Art Wall

start with art: a map inspired big boy room

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:38:00 +0000

This edition of "start with art" is inspired by a soon-to-be-three year old boy giving up his nursery for the newest member of the family. The former guest room needs an upgrade to suit this rambunctious colorful boy. What better place to start than with the art, I love the colors of the World Map in Aqua by These are Things, $99. The rest of the items are sourced below

Clockwise from the top:

-Small globe, $27, Chirp, Etsy The one shown is sold out. Here is another.

-Map, $99, These are things

-Owl night light, $49, Fruitfly Pie, Etsy

-Orange Pattern Pillowcases $68/2, Anthropologie

Turquoise Sheet set, $54, Urban Outfitters

Map Pillow, $55, My Bearded Pigeon, Etsy

White Duvet, $103, West Elm

Orange Blanket (for the foot of bed) $98, Garnet Hill

Suitcase Set, $25, Land of Nod

Flor Tiles, total of 18, $216, Flor

Armchair, $199, Ikea

Yellow/White striped fabric for window treatments, $6/yard, Fabric.com

Pillow for armchair, $75, Plum Cushion on Etsy

Overhead light, $59, CB2

Dresser Lamp, $35, Land of Nod

Orange Dresser (image for inspiration) Sydney Barton Painted Furniture

a year's worth of cards, and some other goals

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:55:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

It's been a while but I'm back in business, this year at a slower pace. No, not slow as in...not posting for 7 months, slow as in...posting once per week. That's my goal, let's see if it sticks.

One goal that did stick was making a year's worth of cards. I've been working on this project for a week now and I'm pretty much done. A major January purge/de-stash has ensued and sadly my Gocco and supplies have got to go. I wanted to make the most of the little beauty before I said goodbye so I printed up about 150 cards with the most important sentiments: happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, sympathy, etc etc. I left most of the cards empty with just the printed words but the birthday cards I actually finished up, addressed, stamped, enclosed and put in queue. I didn't actually write anything in them yet, I thought that would be a bit tacky, especially for the birthdays that are 11-12 months from now, but that part's easy. I'm usually late mailing birthday cards, if I get to it at all so I'm feeling great about being on top of it this year. I put together exactly 37 birthday cards for my closest friends and family, with a few leftovers for anyone I may have forgotten. Here's a little sampling:

It's hard for me to come up with designs that aren't too girly but I think I've got a few here. I still need to make one more round of cards before the Gocco goes bye-bye, but I'm happy to have gotten so much use out of it. I'm not going to list greeting cards to my Etsy store but if you're interested in any we can work it out another way.

Other intentions for the new year involve:

1) Organizing and de-cluttering (of course.)

2) Redoing my dining room--not a total redo, just painting the walls and reupholstering/refinishing the table and chairs set.

2) Panting all the trim in the house. It's time.

3) Improving photography. I think this one will forever be on the list.

4) Refinishing our deck. This might be one for the pro's, we'll see.

5) Continuing to improve with meal planning.

6) Devise and start to implement a new plan for Art Wall by the end of January.

my 2011 intentions, how am I doing?

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Since we are one month away from being half done with 2011, I wanted to go through my year's intentions I think I'm doing pretty well...

1) Finish curtains for my girl's room, check

2) Answer my phone more, I'm doing much, much better with this and now I don't need to return nearly as many phone calls, what a bonus!

3) Weekly meal planning was going really well until the boy came along. It's on hold for now.

4) I did have a baby boy, a pretty cute one, I might add.

5) My painting projects are on-going. I did finish Polly's doors, her side table, the entryway and basement. I have yet to do her closet and rocking chair.

6) I've been lousy at tracking spending. I only did it one month and I think it depressed me too much. Maybe I'll resume it, but probably not.

7) I didn't really do much to enjoy the winter. Maybe next year.

8) I am listening to more music and enjoying it thoroughly.

