Before we get into today's post, we want to announce the winner of the Mother's Day Giveaway from Salvatori Photography…
Congrats Holly! We know your session pics are going to be amazing! If you missed it, Wednesday I shared the awesome story session pics Salvatori Photography did for my family. Check it out here. Even if you didn't win, Stacy would love to take pics for you! Contact her before her schedule for late spring/summer is full! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't play the piano… well, that's not entirely true, I took lessons for about two years, so there are about 3 songs I can pluck out- Ode to Joy, Hey Jude (talk about random!), and one nameless song that is kind of my signature song. Long story short, I stink! Eric however, is an amazing pianist. I absolutely love listening to him play. Our kids have names for all the different songs,"The Angry Song" is a fast song and the kids run around our house like crazy people when he plays it. I love watching him play and it reminds me how crazy talented (in so many areas) my hubs is. As much as I love the sound, I have never been a fan of the look of the oak piano. It's just so dated and not me…
Because the piano was so blah, I let two years go by with our front living room looking pretty much like this… no style, Eric's choice of colonial blue on the walls, and just an overall hot mess.
My living room is attached to my dining room, so the difference between the two rooms was pretty stark…
We finally decided to take the plunge and paint the piano! I knew I was going to for ages, but I didn't know what color, so I wanted until I was positive!
I decided on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Antibes Green. I'm sure you know all about ASCP, but if you don't it's one of the coolest paint products out there! It is a chalk paint, but not chalkboard paint. Basically it adheres to all kinds of surfaces and wait for it… you don't have to sand!! Boyah!
Since I didn't have to waste time sanding, I got right to taping. I needed to make sure that I was super careful and no paint would damage the piano since the hubs actually uses it.
The prep work took me about 5 minutes and then it was time to paint. Eric was working on painting stripes on the ceiling for me (post coming on those soon) and we just put"Hit List" on Fios and got our painting groove on.
Yeah, I don't look too thrilled, but I promise I was…
How's that for a comparison… bye bye nasty oak!
I did two coats, but after the first I knew I was in love!
Chalk paint looks really uneven when it's drying, but have no fear- it looks nice and smooth once it's fully dry.
I used Annie Sloan dark wax to seal the piano and give it the darker, rich color I wanted. I'm not going to give you any tips on that part because I completely did it wrong! Apparently I was supposed to wax with clear wax and then dark… I just tell people, I was going for a more imperfect look! Ha!
The bench got ASCP on the legs, but to add a little awesomeness, I upholstered it with this fabric from Spoonflower.
Ahh! I love the fabric with the green!
So what do you think of the before and after? I hear so many people say,"but you can't paint it- it's REAL wood!" and I want to go on the record saying,"It can be REAL wood and still be REALLY ugly!" Don't be afraid to paint!!
And now for an onslaught of after pictures… I'm so happy to finally have a living room that I love!
And don't forget… We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to the charity of our choice! We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here (like their page and then click on the Crafting for Charity button on their FB page). Thank you!
And just because this absolutely made my night… look at the picture I found on my computer! I recently taught Kaden how to use PicMonkey and apparently he's having a good old time with it! I actually might frame this pic I love it so much…"ther is monsters"
Have a great weekend and watch out for those darn monsters!
Voting is closed! To see the winners of Round 1,click here. Check back next Monday, March 18th for Round 2 projects and voting! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Creating with the Stars 2013! Let the contest officially begin! This season of CWTS is going to be Epic and these Round 1 projects are a clear indication of the insane talent of these contestants! Just a few reminders before we get to the voting… Round 1 Challenge:
Round 1 Prize Package: We have the Best Sponsors for CWTS2013 and here's a reminder of what our Contestants are playing for this week… $50 worth of 31 Gifts products $60 worth of Twysted Yarn products $70 of Henle Headbands products $100 Blog Re-design from 733 Design (who designed all the CWTS logos!) Project featured by HomeTalk We also want to thank Homes.com for being the Official Grand Sponsor of Creating with the Stars!
Without Further Ado… In No Particular Order, Here are the Round 1 Projects…#1- Dresser Turned Modern Sandbox This dresser had no hope. It was in extremely poor shape. I mostly bought it for the legs, but after learning I was in CWTS, I thought I could do something with it. I decided to turn it into a sandbox filled with sand and dirt. What kid does not like sand or dirt?! The issue I have with sand tables is how much of an eye sore they can be. After cutting off an entire level of drawers that brought it down to kid/side table height, I placed sand and dirt inside the top two drawers. When guests come over, I simply place the dresser's top back on covering up the dirt and sand. It is an easy solution that is modern and stylish. Using a friendly exterior paint protects the furniture from the elements. Placing the dresser top on when not in use protects the sand and dirt. The two bottom drawers are functional and can be used for outdoor storage like small plant pots, garden tools, and kid toys. I used a couple of rabbit knobs for fun and green paint for a punch of color.
#2- Little League Lounger I love taking old, crappy stuff and turning it into something that I will actually use! I found an ugly outdoor folding chair at my local thrift store, and knew it would be perfect for my upcycle project. Now, I have a completely re-done"little league lounger" to use at all my boys' baseball games this summer!
Here's what the chair looked like before I worked my magic:
I added all new cream-colored webbing {with a navy pin stripe}, updated the arm rests by re-purposing an old wooden baseball bat, and made a baseball stitch pillow from an old table runner. I love how it all came together!
I can't wait for baseball season to get started so I can use my new chair!
#3- Floor Board Kitchen Island
I love our kitchen, but I've always wanted a big kitchen island where we could hang out. I wanted to take this unused space in our family room and add a table or counter. I had no idea what to use, but all of a sudden, a light bulb went off in my head. I remembered some old floor boards hidden in the basement rafters. They were dusty and worn and perfect. BAM — perfect for an old rustic island! We washed and sanded the boards, and got to work building our new favorite spot.
Add in some painted stools and we now have a space just off the kitchen that is perfect for parties, eating, hanging out, or working on crafts.
#4- Man Chairs Often the"dreaming up" of a new project can be done in my sleep, literally. But execution can feel like a trip to the dentist, one in which I go in for a routine cleaning and find I need a double root canal. The trick to any DIY project is COMMITMENT. Commit to your goal and don't let up no matter how many coats of paint are applied in vain. These previously drab, brown, faux-leather club chairs were purchased on sale for $12 each at a local thrift shop.
A bit of auto upholstery paint, steal tacks, metal coating paint, a couple patinas for good measure and some tough new casters and this thrift store find is ready for"the man".
#5- Tin Tile Mirror So, I'm still totally in shock that I was chosen to be a part of Creating with the Stars. With the first theme being"Upcycle", I wanted to do something a little different. I hit up a local flea market, hoping to find something that screamed my name, and when I saw these vintage tin ceiling tiles, I knew these were it. The fun color that looks so much like patina, the rust, the texture, the scuffed parts revealing the silvery color underneath. LOVE! They were marked $6 a piece, but I offered her $5, and she accepted. So $40 for all 8. Score!
The next stop was Home Depot for wood, and I built a simple frame. Each tile was approx 12x12, so the finished size is 36x36. Not all of the tile sides matched up when I nailed them in, so I'm going to blame the tiles and say that they're wonky, rather than my measuring (which is probably more true). A little paint matching, painting in the gaps, building a frame for a mirror that I picked up at Michaels, attaching the mirror and frame with some glue, and we're almost done.
I had the perfect spot in my hallway that was just begging for some oomph. For under $60, it's a huge statement piece that fits perfectly. I'm thrilled with how it turned out.
#6- Television Stand Upcycled to a Bar When I saw this ugly, 80’s style television stand at our local Goodwill for a whopping $30, my mind immediately started churning with ideas. I’ve been wanting to set up a bar area in our house, and I knew this would be the perfect piece to turn into a bar. It just needed a little (or, um, a LOT) of love!
I added legs and a little stand at the bottom to make it a bit taller, and gave it a few coats of navy paint (and, of course, a stencil to add some fun). I turned the drawers on either side that used to be used for VHS storage into the perfect place to stash a few bottles. And, since most alcohol bottles are all different sizes and shapes, I poured our frequently used ones into uniform glass bottles that I etched with the name – that way I can be sure the bottles fit and they look pretty to boot!
Finally, for a last little touch, I dipped some of our glasses in gold paint to make things a little more sparkly and fun. I’m so happy with how it turned out and I’m loving the extra storage! I can’t wait to put this thing to good use!
#7- Trash Pile Tire Made Trendy Table Early Saturday morning, still bra-less and in my PJs, I drove to a neighbor's house and hurled an old tire from their curb-side trash pile into the back of my car. My plan for the filthy tire was still foggy… as was my pre-coffee brain, but I was determined to turn it into something cool. After a day of deliberation, trial, and error, I determined side table was to be its fate. Let's get upcycling.
I started by giving the tire a scrub with some dish soap. Next, I tried to figure out what to use for legs. Since this tire still has the (very!) heavy rim attached, I needed something sturdy. After contemplating many possibilities, I decided to cut them out of a piece of pine left in my garage from another project. The legs were stained and attached to a plywood circle I cut for the base. Then, I glued the tire on top of that with construction adhesive, and added a smaller circle to the top of the tire to act as the table top.
I covered the entire tire in rope using Liquid Nails and"dipped" the legs in a bright citrus-ey yellow paint. I'm pretty jazzed with how it came out and can't wait to tell people I have an old tire in my living room. Ha!
