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| Subtle Color |
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| Before Dye |
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| In Process |
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| Result |
3/17/11
Handkerchief Dye Job
My husband's grandmother is a sweetheart. She religiously cut coupons for me every week and sends them to me so that I can save money. A number of years ago she gave me a few vintage handkerchiefs and I have been meaning to do something with them for a while now. I ran across this post on Once Wed about hand dyeing clothe napkins and thought it would be a great treatment for handkerchiefs too.
I dyed three handkerchiefs and was really happy with the result of a bluish tin to each of their edges. It seems like a really delicate treatment, but artistic at the same time. Now I need to decide him I'm going to frame them or use them as they were intended and give up my Kleenex habit.
3/16/11
Poppytalk Handmade
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| via Melanie Favreau on Poppytalk Handmade |
I really like the mustache ring above!
3/10/11
Mid Century Modern Find
A little over a week ago I saw a local seller, on Craigslist, offering a set of Mid-Century Modern dressers for $200. I confess that I have been keeping an eye out for months now, looking and yearning for MCM furniture to furnish our new house. I hopped right over to the seller's house (with toddler in tow) after work and looked at the furniture before deciding that I definitely needed them, scratches and all, in our new house. A quick call to my husband and we set up the pick up via our trusty pink trailer for an hour later.
Then, the dressers sat on the trailer for a week until my husband was able to move them to the guest bedroom. You can see the difference from the old photo to the new. An overall photo doesn't do them justice, so I opted to include the closeups instead.
Then, the dressers sat on the trailer for a week until my husband was able to move them to the guest bedroom. You can see the difference from the old photo to the new. An overall photo doesn't do them justice, so I opted to include the closeups instead.
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| Before |
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| High Boy Dresser |
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| Night Stand |
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| Credenza dresser |
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| Find my handle! |
This room has taken a gradual transformation, but it is nowhere near being done yet. It's a giant room, so it really needs a few areas designated in it; like sleeping, sitting, etc.
The "new" old furniture seems to compliment the antique brass bed that has been in my family for 3 generations. The hardware is a matching brass and has a definite patina to match the wear on the bed. The only serious issue is a missing handle on one drawer. I've been trying to find a matching handle online or seeing about a different solution, but I'm in no hurry.
The "new" old furniture seems to compliment the antique brass bed that has been in my family for 3 generations. The hardware is a matching brass and has a definite patina to match the wear on the bed. The only serious issue is a missing handle on one drawer. I've been trying to find a matching handle online or seeing about a different solution, but I'm in no hurry.
3/8/11
Craft- To Do List
Busy day for me, but there are a few projects that have inspired me. I am planning on creating my own versions when I get the next opportunity.
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| via Lackluster Co's Etsy shop |
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| source pending |
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| Flip Top Notebooks from WhiMSy Love |
3/7/11
Antique Stores on Every Corner
My family and I took the opportunity last Saturday to go to a few Antique shops in the nearby town of Chesterton, IN. We stopped at 3 of them with a toddler in tow and had to skip quite a few. My son REALLY liked all of the antique toy trucks and I had to trick him into thinking the truck I pulled out of my purse was off of one of the shelves. He seemed content to leave the shops toys behind, when he realized I was going to let him keep the toy from my purse.
All of these shops were full, to the max., of precious collectibles/ junk, but I did see a few things that sparked my interest. One shop had a vintage Lanvin dress from the 70's for only $14 and I was tempted as it was in my size, but it was 100% polyester and I couldn't bring myself to buy polyester. If only I were 15 years younger and didn't care about fabrics breathing. Another shop had a gorgeous kidney shaped vanity desk that has some wear to the wood veneer surface. We already own 3 desks, so I knew to not even talk to my husband about it. Finally, I had my eye on this painting.
It's a landscape oil painting that is signed S. Rodgers and the frame has a label from Oklahoma. That's all I know about it, but I just loved the colors and scene so I decided to pay the $60 for it. It does not have a permanent place in our home yet, but I'll find the perfect place for it eventually.
All of these shops were full, to the max., of precious collectibles/ junk, but I did see a few things that sparked my interest. One shop had a vintage Lanvin dress from the 70's for only $14 and I was tempted as it was in my size, but it was 100% polyester and I couldn't bring myself to buy polyester. If only I were 15 years younger and didn't care about fabrics breathing. Another shop had a gorgeous kidney shaped vanity desk that has some wear to the wood veneer surface. We already own 3 desks, so I knew to not even talk to my husband about it. Finally, I had my eye on this painting.
It's a landscape oil painting that is signed S. Rodgers and the frame has a label from Oklahoma. That's all I know about it, but I just loved the colors and scene so I decided to pay the $60 for it. It does not have a permanent place in our home yet, but I'll find the perfect place for it eventually.
3/4/11
Prints Can Be Creepy
I ran across this bunny print before chirstmas and immediately added it to my wish list. It's slight creepiness really spoke to me for some reason.
