Wednesday, March 28, 2012

I Need Paint Help.

I painted the dresser and stayed true to my word.. it's not white! I rummaged around through the paint in my basement and found, among an embarrassing number of cans, a can of a beautiful grey paint. I figured, why not? Saved me from going out and buying some. Plus, it was a snow day so I was confined to the house!

The color is Jet Set by Debbie Travis but was mixed in Beauti-tone's Natura paint line. It went on nicely and I liked the color against the walls. It almost has a hint of purple to the grey. (Yes, I know there is a crack in one of the drawers. I like when things aren't perfect.. or maybe I'm just lazy? :)


Looks not bad, right? However, strangely enough, the paint doesn't seem to want to dry. It dawned on me where the paint came from. My good friend Emily bought it to paint a cabinet in her dining room. It turned out great but 2 years later, it's still tacky! We had the paint here so my dad tried it on a little table he was working on. Same problem!

Hmmm... anyone use this brand of paint before, or run into this problem? I wish I had remembered this before I started. I'm hoping that a coat of water based Varathane with seal the finish. Thoughts? I'd appreciate any suggestions!

On a brighter note. I have 8 pretty glass knobs to add a little sparkle to the piece! Once I get this sticky situation figured out, I'll be back with a proper before and after.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

It's Like Finally Up!



After arriving home from our weekend in the big city (Halifax:), we decided to tackle framing this print for the bedroom makeover. I wanted it a while ago (You can read all about that here). At the time it was sold out but one of my sweet readers emailed me and offered to sell me hers. It had come out in different colorways and she had chosen to go that route. The price was right and I saw it as a sign.

Sadly, the print sat in its tube for over a year. You see, it's rather large at 24 x 36 inches and framing it was p.r.i.c.e.y. I did some searching online and saw that some people mounted it into the largest Ikea Ribba frame, on top of the mat. While not ideal, easiest bet for me! Since we don't have an Ikea around here, I waited patiently until I could somehow get my hands on one. My parents just returned from a trip to Ontario and brought one back.


Please ignore the dresser, it's getting ready for a paint makeover. I love the punch of color again the freshly painted neutral grey walls. One piece of advice. Do not attempt to frame something with your dog around! I think we had to take it apart three times to get the Beaufie hair out from between the glass and the print. Frustrating!

Here is another view from the doorway. Some say this print is "overdone" but I still love it! Like, really love it.


And a couple of shots up close. Yes, I really do love it!



Have you figured out the accent color for the room yet? Time to paint the dresser, hang the curtains and some more art. Now to find the perfect pillow to tie the grey, navy and pink together! Later kids, I'm off to do some etsy shopping:)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Cozy Cashmere.

Well the painting is done! Steph finished up two coats of Para's Cashmere yesterday in the bedroom and I am super happy with it! A great neutral if you are looking for one! Definitely lighter than I anticipated but pretty nonetheless.  Likely a good thing because I don't tend to like the wall color to be the focal point of the room. I can now go in any direction I choose decor-wise.


Now to get the diy headboard in there and start making it pretty! We are off to Halifax for the weekend though so it may have to wait a bit but maybe I'll find some goodies while we are out shopping. It was unanimous for the dresser - bold it is! No white this time, I'm listening to my readers on this one!

Some colors I'm considering are navy blue to coordinate with the headboard. Similar to Jenny's island.


A charcoal grey would be quite beautiful as well.

Or maybe I should go really bold and go coral or yellow like these beauties. Nah.. I'm not brave enough.

Source: casasugar.com via Anna on Pinterest

I also finished stripping the wallpaper in the dining room. What a mess!


Sorry for the boring photos the last few days but it will make the reveal photos all the more interesting, right?

A side note... the PEI styled wedding group that I'm involved in was featured on the front page of the newspaper yesterday! You can check out the article here and read about our Winter Shoot here.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Project Progress.

It was a beautiful day for a coffee and a walk with a good friend, her little one and Beaufort. However, I still found time though to get a few things done around the house. I was once told that creative people can't do one thing at a time but rather many projects at once. If that is true, then I must be creative! I felt like my mind and my hands were in a million different directions all day!

It started with removing the wallpaper in the dining room. I actually felt really sad doing it. My sweet aunt Marilyn put it up for me when I moved into my home. I loved it at the time but now feel that it simply doesn't suit my style anymore. I didn't feel so bad when I realized it has been up for nearly 4 years! I can hardly believe it's been so long! Marilyn is a perfectionist and as I remove it, I notice how perfect the seams were. If you are reading this, Marilyn, I still appreciate it so much!

Progress shots, courtesy of Instagram



I would be lying if I said I finished it but at least it's started! Next up was preparing the bedroom for paint. Filling holes, adding some silicone to the gaps in the moldings and vacuuming. Fun... Here is the room before paint. The walls are painted Ivory Silk and while pretty, not what I'm going for. 


Steph got to work as soon as he got home from. He's a good painter (I mean that sincerely) and insisted that I watch and learn how to paint properly. I listened carefully, I swear, then managed to sneak away to make a quick dinner and write this post. He's in his own little world up there listening to my iPod and painting away:)

Here is how it looked the last time I checked! Terrible photo, I know, but I think I'm going to love it. The color is called Cashmere by Para Paints.


There is a dresser in the room that will be staying but desperately needs a coat of paint. I'm unsure if I'm going to play it safe and keep it white or if I should go bold with color. I'll wait and see how the rest of the room plays out and see.


Wow! Looking back on these photos makes me think that I need some color in my life! Ah well, it's coming.. patience! I can't wait to get my upholstered headboard in there and see it all come together.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Bedroom Makeover ~ Headboard.

