Hardwood Makes Me Giggle

As it seems to go with the house, I can always rationalize additional projects with the excuse that we are already doing so much, what is one more little thing added on? So when mom suggested refinishing the hardwood floors that run through my living room, dining room, hallway, and guest bedroom, it was just another 'sure, why not?' moment.

Very few of us will ever get to choose the type of hardwood floors we have... only if you invest in a new construction option. I originally thought the type of wood used determined the look of your floors, and while it definitely plays a role, it is not the defining factor.

The most popular hardwood choices are oak, maple, Brazilian cherry, white ash, bamboo, and Douglas fir. Of these, Brazilian cherry and oak are the most resilient to wear and tear. Fortunately, my floors are red oak. Originally, the color was a blonde... which I assumed I had to live with. Wrong.

By sanding the floors and stripping it of its color, you can introduce a new stain that will give your home new classic character and life. I do not recommend sanding on your own. It requires one of those big sanding machines that look like a vacuum cleaner and it is just too easy to do permanent damage to your floors. I thought I wanted to play that game... I was wrong.

Instead, I chose a beautiful dark walnut stain that provides a uniform look while at the same time allowing you to observe the natural grain and inherent classical feel of genuine hardwood floors. Laminates may try (and they will try in my basement, haha) but it just is not the same.

So don't feel limited by the floors you have now... the color can be easily changed and completely refresh your home. Go for some sleek modernity with blonde bamboo or classic chic with imitation cherry... the choice is your's and the floor's the limit.

Free and Easy

This isn't like a big industry secret or anything, and it is a shameful plug by Lowe's to get you to use their products... but hey, quit your bitchin', 'cause it's free.

Lowe's free publication, Creative Ideas, actually isn't that bad. I got my first issue in the mail today (that's right--it's not something you have to pick up in store, they send it to you!) and I was pleasantly surprised. It is not huge, but it did contain several smart ideas for your home. Best of all, it gives you an idea of the skill level needed to complete a project... which is a great thing to think about before you jump into bricking an entire wall in one of your bedrooms. It also estimates the total cost, which is never a bad thing to know. I can't tell you how many times I have gone out to buy materials for a "cheap" project and come home with a receipt for three times what I estimated.

I got some great color inspiration in the most recent issue, as well as an awesome plan for a glass tile mirror. I am sure if I attempt it, I will blog about it, don't worry. So click here and subscribe. It is free and easy... just like me.

Kidding...

In My Prime

Tomorrow, I begin my hands-on renovations project. Until this point, everything I have done has required a contractor. I'm sorry, but let's just be honest: I could not have possibly built an addition to my second floor myself. It would have fallen down. I am good, but I am not that good.

The upstairs of my home consists of two bedrooms and a new bathroom. I intend to use these rooms as my bedroom and an office area (for all my hard work... yeah right). We added about 150 square feet to these rooms, which we used to create the bathroom and two walk-in closets. The latter is especially exciting because large closets are basically unheard of in my neighborhood of post-war homes.

So now that the upstairs construction is finished, it is time to paint. We are not painting the downstairs yet as there is no real new flooring going down there. So in the course of 30ish hours (hopefully), I will be covering my upstairs walls so that my carpet, tile, and new bathroom vanity can go in sometime next week. So exciting!

Now with new construction (and old construction for that matter), the most important step of the painting process is to prepare your surface perfectly. This means three things: sanding, cleaning, and PRIMING.

Sanding is vital to a successful paint job. Using a sanding block and 120-150 grit sandpaper, you need to go over your new drywall and make sure there are no imperfections left from the putty or caulking. Unfortunately, the sanding makes the next step necessary: cleaning. Using a damp cloth, you have to wipe down your walls. Sanding dust, if left on the wall before you paint, will cause your paint to adhere poorly and no one wants that.

Last but not least, you must prime your walls. Using a drywall-sealer such as Behr's Primer/Sealer for new drywall. A product like this will not only provide a smooth, clean surface for your top coat, but adds a barrier against stains that may affect your walls.

So if you are around Louisville in the next few days, come on over to my house... because I will be there, covered in paint and happiness. And if you are thinking about it, pressure me to finalize my colors because the decision is driving me crazy!

Glow Baby Glow

Yes, more wine bottles. What can I say? I like the vino.

Got some string lights left lying around now that the holiday season is coming to a close? Why not make some awesome decorations for you upcoming bangin' new year's party?

