Kids Room

Nursery Plans and Favorite Baby Products

Margot just hit the two-month mark and has started sleeping mostly through the night (bless that sweet angel!), which means it’s really time to get going on a nursery! Cribs have come SO far since my last baby. Really, there was only the Ouef wren crib that was cool and modern back then, and it…

Margot just hit the two-month mark and has started sleeping mostly through the night (bless that sweet angel!), which means it’s really time to get going on a nursery! Cribs have come SO far since my last baby. Really, there was only the Ouef wren crib that was cool and modern back then, and it was stratospherically out of my grad school budget! I went with a $20 Jenny Lind crib from Craigslist instead and give it a fresh coat of mint green paint. I still love the classic Jenny Lind style, but it’s fun that there are so many different crib designs available now! Some are still very pricey, but there are a lot of mid-range options that are total show-stoppers.

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We’ve been having Margot sleep in our room next to our bed – sometimes in that cute bassinet I posted about, but honestly, it’s usually in this little Rock N Play seat thing. It’s not the cutest baby product in the world, but it has about a million five-star reviews on Amazon, so I had to try it for myself. And, WOW, it is like the holy grail of baby swings/bouncers/bassinets. It plugs into the wall and rocks itself for up to six hours. And it has a built-in white noise player! The seat hugs her little body and keeps Margot feeling tucked in and secure. And the angle of the back is perfect for babies that spit up – a new and not so fun experience for us!

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It folds up easily for travel and just for moving it around the house. I bring it upstairs to the studio often so Margot can sleep nearby while I’m working. It’s awesome for naps, but I think she’ll be happier to have a crib soon and a quiet, dark space to sleep in at nights.
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The playroom is going to be Margot’s room since its next to our bedroom. There’s a closet in there that is big enough for a crib and a small dresser. 
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We’re thinking of turning it into her (tiny!) nursery and that way we don’t have to do much rearranging in the playroom.
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We started taking down the (old and cheap) shelving, which has opened up the space so much already.

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I’d love to do some sort of fun wall treatment in here, but I need to find something that would work with the bird wallpaper I have in the playroom on the ceiling.


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Maybe some cool ikat upholstered walls like my friend did here?
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And if I can find a lighter, neutral ikat, I’d love to paint my Draper dresser a fun color and throw a cute stripey changing pad on top.
I’m thinking the white Dwell Studio Mid-century crib would be fabulous in this small space. I love that it feels like a beautiful piece of furniture instead of a giant prison crate. :)
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But it’s also nice that there are a ton of other crib options that aren’t as much of an investment. I really like all of these.

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I’m sort of leaning toward this one though, crate similarities and all. It’s a new line from Fisher-Price (who actually also makes that Rock N Play that I’m so in love with??) and it’s less than $250! I love the simple, clean lines. And I really like the warm gray color. So many of the gray cribs seem really blue.

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I’d love recommendations on other cribs too, if you have a good one! We had to completely start from scratch with baby gear and I’ve been out of the baby mindset for so long now that I’ve had to rely on friends’ suggestions for practically all of our purchases.

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We splurged on some things (like a pretty car seat and stroller) and have tried to save other places – like in the clothes department. I’ve finally learned my lesson there and stopped buying a million outfits. Baby clothes are crazy expensive and really, babies are happiest in soft sleepers for the first few months anyway, right? I’ve found a few reliable lines that I know I’ll keep coming back to as Margot is growing. They look cute, we only need a few of them to have in rotation, and I know she is comfortable.

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Also, this line of super-soft head wraps is adorable and makes me feel just a tiny bit less lazy for dressing my baby in mostly pajamas. :)
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And just for kicks, here are a couple more of my favorite baby products, some newer to me and some tried-and-true. What am I missing here that you love?

