retropolitan

I'm back, a cheap find and an update.

2013-05-16T20:42:00.001-07:00

Hello!

It seems like forever since I last posted.

Bora Bora was amazing and beautiful. I got a massage, petted a puffer fish, grafted coral, lounged around, strolled the beach collecting seashells, took a bath (boy how I had missed soaking in tub), got a nasty lil sunburn, caught up on some Burn Notice {I know, kinda lame}, got stuck in a local political parade and actually finished a book.

Here are Studs and I just getting to the resort. Can you believe how beautiful it is? They say French Polynesia is 50 shades of blue and judging by the this picture I can see why. There was blue everywhere...above and below.

Here is where we stayed...yes, in a bungalow over the water. It was crazy. There were windows in the floor so that you could see down into the water. We never saw any marine life, but it was still very cool.

Here I am lounging on the beach reading a book by the lagoon. There was all sorts of marine life in the water...coral, anemone, sea cucumbers {so gross}, clown fish, puffer fish, farmer fish and these odd fish that were really long and skinny. They kinda freaked me out because they reminded me of barracuda (even though they didn't really look like them). There was also a porcupine/blowfish that hung out in one of the lagoons. He was always in the exact same spot. I became quite a accustomed to him greeting me everyday as I'd walk over the bridge to the main beach.

These are just a few of my finds whilst meandering down the beach one day. I thought it was pretty cool to find a conch shell just laying on the beach. Almost every seashell had a hermit crab living in it, so I thought myself lucky to have found one without a resident.

The vacay was absolutely amazing and I was very sad to leave. We made some great friends and great memories, but I was anxious to get home and see my babies.

Twenty minutes after the plane landed in SLC, I was off to the orthodontist for my son's appointment. A few hours later I was sitting at my daughter's violin recital. And later that night I was cleaning up puke. I've been cleaning up puke for the past week, but I think we are finally over it. WELCOME HOME MOM!

Anywho, on to something DIY-ey.
I've had a lot of people contact me about my diy floor poufs. The most commonly asked question I get is, "does Ikea still sell the rugs I used"...to which I have to respond, no. I have not seen the $3 rugs I used at Ikea for awhile. That doesn't mean they won't start carrying them again, but...
So, I made it my personal quest to find a proper replacement for anyone who still might wanna make some. And what do you know, today while I was at Target I came across these awesome floor mats. The first thought I had was how awesome they would look as floor poufs.

I love the bold, colorful striped pattern. You could have so much fun accessorizing around them.

They are made from a sturdy, canvas-y type fabric, that would be perfect for a floor cushion. And I figure since they are durable enough for feet to walk all over them, they should be durable enough for bums to sit all over them, right? The fabric doesn't look like it will fray as bad as the Ikea rugs either {I would still definately recommend surging or using a short, zig zag stitch for all of the seams!}

The only complaint I have is that these rugs are $12 rather than $3, but I figured they would still result in a significantly cheaper floor pouf than if you were to purchase one from West Elm for $200. If my sewing machine quits acting like a pile of poo {or Studs lets me buy a new one} I am thinking of making a few for the outside deck.

In other news, we are back in business with the bathroom. I feel a bit ashamed to share this, but because of all of the road blocks we've run into during the remodel we've decided to have a contractor friend come finish the job. Studs was also recently promoted at work and has been swamped with work. So, as sad as I am to hand my baby over to someone else, I think it's for the best. The contractor said he could have it done in three weeks. Yee haw! I'll be sure to post pics as things progress.

Picturlicious!

2013-04-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

All right, one more post before the vacay.

This one has absolutely nothing to do with home improvement or home design, but it is about DIY!!!

This little nugget of info changed my life...okay, not really, but it did give me the giddies. I just now figured out how to manipulate my template to allow for ginormous pictures on my blog. I'm sure many of you have been aware of this "blog changing" info for awhile, but there's no need to hate. Some people {namely me} just move at a slower pace.

Anywho, for those of you have admired the big, luscious pictures on all of your favorite blogs and wondered "how do they do that" well, today is your lucky day because I'm going to fill you in.

To begin:

click on design tab in the upper right hand corner of your home page...on the navigation bar.

Then, click on the orange icon that says customize, you wil find it just below the "live on blog" image.

On the left hand side of the page, you will see a list. Click on adjust widths.

You will notice now, that you can adjust the widths of both your entire blog, and your side bar.

The standard for my blog was 960 px for my entire blog width, and 310 px for my {right} sidebar. I simply readjusted the total width to 1100 px and reduced the sidebar width to 300 px.

This seemed to be the perfect size for allowing me to enlarge my photo uploads to extra large, without encroaching on my sidebar or distorting the picture.

You may want to play around with your widths a bit to find your ideal number, but once you do it will be totally worth it, because then you will have become a member of the "lusciously large picture" club.

Here's how big my photos were before

And here's how luciously large they are now.

Life changing right? You're welcome!

Be good while I'm gone. And I'll see ya when I get back.

A change of mind AND a cheap, easy, awesome accent wall idea.

2013-04-27T21:55:00.001-07:00

I mentioned in my last post how much I love white walls and how I was all jazzed up about painting one in my house.

Well, I still love white walls and I still will paint a white wall in my house...I have 2 gallons of white paint sitting on my counter to motivate me. But for the project I just finished, I decided a slightly off white wall would work better.

The color on the wall is Realist Beige by Sherwin Williams.
{SW6078}

I know, I know. Why would I want boring beige on my walls, but trust me, this beige is cool and creamy and doesn't come off as drab at all. It is a great accompaniment to the gray and white accents I already have in the space.

Anyway, enough about all that.

I have been wanting to do an accent wall in my front room for awhile, but I didn't want to just slap some paint on it and call it good. I wanted to do something that was graphic and interesting and different. After much thought and consideration I decided on this...

Umm, yes. Those would be gold, dot stickers. You probably think I'm crazy right about now, but just trust me. I purchased this roll of 1000 dots for $10 on Amazon.com.

Here's what happened when I stuck {almost} all of them on the wall.

I actually really dig it.

I think it's interesting and eye-catching, without being obnoxious. And it's gold. Who doesn't love gold? Not me, that's who.

