Designing Jewels

Starbucks City Mugs Collection Continues and Custom Shelves!

2013-06-25T11:15:00.001-07:00

LET THERE BE MUGS! So I have been a busy bee traveling the world and country to continue my collection of Starbucks City mugs - do you remember this post? Well my collection has grown considerably since then! I have friends and family on missions to get these for me where ever they go as well as my own travels and searches for these mugs.

Some people may say it's become a bit of an obsession (it is) BUT I am just very determined to have them all! Especially now that I have hit a major snag, this spring Starbucks rolled out a new style they are called the "You are Here" collection and well they are completely different AND this means they are no longer making the '08 Global Icon Series which is the one I am collecting =( This is the new style below. My friend brought it back from Atlanta - she searched for the other one but it was no where to be found. =(

NOW I do like this style but I am 33 mugs into the previous style. That was a lot of traveling (blood, sweat and tears) to a lot of Starbucks - and the thought of starting over is daunting. And perhaps some overkill as soon my apartment will be overrun by MUGS!(they are pretty though).

I am going to try to get what I can of the older style as they can still be found (with some serious digging and harassing of Starbucks employees) in certain locations (less busy areas) basically whatever is left is out there and once they are sold there will be no more new shipments.

I was able to snag a Florida mug in April and my friend was able to get a Miami mug for me in May. But it is getting harder and harder to find US mugs at this time. I need help! if I am going to get them all!!! Please help! If you see one snag it up! They still haven't moved over to the new design in Europe or other countries. (Hello oversea's friends - I miss you please help me). Too bad I have no travel plans at the moment but this seems like a good reason to make some!? I did find a Facebook group of similar collectors where trading goes on - however I don't have any duplicates to trade (who knew!) so I am also hunting for duplicates to trade. I know, serious First World Problems here =/

OKOK - onto the DIY part of this post - With the influx of new mugs my little shelves were quickly filled up.

SO I had to make more!! Now I have to say it did take me a long time (like 6 months- yes I don't make decisions so fast, also the creative process takes time) to come up with the perfect solution to house my precious collection. I knew that I wanted to place them atop the kitchen cabinets - being as there was unused open space there (and I had no where else to put them!). But I had to figure out how to make that happen with my resources (lack of cabinetry skills/tools/space) and a limited budget, of course. I did some sketches and came up with this idea here

SO that was the idea - and the next step was to make it a reality. I was inspired by these box shelves I saw on Etsy and thought - hey! I can do that!?! Especially since they wanted $560 for 7 of these and I was going to need more!

via bridgewoodplace.etsy.com

SO off to Home Depot I went with my sketchbook, tape measure and a calculator. After of course I measured the space - another challenge - the ceiling is not exactly even - so I needed to account for that in my measurements and make sure the shelves fell slightly below and weren't so tight that the shelf wouldn't fit. I decided on 12"L x 6" h x 13.5" wide for the shelves and then just hoped for the best! The overall height of the space was about 14" and varied slightly on either side. I would be stacking two shelves for a total height of 12" the 2" variance I figured would suffice.

I decided to go with Pine wood just because that was the best option as far as available wood sizes and I wanted real wood - not plywood because you will see the grain on the edges. I had a very patient Home Depot employee cut all the pieces for me - they are supposed to charge .25 a cut but he was super nice and only charged me like $3.00 for everything!! The large pieces of Pine (they had about 12" w it was really 11-7/8" x 8ft and 10ft long) so there was def. some fudging and not exact measurements here but I had accounted for that and again just hoped it would all work out in the end. Since I was going smaller and not larger my chances were better. The large wood pieces ranged from $10-16 and I needed a few to get all my pieces. Overall the wood cost me about $75. A far cry from the over $500 for above! So I was happy.

Then the constructing of the boxes began. I used some wood glue on the edges and a nail gun to put everything together. It was a little time consuming to build them all -but it was simple work.

I ended up stacking two layers of shelves (I lined them up the cabinet doors) and then because of the uneven ceiling the shelves didn't work vertically so instead I alternated with only one shelf to add a little interest.

I made one large shelf above the refrigerator for cookbooks. So once the boxes were built I did a rough sand around the edges and then stained them a darker stain. This is where using real wood really shows you can see the wood grain come out in the stain. I did two light coats of stain and then put them up. These aren't high traffic items since they are so high up and just for show really, so I didn't add a poly coating over the stain and I like the matte look. SO then I just placed them above the cabinets and arranged my mugs!

I put only one level on the opposite side because the ceiling was even lower there and the 2nd level didn't fit. The shelves are by no means perfect - but that adds to the charm and they only need to house one or two mugs and they do the job! What do you think?

I def. have room for more now! SO I must continue the search for as long as I have until they are all long gone. Ebay is already flooded with these mugs I saw a Cleveland mug up to $60 and Sacramento is at $128 right now - and I totally passed up getting that one on my cross country drive =/
I did get a new addition just the other day a friend brought back for me - but alas it is the new design. Hmmm now I have two of these - perhaps I am beginning another collection.....

Side Table Make-Over!

2013-03-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

If at First you don't succeed TRY TRY AGAIN!

Hi Everyone! I know I have been MIA lately - and sorry for the lapse. Good news is I completed my 30 day yoga challenge I discussed here. Bad news is I didn't do so good with my blogging challenge. I may have taken on too much, and 30 days, 30 blog posts is a bit much. I think I need to lower my goal to at least once a week! BUT more good news is I have been working on a bunch of new projects - so I have lots to blog about in the upcoming weeks! And here is the first one! I am sad to admit that I started this project back in November =/ and yes I can say that Hurricane Sandy offered the first delay but lets just say it didn't go exactly as planned. BUT it offers a good lesson that not every DIY project you tackle will work out and it is def. an improvise as you go kinda process. SO let's get down to it. I will show you the before and after first and then take you through the woes and wows!

SO my friend found this beauty in her laundry room - someone had discarded it - it was in a little bit of rough shape with that missing drawer and some grime and scratches. But it had good bones - nice sturdy wood and gorgeous lines. Perfect candidate to be stripped and painted! I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
Here are some more after pics before we delve into the process.

First I sanded the table to see what we were dealing with! This is what we found underneath ...

(of course Jules was all over this process) he really likes when I bring new furniture into the house. He thinks I bring it home for him.

SO the wood was good underneath it was hard to sand all of the former stain off of those grooves in the legs so they def. needed to be painted there. I wanted to bring in a nice punch of a cool color to my friend's place as currently she had all warm tones and was looking for a punch! We landed on Behr's Tropical Tide Blue and I went with the Flat/Matte paint since I planned to put a polyurethane coating on top.

SO my first idea was to paint the legs and do a special treatment to the top. I ordered some marbled paper that I wanted to adhere to the top and put a protective coating over so it could be used as a table top surface. It was going to be gorgeous (so I thought...). The legs were painted all was good...

I placed the paper on the top (how gorgeous is this paper!?) And how great does this look? I ordered it from Paper Mojo here. I used some spray adhesive underneath but being as this is a table surface it needed a protective coating...

But as soon as I tried to apply a coating of Polyurethane - BOOM - OUCH - I even attempted this spray on clear enamel - more BOOM and more OUCH - here are the murderers now...

Look what they did....

I pretty much cried immediately it was like a crashing car I couldn't stop - the damage was done. I attempted to cut the damaged part off (of course I didn't order enough paper to try again - that stuff ain't cheap and stock was low!)

But I knew deep in my heart this was not going to work - it would never be a functional table and my vision was wrecked. Hence the several month delay to the resurrection of this project. I had to first GET OVER IT... and then come up with a new fabulous idea. A LOT of pressure. But lucky for Jules he got to occupy this table for longer than originally planned.