#8- Vertical Blinds Headboard Why is it that bedrooms are always the last rooms to get decorated? This room had no artwork, no matching furniture, and a mattress sadly sitting on a cheap bed frame. The only good thing about it was that it was prime for a makeover!
When my parents upgraded their patio doors from vertical blinds to curtains, my mom saved the blinds for me thinking I could “make something with them.” Does this happen to all creative types? But Mom was right, those old vertical blinds were the perfect material to make an over sized woven headboard for the bedroom.
A sleek wooden frame hangs so that the headboard almost reaches our 8 foot ceilings, and two spray painted clamp lights provide adjustable lighting for bedtime reading.
Similar, but smaller, woven headboards can cost over $700, but since I re-purposed my materials, this statement-making headboard cost less than 1/10th that much. No more sad, bland bedroom for us! #9- Bicycle Wheel Clock
There are clocks. And then…there areclocks. There are clocks that tick and tock and ring and jingle and tell time underwater and sound an alarm. And then there are clocks made from a bicycle wheel with yardstick ruler hands perched on a chalkboard surrounded by roman numerals above a table strategically styled with a bicycle seat. That is one fine clock.
And the best part? I got the bicycle wheel for free. Can you even believe it? I walked into a bicycle shop and randomly explained to the resident bike expert that I wanted to make a clock and I needed a cute bike wheel that had preferably been around the block a time or two. Wordlessly he stared at me. I don't really know why. I'm sure they get that request all the time.
And then he went to the back where they keep all the spare wheels for people who come in with clock requests and he handed me this bicycle wheel. I totally wish he could see his wheel now. He'd probably charge me for it.: )
#10 Statement Piece Light Fixture
Walking through Habitat ReStore, I spotted a few egg crate diffusers — you know those grates that cover fluorescent lights in basements across the country. It's the last lighting fixture I would consider for a project but once I got around my thoughts of drop ceilings, I began thinking how neat it would be to use the grid to create any square cornered geometric shape that I wanted. At $2 each, what could I lose?
Browsing Pinterest I found this amazing light and fell in love with the arms. It's lines are simple, but make a big impact! Perfect for a statement piece! The egg crate diffuser was cut into the shape of the arms, filled with plaster of paris, sanded and painted. So that the wiring and housing wouldn't compete with the outer arms, I made a simple fixture out of metal tubing, PVC plumbing parts, and a few parts from an existing chandelier. After wiring it (and being elated that it worked!) I installed trim on the ceiling to frame the chandelier, and added a little more interest by painting alternating stripes in ivory and a light gray. Finally, I installed a gallery wall with a few fun pieces!
From a designer's nightmare to an energetic statement piece, this diffuser has come a long way! #11- Lab Station Turned Dining Room Buffet
servin' it up old school… The story of how a lonely old science lab station gained new life as an industrial-style dining room buffet. Once upon a time…on an unusually warm and sunny spring day, I was leisurely browsing a flea market when I spotted this piece and was immediately drawn to it…the color, the rust & patina, it's industrial style, and the fact that it was old and had great visual evidence of it's previous life--lots of it. As I looked closely at the butcher-block top complete with bunsen burner stains, student-carvings (i.e."jennie-loves-alex") and distress-marks galore, I knew that I had to have it--for something, but what that something was, wasn't clear to me at the time. We just had"chemistry"--I could feel it.; ) Luckily, the kind gentleman who I was buying this (very heavy) treasure from was willing to help me get it into my truck…and let me tell you: it. weighs. a. ton. Chapter Two: Fast forward to Project One CWTS: Upcycle. I knew instantly that this sad science lab station was about to have a major career change. I tossed around a few ideas, but pretty quickly decided it would be a fabulous, industrial-style dining room buffet. The hardest part was this: while I love the"vintage-industrial-rusty-patina" look and eagerly welcome it into my house, this was looking a bit too"raw" for my dining room. Well, try googling"how to tone down rust on metal, yet keep just the right amount of color and patina". If there is a tutorial for this…I didn't find it!
Chapter Three: So, I did a little DIY-science-experimenting and discovered a technique to get just the look I was hoping for. After this process I added the casters, the door knobs, stenciled on the quote and stained the butcher-block top. Add some wine, grapes, cheese…and this"new" buffet is all ready to help you eat, drink and be merry.; )
…and she lived happily ever after in my dining room.
#12-From Frumpy to On Fire, Fireplace! When I was told that the first week of Creating With the Stars theme was upcycle I was over the moon excited. Upcycling is my thing. It’s where I get my groove on. And so, it wasn’t a matter of finding something to upcycle; it was a matter of deciding which thing to upcycle. So, I took a tour of my house and gazed at all of the items that needed some good loving. And then, I sat and thought about what I wanted in my home. And, it came to me. Hmm… could I? Would it be possible? Yes… yes, it could!!
I’ve wanted a fireplace forever and ever. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But, you get the gist. And, while this fireplace/bookcase might not be the real thing it fits the bill quite nicely. I was able to create my “fireplace” from an old bookcase that was sitting in my laundry room, a mirror frame that was on it’s way to the trash, and an antique footboard that had lost it’s headboard (poor thing). The bookcase is the most important element; the mirror and footboard helped create awesome and turn the bookcase/fireplace into something spectacular.
I cut the footboard down to size and used it as the “mantel” as well as give the fireplace/bookcase a skirt at the bottom. Scrapbooking chipboard embellishments gilded, painted, and antiqued look like beautiful wood cutouts on the mantel. The trim on the sides of the fireplace/bookcase are pieces of the mirror cut down to size. A chimney that runs the length of my 12 foot wall was created with a simple frame covered in tin. The back of the bookcase was covered in that same tin for added charm. I must say this project exceeded my expectations and far surpassed the image of awesome I had for this project when I started out. I love walking into my home and seeing this and am so pleased waiting forever and ever is over!
Can You Believe That Talent? It's Time to Vote!You can only vote one time, but you can vote for your favorite 3 projects.Before voting, please LIKE EC2 on Facebook. Thanks! If you're having trouble viewing the voting box, click HERE to vote. Don't forget that tomorrow it's your turn to link up your own upcycle project!Thanks for playing along!!
We promised that during our maternity leave from filming (I love getting a maternity leave without having to have a baby btw) that we'd do a whole bunch of things, and one of them was letting you have more little peeks into our real life happenings. With that in mind, we proudly introduce… Right Now a series that we'll do monthly… well actually, basically whenever we feel like it.
So, here's what's going on in my world right now… Loving: This amazing fall weather we're having here on the East Coast. Mid 70s during the day and cool, crisp nights!! It's the best sleeping weather ever! September is probably my favorite month of the year and I'm so thrilled to have some time off to enjoy it! Reading: Last night I finished reading Gone Girl. Thanks so so many of you for giving me book recommendations on Facebook! I liked it, but didn't over the top love it. I'm not sure what about it is keeping me from giving it an A+. If you read it, tell me what you liked/didn't like. I'd love to hear!
Waiting For: This weekend, but not excitedly… you probably know we breed Bernese Mountain Dogs with our dog Pennlyn. Well, this weekend the puppies leave and go to their new homes. I LOVE the families that we chose to adopt, but it will be super sad to see them go and I will have 4 miserable kiddos for a few days!
Excited About: A few things… Sunday we're going pumpkin picking and on a hayride with a bunch of our friends!! Our ABC/Live Well Network Season 1 Wrap party for our show- this Thursday night we'll all be celebrating the end of a successful first season. I'm still trying to figure out what to wear… Ugh!!
Trying To: Eat healthier and work out regularly. This is not my favorite thing, nor something I'm good at! But I have a goal of Oct 23rd, and hopefully will come away from this"maternity leave" happier and healthier. Working On: Communicating better with my oldest daughter…my mini-me. We kinda butt heads a lot. She's strong willed and I'm the queen of strong wills and well, let's just say I'm working on it. I want to figure out the best, most effective way to parent her.
Enjoying: The 3 hours each day that I have the house to myself, but then I'm also really enjoying the after pre-school, few hours before naptime that it's just Callen and me. It's really fun and nice to have 1:1 time! Using: Tons and tons of Chapstick!! I'm on a medication that makes me have crazy dry lips, so It's me and chapstick 24-7. Wearing: I'm totally in mom mode and usually wear sweats and my favorite Northface sweatshirt almost every day. What's the point in looking cute, if I'm gonna work out at night?!? Planning: I'm working on and planning my kids' playroom makeover. I totally struggle with designing my own rooms lately! I'm cool doing rooms for other people, but if I'm spending my own money I want to love it. GAH! It's killing me!
Needing: To find a good recipe today that uses a million veggies, bc I have a ton that will go bad soon if I don't use them!! Learning: How to think more before I talk (but don't hold your breath Eric, it's a slow learning process!) Struggling With: Church. We're kind of in this place where we're wondering where's a good fit for us. We've been at the same church for 16 years (and it's a wonderful church! Check it out HERE), but we just want to make sure it's right for us and we're not just there bc it's what we've always done. But, at the same time we're not sure what will be exactly right- it's tricky!
