary by project. You will need to test it on your own drum, but mine does not get warm to the touch at all, even when left on for many hours. 6. Replace only the chrome rim on the top of your drum (where the light fixture is). You may find that you need to cut (with scissors or an X-Acto knife) the little silver ring off of the what was then the bottom head (they part you don't play) and put that under the chrome rim. You'll see what I mean when you start to put it back together — you want the top to be open, but you may need that silver ring as a spacer in between the drum and the rim. Flip your drum over and attach the head (the part you actually drum) and rim to what is now the bottom of the drum. You can just screw the screws back in with your fingers.
7. Hardwire your new fixture to the ceiling. You'll want to buy a light canopy to hide the wires. I got mine at Home Depot and spray painted it chrome. I hung my new drum pendant light in a small area of our entry way. I could not possibly be more in love with its quirkiness and originality. I bet you will be the only one in your neighborhood with this light fixture!
My favorite part about it is the amazing light it throws off at night. There is an almost ethereal glow that comes through the drum head, and the light that shines on the ceiling really highlights the fixture.
And yes, I totally bribed my dog boys with treats to sit right there. I sure love those crazy mutts, even if their constant barking makes my head feel like I'm actually living in a drum! So, what do you think? Does the term drum shade have a whole new meaning for you now?
My dining room. Well, like everything else around here, it seems like it's taking forever to pull together. I am oh-so-close to doing a full reveal for you (like next-week-close!), but I wanted to give you the juicy details about the fabulous lighting that we installed that totally completes the look I was going for. Love it when that happens! The last time you saw this space, it looked like this:
Awesome planked wall, beautiful white-washed table and the doesn't-quite-fit-in spray painted chandy. I'm happy to report that it has come a long way since then. When this picture was taken, I was feeling so stumped as to how I could make this room feel like I wanted it to, and I knew that what was holding me back was that coral chandelier. I mean, don't get me wrong- I love the color, but it was definitely limiting me. And limits I do not like. That's when Brad, from Lucent Lampworks, stepped in and said he might be able to help me.
His lighting. Oh, his lighting. It's gorgeous and simple and modern and vintage and industrial and cool all at once. Brad invited us over to his shop to take a look at his work and we were blown away. He's not a lighting guy by trade, but creates some beautiful fixtures in his spare time. Just recently one of his lights was featured on Extreme Home Makeover, so you know if Ty P. is sold, then this guy is the real deal. Anyway, I digress. I told him what I wanted, and you know what? He made it for me. Custom. And they're awesome. And his prices are ridiculously reasonable. See? I like Lucent Lampworks so much I can't even write in complete sentences. Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?
I really wanted two sconces to flank the piece of Marbled Paper Art that fit in with the whole coastal, cottage feel. Brad searched for these cages and found them on Ebay and turned them into fabulous sconces. I absolutely love them- all they need are some edison bulbs, but I keep forgetting to pick them up when I'm out!
I love the contrast between the industrial sconces and the marbled paper art.
I'm still messing around with the final touches for the dining room (for instance, those plant pots aren't staying that color, but it's been too darn cold to spraypaint!), so most likely this buffet will look different next time you see it. As for the pendant light for above my dining room table, I decided to go with a white enamel shade (similar to this one in his shop) that Brad reclaimed from the Scranton Lace Factory. This light is probably from the early 1900's, which I love! It has loads of character and chippy goodness.
It's perfect, isn't it? And, I am thrilled with the view from the kitchen, now that it includes my fabulous lights!
The pendant has really soft uplighting from holes in the top of the shade that is just beautiful and helps illuminate the space better at night.
I seriously could not be happier with my new lights! If you guys are in need of any lighting, head over to Lucent Lampworks to see all that Brad has to offer! You will not find a nicer, more accomodating guy than Brad and he is super talented. Use the code EC2tenoff to receive 10% off your order and tell him we sent you! Tell me, what does your dream light look like??
Well, we both were inspired to put together our perfect Spring outfit because of this cool contest being held on another blog. The winner gets 2 FREE pieces of jewelry and $200 towards your perfect outfit. Yes, please, count us in! Oh, I could browse my favorite store sites all day and find a million things I like, but I'll be realistic, I'm not going to be able to buy these gorgeous things anytime soon. But it's fun to design a fun outfit, and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll win! (Shhh, don't tell Monica!) Jessica's Perfect Spring Outfit
(Clockwise from top left) 1. Necklace from Jess LC 2. Ruffled Pintuck top from Banana Republic (on sale now!) 3. Jeans from Banana Republic (also on sale!) 4. Hobo Bag from Piperlime 6. Bracelet from Jess LC 7. Shoes from DSW
*Can you tell I'm a neutrals kind of girl?: ) Also, this proves to me that I am no clothing stylist. Now I know I'm doing what I should be doing.
Monica's Perfect Spring Outfit Ok, just to give this a little perspective… When I told Eric about blogging an outfit he said,"You know nothing about fashion, why would you do that?" He didn't mean it in a rude way, he was just being honest because I am pretty Plain Jane and comfy when it comes to my clothing choices. My number one staple in my closet is sneakers! They're my favorite and of course they'd need to be a part of my perfect spring outfit.
(Clockwise from top left) 1. Sweater from Hollister 2. Belle Classic Shirt from A&F (on sale now!) 3. Astor bead necklace from Jess LC 4. Earings from Jess LC 5. Sneaks from Zappos (I actually have these in yellow & grey) 3. Chunky bracelet watch on Ebay 4. Hobo Bag from Melie Bianco 6. Crop Jeans from A&F 7. Glasses from Banana Republic
*Can you tell I'm a no frills kind of girl? I will most likely be the only woman in the retirement home someday still wearing cool sneakers!
Have a great Monday and have fun planning your perfect spring outfit!