OK so back to the drawing board - I ripped of my beautiful paper (hoping to salvage some for a future project - we will see...) And I applied some stain the top. Which looked nice - except for one problem...

There was a spot on the table that was not taking the stain properly it was something on the table I am not sure but it was an obvious flaw - that would not work in the long run. (sorry I didn't take a close up of it but take my word for it - it looked like someone rubbed their snot in that part of the table - eww).

SO I decided that to stencil out a design on the top (that would ultimately cover the snot). I was inspired by this table here - but wanted something a little more playful!

So I got some little round stickers and placed them on the table top over the stain.

Then I painted over the stickers and crossed my fingers that this would work. I waited for it to dry before I lifted all the stickers up hoping to find perfect circles - almost a polka dot look underneath.

AND TaDa! It worked. (Phew!)

SO it wasn't my original vision but my friend loves it and it gives her just that color punch that she needed!
And as you can see DIY is no piece of cake and sometimes we need to make sacrifices for beautiful functioning hand altered (in my living room) furniture. OK until next time!

-Kim

Design Trend - Hedgehogs?

2013-01-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

HI Everyone so I know I have missed a few days blogging - this brutal cold New York weather has clouded my mind and my mood (ever notice how the cold just gets you down?). Anyway I came across a post on Apartment Therapy today discussing possible new design trends and I was reading all the comments and several people mentioned Hedgehogs? Seems like a rather random design motif - but I did a little searching and found some cute items. But I am still not convinced that I love these - what do you think??

Pottery Barn Kids Hedgehog Bookends $29.99

Splendid Avenue Wooden Hedgehog Clock - $68.00

Art.com Owl and Hedgehog Print - $12.99

Land of Nod Hedgehog Nightlight - $99.00

Dwell Studios Hedgehog Wall Hook - $28.00

Decoylab Hedgehog Brooch - $12.00

So I think this could def. work as a nursery theme check out this duvet cover

Etsy Store DMDesigns - $72.50

But maybe a few of these pieces can work in adult spaces to add a little whimsy and fun! We have seen the Owl make it's way into decor and the Deer and the Octopus! Maybe it's time for the hedgehog to move in!

I am going to leave you with this super cute story of a cat that adopted a few baby hedgehogs - so cute!

Product Review: Vacuums

2013-01-18T14:23:00.001-08:00

So I thought I would dedicate this post to the review of a product I purchased and have been using for some time now. Vacuum's are a tricky purchase sometimes you can spend a whole lot of money and be stuck with a dud! It's hard to know which one will work best for you. So I am going to share my experiences to help in this daunting purchase process.

I will start off with my first real vacuum purchase about 5 years ago. I bought this Hoover Bagless Upright Vacuum, now the one I had was an older version (different color) and didn't have a retractable cord as this one now appears to have. But other than that it seems to be the same.

I bought this one because I was developing allergies to dust and I was living in an old apartment building at the time and I am pretty sure there was dust infested in the all the walls and floors making my allergies go crazy! SO I was attempting any remedy I could. This vacuum has a Hepa filter that claims to be helpful in controlling dust allergens. I used this vacuum for about 4-5 years and brought it over to my new apartment. It seemed to do the job. Although it often got clogged up and would not pick up dirt. Dust and dirt would get stuck in the inside canister preventing new dirt to come in. So I would have to get my hands in there and rip it out - always a pleasant experience. But I suppose that is bound to happen over time? My reason for finally tossing this monster - is just that! It is a beast of a thing. It is very heavy and large. I am living in a 850 sq. ft apartment, with a LOT of furniture. SO maneuvering around furniture was next to impossible also storing this this thing was a challenge. Closet space is valuable and this one needed it's own closet! SO moral of the story if you live in an apartment with little open living space and limited storage this is not the vacuum to get. Also I would not recommend this if you have two levels - bringing this thing up and down stairs would not be fun.

So when I wised up I started searching for smaller, light weight vacuums that offered greater ease for mobility, that's when I stumbled on the Dirt Devil FeatherLite Cyclonic Canister Vacuum, SD40100

I read the reviews for this item and most of them were favorable and said it had good suction and was light and easy to move around. Also the price was amazing!! SO I went for it. And I have had it for about 6 months now - and I love it! The suction is great and it can get around all my furniture with so much greater ease! Some of the reviews I read touched on the fact that it is low to the ground so you have to kinds hunch over to vacuum and I can see that - but it really isn't that big of a deal, vacuuming is a chore so some work is involved regardless - ha! The other thing the reviews mention was that it is loud. This I didn't really notice - although Jules does run for hills every time the vacuum comes out - but that's not really a good judging factor he does the same thing every time I turn on the hair dryer and he hides under the bed during thunder storms. But I have a little video here you can check it out for yourself.

Also the canister is easily removable and simple to empty.

All in all I think this is a great vacuum - the price is amazing and it is very lightweight and it storage is not a problem at all it tucks away nicely in the closet. So that is my two cents on vacuums! Hope that helps someone.

Wine Glassiness

2013-01-17T15:22:00.000-08:00

So I have a little confession to make - I am a bit of a wine glass snob. I can be rather picky when it comes to my wine glasses. I like a nice large, lightweight, clear and beautiful glass to sip my vino from. I also have another problem when it comes to wine glasses - when I find one I like - I need to have it. SO I have developed a bit of an eclectic wine glass collection - and I love it! Who ever said you need to have a complete set of one type of wine glass? I love setting my dinner table with a variety of wine glasses! Check out my Thanksgiving table here.

I am even OK with serving white wine in a red wine glass and vice versa (although I wasn't always this way that was a bit of a progression). My feeling is if it feels good - go with it! But drinking out of a bad wine glass is the worst! For your general knowledge here is a basic outline of the different types of wine glasses.

1. Port, 2. Brandy snifter 3. white wine, 4. red wine, 5. red burgundy,6. Champagne flute 7. Champagne coupe

via chiff.com

1. Port, 2. Brandy snifter 3. white wine, 4. red wine, 5. red burgundy,6. Champagne flute 7. Champagne coupe

So what makes one wine glass good and one bad?

There are a lot of articles and expert advice on how to pick a wine glass and what wine to drink from what glass from the real wine snobs out there. You can read this article here from Forbes magazine where CEO of crystal glassware company Reidel, Maximillian Reidel explains his process and how he goes about making the proper glass for wine. He gives two tips to get you started into the wine glass world.

1. Buy the varietal specific glass of the varietal you enjoy the most and built your collection from there. If you love Pinot Noir, buy a Pinot Noir glass, for example.
2. Spend approx. the same amount of money per glass that you do on your bottle of wine.

Now I don't necessarily think you need to go with the most expensive wine glass, I believe there are some cost effective glasses out there that work just as well. And as I mentioned earlier I tend to gravitate toward the larger glasses which are typically for red wine and I like to drink white wine from them as well. But that is just a personal preference and it's kind of like one of those instances where you know the rules and you purposely choose where to break them for your preference. My biggest issue with wine glasses is the thickness of the glass. A very thick-lipped glass is not meant for drinking wine. Like these from Libby - stay away from these!!

