All in the details…

May 30, 2012 6 Comments

Source

Today’s “All in the details” features the office space of one my most admired bloggers – Danielle Moss of Breakfast at Toast and The Everygirl. If you haven’t become a daily reader of The Everygirl, you are selling yourself short. This fairly new blog is FULL of priceless advice, inspiration and resources for women of all ages aching for success. Whether you want to be a successful boutique owner or a world-renowned author, this site just might give you the kick in the pants you need to go for your goals. Definitely give it a shot…

But I digress.

Danielle’s office space is one of those spaces heaped in style, yet manages to make the most of a fairly small nook. Let’s take a closer look:

SHELF STYLING

When decorating empty wall space, you can often go one of two ways – Either the 2D variety (i.e. prints, paintings, drawings, etc.), or go 3D. Here, Danielle chooses to dress up the wall above her computer desk with a set of two thin shelves. The white color and non-obtrusive hanging hardware make them blend seamlessly with the wall, but offer a great landing place for whimsical, personal momentos such as a stack of books, an old camera and a sea urchin figurine. Brass highlights throughout make the collection cohesive without seeming forced.

THE FURNITURE

It seems that every girl ought to have herself a glossy white parsons desk. This beautiful, sleek piece of furniture is, again, non-obtrusive and allows the accessories and decor to really pop. Although a little short on storage (the main reason why I’m not craving one for my own home), the designer of this table managed to squeeze in a couple of long drawers, perfect for dainty office supplies. And the crisp white (I’m sensing a theme here) and chrome desk chair is feminine yet modern.

DESKTOP

Danielle makes the most of the lack of storage space by topping her desk with nick knacks that don’t scream “office” – Instead, she uses a white lacquer tray to coral her papers, a nondescript black box with white trim to hide the clutter (although with such a beautiful space, I can’t even imagine she owns any clutter) and pretty vases to hold fresh flowers and pens. Even her acrylic tape dispenser exudes style. Sure, you might end up spending a bit more upfront for these types of high-end office supplies, but if you want to capture a put-together look it might be time to ditch the Office Max black stapler and metal filing cabinet.

INSPIRATION BOARD

I love inspiration boards because they do double duty as both extra wall art and a place to organize what moves you. The simple cream painted frame of this board and canvas background don’t overpower and let the pinned pieces make the real statement. I love to imagine what made her decide to showcase the individual items – The note cards, the signed box top from Louboutin (although I’m sure that was an easy decision), the Henri Bendel shopping bag, the photos and “I <3 NY” pin. No two inspiration boards will ever be the same – compare it to mine, for example – and I adore that…

So what are your favorite details?

For all of my top inspirational spaces, click here. 

Filed Under: Inspiring, All in the details, Office Tagged With: , , , , ,

“Thrift Store SCORE!”

May 25, 2012 16 Comments

Before I reveal our latest “Thrift Store SCORE!” I need to bring you up to speed on a little swap out we did with our master bedroom bed, specifically with the linens. We L-O-V-E our yellow and grey quilt, but we’ve had it on the bed for about a year now and it was time for a change. Don’t worry if you are “Team Quilt” though – It will definitely make a return as the seasons (and my moods) change.

First, to find a replacement…After getting a soft and luxurious down comforter from our wedding gift registry, we decided to go with a duvet cover. It just so happened that we had scheduled a trip to Ikea right before jetting off to our honeymoon (there was one only minutes away from our airport), so I made sure to make a pit stop in their bedding section. There were so many to choose from, but we ended up going with Ransby, a subtle pattern of grey leaves and vines on a white background. For less than $30 for the set, it was too good (and pretty) a deal to pass up.

Soon after returning from our trip, I dressed the bed and stepped back hoping to be wowed. The pattern and cushy down comforter were perfect, but the rest of the space was a bit lacking. You see, after posting a number of pieces of furniture for sale, I managed to pass my existing nightstand off to a friend. I was happy to give it a new home, but sad to be left with nothing to set my book on.

As you can see to the right of the bed (my side), I was literally living out of a box. So I knew it was time to replace what I had sold.

The reason I got rid of the original table was because of its traditional style – It was a perfect piece for me several years ago when I embraced the fully eclectic look (i.e. college era hand-me-downs), but now that I am working on a forever home and have the means to be picky with the furniture we add, I wanted to go with something I knew both John and I would love. What might that be? I envisioned something from the 1970′s with spindly legs, one of those two-tiered pieces with a drawer.

So, with renewed motivation, we headed out to our favorite estate shop downtown, which tends to have about 30 of just this type of nightstand to choose from. Of course, there were slim pickin’s the one day we set out for our new-to-us nightstand, but we lucked out after uncovering the perfect one.