9) So far I have printed out about a year and a half's worth of pictures. Only 9.5 more to go! It was pretty easy, actually, I just highlighted the images I wanted in iPhoto, then uploaded them to flickr as private, then chose to print them through snapfish (the two are linked.) So far, they are in order in a photobox.

10) I've been doing a good job of using the supplies that I have. Tucker's thank you cards were made out of old supplies and I'm doing his announcements using old A6 envelopes.

11) Photography progress: I bought and am reading Nicole's Photo 101 book, and it has been a great refresher and motivator. I want to take one of her classes, too, once I have a bit more time hands-free.

12) Party? Not yet. Still got 7 months for that one.

Images:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

I'm back, and my newest craigslist find

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:33:00 +0000

I'm baaaaaaack. For now, anyway. I had forgotten how hard it is to do anything with a newborn. This little guy is not a fan of being put down so my hands are tied approximately 15 hours per day. Fun!

I've discovered a great one-handed past time (via Marcy Davy of All Things Grow) called Craigs Easy. It allows you to search Craigslist in pictures vs. clicking on every link. If you haven't tried it yet, do it now. The image above is a screenshot of the site in action.

I had basically given up on Craigslist out of lack of time and patience unless I had something really specific I was looking for, but this new little discovery helped me find this new chair for my girl's room for $150.00. It is pretty much the most comfortable chair I have ever sat in and the upholstery is in perfect shape. I'm not sure how long it will stay in her room, though. My favorite part of the chair is the back, and it's not showcased (or even seen) in its current home.

I really liked the green chair I had in her room before, but it is 1/2 of a pair of chairs (also a craigslist find.) I've signed up for the next MATC upholstery class so I plan on finishing up the 2nd chair and putting them together in the living room. I really like pairs of chairs together.

I've got a few other little things going on but my boy is up now so I'll pop back later. Have a great Friday!

a son is born

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:22:00 +0000

If you haven't guessed it yet, my hiatus over the past few weeks is due to the birth of my boy, Tucker. He's perfectly healthy and we are so happy. We've been in adjustment mode so far and will probably continue in this gear for at least a few more weeks.

I'll be back with more frequent posts once the dust settles.

more inexpensive framing ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:58:00 +0000

last month my Lucky came with a bonus Lucky Kids Mag. I still have a hard time believing any new Conde Nast magazine is more worthwhile than Domino...seriously? But I looked it over and it had some great little worth-while features. I especially made note of their page on framing kids' art. Of course, all of these options will work for adult art, too...the point is that the options are affordable.

I'm sorry the photograph is not one of my best. My favorite option is listed at the top left: "Sleek metal bars that expand to any height and transform kindergarden scrawl into something gallery-worthy. Jorgen Moller 18" Aluminum Original Posterhanger, $16, Posterhanger.com."

I also liked the vertical wooden stacking bars towards the top right which "are totally customizable and create a cool column effect. Sabine Meyer postcard picture holder $38.00, Momastore.org."

Of course, I always go back to my old top 10 list of inexpensive framing options, which could probably use a bit of updating but is still pretty relevant.

mounting artwork on wood

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Today's post is about an inexpensive option for displaying artwork. Recently, I had a lot of pieces to hang all at once (for the kiddos rooms) so I needed an option that wasn't going to break the bank. I found these wooden painting panels at a local art shop on campus. Each of them was less than $10 which worked into my budget wonderfully considering I had 13 pieces to hang.

I considered glueing them with PVA/methyl cellulose so that I could have a little extra drying time to make sure my mounts were properly placed. Because of the possible wrinkle factor with glue, I decided to dry mount them using my Xyron (best tool ever!) and just made sure I had a steady hand and focused eye. It was a little scary knowing I couldn't correct my work at all but I actually didn't make any mistakes that were too noticeable. Most of the pieces were just a teeny bit larger than the boards so I shaved off any excess with an Xacto after I had finished each mount.

I like the way they are elevated from the wall, I think it makes them seem a little more special. This is a great hanging option for anyone who loves buying prints but doesn't love paying for framing, but still wants their pieces to look great.

