Live, Love, Craft

Chic and Cheap Decor Ideas

Though I love to sew, patience with fabric is elusive. So, when I needed some curtains for the home office window, off to Target we went. White curtains from Simply Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell had just the right look, but they were too long. Luckily, the top and bottom hems were the same measurement. All I had to do was fold them in half (top to bottom), then iron and cut along the fold. But, oh, the cut curtains needed some help. An unfinished seam is an ugly thing! Some pretty beaded trim was in order.

Here is my easy no-sew embellishing technique:

Tools
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Iron
Ironing board
Pins
Scissors
Tin foil

Materials
Beaded trim (2 inches longer than the width of the curtains)
Curtains
Flat trim (1 foot longer than the width of the curtains)
Fusing tape

1.  2. 

1.  Cut a length of beaded trim one to two inches longer than the width of the curtain and a length of fabric trim 4 inches longer than the width of the curtain. Lay a long strip of tin foil on the surface of the ironing board, then lay the cut edge of a curtain on top of the tin foil. Pin fusing tape along the cut edge of the curtain. 

2. Cover the fusing tape with a washcloth or ironing cloth, then place the iron on the cloth. Hold the iron in place for up to ten seconds, then lift the iron and move the cloth down along the tape and heat that part of the tape. Repeat this along the length of the curtain to fuse one side of the tape to the curtain.

3.  4.  5.

3. Remove the backing from the fused tape. Place the beaded trim on top of the fused tape, leaving an equal amount at each side edge, then adhere the beaded trim using the same technique as in Step 2. Using this technique again, adhere another strip of fusing tape on top of the fabric edge of the beaded trim. Remove the backing from the fused tape.

4. Carefully pin the fabric trim on top of the fused tape, making sure it is even, then iron in place using the same technique as in Step 2.

5. Turn the curtain over. Using the hot glue gun, glue the raw edges of the fabric trim to the back of the curtain.

6.  Repeat for each curtain.

 

Whether shopping at antique stores, thrift shops, or discount stores, I always keep my eyes open for interesting pieces. When I saw this lamp at a small outdoor swap meet, it still wore its original brass finish and didn't have a shade. But it had great details and was just $7. Transformation was fast and easy! Three coats of Kilz white spray paint covered the brass, then the edges were sanded to add some interest. To spruce up a plain new shade, beaded and eyelash trims were hot glued on the top and bottom edges. So easy.

    

Yet another swap meet find, this mirror originally was a really UGLY bright gold, but I loved the design. At that time, I thought black was the way to go, but then realized the mirror would work great in the office/guest room. A couple coats of white acrylic craft paint covered the black, then two different colors were mixed to come up with this blue-green shade.

I LOVE PAINT! It’s a great cost-effective and super simple way to give new life to old pieces.

A Room of My Own: Home Office Ideas

As any couple can attest, the blending of personal styles can be challenging. My significant other has owned his home, which we now share, for more than 20 years. His style is much more masculine than mine and he is comfortable living with the same furniture, wallpaper and accessories for long periods of time. But after working as an editor and photo stylist for home décor and lifestyle magazines and craft books, I have a need for serene and coordinated surroundings.

Because I work at home some of the time, a home office is a must. We talked over the options and decided that I could use one of the guestrooms…but the bed had to stay. So I set up my laptop, put a few things in empty dresser drawers and went to work. But it wasn’t working—the walls were too blue, the room was too crowded, and I needed a real desk. I had to create a space that nourished my spirit and creativity. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s great to have a space to call my own.

Getting my guy to part with the 1980s matching bedroom set took a little patience, but he did it. The transformation started with the walls--a base coat and three coats of creamy vanilla paint (boy that was some stubborn blue paint), and then I was off in search of a desk and a…something. I just knew the furniture had to have nice lines and it had to be made of wood. My favorite places to shop for furniture? Thrift stores. Great finds at great prices. All you need is a little imagination, paint and supplies, and some elbow grease. On the first day of searching, I found two great vintage pieces: a small desk and a buffet table. They were both stained dark brown and were pretty beat up, but they had good lines.

