An Early-November Yarn

Do you ever wake up in the morning and think: "I'm going to make a wreath today!!!" (With multiple exclamation points, just like that?) Just me? Fine. Be that way. Regardless of whether that may or may not have been a weird thing to be thinking about first thing upon waking, it's what I thought and therefor, it's what I did today. I started out by raiding my yarn collection. Oh, yes. I have a yarn collection. Some might even call it a Yarn Collection, given its insane size and range. Wait, "why yarn" you ask? Well, if you've spent any time at all on Pinterest, the answer should be fairly obvious, and if you don't happen to be acquainted with Pinterest, you'll soon be acquainted with the Ashley-version of a yarn wreath. Hold tight and watch...

First, I made a trip to Joann's for a wreath form, some different colors of felt, and some millinery berries (which are actually more copper than brass, despite this picture). Once I got home, I got out my hot glue gun and began wrapping my yarn around my wreath form. Like so...

Turns out that multi-color yarn = stripes! No one (meaning Pinterest) told me about this phenomenon and so I'm telling YOU. So, listen: Multi-color yarn = STRIPES. In this case, camo-stripes (although my mummy may object to me labeling the color palette as such-- Sorry, Mom). Once I'd finished wrapping my wreath in yarn (gluing every couple of inches to keep it in place), I started thinking about decorations. I drew inspiration from the Etsy shop Itz Fitz! and made up some felt flowers ala Design Dump to add to my own handcrafted (aka cut from felt and snipped from a bunch) leaves and copper berries. Here's the in-progress shot...

Followed by a finished detail shot...

Followed by a brief interruption about how to hang said yarn wreath. You're familiar with these, right?

Command Strips basically hold the world together at this point, so it shouldn't be that big of a surprise that they also hold my wreath in place. In this case, though, they're given a solid 180 degree turn and, ta-DAH!, transformed from a Command hook to a...uh...upside-down Command hook. Ok. That was a little anti-climactic. Anyway. Moving on!

However, my hooks were a little long, so I was forced to call in reinforcements.

My reinforcements in this case were...Myself! And a chisel! And a hammer! And a utility knife! Did you hear me? I Did It Myself. I DIY-ed, for real. Using said tools, I chopped off the extra length and voila! A fitting upside-down Command hook I had, yes. (Excuse me while I channel Yoda...There is no try! Only do or do not!...ahem)

The result, when strung up on some sparkly sheer ribbon, is this. You like? I like. And, for a little perspective, here is the wide shot...

So that is what came of my (somewhat-)early-morning brainstorm. An elegant camo-meets-crafty-meets-festive wreath! Now, if only all my brainstorms ended so successfully...(I won't remind you of all the ones that didn't...it would be too embarrassing). Instead, let us dwell on my small and momentary success! Hurrah!

Oh, Deer!

Last week I had mentioned that in addition to doing mood boards for the rest of my rooms, I hoped that I would eventually get a chance to whip up a little something for others. Well, I’m pleased to say that day has come much sooner than expected!

A few weeks ago, I went to visit my friend Amanda’s new abode (does nearly a year still count as new—I know, I’m a terrible friend for not visiting MUCH sooner). During that time, she made a comment, while giving me the grand tour, that she really should eventually get around to hanging up some art or something in the living room and maybe painting the walls. I, of course, jumped right on board and (practically jumping up and down with excitement) squealed, “Ooooooh! Let me help! We could do this and THIS and that and OMG-it-would-be-awesome to put up so-and-so!”

Ok. Maybe I wasn’t quite that bad, but it did get me thinking. I began doing a little bit of research with her particular style in mind and all of a sudden I was pinning pillows and baskets and cardboard deer to a board set up specifically for her. So, I went ahead and called her up and asked her if she still wanted help working on a design for her living room and she (lovely girl) said yes, she’d like that!

Now, in addition to trying to figure out what the heck to do with my own house, I’m also having a blast (getting distracted and) figuring out what to do with her house. :) Lucky for me, though, she puts up with it and is even kind enough to plan on letting me invade her home in a couple of weekends in order to play interior decorator.

Here’s what I’ve come up with while cruising the net, all the while keeping in mind Amanda’s earthy-funky-hip-low-maintenance-doggy-parent M.O.