First image: mounted piece is from Bucks County Frames.

Second image: artwork is broken down in this post.

start with art: michelle armas

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:15:00 +0000

This edition of "Start with Art" is dedicated to...me. I've been thinking about redoing my dining room for a bit now. Not a total re-do but a freshening up. I've got way too much yellow going on right now and I'm over the terra cotta walls. I bought a new dining room set super cheap on Craig's. Actually, rewinding a bit, I bought a set of 5 shield-back chairs at a local antique store for $125. My plan was to buy 2 arm chairs to supplement the side chairs, but I found a set of 6 matching shield-back chairs and an oval table during my search for $250, which was less than I thought the 2 chairs would be. Needless to say, I now have 11 chairs and a table to refinish/rework. My normal limit of furniture I allow myself to keep en queue is one. Unfortunately, I already had one piece waiting before any of this craziness so now there's a total of 13 pieces in my basement waiting for love.

But don't fear, I have a plan.

-I've been pining after Michelle Armas's pieces for some time now and I've decided to use this piece as inspiration for the room. The colors are absolutely perfect. In real life, I will probably buy one of her prints, I'm not sure a $1400 painting is in my future but a girl can dream.

-The brown bambooish drapes, the light fixture, buffet, rug and mirror are here to stay.

-The current table and chairs are up for grabs.

-I've already found someone to sand and paint the chairs white for a reasonable price with a 10-day turn-around.

-My spring/summer project will be the table and upholstery.

-I'm thinking either the Imperial Trellis, Chiang Mai Dragon or a simple green/cream houndstooth fabric for the chairs.

-The brown and pink pillows will go on the bench I have in the room.

-I'm undecided about the walls still. (paint/wallpaper/stencil)

I think that covers everything. Anyone wanna buy a dining set?

the updated nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:07:00 +0000

I just realized last night that a post I wrote last Monday about taking a blogging break to nest-up was never published, further proving the point that I needed to take said break. A friend of mine that was due to have her baby the day after me gave birth a week ago, which really made me feel like it was time to knock some things off my list while I still could. It was a good week.

I didn't really have to change that much in the nursery, all the bigger items stayed. It was fun to dress these shelves for a boy using stuff we had around the house already. That baseball mitt, I thought was my husband's, but he informed me it was from the 1940's or something like that and he couldn't remember how or when he got it. The chalk board belonged to his mom (it was a double hinged one that was falling apart.) You might notice it says "T" but don't start guessing yet, we really don't have a name picked out.

The tricycle photograph is by Sweet Eventide. It's in an Ikea Ribba frame, with a professional mat. The little bookshelves (inspired by this post) are Bevkam spice racks ($3.99 each) from Ikea. I used two here, one on the side of the glider and one on the changing table to house creams and wipes and such.

The bunting was left over from when this was my girl's nursery. I had to flip the pink/girly fabrics that were showing so that the assortment was more boyish. Ryan still thinks there's too many flowers on it but oh well. My mom helped me make the shades out of some sheets we were using in the former guest room. They're the "Max" pattern from Serena and Lily. She made the crib skirt out of the same material.

It's a bit hard to see the mobile in any of these photos, here's a closer shot. The wooden nursery rhyme-themed pieces were part of my baby mobile from the '70's. I updated it with a new, more modern mobile base.

The egg lamp was my biggest purchase for the room. It's more of a nightlight and casts a dreamy glow over the room at night.

The spice rack again, attached to the changing table.

I used a lot of art in the room from the Art Wall website. This little assortment features the other half of my MIL's chalk board, dressed with one of the nursery rhyme mobile parts and Shanna Murray's words. Next to that is an original by Papersparrow. There are two prints in the nursery by Gretchenmist. The photo is a limited edition metallic print by Jen Zahigian of Roadside Photographs. I made the embroidery piece with a sample Hable fabric.