Libby Glassware

When you have a thinner lip the wine can fall into your mouth much smoother. Also a large body allows for swirling, breathing and movement for the wine. Here is another article from Wine Spectator that is helpful. They point out that it is best not to fill the glass completely when serving, give the wine some space to move around in the glass. Check this out regarding swirling your wine. Moving the wine around in your glass helps to aerate the wine and brings out the natural aromas and flavors.

via saludewinenow.com

For my wine glass collection I do have a few "sets" of wine glasses but I would get depressed when one broke and then I had an uneven set. SO decided to throw the idea of a set of wine glasses out the window and I started buying up glasses that I loved. Marshall's and TJ Max are great for this. They usually have single glasses for sale and often on clearance so you can get a great deal on a typically expensive glass. Garage sales and thrift stores are good too. Also when I go to wine shops or wine bars they will sometimes let you purchase a glass or it is sometimes included in a tasting! OK OK and maybe when I go to a restaurant and really really like a glass they served the wine in, and since it wasn't for sale, it might have ended up in my purse on the way out the door (but of course I will never admit to that if you asked me again). So here is a birds eye view of my collection that sits nicely in my china cabinet.

I have so many different glasses in the collection I can't even tell you where they all came from (and I might incriminate myself) but here are some of my favorites in the the wine glass world.

1. Crate and Barrell Hip Red wine glass 2. Reidel Vivant Pinot Noir glass 3. Lenox Tuscany Classics Balloon Glass 4. Waterford Marquis Full bodied Red Wine glass

OK what if you don't have access to a fabulous wine glass? I find it a sin to drink wine out of a disposable plastic cup - but alas I know that there are times when this is necessary. For instance picnics and outdoor arenas that do not allow glass are such instances. Over the summer I discovered this amazing product and I have to share it with you! They are acrylic wine glasses by govino, they are super durable for outdoor use, and they feel great and have a super thin lip. A great alternative to a plastic cup. I discovered them at this wine shop in Brooklyn but you can buy them online! Amazon has them for $12.95 for a pack of 4.

via govino

So I hope I have offered you some insight into proper glassware and perhaps I have narrowed in on the quest to outlaw thick-lipped glasses used to consume wine. Or at the very least you will think twice when you grab for the stemware you serve or drink your next glass of wine in.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Party

2013-01-16T15:36:00.002-08:00

via Instagram

SO I know the holidays are past us now (even though I still have a pile of holiday decorations waiting to go into storage) so clearly I am a little behind! But I wanted to post about a holiday party we threw this year - it was super festive!
Apparently this idea of "Ugly Holiday Sweater Party" is a phenomenon that unbeknownst to me sweeps the holiday season. I am not sure how I got this far in life never hearing of this...but alas I am now in the know!
Also I didn't realize how hard it was to find a really ugly holiday sweater these days! I know I have had them in my day, gifts given to me through the years that a forced smile and thank you must be expressed to the generous giver of that holiday adorned sweater. Too bad I didn't hold on to them - what I would have given for that holiday cat sweatshirt I had when I was 15 =/
So the search for the perfect holiday sweater was daunting, I scoured thrift stores, department stores and discount chains like Target and Khols but I found the best place was a thrift store and I hit the jackpot at our local Salvation Army. There were so many good choices but I ended on this bad boy! I paired it with a festive top I found at old navy and some bright red tights! Oh and of course some reindeer ears.

We held a contest at the party for the ugliest sweater and I have to say - there were a lot of ugly sweaters there, def. some great finds. But ultimately the winner was my brother -and he made his own holiday sweater. A trip to Michael's a little bit of crafting and this is what he came up with! (Yay! we are a DIY family)

We set up a photo booth in the bedroom, I put wrapping paper on the wall as a backdrop and guests had fun posing in their ugly sweaters. We had one Halloween sweater at the party as I did not discriminate on what holiday the sweater could be for, and of course my favorite sweater of the night you can see here with the white holiday cats - loved it!)

Some of our guests got a little carried away with the photo's and they hijacked the cat's scratching post. Jules was hiding safely in the closet during the commotion but I don't think he was too pleased about this.

A trip to Home Depot for some last minute decorations for the party ended with this coming home and landing in my tub! Guests got a pleasant surprise when they visited the bathroom (not only did he light up but his head moved!). Sadly he was returned to Home Depot the following day as I certainly have no place to be storing that beast all year long.

Photo via thezartorialist.com

I did a little DIY decorating as I came across this "Steal this idea" post on Brooklyn Limestone a few days before the party and so I did! I cut out letters from red construction paper and strung it up! It was rather time consuming so I only got one string across the room but I put some up along the wall.

Please ignore the gaping hole in the ceiling where a light fixture should be - and stay tuned for a future post regarding my never ending search for lighting!

We also played some party games at the party one being White Elephant Gift exchange. And this was super fun! All the guests were asked to bring a wrapped gift ($5-10) and we picked names out of a hat and each person choose a gift, opened it and then the next person could either pick a new gift or steal a previous gift that was opened. Surprisingly the most coveted gift of the night was a vintage 1982 issue of Penthouse (someone stole it out of their parent's collection) and yes these were late 20s to 30 somethings at this party. Other fun gifts were an old boom box (with a tape deck!) we aren't sure if it actually worked and I think it was picked up from the trash on the way to the party - but it offered a good laugh when it was opened. I walked away with a bottle of wine so I felt like a winner! We then played a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity which is an awesome "adult" party game, it's a saucier version of Apples to Apples. All in all it was a fun night filled with holiday cheer!

OK well time to take the holiday decorations down to storage, until next year!

30 Day Challenge - Go!

2013-01-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

Happy 2013!!! I know it has been a while since my last post and I have along list of prepared excuses that I keep repeating to myself to find some kind of justification,but that fact of the matter is... there is no good excuse. Sure I can say the holidays got a little crazy, work started to pick up, I took on a part time job, I discovered Dexter (and there are 8 seasons!). And yes these are all valid excuses but really it makes me realize that this blog is yet another unfinished outlet of my life.

All too often I find myself full of wonderful ideas that I put in motion, like the stamping starter kit I bought at Michael's that got one use and went back into the half organized closet - that never got completed.The jewelry tree I am making for my friend that is painted and has a base but has been sitting sadly unconnected on my entry way table (next to a pile of unopened mail) for months now. The 2nd Hunger Games book that I bought immediately after finishing the first one and sits on the shelf never cracked open. And this list can go on and on. I am not sure what is it that stops me from finishing the great feats I set in motion - apprehension? boredom? fear? laziness? life? But there is one area in my life that my follow-through has proved successful and it dawned on me - perhaps I need to pull from whatever it is that drives me in that area into other areas of my life.

So what is it that I have so dutifully followed through with and without fail never falter at - yoga! Yes I am yoga addict - perhaps it is the addiction that drives me but I keep a steady 5-6 day a week yoga practice and I am very diligent (obsessed?). I plan my work meetings around yoga, I plan my social activities around yoga. Pretty much everything else runs secondary to me being able to make it to that daily hot yoga class. So yes my friends think I am a little crazy but this is one area of my life I have managed to keep up with and can't live without. And in fact before I discovered yoga this was a similar case with going to the gym - I always held a pretty steady and stringent workout routine. I always needed this constant in my life and made every effort to keep it going. SO I have started to ask myself why and how I can apply this to other areas of my life.

At the beginning of last year my yoga studio proposed a 30 day challenge. 30 days. 30 yoga class. At this time I was averaging 3-4 classes a week (which was decent) however the switch up to 7 days was scary but I took the challenge! I was even more stringent on making classes than I was before and I was careful to not overdo it in class and I paced myself, looking for that balance that would enable me to complete the challenge. And I did it! One class a day for 30 days! I realized that I could wake up early on a Sunday! (granted Sunday remains my one day off now) but the challenge helped me to see that it was possible. And following the challenge my practice was seemlessly upped to 5-6 days a week which I have held strong (give or take a vacation here and there) now a year later. And I completed the mid year challenge without a problem and I started doubling up on classes like it was no sweat (ha!).

