Sunday, February 27, 2011

Office Reveal!

(Yes, I love to use my ellipses...) 




One wall is completely painted in chalkboard paint. I started with one quart and ended up needing 1 and a half cans. I did two coats and let it 'cure' for 3 days. My vision for this wall was to be a 'blank' canvas to be able to sketch ideas, notes, and even drawings on. I know the chalk board thing is probably on it's way out, but I didn't do it to be "trendy", I did it to be practical! {the inspiration behind this 'crazy' idea: Isabella & Max Rooms I am obsessed with her blog!}


I used my Purdy brush... P.S. Did you know they make "female friendly" brush handles?? I loved it. It was so easy to paint and get the edges. I didn't tape off my ceilings -saved me so much time! 

ALL the frames were primed and painted with my handy dandy Krylon primer then finished with the glossy white coat. Love the nozzle because I don't get that cramped index-finger-about-to-fall-off feeling!


My original plan was to use black paint and put the frames on the striped wall... but you'll see why i didn't.




A wall of frames on the chalkboard wall, with random things that mean something to me.


I had so many stamps just tossed in a container- 'out of sight, out of mind' is so true. I was starting to get multiples because I'd go to Hobby Lobby and forget I already had it! I got this narrow shelf at a thrift store for $3 and painted it grey for all my stamps! Love it! Love that I can see it all in front of me and it even adds a colorful touch.


 I bought that cabinet from a thrift store for $10 (steep for second hand haha) but it was practically brand new! I bought it for my uber tiny bathroom that has NO shelves or storage space, but alas, the bathroom was even too small for this bulky thing! It sat in my goodwill pile for months. I randomly decided to put it on a bare wall and utilize it as a craft cabinet...


Inside it contains my embosser heat-thingy (haha) and a BUNCH of unopened pens/markers, glue sticks, glue rollers, and of course my favorite little bird stickers that I loved so much I bought 6 rolls... (gave the pink and one white to my sister). i'm sick. nothing new about that. I loved the little dowel on the bottom allowing me to put 2 rolls (or ribbon in the future). 


On top is my little box for my stampy-thingamabobbers.


 So, that's my sewing/crafting side...The only thing missing is a Silhouette. Fingers crossed I win one haha because my budget will NOT allow for one! The chair is the one I redid in this post. The sewing machine is from this post :)
and that's my studying/researching blogging side... I love how the room is so me! (studious yet crafty... law student yet blogger... hahaha)


I thought the wall looked too cluttered at first, but the more I took things away the more I realized I was taking the personality and "flair" away from the creative side! I loved it just the way it was. Side note: Ordy is NOT a fan of the frames. He said I defeat the whole purpose of the chalkboard wall since free space is limited... but my vision was to have cute things IN the frames!


This is Bandit. He's the blog bouncer. He goes through all the mean comments people might be crazy (bored) enough to leave. He is not amused. and he dares them to come over and say it to his momma's face with him around hahaha. Sometimes he is the one tweeting from @ordyandjoon. He's a funny pup. I should probably start paying him for all his diligent work.


I was inspired by Mandi to take on these horizontal stripes. I swear, she is like my sister from another mister... ok, just kidding. but really, I LOVE her blog. You will be all sorts of inspired! Back to the paint. I didn't want a flat gray, so I got risky and bought SILVER. This thing REALLY is SILVER! It has this metallic sheen to it, almost reflective! It's Ralph Lauren's Silver Plated- and unfortunately, my diva idol (Martha Stuart) refused to sell her product line against Ralph Lauren's so ALL Home Depot's are discontinuing the line (go fast before they're out!) What was originally $19.99 a quart was $10 for me. I needed 3 so for $30 the whole room was done in this awesome color!


I'm obsessed with apothecary jars and would have one in every corner if Ordy wouldn't call A&E Hoarders on me... It took a lot of motivation to limit this corner to 3. I had to think long and hard about what I'd keep in them- I didn't want "cute" i wanted PRACTICAL... so... I have my sticker letters in one, my stamp pads/embossing powders in another, and of course as you can tell- my glue sticks! Love it!

Meet Lucille, otherwise known as Lucy. She was found in an antique mall in an awful golden state. I stayed up 3 nights, missed 4 class readings, and devoted 45 playlists to finish her. I couldn't find a Krylon color to match the "coral" look I was going for (all too orange), so I had this "tropical coral" mixed up and bought a quart. Yes, I PAINTED it. It wasn't too bad since I had my Purdy brush. (invest in a good brush people!--- not endorsed, just experienced haha) She stands out from her siblings Stanley, and Stella. But I still love her.