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 Organic unbleached ivory muslin swaddle blankets that are more beautiful with every wash  //  Make your baby smell like a French baby  //  The only socks that actually fit a newborn’s feet  //  Wipes warmer (SO WORTH IT)  //  Adorable fox burp cloths that will get a million compliments every time you are out  //  Great and affordable baby monitor that doubles as a walkie-talkie (!)  //  The cutest kitty lovey around  //  If it’s possible for a pacifier to be pretty, this natural rubber one is it! Also totally recommend this tutorial for a DIY paci holder.
Inspiration

Hiring!

Hi friends!!! Thank you for all your well-wishes and support about baby Margot and for letting me take a little breather after her arrival. I’ve been soaking up every second of these sweet first few weeks! It’s been a great time for me to reflect on my career too, and I’ve got some big plans….

Hi friends!!! Thank you for all your well-wishes and support about baby Margot and for letting me take a little breather after her arrival. I’ve been soaking up every second of these sweet first few weeks!

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It’s been a great time for me to reflect on my career too, and I’ve got some big plans. The blog and website redesign is almost done and we’ve decided to do an online store. I’ll be selling some of my most favorite, really special pieces online – I’m SO excited to show you!

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I’ve also been taking on more client work this year, so we’re hiring! If you are an experienced interior designer looking for work in the Phoenix area, please email me! I’d love to hear from you.  xo

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Uncategorized

Welcome, little Margot

Last week our sweet Margot Julia joined us! She is the tiniest little peanut – just barely six pounds – but we can already tell that she’ll be just as fiery and independent as her big sisters! :) It wasn’t nearly the dramatic birth story that Evie had, but Margot came just as fast! I…

Last week our sweet Margot Julia joined us! She is the tiniest little peanut – just barely six pounds – but we can already tell that she’ll be just as fiery and independent as her big sisters! :)

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It wasn’t nearly the dramatic birth story that Evie had, but Margot came just as fast! I went in for my 38 week appointment on the morning of the 14th and found out that the baby had flipped and was breech again! It was hugely disappointing for me. I had worked so hard to get her to turn three or four different times – it looked like she just preferred to be head up for some reason. I had gotten more comfortable with the idea of a c-section (whatever it takes to get them here safe, right?), but I still wanted to try to avoid surgery if possible since I had been able to with my other births.

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The last couple of visits, the umbilical cord had been wrapped around Margot’s head, but this time the cord was out of the way and my doctor wanted to turn her. He scheduled a version procedure at the hospital for that same afternoon, which is where they try to manually turn the baby. It is about as uncomfortable as it sounds. After almost an hour of digging into my belly (which is bruise central now), my doctor finally got Margot to turn head down. We talked and talked about our options and we decided to break my water and get her delivered before she could flip again. It was a hard decision, because I don’t really love the idea of an induction, but I really didn’t want a c-section if it could be avoided.

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Just a few short hours after my water broke, tiny, perfect Margot joined us. I feel like I got so much insight into what happened with Evie’s labor this time. I learned just how fast my body goes through transition – I went from 4cm to a birthed baby in about 30 minutes! That half hour is insanely intense, but also kind of great that the really hard part is over so quickly, right?

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We have the most serious perma heart eyes for Margot. I have a feeling this kid will never learn to crawl or walk – she is being held for about 23 hours a day! We just can’t get enough of her. I pretty much just want to stare at her for the rest of my life.

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I’m easing my way back into work (slowly) and have a goal to post here a couple times a week. And of course I’ll be on Instagram  and Pinterest every day. As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the support and well-wishes about Margot. I really love and appreciate you guys. It has been amazing to get to share my life with you all for the past seven years and feel you cheering me on every step of the way. xoxoxo

Flooring

Using (and Not Using) Wood Flooring in Kitchens

I’m still here — and still pregnant! :) The good news is after weeks of hanging out breech, baby girl has flipped finally, just under the wire! Thanks for all your tips and tricks in the comments of my last post. It’s a bit of a waiting game now, but we’re so excited for her…

I’m still here — and still pregnant! :) The good news is after weeks of hanging out breech, baby girl has flipped finally, just under the wire! Thanks for all your tips and tricks in the comments of my last post. It’s a bit of a waiting game now, but we’re so excited for her to come whenever she’s ready.

