Casa Brasi

Goodbye.

2011-08-31T16:27:00.000-04:00

After much thought, I have decided to stop blogging. It's just too much. For a long time my 9-5 job was very boring and I finally found a job that isn't at all. With the new job taking up so much of my days and nights, I have little brain power left over to blog, much less know what's going on out in the design world. This blog's content is lacking and as difficult as that is to admit, it's the truth.

Thank you for all of your comments and for reading this blog while it lasted. I will be keeping the blog alive just in case you are interested in some tuturials, but there will be no more new posts.

If you have any questions, you can always e-mail me.

Best of luck to all of you out there.

Work Project.

2011-08-19T10:18:00.000-04:00

I work for a law firm. Nothing about what I do lends itself to design at all, BUT when one of our pro bono projects involved updated a local school's teacher's lounge, I got to flex my decorating skills.

Let me show you what we're working with:

Here's the idea board for the lounge area:

In addition to this room, we are making over 8 faculty bathrooms. The items on the left are for the bathrooms and the items on the right pertain to the dining area of the teacher's lounge. The decision has been made to go with the dining chair closest to the table. The other dining chairs were some options.

Not shown on either idea board is the paint color. I'll let that be a surprise.

The best part about this project is that we will be helping out teachers who teach in a poverty stricken school. As a result, teacher turnover rate is high. We hope they find a little solace in this lounge. The project gets installed on Monday so stay tuned for the full after pictures.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. All items on the both boards are from Ikea.

Before/After.

2011-08-18T12:14:00.000-04:00

Last week I wrote about washing burlap. This week, I'm going to show you what I turned the burlap sack into.

Before:

After:

A pair of these pillows will be for sale at Slate this weekend.

Help: Pillow Inserts.

2011-08-17T10:06:00.000-04:00

I have a custom pillow project and I am desperate to find 14"x24" BOX EDGE, DOWN pillow inserts. Does anybody out there have a source? Thanks for your help.

Update: Half-Bath.

2011-08-15T05:00:00.001-04:00

Last year I updated my half bath. It went from this:

to this:

Today it looks like this:

The nude was a recent purchase from Slate's warehouse sale (they still have tons of stuff held over from the sale....next time you're in just tell them you want to see "next door" ). I love all of the colors in the painting. This bathroom is pretty monochromatic so I added her for color and interest.

Directly across from the throne is this new piece:

My mother-in-law gave me this thin, tall armoire. It holds my paint samples and paint brushes, extra supplies, etc. The size of the piece couldn't be more perfect. The wire basket is a recent purchase from Metrolina, but it will not be staying. It will soon be for sale at Slate.

Next addition for this room: curtains.

Washed Burlap.

2011-08-09T10:33:00.000-04:00

Burlap isn't a material that you typically wash. In fact, in most cases you dry clean it. So when I went to Metrolina Expo this weekend and scored a great deal on some burlap feed sacks (so I could make more of these) I wasn't sure what to do when the burlap sacks smelled like the most digusting dog you could imagine.

Samsung front loaders to the rescue. They have a cool setting called HAND WASH, so I started there.

I put all four of my burlap sacks in the washer on COLD, HAND WASH. After they were finished, I took them outside to dry:

Good as new and NO MORE SMELL (wish I could say the same thing about my car).

I would not recommend throwing any burlap in the washer, but in this case I felt I had no choice. I'm making some pillows with these sacks, but I haven't yet decided what shape (euro or lumbar). I'll be sure to show you when I'm finished.

Friday Funny.

2011-07-15T12:41:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit

Read this blog post to understand.

Happy Friday!

Splash of Color.

2011-07-13T05:00:00.000-04:00

Want to add a splash of color in your home with paint WITHOUT painting the entire room? Have you thought about painting your doors? I've done it here, and this time I painted my pantry door.

Here's how it looked before:

Nothing special really. My kitchen is pretty light, so I decided to give it a little punch with Palladian Blue's big brother, Stratton Blue. I had it color matched in Behr semi-gloss paint. The color code is below.

Step one was to use a brush to fill in all of the places that a roller couldn't easily reach:

Here's the door after one coat:

And all finished up:

It's a beautiful blue grey color (with my lighting). It was just the sort of jolt my pale kitchen needed. It's so easy to do, and if you don't include drying time, it takes less than an hour to complete. Think you'll paint your doors?

Framed: Postcards.

2011-07-12T05:00:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I told you about how I was inspired by Phoebe Howard's postcard idea. Well here's one of my post cards all framed up:

I purchased an 11"x14" sized frame and had some mat board cut for a 4"x6" opening. I purchased the frame and the mat board at Hobby Lobby (on sale). The frame was $15.00, the mat was less than $5.00. I went super traditional, but you could take it super modern.

Weekend Photos.

2011-07-11T05:00:00.003-04:00

Did you hear about Mr. Goodwill Hunting's thrifting party? I shopped with my local group. The first stop was the Habitat for Humanity Store on Wendover in Charlotte, North Carolina. This store will blow your mind:

And an almost purchase:

Several shopper gathering to speak to the man who planted the seed and organized the entire world-wide thrifting movement. Do you know they were thrifting in Switzerland? Crazy, huh?

I got to meet The Nester too (sadly no picture with her). She's so very nice. Know who else is nice? Pam from DIY Design Fanatic and Kim from Super Chyc. I chatted it up with these ladies at the next stop. Goodwill on North Sardis Road in Charlotte.

I got to shop with my good friend Bryn too. She scored big time at the second stop. Total for her purchases? $21.00.

It was a great weekend. How was yours? Did you join the thrifting movement this weekend too?

FEATURED on Bon Bon Rose Girls

2011-07-01T14:06:00.000-04:00

Thank you so much to Bon Bon Rose Girls for the feature! I hope you will head over and check them out as well.

This little piggy...

2011-07-01T11:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lapse in blog posts guys. My 9-5 is blowing up these days and it squeezes out blog time. I have things lined up, just need to find the time to post it!

A couple of weeks ago, I showed you the beginnings of my pig sketch:

Here are some "during" shots:

and finally, the AFTER:

What do you think?

Hope you all have a fantastic 4th of July. Please be safe out there!

Sketches.

2011-06-28T14:45:00.000-04:00

Just like landscapes, I'm mildly addicted to sketches too. I have them in here. And most recently I added them here:

They are historical sketches of presidential homes. I bought them at a consignment shop for $2.00 each. They measured 8x10 so no fancy mat cuts for this art. Here they are up close:

For some reason, this art tends to be some of the cheapest. If you're interesting in finding some of your own, they are usually found in the dusty box in the back of the consignment store.

Weekend Photos.

2011-06-27T12:59:00.000-04:00

This weekend I shopped and chopped.

The warehouse sale has been extended at Slate. That's where I found the great lamps and this landscape. I'm mildly obsessed with landscapes.

Pillow forms and lots of them. Time to get sewing!

A storm came through and knocked down a large limb in our backyard. All of those piles equal one limb!

And finally, some parting shots of my living room with the new lamps mentioned above.

Have a great week!

Inspired by: Phoebe Howard.

2011-06-21T10:53:00.000-04:00

In House Beautiful's "Send Us a Picture" segment, they featured an idea by Phoebe Howard. She talked about framing postcards and hanging them in her kitchen. I loved the idea.

I loved it so much that I bought some postcards of my very own from this seller. Here's what a few of mine look like up close:

The way that Phoebe hung the postcards takes something so simple and makes it so interesting. Definitely a budget friendly project too.