I originally had in mind a soothing green scheme for Amanda’s living room, but as her husband said immediately upon hearing that idea: “I will not have the EVIL color in OUR HOUSE!” (For those who don’t know, Kelly is a HUGE OSU fan, which of course makes him an enemy to The-University-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named, whose mascot rhymes with a bad word. You know which one I’m talking about…)

So I immediately began thinking about different color schemes and it didn’t take a whole lot of brains to decide that orange might be a better choice for these two Beaver-Believers.  This is the room that I found the most inspiring:

I ran it by Amanda and she agrees that it’s quite the quirky little beauty. She’s even a fan of the grey walls (so much that she and Kelly ran out immediately to buy grey paint samples—they’re going to get it all done before I show up to help with the finishing touches)! So, having got the go-ahead, I made up this mood board for my wonderful friend and her green-hating husband.

1. As usual, I flitted over to Design-Seeds to find a color palette that would fit. There were a lot of palettes featuring orange, but many of them also included the bad-G-color in them, as well. This one I liked because it had multiple shades of orange and a couple of shades of grey (you know, the good-G-color).

2. One of the things that I like about Amanda’s living room (and her whole house, in fact) is that it has lovely hardwood floors. However, I thought that adding an area rug to the living room would not only break up the expanse of hardwood (um…), but also anchor all the furniture together, creating a cohesive look. I chose this subtly colored rug partially because it was a nice neutral with a pleasing pattern (not too bold and not too boring), but also because it’s indoor-outdoor quality, which I think will hold up better against the pitter-patter of (not-so) little feet (have I mentioned that Amanda has two dogs—one of which is possibly part Great Dane—as well two cats? They’re her adorably furry children.)

3. Now, you may have noticed that in the inspiration room, there’s a large, floor-to-ceiling, painted-white fireplace. Well, Amanda has one that is actually very similar to that and (call me crazy) I just love what they did to break up the expanse of white brick. The orange background and framed porcelain deer head is muy odd and oddly chic, but have you seen how much porcelain animal heads cost? Try something like $300 for one that’s about 12”x16” (is it super dorky that I know that off the top of my head?). Anyway, I know I can do better than that. I found this little guy online for under $30, and while they offer it in white, I think that traditional brown will look lovely with the other natural colors in the living room, not to mention the orange accents.

4. I couldn’t resist throwing in a little puppy fashion in the pillow department. It’s like a grown-up (and way less annoying) version of those tacky pillow pets.

5. I know it seems like a lot of brown, however I chose this camel color throw not only to provide warmth in the upcoming autumn months, but also because I think it will look outstanding thrown over the arm of Amanda and Kelly’s deep brown couch (part of the room that absolutely has to stay for the time being).

6. When I asked Amanda what she wished she had more or less of in her living room, she mentioned that there’s not any overhead light in that area and that they’re making do with a floor lamp that they’re not so crazy about right now. Well, I’m a huge fan of the giant paper lantern (as Denny will tell you—each of our apartments has had one and I have plans to hang some in our bedroom soonish). I think a couple of these in varying sizes, hung in the corner, will add light and charm to the room.

7. She also mentioned that they have a lot of electronic stuff (which I knew, seeing as I’ve met Kelly once or twice before—that was sarcasm btw) and quite the assortment of dog toys (likewise, having known Amanda for more than three seconds—try closer to…12 years? Holy crap!). However, they have hardly any storage for them, so I picked out a couple of natural baskets in varying sizes and shades, which ought to do the trick when it comes time to corral them all.

8. And, lastly, I suggested to Amanda that instead of the lonely chair they currently have sitting next to the fireplace (it’s a little out of the furniture cluster), she should create a “command center.” I don’t know if that’s an actual term or if I just created it, but it’s what I call that space where you toss your keys, sort your mail, and put things that you need to remember to grab before you run out the door to conquer the world. These custom-covered magazine holders can help facilitate an orderly command center and are pretty darn cute, as well.