So taking those 30 days and making going to a yoga class a daily priority conditioned me to continue it after the challenge. The premise behind the challenge is that they say it takes 21 days to form a habit (and well 30 was just a more even number!) so if you do something for 30 days you are essentially creating a habit. You condition your body and your mind and you just do it. SOOOO of course my yoga studio is doing this challenge again and it starts today - of course I am doing it again (I have a reputation to uphold) but I am thinking of adding my own challenge in regarding my blog.

30 days, 30 blog posts!! I realize this is rather ambitious and running it simultaneously with the yoga challenge is probably a bit much - but I figured to just go for it! I want to take this blog to the next level and without posting that is never going to happen. So I figure for 30 days I am going to make this a priority. Now you may see some shorter posts, I may stray from my DIY, design mode to maybe recipies? travel? who knows! I am going to try to mix things up and see what works and what doesn't. I can certianly use some help! So let me know what you would like to see on here and if anyone has a design dilemma - please email me! You can email me at kimberlyvenzke@gmail.com

So what can you commit to for 30 days? These challenges work better with support! =) Ok here I go ... look for another post tomorrow and time to finish up some work so I can make my yoga class...ha!

Bringing a little Ombre into my life

2012-10-16T10:24:00.001-07:00

OK so you may or may not have heard of the Ombre trend that is sweeping the fashion and design world. Basically the word Ombre means - having colors or tones that shade into each other. You have seen this effect in hair and it can go from using natural hair colors like blond to brunette or getting crazy and adding color like red or blue to your locks. For those of you that are fans of the show The Voice (me! me!) you may have noticed Christina Aguilara with some color at the end of her locks in recent episodes.

Photo Source

But this isn't a blog about hair or fashion now is it?! So why am I talking about this? Well - this can be translated into furniture - of course!! Check out these awesome inspiration photos of make-overs using the Ombre look. What a cool idea to paint your exposed radiator in shades of your favorite colors!

via OppsRedone

via Natty by Design

via Frou Frougal

via Cool Cribs

OK so I have had this unpainted dresser for many years I snagged it at The Christmas Tree Shop (an awesome store if you are lucky to have one near by you should check it out). I have taken it to many apartments and moved it around a thousand and fifty times. Here is a rather bad picture of one spot I had it in at one time.

Recently it has resided inside my closet for storage and has been hidden away for the most part. It has remained unpainted as I could never decide what color to paint it! THEN the painting bug hit me and I scored a can of this beauifulness ....

Benjamin Moore - Gypsy Rose

AND well you can just imagine what happened next....

I loved the pink so much I used it as the base of the main dresser and then I did a little mixology for the drawers. I didn't have to prime this piece because it was in a natural wood state. But if you wanted to paint over a finished piece you would need to prime it first. I sanded this one a little bit by hand before I painted it to help the paint stick. But again if you are using a piece that has a finish on it I would recommend more sanding. I used some paint samples of very light pinks that I had on hand, I had purchased when trying to decide my wall color. You can buy these paint samples wherever they sell paint and they are usually about $3 each. I used those and a little white acrylic craft paint for mixing with the new pink paint. I kept the colors I created in small containers with enough paint to do several coats on each drawer. SO I had the darkest and the lightest colors right off the bat - the ones in the middle did get a little tricky. At one point I wondered how I could possible have another shade but some adding of white and pink here and there just seemed to make it happen! Here is the final look - what do you think?

My sidekick Jules left me on my own to paint this one but he was there to check things out in the end.

SO this is not the final resting place for this beauty in my room but simply staged here for your viewing pleasure. You will have to stay tuned for a future post to see what I have in store for this bad boy! I am going to leave you with a before and after side shot and maybe this can inspire you to look around your home and see where you can bring a little Ombre into your life!

Rainbow mirror made out of Spoons!

2012-07-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Yes you read that title correct - this rainbow beauty is made completely from plastic spoons! I was feeling crafty one day and I had stumbled upon Addicted 2 Decorating's blog post here that had outlined detailed instructions on how to make this mirror out of plastic spoons. It seemed so easy I couldn't help but give it a try. I decided to make a more colorful version in rainbow colors as I knew this would be a perfect gift for my friend Mary Beth. I have been helping her redecorate her room (more on that in future posts). She is not afraid of color - AND she just loves rainbows! It seemed like a perfect fit.

I followed the instructions and all seemed to be working well. I did however underestimate the amount of spoons needed. I kept running out of spoons and had to run to the store about 3 times for more spoons! Even as I was almost done I was 4 spoons short! (The Rite Aid near my apartment no longer has plastic spoons in stock.) You are looking at about 350 spoons to make this magic happen.

And of course my little helper Jules found himself in the middle of it all as always...

I spray painted a primer on once I got all the spoons glued and I did hand paint each spoon as the instructions said and it really wasn't that bad, a little time consuming as some of those lighter colors needed two to three coats of paint. And I kept getting the colors on the spoons in front or behind it any one spoon. But in the end I just went back and touched up all the colors so no one is the wiser!

There were a few hitches that I did come across, one was adhering the mirror to the back. The instructions said to use hot glue - and hot glue def. did not keep the mirror on there. So I used some liquid nail glue that I had on hand and that did the trick! But the other fumble came when we needed to hang it on the wall. I should have put hooks or something on the back before the spoons were glued on because this proved challenging once they were all on and painted it didn't exactly sit flat upside down. But Mary Beth and I used some creative approaches and got picture wire wrapped around the frame to hang it from a screw in the wall and put a few screws into the wall for the frame to sit on the bottom and now seems to be sitting pretty!

And here she is - the happy owner of a new mirror made completely from plastic spoons =)

I did buy supplies to make another one - however I will need more spoons!! What colors should I do next?

Legos - Not just for kids

2012-06-26T13:55:00.001-07:00

OK so who didn't play with Legos as a kid? Tons of little primary colored blocks spread out all over the living room floor that when joined together created cars, castles, skyscrapers, the possibilities were endless (but confined to the 2, 4, 6, 8 peg squares that you had). Then it seemed that Lego's transformed into fantastic creations that require blueprints to create! Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Spiderman - seemed to have taken over the Lego world. Perhaps I come to this conclusion because I have a little brother who would spend hours building things like this!

But now I see that Lego has attempted to corner the girl's market and take a look at this awesome Lego set-up! A design studio! I am kinda in love with this and think that I actually need to have this on the shelf in my office area.

But aside from being a way to occupy kids for hours on end, if you think outside the box - these little building blocks can be used to build grander things! I just came across this amazing image of an entire stairwell built out of Legos! This was built using 20,000 lego blocks!

via Design Taxi

Here is another amazing Lego creation - a Lego Kitchen!! Two Paris designers designers created this masterpiece by covering a basic Ikea island in again over 20,000 Lego pieces.

And here is a board room table built for an ad agency in Dublin - this one took 22,742 Lego pieces. You can check out this cool video the design company put together showing the process of creating this - they speed it up but clearly you can see there was a LOT of time that went into this.

via abcg architecture & design

So as you can see there are some grand things that can be done with those small Lego blocks! But there are also some smaller things that can be done to re-purpose these iconic toys on a smaller yet practical scale.

Lego Pencil Case

via BrickPlayer

Tape Dispenser

via instrucables.com

Check out this Ikea Hacker who created a light fixture out of Legos.

via Ikea Hackers

How about Lego Jello Jigglers? Wash out your legos and use them as Jello molds, a great idea for a kids party!

via Totally Kids Times

And if you have put your Lego building days behind you but still want a reminder of the good 'ole times. Here are some Lego inspired (adult?) items that are kinda cool.