Listening To: The"Sister of the Year" CD mix made for my by my little brother (well, he's 26, not all that little, but little to me). He has the best taste in music and makes me mixes that have tons of songs that are cool well before they become cool. It's a good thing I have him, bc otherwise I'd never have even a sliver of cool within me when it comes to new music. Product I'm in Love With: My Kreg Jig- hubs used it yesterday to build new benches for our outdoor farmhouse table! Doing: Working down my to-do list for the day. I've committed to today being uber productive! (Up next, responding to emails, then making soup, then putting away all Cal's fall clothes) Dreaming Of: Taking another trip to Europe or somewhere amazing with my hubs. Last year at this time, we were counting down the days for our London and Paris trip.
This concludes this first edition of Right Now. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings or at least tolerated them! Want more of our day to day ongoings? Follow us on Instagram! Monica- @Eastcoastcreative Jess- @Jess_EC2blog What are you doing, loving, reading, or dreaming of right now?
We've dedicated an entire week to expressing our adoration for the Fall season. Click here to see Day one of our Fall Lovers Series- the Anti-Wreath.
My favorite place to accessorize is my mantle (or is it mantel? Everywhere I look people spell it differently! For the record, I'm going with mantle today). I'm not kidding when I say I tweak it almost daily. So, while, for now, I am happy with my fall mantle, it probably won't stay this way for long. Ha!
See those bronze-colored vases on the right? I got those bad boys on clearance for $2.50 and $1.50 respectively, at Michaels. I wish you could have seen my happy dance when I heard what the final marked-down price was.
I battle my incessant need for symmetry every time I style my mantle, but I think I finally came up with something that is somewhat symmetrical but not exactly the same on either side of the mirror. I threw some fall-looking foliage that I've literally had for 5 years, at least, in the round vase and added a few dried gourds to complete the right side. I toyed around with a whole bunch of things (I need to remember to take a picture of all the stuff I dragged into the living room to play around with- it's like a decor bomb went off. Wouldn't that be cool, though? A decor bomb…hmmm.) Where the heck was I? Oh yes, the mantle.
I think my favorite part of the mantle is this little stack of old books and a the simple orange pumpkin (also from Michael's years ago). I love the pop of orange against my blue/gray walls.
The old lantern was my grandmother's and has seen it's fair share of rooms in my home. I love that thing. Overall, I think I'm happy with the mantle. For now. Here are a few other fabulous mantle pics to inspire you:
Source: bhg.com via Jessica on Pinterest You had to know that I would include an all-white mantle, didn't you? Don't you love the bits of autumn color in there? Beautiful!
Source: athoughtfulplaceblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest I thought twice about including this picture, since Monica declared her disgust with wreaths of all kind. But I like this leafy one. Deal with it, Mo.
Source: marthastewart.com via Jessica on Pinterest You certainly can't go wrong with pumpkins.
Source: thenester.com via Jessica on Pinterest I love these two non-traditional Fall mantles. The Nester used a few big gourds that matched her color scheme, and while not over-the-top fall-ish, it still hints at the autumn feeling. And this one:
Source: homestoriesatoz.com via Jessica on Pinterest …is absolutely gorgeous. I'm going to remember this one for next year's mantle. show it to my husband so he can remind me of it since I have the worst memory known to man But wait…what if you don't have a mantle?.Never fear! Just pick a shelf, table, countertop (whatever!) and decorate away! I used this shelf in my kitchen to add another touch of Fall into my home.
I {heart} this so much. I used leftover frames from our Nate Show makeover, and added the letters F-A-L-L which I printed on heavy cardstock in different fonts. I actually already had the metal lowercase L (my hubs and I couldn't resist the $2 grab bag at Michael's last Black Friday and ended up with whole bunch of random metal letters), and used scrapbook paper to make the last L. I threw in a couple burnt orange items and voila! Pretty fall kitchen shelf.
So, now you have no excuses. Go ahead and Fall-ify your mantle!
*Bonus Challenge: Count how many times I wrote mantle in this post. That should keep you busy while you're bored at work. You're welcome. Linking up to: Home Stories of A to Z
While meandering through blogs and design sites a few weeks ago, I found a super-cool paint chip wall. It got my wheels turning…
Design Sponge Source I started exploring ideas with paint chips and the potential is huge! I love the full wall and considered it for my office, but wasn't 100% sold, so instead I tackled a DIY Wall Art project inspired by Life, Crafts, & Whatever. If you want to buy something similar it will cost you 300 smackers from Ballard Designs
Now for my version… The first step was to visit Lowes with a really large purse! Paint chip samples are FREE, but I still felt a little shady while I took oodles of paint chips. I didn't take more than one of any color, so it was legit. I'll shamelessly plug my awesome Paint-Chip-Taking-Purse from Thirty One Gifts
Want one? Contact my fav 31 consultants Mandy they even have new patterns I'm loving! Once I got home, I tossed all the samples on the floor to choose the colors that made the cut…
Next, I whipped out my little paper cutter and removed the paint names. I picked these chips because they were rectangular and I new I could cut the names off and still have 3x3 squares.
I quickly texted Eric to stop at Lowes and get me a 27x15 piece of plywood. Some women like their husbands to arrive home with flowers- I prefer plywood!
I figured out what layout I wanted… I eventually did move those two yellows that were too close together.
Spray adhesive is my nemesis, (I mange to get it everywhere and it's impossible to get off my fingers) but it was essential for this project. The stickier the better! And if you're wondering… yes I did this project in my bedroom on the carpet- I drive my hubs nuts!
I worked one row at a time, so I didn't mess up my pattern.
Now, if you know me, you know I'm laid back and easygoing, but I kinda like things to be perfect when it comes to DIY projects. I had to put my personal neuroses aside for this project and tell myself that it would look good in the end… see…that white crack showing would normally drive me nuts!
Spray, place, replace, replace again, remind myself it's doesn't have to be perfect, repeat… over and over!
Ta-Da! The finished layout all stuck down.
Next, I had to seal my art and add lots of yummy texture. Enter Mod Podge. It goes on cloudy and white, but dries clear- don't panic!
I brushed it on evenly, but then went back and added texture by brushing vertically and horizontally.
I allowed two coats of mod modge to dry (about a 1/2 a day) and then it was time to stain. I was NERVOUS about this part because I was liking the project and was afraid to ruin it!
There I am… I just used a paper towel and rubbed it all over…This is apparently my nervous face.
I covered the entire surface and then let it dry for about 15 minutes
Then came the fun part! I wiped off some of the stain and created a"vintagey" look. After letting the stain dry for at least a few hours, I did one final coat of Mod Podge to seal it all together.
This wouldn't be a DIY by Monica without some mistakes… I should have painted the edges first, but I was too excited to start, so I waited until the end, which meant I had to tape the top. Oh Snap.
When pulling off the tape… AAARRRGGGG!!! I was not a happy camper! Thankfully, I'm used to making mistakes, so I'm good at fixing them.
In the end, I LOVED how it turned out. It was almost free, has so many colors that I can use it anywhere (and yes, it has already been in two different rooms in my house), and was made.by.me- Gotta love that!
Oh, and have I introduced you to this fella? It's a MASSIVE (about 8inches high) pear that I found at Marshalls. I was thinking of painting it, but once I got it home it occurred to me that I love bold color and this guy already had it going on!
Beside the fact that I loved this project, Kenzie (my 10 yr old) really liked it (and if you know Kenz, that's a BIG deal), so we're making a pink and grey one to match her bedroom. So, what do you think? What have you made with paint chips?
Have you seen the August issue of Veranda yet? If not run out and buy it now! Pictured on the front is a French house that was once a ruin. Why couldn't someone have discovered America sooner than 1492 so we could have a few ruins? I wouldn't mind living in a stone ruin, who cares about a little rubble when it looks this fabulous? If I can live in an 18th century dwelling with all it's quirks a little ruin is nothing!
(All photos courtesy Veranda, photographer: Peter Vitale)
Look at the inside guest patio, those 15th century curved stone arches, that antique tile floor'''now I ask you who wouldn't be happy there?
The house was originally built in the 11th century and added onto each century. The kitchen area dates to the 17th century, love how they simply plastered over the arches. Just think if I could afford that house I wouldn't have to cook except when I wanted to.
The chairs in the Renaissance hall look to be covered in tapestry that more than likely came from Michel Biehns' shop since he deals in textiles of all sorts. As an antique textile dealer myself it's killing me I can't see those chairs closer. And look at those pillows in the background hiding from me!
I could sleep in this master bedroom all draped in Italian silks. That pillow on the bed is antique Italian silk velvet, why don't they just shoot me now? One of my passions is Italian silk velvets, I'm a collector as well as deal in velvets and I can't see that pillow well. I NEED TO SEE THAT PILLOW!
Can you believe this is the dressing room? I wonder if it's up those stairs pictured in the master bedroom? I love how they're storing their hats in the French laundry baskets and look at that dreamy mirror, love the juxtaposition between the gilded mirror and straw baskets. Look at the baskets on top of the closets, they give you a sense of the height in the room.
The 17th century staircase is original to the house and was restored, think of the entrance you would make coming down those stairs! Love the huge picture at the top too!
All the silk fabrics just in this small dining room come from Antico Setificio Fiorentino in Florence Italy and can be found Here. Those sconces and chandelier are to die for! And those chairs....come to Mama! They're in that French Parisian green I love so much! I love how they used a nice mix of highs and lows of antiques and modern furniture so that nothing overwhelms, tough to achieve. I wish someone would come out with a magazine that shows all the accessories that decorate rooms so we could see more clearly....not to be I guess. I won't spoil the entire article for you but I couldn't resist, who wouldn't want to live in France in all that history?