The second Gretchenmist print connects the two little art clusters nicely. The "Small Mighty" photograph is the second Sweet Eventide piece in the room. The tree stump piece is a Gocco print by The Littlest Flower. The banana pinewood derby was made by my husband as a kid. I'm not sure who took the photo, someone with a nice lens (thank you.) The second embroidery piece/clock was also made by me. Most of the artwork was mounted using a Xyron onto wood painting panels, an easy and inexpensive option for framing. Tutorial to follow.

art wall fix from three red apples

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 21:36:00 +0000

What a beautiful and inviting space. It looked very European to me when I came across it on flickr, so I wasn't surprised to find that Annabelle from Three Red Apples is French and currently lives in the UK. It's interesting, if you look through the shop and flickr stream, you can see a very similar look and feel between the artwork she creates and the look she curates for her home. Beautiful feminine colors, lots of crisp whites and vintage pretties. It's hard to get a good gander at the art wall but I'm sure I see a few of her embroidery hoop creations there, along with some prints and a vintage mirror. Lovely.

help for japan

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:43:00 +0000

A few beautiful ways to help Japan. The most simple being a text to the Red Cross, just enter: REDCROSS to 90999

The minds behind W+K studio have come up with this very cool poster to help the cause. The suggested donation is $25.00 and all proceeds go to the red cross.

One of my favorite photographers Alicia Bock has created these limited edition fine art photographs for the cause. Proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross relief efforts in Japan. Different sizes are different prices.

sweet p's toddler room is finally finished

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:39:00 +0000

It's actually been finished for a while now, it just took some time to snap the pictures. The room is on the smaller size, and has some weird angles as you'll see so it's hard to get a good perspective on it. I have the full set of room images on flickr, and also some before/after projects from the room.

I reupholstered the seat of this chair in a class I took a while back. It sat in my basement for 3 years, then I finally gave it to a pro to finish up for $150.00.

This was my bed growing up. I made a decal of sorts using regular text-weight paper, navy blue acrylic paint and adhered it with Xyron. I was going to paint it straight onto the bed but I got scared...and wise.

It's a little crowded with the table/chairs added but it's probably the thing that keeps her playing in here the longest. She loves to prepare meals and tea parties for her babies.

These shelves are made from the tops of doorways (not sure what they are called.) They came from a salvage yard in Illinois, and were from a University building at my alma mater: U of I. I had these for probably 6 years before I did anything with them. The other 2 are up for grabs, I'm not sure I can hold onto them for a another 6 years.

Painted table and chairs...one of the "to do" items on my 2011 intentions list, check!

A well-used reading nook with room for babies and kitties, too.

A very hard to find navy lampshade, etsy lamp, and vintage owl night light (also from etsy.)

The original inspiration board. The only thing I didn't do was include the pink bins. I didn't have a place for them once everything was in the room.

tuesday's top 12: spring things

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:44:00 +0000

This break in the cold is getting me so excited for spring. I can hear it, smell it and tonight, I tasted it (yummy fresh asparagus.) Here's 12 things I'm looking forward to this season:

1) Spring wreaths. This one is $50.00, by SaffronFields.

2) Easter eggs. Image

3) Spring gardens. Image

4) Opening up the windows. This photograph is available for $8.00, PublicBookStore.

5) Birds chirping image. 8x10 print, $30, NatureMandalas.

6) Flowering branches. 8x12 print, $40, HeyZee.

7) Ranunculus, my favorite flower, is available at the grocery store for a song. 8x12 print, $40, HeyZee.

8) Longer days!! Good Day Sunshine Print, $15, Colorbee.

