If you're in need of a cute dress, head over to The Social Dress Shop - they do 2-3 day priority shipping so you can still get a dress for your big Valentine's Day plans!
Even better... use code Love25 to get 25% off your order!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Social Dress Shop
Seriously good find....
If you're in need of a cute dress, head over to The Social Dress Shop - they do 2-3 day priority shipping so you can still get a dress for your big Valentine's Day plans!
Even better... use code Love25 to get 25% off your order!
If you're in need of a cute dress, head over to The Social Dress Shop - they do 2-3 day priority shipping so you can still get a dress for your big Valentine's Day plans!
Even better... use code Love25 to get 25% off your order!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Project List Sneak Peak
Hello people.
Thought I would share a couple of big projects I'll soon be forcing Mr. Husband to help me with in our house. I'm so excited and will definitely share our progress over the next few weeks.
First, we will be working on our spare bedrooms' closet doors. We inherited wood panel acordian style doors that I really no-likey (who does?). I have been wanting to do something with them - like leave them out by the curb - but didn't want to spend a ton because those rooms are rarely used.
Then I met Abby via her blog, DIY Design and she solved my problem. Her blog is full of amazing DIY how-to's and she has really great detailed notes and pics! She had the same jank panel doors in her studio and transformed them into nice custom-looking cabinetry. Totally copying her project!
All of the doors in our house are the similar wood panel doors that we painted white when we moved in. I'm thinking that I could do something similar to this project to jazz them up a little bit too!
The second project is a hybrid of two rooms: this one from Rambling Renovators, and this one from The Lettered Cottage.
The point of the project is to add a little bit of storage and update an otherwise boring room. I want to use the Ikea wardrobes, but leave the space in between open for a desk now, and possible a crib or bed later on (depending on which spare bedroom we decide to use for a nursery when the time comes).
And I will probably tack on this one small little side project for Mr. Husband before Summer hits... I want him to make me a couple of these chaises with the wood we have piled up in our garage. He will think I'm crazy, but seriously - how hard can it be?
Thought I would share a couple of big projects I'll soon be forcing Mr. Husband to help me with in our house. I'm so excited and will definitely share our progress over the next few weeks.
First, we will be working on our spare bedrooms' closet doors. We inherited wood panel acordian style doors that I really no-likey (who does?). I have been wanting to do something with them - like leave them out by the curb - but didn't want to spend a ton because those rooms are rarely used.
Then I met Abby via her blog, DIY Design and she solved my problem. Her blog is full of amazing DIY how-to's and she has really great detailed notes and pics! She had the same jank panel doors in her studio and transformed them into nice custom-looking cabinetry. Totally copying her project!
DIY 5 Panel Shaker-style bi-fold closet doors for about $30 each!
All of the doors in our house are the similar wood panel doors that we painted white when we moved in. I'm thinking that I could do something similar to this project to jazz them up a little bit too!
The second project is a hybrid of two rooms: this one from Rambling Renovators, and this one from The Lettered Cottage.
The point of the project is to add a little bit of storage and update an otherwise boring room. I want to use the Ikea wardrobes, but leave the space in between open for a desk now, and possible a crib or bed later on (depending on which spare bedroom we decide to use for a nursery when the time comes).
Rambling Renovators Baby Room
And I will probably tack on this one small little side project for Mr. Husband before Summer hits... I want him to make me a couple of these chaises with the wood we have piled up in our garage. He will think I'm crazy, but seriously - how hard can it be?
Moths...
holy shniza!
Recently Mr. Husband and I have discovered ahuge life destroying minor moth problem in our closets. In most cases I would be elated by the fact that most of the damage was done in Mr. Husband's closet, but not so much.
Baby moths (I don't like using the wordlarvae because it sounds jank) like to eat natural fibers to grow big and healthy, so naturally they go for the expensive stuff... Like all of Mr. Husbands nice silk and wool suits. That's right - all of his suits, aside from one, have been destroyed.