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I took on a couple of design jobs before the holidays to help keep me busy the last month of my pregnancy and while I’m home with a newborn. Both involve full gut-reno redesigns of the kitchens, which I’ve not done a ton of in the past. It’s been really a really fun challenge and so far, so good! The cabinets are designed and the counter tops and appliances ordered, but I’m a little stuck on flooring.

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In both projects the home owners are feeling a little nervous about installing the same wood floors that we’re putting in the rest of their homes, in their kitchens.

I love the look of a warm wood floor against painted cabinets, so it’s hard to not push on this one, but I have to admit I feel some of the same apprehension as we’re getting closer to a big kitchen remodel of our own.

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Both clients have considered wood-look tile, but we are having trouble finding a style that we like enough to use throughout the homes. We sort of feel like our two real options are wood everywhere or stone in the kitchen and utility spaces and wood in the rest of the house. Which means transitions…which can be tricky with more open floor plans…which both homes are.

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(image from Domino. The slate flooring is in a bathroom and not a kitchen obviously, but the colors of the floors are almost spot-on for what we’re looking at in one of the houses and it’s helpful to see the transition.)
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Our favorite stone options are limestone and slate, though we’re still open to pattern. Here are some of the images we’ve been looking at to help us get a sense of what stone or tile can look like in a kitchen space:

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image – another bathroom, but I like this color, size and pattern!
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It seems like it comes down to personal preference and comfort level in the end, but I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Have you had any nightmare disasters with wood floors in your kitchen? Or is there a stone that you’ve used and loved? Or maybe you have tips for making a more smooth transition between the two materials?

DIY

Vintage Bassinet Redo

Our little one is due in the next two weeks or so here (!) and we are all getting very excited! I think we are going to do a few little bedroom switches when the baby gets older, but I haven’t worked it all out yet, so I’ve held off on buying a new crib….

Our little one is due in the next two weeks or so here (!) and we are all getting very excited!

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I think we are going to do a few little bedroom switches when the baby gets older, but I haven’t worked it all out yet, so I’ve held off on buying a new crib. I did pick up a bassinet off Craigslist though and gave it a little makeover during the holidays.

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I love, love the shape of the basket, but the finish and color of the wood was not my favorite.

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Since the bassinet will stay in our bedroom, I thought a soft white would be prettiest against our dark walls (the color is Ben Moore’s Knoxville Gray). I had a couple cans of Rustoleum’s Heirloom White on hand, which is the perfect off-white.

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I think the secret to a great spray painted finish is several thin coats with lots of drying time between coats. If you get any drips or dust in the finish, a fine grade sanding block will work wonders.
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I had to trim the corners of a portable crib mattress down to fit the oval shape of the bassinet and I think it needs a little more trimming to fit perfectly and I might end up altering the sheets, but I’m pretty happy with how the bassinet turned out.

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All her little clothes and swaddling blankets are washed, her car seat’s installed and ready, we’re just waiting for her to show up! The poor little thing is breech and the cord is tangled around her neck a few times, so she’s having a hard time flipping. I’ve been doing all sorts of awkward yoga to get her moving and untangled, but no luck yet! Any tips?

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Bookshelves

Book Club: My Favorite Design Books in 2014

My favorite thing to ask for at Christmas time is art and design books. I love to have them stacked all around the house, but I keep most of them on the base shelf of our library bookshelves. Since browsing Pinterest doesn’t always feel that relaxing to me, I like to steal a few minutes…

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My favorite thing to ask for at Christmas time is art and design books. I love to have them stacked all around the house, but I keep most of them on the base shelf of our library bookshelves. Since browsing Pinterest doesn’t always feel that relaxing to me, I like to steal a few minutes of every day to lounge on the daybed and flip through an inspiring design book. Nothing helps me more to get those creative juices flowing! It’s fun to catch my kids thumbing through them too.

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I’ve found some great additions this year that I think would make amazing last-minute gift ideas! I snapped some photos of a few inside pages, just to give you a taste of what these are all about.

