Weekends are for relaxing and putzing around my house. I usually always have some kind of decorating mess going on. I flit between projects with about as much concentration as my dog chewing on her wide array of bones. Neither one of us can seem to choose what we want to work on. But this weekend was beautiful with all kinds of gorgeous sunlight streaming through the windows and I couldn’t have been happier just messing around. And boy did I have a mess. There was potting soil. There was artwork. There were cleaning supplies, coupons and newspapers. Here are a few photos I captured of the weekend. Andi dog and I are both trying to decide what we want to work on. I picked up that green chair (and a bunch of other goodies!) at an estate sale this weekend. For now, it’s living here by the T.V. I (finally!) ordered custom photo mats to frame these scientific posters I bought in Sweden almost a year ago. I can’t wait to hang them! One of my new favorite beverages is this spiced chai tea from Trader Joe’s. (That pile of clothes to the right is freshly folded laundry....
Making a Spring ‘To Do’ List
After a winter that feels like it has hung around forever, I’m more than ready for spring. Spring is a time for planning and projects. For dreaming and getting stuff done. For freshening, sprucing, decorating and digging your hands in the dirt. Doesn’t the thought of spring just make you smile? I’m ready to garden and paint furniture outside and take long walks on warm evenings. I’m ready to sit in my sunroom and listen to the sounds of a spring thunderstorm. Ah. Can you feel it? Spring is almost here! March 20 is the official first day of spring. That means right now is the perfect time to make plans for spring, while winter still lingers just a bit longer. What are you going to accomplish? Making a spring ‘to do’ list helps me remember all of the ideas whirling around in my head. And, it gets me even more excited for spring. (If that’s possible?) How about you make a spring ‘to do’ list with me? It’s fun; I promise. Go on and dig out a pretty piece of paper and get to writing your ‘to do’s. Dream big! It’s almost springtime, the season of new beginnings. Here’s...
Decorating with Greenery
If you lack a green thumb but like the look of houseplants, then you’ll want to use this simple trick. This is by far the easiest (and cheapest) way to add some green to your home. You don’t have to buy plants. You don’t have to buy flowers. You don’t have to grow anything. Ready? Huh? Huh? Here’s what you need to do. Go outside. (Bring scissors.) Snip some trimmings from evergreen plants in your yard (or a nearby park). Run inside so the neighbors don’t see some crazy lady trimming bushes in her slippers. Or, is that just what I looked like? Once safely inside, slip your trimmings into your favorite mason jars or vases. You’ll get the “look” of luscious green plants without having to give the TLC required to keep them alive. I’m getting a lot better at keeping my houseplants alive. But I like the ease of just heading outside to snip a bit of greenery and using the trimmings to decorate my home. When I’m craving something fresh in my house, but I can’t really justify the unnecessary expense of buying flowers, this is the perfect solution! This is about as easy as it...
Closet Makeover Reveal
When my boyfriend and I moved into a rental house back in September, he promptly took over both closets on the main floor. Really, he just put his clothes somewhere to get them out of the way. We were tripping over boxes, each other and the dog we had so much stuff everywhere. But as time passed, his clothes stayed in the closets. And I got tired of living out of a suitcase. So, I turned the upstairs room into this… Dream closet! Really it’s a mishmash of furniture that couldn’t fit elsewhere in the house. But look how great it turned out. Girl dream room. The clothes racks are my favorite part of the room. They make the it look like a store, and I get to go shopping every morning! They’re also my favs because I was determined to find cute clothes racks—for cheap!—and I did. I found one of the clothes racks at a fancy-schmancy estate sale. It was holding (way) overpriced clothes and wasn’t marked as “for sale.” I asked anyway and offered $10. Sold! The other I found by placing a wanted ad on Craigslist. Scored that one for $15. Not bad considering that...
Make a Travel Art Wall From Souvenirs
When most people travel, they buy one thing: souvenirs. I’ve bought plenty of keychains and magnets from those kitschy souvenir shops that seem to exist everywhere. As great as the magnet or bottle opener is, I’ve found that I want something more memorable to remind me of the places I’ve visited. Over the past few years, I’ve collected different types of artwork from the countries I’ve visited. To show them off, I put together a wall of travel art in my apartment. Displaying memorabilia collected from the different trips I’ve taken works not only as a souvenir, but also as personalized home décor. It also makes a great way to remember my travels. The great thing about creating a wall of travel art is all the possibilities! The collection can be made up of prints, photographs, postcards, one-of-a-kind paintings, fabric, scraps of paper… (you get the idea). When I travel, I try to keep the expenses low. Most of my trips to foreign countries have involved staying at hostels or budget hotels, and packing lunch from the free hostel breakfast. As such, I try not to spend too much money on souvenirs. Here are some...
IKEA Hack: Curtain Wire to Photo Display
Displaying a lot of photos in one area isn’t always easy. Especially if you have to mess with frames. And hanging those frames. And then making sure those frames are level and lined up. Clearly I’m not too good at hanging art on the wall. (I’m not.) That’s why I love this IKEA hack. You just hang this curtain wire (it takes three screws on each side) and clip up photos instead of drapes. And if you’re none-too-handy with the drill, I’m sure your significant other, sibling, parent, friend etc. will enjoy drilling a few screws into the wall more than hanging a bunch of framed photos. Don’t get me wrong, I love photo collages and gallery walls, but they take a lot of time and effort. I wanted something quick and easy to add a bit of pizzazz above my dining room table and this IKEA hack did just that. I really like square photos right now. Blame it on Instagram. I printed all of these photos from an app called PostalPix. The photo display probably should have been moved a bit lower, but I’m living with it. (Psst. Want to get the look of this IKEA hack for even cheaper?...
Fresh Mantle Display
It’s a New Year. Time for a new mantle display. If you can get through the chore of taking down your Christmas decorations, the chance to freshen up your fireplace mantle can make up for it somewhat. Even though it’s only January, I’m yearning for spring. How about you? I decided what better way to make it feel like spring than to bring a bit of nature indoors? That’s what’s going on with my mantle display. It’s simple. Clean. And, it has fresh touches from nature here and there. Need some feel good spring-like inspiration for your mantle? Here’s how I got the look. Overall, I kept the mantle super simple with white vases, a bit of glass for sparkle and natural elements. See those branches and that snippet of greenery? I ran outside in the snow (in my slippers no less) and trimmed those bits from plants in my front yard. The dash of green makes me really happy during this bleak winter. My boyfriend found these antlers on the ground. Little did he know they were so handy for holding up garland. Pinecones scavenged from my yard look fancy displayed on a tiered tray. (P.S. I made...