Thanks for the tip Mrs. Howard!

Weekend Photos.

2011-06-20T05:00:00.000-04:00

My living room transformation has begun. Phase One is paint. Here's the BEFORE:

The DURING:

The AFTER:

I think the paint changed it up quite a bit, not not nearly as much as a new rug, new drapes and new pillows will do. Still, this room looks so much better than where it all began. Here's the living room a few months after we moved in:

The after one more time:

Hope you had a great weekend.

The Perfect Bookshelf.

2011-06-15T05:00:00.001-04:00

Well, it's not exactly a bookshelf quite yet, but it will be. The idea is that this piece will be my pillow display for the booth. I bought this beauty through an auction and as of Sunday night, I thought it was slipping through my fingers but I bid strong and ran them off. It's mine! I will be sure to share when I'm finished with it.

Product Review.

2011-06-14T05:00:00.001-04:00

Last year I went to Italy on vacation. I came back with some pretty decent photos even though I only took a point and shoot camera. One of my favorites was this one of Venice.

So when Megan from Build A Sign wrote me with a product review offer, I jumped at the chance. I went to Easy Canvas Prints, uploaded this picture and turned it into this 16"x20" canvas:

I wish you could see it up close. I swear the picture became a painting. I love, love, love it. Do you have a picture you would love to see turned into art? You can't go wrong with Easy Canvas Prints. Check them out!

Photos to Canvas

Weekend Photos.

2011-06-13T05:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend was one of the most productive in recent history. I dropped off these new pillows at the booth:

Then I dropped by the Potato Sack flea market and picked up some more burlap sacks and a painting.

The painting is old and ripped. To me, the imperfection is perfection. Total spent on 2 burlap sacks and 1 painting? $26.00.

What will I do with the burlap sacks? More of these:

I made my very first chalkboard too:

I'm not sure if it was a success. It does not feel smooth on the surface. I feel like it should. Thoughts?

I also spent a lot of time Sunday getting ready for Slate's Warehouse Sale (June 16, 2011 to June 18, 2011 (10a-5p each day):

Finally, I ended the weekend with an illustration. Here's the beginning:

Come back later this week so I can show you how I finished it.

Have a great week everyone!

Make It: Banana Pudding.

2011-06-03T10:49:00.000-04:00

There are probably a million and one recipes out there for Banana Pudding, but this is the one my mother makes for family gatherings. It's a family favorite. It's also so easy and delicious that I thought I would share it with you.

Banana Pudding

1 - can condensed milk

1 - 4 ounce package of vanilla instant pudding (or 1/2 cup of instant pudding if you can't find the 4 oz package)

3/4 cup cold water

Medium container of Cool Whip

Bananas

Nilla Wafers

In mixing bowl, combine condensed milk and water until well blended. After blending, add instant pudding and wisk thoroughly. Put bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. Remove from frig and fold in Cool Whip gently.

Layer pudding with bananas and wafers! Eat and enjoy!!

Credit.

2011-05-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

While I was at Blogfest, photo crediting came up over and over again. I found a cool cheat sheet for photo crediting:

Buy it HERE

I stumbled upon this poster at DESIGN FOR MANKIND blog. It was designed by Erin Loechner and Pia Jane Bijkerk. If you head over to Pia's blog, you can sign up to win 2 - $20 vouchers from Mammoth so that you can purchase one or two for free!

They also come in these great colors:

Gardening Lessons.

2011-05-27T05:00:00.001-04:00

I've mentioned it before, but I think it bears repeating: I am terrible at gardening. BUT I am determined to be good at it. So when I opened my e-mail and found this:

I was definitely interested. For $29.00 I could take an online class on how to get a little (or a lot) better at container gardening. Here are the details:

1. Learn at your pace, on your own schedule. Whenever you want

2. Access your course anytime you want, for as long as you want. There is no time limit.
3. Watch and learn online
4. 10 professionally produced video lessons taught by Katie Ketelsen, all from the comfort of your home. Pause, replay, skip - you are in charge.
5. Get your questions answered. Ask your instructor questions and get answers. Share your perspective with your classmates.

I'm seriously considering giving it a shot. You interested? Here's the link.

I hope you all have a very safe and fun Memorial Day Weekend.

Vote: Paint Color.

2011-05-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

I have this piece:

And I'm going to paint it one of these colors:

Paint colors are from Sarah Richardson's paint palette.

1. Beeswax

2. Escape

3. Flame

4. Tarnish

This piece isn't for my house, but for resale. Any faves? I'm leaning towards Beeswax.

Blogfest (Day Three).

2011-05-24T05:00:00.001-04:00

Margaret. Russell. You ready for it?

Day Three. We all met at the Conde Nast Building for an 8:30 a.m. breakfast. In our chairs was yet another present. This time it was a John Derian paper weight.

It was then time for Margaret. She's a teeny tiny beautiful woman. One blogger tweeted that she was the only one that could silence the crowd just by walking in the room. And she did.

She took us through a little of her resume and then Architectural Digest's history. You can sense that she has big plans for this magazine. She's only been at Architectural Digest for 8 months and already the changes have begun with more coming in the future (website will soon have a face lift with a complete overhaul this summer). And then there are the changes within the magazine. But it was when she started rattling off a list of characteristics that blogs should have that had pens scratching. I scribbled down:

1. Magazines have teams of people researching and fact checking. Most bloggers don't have teams of people helping them but should still hold themselves to journalistic standards. Know your subject matter.

2. Credit, credit, credit. Photographers, designers, everyone.

3. Simple truth.

4. Have a mission.

5. Have a point of view.

6. Have a mantra.

7. Don't overshare.

8. Be an expert of something.

9. Don't be all things to all people.

10. Get involved locally and discover local culture.

11. Have goodwill and be mindful.

12. Don't blog when you're cranky or comment for that matter.

We all took pictures with her (I haven't tracked down my group's picture yet). It was an experience that I won't soon forget. After breakfast, it was time to see where the magic happens at Kravet's offices.

Did you know that Kravet is a family owned company? Four of the family members were there at the very first event and I'm pretty certain Cary Kravet was at almost every event. He even rode the buses with us between venues. They are involved.

The Kravet office is fascinating. It's light-filled with worn creaky wood floors and white walls. Take a look:

Lots of industrial touches too.

And then there's fabric, tons of it. Pin boards are in just about every room filled with idea boards and fabric swatches.

They recreate patterns and there's an artist there that can color match every color in a pattern. Try that some time. It's not easy. If you've ever priced Kravet, Lee Jofa or Brunschwig & Fils fabric you know it's not the cheapest on the market but when you get a glipse at the man behind the curtain you understand why. It's worth every penny.

The green fabric is an Oscar de la Renta fabric typically used for garments and the blue/cream fabric was recreated to be used in a home furnishings application. This example was just one of many. Entire floral patterns were simplified and silhouetted. Old hand made crewel patterns were recreated. It seems at Kravet, the possibilities are endless.

This is the artist that color matches. See all of those colors in the pattern she's holding? She picked out ALL of the colors in the pattern and recreated them in paint. The colorful strip of colors right above the print she's holding are the colors she recreated. After taking a color theory class, I can't tell you how much I appreciate this talent.

A skylight in a high rise in NYC? They have several.

I loved this sketch. After our tour, they fed us:

And this is pretty much where my tour ends. The next stop was the New York Design Center. I did not stay in this building long because I had a flight to catch.

