Spring Break, Easter, and the Bedroom

We had a few very busy weeks recently. Last year for spring break we went to the rain forest, this year we stayed at home. Of course staying at home and "doing nothing" involved bargaining to keep the child happy. The result is that we blew up spring break with a mini Indiana tour.

Wayne White speaking at the FATE Conference.

The first photo doesn't have much to do with spring break, but it's how I kicked off the start of it (which doesn't mean much since it was not my spring break). The 2015 FATE Conference was held at Herron School of Art and Design this year and artist Wayne White was the keynote speaker. So much happy. This is my art nerd equivalent to having front row concert seats or something.

Food and photography

The lady likes food and photo documentation. I took two days off work to make for a four day weekend. The first day of urban exploration we went to a brunch place called Milktooth. She got latte art and a giant pie of a pancake (I guess it was actually a Dutch baby pancake).

Kale pastry; the name is long and starts with an f.

Out taking photos

The final day of my four day weekend we went to a doughnut shop and then walked around to take photos. She kept telling me to get out of the picture.

Mirrors! Finally mirrors!

On Easter we took a lady trip to Ikea. I can't seem to get any photos of that to move on over here. I bought the last piece of furniture for this room and it took me until the next Sunday to finally unload the car. Last Saturday though, I finally got the courage up to wrestle the mirrors again. The first time I tried this (maybe 5 weeks ago?), it did not go well. I didn't have the right supplies and I got frustrated. I spent many hours on a Saturday measuring, drilling, wiring, and lifting only to end the day with sore arms and lots of discarded, broken wire.  I gave up and went to bed. The next day I bought the proper supplies: heavy gauge picture wire and heavy duty mounting tape. It still took awhile to get it right, but this time was much better. I knocked a screw out of the wall while trying to hang the mirror on the right. That had me worried, but it's been 4 days now and they're still holding.

Maybe I'll get the Kallax together by this weekend (just looked at the Ikea website and noticed a price increase on the Kallax).

xoxo,

b

One finished corner...

Valentine surprise

I have a bedroom update, but first, have you ever tried to gift balloons on an extremely windy day?  It doesn't work.  All the strings tangle and won't separate.  So my two bouquets of six became one room's worth of ceiling balloons.  I grabbed the scissors and right before I gave into cutting the strings, I decided to just release them.  I think this worked much better.

One completed corner.

I have one corner (and most of a wall) of the bedroom finished.  I tried to hang the mirrors I had just finished painting, but they're very heavy and one of the wires kept snapping.  I put them away and bought the proper supplies when I went out to run errands.

The art wall has been up for awhile, no changes there.  Her back ordered West Elm bedding finally came and I steamed it in the dryer.  I couldn't handle the thought of ironing it.  I think I might hate ironing so I was procrastinating about putting on the bedding.  I survived though and I finished these little mountain pillows.  I read a tutorial for making these pillows, but I ended up just sort of doing my own thing.  I had a sweater dress that shrank and some felt scraps so I made some chalk shapes and cut them out with a rotary tool.  I sewed the felt and sweater into place at the same time.  After they were stuffed and together, I tacked down the felt edges with a buttonhole stitch.  I cut out the rest of the dress and decided to make more.  It's very satisfying.

The side table is the same one we've had for awhile.  It's from Urban Outfitters and I think it's for record storage, but it's also good for books.  The wall sconce is new and also from Urban Outfitters.  I had to finish the headboard before I could decide where to hang it.  It doesn't look like they sell the table anymore, but I kinda' love the little light.

