hanging copper planters

Okay, I lied last post. I did work on a home project, but only because it was a very inspiring anniversary gift.

Jeremy and I celebrated 7 years last month (woot!), and we always do a spin on the traditional gift for each other, partly because it helps spur our creativity and partly because it's just fun. The seven year traditional anniversary gift is copper.

So, I might have convinced him to purchase some 3.5" copper half spheres for me to make into air plant planters. (I've really wanted air plants for awhile, so perfect timing.) THEN Inspiration struck. It struck like it hasn't in quite a while. Remember the far-off-and-away post explaining my living room dilemma?

(like from 2 years ago? okay, maybe only one. Still, I'm sure you remember. *eye roll* Or not.)

Where I couldn't decide what to put here? In that annoying space left from my off-center living room shelves? AHHH! A year later my creative brain has pulled through, thankyouverymuch.

I was limiting my imaginings to something I could hang on the wall - instead I came up with something to hang from the upper shelf. YES! And voilà. 

While copper isn't cheap, the rest of the items to complete the project were pretty simple:

- 3 copper half spheres
- suede lace
- cup hooks
- air plants (found here) 

Super simple process: I knotted 3 pieces of suede lace - all approximately the same size for one planter - at the top and bottom. Each one I made slightly different lengths on purpose. Install cup hooks, slide in half spheres and hang! And that's that! 

(I know my shelves need some summer styling love. Anyone want to come help? I'm so out of it.) 

Don't expect too much more in this realm, but I did have to share.

Interested in air plants? Check out this tutorial from the girls at A Beautiful Mess to find out more! They are pretty cool!

Only one project in the works lately...

If you've missed me (all 3 of you!), you probably already know the fancy project I've been working on for the last 4 months.

Actually, "mild hyperemesis" is not fancy in any way, but I've been busy trying to do anything I can to help things along in our home. Thanks to lots of friends, play dates, meals and family we survived the worst of it and now we are on to *hopefully* better days. My creative brain has been broken and may only now being revived, but without much extra energy to do any more than is absolutely necessary (read: take care of my child, eat, cook, laundry, etc.), most of my pretty projects are on hold.

But I am halfway through and there is a tiny BOY growing in my belly! I am thankful and excited (albeit nervous - who knows what to do with a boy?!).

Here is a fun comparison of bellies at 20 weeks. I feel enormous compared to the first time around, but seeing the picture doesn't do that feeling any justice. ha!

I finally started back to teaching my piano students (no one fired me, yay!) last week and while I am struggling with fatigue due to pregnancy insomnia and more motion sickness than I had with the girl, I am doing well.

A final note: for the pray-ers in my life, I went into preterm labor with my sweet girl at 24 weeks and was on complete bedrest from week 25-36 with her. This pregnancy has been totally different, but my body may end up doing the same thing. Or, it may not. We are watching things closely with my doctor, but I ask that you pray we don't have to weather almost 3 months of bedrest with an energetic 4 year old this summer ... or with an already weakened prego either. It would be awesome to be able to keep up my strength until October 1.

I'll pop in and out of here in the next few months, but for now, the blog is on hold. I know the world will not be the same without it - ha!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

... in our home, at least. Outside? Not so much...

(*** still waiting for some snow ***)

It's been quiet over here for some time and will probably remain so unless I pop over for an Arkansas room makeover or have a sudden burst of inspiration.


My lumberjack "cut" down a tree after we searched for a locally grown tree and were sorely disappointed with the selection and outrageous prices. Instead, we settled on an imported Fraiser fur that I've always wanted and Love.

It's perfect.

(Thrifted vintage pom-pom tablecloth turned tree skirt!! Love it!)

A couple of poster-board-and old sheet music (and feathers and lace) trees and we're in business.

My parents have an enormous holly tree that we snagged several branches from to spruce up the faux foliage I have. 

 And I used Heat-n-Bond for the first time on this Christmas pillow cover and it is amazing stuff. Highly recommend!

I used fabric scraps for the cover and deer silhouette, yarn I had lying around for the tassels and bam! Cutest pillow in my house. Well, at least for now. And the bonus is that I can just take the cover off when I'm finished and store that flat in my Christmas box instead of an entire pillow. Genius, I know.

Merry Christmas to you!!

cat in the hat inspired PARTY IN A BOX

Party in a box inspired by these shoes...

And my sister. Happy Birthday Jenn!

***everything except the striped napkins (Target) came from Hobby Lobby and my stash.

a new niece!

We got some newborn snuggles in over Labor Day weekend! My brother and his wife just had their first daughter and she is tiny and soft and sweet.

new babies FTW! ;-)

DIY: Wall Sprinkles + Free Word Art

While I wait to help my parents decorate their new retirement home (next month!), I'm slowly making changes to live well in our space here in Kansas.

I painted two walls in our bedroom, but wanted to make another statement wall opposite. Except no more paint, please.

Enter ... metallic contact paper! (find here) I originally wanted 2" polka dots, but my circle cutter just made a mess with the adhesive on the contact paper. So, plan B was 2" squares that I randomly placed across the wall in about 20 minutes.

It's fun and easily remove-able when I'm done. (Plus, it would make a fun statement wall for renters who can't paint their walls.)

I also made a little word art to finish up my typewriter vignette. I thought about putting it on the wall, but it seemed just right propped up behind my little Brother Valiant.

(I can't sell the print, because the colored banner and one of the fonts is for personal use only, but if you want this pdf in a different color, I can send you a copy for free!! Just leave a comment and I'll contact you.)

virtually madeover >> front door

My parents have a new house (retirement!!) in Arkansas, and I've been attempting to use my love for decor to come up with ideas for their new home.

