Got a Trend Goin' On

I've been changing and rearranging my accessories
and I've noticed,
that without really thinking about it,
I've got a design trend happening.

Can you see it?
I think I'm having a natural attraction to
all things black and white and garden inspired.

Isn't it fun when things fall together like that?!?

Especially when I'm using things I already have.

And my favorite black spray paint!

Pick Your Friends, Not Your Nose

I LOVE vintage suitcases! I've been collecting them for years. I don't pay a lot for them or buy them on-line or at antique shops because, let's face it, 1-they're not a necessity of life, and 2-(more importantly) I'm cheap! However, because I limit my buying options I have to be more creative. (I love when I have to be more creative because I can really surprise myself!)

When I decided that I wanted a bigger variety in my suitcase collection, I knew I couldn't do it all on my own. I enlisted the help of friends and acquaintances. Now, I must warn you that this is a tricky process. It is very important that you pick the right friends! If you pick the wrong friends you may end up having more competition for finding your treasure. Interestingly enough, some people may suddenly decide that because you're interested in a certain item they now want it too. Then there's the people who see only dollar signs and figure they can pick up the treasure you're interested in and sell it to you or someone else for a lot more money. But if you pick your friends carefully it can result in. . .

UNEXPECTED HAPPINESS!!!

Tissue Anyone?

The bathroom of my son's house was a fun make-over. I didn't take before pictures, so imagine a small bathroom with CARPET on the floor, walls with their fair share of dings and patches, and 1980's standard issue light fixture and stainless framed mirror with the attached plastic sliding door storage.
Got the picture?
We ripped out the carpeting, sealed the floor, and applied peel and stick tiles that have the look of ceramic tile. The floor was quick, easy, inexpensive, and it looks good too. We replaced the mirror and the lighting, which helped give the room a fresh look. But it was the walls where I got creative.
I bought several packs of white tissue paper, the kind that you put in gifts. I crumpled the individual sheets. Then I painted a section of the wall, applied a sheet of tissue paper and then applied another coat of paint on top of the tissue. I continued this process throughout the entire room, lining up the sheets. It creates a unique textured finish on the walls. If you click on the picture below, you can see the texture a bit better. Once the paint is cured, you can go over the walls with a glaze to highlight the texture, but that wasn't the style that I was trying to achieve here.

Painted tissue paper is a unique wall treatment. The finished product resembles a combination of a crumpled up cotton sheet and Venetian plaster. It's a great solution for camouflaging banged up walls. And it's fun too! If you decide to try this technique I would recommend that you enlist a friend to help the process go faster.

A Box to Reflect Upon

My oldest son and daughter-in-law moved into a home that needed a little TLC. I would describe their decorating style as modern/retro---the clean, straight lines of modern, mixed with the funky retro look. The home is a split level. Their living room and kitchen are on the main level and there is a large opening between the two areas. In the living room area there is only one wall that can be decorated. Because of the open floor plan this wall can be seen from the kitchen as well. (Have I thoroughly confused you yet?)
Last year, while they were on vacation, we did a surprise make-over on the majority of the house. I designed, and we built this shelf unit for the wall in the living room. It hangs above the sofa. I purchase an inexpensive door mirror and removed it from the plastic frame. Then we built a box to the dimensions of the mirror. We secured the box to the wall using wall anchors, and then placed the mirror inside using double-sided tape. The mirror reflects the objects inside as well as reflecting light back into the room.

A Day to Remember

Remembering all those who lived and died
that we might enjoy our life and freedom.

Wishing you a nice Memorial Day.
It's a time to reflect on the life's of others
who have blessed us.

It's also the beginning of the summer holidays when we fly flags and show our patriotism. I made my flag holders out of stair balusters and scrap wood. Just a quick project to show how proud we are to be Americans!