Holy crap! Over a thousand words on anti-Duck sentiment, cardboard deer, and being a pushy friend with delusions of design grandeur! Please accept my apologies. I hope you’re not too burned out on the look though, because I have serious plans to report back in a few weeks with some before and after photos, as well as the secrets to our DIY look. And until then, here’s the…

Product Breakdown:

Inspiration room by Judith Balis from HGTV

Design-Seeds color palette

4x6 Indoor/Outdoor Concentric Diamond Rug in Khaki and White from Shades of Light - $134

Medium Buck Jr. in Brown from Cardboard Safari - $28

Scott Lifshutz Hound Pillow Cover from West Elm - $19

Fuzzy Camel Throw from Pier 1 - $36

Hanging Paper Lanterns from Pier 1 - $6 & $9

Waterhyacinth Baskets with Handles from Pier 1 $12 & $29

Magazine Holder Inspiration from Aparment Therapy

Eye-Candy

I have a confession to make.

I am an art-aholic. I have more prints, cards, photos, and originals than I have ever been able to find room for. I can barely walk into a store without picking something up. And, on top of all that, I have my own collection of works in progress. Dozens of pounds of yarn waiting to be crocheted, stacks of blank canvas, planks of wood I have plans for, gourds that need to be sanded and painted (yes, I said “gourds”)…the list goes on and on. My obsession was bad enough pre-internet (yes, I’ve been an art pack-rat for that long), but now that there’s Etsy and Pinterest to fuel my desire, well, let’s just say that my habit can get a little out of control at times.

So, in the spirit of all the works of art I have and the countless others that I wish I had, I thought I’d share with you some pieces that tickle my fancy, as well as how I would incorporate them into a room (if I had, ya know, a sixty room mansion instead of a modest-sized tri-level).

1. Ok, so I am by no means a cat-person, however, this utterly-cranky-looking feline caught my eye right away. You can just tell that this is HIS CHAIR and he will NOT BE MOVED. Basically, it cracked me up. And (as you can tell) I am not an art snob; I don’t think an image has to be particularly deep or serious to be considered art. As long as it invokes some sort of emotion in you and you like it (note those key words, please), I think that’s enough to qualify it as a piece of art.

As for where I would put something like this, I think it would look cute in a small lacquered frame (maybe in black or aqua) on an end table next to a reading chair. Although I’m not sure it’d be a particularly relaxing experience trying to read in the presence of those condemning yellow eyes, it would nonetheless be very fitting (and amusing…for me, at least). J

2. I couldn’t resist including these brightly colored prints done on vintage book pages (which I’m sure surprises no one). Maybe it’s a little boring of me, but I’m a sucker for anything that has rich tones (especially blue ones, as you’ll see) and includes so much as hint of the written word. I think these prints (which come in a set) would love lovely framed in basic black frames and hung in a bedroom, maybe in a line over the headboard.

3. Um…I’m sensing a theme here, aren’t you? Yeah, well, what can I say? Trees inspire me. It’s one of the main reasons I fell in love with our house (which is so covered in trees you can hardly see it from the road). This painting is a HUGE original that could pretty much stand alone in any room devoid of all other art. I think it makes that much of a statement. Hang it on any wall and…BAM! You’ve got instant style.

4. This print reminds me of the way the trees look on Mt. Hood, where it’s so cold that the limbs are permanently frosted, despite the sun shining on them. Although you could definitely display this year-round, I’m envisioning it framed in white and set on a mantle during the winter, maybe next to a hurricane glass filled with pinecones or some long white tapers.

1. This piece is also an original (and, at only $70, quite a steal). There’s something so sweet and yet a little eerie about it, which is right up my alley. You could hang it almost anywhere, I think, although I would probably put it somewhere I wanted to go to feel inspired and relaxed. Maybe in a home office or at a writing desk. It would be a pleasant reminder to take a quiet moment to enjoy the simple things in life, like a stolen kiss under a streetlight.

2. This funky photograph is so girly and random. It just makes me smile for some reason. Maybe it’s because I have a soft spot for chickens (particularly banties) or maybe it’s the vintage dress and turquoise hat (why doesn’t anyone wear fancy hats anymore?). In any case, I can so see it in a brightly colored, retro kitchen. Clean white cabinets, sunny yellow paint, vintage dishtowels (you know, the ones with little blue flowers on the ends and maybe a yellow scalloped trim?), and a black and white checkered floor. I think these two chicks would fit in just fine.

