House Stuff Works

Mood Board: Kitchen & Dining Nook

2015-03-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

Hello friends! Today I thought I'd share a basic mood board I whipped up for a small space, the kitchen nook. I've been surrounded by some amazing design lately (in some unexpected places) and I thought I'd put that inspiration to good use. This board uses some simple and versatile pieces to add a little bit of fun.

I'm in love with the geometric light fixture, and lately have been digging cozy little dining nooks with banquettes. They just seem so inviting and comfy - much more than a simple place to eat or pay bills.

What features do you love seeing in your favorite (actual or dream-house) dining/living spaces?

Gift Guide: For the Ladies

2014-11-29T13:06:00.001-05:00

Happy holidays, everyone!

To kick off the gift-giving season, I'm creating some quick gift guides. Today I'm starting with fun ideas for wives, sisters, best friends, moms... any important pretty ladies in your life. Get on over to BartleysRun and check out the details.

Holiday Advent Calendar

2013-12-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends!

Yes, it has been a while! Don't worry about me - I have been working on some house stuff, but haven't been so good at blogging about it. I'm going to try to post a little more, even if it's just about the little projects.

On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up and wanted to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Growing up, it was one of those "why do we have to watch this?" things on TV. But now, as an adult, for as many other exciting things that were on TV at the time, I've realized that this is a tradition in my family. We do it every year. You can expect to wake up and watch the Thanksgiving day parade - it's just how it goes! There were certainly better shows on at the time, like the Modern Family marathon or even some recorded episodes of NCIS, but darn it- you can't mess with tradition!

We haven't really formed any holiday traditions of our own around here - Ben doesn't think he ever really had any. (We'll work on that.) But since I'm describing some of the traditions I've known over the years, one of the others that's important to me is the holiday advent calendar.

As a kid, every December, we pulled out the advent calendar. It's a hanging calendar, with a big felt tree and tiny stuffed velcro-backed fabric ornaments in little pockets. Each night before bed, me and my sister would take turns putting the day's ornament on the tree until it was finally Christmas!

I wanted to bring that tradition back around to my house. I definitely wanted to make, and not buy, one. My strategy was to go with things that I mostly had laying around or in storage.

So here's my mirrored advent calendar!

I used a mirror I hadn't been using, and attached some 3M clear cable-hanging hooks in a grid. For the remaining items, I cut some branches from a tree outside and allowed my advent calendar numbers to overflow onto it. I threw a red bead garland on the mirror for some color.

The numbers are simply white cardstock cut into little flags, and I drew numbers carefully onto each of them. They're hung on the backs with painter's tape. I used baker's twine to hang numbers 1 through 4 on the branches.

I love that the mirror still bounces light around the room, and you can see other Christmas-y areas of the room (like the fireplace) in the reflection. Mirrors don't always photograph so well.

How to do it...
Last year, I bought a ton of ornaments on super-clearance at Kohl's after Christmas. This ended up paying off, because I almost had enough ornaments for all 24 of my days in December!!

I have the ornaments stored in glass vases nearby on the dining table (it does double-duty as a table centerpiece). Every day, starting today, we'll put an ornament on the "calendar" next to the date flag. By the time December 24th rolls around, the entire mirror/calendar will become a display of the cute ornaments I've collected/purchased. Yes, there are a few bunny and dog ornaments for Todd & Toby. ;)

The rest of the vignette you see in the photos is just my little collection of Christmas trees. I'm thankful that I chose neutral colors all around - after all, this is a new tradition!

...Proudly linked at:

Tatertots & Jello!

Boston Marathon 2013

2013-04-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

On Monday, someone tried to rob us of the joy that marks a lifetime achievement of qualifying for and running in the Boston Marathon. In a few seconds' time, a celebratory running event turned into one having nothing to do with sport or running -- it became about feeling secure on our own turf.

I crossed the finish line about 40 minutes before the two blasts occurred, and was a block parallel from the explosions. Three days later, I'm still not sure how to react and I'm struggling to gather my thoughts. It's impossible to describe the exact way I'm feeling. At first, I was really angry. And I can't stop replaying everything I saw in those moments in slow-motion in my head. I feel sad, and I'm haunted by the photos and videos I've seen in the media coverage. How easily could one of those runners or spectators hurt or killed have been me? It hurts to imagine the pain and not-knowing that families, friends, and the injured themselves are experiencing right now.

I am well and so thankful to come home to my family. I'm taking in every step, every chore, and every conversation like it's a privilege. The one thing I can do is keep running.

Friends, live each moment without regrets. Tell your family how much you love them. Enjoy all of the little things. Go out for a run today, and let's stand up for Boston. No matter where or who you are, let's show this someone that they failed... we're now stronger, prouder, and won't let anyone ever try to take away our joy.

Art Roundup

2013-03-26T23:19:00.000-04:00

I just noticed that I've DIY-ed nearly all of the art that's hanging around this place. (I use the term "art" very, very loosely.) I'm still too wishy-washy to commit to some big investment pieces yet... buy one day, sick of it a week later. It's a vicious cycle. I'm choosing mostly art I made - albeit temporary - until I find the ones that speak to me.

So I'm dedicating this post and walking around the house, shooting some photos of the cheap art I have on the walls. And if you want to know how to make your own cheap art, I'll tell you a little more about them. Here we go!

Office

Here's a big poster print I recently purchased from an artist on fab.com for $20 (minus $10 with coupon) and mounted on foam core from Dollar Tree. Not fun fact: I had a little mutual-fault fender bender in the parking lot, so technically that foam core actually cost me more than $1...

Shadow box, Ikea frame. I threw a bunch of fun mementos (and continuously adding) into the frame. So far, a NYC marathon bib, IU vs. Ohio State football tickets, a piece of quartz from the Colorado Rockies, and string from a Mike's Pastry box in Boston. I couldn't bring myself to throw these things away. Proof that I'm a closet hoarder?

This is a Goodwill frame that I re-stained a darker color. The photos are postcard reproductions of antique flower seed packets. I got the postcards from a cute shop called Bayleaf in Boulder, CO. If you're there, you'll want to buy ALL the things! - the store is on Pearl Street.

Entry

Ah, my Chevron paint chip art! I still love this. It's sitting on a picture ledge in the entry way. For the price of free, you can't beat it.

Here's my very first DIY project: a knock-off of a Crate and Barrel art print. Since Ben & I are all about numbers, this was really fun - it's actually a set of two, but I can't remember where the second one is...! If you look closely, you'll find some hidden numbers that are personal to us (nope, I didn't hide my social security number in it)-- zip codes, addresses, phone numbers.

Mantel
At left is the faux-zinc letter I made out of a recycled cereal box and a little acrylic paint. Next to it is a framed piece of fabric. (Fun fact: the fabric was cut off of my mom-in-law's tunic top that she got in Spain.) It's really pretty fabric!

Another little Goodwill find project. This was a frame that I painted. The "8" tag was from the $1 section at Michaels last Fall.

Behind all of that is my crown masterpiece, the project that took forever and a half but was worth it: my DIY knock-off of the Pottery Barn Eagan mirror. Here it is, whole mantel and all.