Here is the buffet now; what do you think?

   

If you want to love your space, pare down the "things," and just use what you love and is meaningful to you. The little things in my office are pretty--but best of all, they make me happy. The beautiful prints are by my friend, Christie Rapasy . I found the crystal bowl for $4 at an antique store in Utah and then filled it with a collection of vintage crystals. The beaded tree was a $3 swap meet find and the marble bowl was a birthday gift from my friend Judy Watkins, who is also a talented designer and purveyor of cool vintage finds. (Twice a year, Judy hosts an amazing event called Remnants of the Past. If you love antiques, vintage art and accessories, and junk art, don't miss it! Her next show will be in Nipomo, CA ('bout halfway between Santa Maria and Pismo Beach) on Saturday, April 24, 2010 from 9 am to 4pm.) 

Here is the desk after a whole bunch of sandpaper and paint:

 

A calming space with meaningful accents helps to ensure that I have more productive, inspired days. Do you have ideas to share? What touches make your personal space beautiful and meaningful?

A Little Garden Surprise

Photography is one of my favorite creative pursuits. It started with an old 35mm camera and a summer vacation when we drove from California to Missouri for a family wedding. Though the drive there was a pretty straight shot, we had time for fun on the way home. Of the places we visited, Zion National Park was my favorite. The spot in this picture is where my love affair with photography began. After helping pitch the tent, I waded to the middle of the stream and attempted to capture the incredible beauty that surrounded me.

 

Mother Nature, in all her wonder, offers beauty everywhere, if only we open our eyes to see. Needing a little break from the office and its four walls, I took my camera on a nature walk today...in the back yard. A sego palm sits by itself in a patch of dirt we are going to landscape one day.

 

While peering at the plant to check on its growth, this little winged lovely took me by surprise and filled my creative cup for the day. May you see the beauty around you today!

 

Happy Mother's Day!

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Abraham Lincoln

Thank you, Mom, for your love and friendship. I Love you.

Mother's Day Jewelry Project

Mom's special day is just a week away. No need to panic! You can create these sparkly gems for her in a couple of hours.

These earrings are not difficult to make, however, if you are new to jewelry making some of the terms might be confusing.  Beadaroo.com has easy-to-follow instructions with images to help you master the basic wire-wrapping techniques used in the instructions below. There are also some great jewelry-making books out there. A couple of my favorites,  Make it in Minutes by Wendy Remmer and Rejuvenated Jewels by Amy Hanna, have terrific technique illustrations. I met Amy Hanna a few years ago and was fortunate to be her book editor. Though I had previously done beadwork, Amy really got me excited about jewelry making. Now, I design and make jewelry whenever I get a bit of free time.

 

Tools: 
bead mat or towel
chain-nose pliers (2)
round-nose pliers
wire cutters  

Materials:
bead caps (6)
coin pearls (4)
disco ball beads (2)  
ear wires (2)
freshwater pearls (6)
rhinestone roundelles (2)
round link silver chain (2 inch length)

Instuctions:
Work on a bead mat or towel to prevent dropped beads from bouncing away.
1. From the round link silver chain, cut two one-link pieces, two three-link pieces, and two five-link pieces. Wire wrap one freshwater pearl to the end of each piece of link.
2. Cut a 2-inch length of chain and make a loop at one end using the round-nose pliers. Place one of each length of chain on to the loop. Finish the wire-wrapped loop. 

1.    2.  

3. In this order, add one beadcap, one rhinestone roundelle, and one coin pearl onto the wire. Make a loop in the wire at the top of the coin pearl using the round-nose pliers. 
4. Cut a two-inch length of wire using the wire cutters. Make a wire-wrapped loop on one end, then add one bead cap, one disco ball bead, then one more bead cap onto the wire. Make a loop at the end of the bead cap. 

3.   4. 