Antique shops along Magazine Street My best friend and sister of my heart, Debbie, yes we're both Debs, lives clear across the country from me so once every two years or so we meet up in a different city to play for a week. We decided to meet up in New Orleans since she had never been there and of course there was magazine street to look forward too since we both love antiques. Magazine Street is well known for all their antique shops although there are fewer since hurricane Katrina.
A restored shotgun house with newly added dormer We stayed in the French quarter and played tourists and the first thing that struck me were the stunning shotgun houses. A single shotgun house is usually 12 feet wide and has 3-5 rooms in a row, sometimes only two rooms deep, front to back, with no hallways and doors that open on the front and back.
(Excuse the dates on the pictures I never learned how to set that on my camera.) Shotgun houses were popular mainly in southern cities since they occupied a small area of land, usually 30 feet wide at most, so it allowed a great number of homes to be built side by side. New Orleans housing taxes contributed to the shotgun house since taxes were based on the lot frontage. Later when people tried to take the houses to a second story known as 'Camelbacks' the houses were then taxed based on square footage. Since hallways and closets were considered rooms this type of house has no closets or hallways.
'Double-barrel' shotgun houses that consist of two houses sharing a central wall that would have allowed more homes to be built. They became known as being a shotgun house for the saying that you could shoot a gun through the front door and have the bullet pass cleanly through the back door since the doors line up on the same sides. I love the vibrant colors used for the house colors.
The houses usually had big rooms with high ceilings that helped with cooling purposes, when the warm air rises it helped to keep the lower part cooler. The shutters on the main doors helped as well since the shutters can be locked from the inside and the front door could be left open to allow air flow through the house.
This house is actually two houses the entrances being on the far left and right and each with a window and dormer in the center. The left house is for rent if you're interested.
A modern shotgun house with detailed floor plan that includes a bathroom, the original shotgun houses had no bathroom.
Interior pictures via Southern Accents, December, 2002 These interior shots are from Gerald Pierce' pied-a-terre in the French Quarter of his double-barrel shotgun house that has been turned into a single dwelling. Gerald is a designer of Jim Thompson Thai Silks in Bangkok.
If you notice the pictures hung over the windows in the living room and how far up on the opposite wall the pictures go up it'll give you a sense of how high the ceilings are, usually 14' in height.
Chimneys tended to be built in the interior so the front and middle rooms could share a chimney and each have a fireplace. Notice how slender the fireplace surround is, not much wider then the antique trumeau mirror above it. Typically there was another chimney built in the kitchen.
The kitchen, located at the very back of the house, looks to be a simple gallery kitchen hidden behind silk drapes. This is a man who obviously doesn't cook much since those drapes would get ruined by cooking grease.
If you click on Gerald' bedroom picture you can pull it up bigger to see how narrow the bedroom looks and how high the ceilings are, the ceilings do have cove molding. Notice how he kept the wood floors dark so that they almost disappear?
The bedroom fireplace exactly on the other side of the living room fireplace.
While I love the look and the idea about these little houses I don't think I could live in one since I get claustrophobic. Love the tall floor to ceiling windows and the ceiling heights, so European. I'm also thinking these homes are best for a single person since there isn't much square footage. They're such a charming part of our architectural history and I'm glad I got to see so many first hand with my best friend.
Since we have a little time off before our next episode (the last episode before baby arrives!), I've been spending some time getting the nursery ready. It's funny- this pregnancy has flown by and up until now, I haven't even begun to prepare for it! Of course, we always try to redecorate rooms on the cheap and one of my favorite ways to do this is by using free printables. And I wouldn't be a good blog friend if I didn't share my absolute fav finds with you! So, here are 12 of the most adorable, trendy and fun printables I could find.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's get this party started!
1. Ooh Moon 2. Balancing Home So, this first Noah's Ark print is so stinkin' cute! Ooh Moon is really cool because you can sign up for an alert when a new printable is available and you have 24 hours to print it out. The Love Shines Here print would fit equally as well in a kitchen or playroom as in a nursery!
3. Feed Your Soul 4. Balancing Home Feed Your Soul is a free art program that has real artists contribute original prints that are downloadable and printable. There are tons of fun options, so make sure you browse around to find your favorite! This Blast Off print is simple and fun and perfect for a little boy's room.
5. The DIY Village 6. Feed Your Soul Matt and Jacque from the DIY Village are gearing up for the arrival of their first child and created this simple printable that speaks volumes. I love that you can customize it by coloring it in to match your room decor! Number 6 is another Feed Your Soul masterpiece (Pretty sure you'll see this one in a gallery wall in my baby's room!)
7. Trendy Peas 8. I Rock So What Ummm, I'm sorry, but isn't that fox the cutest little thing? I don't know if you remember, but I mentioned that I was really hoping to incorporate forest animals, namely sneaky little foxes, in our baby's nursery, so I was thrilled to find this printable! And you can't go wrong with this whale printable- it would look especially perfect in a nautical room of any kind.
9. Tried and True 10. Eighteen Twenty-Five Watercolor prints are in so in right now, and this World Smiled print incorporates that trend a bit. I absolutely love the sentiment, because doesn't every parent feel that way about their baby?! Leave it to Eighteen Twenty-Five to come up with a graphic printable in about a million pretty colors. They have tons of subway art printables too, so snoop around a bit when you hop over there.
11. On To Baby I'm a big fan of any printable that you can customize and so this monogram print that comes in a bunch of colors is right up my alley. We're not revealing any baby names yet (not that we've settled on one or anything!), so you'll have to just wait until our nursery reveal to see what we chose.: )
12. I Rock So What
This.is.truth. The end. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And for those of you who are willing to shell out a couple bucks, I found these too-sweet-to-pass-up printables on Etsy. While these aren't free, they're all less than $10 each, so you're still getting a pretty darn good bargain!
1. Bon Temps Beignet
2. Printable Wisdom
3. Prints and Printables
Again with the foxes! Love, love, love this set of 3.
4. Plum Street Prints
Plum Street Prints had so many fabulous printables that I had trouble choosing just one to showcase! For some reason, I am really drawn to the simple designs these days.
Well, that's about it. Now I just have the difficult job of choosing which ones to print and hang in the baby's room. Where are your go-to sources for free printables? Do share!!
Sorry for the delay on our fabulous mudroom tour… hopefully the technical difficulties just built up the suspense and excitement!: ) So just to refresh your memory, I want an amazing mudroom, but right now it's not on the Mangin top ten. That doesn't mean we can't take a look at some awesome inspiration… Here we go! Bright, cheery mudroom, but for some strange reason all of my kids' clothing and accessories don't coordinate with our wall colors?: )
I don't love the curves at the top, but I do like the white/wood combo.
Again wood and white, and this room has drawer storage as well. Just in case everything you own doesn't match perfectly!
I love the idea of incorporating cabinets in a mudroom. Wide moulding at the top gives them a more custom, built-in feel. The shoe area is super functional, but you've seen how many shoes we have…
How beachy and coastal is this? LOVE it!
Cabinets again, but really I love the patterned cushion with accent pillows and the personality that the striped wall adds.
No room for a mud room? Some hooks will do the trick for a more"adult" household.
Not a true mudroom, but an excellent option. Coat hooks to the left, simple metal storage to the right. I LOVE the painted door an numbers. I definitely think the painted door with numbers just made the Mangin top ten list. Stay tuned to see an garage door re-do. Shh… just don't tell my husband!
traditional entry design by detroit media and blogs Just a Girl Chic, grownup mudroom. This is far too pretty to be called a mudroom… it's like the"anti-mudroom."
This adorable mudroom was made using IKEA shelves, combined with base cabinet. I love taking IKEA products and making them into something a little more!
Awesome cubbies. These were created by utilizing the space between the wall studs. This could totally be a DIY project!
And last but not least, a very classic mudroom. Clean, crisp lines. White paint. All-American kid accessories. Classic and Cute.
My dream mudroom is a combination of many of these inspiration rooms. Although, as amazing as these are, there are a few reasons why I will never have one of these mudrooms…
1. I have 4 kids… We will actually have mud and dirt in our mudroom. 2. My 4 kids are MESSY. They might hang up their coats, but they won't precisely place their backpacks to look like acessories. 3. Again, for some reason all of our belongings don't coordinate perfectly: )
Do any of these mudrooms thrill you? Let us know which one got your juices flowing!
We've been crazy excited about this post since our friend Staci agreed to partnering with us! From time to time, we revisit our Be Intentional series. Staci's story is one that we hope encourages you to set goals in your life (in any and all areas) and then take intentional steps to achieve them. We love this girl, we're so proud of her, and are honored to share her story today!
Meet our friend Staci… ********************************************************************************** I am going to be honest. I am"no good" at home decorating and DIY design and crafting. To be brutally honest, I flat out stink! Oh, believe me, I have dreams about a beautifully decorated bedroom and a warm and cozy living room with amazing wall colors and fresh flowers in beautiful vases accented on my tables and shelves. But, I am just not good at putting everything together to transform a room. So, thankfully, I am NOT writing this post to give you tips about DIY design! Really…you should be thanking me!!! Haha! On the other hand, I thank God for making us all unique and designed for the purposes HE designed us for. So, you may be wondering who am I and why have I been given access to writing to an audience of DIY pros and creatives?!?! I may not be good at DIY design and transforming the rooms of my living space, but I have been on a little DIY transformation…in my body and in my life. My name is Staci. This is me in January of 2010.
