Little Blue Chairs

"Dot"

2012-02-14T18:27:00.001-05:00

Have you see this? A sweet little film about a girls adventure.

Is is the smallest stop action animation and filmed on a Nokia. And it is just cute.

Enjoy
-Laurie

You spin me right round

2012-02-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

Lately I feel like my life has been a never-ending series of things to do, I'm keeping busy, but have little to nothing to show for it, and that always frustrates me (I am a fruits of my labor type of gal). It seems the world has been spinning, and when I get a chance to look up, it is already Friday, then, Monday, and then it is the middle of February. Can anyone tell me, have the days actually gotten shorter? So far 2012 has been a challenge to get a handle on.

Is it only me?

But instead of turning this post into a gripe session, how about a quote?

"We shape our environments; thereafter they shape us." -Winston Churchill

OK, now I'm guessing Mr. Churchill wasn't talking about his living room, but if you think about it, it applies to our homes as well.

Create an inspiring, nurturing and personal space, and in return it will inspire, nurture and feed your soul.

Have I said this before? Life is too short to live in ugly spaces.

But finding the time for me to make my basement a little less ugly had been a challenge. Ha! I have spent so much time in that space priming and painting and painting, and still, I am no nearer to having it done. The paneling is sucking up the paint, and for some reason I am not able to make much progress. Can I have a ERGH!!!

Now, on the school front, I am very much enjoying the classes and getting back to school. I am inspired and overwhelmed at the same time. I feel like I am exposing myself. I have worked hard on honing whatever skills I have acquired, and now by going to school, I feel like I have to, finally, put my money where my mouth is. And in the end it is still that little girl inside me saying "What if they don't like it".

But the up side is, my homework consists of looking at and clipping pretty pictures, working with colored pencils and playing with fabric swatches. So it could be worse. Oh and last week I also found out that the school has study abroad in Paris trips. AWESOME!, I can't afford to make this years trip, but who knows, there is always next time!

-Laurie

Pre-BissDom introduction

2012-02-09T17:32:00.002-05:00

My BlissDom box has arrived as well a my business cards. I have a tentative plan on the sessions I would like to attend and have even planned most of my outfits. I've also gotten most of my anxieties about the conference out of my system. So all that is left is the excitement. Yay!

What better way to break the ice than a few facts? First, I think pictures are always good. That way you can put a picture to the face.

1. I am a talker. I love to talk.

2. I have a pretty serious coffee habit. I prefer Vanilla Lattes, but will happily drink a good drip with cream and sugar.

3. I am obsessed with F Scott Fitzgerald. Check out Fitzgerald Musings to see just how much.

4. I believe life is too short to live in uninspiring spaces. I also believe it doesn't cost a fortune to spruce up your home.

5. I have a degree in Earth Science, with a Geology minor. I have done nothing with my degree. But I do love rocks and dirt.

6. I am now pursuing a degree in Interior Design, a dream I have had for many, many years.

7. I have a wonderful family, whom I love dearly. I have been married for almost 13 years, and we have 2 amazing kids.

8. I have a dream of finding an old home and lovingly restoring it to period detail.

9. I am a Television addict. I love the background noise of people talking.

10. My favorite colors are aqua blue, creamy white and apple red.

There you have it. 10 things about me. I look forward to meeting all the wonderful bloggers that will be crawling the halls of BlissDom. Until then I need to do a little more work on my basement. Hopefully I will have a real update on that after this weekend.

Until then,

-Laurie

Conference newbie fears

2012-02-07T10:57:00.000-05:00

I haven't written a lot about going to Blissdom, but I am going. I am trying to figure out what has prevented me from sharing this online. I mean, it is a blogging conference, and this is a blog, and I, the person typing this, am a blogger. So why the hesitation to share my attendance?

The truth is that even with all my excitement, I am extremely anxious. Like, traveling back to high school, anxious. I am struggling with all the same fears about how I will be received, and if I will be accepted and if I will be doing things wrong.

I am positive that I am not the only Blissdom attendee who is feeling these emotions. Logically, I know that everything will be fine, and that others are just like me, there to make connections and get bloggy love and support. But it doesn't stop the fluttering in my tummy.

I am sure my coping skills are causing more harm than good. I don't like to dwell on things, it makes me anxious, and I run the risk of either talking myself out of it, and in extreme situations shutting down completely. So I have developed a way of not thinking about events, until the last minute. Yes, it is in the back of my mind, and I am always prepared, but if I don't make a big deal out of it, I can buck up, let my self-confidence shine and sail through. And I usually do OK. It was how I made it through a year of my husband being over seas. I just couldn't think of the whole thing at one time. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying this is the healthiest way to deal with things, it is just my way. But I see that I have been missing out on some of the pre-conference connections that are happening, which makes me even more anxious and causes me self doubt. ERGH!!!

However, I am calmed and ecstatic to attend the the Newcomer Meet up. I am excited to meet everyone, and the funny thing is, even with all my anxieties, I am a social person who loves to gab. I hate to say it, I have been accused of to talking too much.

Well here I am, if you see me at Blissdom, please come and Hi, I really want to meet you.

And if you are attending, could you please leave your name and blog address, I would love to pop over and see what you are about. And I promise, no more negative thoughts.

-Laurie

Basement project report

2012-02-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

The joys of a large project.

You may be wondering why I have been slow on posting, (or maybe not). But I have been busy. Busy with the new schedule and fitting classes in and working very slowly on the basement.

Ah, yes, the basement project. This is a biggie. Not big in the way of tearing down walls, but big in the amount of work that is needed. The space is approx. 700 sq-ft and windowless and covered in paneling.

I have managed to get the paneling primed. It entailed moving all the furniture to the center of the room. It makes some of the areas awkward to get to, but I am not hauling these pieces out of the space.

You can also see that the chairs are in rough shape. The sofa is too. Which means I will be either recovering or making slip covers for all 3 pieces. So far I have fabric for 1. I am betting that it is going to take time to find the right fabric for the job, making it the biggest hold up on this space.

I have gotten the ceiling painted. Or at least most of the ceiling.

Yep. I ran out of paint with only this small patch left. I have no plans on painting it right now. I at least got the perimeter done, so I can hit the ceiling later. Honestly, I hate painting ceilings, and really want to move on to something more fun and instantaneously gratifying, like wall color.

So my next step is to pick the color.

Yay, off -white! My plan is to bring in the color in the fabrics and furniture, so I want to keep the walls light. I am a little freaked about this, as there is no natural light in the space. I am hoping to have the walls painted this weekend. Anyways, that is what I have been working on. Things are moving, but it just isn't the interesting and exciting part. No idea candy to share today.

Well I'm off to finish caulking the seams. Oh joy.

-Laurie

Do your bedroom first

2012-02-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

I shared with you the final reveal of the Master Bedroom, and today I am going to show you all the stages it took to get it here.

I want to start out by talking about master bedrooms. They seem to be the space that most often gets the least amount of attention. Since they are the one space that our guests rarely see, we leave them to the end, and decorate the more public spaces first. But I suggest that the master bedroom should be the first space you create. Everyone should have a space that relaxes and energizes them, a space to go and be comfortable. And this is even more true for parents of young children. Your bedroom is where you gather your thoughts and put on your armor to start the day. It is the room where you close out your day and put away the stress, it should be the one place that really nurtures you. It is also the one room that most outsiders don't see, and is why I advocate that this space, more than any other, should be personal.

Now, after saying all that, our master bedroom, didn't get any of the attention it needed and deserved early on. It was always the unloved space, and got only minimum attention. So I did not follow my own advice. Here is the sad journey of our personal space.

In 2009 we purchased our house. Here is the room as it was when we first saw it.

(All the furniture was the previous owners, they left the window coverings and some art work)

Once we moved our furniture in, we realized how bare and dingy the room really was. Warning-this is going to get ugly really quick.

We had minimal furniture. No headboard, no dressers, ugly bedding. I knew from the beginning something needed to be done. I mean, look at it, it looks a bit like a prison cell.

I finally decided that I needed to put paint on the walls. Winter was coming and I knew it could only get grayer in the room. So I picked a happy blue.

I found some really inexpensive canvases and made some art work, dressed up the bed a little and made a makeshift headboard. It was an effort, but by no means a great room. This is what I call, 'making-the-best-of-what-you-have', or "no-budget decorating". The room stayed like this for a year, until I got new bedding.

Fall 2010

But we still did not have the bed or anything else that really makes a room. And with this new bedding, the room stayed pretty much like this until now.

I struggled so much with the layout of our bedroom. I couldn't seem to figure out the best place for the bed. Before we got the new headboard, The bed seemed to just swim when I out it on the far wall (in the picture). But when place on the other wall, opposite the window, it left some awkward open spaces.

Either way, I am glad to say our bedroom is done and finished. And if we ever move again, I promise our bedroom will be one of the first rooms done. I spent far too many days and nights, not enjoying our private space.

How about you? How is your bedroom looking? And did you give it proper attention from the start?

-Laurie

Master Bathroom Reveal

2012-01-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

Last week I shared the Master Bedroom, today I get to share with you the corresponding Master Bathroom. First, I need to point out that although it is titled Master Bathroom, it really should be in lower cases. The bathroom is very small, only 5'x7', and 2'of that 7' is taken up by the bathtub, leaving 5'x5' of floor space. ***meaning photos are a little difficult***

Here is a reminder of the master bedroom. When doing the bathroom, I wanted to bring in the blue from the dressers and the coral of the lampshades.

And that is what I have done.

Here is a before photo, showing the same cabinet and the floor.

The cabinet had a cherry finish and the floor was a press and stick tile. The flooring really needed to be removed. There was 3 layers of flooring above the sub-floor, which meant I was unable to use a rug to cover up the not so good tile job.

Again, I chose to paint the sub-floor. And again, it is a temporary solution until we get around to purchasing hardwood flooring. But I don't believe in living with uglies, so out it went.

I also painted the cabinet, I wanted a lighter feeling in the room. I went with Sea Salt from Sherwin Williams, which is the same color as the dressers.

The other major issue with our bathroom is lack of storage. Yes, we have under the sink space, but I like to have things out, and easy to get to, and easy to put away. Hence the wall of shelves.

I have used these shelves in all of our bathrooms, I love them. And the best part is they were free. I just had to remove them from the basement. I did sand them and aged them with some stain and touched up the bright brass brackets with some oil rubbed bronze spray.

The other money saving solution I used was for the window. After making new curtains for the bedroom, I was able to recycle the old curtains for the bathroom.

All I had to do was shorten them a bit, to allow light to come in the top and add a small garland to pop in some of the coral.

So from a dark little bath to a lighter, more colorful spot to start the our mornings. And all of this cost me $15 (most everything was leftovers or up-cycled).

-Laurie
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Finally, the master bedroom reveal-

2012-01-23T15:17:00.000-05:00

I have been hiding something from you. Not on purpose of course, but I am here to share it with you today. Our Master Bedroom.

It is a simple space, nothing fancy, but I sometimes think simple is over looked.

I love the new lighter wall color and of course the new bed frame. I can't state how much I wanted this bed and what a difference it makes. I struggled with what style of bed I wanted. I have always loved iron beds, but I never actually thought about buying one (I am not exactly sure why, though). I thought I needed a sleigh bed or some other wood type style, but could never find one I really loved. And I hate to spend money on something if I don't really love it. But I fell in love with the simplicity of the Ikea bed and I was happy with the price point (I can love it for a few years and not feel horrible if I change my style). My only issue is that because of our ultra deep mattresses the bed is super tall and I had to re -think our night stand situation.

Regular sized night stands were dwarfed by the bed, so I ended up using small dressers. I was extremely lucky to find some with the right height and width to fill the entire wall space.

For my husband, I found a great dresser at the local good will. It is a solid piece and I loved that I didn't need to change out the hardware.

Unfortunatly, there was only one, so I needed to go out looking for something for my side of the bed. I end up with an Ikea option, that also got the same shade of paint. I wanted something that would hold some of my books.

The other big change in the room is the addition of hooks. I love hooks. They are easy and they help keep things off the floor. And if they are ever empty, they have a nice architectural feel.

But as you can see, they are well used.

I am very happy with how everything has turned out. We have been using the room for a few months, and I feel at peace in the space. Sure, it is not the most opulent and grand master bedroom, but that was not what we wanted. A simple, clean space that allows us to relax and prepare for the day is what we needed.

For me to finish off the space it cost me around $500, and most of that was the bed frame and the dressers, like $400 of the budget went to those 3 items. The rest was either things we had around the house or careful shopping. My favorite budget item is the gauze window treatment. I was able to pick up the fabric needed for $15. And they are so light and airy. I love them.

I was hoping to have the master bath done so I could share that space as well, but I am being held up by brackets. Meaning, I am not finding the brackets I want to spend my money on. Such a simple, but much needed item before I can call it done.

Also, I am hoping to get the closet working better for us, but that one may be on hold until the spring.

-Laurie

Making the List

2012-01-15T04:00:00.000-05:00

(Please bear with me, this post may be more for my benefit than yours. When I am feeling less than motivated, it helps for me to put it in writing.)

