In Case You Were Wondering...

This is what I have been doing this month.

And make no mistake, I am not above bragging. :-D

Crafts and re-do's to follow!

Showin' Some HomeGoods Love

Yes, we all love the awesome re-do.

Of course.

I'm not going to argue with you.

But where would we be without some inspiration?

Enter in one of my favorite stores: HomeGoods. Don't know what it is? Well, go look for one! Think of a Marshalls or TJ Maxx or Ross or ... (you get the point,) where everything inside is ONLY stuff for your house. Home decor, pots and pans, dishes, bath towels, FURNITURE, mirrors, aNyThInG. Magic.

Here are some pix of some things I fell in love with at the most recent HomeGoods that opened up fairly close to home... (oh the danger!)

Some Parisian love!

Is this buffet not to-die-for??

Love!

These are my mom's colors. I just had to put them on here.

Again, just amazing.

OK, are you officially convinced? They had a ton more, but I was trying to edit. Hope you enjoyed!!!

Curtains

Sorry for the huge delay. It seems my day-time job has taken it's toll and I'm officially restricted in the amount of time I can throw into projects. That being said, I have started and actually completed some curtains that I would love to show you. :)

So the colors in my current living room are this relatively bright blue and some browns. Not my ideal, but hey, I didn't purchase one bit of furniture. (Thank you landlord and roomies!) So I found a blue toile that I loved, (I've always loved toile.) But when you live with 3 men, you can't use an ultra-feminine fabric like toile. So enter in geometric brown and blue patterns and voila!

What do you think??

Bar Stools Before and After

So the other day I finally went and bought a ton of fabric, (thank you Joann's Fabrics Columbus day sale.) Here is project number one.

Enter in boring, stained bar stool.

Hello New Fabric!

I couldn't stand to do all my bar stools the same way, so I have the stripes going both horizontally and vertically. Thought it would add more appeal. I have 4 of them all together, so I feel the vertical and horizontal even out. :-)

BTW, I love using my staple gun.

What about you guys? What's your favorite tool to work with? Or favorite project to work on?

In Honor of Columbus Day...

I bring you a crocheting project that has been months in the making. I am finally able to post it because I was finally able to GIVE it to the recipient this past week. Yay!

So let's check it out. A little boy's sweater, a sailor cardigan, crocheted by yours truly. (The pattern was from the book entitled "Crochet for Babies.")

My favorite part about this cardigan (other than it's obvious cute-ness) is the details.

Love it! What do you guys think? Ever tried your hand at the needle-arts? ;-) No worries though, I should be back to re-upholstering and re-doing furniture in no time! I have lots of projects in the works... Blessings!

*Dying*

Not in the bad way.

In the Rachel Zoe kind of way.

"I die."

I think I'm obsessed with furniture and fabric the way Rachel Zoe is obsessed with fashion. Who knows, maybe.

But after looking at tons of pictures online today... I think I found some of my inspiration picto's. Aka pictures. Keep up with the MrsK-slang people!

Enter in linen and burlap.... and the amazing Aidan Gray.

Did you know I want to do a bench soon??

And as the grand finale... Enter in Restoration Hardware...

I think Aidan Gray will be my personal interior decorator in heaven. Or even better, maybe we both work at Restoration Hardware together!

I'm just loving the laid-back style of using linens all over the place. And I'll admit when I saw chairs that were made with grain sacks and the like a few months ago I thought it was crazy. Now I'm seeing these pictures and I'm insanely in love with them. And the idea of linen drapes... my word, I think the heavens have opened up my mind! Needless to say, I am more than dying, and loving every second of it.

Plus I think I just fell in love with a $4,000 couch. Just don't tell my husband!

Fabric Angst

So you might read other *wonderful* blogs that give you straight before-and-afters, and while I am in love with them... I've decided this blog is just not one of them.

For instance, today I am going to share with you the angst I get when I am trying to undergo a project.

