Ch-ch-ch-changes…and inspiration

Surprise! I’m doing a drive-by random post! I wanted to thank everyone that has been so kind to send me thoughts and prayers and well wishes regarding my marriage. My husband is moving out on July 1st; while I haven’t given up on our marriage, I have accepted that this separation is going to happen and I’m actually feeling at peace with it. But, to guarantee that I don’t completely fall apart that first week when he’s gone, I’ve started making plans for a small 4th of July get-together (anyone gonna be in Atlanta around then? E-mail me, you have a standing invitation!).

Part of the plans for this little shindig include getting my patio pulled together. My patio is AWFUL. Extra super awful. I’m being honest. The small garden has gone to seed and I sold the furniture last summer, thinking I’d buy some I liked better… but finances got in the way (you know how that happens!) and instead of creating a nice place to have a light supper, the kids created a small mess of toys and stuff. All of which needs to be crated off to somewhere prior to the 4th of July.

So my drive-by today consists of impromptu inspiration for the small patio. You can be sure I’ll be scouring craigslist like a mad woman this week and next to find patio furniture, and visiting Lowe’s, of course, to replant the garden. These are the photos that will be inspiring my makeover:

Isn’t this the cutest patio set from Walmart, and only $138.00 too! It’s perfect for my small patio, comes with the umbrella and it’s wooden so it can withstand the elements since my patio is completely exposed to the elements. Now, because I’m a tightwad, I’ll try to find something similar for less money, but if I can’t, this is a great option.

Speaking of Walmart, if I had just all kinds of extra cash, this is the set I’d pick up:

Wouldn’t this make a patio truly feel like part of your home? It’s only $588 which is very reasonable, but still way out of my price range.

While I’m daydreaming and talking about out of my price range, how beautiful is this:

It’s the Pottery Barn Palmetto Honey sectional. I LOVE It! But it runs around $3,000 as pictured. It’s funny to me how I’ve become such a Pottery Barn girl as I grow older. And to think, at one time I thought PB was for old ladies!

Anyway, back to realistic inspiration for my patio! In addition to furniture for dining, I do want to find a small settee, probably wicker, for just cuddling or reading on. Something like this maybe:

Pottery Barn Palmetto collection again… Isn’t that a cozy little set-up though? I love the cushions and the pillows and I will definitely copy that idea with handmade pillows on my patio.

I’m a little bit at a loss for garden inspiration. My planting plot is fairly small, only about 3′ x 4′, but it’s weird because in the early spring it get hardly any sun, but by mid summer, it’s almost full sun. Any gardening aficionados out there with suggestions on what to plant? I like colorful flowers and they can’t be high maintenance. Otherwise, I’m pretty open…

I guess that’s it for now. “See” ya’ll soon!

xoxo - Shauntelle

P.S. I almost forgot to tell ya’ll - while I was gone, I actually got some press… ironically enough, I was an “expert” for an article on creating a family friendly outdoor space. Go check the article out if you get a chance: Radish Magazine.

DIY Thursday: A pretty braided rag rug for the nursery

I promised to share details of a DIY project for the nursery with you last week. And then life fell apart a little bit and I never did. Sorry! Please forgive me. I’ll make up for it this week by giving you a little tutorial with photos on it today.

If you remember, one of the items on the floor plan for the nursery is a big round rug. Technically, a 4 feet in diameter round rug.

Rugs, especially larger round ones, can be very expensive so I knew off the bat I would need to do some brainstorming for a creative way to meet that need without the large expense. I considered a few options, including knitting a rug, quilting a rug, or even using a large blanket. Then I had a little conversation with an older relative, who mentioned the rag rugs her mother used to make from cast-offs and old sheets. PERFECT!

I picked her brain to see what she remembered of her mother’s technique and then did a little online research. This tutorial is my adaptation of that information… but I’m also going to include links at the end if you want to do more research into the different methods that are possible. Warning: this project requires a lot of eyeballing and figuring it out as you go along. This isn’t a project for someone who requires very specific directions because the need to adjust as you go along will drive you crazy.

So let’s get started!

Materials:
Cotton, cotton flannel, or wool fabric (old curtains or sheets are good, in colors that you like)
scissors
large darning needle
heavy thread in a coordinating color (carpet thread is good)

Directions:

1) Cut the fabric into 3″ wide strips. The longer the better, but preferably all the same length.

