The bed was in my nephew's room. He now prefers to sleep with his mattress on the floor and have bookshelves made of cardboard these days so he took his bed apart and put it in the basement while my sister was taking a nap (he's 11). While it was well-loved, it was super sturdy and still in great shape. All the walls in our room are white, so I wanted to paint it to make it stand out.
Last weekend, while Bart was away on a climbing adventure, I went to work painting it my new favorite color--grey. I painted the bedside table and added new pulls as well. Love the result. I must say, I miss my husband madly when he's gone, but boy do I get productive!
I made the curtains, duvet and lampshade, got the pillows at Target, and made the starbursts on the wall out of rolled-up magazine pages. I'm not really sure if anyone reads this blog anymore, but just in case there is someone out there. I should be posting more soon. I've been asked to decorate for a Gala for a local non-profit organization, One Day's Wages. The Gala is November 10 and I've got a very small budget to work with, so it's time to get creative. I'm working with my friend Kristin and we've got some great ideas up our sleeves. The gala is supporting a great cause and all who live in the area are welcome to attend. Check it out!!
This hung on our wall in a picture frame at home for as long as I can remember. It was one of those parts of your house that you never look at because it's been there for so long, and I remember even thinking that it looked old and tired because it had just always been there. One summer when I came home from college, I rediscovered it as my mom was going through the house getting rid of old things. I think this was the first time I really looked at it and fully appreciated the craftsmanship that went into it. I decided that it was not getting the appreciation it deserved, so I asked my mom if I could have it. She is a practical woman and not prone to being incredibly sentimental about items, so she said yes. 
I made it into a simple A-line skirt. The front of the skirt was of course the tapestry, while the back was out of a darker green silk shantung. Wish I had taken a picture of it, it was really quite unique. The only problem was that in the last 10 years, I wore the skirt perhaps twice. 1. Because it was difficult to find something to wear with it that could complement without competing, and 2. Because it was very very uncomfortable and itchy. The thread used is wool, I think and even with a lining and a slip, it drove me crazy and kept me itching the entire time I wore it. This spring, as I moved my things into our new house, I rediscovered the skirt and knew that this piece needed to be appreciated once again. I love pillows and knew it would fit perfectly within my home. I backed it with this beautiful teal-blue stretch velveteen and used the same fabric for a piping around the edges of the print. It's wonderful to have a little piece of Grandma Laird in my home.
These are pretty heavy duty industrial shelves and they looked the part so I decided to spray paint them white to make them look a little daintier--if that's possible. 
As I sat outside in my bare feet and sweat pants, spraypainting second-hand shelves and thinking about the royal wedding, I started to wonder what life would be like for the Duchess of Cambridge. I'm pretty sure she'd never have to find couches off the side of the road to re-upholster or buy $7 chairs at Value Village for her kitchen. And I'm pretty sure that after the wedding, she won't spend the next three weeks cleaning up after it. The funny thing is, I don't mind. I actually feel a bit sorry for those born into that sort of privledge. I love that I can take apart an old couch and put it back together, that I can find use in somebody else's discarded wares, and that I can enjoy the satisfaction of cleaning and organizing my own home. Growing up in a large family, I was raised on garage sales, hand-me-down clothes, and thrift store prom dresses. I've learned so many useful skills and enjoy every minute of creating and the mess that comes with it...
And now, after a weekend of organizing and painting. I am now ready to create again. Don't those shelves look dainty?
As I don't typically enjoy traditional baby shower games (does anyone, really?) I opted for a project for guests to participate in. Our friend Natalie bought and collected a variety of onesies she found from a second-hand store and I pulled out various fabric scraps from my bin. I backed all the scraps with wonder-under and cut them into 5" squares. 
I had an assortment of suitable pictures for guests to choose from (elephant, monkey, spider, seahorse, etc...) Guests then taped the picture over the fabric, cut it out, removed the backing and ironed it on! This was such a great activity that everyone could do regardless of artistic ability! They turned out sooo cute!
Lastly, I had a little practice run for my wedding dessert table. I created all sorts of cake platters and food stands using an assortment of vintage plates, teacups, goblets, and candlesticks I've collected from thrift stores. I stacked plates on top of the candlesticks or goblets and created unique, multi-tiered platters. To keep them from toppling, I used 
We spent our morning driving through the maze that is Seattle to find 
I love bright colors, and I love fabric, so I decided to join forces and use this amazing Amy Butler upholstery print I found. I could only afford about a half a yard, so I thought that this would be a great way to use the fabric.
After painting the chairs an apple green, I used the heavyduty modpoge to attach the fabric to the seat of the chair!
When I lived in Salt Lake, I lived with my dear high school family friend, Jennie. Jennie used to go running in the Avenues every morning and would often come home with some sort of great piece of furniture she found left on the street corner for people to pick up. She got this beauty on one of her runs. The original fabric was the turquoise you see peeking out under the tan cotton that she used as a slipcover for the couch. It was a well-loved couch in our house and took Jennie into marriage. Upon moving from SLC and graduating to "real" married furniture (aka. actually buying it from a store--I'm not there yet, hopefully some day) she bequeathed her beloved couch onto me. This couch sat for two years in Micah's and my little house on the prairie in our "TV watching room." The cushion on it soon became so lumpy and mishapen that when I put this beloved piece into storage, the cushion didn't make it. The couch then sat in storage for six months while I awaited my wedding. And now it was ready for a makeover. How I love furniture makeovers.
Removal of the slipcover reveals the original fabric. Beautiful fabric, but very worn out. The shape of this couch, however, is so elegant and unique!
Voila! Mission accomplished! I'm in love with this couch. I got the fabric from Hancocks on the upholstery flat fold section where they sell designer bolt ends. I got 12 yards of this on sale for $4 a yard. $48 baby! The foam cushions were the most expensive part at about $70 on sale 50% off, and with piping and thread, I came in with a brand spaking new couch at under $150 and about 20 hours of work. Not too shabby. 