Yes, it’s a bit worse for wear between the piece of flapping vinyl off the side and the layers of dust and cobwebs, but the lines were right, the shape was right and even the hardware was right. I adore the simple look of the round drawer pull – A circle of dark wood surrounding a thin metal pin. It even had a drawer! We were made for each other…

After a quick wipe down with furniture polish, it looked good as new. It really is in great shape considering how old it probably is. Other than the dislodged vinyl strip, there are no major dings or scratches and it is sturdy as can be. Oh and the price? Unfortunately, I headed to the check out counter just as the owner of the store (who is notorious for not backing down on price) came up to the register. I was hoping to spend $15 on this bad boy, but instead I was asked to pay $30. Not the BEST deal I’ve ever gotten, but I loved it and didn’t care. Besides, I made $30 on the sale of my old nightstand, so we can just call it even.

After situating it beside the bed (along with another piece of furniture to be discussed in a moment), the room finally started looking more complete. Luna the kitty also decided to grace us with her modeling abilities this morning…

The two tiers gives me plenty of room for my favorite antique lamp, our little family bell, a stack of books and a cup for water. Really, I could fit a whole lot more on the table, but for now I’m enjoying the uncluttered look. And no, I still haven’t fixed the broken vinyl yet…But it’s nothing a little wood glue can’t fix once I have a spare moment.

But about that OTHER new bed-side table…As you can see peeking around the bottom of the bed in the photo below, I also added a bench that my dad built. It used to live in the living room under the front window for the kitties (and sometimes the not-so-little dog) to people watch from, but since rearranging that room, it got displaced. I actually love it at the foot of the bed since it’s a great spot to stack excess pillows or slip on a pair of shoes in the morning.

Isn’t my dad so freaking talented? Such a beautiful, simple, classic piece of furniture…

Both new pieces add a ton of storage and fit our style perfectly. I’m so lucky that we were able to find just the right thing for our home. Have you guys snagged any great thrift store pieces lately?

P.S. You may have noticed a new blog header – Again, after a year with the original one I thought it was time for a change. I decided to go with something short, sweet, to-the-point and streamlined. Hope you like it! Who knows how long it will stick around. I tend to look at my blog design in the same way I do my house – I like change and I like to swap out and tweak things until it’s juuuuuuust right. Keeps life interesting…

Hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Filed Under: Bedroom, Furry kiddos/pets, Our Influences, Product Search, Thrift Store Tell All Tagged With: , , , , ,

All in the details…

May 23, 2012 6 Comments

Now that my mind is no longer consumed by our wedding, I’ve had a lot of time to think about other parts of my life. As you now know (down to the last painful detail), I’m focusing a lot of my mental energy on coming up with ways to balance the facets of my life (husband, blog, career, me-time). But I think another big part of brainstorming and restructuring is meditation – i.e. sitting back and NOT thinking. Sometimes my most creative ideas have come to me in moments of complete and utter relaxation. In fact, my best time for constructive thought is in bed as I’m falling asleep – Although this also has its drawbacks as I’ve been known to forget my “genius” ideas come morning…

The point is, a few positive changes I could be making to my life have “come to me” recently in moments of quiet reflection and I am excited to put them into play. One such change (or really ADDITION) happens to deal with the blog and I’m unveiling it to the world today!

Welcome to the newest feature on DreamGreenDIY: All in the details.

After getting an exciting response from last week’s “My top 20 most inspiring spaces” post, I decided to continue focusing on those spaces (and then some). I’ll be breaking down the elements of each room that work and why. It’ll give all of us a chance to really analyze what makes good design good and maybe help us hone in on what we can do in our own spaces to take it up a notch.

I hope that you guys will be part of this new feature by commenting away with your own thoughts on what makes these details work.

Source

First up, we have this gorgeous mid-century mod space complete with vintage details, pops of color and a great mix of textures.

THE COUCH

This couch could very well be the thing that makes this room such an inspiration for me. The shape is a perfect blend of 1970′s mod with contemporary textiles and finishes. If you want your living space to feel modern, the quickest way to get the look is with a sofa devoid of curves. Sure, curvaceous seating can read as modern with a good balance of sharp accessories and art, but getting it “just so” takes time. The sleek look of this sofa is contemporary to a “T.” And we can’t talk about the couch without mentioning the color. Coral is one of the “it” colors this season, but it’s also a great take on a neutral – At least it CAN be, when done like this. It’s pale and soft so as not to punch you in the face when you lay eyes on it, but against white walls it still serves as a great pop of a focal point.