On Christmas Day I opened up the bunny print and saw that my husband purchased this bird print for me as well. Ashley signed each of the prints on the back and included a nice little note.
It's taken me a couple of months, but I have finally purchased matching frames and hung these prints in our bedroom.
The best thing about many of Ashley's small prints is that they are under $10. You can purchased them on Etsy at Ashley Spirals Art.
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| Crazy Bunny Rabbit by Ashley White Jacobson |
On Christmas Day I opened up the bunny print and saw that my husband purchased this bird print for me as well. Ashley signed each of the prints on the back and included a nice little note.
It's taken me a couple of months, but I have finally purchased matching frames and hung these prints in our bedroom.
The best thing about many of Ashley's small prints is that they are under $10. You can purchased them on Etsy at Ashley Spirals Art.
3/2/11
My Swap Entry
I admit that I tend to get a little obsessed with creative contests, so as soon as I saw the Blu Dot Swap Meet my gears started turning.
I used AutoCAD to build a 3D model of ...a model and imported it into Google Sketchup to render. You can see my description below as to what, the heck, it is. Let's think of it as "art" for art's sake.
My description is this:
I used AutoCAD to build a 3D model of ...a model and imported it into Google Sketchup to render. You can see my description below as to what, the heck, it is. Let's think of it as "art" for art's sake.
My description is this:
Swap me a table for a world designed just for you. Now you can stare at a hand-crafted landscape model designed with Blu Dot in mind; complete with wood base, plexi top, wood balls (who doesn't like wood balls?), and cork landscaping.
Could be a great home to a couple of tarantulas!
(Designer takes no responsibility for escaped tarantulas.)
3/1/11
Swap Meet
Blu Dot, a furniture maker, is offering their goods for swap. Instead of paying for what you like, you offer an item or service and see if they accept your bid. Detail are here. You can see a few accepted bids include a motorcycle made out of popsicles sticks and 30 lbs. of Texas BBQ.
Blu dot has lovely modern furniture and I'm already drooling over these pieces...
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| via Blu Dot |
Blu dot has lovely modern furniture and I'm already drooling over these pieces...
2/28/11
Calenders Anyone?
I am always behind the curve when it comes to purchasing a calendar. I am always, secretly, hoping that the calendar I like will be heavily discounted by the time I bother to buy it. Until then, I rely on my trusty Google Calendar to organize my life. I purchased this calendar a few weeks ago from Paper Source and at a clearance rate, too! I saw a few more items I liked as well, but didn't purchase.
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| All images via Paper Source |
2/25/11
Things to Do
Things are looking to be a bit less hectic this weekend and snow is on the ground.
A while ago Arthur Frommer showcased an interesting website on his blog called Goby. It's an online source to find local activities and events. I just browsed the site to see if my little town made it on the site, and it did! I discovered that there are a few plays, sporting events, and a Chocolate Festival nearby. What a great way to stave off boredom. You can search your own town here.
A while ago Arthur Frommer showcased an interesting website on his blog called Goby. It's an online source to find local activities and events. I just browsed the site to see if my little town made it on the site, and it did! I discovered that there are a few plays, sporting events, and a Chocolate Festival nearby. What a great way to stave off boredom. You can search your own town here.
2/24/11
Toddler Poltergeist
It is always an endeavor to have nice things amidst a toddler. I think it's worth the effort to stay stubborn and look for or make nice things that can take a beating.
Case in point: I was preparing dinner last night and my son was playing with his trains in another room; or so I thought. I walked in to check on him and he had a crayon in his hand. He decided to do a little creative decorating on his own! Blue crayon on everything and not a surface was missed. Crayon on the wood votive holders (hand made by my husband), crayon on the coffee table, and crayon on the serving tray...
When I saw the above, I couldn't help thinking about the movie "Poltergeist
" with the stacked chairs scene. My son does like to do things his own way. Why have huts when you can make a tower?
I will say that I really appreciate Crayola's Washable Crayons as everything was cleaned up in about 5 minutes with just a little water and barely any elbow grease.
Case in point: I was preparing dinner last night and my son was playing with his trains in another room; or so I thought. I walked in to check on him and he had a crayon in his hand. He decided to do a little creative decorating on his own! Blue crayon on everything and not a surface was missed. Crayon on the wood votive holders (hand made by my husband), crayon on the coffee table, and crayon on the serving tray...
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| A Toddler's Decorating Touch |
" with the stacked chairs scene. My son does like to do things his own way. Why have huts when you can make a tower?  | ||
| My Decorating Preference |
2/23/11
Spatial Perceptions
The New York Times has an interesting article here on how people perceive space. The article discusses how making minor changes can increase the perceived value of your apartment to potential buyers. We are currently attempting to rent our old house, so this article was really pertinent to our situation. I feel like the fact that we are renting lets us relax a little, though; it's still going to be our house so we don't have to make it absolutely perfect. I like a little imperfection in my life and I'm getting quite skilled at it!
