Colorful (Free!) Wall Art

Well, almost free. I spent $6, but you might be lucky enough to have the materials on hand. I have been seeing paint chip wall art projects (click here and here) floating around the internet and thought it looked easy enough for a non-artist like myself to try out. And when I say non-artist, I mean that my drawings look like I just entered kindergarten and I am incapable of coming up with artistic ideas... like this cool project.

Materials:

16 x 20 frame = $0 (leftover from our wedding, it held the seating chart poster)
White mat = $6 (A.C. Moore, forgot my coupon, darn it!)
Paint chips = $0 (Home Depot, Martha Stewart Collection)
Total Cost = $6

First, gather your materials. I had no idea how many paint chips I would need, but Tim and I knew what color scheme we were going for, so we just started grabbing whatever caught our eye. We ended up with just 1 extra. (Don't worry, no one looks at you weird when you walk out of the paint section with handfuls of these guys, they are meant to be taken!)

I layed the mat over the inside of the frame backing and traced around the inside so I would know where to line up the paint chips. (Tim would like to add that he thinks they are not called paint chips. Paint samples? Paint cards? I'm still calling them chips.)

Next, just start trying different layouts. Again, I am not an artsy person, so I just did what I thought looked cool. I ended up making 4 rows of 6 paint chips, going light to dark, keeping the color groups relatively together. Didn't snap a pic of it, but I laid them out first before taping them down, and was glad I didn't just dive in with the tape because I ended up rearranging a few.

I didn't do much measuring, because I think it's time consuming and annoying. Some architect I would have made! When I had all of the paint chips taped down, I trimmed the excess off the bottom, laid the mat overtop and framed it up.

As you'll notice on the left, my non-chalant attitude towards measuring probably wasn't the best one to take, because the first column is slightly more narrow than the rest. Oh, well. It doesn't bother me, and it's hanging in our bedroom, not an art gallery. I also thought about gluing down each paint chip, but I kind of dig the slightly raised/3-D look that it has with them being popped up a little bit. And I also love that the names of the paint colors are still showing. "Darkening Sky", "Plum Pudding", "Sea Glass"... that Martha Stewart comes up with some awesomely accurate names for her paint colors.

Our bedroom is officially on it's way to being (somewhat) decorated. The blandness has been bothering me lately & the baby's room has been consuming most of my interior design budget, so finding a quick & free art project like this is exciting!

Curtain Envy

First, I'm currently loving the show Up All Night (Wednesday's, 8pm, NBC). Anyone else a fan? Christina Applegate & Will Arnett as hip, new parents by surprise. Maya Rudolph playing a cross between Oprah & Tina Turner. I can't get enough of it.

Second, does anyone else ever pay attention to the background of TV shows & movies, specifically, the interior design elements of the set? I can't help but notice them all the time. Sometimes to the point where it distracts me from the actual show (thank goodness for DVR).

I was re-watching the last episode during my lunch break (on Hulu, not HuluPlus, 'cause I'm too cheap for that) and I couldn't get enough of the curtains! Is that weird? In any case, I took some crappy screenshot pics with my iPhone because I loved them sooo much.

You can't really tell, but these are dark brown (seen in Ava's office). I lurrrve that geometric pattern. I've been scouring all the home goods websites I can think of (Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Ikea, Anthro, Urban Outfitters) but still can't find them. I found some Waverly fabric that was close, but do I have time to make 84" curtain panels? Nope.

These are Ikea curtains that I have loved for a while now. Neutral colors make a bold print totally do-able. I'd love them in my living room, but $60/pair is a little steep for my budget. We'd need 6 panels total for our giant windows. Sigh. I guess I'm stuck with my Overstock.com curtains for now.

I salute you Up All Night design team.

Crib Drama

I'm pretty particular when it comes to making *major* purchases. It has to be exactly what I want, at the price I want, or fugghetaboutit. I'm not going to spend my hard-earned cash on something I don't absolutely love. And that's final. I'm also thrifty, so a $1,000 crib was completely out of the question (yeah, Oeuf cribs, I'm talking about you).

Naturally, I knew I'd have a hard time picking out a crib because of these factors, so I started researching and scoping them out early. Like... pretty much as soon as I found out I was pregnant (which was back in February).

It's now almost October and I was finally able to commit. But not without drama and endless mind-changes. Because that's just how I am. (Side note: I'm actually starting to wonder if I make things more difficult for myself on purpose so my life isn't boring. Wouldn't that be terrible? Knock it off, Meg!)

Up until a few weeks ago, I was dead set on a particular crib from Ikea. It was a rockin' lime-green color, only $99 and I was telling everyone about it. So fun. So unique. It was mine. I was sure of it. Then the worst thing ever happened. The dreaded "Ikea Crib Recall of 2011." My lime-green dream was shattered. I obsessively checked Ikea's website for months to see if they were back in stock yet. No such luck.