Those of you who don't live with a guy - or your guy doesn't have to wear suits - or your guy doesn't care about wearing nice expensive suits, you may not be thinking this is a big deal. WRONG. If we were to replace each of the lost suits - not to mention everything else that was ruined - right now, it would cost us $$$$ (lets just say I could buy this bed, and most all of the accompanying pieces from RH that I've had googlie eyes on for a while).
So, needless to say we were mad and in full on moth fighting force. I hope that you never have to go through this, but if you do here are the steps we took to eradicate them (borrowed a little of everything from several sources).
1. Wash and dry on HIGH heat everything, and dry clean the items that can't take the heat. Keep the clean clothes out of your closet.
2. If its freezing temps outside, leave your shoes and bags outside over night. I decided it would be okay to put some of mine in the freezer. (hot and cold temp changes kill the little buggers)
3. Once you've removed everything from your closet... clean. Vacuum and then dumb the vacuum in an outside trash can. Wipe down everything with disinfectant.
4. Have an exterminator visit. I'm not sure what they do or spray, but it can't hurt.
5. This is the one that kills me... force yourself to purchase some mothballs (gag) and sit them in your closet for a week or two. If you don't mind smelling like an old lady, you can leave them in your closet. If you've never smelled mothballs before - I seriously doubt you will be leaving them in your closet.
6. Get yourself some cedar boards and line at least one wall of your closet - depending on the size of your closet (ours are small). Some one even said the spray cedar essence once a quarter for good measure.
This doesn't seem like a lot, but its a long and ANNOYING process that will have your house in shambles for a while. Not to mention you will need to prepare yourself for a pretty hefty dry cleaning bill (Mr. Husband haggled with the our dry cleaner and got them to bring out total bill down by $100 - so don't be afraid to ask for a "bulk" discount).
Happy Moth Hunting Games.
Recently Mr. Husband and I have discovered a
Baby moths (I don't like using the word
Those of you who don't live with a guy - or your guy doesn't have to wear suits - or your guy doesn't care about wearing nice expensive suits, you may not be thinking this is a big deal. WRONG. If we were to replace each of the lost suits - not to mention everything else that was ruined - right now, it would cost us $$$$ (lets just say I could buy this bed, and most all of the accompanying pieces from RH that I've had googlie eyes on for a while).
So, needless to say we were mad and in full on moth fighting force. I hope that you never have to go through this, but if you do here are the steps we took to eradicate them (borrowed a little of everything from several sources).
1. Wash and dry on HIGH heat everything, and dry clean the items that can't take the heat. Keep the clean clothes out of your closet.
2. If its freezing temps outside, leave your shoes and bags outside over night. I decided it would be okay to put some of mine in the freezer. (hot and cold temp changes kill the little buggers)
3. Once you've removed everything from your closet... clean. Vacuum and then dumb the vacuum in an outside trash can. Wipe down everything with disinfectant.
4. Have an exterminator visit. I'm not sure what they do or spray, but it can't hurt.
5. This is the one that kills me... force yourself to purchase some mothballs (gag) and sit them in your closet for a week or two. If you don't mind smelling like an old lady, you can leave them in your closet. If you've never smelled mothballs before - I seriously doubt you will be leaving them in your closet.
6. Get yourself some cedar boards and line at least one wall of your closet - depending on the size of your closet (ours are small). Some one even said the spray cedar essence once a quarter for good measure.
This doesn't seem like a lot, but its a long and ANNOYING process that will have your house in shambles for a while. Not to mention you will need to prepare yourself for a pretty hefty dry cleaning bill (Mr. Husband haggled with the our dry cleaner and got them to bring out total bill down by $100 - so don't be afraid to ask for a "bulk" discount).
Happy Moth Hunting Games.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Livable Style
As much as I love flipping through the pages of Elle Decor, I almost love seeing real livable spaces more. Er, I mean its all livable - but more like, we have kids and want to be comfortable, but also care about living in a beautiful space.