The headboard is what I would call one of my major projects for the room.  The main project, other than painting and papering, was refinishing the dresser.  I looked for some headboard inspiration for awhile.  I know that beds don't have to have them, but it makes it look complete to me.  I love tufting and I saw a great tutorial for a faux tufted twin headboard on Vintage Revivals.  Mr. Husband is a painter so we have a variety of large frames around the house.  I looked around and chose the one I liked best.  I got real excited and bought all the supplies.  I found some great remnant fabric and learned that it's cheaper to buy a foam mattress topper than it is to buy foam (Joann Fabric coupon + twin eggshell topper = best deal I could find).  Alright!  I was ready to go and my materials sat there for a few months.  Um, meh.  I have no idea why I'm this way, but I am.  I think I was intimidated by the thought of messing it up.  When I finally did decide to conquer it, everything went quick and smooth (until I realized that I didn't have access to a nail gun-- we're working on that).  I had another person to help for everything except the tufting.  The directions are easy to follow.  I had some trouble getting my faux tufts to staying so I pressed down harder with my stapler and put 2-3 staples in for each tuft.  I used the same button kit as the tutorial and it worked well, but thicker fabric will take a little forcing.  I used a hammer to press the button backs in (be careful not to flatten the button face when doing this).  I kind of love it.  I would make another.  I'd actually enjoy having a reason to make another.

Right after I finished.  See my scissors?

Here's a bonus photo since the pillows are stacked in front of it in the other photo.  My next big DIY for the room is to cover a bean bag chair in faux fur.  The pre-fab versions that were adult size (Miss Lady is 5'5 and growing) were way too pricey so we got a cheaper chair with the intention of making a cover.  I just ordered the fabric. 
The room should be done in April.  I'm slow and I need to make a trip to Ikea before I can complete it.  So much to do.

xoxo,
b

This Room

Hello!  I have been obsessing over Miss Bean's room.  I have filled myself to capacity on Pinterest and various online searches.  Can't. Look. Any. More.  I've reached my visual fill and now I just need to get in there and work, but, um, I have to work so it's going slow.

Way back when--moving in.

 The image above is from almost 4 years ago when we were moving in.  The Lady Bean was little then.

The same wall a week ago.

This is that same wall; the space to the right of the window.

Detail of gallery wall.

This is a little bit of wall art DIY.  The empty frame in the previous picture became the home for a happy little salt dough cloud.  I made some ornaments in December (and then I wondered what to do with them).  I put printable paper from Mini Eco in the frame and glued the cloud on the glass.  Boom!  A little bit'a cute.

The new dresser when we first saw it in the store.

Another update since the first picture is a new dresser.  She's 13 and 5'5; I think she could use some grown up furniture.  We replaced the two pieces of children's furniture with one large dresser and I love it, but this finish wasn't going to work.

Our inspiration

The "French Maid" dresser was the inspiration for the new finish on her new dresser.  It's pretty great.

The room in 2015.

This is how the bedroom looks currently.  You can see that it's still very much a work in progress, BUT...  The dresser is done!  Look to the left, that's 5 feet of lovely.  Oh how I love to do finish work.  The decorations hanging from the ceiling are nice, but they need to be taken down.  The Lady doesn't do pink anymore so while I love paper decorations, we are going to move on to something similar, but different.

There are mirrors to paint and more frames to hang, cords to hide, etc. and so on, and so on...

xoxo,

b

DIY Inspiration

 I've been thinking of ways to convert the ceiling beam in the bedroom (which I think is actually a heating duct cover) into some sort of art work so it blends with the room instead of just seeming out of place.  I've had a few ideas.  One of them was to install DIY'ed limbs along the sides since I have an assortment of those in the garage and they were part of my original vision.

painted branches

suspended branch

The above are examples from my pinboard.  The outcome would be a mix of what's going on here.  I like it and I do want to use the limbs some where in the house, but I can't seem to stop exploring my options.

Antlers came to mind.  I do love vintage antler mounts.  There's just something about the shape of them that is absolutely great and today while I was browsing images, I saw this:

Fabulousness

 Then I was convinced I had to have vintage antler mounts for the bedroom, especially since yesterday, I saw this:

itty bitties just waiting for a makeover

then of course, I needed more of these (doilies)

So, in a frenzy of ,"This is such a good deal and my DIY will be fabulous!", I hit the 'buy it now' button.  Now I must wait impatiently for the two to arrive.  I picture them hanging in a row across the beam with more fabulous and unnecessary garlands draped in between.  Now I suppose I have to finish painting the beam.  

xoxo,

indulgent b

How it's going...