Devastated, I knew I had to move on if I didn't want my infant sleeping in a dresser drawer.

I looked at cribs from Target, Wal-Mart and even Overstock.com. However, I didn't like white, natural wood, dark wood, or oak. Yeah, I'm THAT picky.

The Baby Mod collection at Wal-Mart had my favorite styles, but I wasn't thrilled with the color selection. That is, until I discovered this little number. For some reason, it never popped up during the first few searches I did on their website, but I kept digging and it magically appeared. (In reality, I probably thought it was black at first and skipped over it).



The Baby Mod Modena 3-in-1 Fixed Side Crib in Navy

Cue "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder. 'Cause that's how I felt when I discovered her.

Modern lines, four mattress positions, converts into a toddler bed, non-toxic finish, and most importantly... made of "sustainable pine wood from New Zealand." SOLD! Haha. Just kidding. At $199, I figured we better just go for it. I was tired of waiting for Ikea to get their butts in gear.

Because I'm a cheapskate, I opted for the free "site-to-store" shipping which takes a little longer, so it's set to arrive next week. I can't wait for the nursery to actually look like a nursery! Stay tuned, because I'm eventually going to post a complete breakdown of everything in Baby A's room: price, source, inspiration, etc. We were on a tight budget, but it's coming together beautifully and I can't wait to share photos of the finished product.

Navy, Lime & Gray

It's official, the colors for Baby Annan's room have been chosen!

Oh, we also decided on his name, too, but that's a secret...

(Only my Mom & Tim know. Taylor Family, maybe if you're really persistant at the beach in August, you can weasle it out of us. But I won't be drunk, so good luck!)

Back to the room. It's no secret that we love Ikea. It's also no secret that I like to be thrifty. These two happen to go hand-in-hand. All of his furniture is coming from Ikea, or we conveniently already own it (like the Poang chair, a toy chest built by my great grandfather that's being handed down & a small chest of wicker drawers).

Zero dollars spent so far. The rest of the furniture is coming in at under $300. It's times like these that I really enjoy doing math.

However, we're not sacraficing cuteness.

Below is my inspiration board, which is more like my "true to life" board, because almost everything you see on it will end up in the baby's room.



[art: allposters.com/fabric: fabricworm & fabric.com/everything else: ikea]



The lime green crib is pretty ballsy (for me). I wanted it to be the focal point of the room (aside from Baby A). It would definitely work for a girl, too, if we're capable of producing girls. Just add some coral and voila, instant girly room. I'm in love with the black dog posters, since as you all know, we have a black dog. We're not very subtle. The pick-up truck fabric is an ode to my first car, a blue Ford Ranger truck, and it'll most likely end up as a crib sheet. The walls are going to be soft gray, and we chose a white wardrobe & dresser to lighten up the room. It's also gender neutral so we can use it again. I mean, I got pregnant in like 2 seconds, so the chances are good that we'll have a few more down the road.

Painting starts this weekend, and I can't wait to see it all come together!

P.S. The Bachelorette. Could Ashley be any more annoying? I seriously just want this season to be over so I can watch lots of trashy hook-ups on the Bachelor Pad.

It's about time...

How long ago did we move in?

Oh yeah, it's been over a month and I finally have my sewing room set up!

It's actually the enclosed breezeway between the house and garage, but the owners installed handy shelving and a new tile floor to make it a more functional space. What was once their children's playroom is now my playroom. No more sewing/crafting at the kitchen table and having to clear everything off before dinner. This makes me happy :-)

BEFORE



It was basically a dumping ground for all of our extra stuff that we didn't feel like finding a home for after we moved in. The pile of boxes was really getting on my nerves, so while our pup was napping away on Memorial Day, I got down to business.  Indy doesn't know it yet, but once he's housebroken it will also be his area to hang out in while we're at work. Tile floor = easy cleanup after an accident. (Not that we're expecting it, but sh*t happens. Literally.)

AFTER



[That window is begging for bamboo blinds!]



[In the frame are my grandmother's quilt squares and notes from her home economics class. A lovely bridal shower gift from my cousin, Rebecca!]



There is still some junk we need to get rid of, but annoyingly, bulk trash day only comes once a month. I also plan on putting a curtain over the window & door to keep the sun out when Indy is in there. I don't want anyone who pulls up the driveway to be able to see in. They might try to steal our cutie!

"Organized and it feeeeeeels so gooooood..."

Baby Room Inspiration

Looks like our baby is going to have a cooler room than us. Figures!

We have yet to paint or hang up more than a clock in our bedroom.

Not knowing the time was driving us insane and we use our cell phones as alarm clocks.

(The fluorescent numbers on digital alarm clocks disturbs our precious sleep.)