I've often thought that virtual makeovers would eliminate lots of DIY mistakes, but how to do them is the kicker. Layla is awesome at this, but me? I know a few Photoshop tricks, but that's just about it.

Insert this tutorial!! I was able to view all of the videos for free and learned how to do a virtual room makeover! So, without further ado...


... a virtual front door makeover! 

Currently the door is a light aubergine/mauvish color. No offense to the previous owners, but YUCK.

Using my fancy new *skillz* I've madeover the door in several new colors - keeping in mind the client, wink, wink. This was the easiest one to do, and thus the first reveal.

(Oh, and the chartreuse is a joke.)

I'm liking the blue (top left) and the green (middle right) the best. What's your fav?

You'll be seeing more of this as a fun little series as I take the time to virtually makeover several rooms in their new home - mostly so they can get an idea of the things they like, don't like, etc. and so I can have a visual with some of my ideas. Ya know, because some ideas are better left in my head. ;-)

Cheers!

DIY rustic phone cabinet

Kitchen update is complete!! (See previous posts here, here, here and here.)

My last project in the kitchen is complete. After several weeks of "in progress" because of my lack of a table saw, I finished my rustic phone cabinet.

This idea was the answer to a clutter problem.

Do you have a spot where stuff always seems to accumulate without a second thought? Ugh. Our microwave is a magnet for clutter and I hate looking at it. With our tiny kitchen layout, every time we need to move the dishwasher to hook it up to the sink, we have to move the phone off and on and off ...

So, I thought, why not build a small cupboard to house the phone, cover the ugly phone jack (see the pic below) and clear up some of the visible clutter?

I had a source for rustic 1x4s, so I figured they would work perfectly as the phone base is right around 4" wide. So when my Dad brought his miter saw to help with a couple of projects, I got several weathered boards, and we went to work.

Very quickly, I realized that said 1x4s were indeed NOT 1" or 4" wide. I should've known this, but wasn't thinking...

My dad did some math and said he would have to rip some boards length wise in order to make the depth of the cabinet wide enough to house the phone. But the table saw is at his house, so it would be a few weeks before I got to work on the cabinet again.

Once I obtained my newly cut pieces, I started putting them together.

I used all of the free items items I could:
3 - 1"x4" fence boards
2 old hinges and screws from this project
reused turquoise knob
1" finish nails and 1" wood screws that I had on hand


I purchased:
1 magnetic hinge kit
4-pack L-shaped brackets
2" screws and 1/2" screws (for attaching brackets)

= about $6-7

 Here is a view from the inside.

- I used the small pieces of wood (extra from the ripping job) to piece together the corners and then two of the longer extras to put the door slats together.
- The left set of L-brackets are screwed into studs and the other two are just screwed into the drywall for a little stabilization. I was going to put them in with plastic anchors, but ran into some sort of duct that made it impossible to screw anything into. (de ga je!)
- The door hinges and magnetic closure are pretty self explanatory. :-)

Aren't the weathered variations so pretty?

I know my dishwasher/microwave combo isn't much to look at, but the pic gives some perspective on the cabinet. Doesn't this little nook look so much cleaner?

I have to admit - even with this "fix" the microwave is still a magnet for stuff, but at least it's not home to those things anymore.

Woot for a finished room!

bedroom decor update

So, I've done a little bedroom updating and haven't completed it -- but I decided to show you the "in progress" view anyway. Because, who knows how long it would take me to finish!? As always, feel free to offer any suggestions you have.

Here we are a few months ago ... my snowflake banner was still up, so it must've been wintry out. Our bedspread is looking a little faded (weird lighter spots - from the sun?) and when I painted the walls brown, all of a sudden it was like ...

EVERYTHING. DROWNING. IN. BROWN.

Not good.

My sweet friend visiting from California gave me a few moments of our precious time together to give me some suggestions on the room. We flipped the bedspread over and rearranged the pillows a bit.

Last week I scored a cream tailored bedskirt at a discount store, and reupholstered the headboard in dropcloth fabric.

The headboard definitely pops against the darker wall and I like that I can play a little bit more with the pillow colors - now I'm not limited to gold, tan, brown and blue.

I would love to eventually get a new bedspread and totally change up the colors, but this is what I chose (curtains + bedspread were wedding gifts) and I am determined to make the best of it for now.

Next on my list is making some hanging pendant lights to free up bedside stand space...


Maybe something industrial like these?

link

Or upcycling something vintage and turn it into a pendant light? I'll let you know when I come up with it. It may be a couple of years, but it will be done.

;-)

shop update {7.25.14}

The boy section in my shop has always been smaller than the girl section. There are just naturally many more cute vintage dresses to be found that than little man stuffs. To make things more complicated, the good boy items also tend to go the fastest in the shop!

Chronic vintage boy clothing issues, friends.

I headed out last week and picked up a couple of items. Three pieces from the same place are quite a find!! So they've been added to bulk up the boy section ... that is, until they sell out ...

Check them out over at the shop!

lions, tigers, and baby birds ... oh my!

This little guy has been hanging around our front porch lately ... and his Mama in the tree directly above. Watch out below!! (Jeremy's story in his own words after the photo.)

"I experienced a first today. Me and {Ladybug} were watching a sweet little baby blue jay outside, still having some of its baby down on it, and it was learning to fly. Sure enough, mama blue jay came around, squacked like mad, dove right for me, and planted her beak right in my head. Needless to say, me and {Ladybug} went to the swings pretty quick as mama took another dive for us, but missed. True story."

It was true. I saw the evidence when I came home.

:-) Happy Friday! On vacation for the next week ... see ya soon!