Just Call Me Jean Dujardin

This weekend, I felt summer vacation nipping at my heels. Even though I still have a whole week left, and even though I'm teaching summer school (starting the Monday after school gets out), I can already feel the cramp in my grading hand starting to loosen. In the spirit of the season I took on a project. Because I figured I'd miss the hand cramp, I chose a painting project that would help to ease it loose gradually.

My inspiration came from Sherry @ YoungHouseLove. She took her cue from a print she found online. You can see my pin here. Anywhoo, this DIY artwork is the newest addition to our office/craft room redesign (BTW, there have been some furniture changes/adjustments since last we met...updates to follow).

Here's my Pinspiration:

I've been inspired for several months, but because of life, I wasn't motivated until yesterday morning. I wasn't certain of the colors I would go with, but I knew I could get some small paint samples at Lowes for a couple bucks a piece. I drove to Lowes with a loose color scheme in mind. When I got there, there wasn't a huge selection. The paint expert told me that they could mix a sample of any color they offered, but I was happy enough with the ones that were already bottled. I chose Lincoln Cottage Black, Indigo Streamer (I didn't end up using this one), Desert Hotsprings, and Gypsy Teal, all by Valspar. I still had some Benjamin Moore Mountain Peak White left over from the office trim which I used to create new colors by mixing. The paint cost $12 total. I got the canvases (two 24" x 18" and one 24" x 12") and the sponge brushes at Michael's for $27 total. All the items were on sale and I had a coupon for 20% off my entire purchase, including sale items! I already had some sponge brushes on hand at home, but I decided to buy a large package of better quality ones (mine were from the dollar store) because of the nature of the project. Plus, knowing that the project might take a while, I wanted to be able to throw them away liberally as they dried out.

I started out by penciling lines to guide my way. I chose 1.5 inches for the spacing. I guess I didn't take a picture of that. Then, I filled in each narrow section with randomly alternating colors. My inspiration said she used the corner of a plastic card for the peaks of each shape, but I just free-handed it. I was using 1-inch sponge brushes, so the angle made it easy.

The process was looooooong (about 6 hours on Saturday plus 3 hours on Sunday counting snack, tv and stretch breaks), but fun and relaxing. Even though it was long, it was as easy as 1:

2:

3: 

Here's where I school you guys. I've seen things all over the Internet about how to hang stuff on the wall. One of the best tips I've seen is to trace whatever it is on paper and tape the paper on the wall. That way, you can readjust before you actually mount. You can hammer the nail right into the wall, right through the paper, then rip the paper free. The nail remains and you should have a pain-free hanging experience. I did sometehing similar. I used wrapping paper. I happened to have good quality paper on hand that has grid marks in 1-inch intervals. This made it really easy because I didn't even really have to trace. I just counted squares and cut.

As you can see, I did make a mistake cutting. The piece of paper on the far right is a bit longer than the rest. So much for pain-free hanging, huh? It didn't really matter, though. The top of each piece and the spacing between were the most important factors. 

Below is what it looks like on the wall. I have to say, it looks way better in person. I used some of the wall paint on the pieces, so it  blends in a bit. Plus, I took all these pictures with my phone, bad lighting and all. Anywhoo, there it is in all its glory.

I ended up spending about $39 total on the project. I'll keep the paint on hand for future projects (I've already started painting some picture frames for another wall) and I still have a few sponge brushes left over. I figure I would have spent the same or more on something from a store. I'm not 100% thrilled with the color scheme, but it's growing on me. I'm going to let it sit for a while and see how I feel a bit later.

Do you like them? Any suggestions? Should I space them out a bit more or keep them exactly where they are? Once I take pictures of the entire, finished, room, it will be a little easier to tell what they actually look like in there. Tell me what you think. Be brutally honest. The artist in me can take it.

New House! Just Kidding...

Did I trick you? I didn't think so...

While waiting for update posts on our office/craft room (I know you're waiting with bated breath -- you don't have to tell me), I'll fill the void with the story of a different redocoration: the great outdoors. There were many things we could have done when shopping for a new home. It was a buyer's market, so we could have purchased a large, new construction at a fraction of it's "worth." We could have jumped into a fixer-uper with lots of potential. We ended up in this house:

Forgive the strange photo. I took this one morning as I was pulling away for work. That's part of the car door you see in the upper left corner. Also, don't judge us for the weird landscaping. I'm not sure how that half circle tree thing happened. Was it an evolution of pruning? Was it planted that way on purpose? Who knows. Either way, it needs to change. One step at a time, people! What you can't see is the right side of the house. After buying the house, with the help of Rich's dad, we pulled a large (taller than the house) piney tree from the ground, (most of the) roots and all. We were also parents to a big ugly bush. We gave it up for adoption.