Some wanted to see my swag, so here's a look at some of it:

And the most important part...the friends that you meet:

Bryn and me.

Amanda, Chassity, Bryn, me. Please click their names to check out their blogs.

Chanee, Janell, me, Bryn

Chanee, me, Amanda, Chassity, Janell and Bryn.

A shout out to the other bloggers that I met but didn't get a picture of:

Beth Dotolo
Abbe Fenimore
Lakeitha Duncan
Michelle Wiebe
Eric Miller

Do you know how much Blogfest cost to attend? $100. Of course airfare and hotel accomodations were on your own, but for $100 I can't even explain all of the education, food and gifts that I received. I appreciate it very much. I hope you will consider attending Blogfest next year.

Blogfest (Day One and Day Two).

2011-05-23T13:02:00.000-04:00

Blogfest. Let's discuss.

Day One. Panels discussions with Editors and staff from House Beautiful, Veranda and Town & Country.

I must admit I was petrified to come face to face with some of the editors and bloggers all neatly contained in the beautiful dining room. I was nervous before I left the hotel room which probably explains why I left my camera behind. Thank goodness I still had my iPhone. Here are the pictures I took on Day One:

It started out with lunch and speeches by Kate Kelly Smith (VP, House Beautiful), Cary Kravet (Owner, Kravet) and Beth Greene (Marketing, Kravet). Beth was our host throughout the duration of Blogfest. She's awesome.

And in our seats, the beginning of a string of swag.

After lunch we heard from House Beautiful, Veranda and Town & Country editors. Here's just a fraction of what I took away from their speeches on Day One:

1. Bloggers have validated that new media is here.
2. Bloggers are the beat reporters of the past.
3. Blogs have the ability to be more personal than a magazine.
4. The best blogs are a visual feast.
5. The best blogs have a strong personality/point of view being lead by authors who know why they are blogging and can teach you about things you didn't know.
6. Inspiration can come from travel, a dinner party, anything.
7. Be true to yourself.
8. Perfection is not always the best result - Newell Turner, Editor-in-Chief of House Beautiful
9. If you are going to use pictures from a magazine, be respectful of the magazine's process to get those pictures. It costs a lot of money to do a magazine shoot. Your pictures should credit where you got the picture and the photographer that took it.
10. Give credit where credit is due.

Day Two.

Did I mention that the temps dropped in New York and all I brought were sun dresses and sandals? Bryn and I took the first half of Day Two to do some shopping for winter wear and then we joined the group at the Kravet Showroom for tea with Barbara Barry.

Unfortunately, I did not get to hear Barbara Barry speak. I hear it was fantastic and I'm sorry that I missed it. Luckily, I didn't miss the next event. The "Traditional Home presents Lee Jofa's Heritage Collection" party. We came face to face with the likes of Thomas O'Brien, David Easton and Suzanne Kassler, just to name a few. It was amazing. Each designer there had created their own "room" using Kravet fabric. Here are shots of the party and of the designer "rooms":

Our gift upon arriving at this party was "Inspired Styles":

Five of the designers featured in the book were here to meet/greet and sign our books. The Bonus designer was Suzanne Kasler. She was not featured in the book, was she was there to promote her room/fabric and she signed our books anyway!

Here's the party in full swing:

Room by Diamond & Baratta:

Room by Eric Cohler:

Room by Thomas O'Brien:

My question to Mr. O'Brien was what got him here. "Here" meaning, the space we were in, the book he was signing and his answer was: curiosity. I love that.

Room by Suzanne Rheinstein:

Room by Suzanne Kasler:

Room by David Easton (my personal favorite):

Fantastic party. But I believe the best was saved for last.

Day Three. Eye to eye with legend, Margaret Russell, Editor-in-Chief, Architectural Digest. Until tomorrow friends.....

Springtime.

2011-05-19T10:54:00.000-04:00

New York City will boggle your mind with all of the lights, sites and unfortunately the smell.

It was nice coming home to the fresh smell of springtime. If you're looking for a clean floral scent that isn't too overpowering, this candle is the ticket:

You can buy it HERE.

I'm back to my day job today and unpacking tonight. I learned so much at BLOGFEST. I can't wait to share what I learned with you. Or, in other words, I will wax poetic for paragraphs about the entire process. Gird your loins.

Buy It: City Flats.

2011-05-17T05:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not typically bossy, but these shoes are a must-buy item. Bryn had a pair that I loved and when she said that she bought them a couple of years ago, I had no hope they would still be around, but they are! The Gap's City Flat is just amazing. I bought the pale pink ones, but they have several different colors.

When you see them online, you may think: they don't look great. But they are amazing. Comfortable. Soft. And while I'm here in NYC, they are my emergency pair of shoes when my heels wear me out.

Just consider it. You won't regret this purchase.

Weekend Photos.

2011-05-16T05:00:00.001-04:00

Well, hello. Blogger had a big fat temper tantrum and I could not blog for a few days. Moving on.

This weekend was all about running around and getting ready for this:

I bought:

I packed:

And now as I type this post, I'm sitting in my New York hotel room! So exciting.

Please follow me on Twitter (hit the twitter button on the right for the link) so I can let you know what's going on throughout the week.

Have a great week!

Details: Painting The House.

2011-05-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

I showed you the before and afters of my house, but today I wanted to share a little more about the details.

As a refresher, here's what the house looked like BEFORE:

And here it is AFTER:

I don't know if you can tell in the BEFORE picture, but the porch had strange wooden pieces added to create "arches". I hated it. Here's a look at the side of them. I just wanted to show you how they were just tacked onto the front.

Those were popped off and repainted. Much better now that it's been squared off.

It's a pretty simple house. I never could figure out why those faux "arches" needed to be added.

Second items on my hate list were these angles in the upper edges of the garage. These were actually rubbing our garage door, so while it was more expensive for this fix, it was worth it. Both aesthetically and for the garage door's sake.

Just like the porch, it's been squared off and cleaned up.

Side view of the front porch.

Despite the warnings, we bought these light fixtures anyway. I went with them because they are on a covered porch and weren't too terribly expensive. If they were to lose their luster too quickly, we can replace them without too much expense.

One final look at the AFTER:

Oh, the magic of paint. I love it.

P.S. If you're interested in any tips for dealing with painting contractors, just let me know. I am happy to share.

P.P.S. The house color is called Evening Blue. It's a color match from one of James Hardie's siding colors. We asked James Hardie for a sample of the siding and had our contractor match it.

Weekend Photos (5/6/11 to 5/8/11)

2011-05-09T14:28:00.000-04:00

I tried heading out to Metrolina this weekend, but unfortunately, I didn't make it:

Gridlock. Annoying. I turned around, went home and made these:

I picked up these coffee bean sacks last weekend at the Potato Sack Flea Market. I love the way they turned out. I also made some more of these lumbar pillows with this great natural jute fabric I picked up from Front Door Fabrics:

Front Door's prices are not cheap, I will tell you, BUT they have a fantastic remanant section.

There aren't many weekends that don't include a trip to Marshall's. This weekend I found these great bowls. Our current bowls have cracks. I like this colorful replacement:

This is a look inside the bowl:

In case you're interested in hunting down your own, here's the maker's name:

That's it for me. If you're interested in the pillows, they can be found at Slate Interiors. If you're not local, e-mail me about shipping them your way!

New Art.

