One of the major things I love about Navy Blue is how versatile it is. You can match it with yellow, lime green, coral, pink, black and white… the options are endless. Here are a few fun fact about navy blue:

• Navy blue got it’s name from the uniforms worn by the British Royal Navy.
• The first recorded use of “Navy Blue” as a color name was in 1840.
• The tone of Navy Blue was formulated as a Crayola color in 1958 and is actually a little brighter than the traditional Navy Blue.

Bringing navy blue in a room, whether it be through an accent chair, art or a big statement like wall color, can instantly add a soothing boldness to any room. Yeah, “soothing boldness” totally sounds like an oxymoron, but that’s the power of Navy. If you’re looking to add a subtle hint or bold hit of Navy Blue to your home, here are some of my current favorite pieces:

1 Enamel Navy Frame // 2 Melamine Ikat Dinner Plate
3 Bungalow 5 Isabella Side Table (sold out! boo!) Here’s a similar one.
4 Amy Gourd Glass Lamps // 5 Ink Blot Pillow
6 Buck Up Buttercup Print // 7 Study Wingback Chair

Top images from here, here and here.

Last week, I was shopping with a friend at Garden Ridge when down in the corner of the sea of gobs and gobs of wall art, there she was…

I noticed some damage here and there, which is why it was marked as 50% off, bringing the price down to $40. Ordinarily, I would pass it by and think “Aww, man. I wish it wasn’t damaged”. But for some reason, that day I was feeling a bit ambitious and was pretty confident I could fix the damage. So, I snatched it up and brought it home.

Large 36″x36″ Rodney White art for $40? Yes, please. Now, time to tackle the damage…

You can’t really see it from a distance, but there are some pretty bad small tears and places where the art started lifting from the wooden frame. It was also pretty dirty from being stacked up in a warehouse-like store for who knows how long.

To spruce it up and bring it back to new, started by cleaning it up with a soft cloth a a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol. Then I grabbed some red and green close-matching craft paints, matte Mod Podge and a some Q-Tips. The edges were easily fixed with a bit of Mod Podge. I ended up using my finger instead of a brush to get it in the creases evenly. I applied little dabs of paint here and there with a Q-tip them rubbed it in with my finger so it wouldn’t look too shiny or new. After about 15 minutes of doctoring it up, it was just like new again. Woot!

We hung the art in the laundry room over the green dresser (which we use for tool storage, extra light bulbs, batteries and all that jazz).

Since this is our “hub” for going in and out everyday, I wanted to keep the top of the dresser relatively empty to have room for stuff like mail that needs to go out, things that need to be returned, etc. So, all we have on the dresser is a small key tray, a faux Ikea plant (the best kind because I can’t kill it) and we moved the white ceramic bee container from the foyer to here – and yes, it is now holding dog treats for Bentley. He always gets his way.

I guess it was a good thing I was feeling extra confident that day in the store because you really can’t see the places where I repaired the artwork unless you look reeeeeeealllly hard. It’s nice to have a piece of Rodney White in the house, plus the $40 price tag isn’t too shabby.

Pictures of Rodney White prints found here.

The last time we were able to jump in on the challenge, we made these super cute Clothespin Herb Planters. This time around, we’re taking this opportunity to do a Pinterest project we’ve had our eye on for a few months – yes, “we” as in even Greg, haha. I showed him a few photos of various DIY sunburst mirrors on Pinterest and he said, “Huh, that’s cool. We should try that.” So, try we shall! After some pinning here and pinning there, we came up with a good set of photos to gain inspiration from…

Size & Shape: We really like the size and shape of this DIY mirror made from shims. The different length in the “rays” really help give it a lot of fun texture. Source. Color: While we love the idea of a gold sunburst mirror, we think a dark wood stain would look better with the rest of our decor. That, and dark wood makes my heart go pitter patter. Source. Mirror: Rather than gluing a mirror on the front with an un finished edge, we want to find a small round mirror with a simple frame to make the finished product look more, well, finished. Source.

Now that we have a game plan, we gathered all of our supplies:

• Shims (4 packs, 42 count, 12″ shims and 9 packs, 14 count, 8″ shims)
• Wood Glue (I used Gorilla Wood Glue, but any wood glue would do)
• Liquid Nails
• Painter’s Tape
• Stain (Special Walnut by Minwax)
• Foam Brush
• 12″x12″ Sheet of Plywood
• Picture Hanging Hardware (or a D-Ring)
• A 9 (ish)” Mirror (I used one from this set of mirrors from Target)
• A Stack of Books (or anything flat and heavy)

Starting with the 8″ shims first, I gathered 7 at a time, put a small line of wood glue between each one and shaped the cluster into a “ray”, like shown above. I found it a lot easier to put the wood glue on between the shims then shape it into a cluster, rather than trying to shape it as I glued.

Once the cluster was the right length (about 12″ long), I held it together really tight and wrapped a piece of paper tape around them to hold it together while the glue set. For the longer clusters, I switched over to painter’s tape because it was stronger and thicker.

