From Inspiration to Reality!

My actual inspiration page, from which I then actually purchased my wants and wishes!

When I first began considering how I wanted my main living area to look, I started by collecting pictures of things that I was drawn to stylistically. As I collected, I came across a rug from IKEA that became the anchor for my design inspiration.

Alvine Ruta rug, measures 5'7" by 7'10"  

Based on this decision, I was then able to focus my planning and inspiration board to fit around my anchor piece. For me, I selected paint colors next because I feel as though that is the actual first step in designing a room, getting color on the walls. The colors I was left with originally were cream, dried blood red, and a pretty but not coordinating aqua.

Living room - Before

Dining room - Before

I selected a yellow that was not the same shade as the mustard in the rug, but instead a light buttery color. And I paired it with a navy in the dining room, which I pulled from the edge of the rug. My personal paint preference is Pratt & Lambert interior latex in an eggshell. I used Eggnog (10-30) and Captivating (24-14) as my wall colors to replace the mismatched combos above...

Pardon the blue tape everywhere, that doesn't exist anymore! 

I then collected the items from my inspiration page, and other items that matched the board. The pillows from the inspiration page were purchased at Target, and the chair was picked up at IKEA.

And in searching for the link for this post, I just discovered that they make the chair in YELLOW now!!! Oh man! I have the urge to own a contrasting set... Good thing the chair doesn't fit in my little Honda, or I'd be on my way to IKEA right now! 

My favorite pillow of delightful feathers was also from Target. 

The couch was custom made by the Best Slipcover Company. Their products can be ordered through Vintage Hardware! I selected a classic shape from the Cindy line and then selected the fabric that I wanted to pull out the gray border on the IKEA rug. The couch was definitely my investment piece, being constructed from solid wood and the cushions are down stuffed. It is made in the U.S.A and can either be slip covered or fully upholstered. I opted for the slip cover so that I can easily wash it if necessary and can potentially change up the cover down the road if I feel like it without having to buy an entirely new couch. Talk with Becky at Vintage Hardware to check out all of the couch, love-seat, chair, and other furniture options.

The yellow throw pillows are inexpensive options from Target's Room Essentials line. And the navy chevron pillows (one not pictured) are Target purchases as well! And so is that snazzy lamp! The lamp was purchased about 3 years prior to ever looking for a house to buy and was meant to be! Although Target sells this base as a set now, they also have a more budget friendly, different lovely yellow lamp. 

The remaining large furniture items including an upright piano, large bookshelf, coffee table, side table, and other miscellaneous things were acquired in my favorite way. From garage sales, inherited, or purchased from local salvage businesses. My style is definitely vintage inspired, with rough edges, but balanced with warm, cheery tones and a variety of textures. 

I've owned this map since high school and finally put it to perfect use! It's a great pop of fun colors!

The concept of creating an inspiration board can seem like a waste of time or overwhelming, but I think it helped keep me organized. Plus, it was definitely not as overwhelming as I think creating a room would be if there was no direction or guide. Obviously everyone tackles projects differently, but I'd recommend creating an inspiration board based on an anchor item. And don't think that anchors have to actually be large items. It could be a pillow, artwork, a rug, a piece of furniture, or even something small like a special memento item. Decide what is important and work from there, selecting coordinating colors, and a variety of textures. My BFF Ali told me during this process that a good room should have at least six different textures, and I am confident that I have well over that number! And I've received Ali's approval on my house so it must be properly textured... :) Love you Ali! I used fabrics, wood, metal, and ceramic to create a large variety of texture. Some are soft, some are hard, some are smooth, some are rough, but all create a cohesive space. And feel free to mix patterns! I used chevrons, stripes, geometric prints, and solids. Oh, and one feather embroidered pillow! 

