Polka Dot Tablecloth

Another project I tackled on my recent crafting spree is this DIY polka dot tablecloth from Oh Happy Day! I don't usually cover my dining table, but this simple design really spoke to me. I bought a $10 tan tablecloth at Burlington, then spread it over a tarp in my garage and stamped the dots on, freehand, with the roundest sweet potato I could find at Easy-Way. It took about an hour. I absolutely LOVE the finished product! It was just what my dining room needed - a little visual interest without a lot of loud colors. I also like that all the dots are slightly different and imperfect. (My dad thinks they look like MRIs of a healthy brain. LOL.) The same technique on placemats could be a fun summer craft for kids. You could carve the potato stamp into any shape you want.

If you try this, be warned that the potato will drink up a LOT of paint. I started with one bottle of Tulip matte white fabric paint. Ha ha! It lasted for four rows of dots. So the project halted for several days while I fruitlessly searched for more of the same kind, eventually switching to a generic all-media craft paint. Thankfully, you can't tell a difference between the two paints. In the meantime, I kept the potato in the fridge so it wouldn't rot, and it absorbed a lot less paint on the second go-round. Good to know for the future.

Happy Friday!

Christmas Decor

Kelly's Korner is hosting a linkup about Christmas decorations. I probably would have posted about mine anyway, so I'm joining in! Not that my humble decor really belongs in a "Tour of Homes," but whatever. :)

It took me a few years to get everything in order, but now I have Christmas decorations that are perfect for me and make me very happy. I bought this pre-lit 7' artificial tree at Bed Bath & Beyond last year. It has tiny pinecones and some flocking here and there. I love it! Aside from the years I lived with my friend Kathy, I've always had an artificial tree. It's cheaper, easier, and better for the earth. For some reason, the top third of the tree is leaning forward this year, but it's not that noticeable unless you're right alongside it. I probably just didn't assemble it right.

My tree skirt is from Pottery Barn. I bought the matching stocking at the PB outlet, but passed up the skirt. It didn't take me long to realize that if I didn't find that matching skirt, I'd always regret it. By then, they were long gone from the store. So I bought it on eBay. :) It was expensive, but I plan to keep it for MANY years!

 

I like to commemorate big events of the year with special ornaments. I bought both of these NYC ornaments at the Empire State Building - I couldn't stop at one!

Some older favorites: I got this snow bunnies ornament at Hallmark when I worked there in high school. It was the first ornament I ever bought for my own tree. I've had the McAlister's tea ornament for a few years.

One of several ornaments I made at a holiday crafting event last November. (This was also the event where I decided I needed a sewing machine, so it's sort of commemorative in its own way.)

The 2012 Christmas mantel. As I've said here many times, I don't have The Eye for mantel arrangement, but this is good enough for me!

This is the creche I grew up with. About eight years ago my dad went to Israel and bought a hand-carved Nativity in Bethlehem, so they passed this one on to me. When I was a kid, I liked to make my Little People walk up the stairs and into the hayloft, and otherwise interact with the scene. ("Hey, goat! You're a goat! What's that all about? Say hello to your mother for me!")

I like to have something simple in the middle of my dining table at all times. These are just layered placemats, again from Bed Bath & Beyond. The vase with candle has been there for a while. :)

This is my only new Christmas item this year, and I didn't buy it - my BIL's grandma gave it to me. I've always liked these little light-up ceramic houses, but I feel like you should have either a village, or none at all. But now that I have this one, I'll enjoy it by itself. I don't have room for a village!

Hope you enjoyed this Christmas tour!

Spring Decor

Last weekend I did a little decor spring-cleaning around the house! If you follow me on Pinterest, you know that I LOVE wreaths for all seasons. Recently I pinned a bunch of spring wreath ideas, but then I was inspired by something completely different at TJ Maxx.

A basic straw wreath provided the base. I cut up four stems of these pale lavender fake flowers and stuck them into the straw, all facing the same way, for a swoopy effect. I added a few little white birds for extra interest. All the materials are from Hobby Lobby and cost a total of $15. Not bad at all! I don't know if I'd use a straw wreath again, though - it was a MESS. I had to sweep and vacuum my whole work area after the wreath was hung. Originally I wanted to use a floral styrofoam base, but this was cheaper and more natural-looking.