2) Divide the strips into three equal piles. Then, for each pile, sew the strips together end to end, until you have three long strips remaining (one for each pile). It’s very important that these three strips are the same length!
3) This step is for the anal people (if you’re not anal, skip ahead to #4). If you’re a type A personality, it probably will bother you to see all these raw edges hanging around. So this is the time for you to grab your iron and ironing board and make your strips nice and neat by folding the raw edges under, then folding your strips in half and ironing them. This keeps the raw edges out of sight. You quilters can probably do that with your fingers… you know, that finger ironing thing you do…I’m no good at it, so I used an iron for my samples.

4) Tack the top of the three strips together.
Place this tacked edge under something flat and heavy. This is important! Then begin braiding. You don’t have to braid very tightly, just aim at keeping the same tension throughout.

5) Depending on the length of your strips, you can either: braid until you have about a foot and a half of fabric unbraided and then begin to shape your rug, or braid until you have about a foot and a half of braided cord, then shape and sew the rug together as you go along. (I’d go the second route because I have to see a project coming together to keep myself motivated.)

6) Continue to cut strips and attach as needed to make your braid long enough to make the size rug you want.

7) Finish by tacking the end of the braid and then sewing it to the rug.

I only worked with a sample to create this tutorial (as you can see), so feel free to e-mail me if you have specific questions. And, as promised, the following are links to other tutorials that feature different techniques. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings if you decide one of their versions works better for you.

Variations:

• Do you crochet? Then you’ll love this version of a rag rug by Vintage Chica.
• Want to be more authentic? Read these braided rag rug instructions from 1932. (The pictures on this scan are great!)
• Find all kind of in depth information about rag rugs at Rugmaker’s Homestead.
• Not real instructions, but a pretty picture of a finished rug over at yes, i MADE that, to encourage those of you who might be freaked out about a project that requires winging it

Happy DIY-ing!

Shauntelle

Coming Attractions…

I’m skipping my normal Tackle It Tuesday post because:

a) I didn’t do much tackling today (or this past weekend)

and

b) I have exciting news to share about plans for A Beautiful Abode!

First, I’m so excited to tell you that I’m in the process of working on an AWESOME interview with two very special ladies. Carrie & Danielle have been called style shrinks… the essence of their business is to help us, you and me, live our lives more authentically. Through a process of in-depth inquiry, Carrie & Danielle have assisted over 600 clients in discovering their unique style statements, providing them with a powerful compass for creating a more fulfilling, authentic life.

I have been secretly fiending for a session with them, but even with the currency difference (they’re Canadian), it was out of my price range. So you can’t imagine how happy I was to learn that their book, Style Statement, will be released in April. As I was checking for information about pre-ordering the book, it occurred to me that an interview with them would be a great post for Inspiration Friday. And badda-bing, badda-boom, an e-mail or two later, I had permission to interview them!

Carrie & Danielle have been featured in so many major magazines, I can’t start to name them all (Domino and Elle Canada to name a couple), so it’s just a wonder that I will get to feature them here, picking their brains for info to help us all create beautiful homes that are a real reflection and celebration of our spirits.

You’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to read the interview, but in the meanwhile, go on over to their site and sign up for their Friday Focus. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, I’m also planning the first issue of the A Beautiful Abode Magazine! It’s going to be a free electronic magazine in the same vein as this blog except MORE… as in

• more “In the Trenches” interviews with an extended photo spread of fantastic homes
• more DIY projects, including $20 projects
• more Inspiration

Even better, you can also expect:

• Tips from professional designers
• Thought provoking articles about the psychology of home
• Reviews of online and real world shops
• Budget decorating resource lists
• Indie Artist features
• an Advice column

and contests. DEFINITELY contests!

This is content that will be exclusive to the A Beautiful Abode Magazine. You won’t find it here on the blog or anywhere else. All free.

The catch is that you have to subscribe to get it. Subscribers will get a link for the free download sent to them every two months. That way you can download and read it at your leisure. Sound cool? Then subscribe… I haven’t set up the automatic subscription thingy yet, so for the time being, send an e-mail to me at snhamlett at gmail dot com with subscribe Beautiful in the subject. And don’t worry, I promise, no spam or selling your address for ANY reason. The only time you’ll hear from me is when it’s time to download the magazine… unless you send me your birth date. Then you’ll get a virtual b-day card!