I got so excited when my friend who is currently looking for a house sent me a link to this one. Its in a suburban area of Dallas, probably upper middle class families - nothing fancy and definitely not expecting the inside to look like it does when I saw the picture of the outside of the house (which is nice but doesn't really mirror up to the inside).
Their living room is open, full of great texture, and just enough color. LOVE: deep seat sofa, layered rugs, fiddle leaf fig tree, sunburst mirror, the sofa is not pushed right up against the wall, and fun paint on the inside of their built-ins.
So refreshing to see homes like this in the middle of the 'burbs where you may not expect it. It almost makes accomplishing some of these looks in your own home seem more doable!
I got so excited when my friend who is currently looking for a house sent me a link to this one. Its in a suburban area of Dallas, probably upper middle class families - nothing fancy and definitely not expecting the inside to look like it does when I saw the picture of the outside of the house (which is nice but doesn't really mirror up to the inside).
Their living room is open, full of great texture, and just enough color. LOVE: deep seat sofa, layered rugs, fiddle leaf fig tree, sunburst mirror, the sofa is not pushed right up against the wall, and fun paint on the inside of their built-ins.
The master is large, and no surprise that I love all of the shades of blue! and LOVE the open spacious, clean and well lit bathroom.
Again with the blue - I LOVE. and can you even tell if this nursery is for a boy or girl? even better.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
What to do with White Walls
For those of you who are renting, leasing, or are otherwise too LAZY to paint....
Here are some fun ideas to bring color to your walls without paint, and without dropping a small fortune a large piece of art.
DIY diamond accent wall with duct tape. This is awesome - no paint and depending on the size of your wall, you could easily spend less than $30! Check out the full post and details on The Nesting Place.
They used white tape on a wall that had already been painted. If your wall is white, no worries - thanks to all those kiddos who decided it was cool to make their wallets and prom dresses out of duct tape, there are a billion different colors and patterns to choose from.
Use plates, platters and trays to create a collage of sorts. I really like these three shots that show a good variety of ways to select colors and shapes. The second image has an interesting hombre effect that I love!
Once you’ve worked your way around the board, lift it up to see your work. If you need to make adjustments, just carefully pull the staples out with pliers and give it another go.
Here are some fun ideas to bring color to your walls without paint, and without dropping a small fortune a large piece of art.
DIY diamond accent wall with duct tape. This is awesome - no paint and depending on the size of your wall, you could easily spend less than $30! Check out the full post and details on The Nesting Place.
They used white tape on a wall that had already been painted. If your wall is white, no worries - thanks to all those kiddos who decided it was cool to make their wallets and prom dresses out of duct tape, there are a billion different colors and patterns to choose from.
Use plates, platters and trays to create a collage of sorts. I really like these three shots that show a good variety of ways to select colors and shapes. The second image has an interesting hombre effect that I love!
Create the look of one large piece of art by using paper (scrapbook, wrapping, wall, etc.) and frames. You could use 16 of these record frames from Target, $10 each, and cover a little over 4' x 4' of wall space with a custom look. I also love the idea of using something like this mirrored frame to make it a bit more dramatic!
Last but not least, a great idea to not only add color, but also add texture with fabric.
Here’s the general idea: Use particleboard
covered in fabric to lean against your wall. That way, you don’t have to worry
about nailing and hanging anything. Easy.
You will need:
Plywood (like this, $23.97 at Lowe’s)
Staple Gun
Fabric
Fabric
Step 1) Assume the fabric you find will be 52” wide and you
need 2” on each side for securing the fabric, the max width will be 48”.
Keeping that max width in mind, determine how tall you want your “wall art” to
be. If you don’t have a truck, bug a friend who does and get yourself to
hardware store. Let some one know what you’re working on and ask them to help
you find a piece of particleboard or plywood and cut it to your desired
dimensions.
Step 2) Pick out fabric and have it cut to the length of your board, plus 4” to be used in securing it to the board. I would select a fabric that has a colorful floor or background. This will help it to really contrast against the white wall – like the yellow in the picture.