THE ART

This is another one of those things that can be a bit tricky to get right. A vintage art gallery wall (when done well) is a great way to give an eclectic feel to a room. The idea is to collect mismatched prints and paintings and stagger them on a wall, as though thrown together. It can tone down a potentially formal space and is a great way to put that pile of unhung art in your closet to good use.

TABLETOP BOOKS

You guys know I love decorating with books (as seen here and here and probably a dozen other places I’m forgetting at the moment). I think it’s safe to say that we all have books lying around our houses, so why not put them to good use? They add color, like in this case, but don’t end up crowding a surface since they still offer a landing pad for things like your coffee mug of favorite owl trinket. Here, the stack of books is topped with an equally functional box, great for stowing away a remote or pack of playing cards.

THE TEXTURES

This space is a great study in mixing textures. From the heather finish on the couch and high pile shag rug, to the woven throw and fur accent pillow…It just goes to show that there’s nothing scary about mixing texture – If you are afraid to go bold blending colors, try mixing up the textures (in a single color) instead. All rooms need a little dimension and you can easily create it with texture.

Feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts in the comments section and take a look at all of my inspiring spaces here.

Filed Under: All in the details, How-To, Inspiring, Living Room, Our Influences Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pinspiration Monday: Faux tile backsplash

May 21, 2012 14 Comments

It has actually taken me two weeks to muster up the emotional courage to tell you about this project. As you can probably gather, it didn’t go quite as planned. In fact, I am now strong enough to admit that it was a complete and utter disaster. But not ALL of our grand ideas will work out, right?

So here’s the story (plus an incredible amount of photos to document the horrors – Hope you have a big cup of coffee handy!)…

After redoing our kitchen cabinets, I was dying for some kind of backsplash. I would have loved to tile, but the expense and the work deterred me from ordering anything. So instead, I scoured Pinterest for ideas. I came up inspiration like a solid accent paint color, decoupaging take-out menus beneath the cabinets and even adhering metal tile to the wall.

Source: BHG

Source: One Brooklyn Modern

Source: Casa de Valentina

But the one below was the one that stole my heart. It could have been because of the similarities to our own kitchen – cabinet/appliance arrangement, dark brown cabinets, long brushed nickel hardware – but it was also that gorgeous pastel backsplash.

In order to recreate the look of the shiny rows of thin tile without actually ordering any, I decided to use a combo of high gloss paint and extra-thin masking tape. My “faux tile” would theoretically give me the look with about half the work and a fraction of the expense.

Source: Unknown

So here is the room as it stood before leaping head first into the project – We are still loving our brown cabinets but really needed something between the cabinets and countertops to break up all of that brown and beige.

First I rolled on two thin coats of primer – The same can we used on the cabinets at the beginning of the year. In my head, I thought that the under-layer of white showing between my faux tiles would look like grout.

The nature of primer to be a little uneven in look would (again, in theory) mimic the uneven texture of mixed grout.

Time for the masking – This part ended up taking a looooooooong time, but my sister thankfully offered to help as she was visiting that weekend. It was all a matter of keeping the lines straight and also measuring equal distances between rows.

We decided to start the taping by going horizontally since it would take the most time versus the shorter strips that would go vertically. We started right under the cabinets and then measured a ruler’s-width down before starting a new line of tape.

Once we finished the entire length of the backsplash, we stepped back and took stock of things. Seeing the long green lines of tape actually really appealed to me – I began to second guess the vertical strips altogether. The look of the unhindered stripes read super “mod” to me and I actually favored the look. So out went the idea of vertical strips to create faux tiles and in came the idea of mod stripes. My thought was that I could always paint white lines over the top coat if I decided that I wanted the tile look afterall.

Time for the top coat…I bought a quart of pale, minty blue paint from Lowe’s in high gloss finish to really make it pop on the wall. Even though I was no longer trying to replicate the look of smooth glass tile, I didn’t mind the idea of a high gloss stripe, so we went with it.

Two coats later (at about 9:30 p.m.  at night – sorry for the awful lighting) and we were DONE. I already loved how the color was breaking up all of the brown surfaces. Before letting the paint dry, since I’ve heard the paint can come right off with it after it dries, I started removing the tape to reveal the undercoat of white.

This my friends is where things all went to hell.

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Oh man, it was so so hard for me to even snap these photos for you guys. At that point, I could hardly breathe from sobbing and the shock of it all. We had been working on this project pretty much all day, sucking up an entire Saturday. I think it was even harder to accept because I had dragged my sister into it as well.