Kitchen Drop Spot (...because it doesn't have a name)
Moving on, I have a few things on this little demilune table near the kitchen. At left: a free customizable printable from Wedding Chicks. Then, another Ikea shadow box inspired by Young House Love, filled with some keys and fun mementos. No, that's not a real ring - it's probably worth $3 if I'm lucky but was a part of our love story. :) Note: if you do this yourself, I suggest using Zots and not hot glue. The rock kept falling off! Vase is from Ikea, and the green bowl is from West Elm.

Dining Nook
The items filling frames in the gallery wall were intended to be temporary, so here's the dining nook.
This, below, is a West Elm napkin glued to an Ikea frame back. I made the knot out of cord used for piping (sewing), from Hobby Lobby. If you do this, tie up the ends of the cord with tape, or else it'll fray. The cord is secured to the napkin with painter's tape (sshh! no one else EVER know!)

The full gallery wall, starting clockwise from 1 o'clock:
1) "B" Monogram printable, another free customizable printable from Wedding Chicks. Thrifted frame with a scrap fabric-covered mat.
2) Watercolor painting. Watercoloring is fun! I made this gradient painting in about 2 minutes. A close-up is below. This is an Ikea frame.
3) Ampersand on canvas. Painter's tape + grey paint.
4) Bloomington run map. I actually ran a route that traced heart shape around Bloomington. Don't recommend - who knows what seedy parts of town you'll end up in!
5) Ikea tree print. Black and white tree "scribble" art. You can't see it anyway, and unfortunately, it's no longer sold at stores.
6) Pre-made black and white nature print. Purchased at Garden Ridge circa 2008. A "1" on the exciting scale.

Bathroom
Lattitude printable by yours truly. The background is... herringbone!! Created in Photoshop, printed at home on cardstock, and placed in an odd-dimensioned Ikea Ribba frame.

Bedroom
This is another Ikea Ribba frame, this image is the inside of a VivoBarefoot shoe box. The inside of the box is so creative! (Sorry for the glare)

For about three years, I've been begging Ben to let me buy a new North Face jacket. Well, I finally got my wish in December and then noticed that the bag was perfect for us! I have yet to iron out the creases, but because the bag features a mountain (helloooo- we love Colorado!!), and "Never Stop Exploring" is such a great mantra, I had to be a weirdo and frame the bag. I framed a shoe box, so stranger things have happened around here.

Free Printable - Latitude Artwork

2013-03-01T09:50:00.000-05:00

In keeping with my make-it-short-and-sweet mentality of blog posting, I wanted to share another recent artwork update in the house. Today you're looking at the newest artwork change in the guest bathroom upstairs.

Previously, I put a bird on it. The bright magenta bird packed too big of a punch, and I made the executive decision to take this bathroom to a more put-together and clean color palette. Enter grey and yellow.

The bathroom is also rocking this West Elm bath mat in navy blue, plus these fun Nate Berkus towels. Together, they give this space what I'll call a modern-nautical vibe:

I decided to make a little bit of artwork. I did it in Photoshop, and got the background of my print to echo the herringbone design of the bath mat. A little tonal grey-on-grey never hurt anyone. :)

I'll switch out the strong black frame for a wood one next to continue with the nautical theme.
Up close -- can you see the herringbone? Love.

But wait, I made a version so you can make your own personal one (easily) too!

First a shameless plug: if you use this artwork or like what you see, please Follow Me!

Now. Get yours:
1) Download the Microsoft Word doc here. (Click the link or Right-click and select "Save As")
2) Figure out your home's latitude coordinates. I used this site.
3) Edit the Word document to reflect yours (you can change fonts and colors, too!).

** Image size will print approximately 8"x10"**

These coordinates, with my longitude, put us somewhere near Huntsville, Alabama. If this is your house's location.... double-score.

Voila! Easy, personal, DIY artwork and you didn't break a sweat.

Thanks for stopping by! If you're a fan of free printables, I have some other popular ones you might want to check out here and here.

Linked up at:

Gallery Wall Update - Third Edition

2013-02-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

Why, hello friends! How have you been?

I'm still here. Here, but busy! Since I posted last, I finished my first 50-mile trail ultra marathon! (I'm proud. Firsts are awesome. It was really fun!) Also, we're getting a puppy next weekend -- he's a mini goldendoodle.

By the way, I made two new year's resolutions this year:

1) Shorter, but more frequent blog posts. I'm slowly realizing that each post doesn't have to be a dissertation. I've been posting about our personal, travel, and running adventures on bartleysrun.com. Go see! I do lots of little projects that don't necessarily need a ton of explanation, but are worth sharing, so I will shoot for more photos and less chatter!

2) Change out of my pajamas at least daily. As a remote worker in my 8-to-5 job, my uniform had started to become yoga pants and t-shirts. Or running clothes that I never showered and changed out of after an early-morning run. Don't judge! I've started following some "everyday fashion" blogs and will try to document some of my favorite outfits from time to time, just for fun.

Ah, but don't think nothing's changed around the house! You are about to see the new and improved gallery wall!!

This gallery wall has been through a lot. It's always been DIY, but I'm finding that I'm polishing and filling these frames with images I love and - most importantly - can live with for months. Remember the first go-around? I started with some close-ups of flowers in the neighborhood. Then, the second time, I blew up and printed out a bokeh image of downtown. But it just wasn't right... the colors, the lack of texture, the size of the prints -- all challenges.

I bought some burlap fabric and spray adhesive from Hobby Lobby, glued the fabric to the back of the frame backing, and then spray-adhesived some of my favorite instagram photos right on top of the burlap. Ta-da!

This (above) was the first try. Yikes. I had bought the fabric months earlier and finally got around to this project, but by that time the fabric was really wrinkled. I ironed it (which actually melted and strengthened the spray-adhesive bond) and it straightened right up! Her's the after, a close-up of a few more shots... just for fun.

Todd the Bunny:

Me, Ben, and our friend Tom in Utah last Summer:

A little zoomed out...

Sorry for the glare!

This is a seriously hard room to photograph! I'd love to learn how to use this schmancy camera...

Shadows - running with friends in Boulder, CO.

Ted Jones, the mini goldendoodle.

Texture! Flexibility with the smaller size of artwork! Subtle, but personal art! I'm in love with my gallery wall again. If history's taught us anything, there will be plenty more iterations of the gallery wall to come if when I get antsy.

Ps- I'm working on something new and big... furniture, and finishing out the ever-challenging Fireplace Room-- so many ideas, and so little time!

DIY ~ Natural Fall Wreath

2012-10-04T11:28:00.001-04:00

I am about to show you the easiest DIY project ever. You ready for this?

I was going to for a classy-colorful-natural vibe for the front door and porch this year.

Here's what you'll need for this Fall monogram wreath:

Grapevine wreath (Michaels)
Floral "picks" (Michaels - on clearance, hooray!)
Garland (Michaels - on clearance)
Tall wood letter (mine's from Hobby Lobby, about 10" high)
Jute twine (from the hardware store)
Hot glue (if you're a dirty cheater like me)

I whipped through this project so quickly, I didn't actually take any photos!

First, cut the garland to desired size and wrap it into the grapevine wreath. My garland had some floral wire on it so I used the wire to attach it more securely to the wreath. The floral pick had a little fake pumpkin and leaves on it, along with some light-colored berries. I cut them off of the pick and worked them into the wreath also.