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1) I think one of my favorite interior design book purchases this year was Designers at Home by Ronda Rice Carman.  The title tells it all – page after page after page of amazing rooms in the most famous designers’ homes. 
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I loved seeing different angles and styling of some familiar rooms, but most of these spaces were new to me. My only teeny tiny complaint is that I wish this book was a bit bigger so I could soak up the details even better.
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2) I think Heather Clawson and I share an obsession over creatives’ workspaces. Her book shares wide and vignette shots of the coolest artists and designer’s offices.
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It was fun to see more details of Jenna Lyons’ beautiful office.
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And find a few new favorite spaces to obsess over.
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3) This book is seriously inspiring, even for the fair weather Wes Anderson fan. It’s a beautifully designed behind-the-scenes book packed with inspiration images, interviews and sketches. I love it.

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4) My friend, Samantha Hahn, is a truly talented artist. You’ve seen her work in all sorts of cool ad campaigns and in the most beautiful magazine layouts. Her book, called Well-Read Women, is still one of my favorites to flip through.

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She pairs her gorgeous portraits of famous women in literature with beautiful lines from their stories. This is a great book for gifting.

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5) We all know and love Erin’s blog and her new book doesn’t disappoint!

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Not only are the images beautiful, the text is as informational, hilarious and genuine as the Elements of Style blog. Well done, Erin!

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(PS Recognize the gallery wall here on the right?) :)

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6) The Remodelista book is stunning. Many of the images, especially at the front of the book, are pretty modern and sparsely styled, but the foundational design choices are SO good and super inspiring to me. I would be tempted to add a layer or two of color and accessories, but I still really connected with the rooms in this book.

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My favorite spreads are toward the back, where some of the editor’s homes are featured. Makes me miss New York like crazy.

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They also have a section that lists 100 of their favorite housewares. I LOVED this part – it’s like getting a peek at your most stylish friend’s wedding registry list. 
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What books have you bought and loved this year? Here are a few that are on my Christmas list:

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Art

Gallery Wall of Mirrors

There’s a hallway in our house that has the lowest ceiling you could possibly imagine and not a ton of natural light. Actually, there’s like, no natural light. It’s a dark, squatty hallway. The playroom is at one end, our bedroom is at the other and the guest bathroom and the laundry room are in…

There’s a hallway in our house that has the lowest ceiling you could possibly imagine and not a ton of natural light. Actually, there’s like, no natural light. It’s a dark, squatty hallway. The playroom is at one end, our bedroom is at the other and the guest bathroom and the laundry room are in between. So, you know, it’s a high-traffic space and I wanted it to be a little less of an eye sore.

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Mirrors are a great way to brighten up any space. It really is like adding a window! In my case, I wanted to add about 10 little windows…

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I have a ton of art hanging around in the hall and in the guest bath, so besides the added light factor, mirrors felt like a good way to find balance with the rest of the art on the nearby walls.

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I’ve collected most of these mirrors over the years from thrift stores and flea markets. It’s not all that easy to find a good place to hang an individual small-sized mirror, but I love the way they all look hanging together!

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And I really like the way the gold tones mix with the silver/nickel and the wood. I’ve mixed metals all over our house, and this little hallway sort of brings all that together for me.

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Remember this pretty mirror from the garden level entry of the brownstone? The square mirror to the left was a more recent find, on sale at Anthropologie.

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The Mexican mirror was another more recent find at a cool junk store near here called Turtle’s Treasures. Only $5!

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The Louis Phillipe style mirror is really old – the glass is foggy and super warped. I love it!

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It’s always a good idea to hang art at eye level. I hung these as if there was a chalk line at my eye level and then I centered the mirror(s) on that line.

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It’s sort of a dark day here, so you’ll have to trust me when I say the mirrors are really brightening up this hallway! :) I’m so happy I was able to find a place to hang all these little treasure of mine, and that they look all the more special hanging together.