When the light hits the dots, they make the wall sorta sparkle and come alive.

Gold is one of my favorite accent colors right now, so I am super thrilled about having a gold accent wall. Did I mention how much I like gold?

I didn't really follow any plan or pattern except that I wanted to give the illusion of the dots floating away, so I started really condensed at the baseboard and then gradually spread the dots out as I moved up the wall.

Not bad for a roll of stickers, eh? And I bet you didn't even remember the fact that my wall is {not} boring beige instead of white.

In other news, Studs and I leave for our vacay in a couple of days. I will try to get another post in before I head out, but just in case I don't, I'll see you in a week.

Which white is right?

2013-04-24T13:48:00.002-07:00

I've been trying to bang out a couple of little projects around the house before Studs and I head out on our vacay next week.

This last weekend I painted the kitchen nook and a focal wall in the great room a deep charcoal grey color.

{don't mind "lil red" there takin' a snooze}

I love how it turned out. Charcoal grey is such a sophisticated color.

I find it interesting how the space feels brighter with this darker color on the walls. Not sure why that is...I imagine it might have something to do with the way the white shelves really pop against it now.

Anyway, now I'm on to my next project. This one involves painting a white wall {and a little extra sumthin-sumthin}. If you haven't noticed, white is all the rage right now and I am totally drinking the Kool-Aid. I think white rooms look so crisp and clean and open and bright and...
But it can get really overwhelming trying to hone in on just the right shade of white. There are so many different "whites" out there to choose from. So, I did a little homework and thought I'd share it with you just in case you were contemplating painting a white wall in your house too.

I narrowed down some choices of whites that are tried and true. I tried to include options from varying price points and easily accessible brands. Also, I've included the link to a great article I happened across on Houzz {I could go on and on about this website, but that's for another post} that addresses the topic of choosing the right white for your space.

Creamy by Sherwin Williams

{SW7012}

I used this color to paint my kitchen cabinets.

It doesn't look as off white in person as it does in the swatch above. It's just a deliciously warm, soft, white color. Color shown in the wainscoating below.

Traditional Bathroom by Minneapolis Interior Designer Design By Lisa

Snowbound by Sherwin Williams

{SW7004}

I used this color on the doors and trim in my house.

It is a really cool and crisp white, but not so stark that you need to wear sunglasses when you look at it. Color shown in the wainscoating and trim below.

Spaces

#3
Atrium White by Benjamin Moore
{PM-13}
This color comes highly recommended although I have never used it personally. It's described as being not too warm and not too cool, but just right.

Color shown on the trim below.

Traditional Kitchen by Maplewood Architect Clawson Architects, LLC

#4
Dove White by Benjamin Moore
{OC-17}

Color shown below

Contemporary Kitchen by Baltimore Interior Designer Patrick Sutton Associates

This is another white that comes highly recommended. It is the perfect neutral white...not too gold and not too gray.

Anthem White by Valspar

{7006-24}

#6
Decorator's White by Benjamin Moore
{CC-20}

Paints Stains And Glazes by Other Metro Benjamin Moore

#7
Swiss Coffee by Behr

Something to bare in mind when choosing a white, is to consider the style and aesthetic of the room whose walls are being painted. You might also take into account the overall aesthetic of your house. If you lean towards a more modern aesthetic, you might steer clear of warmer,

antique-y, off-whites and choose a "newer", crisper white. The same would go for an older home. A bright stark white wouldn't look as good as a warmer, "aged" white.

As for me, my home is neither modern nor old, it's somewhere right in the middle. So, I've decided to go with a perfectly neutral white.

Here's to hoping I've chosen, white-ly, I mean wisely. :)

Mommypage.com Feature

2013-04-20T07:41:00.005-07:00

Good morning, friends!

Not sure how things are in your neck of the woods. It's a bit wet and rainy in these parts. I don't mind the rain if I can sit inside sipping hot cocoa and watching Bath Crashers...the T.V. show, not my real life drama. But I do mind when I have to head out to a soccer game and sit in if for an hour. Fingers crossed the wetness stops and is completed evaporated in an hour.

Anywho, a few months back, I was contacted by someome from the blog...mommypage.com asking if they could feature me and my little blog. I was a bit surprised, as my blog is not really a big deal...more of my online diary/idea book. But, I happily agreed.

Anywho-anywho, my feature was just posted {I discuss how Retropolitan came to be, where I find my inspiration and give a few tips on how you can quickly and inexpensively liven up your home and make it feel fresh again}.

So for those of you not familiar with mommypage.com, please do me a solid and help me show them some love by heading on over and checking them out. They've got other really great articles and links on all sorts of "mommy" related topics -recipes, crafts, coupons, testimonials...

And...

In other news, Studly recently found out that he won a trip to...Bora Bora {we leave in a week and a half}. Holy crap! Where is that even? Whatever, I will look at a map later. But, can you believe it?

I don't think I've ever seen a place so beautiful.

I would be over the moon excited, I mean I am over the moon excited about it. But I'm a little anxious about leaving my five, crazy kiddos and then flying for ten hours. I only have a two, deep to the core, fears...snakes {anything appendage-less} and heights /falling from great heights {here's where the flying thing comes into play}...oh, and bumping into David Beckham in my mommy pants, sans make-up.

Any tips from you seasoned travelers on how I can knock myself out for ten hours straight, so I'm not "white knuckling" it through the entire flight?

Pillow Talk

2013-04-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Let it be known that I love toss pillows.

I'll save you all the lengthy dissertation on how obsessive personalities run in my family and how I tend to get fixated on certain things...uh hum, David Beckham anyone?

Anyway, I just love accent pillows. I especially love having extras on hand that I can pull from when I am feeling the need to switch things up.

That all said, I thought I would share one of my favorite tips for making pillows...cloth napkins {and kitchen towels}.

Not only are napkins {and towels} the perfect, pre-formed size for accent pillows, they also tend to offer a wide variety of interesting patterns and colors. Oh! And they are also really cheap. Cha-ching.

I recently came across this brightly colored dish towel. Only I didn't see a dish towel, I saw the perfect accent pillow for my bed.