I did the same process for the 12″ shims, but instead used 9 shims in each cluster and positioned them in a more random order – just like our first inspiration photo. I made sure the first and last shim were the same height and the third and seventh shim were the two tallest. Other than that, I kept things pretty random to have some variance between clusters. Oh, and I made 17 of each size, 34 total.

I let the wood pieces dry overnight with the tape on them. The next morning, I took the tape off and laid the clusters out on a piece of craft paper on the kitchen counter. This process proved to be a little tedious at times, so I called on Greg and his good puzzle-working skills to put it together. Using wood glue, we glued the pieces together, keeping them lined up to make sure the entire frame was an even circle. After the complete circle was glued, Greg stuck in a few 8″ shims from the other direction to fill in the gaps here and there. The glue was totally dripping in this photo because I asked Greg to hold it a second while I took a photo, haha.

For the next step in the process, we took the now dry frame outside. By the way, it’s super important to make sure the frame is completely dry before you try to move it. First of all, stain is stinky and I’ve had a history of spilling stain. Yeah, not good. Since the stain was mainly going on the rough, unfinished edges of the shims, it soaked right in.

Let’s back up a second because I forgot to take a photo when Greg was actually doing this step. Before we stained it, Greg glued on a 12″ piece of plywood that he cut into a circle – okay, more like an amoeba – to serve as the backing for the mirror. Then, I had to exude every bit of grown-up patience I had in me and wait for the glue to dry. I kept wanting to turn it over to see the mirror in hole, but ended up letting it sit overnight so it would be nice and firm before I picked it up. Greg put some heavy books on top of it to make sure it would dry nice and flat. Once that was done, we attached a D-ring with the screw that came with it.

Once the frame was dry, Greg sprayed a few light coats of gloss exterior varnish. He actually started out using a satin finish varnish, but it made the mirror a little lack luster and dull. So, for the second and third coat, he switched to gloss finish varnish. Even though the varnish is clear, this really helped even out the texture of the shims and made it look more store-bought rather than DIY. He also coated the back of the frame to prevent any future rotting from the outdoor humidity.

Now, the mirror. Finally! We put some Liquid Nails on the back of the mirror and placed in the middle of the frame, making sure it was equal distance from each side, and set a stack of heavy books on top. And let it dry. Again. So. Much. Drying Time.

Done! I had a hard time deciding where to hang it because I LOVE it so much! We ultimately decided on hanging it outside in the carport, over the love seat. That way, we’ll be able to enjoy it every time we come in and out of the house and we get to show it off easily when people come over, haha.

Even though it was totally unplanned, we really like the variation in tone between the short and long clusters. This ended up happening because the 8″ shims were a little smoother than the 12″ shims and didn’t soak up as much stain.

Yeah, I just had to throw in a detail shot. Since we’re planning on planking the carport ceiling, we’re excited to have it tie in with the wood of the new mirror.

Overall, we’re super happy with how it came out and really glad we had the Pinterest Challenge to put a fire under us and get it done. Now that we have this super nice wall decor to look at when we’re outside, we’re even more excited to get the rest of the carport finished.

It’s pretty much a blank canvas, but if you look a little closer, you’ll see a few major things we need to address before we get to the fun decorating stuff…

Project #1: The ceiling. As you can see from the photo above, the ceiling is in pretty bad shape. The paint, which was once white (probably back in the 70′s!) is now a sickly-looking yellow, dirty and peeling like crazy. Then there are the lights, which have seen their better days. Project#2: The floor. The previous owners used the carport as, well, a carport, so there are a lot of grease and oil stains from years of car-parking. I also may or may not have spilled a cup of stain on the floor when we were working on a project. Go me. Project #3: The handrails. The simplest project of them all, they just need a quick sanding and a fresh coat of black paint to bring them back to life.

Once we get all of those things under our belt over the next few weeks, we’re teaming up with Target (which happens to be our favorite place on Earth, right after Disney World) to bring some color, comfort and fun to the space. So. Excited. Here’s the plan…

ONE // Like we mentioned earlier, the ceiling is in bad shape. Structurally speaking, it’s fine – it just needs a major facelift. We’re currently weighing the options of scraping, priming and re-painting as opposed to going a step further and cover it up a treatment of some sort such as planks of medium/dark stained wood. Either way, it will look a lot better than what’s going on now.

TWO // Once the ceiling is finished, we’re going to move on to the floor. We’re still debating on whether to paint it or do the whole epoxy/paint treatment (anyone have any experience with this?). Either way, all of the nastiness is going to get covered up with a neutral shade of gray – similar to brand spanking new concrete.

THREE // Throw up some globe string lights and you have yourself an instant party. Aside from replacing the two overhead lights (we’re thinking something silver to pop against the medium/dark planks), we’re going to line the perimeter of the carport with some fun string lights. We actually hung some a few months ago but never blogged about it because the ceiling is just too plain ugly (you can see them in the before photo at the top of this post). This time around, my dad, who’s a licensed electrician, is going to help us install an outlet in the ceiling so we don’t have an extension cord running down the corner next to the door. Yay for dads!