To tell you the truth, I have no idea what happened. But as you can see, when I started peeling the tape back (slowly and gently, I might add) the primer and the wet top coat started coming off in strips with it. I suppose there are two possibilities: (#1) the primer SUCKS and didn’t stick to the wall correctly, or (#2) the masking tape I used was way to strong. Either way, after the initial gasp upon seeing the ruined paint job, it turned into a full on melt down as I continued to remove both the tape and my beautiful painted stripes.

Somehow, through my tears, I was able to remove the rest of the tape and repaint the entire backsplash. The only thing I could come up with was to go with a solid color paint job and call it done – At least for the moment.

In the end and after recovering from the hysteria of the failure, I actually really love the way it turned out. Sure, there’s nothing “tiled” or “striped” about it, but at least all of those brown surfaces have something cool and funky to bump up against. I adore the color.

There are still a few areas we need to damage control, such as the uneven edges at the ends, but I’m giving myself a little distance before working on it. I think I’ll pick up a couple pieces of decorative molding to cover the lines and be done with it. Thoughts?

Oh, and before I go, I wanted to show you a little detail – As you can see in the photos below, you can still make out the stripes left by the masking tape lines. Sort of makes for an interesting texture I guess. While I wish that those lines could have been white, it is what it is and I don’t HATE it.

The fresh mint color looks a bit retro sitting next to our brand new orange stand mixer (a gift from our wedding) – I am absolutely loving that color combo and might even try introducing a little more orange into the space just to keep it going.

So while I would still whole-heartedly call this a failure because it’s anything BUT what I had envisioned, we still managed to give the backsplash area a little pop. If you check out the “Before” and “After” photos below, you can see what a difference that mint color made.

Glad to finally get that off my chest after weeks of holding it in…

So spill the beans – What do you guys think? Have any idea what might have happened? I’m dying to solve the mystery…

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Inspiring, Kitchen, Kitchen Overhaul, Our Influences Tagged With: , , , , ,

The “Things I’m Afraid To Tell You” Series

May 18, 2012 16 Comments
.Source: Jess Constable (of Makeunder My Life and Jess LC)

Doesn’t it feel just so so good to lay it all out on the table? All of those fears, insecurities and all of the dirty laundry you hesitate to speak aloud? Being open about your negative thoughts can be exceptionally liberating, especially when among friends whom you can trust not to judge (too harshly, at least) and who you know will still love you even after learning about “the yucky stuff.” It’s getting rid of that heavy weight you’ve been carrying around on your shoulders and it’s about asking for forgiveness. It’s about saying it all and then finding out that it wasn’t so hard after all – In fact, finally saying it out loud feels pretty darn fabulous!
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Well, spurred on by the series “Things I’m Afraid To Tell You” (first seen by Jess of Make Under My Life and then later by Caitlin of Reverie to Reality), I’ve decided to share some of my own deep, dark thoughts. Some might be surprising, some might seem fairly meaningless, but these are my own personal things that I’m afraid to tell you…
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1. I graduated from a great school with a great degree in studio art and art history – That was four years ago and I have yet to do anything specific with my degree. They were pretty upfront with us while in school that getting a job relating to the arts was going to be hard, that is, if you weren’t willing to pursue a Master’s degree first. Although I consistently get a handful of commissions for custom drawings a year (usually around the holidays), it’s not nearly enough to live on. Sometimes this fact makes me feel like a failure, a flop, a disappointment to my peers, my professors and my parents.
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(Photo by Katie Stoops)
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2. Sometimes I choose working on blog projects over spending quality time with my new husband. Keeping up a blog based on do-it-yourself projects and the real time renovation of our home is a big commitment. I LOVE it, but it’s not easy to manage a full-time day job, blog projects, general blog maintenance and the relationships in my life. It’s a fine balance, one that I am constantly trying to perfect to make sure my priorities are in check. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I feel like I’m always letting SOMEONE down.
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3. I vacillate between wanting to pursue blogging full-time for what seems like little money, and wanting to pursue a full-time office career that pays the bills (and then some) without satisfying my passions. A year ago, I made the leap from office work to a creative day job working at a newspaper (all while keeping up with DreamGreenDIY in my spare time). I am significantly happier working in a creative environment as opposed to the mundane life of filing and forms, but my new creative day job just barely pays the bills. And I would still rather focus entirely on DG-DIY full-time. It’s a question of being happy and poor or being miserable and well-off. It’s a daily struggle…
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4. I worry that DG-DIY will never even make money to give me the opportunity to do it full-time.
 