2011-05-06T11:27:00.000-04:00

Don't forget about Slate's gallery crawl tonight. We will have some new pieces of art in our own booth:

Size: 16"x20"

Price: $39.00

Size: 5"x5"

Price: $15.00

I hope to see you there. If not, have a great weekend!

Gallery Crawl: Slate Interiors.

2011-05-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

Are you in the market for some art? Check out the gallery crawl at Slate! Here are the details:

Gallery Crawl
Friday, May 6, 2011
5:00 - 8:00 pm

Slate showcases original art from over 30 artists, but this month's featured artist is Zan Byrd.

Here's some of Zan's work:

More about Zan HERE.

Beer, wine and snacks too!

Hope to see you there!

Scalamandre.

2011-05-04T10:09:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's all of that British red and blue flying across computer screens and TV screens as of late but when I turned the page of my Veranda May/June edition and came face to face with this ad, I got a little choked up:

It's gorgeous, right? I love all of the patterns and colors in this ad. It's been in my head ever since.

As I was looking around my house, I realized...I don't have that much color around. I'm not sure if I can throw all of this into one room, but I think I need to step up my color game.

See? Sad.

I'm thinking of a remedy.

Weekend Photos (4/29/11 to 5/1/11)

2011-05-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday I told you about a local flea market called The Potato Sack. On Saturday, I swung by to check it out. First off, it's indoors in an old snack factory:

Here's are a few of their offerings:

An enormous french door that had been mirrored. It was massive and the paint was chipping. Gorgeous.

Artwork:

One of my absolute favorites of the day were these two enormous framed quilts. The one on the left is my favorite. They were stunning.

Hats! After seeing all of those Philip Treacy hats at the Royal Wedding, these caught my eye. Not quite as dramatic as Royal Wedding attendees, but still. I hope those wild hats catch on here. I loved them!

And I can't forget the cupcakes. They were delish.

Finally, I finished off the weekend with some Trina Turk fabric. I made four of these for a custom order client:

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Local Flea Market: The Potato Sack.

2011-04-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Chandeliers and cupcakes? I'm in.
If you're local, check it out!

Inspiration.

2011-04-26T12:25:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I flip through magazines and see great rooms, accessories, rugs, lamps, etc. And sometimes I see an idea for a piece of art.

Here's my interpretation of the sea in a teeny tiny painting. This little guy measure 5.5"x5:5".

He'll be in the BOOTH for $15.00.

Weekend Photos. (4/22/11 to 4/24/11)

2011-04-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

It was all about power washing and paintings this weekend.

On Saturday we worked on getting the patio back in shape. The chairs were disgusting, so we gave them a scrub.

Much better:

The after, for now:

Sunday, I created this $12 arrangement (hydrangeas were on sale at Bi-Lo this week, so I ended up getting 6 stems for $12.00)

For Easter brunch, I stuffed my face at this place:

If you're in Charlotte and looking for a fantastic Easter brunch, you can't beat this place. It has more options than I could even list.

And finally, I rounded off Sunday by beginning a painting for the booth.

I hope you all had a fantastic Easter.

Weekend Photos (4/15/11 to 4/17/11)

2011-04-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

I did a little sewing for the BOOTH this weekend. The following are a few of our most recent offerings:

I sewed all of these pillows on Saturday and on Sunday, we reworked the booth. Here's what it looked like BEFORE:

And here's what it looks like AFTER a few hours of work:

We have added tons of pillows and a new wooden piece (painted a beautiful blue on the inside) on the back wall which takes the place of the industrial shelving unit. But to really see all of our changes you have to stop by Slate Interiors to see it in person.

Well, that's it for me this weekend. I hope yours was a great one.

Marshalls, a love affair.

2011-04-15T10:09:00.000-04:00

Reason No. 1,456,458,000 I love Marshalls:

Past Season? WHO CARES?!

Have a great weekend!

Make It: No Sew Cardigan.

2011-04-13T10:43:00.000-04:00

Do you have a turtle neck or regular sweater collecting dust in your closet? I do. Or I did.

Put down your sewing machine and whip out your scissors.

Step One: Find your dusty sweater (mine was a turtle neck):

Step 2: Find the center of your sweater and cut straight up the middle.

Step Three (if you have a turtle neck): Take off the turtle neck portion right above the seam.

In about 30 seconds you will be able to upcycle your dusty sweater to a useful cardigan! Here it is on:

By the way, hats off to you fashion bloggers out there. I didn't feel like getting out my tripod, so I just kept snapping and snapping until I got something semi in focus. The color is off and my eyes are barely open, but after all of those shots, I'll take it.

This shot is too dark, but you can definitely make out Squeaks giving me the "what are you doing?" stare. Answer: Looking like a jackass.

Good luck with cutting up those sweaters.

The Reveal.

2011-04-12T09:59:00.000-04:00

Before:

After:

There are lots of details that went along with this makeover that I don't want to bombard you with now. I will share those at a later date, but I would love to know your thoughts on this before/after.

Weekend Photos (4/8/11 to 4/11/11)

2011-04-11T11:35:00.000-04:00

Best birthday weekend ever. I had my very first surprise party! Talk about shocked. I'm still shaking my head wondering how in the world I didn't see it coming.

My husband bought me a mani/pedi for my birthday. That was to keep me occupied until all of the visitors could show up. While I'm at the appointment, I decide on a facial. So guess who shows up to their own party with out a stitch of makeup on? Me. And if you know me, I love makeup and high heels, etc., etc. Not only did they give me a shock, I'm sure I gave them one too:

I had put on a little blush and mascara at this point, but the hair is toast.

Did you notice the SURPRISE sign? That was cut out by the world famous Stu Fogartie, Jackie's husband.

We had quite the spead for dinner:

Plus drinks (my fav is an apple martini):

And cupcakes for dessert:

Yes, those are little high heels on top. See:

It was a fantastic party. My friend, Jackie, is a party planner and her specialty is small events. She does birthday parties, showers, dinner parties and weddings. I've been to several of her events and every one is special. This one was no different. If you're in the Charlotte area, I hope you will consider hiring Jackie for your small event.

Did I mention the flowers? There were flowers everywhere:

Hydrangeas and peonies, my favorites! Plus a little wild flower thrown in for good measure.

By the end of the party, I felt a little like this lamp:

Eventually, I gathered all of my flowers together for one massive collection:

Once I finally recovered, I made some custom pillows. Here's side one:

And here's side two:

Here's the second pillow, side one:

And here's side two:

Tomorrow, I will finally show you the before and after of the house. Can't wait for you to see.

Hope you had a great weekend!

The Big 3-5.

2011-04-08T15:29:00.000-04:00

Today officially begins my birthday weekend. Tomorrow, I turn the big 3-5. Old. It's finally hit. I can't believe it.

I'll be back on Monday to show you exterior painting progress.

Have a great weekend!

House Numbers.

2011-04-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

Photo Source

House Numbers. The one thing we don't have on our house. So I was wondering, where do you put yours? Front door, garage, mailbox, spray it on the street? I can't decide.

Update: Painting the House.

2011-04-06T15:19:00.000-04:00

Here are some more shots of the house in progress:

It's getting there! Fingers crossed it's all finished this week so I can show you full before/afters.

Weekend Photos (4/1/11 to 4/3/11)

2011-04-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I did some shopping for the booth. Items are selling and I need to have some pieces ready to go. I hit up one of my local fabric stores, Front Door Fabrics and walked away with several great remnants:

And I picked up a few pillow forms for these remnants from IKEA.

