DIY: art wall

This wall was begging for something fun and whimsical.

Remember this inspiration?

Well after a nifty template idea that I picked up from Divine Design on HGTV...

... as well as a few custom frames I made all by myself (thank you, thank you very much)...

...the artwall is complete!

Well, almost.  I have a few pictures to take before I can hang the last two frames.

I'd love to hear what you think of it!

Soooooo funny!

If you have not heard of Catalog Living, you are in for such a treat!  I have spent hours flipping through this blog over and over again practically rolling on the floor laughing at the genius commentary aimed to poke fun at overly styled spaces for advertising.  Here's a few examples:

If you're stressed out from work, are having a bad hair day, or just really need a fun, light-hearted read, go grab an iced latte on this hot summer day and curl up on your couch to Catalog Living!

Pottery Barn SALE! Part 2

Have you ever walked into a room and wondered why they haven't gotten rid of their college furniture?  We are so guilty of holding onto stuff that doesn't function well, has passed it's prime and is not adult appropriate.

Meet the Spongebob chair.  Or at least that's what Andrew called it when I brought it home when we were newlyweds almost seven years ago.  No one sits in this chair when they come to visit because it looks like it will not support them.  This was the only chair we could afford at the time (it was under $50 at World Market) and I think it's high time it retires.  

And now...the upgrade.  Woohoo, that is one pretty chair!  

PS Do you see that frumpy couch in the background? I cannot WAIT to update that baby as well.  We'll be ordering its replacement in a few weeks.  

Pottery Barn SALE!

I have had my eye on this super deep chair for about six months.  A chair is an after thought, though, and we haven't even started on decorating our living room.  But then Pottery Barn put this baby on sale.  Let me re-phrase that...Pottery Barn was practically giving it away.  How could I not accept their oh-so-generous offer?!  The one we got looks pretty much exactly like this and was finished in an almost-white creamy jean material.  They sell the EXACT SAME chair at Mitchell Gold for over $2500 and I got mine for...drumroll please...$549.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  

The Master Bedroom Checklist

I recently went through my checklist for the bedroom and just about fell over from dread.  I feel like it's never going to get finished!!!!  Here it is, in all it's glory and longness:

crown molding
wainscotting detail on primary wall
wainscotting detail on ceiling
purchase sheets
purchase/find/diy chandelier to replace ugly boob light
diy throw pillow detail
paint and distress dressers
paint side tables
purchase lamps and accessories for side tables
purchase bed frame and headboard
take pictures for art wall
get prints made for art wall
get canvas made for primary wall

My goal was to finish the master bedroom AND bathroom within the first month of living in our new house.  Baaahahahahaha!  Anyone want to take odds as to when I'll finish?  I'll put a dollar in for sometime next year. ;)

Numbers

I'm working on a project for my bedroom art wall and need your opinion.  Which do you like better?

OR

More details as to what this will be soon. :)

I'm Dreaming Big Baby!

An inspiration store is one of those places that you know you can't afford, but it helps you to go there to dream so you know what style to look for at a discount store, right?  Like going to a Coach store for inspiration on purses then finding one with the same lines and feel at TJ Maxx for $600 less.  Well, I went to one of my all time favorite inspiration stores yesterday.  Restoration Hardware.  They were having a major sale on outdoor pillows, so I rushed over there thinking "Oh my gosh!  I can actually afford something there!".  Of course I didn't just look at pillows.  That would have been a tragedy!  I looked at all the pretty little things, constantly checking prices and huffing at how expensive they were.  But I wanted every single thing.  Every single beautiful little thing.  And then...I saw it.

The sofa of my dreams in a crisp, cream Belgian linen.  It's one of those sofas that you sink into.  It's also so deep that when I sit all the way to the back only my feet hang over the edge.  I almost had a heart attack when I saw that it had rolling feet.  AHmazing.  I looked at the price tag with no hopes of actually being able to afford it.  And then...a miracle.

I can afford my dream sofa.  Heart attack #2.  That baby is MINE!  I know I was supposed to finish my bedroom first, but this is a decorating emergency.  It's on sale.  And I must have it!

Get Inspired: Shopping Malls

OK I know what you're thinking...the MALL?!  How generic and unimaginative can you get?  Well, I beg to differ.  There are some excellent resources at the mall that I pull from for inspiration and purchases often!  You just have to know where to look.  If you are looking in department stores, expect to find department store stuff.  I personally despise department stores.  But that's just me.  Here's a few places I shop that I LOVE for the home:

Anthropologie - This place makes me drool every time I step in the door.  I've also recently found out that they have crazy good sales! Holla!!!!  I got my living room rug there 65% off, which made it less expensive than some of the cheap ones I was looking through at IKEA and West Elm.  They are also artistic in every form, completely original and bring an element of FUN to every piece.  Some of my wishlist items from this amazing store:

Urban Outfitters - I <3 this place.  I've been shopping here since college and it just doesn't get old.  The best part about this place?  It's a cheaper, younger version of Anthropologie.  Don't you just love their stuff?!