I also refreshed the mantel! I picked up this aluminum tray with nice lines at a thrift store for three bucks, and painted it with chalkboard paint (a project I've wanted to do for a long time). I'll write something more inspiring on it after the tournament's over. :) I already had the fake tulips and candles, and the trophy-cup plant is my favorite and has been on the mantel for years. This is a pretty sparse (and probably badly arranged) mantel by popular design standards, but I'm happy with it. If I had a strand of ivy or some other greenery, it would be perfect!

Happy weekend everyone!

PS - The road to the Final Four starts tonight. GO TIGERS GO!!! :)

Inspiration Wall

I put up an "inspiration wall" in my cubicle this week! It's basically made up of happy photos and inspiring things I saw on Pinterest. I got the idea about a month ago, but kept forgetting to print everything and have the non-photos laminated (necessary, since this is a flip cabinet that I use a lot). I didn't overload the space, since I know I'll want to add to it in the future. My current favorite wall item (and daily mantra):

(Seriously, I've NEVER known so many pregnant women in my life. I need to plan some new mom dinner recipes for April through July!)

More substance coming tomorrow...

Decking The Halls 2011

I keep my Christmas decorating pretty simple. Over the last couple of years, I've pared down my Christmas stuff a LOT. I realized that most of it was handed down or given to me, and didn't reflect my taste - and also, that there was too much of it. So this December, I'm continuing to invest in new Christmas decor that I can enjoy for years to come. 

First order of business: my new Christmas tree! I've had fake trees all my life, except for a couple of Christmases with my college and post-college roommate, Kathy, who grew up with real ones. My most recent fake tree was a Target base model. It was fine, but kind of short and not realistic-looking at all. This fall I started entertaining the idea of a pre-lit tree, because putting lights on the tree is not my forte. I found one I loved at Hobby Lobby, but was aghast at the $200 sale price. So I had given up, and was in the process of taking out my old tree, when I got a Bed Bath & Beyond circular with the exact same tree for $80 (plus 20% off coupon). I was out the door minutes later and snapped up the last one in stock. It's 7.5 feet, pre-lit, and has little pinecones on it. I LOVE IT.

This larger tree is just perfect for this number of ornaments! I don't like the tree to look too cluttery. Oh, and the old tree has found a happy new home at my brother's apartment in Indiana. :)

Inspired by this P. Allen Smith wreath, I did a total overhaul of my fake Christmas wreath (it used to have poinsettias on it). Cost: $3 for the new ribbon. Turns out I have zero bow-tying skills - this was the best I could do after several demonstrations from one of my crafty co-workers.

I'm in a trifle-dish-centerpiece rut, but it's just so easy! Both placemats are from Bed Bath & Beyond. I've looked everywhere for a nice table runner, and now have plans to make a copycat version of a Williams-Sonoma one I saw for next year.

This is the Nativity I grew up with. (My parents gave it to me after my dad bought a hand-carved set in Bethlehem. Seriously.) It's a little rustic, but that seems appropriate. I also think it goes well under my Hope platter. :)

I feel like my mantel needs something extra (garlands?), but at the same time I like the plain look. The Lenox holly votive lamps were gifts. Fake amaryllis; tin vase borrowed from my parents. The cat stockings are from Target, and I found my beautiful velvet stocking for $2 last year at the Pottery Barn outlet. (I bought two as a statement of faith.) I want to get it embroidered with my name or a B.

By the time I bought the stockings, PB Outlet was out of the matching tree skirt. This year I decided that if I didn't track down that tree skirt, I would regret it forever. So I found and bought one on eBay! It was definitely a splurge, but again, I plan to enjoy it for many years.

 

I wouldn't normally post such a blurry picture, but this one cracks me up. Gandalf was sitting on top of the fridge, and I was trying to get a shot of him with the (fake) mistletoe. Classic. I have lots of cute cat Christmas photos to post another day.

