Potential and Possibilities # 2

Here are my finds for this week!

This chair was $50.  I think that is a great bargain for a chair with these great lines.  The upholstery is faded and dated but here are some ideas for what it could be...

Another great chair with matching ottoman for $45.00.

I love what a difference upholstery makes!

This marble topped end table is $15.



This could look really fresh all in white.



Or with a bright base it could add a great pop to any room.



I thought this desk was a great price at $25.00.



I think the original wood is beautiful but color can be fabulous too.

 

or distressed...very shabby chic.




I hope these give you some ideas and inspire you to take a second look and see the potential.


Have a great weekend!

Just a quick one...

Today I had a date "day" with my husband.  While we still enjoy a date "night" out when we get a chance, these days it seems easier to sometimes plan it during daylight hours.  Messing with Pyper's sleep schedule makes a not fun next day for anyone.

Today we did a little shopping, had lunch, and went to a movie.  Green Hornet, Callum's pick.  What is it with guys and 3-D action films?  Don't tell him but I actually don't mind most of his choices.

I did find a little time to work on a few party projects this evening.  I thought my cake stands needed a little something extra so I decided to add a pennant banner to the bottom.  I have seem them used a lot lately.  I think they add a nice festive touch to my table.

I also finished the invitations and they are ready to be dropped in the mail.

Hope everyone had a great Wednesday!

One last thing, I snagged some chairs off Craigslist desperate for a makeover.  Probably won't get to them before our vacation but this time I plan on doing a tutorial with lots of pictures so stay tuned for that!

Putting the cart before the horse

Today I was out picking up some things for our trip at one of my favorite stores, Target (love, love, love!)  I was supposed to be shopping for sunscreen, some summer weight pjs for the baby, and some toys for the plane but I had to browse through the clearance items.  I mean, I was already there and everything.    While browsing I came across the cutest wall vinyl.  It was a set of four of the most fantastic and stylish chairs.  Love at first sight!

 I have a thing for chairs.  All home décor gets me excited but there is something about chairs that I just can’t get enough.  My husband has even told me no more chairs in unless I am willing to let some go.  It breaks my heart a bit but my main living space is starting to look a little like a hotel lobby.  The best thing about my find was they were marked down to three dollars and change, my kind of price! 

Now here is the thing.  I have nowhere in my house for these chairs to live.  I am debating incorporating them into some kind of gallery wall up my stairwell but I am a little worried it will look Alice in Wonderland like.  My ideal use for them would be in my workshop.  The only problem is I don’t have a workshop.  Currently I do my projects anywhere I can find the space.  My dream is to someday have a dedicated space just for all my creative endeavors.  It would need to be a shop or garage because many of my projects are not indoors appropriate, i.e. lots of spray paint.   I imagine a space with lots of storage for all my supplies and large inspiration boards to keep all my ideas.  I would want it to be colorful and inspiring, hence the great chair art.  Currently we are looking into moving into a larger home, to accommodate a larger family, and my workshop is definitely on the must have list. 

I love the Martha craft storage collection for Home Decorators!

This is not the first time I have purchased something for a space that didn’t exist yet.  I had furnished almost my entire first apartment before I even moved out on my own (storage units are great).  Same goes for most of Pyper’s nursery.  We were living in the city when we found out we were pregnant and we decided to move into the suburbs to be closer to family.  I purchased almost all of the baby’s room décor before I ever saw the space.

 I do this in part because I love a good bargain, I can’t walk away from a great deal.   But I think it is more than that.  Knowing I have the items motivates me to make my dreams happen.  Like buying a fabulous dress that’s just a little too tight when you’re trying to lose weight.  They say you should never put the cart before the horse but maybe sometimes it is the extra push you need.  At least for me, having something physical to hold on to takes my dreams from surreal to reality. 

Am I the only one guilty of this?  Any of you ever found the perfect accessory for your new home office even though the space is still masquerading as a spare bedroom?  Or bought a piece of furniture for a home addition that is still just a blueprint?  Has anyone else ever bought or made something for a space that didn’t exist anywhere but in your imagination?  