Step 3) Iron your fabric if necessary. Lay the fabric face down on a hard flat surface. Place the board on top of the fabric, leaving at least 2” on each side of the fabric showing. I would begin at the top edge in the middle, carefully folding the fabric back over the board. If you feel comfortable with a staple gun, go ahead and begin securing the fabric down. If you’re not such a pro, or have selected a fabric with a geometric pattern or something that requires it to be super straight and lined up, I would fold the fabric back and use so masking or painters tape to hold it in place while you staple.
Step 2) Pick out fabric and have it cut to the length of your board, plus 4” to be used in securing it to the board. I would select a fabric that has a colorful floor or background. This will help it to really contrast against the white wall – like the yellow in the picture.
Step 3) Iron your fabric if necessary. Lay the fabric face down on a hard flat surface. Place the board on top of the fabric, leaving at least 2” on each side of the fabric showing. I would begin at the top edge in the middle, carefully folding the fabric back over the board. If you feel comfortable with a staple gun, go ahead and begin securing the fabric down. If you’re not such a pro, or have selected a fabric with a geometric pattern or something that requires it to be super straight and lined up, I would fold the fabric back and use so masking or painters tape to hold it in place while you staple.
Once you’ve worked your way around the board, lift it up to see your work. If you need to make adjustments, just carefully pull the staples out with pliers and give it another go.
Optional - If you want to jazz it up a bit and like the
framed out look, you can easily accomplish this with a few additional steps. If
you have some one like Mr. Husband who is pretty handy, they should be able to
frame this out for you with no problems. If you don’t and you’re on your own –
here’s a fast and easy shake down to get the job done.
You will need:
4 pieces of pre-primed trim (like this, 3 pieces total, $10.68 each at Lowe’s)
DAP household silicone sealant (white if you’re going to paint the trim white – or clear)
White paint (like Valspar semi-gloss/eggshell)
Take the length and width measurements of your board to the hardware store. Ask some one to help you pick out pre-primed trim pieces and cut them to your measurements (they should even be able to cut the corner angles if you don’t have a skill saw at home). Go ahead and paint your trim pieces prior to attaching them. You may have to do some touch ups, but it will be easier than waiting.
If you have a nail gun, I would recommend using it. If you don’t, there’s a plethora of permanent craft glues that will get the job done. Lay the pieces on top of the board to see how they look and fit, and then secure them down. If using glue, make sure you use enough and give it plenty of time to dry.
At this point you can still see the fabric on the sides of your board (unless you have a Mr. Husband handy who properly framed it out for you). Use the DAP to fill in any space in between the board and the new frame you’ve made. Let that dry, and then paint over the DAP and the fabric on the sides of your board. You may have to let the paint dry, and do several more coats until you are able to completely cover the fabric and get the desired coverage.
You will need:
4 pieces of pre-primed trim (like this, 3 pieces total, $10.68 each at Lowe’s)
DAP household silicone sealant (white if you’re going to paint the trim white – or clear)
White paint (like Valspar semi-gloss/eggshell)
Take the length and width measurements of your board to the hardware store. Ask some one to help you pick out pre-primed trim pieces and cut them to your measurements (they should even be able to cut the corner angles if you don’t have a skill saw at home). Go ahead and paint your trim pieces prior to attaching them. You may have to do some touch ups, but it will be easier than waiting.
If you have a nail gun, I would recommend using it. If you don’t, there’s a plethora of permanent craft glues that will get the job done. Lay the pieces on top of the board to see how they look and fit, and then secure them down. If using glue, make sure you use enough and give it plenty of time to dry.
At this point you can still see the fabric on the sides of your board (unless you have a Mr. Husband handy who properly framed it out for you). Use the DAP to fill in any space in between the board and the new frame you’ve made. Let that dry, and then paint over the DAP and the fabric on the sides of your board. You may have to let the paint dry, and do several more coats until you are able to completely cover the fabric and get the desired coverage.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tuesday Morning Treasures
This past weekend, I was able to do some thrifting with my Mom. She's the only person I can do this with, because she actually spends more time digging through everything than I do. If you're patient, and can commit to using your imagination (and lots of hand sanitizer), then you will be able to walk away with some awesome thrifty finds.