Bryn mentioned them last week in this post. Unfortunately they do not offer them online, only in the store. So if you happen to have one in your area, please stop in. The 20" forms are $6.99, the 16"x24" lumbars are $6.99 and the 26" forms are $11.99. The black and white pillows above are 22" pillows that I got for $11.99. For the size, I just couldn't pass up that deal.

I also stopped by my local Salvation Army. Here are some deals I found there:

I didn't buy any of these pieces, but I did end up with two great pieces of art for the booth. Those will be revealed at a later date.

On Sunday, I finished up some pillows for my Mom.

AND OH and by the way.....THEY'RE HERE:

Here's a sneak peak of what's happening outside my house this week:

STAY TUNED FOR MORE REVEALS.

Have a great week guys!

Not Bad, Hubs.

2011-04-01T09:50:00.000-04:00

Proof that sometimes husbands get it right:

Before (ugly generic faucet):

After:

Our original ones were leaking, so in his oh-so-male-logical-way, Joe picked up some new faucets. He said "they were cheap and they can be replaced later when we redo the bathrooms". Sold.

Not bad, honey, not bad.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pouch For My Pennies.

2011-03-30T07:00:00.003-04:00

Skip to My Lou's zippered pouch tutorial has been on my back burner for months now. So last night, I finally made one. Here's how it turned out:

Did I mention that it's pleated?

And lined?

Fancy, huh? Not really but I learned some new skills and I learned what I need to improve upon.

The left hand side of this zipper is not right. But there's always next time.

The best part is that this little jewel (it measures 5"x7") was less than $1.50 to make. I used fat quarters (you quilters will know what I'm talking about) to create this pleated pouch. Basically a fat quarter is a large square of fabric that I picked up at Mary Jo's. They are super cheap and with small projects like this one, one fat quarter will give me at least three of these pouches.

I was planning on using this for coins, but it could easily hold a little make up too. I hope you'll try making your own pleated pouch.

No, really, thank you!

2011-03-29T17:08:00.000-04:00

Recently I have recieved some very nice e-mails and comments thanking me for my zipper tutorial and my flange pillow tutorial. I just wanted to thank you for those e-mails and comments. I am beyond excited that I could help anybody with anything.

I also wanted to point out that I have done a project in my home with the help of another blogger and I never got the opportunity to thank them. Rhoda, from Southern Hospitality, wrote a tutorial about installing picture molding. I followed her post and ended up adding picture molding to our entryway and kitchen.

Take a look:

The project was inexpensive and done in a weekend. THANKS RHODA!

I really appreciate all of the bloggers out there willing to write a tutorial and generous enough to share it. Thanks again.

Weekend Photos (3/25/11 to 3/27/11)

2011-03-28T11:15:00.000-04:00

This weekend was my most laziest to date. I watched it rain:

I caught up on my mags. Don't you love getting to the mailbox and finding a fat stack of magazines?

And I moved a chair into the guest bedroom.

Please tell me your weekend was more exciting than mine. Happy Monday.

Evolution of a Painting.

2011-03-25T10:15:00.000-04:00

I was challenged to recreate a painting. Specifically this one:

The client also had some specific colors she wanted to match.

So I went to work on a few custom color matches:

Another one of her colors matched to an accent pillow:

Then I begn the painting:

Coming along:

Getting closer:

Original artist's painting:

My finished piece:

The painting was someone else's idea, but I tried hard to nail it. In the end, the client was happy. Can't wait to show you where this painting ends up.

Have a great weekend!!

POLL: Fake Flowers.

2011-03-23T12:40:00.000-04:00

Fake flowers. Horchow still sells them.

Link

We've all seen them at Michael's and Hobby Lobby (50% off this week).

So the question is:

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Look-a-Like.

2011-03-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

Have you seen Bryn's new copper light fixtures? They are gorgeous! I love where she hung them too:

While I was roaming Home Depot this weekend, I spotted something similar. They aren't copper, but they could be:

This brushed nickel fixture (one in the middle) could get you industrial chic for $29.97. You can purchase online here.

Here's the fixture isolated:

You could leave it as is or paint it with some gutter spray paint. Say what? I know. It's paint used to touch up cooper gutters and the color match looks much closer than what you can find at Michael's. Check it out here.

Weekend Photos (3/18/11 to 3/20/11)

2011-03-21T10:49:00.000-04:00

Hello! And welcome to this week's edition of Weekend Photos. We started it off where everyone knows our name:

Some friends spend time sipping a cold one on a patio, we spend it under the glittering florescents at our local Home Depot. They practically throw these at us everytime we show up:

Ahh, more and more exterior paint samples, please. But I think we have figured out how to pick the perfect color: stalking. And we've picked a winner:

This is a Hardiplank product so we've contacted Hardiplank to provide us with a sample. We've decided to paint our home this color. Thank the Lord the decision is finally over with. Now we make an appointment for the actual painting to begin.

Speaking of painting a did a little of my own this weekend. And I do mean little. This guy measure 5"x5". He still needs some work, but I like where it's headed:

And finally, I'm going to do some hand embrodiery. I found this packet of patterns:

And I've selected the lambs and applied them to this sweet little onesie:

I'll let you know how it turns out. How was your weekend?

RANDOM QUESTION:

I use a clean towel and hang it up to dry afer ONE use. When I use it again, it doesn't smell so great. Any idea why? We use Gain detergent, which I find to smell amazing. Any tips are appreciated.

Angry Birds = Happy Amanda.

2011-03-18T09:43:00.000-04:00

Credit

The latest guilty pleasure in my household has been the wonderful game of Angry Birds. You can download it on tons of different smart phones. I highly recommend it. It's a great way to waste some time. Apologies in advance...you will be addicted.

Hope you all had a great week. Happy Friday everyone!!

Record.

2011-03-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

I did it! Seven pillows in under 3 hours. Six of the pillows had zippers. What??!!

The reason? Slate Interiors is having a pillow trunk sale March 17, 2011 through March 19, 2011.

Here are my offerings:

These pillows range in price from $29.00 to $59.00 (all down filled with the exception of the lumbar pillow).

Be sure to stop by Slate and check out what everyone has to offer.

Lights, Camera, Paint.

2011-03-16T12:53:00.000-04:00

We are still working out the house paint color. So far we've narrowed it down to two choices:

1. Behr's Evening Storm (gray/blue).

2. Behr's Black Branch. Unfortunately, I can't get a little color swatch of this color to come up to show you.

It's exhausting picking an exterior paint color, by the way. It's not like someone will not notice how you changed your house 100 shades darker. Plus, while paint is typically your cheapest endeavor, it isn't when done by professionals, so you pick the wrong color and it's expensive to fix. It's a scary ordeal (at least for me, anyway).

So while those two colors are marinating in my brain, I have pushed on to more fun things, like exterior lights. Right now we have two teeny gold fixtures. Disgusting is an understatement. Finally, some new ones are in order. Here's what I found at Lowe's:

Not bad on the price, huh? I was shocked. Stylish and inexpensive is one of my favorite combos. I think we are leaning toward the "X" light fixtures. One thing we're going to correct this time is the proportion of the light to the house. The ones we have now are entirely too small.

I can't wait to show you all of our decisions. OH AND we're changing some structural profiles of the house too. Stay tuned.

Make It: Easiest Arrangement Ever.

2011-03-15T07:26:00.000-04:00

Someone liked my little flower arrangements yesterday. I would like to show you how it's done.

