Monochromatic Dynamic

Happy Friday

2012-02-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe you'll enjoy starting your weekend off with this terribly shot video I recorded in the ASU Art Museum. I really enjoyed the "desert whimsy" of this piece.

"The Last Dance" by Dennis Oppenheim

Cozy Little Things

2012-02-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

I received a slew of kitchen-related bday presents from the bf which included some generously sized mugs (this and this). Perfect for a big latte or a large tea or--as captured above--a hefty mug of cocoa with whipped cream. mmm.

I whipped up the cocoa with this little guy from IKEA (a thoughtful gift from this familiar blogger) and wondered what I did before I had this simple tool.

Also, unrelated-but-related: I love short, freshly manicured nails. I ~~take big risks~~ stick to what works and make the tough decision between OPI's Privacy Please (it made it on my vacation list here) and OPI's Matched Luggage (just one coat so it's not opaque) every time I go to the great no-frills little nail salon near my place.

Any little things making you happy recently?

Knobby Need

2012-02-07T06:36:00.006-07:00

I'll post later about some credenza overhaul ideas--I've been wanting to tweak the credenza even since I acquired it off craigslist--but here's the purchase that spurred me into ~~action~~ brainstorming.

These buddies:

Ok, the pink isn't my style, so I rectified that. And I didn't feel like I was covering up something sacred because I purchased 3 of these pulls from Urban Outfitters for a whopping $2.99 plus tax--total--that's right, they were on sale for $1.99 and sale items were 50% off!

I liked the fun shape and the thick metal outline and backing for the drawer pull and with the price I couldn't complain about having to modify it a little.

Stick with me on this, the look improves...
I started by painting the seams between the pink inlays a light gray. I didn't worry about the brushstroke being wider than the seam since I was going to cover up that portion, anyway.

I started adding silver paint over the pink inlay portion, leaving a tiny stripe of light gray in between the stones. Just so you know, this method for adding the silver did not work:

So, I painted freehand instead, which worked really well. Very therapeutic. (Reminded me of painting those little plaster animals in my youth--the kind you can still get at craft stores, you know? Did anyone else do that?)

After I painted all the silver portions (making sure not to make all the portions perfectly symmetrical so it would still have a little more character like the original spacing of the inlaid pieces) I added a little gold paid to the center portion of the pull, too. Then I used a clear gloss sealant (like I did for this project) to get a nice glossy look and make them more durable.

And here's a montage of the finished (more or less, since they're still drying in these photos) product:

Speaking of inexpensive pulls that look like a million bucks (ok, that's an exaggeration, but I think mine turned out nicely), Anthopologie has some good-looking options on sale now...

Crystal Ball Knob

Cocktail Ring Knob

Jeweler's Knob

Do you ever know that you want to get to a project but don't really start working until something (impending visitors, a move, purchasing something--like me!, or some other ultimatum) gets your DIYing machine in gear?

Headboard Por Fin!

2012-01-25T06:47:00.006-07:00

Remember the teaser photo from this post? No? Well, that's probably because it was a long time ago. And the headboard project was completed well before that post, so it's about time I get these photos off my camera and into a post! I had seen a ton of fabric DIY headboards online and I liked the look, but I wanted something with more finished edges for my space. After brainstorming and sketching and taping on the wall, I ended up deciding on the scale of the headboard and going with inexpensive trim materials, pegboard, batting, and using the discounted fabric I purchased ages ago and posted here. Here's the process through photos. Lots and lots of photos!

Pegboard and trim

Oh, that miter box. Even after this process, I still decided that sawing all the 45 decree angled cuts for the frames in the great room would be a good idea...

Making the sawed edges pretty.

Sawing the large (front) portion of the pegboard to size.

Aha, now there's a visual on how it will come together. That's the pegboard portion that will have the batting and the fabric. The back of the board had some other pieces to stabilize it, help it keep its shape and make it so the pegboard piece with the fabric and batting fits in there snugly. The "legs" will support the headboard from the floor.

Planning out the cuts for the pegboard pieces for the back of the frame.

Making sure those angles are square! After nailing them together, we used caulk to smooth out any gaps.

A staple gun was used to attach the peg board to the frame.

Here's the back that I was talking about. Added support for the headboard shape.

Yay! Still square!

Propped up and ready for white spraypaint.

Since I didn't want the fabric portion to be too recessed into the frame, we added pieces of wood around the edges so the "fabricked" pegboard would be pushed out a little farther (you can see all the wood pieces in another photo below)

This isn't the greatest photo, but it shows how the back of the legs are carved away a bit so that it will fit over the base molding that's in the bedroom. This way the headboard supports and the headboard frame will be flush against the wall.

Now onto the pegboard that will have the fabric and batting! You can see the trim piece that will be added to the edge of the pegboard to give the fabric and batting something to grip onto (the pegboard is sort of pliable, so adding the trim piece makes it so the pegboard doesn't bend when the fabric/batting it stretched over it).

Trim was attached with staples, too.

My Mom giving an action shot of the batting application (more staples!)

This isn't the best lighting/camera setting to show the true color of the fabric. But here is is draped over the batting to make sure the lines were straight

The staples go right on the other side of the lip of the trim on the pegboard.

Here's a close-up of the corner--see the fold-over action? It's like wrapping a present or assembling a burrito--make sure you keep the fabric taut the whole time!

Attaching the headboard frame to the wall with screws--they nicely fit through the pegboard holes. (Just make sure the screw heads don't fit through the pegboard holes, because that won't do you any good.)

After the fabric pegboard portion was fit into the frame. Voila!

A few things have been changed up since this photo was taken (ok, several), so I'll post a fresh photo sometime soon that shows the current duvet cover (seen in packaging here), the pillow situation, the table/bench at the foot of the bed, and the new pendant light. phew. The headboard really makes the room (well, that and the drapes--poor photos available here), but I don't think I'd mind a nice organic shape over the headboard...I'm think a wavy branch of some sort...?

Have you been working on any transformative project recently (or not so recently, since even this was done forever ago)? Ever have that feeling that a room is really coming together after adding or rearranging something?

Pump it up

2012-01-21T06:44:00.001-07:00

I waited way too long to get a soap dispenser for the kitchen sink. I needed 2, one for hand soap and one for dish soap (I was using a less than attractive plastic pump with a Dial sticker on it and was having to dig under the sink every time I hand-washed dishes). I couldn't find (ok, maybe I didn't research the available options sufficiently) two dispensers that looked like they belonged together but were different enough that any ol' casual kitchen sink user could differentiate between the dish soap and hand soap. I eventually caved and bought 2 basic white ceramic soap pumps and labeled them with a dry erase marker and used them in that state for a couple weeks.

When I was putting away the ModgePodge from this project, I thought maybe it was time to make those functional dry-erase marks a little less tragic looking. I wiped off the dry erase labels and used a metallic Sharpie paint marker and an elongated cursive script to label the soap pumps.

I touched up the letters after the 30 seconds it took for the Sharpie paint to dry and then used a tiny paint brush to add a few layers of ModgePodge on the top of the letters. I tried to follow the lines of the letters since I didn't want the words to look too odd when the light reflected off the ModgePodge shiny-ness.

How does that line go?--Necessity is the mother of invention. I never would have thought that writing on and Modge-Podge-ing soap pumps would be something I'd do, much less a solution to a problem!

PS, I need to get that backsplash situation covered. I've been pinning tile options via my Pinterest page here if you want to check them out and/or weigh in!

PPS, Let me know if you need a Pinterest invite!

Shining Accomplishment

2012-01-16T06:32:00.010-07:00

Home Monochromatic Dynamic just celebrated its 3rd birthday as my home! Even though I didn't move in until months and months later, the day I got the keys was such a great feeling.

To celebrate, I took photos of a completed project that was one of my earlier forays into fun decor DIY: the punch cup chandelier. I posted about the process here and here and here are some photos of the finished product:

It's hard to capture what it looks like when it's lit, but even harder to photograph in the dark, so I did my best!

My mom found some secondhand glass plates that I used to finish off the top row of the chandelier (finishing the top row was a perplexing issue for awhile).

Looking up!

Someday I will rework the dining table a bit...

But note the new seats! I don't think I ever posted the old ones (fuzzy tan corduroy, eek), so I'll have to put together a post on the recovering process.

Well, there she is. I think it's a lovely, punchy addition to the room--and you even get a glimpse of it as you walk in the front door.

In case anyone is wondering what happened to the dated light fixture (and by dated I mean dated in not-a-cool-way, unlike the breakfast nook light was dated in a stylish way and stayed after some sprucing up) that used to be in the dining area, it's now a nice, functioning addition to my garage. Well, maybe not nice, but it definitely functioning (though not actually necessary) in the center of the garage ceiling.

Don't you love looking back at completed projects, especially if you love the way they turned out?

Plants and Paints

2012-01-11T06:48:00.046-07:00

At one point I had some photos of the process that I used to add ~~too much~~ some character to a terracotta pot, but I can't find them. So, you'll have to envision me dragging the side of a paint laden brush along the lip of a pot, then waiting for it to dry, then planting some succulents in it, then snapping photos like this!

If those photos miraculously materialize, I'll add a post script to this post.

Anyway, I thought of that project recently because I got a cool (and pretty!) cyclamen plant for New Year's, I needed to pot it and the only appropriately-sized pot I had was marred by my failed attempt at replicating the look you see above on a traditionally shaped pot. I failed at it--and I don't know why, since I had already done the other one, but the pot was SUPER ugly and I hid it in the garage. Well, I sort of salvaged it (especially if you realized how ugly I had made it before) with more layers of paint in different shades of taupe-y gray and popped that cyclamen in there.

Yay! Well, it's not too offensive, but it may get another makeover in the future...

Apologies for the lack of process photos. I know you'll be able to piece it together. Or ask me questions.

Isn't the cyclamen awesome? I hadn't never seen/heard of it before, but I love the color and it's cool that it blooms are inside-out.

Holiday Bling

2012-01-02T07:32:00.002-07:00

Some quick (and blurry) photos of some subtle holiday "bling":

Bracelets -- Nordstrom, Gift (handmade!), Nordstrom

Earrings -- Gift (Anthropologie)

I love mixed metals :) Yay for awesome presents!

The Aftermath

2012-01-01T07:58:00.002-07:00

The Christmas leftovers aren't just for the fridge, folks.

Resolution #1--whip Home Monochromatic Dynamic back into shape.

Hope all your holiday festivities were wonderful! Happy 2012!

Good Gourd

2011-12-30T07:11:00.019-07:00

I was going to title this "Just Gourdgeous" because of Emily's comment on this post, but I held myself back. Speaking of that post, you remember those long-lasting gourds? Well, I'm stretching them through the holidays with a makeover.

Here's some Halloween action:

Here they are around Thanksgiving:

Here they are now:

I taped off the little stems and gave them a coat of white spraypaint (remind me not to by the $1 spraypaint anymore, it's terrible and futile and I resorted to touching them up with white paint) and then accented some with stripes and smears of metallic acrylic paint. ~~Ahh, it's like a magical snowfall transformed my fall decor into a winter wonderland centerpiece.~~ Pretend you never read that. I used another scrap of discounted fabric (blue-ish gray linen and added two rows of ribbon for some pale gold stripes. I topped it with a placemat gifted by this lovely blogger and reused the greenery from the Thanksgiving centerpiece.

So, here they are hanging out on the table. I think they fit right in with the tree.

I promise not to reuse these again for Valentine's Day....but I could get more....

Ornamenting the Tree

2011-12-22T08:18:00.005-07:00

Christmas decor has been completed in phases this year. I got the tree up (it's a fakey and my lovely Dad actually vacuumed it off for me before it went from the garage into the house). Then bought some lights (the sparse light strings from last year crapped out and probably weren't safe anyway) and some ribbon (at a bulk fabric store, so the price was right) and now I'm on to ornaments!

I wanted something subtly metallic to go with the ribbon and found some string ornament (and pendant and egg) tutorials online. I looked at this one, this one, and this one and then used some advice from each.

