Summer Rental Redesign: Curtains

I bought the curtain fabric back home at Home Fabrics.  It was my inspiration for the whole room! Instead of sewing the curtains, I used Stitch Witchery and ironed the curtain seams.  Much simpler!  They weren't quite long enough so I sewed on some additional fabric and hot glued a piece of trim along the seam.  

The curtains are really more for show than anything.  They frame the sliding glass door.  I didn't want to buy a curtain rod since one of that size would be expensive.  Instead I picked up some sticky velcro squares and stuck one onto the existing blinds track and the other on the back of the curtains.  Not something I would normally do, but it saved me money and made more sense than buying a huge curtain rod I wouldn't use again!

{Don't mind the poor quality photos...I tried to snap some right before flying out to PA and was apparently in too much of a hurry to check to make sure they turned out...The focus isn't even on the velcro square, which is what I was attempting to show!}


Adam is such a good husband and is working on our TV stand while I'm gone.  He should be done by the time we get back and the room will pretty much be complete!

Summer Rental Redesign: Coffee Table Before/After

When we bought the coffee table and end tables, I really didn't like them.  I bought them out of desperation.  I wasn't finding anything that would work within my budget.  I was worried if I passed up this set for $30 I would spend the rest of the summer searching.  Here is a before shot:

Can I just say I LOVE them now?  We used a couple of cans of Rust Oleum's Navajo White and now they look brand new.  Maybe even a little Pottery Barn-esque.  Here is the after:

And here's a little sneak peek of some more of the room.  As you can see, I still don't have pictures in the frames just yet, but the room is closer to being done!

I bought the blue decorative paper from Joann's on sale for $1 each and the vases were also $1.   I made the plain blue pillow cover for the existing couch cushion and the Liberty of London pillow was $9 clearance at Target.  I plan on taking it home with me at the end of the summer!

This and That

Just a few things I'm liking these days.

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How amazing are these notebooks?  From the choice of color to the hilarious titles, I am in love!

 

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 This room is so well done, I can't get over it.  The colors are lovely together.  It's so perfectly balanced.

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I have been wanting this jewelry holder and now it's on sale.  I really want it for Rilo's room, though she doesn't have any need for it since she doesn't have jewelry.

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I realized when Adam and I went out to dinner a few weekends ago sans baby, that I only brought out my diaper bag.  I forgot a normal purse!  Aldo has some nice neutral ones on sale for under $30.

And in Rental Redesign news, I finished up the curtains for the living room and the headboard.  Just a few details left until the rooms are done!  I'll post some pictures the next few days of the rooms coming together.

West Elm: The Store

I visit West Elm's website at least once a week and browse their catalog every time it comes in the mail, but I had never been into a store until yesterday.  It was nice to check out everything I like online  in person.  And I loved looking at all of their displays and setups.  Here are the things I really liked:

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I think I've thought about getting this rug about once a month.  I really liked it in person.  The yellow version is also right up my alley.

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Besides using these as serving trays, I think they would also be great in an office setting for paper storage.

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I was in love with these frames...It took everything I had to leave without them.  The linen mattes are so perfect.  I'm already thinking of ways I could DIY these.

Surprise Shower

Sami, one of the wives out here with us, is due with her first baby in a few weeks!  We decided to throw her a surprise baby shower.   I made up some invites (even though we all live in the same complex and see each other everyday).

I loved a recent photoshoot that Jessica Peterson did with Katie B.  She hung circles on string and I thought that would be a great idea for a baby shower decoration.  Here is the table with everything set up.

We had lots of yummy food, Chicago Root Beer and water bottles with Baby Porenta labels.

We were going to fill out these little "Wishes for Baby" sheets, but my printer decided to crash when printing them out.  They were inspired from here.

I was trying to hold a crying baby and take photos, which doesn't exactly work out too well.  Here is the Mom-to-be right after she walked in.  She was definitely surprised!

And some of the other wives, who are going to love me for these photos!

Summer Rental Redesign: Chair Before and After

 These are the chairs I picked up at a yard sale last week for $7.  They weren't really a necessary item that I needed for the room, but I loved their look.  We hope to take them home with us!  So far they have only been recovered, but I plan on picking up some tung oil to make the wood look like new.

In their before state, these chairs were sporting the leopard look.  One had a pink leopard print cover and the other had this green color pictured below.

I really shouldn't be posting this, because it is a terrible picture!  In their after state, they have a nice green/gold silk fabric.

I'll have to take nicer pictures of them, where they are not backlit, when the room is almost together.  I plan to have the room about 80% by the end of the week!

Circus Room

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Spotted this circus themed room on OhDeeDoh and loooooved it.  It's not often that I like themed rooms, but this room is done so well.  It was done by designer Kate Dixon for the 41st Symphony Show House.  The ferris wheel is for toy storage and it actually works!  More pictures and details here and here.

I will be wrapping up a few of my Rental Redesign projects, as well as some sewing projects.  Hope to share them next week!  Happy weekend!

Frames

I've picked up almost 9 frames for under $20 out here.  I've been trying to decide what to do with them, so I turned to Martha for some inspiration.

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Wow, I love the look of these frames.  I can't believe all it took was a little craft glue and some dry beans.

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I've always wanted to do an artless frame collection.

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I picked up some silver decorative paper at Tuesday Morning for $1.00.   I could use it to create mats for our bedroom.  So many great ideas.

Headboard Inspiration + A Dress

I've been brainstorming ideas for a makeshift headboard and I came across this lovely image.