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5. There are days that I care more about “the numbers” of DreamGreenDIY (i.e. reader stats and features) than the meat and bones of the blog. Growing a blog takes time. I know that. I have also come to learn that being successful means that you need to focus on CONTENT first and foremost – Not stats. But it’s hard not to refresh my site stats page over and over and over again in the hopes that my hits will creep up over a thousand more than twice in my year and a quarter of managing DG-DIY. I need to learn to let go and I need to learn to refocus.
 
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6. I love eating more than the idea of being toned and in-shape, even though I could really stand to lose at least 10 pounds. Sometimes I think this one isn’t such a negative thing. I know so many girls who focus their entire lives on losing or maintaining a thin physique. To me, I feel like it can become an unhealthy obsession that I don’t want to deal with. I love my life and consider myself a pretty positive person – Sure, I’ve gained ten pounds in the last four years, but I think there are more important things in life to stress over. While, for the most part, I commend myself on this attitude, I also know that eating better should be at least a minute priority. But all too often, a delicious bowl of chicken carbonara can make me forget all about dieting. And don’t even get me started on exercising…
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Oh boy. That was hard. Not to come up with things to tell you, but to simply say them out loud. I’m sure there is a lot more that I haven’t even admitted to myself yet, but it’s a good start…I hope that you all can forgive and accept me for my flaws.
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Speaking of the aforementioned flaws, this gets me thinking beyond just today and this momentous step in confessing to the world. Not only am I going to make it my #1 priority to work on and progress past all of that negativity, but I think this series warrants a return. Let’s say, in a few months, we come back and do this all over again. Maybe the negativity will have dissipated or moved on, or maybe it’s gotten worse – Keeping tabs on it is the first step to eliminating it.
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Now, it’s your turn. I invite you all of you to do one of two things. (#1) If you are a blogger, give this series a try on your own site. Like I said, it’s extremely liberating and offers you a chance to get that much closer with your readers and the blogging community. Or (#2) if you aren’t a blogger, please continue reading through a couple more of the “Things I’m Afraid To Tell You” posts linked to below (bloggers, you should do the same!). It’s a pretty awesome feeling to read the words of other women you respect and come to find out that they might share the same feelings you do.
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Or, if neither option appeals to you, feel free to share your own thing (or things) you’re afraid to say in the comments section right here. Let it all out!
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1ST WAVE: Carly: A Simple Affair / Cassie: Coco + Kelley / Christine: Court & Hudson / Caitlin: Sacramento Street / Roxy: My Cup of Te / Crystal: Blog / Meg: MIMI+MEG / Ashlina: The Decorista / Katie: Modern Eve / Erin: Apartment 34 / Erica: Design Blahg / Christine: Miles to Style / Franki: Life in a Venti Cup  / Sue: The Zhush / Erika: Radiant Republic / Gabrielle: Savvy Home / Monika: The Doctor’s Closet / Naomi: Design Manifest /Tobe: Because It’s Awesome / Becca: {extra}ordinary wonders / Lynzy: Sparkling Footsteps / Hitha: Hitha On The Go / Sarah: Note To Self / Liz: So Much To Smile About / Sarah: Blogstar / Alissa: The Goods Design / Jessie: Style & Pepper / Erika: Small Shop Studio  / AV: Long Distance Loving / Maggie: Maggie Rose Blog / Nicole: The City Girl In Me / Priscilla: The Best Laid Plans / Jen: Concrete Jungle DC / Janelle: Food Fashion Fitness / Natalie: East Coast Chic
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2ND WAVE: Design for Mankind | Little Brown Pen | Beautiful Hello | Curating Style | Sweet Fine Day | The Jealous Curator | Happy Days | Sage & Berries | Really Handmade | Peck Life | Satsuma Press | Rena Tom | For the Easily Distracted |The Hemborg Wife | Vitamini Handmade | Courtney Khail Stationery and Design | Meg in Progress | Dando Photography Blog | Widdershins22 | Alison Citron | Pink Moon Daily | Just Pretty Things | From China Village | Tea with Me | The Darling Ewe | Not Your Average Ordinary | The Electric Typewriter | Elleby Design | Parsimonia {Secondhand With Style} | Life as an Artistpreneur | Hello Cupcake | Dellie | The A &B Stories | Pretty Little Things | Feistyelle | Nib & Zed | Well and Cheaply | I Ripple. I Dance. | Whitfield Awesome Blog | Foxtrot Press | Dry As Toast | The List of Now | Apple Blue | For the Love of | Four Flights of Fancy | Miss Modish | Snapshots & Secrets | Dirty Laundry |Bubby & Bean | Penelope’s Press | Little Nostalgia | Vale Design | Pikaland | Fleurishing | Print Pretty | Vespa Tales | Hazel & Agnes | Amanda’s Musings | Mo’ Funk Designs | Ordinary Mommy | Camp 1899 | In Honor of Design | Liberty’s Yarn | Love, Life & Pictures | Stacey Winters | Owl in the Rain | Living Life Creatively | Emma Elizabeth Clease | I Live in Vacouver Now | British Cream Tea | Reverie to Reality
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(Photo credit for CNU logo: here; for money bag: here; for chicken carbonara: here)
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Filed Under: Healthy Living, Inspiring, Our Influences, The Big Reveal, Things I'm Afraid To Tell You Tagged With: , , ,