Here's the process:

Supplies are gathered, balloons are inflated and glue is mixed. I used watered-down modge podge and mixed it in a plastic bag in a bowl. The plastic bag situation was really handy because I just knotted the bag and put the bowl in the fridge (don't know if the fridge part was necessary, but why not?) when I was at a stopping point and then was able to use the leftovers later. And I didn't have to wash glue residue out of a bowl.

Then I got to wrapping. You'll notice that the entire ball of string is in the glue. That was accidental, but it worked out well, so I'm not complaining.

The balloons were shaped like this when I inflated them to the ornament size I wanted, but I didn't want all the ornaments to be that shape...

...so I taped down the conical portion so I could have some variety.

I dried them overnight and flipped them a couple times (the glue would pool at the bottom, so rotating them may have let them dry more evenly).

Extracted the deflated balloons.

Tied ribbon or string through spaces at the top of the ornament and voila!

Here's the tree in action:

Now I have 3 ornaments on the tree. No worries, there are more in the works--but I'm feeling pretty accomplished right now (and frugal, since I had the modge podge on hand and balloons and string purchases don't really break the bank). Maybe I'll have the tree fully decorated by Christmas!

How's your holiday decor coming along? Completely done? Or are you still finding fun items to add to your home?

Holidays Aren't that Hard

2011-12-21T13:51:00.001-07:00

Soy milk, cocoa mix, 1 peppermint candy--it's that easy!

Crush up your mint and top your cocoa!

And it's so calming that I'm not even annoyed when my attempt to photograph it results in a camera cord in my drink.

Ah, delicious.

Tag, You're It

2011-12-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Do you ever use the pattern of wrapping paper to make a tag for a gift?

My Mom always does, it uses those wrapping paper scraps that always appear after wrapping gifts and it's easy and quick.

Stained Glass Cookies

2011-12-17T07:32:00.003-07:00

When I was in Spain, finding the baking supplies I was used to in the US wasn't the easiest, but it was fun to try substitutes (powdered vanilla extract, anyone?) and think of different ways to do things (oh, sweet metric system). Sugar cookies were a standby, but I wasn't ambitious enough to make my own icing, so I tried using preserves that were on-hand. I liked the cookies even better with some raspberry or apricot preserves or some orange marmalade. I didn't have any "official" cookie cutters, so glassware worked just fine and I added a cutout with a shot glass so the preserves could shine through. I like the taste and the look of the cookies enough that even now that I'm back in the US and have access to icing and cookie cutters, I still use the same "improvised" methods!

Have you ever had to change something up because of a "limitation" that turned out to be an improvement?

PS, an added bonus is that the cookies stack nicely (without smearing the filling) if you need to transport them.

PPS, here's the recipe I use (thanks, Rango!):

6 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Add eggs and vanilla, mix well

Mix dry ingredients and add gradually

Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or longer)

Roll to desired thickness & cut into shapes

Bake on wax paper at 350F for 8-10 min

PPPS, You can bake the cut outs and make cute little cookie sandwiches (as a reward for all that baking).

Great Room Art

2011-12-16T06:21:00.002-07:00

Hmmm, does "great" describe the type of room or the quality of the art? Hopefully both, but you can decide. I've wrapped up the paintings for the great room (progress was glimpsed or reported in posts here, here, here, and here). They were all set and on the wall, but I thought they could really be improved with some frames. Not that I wanted to shell out much for frames--especially at that size!--but I felt like they really needed something to make them look more finished. So, I thought back to the materials for my headboard project (yes, I know, I haven't posted that, yet) and figured I could do something along the same lines for the paintings. So, I purchased some bull-nosed molding and had it cut into 12 manageable lengths and got psyched up and started sawing each corner to a 45-degree angle.

I spent awhile sawing each end of the molding pieces (this would be WAAAAY easier with a table saw, but a borrowed miter box cost me all of $0, so it's hard to argue with that)

After this, my Dad and I nailed all the corners of the frames together, using the canvasses as guides so we were sure that they'd fit even if the canvasses weren't exactly the same. Here's the process:

Lining up the sawed corners around the canvas to make sure the spacing was right

Drilling guide holes for the nails (thanks for the hand-modeling, Dad)

Adding some carpenter's wood glue

Nailing the corner together using the guide holes

In spite of our best efforts, sometimes this happened. Not to fear...

Putty smoothed out the cracks and we used it to fill in any gaps in the corners

We painted them black, let dry, and then nailed them to the canvasses. I wanted the canvas to be flush with the frames, but you could use this same process and place the canvas deeper in the frame to leave a lip on the frame, too. Here's some of that photo-documentation:

Looking good...

Drilling guide holes (My Dad is now a hand and leg model) :)

After hammering the nails in, you can counter sink them to get them flush. If you (like me) don't have a tool specifically for that, you can improvise with a large nail, as shown in the action shot above.

And then we (ok, this part was pretty much all my Dad) hung them on the wall. So, what do you think?

I think it's much more polished. And the whole process took less than 2 years! (Ok, the majority of that was my slowing painting process, the framing only took one day (minus the sawing that I did during the week leading up to "frame day").

Bird's Eye Re-View

2011-12-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a bird's eye view of the great room since this post, so it seems likes it's about time for an update:

Just as a refresher, this is the photo from last year:

I've relocated the bench in the alcove next to the fireplace and replaced it with the desk, moved one of the mini-sofas and replaced it with a craigslist-scored tobacco chair, added some side tables and switched up pillows, redid the fireplace surround (more on that later), added a large gold-ish mirror above the fireplace, hung and framed the 3 canvasses (more on that later, too), photographed the room with better lighting (ha)...I didn't realize I had changed so much until I started listing these out!

Do you think I should stay vigilant for a larger rug for the space (I think it might look great if it went under the mini-sofa and the tobacco chair, too)?

Does anyone prefer the "before"?

Thanksgiving Centerpiece

2011-12-02T07:52:00.002-07:00

It really should be post-Thanksgiving and post-Halloween centerpiece because I used a discounted grocery store bouquet that I picked up the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the gourds/mini pumpkins that I had out for my pre-Halloween pumpkin carving party. Yep, the gourds are still looking pretty good for being over a month old!

I was looking for something to go with the oranges and yellows of the mini pumpkins and gourds and this bouquet had some cool spiky foliage to boot. I think this one tops the arrangements done here, maybe because the variation in the flowers and filler was a little more forgiving of my lack of arranging practice. I hope the flowers hang in there for awhile, because I like seeing the dining room table decked out when I come in the house.

Presentation is Key

2011-12-01T06:56:00.001-07:00

I had brunch with some lovely ladies at a friend's house recently and said I'd bring a fruit salad. Which is great, except that I don't love fruit when it's drenched with yogurt/cool whip/honey/mayonnaise/whatever else goes into the dressing-y stuff on a fruit salad. So, I needed a way to prettify (real word) the fruit that I had and came up with this:

I thought the color gradation was cute and everyone was either too polite or didn't mind the lack of a "dressed" fruit salad.

Hopefully you don't recognize the rectangular plate from here. But I just told you, so I guess the jig is up. No worries, it was thoroughly washed.

Used like a Doormat

2011-11-29T19:24:00.004-07:00

I've been looking for a new interior doormat and have been completely unsuccessful in finding something I love that's the right size. I have purchased 8 doormats over the past couple months. None worked. Well, none were a match for the front door, but I really liked one of the options, so I'm using it for the backdoors.

I understand that I might be a little too picky, but I'm really enthralled with the idea that I can find things I really enjoy and then I'll never have to buy it again. Or that I'll never be struck by something and wish that I hadn't made an earlier purchase. So, that's my current M.O.

So, this is what I'm working with for the backdoors and I'm liking it:

I bought one of these on sale in the store and after I decided to use it I needed to buy a few more (each door has 2 laid end-to-end) but didn't think I'd make it back to Kohl's in the near future, so I ordered online (with a discount code). Well, they still show up online, but the day after I received email confirmation of my order, I got an email saying my order was canceled. No reason was given, so I called Kohl's online and they let me know it was out of stock. I asked if the store would honor my online discount because it was now out of stock and they said sure. So, I made it to Kohl's that weekend and brought the print outs with me. When the rug didn't ring up at the sale price I had gotten for the first one that I bought in store, I produced my print outs and explained that they had gone out-of-stock online and the associate at the register promptly adjusted the price. Good things.

Annnnd, maybe you'll find this funny--I came across this sweater online.

Isn't it a dead ringer for the mats? I've seen home decor shows that emphasize using your apparel to jumpstart your decor, but I'm not sure it works quite as well the other way around.

That's hawt.

Yeahhhhh, this concept needs further evaluation. As do my photo-editing skills.

Anything you've been searching for recently? Have your been decorating your home like your wardrobe? Or adding to your wardrobe based on your home decor?

Throw up in the air

2011-11-09T07:25:00.002-07:00

I've never posted a "save or spend"/"splurge or save" kind of post, but I came across an item today that's a close-enough approximation of something I own, so I decided I might as well post it. So, here's the first (and possibly only) Are-These-Items-Similar-Enough-That-A-Comparison-Is-Relevant-And-One-Is-A-Whole-Lot-More-Affordable-Than-The-Other post.

Yarnz cashmere throw via Gilt sale -- $150 (orig. $350)

IKEA 100% cotton throw (this resides in the loft) -- $13

What do you think? Is the cashmere worth the extra greenbacks? Or does the convenience of being able to machine wash the cotton throw trump that luxurious softness? Was the title of this post so gross that you didn't even read to this point?

Irony in Motion

2011-11-02T07:17:00.004-07:00

Ok, so it's not really ironic, but neither is that Alanis Morrisette song. Maybe "cheeky" would be the better descriptor. Anyway, I was scrolling through a Gilt Groupe sample sale and saw some interesting twists on likenesses of disposable items made from long-lasting materials, which reminded me of some other items that I've noticed in shops and online. These are some of the ones I could find and remember...

1. Ceramic Milk Carton $30 or $24 depending on size (sometimes there's a flash sale and they're 50% off)
2. Lightbulb Candles $24
3. Glass "Plastic" Bag $20
4. Literal Banana Bowl $280
5. Clear Tablecloth Table $209
6. Trompe L'oeil Cupcake Stand DIY! (check out the link!)

Have you seen anything of similar ilk? Anything "cheeky" used in your home now?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:46:00.002-07:00

Friends stopped by last weekend when I hosted a pumpkin carving party--geeze, I have creative friends. To greet the carvers, I had a little tableau on the entryway credenza:

Super inexpensive tacks gave the pumpkin some subtle bling and the frame is a clearance find that I filled with a 10-minute typography art project (you can see I channeled my inner Georges Seurat).

Hope your Halloween was full of seasonally appropriate fun!

Grounded

2011-10-28T07:53:00.006-07:00

I'm currently working on making the Monochromatic Dynamic loft into a relaxing sitting/reading/beverage enjoying/game playing/project completing room. I've been moving some items around and organizing it to meet these goals and I'll share some photos of my progress soon. In the meantime, here are the craigslist photos of the kilim rug I got for the space.

I'm in love with it and searched a loooong time for something with a cool pattern and a neutral palette. And that was affordable for me (unlike these buddies in this post!).

You can sort of get a distant sense of the loft a couple of transitions ago here (before it became a roomie's bedroom and then wasn't needed as a bedroom anymore). I'll have more "before" photos later on.

I love a nice, leisurely room transformation that gives me time to adjust my expectations and find and repurpose items from elsewhere in the house. Anyone working on anything without a deadline and loving it? Or wish that you were?

San Francisco Treat

2011-10-26T06:53:00.001-07:00

A recent trip to San Francisco featured amazing weather, awesome food, day trips to Napa and Muir Woods and fantastic friends. Here are some photos during my always-too-short time there:

Industrial lines

Purples and fuchsias on land

Purples and fuchsias under water

Layered landscapes

More lovely layers

Cork tree!

Tiles

More cool flooring, reminds me that I'm thinking of DIY-ing something like this

So peaceful

Graphic and geometric home

Neon foliage!

