Oct 14
With the onslaught of holidays approaching, it can be a little daunting to think of all the decor, dinners, presents, and parties. So, I thought I’d start off with something simple to get me into the first of many holiday mini-projects. And, it doesn’t get much simpler than a girl with some gourds, glue and glitter.
{simple & sparkling}
I found this piano bench at my local consignment shop, Phantastic Phinds, for $15. It had been sitting there for a couple of months, which is hard to believe because there are so many nice details in the wood. I like this piece because it’s a multi-tasker – extra seating when we have people over, a foot stool when we don’t, and with a tray on top it makes a nice side table.
Reupholstering this bench was so simple. It took 15 minutes and $4.
Jun 12
As far as windows go, I’m of the belief that bigger is better. And, when deciding whether or not I love the bones of a room, windows are one of the first things I consider. My dining room was not a room I loved – at least not its bare bones. But, I’ve taken many steps to change this space into something I enjoy, something that I even love. One of those many steps was creating my “wall of windows.”
I started with one standard (builder grade) 36″ window, which was installed off-center on my dining room wall. This lack-luster window situation was made worse by the fact that trim had never been installed.
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 4
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
So Pretty is as Pretty Does. 