I know what you are thinking. Oh goodness. Yikes. I am thinking it, too. "Did she stuff her shirt with melons?""Did she put pillows in her pants?""Is she a really grouchy person?""She looks angry." All to which I can reassure you…NO. I did not put melons in my shirt. I didn't add pillows to my pants. And no…I am not grouchy nor angry!!! Okay, maybe you weren't thinking"exactly" that, but when I look at these pictures of who I was 2 years ago, I can hardly believe that was me. The reality is, I was 260 lbs. of hurt. 260 lbs. of frustration. 260 lbs. of failed diets. 260 lbs. of zero confidence. 260 lbs. of someone I never, ever wanted to become. Sad, unhealthy, embarrassed, lonely and hopeless.
Have you ever been at your rock bottom? The place where you feel that you are never going to get out of? The place where you feel that no one understands? The place where you feel so far away from where you truly want to be? That was me 2 years ago. I don't exactly remember what it was that sparked a deep desire in me to change once and for all, but I was really starting to think that God didn't create me to be any of the things I was becoming. And he surely didn't desire for me to be trapped in a body that I was ashamed of, embarrassed about and so hurt to be in. Although, one post is not nearly enough to share with you all that has gone on in my life and my transformation over the past 2 years; I will share with you where I am today and the main reasons I am where I am.
I reached my final goal in November 2011. This is me today at 135 lbs.:
Never in a million years did I believe that this was possible. I still look at my before and after photos and I cannot believe that was me and now this is me. You can only see the images, but I can see the hurt and defeat in the before photos. And I can see the strength and hope in the after photos. I haven't just transformed physically, I have transformed emotionally as well.
This picture of my old jeans is a clear reminder of where this journey started! Staci would love for her story to reach and help anyone that might need encouragement. So, you have her permission to Pin her pictures and share it with anyone that could use some encouragement and motivation!
When people hear of my success or they see it for themselves when they see me, there is always one question that gets asked: WHAT DID YOU DO TO LOSE THE WEIGHT?!?! At first, I used to give people my simple cookie cutter answer of what I did: I started eating right and exercising daily. And I prayed. Sometimes minute by minute. But, after seeing the sometimes disappointed looks back at me because for some reason or other, when people give us the straight up hard truth (even though it is common sense), we somehow think that we could never do that. We believe the lies: "I could never do that."
"I don't have that kind of willpower." You know what? I am not crazy motivated. I don't have any more"willpower" than you. I don't have a magic formula and I sure don't have a magic potion. But, I do have intention and a God who never gives up on me. Even when I give up on myself. Jess and Mon talk often about"Being Intentional". For me, being intentional means doing things even when I don't want to because it is what I need to do. Being intentional means having a plan at all times. Being intentional means setting goals. I am not speaking of having plans and setting goals because I believe I have my future all figured out or that I can truly control what happens tomorrow or next week, but I desire to have a plan and set goals because it is one of the ways that lives can change. It is one way that people can move from an undesirable place in life to a place of freedom and the ability to fully live the life they were designed for! By setting goals, I had to make choices as to"how" I could get to that goal. I set a 6 -week, 90-day, 6-month and"end of year" goal. If the scale wasn't moving, I had to assess what I was doing. And change something immediately. There was no time to go off the path I needed to take if I wanted to meet my goals. This was me about 1/2 way through… I was around 190lbs.
In addition to setting goals, I also had to learn what I needed vs. what I wanted. Monica and Jess have talked about wants vs. needs in decorating. Well, I may have wanted to go out to my favorite restaurant for a big burger and fries, but I truly didn't need a big burger and fries. See the difference? I know, I know…it still seems like it is a willpower thing. But it really isn't. It's looking at my plan. If I want to weigh 10 lbs. less in 6 weeks, a burger and fries isn't what I need. Does it mean I will never be able to have a burger and fries? Not at all. But right now, that isn't part of the plan.
Bottom line, I am not here to tell you what to do and how to do it. I am merely trying to tell you that you CAN do it. Do what works for you. Do what you know you need to do. Even if you don't have to lose weight, it is still important to fuel your body with healthy, nutritious foods. And it is so important to take some time out of your day to get moving. Find something that you enjoy and get moving! Be intentional. And above all else, remember that you were created for a purpose. By taking care of your body; physically, emotionally and spiritually…you are unleashing a power within that no one can take away. And you are unleashing the power to connect and encourage others around you! When I am struggling or having a day where my wants seem to be trying to overpower the intention of my needs, I cling to the words below. Maybe it is with eating, maybe it is trying to get through an intense workout, maybe it's facing the daily pressures of life. Here is what I hold on to:
" I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.For I can do everything through Christ,who gives me strength." ~Philippians 4:12-13
In the midst of the depth of all of this; the tears, hard work, the defeats and the triumphs, I have made every effort to maintain a attitude of openness and realness with others as well as a level of humor. So, I will leave you with one last photo. It is my favorite one of all!!! This is my mom and I in my old pants…yes,two of us!: -) 125 lbs. lost and gone forever!!! I am forever changed!!!
P.S. I must share that I am a recovering sweets & desserts addict! So, I will share one of my absolute favorite treats that I make almost daily for myself! Enjoy! Quick Chocolate Oatmeal(adapted from my absolute favorite dessert blog Chocolate-Covered Katie) 1/2 cup quick oats 1 small banana (broken up into small chunks) 1 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce 15-20 drops of Liquid Stevia 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3/4 cup of Light Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or Light Vanilla Soy Milk dash of salt 2 Tbsp. fat free cool whip (optional) Spray small saucepan with cooking spray. Combine all of the ingredients together in the small saucepan. Stir everything together until thoroughly mixed. Turn heat to high and continue stirring oatmeal until oatmeal starts to bubble slightly and thicken. After oatmeal starts to slowly boil, turn heat off and continue stirring for another minute or so to finish heating all the way through. Pour into a bowl and enjoy! For an extra treat, add some fat free cool whip on top! *You can also add a Tbsp of Peanut Butter to the above recipe for a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup bowl of oatmeal!My husband's favorite!: -) *********************************************************************************** So how's that for some intentional living? I don't know about you, but Staci has encouraged, inspired, and motivated us big time! Staci recently started blogging about all things health,fitness, and nutrition, so check out Musings of a Wellness Hopeful for all kinds of recipes, motivation, and more!
Got questions for Staci? Leave a comment and she'll get back to you!
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They say great minds think alike, right? Well, we were definitely on the same page when it came to our vases. The Nate Crate had plain, glass vases in it and we both used the same DIY process, but achieved totally unique looks. We love how one idea can be done so many different ways! Monica's Birch Vases
My vases were just intended to be a little accessory on Jess' shelves and I think they did just the trick. I love how using the tall, cylindrical vases gave the look of a real birch tree. They ended up being one of my hub's favorite projects in the room! I'd seen this DIY technique used tons of times before, but it was my first time trying it out and I was shocked at how simple it was! The birch vase idea was actually a Plan B for me. Originally I planned to create sweater vases… they were all the rage in blog-land for a while. I just really didn't love them for this room. I might have liked them plain, but the red accents made me pretty much detest them. Thank heavens for Plan B's right?
Jess' Birch Vases
I thought it was hilarious that at the time I was making these vases, I was also saying to the camera that I wondered how many projects Monica and I were doing in the same way. And those camera guys totally knew too. Oh well, we do often have the same brain, so I guess it's not too surprising. These are admittedly less birch tree-like, and more frosty, winter-like because of their shape. These are the actual vases that came in the crate, and wouldn't you know it, I came prepared with loads of rubber bands in my supply kit (we're allowed to bring a few DIY tools of our own), just in case. The beauty of this is that a random placement of the rubber bands is key. There is no right way to do it! Yippee!!! I used plain, old white spray paint, but I've seen a bunch of people doing this with Krylon's Frosted Glass Finish. Pick your poison and get to work! Some of you might not have seen this project before, so here are the oh-so-simple steps…
Mark Montano, (TV host) has a tutorial on his blog for doing this same project, but using yarn. Check it out if that's what you have on hand. So, talk about easy peasy huh? We love how different our vases are, and how both of them fit their rooms so nicely. We also love that they aren't holiday specific… I (Monica) will be keeping mine out all winter! So, grab some cheap vases and birch em up! ( Of course share pics with us if you do!)
Ok, folks. Yesterday we shared our BLOG goals with you and today's the day we publicly lay out our plans for our homes in the hopes that putting it down in writing for the whole world to see will motivate us to actually geterdone. These goals include our big plans for the year, but we'll be sharing lots of little projects and ideas along the way. So, here goes:
1.Finish the dining room, goshdarnit. I'm the worst at putting the finishing touches on a room (ugh, the details!), but that's all I have left to do. Look for the full reveal later this month!
2. Update the Living Room. This room is attached to the dining room, so it looks a bit drab compared to the new cottagey/coastal dining room. The stenciled fireplace is just waiting for the rest of the room to catch up!