Cool patterned relief

Admitting is the First Step

2011-10-20T06:42:00.011-07:00

Yes, I have a craigslist addiction. Pretty much everything in this Monochromatic Dynamic house was discovered through one craigslist ad or another (like here, here, here, here, here, here, here...ok, that's enough). But I don't want to get help! I don't want to stop! Even though I bought 12 side tables/stools recently. Yes, TWELVE. But it's ok, I have plans for them. And they were an AMAZING deal. But I won't even brag. Wellll, maybe a little--it'll help me justify my addiction.

So here's one of the varieties in action (I bought 3 different types of tables):

I have 4 others of these and I'm thinking once I get the backyard in order they'll hang out outside to hold pots and seated persons' behinds.

And here's a link to what the table would cost new. The kicker--I purchased all 12 of the various tables for less than what one of these spankin' new ones would have run me.

Here's the current (but temporary) placement of the 3 lucite end tables:

I think something taller would work better in that space, but in the meantime I'm channeling a short version of this under that mirror.

Here's one of the final type of stool (I got 2 white and 2 black).

I looove these, and I love that I spent much, much less than the cost here or here (sheesh!).

Any second-hand scores for anyone else recently? See, some addictions aren't so bad! (I'm never going to get to that first step of admitting I have a problem!)

Framed a Bargain

2011-09-26T06:26:00.001-07:00

I must not be the only person who buys something at a discount retailer and gets satisfaction out of comparing the price I paid to the original price. And I sure I'm not the only person who peels back the progressively increasing price stickers to see what I would have paid last week, the week before last week, 3 months ago, or when the item was sitting over-priced full-priced somewhere.*

*Even though I realize there are quite a few things that are sold direct to discount retailers, so no one could have actually purchased it at that higher price at another retailer...

Here's the purchase. Don't judge it too much just yet.

Well, back to label peeling, here's a montage (you know I love montages) that shows just that:

I missed one layer--it was just too stubborn and I was too aware of how ridiculous this exercise was.

Anyway, there's the "art" that no one else wanted to buy., even with all these amazing attributes:

The picture doesn't it do it injustice--I mean, it looks much worse in real life.
Check out the pixelated lines on the "giclee print"

Buuuut, I love the frame itself, the linen/woven matting looks promising, and that paper with the torn edges might have potential flipped over (maybe not the last one, I'll just have to experiment). I'm looking for other circular patterns to draw/paint/stamp/cut for the frame (I was just so "inspired" by the original piece I think I'll stick with the same shape), but in the meantime I decided to hang it up. It's not extremely heavy, but I thought a drywall anchor would be useful just in case. I didn't feel like breaking out the power screwdriver, so I grabbed a Phillips head screwdriver and started working on getting the anchor in the wall. The first part is the hardest and I hammered the anchor in a little just to get the initial spot carved out. I was really making some progress when disaster struck!

Ack! I'm SO STRONG!

Well, the broken anchor wasn't going anywhere (at least not without a power screwdriver or a drywall saw). And since it wasn't going anywhere I thought I might at well put it to good use.

Yep, the wire hangs right on there and I'm just going to let the hidden imperfection go in the spirit of utility (or laziness).

Anyone else love the feeling that you saved some moolah and have to compare discounted prices to originals? Any cool circular pattern sketches that you have you eye on? Any household mishaps end up turning out just fine for the current situation?

Pantry in a Twist

2011-09-02T07:20:00.002-07:00

Although I've attempted to organize my pantry on numerous occasions, any attempts have quickly devolved back into disorder because of sub par arranging and no definite boundaries for items and categories of food.

I've been on the lookout for bins, trays and hanging shelves at discount stores, and I headed to the Container Store to check out the organizational offerings to try to get food storage under control and bought a couple of these (which are big versions of the ones I used for my under stairs organization quest detailed here), but my budget sent me looking for other options. I randomly found some bins that fit the bill at a Fry's Marketplace when I was grocery shopping at a store I don't normally visit because it's a little farther from my home. Anyhew, since Fry's took competitor coupons (notably the $5 off $25, $6 off $30 and $10 off $50 ones from Fresh & Easy), the bins were pretty darn affordable.

I didn't want to lead with these "Before" photos because they're so terrifying, but here's the pantry before the organizational efforts:

I know, I know, it's scary. Please don't cry.

Among the many issues, I also couldn't fit a decently sized recycling bin in there. Since I recycle a lot of stuff (which likely just means I should start buying fewer things with plastic packaging), I needed an overflow container to supplement the small recycling container under the kitchen sink and the bin that recycles unused ads (shown here). So, drastic measures had to be taken. I had to get destructive. And I ripped out the lowest pantry shelf. Between a mallet (to hit the base of the shelf upward to loosen it from the supports), a hammer (using the back to pry the supports from the wall--a crowbar would have worked, too) and a razor blade (to cut the thick coat of paint that was attaching the shelf to the wall even after the supports had been removed) I was able to remove the lowest shelf. I felt pretty satisfied after that demolition, but I realized that because of the modest pantry space I shouldn't throw away the possibility of more storage, so the shelf was reinstalled at the top of the pantry! You can sort of see from that hideous before photo that there's space between the then-highest shelf and the ceiling--ok, you can't really see that, so you'll just have to take my word for it. And with a little step stool and my height I am able to put that tall shelf to good use, and that usefulness almost allows me to forget about the awkwardness of finding long-enough jeans in junior high. Almost.

So, after the shelf remix and after lining all the shelves (I like doing this--not the process of doing it, but I like when all the shelves are lined), I went through with my bin purchases, categorized the foodstuffs and voila!:

I used a similar labeling "technique" as my mail sorter, namely, using the inside of a cereal box or packaging with that same color and texture so the label looks more substantial than a plain piece of paper and costs zero dollars.

Through this process I relegated most adult bevies to the rolling bar and I'll be adding some beverage zones to the loft as I progress on that project.

I also utilized the walls of the pantry--adding some hooks for reusable bags on one side:

And the other side got a wall-mounted bag dispenser and some cork board squares for coupons, recipes, and other randomness that can come in handy:

Wahoo. Another source of disorganization bites the dust. Now onto the loft!

Loafing and Skimming

2011-08-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing a common denominator among the shoes that I've been scoping out recently. Namely, a combo loafer-skimmer look with a dress slipper looking upper...

1. JCrew $198
2. Jeffrey Campbell $66
3. Belle by Sigerson Morrison $235
4. Belle by Sigerson Morrison $195
5. JCrew $275

Any favorites? Have you seen this style elsewhere (maybe at some other price points)? I could really dig these with ankle pants, capris, wideleg trousers and jeans.

2011-08-09T07:30:00.001-07:00

I have SO MANY THINGS TO POST! I've had some summer travels and attended some fabulous weddings and still had time to fit in some home projects. I just haven't made the time to post about them, yet.

Anyway, in the meantime, here are some photos from a recent trip to Chicago with some layouts, materials, textures and patterns that I'm digging.

Pattern and molding around the edges of the recess

Orb

Industrial (literally) lighting

Neat (as in tidy, not nifty, although I wouldn't deny that it's nifty) rooftop garden with varying shades of green

Can you use the adjectives "graceful" and "muscular" to describe a wall sconce?

Light patterns

So many tiles, precise but not too precise

Tiles and and Toms

Tiles and patterns

Layers

Maybe I need some netting to go with the string lights on my patio (I need to post the result of my search!)

Mysterious/deathly/ominous/shadowy...

Cool bench concept and pavers

Have any summer trips provided you with some fun perspectives?

Name Your Seat

2011-06-30T07:55:00.002-07:00

I've posted about my search for napkin rings here and have an update. I bought some. And by some I mean 24. And no, of course that doesn't seem excessive. Especially since they rang up at less that $24 ($23.79 to be exact) including shipping! I'm thinking of adding a pattern to at least half of them for some fun variety. Maybe I'll break out some metallic sharpies...
In the meantime, we've been using a dry-erase marker (that I borrow from here) to label them with funny/stupid/silly nicknames for dinner guests.

Sort of along the lines of these porcelain name plates that were on OneKingsLane awhile back, but mine do double-duty as napkin rings and didn't have quite so hefty a price tag.

I got the napkin rings of a sample sale site (surprise, right?)--called Joss & Main and my invite link is here.
If you need an invite to OneKingsLane, you can email me for it!

Vestiges of the Weekend

2011-06-26T07:04:00.001-07:00

The weekend before last was a blur of activity, including the culmination of my efforts helping out with the casual marriage celebration of friends. After working through details, accumulating supplies (while using a billion coupons!), and brandishing a hot glue gun, spraypaint cans, double stick tape and sharpies. True to typical form, I didn't take enough (ok, basically no) photos of the space, so you'll have to trust me that I loved the result and the all the spaces came together well, looked great and were functional.

I took this guy home with me and have been looking at it fondly remembering a really fun evening with really fun people.

This doesn't really to the layers of decor and variety of materials justice, so next time I'll make photos a priority, I promise.

Sawdust in the Wind

2011-06-14T07:28:00.001-07:00

So I posted here about my craigslist table purchase, and I promised to post about my adventure refinishing it. In a timeliness that is relatively rare (as pertains to my posts, that is), I'm sharing my progress. I'm a visual learner, so let the photos begin!

Not only was the yellow-hued wood on the top of the table not my cup of tea, the color didn't match the reddish drop leaves. (Or is it leafs when you're referring to a table?--like the plural of a computer mouse is mouses, not mice...?)

So, I "splurged" on the sander with a handle (instead of the little curved rubber ones that you cup your hand over to use). It was about twice as much ($10 instead of $5), but definitely worth it! And the width happened to be perfect for the slats on the table, which was especially helpful in the areas where the slats intersect perpendicularly at the edge of each table section, since I didn't want to go against the grain and the width helped me keep the sanding controlled in the correct area. Below, I'm pretty sure that there's a conspiracy to make the sheets of sandpaper smaller than the the width of 3 sander refills--I mean, what am I going to do with the skinny one? Well, at least cutting the correct width of the sandpaper was easy to do because I kept the packaging of the sander to measure it out.

Below you can see some of the cracks that needed some attention. The one to the right of the umbrella opening was a giant splinter waiting to happen (handy for vampire defense but not much else, I suppose) and the big divot below the umbrella opening needed to get filled in and smoothed out.

First the giant splinter. I actually had some carpenter glue on hand (hooray for one less supply to buy!), but I need to clamp the splinter portion down after slopping glue all over it. I tried weighting in down, but that splinter was too stubborn, so I got creative (at least, I felt pretty resourceful) and an adjustable wrench worked like a charm! I was just lucky that it fit between the slats since it was a pretty tight squeeze.

I bought some semi-transparent outdoor wood sealant and here's one portion of the table with a fresh coat. I couldn't believe how much better it looked. I had some brushes that were the width of the slats on hand, which was great for containing the stain to go with the grain of the wood where the grain directions differed (much like lucky convenience with the sander's width).

I had to use wood filler on that divot that was front and center--and on one of the table legs that got a little love from the previous owner's furry friend. The wood filler on the table leg turned out nicely, but the filler on the tabletop was looking too obvious because it was oozing into the other slat. To fix that, I used the sandpaper as shown below and the back and forth sanding (I grabbed the edge of the sandpaper above the table and below the table) made the gap between the slats reappear. Hooray!

That center portion is almost done, huge improvement with the glue, wood filler and stain. I used a stainable wood filler, so that probably helped it blend in a little more, too.

After staining the whole table, I decided that a little added sheen would be nice (and help it survive the outdoors, even though it will be under the built out awning), so I added a coat of semi-satin polyurethane stain. Annnndddd....mission accomplished! Oooo, how pretty.

Let's just revisit where this all started...

Man, I feel accomplished!

A couple things that I would do differently:

Get a water-based clear coat. It was super convenient to have the water-based stain when rinsing the brush, but I definitely ruined a brush because I didn't understand it needed a good soaking in mineral spirits after a coat of the polyurethane. whoops.
Checked to see it the table easily came apart before painting. Yeah, I might have accidentally discovered that that the leaves could slide out easily after I had done the majority of the phases that required doing a part of the leaf or the table and then waiting for it to dry before I moved the leaf up or down to do the other portion...so taking them off to begin with would have saved some time.
Figured out an easier way to get the stain in between the slats earlier in the process--those little sponge brushes worked like a charm eventually!