This project does involve drilling through glass, but as long as you take the necessary precautions (like wearing safety goggles), it is not such a big deal. A glass drill bit is under $20 at any hardware store and will be a good thing to have in your toolbox... just in case.

Drill a small hole in the bottom of your wine bottle. Experiment with different color bottles. I found a can of spray frost at the local craft store, which gives the bottles a cool glow effect. Incandescent lights are hotter than LED, but the light they give off is much softer and more appealing color.

Make several of these and place them around the house for a nice holiday glow without being overtly Christmas.

Shop 'Til You Drop

It is the day after Christmas. Do you still spend Christmas at your parents' house? Now's the time to step it up, put on your big girl/boy pants, and invest in your own holiday decorations for next year. What better day to do it than when stores are unloading all their unwanted Christmas merchandise?

Now, personally, I will be expanding my Hanukkah inventory. But since the majority of us celebrate Christmas, run out and get some sparkly lights on major sale. Just don't come to buy stuff where I work today... working the day after Christmas is not real and I do not approve. Alas, here I am.

Go for it, kiddos. Everyone likes a good deal, especially on things they can forget about for a year. Come next November/December, it will be like getting new stuff all over again. You can't argue with that logic.

You Light Up My Life

So if you're like me, Christmas in the 80s was full of baby dolls who actually pooped, big wheels, and the Barbie RV with a fold out table for candlelit dinners with Ken. It also included those huge glass colored Christmas lights strung around the tree, threatening to shatter at any moment. AWESOME.

Well, I know you can still fond them some places, but they usually sell out quickly. Enter ping pong lights. Buy a gross (144 count) of ping pong balls for around $10.00, use a nail or drill to punch a hole in them, and stick them on your normal boring lights for the same sense of ambiance you got from those eighties monsters. I like them on white lights too-- they give the impression of those even more retro big bulbs. Try it out and see what happens... while I don't have a Christmas tree this year in my new house (since I am not yet living there), I will definitely be using these when the time comes to decorate my patio. Rock on.

Drink Up

Because of the way my kitchen is set up in my new home, I am unable to put any cabinets directly above the sink. I may still choose to put shelves up there, but I also found this chic and cheap alternative.

I love the vino. Who doesn't? And since we already found a way to use the leftover corks, why not make the bottles into an awesome piece of wall art?

So invite over a friend or two and down a few bottles. To make one vase, you will need:

- a clean empty wine bottle

- 3/8" top plate connector/ceiling flange

- 1" split ring hanger

- two screws and drywall hooks to fit the top plate connector

- two pieces of 3/8" threaded rod, cut to 2.5"

- double stick foam mounting tape in case the bottle neck is smaller than 1"

- silk flowers

1. Put the top plate connector against the wall where you want the neck of the bottle to be and mark where the screws will go. Drill holes and insert drywall hooks as needed. Attach the plate to the wall with the screws.

2. Screw in the cut rod pieces and the split ring hanger.

3. Apply the foam mounting tape to the neck of the bottle where the split ring will hold it. Position the bottle in the split ring and tighten the screws to secure it.

4. Pop in some silk flowers and enjoy! The best part is, you can switch the flowers whenever you want to make a new statement.

Enjoy this simple and beautiful statement for a kitchen or dining room. Pretty cool if you ask me.

PS thanks to Design Sponge for this awesome idea!

Wallpaper Scraps: Not Crap

In my line of work, we are surrounded by sample books. Literally. We have an entire room devoted to carpet sample, another to wallpaper, and yet another huge room--with workspace--for textiles. I have discussed the abundance of textile scraps before, but now we are moving on to the wonder of wallpaper scraps.

Wallpaper ain't just for an ugly kitchen border and Modge Podge ain't just for your scrapbooking granny. Get creative or follow a template. Recreate a piece of famous art... using scraps of decorative paper. Don't have access to discontinued samples? Make color copies or even use fun paper meant for scrapbooking (though that can be a little more expensive).

Sketch out your image on a pre-stretched, primed canvas. By thinking in blocks of color, not only are you tapping your inner printmaker, you are bringing out the spatial thinker within. Sometimes it is easier to just cut away; I personally prefer to make templates of my shapes on regular paper first. However, I might just be special. I had a little trouble grasping the concept behind holding scissors correctly in preschool. I am just creative. Lay off.

Even if you can't draw a straight line, this project is pretty difficult to screw up. Draw your shapes in pencil on the back of the paper to prevent any markings from showing. Glue them down using just a little watered-down Elmers and a paint brush (you can just use the Modge Podge, but I don't trust it). When you are finished, brush the whole thing with a coat of Modge Podge to keep everything seamless. And like magic, more wall art. You are awesome.