Whew! Just talking about it all has worn me out… but in a good way. It’s such a wonderful feeling to know that I can share my decorating obsessions with ya’ll and maybe help someone along in beautifying their home on a budget too. Ya’ll make writing this blog a complete joy!

That’s it for tonight. Don’t forget to peek back in tomorrow afternoon for the newest “In the Trenches” interview!

xoxo,

Shauntelle

Tackle It Tuesday: Paint, Staples, and Goodies, oh my!

This is a late post and really, I’m exhausted from everything I’ve tried to get accomplished before the day was over. Nothing like guilt to motivate you to get moving, right?

So, instead of a long post, you’re going to get a short pictorial. Just imagine this is a decorating task list board book, okay?

Here we go!

I’ve had a fabulous $12 shower curtain just waiting to be chopped up and used to reupholster my dining room chairs. That finally happened:

Before (as presented by my precocious cat, Chloe)

The shower curtain replaces the $4 orange table cloth I used previously. Chloe will be sad to see that fabric go, since she was especially fond of clawing it.

After versus Before

It’s a toned down look, but more elegant. I promise you’ll see the full set once I get the final missing element for my center piece.

I’m also sooooo close to unveiling the final makeover of the children’s bedroom. My friend Sarah says I’ve been building the tension… sorry, it was unintentional. The truth is sickness and bad mojo has made it slow going. But the painting is finally done and here’s a little peek:

I’ve also finished the sewing for their room, painted their desks, and mounted their wall bookshelves. Fingers crossed that their desks will be mounted and window treatments hung this weekend. Then you’ll get to enjoy the big reveal on Tuesday… hopefully!

Finally, and most importantly, I actually got Running in Chico’s goody bag off to the post office today. So, with her permission, I’m giving you a shot of what she can expect:

Hopefully the journal, picture frame, and book will be worth the extra week of extreme patience she showed… oh, and Michelle, the flower on the wrapping paper is actually a leather pin that you can use to decorate a pillow or a purse or even your hair! I hope you enjoy them (or at least find them worth regifting!). I loved the picture frame so much, I bought one for my bedroom!

So that’s my update today. Don’t forget to go check out what else is being tackled:

DIY Thursday: We’re Having a Baby!

Okay, WE are not having a baby. My friend, romance writer and fellow mom blogger, Tricia Ballad, is having a baby girl!

Tricia is my WAHM hero. Somehow she finds a way to write, manage her household, and homeschool her three energetic little boys without appearing to break a sweat. AND she always has time to share advice and encouragement with new freelance writers like myself who don’t always have a clue which way to go. I absolutely adore Tricia!

So you can imagine how excited I was when she asked if I’d help her design a new nursery for our little Elizabeth. After years of Tonka trucks and Legos, Tricia is really looking forward to preparing for a little girl. Starting with a really peaceful and feminine nursery, a place that will be their lady retreat from their mostly masculine world.

I am soooo all over this project. Since we’re both bloggers, we decided to make it a shared blogging project too– that way you guys can enjoy the process as we go along. Over here ya’ll will see the budget design process in action… every Thursday for the next six weeks, we’ll discuss the design of the nursery from working out a budget and determining what look Tricia is shooting for to the creation of easy, inexpensive projects to create an adorable, but functional nursery.

Tricia, as I mentioned before, is a PRO at home management. So over at her place, you’ll get all the management details and the actual results of the projects we develop here. On Thursdays Tricia will discuss her goals for the week and on Tuesdays, she’ll show you what she tackled.

And all the while, we’ll be counting down to little Elizabeth’s arrival. Right now, her due date is supposed to be 8 to 10 weeks away. My hunch is that she’s gonna come sooner… Regardless, the pressure is on!

Isn’t it all so very exciting? We hope you’ll join us every week to see the progress. There’s even a plan in the works to hold a little contest so that one reader from each of ourblogs has a chance to win a goodie! So don’t forget to check in every Thursday, starting next week, okay? And be sure to pop over to Tricia’s blog, Living at the Speed of Life, today to read her take on the project and to say hello.