Anyway, we bought the house for many reasons. First, it was convenient. We first rented from friends of my sister's. It was a win-win for both parties. They got to move into the house of their dreams, we escaped apartment living. We spent two seperate chunks of time house hunting in the two years prior and settled on an apartment for several reasons. We fell into the opportunity to rent this home, and it just worked. We also love the neighborhood. It's an old (1970s) sub division. Many of the occupants are original owners. Those who aren't are upstanding citizens. With a few exceptions, families take pride in the places they call home. Finally, we were lucky. The previous owners did some great upgrades including a close to full kitchen renovation and a...wait for it...brand new garage. Sign us up.

While there was so much we loved about the house, there was one looming factor that I couldn't get over: all that ugly brown trim. I'll try to keep this from becoming the cliche of the century, but: Fast forward until...Easter-ish. I've been wanting to paint all the ugly brown trim for a century at least. I've already told you about my impatience, so you can imagine how I felt for the past 1.85 years. In a word: grossedout. Let's get to the good stuff. Here's what it looks like now:

I think my camera must have been on a weird setting because the roof looks red. That doesn't matter, though. Check out the trim and shutters! We went with the tone-on-tone look for the aluminum trim and a go-to shade of mine for the shutters: mossy khaki green. I don't have the exact names of the colors on hand right now. Let's just feel secure in saying that it looks 152% better than it did before. We still have the cement colored brick and dark brown roof to contend with, but when I focus just on the center third (ish) of the house, I smile.

Okay, now that it's May 14, and our house looks generally better, I'd like to share some landscaping pictures. No stories attached. I wish I had some befores. I don't. Get over it. Enjoy. I know I am.

Color Me...

Like many other new home owners, when we first purchased our house, we made a list a mile long of projects we wanted to complete. It has taken a while, but I have finally come around to the idea that we can't do everything at once. Actually, it's less that I've come around to it and more that I was forced into the idea. For one thing, we don't have unlimited funds. I know, it's surprising giving the vastness of our square footage. We're less-is-more people. More than that, there are only 24 hours in a day. On an average day, Rich and I both spend at least 9 hours a day working and commuting. Currently, I'm working on two Master's degrees, and we have various other day-to-day...stuff to do. Nevertheless, there are many projects, large and small, on our short-term list.

Over the last couple years, we've tried to prioritize in attempts to stay sane. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I think if asked what my biggest flaw is, Rich would say it was my impatience. I'm not so impatient with kids or other, larger, humans, but I'm very impatient with projects. Like Veruca Salt impatient. Crate and Barrell's Sloane desk is to me as Oompa Loompas are to Veruca Salt.


Several months ago, we decided one of our first priorities would be our office/craft room. We sat and sat, pondering over different paint colors and styles. Finally, knowing that I would be off for a week with nothing productive to do (Spring Break), I visited Mary & Mike Ray at Campbell's Paint and Wallpaper for some paint! Having only a vague plan in mind, I made my decision based on my tastes and Mary's recommendation. Here's what happened over Spring Break:


First, some before pictures. When we moved in, this was the paint sitch. Where the colors meet, there was a baby themed wallpaper border. That was one of the first things we removed when moving in, but the room sat in a condition similar to this for...ever. The table you see under the window wasn't there. I use that table and the one you see peeking from the right edge of the shot for crafting. Color me Badd. That was both a reference to the way the room looks and to the 90s R&B group.

Below is the closet in its original-to-us condition. Notice the really stylish bookshelf to the right of the closet. It was part of the decor in my room at my parents' house. The closet was really just a catch all for games, DVDs/Blu Rays, scrapbook albums, and other various odds and ends. The lack of a door or curtain has potential in the room, though. It really opens it up. If I can manage to keep it organized, I'd like to keep it this way. Color me ready for change.

On to the redecorating. On day one of Spring Break, I removed all furniture and fixtures from the room and cleaned the walls and ceiling. I didn't take a before picture of the celing, but there was a ceiling fan where that hole is. What's that you ask? Did I remove the ceiling fan myself? Why, yes, I did! I just patted myself on the back. You can pat me on the back next time you see me.

On the same day, I removed the one built-in shelf from the closet. Another first for me: spackling. After removing the shelf, I spackled and sanded where needed. Color me proud.

Finally, on day two of SB, I was ready to paint. One more first for me: cutting in along the ceiling. While it wasn't on my bucket list, I added it later so that I had something to check off.