Lately the angst has largely come in fabric form. Boo on fabric. Specifically, boo on fabric from fabric.com. Yep, you heard me, I just bashed the website that sells the most inexpensive fabric out there... and gives you free shipping. Why? Because my past two orders have not been fulfilled because the quantities of fabric they show on their website is NOT ACCURATE. Basically, if you see that a fabric has 15 yards of fabric or less... it means that by the time they come around to processing your order IT WON'T BE THERE. Boogers. I can't tell you how upset I was about these facts.

Twice I was stabbed in the heart...

First by a beautiful yellow jacquard that I planned to make curtains out of and the show you pictures of my beautiful living room.

Then by an amazing textured, cream-colored fabric for a chair re-do...

But instead. Here are my projects. Left abandoned. Waiting...

The Undressed Living Room

The Dingy Old Chair

Boogers, I guess I just have to stop being so cheap and refusing to pay more than like $5-7 a yard on amazing quality fabric that would have literally cost me at least $20-40 a yard at a Joann's fabric anyday. I guess I have to up my price to about $9-11 a yard...

Do I?

Maybe I'll just forego all of that and return to Target, where I found the fabric for these beautiful chairs. They turned out just fine didn't they??

But seriously, all of you who are out there in blog land... Please offer some help. Specifically for the Dingy Old Chair. I don't know what to do... the logical woman in me says "find a neutral colored fabric to re-upholster it in so you can have it forever, no matter what color you decide to change your decor to." The other side says, "Are you kidding? Have fun with it! Pick two different fabrics, mix and match! Go Big or Go HOME!!!" What do you think?? Anybody??

Etsy Fun!

Sorry for the delay, ( I was going to post this yesterday...) but I guess life just snuck up on me. (AKA my husband was home from work last night. Translation? I do nothing when my hubby is home. We just hang. smile!)

So I figure we'll feature some Etsy love. I just recently ordered a beautiful (handmade, custom) bag from Paulina Carcach!! I had been waiting what seemed like an eternity (honestly when you have to wait at all for something you really want doesn't it always seem like forever?) I received a package in the mail yesterday. Take a deep breath, you're going to want it before you squeal!

And because I'm becoming more and more like a girl the older I get... I asked her if I could have some bright colored feminine fabric...

Enter pink! ALLELUIA! (ppsssst! Can you see the dragon bag? Of course I did that on purpose! Silly!)

Needless to say, when I was able to make my first *big* expensive bag purchase I passed up the chance to buy a Coach bag (to the utter surprise of my mom,) to order from Paulina. Instead I have a classic amazing quality leather bag that was HAND-MADE for me at a fraction of the price of a Coach bag! And I was even able to have it customized! And let me tell you, my mom was GUSHING over the bag when she saw it. And now my only decision is... what color will my next Paulina bag be?? Because she has the most WONDERFUL selections of colored leather to chose from, EVER!!! :) Plus I'm super excited because when Paulina has a handbag line that is as big as Coach my customized Paulina bag is going to be worth mega-bucks. ;) I can just see myself now...

"Oh yes I have one of Paulina's first bags. It was hand-made by her. You know that's how she originally made all of her bags..." ;-)

I think I might make featuring Etsy profiles a regular THANG... not because people are paying me, but because I think it is IMPERATIVE that we give props to the other amazingly creative people out there who are also doing it on their own. And also because I have an Etsy shop that I am super in love with right now... That I'll wait to comment on until I have bought some scrumptuous things of my own. Until then... can you guess what I'm working on??

I'm an IDIOT!

I feel like such an idiot.

I just glanced at my comments and I was like "ok, I guess I'll just get rid of them."

And selected them all and DELETED THEM.