Tarder Sauce

Left corner

Right corner

This is how the bedroom is coming along.  I think I'm going to add more to wall the bed is on (frames and garlands of course).  I've decided as well that once the small dresser is painted, I'm okay with an open closet.  For some reason I keep taking night time photos with the Ipad so the quality is fuzzy and I have a grumpy cat fixation.  Falling asleep in here is like going to bed in a gallery.  I imagine I might get a similar sensation from doing an overnight at the zoo (the kind where you take a sleeping bag and lay on the floor under the dolphin tank- does everyone have that or is it just here?)

Ah, Tardar Sauce!

I've developed an addiction and it's nerdy as can be.  I love Grumpy Cat cushions and looking at those little kitties.  They look so tiny compared to my kitty cat and their faces are so expressive.  I want to squeeze them, but they live in Arizona so I'll just continue to squeeze my own kitties.

I lived at Brooke's house once.  It was awful.

This is my new throw pillow.  I couldn't stop though, I ordered a couple more and I already know where they're going to live.

I will be calling this a throw pillow.

Something for the bed, to tie the room together.

I don't believe the kitty is grumpy, but I do believe it's very cute.

x's, o's, and kitty scratches,

Ms.b

A couple of finished DIY's

Hola!  I finished painting and (almost) repairing the dresser (1 leg to glue!).  Here it and an ink stain are for you to view:

We're adding rugs... lots of rugs, but we also need to rent a carpet shampooer.

Do you remember this pin?  Originally seen on Poppytalk.

The process was fairly basic.  I chose a color swatch from Benjamin Moore that matched my bedroom and then I bought a bunch of samples.  I also labeled them according to the drawer that they went on so I wouldn't get confused.

Last week I was talking about the Jelly Planter from Angus and Celeste and thinking about a DIY version.  I did order a pink one and I have no idea when it will be here, but I do know where it's going.  Anyway, the jello tins I ordered came Friday and I went forward with my DIY. 

I love it!

I used some green cord that I already had and some Montana Cans flesh spray paint (also already had this for another project).  The plants are some from around the house.  This photo was taken in the living and the planter matches the wall, but the bathroom is white and that's where this planter is living.  I'm happy with it and I have a few more tins to try things out with.  I took photos for a tutorial, but I haven't put that together yet.  Once I work on it a little more, it will likely be available in my Etsy shop.

Saturday

A lot of this today.  It's very raspberry now.

Newlywed Nesting

Hola, so I was a wedding planner, then a wedding panic-er, then a bride, then I had post nuptial depression, then I was an adventurer, and now...  It's almost time to be mom again.  School starts Monday and I seem to always tell my daughter that I'll have her room together before the summer ends.  It has yet to happen.  I've actually destroyed it and now I should put it back together.

A little over a year ago.

This was a great start and I had the best intentions, but the wallpaper didn't go any farther than this until yesterday.

Ha ha!  2 complete walls of pattern!

Now there are 2 finished walls and if 2 is not enough, I'm going to need more paper.  I've decided to counter all of my self indulgent behavior over the last 9 months or so (with the wedding and all-- Kids don't like it when you splurge on yourself and leave them to vacation.) by finishing/updating her room.  Of course, I've waited until the last week of summer and she'll be home soon.  So it's a sort of mad-dash makeover, but I've had it planned for so long that at least I don't have to plan it.  I just have to do it.

New side table to replace the one that was never there.

New shams to indulge her love of mustachios.

Tonight I will be off to buy new bedding and curtains.  Then it will be time for more cleaning and organization.  I think I'm saving some of that for her though.

xoxo.

b

Pin Me

I started a Pinterest and it's kind of neat.  Check out my bedroom ideas for my currently neglected basement room (more of a winter project since summer is seasonal here).

The room as it is now:

                                       

 This is what I'm running away from.

And finally, a small peek of the garden progress.  The second bed is built, but not installed.  My poison ivy came back with a vengeance (after 17 days of medication) and the heat index went crazy, scary, unbreathably high.  So, the frame is still sitting there after being built last weekend.  I'm hoping to get this in the ground and full of dirt this weekend.  I'm also participating in a 2 day yard sale though.  I VERY much need the opportunity to get rid of things, but I've never done a yard sale before...EEEkkkkk.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.  The invite to participate was last minute and the week has been crazy busy.

Hug, kiss, squeeze... xoxo...