Thursday, September 20, 2012

DIY Pottery Barn Lamp

My friend Brittany just did the coolest DIY, I had to share it with you guys.  She has been eyeing this Pottery Barn lamp for some time, but was reluctant to spend the money.  During a visit home, her dad helped her to come up with her own version, and it's amazing to me how much it looks like the PB lamp.  She was nice enough to write up a tutorial for you guys....thanks Brittany! 
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"As far as how we made it, we just bought a basic lamp kit at Lowe's. It came with a brown cord and since it would be fairly visible I bought a separate cord that was longer and clear so it would be less of an eye-sore. I also bought a smaller harp for the lamp because the one that came in the kit ended up begin too tall. You can buy all the lamp parts separate but the kit is a good start, even if you have to end up buying some supplemental pieces. We also purchased nipples that allow you to screw all the pieces together. These are found in the same section with the other lamp parts. The only color lamp parts I could find in the store were gold so I just spray painted them black. Easy. The part that you have to be a little creative on is how to attach the lamp parts to the vase. I'm sure there are a billion ways to do this but we used a pressure test plug for plumbing (purchased at Ace Hardware). They come in different sizes and adjust to fit snuggly in the mouth of the vase. Before we started assembling the parts we drilled a hole in the side of the plug for the cord to go through. After that we just assembled all the parts using the instruction on the lamp kit (YouTube also has some videos for how to put the lamp kit together). Then we topped it off with our shade of choice and that was it! I bought that particular vase at Pier One and the shade from Pottery Barn." 





Monday, September 17, 2012

Scenes From My Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend enjoying the beginnings of Fall weather.  We did some exploring around the Thousand Island region and Boldt Castle.  If you didn't already know, Boldt Castle has a sad/sweet story behind it.....George Boldt (proprietor of Waldorf Astoria Hotel of NYC) bought Heart Island (it's literally heart-shaped)to build a castle on it for his wife Louise.  She died suddenly during the construction of the castle, and in his grief he ordered all construction to cease.  The Thousand Island Bridge Authority finished it 73yrs. later.  It really is a beautiful place.   
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Another mid-century Craigslist find
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Quality time by the water.....

We wrapped up the weekend with me learning how to make spaghetti squash (finally!) and football.  Fall is officially here and I love it.





Friday, September 14, 2012

Mini-Project/Mini-Bathroom Makeover

I have been slowly working at this bathroom off and on since last Fall when I wrote about my driftwood mirror here.  Since then, I changed out our hand towels and shower curtain, organized our bathroom items, and finally finished it off with this latest chalkboard wall piece.  Being renters, I wasn't willing to change out the light fixtures (as much as I want to) or anything else that we wouldn't necessarily use in our next home.  I love having a place where Red and I can write funny quotes/inside jokes, Bible verses, or notes to each other.  It's nice to wake up to.    
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This was super easy.....I just used this shaved off piece of a tree stump (you could either do this yourself or do what I did and buy one for $8 at Michaels).  Then just after a couple coats of chalkboard paint...you're done!  


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Just Some Mineral Inspiration

Here is an entire hotel in Bolivia made of salt.  Pretty cool right?  One rule to remember-guests are not allowed to lick the walls.
 
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"Mineral-like" Dynasty wallpaper from Anthropologie
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Mineral Plaster
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I had to do a double-take here to see that it was a photo and not a painting.  These are the terraced pools (of mineral laden-water) in Maras, Peru.  
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"Mineral" print by Karina Eibatova
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Monday, September 10, 2012

White-After-Labor-Day Picks

It has been a really long time since I've done a fashion post.  This is partly due to the fact that though I love fashion, I'm most definitely not a fashionista.  I tend towards classic pieces with a few trendy things interspersed.  With that said, I still get a little excited about Fashion Week in NYC and have been enjoying the ongoing inspiration.  On a side note- during our trip to DC, my grandma gave me a copy of Vogue's September issue.....and it just confirmed what I already knew- that besides being the sweetest and "wittiest" Grandma, she is also the coolest.  Anyways, here are my picks for white after Labor Day....because that rule is out the window in my book. 
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1. Love this look for those awkward temperatures when it's right in between warm and cool.
 

Here is a similar blazer from Madewell (it might be the same one?):

2.  Fitted white dress from Zara

3.  Cozy knits

4.  Chic all white/cream outfit.....

5.  Every woman needs a white silk blouse

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Friday, September 7, 2012

It's Here!

If you've noticed I've been absent on here lately it's because we are in DC for short trip and we're cramming a lot of things into a short amount of time (I'll be back next week!).  I did get a chance to grab a copy of Domino's special edition Fall/Winter issue, and I've already poured over it twice.    Here are some of my favorites(you may notice a few poor quality iphone pics)...... some are new and some I've seen before.  It's a beautiful issue though, be sure to grab your copy! 
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

First Impressions

We've all seen the elaborate and slightly over-the-top entryways in design magazines (and they are beautiful), but lately I'm drawn to a more understated beauty.  There is something calming and inviting about these images.  These are homes where I would feel comfortable "just popping in" and then probably find myself staying longer than planned.  That's the kind of home I want to have..... 
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Monday, September 3, 2012

Friday Roundup on a Monday

Hey guys!  Hope you are enjoying your Labor Day and soaking in these last few days of Summer.  I'm being featured over at Poppytalk today, so go check that out here.  And lastly, I give you Friday's roundup a few days late..... 
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via          
    
The personal trainer in me and the design lover in me both love this
Joy Cho's A Day of This & That
The story behind Keep Calm and Carry On
Thanks to this post, I've become addicted to dry brushing.....and it really does make a difference
Just discovered this blog