I'm on March Break! Aside from a trip to Halifax for some shopping and good eats this upcoming weekend, I am around home all week working on some projects. Two rooms on the agenda are the dining room and a bedroom. Thankfully, I have a little help with the painting!

My fabric arrived from Tonic Living, and this weekend I got to work on the upholstered headboard for the bedroom. I had a headboard that I had made years ago. It was my first diy project ever! I striped off the old fabric and kept the foam and batting. Then, got to work ironing the new fabric. Rich navy blue!


I did run into a few problems of course. It's not a diy without a few headaches! I had Steph make some angled cuts on each side. As we started trying to staple the fabric around those angles, we had nothing but wrinkles and puckering (not to mention rising tempers, mostly on my part).


Off came the fabric and batting and he cut bigger angles in the corners. The first ones were a little too tight for the fabric to lay flat and this time, it was much easier! I worked alone this time.. I needed some cooling off time. Plus, I like having control of the staple gun:)

I'm still going to add nail head trim but here it is so far. (Speaking of.. I need a Canadian source for the kits. Lee Valley has them but only in silver and gold. I'm thinking antiqued bronze. Anyone??)


I'm so anxious to get going! I'm cleaning out the room today and Steph is going to paint. Back soon with some progress!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Pretty Things.

We went out to get some groceries yesterday after work and I wandered into the floral department, where I usually end up. It was blustery outside and wintery weather was forecast overnight. When a storm is brewing, I buy flowers. It's the perfect way to bring some life into your home when it's miserable outside.

I picked up a bunch of green mums, in honor of St. Patty's day, some pink carnations and pink baby roses.  I'm certainly no florist but I love the look of bunched together blooms, so I went to work. I was able to make 3 arrangements and a few little posies. We've got pops of life everywhere we look. So what if it's only me who appreciates them? :)


Contrary to popular opinion, I adore carnations. They are inexpensive, last forever and are oh-so pretty grouped together. Remember Carrie and Charlotte scoffing at the idea of a man bringing carnations on a first date? Appalling! I once shared that opinion but have changed me tune. I've shared this before, but it's worth a read.
 

In other fun news. Look what arrived? We ordered iPhone cases from Society 6 and they finally came. While very pretty (well not Steph's - it's a mixed tape *funny*), they are somewhat cheap and super slippery... or slippy as we say here on PEI! I'm scared my phone is going to slide right out of my hands. 


I really love it but will pretty win out over function? We'll see.

What about you? Do you treat yourself to anything? Flowers do it for me. What's your treat?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Pinhole Art DIY.

I completed this fun little project a while ago and forgot to share it! It didn't take long to complete and the end result is an art project with a simple, sweet modern feel. Plus, it's so easy that you can do it while catching up on your favorite shows... The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey, The Bachelor.. whatever your flavor.



Here is how you do it. 
  • Find an image that you like and print it out. It has to be a simple line drawing, without too much detail. I wanted to do a Boston Terrier so I used one similar to the one below. The possibilities are endless.. flowers, leaves, coral etc. (tip: search coloring pages for kids!)
  • Take a piece of art paper (I used watercolor paper) and place the finished side face down. Tape your selected image to the paper so it doesn't move around. Then, place the two pieces on a piece of foam core or cardboard. 

  • Next, you need a thumb tack. Place a pony bead on the end on the tack and secure with some tape or a bead of hot glue. This acts as a spacer, otherwise the holes will be too big. You just want the end of the tack to puncture the paper.
  • Start poking! Pierce through the two papers, along the lines of the drawing, until you hit the foam core underneath. Try to keep your holes as close as possible without overlapping. You may want to check your progress periodically but be careful when lifting the paper!
  • When you've finished, turn it over and check out your one of a kind piece of art! Sign your name, pop it into a frame and your done.



What do you think? Will you try it? If you do, I'd love to see them:)

Monday, March 12, 2012

Vignettes.

One of my favorite things to pin on Pinterest is pretty vignettes. Styling a beautiful vignette is an true art. I try to create little table vignettes around my home and switch them up often. It's certainly not as easy as it looks.

Somehow they never seem complete without fresh flowers. I cannot wait until summer when I can simply snip a few blooms from my garden! For now, I settle for the little bouquets I occasionally pick up at the grocery store. Life's simple pleasures.

Wouldn't it be nice if they were just magically created in our homes? The reality is that most table tops become drop zones... *le sigh*.

Here are a collection of some of my favorites. So much inspiration!

Source:

Source: google.ca via Jane on Pinterest


Source: cozamia.com via Jane on Pinterest






It's so fun when I search "vignette" on Pinterest and an image from my own home pops up! Doesn't take much to make my day! :)



You can follow my vignette board on Pinterest here. I'll be back tomorrow with a simple DIY art project!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Beaufort Turns 4.

My sweet little fur baby turns 4 today. Although, I suppose he doesn't really understand even though I told him several times yesterday to enjoy his last day as a 3 year old.

I've been telling him all year that he is old enough to drink in the US, since in dog years he is actually 21. But we looked it up and apparently that scale is all wrong and he is actually turning 32 today! Wow. I'll be 32 this year too! We're the same age!

He's just sleeping away and has no idea what we have in store for him tonight...


Steph thinks that he's getting a nice bowl of chicken and rice for his birthday supper.


I'm thinking a big piece of salmon with lots of skin because he loves fish and it's possible he's part cat.
Ahhh... now I've got his attention!


He sucks on my favorite pillows, scratches my floors and his little black fur forces me to vacuum much more than I'd like, but his snuggles, kisses and his love of getting his teeth brushed (seriously, might be one of his favorite things) more than make up for it! 
Happy Birthday Beaufie!