UGH! I'm a jerk-face. I thought I would just delete like the NOTIFICATION part of them on blogger... not delete the VERY FEW comments I actually have! I am currently heart-broken. I'll report back later with some things that make my heart go pitter-patter. Until then... boogers! :(

Dragon Bag Lady

I did a small little craft in preparation for my new handbag that is in the process of being hand-made from Etsy. (insert huge smile here!) It's from Paulina Carcach and I can't even tell you how excited I am about it.

Note about Etsy: SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW CREATIVE FOLK. BUY FROM THE LITTLE GUYS!

That being said, I have full hopes of treating my new purse like *gold,* shimmering *gold* to be specific. One way I am going to do this is that everything I put in my new purse I want to be in its own cosmetic case or something of the sort.

Thank you Design Sponge for this wonderful tutorial at the most perfect time.

Check out my Dragon Bag!!! :)

Get in the bag you miscellany that might ruin my new purse!

Taking White to a Whole New Level

Who doesn't love the basic before and after of taking a junky piece of run-down furniture, (like said side table,) and turning it into something classic and wonderful by updating the hardware and painting it white??

But for this DIY'er... it's not enough. After seeing a piece of furniture a while back at Home Goods (God, I love that store!) painted flat black with a stenciled high-gloss black design over it, I fell in love. But months passed and I forgot about the concept. In comes Bethany's BEAUTIFUL Kitchen re-do on Sawdust and Embryos... with an accent wall painted with (you guessed it!) a flat color with a hand-painted accent in the same color with a high gloss. Strokes of genius!

So this isn't any ordinary white re-do...

Because if you look a little closer...

You might find the gem of the subtle patterns painted in high-gloss. For those of you who enjoy elegance without the fuss of being too over-the-top. :)

::uber proud::

I think I officially have to quit my full-time job so I can do this all the time. And with more amazing colors. :)

What do you think? :) Have something you want to try this on? Have something you want ME to try this on? :)

I've had ENOUGH!

Of myself!

Being LAZY alllllll week.

It has to end.

TODAY!

After work I am going directly to Home Depot... I will not pass Go. I will not collect $200. I am going to Home Depot to buy a can of flat-white spray paint if it KILLS ME.

And hopefully, just hopefully...

I will be able to at least put a single coat on the primed nightstand that has been sitting outside on my balcony for a week. And maybe even start some of my fancy-shmancy detailing too...

Before people come over for the weekly hang-out at 6.

Yikes, 6??

Like 6 PM? TONIGHT??

And I have to clean too???

::prayingiwillmoveatwarpspeed::

WHOOSH!!!

The Unwritten, Unnamed Book

Some of you might know (giggles... who reads this blog anyway?) that at the beginning of the summer one of my goals was to write my book.

(Guttural laugh!)

How silly I was. I must be honest, I haven't been able to add to my book nearly as much as I want to. I know part of the reason is honestly because I try to do a bit of everything.

Want to see the trees I put up in my foyer?

How about the plate arrangement I have in my kitchen?

My chandelier and drapes I just hung up?

Not to mention the almost-finished garment I am crocheting, or the nightstand that I have primed, the sheets I have to return because I decided I am NOT using them for the curtains I want to make...

So to be honest, while writing is absolutely in my heart, (I seriously crave writing sometimes... like I know there is too much on my mind that I have to get out,) I absolutely have not had the intentional time of sitting down to write.

My poor book. You know it doesn't even have a name? Isn't that a sad thing for a book? It's like the unnamed puppy that needs to be loved and cared for so that it can become a loving, obedient dog. And it's as innocent (seeming) as a puppy, big eyes and all, looking back up at me from my computer screen saying "Please mommy, please come and love me."

Oh darling little (unnamed) book. I will take care of you soon sweetheart.

I just have to make a list and go grocery shopping... And I can't miss my favorite work-out class at 5:30 if I ever think I am going to lose weight. And I have to pick up a new can of spray paint so the primed nightstand outside doesn't bother the neighbors.... and pick up a new hook for the frame I painted... and do laundry... and make dinner...

All of a sudden I feel like I have officially orphaned my book... poor unwritten book.