9) Being able to make a posey from my own back yard. Image: Katie Stephenson

10) Green grass. This is wheat grass though, which I also love in the spring..planting some tomorrow. Image: Katie Stephenson

11) Delicious fresh asparagus at the grocery. Image

12) I really do like spring cleaning. Image

accepting scholarship submissions: gocco studio

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:02:00 +0000

It's time, folks, I need to get back to creating new pages on the Art Wall website, starting with the studio. I'll be accepting submissions on scholarship, which is a fancy way of saying it's free! Did you know that the studio was the jumping-off point for the entire Art Wall site? I wanted a nice way to showcase my favorite finds for Save Gocco-- a way to promote other artist's work using Gocco with no kick-backs or anything more than maybe simply a thank-you. For that reason, it feels only right to keep that room as simply promotional and gratis. So there you go, submit away. There's one condition, your work has to be Gocco'd and it has to be good, get it?

cuckoo clock installation from the land of wandawega

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Okay, I'm still thinking about Camp Wandawega, remember my post from last Friday? I am in awe of Teresa Surratt's ability to put together collections using unexpected things.

This grouping of 5 cuckoo clocks was hunted, gathered, painted and installed by Teresa for her new baby daughter's nursery at the camp. I love that it's not all girly pink and yellow.

Darnit if they don't make me want to hit up ebay for some of my own, they look so charming.

I also included a few more shots of the nursery because it's that kind of room. Paint by numbers mural, vintage crib and light fixture, painted blue floors...check! Baby Charlie is going to love her trips to Wisconsin.

art wall fix from renee anne

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:55:00 +0000

Remember this sweet polaroid art wall from Renee Anne? Well, she's moved and has a new place to decorate! I recognize that geometric Michelle Armas print there on the right. I'm literally dreaming about those colors right now. Someone remind me that color trends are fleeting before I redecorate my whole house.

camp wandawega

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Each summer we get together with a dispersed group of my husband's friends from college and their families in Wisconsin for a mini-vacation. I'm not sure the group would go for it (it's less than luxurious) but I'd love to check out Camp Wandawega some summer.

A former church camp, this Elkhorn, Wisconsin property has been lovingly restored, decorated and brought back to life by Chicago couple Teresa Surratt and her husband David Hernandez. The Camp offers 3 vintage boyscout tents, a 3, 2, and 1-bedroom cabin, and lots of room to roam, complete with an archery range, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a campfire area, shuffleboard, horseshoe pit, private beach, pier and canoes, there is something for everyone. The information is vague on the shower/bathroom situation so this may be a destination for when the kiddos (most are aged 0-3 years at this point) get a bit older, but how fun would it be to spend time every summer in this charming spot? The one drawback I can see is the lake itself. A tourist would not expect that this lake is not exactly "resort-y" I think it is 5-feet deep at most so don't expect to bring your speed boat.

Check out Teresa's blog, where she talks about thrifting, curating and spiffing up the camp.

NOTE: The Brimfield Come Flea with Me group is teaming up with Camp Wandawega to offer a campy shopping event the weekend of May 15th. To learn more, visit comefleawithme.com, visit the Brimfield store or call 773-520-4338.

Images: Theresa Surratt

lost and found

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:50:00 +0000

I've never been one for making impulse buys, especially with furniture. If you check in with my blog from time to time, you'll notice I have a little lust going on for the swinging rattan chair, as evidenced recently here, and also here. I saw one last week on a random trip I took through Westside Antique Mall priced at $100. I made a mental note of it and walked on, 99% sure I would buy it, just not that day. Fast-forward to today and of course, the swing was gone. Every other item seemed to still be living there but the swing chair is no more. I don't let things like that get me down too much, I just move on from them and look at the up side-at least I don't have to store anything in my basement before it gets dressed up (I try to allow myself only one piece of furniture "en queue" at a time. I have a cane chair waiting for me patiently so I'm already at my self-imposed limit.

I've been falling out of love with my dining room lately, remember this post? I haven't done anything with the room yet, but I found those shield-back chairs from the dining room post priced at $125 for 5 during today's trip! Ummmm, that's $25 each. Lesson learned, I promptly snatched the price tag and paid for them. I would prefer 6, but since I plan to upholster the "shield" part of the chair, I don't think it should be too hard to find one more. Another option would be to find 2 complimentary captain-style arm chairs, and just use 4 of the shield chairs, or I could substitute a bench on one side and do the four shield chairs. I'm rambling here. Now, what to do with the finish and upholstery?

start with art, nursery inspiration: paper sparrow's mushroom city

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:47:00 +0000

Okay, I know, all this nursery obsession has got to stop. I'm so focused on getting my kids rooms finished (I think that's the first time I've ever referred to my 2-year old and my unborn boy as my kids) I can't think of anything else. This nursery is made for a little girl, but it's not precious, it has bright pink red and turquoise as the main colors, I'm not much of a fan of pastels for the nursery. The artwork I started with is Mushroom City by Papersparrow. It's one of my favorites from her collection.