3. Tackle the Master Bedroom. Oh, this room. It's dark, dingy and in dire need of some love. I'm ready to paint, add an accent wall, change out the bedding, refinish the furniture, and make some art that speaks to my hubs and me. This will be the last room on the main level that gets done! (Oh wait, there's the master bath too…)
4. Create an organized (but beautiful!) desk area under the stairs in our finished basement. We need a place to keep our files (instead of my husband's underwear drawer. I kid you not!) and house our computer. I'm not entirely sure what I want to do there, but I know it will include this fabulous antique door. We planned to use it in our Guest Room Makeover, but we went with shutters instead.
5. My baby turns 3 this year and it's time for a big boy room! I'm so torn about the direction I want to go in for Charlie's room: preppy and nautical or vintage baseball. I know he'd go nuts for baseball, but I'd go nuts for nautical! Who will win?!
Pottery Barn Kids & Source Unknown 6. Be content to just live in and enjoy our home without constantly scrutinizing it for problem areas. I'll be honest. Sometimes being in the home blogging world feels like everyone has the perfect house. I don't and that's ok. I'm going to try to read a book in my ugly bedroom every once in a while and just enjoy it, instead of wishing it were someone else's gorgeous retreat. You know why? Because I am blessed…ugly rooms and all.
1. Eliminate Wasted Space. Almost everyone has that one room (usually the formal living room) that is just totally wasted space. Either, it looks pretty, but no one uses it or it's kind of an unfinished eyesore… Mine is the later. When you walk into our foyer you see our bold wallpaper, fun word art wall, and then BAM it hits you… to the right is a completely unfinished jumble of a room. I was going to make it a completely predictable formal living room, but I'd never really use it. Jess, the hubs, and I have been brainstorming and I think we just might have a plan! (this is part of the current jumbled up mess- don't worry I'll just be relocating this area, because the kids do use the crafting area all the time)
2. Compromise in the Bedroom No! It's not what you think (geesh you guys!)… Eric and I recently discovered (okay, he knew, but I was oblivious to the fact) that we both have really different styles. He would love a bedroom that's warm and I believe he used the word"Lodgey" (like a ski lodge). If you look at my home for even a second, you will notice that nothing about it fits that bill. So, we're making it a 2013 goal to finally design a bedroom that we both love (Honestly, I'm okay with me loving and him liking… just keepin' it real) and I'm thinking it will be sort of Rustic-Industrial. So, as embarrassing as it is to show you… welcome to my current master bedroom.
3. Details. Details. Details. I am not good at the little details of designing a room. I am a big-picture, big-ideas kind of gal. Once the walls are painted, a few pieces of furniture are in, I tend to walk away and never bring it all together with accessories etc. It's my goal this year to work through each room and make sure it feels finished. So you'll be seeing a lot of thrifted accessory upcycles, fabulous accent pillows, and who knows what else.
4. Kenzie's Room (Heaven Help Us All!) Man, if you could meet one of my kids, I'd want it to be Kenzie. She's a trip (and I sounds 98 yrs old for saying that)! She's funny, spunky, sassy, and adores animals like no one I've ever met.
Anyhow, she has been promised a room makeover this year and it's going to push my design skills to the limit. Have you ever seen this guy?
He's the"TurtleMan" and he has a reality show where he rescues"critters" and it's by far Kenzie's favorite show (sometimes I feel like I live in the Twilight Zone). Anyhow, she would like a combination Turtleman and Equestrian room. I have a strong feeling that will be a first on Pinterest! Ha! So far, her only specific request is a pallet wall ceiling. This project is going to be a challenge to say the least.
So, there you have it. Our home goals for 2013! We know there will be about 2 million other projects we tackle this year, but hopefully all of these will make the list too! Now…who wants to keep us accountable?!! What are YOUR home goals this year?
New to the blog? This is Part 2 of a series on my discovery to creating a home that is comfortable and stylish. I find that thinking about the places I've been that have really impacted me and that I fell in love with, helps 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. To read Part 1, click here.
Have you ever been to Nantucket? (Sigh) It's probably my favorite place on the planet, other than my bed, and I think about it often. It is an island off the coast of Massachusetts that has a distinct New England feel. It's a combination of classic/preppy and casual/coastal. The homes on the island don't go for sale very often because they are passed down through generations, but when they do, they cost a pretty penny. Worth every bit, I'm sure.
Source: superstock.com via Jessica on Pinterest I remember riding my bike right past this little, rose-covered gem with a white picket fence. Dreamy.
Source: inspireddecorating.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest The towns (and there are only 2 on the island, I think) has great cobblestone walkways throughout.
Source: google.com via Jessica on Pinterest If I could wake up in this room every morning, I'd be a happy woman. Lots of neutral tones, but the wooden bed and brick step add warmth and depth. And oh, the gallery wall and french doors leave me breathless. I get like that sometimes over rooms. No big deal. {Ahem}
Source: etsy.com via Jessica on Pinterest I love this painting. I'm already trying to figure out how to recreate one for cheap. More on that later.: )
Source: cottages-gardens.com via Natasha on Pinterest
Source: chameleon-interiors.blogspot.com via Natasha on Pinterest Cedar shingles are so elegant and classic. They start out a light tan, and then as they weather, turn into that gorgeous, moody gray.
Source: inspiracionline.blogspot.com via Natasha on Pinterest
Source: brightboldbeautiful.blogspot.com via Natasha on Pinterest Of course, you have to enjoy a good, old-fashioned lobster bake when on the island, and who wouldn't want to do that in this adorable space? Aren't those red and orange stools fabulous? And the chandeliers are awesome too, and are totally an easy DIY project!
Source: canvas.landsend.com via Susie on Pinterest Even this outfit screams"Nantucket" and, if I could, I would wear that every day of my life. Yes, even for my kid's weddings, in case you were wondering.
Source: traditionalhome.com via Natasha on Pinterest So cozy. I adore the faded blues and tans, and the fabric on that pillow.
Source: google.com via Jessica on Pinterest So, hopefully, now you understand my love for all things Nantucket. Stay tuned for Part 3 later this week!
It's good to be back from vacation. Happy Monday, everyone!
We usually share bits and pieces of our homes here on the blog, but we're going to try and do more full room tours as we get rooms"finished up" (are rooms ever finished?) First up for me… My foyer. Now, I should explain that no one ever comes in our front door. It's kind of sad since the front door is so cute now. (Take a peek at the door here.)
I think you've seen this part of the foyer before. Chair. Accent Table. Gallery Wall. Wallpaper.
I love this little vignette. The chair was thrifted, the table is IKEA, the bird is from Michael's and spray painted yellow, the red frame has the chair material in it, and the lamp's from Homegoods and is actually broken as of 3pm today. (Ugh) The chair needs a mini black pillow with a & symbol on it… Hopefully coming soon!
Darn that I didn't dust before taking these pictures. The poor bird is in a sea of dust!
Ready to see my NEW FAVORITE THING?? Introducing… My Big Foot Rug!
If you follow us on Facebook (which I definitely think you should) you got a little sneak peek of this rug. It's from Overstock.com and you can see it here. Now, I know the size is a wee bit weird, but honestly the space is weird. Square and Circle rugs are muy muy expensive! (Didn't know I was bilingual did ya?) I saw this big foot and laughed right out loud. I knew it was meant to be. Oh, and did you notice… the door is charcoal? The Ombre Door Disaster is fixed. Did you miss that catastrophe? You've gotta check it out here.
I need to buy a non-slip pad because it's sliding all over the place! Here's the view from the living room into the foyer
Here's the opposite view, from the stairs. The Moroccan-ish mirror is from Target.
I'm a dork, and was attempting to do a funny, Miss America wave, but you can't get the full effect in a picture, so I went to a peace sign, but I'm not that kinda girl, BUT I am the mom of a 7yr old, so I know that Bunny Ears are one of the funniest things to do in a picture, or so Kade insists. Are you laughing yet? See, Bunny Ears… they work like a charm.
One of the cool things in our house is the foyer ceiling and light. It's a double trey ceiling, which the builder loved, but to us just meant lots of wasted money on molding, although, truth be told, now I do love how it looks. (note to self: replace one bulb)
Now here's my true motive for showing you the foyer from all angles… I need help. Shocker Right? I want to do something above the door. I see it from the kitchen, I see it every time I go upstairs, I see it all the time. So tell me, what you would do?
Don't be swayed, but here's what I'm kind of fixated on. I can't even explain why, but when I look at the door it's actually what I always envision. I'm thinking of using my mini-projector and painting the word HELLO in really large, graphic letters. I have been trying to talk myself out of it, but I think I'm sold. If you have other ideas, please share em!
So that's my foyer. A tad quirky, really dusty, and 99% finished. Let me know what you think and then help a girl out with your ideas!
I've never bought a rug. Ok, that's not completely true: I've bought a bath mat. Does that count? And sadly, I'm probably a long way from purchasing one, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. Thank goodness that a lack of funds doesn't keep you from dreaming. Can I get an amen? In my dream kitchen, I would have a gorgeous rug in the"breakfast area". Let me remind you of the direction I'm heading in with my kitchen:
I'm on the lookout for a reasonably-priced rug that will bring in some light blue/aqua into the room with accessories and the rug. My first stop was RugsUSA. If you're not careful, you can get get swallowed up in an abyss of beautiful rugs and lose a few hours of your life, but thankfully, I came out alive with a few rugs I would love to have grace the floor of my kitchen.