3. I would put this playful print in any female-oriented space. Just looking at it makes me want to break out the red lipstick, throw on some vintage bangles, and head out to find an adventure. Just the right attitude for…a vanity perhaps? Yes, a vintage vanity with a cushioned stool and lots and LOTS of fun jewelry on display.

4. Now, if I were to decorate a baby’s room (and, let’s just get one thing straight: I AM NOT, repeat AM NOT), I think something like this would be just sweet. I love the colors and the simplicity and how gentle that polar bear looks with the bird perched on its massive paw (kind of a new version of lion and the lamb?). I’d decorate the whole room in this kind of aurora borealis theme, with a white furry rug, blue walls, and tons of twinkle lights. How cute would that be?

And now (just in case you find that any of these have also caught your fancy), here is the ever-present,

Product Breakdown:

"Cat on mid century chair" 8x10 Pigment Print from Olive Dear - $30

"4 Trees" set of 4x6 prints from Cookstah.etsy.com - $8

"Intertwined" 54x24 Original Abstract Contemporary Landscape from Madart - $299

"Sunrise" 8.5x9 Abstract Fine Art Print from budanArt - $18

"Autumn Kiss" Hand-Cut 11x14 Silhouette Papercut from Papercut Art by Tina Tarnoff - $70

"Hens" Original Signed 8x10 Fine Art Photograph from Heather Evans Smith Photography - $30

"Entanglement" Open Edition 7.5x9.5 Print from Janet Hill Studio - $26

"Bear & Bird" 6x8 Print from Geninne’s Art Store - $30

Harry Potter and the...Master Bathroom?

Alright. So I’ve been thinking lately (shocking, I know) about this idea I had to do some sort of themed post every week. Kind of like how YoungHouseLove gives away prizes once a week and how the HGTV blog does a Color of the Month, so I’d like to be able to give everyone something to look forward to on a regular basis (besides some stunning pictures of me weeding, or scrubbing grout, or whatever other glamorous thing I’m currently up to). Now, I’m not going to be able to give away prizes just yet (sorry; maybe someday), but since I do need to work up some more mood boards for the rest of the rooms in our house, I’ve decided to implement “Moody Mondays” (a name fitting in more ways than one)!

Every Monday from here on out (unless otherwise arranged), I will be coming out with a new mood board for another room in the house. These mood boards will always feature a product list and links to the items that inspire me, just in case you feel inspired by them, too. And, just to keep things interesting, once I get done doing all of my rooms (or maybe sooner, depending on how well this goes) I’d be more than happy to whip up a board for anyone else who wants one! I think it will be a lot of fun, not only to work on my own rooms, but also to branch out and try doing a little bit of design work for others, as well. J

So without further babble, I’m proud to introduce the very first Moody Monday Board…

My Hogwarts-themed master bathroom!

So that may not sound like the most grown-up thing in the world, but I don’t care what anyone says: the Harry Potter books are genius. They are ART. And I would be proud to have my bathroom stand as a homage to their fabulousness.

Now, before you write me off completely (or before you start getting visions of Snitch-patterned wallpaper or maybe a life-size-Dobby-replica toilet paper holder), take a minute to please remember back to last Friday, when I showed you this little teaser:

Remember that? Well, those prints are where this idea really began for me. I was inspiration scouting on (what else?) Pinterest, when I came across these very vintagey, Harry Potter inspired works of art. I loved the colors used in them, as well as the subject matter, and I immediately began thinking of a way to incorporate them into our home. Where’s a good place to display a small set of postcard-sized prints? Someplace where they’ll be able to fill up the space properly and where (let’s be honest) I won’t have to look at them ALL of the time (because, while I do love them, I don’t love them enough to hang them over my mantel, ya know?)?

Answer? Why, in the bathroom, of course!

So, having the location settled, I started looking for a some bathrooms that inspired me and could be tweaked for my new Hogwarts theme. This one was my absolute favorite:

Now that I had loads of inspiration, I began piecing together some ideas about colors, accessories, and foundation elements. I pretty quickly put together this little mood board (there’s really only so much you can put in an 8x8 bathroom, so it didn’t take too long).