1) Mushroom City, Papersparrow

2) Soft Whit Scalloped Mirror or Frame, $74.00, Uncommon

3) Medium Birdhouse #4, $175.00, Tamar Modendorff

4) Confetti Mobile, $75.00, Frasier and Wing

5) Pagoda Chandelier, $695.00, Jayson Home and Garden

6) Turquoise Baby Bedding, Carousel Design

7) Dusty Pink Allium (fabric for drapes), price upon request, Hable Construction

8) 20x20 Big Beads Pillow, $90.00, Hable Construction

9) Rattan Hanging Chair, $450.00, Gore Dean

10) Summer Trellis Hooked Rug, $450.00, Shades ff Light

11) Ceramic Owl Lamp, $55.00, FruitFlyPie

12) Flower Garland, $57.00 EmmaLamb

13) Context Children's Furniture, 2Modern

tuesday's top 12: melon, my new fave color

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:15:00 +0000

This peachy-pink melony color has been on my radar for some time now. I was surprised when Pantone's top 10 colors didn't include my favorite for 2011...what do they know? Despite Pantone's snub, I've been spotting this color a lot recently, here's a list of my 12 favorite pops of this lovely hue:

1) Solid Cashmere Throw in Lantana, $198, WS Home

2) Punch Paint, $45.00, Serena and Lily

3) Black Bear Art Byron, $18.00, Amber Alexander

4) Capri 48x48" acrylic on canvas painting, $1400, Michelle Armas

5) Silk Organza Alannah Dress in Ornamental Pink, $250.00, JCrew

6) Library Card Notebook, $6.00, Crabappledesign

Background: Pink Orange Marble Fine Paper, $20, Paper Source

7) Set of 4 Walldeco Birds, $65.00, Hygge & West

8) Natural World Dessert Plates, $18 each, Anthropologie

9) Sarah's House, HGTV

10) "Cookie" Cabachons, $3.95/set, DelishBeads

11) Carnivale Print, $30.00, Laura Mae Dooris

12) Skycab No 2. 8x10 Metallic Print Edition of 50, $25.00, Roadside Photographs

Background: Cloud 9 Organic Fabric, $16.50/yd, Fabric Worm

pining four: happy candy colors

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Compared to most, it has been a pretty sunny winter here in Wisconsin. That said, the last 2 days have been some of the greyest/dreariest of the season. That could be why I'm lusting after these candy-colored full-of-fun little pretties:

1) Washi Tape, $13.00, RickyandNina

2) Banderole Pencil Set, $12/set, Anthropologie

3) Paper Straws, $12/pack, Sweet Lulu

4) Divine Twine, $15.00/spool, Whiskergraphics. Image: Susan Kalegeris via Rock Paper Scissors

some time away and an ikea trip

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:39:00 +0000

I hadn't really planned on taking the week off from Art Wall but we were in Chicago the past few days and our internet connection was shotty at best. I spent the days with my girl, mostly, my husband was busy with work stuff but we did manage to squeak out a family trip to the Schaumburg Ikea on the way down, complete with a cafeteria lunch of Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes. We managed to spend less than $30, which is an all time record low for me. With that said, we bought a total of 6 things, four being my new favorite Ikea purchase of all time...

the Bekvam Spice Rack, $3.99. Lifting the idea from this post, I used 2 of them to make book shelves in the nursery, one is hidden behind the rocker to house midnight feeding needs and the fourth one is now attached to the changing table for easy access to lotions and potions that normally go on the shelf above baby's head. I painted the 3 that are now attached to the wall the same color as the wall. The one on the changing table is now chameleon green to match it. The wood by itself is fairly nice (not pressed) though it could use a little sanding and maybe a stain or sealer of some sort if you want to keep the natural wood color.