5. Add the disco ball bead to the loop at the top of the coin pearl. Cut one 2-inch length of wire using the wire cutters. Wire wrap one end to the opposite end of the disco ball bead, string one coin pearl-onto the wire, then make a wire-wrapped loop at the top of the pearl. String the loop onto one ear wire.

5.

6. Repeat steps 1-5 for second earring.  

Passport to Sonoma

 

The invitation arrived in my email inbox for a  weekend in Sonoma touring vineyards and wineries with a group of friends. Little did I know what was is store for us. After a really early flight that required getting up at 4am (ugh!!), my guy and I, along with a couple of our closest friends, landed at Oakland Airport. One sigalert and very long car ride later, we met the rest of our group at the Flamingo Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa. We spent the next two days tasting amazing wines, eating delicous food, listening to music, and just having a great time. Northern Caifornia is also an artists' mecca--photographers, painters, potters, jewelers--it was a weekend full of inspiration. I also got to play around with my new Nikon. 

Tickets to this event are coveted and hard to come by--if you have the opportunity to attend in the future, don't miss it!!!

Favorite vineyards from Passport to Sonoma Valley:

Passalaqua:
  

This was the first place we visited. The wines were amazing. So smooth. Loved them all. Check out that whisteria! It  was  just dripping off the front entrance.

Mauritson:
    

Another beautiful vineyard. Loved the barrel room. Great Cabernet. We sat outside, enjoyed the view (see the image at the top of this post), and rested our feet!

Ferrari-Carano:

  

This wine estate has the most incredibe gardens. It's worth the trip just to see the grounds! Oh yeah, this wine's pretty terrific, too. 

Saying for the weekend..."Is this really my life?"

Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance. - Benjamin Franklin

  

Wedding Adventures in Belize

 

A few months ago, my oldest niece sent us a Save the Date card for her then-upcoming nuptials--in Belize! She and her honey decided to have a destination wedding and found a beautiful resort called Almond Beach Resort and Spa that offered great wedding packages.

 

    All I knew about Belize was that it was way down south and had pretty beaches. Was I ever in for a wonderful surprise! Belize is a Central American country that looks out at the Caribbean Sea and is bordered by Guatemala and Mexico. It is the place to go to relax. If nightlife, dancing, and four-star restaurants are what you want in a vacation, this is not the place for you. But if what you want is to tune out and recharge your batteries...well then go to Belize. 

 

 

 

So what is there to do? Scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking through the jungle, visiting ancient ruins, zip line tours. Sitting on the beach with a good book is always an option--and something I did as much as possible.

 

At Almond Beach hammocks and kayaks sit ready for use. Snorkel gear is yours for the asking. Rooms are beautifully appointed and comfortable. The spa delivers great massages and mani-pedis. The pools are warm and the service is laid back and friendly.

 

Two things you need to know about Belize: it takes a while to get there (no direct flights) and there are lots of bugs--little itty bitty bugs that bite. Sunscreen and bug spray (with a high percentage of DEET) are must-haves.

 

   

 

 The days leading up to the wedding were spent snorkeling, kayaking, swmming, eating, drinking, and just relxing and enjoying time with people I love most in the world. (P & D you were missed so very much--we'll have to come back for a reunion!)

 

One of the days we all went to see the Mayan ruins at Xunantinich. This site is about a mile from the Guatemalan border and it's amazing. Well worth the long drive to get there.

 

 

The wedding took place right on the sand. The resort staff set up everything from the walkway to the cake. I love destination weddings:)

 

The bride was beautiful. The groom was handsome. The minister was an elegant man--a cross between Sidney Poitier and Nelson Mandela. Their vows were beautiful and they made us all cry...and laugh.

 

 

 

After the ceremony we talked and laughed the night away in the family suite. One thing I know for sure: I am blessed with a great family, a man I love (who loves my family!), friends, and good health. 

 

P & C, you've done a great job:)

 

K, welcome to our family!

 

D & K, may you have a lifetime of love and adventure.