Other than that, it was a fun project and I think the finished project looks much improved. We've used it for an outdoor dinner already, and I'll post of photo of it the next time it's all dolled-up.

Black and White and Striped all over

2011-06-10T08:04:00.003-07:00

I own very few striped clothing items (a nautical-ish skiiny stripe casual sweater and pinstripe pants--does that even count), but I think I might need to get onboard with more stripes because all of these options are looking so cool and so versatile. I'm especially liking the wide stripes in black and white...

Stripey Sources:
1. Max Mara (Saks) $177
2. ModCloth shell $50
3. East&5th (JCPenney) $20
4. Nanette Lepore (Bloomingdale's) $77
5. JCrew dress $88
6. Y-3 (SSense) $72
7. ModCloth blouse $40

I would happily wear any one of those items. Just not all at once, since even the collage is giving me vertigo. I think that most of these could transition from a casual setting to a work environment nicely, too! (or the costume trailer for Beetlejuice, but that's not what I'm focusing on right now)

I think this stripe ogling could have been brought on because I just purchased some striped outdoor fabric...maybe some outdoor pillows for the backyard will appear before additions to my wardrobe.

Any trends you've warmed up to?

Draggin' the Line

2011-06-01T06:12:00.004-07:00

One of the challenges of being taller than average (not that I'm complaining, because I'm really not) is finding clothes that have enough length to fit well. But the challenge doesn't end there--you also have to launder them so the clothes stay that length so they continue to fit well. This is one of the reasons (besides my utility bill) that I air dry my clothes. All of them. Seriously, I don't care what it is, no clothing item goes in the dryer. Because, honestly, how convenient is drying a few socks when everything else is line drying anyway? I have a couple drying racks that help I use and I resort to using hangers for shirts when I have an extra ~~procrastinated~~ large load of laundry, but I still was coming up short on drying space, especially for larger items (including sheets and bedding--which sometimes go in the dryer, but not always with impeccable results--example here). So, since having more space would be convenient--and let me catch up on a couple loads of laundry during those off-peak hours all at once, instead of having to waiting for more available drying space--brainstorming ensued and resulted in the idea for a laundry line in the backyard. Woohoo! Simple, sweet, old-timey and feel-good-environmentally friendly, right? Hmmm, now my HOA prohibits visible clotheslines and my petite backyard doesn't really have a nice plot of permanently available space for a "drying zone". Cue more brainstorming. And cue result of brainstorming: retractable clothesline.

I ended up with this one, purchased by the bf (awww). The plan was to install it behind one of the pillars in the backyard and below the height of the fence. The pillar is one of a few that support the covered portion of my backyard. Since there was another post across from the wall, there was an ideal spot for a hook for the other end of the line. First, the retractable line portion--this required some drilling into the block wall:

I should really do something about my hairy arms. ha. I guess I can't take credit for this.

Here it is installed behind the post:

The pallets are supplies for a potential future project...

It's completely obscured if you're looking straight on--which is an unlikely position to be in, so it's not invisible to the normal visitor-to-the-backyard, but if you were in that spot under the patio cover it would look like this:

I decided to maximize the drying space by having 2 rows of the clothesline, so we installed 2 hooks on the opposite post...

and another hook under the retractable portion...

Hooray! Here it is in action:

And its mere presence makes doing laundry FUN!

Ok, that is a lie. But it is handy, especially for those sheets and tablecloths and those extra large loads of laundry that I should have washed weeks prior.

Any functional improvements to share? Anyone else with enough socks and underwear to last for 3 weeks?

Winner Winner Outside Dinner!

2011-05-25T07:06:00.002-07:00

Oh craigslist, how fond of thee I am. With the weather being wonderful, we've been eating a lot of meals outdoors. My little backyard area still isn't the oasis-like outdoor living space I'd like, but there's been some gradual progress. Very gradual progress. But I've been keeping a couple plants alive (knock on wood, especially since this was the only survivor earlier), so I think I'm at least headed in the right direction.

So when I'm hosting an outdoor dinner, I've been using those huge plastic and metal folding tables (one is like this and the other is like this). They get the job done, but they require a tablecloth and I have to schlep them from the garage (front of house) through the house to the backyard to set them up. (I can't just leave them in the backyard, they're too ugly without a tablecloth!) So I'd been searching craigslist for an outdoor table option that can seat several people comfortably. AND that could fold down since the backyard isn't that big. I wanted a metal table, but opened up my search to wood after the bf pointed out that I have several metal chairs (that I need to have powdercoated this summer sometime) and it might be a metal overload. After a couple weeks of craigslist perusal I came across an option that met the fold down and seating capacity criteria. Even though it wasn't exactly what I was envisioning before, I liked it and the price--$20!

So that's the background on how the table landed in my garage.

I'll post again with some commentary on the progress to making it a prettier piece of furniture!

Anyone enjoying meals outside? Or waiting to enjoy meals outside later in the summer when I'll have to be indoors with my friend, Air Conditioning?

Rugtastic

2011-05-19T06:13:00.002-07:00

Was scrolling through Apartment Therapy and found a post on Luke Irwin rugs. Love them (not surprising with my love of certain ikat prints, example here).

This for my bedroom? Yes, please.

Or maybe this for the loft. Sure thing!

When you see photos of these in my home you'll know I won the lottery. Source at Luke Irwin link above.

Bed Clothes Horse

2011-05-18T06:43:00.012-07:00

Yes, Pat, that is a "Before and After" puzzle answer. And accurately describes my recent purchases.

My bed can be spotted here, but it's seen some iterations before that photo, and with a recent purchase it may change again...I used to use the darker coverlet--it's draped over the end of the bed in that post I just linked to--as my only blanket. You don't necessarily need that much in AZ, so it more or less worked for warmth most of the year, but the color wasn't right for a dimly lit room. In fact, a friend called the room scary! It probably doesn't help that I haven't yet found a flushmount fan/light with that I love, so there's no overhead lighting (even though I did suck it up and get fans for other rooms, seen here and here).

The haul:

I picked up both the throw and the linen duvet cover on RueLaLa (one of the sample sale sites that I frequently check out). I'll post again after I get the duvet all set up and start using it, and we'll see where the throw lands. They might not get use for several months, but it seems that it works well for me to shop during the off-season for some items (an excessive example being the 7 pairs of jeans from RueLaLa and Ideeli that I have in the house now--I buy in various sizes and styles so I can try them all on and debate, then keep what works and ship back what doesn't--the prices are good to justify the shipping cost for me and make it worth the wait since I won't be wearing jeans for another several months!)

Back to bedding--Just in case you were curious how the bedskirt turned out after seeing this post, it's doing just fine (the part you can see, anyway)...

I pulled the coverlet up for the photo, normally it drapes to the floor or almost to the floor.

PS I've been quite remiss on doing a headboard post--I'm loving the headboard and here's a peek in the meantime...

You might recognize the fabric from this post.

PPS, Full Disclosure: If you click on any sample sale sites, sign up (they're free, of course) and end up buying something, I get a credit.

Nook Both Ways Before You Decide

2011-05-18T05:47:00.010-07:00

Sometimes I kill myself with the titles of these posts. Kill myself. Anyway, I was thinking that I might as well expand the camera angle and show a bit more of the area that I call the breakfast nook that houses the bonus mail storage that I highlighted in this post. The room has gone through several iterations, and I'm still not set on it.

View from the KT

View from around the front door

The bifold doors (still not sure what I need to do for those...I've seen some cool alternatives, but they're low on the priority list) open to the washer and dryer area, so it's nice to have a bit of open space there when it becomes the laundry zone. The table is a craigslist find (surprise, right?--haha) and the table supports fold in so the leaves drop down. You can sort of see it folded down in the background of this post. It's heavy though, (the seller said it's brazilwood?) so I don't utilize the folding function all that often.

Just to experiment, I moved the seats around to the windowed wall...

...and didn't love it, so I changed it back. I still think it would be cool to have wrap-around seating that included a corner seat, so we'll see what other arrangements I can come up with.

Right now there are 3 blank canvasses hung vertically above the seating area, waiting for some painting or mod-podging or stamping or sketching or something...

I'm thinking that I might add some wine storage in that corner since it doesn't get any sun and is out of the line of traffic. And I need to get all the bottles off the kitchen counter (they multiply faster than I can drink them, I swear!) before any of my guests feel the need to stage an intervention. So, wine storage either in the breakfast nook corner (maybe I'll stop calling it the "breakfast" nook if it becomes home to a stash of wine) or in a corner of the dining room. Sounds like some fodder for a future post....

Any spaces that seem trickier than others in your place? Or ones you needed to experiment with before you got them right?

Skirting the Instructions

2011-05-16T06:40:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post to illustrate why, if a bedskirt says that it shouldn't be put in the dryer, you shouldn't put it in the dryer--even if you know the fiber content of the skirt would be fine in the dryer and you're in a hurry for it to be dry so you can iron it and see how it looks on your bed.

Yeah, don't even put it in the dryer "just for a couple minutes"....

Target bedskirt. Still usable.

Good thing that part of the bedskirt goes under the mattress.

Bottles of Polish

2011-05-12T06:30:00.003-07:00

I recently got a pedicure (it's approximately a 6 time a year affair--including standard pre-vacation pedis--but I wish they was more frequent, because I love them!) and was looking for a fun punchy vibrant pinky dark coralish color for my toes. But on the wall full of colors I couldn't find one I loved that fit the bill. So I went with my standby, a pale pink-ish, but not too pink color (OPI's Privacy Please), which I love, so it was hardly a letdown.

A couple days later I was grocery shopping and was drawn into the cosmetic/hair items aisle because of a lack of shampoo and a shampoo coupon. Of course I had to check out the polishes, as low and behold there was a bottle of polish that fit all the adjectives I used above to try to describe the color I wanted. So I bought it. (There went any "savings" from the shampoo coupon.) And decided to try it on my fingernails.

Woohoo, a little split personality, but I like the bright color on my short nails.

Ok, this dismembered-limb-looking photo is weirder than I anticipated.

It will not be repeated for any future toe/finger nail polish comparisons, I promise.

The colors of my nutritionally savvy snack choice at work the next morning further validated my polish choice.

Atypical Breakfast

(not to be confused with A Typical Breakfast)

Any punchy, spring-y colors you're gravitating toward because of Spring? Do you think since my house is calm and monochrome I'm living vicariously through my fingernails right now?

You Can't Handle the Mail!

2011-05-10T06:47:00.001-07:00

Well, I shared some mail sorting paraphernalia here, and I picked up another craigslist item for some mail back up storage (also known as the magazines we don't want to throw away or haven't had time to flip through, yet. I originally had plans to refinish it, but decided to hang it in the meantime and now I'm thinking that cracks and slightly uneven colors add some character. Phew, it's nice when you save yourself effort and don't have any regrets because you didn't rush into a project. Not that I ever have any issues rushing into projects...

It's hanging around the corner from the from door, next to a calendar that I haven't really been utilizing as much as I should be.

Someday I'll decide on and purchase or make some window treatments...someday.

I made a label for each roomie using expensive natural-toned cardstock. Ok, it was the inside of a cereal box--which has come in handy on more than one occasion as nice natural-looking signage, as long as I'm sure that the colorful edges aren't visible and you can't flip it around to see Cap'n Crunch on the back.

I'm a little out-of-love with the calendar, but I'm not sure how to improve it or what would be a useful substitution, yet. Any ideas?

KT Treats

2011-04-25T06:30:00.005-07:00

I posted earlier about my cool cookie jar present (from over a year ago--time flies!!) and it's still in regular rotation on my KT counter. Most recently it's been holding cinnamon twists. Ok, that's a lie, most recently it's been holding air because the cinnamon twists (you know, the flaky, sort of crunchy, 2-bite sized pastry items?) don't have a fighting chance. They're around for 2 days, tops. So, this is what the container has been looking like the majority of the time...