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Now I just need to work on finding some new wall sconces! :/
Uncategorized

DIY: Gold Leaf Brush Strokes Vase

I was stocking up on some gold leaf at the craft store last week and saw this variegated rose gold leaf next to my regular yellow gold stand by. The wheels in my brain starting turning and I knew I had to use it for today’s vase project! I worked with a great online florist…

I was stocking up on some gold leaf at the craft store last week and saw this variegated rose gold leaf next to my regular yellow gold stand by. The wheels in my brain starting turning and I knew I had to use it for today’s vase project!

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I worked with a great online florist called The Bouqs on this post. I used their company to send one of my friends a bouquet recently (they have a promotion right now where you get a free bouquet with your first order!) and she was super impressed and begged to find out where I could find such pretty ranunculus at this time of year. The Bouqs ships their flowers directly from their sustainable, eco-friendly farms on the side of active volcanos (!) in Equador right to your door, so the buds are always fresh and so beautiful! 
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There’s no silly teddy bears or weird upselling, just beautiful flowers at great prices and always free shipping. It’s a perfect solution for when you want to send thinking-of-you flowers to your friends, but you don’t really want to spend a ton of money on a dumb arrangment. These flowers are from the Marshmallow bouquet (one of my favorites on their site). I love how the bright white buds pair with the pretty purple larkspurs and the coral color of the DIY vase. 
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To do the quick and easy leafing project, I picked up a couple of clear glass vases at the craft store, cleaned them well, and taped the entire outside of the vase with painters tape before spray painting the insides. 
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I used Rustoleum’s French Lilac (can’t get enough of that one!) and Design Master’s Coral. I sprayed on a couple of very, very thick coats and let the paint dry for at least 12 hours.
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When the paint is dry and the tape is removed, the paint looks like milk glass! It’s such a pretty effect – I did a similar project here to get a blue opaline look for my jewelry trays.
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I wanted to go a step further on this project though and give the outside of the vase some metallic love using the variegated rose gold leaf. Any leafing project can get a little messy (but it will be the most beautiful mess you’ve ever laid your eyes on!). I like to lay down a sheet of thick brown kraft paper before starting, which makes clean up a breeze.
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I poured a small amount of leafing size on the top of the vase and used a 1″ brush to very loosely paint the size on the bottom half of my vase. I went really easy with the size – being careful to not overly smooth out the brush strokes and to leave little gaps here and there too. As you let the sizing glue dry, watch for drips and either brush them off or lightly dab them up with a paper towel. You want the coat to be thin and even.
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The size will be completely clear and tacky to the touch when it is ready for the leaf. I applied the sheets with a soft bristled brush, but it’s fine to just use your (clean) hands too! You want to really flatten the leaf sheets against the vase, making sure there are no air bubbles or wrinkles.
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The leaf will magically stick to where ever the size was painted on, but will brush right off the rest of the vase.
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If there are any cracks or gaps, I just use some of the extra leaf bits on the table and rub them onto the size with my fingers. It’s really so easy to get a smooth finish!
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I think the dimension of the finished vase is so pretty with the bright color inside the glass and the rose gold on the outside!
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After the leafing is done, you’ll want to paint on a layer of sealer to help protect the gold leaf. 
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When the sealer is all dry, you’re ready to start arranging your bouquet! I know it’s tempting to do a blunt cut at the bottom of your flower bunch and just toss them in a vase, but I’m learning it makes for such a more beautiful bouquet if you cut and arrange the flowers one by one. The Bouqs is also a great place to get tips on floral arrangement and care (here’s the page on ranunculus).
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I tried to keep the arrangement organic and swoopy (the tall larkspur stems helped there!).
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This arrangement was a gift for my friend, who needed a little extra love this week, and I love how it turned out. The Bouqs suggests that if the water is changed every few days, the flowers will last an additional 1-3 weeks. They suggest adding a little sugar or Sprite to the fresh water once you’ve run out of the flower food that comes in the packets.
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A big thanks to The Bouqs for sponsoring this post! Check out all their amazing bouquets here, and get a FREE bouquet with your first purchase!  I think this one would be perfect for a holiday gift to a far-away loved one.  :)

