I do not have a project to share today because I’ve been busy in Colorado with a different sort of DIY. My first of its kind. Ok, in reality it was a CIY: Climb It Yourself. Yep, I climbed a snow-covered mountain on Saturday. Check it out over here on my personal adventure blog!
And in the mean time, check out this sweet mountain chalet I spied on the ascent:
Yesterday my friend and I popped into Pottery Barn. I love their accessories! They’re rustic and a little bit country, yet they can successfully lend a cottagey feel to sleek modern decor. Right now I’m pining for vintage iron accessories, as well as little green plant accents that bring the outdoors in during the long, cold haul that is February.
This Three Gable Birdhouse, for example, would be fantastic on a bookshelf or credenza. Heck, it would make a fantastic and slightly-offbeat centerpiece on a grand dining table! Normally I’d hesitate to put such a large item on a table in my small home, but I feel like the openness of the iron mesh keeps the birdhouse from being too imposing. It’s totally out of my league at $249, but a girl can dream.
I’ve always loved the casual just-picked look of a handful of flowers set casually in an old glass jar. Or the beachy, down-to-earth vibe from tea lights and sand nestled in a few jars. These Found Milk Bottles have the same feel. Casual, breezy, spring. Just begging to be set on a table on a porch. And they’re really not outrageous at only $30 for a set of six.
How about this Arched Iron Grid? Pottery Barn’s website suggests that the attached pegs allow you to create your own wall collage. I love what they’ve done in the photo, using leafy greens in a salute to spring.
Finally, this moss topiary: I could totally make it! Some moss, a foam floral cone, an old flowerpot, and some burlap are all the supplies I’d need. I’m sure I could create these guys for under $10. They’re upwards of $30 in the store, I think.
And these are just a few of the actual pieces I loved in the Pottery Barn store:
So what about you? Am I the only one craving bits of greenery in the home right now?
When it comes to small-space living, you’ve got to use your walls for utilitarian-yet-stylish storage. Case in point, my latest jewelry storage creation.
Until recently, I used shadowboxes to store jewelry on my bedroom wall. But I wanted something a bit more glamorous for my guest room / vanity area.
Here’s how I recently made a fancier little jewelry storage system for my guest room out of a thrift-store art frame, a scrap of fabric, old buttons, and leftover wood! Any of you ladies could do this with a simple power tool or two, but I was fortunate to have the help of my uber-handy dad. We I call him Pops.
The plan: Paint frame, affix upholstered board to back of frame, install cute knobs for necklace storage, as well as earring storage. Here’s how it went down:
First, while Pops cut one of his scrap boards to fit the frame, I spray-painted my beat-up old art frame to a nice, clean white.
I used a staple gun to wrap the board with a brown micro-suede fabric scrap. (I knew that my stash of leftover fabrics would come in handy!)
I trimmed the upholstered board with pale blue ribbon. I also used ribbon to create earring holders. I’ll explain that in a minute.
Before attaching the board to the frame, I measured out and marked where each of the necklace knobs would go. Pops drilled holes through the back of the board to hold the knobs.
Next issue: I didn’t actually have any knobs. But Pops had a solution: he cut an old dowel into a bunch of equal pieces, then used his drill-press to put screw holes in them:
Once the dowels were screwed to the front of the board, I hot-glued an assortment of old buttons to the fronts of the dowels, creating the knobs for hanging necklaces and bracelets:
I bet you’re still wondering how ribbon become an earring holder. Before installing the board in the frame, I’d stretched two lengths of ribbon across the board, stapling it to the board every few inches. I hot-glued small buttons over the staples to keep it cute. This way earrings could be hooked over the ribbon in sections.
Finally, a view of the finished project. I attached the board to the back of the frame with some little brackets made specifically for attaching art to a frame. I forget what they were, but any hardware store should have them. You hammer them in – takes two seconds.
Voila! A pretty, color-coordinated jewelry display board!
Many thanks to Pops! He’s provided great help on a bunch of projects both for me and my friends this winter!
PS: I think it’s so totally awesome that I’m posting this as I soar across the country in an airplane. That’s why I have to mention it. Yep, internet on the airplane. I’ll be in Colorado for the next 5 days while my East coast peeps get pounded with snowstorms. Sorry, y’all!
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Linked to Frugalicious Friday over at Decor Mamma. Hop on over to see all the other great ideas shared there!
Last night the snow fell softly as we took the dog for a walk. It was heavenly. You know the way the sky seems to come alive with light when there’s falling snow? Love. It.
This morning I awoke to a bee-utiful winter wonderland. The fresh snow was sticky and heavy – perfect for snowballs, as I discovered last night – and it clung to the trees like nothing I’ve ever seen in Virginia before. My drive to work was magical, too. Even the highway felt like a secret, special corridor through the magical white trees.
This shot is just me having fun with my new kickass camera. Not bad for taking a quick close-up shot with no effort!
I’m in the midst of a huge reorganization project. And it’s looking downright ugly at the Borrowed Abode right now. This is what it looks like currently in the dining room office . . .
And in the living room . . .
