Category Archives: Around the House/DIY

Dec 04 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Fun for Couples

Day 71: Bedroom Makeover

I love a made bed full of pillows. If you saw our bedroom every morning you might not believe this but it’s true. Yet there is one thing that motivates me to make the bed and that is new bedding!

This fun day has been many weeks in the making. I ordered bedding weeks ago and it immediately went on back order. Since then it has been slowly arriving piece by piece. But the final important part, the duvet cover, arrived today. And now our bed looks like this.

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All this bedding-euro shams, regular shams, duvet cover and quilt-is from West Elm. I used all pillows we had and the big gray pillows in back are ones we’ve had for a while. It’s already Elphie approved!

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Nov 25 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Holiday Fun, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Day 62: Christmas Decorating Mania

Today has been the dedicated Christmas Decorating Day on the calendar for a few weeks now. In preparation, I shopped for some new items and ornaments and made a Christmas music playlist (favorite albums this year include Lady Antebellum’s On This Winter’s Night and a compilation called Holiday’s Rule featuring Fun., Rufus Wainwright, and The Shins). My plan: wreath, tree, other decor.

Wreath: very simple. We saved ours (fake) from last year in a wreath box.

Wreath and jingle bell holder both from Target.

Tree: The hubs put it together (fake and pre-lit) and that was, and probably forever will be, his contribution. Well other than putting the star on top and tolerating the Christmas music playing while he was watching the Bears. I fluffed the tree because it was looking a little skimpy but then I got started on the ornaments with bulbs trying to space them out and not have too many of the same color/shine next to each other. Then I just added ornaments all over. I love a totally FULL tree. This year, I also purchased a tree skirt meant for a mini tree, but I thought it would be perfect to just cover the plastic stem on our tree but not take up too much space beyond that (nor be too tempting for a certain puppy to eat).

Tree from Target. Topper from Macy’s. Ornaments from Target, West Elm, Foursided, Pottery Barn, home (Mom).

One Special Ornament: I bought a dog ornament that I thought looked a lot like Elphie, but just to take it to the next level, I colored on it with a permanent marker to add her black markings.

Upper Left: Before. Upper Right: After. Lower Level: Compare the two! Ornament from Pottery Barn.

Other Decor: This year, I took some advice from Young House Love’s book and put all of my decor items on a table together and then tried different combinations all over the house. This was so helpful in getting me out of the mind set that certain items “belong” in certain spaces.

Side Table. All items except the snow globe (Target) from Foursided. That candle smells like mistletoe!
 

Console Table. Reindeer card holder from Target.

Dining Table. Mercury votive holders from West Elm, mercury glass trees from Target, and Santa from Foursided in our usual bowl centerpiece surrounded by glass balls from Mom.

Bar Top. Santa from Foursided. Pine cone from Pottery Barn. The wine chiller is filled with fake cranberries from Target, a glass ornament from Mom, and wine corks.

Bathroom Shelf. Santa’s boots candle holders (I honestly do not remember where I got these. I’ve had them for so long) and December activity card from Walgreens.

Finally, I hung three larger ornaments on doorknobs throughout the house (all from Foursided) and then collapsed on the couch. I should have been taking more breaks because my feet are quite sore now, but I plan on resting, watching the Giants game, and admiring my decor from the couch for the rest of the night!

Nov 19 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Guilty Pleasures, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 56: Ikea

Guilty Pleasure Monday today = a trip to Ikea! While I know this is the furthest thing from a pleasure for many people, I love it. I like strolling through the entire store from start to finish, looking at all the furniture and decor, deciding if I think I can cover picture frames with the fabric from a bedspread or if it makes sense that a regular human can put all these items together using nothing but a crank, all while eating a cinnamon roll. It’s the best.

When I shop alone, I inevitably take forever, like roam through sections totally aimlessly and make decisions at a glacial pace forever. Today was no different. I took my time and thought about things, rather than making rash decisions or purchases. I sat down several times to keep my feet well rested and came to the conclusion that while I could use a bedspread to cover picture frames, I might find a better deal on fabric at a place like JoAnn’s. I did, however, decide that I need a shoe rack to contain the mess that is my husband’s shoes and two side tables that Young House Love assures me I can make in to a headboard. (It’s one project that is in the book and not on the website).

Ikea makes it pretty easy to get items in to a car, but I’m waiting for the hubs to get home to bring those items up to our place. The headboard may end up with its own separate post. Wish me happy building!

Nov 10 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Chicago Specific Fun, Friends and Family

Day 47: Young House Love

A few weeks ago, my sister told me about a blog called Young House Love written by a couple who tackled the task of renovating their old, wood-paneled home using DIY techniques and a lot of time and patience. They took four and half years to get it to their taste. Now they live in a new house with similar challenges and blog full time. They also just published a book that my sister, her best friend and I all preordered so that we could go together to a book signing with these bloggers turned authors at the Chicago West Elm.

After waiting in line for three and a half hours (don’t worry, we brought chairs and were sitting almost the whole time), we finally met Sherry and John, took pictures with them and had our books signed. So much was fun about this experience (especially the free cookies and hot chocolate we got while waiting) but the best part was probably the time the three of us spent reading the book, looking at projects and talking about what we’d each like to do in our own homes.

The intro to the book is totally inspirational and reading it made me feel like I could do many of these projects, as the couple themselves had no experience with renovation when they started. The biggest idea I took from it is that your home should be something you love and that makes you smile every day. And that walking in to a room you made beautiful is satisfying on so many levels. I foresee many fun projects in my future…

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Oct 17 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Friends and Family, Fun for Couples, Online Fun

Day 23: Holidays are coming?

On the list if things that bring me joy, you will find the Holidays very near the top. I love that time of year from Thanksgiving to the New Year. All the baking (eating), decorating, football, first snows, presents and general sense of cheer and love. In October, I start to get the itch but usually suppress it. Let’s be clear, I do not condone putting out Christmas decor before Thanksgiving. Maybe that is why I went for the glass pumpkin and pumpkin candles at Foursided the other day.

Looking through all the photos from the shoot this morning, I got an idea. Design a holiday card! (Ok maybe I had this idea when I originally requested the time slot for pictures. And maybe I withheld that information from my husband to ensure he would be on board. Because maybe I was having major regrets about our decision not to send cards last year. Not that he’s a grinch or anything. He just doesn’t totally understand why I love the Holidays so much). So for the holiday cards we will definitely be sending this year, why not make it personal? I love getting family photo cards, especially from my friends with kids. What better for my husband and I than a family photo with our dog?

And I do enjoy a good photo project (really iPhoto makes it so easy) so I picked a layout, incorporated the perfect picture and chose some words of cheer for the message. All I have to do now is order the appropriate amount. A little bit of holiday joy this morning to tide me over until the real celebrating begins.

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