I think this picture features closet painted and room primed plus one coat. I was disappointed because the color reads much bluer than I hoped it would. It's called Mount Saint Anne by Benjamin Moore. While I hoped for a color that read more grey than blue, I was happy with the final result. Stay tuned!

The color looks a little greyer here. I'm sure it has something to do with the trim being painted Mountain Peak White (also by Benjamin Moore).  Doesn't the white trim look wonderful? I can't stand it. It's a whole different room. I. Love. It. Update: Rich worked very hard installing all new electrical sockets in the room. The original-to-us ones were off-white. We couldn't have that. All white worked better. Paired with white socket covers, it looks lovely. Pat Rich on the back next time you see him too.

Just for the heck of it, here's a picture of what the actual paint looks like. See how grey it looks in the can? Well, it's not in the can here, but you get the point. Oh, well.

The closet and the ceiling is Limesickle by Benjamin Moore. Obviously, it's not what one would imagine when thinking of a limesickle, but it definitely has some green in it. I thought of what a lemon ice looks like (close to white). I think this is the same idea. A lime ice would probably be close-to-white-green, much like Limesickle paint by BM.

Here's the light fixture we chose. If I'm honest, I'm not really happy with it. The same fixture came in a hanging version which I did enjoy. I thought going with this one would give me the same look without the drama the hanging version provides. It doesn't. What makes it worse, we spent 106 bucks on it. While shopping for desks a couple weeks after buying it, I spotted this one at Ikea. $29.99. Are you serious? Color me disappointed. Update: Rich worked his butt off installing the new light fixture. It wasn't super easy either. Way to go, Rich!

Fast forward to right this second. We've been searching for a desk for several weeks now. Rich often complains that I would buy the first thing we find. He's usually right -- I would. Except, I wouldn't buy the first thing I came across if it were not functional or ugly. I guess I'm just easy to please (I think Rich would beg to differ on that one, too). Originally, I was thinking I wanted more of an executive style desk. I said of our redecorating experience, "We have champagne taste on a decent wine budget." I love the idea of things like wainscoting and nice, solid furniture. It's just not always appropriate for our modest home. An executive desk and two flanking bookshelves just aren't appropriate for that 10 x 12 room. Plus, in our searching, we discovered that we really don't need a ton of desk space. I use the room more for crafting than anything else. We use the computer in there, but I don't do homework in there. We pay the bills at the kitchen counter. What we need more than anything is shelf space. I have a ton of books, and I love to fill nooks and crannies with fun accessories from TJ Maxx. We finally settled on the Sloane desk from Crate & Barrell. Here's a picture of it in the room:

It's actually 4 different pieces. There are three bookshelves and one bookshelf/desk section. I can't wait to see what it looks like with stuff on the shelves. For the time being, I can live with that chair from Ikea. I have dreams of something super sleek in a cool color. In time. In the picture, you can also see the area rug I settled on after several weeks of searching. I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted in a rug either, but I'm happy with this one. It came from an unlikely source: Value City Furniture. It was a floor sample, so I got it for 50% off the list price. Color me satisfied.

There's still much to be done in this room. For the sake of keeping you as a reader, I'll save the rest for later.

Color me happy. :)

P.S. Check out Campbell's Paint and Wallpaper in Dearborn, MI for all your paint, wallpaper and framing needs. They offer the best color advice and customer service in Metro-Detroit. They have a full line of stains and tools including Benjamin Moore and Pratt & Lambertt paints. They guarantee their paint and stain color matching, offer in-home color consultations, and service custom picture framing using expert design & workmanship (their every day prices beat Michael's 50% off price). They also offer a large wallcovering library.

Pinterest: The Ultimate Time Waster?

Anyone with a Pinterest account can, on some level, relate to this definition of the noun:

Two weeks ago, I could relate. Now, however, after completing The Pinterest Challenge: Winter Edition, created by Katie Bower @ Bower Power and co-hosted by Sherry @ Young House Love, I feel a little bit more like this:



Admittedly, at times, Pinterest can be a big ol' waste of time. I don't think any of us could deny that. But this past week, I participated in The Pinterest Challenge and put my pinning into action!

Partly because I entered the challenge not having prepared at all, and partly because it looked terribly delicious, I chose to make a Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt loaf, first seen here and pinned here. Even though I love a good craft, I figured for my first ever Pinterest Challenge, I'd do something that would take just a trip to the grocery store and a few hours to complete.