And you don’t even want to see the bedroom or the guest room. I’ve got two more nights to get it all straightened out before I head to Colorado for 5 days!
I’ve done it again. Accumulated too much stuff, that is. I’ve been sorting and organizing and Freecycling like crazy since the new year began. I’ve got a few funky vintage items which I just couldn’t bear to Freecycle to someone who may not appreciate them. Therefore I’m considering either selling them on eBay or Etsy or doing a giveaway!
So I ask you: of the below items, are there any that you’d be interested in if I did a giveaway?
Vintage Lenox Temperware – “Sprite” pattern
I’d do a giveaway of four place settings (dinner plate, salad plate, cereal bowl, bread plate, cup, saucer). This stuff is precious but I just have too many dishes! My only concern is the cost of shipping such heavy stoneware dishes. I’ll look into it if y’all are interested!
Vintage Red and White Cake Tin
In decent shape but with some rust on the inside. Still cute as pie in my glass-doored cabinet!
Medium White Vase
On Monday, when I revealed my niece’s nursery makeover, I promised to share my thrifty fix for dressing up the walls. Excuse me, but have you seen the price of wall decor in baby stores? Not only is it pricey, it’s made of plastic or has cheesy quilted designs. Heck no.
Illustrated children’s books are a great source of inexpensive art. The clearance rack at my local brand-name bookstore did not disappoint. For only $5.00 I found a large book of illustrated nursery rhymes, many of which were the colors of the nursery bedding. Score!
First – the plan. Second – what really went down:
Supplies:
- Illustrated nursery rhyme book ($5)
- Old 11×14 photo frames, complete with white mats for 8×10 photos (already owned)
- White glossy spray-paint
The Plan:
- Spray-paint old photo frames a glossy white to coordinate with the nursery.
- Cut pages out of book.
- Select best nursery rhyme pages for framing, then mat and frame.
- Hang on framed “art” on wall.
- Stand back and pat self on back.
But here’s the down-and-dirty truth. This project didn’t end up being as inexpensive as I’d hoped. My brother and I set up a tarp in the alley behind his house, and proceeded to spray the paint on the frames. Huge gusts of wind came barreling down the alley, blowing the tarp around and consequently just messing up our spraypaint jobs. The paint went everywhere, too. All over me, all over my brother, and all over everything! And did I mention how cold it was?
Despite the strong winds we did manage to cover the frames in paint. We wiped the weird drips off and set them in the garage to dry. 5 hours later the normally fast-drying spray-paint was still wet, and the whole garage reeked of paint fumes. There was no way we could hang the frames in the home of a pregnant lady. First, she’d kill us. Second, she’d never let me in her house again without supervision.
What did I do? Fortunately I had bought a slew of white frames at Target “just in case.” I reluctantly turned to the back-up frames, mentally chiding myself for not spray-painting my frames ahead of time. Lesson learned: plan ahead, Jane!
We hung a two-page illustration of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star above the crib. That seemed fitting.
Then, as we all grew up studying music, it just seemed right to continue the “songs we played as kids” theme. Brahms’ Lullaby got hung above the cute little bookshelf, and we framed some smaller illustrations on the shelf:
As you can see, there’s still some blank spaces on the wall. I didn’t want to go overboard with the framed nursery rhymes. I’d like to do a bit of customized art on a canvas, but I’m not yet sure what I’d paint. Any suggestions?
For the full reveal and more details on the nursery makeover, hop on over here. Want more “thrifty fix” ideas? Click the link under Post Categories over in the side bar. Go on! What are you waiting for?
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Shared on Frugalicious Friday at Decor Mama. Hop on over there to see all the other great projects and enter her giveaway!
In November I challenged myself to cut my winter heating bill. Seeing that the wall-mounted room heaters did little to warm the place, I turned to my winter camping clothes to stay warm. Every night after work I’d don a camping outfit, topped off with a quilted vest for extra body warmth. I wasn’t much to look at, but even when I could see my breath in the air, I was warm.
At first I only ran a little heat in the morning, so I could comfortably get dressed after my shower. In December, however, when the outside temp dropped low enough to make even a polar bear cold, I ran the bedroom heat all night long. A bathroom-safe portable heater made my frigid bathroom tolerable in the morning, thanks to a built in clock and timer feature.
Were the savings really worth this misery? Yes!! It’s better for the environment. Plus, I don’t want to waste a single penny on excessive heat when I could be stashing it in my savings account for items such as my beloved Mitchell Gold sofa. Once I have that sofa I won’t feel the chill of 2010’s cold apartment one bit.
So has all that sacrificing paid off? Here’s the breakdown of what I’ve saved in the past two months:
| Winter2008-2009 | Winter2009 – 2010 | Savings | |
| November | $ 272.00 | $ 42.00 | $ 230.00 |
| December | $ 440.00 | $ 92.00 | $ 348.00 |
I’ve already saved over $550, and winter’s only half over!
I’ll admit some nights it was almost cold enough to make me give up. I didn’t keep the kitchen as clean as I would have liked, because it was just so darn cold – I didn’t want to be in there. No biggie, it was worth it.