There was no cutting and no hemming involved...just sewing four straight lines {and if you don't sew, there are all sorts of liquid stitch and heat activated options you could try}. What could be easier than that?

Voila! A beautiful, bright and one of a kind pillow that took all of fifteen minutes to make {probably less if I wasn't using the world's crappiest sewing maching}.

And for your inspiration...

I saw these napkins at West Elm, a set of four for $20. That works out to be $10 per pillow, or you could always add a contrasting color to the back of each and make four pillows for a little over $5 a piece. Ba-Bam!

I think I love the dark pink best.

And who doesn't love a playful polka dot...especially those of the "ikat-y" variety?

These napkins, also from West Elm retail at between $16-20 for a set of four.

I'll take a set in blue, thank you!

I love this geometric pattern...especially the green...and the black...and the tan.

$16 for a set of four at West Elm.

Can you tell I love West Elm...remember the little "fixation" bit I talked about at the beginning of the post?

Anyway, next time you find yourself in the market for some new throw pillows, maybe you will consider passing up the premade ones and will consider making some of your own. I promise you will be the envy of the PTA. In fact, your popularity might propel right into the president's seat. Is that a good thing? I don't know. But at least you'll have some totally rad pillows to admire {and rest/bang your head on} while you plan out a year's worth of activities.

You're welcome!

And...more gold, but with polka dots this time.

2013-04-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this uber cute, gold, polka dot dress and was smitten.

There's just something about the playfulness of the polka dots and the sophistication of the gold on white that I love.

I decided that I needed some gold polka dots in my house...and what better {and easier} way to add color and pattern than with accent pillows. So, I took a cue from myself and picked up some $3 pillow covers from Ikea.

I love these pillow covers. First, they are premade, so no sewing. Second, they have zipper closures making it easy to change them out. Third, they are really cheap so you are barely out anything...except for a few minutes of your time.

I used DecoArt brand, metallic craft paint and a paint brush...

which I applied to an apple juice lid, cause that's how we roll in these parts. Just grab whatever crap is lying around and make it work for you.

I used the lid to stamp gold dots all over one side of the pillow cover.

Don't worry if the circles don't come out perfect. It will look great once you're totally done.

But, before you start stamping dots, make sure you line the inside of the pillow cover with paper towels or napkins to prevent bleeding onto the other side.

Here's the completed pillow.

The rule of thumb when stamping is to stamp in a triangle...so, if you were to isolate any three dots that are next to each other, they would form a triangle. Try to keep them spaced evenly.

What do you think? Worth the $3 price tag.

{and I just realized I never took the wrapping off of Stud's lamp shade...Threshold by Target in case you can't see the label :)}

I think so!

Spring cleaning and some other stuff

2013-04-08T06:43:00.001-07:00

Did a little spring cleaning over the weekend, starting with my blog. How do you like it? It feels so much brighter and cleaner now. If only it were so easy to do the same in my house.

Also, Beckie over at knock-off decor featured my wood veneer dresser redo, inspired by West Elm's patchwork dresser.

I mentioned in the origional post how surprised I was at how easy the veneer was to work with.

I can't say if that is true for all veneers, but it was about the three types I used.

Anywho, this reminded me that I have still a bum load of wood veneer starting to collect dust. I should start thinking of some projects I could do that would use some of it up. Have you come across or made any cool projects involving wood veneer?

Bathroom woes and a delivery.

2013-04-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

I know that I said that the goal was to have the bathroom finished by the beginning of April...and here we are the six days into the month and my bathroom still looks like this.

The plumbers came out last week. They moved pipes around capped off some vents and...fell through the rotten subfloor in the shower.

So, what we once hoped would be a quick and {reasonably} inexpensive renovation is fast becoming a long and pricey renovation.

Before we can proceed with anything else, we have to rip out all of the sub floor and replace it. The progess of the reno hinges on this one task now, as we cannot start laying tile until it gets done. And we cannot begin installing the vanity or cabinets until we have tile on the floor. Ugh! At least there is something to be learned from this whole process...one, grout the shower-very important detail! And two, if you happen to buy a house with a non grouted shower, don't wait four years to address the issue- it could save you money in the long run.

My frusteration was momentarily eased when I walked outside and came upon this.

It's the chandelier I bought to go over the tub space in the master craphole, I mean bathroom.

I love the vintage-ness? of this light and think it will be a great juxtaposition to the modern vanity and cabinetry we are bringing in.

It was a bit of a labor of love putting the thing together. Every glass pendant had be attched by hand...and there

were a bajillion of them.

Hopefully I'll regain feeling in my finger tips soon.

But, it was all worth it when, before me stood this lovely and delicious piece of {hopefully soon to be illuminated} goodness.

I was in such a great mood about it until I realized that I'd have to continue admiring her hanging from the pull-up bar in Studly's office becauase her permanent home was currently in shambles. Oh well, maybe it'll be a great motivator for Studly to get crackin' on things, as he has to shimmy past it every time he enters or exits his office...because sharing a single bathroom with seven other people isn't motivation enough.

$5 Find

2013-04-04T13:09:00.001-07:00

I came across this little light a few weeks ago when I hit up the thrift store.

I could tell just by looking at it that it was from Ikea. And although the prices at Ikea are reasonable to begin with, I couldn't help but feel like $5 for this light was a steal.

It is a very substantial light...measuring about 21 inches in diameter at the base and about 18 inches tall.

While I don't mind the industrial/stainlessl look, I think this light might go a little more glam instead. I can't wait to get started on the transformation. Fingers crossed it looks as good in person as it does in my head. Project flops are the worst.

Just out of curiosity, how often do your projects end up turning out as good as you envisioned in your head?

blast from the past...numbered pillows

2013-04-03T20:32:00.003-07:00

I have to give a shout out to Beckie over at knockoffdecor.com for featuring another one of my projects...my numbered pillows.

This was one of my earlier posts and was super, duper easy and cheap...at $6 a pillow. The trick...pre-made pillow covers from Ikea. They are my favorite cheat. They make making pillows so {or in this case..."no sew"} easy and quick.