Of course, this Morrocan Trellis Rug is out of stock. But so pretty, right?
This Keno Bold Floral Rug in Slate is my favorite of the whole bunch, and is 50% off right now! Only $120 for a 5x8 makes this beauty a great deal. It would look so fabulous in my kitchen because it sort of mimics the design of my stencil (the two would be across the room from each other, so the two patterns wouldn't conflict.) Love it.
It's pretty obvious that I love stripes. Combine that with a nautical navy color, and this Boardwalk Stripe Rug is right up my alley. It would take my kitchen in a bit of a different direction as far as color goes, but I just might want to do that! (Considering I change my mind every 30 seconds…:)
You probably have seen this rug before because it's a pretty popular Ikea rug called the Gislev Rug. Why is it so popular, you ask? It costs only $20 for a 6x4 rug! What?!! Besides being so affordable, our bloggy friend, Mandi, tweaked this rug with a little bit of paint and it looked amazing, so I'm pretty sure I could add some blue and it would be just right.
This Bogart Flat-Weave Wool Rug from Garnet Hill features a modern interpretation of the Moorish Tile pattern and comes in several glorious colors. And it's on sale too! Plus, this was one of Oprah's favs so you know it's pretty cool. Duh.
What about a DIY Rug? Jamie, from The Creative Imperative, sewed several Ikea table runners together to make one large rug for only $35! That's seriously tempting, people!
Painting plain rugs is pretty popular in blogland right now, but this Painted Rug by Hayley Anderson really caught my eye:
Again this rug is from Ikea, and you know I wouldn't use chevron (I've shared my feelings for chevron here), but the possibilities are endless if you're willing to tackle the project yourself. But isn't that the truth for everything?; )
Am I the only person who has never purchased a rug?
******************************* PS- Hey, this is Monica… I'm hacking into Jess' post. I need to throw out a plea for help. I need 2 BIG rugs. I have been looking for rugs larger than 10x12. My living and dining rooms have been waiting for rugs for eighteen months! So if you have any good, reasonably priced sources, let me know!!
The single-paned window, and perhaps even the deck, were most likely added sometime in the 80's. When the contractors put in the new Marvin window, they had to tear down the deck in order to put in both the headers and footers. We'll rebuild something more period looking to the house — a balcony with a wide center staircase going down the middle and into the back yard.
This is the opposite wall. See all that brown trim? That's all covered in faux wood tack paper to assimilate wood trim. It was horrible to remove.
This room has evolved over the three years we've owned our house (we once had our bed in here). It was the very first room we tackled when we bought the place (the picture of Hubby was within hours of taking ownership) and so it was the first room we finished in terms of the bare bones part. The actual decorating would come much later, as in now....and it's quite serendipitous as again, we're 'moving' into this room just before Christmas.
Here's sort of another 'before' picture that shows our previous color scheme, dictated primarily by the furniture and rug we had on hand at the time. And here are the 'afters.' I took these pictures on the darkest days of the year as we're having lots of fog and rain — hope they turned out alright!
As you can see, I painted the room white. It's Simply White by Benjamin Moore (Eco-Spec line), which is the same color we've used on all of our house trim and many of our walls. The old color just felt too ruddy looking and I realized (no agonized over) that I'm most drawn to that classic white wall farmhouse look where the color of the walls isn't what the room is about. I wanted the room to be more about the fireplace, the windows, the view, the light coming in, the furniture, and the artwork. And I just thought that white allowed these things to shine more than any other color. Also, Janet (hi Janet!) over at The Gardener's Cottage just painted her living room Simply White and it completely inspired me!
The mirror over the mantle is such a better fit than our other one. I found this several weeks ago at an antique store for $120.
I picked up the brass sconces at an antique store for $20 each. I had been looking for some sconces online but found them to be very expensive. So these were in our price range and I've always loved the look of a pair of sconces over a mantle.
The seagrass rug is a 9x12 (it hasn't quite flattened out yet after being rolled) and will be relocated to the dining room once I decide what size seagrass rug I want for this room. I know it will be several feet bigger but still trying to figure out exact dimensions before I order it (the first one I ordered had a mid-January delivery date so I cancelled it).
The furniture is by a company called Rowe Furniture. We knew we'd choose something from their line because they are committed to natural fiber fabrics, eco cushion cores and wood from replenished forests. They are also members of the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC). This was all very important to us as we have made great efforts to make our home as green and healthy as possible. We also liked the price — due to a special sale that they were having at the time, the couch was just $1,099 and the chairs were $599 each (and we chose the highest grade fabrics).
The velvet couch is extremely luxurious. We love the high curved arms (much like a sleigh bed) as it provides the perfect support for reading a book, sipping a cup of tea or snuggling up next to the warm fire — especially on days like today. I picked up the brass easel a few years ago for $40 — a price I just couldn't pass up. The antique frame was my Great Great Grandfather's and I'm in the process of ordering a beautiful print for it. I can't wait as I've always loved the artist and will be absolutely delighted to have a piece of hers in our home. The cabinet used to be in the dining room. It got bumped from there because there will be two new windows going in this spring/summer leaving no room for it. It's sad but I absolutely love it in the living room. It's gone from dining cabinet to secretary, a look I have always loved. I also like the height it provides and think it really adds a nice finishing touch to the room. We found this piece at a local antique store that used to get antique furniture shipments in from England. During my semester abroad in college, I lived in England and would spend hours going through all of the gorgeous antique stores looking at beautiful cabinets very similar to ours. So it's sort of serendipitous that this piece found me after all of these years.
The cabinet came with black oriental pulls on the drawers, which I don't believe were original due to the lovely brass button knobs on all of the cabinet doors. So I switched them out for Eastlake pulls which offer it more of a country look (and of course, I absolutely love all things Eastlake).
So there it is! I'm sure it will continue to evolve as all rooms do! I hope you like it! We just got our Christmas tree today so we'll be putting that up tomorrow night....so more photos to follow! Photo updates:
The evolution of a house and style is an interesting thing. I take great pleasure in changing, rearranging and tweaking the rooms in my house. My style has changed pretty drastically (since I basically started out my married life with no style preference at all), but I'm still developing my tastes and preferences. Things rarely stay the same for long, which is exactly how I like it. My desire is to create a home that is comfortable for my family and welcoming to guests, that is pleasing to the eye, but that is also practical for raising two kids. I'm fairly certain that this will be a life-long quest. However, money and time (or the lack there of) make it a little more difficult to decorate and change things like I'd like. Kevin and I have had a few rough years financially, and so, I am finding that if I want to redecorate, I have to be resourceful and creative, and most importantly, learn how to repurpose items we already have. I've been learning the very difficult lesson of contentment (Melissa, at The Inspired Room, said this about contentment that really resonated with me), and am realizing that I don't have to have the perfect house, just one that my family considers beautiful and can enjoy living in.
With all that said, Monica and I will be showcasing our houses to you; not because they are perfect, far from it actually, but because they are a huge part of who we are. So, welcome to the evolving house.
This is C1's bedroom. Just recently, we changed her over from a toddler bed to a full-sized bed. In one afternoon, it seemed like she grew older right before our eyes just because of the furniture! I love her room- it's girly and sweet, but can also really grow with her. We painted the walls a really pretty shade of green (I'm sorry I don't know the paint color anymore!), and we used all-white furniture. Every piece of furniture (except the headboard) is hand-me-down or was hand-made by my hubs. Her cute butterfly and flower bedding came from HomeGoods and was a gift from my mom. She has a great dormer window, in which Kevin built a toy box/window seat. When we were creating her baby nursery, I envisioned that little space as a great reading spot for her down the road. For now, she uses it to play and look out the window.
This shelf came from my mom's attic (she has a great supply of decor and furniture she's not using and is really generous with it!). I made the monogram, using adorable patterned and hot pink card stock, and put them in frames we already had. I hot-glued ribbon to the tops to make them a little more feminine.This monogram project cost me no money at all, since I used items I already had! The little porcelain shoe to the left of the frames was a gift from her great-grandmother and has all her birth stats painted on it.
This is my favorite feature in her room. Inspired by something I saw in Pottery Barn, Monica and I created a tree stencil for the walls. I then hand-painted the trees (there are two of them- one on either side of the dormer window area), and added leaves and pictures of our families to make it a family tree. One side is the hub's family, and the other side is my family. I wanted C1 to have an understanding of the importance of family, and how blessed she was to have such a Godly inheritance, from an early age.
Isn't this chair the most precious thing you've ever seen? Ahh, I can't get enough of it, and you'd never guess that I got it at Big Lots for $40!
But really, these pictures show what I love most about this room: My two kids living in it.
It's amazing what you can get used to living with… take for instance my kids'"desk area"…
And it's amazing what one little call from a major television show can do to get a lady's butt in gear! Now, of course I would LOVE to have a massive room that is adorable and strictly purposed for unleashing my children's creativity, but in reality they get one corner of one room.: ) All the awesome rooms on Pinterest just depressed me, so I'm not spending much effort showing you their rooms. So there!
Source: livinglocurto.com via Janeny on Pinterest Yeah, depressing isn't it?"Oh Children, did you remember to take time for some creative play in the loft?" BLAH!
Source: google.com via Amanda on Pinterest Ok, so here's my reality and it's semi-cute and works for us.