So, instead of buying a dogfood sized bag of twists (and pants in a larger size), I thought that stocking the jar with something yummy but not quite as addictive might be the way to go. Hence, the current snack item, gingersnaps...

Don't get me wrong, I like gingersnaps, but I don't mindlessly eat 3 of them and then want another. So hopefully these will go a little more gradually--along the lines of the pistachio bowl I have in the great room (I think the labor-intensity of shelling them keeps them around longer) or the clementines I set on a side table (as seen here).

Any snack items in the house that are your downfall? Anyone else like have edibles in the main rooms?

Hidden Lists

2011-04-22T06:03:00.009-07:00

Quick share of another item that helps me think of myself as organized...

I got these dry erase board squares during a "everything you need for your dorm room" type of sale--you'd think I could save time by not going into departments with bright pink butterfly chairs and Scarface posters...but I still do. So, I stuck my diamonds in the rough findings on the inside of a cabinet door for quick list making. (I used the 3M adhesive strips that can be stretched off without residual residue.) It's handy that it's near the fridge because I use one square for meal-planning, too (I started to make notes after I had one-too-many food items spoil just because I just forgot to use them!)

I don't write everything I need at the grocery store on there (I have to sit down with some coupons and make an extensive list for the weekly grocery run), but it's perfect for the things I realize I'm low on mid-week (soap, toilet paper, olive oil) and will forget about until it's too late!

I have a similar set-up with corkboard in the pantry--but I'll share that little gem (and the entire pantry transformation) later.

Blooms!

2011-04-18T19:00:00.029-07:00

This weekend I capped off an ordinary trip to the grocery store with a purchase of some budget blooms. The 2 bunches of "novelty poms" (as they were termed on the tag) set me back $6 and gave me a fun opportunity to try to be Martha Stewart (no success) and use a pair of Goodwill vases and a family auction (get the background here) milk glass vase.

This is the ~~professional look~~ general interpretation I was going for...

link

And this is what I ended up with for the Goodwill vase.

I intended the flower bunch to work for both vases, but my flower estimation skills need some practice, because it only filled one. Well, pencils used to be plants at one point, so I let the other pencil-filled vase in on the desk-topping action.

Maybe I should've stuck with half-hearted look I did initially and then I would have had enough for both...

The fuchsia-y "novelty poms" were for the milk glass. Again, I'm working on the whole flower estimation thing, so this arrangment definitely had a good side and a ~~bad~~ bald side.

Hmmm, It looked way less lopsided in person...

Once I added it to my dresser I realized that it picked up some color from the scarf hanging from my multi-pronged hook....

From left to right: hook that I overload with stuff, craigslisted dresser that has a sibling in the bathroom, glass vase for change and pocket lint, TV that I was given and have yet to plug in or use, frames that need a home within my home, floral subject of post, craigslist chair, fireplace that needs some DIY fix-up love.

...Which reminded me of the color of my new (well, new-to-me, that is!) purchase--so I had to get them posing together.

Rebecca Minkoff clutch

It made me think of one of those reality shows when the contestants are given an outfit and have to formulate a room's interior from it, or vice versa. "Just see how the fringe of the tassel mirrors the petals and how the clean lines the clutch pick up the unfussy shape of the vase?" --say this with a breathy and serious accent for the full effect.

Any spring-y decor activities recently? Don't you love when you get to use something that you already have in the house? Any new design shows that I should be tuning into?

Hold me closer, tiny credenza...

2011-03-30T06:09:00.027-07:00

Actually, the credenza I have in the "foyer" isn't that tiny. You can see it hosting some candlelit bottles here, and it's also home to an infrequently used (but still fun!) guest book, and some photos of Home Monochromatic Dynamic inhabitants. It was also used as a catch-all for mail and other walk-in-the-door-paraphernalia: receipts, keys, glasses, bags, coupons... But that's not the only place that was covered in those incidentals--the kitchen counter had its fair share, too:

Basically, all this clutter had to be corralled. Enter tray from HomeGoods, vintage bowl and bin from World Market. It's great how getting a few things (or just finding a use for something you already have) can give you a routine that helps keep things in order. Now the important mail has a home in the trays, the keys get dropped off in the bowl, and the ads and mailers that aren't used can go directly into the bin underneath, which gets taken out with the rest of the recycling.

Hooray! Someday I'll get around to refinishing the credenza (a craigslist find that fits the space nicely, but received an interesting stain from previous owners--note its "paws" from where the stain wasn't painted)...

Full disclosure, some mail for the upstairs residents does sneak its way on the landing of the stairs, but it's not too obtrusive looking, so I'm ok with it. Also, the front door and windows are at least 4 feet away from this little credenza zone, so no worries about an baddies reaching in a broken window and grabbing a set of keys.

It's easier for me to sort solicitous mail from the genuine stuff now that I know that presorted standard mail isn't forwarded by USPS--if it's not important enough to be forwarded onto me, it's probably not something that's worthwhile anyway--so I can shred or toss those items that look like a requested insurance quote or a check from a mysterious entity without wasting too much time looking at it.

Any mail stations in your place that have some form and function? Any tricks for weeding out those useless mailers?

Washroom Watercolors

2011-03-26T06:57:00.001-07:00

I've posted various views and projects from my master bath here, here, and here, but despite some attention it's still pretty stark. So, even though it's functional, I keep working on things to make it less spartan and more room-y. And by "working on" I mean "thinking about". And by "thinking about" I mean "thinking about occasionally".

Anyway, I "bid" on a small watercolor during a family online auction when my great aunt passed away. My big (in number) family has the non-monetary auction down to a fine art! It works really well with giving lots of items lots of new homes. For this one, all direct descendants (e.g. my Mom) got $500 play money and a crack at the first phase of the auction, which had photos of the items and a comment function, so everyone put their bids in the comment section. The next row of descendants got "$200" and we bid away on another lot of things. Well, I triumphed with some bids and am now the proud owner of this:

Cool, right? I like the look of it, but I wasn't sold on its trappings (2 gnarly pieces of glass, some cardboard and a mat that had seen better days), so I headed out to pick up a larger frame and a larger mat to go with it. Well, I secured the larger frame, but locating the mat to go with it was challenging. So challenging that I gave up and got a big piece and matting. Because how hard could it be to cut your own so it's exactly the dimensions you want? Answer: very, very hard.

the haul

I got the matting sized correctly and plotted out the spot I wanted for the print (by cutting a piece of paper to the print's size and experimenting with the placement)

...and then got to cutting. This part was not fun. And not really that pretty, but here's the result:

In its good-from-far, far-from-good way, I think this will do just fine, at least until further down the road if I decide to become an architecture model-builder, or a surgeon, or a person who puts ships in bottles. In any of those cases I'd imagine I'd be able to improve it. In the meantime, I'm ok with the imperfections and I added it above the dresser in the bathroom nook.

Hopefully folks aren't lingering in there long enough to notice the sketchy matting job. Any tips for my next attempt?

Vacation Togs

2011-03-19T05:01:00.001-07:00

An impending trip to Costa Rica (!) for a wedding (!!) has me thinking of...clothes. Well, some casual resort pieces seem like they would fit into the landscape. I always feel 100 times more relaxed when I know I'm traveling with contingencies covered--rainy weather, lost passport, old map, broken sandal strap...bring it on, I've prepped for any setback! I like feeling like I planned ahead because I can enjoy the vacation instead of trying to hunt down a pharmacy because I forgot to pack a few bandaids. So, even if I don't end up needing that ib profen, I still feel at ease knowing I have it just in case.

A few of the items below are accompanying me, a few are some that I wish were accompanying me, and a few are just for fun. (I left out boring bandaid and sunscreen photos even though that would've have made for a more holistic visual packing list.)

1. Barneys tote
2. Rosa Cha suit
3. J Brand cutoffs
4. JCrew hat
5. ASOS beach shirt
6. JCrew sandals
7. Missoni jumper
8. T by Alexander Wang dress
9. OPI polish
10. Anthropologie necklace
11. Mosley Tribes sunglasses
12. Tom's shoes

I'm excited for some sun (just a little, I'll be sporting a hat religiously), and some relaxation (just a bit, since it'll be a short trip) :)

Any packing preferences? Are you going to get some time in the sand this spring?

The Golden Touch

2011-03-17T06:16:00.022-07:00

So I know that gray and gold can complement each other--I wear clothes/jewelry with that combo and love it--but it took seeing this AT post to make the realization that it could work well for Home Monochromatic Dynamic.

link

I did a double take on this because I have a vacant mantel space that's painted gray, very tall, and not as wide (it juts out of the wall and is flanked by this and this). And I was looking for a round mirror for it--because it really hit me a couple weeks ago that everything in my place was square. Or rectangular. Basically, every furniture idea, piece of art, or decor item (except maybe this) was a box. sheesh. Time to get a little more balance. So I was casually perusing craigslist for a huge round mirror and hadn't come across anything until I saw the AT photo and starting thinking that gold would be a great option. And this came up...

Wahoo! I'm psyched about it--obviously so psyched that I'm sharing a photo of it even before it's mounted on the wall (which will undoubtedly be an adventure). And now I can finally stop kicking myself for not buying a huge mirror that I saw at Last Call Neimans (I was waiting for it to go on "more" sale, and evidently someone else wasn't)--it was square anyway. :)

Done any thinking outside the box lately?

The wind beneath my great room fan

2011-03-15T06:23:00.000-07:00

I've expressed my overall displeasure of the look of ceiling fans earlier, but in the hot clime in which I live, fans are a necessary for survival. So, I had to pick out another one for the great room. I tried to find something to compliment the loft fan enough (since you can see both when you look back through the house from the back doors), but not be too matchy and keep the sizes proportional to their respective rooms. This is what's spinning in the great room now.

Hampton Bay fan

I love when procrastinating pays off--the fan was reduced another $20 from the time I entertained the thought of buying it to the time I actually got around to purchasing it in the store. But it was pretty affordable (considering the size) either way.

I was torn as to whether or not to buy a longer downrod, so it would look more integrated in the room, but after hearing that the fan might shake and realizing I'd have to spend more $$, I went with the downrod that came with the fan.

Now I just need a fan for the master bedroom--the search is on for something flush to the ceiling that doesn't grab too much attention...

Breakfasting at Leisure

2011-03-12T10:24:00.002-07:00

Oh, weekend breakfasts. I love the extra time to relax and whip up something not-quite-so-healthy.

Like french toast.

I like cutting the bread into strips because it makes for a fork-optional meal and everyone can have fresh and hot french toast at the same time. I sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over them as soon as they're out of the pan, so you can eat them without syrup--even though some gifted homemade prickly pear syrup is too delish to pass up.

Weekend Reminiscing

2011-03-09T06:42:00.007-07:00

We're halfway through the week, but I wish I was even closer to some sunny and breezy alfresco meals like last weekend.

Tacos and drinks at Canteen

It's so exciting that the weather is getting gorgeous. Any outdoor plans in the near future?

Goodwill Hunting

2011-02-25T06:28:00.017-07:00

So, the other night I was in a spendy mood and felt like bargain hunting and made it to "my" Goodwill (ok, the one nearest to Home Monochromatic Dynamic). And scored some cool items! It took some deliberation and a lot of carrying things around the store while I made a decision (play-by-play: I wander through store with arms full of various items, see a potentially awesome addition to the house, put down other items while looking around to make sure no one will swipe them (which would never happen because there are only 2 other peaceful looking people in the store), pick up the newly discovered object, debate, step back, flip upside down (the item, not me), decide it makes it to the next level of commitment (being held with the other items), re-situate the existing potential treasures so I can carry all of them and wander off to another area. Phew. Anyway, these are the items that made the cut, as seen in their now-natural habitats:

Glass bowl, spotted bananas not included

Dark wood tray (hand-carved as a project, I think) to add some contrast and depth to an end table

A short candlestick to add to a bathroom tableau

I also hunted-and-gathered a dark wood bowl made by the same person as the tray above and 2 silver candle plates (the later of which are currently in the freezer so I can flake off some wax residue more easily).