Here's the house that we put on the rental market last week. It's a 3 bedroom/ 2 bath house in a historic area just north of our downtown. This house was really our started home and we put a lot of work into it. Let me know if you want to see some before and after photos. The upper floor had been a large, barely finished, storage room and a bedroom with a plywood door. We converted it to a Master Suite with a large bedroom, walk-in closet, and full bathroom. That project took us about 3 years to complete and the only reason it was finished in 3 years and not 4 was because we had our son and I really needed a place to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night while pregnant!
Here's the house that we put on the rental market last week. It's a 3 bedroom/ 2 bath house in a historic area just north of our downtown. This house was really our started home and we put a lot of work into it. Let me know if you want to see some before and after photos. The upper floor had been a large, barely finished, storage room and a bedroom with a plywood door. We converted it to a Master Suite with a large bedroom, walk-in closet, and full bathroom. That project took us about 3 years to complete and the only reason it was finished in 3 years and not 4 was because we had our son and I really needed a place to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night while pregnant!
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| Living Room |
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| Kitchen |
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| Dining Room |
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| Bedroom |
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| Bedroom |
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| Master Suite- Upper Floor |
2/21/11
Better Late than Never
Back before we moved to our new house I ran across this post on Young House Love on how to turn cheap gourds into "porcelain" objects of beauty. I ran over to Hobby Lobby and snatched up some cheap examples at the post-Halloween price. I brought them home and then...did nothing. We were busy packing up the house so I had to put this project on hold. Three months later and I have finally completed the project and I'm very happy with the results.
2/18/11
Garbage Center
Our kitchen has an ideal space for garbage and recycling located in, what used to be, a desk area. We use it for trash and our microwave. Seems like an odd combination, but it works for us.
When we moved into the house we new that we wanted to have dual garbage cans for recycling and everything else so we went to our local hardware store and bought a couple of plain trashcans with the intent of sprucing them up a bit. We knew that we needed cans with a semblance of a lid to inhibit nosy toddler fingers and dogs from pulling trash out. Our final choice was a Rubbermaid can and we popped the rotating cover off because it didn't actually work under our counter. The remaining lid does a nice job of keeping those hands out, so we're happy with our choice.
I got to work on making labels for our cans now, after putting it off for a few months and confusing all of our guests. Here are my steps:
1. Draw the stencils on large sheets of paper. I used AutoCAD and printed the stencil, but hand drawing works, too.
2. Cut out the stencil using an X-Acto knife and a straight edge for precision.
3. Spray adhesive on the back side of the stencil and adhere the stencil to the trashcan. Pay special attention to the edges of the stencil and make sure they are smooth and adhered well for a crisp painted edge.
4. Use spray paint to evenly coat the stenciled opening.
5. Wait for the spray paint to dry and peel back the stencil.
6. Clean up any stray paint by gently scraping the paint off with a X-Acto knife.
I decided a pretty standard symbol for recycling would work for one trashcan, but we definitely needed a symbol for the garbage can as well. I used an up arrow to convey a "put trash here" sentiment. I have no idea whether people will understand that, but I think it's kind of cute.
When we moved into the house we new that we wanted to have dual garbage cans for recycling and everything else so we went to our local hardware store and bought a couple of plain trashcans with the intent of sprucing them up a bit. We knew that we needed cans with a semblance of a lid to inhibit nosy toddler fingers and dogs from pulling trash out. Our final choice was a Rubbermaid can and we popped the rotating cover off because it didn't actually work under our counter. The remaining lid does a nice job of keeping those hands out, so we're happy with our choice.
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| Before |
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| After |
I got to work on making labels for our cans now, after putting it off for a few months and confusing all of our guests. Here are my steps:
1. Draw the stencils on large sheets of paper. I used AutoCAD and printed the stencil, but hand drawing works, too.
2. Cut out the stencil using an X-Acto knife and a straight edge for precision.
3. Spray adhesive on the back side of the stencil and adhere the stencil to the trashcan. Pay special attention to the edges of the stencil and make sure they are smooth and adhered well for a crisp painted edge.
4. Use spray paint to evenly coat the stenciled opening.
5. Wait for the spray paint to dry and peel back the stencil.
6. Clean up any stray paint by gently scraping the paint off with a X-Acto knife.
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| Stencil |
I decided a pretty standard symbol for recycling would work for one trashcan, but we definitely needed a symbol for the garbage can as well. I used an up arrow to convey a "put trash here" sentiment. I have no idea whether people will understand that, but I think it's kind of cute.
2/16/11
Michelle Armas Painting
I'm inspired...
Such a beautiful painting for $100. Michelle just posted a few of these on her site today for purchase. I would love to get my hands on one of them.
I could just see it in a room with any of these accents pieces:
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| via Michelle Armas |
I could just see it in a room with any of these accents pieces:
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| via CB2 |
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| via CB2 |
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| via Anthopologie |
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