My top 20 most inspiring spaces

May 16, 2012 10 Comments

Whether we mean to or not, our homes are influenced by something. Could be taken from a favorite television show or maybe the magazines you flip through, but it’s inevitable that bits and pieces of visual fluff will infiltrate your psyche and affect the way you structure your home. This isn’t rocket science and I know I’ve talked about it upteen times, both here on DreamGreenDIY and in my guest posting for Breathe Magazine. Yet, even though this information is nothing new to you, I think it’s a good exercise to look back on the most recent influences if, for no other reason, to see how tastes and tendencies have changed.

In honor of the eye candy I’ve saved up over the past year as an obsessed a faithful member of Pinterest, I am sharing with you all today my top 20 inspiring spaces. In no particular order, I invite you to feast your eyes on the looks, rooms and interiors that get my heart pumping and my planning mind working in overtime. I’d love to hear your take on my style and how you might characterize it (ala Emily Henderson – “Tuscan Modern,” “Southern Romance Meets Scottish Country Charm,” “Modern Urban Beach,” etc.).

Prepare to drool.

Source: decor8

Source: Mint

Source: Breakfast at Toast

Source: Kireei

Source:  Glitter Guide

Source: we <3 it

Source: BHG

Source: Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

Source: Design Sponge

Source: HGTV

Source: M Street

Source: Yellow Brick Home

Source: The Marion House Book

Source: Style by Emily Henderson

Source: The Borrowed Abode

 

Source: Decorology

Source: Flickr

Source: The Inspired Room

 

Source: Unknown

 

Source: Style by Emily Henderson

If I were to give myself a style diagnostic based on those images, I think I’d call my style “Mid-century Eclectic.” What do you think?

For more on spaces that inspire me, click here for my full “Inspirational Spaces/Colors” board on Pinterest.  And feel free to share links to your own inspirational spaces (your own or someone elses) in the comments section. Let’s share our room daydreams…

Filed Under: Inspiring, Our Influences Tagged With: , , , , ,

Pinspiration Monday: Painted wood

May 14, 2012 6 Comments

There’s a first time for everything. Instead of being inspired by one Pinterest image for today’s “Pinspiration Monday,” I am combining two images to customize a fun and crafty centerpiece for our dining room table.

The first kick in the pants came when I saw these curvy, colorful wooden candlesticks. I really love color, but I actually hoped (in my head) to find a pair of plain raw wood pieces to adorn our table. I love the shapely lines but think our kitchen is pretty good on pops of color (what with our plate wall and newly painted cabinets).

Source: Casa Sugar

Source: Photobucket

As luck would have it, I found these two beauties at a local estate store for only $2. They fit my curvy criteria and were the raw wood I had been hoping for. I thought they looked quite lovely against the chocolate brown wall and, although their shape is fun and eye-catching, they don’t necessarily steal the show from the plate art.

But we weren’t done yet…You see, I also was inspired by the Pinterest images below of painted wood. The idea is to paint pops of saturated color on top of wood, but still leave the grain a bit of room to shine.

Source: Swoon

Source: Unknown…

So I decided to paint the candlesticks, but only partially. Where to begin though? Do I start halfway up the candlesticks and paint little colorful rings and leave it at that? Or maybe paint an entire half of the candlesticks? In the end, John suggested stripes on the flat base and I was sold.

For the colors, I went with the two trendy colors of the season – Mint and pale coral. I also decided to incorporate more of my metallic gold craft paint (as seen here and here). As you can see below, the gold is pretty subtle, but that allows the mint and coral to really shine.

I tried eyeballing my lines at first with a steady hand, but eventually caved and broke out the masking tape to ensure nice and straight edges.

While I adore the colors and the idea of stripes on the candlesticks, I did run into one painful issue…You may have already noticed, but my stripes look pretty wonky and fat towards the actual “stick” portion of my thrifted candle holders. When you see the stripes head-on, the part that runs into the elevated stick ends up giving the optical illusion of a curve when the lines are actually straight.

Here they are all finished on the table top – You can easily see that annoying optical illusion of bulbous stripes towards the center.