On the left side of the printer is a scale I got for $3 with my last initial on it ($5) and my favorite frame with a picture of my dad and I.


Stanley was here first, and he was so AWKWARD... tall and skinny- it just didn't look right. Luckily, I remember the sick hoarder I am just HAPPENED to have Lucy under my bed since last October when we went to the cabin and found the antique store... For "some day"... I'm glad that day came :) It was nice to go shopping in my house haha


Ok, these "curtains"... about that... Ever since I got my awesome ones on clearance for $9.99, curtain shopping has brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to get custom ones for the prices I saw! And then I REALLY hit a bump in the road- EVERYTHING I bought clashed with the stripes! The simple, elegant stripes were drowned out by chevron/floral/geometric curtains. I realized I had to do a simple color- but simple doesn't mean plain... Enter Hancock Fabric... I scored 3 yards of this raw silk coral fabric for $3 a yard and just cut it in half!! HA! This "window treatment" cost me $9 and required zero sewing (I mean, it NEEDS sewing the frayed edges but in my house, that's never gonna happen...) I hung it up with $5 drapery clips from Target. I couldn't be happier!


The desk is the same... (and no paint, dad...) and I still love it. It's a grown up desk and I'm thankful I have it. Anything nice in my house isn't really mine- or thrifted. haha


The floating shelves are "LACK" Shelves from Ikea (around $30 each) but I scored BOTH for $20 off Craigslist! Perfect condition and JUST what I needed!


The shelves hold all my sewing fabric, knick-knacks, and anything else creative. All my stationary/card stock is placed in the boxes and bins so it didn't look too cluttered.


I keep chalk for the wall and little labels for future sewing projects in tiny Ball glass jars


The frames ALL came from thrift stores/yard sales and $8 was the most I paid for one. (Average $2 each)...


Here's what I see when seated at my little sewing nook! LOVE!


The balloon picture is a card my favorite person in the whole wide world sent me for my birthday years
ago (my bobo- aka grandpa). I love the picture and the colors! I framed it in my $1 frame to add to the collection...


My awesome sister bought me the thread spools and display!! I don't even sew {yet}! I just mentioned to her one day that I loved how 'pretty' it would be to display colorful thread- and sure enough she went back to the store and bought every.single.one. Probably my favorite part of the wall!!


The itty bitty frame (.79) holds a pic of my dad and I on my graduation day...see, meaningful stuff? haha


The craft nook is SO COZY at night with my little $4 faux milk glass lights to light it up! The black shades were .50 each from a yard sale.
Hope it was worth the wait!!! (My MacBook Pro and my MacBook magically combined to create an iMac. Cool, huh?)
It's amazing what a little paint can do to a room! 

If you're visiting, check out the giveaway going on!!! $50 value!

I love idea sharing on blog land and know that everyone inspires someone! Feel free to use these ideas and contact me if you have any questions! If you are reposting this all I ask is for a link back! (and you can tell me too so I can add it to the list below!)

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Pottery Barn Duvet Wannabe

Sh... don't tell her, but Darla, my duvet, doesn't know it- but she's from Target...not Pottery Barn. Darla's twin sister lives in Pottery Barn waiting for a wealthy family to scoop her up for $170... while I picked Darla up for waaaayyy less. I pretty much knocked the "0" from the "170" and that's all I paid for Darla!

(She was originally $45, but then Target had her marked down to $15...so I bought 2. Ok, in a full disclosure policy I have on my blog I have to admit. I bought 3. I have 3 of the duvets. There, I said it.)
**I only got one for the $15 steal, so don't feel like I totally hit the jackpot.. the other two were $45 and STILL worth every penny!**

Here is Darla:




Anyhow. Here is Darla's fancy-pants twin "Hadley":


Guess what I realized in 0.002 seconds? DARLA IS MISSING BOWS!!! Of course I had to fix that. ASAP. I couldn't find thick ribbon that was the same material (basically ribbon that wasn't silky) so I went with a thinner version and LOVE it... it's not "too girly" almost like it was meant to be on there...

So, one spool of 1/2 inch ribbon later...







I think B-diddy approves :) 







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