Princess Chair Revamp

I purchased my appropriately named "Princess Chair", aka vanity stool, about 6 years ago from Goodwill. (Why is it called the Princess Chair? Because it's girly and little, and my kitty Muffin likes to sleep underneath it like a little princess). I'm pretty sure it cost $8. I had all the best intentions of updating it eventually, but it got put to the side many many times.  This weekend I finally gave it the attention any nobly named stool deserves.

It started out as this 50-60's era vanity stool. Very gold and glamorous...and dated.

So I gave it the old spray paint and new fabric treatment.

It ended up taking about three coats of spray paint. There were more swirly twirly parts than I anticipated, and the windy conditions also did not help much. I chose a hammered metal spray paint by Rustoleum, in a gray tone. 

Next I recovered the seat in a fun geometric fabric. The blue-gray combo is always a favorite of mine.

I cut the fabric to size, then stapled all the corners first. I pulled the excess fabric into as nice of a pleat as I could, and gave it a few more staples. Square things are much more easy to recover, but luckily the print of the fabric made for a forgiving end result.

Next I reassembled the twisty party, (I didn't mention it twists, that's what makes it soooo fancy), once the base had dried. I decided against the back rest part, it was just too much with the new fabric and now I can use it as a foot stool and a bench. 

I used my MacGyver like thinking and stuck four toothpicks in the fabric so I knew where the screws needed to go. Don't say 80's TV stars never helped the youth of America.

So the end result is pretty awesome, it definitely meshes better with my existing bedroom furniture now. 

Next up is painting our master bedroom! If I can commit to a paint color of course.

Edible Artwork

Well, suffice it to say, my favorite way to redecorate on the cheap is replacing artwork and switching frames around. The kitchen art had been bugging me for awhile, the big dark frame I had just didn't jive with the light and airy feel of the room. Sooo, I switched it out for two smaller frames, with artwork I took from a calendar and my pile of Real Simple magazines I have collected.

The bottom right is from my Martha Stewart cupcake calendar, (yesss, my calendar is dedicated entirely to cupcakes, but it's in the kitchen so it makes sense). It's the photo from February so I won't miss it. The others are all pages from Real Simple magazine. The top right is a cool photo of oil, and the ones on the left are bottles and jarred foods. 

The trick I've found to hanging photos in frames that are not the same size is to match the outside corners in the shape of a larger square, so it looks deliberate rather than thrown together. You could also match the inside corners in a square, which I considered but it meant rehanging the other two. 

This new artwork makes a lot more sense than the groupings I had before. First we had the obligatory "Keep Calm" poster, when the kitchen was that yucky sage color.

Then I painted the kitchen, and switched up the art again.

But, alas, it was again time for a change. It was definitely the darker frame that I disliked the most, it just didn't fit with the space. I knew I was a white or silver frame type. You live, and you redecorate. Story of my life. It is fun to look at the progression of the room over the years though.

Now to get (or make?) new curtains for this room, when I magically learn how to sew (or pawn the project off on my sweet sew-crazy Mother).

Black, White and Babies all over

Having a newborn around definitely limits the amount of DIY projects I am able to do, but I managed to squeeze one in while the little one slept (and it's even baby related!). I had been wanting to update the photos I have in my two frames on the stairwell, and used the plethora of new baby photos I have to do so.

I went from this more colorful (and baby-less) version of the duo...

to a more sleek and simplistic black and white version of the pair.

I love how black and white photos instantly look like a harmonious grouping together. Here's a shot from the living room.

I'll probably switch out those vases for something more colorful, since there is a glaringly obvious lack of color on these ledges now. Right now I'm liking the monochromatic look, so sophisticated! 

DIY Fabric Message Board

Pregnancy has been wonderful, but waiting this last week to meet my little man has been making me a little stir-crazy. In order to preserve my sanity, I've decided to use the last of my free time to tackle some DIY projects I have been putting off for months.

First on the list was this simple to make, DIY fabric message board. It's really just a fancy cork board, covered in fabric and framed to make it look more finished.