Last but not least - and my absolute favorite part - I took the twine and wrapped it around the letter. It's times like this that I wish my last name started with an "I," or a "C," or some other easy-to-wrap letter! (I had a flashback to a similar never-ending yarn wreath-wrapping episode last Fall) Since I was doing this while watching tv, I spent most of the commercial time giving Ben dirty looks because his last name, the one that starts with the letter "B," is so flippin' difficult to wrap! (Love you, babe!) I cheated and ended up using my hot glue gun to get some of it to stay. Shhh!

I used the twine to secure the letter to the wreath itself, and then guess what? DONE. Minus the letter-wrapping, this was at most a 10-minute project. And a close-up again, just for kicks:

Here's how it looks on the front door. It adds a little bit of subtle brightness and texture to the red house-black door combo. You'll get to see a zoomed-out photo of the entire porch in a bit!

I love this wreath! With some pretty blooming mums in pots and pails on the front porch, it truly means that Fall is here. Not going to lie, sometimes I open the front door so I can look at it and it makes me smile. :)

Ps:
If you're strapped but want your own fall berry wreath, I'm moving - so I'm selling my wreath to make room for more awesome things to come.
Hope it can go to a good home!

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Mood Board: That Brown Sofa

2012-08-27T13:07:00.004-04:00

I would LOVE to know how to style a room with builder-fresh beige walls and a brown sofa. And, based on the search terms that are bringing so many of you to my humble little house blog, so would you!

The brown sofa has continued to be a challenge because it can make this already-small room look even smaller. The "brown sofa room" is the one I just can't seem to figure out, no matter what I try. But lately, Pinterest has stirred up a few ideas... which I've pinned on my Brown Sofa Pinterest board.

West Elm and World Market gave me the inspiration for this mood board. I normally make mistakes on the side of too much color, too much of the wrong colors, or forget to include texture. This one balances out the white molding, white wooden blinds, and white frames. And since most of it is neutral, maybe I won't blow so much money on a colorific rug I'll get tired of looking at in a few months. Instead, I brought in a few color accents in the form of accessories, an art which I am still learning.

This mood board incorporates a lot of the pieces I already own, including a pair of lovelies, Cute-as-a-button Erin chairs from World Market. You'll also see dark woods, a textured jute rug, and some metal accents in the lamp and curtain rods. I softened up the look a little with a throw and some baskets. The jury's still out on the artwork that should go above the sofa... for me, I'm thinking a six-panel frame wall of outdoor lamps and light fixtures around town ('cause I love lamp.). I've been wandering the streets in our vacation destinations taking pictures of old painted brick walls and industrial-looking awning lighting. That might just work!

Source list coming soon.

Meanwhile, check out the nursery mood board I made yesterday.
Enjoy!

9/9/2012: Update --! Kate at Centsational Girl just wrote an amazing post on decorating with a brown sofa, here, on her Better Homes and Gardens blog.

I linked up at:

Nursery Mood Board

2012-08-25T11:22:00.002-04:00

Guess what?? I'm gonna be an aunt!!

Yep, these two are having a baby!

They're going to be the most fun parents ever... I'm positive. Aren't they cute??

And did I mention we found out in a card?! (another story for another day)

The Mood Board
A lil' nugget is probably a little more down the road for me and Ben, so I thought I'd have fun making a nursery mood board that is uniquely Jaz & JC. I chose the Feria Sevilla print and worked it out from there. The wall color I selected is a calming, soothing green (however, since JC's soccer team's rival color is green, this might not fly. "His" colors are red and yellow... I tried!). I liked paint colors Central Park and Landscape (green) by Benjamin Moore.

And the rug? Well, you know I adore this rug, but since it is called the Andalusia rug and we're adding some Spanish influence, this was completely meant to be. The pillow is an Etsy find, made with textiles from Spain.

Source list:

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How To: Easy Faux Zinc Letters

2012-07-02T20:56:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! I’m really excited to show you my latest how-to today, the easy faux zinc letter (emphasis on EASY!). Remember the letter “B” on my mantel in the Pottery Barn mirror knock-off tutorial?

Well, I made that letter “B” out of stuff I had laying around the house. Recycling, actually.

It’s cereal boxes!

I was super ~~lazy~~ efficient about making this, no glue or paper mache required. Yes, you can find cardboard letters like this at Jo-Ann’s. Their design of the letter B looked too much like a number 8 to me so I decided to create my own.

I got so involved in this quickie project that I forgot to take progress photos – oops! This took me only an hour from start to finish. It’s the perfect TV-watching craft.

First, I sketched out two “B”s on the back of some cereal boxes. I used two cereal boxes for this, making sure that the unprinted side of the cardboard was facing out on every side. To make it three-dimensional, I cut the remaining cardboard into 2” strips.

Now. If you’re following along at home, get out your painter’s tape. It was a little pain-staking, but I taped up the letter so that the tape on the front of the letter is invisible (tape inside). The tape’s on the inside of the letter. On the back, I could afford to be less careful and taped this mama-jama up!

Since the letter wanted to roll onto its side, I put a couple of rocks inside to weigh it down. I skipped the full-out papier mache, but if you want, just mix cornstarch & water together and slap some newspaper on that puppy!

Go to the store and get yourself some acrylic paint.

Make sure you absolutely absolutely get:
1) Plain black acrylic paint
2) Folk Art “Pearl White” – You’ll find it with the rest of the metallic acrylic paints. It’s a white metallic.
Take the black paint and cover everything. Let it dry.

Hooray! Here comes the MAGICAL part. I was like a kid in a candy store when I saw how cool this effect was… who knew that a layer of white metallic + black = metal look?? #WorthTheHype

Take a dry brush, and load sparingly – at first – with the Pearl White paint. Brush it on using straight strokes and dab it on to get the look you want.

Fun, huh?
Check out this close-up of the letters. I love how the edges look forged when they pick up the shine from the metallic paint!

So there you have it – a metal letter art for the cost of 2 bottles of acrylic paint and an hour of your time. Happy painting!

I linked up at:

Weekend

2012-06-15T21:10:00.001-04:00

Earlier today...

Enjoy your weekend!

How To: The Pottery Barn Knock-Off Mirror

2012-06-07T17:08:00.001-04:00

Can you justify paying $699 for the Eagan mirror from Pottery Barn? Actually, I did the math. With shipping oversize item fees, tax, and plain old shipping, we’re looking at:

Retail price - $699
Tax, 7.5 % - $52.43
Shipping (10%) - $69.90
Oversize item fee - $60
TOTAL COST: $882.33

Holy Mastercard, Batman!!!

I saw some tutorials on my favorite blogs on how to make one of my own, so I did! I mostly followed this one, at The Lettered Cottage (the rest of their house is amazing, too). I made mine a little more polished by adding a thicker frame to my mirror. Here’s the finished product:

I walked into the project with ZERO knowledge of what to do, what to buy, or how to do it. Through a google search, I found several other tutorials which were helpful, here and here.
The goods:

15 8x8 mirrors (located in the candle section – they’re considered candle holders, and they regularly go on sale for 50% off. Mine were $2.49 each, on sale.)