Although those lines look anything but straight, when seen from above, they really are pretty spot on.

Not sure just how much that optical illusion is going to bug me…I may lightly sand down the edges of the paint so that the ridges won’t show and just paint up the stick about halfway with new color to cover it up. I’d love your thoughts and opinions on whether I should keep it as is or experiment and tweak just a little bit more until just right.

Help!

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Inspiring, Kitchen, Product Search, Thrift Store Tell All, Weekly Pinspiration Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Guest Post: 3 tips make eating right a breeze

May 4, 2012 Leave a Comment

Thank goodness it’s Friday!! Although maybe I shouldn’t be saying that since it means we only have 1½ more days here in the tropics…No doubt, we are having the time of our lives, but family, our furry kiddos and home are definitely calling our names. To keep you occupied on your Friday morning, we have Jessi Haggerty of Bee Rooted with us to talk about good health. You may remember her from this post of yore, where I expressed my deepest thanks for her help in steering me in the right direction when it comes to my diet. Her advice has been invaluable and I am so pleased that she is here to share some more tips with you, my faithful, enthusiastic, creative readers. We’ve all made excuses for ignoring the facts when it comes to eating a balanced diet. She’s here today to kick those excuses to the curb and supply you with the motivation to get back on track.

At 13 years old, I learned how to make excuses for things before I even had to. Sitting in my room participating in some mindless activity like watching re-runs of Friends, or chatting on the phone with my best friend (she’s still my best friend, by the way), I knew to pause and make up an excuse after I heard my mom yell “JESS!” from the office downstairs. Despite what I thought at the time, I didn’t really have a whole lot going on so things like “I have to do my homework,” and “I have to apply for summer jobs” were sometimes sufficient. But usually, when my mom came to me with a simple chore like cleaning up the (already clean) bathroom, or picking up my shoes that trailed throughout the house, I would find a way to say “later” in its many forms: “Not now,” “in a bit,” “after I finish this…” etc. Yet, no matter what the excuse, she and I always ended up in the same place: Mom pointing out that in the time that I spent arguing and making excuses, the task could have been done already. Touche, Mom. Touche.

Ironically, today it seems like all I do is listen to lists and lists of excuses people have for eating unhealthfully. Most common excuses are that there’s not enough time, it’s too expensive, and I’m not a good cook. What I’ve learned from my experience as a 13-year-old is this – Most of the barriers to “doing my chores” were barriers I put there myself. So, in an effort to break these 3 simple barriers to good health, I decided to find solutions by teaching you a simple method to preparing healthy food fast and cheap, while implementing simple cooking techniques that you can apply to pretty much any meal.  

Step 1:  Keep your kitchen stocked with the following…AKA the cheapest grocery list you’ll ever follow.

  • Whole Wheat Pasta (or any other whole grain like barley, quinoa or brown rice)
  • Green Frozen Vegetable (spinach, kale, broccoli)
  • Vegetable Broth
  • Canned Diced Tomatoes
  • Canned Beans (white beans have a nice neutral flavor that compliment most dishes)
  • Garlic and Onion (perishable, but keep much longer than most vegetables)
  • Salt, Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper

Step 2:  Mise En Place.  

A french term for having all of the ingredients in a recipe measured, chopped and in place before getting started. This little piece of advice was taken from Fiona Gubelmann (costar in the hit series Wilfred) in her interview in Vegetarian Times Magazine.  

For amateur cooks, or avid kitchen experimenters like myself, this is SO KEY to preventing burning, forgetting and mis-stepping (like baking your cookies before you add the sugar). It makes my least favorite part (clean-up) a breeze and makes you feel like you’re on a hit day-time cooking show. The best part? Once all of the ingredients are measured out (which can be done pretty much at any time), putting your meal together takes no time at all! 

For this meal: Chop 1 onion and 3 to 5 cloves of garlic, open all cans and spice containers and measure out about ¼ cup of vegetable broth. Place one large (empty pot) on the stove at medium heat, and 1 medium size pot filled with water for pasta or grain at medium heat. If cooking barley or rice, you will need 3 parts water to 1 part grain

Step 3:  Prepare Your Quick Dinner

Saute onion and garlic in a hot pan in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth, until tender. Mix in a dash of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes, cover and let simmer.  

While that’s cooking, boil water and cook pasta or grain according to package. When tender, drain and add to tomatoes. Add 1 package of frozen greens and cover just until defrosted (over-cooking leads to nutrient degradation). Add can of beans, give it a quick stir so everything is mixed throughout. Top with optional parmesan or pecorrino cheese.    

Serve and be proud of your 15-minute healthy meal.  