I'm not going to reveal ALL of our decorating plans yet, but we are staying away from the typical palette of pastel colors and animal themes.

Us? Rebelling against the norm? Shocking!

I found this poster on AllPosters.com (thanks for the lead, Mom!) and fell in love with the tropical colors. I'm really digging a travel-themed room. It's not baby-ish, but definitely bright and fun. This poster just makes me happy when I look at it and I hear Barry Manilow singing "Copacobana." We're not trying to raise a communist baby or anything, but Cuba was once a cool place to visit before Fidel Castro took over and ruined it.

We have lots of random souvenirs from our Caribbean cruise that we went on back in 2008, and no where to display them. So why not incorporate them into the baby's room? "Look, baby, this is from when your parents were young, fun & single! Did you know a Red Stripe is cheaper than a bottle of water in Jamaica?"

They'll be learning something new everyday.

Pretending it's Spring

Mother nature gave us a small dose of Spring over the weekend, 

and we took full advantage of it.

*****

So what else has been going on lately? Hmm, let's think. 

Tim bought be some great perfume from Victoria's Secret. 

[How cute is the bottle!?]

I've never really been a perfume girl (I shower, I'm clean, what's the point?) but 

this stuff is amazing. I literally smell like a burlesque dancer. 

But not a trashy, gross one.  Think Dita Von Teese.

*****

Ran for the first time in 2 months. THAT was interesting. I did a little over 2 miles and almost vomited afterwards. My leg muscles hated my guts he next day. Gotta push on though. I start reffing girls' lacrosse again in mid-March. My 3rd season! And I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing.

*****

The hunt is on for a solution to our boring non-working fireplace.

This is what it looks like right now.

We nabbed the grate from my parents house & believe it or not, I snagged the birch logs on eBay! They are real but way too small for this huge fireplace and I am getting angry with their lameness. 

I've googled lots of solutions: potted plants, stacks of books, giant candles, giant glass vases... but none of them are calling out to me. Do you guys have any ideas? 

I'm looking to spend no more than $30. 

I'm thinking of thrifting for a shelf or something. I can't describe it.

I always need a little project to keep me occupied. 

Can't ever sit still :-)

$25 Dresser Upgrade

This is the second knob change-up this dresser has received. 

Considering the dresser was free to begin with... two upgrades at $25 each ain't bad!

It came with the matching brown wooden knobs.
Then I switched them out for these babies a few years ago...

... which I just sold on eBay for the same price I paid for them.
So, according to my logic, I got the latest set for free.
I feel awesome.

Changing out hardware and painting are the cheapest & most dramatic ways 

to give your furniture new life (or so I've read on various DIY blogs). Home Depot, Lowes & various discount hardware websites, like this one, have great deals. I love Anthropologie's hardware but buying it would completely defeat the purpose of a cheap upgrade.

$10/knob x 14 knobs = out of my budget

I'd love to paint this guy, but I'm not sure how much longer we're going to be in our apartment and I don't want to commit to a color scheme.

It's complicated.

[I was halfway done taking the knobs off when I remembered the before pic... whoops!]

[Forgive the terrible lighting, they are actually silver.]

My husband loves his snazzy upgraded t-shirt & undie storing device. 

That's pretty much all he owns, hence the need for an entire dresser to house them.

(And he thinks I have too many clothes! Psshh.)

How did I get here?

Our whole trip to Miami Beach reminded me of the Talking Heads song, Once in a Lifetime.

And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, well... how did I get here?

Because, honestly, I don't think something like that will ever happen again.

It all started when I made a simple comment to a co-worker that the CEO of my company overheard. That my then-fiance and I weren't taking a honeymoon.

Sure, we could have overextended ourselves or used wedding money to pay for it, but we just chose not to. We lived together for the entire year we were engaged and had gone on a cruise back in '08, so it wouldn't have been anything new. Just another vacation.

About 20 minutes after my simple comment, the CEO (Jim) walks into my office and offers me his condo in Miami Beach for a post-wedding getaway.

Tim and I picked a weekend and thanked him profusely.

A free place to stay? Sweet.

The next day, the deal got even sweeter. Jim surprised me by generously offering to pay for our airfare and also set us up with guest passes to the beach club next door. And then told us that any foods & drinks we wanted there would be on him.

How do you even say thank you? Thank you isn't enough. I was speechless.

I've learned that's just the kind of guy he is.

So we landed in Miami and caught a ride to his condo.

Right on the beach. Our guest room faced the ocean.

It was like staying in a 5-star hotel, but with nicer towels & better wall art.

And oh yeah, FREE.

Jim's brother-in-law did the interior design of the condo.

Does he need live-in caretakers?

I'd take that job.

Our South Beach stories will be discussed tomorrow.

Teaser: we took the bus...