So Pretty is as Pretty Does.

Jun 7

DIY photography wall

I was looking for some art work to put on the long wall in my guest bedroom, but everything I found was either too expensive or felt too impersonal. Then, I remembered that my husband took this great panoramic picture of where we got engaged and I thought it would be perfect for the space.

{the original picture}

The first thing I did was go to Ikea for the frames. If you’re creating a photo wall and have control over how big the prints are going to be, I strongly recommend getting your frames before printing – it’ll save you money and time. I got four 12″x18″ frames and I chose a very clean design because I didn’t want anything to take away from the individual pictures connecting to one another. Then, I edited the photo to make it all one hue and took it to Kinko’s where I had it printed on four sheets. This whole project took a couple hours and $80.

The final result is something that not only balances the space nicely; but every time I go into the room, it reminds me of a fantastic day.

Jun 6

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Quick Dinners: Panko-crusted salmon

Last night I had a serious hankering for some omega-3s. While I’m much like a bear in that I can eat salmon in most any form, at most any time, for most any meal, my husband has a normal human-level of interest in salmon and was frankly getting bored with our standard “salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil slathered slab of salmon.” So, I did what I usually do when I’m looking for a new recipe that I don’t have time to tinker with – I googled “Ina Garten (insert main ingredient here.)” If ever I am looking for a sure fire recipe on short notice, Ina rarely lets me down.

Jun 5

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Update: A new coffee table

As promised in yesterday’s post, “A new coffee table! Sort of…” my new-ish coffee table is upright, in place and the glass seems really secure. The beauty of designing this little space is that the display case opens and closes easily, the contents within are by no means permanent, which is sort of liberating. I love creating vignettes throughout the house, but I sometimes agonize over decisions because I once I design a space I feel like should stay that way, at least for a little while. But, the display case can be ever-evolving – like a mini-gallery, and I like that.

I used some really neat graphic art supplies and drafting sets that my Dad and Granddad used when they worked at the Newport News shipyard. This arts and design theme is a great reminder to stay creative.

{Off to a good start, but instead of covering the wood bottom with fabric, I’m looking for some antique blueprints.}

Jun 4

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A new coffee table! Sort of…

I have been looking for a new coffee table for the past nine months. I took two months off due to the wedding, but started looking this week, and wouldn’t you know that after a little time away, I found exactly what I was looking for on the very first Craigslist click! I had been hunting for a display coffee table, mainly because I think they’re cool, but also because I like the idea of being able to change my table to suit the room as it changes and because I thought I could get away with having a larger coffee table if it was all glass and didn’t take up as much visual space.

Here she is!

Okay, so it doesn’t look incredibly awesome in that picture. But, it will soon, after a little work. Read more

Jun 3

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Semi-DIY wedding favors

Crafting is a huge hobby of mine, so getting married last month was not only wonderful because I got to marry my best friend, but it also gave me license to craft and design all sorts of things for the past year, and it was awesome. Since our wedding, I’ve happily shifted gears back into home design mode, but looking back at our wedding pictures sort of makes me long for X-ACTO knives and ribbon.

Assembling my wedding favors was one of the easier ways to be a DIY bride and these went perfectly with the rest of my decor. The cellophane bags looked great in the candlelight at the guest tables and the ribbons and tags helped carry my navy, white and coral color theme. Plus, with a cost per favor around $3, they were pretty affordable. If you’d like to make these for your upcoming event, the instructions are below.