FOUR // New patio furniture isn’t in the budget for this project, but we’re totally in love with Target’s Belvedere Conversation Set. The furniture we have is the same size and color, so we’re going to soften it up with pillows and accessories and try our best to make a cozy and inviting conversation area.

FIVE // I am in love with these Threshold Metal Lanterns. When I picked them up in the store, I was so surprised at how heavy and well-made they were. A few of these on the console table with some flameless candles will add some nice ambiance to the area.

SIX // A part of making a cozy conversation area (as mentioned in #4) is making things as comfortable as possible. We’re going to add at least five outdoor pillows to the furniture. I’m particularly loving these, these and these. Ahh, can’t get enough pillows.

SEVEN // I love, love, love to entertain and having friends over to just hang out. So, when everything is all spruced up, we’re going to be throwing a summer kick-off get-together out on our new “carport patio”. Can. Not. Wait. Everything tastes better in a mason jar – especially during the summer – and I love the relaxed casual look of using mason jars as drinking glasses at a party. So, that’s what we’ll be doing.

EIGHT // I’ve said it a bajillion times, but I love using all white dishes when we entertain. You can add color by mixing in whatever combo you want with special dishes (trays, serving bowls, etc) and colorful linens. For this shindig, I’m going to use this awesome Threshold platter as my “inspiration piece” and will be including corals, reds and a few pops of yellow.

NINE // For our summer kick-off get-together, we’re teaming with fellow Target Inner Circle Member and food blog extraordinaire, Gina, from SkinnyTaste. She creates the most delicious skinny recipes that totally don’t taste like “diet food”. Around here, we’re big fans of her Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Melted Mozzarella and Mexican “Unfried” Ice Cream. She’s pretty awesome. She’ll be putting together a healthy, fresh menu for our get together, and I can’t wait to hear what she has in mind. Plus, it will be a load of pressure taken off of us not to have to spend time figuring out the menu when we can be decorating, haha.

So there you have it, our grand plan. It seems like everyone in Blogland is sprucing up the outside of their houses. How about you, are you getting ready for summer too?

What I love about this room is that is can easily grow up. Just take away the One Direction poster and switch out the owl side table and you’ve got yourself an airy feminine room. Okay, keep the owl side table. I love it too. Now, for the 411…

Finishes // Barely there “greige” walls, dark walnut wood furniture with simple lines and navy blue and coral accents.

1 //  Charles White Round Mirror // I’m in love with this mirror. The simple lines will tie in with the furniture but the round shape will add some needed curves to pull off the girly vibe. Look for Less: Try out a DIY version by cutting small white PVC and gluing the pieces onto round, white-framed mirror.

2 // Wyatt Bed with Storage // This simple bed brings a nice streamlined style and soft upholstery to the bedroom and even has a hidden drawer that pulls out from the foot of the bed for extra storage space – something every tween girl can use.

3 // Bulldog Pillow & Ikat Pillow // These two pillows are the perfect mix of fun and class. The bulldog shows a bit of modern personality, while the Ikat brings in a little class that moms will love, too. Look for Less: Search Etsy for affordable and stylish pillow covers.

4 // Mercury Glass Lamp // I switched out the lampshade that comes on this lamp with a plain white drum shade to tie in with the crisp white bedding. The base will add some fun metallic texture and be a nice contrast against the dark wood side table.

5 // Modern Chair // I’m such a big fan of this chair (in every color!). The gray version is soothing and plays as a great backdrop for the bright accent colors throughout the room. Oh, and I “stained” the legs darker to tie in to the side table (thanks to some Photoshop magic). It would be pretty easy for any DIYer to sand the legs down, stain them, and re-apply a thin coat of polyurethane.

6 // Owl Garden Side Table // This little garden side table adds a touch of whimsy and is perfect for a classy tween girly girl.

7 // Heirloom Rug // Adding yet another big pop of color, this yellow rug is kind of like adding fresh tomatoes to a pesto pizza – it adds the perfect amount of acidity to balance everything out. Is it lunch time?

8 // Steppe Nightstand // The solid wood construction of this night stand is made to last through the teen years. Look for Less: This nightstand is made from less durable material, but it has the same lines at a fraction of the price.

9 // Bodega Storage Box Set // These storage boxes tie in well with the color scheme and are a perfect place to stash notes from friends and important keepsakes. Look for Less: Paint a set of unfinished wooden boxes (found at Michaels) with high gloss coral paint and embellish with silver nail heads or thumb tacks.

10 // Be You Print // Fun, modern art and a great motto for a tween girl to live by. The metallic gold text will bring in some glam that every girl needs.

11 // Fetco Cork Board // What’s a tween room without a memo board? A few of these little cork boards lined up over a desk will be great for reminders, photos and notes from mom. And they’re on sale for $6!

So, what’s the verdict? If you were a Tween again, would this room be your cup of tea?