Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Discarded Furniture

It's no secret that I drive through neighborhoods on bulk trash days to dig through other poeple's trash or that I frequent estate sales and thrift stores. When it comes to getting a good deal or finding that special piece, I'll go to almost any length. And yes, I have once gone through a dumpster, oops, make that twice. But when you look at what people are throwing away or donating to charity, why on earth would you  buy new? I know, I know, it's convenient and easy. That's like saying, "sweats are comfortable. That's why I wear them everyday!" Don't settle for bologna when you could be eating steak. These discarded treasures are awaiting a fresh coat of paint, a little TLC and a bit of elbow grease to unleash their hidden potential. It's worth it - take a look!

I adore this children's kitchen by Vintage Songbird so much that I want to make one for my boys! Real men cook and do dishes - right?

Squirrelpearl took an old chest of drawers, legs off of a footstool and created a masterpiece! I love the ruler at the top. Genius!

Before and Afters via Design*Sponge

Before and Afters via Design*Sponge

cluck cluck sew

This is amazing stuff right? And these lovely pieces were deemed unworthy of someone's home! WHAT? The ugly duckling is a beautiful swan after all!

from this

to this!

Don't know where to start? Look at the shape of the piece and it's construction. If it has "good bones" all it needs is a facelift! For a step-by-step tutorial go here! I think these results all warrant the effort. And when all your friends ask where you found that amazing piece - well, you've got a great story to tell. xo

It's Game Time Baby!

cookie

When I was little my sister and I would play Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and Checkers for hours. Has technology killed this time honored and cherished tradition? My oldest will play wii games, connect four and Monopoly (on his Dad's iphone) but board games have yet to get his attention. Maybe it's his age? I'm not sure, but I look forward to spending countless hours "losing" at the board game of his choice. And whatever happened to family game night with actual board games? Uggh, I digress - but I am determined to bring back the love of the game in our home! 

our playroom

Until my oldest is "into it" I have hung some vintage games in our playroom and have found that others have some pretty clever ways of displaying their love of the games as well. Game boards really do make amazing art!

buddyrooster via flickr (I LOVE this!)

mama without borders

1. Vintage French Junior Scrabble Board, 2. retooled table, 3. Vintage big game board

This amazing game was created/illustrated by Lisa Airdrie's father-in-law for his boys!

The above Find It game via Pour Toujour reminds me of the amazing Follow the Line books by Laura Ljungkvist. They are works of art and my boys love them. (Pour Toujour also has an amazing etsy shop if you want to skip the hundreds of trips to flea markets and thrift stores to find just the right item you've been looking for!)

my Charley Harper Memory game "art"

Let's not forget the beautiful and challenging Memory games! A couple of years ago Old Navy offered a series of Charley Harper books, games and toys. I snatched up the memory game on sale and turned it into an entryway art piece. I love how it turned out... the color, the illustrations. Charley Harper inspires me. Does your family have a game night or are your boards being used as art as well? I'd love to hear how the classic board game is used in your home. Ahh the love of the game - it inspires doesn't it? xo

Around The House: From Coffee Cup to Bedroom

When Domino magazine was around, each issue contained an editorial piece that started a little something like this, "Can this ____ be turned into a room?" The answer, "Yes! Yes it can!" Take this sweet little coffee cup from Anthropologie for example. I received it as a birthday gift several years ago and fell in love! So much so, that I unknowingly designed my bedroom around it. The colors, bird, twig and snowflake on the back have all been incorporated. I guess my cup flowith over!

The yellow inside the cup and the bird were translated via Dwell pillowcases. 

The snowflake on the back of the cup inspired a flash of pink via my vintage chair as well as the starburst mirror and snowflake in the center of my vintage bedspread.

Little touches here and there incorporate the design of the coffee cup even further. There are touches of red and gold in addition to tree branches and circles.

Since my youngest is going to move in with his big brother soon, maybe I'll try this again in our soon to be guest/craft room. The inspiration this time around will be my favorite vintage robe. The colors and the print are intoxicating! What do you think? Will you give this a go with one of your favorite items? xo

A Week of Discoveries

Our little family is going to Austin, TX for a couple of days to conduct business, see old friends and relax! I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some things I discovered this week!