Lego Backpack

via GearFuse

Lego Salt & Pepper Shaker (I love these!)

via Amazon

Lego Brick Light

via Perpetual Kid

Lego Wii Remote

via Toys R US

Lego Moleskine Notebooks

via Barnes & Noble

Lego Organizer Cubes (ok maybe these are meant to organize the actual Legos - but these couldn't these be used in an office? or a kitchen to organize other things?)

via Amazon

So have I convinced you that Lego's aren't just for kids? Will you be raiding your kid's Lego collection to create something of your own? Well happy building!

Coffee Table - Re-Vamp!

2012-06-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Yay! Project completed! So we have been in need of a coffee table for some time now -and I just haven't been able to find the perfect one - when alas I walked by this bad boy on the street.

OK maybe it's not quite the looker I have been searching for - but I saw potential! I somehow convinced J to let me take it home with promises of a grander finale (he is often skeptical of my "projects" because, well I don't exactly tackle them in a timely manner and they may, once in a while, sit around unfinished for some time =/ ). But it must have been my lucky day - ha! and we carted it the two blocks into our complex and up the elevator into our one bedroom Queens apartment - where I immediately got down to it!

So yes this is my work space - right in the entry way, in front of the kitchen adjacent to the dining table and overlooking the kitty litter. But hey - you gotto do what you gotto do! I sanded the whole thing down using a 60 grit sand paper and an electric sander which, by the way, is an awesome invention and smart investment (only about $30 from Amazon) . Hand sanding that would have been a nightmare. I started with 100 grit sandpaper and that would have taken forever as well, 60 grit was much better for this project. Now although the sander has a little compartment to catch the dust there was def. sawdust all over the entire apartment - another downfall of the lack of a proper work room. But I just wiped it all up when I was done and no one is the wiser!

So here we are all sanded and looking better already.

And now it was time for the paint. I decided to go with the paint from our walls (mostly because I had just purchased a quart of it to do some touch-ups on the wall (which of course I haven't done yet) and it's a nice light blue that will really freshen up the table! Benjamin Moore Light Blue

My little helper Jules was standing by for assistance.

I did two coats of the light blue paint on the surface and the legs (going to a yoga class in between coats allowing dry time). Then I contemplated overnight what kind of design to paint on the surface. I toyed with the idea of recreating the pattern on my curtains on a larger scale and perhaps in a one color rendition. Or mimicking the design on my rug both of which seemed to offer obstacles - in the end I decided to go with a classic chevron pattern. And I used the grey paint that I used to paint the doors here. However, J had to help me with this part and lets just say that higher mathematics were def. involved in creating this, it is not as easy as it looks.

We created a 4" grid and drew it with a pencil on the surface and used the grid to set-up the painters tape at the points. It got tricky as to what side of the points to place the tape - but we eventually figured it out and got the whole table taped off.

To get crisp painted lines I used a trick I learned when I tackled this project and the tip came from this post on Centsational Girl. To use the base paint color first along the edges of the tape before you put on the new color. It worked like a charm!

We finished it off with a coat of polyurethane and I jumped the gun and used a can that I had on hand and half way through the surface of the table I realized that it was oil based! And I have learned (the hard way) and if you read up on it, you will see that oil based polyurethane tends to yellow and really shows up on light colored surfaces! YIKES! But the damage was done and there was no turning back. So we only did one coat and I held my breath for a few days praying to the paint gods for no yellowing. And luckily all is good! BUT if you are to do this at home def. get water based polyurethane. In fact check out this helpful tutorial from Honey & Fitz on creating high gloss finish on furniture.

And here it is in place in the living room! What do you think? The person who threw this out would be kicking themselves if they saw it now! ha!

DIY Project Series: Lacquer Boxes

2012-04-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

OK time for another craft project!! This one I found over at Centsational Girl if you haven't checked out her blog yet - you must! She gives step by step tutorials on a great range of projects around the home and fun craft ideas! Here is her step by step on creating these look-a like lacquer boxes.
These are the ones I made!

Such a simple and inexpensive project and you can make them any color you want! Check out these from West Elm for $39!

You could get creative with the paint and do color blocks like these below inspired by Dutch painter Piet Mondrian

Or how about adding just one stripe down the middle and paint the inside - these below sell for $185 each from Napa Home!!

OR how about hot gluing something fabulous on top? Like these metal critters?

So as you can see there are so many possibilities to make your own personal lacquer boxes. What kind will you make?

Check out my previous DIY Series post on light switch covers for another easy, inexpensive project to spruce up your home!

DIY Project Series: Light Switch Cover Make-Over

2012-03-14T13:19:00.001-07:00

Feeling crafty? Want to get a little dirty and produce something you can be proud to say your own two hands made? I am a home decor/DIY blog reading fool these days - and there are so many cool ideas floating out in the blogging world and I have tried a few projects that are sure to satisfy the Martha in us all - without breaking the bank OR requiring too much skill. So here begins a mini-series of posts on these projects to show you how easy they are and in hopes that they will inspire you as well.

First up - Decoupage Light Switch Plates - most of us have the standard white switch plate covers and sure they are fine they do the job of covering all the wires and allowing us to turn on and off the lights. BUT how cool would it be to have covers that go with the design of your home? Or that are just so cool they will make you happy every time you look at them?

I found this tutorial here from a fun blog that I frequent called The Jones Design Company she also has some fun tutorials on fabric or paper flowers check out more of them here.

So carefully following the tutorial this is what I made..

And I put them all over my apartment - I just love the detail they add to the space! I used scrapbook paper from Michael's that was on clearance for $0.29 a sheet! And I only used about 2 sheets for everything. So it was a super cheap make-over.

This is a really easy project that anyone can do - and you can cover them in anything - old newspaper or book pages? Old music sheets? Comic books pages? And if you compare these with expensive covers that you buy in the store you are really saving a bundle and making them just for you - you could even change them up every couple of months! Why not? Aside from the large array of cool designs of scrapbooking paper that you can find at the craft stores here are some other cover ideas that might inspire you as you choose how to make your own!

Mustache Covers!

Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man"

Remember the days of actual CD's and CD album covers? Why not dig up your old CD's and use the covers as switch plate art?

Photos

Fabric

So I hope this inspired you to switch up your switch plates! Send me pictures if you decide to tackle this I would love to see them! And stay tuned for another fun project to come in the next post.

Painted Doors - Why not?

2012-03-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Whether you live in an apartment, a house, a studio, a duplex, a mansion, a castle -whatever it may be - it is safe to assume that you have doors in your home. Bathroom doors, closet doors, bedroom doors and of course a front door!! They could be wood, metal, glass, sliding, folding the possibilities are endless. Now since we all have doors, who out there actually takes notice of these staples in our everyday life? Do you consider your doors a design element? Why not? We all have them and we look at them everyday so why not spruce them up a bit and have them pop, give them a voice in your home? Chances are your doors are white, or wood and they were there when you moved in so you feel you are stuck with them - well you may be stuck with the actual door if you don't want to get into a costly remodel of buying new doors,(or you rent) so here is how I brought new life to the doors in my apartment without taking off any hinges.

So these are the beauty's that live throughout my apartment. As you can see they broke the bank (thus I had no problem experimenting with them since they are an easy $25 replacement!). I have 4 closet doors throughout the living room/hallway and the door to the bathroom and the door to the bedroom and of course the backside of the front door. So I decided an easy fix to spruce them up is paint!! And I wanted a bold color, I considered black as done here below.

via houzz

Black is def. bold! And it just looks so sleek and clean. But I wasn't sure if I wanted to be that bold. But then I considered a fun color would really pop! I decided to pull a color from the fabric of my curtains which is this here.