Lately I have been feeling less than motivated. I mean I am motivated to have my projects completed, but not motivated to actually do them. Well, I am not sure that that is even accurate. I am not motivated to find the time to do them, but, I know once I get started I will be a happy girl.

Maybe it is a lack of focus. Maybe I just need to make a list to figure out what really needs attention.

OK let see what I got.

1. Finish the Master bath-
This includes painting the floor, re-painting the cabinets, touching up the walls, finding brackets for the shelf and then hanging them.

2. Prep finished Master bedroom for a final reveal post-
OK, I am waiting until the master bath is completed to do this, but maybe I don't need to. Hmm, maybe I can get this done this week.

3. Get started on the basement-

I think this is what is holding me up. It is a big project, I want to get most of it done before spring, but I have to kick the kids out. Of course caulking and priming both walls and ceiling is not what I consider fun.

4. Finish son's room-

Now that I know what I want to do for the window coverings, I can move forward. To completely finish, in addition to the curtains, I need to paint the desk and dresser, move some shelves, fix the bed and create a play-skirt/bed-skirt thing? (don't ask, I will just have to show you when it is done).

5. Finish random started projects-

These include 2 wall boards, and a rug.

6. Get my hair done-

OK not DIY related, but it needs to get done.

I am sure I could come up with more, but I am trying to be realistic- hahaha. I think my lack of free money is not helping. I want to go buy supplies, but I am also trying to save, it would be nice to have a few dollars when I go to Blissdom.

Luckily, it is a long weekend. Maybe, just maybe I will get some of this started.
-Laurie

Geraniums (red) and Delphiniums (blue)

2012-01-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

How often in life do you second guess yourself? Or compare yourself with someone you preceives has the answers? Are you constantly looking at what others are doing and compare where you are at? Do you discount yourself, because you haven't the eduction you would like to have, or think you should have? I know I do. I try not to, but thoughts creep in and I often don't defend myself or my opinions because I am not anyone "special".

I am always trying to defend my choices and my actions. And even though I know self-doubt goes along with having a human brain, it still bums me out.

Recently, my son reintroduced me to a poem that I wanted to share. A poem that reminds us not to give away our authority. (It is a little long, but I promise it is worth the read).

The Dormouse and the Doctor

A.A. Milne

There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)
And all the day long he'd a wonderful view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue)



A Doctor came hurrying round, and he said:
"Tut-tut, I am sorry to find you in bed.
Just say 'Ninety-nine', while I look at your chest...
Don't you find that chrysanthemums answer the best?"



The Dormouse looked round at the view and replied
(When he'd said "Ninety-nine") that he'd tried and he'd tried,
And much the most answering things that he knew
Were geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue).

The Doctor stood frowning and shaking his head,
And he took up his shiny silk hat as he said:
"What the patient requires is a change," and he went
To see some chrysanthemum people in Kent.



The Dormouse lay there, and he gazed at the view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue),
And he knew there was nothing he wanted instead
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red).



The Doctor came back and, to show what he meant,
He had brought some chrysanthemum cuttings from Kent.
"Now these," he remarked, "give a much better view
Than geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue)."

They took out their spades and they dug up the bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red),
And they planted chrysanthemums (yellow and white).
"And now," said the Doctor, "we'll soon have you right."

The Dormouse looked out, and he said with a sigh:
"I suppose all these people know better than I.
It was silly, perhaps, but I did like the view
Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue)."

The Doctor came round and examined his chest,
And ordered him Nourishment, Tonics, and Rest.
"How very effective," he said, as he shook
The thermometer, "all these chrysanthemums look!"

The Dormouse turned over to shut out the sight
Of the endless chrysanthemums (yellow and white).
"How lovely," he thought, "to be back in a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)."



The Doctor said, "Tut! It's another attack!"
And ordered him Milk and Massage-of-the-back,
And Freedom-from-worry and Drives-in-a-car,
And murmured, "How sweet your chrysanthemums are!"



The Dormouse lay there with his paws to his eyes,
And imagined himself such a pleasant surprise:
"I'll pretend the chrysanthemums turn to a bed
Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)!"



The Doctor next morning was rubbing his hands,
And saying, "There's nobody quite understands
These cases as I do! The cure has begun!
How fresh the chrysanthemums look in the sun!"

The Dormouse lay happy, his eyes were so tight
He could see no chrysanthemums, yellow or white.
And all that he felt at the back of his head
Were delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red).



And that is the reason (Aunt Emily said)
If a Dormouse gets in a chrysanthemum bed,
You will find (so Aunt Emily says) that he lies
Fast asleep on his front with his paws to his eyes.

Isn't it a fantastic little poem? And I think the best part of it is when it is read out loud. I will admit it took me a little while to find the cadence, but one you have it, it is a pure pleasure.

-Laurie

My thunder was stolen

2012-01-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

Don't you hate when this happens? You have a great idea, one that you hadn't seen before. You get super excited and giddy when you think of how it is going to turn out. Then BAM, you come across an article or a post doing exactly what you were thinking of.

Guess what, it has just happened to me again.

Now I know that there are really very few truly new ideas, and that we are all working with things we have most likely seen before or have come across in one way or another. If we are lucky we can bring some new attention to an old solution, or tweak something to make it fresh and exciting. So, I am sure that if I had done any research on my great idea, I would have found images and posts pulling off exactly what I had in mind.

But, I hadn't done that. I maybe even purposefully chose not to look. This was an idea that had popped firmly into my head with no other visual prompting. And then the other day, A post popped up in my feed. And not thinking anything of it I opened it. It was a beautiful hallway, and if you haven't seen it you should- It is AMAZING! I want to steal the look.

Crafty Little Gnome

She created this hallway with black and white birch trees that she free handed with a Sharpie. It really would be perfect for my basement, but my drawing talent is lacking.

And as I continued to read and scrolled down the page, I saw this...

Crafty Little Gnome

There it is, in black and white. Almost exactly what I was thinking of for my basement doors; cute little key hole and all.

Man, isn't it always the way it goes? I am still planning on it, but I will admit the wind has been taken from my sails.

How do you deal with this?

-Laurie

Living Room: Then and Now

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

My goal in decorating our house is to provide spaces where we feel comforted, safe, happy and welcome. It is a labor of love and I do this with very little money, and mainly work with things I have. I believe it takes time for any space to truly reflect and and feel like the family who lives in it.

It is a hard thing to look back on your decorating choices. Time marches on, tastes and needs change, new ideas come and old ideas feel stale. All of this is reflected in our spaces.

I often wonder how I would decorate if I had unlimited funds. But, the reality is I have always had a tight budget for my decorating. I mean tight like little or no money. It is a challenge. It means that sometimes I have to live with things less than perfect.

In 2009, we bought our current house, a 2 story colonial style home. I was so excited to finally have a home that we were going to stay put in, a home that I could really make ours. What I didn't know was I was at a transition period when it came to how I wanted to decorate.

In some ways, I feel that for a time, I lost my true aesthetic, and bought in to the HGTV, mini-Mc Mansion style that was ubiquitous. I thought the way to go was Tuscan or Old World or French Country, however you want to describe it. But you know what I mean; the venetian plaster, the mustard and sage greens, the formal motifs, the granite, the stainless, the mahogany. And truth be told, there is a little of that old world spirit in me, but, I was not expressing it in my authentic style, or really with any style at all. When we purchased this home, I was in my old way of thinking. After about a year -and painting my kitchen cabinets blue- I realized that I wanted our home to be a bit more casual, a bit more loose and a bit more colorful. And here is the journey of our much used living room.

We do most of our living on the main floor, which includes the kitchen, living room and dining room. It is mostly open. The living room is a modest 13'x13' space, defined by 2 exterior walls and one short wall. The room is difficult for furniture layout, as the 2 walls both contain permanent features.

I want to start by sharing the house as we first saw it. Nicely staged; Neutral and inviting, and I remembered it smelled very nice.

(January 2009)

It only took me 10 days to get the paint on the wall and some of the furniture in place.

(Spring 2009)

From the time I walked into this house I wanted to paint the walls yellow. I ended up with this more mustardy-gold color. And was satisfied. The living room stayed along these lines for a while.

(Fall 2009)

We didn't have the option of purchasing new furniture. And I was using the pieces from our old home, along with the sofa we inherited from the previous owner. I was never fond of the sofa, the green chair or the large armoire sitting next to the fireplace. But, again, I had to work with what we had.

In the spring of 2010, I started thinking the yellow was too dark, and went to lighten it up. I also knew the carpet had to go. I made the decision too that a new couch was something I was going to have to find a solution for.

(Spring 2010)

I found a deal on a sofa, but wanted a new slip cover. The armoire is still wrong, and the fireplace really needed some attention, but the carpet was finally removed and the walls started sporting lighter yellow.

By the Fall of 2010, I had realized that I really wanted a lighter, whiter decor and needed to brighten the space.

(Fall 2010)

I bit the bullet and painted the fireplace, and found my white slip cover for the sofa. I was also able to neutralize the the sage green chair with a cream slip cover. But that dang armoire was still throwing off the whole room, and as I was loving having the carpet gone, the floor still needed something to fill the space and warm it up.

By spring of 2011, I finally felt I was close. I knew where I was going and I was happy.

(Spring 2011)

I lightened up the walls by painting them a chalky white (Bye-Bye yellow). The floor got the fabulous blue stripes, which filled the room and gave it a signature style. And I finally found a solution for the TV. Out went the armoire and in came a vintage dresser, which no longer overwhelms the fireplace.

Today, the living room is still like Spring of 2011, which I feel is a good sign.

Of course, there are small projects I would like to take on, but in general, I like where it is at.

I often think of how much our house has changed from the day we first saw it. I have no illusions in believing I am anywhere near the end of decorating this room, but it is interesting to reflect back and see how far it has come.

-Laurie

Crafting my book bag

2012-01-12T10:25:00.000-05:00

I am getting myself ready for school, I have my pens and my notebook. I have purchased my books, and then it hit me....

I don't have a book bag. Or at least not one I want to actually carry. Immediately, I popped over to Etsy to check out cute book bags. And there are a lot of cute bags. But after a few minutes of browsing I started to realized I had a specific idea of what I wanted and I wasn't really finding it, especially not in my price point of $25 (remember I am cheap and have unrealistic expectations on pricing). I figured why not try and make one. And that is what I did.

Isn't it cute? And I spent less than $11 on the fabric.

Can I tell you I am super surprised how it turned out, and how quickly it came together. I decided to look for fabric at 10 am, went and caught a movie, worked on it when the kids went to bed and was finishing the button hole the next morning.

Here is the interior...

I love the polka dot lining. I LOVE black and white polka dot.

So I think I am ready.

-Laurie

Best taken over time

2012-01-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

One of the initial goals, in starting Little Blue Chairs, was to document the changes to our house. I've always known that my process of decorating is a bit piece meal. A few changes here and a few there. I like to spread it a round. Part of this is due to budget. I simply have to make a call on what I can live with at the time, and what I have to do with out, while keeping to my limited budget I have to work with. But, I also think some of this has to do with the idea that a room feels more personal if it comes together over time. That there should be room for the right things to find their way into the space.

I consider the act of creating a home to be a life-long journey, one that is best taken over time. And, after 2 years, I am at a point where I can really take a look back and see some of this journey. And that is what I am going to do. Take a room and trace the steps, to see how it has changed from the day we looked at it with our realtor to today. Of course, there are awkward phases, and the reality is I will never be 100% done with any of my rooms. But, I feel this is a good time to see just how it has progressed. I am thinking I will get about a room a week.

But for today, I want to share with you a little treasure that recently found it's way into my home. I almost walked away from it, but after many years of making this kind of mistake, I knew this was a piece I would regret buying, and it was only $16. Really, $16. I could splurge on this. It hasn't found its permanent home yet, but I am sure it will soon.

I am a sucker for this kind of thing.

-Laurie

Braided garland

2012-01-10T06:54:00.000-05:00

One of the habits I have adopted to keep my house looking neater is the use baskets. If I notice I things are starting to collect in a given area, I will find a basket to contain the offending clutter. In general it works great, but there is the fact that since I didn't have a place to put it at the time, I am just delaying the inevitable process of finding it a permanent home.

Today, I decided to tackle one of these baskets. It mostly contained fabric and fabric scraps. I finally decided that I really didn't need them hanging out in the dining room and I really could use the basket for the kid homework items.

In this basket of scraps I found a braided cord I made over a year ago for a project that has taken a back seat. I mean, a project I am no longer planning on doing. But never fear, I did find a use for unloved item.

I thought why not drape it under the mantel?

I am kind-of digging it. And it was such a simple project. Taking me no more that 15 minutes.

If you want to make one for yourself, it is quite easy. First find some left over fabric. I used old crib sheets and cotton dresses that my daughter grew out of and tore them into strips. Next, I braided them together in a long garland. On either side of the fire place I added eye hooks. I then tied the garland onto each eye hook, fidgeting with them until I got the look I liked.

I love easy projects.
-Laurie

2 years already?