Wood
- (2) 2"’x4’ pieces of particle board (the mirror will measure 44.5 x 27 inches – I used 1/2 thick plywood to cut weight)
- 4 brackets to hold two pieces of particle board together (near the hooks at Lowe’s. I used 1”x4” boards for support and nixed brackets altogether)
- (3) 8 ft. sections of 3/4 inch flat molding (to go in between the mirrors)
- (2) 8 ft. sections of 1 1/16 inch corner molding (kinda pricey at $10/piece. Other bloggers have said each one only cost them $4, so I must be missing something)

1 can Oil-Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint (you could probably get by with one. Or, use stain for a more natural look)

Loc-Tite, Liquid Nails, or heavy-duty adhesive (I used construction grade Loc-Tite, available in the adhesive aisle at Lowe’s)

The tools:

Caulk gun
Miter saw
Jig saw or circular saw
Tape measure
Clamps
Personal Protective Eqiupment! (Loss of eyes and hearing is permanent!)

If you’re going to make this mirror yourself, make sure to research the other blogs I mentioned and get detailed instructions. In a nutshell, you’re going to:

1. Cut the plywood, corner molding, and flat molding to size.
Allow for 8 inches, even though most of your mirrors may not actually measure exactly 8 inches square. You won’t notice it – I promise.

Also, I cut weight by using 1/4 inch plywood. I was worried about warping, so I backed it with a few pieces of 1x4 inch scrap wood, which also doubled as a bracket. You’ll see the 1x4s in the photos below.
The tutorial at The Lettered Cottage gives dimensions, but if you’re more of a visual person and using a thicker frame like I made, then see below.

I really wish I had seen a sketch like this in other instructions… slow ol’ me took a while to engineer this out!

HYere are a few close-ups of how the frame fits in real life. The corner molding will be glued to the top of the mirror backing.

Make sure you cut everything the right size before you start gluing…

2. Attach brackets and plywood together to create the proper sized backing for the mirrors.
I used extra 1” x 4” boards instead of brackets, with screws. Don’t worry about the screws sticking out. Here is the back view:

And front view:

3. Place the mirrors and molding on the plywood all at once.
This is the moment when you find out if you’ve measured and cut everything correctly!
I used post-it notes to label my mirrors and make sure they went back in the same place (and in the same direction) once I’d decided to put them in a particular spot. I had to do this because I cut the plywood to accommodate the 7 7/8” mirrors, only to find that some were larger and some were smaller, and some were cut completely crookedly. Account for 8 inches and you won’t find yourself in the same awful Tetris-playing mess.

4. Glue down the wood only.
Glue one edge of the frame at a time, then make sure everything lines up again. This was a super-slow process since I only have three clamps!
I was lucky enough that my corners matched up, but if they don’t, consider using wood filler to eliminate any gaps between the molding.
If you decide to add the little rosettes (available in the picture-hanging section of the hardware store), glue those down too. I went without.

5. Paint!
…Or stain. I am kind of kicking myself for not staining it. I would’ve liked a dark walnut color, but the oil-rubbed bronze is still really nice. Don’t attach the mirrors until after you paint.

6. Glue the mirrors.
My mirrors had little foam feet on them, so I just put glue on the foam feet and put that down on the plywood. This takes at least a full day to dry. If you need to reposition the mirrors at all, try using a suction cup so you can pick it up safely and easily.

7. Attach hanging hooks to mirror (and wall).
I don’t have any pictures of this, but I used Hillman 50-pound picture hanging wire and screw-in hooks. If I had to do it again, I’d probably use D-rings. At this point, the mirror is super heavy!

You’d be crazy not to screw this mirror directly into the studs, and that was my challenge – the studs above the fireplace are NOT anywhere centered, so the mirror actually hung really crookedly for a while. Watch out for that.

6. Clean mirrors
I accidentally discovered that painter’s tape is stickier than the adhesive on the mirror stickers. So, I stuck painter’s tape to the stickers and pulled the painter’s tape off, saving me tons of time from scratching and peeling stickers off of mirrors. (Sorry for the dark picture, those windows get crazy bright!)

To clean the adhesive gunk off of the mirrors, rubbing alcohol and a paper towel works wonders – skip the 409 and Goo-gone.

Other things I wish I knew:
Don’t use a miter box. It is a pain.in.the.behind. Get a miter saw, like the one I borrowed from my friend Emily (Thanks, Em!)

Measure twice, and then measure again. I screwed up the direction of one of my diagonal cuts (arrrgghh!) and had to buy another piece of corner molding, at $10 per section. Expensive mistake!

Don’t sweat it if there are gaps between the mirrors. The mirrors I bought were all 7 7/8” and as much as 3/16” inch smaller than 8 inches. A few were cut unevenly. You’d only notice if you were using them for this project! Don’t trim your plywood or molding – just let it be and hide the spaces when you put them all in place. The dark color of the stain/spray paint should hide the gaps too. I spent at least a few hours making the mistake of cutting them short, and some of my mirrors didn’t fit in the frame well. I know I’ve said this twice now, but it was SO frustrating!

It’s ok if the mirror no longer fits in its little molding “frame.” You can still save it - when you put the mirror into place, make sure it’s flat (and not at an angle) when you glue it down.

Total cost: < $100 (including my expensive cutting mistake, something like $85). Now, if I could convince Ben that I just saved almost $800…!

Ta-da!

Thanks for stopping by!
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Feeling Blue

2012-06-06T19:50:00.000-04:00

A year later and I haven't made any progress on liking the master bedroom. I used to be on a yellow and grey kick, but while I was working to finish the fireplace room and my DIY Pottery Barn knockoff mirror, I had a new revelation. Dark blue walls in the master bedroom.

I put together this inspiration board with the thought that the room should be both pretty and functional (i.e. sleep-inducing!). Blue walls in the bedroom = relaxing! I had to work around a few constraints for my board. Specifically, I might be vampire. When I sleep, it has to be d.a.r.k. dark. So, the walls needed to be some kind of dark light-absorbing color and the white Ikea curtains I lined with blackout material should remain. Also, I'm not changing out the carpet. It's the same beige carpet that graces our floors on the entire second floor of our house (all of the bedrooms). And last, we own a bunch of matchy-matchy dark wood pieces similar to the nightstand you see below, including headboard, pair of nightstands, dresser, and chest of drawers. For the sake of not spending an arm and a leg, those stay safe - for now! I have an idea to "slipcover" my headboard to change it up a bit.

For paint color, I'd choose something like Benjamin Moore Hale Navy, Vermont Slate, or Bella Blue.

All in all, I was going for a put-together, natural, and collected look. My favorite parts of this inspiration board are the swiss army blankets, bench (which I intend to DIY), and rope (incorporated through a lamp or some kind of accessory). It just gives me that warm and cozy feeling -- this is the type of bedroom I want to wake up in!

New Mirror Reveal!

2012-06-04T17:39:00.001-04:00

After about two weeks, multiple trips to Hobby Lobby, and lots of sawing, my new mirror is finally mounted above the mantel!

I posted more details and the tutorial here.

It’s my own knockoff version of the Pottery Barn Eagan Mirror, which retails at $699. Here’s the real thing from the PB catalog:

More details on this project later… it requires a lot of explanation. Meanwhile, do you recognize any of the other items I put on the mantel?