Planting Perennials

I am a gardener in no way, shape, or form. I managed to keep a peace lily alive for a year without ever realizing that it was supposed to have blooms. I thought it was just a lovely green plant. Then my mom started to water it, and it started getting these weird-looking bulbs at the end of the stalks, which I assumed were some mutant green plant virus, so I clipped them off. Then I went out of town, leaving the mutant things alone and my mom in charge... and came home to find a peace lily with beautiful blooms. I was convinced my mom had switched the plant. I was wrong. Anyway, that is just proof that I am anything but a green thumb.

However, in the name of home-ownership, I have decided to try my best to have at least a nice little border of something in my front yard. There is already a hydrangea bush that I am trying my hardest to keep from dying, and some little green things. And now is the time to plant myself some perennials.

Perennials, for the gardening illiterate, are flowers that you plant once and then they keep coming back year after year. Sweet! And dirt cheap... no pun intended? I went to a local store and picked up 50 jonquil bulbs (also known as daffodils) for $14.95 plus tax. Even if you only have a small patch of garden, think of how awesome it will be when, come spring time, up pop these bright and happy flowers? Tulips are also perennials; I am just partial to jonquils because they are my birth month flower! And yellow is my favorite color.

So today, I set out to plant (with the help of my green-thumbed mom) about 25 daffodil bulbs in my front yard. By digging down about 8 inches and planting bulbs 5 inches across, my blooms should have plenty of room to do their thing. We also added a little fertilizer in the hole to help things along. If Martha Stewart were there, she would have added some compost, but we can't all be perfect.

I'll update you in March as to how this whole experiment went... but for now I feel pretty confident about my adventures in gardening!

"It's like entering Wonka's chocolate factory..."

This morning, my Interior Architecture class went on a field trip. While this trip did not involve sitting on a big yellow school bus or packing a lunch in a brown paper bag, it was nonetheless one of my favorite school activities ever.

We went to Architectural Salvage, Louisville's premier place where architectural elements go to die. It is AMAZING. The ramshackle complex is sprawling and vast. Turn right at the claw-foot tubs, hang a left at the vintage doorknobs, and go straight through the banisters to get to the stained glass windows. Done and done.

The concept: when older buildings are being torn down or remodeled, they take random things like doors, fireplace mantels, light fixtures, and banisters to this store where they are priced and put up for resale. Not everything is affordable, but how much cooler is it to get a vintage glass door knob for $15.00 rather than a brand faux brushed nickel one for a little less?

Luckily for you, places like this are not found only in Louisville. Google architectural salvage yards in your area and find lots of fun random things. Go get lost. Get inspired. Start coveting a range from the 1940s or a carved mahogany mantelpiece. I certainly got more than a few ideas for my place... oh, and for my Interior Architecture final project too, of course.

Holy Bottle Caps, Batman!

OK so I know it has been awhile since I mentioned the awesome wine cork board, but I just had to throw this in there: what goes better with a wine cork bulletin board than bottle cap thumbtacks?

In the original entry, I suggested using some cute retro tacks from Target, but I revise that decision. Instead, grab some of the cheap metal flat-top thumbtacks (not the plastic ones that you usually see). Using a metal adhesive (available in most craft stores) or simple super glue, adhere the thumbtacks to the inside of some of your favorite bottle caps for a quick and easy decorative amendment to your sweet bulletin board.

Seasonal or local brews are probably the coolest choice for sources of caps. I will judge you if you use some from Mike's Hard Lemonade or Smirnoff Ice. To each his own, but seriously? And while you might have a plethora of Bud Light caps hanging around, maybe aim high one weekend and expand your horizons. Now since you have these up in your kitchen forever, your friends will remember how cool you are for much longer. Go for it.

I'm off to guzzle some Ale 8...

More Fun with Cork

So while most of my South Carolinian friends are freaking out about the current situation with the Clemson/Georgia Tech game, I decided to write another blog. I like football... at least the things that go with it, like autumn, beer, and tailgating. However, I have changed loyalties regarding NCAA teams so often it hurts (stupid boys--I will claim to be a fan of global warming if I think it will make them happy), so the outcome of this particular match up really does not affect me. So more crafts!

Just in case you have any corks left over after making your awesome kitchen cork board, here is a quick and easy way to put those other corks to use. Next time you are at Lowe's, pick up a pack of six adjustable metal pipe clamps for less than $10 (I would suggest Home Depot, but their web site search is dumb and I couldn't find the clamps as easily). Stuff some corks inside one of the clamps (very tightly so they don't fall out!) and tighten the clamp with a screwdriver.