If typography numbers aren't your cup of tea, you can use these inexpensive covers for stenciling whatever tickles your fancy...a sentimental phrase, the bust of an {insert woodland creature here}, a festive holiday image or saying...or David Beckham's face...uh huh, that's what I'm talking about.

Gold is Good- Part Deux...an inexpensive upcycle

2013-04-03T14:41:00.001-07:00

I bought some of these dainty, little vases at Ikea a while back.

I didn't mind them. They were cute {and perfectly priced at $3 a piece. But, they were just a little to Ikea-y...if you know what I mean}. I thought that giving them a customized make-over would be the perfect little project...cheap and easy.

Gold has been my go to color as of late. I still love wood, and white and turquoise...but throw in a hint of gold and well, you're golden. Gold is great for adding warmth, richness and visual interest to a space.

I knew with a little gold spray paint I could turn these simple vases into jewels.

I started by taping off what I didn't want painted.

Then I went to town with gold spray paint.

I really like Rust-oleum's metallic spray paint.

It dries really shiny, really smooth, and really even. And it gives really good coverage.

After I removed the tape, I noticed some very unsightly bleed through {don't you just hate that?}.

So, I devised a way to get a nice, clean edge.

The secret, a thick rubber band...readily found in any junk drawer.

The rubber band stays nice and snug against the item being painted and can accomodate any variations {bumps or dents} in the surface.

I taped right up the edge of the painted line, then put the rubber band on so that it just overlapped the tape. Then I tried painting again.

See how much nicer the edge turned out this time?

And here they all are together. Aren't they cute? The have so much more personality now.

I'm still shuffling them around, trying to find their new home. But I don't really think it matters. These little gems will look great anywhere.

On a side table...

or on a coffee table...

So, if you have any items lying around the house in need of a little personality, why not grab a can of gold spray paint and see what happens. Just try to use a little restraint. You don't wanna turn your house into the Taj Mahal.

Mixing metals! Taboo, or To Do?

2013-03-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

Progress on the master bath has slowed momentarily due to some unexpected plumbing hiccups. Studs and I were hesitant to try and resolve them oursleves, as it requires rerouting pipes and vents and such. The last thing we would want is to improperly ventilate the space or have some unsuspecting leak spring up after we've finished the job only to have to tear everything out again. So, while we wait for the plumber to come do things the proper way, I've moved on to figuring out the small things like mirrors, hardware and lighting...which brings up the reason for this post. How do you feel about mixing metals/finishes? Is it a decorating faux pas or no a big deal?

After narrowing down a few options for lighting in the master bathroom and showing them to Studly, he posed the question, "is it okay to mix bronze and silver finishes?" The sink faucets we chose are brushed nickel

the bathtub hardware is polished silver {it came free with the tub, which saved us $400}

and most of the lights I chose are oil rubbed bronze. So, now I pose this question to you...is it okay for me to mix all of these different finishes or should I stick to one {maybe two} metal finishes for cohesivness? Part of me thinks that mixing all of the metals might be distracting, but then another part of me says to just do what I like. It sort of defeats the whole point if I have to settle on a light with the "right" finish rather than choosing the light I like the best.

In case you are wondering, here are the lights we are deciding between.

SCHOOLHOUSE PENDANT from BARNLIGHTELECTRIC.COM

THRESHOLD CAGED PENDANT from TARGET.COM

{have I menitoned how much I love the new Threshold line from Target...I could dedicate an entire post about it....maybe I will}

TIFFANY STYLE PENDANT from OVERSTOCK.COM

GLOBE PENDANT from WEST ELM.COM

{it's not something you'd probably see in a bathroom, but that makes me like it even more}

MERCURY PENDANT from WESTELM.COM

This next light didn't make the cut for the master bath because it's a little too large {17 inches tall}, but I think it's so cool that I might have to find somewhere else in the house to put it. It's one light, but is bendable and can morph into three different shapes depending on your mood.

FOLDING WIRE PENDANT from BARNLIGHTELECTRIC.COM

SO COOL!

Well peeps, there you have it. If you have an opinion on the matter, feel free to comment and chime in. Seriously, you may save a marriage. If Studly hears me ask him "what about this one" one more time he may slip out during the night and never come back.

My two chairs.

2013-03-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

I finally finished reupholstering my thrift store find from last week. Here's what they looked like before.

I thought they were pretty cute to begin with. I love the caning and wood, but they were definately in need of some updating.

Here's how they look now.

I put about $100 into revamping them...$60 for fabric {I used three curtain panels from Ikea}, $15 for decorative/fabric trim, $10 for "nail head trim" {I used extra large thumb tacks I found at Hobby Lobby}, $5 for fabric glue and $10 for a button cover kit.

I was a little worried how they would turn out, having never actually completed any repuholstering projects I've started in the past, but I am happy with them...even happier with the price {$65 for each chair}.

I ended up just using the old cushion covers as my patterns for the new ones.

I simply traced around them, leaving an extra 1/2-1 inch allowance.

I used decorative fabric trim to hide the staples I used to attach the fabric to the back and front of the chair.

I embellished the trim with extra large thumb tacks...for a nail head trim look.

I added some tufting detail to the front cushion.

I used a kit to make my own fabric buttons, which was relatively inexpensive and simple.

I didn't want to bother sanding and refinishing all of the wood, so I just took some dark stain to the scuffed up spots and caning to freshen everything up a bit.

{Here's my little staining tip. Put a plastic bag on your hand with an old sock over it. Use the sock to rub in the stain, then when you are done just pull the plastic bag off, while holding on to the toe of the sock, and your sock will end up inside the plastic bag ready to toss into the garbage.}

Here's how the chairs look in their new home.

They are just what my front room needed to finish off the seating.

In other news, we finshed ripping out the remaining items in the master bathroom...the vanity, sinks, toilet and shower floor.

We are officially down to one bathroom. Fingers crossed we all survive this. Seven people and one bathroom...scary!!!

