Patio Progress and Inspiration

I'm not sure what the hold up is, but it's taking me forever to get my patio makeover finished.  Last weekend my hubby pressure washed the whole thing and what a huge difference that made.  I tried my hand at it for a bit and it's actually sort of fun.  Of course I wasn't the one doing it all morning.  There's just something gratifying about seeing all that dirt be blasted away.

Here's a picture after he was done and after I gave the patio set a quick coat of spray paint.  It desperately needed it.  I wish I had a before picture, but I'm kind of glad that I don't, because it was embarrassingly gross.  The concrete almost looks brand new.  It's actually a picture I took through the window, not the best quality and we still have a long way to go!

Here's my inspiration for the patio, this fun bag from Target.  I wish they sold a rug like it, I would have snatched it up in a heartbeat.

I also gave this table a quick makeover, think bright and fun.

am in the process of making over a few of these guys....

grabbed a few strands of these from Target.  I also picked up a some new cushions for the chairs.  I can't find them online but you've probably seen them there.  They are sort of a poppy color.

Last but not least I ordered some of this fabric to make some outdoor curtains.  I'm getting ambitious y'all.  Maybe that's why it's taking me so long...

Hopefully I'll have some updates to share soon!

DIY campaign style boxes

I mentioned before that I wanted to start incorporating a little orange into my office space.  I started with this orange pillow and then I thought it would be nice to add a touch of orange to my sewing table.  The boxes I had worked just fine and were the perfect size.  However, they were an after Christmas clearance find and they had that fakey Christmas gold look going on.  I decided to grab some orange spraypaint and make them over.  

Here they are before, they're the gold ones on the bottom.

I used some of this to fix them up.

krylon pumpkin orange

They still looked like they needed something so I gave them a little campaign inspired makeover.  I picked up these corner braces at Lowe's for a few dollars.  If you want to do all four corners you will need one pack per box.  

Then, I searched my stash for some scrapbooking brads. 

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I gave both pieces a coat of gold spraypaint, because we all know I love gold and then just attached them to the corners of the boxes.  It's a subtle touch, but I like the little details.

knobs and a winner

I forgot to announce the winners of the Novica winners yesterday so here they are, check your email for your prize!

Julianne Sissine

and 

Tara Herbert Schroeder

I don't know about you but I love drawer pulls and knobs.  If I see them on sale I have to make sure I don't go crazy because it's so easy to do.  I do like to keep knobs on hand that I love so that I can change things up when I get the urge.  They are great to use to easily update your kitchen or bathroom cabinets or even just a basic piece of furniture.  Here are a few of my go to sources for knobs that won't break the bank.

We all know and love anthropologie and their selection of knobs, pulls, and hooks do not disappoint.  They can get a little pricey, especially when you need multiples but if you hit them during a sale you can stock up.  I was in there last weekend and found several baskets of them on sale for $2.95.  

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I know I sing the praises of Hobby Lobby a lot, but their prices and selection cannot be beat when it comes to drawer pulls, knobs, and hooks.  In store they are always 50% too.  If you don't have one locally, they do offer online shopping.

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Zara Home has a great selection of knobs and tassels.  The prices are great and they offer free shipping!

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World Market is another great source for knobs and hooks.  I love shopping there.  They have so many unique things.  How cute are those elephant knobs?  Love them!  

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Urban Outfitters has a unique selection of hooks, knobs, and tiebacks.

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Those are just a few places I look when I'm searching for the perfect hardware to complete a piece of furniture.  I'm always amazed at the difference the right hardware can make.  I also check Homegoods from time to time for knobs too.  They usually have them in the bath department or up near the register and of course their prices are great like most things they sell.  

Do you have a go to source for hardware?   

Chevron chairs and an oversized mirror

Hope you guys had a great Father's day celebrating with the ones you love.  I've been feeling a bit under the weather but we were still able to spend some time with family and a enjoy a nice lunch together.  I made this cake and oh mylanta it was good.  Everything I hoped it would be.  I may be running a few extra miles this week to make up for it, but it was worth it.