Accessories

DIY Gold Leaf Brush Strokes Vase

I was stocking up on some gold leaf at the craft store last week and saw this variegated rose gold leaf next to my regular yellow gold stand by. The wheels in my brain starting turning and I knew I had to use it for today’s vase project! I worked with a great online florist…

I was stocking up on some gold leaf at the craft store last week and saw this variegated rose gold leaf next to my regular yellow gold stand by. The wheels in my brain starting turning and I knew I had to use it for today’s vase project!

 photo IMG_8424.jpg
I worked with a great online florist called The Bouqs on this post. I used their company to send one of my friends a bouquet recently (they have a promotion right now where you get a free bouquet with your first order!) and she was super impressed and begged to find out where I could find such pretty ranunculus at this time of year. The Bouqs ships their flowers directly from their sustainable, eco-friendly farms on the side of active volcanos (!) in Equador right to your door, so the buds are always fresh and so beautiful!
 photo IMG_8256.jpg
There’s no silly teddy bears or weird upselling, just beautiful flowers at great prices and always free shipping. It’s a perfect solution for when you want to send thinking-of-you flowers to your friends, but you don’t really want to spend a ton of money on a dumb arrangment. These flowers are from the Marshmallow bouquet (one of my favorites on their site). I love how the bright white buds pair with the pretty purple larkspurs and the coral color of the DIY vase.
 photo IMG_8436-2.jpg
To do the quick and easy leafing project, I picked up a couple of clear glass vases at the craft store, cleaned them well, and taped the entire outside of the vase with painters tape before spray painting the insides.
 photo IMG_8181.jpg
I used Rustoleum’s French Lilac (can’t get enough of that one!) and Design Master’s Coral. I sprayed on a couple of very, very thick coats and let the paint dry for at least 12 hours.
 photo IMG_8186.jpg
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When the paint is dry and the tape is removed, the paint looks like milk glass! It’s such a pretty effect – I did a similar project here to get a blue opaline look for my jewelry trays.
 photo IMG_8218.jpg
 photo IMG_8228.jpg
I wanted to go a step further on this project though and give the outside of the vase some metallic love using the variegated rose gold leaf. Any leafing project can get a little messy (but it will be the most beautiful mess you’ve ever laid your eyes on!). I like to lay down a sheet of thick brown kraft paper before starting, which makes clean up a breeze.
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I poured a small amount of leafing size on the top of the vase and used a 1″ brush to very loosely paint the size on the bottom half of my vase. I went really easy with the size – being careful to not overly smooth out the brush strokes and to leave little gaps here and there too. As you let the sizing glue dry, watch for drips and either brush them off or lightly dab them up with a paper towel. You want the coat to be thin and even.
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The size will be completely clear and tacky to the touch when it is ready for the leaf. I applied the sheets with a soft bristled brush, but it’s fine to just use your (clean) hands too! You want to really flatten the leaf sheets against the vase, making sure there are no air bubbles or wrinkles.
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The leaf will magically stick to where ever the size was painted on, but will brush right off the rest of the vase.
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If there are any cracks or gaps, I just use some of the extra leaf bits on the table and rub them onto the size with my fingers. It’s really so easy to get a smooth finish!
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I think the dimension of the finished vase is so pretty with the bright color inside the glass and the rose gold on the outside!
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After the leafing is done, you’ll want to paint on a layer of sealer to help protect the gold leaf.
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When the sealer is all dry, you’re ready to start arranging your bouquet! I know it’s tempting to do a blunt cut at the bottom of your flower bunch and just toss them in a vase, but I’m learning it makes for such a more beautiful bouquet if you cut and arrange the flowers one by one. The Bouqs is also a great place to get tips on floral arrangement and care (here’s the page on ranunculus).
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I tried to keep the arrangement organic and swoopy (the tall larkspur stems helped there!).
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This arrangement was a gift for my friend, who needed a little extra love this week, and I love how it turned out. The Bouqs suggests that if the water is changed every few days, the flowers will last an additional 1-3 weeks. They suggest adding a little sugar or Sprite to the fresh water once you’ve run out of the flower food that comes in the packets.
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A big thanks to The Bouqs for sponsoring this post! Check out all their amazing bouquets here, and get a FREE bouquet with your first purchase!  I think this one would be perfect for a holiday gift to a far-away loved one.  :)

Uncategorized

Why Don’t You… Gold Leaf All The Things.