Fabric.com

My first thought was the turquoise blue! How fun would that be? Something super colorful like these here.

via Houzz

But then I pulled back from the turquoise because I wasn't so sure it would work in the entire house - the bathroom? and then right next to the bedroom which both have different color schemes. So then I settled on the grey and decided to take it to a deep grey (for a little drama). This is the color I choose

Valspar - Almost Charcoal

And this is how it turned out!! What do you think?

I just love the richness of the color and amazingly it made those cheap doors from Lowe's look like they cost much more! Now I didn't paint the door into the bedroom I am still torn on that one - because I have a pink and brown color scheme going on there - remember this so I am not sure how it will look on the inside. But that being said is it OK to leave just one door not painted?

Ideally the doors should be uniform throughout the space, but of course, once in a while it's OK to break the rules. So is this one of those times? And if so what do I do with the lonely white door? Do I leave it as is? What I would absolutely love at the entrance of my bedroom are french doors like these....

How romantic and fabulous are those? But alas - there would need to be some construction to make this happen and I am not so sure I can DIY that. But maybe just one door?? Or check out these other wild designs for doors - as you can see - the possibilities are endless ;)

via Houzz

Via Houzz

via Houzz

via Flor.com

via Pepperdesignblog.com

What do your doors look like? What can you do to spruce them up?

Champagne Bottle Candle

2012-01-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! Welcome to a new year of blogging, re-designing and DIY fun. Hoping for more projects, more blog posts and more followers in this new year. And what better way to start off the year than with a little project that involves a favorite New Year's Eve activity! Drinking Champagne! Cheers.

Pink Champagne is my favorite! We picked up a few bottles of this for a small pre-night out dinner and drinks before we hit up the city for NYE festivities. And after the bottle was killed (it didn't take long) my cousin's super clever wife Stacy - said oh this would make a great candle holder! The grooves on the bottle were perfect for some dripping wax to fall into. And so of course I made this happen the very next day. (OK it was maybe the day after as I had to allow some recovery time).

I cleaned the bottle and striped off the label with a razor blade then used probably the best invention ever Goo Gone to get off that pesky glue and stubborn bits of label. Goo Gone is AWESOME it can remove pretty much any sticky gunk from anything - you have to pick up a bottle of this if you don't already have it! Any hardware store should carry it. Then I stuck a taper candle in the top (I had to shave the edges a bit with a knife to get it in there snug).

And then I lit it up and let the candle do the rest as wax just dripped nicely down the sides.

After I burned two candles there were some nice drippings forming. And I made a centerpiece using a circle mirror and some glass votive holders.

And now it's like New Year's Eve can live on all year long in the form of a centerpiece! Has anyone tried anything like this? I would love to see some pics! You can email me or please leave a comment on the blog I love the feedback!

DIY Family Heirloom

2011-12-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

Yes you read that title correctly - DIY - family heirloom - how- you say? Check it out...

Photo taken by Allen Enriquez see more of his work here

SO this fabulous sign is an actual sign that was hanging outside my great-grandfathers furniture upholstering store in Great Neck, NY. How cool is that?? Vintage and it has my last name on it! However what you are looking at above is not the real sign, it is a picture of the real thing that I had blown up and framed. The real sign is here:

This is hanging in my aunt's bedroom in Park City, Utah. It is unfortunately not quite my turn in the inheritance line to possess this just yet. BUT that didn't stop my from wanting (needing) this hanging in my apartment so I got creative and decided to make my own!! SO yes it's not quite the real thing... but it sure looks like it? Right? What do you think?

OK and just so you don't think I got a raw deal in the family I do however have a few pieces from the Venzke lineage that are the real thing and reside in my living room today. See here..

The China cabinet was in my grandmother's mother's house and the two side chairs were as well. I had the chairs reupholstered and they were predicted to be from the late 1800's.

Do you have anything in your home that stems from several generations back? How do you display it?

Cross Country for Starbucks Mugs

2011-10-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

So I recently went on a coast to coast road trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific (through the north) with my brother (the soon to be internet billionaire). You can check out our route here on Tripline thanks to Foursquare we were able to track our check points throughout the whole trip (kinda cool being as we reached some of these destinations at the wee hours of the morning after hours of driving on long, dark roads and recalling them would have been nearly impossible).

So we started on Saturday night at 9pm (odd time to start I know but life gets in the way - you gotto do what you gotto do) and got there on Wed. afternoon. Oh and did I mention my brother was moving to San Francisco? And this was the reason for the trip. I was merely there for the company. OH but I did have an ulterior motive! Read on...

So we were traveling in a packed up Mercury Mountaineer. (Something I don't even think a quarter of my belongings would EVER fit into - but my brother is more of a "get-up and go" kinda guy and doesn't hold deep ties to "stuff") We are def. polar opposites there! But off we were!

Let me just start off by saying that there are many states in between New York and California - and well it just has to be said - we could probably do without some of them. Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and most definitely Wyoming (to name a few). Sorry if these places are close or dear to anyone out there - but all I saw was a whole lotta nothing and I spanned the length of all these states. I have to say Wyoming was the worst. I think they only have two populated areas in the whole state!!

However, we detoured to one of the USA's most renowned spectacles Mt. Rushmore - located in the lovely state of North Dakota. And just figured when else would be have the opportunity to visit this place - so why not! It was beautiful!! Check it out!

OK now for the main reason for this post and my goal on this trip. At the beginning of the year I started a new collection - of Starbuck City mugs. So each city or state that I go to I check out each Starbucks and make sure that I get a mug with that city name on it. Like this one here.

So collecting these mugs has at this point (I am afraid to admit it) become an obsession of mine. I figured I was going to hit the mother load on this trip with all the states we were going through. But oh so not the case. I started off the trip being selective. I mean there is only so much shelf space for these mugs and did I really want an Ohio mug?? I was looking for cool and unique states - like Iowa and North Dakota! But to my great dismay we entered Des Moines at 9pm on a Sunday (Starbucks was closed!) and North Dakota - apparently does not have enough Starbucks locations to warrant the production of such mugs. And then I continued to face disappointment in Utah, Wyoming and Reno. Apparently these mugs do not exist for these places either. So here I am across 9 states and no mugs (and literally kicking myself for snubbing Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana) at that point there was no turning back.

I found my first mug right outside Reno and it was the California mug! I was happy to get it and have some shred of success on this trip. And then of course when we entered San Francisco I snatched up the first one I saw. So these were my only additions on this long trip =(

Here is my entire collection to date. Displayed on these nifty shelves I installed for just the purpose of displaying my collection!

SO clearly I have a long way to go. Granted there is no more space on these shelves but not to worry I will come up with somewhere to put them. A friend of mine got me one in Berlin - so that will be joining this group soon. And if you are ever going to visit me and live in a place that I don't have a mug for - well I think you know what to bring with you. =)

Does anyone else collect these mugs? Or seen a cool one? Or what do you collect? And how do you display them?

Nightstand Re-Vamp!

2011-09-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

Can you guess how I spent my weekend?
OK so I admit I bought these nightstands several weeks (ok or maybe months) ago - and finally got around to sprucing them up! Below is how I found them at the Meeker Avenue Flea Market which I just learned to my own great dismay - has gone out of business???Can this be true? Granted there items were slightly overpriced - but as I learned when purchasing these bad boys - bargaining works! I walked away with these nightstands for $25 each - when initially they wanted $50 each!! But they really had some amazingly fun finds - and this closing makes me very sad =(

But on to my re-vamp! So you can see here the tables have nice lines, are in good condition and they match! But the color wasn't working for me (they weren't pink!) so this is how I fixed that.
I cleaned them up and sanded them down a bit - with my new handy dandy electric sander (makes me an official DIYer!)