I've also been updating my dining room a little bit.  The end chairs were brown/white chevron before and guess what I changed it to?  Chevron!  I thought I was over chevron really, but then I saw this print and thought it would work nicely with all the other gray in the room.  I like the watercolor/ikat look it has going on.  It was also less than $8/yard and I used less than a yard.  So, it was a super inexpensive update.  Ideally I would love to have a pair of wingbacks to flank the dining table, but this works well for now.

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    Premier prints is one of my go to fabric sources if I want something trendy but don't want to spend a lot.  Most of their fabrics are less than $10/yard and are a nice weight.  I could spend hours looking at fabric and if I'm not careful I could easily start hoarding it!  A beautiful print could inspire a whole room.  

Here are the chairs with their new look.

I also added this oversized mirror to the mantle.  My mom bought it for $10 at a thrift store, but it didn't really work when they moved to their new home so she gave it to me.  It's hard to tell the scale from these pictures, but it really opens up to the room.

and if you follow me on instagram you've already seen this, but I found this Nate Berkus sea urchin at Target for $1.48!  It's such a great little accessory.  It said "as is" (I guess that's why it was so cheap) but I couldn't find anything wrong with it.  I love his whole line at Target, his style is right up my alley.

Novica Giveaway

Some of you may have noticed that I finally created a business page on facebook.  I thought it would be fun to do a little giveaway to get the word out and celebrate.  The folks over at Novica have decided to give two of you each a $50 gift certificate to their site.  If you've never been to their site it's pretty cool.  They have artisans from all over the world who create unique items such as bracelets, mens clothing, and home decor.  They have a little bit of everything.  I'm particularly drawn to their home decor items.  

Here are some of my favorite picks.

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To enter to win simply like me on facebook by clicking here and leave a comment saying that you did.  I'll announce the two winners on Monday 6/17.  Thank you for all your support!

Pink, Black, and Gold

One of my favorite color combinations lately is blush pink, black, and gold.  You may have noticed that with my daughter's first birthday party.  I wanted to translate that color combination somewhere in my home.  I thought about our bedroom, but my husband isn't too fond of the idea and I can't really blame him for that.  We have a little pink in the nursery and adjoining guest bath, but it's sort of expected to have pink in a little girl's room.  To me, part of what makes pink fun is using it in unexpected spaces, like a living room.  So, I decided in order to appease everyone in the household, that I would add a little pink at the top of the stairs.  This area never really felt like "me."  It was fine, but I was sort of over it.  That tends to happen a lot around here, but luckily I had all the things I needed to transform this space without purchasing anything new.  

I'll start with my inspiration, this spray paint from Lowe's.  I actually grabbed a can of it before I even had this project in mind because it was just so pretty.  It has a built in primer too.

So, here's what the area looked like before.  I really wasn't crazy about the red, but I went with it because the photo albums I had were already red.  That was sort of my inspiration.  Note to self, don't let something that you're not really crazy about become your inspiration.  Moving on...  

So to get a new look, I started by spraying this lamp with the spray paint mentioned above.  My mom gave it to me when it didn't sell at her yard sale.  The shape was great and the size worked well in this space.  

Then, I updated the covers on the photo albums with leopard wrapping paper I found at World Market.  I don't see it online, but they had it in the store.  The Container Store sells a similar version here. 

 I added a few other accessories that I had around the house and shopped the garage to create a totally new vignette.  I like it so much better now.    

This book I found just happened to coordinate perfectly with everything.

This black glass piece will always be one of my favorites.  My husband picked it out on a thrifting/antiquing adventure we went on.  He never picks things out for the house so this is something we will keep around for a long time.

I'm also starting a little match collection.  I love the look of them.

Accessorizing with trays

There's nothing quite like a good tray to create the perfect vignette.  I don't know how many times I've found myself saying, that could really use a good tray.  It helps break up a long dresser or buffet and helps to group items together.  They are also great for parties and serving guests.  They can be used anywhere from a bathroom to a foyer.  Really, they're so versatile.  There are so many affordable options out there too, whether you choose to DIY or buy new you can't go wrong.  I've even seen quite a few while thrifting, most just need a good coat of spraypaint.  Here's a quick round up of some DIY trays.