I am as crazy as ever over gold leaf! I know it can feel like an intimidating project, but metallic leaf is actually a breeze to use! I’ve got a good little stockpile of different colors and kinds put aside and I’m itching to tackle a couple of the projects I’ve seen floating around the…

I am as crazy as ever over gold leaf! I know it can feel like an intimidating project, but metallic leaf is actually a breeze to use! I’ve got a good little stockpile of different colors and kinds put aside and I’m itching to tackle a couple of the projects I’ve seen floating around the web (elaborate list below!).

There area some pretty cool gift ideas in the mix here. Or if you’re like me and you get a little bored/stir crazy during the week between Christmas and New Years, there are some fun home project ideas here too. Most of these use leaf (which I think always ends up giving the best result), but there’s also a little spray paint, leaf pen and Rub N Buff thrown in the mix here.

1) These gilded gift boxes from You Are My Fave are beautiful! She bought the wooden boxes at Michaels for only a dollar! Cheap and chic.

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2) Dying over how expensive and legit this abstract gold stripey faux wallpaper looks from Patchwork and Co.

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3) Jordan and her team always share the coolest project ideas, including this iPhone case DIY (from Oh Happy Day).

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4) I love this twist on the painted-out vintage globe idea! From Love and Renovations.

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5) This one’s not a tutorial, but I think it would be easy to DIY something inspired by this Natural Curiosities art piece!
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6) What’s the surest way to make me love something lucite even more? Add a little gold leaf edging! From A Bubbly Life.

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7) I want to make a whole wall of these leafed clipboards to help us stay organized. From My Fabuless Life.

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8) Continuing on with the office supply theme, I’m LOVING this mouse pad tutorial from Lovely Indeed! Another great gift idea.

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9) This one is FOR SURE happening at my house. I mean, wow!! Again, no tutorial, just pure inspiration here. I can’t wait to find a beat up Eames shell chair on Craigslist and go to town!

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10) This Hicks knock-off wall is an oldie, but such a goodie. I would love to recreate this in my girls bathroom. From Almost 40 year old Intern.

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11) This little plate DIY would make an awesome present add-on. Who wouldn’t want a pretty piece of jewelry and a really cool catch-all to hold it? From Homey Oh My.

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12) Again, no tutorial, but this image from designer Stephen Knollenberg is a favorite. It seems like the beautiful art could be recreated on a big piece of watercolor paper? I love all the white space.

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13) I love these high gloss gold terra-cotta pots! It seems like a little gold spray paint and a lot of spray lacquer could recreate the look?

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14) I’ve seen a couple tutorial for gold leaf laurel crowns where you just spray paint real leaves and it looked really great! This door wreath is a similar idea and I wish I would have seen it before decorating for Christmas this year! Next year, I guess.

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15) This gold leaf table lamp is completely amazing. I know IKEA used to sell a floor lamp (maybe a table version too?) in a really similar shape. I’d love to try and recreate this look!
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16) How cool are these planters? I’m definitely wanting a version of the one on the right especially. I love the pink color too. From Hunt and Bow.
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17) I’m crazy over the unexpected, artistic finish on this console! What a cool statement piece for an entry!
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18) This pretty brushstroke balloon DIY was this inspiration for tomorrow’s project that I’m excited to share! 
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Alright friends, what great gold projects am I leaving out? Have you tackled anything you’re extra proud of? I’d love to see it!