It’s not rocket science, it’s faster than ordering out and all it requires is some inexpensive pantry items and the ability to boil water.  

What are some of your barriers to good health?  How do you overcome them?

Jessi is the creator of Bee Rooted a blog and business that offers a broader perspective on food and nutrition. “Healthy” is not defined by the nutrition facts label on the back of a grocery store item, but by the impact a food has from our earth, to your body. All of her advice and recipes are compiled together to provide you with solutions to sustain our earth and our food system, sustain your health and sustain your lifestyle – The ultimate definition of “sustainability.” With a love for food and knowledge, and passion for teaching others, she is always prepared with helpful tips, time-friendly, delicious recipes and creative life-management suggestions. Subscribe to her blog at www.BeeRooted.com or contact her at bee.rooted@gmail.com.

Filed Under: Healthy Living, How-To, Inspiring, Kitchen, Kitchen Overhaul, Our Influences, Simple Fixes, Yummmm Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Pinspiration Monday (Guest Post): DIY burlap-wrapped candle holder

April 30, 2012 8 Comments

Good morning and happy Monday to you! John and I are catching a plane to our tropical honeymoon destination as you read this – Wish me luck as this is my first time flying and I’m sure my nerves are a bit frayed…Can’t wait to share all of the wild stories, which I’m sure we are bound to fill up on. In the meantime, we have Amanda of Bullfrogs and Bulldogs here today to share a precious DIY craft with you. Enjoy!

Hello! I’m Amanda from over at Bullfrogs and Bulldogs and I am so excited to be guest posting today while Carrie is off on her HONEYMOON! A big congrats to you two, Carrie and John!

I’d love for you to stop by my place and say “hi” sometime! You can find me here or on facebook, twitter and pinterest as well!

Despite our mutual love of budget friendly decorating and thrift store hunting, Carrie and I actually have something else in common. She just got married and I am on my way to the alter in just about two weeks! So, in the spirit of love, today I’m here to share my super easy (and super inexpensive) DIY Burlap Love Votive Candle Holder inspired by something I saw on Pinterest a few weeks ago.

Source: Gilt Groupe

Instead of the numbers, which I may have to do down the road, I decided to stencil the word “L.O.V.E” because well, right now there is a lot of celebrating of just that very thing going around!

So here you have it! Enjoy!

How to make burlap love votive candle holders for yourself:

1. Find any votive candle holder that suits your fancy.

2. Get enough burlap (there are so many colors to choose from!) to cover the votive. Cut the burlap to fit your needs.

3. Use foam glue or some kind of clear glue to prime the edges of the burlap from fringing. I just used a paintbrush and literally painted it around the whole parameter.

4. Once I knew the look I wanted, I used masking tape as my stencil and created the lines and the lettering. Using a foam brush, I dabbed the paint on where it needed to go.

And viola! Here is the finished product!

I hope you are having the best time on your honeymoon, Carrie and John!

Amanda is the blogger behind Bullfrogs & Bulldogs, a personal account of her transition from living in the city to living a more sustainable life with her fiance on the family vineyard and farm.  Amanda’s blog is full of storytelling, beautiful photos of the farm and its many furry friends, vegan/gluten-free recipes and DIY projects – All elements that keep me coming back from more! Bullfrogs and Bulldogs can be found here, here, here, and here.

Stay tuned Wednesday for a guest post from Lisa of SpareFoot Storage Finder – She’ll be sharing her tips on achieving an organized, balanced home.

Filed Under: DIY Projects, Gifts, Gluten-Free Lifestyle, How-To, Inspiring, Our Wedding, Weekly Pinspiration Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

One Word: Wedding

April 27, 2012 14 Comments

Good gracious!! Tomorrow I am getting married…Like any girl, I have been waiting for this day, dreaming about this day and praying for this day ever since I was little.

Life has thrown me some major curve balls along my journey to this moment, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m the kind of person who has no regrets – Everything that has happened to me, good or bad has led me to this fate. I am marrying my very best friend tomorrow and, if that’s the culmination of my choices over my 26 years of life, then I’m happy to accept it all…I can’t wait!!

Although we will be jet setting to the tropics for a week-long honeymoon next week, I have made sure to line up some fun features via guest bloggers – You’ll get an adorable tutorial for fun burlap-wrapped candle holders, tips on organizing your home and ways to kick the excuses and get on track with a healthy diet (as long as my remote publication works as it should, that is – Not sure if we’ll have internet access to double check…). I hope that you enjoy them.

See you in a week!!

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Filed Under: Inspiring, One Word, Our Influences, Our Wedding, Weekly Pinspiration Tagged With: , , ,
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