1. Using the colors found in the postcards, I began searching for an acceptable color palette.

2. Design-Seeds proved it’s worth yet again, coming up with this calming palette of blues, grey-taupes, and corncob yellow.

3. I went to the Behr website and searched around a little bit longer to find this tone (called “Lion”) for the walls and this color,

4. “Pot of Cream,” for the trim. I haven't decided if I want board and batten in there or not. I'm sort of playing with the idea of doing large horizontal stripes on the walls in almost-identical shades of grey for a subtle effect, so we'll just have to see how it all plays out.

5. Our current three-paneled, red-oak medicine cabinet is hideous, so I’m thinking of replacing it with this espresso-stained, window-ledge mirror from Lowes. I think the narrowness of it will make the space look a little larger and will make room for

6. a couple of these aged-bronze vanity lights. The frosted shades will cut the glare in the bathroom and by moving them from on top of the mirror to the sides, I think the lighting will be much more natural (not to mention, flattering—which is always a bonus).

7. And, just to play around, I thought to add this little yellow toothbrush holder in the shape of a bird. I was briefly tempted to go with this owl one but thought that might be going a wee bit overboard with the whole HP theme (and that’s “Potter,” not “Packard,” for the record).

8. Lastly, I think this new theme deserves a new shower curtain. Although our semi-transparent one that we have now, keeps the shower nice and brightly lit, I think something similar to this yellow chevron one will be attractive and nearly as bright ('cause I absolutely hate washing my hair in the dark).

So, what do you think? Do you like the idea of Moody Mondays? What about my plans for the master bathroom? Am I taking it too far? Not far enough? Do you wish I would try to find a Dobby t.p. holder? I probably could, if I tried hard enough…

Product Breakdown:

Inspiration bathroom from Welcome to Heardmont 

Harry Potter Postcard set by Caroline Hadilaksono - $22

Color palette from Design-Seeds

“Lion” and “Pot of Cream” Behr Paint from Home Depot - $32 per gallon

allen + roth Palencia Espresso Bath Mirror from Lowes - $119

Victorian Wall Sconce in Venetian bronze from Home Depot - $89 each

Bird Toothbrush Holder from Urban Outfitters $9

Yellow chevron shower curtain from Maison Boutique - $130

Moody

So, today I decided to try a little bit of a different sort of post. Kind of  an actual-planning-slash-decorating-and-design post.

Hmm. But I’m getting ahead of myself. I guess, I should first start out by explaining that a couple of days ago, I broke down and got a Facebook account. Yes, I can hear all of your shouts of joy (and probably smug I-told-you-so-ness) from all the way up here.  I’ve been swearing for years that I would never have a Facebook, despite everyone’s pleading that “it makes it so easy to keep in touch with people” (to which I always replied, I do keep in touch with the people in my life…all thirteen of them) and “but then you can check out all my pictures!” (my rebuttal? If you want me to see your damn pictures, email them to me) and, last but not least, “it only takes up as much of your time as you want!” (HA! You LIE! Facebook is like digital crack!).

But, here’s the thing: there’s this other website called Pinterest (if you don’t know what it is, check it out immediately and come back—I’ll wait), which I absolutely adore (although it too is rather crack-like, I must admit), and to create an account on Pinterest, you must have a Facebook login. Much. To. My. Despair. I cannot stress that enough. I was devastated when I read that you have to join the ranks of Website-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named in order to create your own beautiful inspiration boards on Pinterest. But I resisted anyway. For about three months now, I’ve played around on Pinterest, creating my own poor-man’s-version of an inspiration board, saving hundreds of design photos and color palettes and inspiring snapshots to a thumb-drive.

And then my thumb-drive got tapped out. Even when I moved half of my pictures to my home laptop, there just wasn’t enough room for it to be functional any longer. And with the creation of this blog, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to show everyone all the cool things I am inspired by? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to just point everyone towards a simple website so they could see what I’m thinking when I say that I want to paint all my window sills black?” 