Bits and Pieces

I'm back! A few days to recharge without having to rush off to anywhere was just what I needed. I feel very refreshed! But I'd forgotten that when I spend a weekend by myself at home, it goes A LOT like this:

(I'm so serious. Replace dog with two cats.)

Anyway, I'm glad to rejoin society today, knowing that I'll come home to a clean, organized, fall-decorated house.

 

Trifle dish + fake flowers from last year's fall wreath + table runner = no-cost fall table.

 

I bought this adorable Pier 1 hook to use as a belt rack. It's a little extravagant for the inside of a closet, but I'll see it every day and it makes me happy. (I succesfully used a drill for this and several other tasks over the weekend. All the women independent, throw your hands up at me.)

 

When I was growing up, my mom had copper pans just like these. About a year ago I got nostalgic about them and wanted to hang them in my own kitchen, but she had sold hers at a yard sale. So she found identical molds at another yard sale and gave them to me. :) I couldn't decide where to put them, but this weekend I just picked a spot and nailed them up. They make me happy.

I stopped in at Anthropologie on Friday. Their prices are so ridiculous that I only go there for inspiration. Since I can't pin items in real life, I took some sneaky cameraphone pics. I love this mustard-colored top - the polka dots sealed the deal. Maybe Target will have something similar. I wouldn't have paired it with forest green AND navy blue, but who am I to question Anthropologie styling? :) And the dish is something to keep in mind for my next trip to Seize the Clay.

Finally, I read this cover to cover. It was perfect and I can't stop thinking about it. After some reflection, I've decided the trilogy is sort of a teenage, steampunk, role-reversed Princess Bride. It has adventure, history, science, politics, etc., and is more romantic than you'd think any of those things could be. That is the genius of Scott Westerfeld.

How was everyone else's weekend?

Various Updates

Because window treatments are not my area of expertise, my parents helped me put up new living room curtains this weekend! Up to this point I haven't had any full-length curtains, only valances. Mainly because I was afraid the cats would shred long ones. Time will tell, but so far they haven't even noticed them.

Here's an old picture of the living room with the old valance. My mom sewed it for me and it was very nice, but we both felt something bolder was needed to go with the new look of the room.

And here it is with the new curtains!

Day

Night

I bought the panels for $15 each at Garden Ridge. They were exactly what I wanted - basic and colorblocky, not too busy. The colors go perfectly with the rest of the room. The curtain rod is also from Garden Ridge, and I got the holdbacks for $8 at Target a while back. I was afraid all the brown would be too dark, but I think it looks great and frames the big window nicely. I'm very pleased! :)

In other news, I'm being smothered by my to-read stack:

(Taken with picplz, which I'm still figuring out)

I randomly selected Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty on my last trip to the library, and was hooked from page one. Of course, the library didn't have the rest of the trilogy, so I dashed to Target, bought the second book (second from the top of this stack), and blew through it in one day. Now I'm faced with my usual dilemma: do I buy the third book (which just came out), even though it's in hardcover and now my books won't match? I don't think I can wait much longer to find out how it ends! Sadly, this happens to me ALL THE TIME. I should start checking the library catalog for sequels before I start books.

Finally, here are the latest contenders in the flip-flop search:

These are Candie's, and I got them at Kohl's (which has tons of great sandals right now - it was hard to choose just one!). They're a little snug around the foot, but I think they'll stretch out. I'm enjoying them so far!

Halls: Decked

I finished decorating for Christmas last weekend. My goal was a clean, non-cluttery, but still festive look, and I'm very happy with the result! I set aside about half of my previous decorations to give away or swap.

I didn't do much to the mantel - just added some pinecones and fake holly in addition to stockings. My new stocking looks as great as I hoped it would! :) I'm going to have it monogrammed after Christmas. The cats' stockings don't really coordinate with it, but I'm not going to knock myself out trying to find green velvet cat-themed stockings right now. Or maybe ever.

I'm thrilled with this flower arrangement - it's very close to my inspiration picture from last week! I found the amaryllis at Pier 1 for $6 each (they have white ones, too). The pinecones were $5 for a huge bag at Hobby Lobby, and I already had the green glass vase. It's a little narrow for the pinecones, but it works.