Here are a few of the items we found this weekend. I have a few additional pieces that I'm going to post about later... a little DIY thrift store makeover treasures!
This mirror we found at Goodwill for $45. It was large (approx 3.5' x 3.5') and solid wood with beveled glass. It was kind of shabby chic and wouldn't need any refinishing if you're into that, but I was thinking it would look awesome in a fun color like yellow or coral!
I really L.O.V.E. this barcart. This was in a suburban antique mall for $99! If it had been in a Dallas antique mall we would be looking at at least double that. If any of you out there live in the area and want the details, let me know!
Clothes. Some people are kind of freaked out by finding clothing in thrift stores - and sometimes I am too. For some reason if they are a nice label it makes me think that they couldn't have come from that bad of a place, right? Either way, I wasn't really even looking, but these four tops kind of found me.
1) Ann Taylor Loft sweater, 2) Equipment mint green silk button down, 3) Theory pink linen button down, 4) Ann Taylor leopard print cardigan.... total? um $22.28! plus the dry cleaning, bill of course.
And don't forget about Craigslist...
Table and Chairs for $120. I'm thinking these chairs would look pretty awesome with some white lacquer paint and new fabric on those cushions!
Hutch, $350. Not bad as it is, but would be really fun to add a little bit of trim to it, paint it, paint or wallpaper the back wall of the shelves with a good pattern. I would probably find some new handles and straighten up those cabinet doors!
Here are a few of the items we found this weekend. I have a few additional pieces that I'm going to post about later... a little DIY thrift store makeover treasures!
This mirror we found at Goodwill for $45. It was large (approx 3.5' x 3.5') and solid wood with beveled glass. It was kind of shabby chic and wouldn't need any refinishing if you're into that, but I was thinking it would look awesome in a fun color like yellow or coral!
I really L.O.V.E. this barcart. This was in a suburban antique mall for $99! If it had been in a Dallas antique mall we would be looking at at least double that. If any of you out there live in the area and want the details, let me know!
Clothes. Some people are kind of freaked out by finding clothing in thrift stores - and sometimes I am too. For some reason if they are a nice label it makes me think that they couldn't have come from that bad of a place, right? Either way, I wasn't really even looking, but these four tops kind of found me.
1) Ann Taylor Loft sweater, 2) Equipment mint green silk button down, 3) Theory pink linen button down, 4) Ann Taylor leopard print cardigan.... total? um $22.28! plus the dry cleaning, bill of course.
And don't forget about Craigslist...
Table and Chairs for $120. I'm thinking these chairs would look pretty awesome with some white lacquer paint and new fabric on those cushions!
Hutch, $350. Not bad as it is, but would be really fun to add a little bit of trim to it, paint it, paint or wallpaper the back wall of the shelves with a good pattern. I would probably find some new handles and straighten up those cabinet doors!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Lust List... Tom Ford
Tom Ford's Large Jennifer Flap-Top Bag. In ivory, to be specific.
Tom Ford is one of those fabulous people who literally created his own mystique (Austin, Texas born to realtor parents and now fashion icon), and continues to build it by openly discussing quirky habits like taking 5 baths a day, and creating his own list of gentlemanly commandments.
Neiman Marcus was the first retailer to sell his Handbags and Shoes online; making it much easier to frequently view/drool over them. (Enjoy)
This bag has to be my all time favorite bag. Its perfect. Not too small. Not too big - aside from the price tag in relation to my budget.
Tom Ford is one of those fabulous people who literally created his own mystique (Austin, Texas born to realtor parents and now fashion icon), and continues to build it by openly discussing quirky habits like taking 5 baths a day, and creating his own list of gentlemanly commandments.
Neiman Marcus was the first retailer to sell his Handbags and Shoes online; making it much easier to frequently view/drool over them. (Enjoy)
This bag has to be my all time favorite bag. Its perfect. Not too small. Not too big - aside from the price tag in relation to my budget.
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