Answer: it would be very nice. Therefore, in the interest of Pinterest (haha), I got a Facebook account. But let it be known: it exists only for the purpose of my Pinterest account and I will not be posting to it or making friends or putting things on my “wall.” I will. Not. Do. It. I will not be this girl. (Even though she is pretty hilarious)

Anyway! /End rant.

Now that that’s out of the way, back to my original story. I decided to do up a little inspiration board to show y’all (no, Mom, that doesn’t sound right either) the kind of look I want for each of my rooms. So far I have done only the lower living room because, dang, mood boards are way more work than they appear! But here it is anyway, along with my thoughts on the whole shebang and where to find each item if you too decide you are inspired (be warned though, some of these items are stupid expensive and I plan on scouting mine out at sales and, hopefully, at thrift stores).

Drum roll, puleeze…

Ta-Daaaaaaah!

Yes, it is rather brighter and bubblier than I normally go for, but I think that it’s a good look. Not too grown-up, not too childish. Kind of bright and light, which is what that lower living space needs. In short: it’s juuuuuuust right. Now, for the breakdown.

1. Ever since seeing some similar color palettes for weddings, I’ve been really attracted to this combination (you’re thinking about my wedding colors now, aren’t you? See?). There’s something about the green and the blue and the coral that just makes me very, very happy. So, why wouldn’t I try to incorporate it into a space I will spend considerable time in every day?

2. Now, this is one room that I found really inspiring, partially because it uses a variation on my fave color palette and partly because of the versatility of the design. You could easily swap out the pops of orange/coral for another color and give the whole thing a brand new look with minimal effort. This is important to me because I can be very capricious when it comes to decorating. (Just ask my Mom; I switched up the design of my bedroom almost every single year from the time I was small all the way into high school.) Oh, and I also like the layout of this room.

3. A while back, Denny and I went and looked at couches and we came away with some very distinct likes and dislikes. For example, I discovered that couches with pillow-backs (like this one) drive Denny up the wall and he found out that I’m more of a fabric person than a leather person. This one shown here is a good compromise. It’s also a nice neutral color, which allows us to change our minds on color schemes later on down the road (unlike this hot little tangerine number, which although attractive, pretty well sets the color scheme in stone).

4. This chair (we would need two of them) isn’t an exact match in style to the sofa but, with it’s neutral fabric and similarly styled legs, it still fits well. Also, it’s comfy looking and, yet, still structural. Not just a beanbag masquerading as real furniture, you know? I’m particularly attracted to slipper chairs, but I know that I couldn’t live with an armless chair for any real period of time. I mean, what kind of quality of life would it really have? (Did you get my Office reference?)

5. For the area rug (which anchors the arrangement and creates a focal point), I chose this green patterned one from West Elm. It’s actually a pretty good deal (by West Elm standards) and I like it enough that even if I did decide to eliminate green from the palette someday, I know I could relocate it to another area of the house and be just fine.

6. So, lately I’ve been very into clear lamps. They’re functional, but they kind of fade into the background, allowing you to highlight other knick-knacks and objects without making everything too busy and crowded. Bet you didn’t even notice the one in my inspiration pic, did ya? See? Totally cool.

7. A lot of designers think that curtains are a good place to feature a big, bold pattern, but in my case, I think maybe just a nice bold color will do. I like how these ones are boldly colored, but still kind of sheer. They also feature a subtle chevron pattern, which is very in right now. ;)

8. And, last but not least, pillows! I’m looking forward to building a layered and eclectic, but still polished, collection of pillows for this room. These are just some of the ones that inspired me (and I already own the middle, burnet velvet one and the lower left rectangular one, btw).

So, there’s a little look inside my head. What do you think? Can I pull it off? Can I go from this to this?

Inspiration Breakdown:

Pillows from Pier 1 Imports and West Elm - $8-$65

Caney Beige Microfiber Accent Chair from Overstock.com - $173

Tucker Custom Sofa in Chenille Tan from JC Penney - $899

Jonsbo Orod Lamp from Ikea - $50

Dhurrie 8’x10’ Area Rug in Citron from West Elm - $479

Zigzag Beaded Curtain in Teal from Urban Outfitters - $89

Color palette from Design-Seeds.com

Inspiration room source unknown

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