1. Pick up two hydrangea stems from your local florist or grocery store. I picked mine up from Bi-Lo for $2.00 each.

2. Cut off the tops leaving about 2-3" left on the main stem.

3. Fill two 4"x4" square glass vases with water.

4. Pop each hydrangea top in each vase.

DONE! Told you it was the easiest arrangement ever.

Here's a close up of the size of the stems in the water:

And here are both arrangements together again:

I hope you give this arrangement a try. It will take you 5 minutes tops and how nice are flowers in the house?

Weekend Photos (3/11/11 to 3/13/11)

2011-03-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here's how my weekend went down:

1. I began duplicating this painting. Look for the reveal this week.

2. Hug out with Benny.

3. Chowed down on some homemade chili.

4. Picked up some flowers. These two arrangements cost a whopping $4.

5. Enjoyed the warm sunshine.

6. Sewed. Need a pillow tutorial? Look here.

7. Cleaned.

Before:

After:

It feels good to be productive. I hope you all had a great weekend!

2011-03-11T16:48:00.000-05:00

Credit

I need to purchase one of these T-shirts for myself. This new job is fantastic, but I am having a little trouble balancing everything out. I haven't worked this much overtime in YEARS. I'm working on it people.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Shop Local (Orange, Texas): Parlours

2011-03-10T12:19:00.000-05:00

I did quite a bit while I was back in my home town. One of my favorite places to visit is a local interior design store called Parlours.

Here's some of what they have to offer:

Custom Furniture, Art and Rugs.

This would be pretty cool as an island.

This one too.

More birds. We got my Mom's framed birds from here as well.

We loved this large Red Heron. It wasn't in the budget right now, but we'll find one that is.

So if you ever find yourself in Orange, Texas or you live in the area and you haven't stopped by, I definitely encourage you to do so.

My First Client.

2011-03-07T21:28:00.000-05:00

My first client was my Mother. She was the first person that let me experiment with her house. And like most mothers she thought that most of what I came up with was pretty clever. One of the rooms I'm most proud of is her living room. Here's what we've accomplished so far:

We took a "dining room" buffet and turned it into the TV stand. The rug is a jute/wool combo. It's so soft and textural. It also sets off the furniture.

Who knew cranes could be so striking?

An antique table that belonged to my grandmother along with framed vintage bird prints.

The camera phone photos are not the best, but you can certainly see what's going on. We're going to introduce a little bit more blue into the room, but it's coming together. The best part of this room is how comfortable it feels. I wish you could sit in this room.

Thanks for being my guinea pig Mom!

Weekend Photos (3/4/11 to 3/6/11)

2011-03-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

We're painting! Shocker. This time though, it's the exterior of the house. Have you ever painted the exterior of your home? It's a different ballgame than painting the interior. Colors that look close to black inside, are navy blue outside. Needless to say, it's been a weekend full of picking, choosing. and indecision. We started out with a few colors:

And those colors multiplied:

The weather in Charlotte was rainy this weekend, but on Sunday afternoon, we finally got some sun. So we took some of our samples and painted them on our siding:

Now we're more confused than ever. We are trying to find the perfect grey/blue color. But when we got the paint up it read too blue, too grey, too green or too purple. Now, this paint it still wet so it could all change tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

Any exterior paint advice? Think you have the perfect color? Send it my way. I would love to see it!

Poor Girl's Schumacher.

2011-03-04T07:16:00.000-05:00

I love Schumacher fabric. Love it. I can't, however, always afford it. Or maybe the full truth is that you CAN afford it, but it would eat up so much of your budget you would have no money for anything else. Sweet curtains, where's your couch?

Recently, I had a client who felt that way. So I found something similar (not exact) for a fraction of the price. Take a look:

On the left is the Schumacher at close to $200 per yard (to the trade only) and on the right is Waverly's May Medley at $11.99 per yard. They aren't exact, but you certainly get the same feel for a fraction of the money.

Here are the details on the fabric:

I hope you all had a fantastic week. Here's to a weekend full of bargain finds and rest!

Copper.

2011-03-01T19:16:00.000-05:00

While visiting D.C. we visited the Smithsonian. Right now they have Julia Child's television kitchen on display. Check it out:

When I walked into this exhibit, I immediately wanted to cook. I loved all of the peg boards used for hanging dishes and the colors. I think this woman owned every pot and gadget on the market. The green and blue that she used in her kitchen was adorable, but I was most taken by her copper collection.

While I was out shopping with my mom one day, we spied an antique mall, and I found the first of my own copper collection. These canisters. They are still beat up, but with a little polish I'm well on my way. And you know I got them for a steal. $24.00 for all 4!

I love the patina and their gleam. Do you have a copper collection?

Weekend Photos (2/18/11 to 2/20/11)

2011-02-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

I'm back and I'm picking up where I left off! On Friday, February 188, 2011 we traveled to Washington D.C. for a visit. Here's what we saw:

The Capital.

Sculpture.

Statue.

The Capital close up.

Joe and me close up.

Ceiling decoration inside the restrooms inside the Library of Congress.

Mosaic tile, Library of Congress.

Ceiling work, Library of Congress.

Library of Congress.

More Library of Congress. I felt like I was back in Italy. It wasn't quite as ornate as some of Italy's finest, but it was close.

Ceiling inside the actual library. You can only look at it, you aren't allowed into this area unless you are a library member.

The middle of the library.

Floor of the library. People are actually reading, studying, etc.

Obama's crib.

Lincoln Memorial.

The Mall looking from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument.

Lincoln himself.

Vietnam Wall Memorial.

Subway architecture.

The Hubs testing out his new phone camera.

We had a great time walking all over the city and meeting with friends we haven't seen in a while (hey Erin and Matt!). I have a feeling that we missed the cherry blossoms by a couple of weeks. I would still like to see those, but since the drive was only 6 hours, I have a feeling we'll be back.

Thank you to those of you who stopped by last week to give your well wishes and prayers for my family. Last Saturday, we lost my mother's brother. Uncle Louie. An educator that lost his life after struggling with diabetes and heart issues. He will be missed.

I'll be back.

2011-02-23T23:24:00.000-05:00

My apologies for no posts this week. Unfortunately we had a death in the family and I am currently spending time with my family. I will return next week with updates.

Packing It In.

2011-02-18T10:14:00.001-05:00

Well folks, today is the day. The last day with my current team. So I'm packing it in and then I'm packing up because I'm headed here:

Photo Credit

I hope to come back in full working order, relaxed and full of knowledge concerning our nation's capital.

Have a great weekend!

Blocked.

2011-02-16T11:54:00.000-05:00

I think I'm suffering from some Writer's Block these days or it could be that this is my last week at my current job and the only thing on my mind is wrapping things up. Whatever the case may be my mind is stuck like chuck. So since my mind is so random, here's some random art I found on Ebay.

Link

I promise when my brain gets back into gear, I'll have something more worthwhile to write.

Weekend Photos (2/11/11 to 2/13/11)

2011-02-14T10:46:00.000-05:00

It was pretty low key this weekend. I made a trip to Mary Jo's for some fabric on Saturday.

Because the weather was so great this weekend, my husband had an opportunity to grill some burgers.

He was awfully proud of his ability to make the perfect burger.

On Sunday, I finished up two more pillows for Bryn's client. I think they turned out pretty good. Fingers crossed the client likes them.

Remember when I wrote about Paper Culture? Well I ordered some stationary from them. I got them this weekend.