Instead of copying the entire recipe here, I'll let you use the link. I'll simply detail a few things that I ran into whilst baking:

• I accidentally bought extra-large eggs on my last grocery store trip. On this trip, I had to buy more eggs (large size) since in baking, size matters. I opted for a half dozen.
• Because I had never baked a loaf before, I needed to purchase a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Luckilly, it wasn't too expensive.
• I also had to purchase a couple other tools. I probably could have lived without them, but I'm kind of a kitchen tool junkie. I got it from my momma. I purchased a hand grater/fruit zester, much like this one, and a whisk. I know it's strange that I didn't already have a whisk, but I didn't get one for my wedding shower, and I haven't needed one since. Plus, I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer, so ha!
• I actually baked the loaf for 62 minutes total. Twice the toothpick didn't come out clean when I stuck it in. I wonder why. I guess oven cooking times vary.
• I let the loaf cool for 10 minutes before putting it on the cooling rack, just like the recipe requested. Depressingly, the bottom of the loaf seperated from the top of the loaf and I ended up with half a loaf stuck in the pan. Aww, bummer! Oh well. I simply fished the rest of the loaf out of the pan and put the puzzle back together. If you make this loaf, let it cool much longer.

Pinterest Challenge: Winter Edition complete! Below are the pictures. They're certainly not as pretty as the original, but the loaf is definitely just as yummy.

The moral of the story?

I'm being too hard on myself. I've actually finished a number of projects I saw on Pinterest. For example,

• DIY Tile Coasters first seen here, pinned here, and blogged about here.
• Crockpot Chicken Tacos first seen here and pinned here.

• Spicy Thai Noodles first seen here and pinned here.

P.S. Did you notice the too-brown bananas in the background of my loaf pictures? My pinspiration plus those bananas inspired me to make another loaf, banana nut bread. I figured I'd better get my $6 worth out of the loaf pan I bought. Since there are no pictures on the website, I chose not to pin the recipe, but it can be found here and here. They're actually two different recipes. I used recipe #1 fully, except I added the cinnamon from recipe #2.

The Pinterest Challenge: Winter Edition

A freind of mine, Marilena @ Moves in Circles, introduced me to The Pinterest Challenge. This ingenious idea was created by Katie Bower @ Bower Power and is co-hosted by Sherry @ Young House Love as a way to help us put our incessant pinning to action. Participants challenge themselves to finishing a project that they pinned. Projects include crafts, recipes, artwork, you name it. Anything goes. The best part about the challenge? As soon as the hosts announce the challenge, we only get one week to complete the challenge. No more, "I'll make those DIY grocery bags soon for sure!" Shut up and commit!

The Pinterest challenge takes place once per season. A couple months ago, Marilena assured me that she would alert me the next time the bloggers posted a challenge. Thanks, Mod! I hemmed and hawed over which pin I would tackle (ouch), or whether I had the time to tackle any pins at all. I decided to follow my own montra: "It's not that you don't have time for it. It's just not a priority." I twisted my own arm (double ouch).

Meet my pinspiration, first seen here and pinned here:

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
I've been a blueberry fiend lately, so this picture delighted me (to say the least).

While I'm in the midst of the challenge (my Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf is in the oven as I type), I think I'd be breaking the rules if I actually posted the results until Wednesday (the one-week mark since the challenge was announced).

Everyone is invited, so I hope you'll join us for the next Pinterest Challenge (or for this one if it's not too late). Here are the rules:

• Choose anything that you've pinned on Pinterest that you'd like to complete.
• Complete the project and take pictures.
• If you're blogging about it, make sure to link your blog to your pin and to the original source. In other words, give credit where credit is due.
• If you're blogging about it, include the Pinterest Challenge banner, just like I did, somewhere on your blog, linked either to Katie Bower @ Bower Power or Sherry @ Young House Love.
• Finally, on Wednesday, share your project by visiting Bower Power and Young House Love and also sharing it here with me!
• Most importantly, have fun with it.

That's it! I hope you'll join us!

Love, Pizza

Rich and I aren't typically overly romantic. That's not to say we don't love each other to pieces; we just love each other on a more regular basis in more regular ways. For example, there isn't a day that goes by that Rich doesn't make a comment similar to, "You're pretty." We also revel in the 10 minutes somewhere between 5:45 and 6:15 when Rich arrives home from work and we can enjoy hugs from one another. Because we're not ultra-romantic in the traditional sense, we usually don't celebrate Valentine's Day with much fervor. This year was certainly an exception.

Rich's company had some romantic plans of their own. My husband would spend February 14, 2012 in Brazil. Keeping in mind our usual routines and traditions, we weren't devistated that Rich would spend Valentine's Day away from home (except for the fact that he wouldn't be at home - if that makes any sense). Rich put his thinking cap on.

For about a month, I had been drooling over the heart-shaped pizzas Papa John's was advertising. My excitement for the Italian masterpieces had nothing to do with wanting to celebrate Valentine's Day, but everything to do with my affinity for hearts and for pizza. My excitement over these delicious looking pies didn't fall on deaf ears.