2012-01-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

Two years have gone by since I started Little Blue Chairs, a place for me to document the changes in our little home. Two years in, and I am still excited to sit at the computer and share with you my journey. In these two years I have touched almost every room in the house, meaning my project list is shrinking and I will eventually have to slow down and just enjoy the fruits of my labor. But don't worry, I have plenty of post left in me. I am starting a new exciting journey. In about a weeks time I will be taking my first classes in Interior Design. A journey I always knew I would take one day, but just hadn't done, until now.

My decision to go to back to school, has less to do with any desire to make it big as a designer, and more to do with wanting to learn as much as I can about a hobby I have loved for most of my life. I want to know the theory behind it, the accurate terms for historical periods and furniture style and all that geeky stuff. I am doing it for no one else but me.

I couldn't tell you when I first fell in love with Interior Design, but I can tell you it was before I knew what the term was. As far back as I can remember, I loved making my surroundings pretty and tried to arrange my side of the room to please me. When I played with my doll house or Barbies it was more about getting the scenery right than the actual play. I even remember listening to The Beatles with my sister and describing how the club looked as they played on stage. The environment and the spaces around me have always mattered.

I eventually figured out there was a thing called Interior Design, and was excited to hear my High School was offering it as an elective. After that I was hooked, and during my senior year I got a job selling draperies, which is how I supported myself through college. One would think that all this Interior love would have made choosing a major in college easy, but I had a second love, and that love of the Earth is what I pursued as my studies. But Interior Design was always in my life.

After graduating college, I left my job selling window coverings and went to join the working class. I collected my paycheck and created scrap books collecting all the things I loved, creating and documenting what I would identify as "my style" I wanted to know exactly what I was going to buy and how I was going to create our space when we finally bought our home.

But then 9/11 happened, and everything changed. In a years time my husband joined the Navy. I knew the time for us to buy a house was going to be pushed down the road. We happily traded our well paying jobs so he could defend our country. I was soon to become a mother, and at during this time my decorating took a back seat, and somewhere in the move I tossed all my scrap books. I was not going to be able to create the space I wanted anytime soon. But even then, I knew it was just a matter of time.

Slowly, it all came back to me. I got a lap top and was able to start surfing the internet for lovely pictures, I started reading blogs, and my creative juices started back. Eventually, my husband decided it was time to re-enter the civilian world. We bought our house and put down our roots. I was ready to go. I was going to make this space special. Make it ours.

And so, Little Blue Chairs was born. I was able to share all the crazy things I was doing and wanted to do. Document the not-so-smooth path I taken to transform our new house, to make it our home. And in the process, I have discovered, it is finally time for me to go back to school. This love was not going away.

I am giddy with excitement in starting classes. I have picked up my books and love that they have pretty patterns on the covers, giddy that one huge book is devoted to window coverings, I am excited to learn the terms and...well you get the picture.

But, I am also scared and nervous. I mean after all, it has been 15 years since I left school, things have changed. I am going to be the old lady sitting in the back of the class with her reading glasses around her neck. But, I won't think of that now. Nope, I am just going to listen, learn and soak it all up. And remember it is all for me.

Life is a journey. Back in 2010 when I started this blog, I wouldn't have imagined where it would take me, and how it was to become part of my life, much less that I would still be at it 2 years later. And at this time, I have no plans on stopping.

-Laurie

If you wait long enough, inspiration will come

2012-01-08T09:40:00.000-05:00

The title kind of says it all. At least that is how I work. I have learned over the years that if after a few days, or weeks, or months, of hard thinking and there is still no inspiration, it is best to let it lie and wait. Eventually, the right inspiration will come.

Case in point, my darling little boys bedroom. About 15 months ago I was caught by the inspiration bug and created a super cool constellation and solar system chalk board wall.

He loves his wall, I love his wall and his sister loves his wall. But the reality is, the room had remained unfinished. Don't get me wrong, it is passable. The walls are sporting a fabulous color and his bed has been painted.

But that is where I have stopped, the room in undeniably lack-luster. The windows are what has been causing me so much trouble. I know I have to find a solution. I need to find the right curtains. Really, this shouldn't have been such a sticking point, but I just couldn't come up with anything that I liked.

And of course, after a while, my sweet little man started asking me when his room was going to be finished (stab to the heart). How do you explain to a 5 year old that Mommy needs to wait for the right inspiration. I have managed to put off the project, and I waited.

And as I said, if you wait long enough, inspiration will come. And finally one day, as I was in the shower, I got inspiration. And not just one idea, I got 3, no 4 ideas, the blockage was gone and the flood gates were opened. I knew it was time.

Off I went, like a bat out of hell, to hunt down the right fabric. I was either going to go coral-red, solid or maybe with a circle motif or a black and white print.

Ahh, there it is, the perfect black and white print....

And the price was right. Of course, here is where you may notice I have only a picture of the fabric. Yep. that is a tip off that there is a problem. I need 8 yards and there is not 8 yards available. But I am resourceful, how about combining two fabric...

Pretty snazzy right? Again, no pictures of actual fabric. Unfortunately, my budget does not allow for me to purchase 8 yards at this time. Why is it that inspiration comes at such an inopportune time? I will have to see if the fabric is still available when my budget allows.

The good thing for me is, that once the inspiration hits me, it doesn't like to let go. Which mans I will be obsessing over his windows until they are done.
-Laurie

Master Bathroom-in progress

2012-01-07T11:13:00.004-05:00

Shine your light is hosting a Before & After party. It goes something like this- At the beginning of the month post a project you would like to complete by the end of the month. At the end of the month post up the results. (I hope I have that right).

I am going to submit my master bathroom, specifically the floor. I have been sprucing up the entire bathroom, but it is the floor thats holding me up. And I am not really sure why, it is not a big project. And maybe I should add the shelves to that list as well. Then I can have a full reveal.

Here is where I am siting today...
The floor and the shelves are half done.

To give you an idea, this is what they looked like before I did any work, back in Oct.

Realistically, I am about 2/3 of the way through this project. So, having this deadline is perfect.
-Laurie

It is that time again- Blog Resolution

2012-01-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder why I ever thought to blog. I love to talk. I am a big talker. Really, I have a hard time stopping talking. When I talk, I allow myself the freedom to think out loud, to explore and give voice to my thoughts. But when it comes to putting it in writing, I have always become frozen. It is almost a fear, to put the thought in writing. It makes it so permanent. Where the spoken word just evaporates in the air, the written word is so concrete. People can always call you out when you put it in black and white. And yet, here I sit, typing away, putting words on a page.

But my fear has held me back, has prevented me from really getting out my ideas. And I have ideas and theories and all sorts of crazy thoughts. I have tried to take the route of using images and letting everyone infer my meaning, but it has not come out clear. It is murky at best. And I know I can do better.

So here is my belated blog resolution...

I am going to be more authentic. I am going to put out my ideas, and not worry about how they will be taken. I trust that if you enjoy what I have to say you will keep coming back, and if not that is OK.

You may have noticed the quote I had added to my header, it sums it up...

"If you like this sort of thing, this, possibly, is the sort of thing you will like."

I can't make any promises, but I hope you keep coming back and I hope you discover that my random thoughts and ideas are my thoughts and ideas for that moment and that those thoughts and ideas will change and will mature and may even take a detour.

To give you an idea of some of my ideas, here are some I hold dear:

I believe in creating spaces that reflect you and your family. Spaces that are for you, today and not for some unknown person who may or may not buy your house down the road. I believe everyone should embrace and acknowledged their unique way of living in the world. I believe that everyone is worthy of having a fabulous space. And I believe that everyone can create these spaces with out putting out a King's ransom.

I have never thought of Little Blue Chairs as a place to force my aesthetic of a house on any one, but rather as a place where I can explore my vision and hopefully inspire you to find your own.

So in the end, the experts say if you want to achieve it you first must define it. So there it is, in black and white. Here's to achieving a more authentic 2012.
-Laurie

More Painted Cabinets

2012-01-05T19:19:00.000-05:00

The other day I mentioned how I was giving the gift of paint by painting my neighbors cabinets for them.

Well, I got them finished.

They chose SW Heart Throb Red for the lower cabinets, and SW Accessible Beige for the uppers. The photo really does not capture the colors. In the photos the red is brighter and the uppers look more cream. In person the red is a bit more subdued and the uppers are more of a light gray-beige.

It is a very nice combination.

As a reminder here is the before shot (remember the bottoms had received one coat prior to me getting there)

I love the idea of painted cabinets. They make such an immediate change on such a minimum budget. It is easy to complete, just takes some time.

Most people are comfortable with a neutral white, cream or gray, but I love when the cabinets sport an unexpected color.

source

How about you? Are you wiling to go unexpected on your cabinets?
-Laurie

Sample testing

2012-01-04T09:30:00.000-05:00

I have taken the tree down and finished putting the Christmas decorations away. I am now focused on getting started on projects. You may remember I had started working on the Master Bedroom. I am very close to being done, just a few medium sized projects and I will be ready for a final reveal.

Also, I am busy testing paint samples for the basement walls.

Nothing has been finalized, and really I need to prime the whole space before color goes up, but I am ready to start this mammoth project.

When the basement finally gets done, I can safely say that I have had a hand in all areas of the house (meaning living space). Of course there will still be plenty of things to tweak, but it will finally be ours.

Lets get things started!
-Laurie

The gift of paint

2012-01-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

My first project for the year is painting kitchen cabinets.

Nope not mine. I love my blue cabinets and have no plan on changing them just yet. But I am lending my painting skills to my friend and neighbor. We have similar kitchen layouts. The fact they were built by the same builder in the same subdivision may have something to do with it. They decided to go ahead and paint the cabinets. It took awhile to pick a color. Initially, they were thinking of yellow or red. I thought both would be nice, and in the end they decided on red.

They got one coat on the bottom cabinets and then promptly got pregnant and interest in painting cabinets went to the back burner. Well, their adorable little girl is now 9 months old and the cabinets are still only half painted. So as a Christmas gift, I offered to finish the job for them.

Here is the before shot of the cabinets (no after just yet)-

They have decided to use two colors. Red on the bottom and a grayed-beige for the uppers. I am still working on the project. I am hoping to have it completed in the next day or so. Trust me it looks great.

Well, that is how I am starting out 2012. How about you? What is your first project?

-Laurie

2012 Project Goals

2012-01-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

Every year I like to set goals for myself, projects I would like to tackle for the year. I don't always get them done and usually I get side tracked and find something else to work on. But, I still like to take a look back and see how I did and set my new goals for the next year.

Here is what I set out to accomplish in 2011...

Finish my daughters room (closets, wall treatments, lighting and window covering).
Guest Room- Done and pretty (walls, windows, nightstands and bedding).
Storage closets -(Main floor storage, Master closet, Pantry).
Organize Laundry room (even if I can't make it pretty, I need to make it work).
Prime the walls in the Basement- get a game plan at least for the space.
I am also hoping to put some goals in place regarding my blog in general.
I hope to maintain and hone my overall vision and philosophy on decorating. And be able to vocalize it in a clear voice.
Up my followers to 200 by the end of the year.
Create a new logo and clean up page.
Learn more about blogging and get more involved with fellow bloggers

So lets see, on the the first part, the actual projects, I am surprised to only find 5 items listed. I can mark off 2 of the 5.

I got my daughters room done and the storage closets completely finished. I tried to tackle the laundry room, and really didn't get it done. The Guest room and the Basement really got no attention this year. So They will go onto this years list. But in the end I got so much done I am giving myself an A. If you dont' believe me check out the year end wrap up.

For the second part, regarding the actual blog. I think I did pretty good. I started the year with about 85 followers and currently have 238. Of course I would like more, but I am not greedy. I have meet and connected with more bloggers and will be continuing with that. And well, I think I will always be working on honing my vision and voice on the blog.

Now on to the 2012 Goals....
Projects:
1. Master Bedroom Suite- Including closet, bathroom and bedrrom
2. Basement- This is a hangover from 2011. It is a very large project, and I think I am up to it this year.
3. Guest Room- Finally get it done.
4. Tackle our outdoor space- This has been sadly neglected, but needs some love.
5. New window treatments for living room, dining room and son's room.

Blog:
1. Networking
2. Keeping focused
3. Getting numbers to 500.

Well, that should be enough. How about you? What are your plans for 2012?

-Laurie

Happy New Year! Year end round up

2012-01-02T00:50:00.000-05:00

Every year it seems time goes by quicker and quicker. And I am glad to see 2011 fade into our memory.

2011 was a very eventful, busy and trying year for my family. We started the year with my husband overseas, and knowing he would not be returning home until late in the year. For me, the only way I was able to cope was to dig deep and to distract myself. I chose to work on the house. Because of this, I was able to get a lot of projects done, probably more than any other year.

Here is a quick visual round-up of the larger projects I tackled in 2011. Feel free to click the links to get more on each project.

January:

broom closet and an extra storage

February:

powder room.

March:

daughter's room

blue striped floor

slip cover

April:

In April hubby was able to come home and we went to Disney, Check out my Windows of Disney post.

dining room table

May:

Painted stairs

Painted Walls

Stairwell Gallery Wall

Summer:

Salvaged Barn-wood Bathroom

September:

Upstairs Bathroom

October:

Yahoo!! Hubby finally came home to stay. My projects taper off a little here as we have been trying to get our life and schedule back on track. But I did get a few more things in....

November:

December:

That about wraps it up. Of course I had many, many smaller projects, but these are the biggies. I hope everyone had a great 2011 and an even better 2012. Thank you for stopping by Little Blue Chairs, I have loved all the comments and friendships I have made throughout the year. If you haven't already found me on Facebook, please stop over and click like. Oh and feel free to pass on the love.

-Laurie

Happy Holidays

2011-12-25T15:29:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day is here, and celebrations have been had. For us it was a very small affair, but that did not stop me from making our house as festive as possible.

In fact, I was decorating right up to the last moment, hanging the last snowflakes yesterday morning.

Sorry, this is late, but here is the result of all my decorating energy.

The living room. The room where most everything happens in our house. The tree is decorated with all the handmade ornaments (part I, II, III, IV) and sporting my star. The mantle has the snowflake tree and the paper bag snowflakes.

I finally got around to making new family stockings. I have been wanting to do this for at least 8 years, but this was the year I actually got it done. I even got 2 made for out little kitties.

And the cascade of snow flakes above the table was started on Dec 23rd. In the end I think I used about 75 hand cut snowflakes for this. I think I am a bit snowflake obsessed. I moved my little cone trees to the table (actually, they kept moving around the house because I love them so much.)

Well, there it is, I am sorry to share this so late, but like I said I was futzing with it until the last possible moment.

I also wanted to share just a couple of books that found there way under the tree.

I am super excited to dig into these.

How about you? How was your holiday?

-Laurie

Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

source

I will be taking a little time to enjoy the holiday's with my family. Be Back soon.
-Laurie

Tree topper fix-up

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our tree topper has seen better days. It was a craft I made over 10 years ago, and it is looking a bit shabby.

I am not ready to scrap the topper. I know it doesn't blink, spin around or play music, but I like the simplicity of it, and I create it. I am kind of fond of it.

So I decided the best thing to do is get some glitter and repair it.

Such a simple fix.
-Laurie

Handmade Ornaments- part IV

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Day 4 and I will wrap up my handmade ornament series.

I will start by talking about the big read heart, as I know it is a focal point. Yes I made it, but not as one of my "yearly" ornaments, it was just an "I have a need to create" ornament.

But the ornament just to the right of it is this years ornament.

It is a very basic, yet very sentimental ornament. Earlier this year I used salvaged barn wood from my grandfathers barn in my parents bathroom. This years ornament is made from the remaining pieces of the barn wood.

Another favorite ornament was the one I created for 2005.

Sometimes simple is best. I personalized each ornament with the last letter of the family name. I have been itching to make more of this type of ornament. So simple.

My last ornament to share is one that is really hard to photograph. This one is a Georgia peach tree, for the years we lived in that state (I made it in 2007).

Here it is off the tree (it just got lost in photos when on the tree). I personally like this one. It was a challenge, from figuring out how to make a tree, finding the right peach beads and making a box for the base. It was just fun.

Well, there you have it. The start of my personal handmade ornaments. I hope to be able to continue making these types of ornaments for another 10 years.

I hope you all are having a festive holiday season.

-Laurie

Handmade Ornaments-part III

2011-12-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

Every year I like to create an ornament for each of my family members to represent our year, last weekend I shared 5 of these ornaments. This weekend I will wrap it up.

Today years 2008 and 2009. One I love and one I don't really like.

I have mentioned my love affair with paper snowflakes, 2008 was year 2 of this obsession.

I spent a lot of time on this particular ornament. I started with a hand cut paper snowflake that I painted with glitter paint, from there I layered on liquid glass. Many layers of liquid glass. I spent many evenings applying liquid glass and letting it dry. My biggest frustration with this ornament is it never got rigid. The liquid glass always remained flexible. I always have to be extra careful when storing this ornament, but to me it is well worth that little trouble, because it is one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, my ornament for 2009, was a fail for me.

I consider it a fail mainly because it is not as refined as I would like. But I should just move past that and learn to love its quirkiness. 2009 was the year we purchased our new house, and I really wanted to represent our new home. I will just leave it at that for now.

I will finish this series tomorrow.

-Laurie

It's a good day

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning, took a look around my house and realized what a joy it is to live in a space that feels like home.

It is not perfect house, it is not a show house, it is a house where one family lives and grows.

And it is a house that has been put together out of love and determination, sweat and tears (mainly mine). I created this house. I created it for my family. So they can have a space to feel warm and protected. A space where they can de-stress and create. A space where we can love and be ourselves. It is my love letter to my family.

I feel blessed.

-Laurie

Peppermint Pretzels

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000-05:00

I am not a big baker. I enjoy cooking but I don't enjoy baking. That may go hand in hand with not being a big sweets eater.

So what does a girl do when she is faced with little time and a cookie exchange on the calendar? Well, this girl makes Peppermint pretzels.

They are quick, easy and you can have your little ones help out.

I started with 3 ingredients:

-Bag of pretzels
-1 bag of meltable Vanilla chips
-1 box of small candy canes

Crush the candy canes- I wanted them pretty small so I used my food processor, but you can do it by hand.

Melt the Vanilla chips according to the package. I did mine in the microwave. They melted in about a minute.

Dip the pretzels in the melted vanilla and place on a sheet of wax paper.

Sprinkle crushed candy cane bits over pretzel while still wet.

That's about it. I made about 50 pretzels in the batch. I had a lot of candy cane pieces left over, but that is OK they go very nicely in my coffee with a bit of hot chocolate mix.

 -Laurie

Snowflake Tree

2011-12-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

I am in love with my snowflake tree.

Over the past 4 years, I have slowly been making paper snowflakes and then encasing them in paint, glitter and liquid glass; making them a bit more permanent.

In the past I have hung the snowflakes on our Christmas tree or in the windows, but this year I found the perfect place for them. I have a vase of bare branches out all year on our mantle. The branches were a causality of a huge snow storm a few years back. But it makes a natural display piece.

Taking a closer look at the snowflakes, you can see there are many variations. I didn't make any last year, but the 3 years before I did, and each year they turned out a little bit different.

Some have aged and yellowed a bit, but I have to say I kind of like that they have done so.

I wish I had a straight out tutorial, but I don't. Hmm, maybe I need to make a few more this year...Maybe out of paper bag.

I just find them so beautiful.

-Laurie

Heartfelt

2011-12-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Do you get crafty at Christmas? I seem to.

Something about Christmas makes me want to create little things. Usually they end up as ornaments on the tree, but this year one of the things I made was little felt hearts for wrapping small gifts.

I am going to use them to wrap gifts for my kids teachers. So I ended up making two of them.

-Laurie

Drop cloth wreath

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Are you ready for more drop cloth Christmas decoration?

How about a wreath?

I needed a wreath. I know, I know, they are the easiest thing to make. I just had not done one yet. I don't know why? I just hadn't done it. But since I started with the drop cloth stuff, I felt I must do one.

Ok, I will admit, that this is not the most Christmas-y wreath out there. In fact, if you take off the bells (which are just attached with straight pins) it is a very basic wreath.

But I guess that is what I like about it.

-Laurie

Handmade Ornaments- part II

2011-12-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I shared 2 of my handmade ornaments. Today I wanted to share another 3.

I have tried really hard to have the yearly ornament have a connection to that year. That connection may be one only I am aware of, but since I am making them, that is enough. Seriously, the connection is either a life event, like the birth of our children, a type of craft I am obsessed with or a special location. And today's sample has an example of each of these.

Ornament number 1, I created to represent our new life in Monterey CA, (2003).

I picked up the shells on Fisherman's Wharf. I felt the need to work with beads and hand threaded the beaded fringe.

Ornament number 2 (2006), we had another birth year. This time we welcomed our son, and I incorporated fabric from his nursery in the ornaments.

This was the first and only time I worked with polymer clay. I wasn't able to get things are refined as I would like and the hook has fallen out of some ornaments. So maybe not my best work.

Ornament 3 was last years ornament.

This is one of those ornaments that has a really loose connection. It has to do with paint color and a miter box and sanding. All the things I was working on in 2010.

I love that there is a very random nature to the ornaments and that they are all over the map, kind of like our lives.

-Laurie

Handmade Ornaments-part I

2011-12-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am working on having a tree with only hand-made ornaments. I am sure I will have to have a few purchased ornaments, but the goal is to have mostly ones made by myself and our family.

Back in the early days of our marriage, before we had kids, I started creating ornaments for my family, my parents, my siblings and my in-laws. That was back in 2001.

After keeping this up for a decade I have put together a nice little collection. I will admit that some are better than others, as all things go. Today I wanted to share with you 2 of these ornaments.

Ornament number 1. (the top one in this picture) was the first one I created and the one that started the tradition.

I have a fond spot in my heart for this one, and I am happy to say it has held up. I was afraid the glue would loose its stick and all the beads would fall off. Speaking of beads, this ornament is covered in little glass beads that I individually placed with a tweezers (and I made 10 of them). A labor of love.

Ornament number 2, I created in 2004, the year our daughter was born.

I hope you can tell it is a hot air balloon. There is a significance to the hot air balloon. When I decorated her nursery I had created some larger paper mache balloons. The fabric I used for the basket on the ornaments was the fabric I used in her nursery.

We had our daughter during my husbands first year in the Navy. We were living in base housing and I was super excited to converted the storage closet into a nursery. But this project was filed with challenges; a budget challenge (no money), a size challenge (6'x10'), and a paint challenge (lack of paint) . Since I was unable to paint the walls I just covered them in fabric.

Is it the nursery I would design today? Probably not, but I love it anyways.

That is the story of just 2 of the ornaments. Stay tuned for part II.
-Laurie

Drop cloth trees

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Who knew drop cloths would be my Christmas decor muse? Certainly not me. Yesterday, I showed you garland I created out of strips of drop cloth, and today I will be showing you my little drop cloth Christmas trees. And just a hint, I have more drop cloth crafts I will be sharing over the next week or so.

But today it is the little cone trees.

Aren't they cute? This is my attempt at cone trees. I have been seeing them in blog-land and in the stores and I think they are kind of sweet.

I started off with cones similar to these. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. I had a few ideas tumbling around my head, but no concrete plans. I just knew I wanted pointed tops versus the stubby ones...

So I created a cone from paper bags and added them to the top, just to make them pointy.

I was a bit anxious to get started, so I just grab the closest thing to me which was the string I had left over from Thanksgiving and started attaching it to the cone.

I soon realized I was not going to be able to cover the whole tree. Oops. But I did have some more drop cloths and I noticed the fun fringe that was happening on the edge. So, on it went. I love the additional texture it adds.

On the next tree, I wanted to play off the furry texture of tree one by having a tree that felt smoother.

This time I was more careful with my strips, making sure the edges were cleaner, but still had some texture. This one is the most simple of the trio.

I left the largest tree to the end. I wanted it to be somewhere between the other two. It needed texture, but it couldn't be too out there.

I ended up going with a braid, and wrapping it around the tree. Here is a better shot of the 3 textures.

To add an extra touch I added a pearl garland.

I am not sure what you call these?

But I found them in the bridal section for $1.99. I tied them together to make the mini garland.

I am really happy with how they turned out. I am excited to make more, and see what else I can come up with. Hmm, I think my daughter's snow-babies may need a tree or two to brighten their holidays.

-Laurie

Paper bag and drop cloth

2011-12-07T15:11:00.001-05:00

I have been slowly getting things decorated for the holidays.

In general, I keep things pretty simple when it comes to holiday decorating. I try not to buy too much*, and try to create as much of my decorations as possible. Every year I seem to make one or two items that I add to my collection.

This year I have been inspired by drop-cloths and paper bags.

I am loving the color of the drop cloth and the paper bags against my new white mantle.

I am not entirely sure how this evolved. I think it started with my paper snowflake obsession, which has been going on for at least 6 years, boredom and the discovery of a stack of paper lunch bags in my wrapping paper drawer.

I love cutting out paper snow flakes, and seem to make a new batch every year, ever since I watched Elf with Will Farrell. However, this is the first time I have ever used paper bags. I was ecstatic to find how easy the bags folded and cut, I whipped these out in a matter of minutes. With one bag I was able to cut these 8, actually, I could have gotten more out of it.

But, I wasn't done yet. Nope. I still had some left over clear glitter, spray adhesive, a box and a beautiful wind-free day.

I just lightly dusted the snowflakes with glitter.

I created the garland by braiding strips of drop cloth and string, and tied on the snowflakes.

Very simple, very easy and best of all I had all the materials already, so it was free!

-Laurie

*I do confess to purchasing a few collectible items every year; a snow-baby for my daughter, a nut cracker for my son and a Christmas village piece for me, but that is for another time.

Whoa- It is December already???

2011-12-03T11:14:00.001-05:00

Have you ever felt like time was just slipping away, and that you can't seem to get any traction? Well, that is how I have been feeling lately. Last thing I remember was my husband was coming home, and we were looking forward to Halloween. And now I look up and the Christmas tree is up and the holiday season is in full swing. Whew. Where did the time go?

I have been neglectful on posting here and visiting you as well, and I apologize. I feel horrible that I have let it slip. The reality is I have much to show and share, and I feel lost not knowing what has been going on around me and in your lives as well.

I promise, I will be back, soon posting many exciting, or not so exciting things. I will be visiting your sites as well.

Until then, I hope you are all enjoying your holiday season!
-Laurie

From seed to table

2011-11-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Where do your inspirations come from? For me they can come from anywhere, and most of the time they flit into my head, leave a little seed and then flit away, then months later it germinates and I have forgotten where the idea first came from.

But today is the story of a table from seed to fruition.

Lets go back to late spring/early summer of 2011. I got sucked in to watching Greek on Netflix. I was hooked. But for the purpose of this story I am going to focus on this particular scene, and not my taste in TV shows. As I was watching this episode, I was stuck by something in this room and I was inspired.

An item in the kitchen has triggered an overwhelming need for me to create. Can you guess what triggered my inspiration?

Honestly, there is much here that fits with my sensibilities, but if you guessed the table then you would be correct.

I started to dream about yellow and cream striped table tops. Now, looking closely at the stills, I see that the table is actually just a blond wood with some variations versus being an actual painted top. But that makes no difference to my creative brain.

Back in the spring I realized I probably was not going to be creating this treatment; I didn't need dining room table, or a coffee table, or any other table I could think of at the time. But, I started a post about it and then left it in my drafts. I actually had forgotten all about the inspiration until I got elbow deep in primer while working on this table...

Do you remember this table? It is the table my neighbor was throwing away. I can't believe it took me awhile to remember the yellow and cream stripes, oh well. Once I got back on the stripe train of thought, I got out my frog tape and yellow paint and got to work.

I love the stripes and I am super excited I was able to see my inspiration all the way through. Now I am aware the striped table top and the striped floor is a bit much. I love stripes, but it is a bit much for me as well. I currently have it set up for Thanksgiving dinner, because it is the perfect size for turkey dinner.

But I will be moving it to the basement next week. The stripe table plus the fabulous deal on the yellow and gray bird fabric will be the kicking off point for the basement update.

There you have it- from fleeting thought to completed project. Yay!

I am just wondering, do you work in such a way as well? Or are you much more methodical?

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

-Laurie

Donation Day not Black Friday

2011-11-23T14:40:00.001-05:00

Another Black Friday has come and gone, and this year I am more disappointed than ever; at retailers and shoppers alike.

I will confess, I have never shopped on Black Friday, I have worked, but never shopped. And I don't plan to. I get that it's a holiday tradition to many and the official kick off to the Christmas season, but I think the Christmas spirit has been lost in the midst of the deals.

I was disheartened to hear the retailers pushing the store openings to midnight, and then I heard that Walmart was opening at 9pm on Thursday and I really got mad. It will only be a matter of time that we loose Thanksgiving altogether, a simple holiday that celebrates the gathering of families with no commercial overtones. And then this morning I was really saddened to hear of the violence that has come with this years Black Friday, the pepper spray, the gun shots and the robberies, and all at Walmarts. I wonder if the early opening has any play in these events. Instead of the die-hard Black Friday shoppers have they made it too easy to get the deals and I wondered if alcohol played any part in the mayhem.

As I was watching the morning recap with my daughter, I had to explain the pushing and the rudeness she was seeing on the screen. She kept asking why it was labeled "Black and Blue Friday". I explained that black and blue refers to the bruises that people get while shopping on Black Friday. During this conversation we got around to the name "Black Friday". I simply told her it was a financial term they use, that she didn't really need to worry about. She then tells us that- No, black Friday refers to the bags filled for donation.

And with a big smile I agreed with her. For the past several years our family has a tradition of gathering our unused items to donate the day after Thanksgiving. We usually use black garbage bags (however this year we had white). We simply call it Donation Day.

I was a proud Momma. I was proud that she got what we were doing and that even though the world can go crazy outside of our doors, I still had the ability to guide our children on what is important during the holidays.

Now, I don't want you to think I am bashing all the Black Friday shoppers, I am not. I just wish we were able to take the focus off the competitiveness and greed that goes into this newly formed holiday, It is simply getting ugly out there.

My hopes this year is everyone has a heart-filled holiday season.

-Laurie

Bedside table solution

2011-11-23T09:22:00.001-05:00

I had mentioned our new headboard made our bedside tables look insignificant. I wanted them to be higher, maybe even with the top of the mattress. As I looked around I soon realized I was going to have to use dressers versus regular bedside tables. But I knew this was also going to bring the price up on my budget. And as you know, I don't like having a big budget.

Luckily, I was able to find a great little dresser at the local Goodwill for around $75. OK, I am going to put my crazies right out there, I have arbitrary dollar amounts in my head that I am comfortable spending on things and they don't always correspond with real life prices. Like for a jeans I only want to spend about $20 dollars, $10 for a shirt and so forth. For a dresser I was comfortable spending about $40. I was sure I could wait to score something on Craigslist, but I didn't have the time to wait. So when I ran across this little number at the Goodwill, I had to really push myself to buy it.

I am getting better at this, it only took me about 5 minutes to realize that it was the perfect width and height. Also that I wouldn't need to buy new hardware (which is a money saver right there) and it is a piece made by Basset, and it was well made and sturdy. Sold, even for $75.

Remember how I mentioned earlier, I like the Sea Salt and Glass of milk paint colors together? Well, as you probably figured out, I decided to paint the dresser in the left over Sea Salt paint.

With such masculine hardware, this dresser will be going on my husbands side of the bed. I just needed to figure out what I was going to use for my side.

Here is a bit more of my crazies...Once I got the one part of this project completed, I felt I needed to get it done, like now. So, I was done scouring Craiglist and local thrift stores, I needed to see if I could find what I needed at Ikea. And now that I was off to Ikea I threw out my budget of $40 for a nightstand/dresser.

I endeed up buying the Hemnes chest for $130.

ikea

Yep, I threw out the budget. But in my defense it was the right size, and I didn't have to wait to find a better deal. So in the end I spent $115 more than I initially wanted, but $205 for both is still a good deal.

I figured the open shelf was perfect for my book collection. I painted it with the Sea Salt paint and added new feet.

Here they are. And finally you get a picture of the new bed as well.

OK these are not my greatest pictures and the dressers/bedside tables are very lack luster at the moment. And I have a reason for this. I have been working on this room between visitors. Currently we have my MIL and her husband visiting for Thanksgivings and previously, we had my other MIL and FIL visiting over Halloween. So most of the work happened in the 2 weeks between the visits, and I haven't had the time to really fluff the room. But I didn't want to hold off too much longer to fill you in on what I have been working on.

I have much more to reveal.
-Laurie

Quick peek

2011-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Just a peek at the new fabric I purchased for the Master Bedroom.

I am so close to being completed, but not ready to spoil the surprise yet.

-Laurie

When a color comes out all wrong

2011-11-14T18:09:00.001-05:00

I have been off in paintland/projectville again. This time it is our Master Bedroom. I have been itching to get a good coat of paint on the walls. The color I had was not bad, it was just time for a new look and I knew just the color I wanted. A color I used before and loved, Sea Salt from Shewin Williams, a complex blue-green-gray on the lighter side. Perfect.

Well, that was what I thought. I was dreaming of painting our bedroom in this color for months, literally months. A dear friend had even given me a gift card for my birthday, I was just waiting for the big Sherwin Williams sale.

Imagine my frustration when, after a night of painting, my beautiful blue-green looked more gray and cement-like on the wall. You can actually see the difference in the picture. The pretty blue is more of what I was hoping for, but the grayed blue is how it really looked.

Just a little back story on our bedroom. Our bedroom seems to suck all life and light out of wall colors. It is an issue I have struggled with since we have moved in. In the past I've chosen a bright color to counteract the limited light. And it did brighten up the room, I just wanted something a bit more pale and light for a change.

(Please note that this room never was completed and just a Hodge-podge of items- Soon that will be history)

So I had make a decision. Do I go ahead and repaint or just leave it like it is and deal with it later?

I was tempted to just leave it alone, since we have guests coming at the end of the week and I really needed to get the room pulled back together, but I went ahead and bought a new color. I figured, since all the furniture was pulled out from the walls, it was easier now than later.

I made a quick decision to go more towards the cream side versus a bright hue (back to my love of Scandinavian Country), and choose Glass of Milk by Martha Stewart.

I knew it was going to still be grayed, but I really wanted to go light.

Funny thing is, when I started edging I found I loved the Sea Salt and the Glass of Milk together.

That gave me an idea...

-Laurie

Yep, more to come....

Bedside table height

2011-11-02T18:43:00.001-04:00

Have I mentioned we finally got a real headboard for our bed? Well, we did. Now our bed is a lot higher than it use to be, making our bedside tables look a little off. I am not sure if this is because I am use to it the other way, or if it looks off, because they are too short.

Leaving me the question, how high should your bedside tables be?

And after a short look into Web-land, I have found the answer to be....

Either it can be even with your mattress, lower than your mattress or higher than your mattress. So basically, whatever you find attractive.

And since I think my little bit lower ones look off, I guess I will be looking for new bedside tables.

I am purposely not sharing the new bed yet, as I have decided to work on the Master Bedroom next. A decision that was made in part of Sherwin Williams having a sale and I get to buy my paint, this weekend. Yay!!!

Any ways, patience my friend, patience.

-Laurie

Latest Fabric Find

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

I was super excited to spot this deal at our local Hancock fabric the other day.

4.5 yard of upholstery fabric on the remnants stack, marked at $4/yd. You can bet your booty that I snapped that right up, especially after drooling over it on the rack in the front of the store, but marked at $18/yd I was not about to buy any.

And, guess what? It even got better. The remnants were on sale for and additional dollar off. Yep. we paid $3/yd. In total around $14 for a little over 4.5 yds of super amazing upholstery fabric (that is less that 1 yard at regular price). Enough to do a chair.

But, I guess I have to revisit my self professed non-love of yellow. I guess I do still like it after all.
-Laurie

The math of LIttle Blue Chairs

2011-10-31T13:28:00.001-04:00

My bathroom is done, and my husband is home, and I am already thinking about my next project. Sometimes I feel like a woman possessed.

So what is up next? Lets go over the options, I can work on the Master Suite, the Guest Room or the basement.

Master suite:

New bed
Selected Wall Color
+ Floor removed from bathroom

Good place to start?

Guest Room:

Fleshed out vision
Fabrics collected
+Putting off work on room for 6+ months
Maybe should go ahead and start
- Scheduled Guests for Thanksgiving
Maybe need to wait just a little longer

Basement:

Starting color selection

Needs to get done this winter
+ The one space that has not gotten any attention

Excited to start!

So that is where I am at. I ~~want~~ need a project.

What would you tackle next?

How to deal with stress

2011-10-25T13:26:00.000-04:00

Our household is finally coming back together after having one of our major family members back in the house after being gone for a year. And as we are celebrating his being home, it is also causing tensions. Trying to get things back to normal is not a quick and easy fix. And to top all that off, my computer has been funky and not allowing me to blog like I would like.

So what to do with all that pent up frustration and energy?

I don't know about you, but I rip up an ugly floor!

Yep, our master bathroom floor has bothered me from the time we moved in. First, the top layer was a press and stick tile job that was poorly done. Cracks between the tile and seams that did not line up. But even more frustrating to me, was there was no room between the door and floor to put a rug. So not only could I not cover up the ugly tile, I had cold feet.

I soon learned why the door was so close to the floor, there was 3 layers that needed to come up.

Luckily, the adhesives had broken down, and it all came up pretty smoothly. So after about 90 minutes, I had a floor that looked like this...

Yes, there is still some work that needs to be done, before I can work my magic, but at least now I am less frustrated and I have a floor where I can put a rug down and still close the door.

I guess I know what my next project is going to be!

-Laurie

Give Away Winner!

2011-10-24T07:03:00.002-04:00

Good Morning!

The winner for the Scandinavian Needlecraft book is.....

Stacysaid...: Shared your giveaway on FB!

Congratulations! Send me your address via E-mail and I will get out your copy. You are going to love it.

Keep your eyes opened for November's giveaway!

-Laurie

Scandinavian Needlcraft give away reminder

2011-10-21T12:26:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone has a great and productive weekend. Make sure you get your name entered for my October's give -away

I am giving away a copy of a book I have recently fallen in love with.

Scandinavian Needlecraft, by Clare Youngs.

This book has some amazing ideas and patterns, and all in time for the Holidays.

I will be taking entries until midnight, Sunday Oct 23. This is a low entry give away, so you will have a excellent chance of winning.

Make sure you get your name in for this one.

October's give -away

I can use that!

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I 'm that kind of person, The kind that spots a table on your porch and asks what you are planning on doing with that. Yep, that is me. That is how I scored this lovely number.

During a quick conversation with my neighbor, I noticed a drop leaf table out of the corner of my eye. And of course I had to ask why it was sitting out there? She tells me there is a little water damage and she was getting rid of it.

Here is where my brain started racing...

