11.30.2010

Another Use for a Calendar

I stumbled upon this beautiful paper calendar from Three Square Design...I love the subtle colors and patterns used.
Wouldn't these look awesome framed on a bare wall?
At $24.00 there's no way I'd scribble weekend plans on these, but ideas for other uses are endless!


Here's another great calendar from etsy seller pinkroses1220
It's such a simple idea to use any kind of print that catches your eye (pages from books, cards, scrapbook paper, etc.) in decorating that big blank wall you have absolutely no idea what to do with! 
Keep it structured with matching frames & straight rows, or mix it up with a hodgepodge of styles and levels.
Check out Home Made Simple for an article about framing up old calendars.

11.23.2010

IKEA Wish List

Now don't get me wrong, I love living in the smaller town of Johnson City, however there are many things that I often miss. IKEA is definitely one of them. 
Good news is I'm going to Atlanta in a week & of course I already have a wish list....

A.) Jute Rug (8'x5' aka HUGE)for dining room $99.99
Inspiration:
Thank you House of Smiths!

B.) 3-Armed Chandelier for guest room $39.99
Inspiration:
House of Smiths
decor*pad

C.) Spice Rack $5.99
Inspiration:
Caroline Fontenot: Best Friend|Best Photographer

Total: $146.00.
I can do that, right??



11.22.2010

A Lesson in Late-Night Perfection

After seeing this creative DIY project on Remodelaholic I decided to give it a try.
One inch cut paper squares, a canvas, some Mod Podge. Easy right? 
View Remodelaholic's link for detailed instruction.


Still looking pretty good...


And here's the finished project!
Can you see the mistake?
Project win FAIL! After slaving away on meticulously gluing down each square I soon realized that there was a horrid mistake! By this time it was 1:20am, I was tired, but I had vowed to finish that night. Steven counted and solemnly made me aware that the squares were uneven on the sides. There might have been a few tears...I felt like I used to when I was a kid and I'd stay up late drawing. I'd get so tired and frustrated when I couldn't get the foxes' ears level and my Mom would advise that I go to bed.

I think this finished project looks so neat, and I was super excited, BUT if you take this on, make sure you COUNT! And, make sure you take time to remind yourself that you are not aiming for perfection. I refuse to not use this somewhere in the house-we'll just have to tweak it to cover up the mishap!


11.21.2010

Biarritz.-Effel de Vagues.-LL.

Since our wedding in April I have spent a large majority of my time thinking up great ideas for our new home together. Acting in these ideas? Now that has been another story. There just never seems to be enough time.
I've found the more I document these ideas, the more motivated I am to make those ideas become realities.
With all that said, here are my ideas for our (hopefully soon to be) guest room:
The fabric in the background is the pillow sham from the bedding I bought months ago from Target. The paint swatch is Martha Stewart Living's Calabash(MSL099), and the post card is a little French treasure that I found at the most wonderful store Adkins Architectural Antiques & Treasures in Houston:
Adkins Architectural Antiques &Treasures

This store is one of my favorites. It is 4 stories of  everything you could think of, from thousands of old door knobs to beautiful stained glass and more old wooden doors and pieces of iron fencing than you could imagine.
If you're ever in Houston, you have to stop in. And then eat at Niko Niko's !
Anyways, back to this French post card..
A while back I saw an idea to take an old postcard in and get it blown up on both sides frame each one, and hang them on a wall for some truly unique artwork.
It didn't take long at Adkins to find the perfect postcard.
Postcard reads: "240 BIARRITZ.-Effel de Vagues.-LL."
Anyone know French?
I love the sense of mystery and nostalgia that an old handwritten postcard gives. 
I can't wait to see this guy blown up and framed, donning our guest room walls! I'll post an update, don't worry!

11.20.2010

Dull Lamps Made Bright

Before
After
I loved this before|after DIY featured in Room 2 Think







After seeing it I knew exactly what lamps I could recreate! 
These lamp look-alikes were passed down from Steven's parents and looked sweet as they were, especially the shades, but with all the dark wood and furniture in our living room, I thought I'd give spray paint a try!
Step 1.) Prep lamps by removing shade, covering bulb with cling wrap and duct tape(for whenever the cling wrap doesn't accomplish its job!). Make sure to cover the plug and cord also.
Step 2.) Prime lamps with a primer spray paint such as Krylon white primer, or Rustoleum professional primer.


Make sure you get a good coat of primer on whatever you're painting, especially if it's brass or another type of metal.
Step 3.) Spray those lamps with your paint of choice! I used White in a satin finish. Glossy=lots of shine, Flat=no shine, and Satin=lil bit of shine. I used almost a whole can of paint to make sure I got every crease covered, so keep that in mind when you're buying supplies. I made too many trips to Lowe's! I recommend Rustoleum paint; their cans have a nifty trigger that keeps your finger from cramping.
Newly painted white!
I also had to learn that spray paint works best if you stay back farther than you think! If you spray up too close the paint will puddle and drip, and you don't want that, or you'll end up doing more work by trying to sandpaper the drips off later.
Then just wait for them to dry!

Don't mind Jackson on the couch.
Don't they look great?
I love how the bright white pops out with the window trim and crown molding.
I am amazed at how easy and quick this project was, and just think about the amount of moolah you can save by giving an old lamp an update rather than buying brand new ones!


11.18.2010

The Hutch Project


Last week I got incredibly lucky and found this 50's style hutch on Craigslist for $75! After being inspired and borderline obsessed with countless amounts of before & after pictures I could not pass up this refinishing opportunity. Plus it's the perfect little hutch for our newly gray painted almost empty dining room!
My plan is to get started on it tomorrow! Updates to follow, but for now, it's time to gather up some recreation inspiration:




If that doesn't light your fire...

Just one of the perks of being married to a flannel-wearing aspiring lumberjack with a bearded friend!
There's the husband way up there, yep with a chainsaw!
See the top of that 32 ft ladder at the bottom of this picture? That's one tall tree!

Such commitment to keep good fires going in the backyard...