It fits perfectly under the clock we have in our kitchen, a space that used to be completely blank...(and yes, that is a list of things I want to clean before baby comes right next to the phone number for labor and delivery, things all pregnant ladies put on their memo boards of course, hehe)

All I did was find a super cheap cork board at Goodwill for $2.99, and cut it to fit into an existing white frame I had around the house. I wrapped the cork board in fabric tightly, and secured it in the frame. Easy peasy! Not sure why it took me so long to make it, another one of my well-intentioned projects that have been postponed because I want to do so much!

Next on the list, making a Valentine's day wreath for my front door! Maybe if I keep really busy baby will come on-time just to interrupt my crafting spree...

Nursery Updates

The nursery is just about finished now, which makes this whole pregnancy seem a lot more real! Here is what the room is looking like now.

We purchased the Ikea Expedit bookcase for the side table by the glider, it gives us great storage for toys and random things like that, and room for extra books on the top shelves.

We also added some artwork above the crib, the alphabet print I found on Etsy, and the circles one I made from colored card stock paper circles I made with a giant whole punch.

I initially was going to make a mobile out of the card stock circles, but when I found a white paper lantern at Goodwill for 99 cents, I made this beauty instead!

I had seen something similar on Etsy before, and it was soooo easy to make. I just glued the circles on to the lantern with Elmer's glue, staggering the colors as best I could. I love how it turned out! 

So things are really coming together now! I am waiting for my dear Mommy to make me the bunting to hang above his crib, since I am too scared to put anything heaving directly over the crib. I also ordered this cute little letters in baby's initials, to hang above the dresser, and this cute orange clock to put above his door. Accessories are the best part!

Baby Boy Nursery

I've been working on my little man's nursery for awhile now, here are some of the progress pictures!

Here's Toby the guard dog, preparing to guard his new brother. See that glider? I scored it for $30 at Goodwill! Those are normally $200-300, sweeeetness. 

I am in love with the light fixture in the room too, Ikea never fails me. It's woven bamboo, so it adds this cool texture to the room and lets of pretty filtered light.

The Ikea dresser I have been drooling over for years, finally have a legitimate reason to own it! Gonna put the changing pad right on top of the dresser.

Darling art prints I found on Etsy, which match perfectly with the color scheme. And that lamp base? $5 at a thrift store. I think it is probably pottery barn kids or something. 

Naked wall behind the crib, still need to figure out what to put there...

Ikea bookshelves with thrift store books! Seriously, books are expensive! I wait until I find them for $2 at my local thrift stores, no way I am paying $10-20 a piece for them. I also have some "little golden books" from when my Mother and Aunts were little, a cute vintage touch!

The curtains are from Urban Outfitters, I loooove the color pallet on them. They are sheers too, so with the blinds on the window there is still a nice amount of light. I don't want him to think it needs to be pitch black to sleep...

Here's what I still need to figure out:

1. Artwork for above his crib. I'm paranoid of anything falling on him, so I might do a mobile from the ceiling, or pom pom tissue balls...

2. Toy storage. There's a large closet along one wall, but no toy storage in the room itself right now. Maybe once he's older and the glider is removed there will be space for a toy chest.

3. Bedding for crib. I don't plan on using a bumper, so just cute fitted sheets and a bed skirt really. 

4. New side table with better storage for next to the glider. I think I am going to get an Ikea expedit low bookcase and use little wicker storage baskets, since the space doesn't really allow for much more.

5. This darling Gnome nightlight from Land of Nod. Really I just want it for myself, but it DOES serve a purpose...

Planning an Ikea trip this weekend, so I should have another progress update soon!

DIY Letterhead Art

I can't take credit for this awesome idea, I found my inspiration from one of my favorite blogs Young House Love. I am all about DIY art, and this is a great idea for something more personal.

When I saw the YHL version I figured it would be as easy as typing something up in word and cropping it accordingly, but I was way off. They actually searched for a newspaper article that began with the right letter for them, which is honestly the hardest part of this whole project. After looking through a hefty stack of Real Simple magazines with the BF's help, I found our letter (literally in the last magazine I searched through, go figure).

So I scanned my little article clipping to my computer (we have a fancy printer scanner combo thingy) and then selected the portion I wanted to print. I left more text in because I like this look better, and it mentions "Sunday feasts" and I thought that was darling. I printed it out on high gloss photo paper and replaced the art I had in the middle of my gallery wall, and ta da!

Super easy and super cute! My kind of DIY project :)