Look What I Found

2013-03-19T09:08:00.002-07:00

I totally meant to hop on here last night and give a shout out Becky over at Knock-Off Decor for featuring my {Anthro Knock-Off} Chevron Striped Lamp Shade, but I've been a little off my "A" game due to puking kids. I'm on kiddo number three and I imagine "it" probably won't stop until "it" {whatever this freak springtime virus is} has had a chance to infect the rest of us. Good times!!!

Before the plague hit our house Saturday evening however, I had a chance to stop by my neighborhood thrift shop...which for the record, I do not "pop tags".

It would seem that famine had struck, as there had been nothing but crappola lining the aisles for weeks. So, imagine my delight when I came across a pair of these babies. They were $15 each.

Wood,wicker and tufting all in one...I am in love.

While I actually don't hate the gold, I fully intend on reupholstering the chairs and giving them a fresh, modern update.

Here are some {inspiration} chairs I have been eye balling for awhile...note the navy blue velvet. Yum!

The Clybourn Loft Chair from Target- $379.99

The Everett Armchair from West Elm- $499

The Elton Chair from West Elm- $499

I can't wait to get started on this little project. I've never actually upholstered a chair before. Well, I started reupholstering a chair a year or so ago, but then started on another project and never finished it...cause that's how I roll.

But I swear I will finish this one. I'm super excited to see how they turn out. Any and all reupholstering tips/advice welcome!!!

Demo Day!

2013-03-10T09:45:00.002-07:00

It has taken awhile for Studs and I to start demo-ing the bathroom. Things have been crazy at work for Studly and he was hoping to be able to just pay someone to come in and finish the bathroom for us. So we had someone come out and give us a bid for the entire bathroom renovation...demo, plumbing, tile etc. But when the bid came in at over $7,000 we decided this project was going to be a DIY'er.

We've tentatively scheduled a completion date for the beginning of April. Fingers crossed we can do it. Things could get pretty hairy {and smelly} around here with seven people trying to share one teeny, tiny bathroom.

Here's how everything looked right before we started demo.

Note the disgusting, dirty grout. I'm surprised none of us ended up with some sort of flesh in eating bacteria or other skin disease.

Studly took on the demo of the bathtub.

And I took on the demo of the shower and floors.

And the kids took on the role of getting in the way...they are actually kinda helping in this picture...kinda.

Eventually, the novelty of it all wore off and the kids resorted to the other thing they do best...making messes.

Here's what I encountered in the shower...

Lots and lots of mold!

That's when I decided it was probably time for me to don...

protective gear.

The jury is still out on what is more toxic...my morning breath or the black mold. If you ever find yourself wondering how your breath REALLY, TRULY smells, just put on one of these respirators...you'll find out pretty quick.

Turns out my breath and black mold weren't the only dangers in the bathroom. Tile removal can be quite bloody

Yes, the wipes are there just for mopping up my bloody messes.

Eventually, I decided to don a pair of work gloves. DUH!!! But not until after receiving six, painful cuts all over my fingers. They hurt even worse the day after.

Studly continued on with his business of tearing out the tub, whilst I nursed my wounds and wiped up blood spatter.

Aside from a leaking faucet, we encountered little trouble removing the tub and it's accompanying surround.

Together, we tackled the job of taking down one of the shower walls. And by together I mean, Studly ripped out drywall, while I documented progress with the camera.

The idea is to the install glass doors along this entire wall, thus creating a more open feel in the shower space and the entire bathroom as a whole. It may seem a bit exhibitionist of us, but that's what bathroom doors are for, right?

By afternoons end, we had successfully removed a wall and ripped out a shower {except for the floor}

removed all of the disgusting, floor tile, along with it's accompanying disease-laden grout.

and removed a corner, garden tub along with it's accompanying surround.

Here's a reminder of the before.

Not too bad for a days work. All we have left now is to remove the vanity, shower floor and toilet and we will be ready to start the fun part.

All said and done, we ended up saving ourselves over $1,000 {as per the quote we got} by opting to do the demo ourselves. It was bloody, frusterating{at some points} and labor intensive, but boy did it feel good at the end of the day knowing how much we were able to accomplish and save.

Sweat equity, or bloody equity in this case...it's a good thing!

Tip Of The Day: Should you choose to take on a project similar this of demo-ing a space in your house, be sure to call someone and have a dumpster delivered PRIOR to starting, or your garage may end up looking like this.

It's the first thing on my to-do list tomorrow.

Gold is Good

2013-03-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

This is just my humble opinion, but metallic accents in home decor are totally cool {or warm, depending on what kind of metal you prefer}!

While my love for raw, natural wood is endless and eternal, I do hold a special place in my heart for shiny things. All girls love glamorous, shiny things to some degree. I think it comes built into our DNA.

While I was sitting in my living room the other day, I thought to myself, " this room could really use some bling".

My attention quickly turned to this tree stump table I had purchased a little while back. It was nestled in between to chairs... barely noticeable. I had found the canvas for my next project.

I wanted to do something that would add "stand alone" character to the table, but would still be neutral enough to compliment a wide variety of colors/styles/patterns. I decided to employ one of my very most, favorite products...DecoArt metallic craft paint. I love how bright and shiny this paint dries. It was $1.99. Usually, I opt for cooler finishes like silver, but I decided to go outside my comfort zone and went with gold this time.

I think she turned out great, but you be the judge.

I really dig the juxtaposition of the metal and the wood. Isn't blingy wood great? My tree stump brings all the girls to the yard. Does yours?

In this picture, the brush strokes are more noticeable than if you were to look at it in person...probably due to the flash. But, it really isn't that noticeable in regular light. Besides, I don't really mind the imperfect-ness of the paint.

Before, this little accent table was lost like a man in a foreign country. But now, it totally stands out. The gold adds both an element of warmth and interest against all of the neutral colors and natural materials in the space.

Whomever coined the phrase "diamonds are a girls best friend" obviously didn't have a totally rad, gold, chevron striped accent table/stool.

If you have a piece of furniture {or space at home} that seem a tad boring, why not consider adding some sparkle, interest and richness to them by incorporating metallic finishes. You'll be surprised at the difference this little change can make.

West Elm Dresser Knock-Off

2013-03-02T14:17:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks have been a little hectic. My daughter had a piano recital a few days ago, and also just competed in a piano competition last night. She did such an awsome job. I just had to share how proud I was off her. She is turning into quite a poised little lady.