Ah, bargain hunting urge has been sated, most of the new finds are integrated into the house and it only set me back $12!

Who loves a productive Goodwill visit?! Any good secondhand steals (not literally, of course) to share?

Color Me Sane

2011-02-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's the little organizational things that make me feel accomplished (or the lack thereof that can absurdly drive me insane). Water glasses left around the house is one of those phenomenons. I am a frequent offender--one glass in the kitchen, the living room, next to my bed, on my desk--and compounded with a few additional glasses from the sibling roomies it's a recipe for I-don't-know-if-that-glass-is-mine disaster. And a too-frequently run dishwasher. Sooo, I had been thinking of ways to mitigate the number of glasses without resorting to dehydration. And during a shopping stop at Anthropologie, these caught my eye:

Great, right? I could do a different color for each of us and they're fun and easily identifiable. But I was hung up on the price, so I shelved the idea until I popped into World Market recently, noticed these and brought them home:

Yep, you can see they're already in use. And that I should have found a white background for a better comparison photo......ok, I'm over it. For about the price of one Anthro tumbler I got all three! The glass quality might be lesser, but I think we can handle it and the size of the World Market version is larger, which is a benefit that might make up for any lack in quality.

Ah, I love easy fixes--even when they fix problems that aren't that big in the scheme of things but have the potential to irritate me--yep, I feel more easy-going already. Any little setbacks that drive you nuts? Or things that seem inconsequential but make you feel like all is right in the world?

Put a Ring on It!

2011-02-17T20:14:00.009-07:00

Your napkin, that is. These are some napkin rings that caught my eye. The majority are via Etsy, click on the links below to get to the sellers.

1. Olive Wood
2. Numbered Napkin Rings
3. Horn Napkin Rings
4. Wood Band Napkin Rings
5. Black and Brown Napkin Ring
6. Wood Grain Napkin Rings
7. Villeroy & Boch
8. "G" Napkin Rings (which have no connection to my name, but they're awesome and someone with a "G" name should snatch these up!)

When I lived with a family in Madrid, I loved that each family member had a monogrammed napkin ring--it keeps everyone square on whose napkin is whose, which cuts down on the need to launder them, too.

I saw this cool concept on Remodelista--maybe I should find some inexpensive wooden napkin rings (I'm liking the price of these and these) and put my chalkboard paint to good use...

Plant one on me

2011-02-15T06:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Belated Valentine's Day! Even though the bf and I said no gifts that cost money, I had some plant life waiting for me when I got home yesterday evening. Aww. :)

I had to improvise with the vase technique--I don't have any vases tall enough for sunflowers and I don't have any traditional vase filler options, so some unshelled nuts left over from Christimas and some twine to stabilize the stems were the way to go. Note the bathroom vanity that needs to be redone sometime in the future...

He also got me a plant that "should be easy enough to keep alive"...we'll see.

And, non-Valentine's related, but while we're on the topic of plants, I added some hardy little succulents to the planter I originally posted here.

Maybe it's the warmer weather, but I keep envisioning dozens of plants throughout the house and replanting the backyard... Expect more vegetation posts this spring!

One Down

2011-02-11T06:09:00.008-07:00

One down and 50 to go. I finally finished one of the great room paintings! I shared my inspiration here and you can see the works in progress here, so I wanted to give myself a blog-y pat on the back that I finished one.

I painted the sides a black-brown, which I like, too.

Hooray for feeling productive! Now I have to get into that same artsy mood to complete the others and move onto some other art projects!

Ready, Set, Indigo

2011-02-10T05:43:00.001-07:00

Well, I bought a wallet. My former wallet wasn't taking to kindly to housing all my receipts and my massive amounts of cash (haha!! to the latter) and so I up-sized. And up-sized to a wallet with a pattern that I considered cool and not-so-sensible. And that I thought was sort of original,...until all of the sudden I see this pattern is everywhere! Well, this indigo/tie dye pattern was probably all over the place all along, but I'm just noticing it now. I think it just reaffirms my fun purchase. I love that deep blue color and the white contrast translate so well to so many things.

1. Agate bookends
2. Alma de Anil pillow cover
3. Tory Burch wallet (purchased second-hand)
4. Anne Klein sheath dress
5. Bola International chair, photo via Remodelista

I was thinking that my new wallet couldn't possibly be confused with anyone else's, but at this rate, I'm not so sure!

PS, what's the difference between a wallet and a billfold? What would you call the one I have?

Office Nook

2011-02-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I noted the transitional state of Home Monochromatic Dynamic earlier, and how furniture is moving around to accomodate using the loft as a bedroom. Sometimes I prefer the rearranged result and sometimes I don't. This falls into the former category (yippee!). The great room previously had a curvy-ish loveseat in the space between the fireplace and the backdoor wall, as seen here. In emptying the loft, my big desk (I have a smaller--and awesome--vanity I use as a mini-desk in my bedroom) had to move, and the only spot for it was that loveseat nook. Magically, it fit, and I love the setup.

Before

After

Desk via Craigslist, of course

Chair via another Craigslister

With the current setup, I'm still near natural light, I have all the outlets I need right there, and I am more likely to take mail that needs to be filed and put it directly in the applicable desk cubby until it gets filed permanently (I used to have to run upstairs to do that). I was using a larger chair when the desk was in the loft and experimented with another chair after the downstairs move, but I ultimately decided the lucite chair (previously at my bedroom mini-desk/vanity) would work the best since it isn't physically bulky and doesn't visually take up room. See how it looks practically invisible!?

Now I think I need some art/usuable organization/something awesome to go above the desk. Any ideas?

The Survivor

2011-02-05T08:34:00.001-07:00

Just thought you might want to meet this lovely aloe vera plant...

The only healthy backyard plant I have currently. And I really like it--not just because it's such a trooper--but it actually looks cool (especially compared to dirt).

In the coming months I need to be gearing up for some projects to get my backyard into a habitable space (there's nowhere to go but up!)...stay tuned.

Some Privacy Please!

2011-02-03T05:34:00.012-07:00

I might have mentioned in a previous post that I have been slow to add drapes to cover the sliding doors in the great room and the master bedroom. Well, I finally got to one of them! After pulling inspiration from various sources (which included taking weird, poor-resolution photos with my phone in hotel lobbies and stores--not that I'm in hotel lobbies all that often, but this did take over a year...)

Anyway, I also pulled inspiration from shelter magazines--including lots of photos from different curtained rooms in this home that used simple dark curtain rods:

Architectural Digest Dec 2010

And other inspirational sights like this:

Oh wait, that last photo is actually my temporary screen in my bedroom (yes, in Home Monochromatic Dynamic, "temporary" can mean well over a year). I have plans to redo it somehow and use it elsewhere in the house, but I'll be putting it in the garage for awhile since I'm just that tired of it!

Well, here's the finished product:

The color is a little different in real life--don't know if this could justify a new camera...

I'm so excited about it! Although waking up is a little harder when it's so cozy and dark in the morning, I think I'll get over it. I find it makes such a dramatic difference in the room. I used IKEA linen curtains and curtain rods. It took 6 curtain panels to span the entire wall (it's shy of 15 feet). The rods meet exactly in the middle and go all the way to the sides of the room (I eschewed the decorative end caps that came with the rods)

FYI, careful with curtain panel shrinkage! Here's a view of how different the curtain lengths were before they were hemmed. Luckily the shorter ones still left just enough material to work with.

Now to figure out placement for the mirror that was in the corner and decide on some art for the other walls...
Annnnd maybe I should look for some overheard lighting for the bedroom (the lack of adequate lighting might offer a better reason the color doesn't photograph quite as accurately...I suppose I'll be hanging onto my camera for awhile longer...)

Re-Boot

2011-01-31T18:53:00.003-07:00

We've had some great weather lately--this past weekend it even bordered on hot--but today is rainy and overcast and got me thinking of cozier looks. I have an unrequited love affair with boots, since finding boots that look proportional isn't the easiest task when you're taller than average. When I find a pair that is flattering and comfortable (e.g. doesn't have the shaped calf portion protruding from the back of my ankle) I buy them! I may even have 2 of the same pair--one in black, one in brown--of a stack-heeled boot that must have been made for a person who can credit half of her height to her calves, like me (mild exaggeration, but great mental image).

I've been on the lookout for a great flat black boot in a clean crisp riding style. It'd work for those casual and nights out when I want to sport skinny jeans and a sweater without dressing up the look and for those chilly days when I'm feeling that a pair of Tom's isn't warm enough with my leggings and tunic.

1. Frye Dorado Boots $430
2. Diane Von Furstenberg Boots $346
3. Ciao Bella Tori Boots $138
4. Apepazza Flat Boot $239
5. Mea Shadow Noa Boot $277
6. Ciao Bella Toni Boots $138

I always consider price-per-wear when buying clothing, especially to decide it spendy items are worth it. Any staples that you've been looking for? Or successfully found?

Ikat, You-kat...

2011-01-29T05:32:00.003-07:00

A pair of Ikat shorts highlighted on this delighful blog reminded me of a pillow I have...

I bought a sample of the fabric from Calico Corners as potential drape material and was subsequently called crazy by people I love. If only that were the first time... Anyway, my lovely mother made me some pillows for Christmas (because I asked nicely, naturally), and this fabric is getting some airtime in the living room. Take that, ikat-haters! :)

Update: Check out what I discovered among Neiman's home goods! How crazy is that?! (And the pillow is $60 on sale, so my fabric sample route happens to be far more affordable!)

Shoe In

2011-01-21T18:32:00.002-07:00

My closet is a decent size for my needs, but I still like to maximize space with organizational ideas and by minimizing my stash of clothes/shoes/bags. Ok, who am I kidding? I am far from a minimalist! Buuuuut I do try to keep things under control. I posted my jewelry storage awhile ago and I tried to use the similar concept of using vertical space to store my shoes in a visible way. I had previously been using those ubiquitous shoe organization cubby/shelf cubes on the floor of my closet, so that concept morphed into vertical show storage when I remodeled the closet space (which is a longer description for another post).

Just for some ~~personal embarrassment~~ reference, here's the before:

What items do I actually wear?!

Boots piled in the corner...

...because the cheapy hangers can't sustain their weight!

I went through the shoes and got rid of those that weren't working for me and did the same with the jewelry. I subbed out the boot hangers with metal versions and added another row of hooks under the framed jewelry (the hooks are actually IKEA curtain hangers that went unused after the bathroom and closet curtains were put up) for belts and huge necklaces (and moved the clothes to the hook in my bedroom).
And hooray!

It's much more cheery in here than the lighting/my camera would lead one to believe

Phew. Another portion of the house that's clutter-free. I need to get out of the house after all this...maybe I'll go shopping...?

Candles + Bottles

2011-01-19T06:10:00.002-07:00

Had a soiree at Home Monochromatic Dynamic recently and put some of my ever-growing collection of craft beer bottles to decorative use. Thanks mostly to the bf, I have a constant influx of beer that comes in bottles of different sizes and shapes. I thought the curvy bottles were cool and I like the slight variation in the deep brown colors, so I held onto a ton of them...and then bathed them.

Wellll, it seemed the best way to get a ton of the labels off at once. Some just floated to the surface, and others were a little more stubborn. I was able to remove quite a few unscathed and press them in case the bf decides to get crafty and use them for something!
Here's one tableau on in the foyer...

I lit the candles early because I was trying to get some wax dripping down the sides so the white candle/dark bottle contrast was lessened, but I had no success with my first round on the credenza (I guess that means IKEA sells good candles...?). However, some lovely guests helped me out and put out some candle/bottle combos outdoors, and the breeze must have contributed to the wax drip...so I'll know how to achieve the effect next time!

Have you come across any other bathtub uses? Any other ways to turn trash into something illuminating?