Dottie Angel's amazing chair. I want to sit here for hours reading anything and everything.

A quote found on Bliss that's got me thinking - a LOT!

This amazing room on Mommy Coddle. The colors, style and lighting are amazing!

My husband doesn't empty his pockets before throwing his clothes into the laundry basket - EVER!

 Country can be sooo cool! I love the leopard print coat and the gun near by. Priceless!

People say the nicest things! Thanks to everyone for all your love and support of this blog!

A little hot chocolate goes a long way on a snowy and cold Spring day!

Teachable Moments can be sweet.

See you Monday! I hope your weekend is filled with a lot of love, laughter and creativity. xo

Meet Buddy!

My boys have multiple lovies. Blankets, aka "bookies," stuffed animals and the like fill their beds every night. I don't know if this is something I created or if it's just their personalities. Either way it's kind of sweet. They are so affectionate and cuddly. Unfortunately, they are all baby lovies; nothing they can grow with. That's where Buddy comes in. I found Buddy in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby. He's so odd and silly looking - he's perfect!

When making Buddy, I followed the book's instructions rather simply, aside from the legs and arms. I don't know why I had trouble here. The directions are pretty straight-forward. I typically like to cut corners wherever I can and I think that's where I got into trouble. (If you try making your own Buddy, I'm sure you'll do just fine.) I like the fact that Buddy has no removable parts (his eyes and mouth are painted on) and he doesn't transform! Buddy is simple, requiring imagination only! I was worried my oldest might not like him due to his simplicity, but he loves him!

I gave Buddy some pants by cutting his legs out of a contrasting material and covering his bottom half in the same material as his legs. I couldn't have Buddy running around naked! The other little guy in the picture above is "Needermier!" He was a gift for my girlfriend's little boy who just turned two. He was inspired by hours of Nick Jr. They have the most amazing illustrations in between shows.  I adore Moose A. Moose and his pal Zee! "Needermier" is suppose to be a dog, but I'm not sure he really looks like one. Oh well, whatever the case, my girlfriend just informed me yesterday that he is loved dearly and sleeps with her son nightly. Yay!

Think you might make a Buddy of your own? I recently made a second Buddy for my youngest too! It's a day's work (maybe less without distractions) and worth every second. PS...Buddy would make a great gift too. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Tiny Treasures

With every day that passes, my boys are getting bigger and bigger. I threaten to put books on their heads in hopes that it will prevent the inevitable, but I know the truth - they're growing up and I can't make it stop! I take pictures to capture the memories. I keep records of special milestones in baby books. I write a family blog. And, I store artwork in boxes. I do all of this in hopes of forgetting nothing and sharing it all with them when they are all grown up. But here's the thing about the books, boxes, etc. - they're tucked away in closets or drawers just collecting dust! That's why I am so in love with Martha Stewart Weddings' editorial director, Darcy Miller's, "scrap boxes."

Have you ever seen anything so lovely and charming? Mrs. Miller is brilliant! She has turned the toys we toss or giveaway, along with the tiny treasures we adore and store, into amazing works of art that tell the story of her family's life! The minute I saw this in Martha Stewart's February issue of Living, I knew I had to make some of these for my home. I can think of no better way to record our memories while displaying beloved toys, birthday goodies and all the other tiny toys that float to the bottom of our toy bin.

To create my first "scrap box" I purchased a shadow box from Ikea, gathered stickers, tape, toys, t-shirts, photos and an empty diaper box. Since my oldest has a love of super heroes, I thought that would be a great place to start.

Ikea shadow box and stickers

collection of broken and discarded toys

Tip: To secure items to the "storyboard" Mrs. Miller uses double-sided tape on the lighter pieces and foam-core with pins or wire. I chose to recycle a diaper box and use a needle and thread.

recycled diaper box cut to fit frame

Spidey tee cut, wrapped and secured with masking tape

final product with photo, sticker and broken action figure

Other than the horrible flash photography used on the final piece (sorry, it was late when I finished), I'm pretty happy with my first "scrap box." And, because I live for this kind of stuff, I'm super excited to make more. (I think these would make great gifts!) Look around your house; I bet you have treasures lying around that you could use to make a "scrap box" of your own! Heck, if you have kids, chances are you just stepped on one of those treasures while walking to your computer! xo