Goodwill Secrets and Thrifty Finds

2012-06-03T19:42:00.001-04:00

I don’t know how Goodwill International works, but Goodwill of Central Indiana is one of the best GWs in the country. They have about 30+ stores, and they’re all very modern, clean, and even better – they don’t smell funny. :) I was privileged enough to learn about how they all work through my interactions with some of their corporate office people while taking on the duties of my 9-5 job.

Have you ever wondered how Goodwills don’t just pile up with tons and tons of donated stuff?

Three ways. On the first Saturday of every month, EVERYTHING in the store is 50% off. I always seem to stumble in on these days, and it is a mad-house. There are lines almost to the back of the store! Yesterday, I went into my nearby store around 1pm, and back at 8pm (I had to go back for something I wanted!). By the time 8pm rolled around, well over 75% of the inventory I’d seen earlier was gone. The place had been pillaged. Surprisingly, Goodwill employees were still extremely friendly and upbeat at this time of evening.

Second, check your price tag. Because nothing is supposed to stick around for more than a month (usually), GW does a color of the week. Price tags are color-coded so that each week, a new color tag is placed on product. After 4 weeks, that particular color becomes the color of the week, and at least in Indiana, that means you score 50% off that item. Don’t try to wait it out… good stuff gets snatched up quickly!

And last, in Indiana/Indianapolis, Goodwill has two Goodwill Outlet stores. If you’ve seen the GW trucks out and about, they’re transporting all the things that didn’t get purchased at the stores to the Outlet. In the Outlet, giant boxes of pre-sorted items (clothing, shoes, electronics, wares, plastics, etc.) get emptied out into shallow blue carts, and workers take them out onto the retail floor. They’re out there for exactly 30 minutes, and after that 30 minutes, whatever is left gets thrown away, donated, sent to third-world countries overseas, and the like.

I can’t gloss over the “take them out onto the retail floor” sentence, though. It is a MADHOUSE. It is like the feeding FRENZY of barracudas when they smell fresh meat. Like so:

Don’t get me wrong – stuff at Goodwill Outlet is NOT junk. Sometimes, it’s just priced too high and doesn’t sell at the store, so you can get some awe-some things here. Since it’s sold by the pound, you’re going to get a smokin’ deal. I see professional pickers and antique dealers here all the time looking for gold in a blue bucket… (spot them – they always wear gloves and have a systematic way of searching). Oh, and there’s rules too! When the carts are being replaced, you are not allowed to cross over the yellow line to grab your goods until the last new cart is put in place. Yes, furniture and TVs are easy to come by here too. And they all come cheap.

If you’re in Indiana, there are three Goodwill Outlets in Indy (but some GW networks don’t have any). Go there when you have a chance and relish in the chaos.

New Finds
I scored some gooood deals on 50% off Saturday yesterday. I have ideas on makeovers or uses for *most* all of them, so stand by while I get to work. Here they are in their thrifty glory:

So far, I’m making slow progress, but it’s progress either way!

Here’s my first quick makeover of a $1 “God Bless Teachers” scrapbook project turned ugly:

…with a little paint, a hot glue gun, and a $1 metal stencil tag from Michael’s.

Total cost: $3.

More before and afters coming up tomorrow!

Ps - I was just at Kohl's yesterday, and speaking of good finds, this driftwood mirror is on super-clearance for $50, from $130! The Bloomington store had 2 in stock, but it's no longer available online.

Outdoors and Throwing Rocks

2012-05-22T16:20:00.001-04:00

I’m having a hard-to-focus moment today, so I’ll take a quick break and show you what’s new in the great outdoors.

My friend Erin & I hit up the farmer’s market on Saturday and I bought some flowers and kale. I can’t wait for these to start growing like crazy – I hear it’s the vegetable that keeps on giving, because you can cut off a stalk and another one (just as large) will shoot out. Grow, baby, grow!

I got some new cushions for my Pier 1 patio chairs, too! The table’s a little small but I’m kind of liking it…

This is the side of the yard that I hate- these bushes grow like crazy.

I sucked it up and trimmed them – the only casualty was a single blister. :)

Here’s the view of the backyard and fire pit as you enter the back yard. Look closely – the lanterns are starting to look rusty.

Years of exposure to the sun faded the lanterns and they’re rusting. We have four of them around the yard.

I taped them up and painted them with my NEW FAVORITE spray paint, Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze!

Doesn’t that look so much better?

I like the Oil-Rubbed Bronze finish so much I’ve also painted a mirror frame and a flower pot the same color. What – else – to – paint ?!

Sidenote: I’ve been finding these little red mites (?) crawling all over the stone and wood deck. Does anybody know what these are? They’re super tiny, they’re red, and they have a bunch of legs. They’re EVERYWHERE. It’s unnerving to think that I’m sitting on hundreds of these bugs if I park it next to the fire pit. How do you get rid of them?

Nerd alert…

Our running buddy, Heather, brought me a gift the other night for playing hostess to our running group party. It’s a geode! She found it while she was on a run.

I’d heard that we had geodes all around Indiana, but didn’t know how to find them or what they looked like. I even saw a guy try to sell them on craigslist. $50 for a bunch of rocks you found? Really?

This Craigslist post tipped me off to what these things look like. So, the other day, when I was walking around in the creek next to our house looking for plants for my terrarium, I found a round-ish rock that looks like it *might* be a geode. I picked it up and took it home.

As a kid, I had a rock collection. A “ cheater” collection, no less, but I would get cool-looking rocks from The Nature Company or get one of these kits from the Scholastic book ordering catalog we got at school. My favorite was pyrite, or “fool’s gold.” I learned to love shiny things at a young age. ;)

I took a few shots at my maybe-geode with a hammer, except it scratched up my hammer! After about 5 swings, I felt really silly for beating up a rock, so I quit hammering on it. The next night, a friend of mine with a Geology degree confirmed my round rock as a geode. When I asked how to bust it open, he said that a good way to crack open a geode is to crack it with another geode.

The next day, I went looking for more and found a lot of bigger geodes in the creek bed, now that I was actually looking. On my first good throw (I felt silly for hammering a rock. Now I was throwing a rock at another rock.), it broke open into 5 sparkly pieces. It was like Christmas!

Have you made any fun discoveries in your backyard latley? Am I alone in thinking throwing rocks is cool? Tell!

Around the House

2012-05-18T00:29:00.001-04:00

Wowza… lots of updates!

I got a "real person” SLR camera last week and I’m still learning how to use it. It was a pretty good deal – I got a refurbished Nikon D3100 with kit lens extended 2-year warranty for $400. It’s my first time buying a refurb, but it looks and feels squeaky clean and brand new. Thumbs up so far!

Anyway, I decided to walk around the house and take some photos of the latest stuff I’ve made and been working on. I’m new to using this camera, so the shots you’re about to see are not stellar, but tons better than the old point-and-shoot.

Before we go on our tour, here’s Todd’s Zoolander pose: Blue Steel.

I love how Ben’s working on his computer in the background. So typical for a night at the Bartleys.

Come see – there’s new stuff all around this house! It’s all still in progress, of course.

Here’s my new chair! I’ve been eyeing this one at World Market for months, only to find out that they’re out of stock every time. I hit the jackpot one afternoon, and not only did they have five in stock, but they were also running a 10% off coupon. Win! This is the Erin Cute-As-A-Button chair. It’s the perfect size and shape, and when you look closely, all of the buttons are unique. No two chairs are alike!