After her competition, we drove straight to my son's belt test for karate. This test was kind of a big deal, so he was really nervous....so nervous, he asked us to stay home. The fam and I sat in the car and watched through the front windows while he tested. He had no idea we were even there. I am proud to say that my son is now a ban-bu belt and is only two belts away from a black belt. Hi-ya!!!

{sorry for the grainy pic, my husband took it on his iphone}
Is it just me, or is he channeling his inner Napolean Dynamite? Congrats on your sweet, karate skillsss.

I rarely share personal stuff, mainly because this is a DIY blog and personal stuff just doesn't seem to fit the content. But, technically, I did make my son and daughter, so I think it counts.

I have also been working on a dresser revamp for the last week or two, in between my stints as chaffeur, maid and cheerleader. It was a bit of a challenge since the median temperature here in SLC has been about 35 degrees. Spray paint and freezing temperatures do not go well together.

It took me a little longer than I expected, but I can finally say...she's done!

She started out in pretty rough shape. She had a layer of paint that was peeling off.

And underneath ,the finish was a hideous, blonde color with dents, scratches and chips all over.

I was able to look over all of these superficial imperfections mainly because she had the gorgeous, mid-century style that I absolutely love.

I removed as much of the paint and old finish as I could using Jasco brand painter stripper.

Once I had the majority of the paint removed, I gave her a good sanding and a few coats of spray primer. I took care to sand in between each coat.

After two coats of primer, I gave her coat of gloss white spray paint. Once she was finally dry, I sanded her again and applied another coat of spray paint. In total, I ended up doing about three coats of paint.

I really wanted to do something new and different with this dresser. After a couple days of thinking about it, I decided to try my hand at using wood veneer.

I used REAL wood veneer that I purchased off of Amazon.com. I ordered three different colors a dark maple, a light birch, and a natural/gray walnut. The sheets of veneer I purchased were 2 ft x 8 ft and were around $20-25 a piece.

I liked the way all three woods looked together, so I decided to use a combination of them on the fronts of the dresser drawers. I was a little nervous at first, having never worked with wood veneer before. But, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to handle.

I simply placed the face of the drawer down onto the backside of the veneer and traced around it with a pen, then cut the piece out.

I could very easily cut the veneer with sharp scissors, eliminating the hassle of using any kind of electric saw. I was beyond excited about not having to spend any more time in my freezing garage.

Once I had all of my pieces traced and cut out, I adhered them to the drawer fronts using this stanky, toxic crud...which, coincindentally, resulted in an unexpected vanilla pudding craving

{I painted a coat on both the drawer front and the back of the veneer with a disposable brush, as per the recommendations on the back of the adhesive.} By the time I went to bed that night I had a headache...and the munchies.

The veneer stuck immediately to the drawer fronts, which meant there was little room for error when placing it on.

It took 2-3 days for the adhesive to completely cure and then my dresser was ready to go. Up until now I had kept her hidden away in my closet, but now I think she deserves to be put somewhere she can be seen.

She turned out pretty great! She reminds me of a dresser I saw at West Elm a couple weeks ago.

{source}
I was really impressed by how beautiful the veneer was and how easy it was to work with. I think I may have found my new, favorite product.

I had previously bought hardware similar to the dresser's origional hardware. The brushed nickel finish looks great against the natural wood grain.

In total, I spent about $10 for the adhesive, $75 for the veneer and $15 for the spray primer and paint. That's a grand total of $100. If I remember correctly, the dresser selling at West Elm was $999.

Now that's a savings worthy of frostbite and permanent nerve damage!!!

View Into The Garage

2013-02-16T11:43:00.003-08:00

Studs and I were very happy and relieved with the appraisal that came back on our house a few weeks ago.

With that news, we've decided to move along with a couple of big renovating jobs, the first of which is the master bathroom.

The last time I brought up the master bathroom, the topic of black mold came up also. And while the mold issue has been neutralized and {hopefully} taken care off, the bathroom hasn't seen much change.

Studs gave me complete creative control and I was more than happy to get started. Here's the view in the garage at the current moment.

That's my new European style, pedestal tub. I am already dreaming about breaking it in with a delicious cupcake and good book or magazine. The boxes there, they are my new vanity. Yes, I have to assemble my own vanity. Tis the price one has to pay sometimes to stay within a budget.

Here's what it will look like out of the box and put together. Studs and I agreed on this vanity together. I allowed him a little bit of say on it because, well, at the end of the day it is his bathroom too.

We decided to use a combination of two tiles in the bathroom. A faux wood plank tile for the wall behind the sink and also for in the shower...It's Kaska brand in white-$2.79s.f.

{available at builddirect.com}

Here's an inspiration pic of what it will {hopefully} look like in the shower.

Contemporary Bathroom design by San Francisco General Contractor Jeff King & Company

And then some gorgeous pebble tile for the floor. This stuff can be really pricey. I found mine at the Home Depot for $9.99 s.f. But, I've seen it upwards of $20 s.f. This tile was our "splurge".

But isn't it amazing...like a foot massage everytime you step foot into the bathroom.

Modern Bathroom Tile design by Other Metro Tile Stone And Countertop Island Stone

Here's another picture of it on the wall because it's just that awesome. Did I mention that I am totally in love with this tile?

Contemporary Bathroom design by San Francisco Interior Designer Fiorella Design

Well,we are off to a pretty good start. Now if we could just get the stuff off of the garage floor and into the bathroom. I am super excited to document the stages of the renovation so you can see my horrible "eye sore" of a bathroom transform into delicious "eye candy".

{Magic} Marker Lampshade

2013-02-11T12:16:00.001-08:00

My hand painted anthro knock off lamp shade didn't turn out horrible, but there was just something about it that I wasn't loving.

So I conducted a little experiment. When I went out and grabbed the supplies for the anthro lampshade, I also grabbed a couple packages of Crayola makers.

Initially, I was going to use the markers instead of craft paint to decorate the shade, but I was worried about how it would hold up especially if one of the kids somehow managed to get water on it. The markers I purchased aren't washable, but I'm not sure how permament they are either. I decided to throw caution to the wind, however, and went ahead and tried free handing a second lamp shade.