Mostly, I think the most valuable advice I can give in regards to creating a living space that you love, it means you have to select things you love to be in that space. If you don't LOVE LOVE LOVE it, don't bother. Mediocre is only going to bother you in the end which means spending more time and money to get something you actually want. And if you really LOVE LOVE LOVE it, then sometimes that means you spend some decent money. Shopping at Target and IKEA helped save some money, as did garage sales or fleas, but sometimes perfection is ponying up the cash for a long-lasting, quality piece that you will love for years to come. Prioritize what items you plan on investing in. For me it was the couch. And if you could sit on or nap on my couch, you'd understand why I went big on it. Seriously, it's that awesomely comfortable. If you have to live someplace, then you should love everything you can about it. Especially if it is someplace that you've committed 30 years to!

Cheers! And happy decorating!

How I Will Remember You!

Thursday, June 14, 2012 may be the most difficult day in my short teaching career yet.  I say goodbye to my second year students as they embark on their journey to middle school! I am fully prepared with tissues and water-proof mascara because I am quite certain I will be in tears. Just writing this is making my eyes damp! Oh gosh!

This winter I had a genius (well, I think it's genius) idea of a great personalized gift to give my departing 5th graders.  The concept seemed simple at first, but as I delved into the project I realized that it may be a bit more challenging than I anticipated! I started by creating a ring of notecards, one labeled for each 5th grader, and I began creating lists of words that describe or remind me of them. Some have ridiculous seeming words because I wrote down something they did or said at one point in the past two years.  It is easy to talk about kids in full sentences, but narrowing them down to single words was WAY more difficult than I thought it would be. After I compiled my words, I entered them into Wordle, a word cloud creator.  A word cloud is literally a random grouping of words that you choose to enter. I then adjusted colors and fonts until I had each one personalized to the student it was about.  I then printed them on 4x6 photo paper so they looked really nice.

Each cloud then got its own picture frame, purchased at IKEA in packs of two for $2.99.  They are simple, inexpensive frames, but they worked perfectly for the project! 

I then used Scrabble tiles to personalize the frames with the students names (Thanks to my aunt Kathy, Craig, and my parents for the donation of tiles).  I have decided that Scrabble games should come with more Ls and Es! I used super glue to attach the tiles in a tilted manner, because after consulting an expert (my dad) we decided that straight tiles just looked wrong. Each frame has a different layout, some tiles run across the top, bottom, and shorter names went down the sides.  The goal was to make it so no two were the same, just like my kids!

In the end they turned out way better than I even anticipated and I am so excited for the kids to open these up and reflect on our two years together! 

Wrapping was simple, brown craft paper and some natural colored raffia bows. After the extensive project, I figured that wrapping should be the easy part!

Here's to a memorable two years and to bright futures for all fifteen of these kids. I wish them all of the best things in life. 

Love, 

Ms. Grothe

  

Happy Housewarming!

This weekend I finally put together a housewarming gift for my wonderful friend Ali! I picked up all sorts of treasures from some of my favorite home decor shopping locations.  I created a gift basket using a creamy, yellow locker basket from Vintage Hardware. I then proceeded to fill it with all sorts of neat finds.  My items, besides the creamy basket, were all in various shades of green, not because I planned it originally, but because once I started with green, I just couldn't stop. The main item inside the basket was a West Elm stripe favorite throw in beansprout and ivory.

West Elm is my new favorite home decor company! 

I then added a stack of three minty crackle painted flower pots from Dollar Tree. They are so adorable, I'm contemplating returning to buy some of my own!

They came in a few colors, so you have options!

I then added a three pack of flour cloth dish towels because they are my favorite for all things kitchen, plus they clean up nicely with a bit of bleach.  I also added the latest issue of one of my favorite magazines, Country Living! Always chalk full of great decorating ideas, products, and food. 

I especially loved the June edition this year!

While hunting around our local Goodwill, I came across two brand new, Pyrex liquid measuring cups.  They were identical and each hold two cups.  Of course I snagged both of them, one for Ali and one for me! What a great find!  I also added a fun, flowery frame that I found last year on a 60% Fred Meyer clearance table.  It has been sitting in my gifting pile waiting to find the perfect person that it should be given to.  I instantly thought of my developing green gift theme and new it would be a great addition in Ali's basket! Thank goodness I know that Ali LOVES Goodwill and good deals as much as I do, so she would not be offended that she is getting gifts that were steals! :)

Discount Pyrex and picture frames.