Before I go today, to whet your appetite, I’m leaving you with some of the images that are inspiring my thoughts on the nursery… Don’t blame me if they start any biological clocks ticking though! : )

I think Auntie Shauntelle NEEDS to buy this for our Elizabeth. What baby girl doesn’t need a tutu, especially a handmade one from etsy store Tickles and Tutu’s? (And how cute would it be hanging on a wall as dimensional art? )

This is the kind of elegant and peaceful retreat I think our ladies need (picture from HGTV.com). The brown is a little more bold than Tricia is going for, but isn’t that chandelier lovely?

Aren’t these charming illustrations from the etsy store of Sarah Jane Studios? I find the little girl reading especially appropriate for the daughter of a writer.

And the details on this handmade christening gown by Prairie Roses are perfect inspiration for curtains in an elegant, feminine room.

Time to get creative… a challenge with prizes!

I’m totally addicted to craigslist.  As in, I’m always looking at it, even when I don’t have a need for anything particular.  So during my browsing this evening I ran across this very unusual desk for only $25:

Not my usual style but there’s just SOMETHING about it.  Before I knew it, I was e-mailing the owner to make arrangements to pick it up tomorrow.  I already know my husband is going to think I’m crazy… and that’s where you all come in.  If it’s still available and I buy it, what should I do with it?

The ad says that it’s wood but need some TLC.  To me that means some sanding and maybe staining or paint.  My youngest children still need a small desk for their room so it could possibly go in there.  I don’t think I ever told ya’ll that I bought the $20 dresser that I featured on this craigslist Monday for their room.  My plan is to paint it a glossy red.  And you know they already have the white headboards.  So what do you think about me painting this desk white to put in their room?  (If it’s still available.)

Or maybe I don’t use it in their room at all.  I could paint it black and use it in my hallway.  I also needed a small shelving unit to go next to my reading chair…

This is my challenge to ya’ll.  Leave a comment with your suggestions for how I can work this desk into my home and the person who’s idea I use will receive a little goody bag.  (And if I don’t get the desk for some reason, I’ll write your names on slips of paper and have my youngest pull a name at random from a hat… so if you participate, you have the chance at a goody bag either way!)

There you go!  I can’t wait to  see what ideas ya’ll come up with…

Tackle It Tuesday: Sewing a straight line

I bet ya’ll thought I missed this week’s Tackle It Tuesday, huh? Nope. I’ve just been a busy little bee, sewing away at my tasks for the day. I started off this morning with this pile:

A pile consisting of 5 yards red cotton twill, 6 yards white cotton, 4 yards of multi-colored striped cotton, and a half yard each of a multi-colored dotted cotton and a plain yellow cotton. Oh, and let’s not forget the 4 rolls of black and white coordinating ribbon.

The goal was to complete the following for the on-going redesign of my youngest children’s room:

• red curtains with black ribbon
• white fabric blinds with black ribbon
• multi-colored striped bed skirts
• two yellow pillows
• two multi-colored dotted pillows

I swear it didn’t seem too ambitious when I started. In fact, a storm had knocked out our internet, so it appeared to be the perfect way to spend a web-free day.

HAH!

Somehow I forgot that I am by no means a professional seamstress. All I can say is that at 9:00 pm (eastern), I’ve just about finished the curtains. Just. About.

Yeah, that’s right. ONLY. THE. CURTAINS.

sigh.

One day I’ll learn how to make realistic goals.

Don’t forget to visit the Tackle It Tuesday page to see what everyone else is tackling:

Tackle It Tuesday: Laundry and Soup

Cough, cough. Sniff. Cough. Sniff. Sniff.

ACHOO!!!

Excuse me. I’m still sick. And I really want to curl up in my bed with a pretty magazine and my mommy. (Hear that mom?!?! Almost 34 years old and I still need you to rub my head when I’m sick.)

Unfortunately, children and my laundry pile are calling me. Oh, there’s actually a HUGE list of other things I should be doing today, but I’ve wised up finally and realized that if Momma doesn’t take care of herself, she can’t take care of anyone else. So although I really need to:

• sew curtains for Ian and Catie’s room
• make fabric blinds for I and C’s room (via the great tutorial from two straight lines)
• line their new (to them) dresser drawers (via the great tutorial from Design*Sponge)
• finish the decorative paint details on their walls
• hang pictures
• buy desk
• solve book storage
• clean the rest of the house!!!
• laundry

Umm… yeah. The only thing that is going to happen is laundry. (Repeat with me “Momma has to take care of herself to take care of anyone else. Momma has to take care of herself to take care of anyone else…” Surely I’ll stop feeling guilty about it after a little while?!?)