These past two months have really showed me just how effective those small changes can be. I’ve gotten really good at monitoring my energy usage – keeping lights off in rooms I’m not using and unplugging appliances when not in use. Now I find myself with a new problem. When I think about buying and using an appliance, my first thought is “gasp” – how will this affect my power bill? Yeah, I’m a little obsessed. But I’d rather be overzealous and thrifty than naive and wasteful!
Here’s a shot of my power bill for proof. (Note: When the usage history says “Dec” it really is referring to Nov, because it billed me from Nov. 6 – Dec. 5, etc.)
How have you changed your habits or made changes to save a few bucks on utilities?
Oh my! I just discovered the fabulous array of sofas made by Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams. How did I not realize how awesome they were ’til now?
In my search for the perfect mid-century inspired sofa for my living room, I almost settled on one from Crate and Barrel. But I didn’t love the company, and I was torn between the retro style of the Petrie sofa:
and the clean, sleek lines of the Camden model:
I’m glad I didn’t spring for either of them yet.
Because, I now know that my one true sofa love is out there: the Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams Dexter Sofa. It’s the perfect blend of clean, sleek lines with funky mid-century style.
This beauty doesn’t come cheap. It costs more than I’ve ever spent furnishing an entire room, let alone buying one piece of furniture.
But it’s an investment, right? And when you invest in a good piece of furniture for your grown-up life, that piece should be one that you love. One that comes from a highly reputable company. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams‘ company sure fits the bill:
- Environmental stewardship. These guys are serious about taking care of the environment, and minimizing their company’s impact on it.
- Quality products. It’s a well-known fact that they make good stuff. ‘Nuff said.
- Made in the USA. No thanks, China, I don’t need your crappy and often poisonous products.
- Social responsibility. The company runs a non-profit daycare for employees at their North Carolina headquarters. They also have an educational scholarship program.
What else can you ask for in a furniture company?
Do you have any furniture companies that you think are equally as awesome?
As hinted at in my earlier post, last weekend I headed to my little brother’s house to do a quick room makeover while his wife was at work. He and I wanted to surprise his wife with a nursery for their almost-born daughter Caroline. I was pretty stoked to be able to create a girly room for my niece.
They’re fortunate to have just the spot for Caroline – a spare bedroom complete with attached bath. But the room was not quite nursery-ready:
That Saturday we only had an 8-hour window in which to transform the room, so my brother toiled long and hard the night before, getting the space cleared out and painted. We chose a nice neutral beige to keep the room flexible and landlord-friendly:
They had already been given a crib and changing table, but had no storage for the baby’s toys and books. We hopped over to Ikea and Tarjay and found a cute little bookshelf and some storage bins. The assembly of the bookshelf wen off without a hitch. (That’s a first for me, actually.)
We chose not to install the cardboard backing on the bookshelf. I really liked how the tan walls showed through the shelf, so why mess with perfection?
Only a few hours later, we had the crib and changing table assembled. I just about had a fit when it all came together. All the cheerful cuteness of pink and green and stuffed animals was just too much. Here’s the view as you enter the room:
And a view of the crib and adjoining bathroom:
(Note: DO NOT WORRY – My sis-in-law is planning to replace the wooden blinds for baby-proof window shade.)
I had great hopes for this final wall, the one across from the crib. Alas, it did not materialize quite as planned. We’d planned to install a white wooden shelf above the crib – one with hooks on it for bibs, and baskets for diaper-changing necessities. A windy spray-paint disaster adventure happened, and with the quick turnaround time for the surprise, the shelf just didn’t work out. But it will eventually.
Now that I’ve shown you the room, let’s talk details.
I’m not sure my little bro can complete a project in a room without fiddling with some wires. In this instance it came in quite handy: he switched out the hideously generic overhead fixture for a precious $6 one from Ikea. I was amazed at how simple and easy it was – I think even I could do it, with the right instructions. In fact my bro’s going to put together a step-by-step guide for me to share with you all later this week.
He also installed a dimmer switch to provide customizable lighting. That oughtta come in handy when he has to sneak into the room in the middle of the night to change those stinky diapers!
Ikea always offers a budget-friendly selection of plush toys for the little ones. I just loved the pink and green hand puppets, as well as the stuffed mouse – so of course I grabbed them for Caroline. I also threw together some framed art to dress up both the bookshelf and the walls.
I’ve got to give my bro props for spotting this whimsical owl lamp first at Tar-jay. I thought it was a perfect way to break up all the pink accents in the space, and we all know that lighting just makes a room.
We wanted to use the family rocking chair, so we added a cozy pink throw and a fun Owl pillow (again, Tarjay) to tie it into the room. Not bad for a $20 chair update!
As soon as Caroline is old enough to be put to work, she can learn to stash her toys in these bins that slide right under the bookshelf.
Later that night I was thrilled to hear that my sis-in-law came home from a “rough day at work” to find a nursery that she loved. I love surprising people just as much as I love a good “While you were out!” But while little Caroline’s nursery is off to a good start, I’m already itching to do more with it.
That’s it for today, but I’ll be sure to share some more in-depth details later this week.
Shared at Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch,
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