The last piece to the gift puzzle was actually three pieces.  I picked up three fresh herb plants from our Fred Meyer, taking advantage of the Memorial Day weekend Garden Center sale! I picked up onion chives, cilantro, and lemon verbena.  I then cut squares of craft wrap that covered the unattractive black, plastic store pots.  I folded the edges over the corners of the pots so they look slightly pleated, then used natural colored raffia to secure the paper in place with bows!

These would make absolutely terrific place markers or favors for a summer party!

Any good gift has to have a good card to accompany it, so my next task was to create a simple, green themed card!  I started with a crafting and card making staple, a paint chip! Acquiring new paint chips is literally the only reason I go to Home Depot.  They have the multiple color chips still, when most companies are stocking individual color chips only.

Happened to have the perfect green chip!

In order to make the chip less industrial and harsh looking, I used my Martha Stewart lace paper punch that I picked up a few months ago at JoAnn's.  

I only punched one end, only because I liked the look.

I then used a stamp that I have been dying to use, because it is just so cheery and cute! The uses for the stamp though are limited, so it was great having a purpose for it! I used a chocolate brown ink and placed it on a white pricing tag from my scrapbooking box. I attached the tag using a glue dot on one end and a green (go figure) brad through the hole at the other end.  

Picked up at Michael's for $1.00!

So simple, but so happy!

I finished the card up with a simple To and Heart in a matching chocolate brown marker. The card only took about five minutes to construct, but it matched the green themed basket perfectly!

:)

The finished product turned out so wonderfully, it may be one of my most favorite gifts I have ever given! Thanks Ali, for letting me blog all about your neat present! And may your new home bring you many wonderful memories and blessings! Love you!

The final basket!

Decorating Ideas from My Space

Here are a few photos of some of the decorating that I use in my bedroom, many items coming from antique shops here in town. Check out Vintage Harware for fantastic pieces of all sizes and purposes. Unfortunately, my favorite store, Farmhouse Funk II, is no longer in operation, but I can still visit Peggy and Kathy at VH!

See and steal policy! See it, steal the idea for yourself!

Bought this awesome file drawer at Vintage and it is now home to CDs! So much better than a regular CD rack, it hides the cases in a clever and unique manner.

These former kitchen cabinet doors are nailed directly into the wall (benefit of having solid wood walls!) I picked these up at the former FF2, washed them off and hung them in a row.  Notice they still have their original handles, I had to remove the latching mechanism in order for them to fit flush on the wall.  The three doors fill the walls nicely, and make for great frames for art work, photos, or other wall art! The center door, shown, have tin wall vases with green leaves that match the wall color. 

Reassigned the job of this old plant stand, and turned it into a bedside photo table. Picked up this treasure for $9 at the original Farmhouse Funk at Miles Crossing, now located on 10th by the river in town.

With a large, white bookshelf, I contrasted the brightness with a collection of black frames.  The frames are from various stores, or people, of all different shapes and sizes.  The only common thread is the color, which makes for an organized and focused array of photos.

Spring Break Rehabs!

With Spring Break only two and a half weeks away, of course, I'm gathering all sorts of little, or not so little, projects!

1.  Reno-ing the little pink/raspberry/mauve-ish colored shelf! Still debating color options! 

2. Creating pillar candle holders! Found some awesome spindles at Vintage Hardware that I am going to add flat caps to in order to make candle holders. Borrowed this example from Etsy.com. 

3. Build a frame for a mirror out of molding! I need to frame out a large rectangular mirror in hopes to add it to my wall! I would add a photo, but i struggled to find a cute picture on the Internet, and since mine is not done, I don't have a picture of my own! UGH! Many examples use square corners featuring rosettes, but I want to use 45 degree clean cuts. 

4. Read a stack of wonderful books.

5. Work on a Just Because gift for a special person!

6. Plus any other ideas that appear on the plate!