More Party Prep

I love the look of cupcake toppers.  They seem to be all over party and entertaining blogs.  I have made them before for a baby shower I hosted for a friend.




For Pyper's party though I will not be making cupcakes because I want to have a cake for the guests and a "smash" cake for Pyper.  I decided this time to make extra long versions and use them for fruit skewers.
The theme of my food is going to be "Pyper's Picnic" to go along with the fairy garden party.  I chose to make  three versions, the fairy from her invitations, the number one, and her name.  They are really easy to make.  I design them in inkscape (a free program similar to illustrator), print, cut with craft punch, and glue.  So simple.

  I used all paper and supplies I already had so this was a really inexpensive way to add some fun to my table.  I am going to display the skewers in a fun way that goes along with my garden theme but that is still in production so you will have to wait for the reveal.

I love how they turned out.  I might be  a little obsessed with them actually.  Is it weird to have some version of them at every child related party I throw?  Or can you have too much of a good thing?

IKEA chair makeover

A few weeks ago while picking up a few supplies from IKEA I saw this little chair.  It is the child's version of their Pello chair.

I had been looking for a little chair for Pyper to have in the living room.  I liked that this chair had clean lines and a much smaller footprint than a lot of the other chairs I have seen.  I like the Pottery Barn Anywhere chair but I knew it took up a lot more space than what I had envisioned.  Plus the IKEA chair was $29.95, much easier on the wallet.  I picked it up but knew it was going to need a little personalizing.

Pyper giving it a try before the makeover.

I used only remnant fabrics and supplies I already had so this project cost me no additional dollars.  I started by priming and painting the legs.  I chose a dark brown that matched our room better than the previous blonde wood.

I decided to recover the chair in a blue fabric to match my couch.  I started by sewing some cording. Then I attached it to the top piece of my chair cover.  Because of the placement of the side pieces I couldn't make a true slipcover for it.  I had to permanently attach it.  I used my machine to sew the top 1/3 of the chair cover together.  Then I hand sewed the rest. 

 I could have taken the chair apart so I could slip it on easier but that sounded like more work.  Plus I did the sewing while watching the Nate Show so I really didn't mind my excuse to sit down while my husband entertained the baby.

I made a little lumbar pillow to add some color to the chair.  

I thought the chair was still looking a little lacking so I decided to make a flower pin to girl it up a bit.  

I used some felt and cut different size circles.  Then I just hot glued then in a layering pattern until I got the size I liked.  For the top I simply pinched the circles when I was gluing them to add a little dimension.  I finished it off with a little sparkle in the center.

I love how it turned out.  It gives her a little spot to sit but still blends in well with the decor of the room.  I think it looks cute and custom for $30 and an afternoon.  

Linking to a few parties!

DIY cake plate

Whenever I throw a party the "tablescape" is one of my favorite parts of the planning process.  The food is always one of the focal points of a good get together so I like that area to be really eye catching.  It is important to have a color theme and displaying items at different levels makes the table more interesting.  I decided for Pyper's upcoming birthday I would make a few coordinating display pieces.

 I started my search at the Goodwill.  I needed a couple glass candle holders and some clear glass plates.  These items seem to be always available at thrift stores.  Luckily today was 50% off so my $1.99 candlesticks were only $1 and my plates marked $.99 cost me a whopping $.50!

 

 I chose to line the underside of my plates with the same wrapping paper I used to line the invitation envelopes.  I simply traced the center of my plate onto my paper and cut it out.

 Then I used Modge Podge to attach the paper to my plate.

 I considered lining the underside but realized the only way you would ever see the bottom would be if you were crawling on my floor.  And since the only person doing that will be Pyper I decided to skip that step because I knew she wouldn't judge me.  I then went over the paper with a sealant.  To attach the pedestal  I used Gorilla Glue.

 After they were dry I had two cake plates and one serving plate.  The best part was since I used mostly supplies I already had my total cost for all three pieces was $3.50!  A really simple, quick, and inexpensive way to add some dimension and color to your party.