At a week before Valentine's Day, Rich considered calling Papa John's and putting in a special order. He figured, and I imagine he's correct, that the company would oblige. A little practice a week before the big day might do  them well. Rich decided, though, that it'd be easy enough for him to create the pizza himself. While on his lunch break, Rich took a trip to Meijer and bought 2 pre-made pizza crusts, pizza sauce, cheese, mushrooms, and green pepper (my favorite toppings). He also purchased a bottle of red wine. For some reason (I'm not sure why), he arrived home earlier than I did that day. This is what I came home to:

Also adding to the ambiance was the music playing in the background: "Marry Me" by Train -- our wedding song.

He also gave me this:

The front of the card reads:
I love you in so many ways and for so many reasons. Because you know me and understand me like no one else ever could. Because you believe in my dreams and care about my feelings. Because you make me laugh so hard and smile so often. Because you have a way of bringing out the very best in me.
Inside:
I love you in so many ways and for so many reasons, but mostly because you are my very best friend. Happy Valentine's Day.

His personal message was the best, though:
I love you Sweetheart so much. That is why I tell you every day I can. I just hope that I show you enough. You are my everything, the most dear to my heart (shaped pizza)!

I couldn't have asked for a better husband or a better, more romantic, Valentine's Day.

DIY Coasters

I wanted to accomplish a few goals during my holiday break from school:

• clean/organize linen closet: check!
• clean/organize craft room: check!
• complete my wedding scrapbook album: check!
• clean/organize the room that houses a spare bed and my clothes: NOT finished! I still have a small amount of time for this; although, I'm not sure I'll get it done considering we're having a small gatherieng for the Lions' game tomorrow. check!
• purchase/hang a coat rack near the back door: purchased, NOT yet hung! As long as Rich finds the motivation, this project should get finished tomorrow. check!
• complete a craft project found on Pinterest: check!

For several months, and with the help of Pinterest, I've been researching ways to use scrapbook paper for things other than scrapbooking. Since I have hoards of it waiting to be messed with, I jumped on the chance to create these simple living space accessories.

To complete this project, you'll need:

• 4 small tiles (4.25" x 4.25")
• 4 scraps of coordinating scrapbook paper
• Mod Podge (no more than a small jar)
• clear acrylic spray
• sticky felt squares or circles, or cork sheets

For this project, my mom donated some tiles she had left over from a years old kitchen counter project. Since they were neutral, they were perfect for me. If you need to make a trip to Home Depot or Lowes, they're very reasonably priced at about 20 cents a piece. I started by quickly washing the tiles with warm soapy water.

As I mentioned before, I have enough scrapbook paper on hand to wallpaper an entire house; but you can find pages that will coordinate with your own decor at places like Michael's JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, Meijer or Target. I chose 4 coordinating sheets of paper and cut a 4" x 4" square out of each.

Next, I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge to the front of the tile and pressed each square of paper onto its own tile. Before the glue dried (Mod Podge sets quickly), I made adjustments to the paper, making sure it was centered on the tile with the same amount of tile exposed on each side. Once the paper was firmly glued down, I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top of the entire tile including all four sides. Depending on the look you're going for, another coat or two of Mod Podge might suit you well. I chose to stop at one. It takes about 30 minutes for the glue to dry completely. I let the tiles sit over night before moving on to the next step.

Luckilly, we've had some mild Winter days, so the next step was easy to complete. Outside on the grass, I applied two coats of clear acrylic spray to the top and side surfaces of the tile. It's unnecessary to spray the bottom of the tiles because you'll be gluing felt or cork to them anyway. Wait about 15 minutes after the first coat to apply the next and then another 15 minutes for them to dry completely.

Once the tiles are entirely dry, it's time to apply either felt or cork to the bottom. This helps the coaster slide and eliminates the possibility of scratching the surfaces of your tables. Originally, I purchased a sheet of white felt with adhesive on the back. The felt was down right cheap at $1.17. I cut small squares in half diagonally and applied each triangle to the corners of the tiles. I wasn't happy with the outcome, so I followed the suggestion of my aunt to purchase a roll of cork from Hobby Lobby. This was the perfect solution. I cut the cork into 4" x 4" squares and used super glue to adhere the squares to the back of the tiles. I think over time, the felt would have frayed, and it left the grout lines exposed on the back of the tiles. The cork squares eliminate both of these problems.
Overall, I was very happy with the outcome. This project was extremely simple. I expect to make these in the future for housewarming gifts. Check out the finished product below!

Hi Sugarplum!