Laser Leveler Envy

2011-01-15T13:22:00.002-07:00

I mentioned that I'm slowly (but surely, I promise!) finishing some paintings for the great room. They're been leaning up against the wall for a bit too long, so I thought hanging them might help motivate me and let me use a new impulse buy, this laser leveler. The process when well, but the leveler does have some quirks that I needed to work around--the laser will still light for angles that aren't a straight horizontal line (when it's set for a straight horizontal line), but it was easy enough to tell when that was happening and I double checked the line with a classic level and a measurement from the floor. The light was really helpful when hanging, though--it definitely beat little pencil marks all over the wall and having to recruit multiple people to get all the spacing correct and hold measuring tapes. Here's some laser-ing in action (the leveler has a pin in the back and you just stab it into the wall and it hangs there):

Any fun toys you've purchased recently that you may not have needed, but make some tasks a little easier or are just cool?

Nightstand and deliver

2011-01-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, the nightstands were delivered. I was stalking some bedside tables on overstock.com (I love overstalking, remember?) for what seems like forever. When I finally got an email discount, I ordered two of them.

Fremont Side Table

I love the circular shape, multiple shelves and the open structure. I'm still on the lookout for some lamps (I have one I like, but I don't know what to do for the other side of the bed...) and still need to get cracking on sharing my DIY headboard, but I'm one step closer to having this sector of the house polished up.

I decided to go with matching nightstands, but after much deliberation. Does anyone love their mis-matched set? Or prefers bedside symmetry?

Clean Sweep

2011-01-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

As I'm coming up on a birthday, I'm antsy to clean out more clutter--I have furniture, clothes, knick-knacks, kitchen items (list never ends...) that I could easily part with. And that I should part with, because some items just aren't earning their keep.

Because of a new sibling roomie, my home was ~~a disaster zone~~ in transition this summer, since all the items that were in the loft (desk, bed, books and tchochkes on the wall-to-wall built in bookshelves, files and closet miscellany) had to be distributed throughout the house--or distributed out of the house! And other storage spaces had to be carved out, too.

I was able to schedule 2 garage sales between weekend trips and commitments and they went really well. As in, paid-for-a-couple-plane-flights well (the 1st one was 10 times more successful than the 2nd, though). I might be addicted to that great cleansing feeling of decluttering (and making some money on the side makes it all the sweeter)!

Glimpse of some garage sale action

Does your birthday ever lead you to make some changes? I'm more likely to create birthday resolutions than New Year's ones.

The Light of My Backyard!

2011-01-10T18:18:00.002-07:00

My backyard/patio is in a pretty absymal state. Well, it's clean (thanks to my lovely bf), but it's also a graveyard of failed plants, patio furniture that needs refinishing, and general indecision. I am resolving to fix that in the coming months, but I want to tackle some fun stuff now--like patio light strands! One step at a time, right? But seriously, with an outdoor shindig planned in the near future the lights will come in handy and I don't have to wait for warmer weather for the results.

Some light strand inspirations--even though mine would be looped under a patio awning...

Apartment Therapy photo

Info from Remodelista

Golden Globe lights - info from Apartment Therapy

Restoration Hardware Lights

Any favorites? Have you come across anything you love for outdoor lighting that is easy on the installer? Any suggestions for some budget friendly options?

Paintings in progress

2011-01-08T19:55:00.004-07:00

The walls in my great room are blank (except for that perfect gray paint, of course) but I received some Christmas presents that will add some more dimension to the room. Yay, my bf got me canvasses as a Christmas present! Oh, wait, that was in 2009. Yeeeaaaaah, so I've made some progress on those babies, but at a Vermeer-like speed. I'll post some photos later.

I'm keeping the tones muted and using Eyvind Earle's landscapes as inspiration--but don't compare the quality of my work to his, that would just depress me.

Image link here, although I wish this was a photo of mine...

Sometimes I think I'm better with paper and an exacto knife than acrylic paints, so we'll see what I do with more canvasses I got for Christmas 2010...I might wrap those up in 2013 or so...

Am I on the Placemat Rebound?

2011-01-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

Curse the color variations on computer screens! I received the items I detailed in my last post and nothing was quite as it seemed--color-wise, anyway. The CB2 napkins were decidedly green (which is great, it just didn't fit my vision, so they're headed back) and the runner and placemats were very tan, not a grayish/taupe-y/mushroom color like I had anticipated. I have to get better at my color perception!

Anyway, I was cruising through the OneKingsLane sales (I love the site, posted about it here) and came across these:

Magenta Inc. Tuxedo Placemat

I like the tailored contrast, they look far from austere, they're machine washable and they're priced at $35 for 12. Not too shabby, but I always search elsewhere before clicking that purchase button. And they're on sale on the magenta site for ..... $80 for 12, down from the original $188 for 12.

Looks like I could have a new shipment of placemats coming my way, which will help ease the pain (ok, I wasn't that devastated, but still) of the other not-quite-optimal-for-me purchases. I'm envisioning a big white plate on the placemat and thinking that it'll look good with the placemat piping. Thoughts? Am I just into the placemats because I'm on the rebound? I'm still debating... (But I'll have to debate quickly since it's a limited quantity and limited time sale!)

PS, If you want an invite to OneKingsLane, you can email me at monochromaticdynamic@gmail.com and I'll send you one. (I get a kickback if you purchase something--can't complain about that).

Might as well get Fancy AND Dance-y

2011-01-05T19:05:00.001-07:00

A couple years ago I was celebrating the 4th of July at a backyard barbeque in Atlanta (post-Peachtree Road Race) and a southern belle-type (maybe I'm generalizing, but in a lovable way) met us out in the shared backyard sporting some drinks in crystal glasses (recently purchased off her bridal registry, if I recall correctly). She had a fun message that the fancy stuff should get used even if the setting was less than fancy--she owns the stuff, so why not?!

Even though I don't have any Wedgwood to use, I agree with the concept that things should earn their keep--I'm a proponent of using cloth napkins for everyday meals and having a lit centerpiece for dinners (the latter makes my cooking look more palatable, anyway). Even if the meal is casual, the dinner can always look thoughtful.

That said, my daily tablecloth is looking a little tired and I don't have enough cloth napkins, so after debating some easy-to-care-for and affordable table linens and shopping some sales, this is what I ended up with...

1. Crate&Barrel Runner
I got 2 runners, thinking they might work instead of placemats for the rectangular breakfast nook table (another cool Craigslist find and I'll post sometime).
2. Crate&Barrel Placemat
These might go back if they end up being super shimmery in person, but I like the gradations of color and the mixed metals look.
3. CB2 Napkins
Although I'm not smitten with these napkins, I was thinking they might complement black/grayish heathered ones I got at Ross and some I was gifted from ZGallerie--which don't seem to be available on their site, but they're the fourth photo.

I like the idea of being able to throw together different napkins that still make for a cohesive table setting. And if the usual dining suspects in the house each have their own pattern, maybe we can reuse the same napkin for a few meals and reduce the need to launder them...

So, all of my purchases are allegedly machine washable and I was able to use a sweet Crate and Barrel giftcard. We'll see which items make the cut when they arrive on my doorstep...

I'm still on the hunt for some awesome and versatile napkin rings (not versatile in the sense that they would have uses other than napkin rings, ha, but that they would work in various table settings) or some inspriation so I can DIM (do-it-MYself)!

Any napkin ring leads? Tips for laundering table linens? Do you keep cloth napkins around for a couple meals or wash everytime?

Don't you love pomegranate?

2011-01-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Don't you? I do, even though it's messy to peel.

mmm. The seeds are like little jewels...that are tasty.

A shout out to my (ceiling) fans!

2011-01-03T06:35:00.003-07:00

Ugh, ceiling fans. So unattractive, yet so necessary. I finally caved and got a couple ceiling fans--one for the upstairs bedroom and one for the loft. All the rooms (well, the loft, both bedrooms and the great room) are wired for fans and connected to wall switches to operate the light and a wheel to operate the fan speed. Now, I know that the only thing more unattractive than a ceiling fan is a ceiling fan with a light, but I needed that option in both rooms. So even the 1% of attractive fans out there (.000001% of which are within my budget) look unfortunate with a light attached. The lights seem to look like an afterthought on the sleeker fans...

Well, I'm done complaining--it's hard to continue when you're typing in a perfectly moderated breeze-filled room. And the look is really growing on me, especially since the ceiling is high.

Harbor Breeze fan

I wanted something with balanced-looking blades, a proportional light, no palm fronds or excessive faux distressing, and no pull-string in the middle of the light. The latter partly because I'll use the wall switch to operate the light and fan levels and partly because the look always makes me think of a burlesque dancer. I also made sure that the light actually illuminated--I looked at quite a few fans that had a dim halogen bulb, which works if you're planning on having supplementary lighting, but wasn't ideal in this situation.

I still need to find a large one for the great room and a flushmount one for the master bedroom. The great room fan could be a challenge since both it and the loft fan will be visible as one looks toward the front of the house through the great room. But at least the great room doesn't need a fan with a light!

Had my pie and ate it, too

2010-12-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

Here's an unpublished post that seems seasonally appropriate...Another stop on my mini-roadtrip to Acrosanti was to the Rock Springs Cafe to check out their popular pies. Yes, I realized that pie might be in a different realm than the Acrosanti vibe (where people live in a natural environment and aim to eat healthfully and sustainably), but the strawberry rhubarb looked too good to pass up. And isn't rhubarb a vegetable?

And it tasted delish, too--perfectly tart.

Bird's Eye View

2010-12-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

So I'm playing around with the great room furniture, trying to come up with placement for some ottomans to find a seating arrangment that works--knowing that some other items are going to be moved around throughout the house in the near future, but the core setup will remain the same.

I'm still excited about these sofas--a fantastic craigslist purchase that was fun and educational--the Lou Regester sofas were the the "dance room" or sun room of an amazing historic redwood house and were meticulously cared for and regularly reupholstered by the original owner. There are 2 additional seats and a half, you can sort of see them in the background of the breakfast nook in this post. Ideally, I'd have them reupholstered in a less golden toned material, but that can wait and I can't complain about their current state.

The ottomans were an awesome find in a more usual circumstance--on super clearance sale at Target. I purchased 4 and got them to my car and then realized that I could not Tetris them in. Fortunately my bf came to the rescue and I didn't have to sit on an ottoman in the Target parking lot forever.

I think some other furniture will make its way out to the great room, and maybe I'll be getting some items on the wall before too long...Thoughts on the arrangements? FYI, the TV mount is just to the right of the fireplace.

I Finally Contained Myself

2010-12-28T22:59:00.001-07:00

After my shameful before photo and my journey (ok, multiple journeys) to the Container Store and Goodwill, I finally have the closet under the stairs under control. Yippee!

Ok, the vacuum rolls in there, so it's not typically quite as "spacious"-looking.

Separate bins for cards, small hardware, sewing supplies, tape and glue and drawers with Sharpies (a favorite writing utensil), calligraphy pens, magazines, and (possibly my favorite drawer label) "Things that Cut". Items I want to be able to see or I might need frequently are in open organizers--which reminds me that I should probably get a second flashlight--all the paint is shelved and labeled, and the gift wrapping is moved out to the garage (garage organization will be a post for another day...)

I've already been happy that I can easily find items and love that I can simply roll out the vacuum instead of extricating it. Oddly enough, this does not increase my desire to vacuum.

PS--Goodwill can be an organizational item goldmine! I didn't find everything I needed, but I was able to get magazine storage and some wire baskets.

Armed and Ready

2010-12-23T07:43:00.001-07:00

I went quite awhile without a TV in Home Monochromatic Dynamic. And then a new sibling roomie came with a 46" flatscreen, and I happily accepted the addition to the great room. I had planned for the space for a wall mounted TV during the renovation process--having the electrician add an outlet and jack on the wall above my bar on casters, but getting a TV wasn't a priority at the time. But hey, when it falls in your lap...

Decor tip: having a cord dangling from the loft draws the eye up and makes for a classy arrangement

It sat on the bar for awhile until I found a TV mount that would swivel, tilt and extend significantly. It was important that the TV be able to extend out of the recessed space and that it swivel so that folks sitting on the end of the couch would still be able to watch comfortably. I settled on this model from overstock.com because it fit the bill, was in my budget and the comments were overall favorable (I felt I could screen out some of the negative comments when it seemed that it possibly wasn't installed correctly). Then I bided my time until an overstock sale or coupon came up! I call this overstalking. Anyway...

