Sunday, June 28, 2015

diy stenciled ikea rug


I'm sure you've forgotten about the Ikea Osted rug I mentioned I was 
planning to stencil two and a half months ago! It was to replace the suzani rug that I'd
 stenciled for our entry a couple years ago. I was feeling guilty for my sporadic posting
 since school got out, and finally got tired of looking at it on our dining room table!
I decided to knock it out over the weekend seeing that we're
 heading out for vacation tomorrow and I'll be taking the rest of the week off. :)
   

 I decided on a classic Greek Key pattern, mixed with the cheetah patterned stencil
 I did on the walls last year gave me the eclectic vibe I love.    


I taped off the border squares and made a super easy stencil for the Greek Key 
pattern inside the squares. 




Supplies:
Ikea Osted Sisal Rug (2' 7" x 4' 7") - $24.99
Black Latex Paint (Satin finish)
Painter's Tape
Stencil Brush 

I didn't unroll the rug for long, but it would help to unroll and let it flatten before 
starting, although I don't think it affected the outcome if you're excited to start.  

It would be a LOT easier to create a stencil that includes the square border 
instead of going to the trouble of taping them off.  
 I'll show you how I did it in case you have nothing better to do on your weekend!

1) Tape rug to create 8 individual squares. I use the width of the tape as a guide for
my measurement (see the small pieces). 


2) Trim tape to create the square border to stencil.


3) I stenciled one coat on all eight squares, then went back over with a second coat.  



4) I used painter's tape to create the Greek Key pattern/size I preferred on top of
a cutting mat. Then placed plastic on top of my pattern and cut out using a sharp 
craft knife.


5) Center your stencil on the square and stencil using a straight up and down pouncing
motion to keep paint from seeping under the edge of the stencil. 

You can see how easy it would be to have created the square border as part of the stencil.


I wanted my spacing in the center between the two Greek Keys wider and used a piece
 of tape over the stencil. That was all I used to keep the stencil secure on the rug as I
 was stenciling. I didn't remove it until from the plastic until the entire rug was finished.



That's it, once you have the stencil cut out it goes quickly. 


 I'll be back in the swing next week!
We're headed to Lake Tahoe, I'll be sharing some of our adventures on Instagram
if you'd like to follow along during the week.




Sunday, June 21, 2015

I Spy a Craigslist Buy (3)


Happy Monday, friends! Hope you had a wonderful weekend, we took in a Greek 
Festival, enjoyed a fun neighborhood get-together on Saturday and celebrated Father's
 Day with a big hearty breakfast at our favorite local cafe, then we sent Detail Boy off to
 camp for the next week, and I miss him already! :(  

Today's Craigslist Buy is all about chairs - I love the statement a simple chair
can make when upholstered in a great unique fabric.
These Craigslist listings are currently available (just click on the link below the heading)
 but there is an abundance here if they aren't quite your style or if you miss out. 

Here are the listings along with inspiration rooms to give you an idea how
you could transform the chairs. 

southshoredecoratingblog.com

6 Antique Chairs - $100 (SE Aurora)


High Back Sitting Chair $19 (Aurora - Centennial) 

designsponge.com

Vintage Sitting Chair - $100 (Castle Pines Village)


classyclutter.com

2 Chair Set $49 Delivery Available (Downtown Denver)


interiorsnut.blogspot.de

Wingback Chair $50 (Littleton)


belgianpearls.blogspot.com

Louis Style Chair $45 (Denver)


happydayout.tumblr.com

Having pieces professionally reupholstered isn't inexpensive but it's worth it to me
 for the one-of-a-kind custom look that can be created. And, of course if the piece
of furniture is a bargain that's justification enough, right? :)

Hope you're inspired to check your local Craigslist!



Thursday, June 18, 2015

thrift score thursday

I'm so excited to be joining some of my favorite thrifting friends today as a guest
 host for Thrift Score Thursday! These girls are power thrifters ~ I never miss checking
 in on their great finds every Thursday. The way it works is each one of us shares
OUR FIND for the week & features YOUR FINDS for the week.  
  Join in the fun by tagging your score #thriftscorethursday on Instagram and you may
find yourself featured!

MY FIND

I've been holding out for today to share this Federal Style Convex Mirror that popped
up on Craigslist for $20! When I got there to pick it up the seller mentioned she was
having a garage sale the next day and her neighbor really wanted it - talk about
 awkward, I gave her my $$ and was outta there!


And, these vintage Weiman side tables with leather tops, we'll be using as nightstands in
 my friend's bedroom makeover.
Mr. Simple was in the area and stopped to pick them up for me, on his way home he called
 to say they were a little rough. Rough??? Like how rough? I was picturing cheap, wobbly,
 damaged. Well, they're gorgeous with some scratches on the top we can easily deal with.
I love the cute little casters and that grain ~ $50 each!  




Be sure to check out the amazing finds and features from
Brynne, Cassie and Corinna - Trisha will be back next week. 





MY FEATURES:

Some of Jen's vintage finds don't make it to her shop, like this fab rattan ottoman!  
Instagram  at1stsightbk

I love the detail on this rattan plant stand Courtney scored $3.99! What???
Instagram chameleonathome

BBKingery found the perfect chair for her living room and fur baby!
Instagram bbkingery

And how cute is this brass fox that Amber added to her collection!  
Instagram ajbyce

Happy thrifting, friends and thank you so much for having me ladies!