Don’t forget to check out how everyone else is progressing (just click):

Opinion Poll: To slipcover or not to slipcover?

Hello my sweets!  Happy Valentine’s Day!  My treat this morning is having a whole hour to myself.  That’s right, no kids, no hubby, no anyone but me… all by my lonesome.  You can not understand how rare that is.  Just drinking a cup of tea and reviewing my decorating plans.

This is my new (to me) reading corner chair.  I bought it this past weekend off craigslist (of course!) for $40.  It’s nice and cozy, plus it’s a chair and a half so I can cuddle up with both of my youngest in it.  I like the line of the arms and the color is okay, but I’m not feeling the legs and the overstuffed back cushion.

When I bought it, the plan was to create a slipcover for it and have my hubby change out the legs.  Now that it’s been home for a few days, I’m not so sure I should slipcover it.  So that’s the question of the day:  Do I slipcover the chair or just try to re-stuff the floppy back cushion?

I owe ya’ll an actual tour of my living area soon (once I’ve cleaned, I promise!) but here’s a few photos to help you see what else is in my living room:

 

Those are my favorite orange chairs (also from craigslist!) and my sofa.  The new brown reading chair is actually in that corner behind the sofa, where the dining table used to be.  Across from the sofa are a pair of chairs and my $20 accent table:

(Do you see how I updated the accent table?  I bought a new plant stand that is black iron with a great circular pattern and then added the tray upside down for the top.  The top is black but you get a pop of red around the perimeter and then black at the base.  I LOVE IT!!!  And it was still only $20!)

So what do you think?  The corner where the new chair is used to be really dark, so I didn’t think I wanted another dark piece of furniture there.  Now I’ve added a floor lamp and a lamp on my desk (which is directly across from the chair), so the corner isn’t so dark.  I’m just not sure how to proceed.  And I don’t want to buy accent pillows or anything else to complete that corner until I’ve decided.

Opinions please!!!  Ya’ll have fabulous taste, so I know you’ll have great suggestions.  : )

Tackle It Tuesday

Today I officially decided to join in on the meme, “Tackle It Tuesday.” The plan is for me to finish the projects that I started last week: painting my hallway and redecorating my youngest son and daughter’s bedroom.

The hallway project started when I got a wild hair to paint. There was left over green paint from when we originally painted our living area and I thought it would be a wise idea to carry that color into the hallway. For laughs and giggles, I decided halfway through the project to introduce a second color and some horizontal stripes… I figured it would be practice for the stripes I want to put in Catie and Ian’s room.

Several curse words and days later, I found myself finishing the hallway project this morning at 7am. There’s a big story involving bad paint, multiple coats of bad paint, leading to a midnight run to Walmart for good paint… but I won’t bore you with that. Suffix to say, I’m waiting anxiously for the final stripe to dry so I can count that project as (mostly) completed.

The major project for today is completing Catie and Ian’s room. I started painting yesterday. It took ALL day to put on three coats of primer and the only coat of their base blue. (Trust me, save money on everything you can except for paint. The primer that took THREE coats was a 50% off $2 gallon of primer from our local discount store… bad, bad, bad idea… did I say BAD idea? Even with three coats, it never fully covered the mural I had on the wall originally. Amazingly enough, the $10 Walmart paint did a great job in exactly ONE coat.)

This mess is one of many piles littering my home while waiting to be moved back in to their room. The project list looks like this:

• Paint inside of closets
• Add yellow, green, red, and white stripes to walls
• Add new organizers to closets
• Organize toys in closets
• Paint new side table either yellow or red
• Kids make art to hang on walls
• Hubby put together new headboards and place beds
• Purchase new chest of drawers and new desk
• Make curtains
• Make stools for new desk
• Purchase rug
• Fall out from exhaustion!

Originally the goal was to get this all accomplished by baby boy’s birthday TOMORROW!!!! Um… can we say not going to happen? Just writing that list made me tired. Realistically, I’ll be lucky if I can get the closets and stripes painted today around watching the three year old I babysit, Ian, and my poor sick Catie.

Perseverance, right? Ah well… tune in next Tuesday (hopefully) for the big reveal! And don’t forget to check out what else is being tackled today by clicking below: