10 creative ways to use bamboo in your house, on Bali Blinds: http://bit.ly/1pSMlnH
Friday, September 12, 2014
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
SWITCH - Back to School decor time!
i LOVE the idea of Back to School time. school supplies, new clothes and meeting the teacher are all high on my list of memory makers. at our house, it is another opportunity to SWITCH out the decor and get in the mood for fall. i focus on a color palette of red, black and white and add in some yellow where i can. year round, i am obsessed with letters, numbers, and vintage toys so this SWITCH just gives me an excuse to add MORE. and apples, you cannot forget the apples!
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| an inexpensive glass lidded jar is my "go to" every SWITCH. Back to School time finds it filled with wicker balls, vintage alphabet blocks, vending machine bouncy balls and a handful of red apples. |
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| a new month and new calendar on our CHALKBOARD! our daughter did a great job drawing it out and adding the colors she wanted to it. welcome SEPTEMBER! |
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| i LOVE this over sized red gingham runner i got for a great price @ pottery barn. the red and white checks are playful and contract with the dark wood. |
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| texture and scale are key to a harmonious tables cape. my walmart wine bucket filled with willow branches from my parents' stay in colorado contrasts to the bisque finish of the cake stand and its clear glass cloche'. balancing it off is a roll of rough upholstery webbing we got for pennies while on a trip to see my parents in california. |
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| a dollar section wire basket looks more expensive when tied with a chunky burlap ribbon and filled with crisp, red apples. |
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| every SWITCH, i change out all of the candles, napkins, tissue boxes and soap holders. i decided to spare you all of those pics! here is the SWITCH on the silver tray from restoration hardware we received as an anniversary gift from my folks. reinforcing the kraft color of the burlap on the dining table to this small vignette reinforces the Back to School color palette. the big red metal jack is from pottery barn kids. everyone thought they were odd when we got them in, so that meant i got it for super cheap! |
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| these vintage-look exercise pins from pottery barn were my first purchase from them. i bought these over 15 years ago when i moved into the house we still live in. have had them out every since! a kerr jar full of willow branch crayons is an added surprise. |
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| our side table gets a Back to School update with a change of vases and the addition of a 'lil red wagon from pottery barn kids. |
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| the fireplace mantel my hubby redid gets a blast of red from a tuscan style vase filed with over-sized straw flowers. the two apples are hand carved wood. |
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| our daughter is 12 now, but every time i suggest we pack up her basket of toys on the hearth, she tells me "not yet." the PIX STIX, rubix cube and red wooden marionette doll were mine when i was a girl. |
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| this basket full of vintage games are all from my childhood in MICHIGAN. my parents kept all these games for over 20 years and moved them lovingly from state to state. the best part? none of the pieces are missing so when my daughter and i play them, it's like being a kid all over again! |
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| every Back to School SWITCH includes an ode to that year's grade. this time 7th grade. i use my kitchen window as the canvas and added apple decals and stick-on scrapbook letters. the numbers over my sink are from home depot and are clipped onto a stretch of twine. total cost? under $15 for the entire numbers garland. |
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| inexpensive jars from IKEA got some numbers added to them for fun. jar 3 stays the same, filled with dog cookies for our puppies. the other jars' contents get changed out with each SWITCH. |
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| this SWITCH is less about the decorating and more about the memories it conjures. a keepsake from every grade makes its way to our fridge..... |
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| and this one, perhaps my favorite of all, marks the end of 1st grade from a special teacher. |
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Sure, twist my arm!
three weeks ago today, our 12 year old daughter started Middle School. Middle School brings a flood of emotions to all who think about it, either because of their own memories of it, or because of the realization that High School is knocking on the door. the school our daughter is attending is amazing in many ways, one of which hits close to home, or in my case, HEART. in a sea of schools that have cut fine arts from their curriculum, this school teaches it. not as an elective, but as a REQUIREMENT. so this weekend, when she asked for some help studying for her upcoming Studio Arts 1 exam, i had to make myself count to 5 before i jumped at the chance. Sure, twist my arm! now, where to start......
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| Elements of Art = the tools to make art. I love this because it reminds me of the 70's. |
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| Principles of Design = how to use the tools to make art. |
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| Modern day versions! |
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| Our daughter's first date with paint! She had just turned 2 and yes, I still have the paint handprints on our kitchen cabinets 10 years later! |
Monday, August 25, 2014
Gallery Wall Refresh. Step Two: add the "gallery!"
the chalkboard wall is a HUGE hit! we love having the dramatic strip of black add graphic impact to our once just white wall. now, adding back in the gallery wall frames. follow our photos below to see the fun transformation.
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| adding a horizontal line helped us know the lowest point we wanted our gallery items to extend. we used the height of the table determine this line. hubby evenly taped it off so i could see it and help remind me of where to stop placing the templates. |
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| our previous wall had all square and rectangle frames and one round, red plate we were given as a gift. for the Refresh, we edited out some frames, removed the red plate, and starting looking around for some circular pieces to add some variety and dynamic space. |
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| after searching here and there, we found the circular shapes we were looking for. two mirrors found on sale @ KOHL's. we thought we would use just one, but the two complemented the geometric shapes so much better than just one. using construction paper templates, we played with a variety of layouts. making the frames work together was not easy! balancing out the frames shapes, the mats colors and the colors in the photographs was a welcomed challenge. |
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| placing the two mirrors first, we started adding in the frames. the photographs on our gallery wall have three main themes: our daughter, our wedding and my parents' wedding. there are also three mat types: white mats, linen mats, or no mats. 3's in design always work well. |
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| pics of our daughter! such adorable pics of her from about 10 years ago. |
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| some of our treasured wedding pics. and yes, my dress was made of a gorgeous red dupioni silk. |
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| a shot from the right side. |
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| a shot from the left side. |
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| the start of the whole wall - a shadow box from Pottery Barn filled with swatches of fabrics, feathers and our favor. an anniversary gift from me to hubby to celebrate our first year of wedded bliss. |
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| love the shot of me and hubby during our first dance as mr. and mrs. |
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| VIOLA! the finished wall.... mirrors added to the gallery wall given it dynamic space and visual interest. the best part? our beloved photographs seem refreshed and renewed!
Sources:
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Thursday, August 21, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Gallery Wall Refresh. Step One: add a CHALKBOARD WALL!
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| the blank wall once all the frames were taken down and a fresh coat of paint was added |
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| so much measuring and planning for such a small area... worth it in the end! the 3 tape dots in the middle is where the 3 hooks we have will hang. |
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| my hubby is the best. the painting has started! |
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| i was so excited i got up at 5 am to take a peak. |
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| VIOLA! the chalkboard + 3 hooks + 3 round porcelain tags = HEAVEN. the paper templates to the right are designs we are playing with for the "new" gallery wall. stay tuned for more creative fun! |
Saturday, August 9, 2014
BEAUTIFUL dahlias - a fave of mine ..... and one of my fave blogs - http://www.athomeinlove.com/
At Home in Love added 4 new photos.
Talking about dahlias today! I'm obsessed with the big cafe au lait ones. What's your favorite flower? http://www.athomeinlove.com/dazzling-dahlias/
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