And it turned out pretty awesome!!!

The sign of a good lamp shade is it that it looks great with the light

turned off

and even better when the light's

turned on.

I started by grabbing a handful of markers that I thought played well with each other and would fit the color scheme of the room they will be going in {some color scheme, eh?}

Honestly, I didn't make attention to what I was doing {busy watching the Grammy's} I just sort of let the markers do the talking. Turns out, it was just the right blend of funk and retro-vintage chic that I was going for.

The markers bleed just a little bit, which is actually pretty cool because it gives the shade a sort of "ikat-y" feel.

And the best part...the price.  Since I already had the shade on hand, all I was out was the $3 for the markers. Can beat that!!!

I'm in the process of redoing my master bedroom. I can't wait to see how they are going to look when it's complete.

In other news, the kiddos and I just finished their Valentine's boxes.  They turned out pretty cute, so I thought I'd share.

I got the idea off pinterest.

These cuties are made out of t.p. rolls,  an oatmeal canister, painter's tape, cardstock and spray paint.

If I don't check back in before Thursday...Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you can spend it with those you love. Studly, the kiddos and I always have chocolate fondue for dinner. What better way to say "I love you" that with chocolate for dinner, right?

Hand Painted {Anthro} Inspired Lamp Shade

2013-02-10T16:45:00.001-08:00

I recently introduced you to my wonderful, new friends Lucy and Ethel. Aren't they cute and vintage-y?

I decided I should dress them up with a new, fabulous shade...like this one from Anthropologie pictured below {$118-128}.

{source}

I love how bright and colorful it is...a modern take on the chevron stripe.

I'm in the process of redoing my master bedroom and wanted to add some brights pops of color. I thought this shade would be perfect. But since I am in no position to run out and drop $250 on two lamp shades, I had to improvise and try my hand at making my own.

I already some white lamp shades just waiting for a makeover.

I started by freehanding zig zag stripes all around the curcumference of the shade.

I used a water soluable ink pen to do this.

{You can erase the ink with water, or in a few days the ink will evaporate and disappear. They are about $3 and can be purchased at any craft store.}

Once I had my lines drawn out, I went to town painting all of the stripes {I used regular old acrylic craft paint and a stiff bristled brush to do this}.

I embellished the stripes further by adding "dots" using a grey and dark pink marker.

I didn't take a picture of this step because it was 2:30 am and I was delusional. But, you can see what I mean in the picture below.

Finally, I added the small patches by painting little squares all over the lamp shade and embellished them by adding "dots" using the wrong end of a paintbrush and craft paint.

And voila...done.

It's not a perfect or exact replica of the original. I personalized the colors I used for the stripes. My only complaint is that I wish I could have captured the "watercolorness" of the Anthro shade. But it still maintains the vibrance and funk of the original...and it totally shows off Lucy's curvalicious shape, no? Even better, it only cost me about $15 to complete. And for that, I like it just fine.

In total, I ended up spending {$3.50 on paint, $5 on new markers cause my kids had dried all of ours out, $4 on new paint brushes and $3 on the water soluable ink pen. That works out to a grand total of $15.50}.

Love is in the air...and cupid's arrow just hit me

2013-02-06T16:42:00.001-08:00

In addition to most things wood, I have a slight weekness for lighting and mid century modern styling.

So, imagine my total and utterly uncontrollable delight when I happened across these gorgeous mid century-esque lamps at the thrift store recently.

I may, or may not, have done the running man when I saw them.

And when I saw that they were a mere $5 each I may, or may not, have broken out into the entire MC Hammer dance...ya I was that excited.

They kinda reminded me of something I saw at West Elm recently...

{These beauts range in price from $29-59}

I can't wait to spruce 'em up and find them a new home. I think I have just the place for them.

Feelin' Weave-y

2013-02-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

I came across these gorgeous pendant lights at West Elm a while ago.

I love that they are made out of wood. I am obssesed with wood in all it's varieties right now. There is just a warmth and beauty about it that I cannot get enough of.

Anywho, when I saw these lights I knew I needed to have them. But when I saw that they were $99.99 a piece {they have since gone on sale and are now $34.99...still out of my budget} I knew I'd have to admire them online instead of in my {hopefully going to be renovated soon} master bath.

I thought about ways I could recreate the pendants using a wooden bowl, vase or container of some sort. But those things can run upwards of $20-$30 a piece which would defeat the point of making one myself and saving money.

Then I came across this darling light from the blog poppytalk

It's carboard? Genius!!!

That got the old wheels a turnin' and I came up with this little piece of delicious-ness...almost literally. It's made out of old pizza boxes.

Rather than keeping the bare cardboard, I opted to cover one side of it with wood grain contact paper to give it the wood look I was so wanting {I spray painted the opposite side with white spray paint}.

Here's a list of what I needed to make it along with a mini tutorial should you wanna getting your basket weave on.

Supplies: Glue gun, glue sticks, 40 cardboard strips cut to 12in X 1.5in, 40 strips of contact paper cut to 12in X 1.5in, white spray paint {optional, but for painting one side of the cardboard strips}, light cord kit {I got mine at Ikea for $3-4}

I used 10 cardboard strips per side of the square light. I layed out 6 strips, one above the other, and wove in the four other pieces, spacing them equally. I secured the strips with hot glue as I went along.

Here's a picture of what each side should end up looking like.

Once I had my four sides done, I hot glued them together to make a square.

The joints were a little messy and unattractive, so I cut a thin piece of contact paper and covered the joint with it to give it a more finished look.

Next, I used a remaining piece of cardboard to create an area for the light bulb socket.

I centered the light bulb socket on the cardboard and then traced around it.

Be sure to remove the ring before tracing or your hole will be too big.

Then I cut out the hole

covered it with contact paper {and painted the other side} and cut out the hole again...duh!

I dry fit the piece into the top of the box

and leveled it as best I could before I hot glued it in place.

Then after the glue was dry, I inserted the light bulb socket...

And tried it out...please let there be light!