Prepare yourselves. I am in love with succulents and cute little indoor plants. A neighbor was getting rid of some old weather 1"x4”s, so I took a few boards off of her hands. I cut them up, nailed them together, and made myself a tabletop planter. All the plants are from Home Depot.

Top view:

More plants. I have a ton of glass hurricanes and thought I’d use them. Here’s a tiny terrarium I made with some clay birds, cactus soil, and some rocks I had laying around.

Last weekend was a HUGE sewing weekend for me! I made three pillows in a day, with only one casualty (I actually sewed my finger – ouch!). The pillow you see on my new chair is actually a placemat from World Market. I found out later that they sold out of these napkins REALLY fast. All I had to do was rip out the stitches on one side of the napkin and sew a zipper into the side.

The pillow insert is actually a bed pillow from Ikea from the scratch ‘n' dent area… I cut it in half and sewed it back together. For the $3 I paid for the Ikea pillow, I now have two lumbar pillow inserts.

See? The buttons are so flippin’ fun!

Then, I found YET ANOTHER hurricane glass and decided to go for a terrarium with a more local flavor. :) In Indiana, we don’t have soil, we have clay. I took a hike down the creek path behind our house and found two types of moss, a fern (which is still being revived), driftwood, and a couple of rocks. I couldn’t help myself… yes, I made a tiny bunny to sit inside my terrarium.

Cleaning out some old drawers, I found a bunch of memorabilia that has some significance to me an Ben. So, I framed it. This is another Ikea frame. Top left – a fake diamond ring (long story). Top right – key to our first house in Indianapolis. Bottom left – a key to our current house, before the locks were changed. Bottom right – my favorite! A (quartz?) rock from the bottom of our first trip to Colorado together. [We did a Fourteener that day, Mount Evans. I know it’s totally cheating, because you can drive to the top. We’ve legitimately climbed two other 14,000-foot peaks since, in all of their oxygen-deficient glory!]

You guys, this is my pride and joy (that’s still in the works).

Ok, wait! Stop! You have to see what it looked like before. This corner is/was not only awkward, but really poorly lit, no matter what time of day. This means that every photo attempt was a dark and grainy mess…

The hanging mirror-coatrack from Target was nice, but I was always a scared that it would fall when we hung heavy Winter coats on it. There’s only four hooks, too. I have more coats and bags than that! Pretty, but not a good fit or size for this area, especially when we have visitors… half the time we’d end up throwing coats on a nearby chair.

I just built and installed this permanent coat and key hook (below), and I’m really proud of how it turned out! The wood for the coat rack is just a 1”x6” and the hooks are from Target.

I’ve had the Ikea picture shelf for-ever and finally got to use it!! The canvas is one I painted over with random stuff and acrylic paint I had, and the middle frame is art I made from paint chips. The left-most frame is framed text on cardstock (if you must know, it’s a list of all the names Shawn ever called Gus in our favorite show, Psych). I leave the left side of the shelf for mail, sunglasses, and other items.

The hardest part about getting this coat rack installed was working around the angled corner of the office wall without a miter saw. After lots of sanding and cutting, it turned out alright!

I’m still trying to find a larger entry bench to put beneath the coat rack. You can go ahead and ignore the random stool & bench beneath it right now!

Maybe something like this?

Here’s the top of our office built-ins. I found the globe at HomeGoods. That’s another one of those pretty World Market placemats to the left of it, but instead of being a lumbar pillow, now it’s framed artwork. I am going to fill the rest of this area with smaller frames and artwork. I think I’ll also line the inside of the bookshelves with fabric.

Check out the second shelf – that’s an alpaca that Jaz & Jose Carlos made for me for the epic Handmade Bartley Christmas!

This picture turned out GREAT! compared to any attempts I took with my point-and-shoot digital camera. This is the breakfast nook and my gallery wall. I made all of the artwork on the wall, and some of them are just placeholders until I find something I l.o.v.e.

I like the idea of displaying some of our race medals, since it’s important to us. My two biggest achievements are hung there right now – the blue ribbon is from my first 50k trail ultramarathon (31 miles!) last weekend and the one behind it is the Rev3 half iron triathlon on September 11, 2011.

Oh – more obsession with cute little plants. Meet my cactus!

Yes, that is definitely a Bowerman book underneath it. We’re huge running nerds.

Highlighting a tiny – but hugely helpful – tweak to the laundry room… the $4 Ikea spice rack mounted to the wall! It’s just big enough to hold the essentials and keep this stuff from stacking up on the dryer in an already-tiny room.

I love West Elm. Is it too obvious? I got this new hammered vase on sale in the Columbus, Ohio store at Easton a few weeks ago.

Outside, there have been a couple of tweaks. Check out the new bench for the front porch:

I spent last Sunday making these pillows. It’s so fun when things coordinate! They pillows were made with outdoor fabrics, so that should help them stay clean and dry for a while. I sprayed them with water-dirt resistant spray just in case.

Yes, I engineered this built-in zipper in each of the pillow covers. It only took three pillows and three tries to get it just right!

Well, that’s the latest! Want to know more? Just ask. :) Thanks for stopping by!

Paint Chip Art

2012-04-21T11:01:00.006-04:00

More free artwork? Check.

Um, I own an embarrassingly large collection of paint chips.

I'm not a decorator... or a designer... and I'm not a painter... I just have a serious problem with collecting paint chips. Sometimes I think I need some help with my home decor hoarding habits! (I kid.)

So I hung this black Ikea Ribba floating picture ledge a few days ago, but that poor ledge sat naked while I tried to figure out how to fill it... with stuff that I'd still like after a week's time. Then, I remembered my stack of paint chips. Light bulb moment!

Chevron's still "so hot right now," but lately, I'm really ~~loving~~ obsessing over herringbone. It's a super classic and traditional pattern, so I thought playing with the scale and color could give it a modern spin.

Then, there's ombre. It's color perfection.

Herringbone + ombre = LOVE.

I was inspired by some chevron paint chip and ombre masterpieces from my favorite blogs, and also from photos we've all seen floating around Pinterest.

Sources: (1) Pinterest (2) YoungHouseLove (3) A Beautiful Mess (4) Pinterest - Merry Pad

Working quickly so the a-ha! moment wouldn't fade, I whipped out a pair of scissors, my giant mass of paint chips, a glue stick, and cardstock. In the final product, you'll see that I cut each line of the herringbone pattern uniquely (read: I couldn't figure out how to cut each piece on the same angle every single time). :) This was certainly a time consuming project, but well worth it for this little 5"x7" piece.

I chose about 3 consecutive paint chips with 5 shades on each card. Once I cut out the polygon shapes, I laid them out on the table so I could picture how they'd look and trimmed down the pieces that were too big. I got them just right - or approximately just right - I then summoned my inner 4 year old: I used a plain old glue stick to attach them to heavy card stock. Finally, I cut off the extra edges from the card stock and was left with a pretty 5"x7" art card.

Let's see it one more time....

A work in progress...

I love the way it combines the clean lines of herringbone plus the playful and fun color in the gradient. I'm so proud of this perfect(ly free) addition to my picture ledge!