Awesome. A trivet. And if you have to Wikipedia what a trivet is, you obviously need one. Stop burning a hole in your table and get on it.

PS... GO JACKETS!!!

Put a Cork in It

I don't know about you, but imbibing is one of my favorite past times. Nothing is better than a glass of wine at the end of a long day, a cold beer on the porch with friends, or a mint julep (or eight) in your box at Derby. I love a good glass of red wine (though not white or blush thanks to an unfortunate mixing of the two that ended badly in 2007).

An even more lasting memento of your night with a bottle of wine than your hangover is the cork from your bottle. These corks are not only useful as stoppers, but are quite often ornate and unique to the vineyard from which they came. So why not use them in an awesome project rather than chuck them? Cork is actually made from the cork oak tree and that makes this project GREEN. Way to go. I love it when recycling and libations go hand in hand.

As you can see from the picture, this project takes quite a few corks. So ask your friends or get started drinking. I was lucky enough to do both. Pick up a shadow box at the local crafts store of your choosing (they run about $20-25 depending on how nice they are... I have found some for even cheaper though). With a shadowbox, you might have to break out the glass, so if you can, find a deeply set (approximately 1 inch) wood frame. I was able to find one at Michael's for about $16. I also spray painted mine dark blue to better set off the natural color of the corks.

As for attaching the cork, hot glue will suffice, but I also recommend super glue or gorilla glue. I have seen them attached in many different ways, but the basket weave pattern seen in the picture is the easiest to make and the most visually pleasing.

Grab some thumbtacks (Target has some chic retro-looking ones right now) and start sticking notes to your new awesome cork board. I have already picked the perfect place for mine in my new kitchen... counting down the days until I can actually hang it up!

Been Around the World Na-Na-Na

Today, it seems, has been dedicated to wall art. I was in Target earlier and saw some stretched textiles... about a quarter of the size of what I showed you and twice the price. No thank you, I'll make my own that is even more awesome and one-of-a-kind. So there. 

Now, the project I am proposing today is not exactly as original, but something I think is fun for every home. Not to sound like a complete tool, but in today's ever-more mobile society, travel has become something to be enjoyed by the masses, not just an elite few. With the emphasis of study abroad programs (or "study away" as my alma mater now names them... weirdos), more students are experiencing life outside the United States and even more families are choosing exotic locales a little bit further from home. 

Now, if you have seen the film The Prince and Me, you will recognize this as well... and yes I have seen that Julia Stiles classic. Did you know they made a sequel? Rubbish.

Anyway, all you need for this project is a map... and preferably not the ridiculously-colored ones that look like they belong in a second grade classroom. The one pictured can be found online for less than $5.00. Slap it in a frame if you want and grab some thumbtacks from Staples (hooray for the Easy Button! I need one... just kidding) and away we go.

Color code however you want... places you have been, places you want to go, places you've lived, etc. I have also seen this turned into an adorable wedding present (and cheap!), where you combine like where the husband and wife have been together and stuff.

A pretty sweet done in a day project for anyone, but especially those of us with a desire to see the world. Pin it up and show it off! Bonus points if you find aged postcards to put around it...

New York, New York

Another random simple art idea for your weekend... hooray! OK I know using reproductions is sometimes considered unethical, but I figure for private home use, it is OK, right? One of my favorite magazines, mainly for the cover art, is The New Yorker. While the new art is wonderful as well, nothing can beat a good vintage magazine cover when it comes to displaying them in your home. As an added bonus, sophisticated magazine covers are a notch above vintage liquor advertisements... beautiful in their designs as well, but a bit over used by twenty-something girls filling the walls of their first apartment.

The key to displaying covers like these is volume. It is much better to do a series of six small covers than two big ones. First of all, your print quality is going to be undoubtedly better. Secondly, you are going to have more visual interest.

So go on Google images and grab a few (I recommend six) large format images and edit them in a photo program. Choose any magazine that has been around a while... obvious choices include Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Cosmopolitan, though those are a bit more common to see in large poster format at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. See if you can find some beautiful covers from National Geographic or Life. You can crop and edit the photos to any size in a photo computer program (I used Adobe Photoshop, but iPhoto works just as well). Now the printing is tricky... color laser printers usually will be sufficient for display behind glass, but not everyone has one. Whatever you do for printing, do NOT go glossy... bad idea. I chose to print a 5x7"... easy to find frames and good quality!