(If you are wondering what that interesting wood shelf in the background is - stay tuned for a future post on a steal of a street find!) Next step: I applied a coat of primer (I had left over from painting my living room). And then I put together a little mixture of paints. I had bought these paints to attempt a striping effect in the bedroom but did not like the results so instead they become the paint for my new nightstands. See everything works out in the end.

So what we have here is a tester container of Glidden Fresh Pink Lemonade (it was a little too pink of a color that I had wanted for the walls) and a jar of Martha Stewart Metallic Glaze in Mercury. I just mixed them together and came up with what you see here.

I also had to scrub the hardware for the handles - (I soaked them in white vinegar and soap then took a q-tip to those suckers) they were covered in some grime and underneath found a nice brass finish! Then to add just another detail I took some metallic gold craft paint and VERY CAREFULLY painted in the detailed lines around the nightstand.

OK OK I admit it ...I had some help...this is Jules - he is very creative.

And here it is in the room right beside the bed! Remember that mirror from this post? And yes still contemplating the closet doors discussed here. What do you think?

Hope you like my re-vamp! And hope it inspires you to look again at something old and see the potential. If you need a nudge in the right direction, email me a pic of something you have that has seen better days, and maybe I can give you some ideas on how to make it new and fabulous!

Closet Doors - Which way to go?

2011-08-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

SO I am in a bit of a decision dilemma. I figured I would blog about it and see what all of you think. As you remember from my previous post I am still plugging away at my Bedroom Redesign. And my focus today is on the closet doors. They are not working in any way, shape, or form. Not only aesthetically but functionally as well.

Blank Slate

So here are the options.

1.) Keep the doors and just live with the function issues BUT paint the outside to really pop. I was thinking stripes or something like this?

2.) Take out the doors and replace them with curtains. Like this. Maybe beef up the outside molding like they did here?

OR there is the option of putting the curtains outside the closet area like this.

Or even making an entire wall of curtains like this.

And then of course this option would present another decision - which fabric to use!

If I go with just covering the doors themselves it falls into the perfect size for a shower curtain. I have been searching for the perfect pink striped shower curtain but I am coming up short. BUT I did come across these fab. ruffled ones - what do you think?

From Urban Outfitters $49.99 each

OR here are some fabrics I found that might work

Fabric.com

1.) Amy Butler $8.98 per yard
2.) Robert Allen $14.98 per yard
3.) Michael Miller $8.98 per yard
4.) Michael Miller 48.98 per yard

OR I can make my own stripe fabric by sewing together pink and white material since I can't seem to find the perfect wide stripe material.

So what do you think? Anyone have any ingenious closet door solutions they want to share?

The show must go on!

2011-08-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

This week I went to the The Nate Burkus show! I got four tickets and rounded up some friends that aren't slaves to a 9-5 and off we went! Living in NY I try to catch tapings of shows whenever I can easily score some tickets. In my days I have been to the Rachel Ray show, Dave Letterman, Montel Williams, The View, just to name a few. In this case all I did was go onto the website and hit request tickets!
But yes it can often be a time consuming event - all afternoon waiting on line, being shuffled from room to room and then finally earning a seat where we act like monkey's and laugh when we are told to laugh, clap when we are told to clap, and looked stunned and interested. But all in all it is always a good time - and that prospect of seeing my face on TV -is exciting! I have to say the experience at Nate Burkus show was probably one of the best -people were very nice and it was entertianing. DESPITE the fact that as we are on line (or 'in' line if you are from the west coast - as several west coast transplants pointed out to me as I retold this story to them) anyway - NY (or the whole east coast for that matter) was hit by an earthquake!

We of course felt nothing - but we were ushered to the other side of the street - where we were told we are avoiding a fire hazard. Anyway my friend on her way to meet us called and said - did you hear? There was an earthquake and they have evacuated all the buildings. I then look over to the building next to us and see all these people standing outside - ha! who knew!? Anyway I then jumped on Facebook - and it all poured in... let me share a few of my favorite Facebook posts from moments after the ground literally shook all over NY.
um....i just felt an earthquake

damn nature, you scary

what??? there was an earthquake? no way, i just thought Chuck Norris went for a run

pshhh, california WISHES they had earthquakes like this

I just felt my first earthquake. Not for me.

I was walking too fast to feel the earthquake. Or maybe it was the already-rattling of the overhead subway line

Earthquake survivor

Things Im mentally prepped for.. Stray bullet - Check, Stabbing - Check, Deranged Homeless - Check, Alien Invasion - Check, Zombie Apocalypse - Check.. EARTHQUAKE!?!? - Er, not so much...

Anyway reading all these helped pass the time of waiting and waiting until we finally got seated in the studio.

So this show isn't taped live and won't air until sometime in September - so there were several retakes and shifting of segments but kinda cool to see how it really works! We were entertained by the crowd pleaser comedian where we witnessed several dance off's, lots of trivia, all while the set was changed and prepped for the next segment. There were lots of these "in between" times but the segments themselves were entertaining. And we got gifts!!

We went home with this cook book by former model Christina Ferrare. And Nate did a segment on RUGS 101 - going over tips of placing and picking the perfect area rug for your living room or dining room. AND he gave us all $150 gift certificate to RUGSUSA.com -( future blog post may involve selecting a new rug!).

Nate's tips were - when placing a rug in a living room it is best to place the rug about a third under the coach, so that there isn't a slight gap of floor right in front of the couch. AND you don't want to put the run entirely under the coach - because well it can get nasty under the couch and how often is that really vacuumed? I can see how this tip makes sense BUT my first professor at FIT's interior design program, told us never to place furniture half on a rug - either put it all the way on the rug or all the way off, otherwise it looks off balance. So I am not sure who is right on that one - but I can see how that floor gap near the couch doesn't seem right. I found some tips online that seem to go along with Nate's advice here. And then here they agree with my professor either all on or all off. BUT they also say - "It's your home; if you like the look and the effect of a particular rug in your home, then it is perfect." So perhaps I leave the final verdict on that one up to you!

For the dining room Nate's tip was to make sure the dining rug is large enough to fit under all of the chairs even when the chairs are pulled out. Otherwise you could have some unstable dinner guests. And that could get dangerous especially if there is wine with dinner!

I gathered a few images of spaces where using both above theories where I think they all work - what do you think?

Sarah Richardson Design

In this one the furniture is only partially on all around. But perhaps the bold color/pattern of the rug gives it just the right punch that a larger rug would have been over powering? And well placing the furniture slightly on the rug can help to keep the rug in place.

Elle Decor

Here the furniture is all on! The rug is large enough to fill they space and put all of the furniture on it entirely and if it were to be half on I can see there would be an unbalance.

The final segment of the show was a spotlight on a blogger! Nate is known to feature bloggers on his show, fly them to NY and give them some TV air time - that will without a doubt help boost their readership! His feature blogger for this show was HannahKateFlora she was super cute and had some great "street merch" as she called it - found treasures on the streets of NY. We were actually sitting in the audience near her boyfriend and roommates that came to support her. Her boyfriend (one of 5 guys in the audience) was quite the dancer and entertained us all!

SO needless to say I am working my way to the Nate Burkus show ;) you never know maybe one day I will be on stage and not in the audience!

DIY Mirror

2011-08-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ever see a gorgeous mirror, or picture, or something else that you know will look perfect in your house... and then you look at the price tag... and it suddenly doesn't look that gorgeous anymore? Well this happens to me all the time- BUT this time I found a solution.

SO in my Bedroom redesign process I was searching for an interesting mirror for the wall. I came across this beauty here -

Shopten25

BUT with a price tag of $562.50 - no way?! My bed didn't even cost that - ha! SO I started to think hmm,... Can I just make that?