No, I don't need a table
No, I don't have room to store it in the garage
Hmm, Maybe I can put it in the basement and eventually find space for it
It has great bones, and only needs refinishing, I am sure I can find a use for it

And finally, I say...How much would you like for it? Free, no really, I can give you something for it. Really, you are just taking it to the dump? I can use it.

So I brought it home.

I currently have it set up in our dining room. It is a great size and we could use a larger table for Thanksgiving.

I don't know if I will keep it forever, or use it in the basement. I don't even know what I am going to do to it, except to get it sanded and primed. Quite possibly tonight.

-Laurie

Please remember to enter the October give-away- I pick the winner this Sunday, 10/23.

Windows of Disney

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Today I an taking the opportunity to re-post my Disney Window post. I had fun with this one and I just wanted to revisit it. -Enjoy-

Recently, my hubby came home for a 2 week vacation and we took the kids to Florida. More specifically, we took them to Disney World. I have to admit, I was shocked to find all sorts of window coverings lurking around the Magic Kingdom. And once I was tuned in, I couldn't look away.

These were the first curtains that caught my eye, a cute little eyelet cafe curtain with a scooped and pleated top. You can find these at Casey's on Main Street.

It is no secret I love cafe curtains and pinch pleats. I will admit that eyelet has not been on my radar for a while, but I must say I will be reconsidering it as a fabric choice now. The brass would not be my first choice, but here it is a bit weathered, I could work with that. Here they are from the back.

These next ones were in one of the gift shops, they are another cafe-ring style, but instead of pleats they have a double gathered header. I am quite interested in these.

Here is how they topped the window.

And from the outside.

There were also a takes on Austrian shade valances, below they topped it with a double rod pocket sheer. I liked seeing the combo of the 2 treatments.

There was a bit of tassels being used. I am sure this was intentional as Main Street USA was designed to resemble an American town at the turn of the century (1900's), putting it in the Victorian era and the prime time for use of trim and tassels.

We also spent some time over at Epcot.

In Epcot France I spotted these top window treatments for arched windows.

It looks like they are reversed box pleated with a gathered trim.

And there were some more scalloped topped cafe curtains, this time in lace.

Over at Epcot United Kingdom, I spied simple curtains for the tea shop door.

And even more scalloped topped cafe curtains. These were much shorter and heavier in a mustard velvet fabric.

The fancy-schmancy shop had these lovely lace curtains and a velvet pelmet.

And I would be remiss if I didn't show the ceiling.

My last stop in the tour of windows at Disney was at Epcot Norway.

We did not make it into the Askerhus to dine with the Princesses, but I did spot the lace curtains.

The simple lace panels are made a bit more formal by the addition of the sunbursts in the arched windows. And personally I love them next to the stone work.

I also was taken by the 3/4 lace panels used here.

Usually placed to cover the bottom, here it has been reversed. I like it - A lot.

Some of the other items that struck me in Epcot Norway was this door. Both the carving and ironwork are stunning.

And of course any good Scandinavian could not walk by the rosemaling and not take notice. I am no exception.

So there you have it. Even at Disney, I am unable to keep my mind off decorating. I am sure many people thought I was crazy as I walked in and took a picture of the curtains. Please tell me I am not the only one who does this.

My colors updated

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, I have just realized it has been awhile since I have updated my colors. So, today, lets correct that.

Trim color throughout the house is Behr Swiss Coffee in gloss

Living Room/Dining Room:

Wall Color- SW White Duck

Floor Color- SW Repose Gray & SW Interesting Aqua (Floor Paint)

Door Color- Rustoleum Colonial Red

Kitchen

Cabinet Color- Para Ocean Liner mix at Sherwin Williams

Bead-board Color- Behr Swiss Coffee

Daughter's Bedroom

Wall Color- SW Pinkish, SW Individual White, SW Sagey,

SW Top Sail & Behr Swiss Coffee

Son's Room

Wall Color- SW Sleepy Blue

Bed Color- SW Moody Blue

Bathroom

Wall Color- custom mix

Cabinet Color-Glidden Cranberry Wine

-Laurie

Hubby Update and Give- Away Reminder

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today my is the day we are going to pick hubby up from the airport. Yep, that is right, he is back home, and back home is where he is going to stay. 1 year in Afghanistan is far too long.

I hope you all understand why I may be a bit here and there for the next week or so. I will be hanging with the hubby, versus hanging with the laptop.

In the meantime, please make sure you get your name in for the October give away for the Scandinavian Needlecraft book.

ENTER HERE

I will be picking a winner on the 24th. Good Luck

-Laurie

Aebleskiver- little balls of love

2011-10-12T07:00:00.001-04:00

My son's class is having Heritage day at the end of the week, and I couldn't resist making a batch or two of Aebleskiver, to represent some of our Danish heritage.

So what the heck is Aebleskiver, you may be asking?

According to Wikipedia:

Æbleskiver (Danish meaning apple slices (singular: æbleskive)) are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes crossed with a popover, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover. The English language spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver.

source -Wikipedia

But to me, Aebleskiver are little balls of heavenly goodness, my Grandmother would make for us. They are filled with all sorts of love and fond memories.

You need to have special Aebleskiver pans to make them. And I am lucky enough to have inheritaed my Grandmother's.

I usually have them on display, but I do use them as well. The one in the back was my Grandma's.

Until recently, I had never run across an Aebleskiver pan out side of a Scandinavian home or specialty shop. But recently I have seen them popping up. I know William-Sonoma is selling them and creating all sorts of recipes. I have to say that, although the new recipe's they are creating are tasty, they are NOT Aebleskiver (at least not to me), sorry.

Aebleskiver recipes are a buttermilk pancake-like batter. You need to fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and the Aebleskiver themselves must be hollow.

It is the hollowed center that makes them special.

There is a special technique to making Aebleskiver, that takes practice and patience and knitting needs to learn.

I have only started to learn how to makes these myself, this batch was only my second attempt. I am getting better, but still need to work on my technique and my confidence.

But eating them is the best part. You can eat them anyway you like. Here I have put some lingonberry jam inside and topped with Whipped cream. I usually like them with butter and syrup. Other options are applesauce or cinnamon and sugar. You can even enjoy them cold.

My daughter is hooked already, but my son thinks the holes are creepy and won't eat them. Oh well, that just leave more for us.

Have you ever had Aebleskiver?

-Laurie

October Give-Away Right Here

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

This month I want to share a fabulous book.

Scandinavian Needlecraft, by Clare Youngs.

There are so many cute projects outlined in this book. Cute bags, mittens and seasonal decor, just in time for the holidays.

It is where I got the inspiration for my pillow.

I have been so in love with this book, I want to pass it along.

To Enter:

Leave a comment, just make sure I can find your email address.

For additional entries: (leave comment for each additional entry)

1. Follow me on Google Friends
2. Follow on FB or Twitter
3. Share this give-away on FB or Twitter

This give-away will run from Oct 10, 2011 to Oct 23, 2011. (I do need to limit this give-away to US residents, sorry).

-Laurie

I am giving away this book by my own means, as a thank you to my readers. I have not been contacted or asked in anyway to review or offer this book.

GIVE AWAY IS CLOSED

No Apologies

2011-10-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

OK, I am done. I am through with apologizing for my look.

I often catch myself saying "I know my look isn't for everybody". And yes, I know that it is an accurate statement, but guess what, mid century modern isn't for everybody either.

I figure if you are coming to Little Blue Chairs you know what you are going to get. And I assume you like what you see, and if not, that is OK as well, but it is my vision, good bad or ugly.

I have been circling an idea for many years, and I think it is finally coming to into its own. It is a philosophy that I have been chewing on for years and I have finally gotten it to its essence. It is summed up in one simple word.

EMBRACE

from the dictionary:

1 a: to clasp in the arms : hug b : cherish, love
2: encircle, enclose
3: to take up especially readily or gladly
4: to take in or include as a part, item, or element of a more inclusive whole

I want to embrace all that makes me me- and advocate that the best gift anyone can give themselves is to find out who you are and what makes you unique and then embrace those qualities. Embrace them apologetically.

source

So, no more apologies on what I do or who I am.

-Laurie

From Before to After- The saga of the hole

2011-10-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

This post is going to be long. I will attempt to describe how I created my shelves in my bathroom. I am by no means advocating my steps as proper or correct, only this is my solution. I have tried to make it as clear as possible, but it is one big mess on top of another and at times it seems as if I was bouncing all over the place. If you have any questions, or want me to be clearer on any step, just send me an email and I will try to clear it up.

You all know the story by now of how I got carried away and tore out part of my bathroom wall to see if I could find any space, and how we lived with this hole for 9 months.

I wanted shelves, but I was stumped on how I was going to actually build them. You see, once I got a closer look at the inside working of the wall, I got scared and wasn't sure how to pull this off.

My biggest stumbling block was the angle of the stud to the wall, and how to deal with the edge of drywall that was exposed. If I was to just face it with trim, I would be left with all sorts of weird miter joints when it came time to install the trim. And I was not willing to tackle that. So I was left to think about it a little longer. I will admit, that I got so frustrated I almost just put the drywall back up.

I wanted to eek out as much space as possible, which meant I would be using paneling and just cleaning up as much as possible. But the existing studs were not located where I wanted them.

This is the right side of the opening (previous picture is the left).

I had studs to attach paneling on the left side, but nothing to attach them on the back.

Initially, I wanted to use bead board for the cubby. I bought a package of bead board sections. The left side went up easy. I used liquid nails and paneling nails and attached the boards.

To get the wall for the back of the cubby, I purchased a strip of wood about 3/4" square and attached that to the paneling I previously installed on the left side.

This gave me something to attach the back paneling to.

Here is when I decided to flip the panels around, for a couple of reasons. I figured it would be easier for me to install the panels if I flipped them on their sides. That way I could use the notch and groove function to my advantage. If I did this, I would not be able to continue having the bead board facing out. So from here on out, I flip the boards (back side facing out) and will have to cover the existing bead board with drywall mud.

To start, I installed a shelf strip at the height of my lowest shelf. I cut the panels down and with liquid nails I set them into place.

The gray lines show each panel section.

I decided to leave the right side as it is. It is the back side of the exsisting dry wall, and since I was not using the bead board side, I could just paint it.

Now, the other major issue with the cubby is how to size the shelves. The shelves were obviously going to be some strange triangular shape, and I figured I would have to play around with templates until I got them right.

I will admit- This was no fun.

I started from the bottom. I had to build up the floor to the height that worked best. I then used some left over laminate to create a sub-floor of sorts.

A very crude sub floor, but it does what I needed it to do. I then pulled out a large piece of cardboard and took lots of measurements and just figured out the shape I needed. (I wish I snapped a picture of this) I transferred the template to a section of very thin mdf, and cut until I got the correct shape.

My first attempt was not so good...

My second attempt was better.

For the other 3 shelves, I needed the material to be thicker, but I needed a template for each shelf to create the shape to cut out. I used my first attempt as my template.

I think, at this point, I realized I needed to tackle the stud on the right wall.

I needed to create my finishes edge, covering this stud, to ensure the shelves get cut to the proper size.

I figured, I needed to find out how to create a 90 degree angle from my face wall and the stud. (I am sure I am going to be unclear here, I apologize, I tried to take pictures, but I am not sure that is even going to help, but I will proceed).

From fiddling around, I thought I could use a 1/2" square strip of wood to help make the 90 degree angle I needed.

I attached this with a lot of liquid and regular nails. I attached a 1" flat trim (again with a lot of liquid nails) to the stud and the strip, making sure I allowed for the front molding to over lap.

I didn't attach the front molding at this time, but it allowed me to go back to sizing the shelves. I did attach a flat trim to the right side at this time as well (again to help size the shelves).

So back to the shelves

I decided on my spacing, and attached my shelf support strips (liquid nails and regular nails where I could).

Then working with my template and jigsaw, I puzzled out the correct shape of the shelves.

I wish I could say there was a magic formula for this, but there wasn't. It was all playing around with a template, straight edge and ruler. I was able to get the shelves pretty close, but I did need to use filler and caulking around the edges. One tip I can pass on is, use the straight edge of the board for the front of the shelf, unless you have a table saw, which I did not- I used my jig saw.

Under the bottom shelf, I had another issue I needed to address. That being access to the plumbing. Now before I opened the wall, there was no access, but since I had it open I might as well address it. It was a simple as creating a panel that could be removed.

Initally I wanted to have hinges and such, but I opted for the low tech version of velco. I figure I can always go back and install hinges if I desire.

Next, the front trim was installed.

And I, caulked, primed and then painted the whole she-bang.

Dress it up and called it done. Then did a jig!

That is how I did it, correct? I am guessing, probably not. Oh well.

Thanks for hanging in there with me, as I rambled through it all. If you have any question fell free to either leave a comment or contact me through e-mail.

-Laurie

I can see clearly

2011-10-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

I am not sure if it is the getting the upstairs bathroom done, but my house finally feels cohesive.

When I started out, I knew the feel of what I wanted, and I had a vision. But the scattered projects here and there made my final vision hard too see.

But I can say, with confidence, my vision is becoming clearer.

The rooms no longer feel disjointed.

I no longer have to explain how something will change to make it fit together.