Here's my tree! :) I've always had fake Christmas trees, except for the years when I lived with my friend Kathy, who grew up with real ones. For pollen-, expense-, and pet-related reasons, I far prefer a fake tree. Mine isn't pre-lit, but I'd like to get one of those eventually.

I also bought a few new ornaments! This one is great, but the title of my favorite new ornament goes to...

:D (I can't hang it yet because the "straw" is broken.)

Crafty Weekend

I got to indulge my creative side this past weekend!


(me and Caroline)
I went to an outdoor painting party by my friend Hillary's business, Alla Prima (book your party today!). We painted an Italian-inspired scene. It was a refreshing and relaxing experience, the weather was perfect, and now I have fun original art to hang in my house.


I made a clock! This clock customizing idea from Real Simple has been in my inspiration binder for years. I've been in need of a timepiece in my home office, so I bought a $4 standard wall clock at Wal-Mart, painted the outside white, and covered it with scrapbook paper that matches the room's decor. I previously used the same paper to make coasters for the room, so my coordination-loving heart is totally satisfied. (I can post about making custom coasters if anyone is interested. It's really easy!)


Office with new chair (via Kirkland's) and new clock!
I also found the perfect bottles for my beach sand collection (from beaches I've visited). As usual, I had something very specific in mind and had been looking for over a year. These bottles are exactly what I wanted. I spent Sunday afternoon happily transferring sand from the old Tupperware containers to the new pretty, corked glass bottles. (I only got a little sand in my eye. :P) I'll post about that once I have them all labeled and displayed. Get excited!

Home Update

My new couches arrived yesterday! :D They're VERY comfortable and look great!






I have to say, the giraffe pillows seem much less giraffey than in the store! Each couch came with four pillows, but we removed one so people could actually sit.

My mom also suggested a square coffee table instead of another rectangular one. I was resistant at first, because I want one with a shelf and baskets underneath, but I think she may be right. I'm planning to visit the Ashley furniture outlet this weekend in addition to my usual Craigslist stalking.


Current mantel arrangement, with my new Nell Hill's birthday vases from Stefanie and Kevin. I'm still tweaking it, since I have no eye for these things...all I know is that the "trophy" should be in the middle. Looking at the full effect of everything, I started thinking that the living room might look great painted the lightest color of that fake plant. Like a really pale celery. Would it be crazy to repaint my living room around a fake plant? I love it - the hanging greenery reminds me of Savannah.

I bought a pack of Sticky Paws strips to keep the cats from clawing the backs of the new couches, but after applying a few, I realized it wasn't going to be enough protection. So I looked into the SP full sheets. They were only available online and prices/shipping were ridiculous. In the end, my mom offered to go to Hancock's today and pick up some clear vinyl to put over the entire backs of the couches. It's pretty depressing to have (partially) vinyl-covered furniture just like my grandma, but it's my only real option. Hopefully it'll work! :\

On the Mantel

Last weekend I painted my fireplace mantel, an easy job that I had put off for years. It was a compromise between painting the entire fireplace white and leaving it alone. I didn't want to use straight-from-the-can white for this, so I chose Valspar Swiss Cocoa in eggshell. I originally wanted Behr Polar Bear, since every other paint color in my house is Behr, but I'm starting to suspect that the Wolfchase Home Depot paint counter is a portal to hell. The wait there is never shorter than ten or fifteen minutes just to put in the order, so at least double that time if you're actually getting paint. Several times I've left in disgust and come back later. I actually sent Home Depot an e-mail about it today, and I almost NEVER do that kind of thing.

ANYWAY:

Before:


After:




The mantel itself looks nice - the pretty details are more visible. I'm not sure about the overall effect, though. I feel like it just emphasizes the fact that the mantel is too high over the fireplace. I've heard it can be lowered, but Google is surprisingly quiet on the how-tos, and a professional would probably be expensive. I'm considering adding more wood under the existing mantel to beef it up and fill some of that space.

Oh and let's not talk about those track lights. I'd love different lighting, but that too is outside my area of expertise. :P