A lot of work...

This DIY stuff ain't easy. I've already suffered some minor injuries as a result so it's taken me some time to post the progress we made in the office.

Here's a few shots..


Getting my act together and gathering my pieces.


The clean slate of the office floor.


Our first day (a Saturday) yielded little results. We just didn't have the hang of it yet.


Even the pups were hoping we'd give in and take them for a walk instead. So we called it a day and did just that.


Day two (Sunday) we had success right outta the gate...after I read the instructions..hah!


Two hours later and only a sliver left to go, I called it quits and let Larry finish the row.

Ahh sweet success. He finished up the closet the next week and it looks beautiful. It's called Click N Lock but I swear there was no clicking or locking going on at our house. It was hard manual labor, for which I was not made to do for more than an hour at a time.

More final pictures to come. We hung curtains, shelves and touched up paint this weekend. Well, I can't lie, Larry did all of it. I'm still injured.

What are you working on right now?

Have a great week ahead!
Christy

Before and after

So here's the before and after picture of my new desk chair! Even Toby thought it was ugly. I found this old-fashioned worn out granny chair for about $20 and turned it into a mod looking piece. I scoured the internet for just the right chair and they run $100 and up. No thanks! Just a quick spray paint in dark gray (Rustoleum Painter's Touch spray paint in London Gray for $4.00 a can) and a recovered seat in a fun polka dot print (by Birch Fabrics) is just the best friend that my white lacquer desk (see previous posts) needs. Now to find curtains and a rug...I digress.

Last night we painted the office walls in a crisp, neutral gray called Polished Silver by Valspar and I'll put pictures up soon. It's the perfect tone of gray- not too blue or green and definitely not drab! We tested a patch on the wall with the tired out periwinkle and it took on a weird shade. So Larry and I agreed that primer was definately in order. He also got a wild hair and decided to scrape our popcorn ceilings in the office only (for now). It was the messiest thing we've done, next to using a tile saw. Yikes! He managed to figure out how to resurface the ceiling without too much drama. Note to self: never buy a spray can of orange peel resurafacing for $15 at Lowes. It made a mess. I'll have to ask what he used in the end because the result is beautiful. No more nasty popcorn ceiling!!

So my vision for this space was a modern and sophisticated office that would be functional, inviting and beautiful. I've always shyed away from too modern because it tends to look cold and sparse. My color scheme is darker burnt orange/gray/silver/white. I've been hunting for weeks trying to find just the right pieces to bring in to tie everything together. Here's some fun finds that will not break the bank! West Elm has been one of my go too places as has Home Goods.


Birch Fabrics make really FUN prints..I used their polka dot fabric in orange and white (bought from Worthy Goods on Etsy: 1/2 yard for $8.50) to recover the old chair above. I love it. I still had a 1/4 of a yard left for a small fabric bin or something else.


Oceeania in Persimmon by Duralee spotted on draperyrow.com. I love, love, love this fabric almost too much to cut it. It gives me just the right amount of "sea life" with fish, an octopus (for Erica) and other creatures. I got this for under $37.00 a yard! This is normally up to $60 a yard and it is to the trade only. I'm going to frame a big piece of this (I think) or cover a few squares of plain cork to go above my desk as a cork board. I can't decide!


A pop of color from biscuit tins at West Elm. I got the small one for $9.00!


A silver lacquer tray, also from West Elm for $22.00.


A peek-a-boo tealight candle holder from West Elm in porcelain white for $8.00.

There is still much to be done and we're going to be laying the laminate floor this weekend. I hear it's much, much (much) easier than tile...here's what we chose: Swiftlock Laminate in Hickory Chestnut




After pics will be up soon. I can't wait to work and live in this new space. What have you been working on lately?

Christy

I heart spraypaint

Ah spray paint...the poor man's Benjamin Moore. The last time I used it to upcycle something was years ago. I turned a tired wicker chair from white to espresso. It did the trick! Then I turned it loose on another piece of furniture, with less success. These days, the spray paint colors and overall options are much improved.

In order to save mega bucks on furniture, I'm trying not to purchase anything brand new, unless absolutely necessary. Ok, ok, I dropped $150 at Home Goods the other day. But it was very much needed for the overall look of the new office. I'll post my finds from there later. Let's just say I got a gorgeous carved glass lamp for under $50! Pitter pat.

So here's a rundown of this week's projects....

Project #1:
Spraypaint an ugly wood two drawer file cabinet for under $8.00.
I used one and a half cans of Painter's Choice by Rustoleum in Heirloom White (a gorgeous color!). The hardware got a facelift in metallic spraypaint...love, love, love. It was so easy, the longest part is waiting for the coats to dry in between. They recommend two light coats vs. one heavy coat. I will probably use a top coat to seal it and impart some more sheen. Oh la la!

I have to give credit where credit is due. My newfound inspiration and creative juices owe much thanks Kate over at Centsational Girl. She has incredible design sense and does it all on a budget! Her ways with spray paint and wood glue have me looking around my house to see what I can paint next! See her wonderful blog here:

www.centsationalgirl.com


































Project #2:
Take a chair for $22 at a vintage/antique mall and paint it a chic gray.
In progress!










More to come!!

Office makeover..part 1

Larry and I are at it again. We got a wild hair this weekend and decided to start getting things moved in order to tile and paint (again). Here's the first item for the new office- a wonderfully lacqured white desk (the Josephine from World Market).