Live and Learn: Go Big or FAIL

So after a long time.... aka MONTHS... I have finished the hand-tied spring chairs that I claimed as my first ever reupholstering project.

And guess what?

I HATE them. Great right? I finished them last night, and in my opinion they are completely terrible and awful.

But let's do an appropriate before and after.

And now... well, I hate them. Like I said. Why? Because the frame is bold, but the fabric is safe. The fabric does nothing for the piece. Nor does the fabric make the buttons pop at all. So now I am faced with a dilemma: either update the fabric and make it more graphic and bold or make the frame softer.

Boogers.

I am more than annoyed.

Moral of the story? Don't be afraid to go big... or seriously, GO HOME. So either go safe and soft throughout your piece, or go big and bold.

Any-who, look forward to another "before and after" within the next few days...

Nightstands

So in lieu of updating you about my original summer project: the chairs that I bought almost a year ago, I'm going to share with you a wonderfully finished project instead.

Just for the record, I feel like I can breath a sigh of relief when I say *finished* project. I mean seriously, thank the Lord! Those chairs have been taking the life out of me partially because I have extended the life of the project *much* past their prime.

Any-who, my husband and I recently moved into an awesome apartment. With a much bigger master bedroom, and we had NO bedroom furniture! So I wanted side tables. And I found this:

The most wonderful nightstand in the world! How fun! How different!!

How expensive!

OK, so I found a nightstand I loved, but couldn't bare to spend more money to buy the matching table... I figured, what the heck? I'll paint a table and do what they did. In a matching motif. That's gotta be cheaper, right??

Of course!

Enter in Before/After of nightstand Numero Uno:

But hey? Why am I paying for an expensive nightstand when I can just do it myself?? So back went the "inspiration" and in came the Before/After of nightstand Numero Duo.

And just to make it more girly, (i.e. more appropriate for MY side of the bed!) I went with a different motif.

Tah-dah! And here are a few close-ups of the details for those who care. The only thing I am sad about was how the color I picked to "match" my inspiration table ended up being a lighter than the original side table. Oh well, I still love them and am proud of my money-saving techniques, (and the new hardware! I love glass knobs and things!)

Yay for new nightstands!!!!!

Craigslist Chairs, Before and After!

Well this week has been a harrowing week to say the least. I have been spending it at my parent's house, helping them as they are away on vacation. And doing some amazing reupholstering projects!!! Sadly, the week has gone a bit slower than I initially thought it would, and I have not been able to finish all the projects that I wanted to ::cough, cough, chairs, cough, cough:: though I have picked up another set of chairs! Yikes! My husband looked at me in my face this past week when I was getting overwhelmed and said "You took too much on." Boooooo!! Can't I do it all? Who really needs to sleep??

Anyway so at the beginning of the week my little heart leapt in joy when I found these on Craigslist for $35. Despite some hesitations, (I knew this would totally make my week much more hectic taking them on,) I absolutely HAD TO HAVE THEM. I've seen too many cool chairs re-done like this on my favorite blogs like betterafter.blogspot.com and designsponge.com to pass them up. So here it is, my very own project! Yay for BEFORE AND AFTER!!

Honestly, the chairs were pretty awesome on their own. And as much as I absolutely LOVE to paint wood I can hear the little voice of my parents in my head "Why do you paint wood? Wood is so beautiful. " And this wood was in great condition, so I kept it. I just made the chairs more youthful. :)

It's all in the details! I heart tufting. I am always left devastated when somebody decides to nix the tufting on a before and after...

So for a first DIY upholstery job, I'm happy. They look great. Though I know I can do better. You know what that means right?? MORE CHAIRS TO COME! YAY!

Stay tuned for the next set of chairs... (ie the chairs I've previously posted about!)

For the record, I decided to paint those. AND I'm using springs and hand-tying them. Oh boy! Do you understand why my husband said I was overwhelming myself? LOL