I went with this style:

I received this book in the mail and I casually perused it this weekend:

I also caught these two holding hands and whispering under the table. They're pretty in love.

Finally, I listened to this song at least a million times. Apparently, it played during an episode of Grey's Anatomy. I don't watch that show, but I caught this duo's interview on NPR this weekend and I was hooked. It's sad and beautiful at the same time. I love the contradiction.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

A big squeeze from me to you...

Good News.

2011-02-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

I work in the legal field by day. I have for years. Most recently I was offered a new position with a new team. In a few weeks, I will make my debut. Until then, I have been thinking about how I'll get to organize my own OFFICE. I will finally, finally have my own door. Simple words can not express my joy.

I found some things that could work. Take a look:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Happy Friday guys!

B&B.

2011-02-10T11:06:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I love a good Bed & Breakfast. To me, they seem so special in comparison to your average hotel. Last year, we stayed here. This year there are no plans for a Bed & Breakfast, but I thought I would showcase what my town (Charlotte, NC) has to offer.

The Morehead Inn

Beautiful property really close to Uptown Charlotte and even closer to Mrs. Howard's. When we were moving to Charlotte, my husband surprised me with a stay here. It's lovely.

N.S. Alexander Homestead

An impressive landmark built in 1903, this home is one of the few remaining examples of Queen Anne Victorian architecture in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area and is listed in the Department of the Interior’s Register of Historic Places. I've never stayed here, have you?

The VanLandingham Estate

A California bungalow built in 1913, this home is owned by the same inviduals who own The Morehead Inn.

The Duke Mansion

Built in 1915 and tripled by its most famous owner James Buchanan Duke, The Duke Mansion has been home and host to leaders of the 20th century. Duke’s most lasting legacies, including Duke University, Duke Energy and the Duke Endowment, took shape at the home. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Mansion is now operated as a nonprofit with all proceeds being used to preserve and protect this community treasure.

**All information written about each property was either derived directly form its website or is personal knowledge**

Where will you celebrate Valentine's with your sweetie?

Tutorial: Adding a Zipper

2011-02-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I received a comment on my blog requesting that I prepare a zipper tutorial. Specifically, how to add a zipper to a pillow. So that's what I'm going to do today.

Step 1: Cut the fabric for your pillows. I made a 20"x20" pillow, so I cut my fabric pieces to 20"x20".

TIP: I know that you will read many directions that state that you need to add an inch for seam allowances. Meaning, if I had a 20" pillow form, then I should cut my fabric at 21" to allow for the seam allowance. BUT if you want a more professional looking pillow, and not a saggy one, you should cut your fabric to the exact dimensions of your pillow size.

Step 2: Get out your zipper. Buy a regular zipper with plastic teeth. Once you get the steps down with this type of zipper, then you can move on to a hidden zipper. The steps will be the same, but the hidden zipper seems to roll a bit more than these do. You won't understand what I mean until you have an opportunity to work with both of them, but trust me. The hidden ones are a bear (to me, at least).

TIP: To make adding a zipper even easier on yourself, buy a zipper that's bigger than you need. I bought a 24" zipper for my 20" pillow. I explain later why it's easier on you.

Step 3: Open your zipper up all the way.

AND THEN flip it over so that the right side of the zipper is face down on the right side of the fabric.

Face down on the right side of the fabric:

Now notice in the picture above that the outside edge of the zipper matches up with the outside edge of the fabric?

Step 4: Pin the edge of the zipper to the edge of the fabric.

Close up:

Step 5: We're ready to sew the side of the zipper pinned to the fabric.

You want to get as close to the teeth of the zipper as you can.

Note that I am not using a zipper foot. I personally find it easier to use my presser foot. I feel like I can get closer to the zipper with this foot. You certainly don't have to use it, I just discovered that it works best for me.

The sewing is a snap, it's just a straight stitch and if you bought a zipper that's bigger than you need you now know that the zipper head doesn't get in your way.

Now for the hardest part of this whole process....attaching the other side of the zipper to the other side of the pillow.

Step 6: Pinch your zipper together like so:

WITH YOUR PILLOW PIECES RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER AND YOUR ZIPPER PINCHED in the middle, pin the loose zipper piece to the pillow piece directly on top of it. You are repeating what you just did in the previous step. You will be matching up the edge of the zipper with the edge of the fabric and sewing.

IMPORTANT: You want to make sure that your zipper lines up and your pillow pieces line up. If they don't line up here, they never will. If you end up being a teeny bit off, it's not big deal. It's when you're 3 inches off that will have you starting over.

You have just completed the hardest part! It's a down hill slide from here!

Both of your pillow pieces are now joined together.

Step 7: Make sure your zipper opens easily and then open it enough to allow you to turn your pillow right side out after your sew the other three sides.

So, right sides still together, sew a 1/2" seam allowance around the other 3 edges of the pillow.

Step 8: Now that all of sides of your pillow have been sewn, keep it right sides together and let's address the last step. You need to go to the zippered edge of your pillow and measure 2 1/2 inches from the edge. Mark it with a fabric marker. (the ink disappears). Do the same thing for the other side.

Step 9: Sew from the edge of your fabric to your marked position on both sides. YOU WANT TO SEW RIGHT UNDER WHERE THE ZIPPER IS LOCATED. You will be able to feel where the zipper teeth are and you want your needle right UNDER them.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you sew back and forth several times near your marked position. This will be the most stressed portion of your fabric because it's where you will stuff your pillow with its form.

Step 10: Clip all corners. It is at this point that you will remove all of that extra zipper. This step helps to make your corners sharper by elimating a lot of bulk.

Stuff your pillow!

ZIP IT UP! In the picture below you can see why we did Step 8.

Admire your work!

I hope you will give this a try. Once you master it, you won't make a pillow without a zipper again.

If you have any questions, you can always contact me. I'm always happy to help.

Weekend Photos (2/4/11 to 2/6/11)

2011-02-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

Pillows. That was the name of the game this weekend. I made all of these:

But I had a little help.

All that pillow making did NOT bode well for my office. I made a huge mess.

I also finished off this piece:

And installed it in our booth:

Our booth is getting awfully full these days!

If you're in the market for pillows, we've got several to choose from:

Then I headed to a friend's to celebrate the Superbowl:

A good time was had by all. Greenbay won, but most importantly I parted with these great shoes:

Thanks Hillary!!

Happy Monday all! What did you do this weekend?

Shop: Paper Culture.

2011-02-04T10:19:00.001-05:00

I was recently told about a site called Paper Culture. Have you heard of this? They sell birth announcements, shower invitations, holiday cards and the like. What's so different? Well....

1. They plant a tree in your honor after every order.
2. They used recycled paper.
3. They can ADDRESS and MAIL your cards for you. <------ crazy, huh?

With Valentine's Day coming up, here are a few of Paper Culture's options:

For even more information, check out Paper Culture.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

P.S. Sign up for their newsletter and you get 15% off of your first order!

How do you make your bed?

2011-02-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

People make their beds lots of different ways. Here's how I made my guest bedroom's bed:

1. Egg Crate.

2. Clean Sheets (duh).

3. Blanket or Quilt.

4. Duvet on top of blanket and then turned back together. I have also folded my duvet in two and placed it at the end of the bed. Check out my master to see what I'm talking about.

5. Sleeping Pillows and Accent Pillows. In this case, the accent pillows are standard sized and match the duvet, but they don't have to. I plan on adding a lumbar pillow to this bed, but I have not found the perfect fabric quite yet. This way I can add yet another layer. Adding layers adds richness, and in my opinion, character.