Then I decided to tackle one ugly wood filing cabinet (sorry Mom) which had some old school gold accents on it. Here's some during and after pics- I was excited to dig in, I forgot to take before pics! I used Heirloom White by Rustoleum spray paint and Krylon aluminum matte for the hardware.

On second thought, pics will be up soon. True Blood and dinner duty calls right now!!
Christy

Paper

Paper has always been a love of mine. Shiny, glossy, matte. Heavy, flimsy and smooth. I am a sucker for beautiful paper.

When I was very young, my grandmother bought me the most lovely writing paper with delicate pink flowers along the border. The coordinating envelopes felt heavy in my little hands. It has a little surprise when you opened it up, more of the heavenly pink flowers. Almost too pretty to write on, I kept it tied up in the dark blue box that I would later learn is almost like the jewelry equivalent of the little blue box. Crane's paper is where my love affair began over 20 years ago.

Now being 33 years young, I can't imagine buying a niece or little girl a big box of expensive writing papers as my grandmother had done so many years ago. Mostly because I wouldn't think the art of the written letter would appeal to a 10 year old. How had my Gram-Ethel (grandma's name) known that it would be one of my most memorable gifts? Not to mention, the last time I got a handwritten letter from someone under the age of 20 was....well. Never. Letter writting's centuries old history has died off with internet, cell phone and texting.

I tried to recall the last real letter I wrote. Not a card or a prefabricated note but a letter of correspondence, as Emily Post would call it. It's been a while.





Brainstorming can lead to great projects so when I came across the scrapbooking section of my local craft store and the pounds of beautiful paper called out to me, I knew where inspiration would take me. I've never scrapbooked a day in my life, unless you count keeping a journal as a girl and ripping out newspaper articles to tuck into the pages covering all things boys and soliloquies as to why life isn't fair.

Here are a few listings in my shop that feature what else but... Simple. Beautiful. Paper. Gift tags for all seasons. Take a look.





To see more click here: www.mesweet.etsy.com


Love,
Christy

Sunshine on my shoulders...makes me happy

John Denver could not have said it better. There is something magical about the mountains. The sky is bigger, the stars are brighter and I feel a deep sense of tranquility out West. The sun is loving, not harsh. The communities are rich with life and share a unique spirit of living- not just surviving. As cheesy as it sounds, I really had a Rocky Mountain high.

Larry and I just returned from a trip to Denver and that familiar `gosh I miss it` pang is already following me around. Of course we kept very busy and had the most enjoyable time with family. Although our schedule was full, there is a simplicity to life out West. People take the time to slow down and appreciate the beauty surrounding them. I love the local flavor. The Denverites love their fresh fruits and veggies, green living and like the French, they share a Joie de Vivre. One moment that stands out- Larry and I walked two blocks from Mom's house to a tiny corner store and grabbed a fantastic assortment of microbrews and then sauntered home hand in hand, just tickled with our good fortune. All the while, the locals driving and (mostly) biking or walking smile at you and greeted us with a warmth and kindness that I have never experienced. I call it the happiest place on Earth, next to Disney.

So forgive me for going on about my love affair with this lovely city. For I have also fallen in love with the surrounding areas. Boulder for it's liberal eccentricities, Golden for its fun-loving beauty and even the airport is stunning with grand white canopies which resemble airy tee pee like tents, all nestled amongst the Rockies. It is a little piece of heaven.

I can't forget to mention all of the other wonderful happenings- my new nephew's arrival being foremost in my mind! I'll post more about our meeting and time together. Until then, bluegrass tunes will be humming softly in the back of my mind.

xoxo,
Christy

Before you know it, Christmas will be here

Well it's true. I can't seem to find time to just sit still and breathe lately. The minutes, hours, days and months are flying by me like cars on JTB (you have to live in Jacksonville to get that reference). I received a calender for Christmas where you tear the page out each day and I find myself ripping out entire chunks of time. A day or two here. A week sometimes. There goes April. Ooh almost halfway through May. How can I make the time seem more real? More tangible?

Normally I mark my weeks by counting days until the weekend arrives. Doesn't everyone? Then when Friday night comes, I begin to scurry around the house, trying to accomplish tasks. These tasks are not small ones. They feel like overwhelming "we need to clean out the closets and donate all of our junk to the Humane Society" kind of tasks. I pounce into the project with gusto, only to find myself bowing out about halfway through Saturday morning. Then it sits until the next weekend. Back into the boxes and closet things go to sit another few months, a year and so on. Maybe chores and household obligations isn't the best way to mark time.

I wonder if I can mark the time by events. You know, the fun bits of life that don't feel like work? The first thing that comes to mind is visiting my brother in Denver over July 4th weekend. Ah yes. That will be here in no time. Then it occured to me that I'll see my family in Cincinnati in September. These feel like big events in my hum drum life. So why will it feel like a flash before the trips are here...and then gone. What can I really look forward to when it's here and then gone?

In graduate school, we learned about mindfulness and how you can live more in the present moment. I ought to dust my schoolbooks off in the overwhelming closet and see what happens. Have we lost the fine art of enjoying the moment? Do you find yourself waiting for that next "thing" in your life, only to miss out on the present?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Just leave me a comment below.

Staying in the moment, for the moment.
Christy