The socket/cord I used is a plug in cord, which I will convert into a hard wired light when the master bathroom is finished {tutorial on how to convert a plug-in to a hard wired light will come later}.

I had a hard time getting a decent "staged" picture of the light because of the cord and it needing to be plugged in, but here's a little something just to give you an idea...use your imagination.

Now that's what I call recycling. Did I mention that this project didn't cost me anything. I had all of the supplies on hand. But even if you did have to run out and buy the supplies, it probably wouldn't end up costing you more than $5 to make it. Take that $35, West Elm, porky hefer pendant light.

Preparing for an appraisal...and some inexpensive lighting ideas.

2013-01-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

Well...hello again! Seems like forever since we talked.

Recently, Studs and I had our house appraised. In preparation, we decided to attack all of the boring, little tasks that we'd kept putting off. Paying someone a hellish amount of money to walk through your house and scrutinize every little detail has a way of motivating you to do all the things you didn't care about doing before...just sayin'.

The entire week prior to the appraisal all Studs and I did was walk around the house with a container of spackle {filling in holes from old screws and nails and discharged BB's...NO, I am not kidding} and a paint brush {for touching up walls "tagged" by our darling three year old using whatever weapon of mass destruction she came across that particular day...sharpie, dry erase marker, finger nail polish...}.

I have to say, the house was lookin pretty spiffy by the time the appraiser came. Too bad it won't last.

I did a little bit of research on "preparing for an appraisal" and thought I might share some of what I found. So, for those of you who might be considering refinancing or selling a home, here are some helpful tips I learned to help get the most out of your house.

1- Type up a list of updates/upgrades you've made on your home. Include the approximate date of the improvements and how much they cost {this would include everything from a new light fixture to a major renovation...and everything inbetween}.

2- Don't spend a lot of money getting your house ready for an appraisal {unless it's on things you were going to do anyway}. Chances are you won't get back the money you put into it.

3- If you are willing to invest a little money on your house, updated lighting {and faucets} will always yield return on your investment. The lighting doesn't have to be expensive, but it needs to be attractive and current...boob lights be gone!!!

4- Touch up any peeling, "tagged" or discolored paint. Even though this doesn't necessarily reflect on the integrity of the home, it can reflect on you as homeowners...if you're not concerned about maintaining the paint, then what else aren't you concerned about maintaining?

5- Clean and declutter. Even though an appraiser should be completely objective and unbiased, first impressions count for something. Tripping on a pile of shoes by the front door isn't the lasting impression you wanna make...though it would be totally hilarious. Also, if your house smells like last night's dinner, you may want to consider using some air freshners or baking a fresh batch of brownies or something beforehand. And if your carpet smells like a dirty toilet bowl you might want to get them cleaned...back to the whole first impression thing.

6- Look at your house through the appraisers eyes. Are you trying to cram too much stuff into a small space {if so, edit some things out. Too much furniture can make a space looked cramped and cluttered thus giving the illusion of a small space}? Does your home flow well? Do you have to squeeze between a couch and end table to get into the family room {if so, you might consider rearranging the furniture so things flow more easily}?

7- Don't follow your appraiser around like a lost puppy. Leave him alone and let him/her do his/her job without distraction. You're better served hiding out in the office praying that the appraiser somehow overlooks the water spot on the ceiling from an old leak that has since been repaired but that you forgot to touch up.

I hope you find these tips helpful as well as amusing...learn from my mistakes peeps!!!

And because this blog is all about being thrifty and stylish and doing for yourself...here are a few inexpensive lighting ideas I implemented recently.

brightly colored chandy's
{These babies are readily available at most thrift stores and can be turned into statement pieces simply by painting them in an eye catching hue. For added interest you could string similarly colored beads/jewels from the arms.}

Drum shade pendant
{Drum shades can be both sophisticated and fun. I made this one out of a $10 lamp shade from Ikea and some faux wood contact paper}.

I also really love the chevron pattern on this drum shade pendant. This might be my next project.

Modern Pendant Lighting design by Richmond Lighting Fixtures Shades of Light

Modern/Industrial pendant
{I found this pendant at Ikea for $20. It has a nice shape and is a nice neutral color which can be a good thing when trying to appeal to the masses. It was just a little too netutral for me, so I added a little color blocking to it to kick it up one more notch. It's still neutral, but with a little more style.}

All righty peeps. Good bye and big bulbs...for your {new}stylish lights, that is!

Holding Pattern

2012-10-26T11:51:00.001-07:00

Not a lot to report. I'm sorta in a holding pattern right now...just tying to figure out what project I want to start on next. Ever since getting a couch in the front room, I've been a little obssessed on finishing it. I haven't made any major changes or improvements to the space since my last post about it, but there are a couple of architectural elements I am kicking around in the ole noggin.

Wood beams on the ceiling-I'm madly in love with this idea.

{source}

These beams are gorgeous, no?

{source}

And...built in shelving...for books and knick knacks.

{source}

I love the rolling ladder!

{source}

I can't really proceed until I've had a chance to plead my case to Studs- since he'll probably end up being the one who does most of the work. Good thing he doesn't read my blog, eh? Poor guy has a few weeks of vacation coming up and he has no idea what I've got in store for him.

In other, unrelated news, my kiddos had fall recess last week. Here's how we spent it.

{source}

Yes, we accomplished a lot...a lot of nothin'. And it was awesome!!!

We did get one constructive thing done however...the dreaded, annual, {fall family pictures}. I can't believe it's even that time of year already...if we are getting family pictures taken, that means Christmas is right around the corner {gasp}.

My cute niece found a beautiful, golden field and quaint little orchard to use as the backdrop. I love how earthy and organic the pictures turned out.

The "sesh" went pretty well, methinks. It took a little coaxing and bribing to get the kiddos on the right page. I wanted to dig a hole in the field and throw a few of them in it at first, but eventually the all came around and redeemed themselves...once they realized they couldn't go home til mama had a decent picture of each of them.

Christmas cards are officially ordered and in the mail...jealous?

Well, I'm off to deliberate on how to break the news to Studly that we have some projects to get started on. Those beams won't nail themselves to the ceiling. Til next time...