I already had a plain mirror (that I found on the side of the street years ago - someone was throwing it out!) and I didn't have a place for it yet - SO this could work!

I took out my T-square and ruler and measured out 3/4" thick lines and used a marker to draw the lines on the mirror. Then I matched up blue painters tape to the outside of the lines to keep it crisp! And I used regular white acrylic paint from the craft store. Then painted away! I did a good two coats to make sure the paint was fully covering the lines.

And TADA! This is what I am left with.... pretty close huh? What do you think?

Black Candles - Why not?

2011-07-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

I saw a beautiful coffee table display at a friends house recently. She had grouped together a collection of crystal and glass pillar candlesticks that she had picked up at various places, flea markets, antique stores, even Ikea! And she put black candles in all of them. And they just looked gorgeous all together - take a look.

I think it also helped that my friend is an amazing graphic designer - check out her work here - http://victoriaabrami.com/

This really got me thinking about black candles - you just really don't see them that often in home design - and personally I have never really thought to use black candles, it had just never occurred to me. And why not? WELL I think black candles have just gotten a bad rap - glorified horror movies have helped people think of them with a sort of black magic connotation. OR they become only appropriate for themed Halloween decor - like these.

But after seeing my friend's display and thinking about it I say NO - this doesn't have to be. I did a little research and in fact the true meaning of black candles (yes apparently each color candle has a meaning...) is the color you burn when you are trying to destroy negative forces or rid of serious illness (So what is evil about that?) But those meanings aside - how great to they look? Especially paired with gorgeous candle holders! Here are a few more that I found.

Black Cherry 3 wick candle from PartyLite - sounds yummy!

How great would this look with black candles?

Add some green with your black candles!

What a cool idea - wine bottle candle holders painted black.

These are cool! No candle holder needed.

So look around your house can you fill any of your candle holders with black candles for a new, sleek look?
You can buy plain black pillar candles at a bunch of places like Pier 1, Amazon, Or check your local craft store!

Thrifting Day! Come one, Come all

2011-06-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

SO I want to invite you all to an event that is sweeping the nation - the i<3 thrifting event! Amazing blogger/ thrifter - turned TV star, (yes has made appearances on the Nate Berkus show!) turned blogging sensation - Mr. Goodwill Hunting has created an event to bring together all the design saavy looking for hidden treasures among the countries best (or existing) thrift stores. AND I am graciously hosting a New York City Chapter. (An excuse to go to thrift stores? didn't have to ask me twice!) You can read about the event announcement here.

AND if just thrifting wasn't enough - there are t-shirts for the event! Some of you may or may not know that in my other life I sell promotional products - so branded t-shirts? Right up my alley! - And yes I already got mine! (of course I got the pink one ;) You can order a t-shirt here if you want to sport one with me on our thrifting day - or if you just think they are cool!

SO I hope many of you can join in for a fun little Saturday of thrift store shopping NYC style! Our journey will begin at the strike of noon (I know hard core bargain seekers start much earlier - but come on - it's Saturday!?) at the Goodwill at 220 E. 23rd St. and venture on from there - you will be surprised how many thrift stores there are in NYC. Please comment on this blog post or on the Designing Jewels Facebook page if you are interested and lets start thrifting!

Brooklyn Renegade Craft Fair

2011-06-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the 7th annual Renegade Craft Fair in Williamsburg at McCarron Park. It was like Etsy in person! So much creativity flowing around - but it was cool to see everything up close and meet the people behind them. I found a few super cool things and lots of inspiration!

This is only one side of the fair - the booths went around the entire park - it was huge!

SO my first purchase was fairly early on at a booth by FluffyCo. They had these really cool wall mounted bottle openers. (Art with bicycles seemed to be all the rage at this fair - not sure if maybe it being in Williamsburg had something to do with that?) But can you guess which one I bought?!

I bet you all got it wrong. NO we didn't get the cats (the colors were a little off for my kitchen) AND well I decided to give in to my boyfriend on this one (plus the colors were better) and we got the first camera one. You can see how these were made here.

There were lots of art prints throughout the fair - I thought these were kinda cool - they had them for different neighborhoods in Brooklyn (too bad they didn't have Queens) but they were cool none the less.

Sorry for the blurry pic but I think you can get the idea. These were done by Rocket Ink

Another interesting item at the fair were these Moss Teraniums by Twig. Basically they are like little worlds inside a jar. Although none of these came home with me - they are def. something to look at.

My final purchase came at the booth of Fauney Yerby. She had these really cute photographs of childrens playing blocks with an animal figure (that corresponds with the letter) ex. M - the figure was a monkey - and so on. I got five of them to spell out the name of my friend's baby. I am going to frame them all together and she can hang in it the baby's room. I am sure she is reading this now so the surprise may be ruined but it's not framed yet so there will be a little surprise. Here are the letters.

This was only a sampling of the over 300 vendors at the fair. But looks like the fair is traveling all over the country so maybe you can catch one!

Paying attention and playing with Scale

2011-06-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man is based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius.

Scale in design is one of the most important principals. And it goes hand in hand with proportion. Human scale and proportion was the first step and well most furniture that you buy today has been proportioned for human scale. But in design we also need to be aware of the scale of our space in proportion with the furniture we choose. If you are designing a small apartment - getting a large scale, poofy sofa may end up looking something like this...

via apartment therapy

OK maybe not that extreme but it won't work - it will take up the whole space and in return you will have to get a small coffee table, chair, etc - and in essence the space will feel off balance. Paying attention to scale when you are shopping is important because when you bring it home it may not appear exactly as you expected when you were shopping. Case in point.... the gorgeous Antique bed I was searching high and low for in my Bedroom redesign and finally found. Because I was switching from a platform bed to an actual - boxspring/mattress - I under anticipated the scale effect that adding the boxspring would have on the bed. And it is now much higher than I was used to. See here..

I am getting used to the height of the bed (I am getting better at jumping up to sleep) and in fact I am kinda liking it (I feel like a princess). BUT what I had to do is rethink the other elements of the room. Like the pretty antique milk glass knob lamps I got to go on the night stands (which by the way are waiting to be painted so ignore the test paint you see on the nighstands). As you can see above the lamps are way too small for the space and look very insignificant - when in fact they are pretty fabulous take a closer look -

AND the other problem came on the piece of furniture I have opposite the bed.

We had to add a few books under the TV so we could actually see the monitor!! So yeah - I need to get a piece that is a little higher so the TV can sit comfortably on top. Also a larger TV is most likely in the future for this space.

Luckily the bed itself is a full size and fits nicely in the room it is just the added height that I need to account for and design around accordingly. So I am looking for lamps something more like this

Mitchel Gold+Bob Williams

However I think I need something even a little taller than that one, but it def has more of a presence and will help the proportion of the space. And I am going to get more of a console table like this

Or this

These tables are much higher and they have a lighter presence, the glass helps this, so they should flow nicely in the narrow space. SO as you can see scale can really effect your space and needs to be accounted for!
On the flip side - you can also use scale as a feature in your space and really play with it! See these where going off scale brings in a dramatic feature and makes the spaces unique.

A large scale picture next to a small scale chair, but the bright color of the chair helps it stand out and the play on scale becomes a feature!

Here the table is small but the layout of the frames around the table fills the space and it doesn't become overwhelming because the frames are empty - a nice play on scale here too.

This foyer is huge, the large scale pattern on the floor is a bold accent and helps draw you into the space. And the furniture fits in the space perfectly. You can see the furniture along the walls matches the height of the French doors.

Here they are mixing lots of scale. The large scale of the table mixed with small scale chairs, but they work because the large scale artwork on the walls fills the space.

OK well good luck playing with scale in your space. Does anyone have any fun with scale they want to share?