Upon opening it up, I realized that the commenters who noted that the installation instructions were practically nonexistent were absolutely accurate.

Um, yeah, note the half sheet of paper with 6 drawings. But playing around with the pieces let me and my super handy parents (thanks Mom and Dad!) piece it together. After identifying the placement of wall studs, we realized that we had to add a piece of wood (as the instructions "noted") onto the stud so the mount would be stable. But a full piece of wood would cover the outlets, so a couple 2x4s were the answer. After these were cut down (so they looked prettier), we hung them with substantial bolts and then painted them (presentation is important, even if it's not something that's usually visible).

After the paint dried, everything else was put together and ... viola!

I love that it's discrete when i want it to be and that it can be comfortably viewed during other times. Now we'll see how long it takes for me to get cable.

Any favorite TV settings? Any technology/construction projects that turned out a-ok?

Hooked Back on Monochromatic Dynamic

2010-12-21T18:38:00.001-07:00

Whee! I'm back to the blog. So many things to share that have happened, that need to happen and that I want to happen to Home Monochromatic Dynamic. But here's a tiny project to ease into it...

I try to justify aimless shopping by thinking it always pays to dig through sale sections regardless what you come in a store to find. While searching for some sandals I saw online (sometimes I like doing online reconnaissance before I venture into a store), I checked out UrbanOutfitters home items, (clearance priced and marked down) and found this awesome wall hook.

It weighs a ton and I love the shape, finish, and hinged hooks. The price was right ($9!) so I purchased it without having a specific destination in mind. So, when cold weather hit and I witnessed a trend (a pile of cardis and pullovers on a box next to my bedroom door, I knew where that hook I purchased needed to go.

Not bad for $9. That's technically under $1 a hook...hehe.

Ever had anything socked away that came in handy later--like that swimsuit you bought on clearance in December or that dress you wore for a last-minute invite, but purchased without a specific event in mind?

I've Been Remiss!

2010-09-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

I've been terribly lacking in the blog post realm, but I've had some great summer travels (West Coast, Midwest, Western Europe) and I'll be back in the saddle soon! In the meantime, some things in the monochromatic dynamic household have been coming together and other things have fallen apart (roof leaks, why!?) and I can't wait to share more fun projects I have planned.

Non-monochrome view in Madrid

I'm pulling for you, Basil...

2010-07-10T14:38:00.015-07:00

I really am. I have a very difficult time cajoling plants to stay alive. It seems like I over-water or under-water, fry them in the sun or deprive them of enough light, and when I sing to them they immediately wilt.

sigh. Basil was a necessary ingredient for a dinner last week and the actual plant was less pricey than the picked leaves so, against my better judgment, I set myself up for heartache and bought it. I planted it in its terra cotta ~~coffin~~ pot and it's survived several days so far.

Perhaps to encourage my gardening, or support my recent ~~success~~ non-failure I was gifted this awesome Sagaform planter (that I know came from a one of my favorite shopping methods--a Gilt sale)...

...and I can't wait to plant some herbs! Mostly because I'm under the impression that my plants will look exactly like the ones pictured on the box. I'm hoping the watering concept--that the plant absorbs it from the base of the planter--will help curb my deadly watering habits. Now I just have to stay tuned for the next grocery store sale on basil plants. Seriously, what smells better than fresh basil?

I'll share my outdoor gardening successes and failures some other time.

Anyone had success nurturing a basil plant? Suggestions are very welcome.
What other herbs should I plant in my new pot?

Natural Ruggedness

2010-07-08T07:05:00.009-07:00

I finally made it to HomeGoods and had fun wandering around checking out the decor and furniture choices. This rug was a purchase from said trip. I'm not sure A) if I should keep it and B) if I do keep it, which side is optimal.

Tonal, peaceful, dirt-hiding gray? Fresh, summery, contrasting white? Or just leave the floor alone?

Care to opine?

Wheelin' and dealin'

2010-07-06T18:33:00.002-07:00

One of my earlier Craigslist discoveries was a wood bar. I saw an ad for a bar I liked, but by the time I responded it had been sold (cue violins). Then, crazily enough, someone posted the same bar (not the exact same, but the identical make) the following week.

The sellers said it's from CostPlus World Market, so it's understandable that there would be multiple secondhand versions out there.

Like so many other items, this hung out at my parent's (and then my sister's) until I got my place. Coincidentally, the bar's width is perfect for one of the alcoves on the side of the fireplace in the great room.

After maneuvering it into place, I was struck with realization that moving the bar when empty was pretty cumbersome, so moving it when full might as well be impossible. And since the bar is only open on one side--which is great since folks can't critique my bar paraphernalia organizational skills--mobility was key. After brainstorming ideas that included having the bar on a giant hinge attached to the wall (hehe), I settled on swivel wheels as an achievable solution.

So, I made my way to Home Depot and got some casters like these:

Then got home and realized that the plate was slightly bigger than the leg, the holes in the screw plate weren't far in enough that there would be enough space between the screw and the edge of the leg for the screw to get a good bite, and that I was likely greatly underestimating the final weight of a fully stocked bar.

Armed with this new (and, eh, probably easily foreseen) information, I returned to Home Depot and got casters similar to these:

Bingo.

The casters had 2 pieces--a slim funnel with teeth on the lip and the wheel on a stem that would fit into the funnel once the funnel/anchor was embedded in the wood. After putting holes in the legs for the stem anchor (making sure that the drill bit was completely vertical so the wheels wouldn't be at that wonky every-shopping-cart-I-ever use angle), and getting a lot of sawdust in my nose and mouth by blowing the wood shavings out of the new hole, the funnel was ready to be dropped in. I hammered them down until the teeth on the lip of the funnel were embedded in the wood and put in the stem of portion with the wheel, which locked into place with a satisfying click. Voila!

When flipped over, the bar rolled relatively easily. When filled, it rolls less freely, but easily enough that I can get access to the back of the bar without calling for backup. Which is great, because if it was still wheel-less and altogether impossible for me to move, I might think I needed to increase my adult beverage intake to make it more mobile.

PS, the empty space above the bar will eventually house a swivel-mounted TV.
Any beverage storage solutions that you find convenient? Does anything last long enough to even be stored?

Sweet potato fries

2010-07-03T11:12:00.001-07:00

My sister wanted to take advantage of a special on salmon burgers, so we planned a meal centered around them. A slight variation on your typical burger should be accompanied with a slight variation on your typical fry, so we decided to try making sweet potato fries as a side.

How handy that my brother is well-versed in frying, since roughly 50% of all his home-cooked meals involve it. He brought over his fryer and cooked the fries perfectly.

This was news to me, sweet potatoes are not orange before they are cooked. This caused some kitchen confusion--basically I was convinced that my sister picked up the wrong tuber. I'll never doubt you again, sis. On this subject, anyway.

We used canola oil and put each batch of sliced sweet potatoes in the fryer for about 3 minutes, until they were goldeny-orange.

We seasoned half with cinnamon and sugar and the other half with some chili powder. Both were excellent, and good together, too.

Honestly, the leftover fries were even delicious straight out of the refrigerator. And for that very reason I don't think I'll be purchasing my own fryer anytime soon.

Any other fried delights to share? I want to try out fried bananas, any tips?

Parfait Montage

2010-06-23T19:58:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't love summery parfaits? I made these for Father's Day dinner on Sunday with layers of strawberries, cream (heavy whipping cream with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla), chocolate pudding (boxed--I know, total cop out--and mixed with soy milk because I didn't have enough other milk on hand--still delicious), and cherries.

To pipe the cream on the top layer, I used a sandwich bag with a corner lopped off:

Double over the edge of the bag so you don't gunk up the top and you can still seal it.

Leave a corner food-free (or move the cream/icing/cheesecake mix out of the way).

Ready to beautify the tops of the parfaits.

When I was done I binder clipped (that's right, they're not just for the office anymore, folks) the open corner to save the leftover cream (which was mixed in with marscapone cheese and orange zest for a dip for the rest of the cherries the next day...)

I'm impressed with my foresight in making sure that a dessert spoon could easily fit in the glasses before I layered eveything up. I should have made extra, I could really use another one right now...

Tabled the Issue

2010-06-22T07:42:00.002-07:00

Among my many regular keyword searches on craigslist is "lucite". I started searching after I randomly saw a listing for a lucite coat rack and I really wanted--but was completely out of my price range (even if I factored in a little friendly craigslist haggling). So, the lucite search is more therapeutic than anything else, but sometimes cool things turn up, including this simple metal table with a lucite top.

Yay for super versatile second-hand finds! This was a coffee table in the loft pre-desk acquisition (more on that later) and then became a bedside table (more on the ever-morphing bedroom later, too) and now it hangs out beside a couch in the great room. I just saw that CB2 has a similar table, but with a glass top and a higher price tag. But it's probably able to bear more weight.

CB2 Smart Side Table $149

Any standby craigslist searches that have brought you success? Nevermind, I don't expect anyone to share their secrets.
Isn't moveable, versatile furniture the greatest!?

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T14:54:00.030-07:00

Special shout out to my Dad: ever-stylish, consistently hilarious, and always honest.

P.S. Referencing "Resort Wear" is a family joke that my Father started. It involves posing and requires participation.

Trip to Arcosanti

2010-04-28T18:18:00.011-07:00

Last weekend I visited Arcosanti. This "urban laboratory" had cool architecture, an interesting background story and a peaceful natural setting--and the great weather during the visit made the experience all the nicer.

Stairwell of Visitor Center with Soleri Windbells

Looking down into the dining room

One of the apartments (about 100 people live on-site)

Arched ceiling in the "town square"

(the color is added through the silt construction process)

Some of their agricultural land

The Agua Fria is at the tree-line in the distance

The office center?

This fun roadtrip had another stop, I'll post about that deliciousness later.

Rampant Shelf-ishness

2010-04-26T18:49:00.008-07:00

Sometimes that "measure twice, cut once" mantra works, and sometimes it becomes "measure once, file down some edges for a long time..."

I like the look of floating shelves that wrap around corners, and using some easily assembled Target shelves seemed a quick way to do it in my master bath--especially because the 24" shelf was the exact width from wall to wall over the toilet. Cue premature "hooray" now. Evidently walls are not exactly flat or exactly the same width apart all the time (of course I knew this, everyone knows this, but I didn't let that knowledge prevent a perfectly good and frustrating experience!). I wish I got a few photos (or video?) of me struggling with the shelf in between the walls of the toilet alcove--I'd get the shelf into the space about a foot, then the walls would narrow and stop my progress. Then I'd try to angle it up or down to find an area with more leeway...about 40 minutes later I was left with a shelf wedged about a foot directly above the toilet at a 45 degree angle. Yep, that half-bath by the front door definitely comes in handy. After a day-long sabbatical from the fiasco, I revisited it with back-up support, unwedged it, and whittled down the edges enough that it fit into the space like a glove. Putting up the other shelf was a comparative breeze (although it is difficult to match the planes exactly, so strategically placing items on the seam proved helpful).

So, I have more visual interest and some extra open storage (for prettier bathroom items), which may come in handy depending on future bathroom sink and vanity alterations...

I think I need to get a print or 2 on the shelf, too--so I'll be on the lookout for something that fits the bill.

The master bath is still not a finished project, but it's getting there with the shower drapes/curtains, closet organization (I'll have to post more photos of the space later), towel bar, and dresser. (And this is after the massive sunken tub/shower/closet/door/walls reno--I'll have to unearth some of those photos, too!)

Should I put the hook I got earlier (photo at this link) under the shelf on the side nearest the curtain? I'm leaning toward yes...

Stone . Paper . Metal Giveaway!

2010-04-17T10:21:00.005-07:00

A few months ago I posted about the fantastic earrings I received from Emily at Stone . Paper . Metal. She's doing a giveaway on her blog for some amazing chalcedony earrings and I'm being nice enough to tell you about it, even though it hurts my odds of winning!

Good luck! (she's taking entries until the 19th)

Visit Emily's etsy store, too!