Here are some other parts of the room that you haven't seen:

So that's how I made this bed. How do you make your bed?

Solid Gold.

2011-02-01T12:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I showed you my lamp before and afters. Today I will show you how I gold-leafed the base of those lamps. Why did I gold-leaf instead of paint?

1. Because it has a more authentically gold look over just gold paint.

2. Because the bases were in bad shape and no amount of cleaning would get them back to great.

So without further adieu, here's how I did it:

Supplies.

I bought a gold-leaf kit from my local hobby store. I found mine at A.C. Moore. Hobby Lobby and Michael's has them also. The kit comes with Adhesive Size, pictured below.

And Sealer, which is used after your work is finished.

And of course, the gold leaf. This gold leaf kit isn't actually gold leaf, it's faux. But that's okay because faux means cheap in my book. I love expensive looking on the cheap. The scissors and paint brushes were my own. I used the smaller brush to apply the size and sealant and the large brush was used to lightly tap the gold leaf into place.

I used my scissors to cut my gold leaf into strips because it fit with my project size.

My project size is the small area at the bottom of my lamp. **PLEASE NOTE, I decided to gold leaf AFTER I had already painted the base with spray paint. That's the only reason it's painted. It is not for a specific gold-leafing reason.

Next I bushed on the adhesive size.

After waiting for the sealant to cure for 30 minutes, I began applying my gold leaf.

Even though you think you apply your adhesive sizing perfectly, there are still places where the leaf does not stick. It's no problem, just keep going. When you're done go back and apply more sizing where the gaps are and add a little more gold leaf. Believe me you will have plenty of little pieces all over the place to choose from for those small gaps.

It takes some time, the gold leaf is very fragile, but you will get the hang of it very quickly, I assure you. After you're finished, SEAL the piece, sit back and admire your work:

I did two of them. Both of the lamps have similar shapes, but different bases. I fitted them with large linen shades. Both of these lamps will be available in the BOOTH!

I hope you enjoyed my teeny tutorial today and I hope you will give gold-leafing a try.

Weekend Photos (1/27/11 to 1/29/11)

2011-01-31T07:00:00.001-05:00

I did some more painting this weekend. Before I get to the actual act of painting, I insist upon putting on my paint apron.

I look a little deranged in this photo. A little too serious about painting, but the apron really is a nice thing to have. I have saved many an outfit with this apron. It's even monogrammed. I highly recommend it.

Next came the touch up:

Here's the room before:

After:

I know, I know, you really can't see the room in its entirety, but you will. I've got some things up my sleeve for this room. It may take me a minute, but you'll see each step of the way.

The color was chosen by color matching the pale grey/green color underneath the pink curtains:

If you happen to like the color, here's the formula:

I also made a trip to see my favorite upholsterer, Benny. Here's one of the chairs I picked up:

And here's the second:

Look familiar? This chair has seen a few lives. First it looked like this:

Then there was a mishap and it ended up like this:

And now, here it is once again:

I think the current upholstery suits the frame best AND appeals to more interiors. If you are interested in this chair, check out the details HERE.

And finally, I took the FIRST TWO lamps:

And turned them into this:

Come back tomorrow and I'll show you how I gold-leafed the bottom of these lamps.

I hope you all had a great weekend. Happy Monday!

Plain or Patterned?

2011-01-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about my living room and some inspiration. I've moved on to looking at rugs. So the question is plain or patterned?

Here are some shots of my living room. Remember, the color on the walls is going DARK. Although the exact color has not been decided. Don't pay any attention to that yellow chair. It's no longer there.

Now on to the rugs:

Source

Have any favs? Would love to know your thoughts.

Thinking.

2011-01-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

Do you ever obsess over your interior? I do. I almost need medication for it. My latest obsession has been about what to do with my living room. I know one thing is for certain, I love dark colors. I tend to be drawn to a more masculine vibe. I don't know why. I just always have. Some people find dark colors suffocating whereas I love the feel of them. They feel warmer to me.

I painted my living room Sherwin Williams' Camelback in 2007 when we first moved in. Since then, our fireplace has changed and the color no longer works. Sort of like my half bath's wall color didn't work with the new granite.

The living room needs paint, a rug and new curtains.

Here's the living room right now (disaster):

Here's some dark-walled inspiration:

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Now I have the simple task of choosing one color from literally thousands of dark colors.

Do you have any favorite chocolate or brown/gray colors? Mind sharing them with me?

Weekend Photos (1/21/11 to 1/23/11)

2011-01-24T18:56:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we got outdoorsy. Correction, Joe got outdoorsy. He bought an ax. He was pumped. I was petrified.

I guess it worked out:. Now we have freshly cut wood.

This is a random shot of what our deck looks like at night. A few from the top, if you will.

I distressed the chest and dresser and all of their drawers. One final coat of poly and these will be in the booth soon. Be on the lookout!

Friday I wrote about some necklaces I recently bought. My final one arrived over the weekend. I told you it was dainty. I love how light and simple it is. It sits in the hollow right below your neck.

This necklace was delivered in a sweet little package with a note. Don't you love pretty packages and handwritten notes?

I now have only one television in my living room. Don't think for a second I don't realize that is the absolute WRONG color on the walls. I have plans for this room, my friends. Sit tight.

I picked up some remnant fabric too. These will also show up in the booth very soon.

I am late getting out this post because my anesthesia just wore off. I had a teeny medical procedure today. All is well. I am fine, my post is just late. I hope you have a good night (what's left of it) and come back tomorrow so that I can give you a COUPON.

The Recently Acquired.

2011-01-21T12:23:00.000-05:00

I wanted to show you some of my latest purchases. I don't write that much about fashion, but I love it too. I picked these guys up for $10.00 each (from Julie's) yesterday. They will be perfect to dress up a plain t-shirt or to provide some POP to a boring outfit.

Last week, I found this fragile beauty through this Etsy seller. I have been wanting something this simple for quite a while and I finally found it.

And finally, my latest obsession has been HER, but I forgot to tell you that she has sisters. SIX of them. Here's what the dining room chairs look like:

Here's what they look like around my table (please excuse the mess):

I hope you all have a wonderful, deal-filled weekend.

NEW BLOG: FOUND.

2011-01-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

Today Bryn and I are launching a blog for our booth at Slate Interiors. Here we will showcase furniture, accessories, art and pillows for sale. We also wanted to use this blog to show you what goes into creating pieces we place in the booth and an up close look at what we have to offer so that you don't have to leave your home (unless something peaks your interest, of course).

Additionally, most pillows, accessories and art can be shipped. So for all of you out-of-towners....love something you see? Let us ship it your way.

Stop by often to see our updates!

Newest Member of the Household.

2011-01-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to welcome our newest member of the household. Here she is everyone!

I couldn't be more pleased. My upholsterer is a miracle worker (YOU ROCK, BENNY!). Here's what she looked like BEFORE:

And the AFTER one more time:

She was torn, stained, pink and $20 OFF CRAIGSLIST. I decided to add the nailheads to further emphasize the profile of the chair. I really, really love how it came out. Not only is there power in paint, but in upholstery as well. Next time you're out thrifting, consider focusing on the lines of the chair/furniture piece and not on the current upholstery and the stains. I would be willing to bet that you could end up with a custom piece that you like, with fabric of your choice, for a lot cheaper than you could purchase something new. Just think about it. Have a great day, friends.