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This would be so easy and cheap.  I could use Jenny's pelmet board tutorial (which uses foam board, duct tape and some batting) to make the top part and then just choose a pretty fabric to hang.

Also check out Charlotte's awesome T-Shirt Dress.  I love the frilly shirt and I love that she made a tie at the waist.  I made a little sash for mine, but was in a rush and forgot to attach it...The two pieces are just sitting at my craft desk at home.

 Has anyone else attempted a T-Shirt dress?  I would love to see them!

Summer Rental Redesign

Every summer we move into an apartment with little more than blank walls, rental furniture and the few items we bring along.  We spend 4 months in a place that never feels quite like home.  In an effort to a) make this place a little more homey b) give me something to do and c) allow me to get creative and decorate again, I am going to be doing a $200 summer rental redesign challenge.

Here's my plan:  I am going to take $200 and do as much as I can to this apartment.  I'll be refinishing furniture, sewing and DIY-ing lots of little projects and blogging the projects these next few months.  Then at the end of the summer, I plan to sell the things I have bought back for at least what I paid for them originally (and hopefully for more than I paid).  I'll be hitting lots of thrift stores, Craigslist (though apparently people in Chicago think their junk is worth a lot.  I can't seem to find anything on there for under $50!) and yard sales.

I'll be focusing mainly on the living room and the bedroom since that is where we spend the most time, but I hope to do a little something to the dining area and the guest room.  This really will be a challenge since we have less rental furniture than usual.  I'll need to get several major items.

• End tables for the living room (we have one but I don't like it)
• Nightstands for the bedroom
• Lamps for the living room and the bedroom (we have a lamp in the living room, but again, I don't like it)
• Headboard
• Desk

The rest of the money will go to wall art, fabric, decorations, accessories, etc.

I am so excited to start on this project!  I have been dying to redecorate my house, but since we just finally finished all of the rooms and since we won't be there too much longer, it just wouldn't make much sense.  So here's my chance to play with different color schemes, patterns, etc.

I am off to a bit of a head start.  I went to Home Fabrics back home since they were having an amazing sale.  Select home decorator fabrics were $3 a yard, but on the day I went they were a dollar off.  So I ended up picking several different fabrics for $2 a yard.  Home decorator fabrics for $2!!!  Here is a sneak peek of the living room fabrics (and of the boring rental couch).

And here are the living room lamps I picked up at a yard sale for $10 a piece.  A little pricey for my budget, so I'll have to be careful with the rest of the money though.  I'll be spray painting these since they're in pretty rough condition!

Want to play along?  Set yourself a budget and makeover a room in your own house!  You could give it a fresh summer look without making any major changes.  I would love to see what someone else does with a minimal budget and lots of creativity! 

Can't wait to get started!

Chevron

I know the Chevron pattern is a total trend, but I love it so much.  It just adds something to a room. 

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Today we're headed to the zoo!  Then I hope to get as many projects done as I can this weekend.  I'm getting things together to start my summer long project.  More details on Monday!

Nursery Additions and Chicago

Adam's job sends us to a different city each summer.  This year we are headed to Chicago!  In years past we have been to St. Louis (where our car was stolen) and Miami (where it was way too hot/humid to enjoy life).  I have never been to Chicago (besides the 5000 times I've had a layover there) but I have heard great things about the city.  Any recommendations for things to do, see and eat!?  I would love to hear them!

Knowing that we are leaving somehow gave me a push to finish up a couple of projects in Rilo's room.  We hung letters spelling her name above the closet.  The letters were on sale at Urban Outfitters and then we spray painted them white.

Next, I hung a shadowbox I got at Michael's for $4.  The original plan was to order a little wooden clock, but it was out of stock for a few weeks and then I never got around to ordering it.  The dead space was killing me, so I hung up the shadowbox and put in little vintage salt and pepper shakers.  It will do for now!

On Monday I should be ready to tell you about a summer long project I am going to be doing.  It's going to be fun for me, and hopefully fun for you to read about!  Wish me luck as I fly with Rilo to Chicago today!

Houe Tour: Office

*Sorry about all of the technical difficulties this morning!  First all of my photos disappeared on my blog and then this scheduled post never posted!  I think I've fixed it all now!*

It wasn't that long ago that I posted the Before/Afters of our office makeover, but in case you missed it, here are the pictures again!  I probably should've re-shot these images since I've downsized the amount of books in the shelf and rearranged (talk about way too cluttered in the photo) and have changed out the seasonal paper in the clock since it's not Thanksgiving anymore.  Oh well...

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below!

Dream Kitchens

At the end of the summer, we are planning on renovating our kitchen.  I can hardly wait!

Here are some of my dream kitchens:

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JCaroline Home

I used to go to JCaroline Creative to check out their fabric online.  They just recently stopped carrying fabric and now carry supplies like ribbon, hair clips, etc.  They also have a new store, JCaroline Home.  They are selling ottomans, pillows and chair covers for popular Ikea chairs.  I love that they have covers for the Tullsta! I have that chair in the corner of the office and I always feel like it's so boring in plain black.  I have NO knowledge on how to recover things besides a simple chair cushion so I've looked into buying a cover online before,with little options...until now!  You can choose from plain colors or various designer fabrics.  Here's one of the covers (thought not one I would choose):

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I think I would go with something a little more subtle, like this option.

And speaking of fabric, I just went to a fabric store yesterday that carried designer fabrics like the ones I recently posted about.  I was in heaven!  I have been waiting to find a store nearby that had them.  I purchased lots of fun fabrics and can't wait to get started on some sewing stuff!  I have lots of projects on my To Do list...I just hope I can get a few done over the weekend.  Have a good one!