Frames you can find anywhere. Keep it simple... white mat, neutral frame. Let the artwork show itself off. Hang in a grid or a line and enjoy. Done and done. Beautiful, reasonable wall art. Loves it.

Eight Dollar Art

OK first, let me rant a little about Hobby Lobby. Why on earth would you be closed on a Sunday? When else are normal people going to have time to complete projects? It is like Chik-fil-a... when is a better time to enjoy a chik'n mini and a large ice-cold Diet Dr. Pepper than when you are hung over on a Sunday morning? I get the whole 'and on the seventh day God rested,' but that doesn't mean humans have to as well. Resting on a Wednesday is just as rad... trust me.

That being said, after driving 20 minutes to the nearest Michael's, I retrieved the few and super-cheap materials necessary to complete my Sunday project, lovingly entitled Eight Dollar Art. And best of all, you can do it too! This project requires approximately zero artistic talent and very few materials. The only tool you might not have laying around your house is a staple gun, and you should have one. So mosey on down to Target (or UGH Wal-Mart, where I fought off the dregs of humanity in the name of proximity to Michael's), and invest in a nifty staple gun for $8.88 plus tax.

As I mentioned previously, I have acquired numerous fabric samples from my office. These are usually upholstery fabrics or curtain samples that have been discontinued and are, therefore, no longer usable for clients. You might argue that not everyone has access to materials like that, but here's the secret: you do. We have several people who come in every few weeks and sort through our discontinued samples. One woman comes in who makes them into purses, another makes pillows. They have no association with our business, they just asked. So try it... think of stores in your area that might have excess fabric and check it out. You've got nothing to lose, right?

So, with that, I took a beautiful coarse linen and made it into a cheap and chic piece of art. I like to think of it as a little bit retro, and a LOT of awesome. 

First, measure the fabric and determine the size stretcher bars necessary by giving yourself 1.5-2" around the edge. For example, my fabric was 34" x 25", so I bought two 30" bars and two 20" bars for $1.89 plus tax each. Look for them in the canvas section of your local crafts store. Added bonus? Feel like a superior artist amongst the scrapbooking moms by giving off the appearance of a 'real' artist who stretches and gessoes her own canvas.

Now, iron and lay your fabric face down on a carpeted surface. Starting in the middle of each bar, use your handy-dandy staple gun to pull the fabric tight. The best comparison I can make is to wrapping a present. Wrap your corners just like you would fold paper around a box. Stretch and staple all the way around. Flip over and hang on the wall. Instant awesome art.

Be careful when you are stretching not to pull too hard, ESPECIALLY if you are using a fabric with any sort of stretch to it (anything with spandex... beware!). Just be extra careful when you are stapling not to make any noticeable pulls in the fabric.

With a project of the day under my belt, I am off to take a shower and hit the hay... or maybe watch Mad Men. Decisions, decisions.

Etsy Obsession

The Etsy phenomenon is far from new, but I just had to write a quick something about my obsession with its awesomeness. Because not only is it a cool place to browse for (typically) well-priced jewelry, art, and hand-made crafts, but it is one of my favorite go-to sites for artistic inspiration. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, am I right? By no means do I condone copying someone's art, and I am definitely not suggesting you do that. But if you needs some ideas for general projects, especially those utilizing recycled materials and found objects, check out what other people are doing. It can't hurt.

Online window shopping is one of my favorite pastimes (as demonstrated by my rave about Target's non-committal list feature), and Etsy is the single most comprehensive place to find cool stuff. I mean, that is really the only word for it. Cool. My favorite realized purchase? A large gold necklace with a copy of the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland illustration. Where would you find that in real life? (Side note: I have a major obsession with Alice; she is basically my idol and I think the nonsense genre of literature is amazing. I would also like to point out that my obsession began WAY before Tim Burton and Johnny Depp made that ridiculous and awesome and ridiculously awesome book popular.)

In the end, my point is that sometimes we all need a little inspiration. For instance, I get free discontinued fabric samples from my job in the interior design showroom. I have stacks of fabric books and shopping bags full of small squares. Now, until I learn to sew, I am at a loss of what to do with all these, but I know that they are just too reusable to dispose of. So, off I go to Etsy to search for textile art.

BAM. Awesome framed textiles. Who would have thought? Granted, the example is sewn, but nothing is stopping me from cutting out fun designs and putting them behind glass. I feel an adventure in patterns and texture coming on... stay tuned.