I also ran into this little number which I'm seriously considering for the big-girl room. The shape looks really odd in the picture but in real life, the departure from perfect rectangle is refreshing. Her floors are not in the best shape, and this 9x9' rug would hide most of it, and at $300 the price is right.

The mood board I put together before the work on her room started is turning out to be spot-on. I had just been thinking that there aren't quite enough navy elements in her room so this rug could solve that problem, too. Of course, the pink "accents" are taking over. It's so hard to get away from that color in a girl's room. It's nearly done, though, I just need to hang a few things, figure out the rug and do a little painting. Same with the nursery, show-and-tell to follow.

vouching four: fixing the february flaws

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:45:00 +0000

Four things I've done recently to help fix the february flaws:

1) Get an updo. Do you have a leftover spa gift certificate from Christmas or your birthday? Instead of cashing in on a mani/pedi or a massage, paint your own nails, ask your sweetie to rub your back and splurge on an updo. I went to a party last weekend and got my hair "did" at 10:00am..which made for a fun day of looking fancy and unfortunately no way to take a nap, but it was worth it. Image

2) A little humidity. Botanic gardens need not be forgotten in winter, especially when they have a greenhouse/conservatory. This is hands-down my #1 cure for the winter blues, and it only costs $1.00. One step in this rain forest and my frizzy hair relaxes, my skin plumps up and my mood lightens. The last time I went, I saw a girl hunkered down in the corner reading. What a nice way to spend the afternoon.

3) Window shopping. Do you have a special shop or store that you feel inspired in? You don't even need to buy anything, just seeing the sights and smelling the smells can be all you need. This paper gown was spotted in my local Anthropologie window.

4) Snow ice cream. When life gives you snow, make snow ice cream. If you've never made this fun treat, you have to wait for a day when it snows...a lot. Gather loads of fresh snow and add milk until you get a nice slushy (but not wet) consistency. Add the sweetener of your choice, flavor and food coloring. Mint, lemon and peppermint are my favorites.

d.i.y. valentine

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:54:00 +0000

Funny, I was just thinking about this ole valentine and wondering where it went. I was organizing our dusty exercise equipment yesterday and saw it shoved in a corner. I gave this to my husband, before he was my husband, probably 7 or 8 years ago. It's a great idea for a thoughtful valentine that you can make yourself.

For the card itself, I printed on vellum and glued (probably Xyroned) the vellum onto zexy snakeskin/croc? decorative paper, then stuck that on a blank black card. Not sure why I had or used black, it seems an odd choice for me but anyway...

For the sentiments, I think what I did was just print all 50 on each piece of paper (I picked a textured white, a vellum and a red) then only used 17 or so little notes from each paper type, and tossed the rest. I'm sure I used a rotary cutter, too, I'm awful at cutting straight lines with scissors.

So, so easy and sweet, I think the hardest part was coming up with the 50 "things."

pining four: nursery re-do items

noreply@blogger.com (Art Wall Katie) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:21:00 +0000

One thing that's really helping me get in the mood to birth this little boy is prepping his nursery. I must admit, I enjoy the girlie frillies and pretties a little more, but it's still been fun to make the room just right for this little mister.

Clockwise:

1) I think this star egg nightlight from J. Schatz would look perfect in the boy's room. (found via cup of jo)

2) This mounted original from papersparrow is around the same price I'd pay for a print plus a frame, a great deal at $50.00, and it's sooo sweet. See papersparrow's other originals here.

3) I'm not sure who the bla bla dolls are really for: me or the kiddos. I just think they are irresistible.

4) I used these for my girl and they worked perfectly. I used the smallest one for her care kit, the largest one to keep a year+ worth of cards and the middle one for incidentals.