Pottery Barn - This store is different from the last two.  I will buy less pieces from here, but what I DO buy will be the more substantial purchases.  I'm buying our bed and all our outdoor furniture from this store.  Why?  Pottery Barn is classic and will not go out of style.  I want to buy investment furniture that will stick with me for 40 years.  If I did that at Anthropologie, I'd regret it.  So, I buy solid pieces from here and accents from the fun stores.  Make sense?

PS The outlet store is my hero.

Restoration Hardware - Pick my jaw up off the floor, this place is amazing.  I can't afford it, but I can dream, right?

DIY: dresser drawer liners

I found these babies at a yard sale.  People sometimes have no idea what they have!  I knew this dresser set was worth the purchase as soon as I opened the drawers and saw this:

Dovetailing makes me HAPPY!  And so does original hardware.  Jackpot!

So, even though the dressers are in great shape as far as structure, they need a bit of cosmetic work. The insides of the drawers are a bit rough, so I decided old fashioned drawer liners with a twist might be a fun project.  Here's the before:

And the glorious after:

Thank you Amanda for the great wrapping paper website!

I am so happy I actually finished something!  If you ever decide to do this for yourself, I have a few pointers.  Use thick paper and cut your paper a quarter of an inch smaller than the actual inside dimensions.  Thin paper wrinkles and bubbles (I had the hardest time smoothing out all those out).  Paper also expands a bit when it hits the decoupage glue.

Next step...paint.

Get Inspired: Home Decor Magazines

Every week I go grocery shopping.  I hate grocery shopping.  But I told Andrew that I would do it because he works all day and cooks me dinner when he comes home!  So, to help me get over the mundane feeling of grocery shopping on a weekday alone I pick up a home decor magazine.  I have been doing this for a while and now have quite a stack.  Yes, I realize I'm wasting money by not getting subscriptions.  But a treat is a treat, right?  At least I'm not buying a gallon of ice cream and eating the whole thing every time I go to the grocery store! hahaha

Here's a running list of my favorite magazines found at most grocery stores:

Elle Decor

Country Living

Better Homes and Gardens

The information and pictures I find in these magazines are invaluable!  I've come across DIY instructions on crown molding, an advertisement for what will soon be our new headboard, and loads of storage and organization ideas.  When I find something I LOVE, I stick it in this:

Behold, the inspiration binder.  I hear the choir singing in the background. :)

My *Slight* Obsession with Pillows

When Andrew comes home, we usually have the conversation that everyone has.  "How was your day?" "What do you want for dinner?" "Hi, Emma!"  You know, the usual.  Every once in a while, though, Andrew comes home to find me jumping up and down, looking as giddy as a school girl and the first thing out of my mouth is "GuesswhatIbought guesswhatIbought guesswhatIbought".  Which is followed by Andrew's response..."a pillow".

He knows me so well. :)  If Andrew is in the dog house, he should probably buy me a pillow instead of flowers.  I don't know what it is about pillows that makes me swoon, but I LOVE them.  Here's a few of my most recent purchases/diys for my living room.  I adore how they look nothing alike, but they all coordinate because of either a color or pattern or shape.  Yay for pillows!

Progress but nothing finished!

I'm smack dab in the middle of wedding season, so finishing the bedroom right now seems so far away!  I've started 4 projects (drawer liners, art wall, paint dressers, paint side tables), but haven't finished one of them.  haha  I DID get a package in the mail yesterday, though, that made me happy.  Wanna see?  Oh, OK if you insist. ;)

DIY: To Try Or Not To Try

The day we bought our house, my realtor mentioned to the builder that I was planning to do my own crown molding.  He chuckled.  Then he said "You know, they have classes at Lowes for that...just a thought".  Should I have taken that as a bash to females?  Well, whether I should or shouldn't, I did.  It made my blood boil.

When I was growing up, men did the fix-it, mow the lawn, take out the trash thing and women did the cooking, cleaning and laundry thing.  That's just how things were because it is how they were expected to be.  The builder is from that generation.  There's nothing wrong with that, but thank God almighty that I am from a different generation!  I will be putting up crown molding in my bedroom and it will be fabulous.  And I will make sure to send my builder pictures of the glorious finished product.  And then Andrew will make us a fabulous meal to celebrate. ;)

To try or not to try.  That is the question.  But it was never a question for me.

PS Totally random and off subject, but does anyone know where I can find a chandelier like this?  I've been searching high and low with no luck.