When working on projects here and there that is one of the down falls. But soon you reach the point where you can see it all coming together.

And it feels good.

It feels like Home.

I still have many projects to finish, and many tweaks to make.

So there is much more to come at Little Blue Chairs. Thank you for taking the journey with me.

-Laurie

When a simple thank you will do

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

I need to stop apologizing and just say Thank You.

Sometimes I don't understand what comes over me, and why I find it so hard to take a compliment. I know I am not alone on this one, but really, I need to stop doing it.

It dawned on me today, that when I talk down a compliment, I am being rude. I am basically telling them that they don't know what they are talking about. And all they were doing was being kind and taking time out of their day to say something nice to me. All I needed to say was "Thank You".

I blame it on my Scandinavian roots; to be self-effacing. I mean after all, the worst thing is to have is an over inflated sense of self.

Elina Brotherus-source

I am sure there is more to it and if I went to my therapist I could ferret out all my deep seated insecurities, but until then this is something I will confront, head on, and try to change.

I do this, in hopes of not looking smug or being perceived as a braggart. Yes, I am proud of my work, and I love sharing my projects. I am also aware that not everyone can do what I do, but I know there are many skills that others have where I do not. So, when I try and talk down a compliment, what I am really trying to say is...

"I am no better than you." & "You should have seen all the mistakes it took to get here."

And deep down I am thinking-

"Oh My God, they think I have it all together"

And I am screaming, in my head-

"No, No, I don't"

The funny thing is, I know they are not thinking any of that, they are just saying- "Hey, you done good, I am impressed, keep at it"

So how does one take a compliment and be humble at the same time?

I say a simple Thank You to you- Thank you for coming to Little Blue Chairs and supporting what I do.

-Laurie 

Bathroom revealed- The hole is gone

2011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

I can't tell you how relieved I am to have this bathroom project done.

I will admit this project was not as pleasurable as projects in the past. Not because I am unhappy with the out come, but more because I have felt rushed through almost all of it. I felt pressure to start it because of a toilet leak, and then felt pressure to get it done, because I finally realized my husband is actually coming back home and he is going to be here in less than 2 weeks. Yay!! (Yes I am dancing ont he inside, with this news).

Here it is, our finished upstairs bathroom.

Pretty, isn't it.

For a refresher, here is the before picture.

Blah!!!!

Oh and that big hole I carved out of the wall?

It now looks like this...

Can you believe it? I can barely believe it, but I love it.

So let me show you the rest.

Over the toilet, I took down a shelf-cubbyhole-thingy and replaced it with a left over picture from the master bedroom and a revamped shelf from the basement. Talk about re-purposing!

I soon found out I had a bird theme going on in here. On the shelf I have a enameled bird box my hubby sent from Afghanistan as well as the bird picture. I also purchased some bird hooks.

I found them on Ebay for $5.99. I just couldn't resist.

And you may have noticed, I brought a lot of yellow in here. And I love it, even after my protestation of hating the color yellow. I guess I don't hate yellow after all, at least not as an accent color.

The curtain fabric was my colorful inspiration, and I didn't just stop at the wall and the fabric. Nope I left the biggest pop as a secret surprise.

Yep inside the medicine cabinet, I mixed some chalk board paint in a shocking pink. That'll wake you up in the morning. Also, what a great way to send messages to the kids.

Another theme in the bathroom is the chalkboard walls. Yes, all the walls are painted in a chalkboard paint. I want my kids to be interactive with the bath, and I can still wipe it all down when we have adult guests.

Here I placed the initial of our next guests above the towel hooks.

I think I touched almost every surface in this space, barring the floor and tile. The bathroom now fits in to the feel of our house. Too bad I don't get to use it every day.

Next I will talk about how I tackled that hole, and what my solution was...

-Laurie

Gallery Wall Give Away Winner

2011-10-01T10:18:00.000-04:00

And the winner is....

Jennasaid...: I follow you via Google reader! :)

I want to thank everyone who entered. Remember to check back, I will have another Give Away in October.

No off I go to finish my bathroom project. I am hoping to have this done so I can share it with you on Monday.

-Laurie

My Grandmother's hope chest

2011-09-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

All my life my Mom has had her Mother's hope chest in their bedroom. It was a piece that I had always admired, and I was lucky enough to inherit it 15 years ago when we I moved to Washington.

When I got the piece the top veneer was cracking and peeling, and in my haste, I tore up the veneer. But, I was not able to get it all off. And what I was left with was...

Basically, a big ugly mess. And I lived with this for 15 years. I would usually but a blanket on top, but it never really worked out. It always looked to me like I was hiding something. And I was.

I am not really sure what prompted me to finally get around to getting the broken veneer off, I mean I have been wanting to for 15 years, but one night I decided, tonight is the night.

I got out the iron and got to work.

I used some fabric to protect the wood, and set my iron to steam. The heat allowed the glue to release and I was able to pry up the offending veneer.

Ah much better. Now I have a clean slate.

I now had 2 options. One being to paint the chest, and believe me this would be a great piece to paint, but I am going to proceed with option 2, which is to just darken the top and leave the rest alone.

I felt it was important to leave it alone. I am happy that the stain is uneven, it makes it look a bit more natural and aged. And here it is being temporarily used as my nightstand.

I can't believe it took me 15 years to make this simple change.

-Laurie

Give Away Reminder

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, where has September gone? I can't believe it is already the last week of the month. Have you been busy?

I just wanted to remind you that I will be closing my Gallery Wall Package Give Away on the 30th. If you haven't already entered make sure that you do. It is actually a low entry give away, so you have a great chance of winning- Pop over here to get your entry in.

-Laurie

Progress Report

2011-09-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

I spent the day yesterday playing around with power tools. I don't have many, but I used what I had, which was basically my chop saw and my jig saw.

What was I working on? Well, I was puzzling out the shelves of the bathroom hole.

I am far from finished, but I thought I would post up the progress...

Yes!! The shelves are in!

It still looks rough at this point, but I am so thrilled to have gotten here. I am hoping to have it completed by the weekend. I have many little projects and organizing that must be done over the next 3 weeks, because my hubby is coming back home in 3 weeks! So, now I am in a mad dash to clean up the house and prepare for his homecoming.

-Laurie

My little hand stitching pillow project

2011-09-26T07:41:00.000-04:00

Look at the cute little pillow I made.

Isn't it adorable? I kinda like it, and I like that I did all by myself.

It all started with a scrap of fabric, which was left over from lining my bathroom curtains.

And some inspiration from a fabulous little book.

source-Amazon

It was really an easy project, It took me a couple of evenings to complete, but what better way is there to pass the time while vegging out in front of the TV?

Once I found the images I wanted to use and enlarged them on my printer, I simply used tracing paper and transferred the image to the fabric.

From here I selected the embroidery floss in the colors I wanted to use. I chose 3 shades of blue and one in a peachy-red. And just started stitching away. I mainly used a whipped back-stitch.

Of course I couldn't leave the back undone...

I thought it might be cute to just trace out lines with random spacing. This is what I ended up with...

Then I just used the sewing machine and stitched them together. Of course putting right sides together. I took apart a spare throw pillow and used that stuffing for the new pillow.

And finally the end project.

I really didn't over stuff the pillow, in fact, I purposely under stuffed it. I wanted it to feel like it has been around for a while.

I am thinking it will be perfect for the guest room. That is if I ever get the guest room project started.

So what do you think?

-Laurie

Guest at Primitive & Proper

2011-09-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

Today I am guest posting over at Primitive & Proper. Please pop in and see what is up.

If you are not familiar with Primitive & Proper, you must comet take a look at the wonderful furniture pieces Cassie has worked on. She is one amazing girl.
-Laurie

Bathroom progress: The window coverings

2011-09-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

My bathroom project had been on hold for many, many months. The main hold up was not really having an inspiration and also not knowing what I was going to do for window coverings. And I think the window coverings was the biggest stumbling block.

I knew I had some very specific needs and wants when it came to covering the window in the bathroom. The main one being the issue of privacy. No one wants to have the feeling of letting it all hang out while using the bathroom, and the lay out of our bathroom poses a very specific problem and that is a low window directly next to the toilet. As you see below.

That window is 25 inches from the floor- now go ahead and measure 25" up form your toes. Yep, you got that right, when you stand up you are flaunting your everything to the neighborhood. Oh and to make matters worse, that bathroom window faces the front of the house and the street.

So it is a no brainer that some sort of window covering is needed. And life would be so much easier if I could just put up a curtain, blind or even a shade and call it a day.

But wait, if privacy was the only issue that would be the route I would go. The other big issue I have is light. I crave sunlight in my house. I think I am still making up for my lack of sunlight from the years of living in Washington state. I was crushing and dreaming of shutters, upper and lower shutters that you can operate independently.

source- House Beautiful

But after taking a few measurements, I found out the toilet tank is too high to allow the shutters to open and close. Curses to you toilet, Errrr!

So that left me with cafe curtains, which I love. Really I do, but I was kind of hoping for something different. But cafe curtains it will be.

So now that I have overcome the physical barriers of the window I now needed to confront all the other obstacles. The main occupants of the room are a young brother and sister, and sometimes friends and family who join us for extended visits. Which adds up to a room needing to be young and fun and yet not to juvenile and I needed to make sure the room was not too feminine (my own personal issue).

I knew my kids had decided on a color they liked, aqua. And I knew I wanted a retro print, but that was really all I knew. I kept my eyes open and I stumbled across the fabric in a quilt shop in Minnesota. I knew it was the one right when I saw it.

I wanted to change the proportion of the cafe curtain- meaning not having it right at the center of the window, but instead having it longer so it closed off most of the window, but still let in the light.

But when I got them installed, I knew they were not right. They didn't let in enough light, and the proportion was off (not full enough for the length). I just wasn't happy. But then I decided to go ahead and make a second cafe curtain with the fabric I purchased for the shower curtain.

And that is where I found my perfect window coverings-

And my inspiration for the room-

 -Laurie

Bathroom Progress: The Medicine Cabinet

2011-09-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

As soon as I painted the walls, I knew I had to do something about the medicine cabinet. I have always hated the honey stained wood. It was just never me, but since I painted the vanity, I knew I couldn't paint the mirror. I needed to have a wood tone somewhere in the room.

I had and idea, I was not sure it wold work, but hey, my motto is give it a try and if it is a fail then you can always paint it.

I thought, what if I sanded down the wood and put on a darker stain? My problem is my sander broke, and I wasn't sure I could get down far enough with a simple piece of sand paper. Also, I refused to take the mirror out of the wall.

Well, long story short. I did sand it, and added Jacobean stain and I then Easy- Easy Lemon-Peasie, all done. And I even like the result.

What really surprised me was when my 7 year old mentioned how much she liked the darker tone of the wood. I think those were her exact words "tone of the wood". She has been hanging around me a bit too much lately.

And if you are still wondering, Yes, I am still ignoring the big hole in the wall.

-Laurie

Remember, if you haven't already signed up for my Gallery Wall Give Away, you still have time, just pop over here and enter.

The hole in the wall

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

It all began with that hole in the wall. A hole in the wall...? Shouldn't be there at all!. (Bonus points if you know the reference)

Nope it should not be there. And I realize when I said I didn't know what to do with the hole, I was not as clear as I could have been. My lack of vision is not on the what, but the how.

The space is small- only 11.5 inches wide and 15 inches deep at the longest point. The wall itself is a 45 degree angle from the other walls, and inside there is a stud that is at an angle to that wall. Initially, I was hoping to just take out the stud, but I soon discovered the drywall to the stairwell is attached to that stud, and messing with it would open a can of worms I am not willing to deal with.

The other option would be to drywall the space, but I am ruling that one out because of the lack of space I would be left with. I am aware that by not using drywall, I will be creating a wacky space, but in the end I want to maximize my storage.

Here are a couple of pictures to try and show you what I am up against...

And did I mention I need to install a door in the back to access the plumbing? No, well that is another issue I need to figure out.

***WARNING***
Now if you are a carpenter, or have actual knowledge on how this is done, you may wish to stop reading this post, as I will not be following proper procedures.

In the end I am treating this as a big puzzle- I think I have it worked out what needs to happen, I am just trying to figure out what order will work best. I have gone to the hardware store today and got the remainder of my supplies, and hope to get started on it this week. I am sure it will be done all wrong, but it is what I am going to do.

Now I know that this may be a big FAIL- and I have a back up plan if that is indeed the case. Please note, I was reluctant to share my thought process on this, and I am hoping that you are kind in your responses. For me this is a learning experience- the good, the bad and the whole ball of wax

-Laurie

I bought my tickets

2011-09-19T18:04:00.000-04:00

OK, so I have done it. I purchased tickets to Blissdom 2012!

http://www.blissdomconference.com/

I am totally excited and completely freaked out.

Who else is going? have you gone before? What do I need to know? Help a girl out.

-Laurie

Bathroom Progress: The Walls

2011-09-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

So, as I mentioned yesterday, The toilet is out, and I know I have to paint the wall before I reassemble the unit. But should I paint the walls when I haven't even thought about how to fix this?