Accessories

DIY Yarn-Wrapped Hangers

Christmas is just around the corner. I love (LOVE) giving handmade gifts to my friends and family, but I just haven’t had the bandwidth this year to go all-out. So, rather than making everything, I’m cheating the system a bit by adding just a little handmade twist to each of my gifts. Really just enough…

Christmas is just around the corner. I love (LOVE) giving handmade gifts to my friends and family, but I just haven’t had the bandwidth this year to go all-out. So, rather than making everything, I’m cheating the system a bit by adding just a little handmade twist to each of my gifts. Really just enough effort to get handmade credit. :)

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I got my sister, Heather, who knows not to read today’s post (!), a Golden Tote for her Christmas present this year. It’s a service that surprises you with fun clothes and accessories. It’s $49 for 2-3 pieces and $149 for 5-7.  I have friends that use Golden Tote because they care about looking cute, but don’t really love to shop. They’re too busy or just don’t really want to deal with it. It’s super easy to give as gifts too – I made a style profile for Heather (which was basically just choosing her size and favorite stores – easy) and then picked two of the six or seven items I wanted to see come in her tote. The other items were surprises.

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It was fun to see what they sent for her – they totally nailed her style. And of course everything came in an adorable golden tote.  :)

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My favorites were this bomber jacket with the brass zippers and a pretty blouse with black lace trim around the neck. I know she’ll look so great in these! And when I am not rocking a giant baby belly, I’ll for sure be borrowing that cute gray sweater. It has sweet little buttons that run up the back. Love it.
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So to make her gift a little more special, I picked up enough wooden hangers at IKEA to hang all her new Golden Tote clothes on and stopped by Michaels to get a few different colors of yarn, whatever colors were pretty and on sale! :)

 

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I am not a glue gun fanatic (I usually prefer Fabritac), but for projects like this, where it’s helpful for the glue to dry really quickly, I love a glue gun. You only need a little bit of glue on the hanger anyway, so likely your fingers will escape this project unburned! :) I used just enough glue to hold the start of the yarn at the middle of the hanger, and then a little bit more every 5 or 6 wrap-arounds to keep everything in place.

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You can do any pattern you’d like, obviously, (black and white uniform stripes would be so cute!) but I did random colors in random sized stripes.

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I love how the hangers turned out! And I think they help make this fun gift more personal and extra special!

 

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A big thanks to Golden Tote for sponsoring this DIY. Every first Monday of the month they launch a new tote – check out December’s here! The last day to order in time for Christmas is December 17, so get on that! :)

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Uncategorized

DIY: Blush Pink Flokati Throw

What kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t regularly sing my praises of Jenna Lyons and her chic office? There’s a reason everyone loves this space. She is the coolest. I realized I was subconsciously channeling her office style while doing some updates to our studio space this month when I had the…

What kind of blogger would I be if I didn’t regularly sing my praises of Jenna Lyons and her chic office? There’s a reason everyone loves this space. She is the coolest.

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I realized I was subconsciously channeling her office style while doing some updates to our studio space this month when I had the thought to dye this little faux flokati throw pink.

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It was a super easy project and here’s the how-to:

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I picked up my throw at HomeGoods (it was made by Safavieh) for about $15. IKEA sells a very similar version in both acrylic (which is what this one is made out of) and the real deal wool sheepskin (which I used in this and this upholstery project).

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 Before dying the throw, I rinsed it really well and made sure every fiber was all the way wet.

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Then I mixed a small dye bath in a tupperware tub in the hottest water my tap would give me. I use about 3 parts Petal Pink colored liquid RIT and 1 part Lemon Yellow.

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I let the throw sit in the hot dye bath for about an hour before rinsing it in cold water.
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 I let the throw drip dry over night and then I gave it a brush and blow dry to make it nice and soft and fluffy before throwing it over one of our white S chairs.

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Because my throw was acrylic, the dye only barely tinted the fibers. The natural wool version would have been much darker, but I don’t really mind the subtlety here. A little pink can go a long way. :)
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