What do you think? Have you found any creative ways to use your paint chips?

Linked up at:

Gallery Wall Update

2012-01-31T15:24:00.000-05:00

The most awesome part about cheap gallery wall art is that I can change it at any time without breaking the bank. The Spring flower theme wasn't cutting it for the Winter months... and since I put them in the frames, I've never felt like they fit in the room.

Here's my latest gallery wall update:

The picture is actually a night shot of downtown Bloomington, IN on the town square in front of the historic courthouse. I was standing in front of our family store and looking down the street. In focus, the area looks more like this, below. It's beautiful when it's all lit up for the Winter season.

Photo: Andrew Taber - Flickr

Photo: Jeff Hammon - Flickr

The photo effect is so pretty! It's seriously fueled my desire to buy a big-girl camera and quit using my ol' digital one that's ages old... only a SLR (or someone with serious patience in Photoshop) can create this blurry-lighting effect, called bokeh.

If you squint, you might be able to tell that the little red dots on the bottom left are a car's brake lights. I took the original picture and split it up into six panels in Photoshop and sized them to 11.5" squares. Then, I took the photos over to my favorite Kinko's and had them print each page out on 12"x18" paper for $1.79 a piece. You can't beat that!

*I would recommend, however, if you take on this project, to lighten up your photos before you bring them to print. Or, make sure they lighten them in the store. The panels turned out a little too dark for me. It was too late by the time I realized it. It's still good. :)

And once again, this artwork has special significance to me and Ben -- this is our town!

And, here's how it fits into the rest of (that side of) the room. It was insanely bright on the day I photographed it, so excuse the glare. Let's call that more reason to get a fancypants camera, eh?

So, there you have it - new photos and new artwork. How easy was that?

Best Goodwill Finds Ever

2012-01-30T19:29:00.000-05:00

I found the most amazing things at Goodwill last week. Come see!

First, there was the number 6. The day before I found this, I bought an 8 (to celebrate our 8/8/08 wedding anniversary) at Relish, a local home decor shop. Numbers. This is what you get what you combine an engineering plus a math teacher. My 6 was only $1.99!

Have you ever walked around a Goodwill and spotted something you might buy, only to realize that someone else had snatched it up in the meanwhile? A few months ago, I found the perfect framed painting for the guest bedroom, but as I debated buying it (while wandering around the rest of the store) someone else had grabbed it. I didn't let it happen this time... when I saw this starburst mirror, I flew to that thing and grabbed it like my life depended on it.

Some of the prongs of the starburst were a little bent, but I moved most of them back in place. After much deliberation, I decided to put the mirror in the master bathroom. With the skylight above and the window on the adjacent wall, it's a light and cheerful reminder of the day to come when I see it each morning.

What is it about Goodwill that keeps us coming back? Is it the incredible finds, or is it the thrill of the hunt? What's your best GW loot?

Magnetic Scrabble Board Art

2012-01-28T17:15:00.000-05:00

Next on the handmade gift list...

Scrabble Board Artwork

Jose Carlos is from Sevilla, Spain. When he first came to the U.S., he came to study English for 16 weeks in Indiana University's English program. Since he and Ben had met during Ben's 2008 trip to visit a friend in Spain, Ben invited him to stay with the rest of the family (i.e. his parents), who were glad to welcome him.

On his very first evening in America, we invited him to play Scrabble with us. How mean are we?? His English was already very good. What's more, you would never be able to pick him out from a crowd - as a European, that is... his friends call him "the American" by the way he dresses and acts. Needless to say, from the time we started playing Scrabble, he fit in with us perfectly. :)

Jaz and The rest is history, and their wedding day was October 15th, 2011. (Remember that wreath I made them for their new place?)

For a Christmas gift to them, I decided to make them something that brings happy memories for all of us - the magnetic Scrabble board!

What you need:

A piece of sheet metal (you can buy one at Lowe's like I did)
One length of decorative molding (again, Lowe's) - I think mine was 8 feet long.
Plywood
Liquid Nails adhesive
Drywall repair spackle
Paint
1 Scrabble board game
104 Earth Magnets

How I did it:

1) I used some scrap plywood to make a backing that allowed 2"-3" inches beyond the dimensions of the sheet metal. Then, some Liquid Nails glued the sheet metal to the plywood backing.

2) Next, I measured out the decorative molding to the dimensions that will frame the sheet metal. You know that phrase, measure twice, cut once? Definitely should've followed that rule.
I just used a jigsaw, but your cuts will be much cleaner with a rotary saw.
Alternatively, you can use metal snips to cut the sheet metal to the right size and use a Goodwill picture frame - I didn't use snips, though... they were so heavy-duty they scared me a little.

A couple of extra scraps.... I may or may not have cut some of my wood pieces on the completely wrong angle. Me = so very lucky. I had less than 4 inches of molding left after I cleaned up my mistakes and finished cutting the frame!

3) Once the glue dried, I filled in the cracks in the frame with the spackle. You can use wood filler if you need to fill up some huge gaps.

4) Here's the finished frame after a little bit of sanding and smoothing.

5) I brushed off the dust and then painted the frame with regular black acrylic paint in two layers. I used some leftover poly to give it a shine as the top protective layer.

6) The Scrabble set was an interesting story. I got the Scrabble letters from a seller on Craigslist - a guy who was selling it for a dollar! What is it about Craigslist buyers and sellers that is sometimes so skeazy? I was directed to an address, which turned out to be a used car sales "dealership" that had an inventory of a whole 5 cars in a gravel lot. The main office of this dealership was a small 10 foot-by-10 foot glass cube (!!!), unlit, and pretty scary looking. In the end, I got my Scrabble board for a buck and walked away with a good ol' Indiana experience.

7) The magnets were an interesting adventure too. I got my super-strong magnets from a seller on Etsy - bottlecapartsupplies. It was $22 for a set of 200 rare earth magnets, so if you're searching, look for this: 200 1/4 Inch x 1/16 inch Neodymium Disc Rare Earth Magnets. They're so tiny! When I first received them in the mail, I wasn't even sure if there was anything inside the envelope.

Meanwhile, gluing the magnets was a different challenge. I had glued about 20 magnets to the Scrabble tiles with a hot glue gun, and the magnets were so strong that they separated from the tiles after the glue was dry...fail!

I ultimately used the liquid nails again to glue the magnet and tile together. Success! That stuff is good for just about everything!

Mission accomplished...

8) Then, Ben made his rendition of modern-artistic Scrabble board on the metal with a black Sharpie marker. We also decided to stick magnets to two of the letter holders.

9) Last but not least, I nailed a picture hanger onto the back of the frame.

Ta-da!

Toma - the Spanish word equivalent to our "Yess!!!"

What do you think of my project?
Are we huge dorks or what -- is Scrabble this much a part of your life? :)

DIY Monogram Art

2012-01-08T00:52:00.000-05:00

This gift idea was straight off a Pinterest pin, so I can't take credit for all the creativity. It turned out just as I'd hoped! This monogram artwork is personal, interesting, and flexible enough to give to just about anyone.

I made one of these for Jaz and Jose Carlos, since their last name starts with an "M." As a newly married couple (remember the Fall wreath I made them in October?), they're always in need of meaningful artwork for their apartment.