Well, my answer was yes. Hurricane Irene was coming, and I wanted the toilet back in place before she hit. I had the paint and I would just have to deal with the hole later.

Remember back when Glidden was giving away free quart samples? Well, I still had mine, in Teal Lake, but I wasn't sure I was going to have enough to paint all the walls. It was going to be close, but I wanted to stretch it, so I added a bit of white and a bit of black. And in the end I ended up with this color, a toned down version of Teal Lake...

It is a pretty aqua, not too bright, but still fun and energetic. But my big idea was to paint all the walls in a custom chalkboard paint color.

I know that chalkboard paint is old news, but, honestly, my kids still think it is a neat. Not to mention it is a inexpensive way to add some whimsy and when we have guests I just wipe down the walls and they are back to being more adult-like.

To make the chalkboard paint, I added 2 tablespoons of non-sanded grout per cup of paint.

And mixed well, it has a thicker consistency with the grout added.

I found it nice to work with, however, it does not store well, so I just mixed what I was going to use.

I also decided to paint the vanity cabinet.

I haven't added the hardware, and I am not sure I am 100% sold on the white, but that is where it is at.

And the hole????

Well, it is still there.

I just painted around it. I know, it doesn't make any sense, but like I said this is the Illogical Bathroom Update.
-Laurie

You still have time to enter my September Giveaway.

Who needs logic?

2011-09-18T06:30:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned before how I go about things backwards, I often take the round-about way to get to a solution versus the most logical, straight forward route. This is not restricted to my decorating, but to life in general. I am usually all over the map in my thinking. It is just how I am put together.

But sometimes, even my random routes throw me for a loop. Specifically, I am talking about my bathroom project. The bathroom that has been sporting a big hole since January.

The Hole came out of my curiosity. The curiosity of what was behind the wall and wondering if there was enough room to carve out some additional storage. Clearly there is space that can be added, but that is where I stopped. I had no idea how I was going to go about creating the new storage space and, in fact, had no immediate plans to figure it out. Also, I was at a lack of inspiration for this room, and if I have learned anything (especially with this bathroom) it is not worth going forward until you are inspired! So there it sat.

It sat waiting for any kind of inspiration to come: Inspiration for an over all look, feel, color, idea....Really anything. Well, then I had a spark, a kernel of an idea, a way to keep this room fun for the kids and yet mature enough for guest. It is our main bathroom after all. But I was not completely sure if it would work.

I let the kids pick a color, and surprisingly, they both agreed on one. They both loved a Tiffany Blue-like color. Great, but I wanted the right fabric to help, which I stumbled across in a quilt shop in Minnesota- Yay! (still had no idea how they would look or if I bought enough, but I will worry about that later).

But where I was going to from there I wasn't sure, so I let it mellow. I was going to let it mellow until I got the big INSPIRATION, but then then the toilet started to leak, and that made me get my butt in gear, a leaky toilet is never good and needs attention, leaving me with the perfect opportunity to paint that hard to reach area behind the tank.

That was how the bathroom project got started, by sheer dumb luck and circumstances. I wish I could tell you it is completed, but, nope, it is still in a half finished state. And, Yes,the hole is still in the wall.

-Laurie

Embrace your colors

2011-09-14T08:35:00.001-04:00

I have been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so today I thought I would share with you one of my favorite posts from the past about embracing colors you love.

And don't forget to enter in the gallery wall give away

I talked in general about My Style-the Lived in Look. Kind of sketching out what it is and what I do. I am doing this in hope to help show how my brain works (warning...not always straight and logical) and maybe explain why things happen the way they do here at Little Blue Chairs.

Today, I want to take a closer look at one aspect I consider hugely important in creating my home. The use of color. I believe, that once you understand your core colors you are on the right track to create a home that will evolve with you over time. Not a home where you will feel in need of a total revamp every 5 or so years. Follow me on how I discovered my colors...

I like color. I have always liked a wide range of color and new color combinations. However, I do have a on-going internal struggle with room color schemes. And, I am sure I'm not the only one. Remember the post I wrote on My Love of White vs. My Love of Color. I wish I could live in a all white room, but know I will gravitate back to certain colors, over and over again. If I had to put money on it, I would bet most people do as well. And, I am here to shout out that everyone should embrace their colors. This is not about being an Autumn or a Fall, or what colors look best on you. No, instead this is about learning the colors you are attracted to and using them to your advantage when decorating your home.

My basic color is blue. I have always liked blue. When I go to a paint display (and I am there often) I first look at all those pretty pretty blues.

And then I force myself to take in all the other colors as well.

When I look back on it, I can definitely see a pattern in selecting the color blue. When I was 10, I was able to select my bedroom carpet and I choose a bold, cobalt blue. And that was just the start of it, many other things over the years have ended up blue as well.... cars, prom dress, wedding colors, clothing and most recently my kitchen cabinets (yes, I will get a new reveal up soon, I promise). I mean I even selected blue to paint the treasured chairs I inherited from my grandmother (and hence the name of my blog). I feel comfortable in saying my favorite color is blue.

But don't stop there. I mean we all have more than one color we are attracted to. It would be pretty boring if that wasn't true. When I talk about embracing your colors, I am talking about your "core colors". The 2-4 colors you always gravitate to, the ones that pull you in.

In my case, as much as I love blue, I know I could not live with out the color red. Big, bold, warm red. I can not walk away from it, it is like crack to me. I have a hard time not choosing red, especially in accessories. I love red- phones and purses, red serving pieces and coffee mugs, red sweaters and coats. I even a red prom dress (yes I went twice). Don't show me orange, I don't get it, but I am all over red.

source

And I would be neglectful if I didn't mention my love of White. Crisp, clean, beautiful white. I dream of white, I mean I literally dream of white. White flowers, white rooms, white dresses. I especially love white trim and white linens. **swoon**

source

So in the end blue, red and white are my go to colors (but never in a patriotic scheme). I dabble in other colors, and for awhile I only bought things in pink, but I did eventually go back to red and blue. I always do. It is like a compulsion sometimes. I use to fight my love the of red. To me red was always so bold, and so in your face. I wasn't sure how to put it in a room with out screaming "Look at me, I am RED!" I wanted to shun red out of my life. But, I kept buying things in red, and red started to just show up in places here and there. I finally learned I will always be attracted to red, and learned to embrace it. I sometimes make a big red statement, and other times I need to tone it down, but I have just accepted that red is here to stay.

Other mistakes I have made, over the years, include, selecting a purple China pattern, which never gets dispalyed because it never really matches anything else I have.

Or the big sage green chair I bought to go with my earth toned living room. I am currently in the middle of making a slipcover to help blend it into my new colors. I love the shape, but tired of the green. (This was in my fighting blue stage)

Knowing your colors is one step in developing a look that will evolve nicely over time to create that lived in look.

I am not saying you will never use other colors, because you can and will. Take my past uses of colors. The following are all color schemes I am currently using or have used in the past. (The first color is the main color, followed in order of prominence)

Yellow, white, red, blue and gray.
Pink, red and white (no blue)
Aqua, white and red
Mocha, sage green, brown w/ red accents (no blue, white in trim only)
Red and white w/ sage accents (no blue)
Gray-blue, lavender and white (no red)
Gray, white and black (no blue or red)
Navy, yellow and red (no white)
Sky blue and white (no red)

As you can see, sometimes I use all the colors in a variation of shades, or sometimes I remove one color altogether and replace it with something new. There are millions of color combinations out there to experiment with. Latley I have been loving the plummy-purples, and if I decide to go for it, I will put away my beloved red accessories and bring in some more temporary pieces in the plum tones. And when I tire of the plum, I can donate those items and bring back the red.

I hope by describing my journey with colors I have inspired you to seek out yours and embrace them. By working with your core colors you can easily evolve your spaces and not feel like you need to do a total revamp every 5-10 years. This is one of the goals I am working to acheive in my own home.

I don't believe that anyone else can pick your colors for you, it is personal and will vary from person to person. Personally, I find it exciting and freeing once you have embraced your colors. Take a look back and see what you discover.

Until next time....

-Laurie

The start of the bathroom update...

2011-09-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to tackle the main bathroom for months, but I had been waiting, and waiting for everything to line up and be the right time. But, sometimes waiting for the right time is just not possible.

After returning from our vacation, I soon realized a small leak between the tank and the bowl. I decided I needed to fix this leak. So off came the tank...

Fixing the leak was a quick and easy fix, I just needed to replace the gasket. But since the tank is off, I might as well use this opportunity to paint that hard to reach spot. -Boom, bathroom update in the house!

I am still in the process of working on this space- I am all over the map with this project. Things have not following any sort of logic, but I guess that is how I roll.

I will have more on this project throughout the week.

-Laurie

Oh- and don't forget to enter in my Sept Gallery wall give-away. I have very low entries at the moment.

Button holes are in the shower curtain

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Well, after blogging about hand sewing the button holes on my shower curtain, I sat down and did it.

In the past I have tried to use the button hole function on my machine, and just failed miserably. So, I am thinking that may be one of the reasons I wanted to try this route.

The holes are just large enough for the hooks to go through, and I used embroidery floss for extra strength.

When the hooks are in place, the actual button hole is not visible, so my handiwork will not even be seen.

(This is actually a better shot of the color)

Oh well. It was a relaxing activity in a week that has been very stressful. I have not gotten them installed, but I will show you next week when they are up.

-Laurie

sewing buttonholes by hand??

2011-09-08T10:15:00.000-04:00

I may be crazy.

I just got the fabric for my shower curtain and I am contemplating hand sewing the button holes.

Am I crazy to do that? I am not sure, but I am thinking I would like that extra detail of hand craft.

If I am going to create my own shower curtain, shouldn't I make the extra effort? I have never hand sewn a button hole before. That is usually enough of a challenge for me to say, yep, give it a try.

In the end, I am sure I could have bought a perfectly fine shower curtain for less time and effort. But, in general, I usually do not like the ones available in the lower price ranges, and I certainly won't pay more than $35 for a shower curtain. Also, making mine, ensures me a one of a kind look for the bath, and I like that.

I will admit that finding fabric wide enough is a challenge, but I think I found the right fabric. Here is a sneak peak, along with the window fabric.

-Laurie

2011-09-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

School has started here in MD- Yahoo! That means we are going to slammed with art pieces from the children- especially since our youngest is in Kindergarten, and if I remember correctly, Kindergarten is all about the art.

You may remember my solution to my kids art....My art wall.

I wanted to take a snap shot of how it is today at the beginning of the school year and see how it will evolve.

When I initially installed it, I did not have enough art and it looked a bit bare...

But, I had the vision of it filling up and covering the whole wall, overlapping and just being an explosion of kid creativity.

And less than 18 months later, my vision is coming closer to fulfillment.

I am sure, soon, I will not have a spare inch.

-Laurie

If you haven't already done so make sure you enter my September gallery wall give-away

The ever evolving home

2011-09-06T09:30:00.000-04:00

I have decided my house is going to be dubbed the ever evolving home, because I keep adding, tweaking and changing things up.

Today I want to highlight a few of the new items that have made their way into my kitchen and dining room.

The Berrgren Coffee pot is one of the things I nabbed from my parents house. I will admit, I had forgotten all about this pot, until I pulled it out of my mothers buffet. But as soon as I saw it, I had a flood of memories from my childhood. I was the coffee pot that my Grandmother used, and reminds me of my Grandfather sipping his coffee with a sugar cube in his teeth. Have I mentioned my Grandparents were super Swedish?

Also, I thought the colors were perfect for my kitchen.

To go along with the coffee theme, I have moved my coffee in to a glass container on my counter.

I was concerned about having my coffee exposed, but according to the barrista at Starbucks, as long as the ground coffee is at room temperature and in an air tight container, it is all good. I am all about having things as accessible as possible, but not only accessible but visually pleasing. Funny how something as simple as coffee in a glass jar can make a happy morning.

I also added a sugar container and a crock to hold my powdered milk, which along with my Starbucks syrup is my coffee staple.

I loved the shape of the sugar shaker. I just couldn't pass it up. I am sure it was originally for Parmesan cheese at a pizzeria, but I don't eat that much Parmesan, so I am using it for sugar. Again, Useful + Pretty = Happy

There is another theme in the new kitchen items, and that is Scandinavia. This summer I stumbled upon an unusual Aebelskiver pan at an antique shop, so I bought it.

The pan in the front is the new pan. The one behind was my Grandmother's. Aebelskiver's are little hollow danish pancakes, they are a little time consuming to make so they are more of a special occasion meal. I made my first batch this past January, and I will try again this year.

I also made a minor find at Ikea to help dress up the dining room chairs.

I wasn't looking for seat cushions, but for $4.99 per cushion I didn't walk by them. I think they add a bit of softness to the chairs. Happy.

Well, that is it. That is a little sample of how things start to evolve in my house. I don't like to bring in too many things at once, instead, when I find things I love they sort of just find their way, and then stay.

-Laurie

If you haven't already done so make sure you enter my September gallery wall give-away

Happy Labor Day

2011-09-05T10:48:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday.

Don't forget to enter in the Gallery Wall Give-away I am hosting this month for my followers, old and new.

-Laurie