If you don't want to spend a lot, I recommend this DIY lucite tray I made a while back.  It's so inexpensive and very easy to customize.

Or buy an expensive plastic tray (I bought this one after Christmas for a few dollars) spray paint it, add fabric and glass and you are good to go.  Did you know that Lowe's will cut glass for you for free?  I took a piece of glass out of an old picture frame and had them cut it to size for me.  See the post on this tray here.

I love this IKEA hack from Pam at Simple Details.  You won't believe how easy and inexpensive this is to make.

If you have some scrap wood laying around and you're feeling crafty, check out Jennifer's tray.

how cute is this tray from two twenty one?

Martha always does it up right.  Cover a baking sheet with fabric, she's so smart.

or just update a tray with some studs like this one for some nice texture.

So what do you think?  Do you use trays in your own home for decorating?  Seen any great DIYs?

Cozy Coupe Makeover

My daughter has an obsession with cars.  Well, not just cars, pretty much anything with wheels.  Maybe she'll be the next Danica Patrick or maybe it's just a developmental stage, but either way I couldn't pass on this cozy coupe when I found it for $5 at a yard sale.  Sure it was plastered with Dora stickers, but in my mind I had grand ideas for this little car.  

It took me a while to decide what I wanted it to look like.  Should it be gender neutral in case we have a boy one day?  Should I make it look like something non car-ish?  Should I follow in Kristin's footsteps and make it a Minnie Mouse Car?  I finally decided on making it into a car that looked like a cupcake, a cupcake delivery car.  I can't take credit for the idea, my mom actually came up with it.  Once she mentioned it to me I knew that was the route I wanted to go.  

I started by taking it apart.  There are basically just two screws holding the top portion on.  Unscrew those and you are good to go.

Then I gave it a really good scrub down with some comet and a scrub brush to get rid of all the sticker residue and other nastiness.  It also helped get some of the sheen off of the plastic which I figured may help the spray paint to adhere, couldn't hurt.  Then, I pretty much stopped taking pictures of the progress but you get the idea.  I did cover the wheels with plastic bags to make sure they wouldn't get covered in paint too.

For the paint I decided to use Rustoleum's 2x coverage spraypaint.  It says on the can that it bonds to plastic.  This is Rustoleum's brand of plastic spraypaint according to the guy at home depot.  I was originally looking for the Krylon Fusion paint but couldn't find any locally after checking several stores and didn't want to have to order it online.  I can't attest to the longevity of this paint since I just completed this project, but I know others have used the Krylon Fusion with good results.  It does recommend to wipe down the surface with paint thinner for even better adhesion. 

Here are the deets on the car:

Top of the Car: Rustoleum Berry Pink in Gloss (1 can)

Base of the Car: Rustoleum Kona Brown in Gloss (1 can)

Sprinkles: I cut pieces of vinyl adhesive into the sprinkle shape and stuck them on the car.  I ordered the vinyl from this ebay seller.

Red Cherry on Top: Red foam ball from Quill.com

Whipped Cream: I used insulating foam sealant from Home Depot.  It's used to seal gaps around windows and doors but it worked great for this project and looks just like whipped cream.  It does have a yellowish tint to it but you could always paint it white if that bothered you, I don't mind it.  One thing I'll say about this stuff is that it grows so use it sparingly.  Even if you think it's done growing it's not, it will grow a little bit more after it cures.  After I sprayed the foam on top I just set the ball in it so that when everything cured the ball would be held in place by the foam.

Decal on side of car and license plate:  I used my Silhouette machine to design and cut out the decal.  I used gold adhesive vinyl.

Taillights: Reflectors from Lowe's

Headlights: Plastic Caster Cups, also from Lowe's.  They are clear, but I just spraypainted the back side orange.

Rear view mirror: purchased from a local automotive store

I think that pretty much covers it, but if you have questions feel free to ask away!