Here's what you'll need:
- Picture frame, shadowbox preferred
- Exacto knife
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Glue stick
- Paper: scrapbook paper, cardstock, and colored paper

See those little cutout triangles that are red? Well, I didn't initially have any colored paper on-hand to use. I eventually found a green envelope from a Christmas card (how appropriate) and borrowed a couple of slices out of it. While gluing, I remembered that green is the color of Jose Carlos' rival soccer team (Real Betis)... I thought, "Maybe they won't notice.........." and slept on it.

Sports. Rivalries. To me, that means Ohio State vs. M*ch*g*n. Now, put in that context, it was only right that I should change the accent to Sevilla's team color. ['Cause I dare you to find maize and blue in my house. I dare you!] Unable to find any red-colored paper on hand, I finally found a popcorn box in my pantry that was red. So, I ripped my earlier work apart carefully and used a little piece of a popcorn box for their artwork. Yep, popcorn art. Oh, the things we do for sports.

From start to finish? Easy:
1) Draw a letter, in pencil, on white cardstock. I used the letter "M," which I drew with a ruler and by creating some guidelines.
2) Cut out the letter carefully with an Exacto knife.
3) Free-hand (with your pencil again) some shapes for your cutouts. Mine were triangles of varying sizes. Cut those out with your Exacto knife.
4) Cut out pieces of colored paper that are slightly larger than your cutouts, making sure to match shapes so that the colored paper fits only in one cutout.
5) Glue the colored paper to the cardstock, in the cutout windows.
6) Cut a piece of scrapbook paper (for the background) to the size of your picture frame.
7) Glue the finished letter to the scrapbook paper
8) Frame (then rip apart and restart from Step 4 if you screwed up the color)
9) Gift proudly!

In the end, I liked this project and its simplicity so much that I made another "M" for my sister, Megan. Her background was grey - lighter this time - and a light turquoise for the inlaid color.

What do you think? Have you made any cool or fun paper gifts?

DIY Etched Glasses

2011-12-31T19:14:00.000-05:00

There was only one gift-giving rule for our family Christmas this year: everything must be hand-made. Now, that term can be used pretty loosely, but it resulted in some really amazing and most thoughtful gifts I have ever seen.

My next few posts will feature the items we exchanged this Christmas.

Crafty Christmas 2011: Etched Glasses
Of course, I stalked Pinterest for weeks coming up with ideas for gifts for my family. And, if you've never been on the site, CraftGawker.com has some really fun DIY projects you might want to try - it's like Pinterest for crafts!

Anyhow, I got the idea for etched glasses from J&S at YoungHouseLove. They etched a glass vase for Thanksgiving, and every day of November they wrote one thing they were thankful for on an index card. On Thanksgiving Day, they read every one of them - how sweet! (Tucking that one away for the future)

My adapted idea was both simple and complicated, and while it could have been a major disaster, it turned out great! :) My mom now has a set of custom-etched drinking glasses... fun and functional: win!

All of the grandkids - Todd the bunny, Nikki the cat,
Goober the Shiba Inu, and Mika the Shiba Inu

And because I can't not show you all of their cuteness, here are the grandkids themselves:

If you're going to take on this project, here's what you'll need:

Glass tumblers
Armour Etch glass etching cream (try Jo-Ann, Michaels, or Hobby Lobby)
Painters tape
Cardstock
Exacto knife
Paint brush

Got them all? Good. Now see if you can follow along with the madness.

First, I bought a handful of drink tumblers from Target, $4 for a set of 4 glasses made by Libbey (sorry, I couldn't find them on the Target website, but they have plenty! Promise!).

Then, I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some Armour Etch glass etching cream.

I just did a google image search and found silhouettes of pets that could be dead ringers for the real ones, then printed the black silhouettes out on a sheet of cardstock. It took a little editing in Photoshop to get them to be the same height (2.5 inches). Example:

Source

Once printed, I covered the silhouette with painters tape (green Frog Tape!). Since it was nice and sunny out, I went over to a brightly-lit window and traced the silhouette onto the painters tape.

Using the exacto knife, I cut out the shape of the silhouette I traced and took the negative, peeling it veeeery carefully off of the cardstock.

I lined up the silhouette to make sure it was straight-ish and placed on the glass properly and really tightly... bring on the etching cream!

All of the warnings kind of freaked me out

Then I used the brush to apply the etching cream. First I gave it a thin layer, but then realized that you have to lay it on thick. If you can see any of the glass beneath the cream, then it's not enough etching cream. The silhouette should be all white.

I let the etching cream sit for about 2-3 minutes, and then washed it off under the sink with water, drying it off with a paper towel. The painters tape came off easily, and I gave it one more rinse, leaving me with a finished glass!

Next: Rinsed and repeated 3 more times for the full set.

If you scrutinize, you can tell it's not perfect, and you can also tell which glasses I worked on later as I learned how to use the etching cream. I actually like that they're a little flawed - they're totally homemade!

Here's an up-close of the finished glasses:

Ta-da!

If I did this again, I'd make it easier on myself in a few ways.

With a wider piece of painters tape, I would've avoided layering multiple strips of tape for each silhouette.
Could wax paper have made the tape removal easier without taking away its stickiness? I wish I'd had some wax paper to try it.
A vinyl cutting machine would've totally eliminated any messy outlines and the exacto knife - painters tape challenge. Vinyl, rather than painters tape, could've given me nice, clean, neat lines.

Update: Contact paper! Contact paper could be much, much easier than painters tape and cheaper than vinyl!

And note: if you do this project, you can't just touch up the etched parts-- you have the do the whole silhouette over again, otherwise you'll get spotty etching. Trust me... I tried and failed!

Final result:

My mom loved it (when she wasn't kicking the cat off of her lap)!! When she opened the glasses, she didn't realize they were etched until I made her look at each one... she was really surprised initially, thinking that it was SUCH a funny coincidence that there were Shiba Inu dogs on the glasses she saw first. Of course, then she wanted to know how I did it all, so I'll call that a success! Yep, I'm 27 years old and still makin' crafts for my mom!

Has your family ever done a DIY Christmas? Did you make any of your gifts this year? Let's see 'em!

Linked up at:

Plate Walls

2011-12-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

Loving... plate walls. This wall in what we call the Fireplace Room is looking pretty darn lonely, and while I'd love to put some great art on it, that wall can't compete too heavily with the fireplace and mantle. Could the plate wall idea actually work?

Below, I've posted a couple of inspiration photos which I've pinned here.

My #1 all-time fave? I'm drooling over nearly everything in Joi's house. At first, it was their cane chairs, and now it's this fun and colorful plate wall. And look at those grey walls! The grey makes the yellow, turquoise, blue, and pink just pop.

Source - Nuestra Vida Dulce

Some of the other finalists.....

Source - Angela Hardison

Source - View Along the Way

Source - Flickr

Source - Sunset

Source - Design Sponge

You know, this wall (below) might just be cool after all.

That canvas art has since been sold off, leaving a different kind of empty "canvas" waiting to be filled!

Meanwhile, I'm on the search for plates from thrift stores and local shops like Relish and Elements in Bloomington. Check out what I've found so far - total camera phone picture.

How about you? Have you found any sources for good and fun plates? Do you have or want to have a plate wall?