I wanted/needed a few things… 1- Place for the kids' computer 2- A place to hide store all my kid craft crap supplies 3- A space where more than one kiddo could sit 4- Storage for markers and crayons that they could open by themselves! 5- A place to display masterpieces I shopped around for a lot of desks, but I really didn't want to spend a ton of money and I needed something really long… one word for ya… IKEA. They had a table top, that was just the right size. I bought $5.00 legs (which I plan to spray paint) and could assemble it without any help from the hubs!
Then came storage for all the junk! JoAnn's was having an awesome sale on these fabric bins, and even though they're black and don't match even the tiniest bit, I bought them. They hold a good amount of supplies in each one.
Where the bins are kinda blah, the paint cans make me go,"Ooohhh, Ahhhh"
You can get these plain cans at any paint store or HD or Lowes. I filled them with all of our little bottles of acrylic paints. They work perfectly and at least give this area a teeny bit of mama's style! I needed chairs. I just wasn't feelin' the metal folding chairs. I looked at IKEA, but all they had were stark white chairs… Hmm… Let's do a little math…
Woo hoo! Navy-ish chairs to match. These puppies were made to spray paint… they took the paint so well! One of the most important requirements I had was storage for markers and crayons that did NOT require me to help every single time someone wanted to color. I know that sounds like lame mommy, but with 4 kids, each one wants to color at least 2x a day… it gets old!
Walmart kitchen canisters to the rescue! I took the younger two shopping with me and they both proved they could open the containers. I love the clear look, so you can see the supplies and the metal works with the paint cans. SCORE! Finally, I wanted to be able to display a few special pieces of artwork. I had a few fancy-schmancy ideas, but none of them fit in the narrow space I had. So, 99 cents later hanging clipboards won!
I like how the clear boards and metal clip works with the clear and metal canisters and they were oh-so-easy to hang. One nail…
So, it isn't super-amazing, or magazine worthy, but it works for us and I do like a few things about it. Our kids have been out there crafting and creating like crazy and really that was the goal all along!
So, now that I'm done with this project… what amazing ideas for kid craft storage have you used that I should have? Do share!
Have you ever been somewhere and found the absolute perfect decoration, gift, clothing item etc? You just KNEW it was exactly the right match? For me, these times are far and few between, but as I've stumbled upon developed my sense of style and a direction for our home, I've been a bit more successful since I know how I want the rooms to evolve. Monica mentioned the barn sale we went to yesterday, and it was awesome. However, I won't spend any more time boring you with details about it, but I will tell you this: I didn't know what I was looking for. This, my friends, is dangerous. Especially since there were, literally, thousands of items just waiting to be repurposed into something fabulous. Luckily, for me, I found an item that is PERFECT for my living room.
See that vintage suitcase? Yup, that's her. When I picked her up at the sale, my original thought was to stack her with a few other vintage suitcases in my fireplace, since we don't use it at all. Something that looked sort of like this:
Source: kaseybuick.com via April on Pinterest
But, alas, my suitcase didn't fit in our tiny fireplace opening, which meant stacking three suitcases was definitely not happening. My hubs, brilliant man that he is, suggested putting it next to my statement piece under the basket I'm temporarily using to hold a throw blanket.
Great thought, hun! I love it, and like I've been saying all along, looks like it was meant to be there. The light gray-blue stripes and dark brown leather on the suitcase match the wall color, and the legs of my favorite chair as if they were long-lost twins. {Sigh}
I've been fortunate enough to have a few other lovelies in my living room that are perfect accessories for the room. Piece of evidence #1:
This pillow was found at Home Goods in January, and again, I wasn't looking for something like this at all, but it works!
No matter how hard I try, I can almost NEVER get a shot of my house without a) one of my two children, or b) toys in my pictures. It's just a phase (and by that, I mean the toys! Not my kids!: )
See? Random lanterns are not rare in this house. No sir.
Piece of Evidence #2: I also found a pair of these paisley pillows at Home Goods on the same day. I saw them just as another woman picked them up. I couldn't believe my bad luck that they were EXACTLY right for my house, but I was a minute too late! My mom and I discreetly followed her around the store for awhile, and lo and behold, she put them back! I cheered and jumped for joy nonchalantly walked over to them and grabbed them for myself. Score!
Finding these pretties rank high on my happiness scale, right up there with birthing my babies and marrying my husband. (Don't you dare judge me.: ) So, fill me in, is there an item that was made for you and your home? I'm secretly crossing my fingers, hoping that I'm not the only one.
And now for the long awaited kitchen update…sort of. We're planning on finishing painting our cabinets sometime thisdecade becausethey need four coats each and are taking forever! this week in time for our daughter's 4th birthday party, but in the meantime, I made some progress on the lighting situation in our breakfast area. You may recall that this is what the light looked like before we made the big change.:
And now, for only $40, we have a gorgeous, huge, custom pendant light:
Pin It Adorable, isn't it? Our kitchen was in dire need of some color, and this baby does the trick! After looking around for affordable light fixtures, I wasn't thrilled with the selection and decided to come up with something on my own. I'm totally loving what we made and can't wait to bring in some of those fun, vibrant colors into the rest of the room. Here's how we did it:
I purchased this Ikea Jara Shade for $20, and Januari light kit to go with it.
Unfortunately, this light kit is intended to be plugged into the wall, but we knew that for only $10 we could make it work.
We consulted with my father-in-law who is an electrician and he told us that as long as the light kit was the same voltage as the existing wiring, we should be fine. The typical voltage of an outlet is 120W, and so was the light kit, so we were good to go. We measured the length of the wire that we needed and then my hubs snipped the wire. (If you want to be extra sure, check with an electrician before attempting this!)
Then, my husband used the nut/screw/thingy (?) from the old light fixture and threaded the wire through, separated the individual wires by color, and attached them to the existing wiring (white wire to white wire, black wire to black wire) with a wire nut.
We hung it just to be sure it worked:
Yay! I lived with it a few days just to see how I liked it, and decided that even though it made our space look soooo much better and a little more modern, it needed something. My plan is to thrift a round pedestal table and paint it, as well as, add a rug underneath it. I wasn't sure if I would paint the table a fun color, or add color and pattern on the shade and the rug and leave the table white. I decided on covering the shade with fabric, because it's an easier change than repainting a table several times. I knew I wanted to incorporate aqua or turquoise into the kitchen so Monica and I took a trip to JoAnn's, and found this super cool fabric that works perfectly!
Waverly Modern Essentials-Solar Flair in Lime & Indigo
I know, I know, it's bold, but I'm telling you the kitchen was feeling boring and beige without it. I bought 1 1/2 yards just to be sure I had enough and I did. I took my supplies to my mom's house because I had a feeling it would be a two-person job because of the size of the shade. I'm glad I did! I couldn't have done it without her.: ) I wanted the medallion to be centered on the front of the shade, so we measured the width of one,
and then measured the height of the shade to figure out the placement. In this case both were about 12 inches.
Janell at Isabella & Max Rooms has a great, in-depth tutorial on how to cover a tapered shade, and I pretty much followed that which made this easier. Basically, you want to place your shade on the center of your fabric (I placed mine on the medallion on the front of the shade across from the seam) and roll it out to the sides of the fabric.
Cut along the edge as you're rolling it, leaving about 2 inches of extra fabric.
You'll end up with a rounded edge that goes up on the ends. This will allow the fabric to lay flat, and the medallion to rest squarely on the front of the shade.
(Please ignore my abnormally skinny legs. Can you say no muscle tone? It's a genetic thing.) You'll want to iron the fabric at this point to be sure that it will lay completely flat.(Thanks for doing the dirty work, Mom!)
Place the fabric on the shade exactly as you want it (for me, the medallion on the front) and pull both sides around to the seam. Cut one side about 1/2 inch past the seam and tape in place. Then pull the other side snug so there are no gaps or bubbles and tape in place. (I marked my line with a pencil first.)
Because I didn't want to add any trim (ie:ribbon) along the top and bottom, I needed to make an exact cut along the top and bottom of the shade. So, I fold the extra fabric over the top of the shade, pull tight, and make small marks with a pencil along the edge of the shade. This will be the line you will cut to get an even edge.
Once you've made your cut, fold down about a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch all the way around the top of the shade. Tuck it under and make sure it lines up evenly with the edge of the shade. Hot glue a thin line along the edge (Janell uses fabric glue, in case you were wondering!) and press the folded fabric down to create a finished edge. I suggest doing this in small sections at a time. I didn't want to see any hot glue, so I followed each section with a damp paper towel to get any hot glue that escaped the fold.
Create the seam on the back by cutting the fabric on the non-taped side about 2 inches longer than the seam, fold the fabric over and run a line of glue down the seam. Press to seal. (Sorry no pics of this step!) Finish the bottom edge in the same way as the top of the shade and you're done!
What?! You wouldn't celebrate by wearing the shade on your head? Shame on you! Covering the lamp shade took about 2 hours to do, so it was a bit time-consuming and a little tricky. Having four hands was definitely a huge help! Admittedly, there are some very minor imperfections in my shade, but I figure that it's pretty darn good for our first try!: ) And now for some more swoon-worthy shots:
Pin ItLove the way it looks lit up at night!
I love it, and my kids do too!: ) Now the question is, should I keep the brown curtain panels, or go with a different color, maybe navy blue? Thoughts, please!
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