If you'd like to follow more thrifting fun check out my Instagram feed. 




Sunday, June 14, 2015

create overflowing window boxes and planters inexpensively


I love the personality and charm beautifully potted flowers and window boxes add to
 our home in the summer. BUT, I hate spending a chunk of money on flowers that aren't
 mature - you know the look - a sparse planter filled with short annuals. After dishing out
 for a cart full of plants I want pretty overflowing planters and window boxes today. :) 
 I'm also not a fan of paying big $ for pots that someone else has put together, they
 usually aren't my favorite color or style. 

My trick is to divide mature plants... 

Last summer with Ferns, Impatients, Sweet Potato Vine

Here is my collection of plants that will have three large 3' window boxes
overflowing at the beginning of summer for about $60. 

2 Large - Kimberly Ferns @ $13.00 ea. = $26.00 
2 Large Hanging Baskets @ $13.00 ea. = $26.00
6 pack of Sweet Potato Vine @ $10.00 ea.

I purchased the ferns and hanging baskets at Walmart and the vine at a local garden
center. (O'Tooles)  


 After removing the fern from the plastic pot use a serrated kitchen knife and divide them
 into thirds, just cut straight through the roots. They'll be just fine, trust me!    

 

I put two 1/3 sections side by side in the center of my window boxes.


For the hanging baskets of flowers I'm more careful to divide them without disturbing 
the roots. Looking down from the top separate the plants into fairly equal 1/3 sections
using the serrated knife.   

 

Plant 1/3 on each end of the window boxes. 


Each window box gets two sweet potato vines, planted between the fern and flowers.
I lay mine on its side with the base of the plant as close to the front of the window box as
 possible - it's my quirky idea that it gives it a little head start flowing over the side. 


Unfortunately, we had 6" of snow on Mother's Day and crummy weather right through
Memorial weekend so my plants got a super late start.
 I usually plant the beginning of May and by Memorial Day things are looking good.   

 May 26th - Planted


 June 14th - 19 days later
Anyone that's planted Sweet Potato Vine knows it will be no time and they'll need 
trimmed to keep them in check.


Sorry, I just noticed I took a photo of a different window box, they're all basically the same
except if you look back the hanging baskets were a tad different.   


That's it - I've done it for years with great luck.
 Do you have any tricks or tips for creating great looking planters?



Friday, June 12, 2015

our summer home tour ~ 2015


Welcome and thanks so much for stopping by!
I'm thrilled to be part of the 2015 Summer Home Tour hosted by 
Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life ~ a BIG thank you to Marty for all her work organizing
 30 bloggers to share our homes all week!
If you're stopping by from Jennifer's @ Dimples and Tangles thank you, she has a way
with color and always creates the most cheerful, vibrant home! 

If you're new here I live in Denver with Mr. Simple, our son and fur babies in a
 little cottage built in 1938. One of my favorite things about our large lot and the gardens
 are the abundance of flowers always in bloom, I love bringing them inside for summer!   


Our front flagstone patio is a favorite spot for taking a quick break, 
we like to chill and entertain on our back deck.  



First up, our living room ~ if you're a regular around here you know I love the challenge
 of mixing Craigslist and thrifting finds into our decor to create a collected style.
Pillows are hands down my favorite accessory for changing up our home, I chose
 this fun combination to coordinate with a recent score!    


These vintage wingback chairs were a steal and a bit of a diversion
from my usual neutral background, but they fit perfectly in our bay window,
so I went for it hoping I'd be able to come up with a way to coordinate the 
rest of our rooms with the coral and green. I had no idea how much I'd love the
fresh bright look for summer! 




I use all of our plants ~ hosta leaves, branches from trees and shrubs, anything!


This oversized mirror was another fun find!


 I recently decided to change up our dining room, and started by giving my hutch,
formerly Annie Sloan Gray Linen, a new look in high gloss white and changed out 
the hardware. Check it out here, I bet you won't recognize it. :) 
(Rustoleum Protective Enamel is my go to paint for high gloss - more details to come about the update.)   


For summer I reupholstered my chair seats for in a fun bright to compliment the
 living room. I'm still tweaking the dining room, I'm not 100% sure of  the ginger jars,
I may have gone overboard, and the mirror was one I moved from another room,
and the jury is still out. :)




Our floor plan is very open and although I don't like matchy, I do like the rooms to flow,
 new summer pillows bringing in coral and green were a simple refresh for our family
 room. Never underestimate the bargain solids at Ikea, and of course, Homegoods!


To give our bookcases a lighter look I turned all the books around - super easy!
I brought out a collection of white vases for the vignette on our coffee table.  


I had some leftover watercolors I made for my nephew's wedding last summer
and framed one to add interest to our bookcase.  


 On to the kitchen ~ the chalkboard got our traditional Summer Bucket List,
and surprise, more flowers! Columbines are our state flower.



I put together a new vignette for the counter using more white pottery and a hob nail
 vase. I love bringing herbs in to display in the kitchen.  


We're still loving our painted tile, cabinets, chandeliers, DIY hood, and formica island (gasp!).
 You can see our complete kitchen update here.  


Thanks so much for stopping by our tour, I hope you have the BEST summer!! 
If you'd like to keep up with the never ending projects around our little cottage you can
follow along on: 

Next up on the tour is Kim from Tidbits and Twine, I can't wait to see her
gorgeous home decked out for summer! 

    


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