Friday, May 20, 2011

Check out the Hi Sugarplum 1 Year Anniversary Giveaway!

Check out the Hi Sugarplum 1 Year Anniversary Giveaway here! She's giving away some fantastic prizes!

Look Ma, I can SEW!


Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are looking forward to your weekends. I am attending a housewarming party this weekend for one of my best friends, and I can't wait! I whipped up an easy little gift for the hostess that I'll share with you next week.

I did want to share the pillows I recently made for my living room with you. My mom taught me in a night, and now I'm addicted! I think the mix of patterns looks great together.




The pillow on the far left is Wilmington Covington fabric. It's available for a great price here. I plan on also using some to trim the curtains in my living room, which are currently solid brown with a cream velvet stripe on the bottom. I was hooked on this fabric after seeing the gorgeous curtains in Emily's office.

 The middle pillow is the Premier Prints Zig Zag fabric in rust, on sale here. The orange pillow on the far right was made by mom mom using some fabric from Hancock Fabrics in the remnant pile.


I love how great the Zig Zag pillow looks on the Avington chairs in my living room, currently on sale here.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! :)

I joined the Remodelaholic party today! Go check out all of the wonderful inspiration!








Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Pattern Love: Suzani

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of anything patterned. I like bright, vibrant patterns on my clothes, my dishes, my furniture, my curtains, and the list goes on and on.

One of my favorite patterns right now is Suzani. I love how it's almost always done in bright shades, and it has a slight Moroccan tinge to it that I can't resist. 

Here are some of my favorite Suzani patterned items right now:

(I ordered this for my guest room makeover)






Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Kelly Green Bookcase Makeover

After yesterday's post about the color Kelly Green used on furniture, I thought I'd show you the piece in my house I recently transformed using this color. This little bookcase serves as a console table in a corner in my living room. 

Here is the before:
Not terrible, but far from fabulous. I don't like the way I had it accessorized either, so giving it a fresh coat of paint inspired me to do a little bit of redecorating too. 

Here it is now!


(Don't worry, I swept underneath after this picture was taken :) 
Isn't it so fresh and springy? To be honest, I just took to this thing with some sandpaper and then two coats of spray paint. I spray paint furniture whenever I can, for two reasons: one, it's a whole lot faster and the coats seem smoother than when done with a brush, and two, because I change things so often I don't need a super durable lasts-forever finish. Though I haven't had a problem with furniture flaking that I've sprayed with spray paint. 

I used Rustoleum's Meadow Green in a Gloss finish:

I swear by this stuff. It's magic! 

So what do you think of the transformation? Better, no? 

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Color Diaries: Kelly Green

Hello! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I didn't get a lot done around the house because I was out of town at a wedding, but I did sew up a couple of new pillows for my living room. They are made of the popular Wilmington Covington fabric and are a great pattern in my otherwise solid living room!

Switching gears, one of my current favorite color trends is the use of kelly green on furniture. This vibrant shade of green can transform an otherwise outdated piece of furniture to a piece that breathes new life into a room. Need proof?










What do you think? Would you go bold with a piece in your house and paint it a vibrant bold green? I jumped on this trend and am loving how it turned out...Look for tomorrow's post to see the results!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Go join the No Minimalist Here Open House Link Party!

I joined the No Minimalist Here Open House Link Party!

Check out some of the fabulous homes and projects of others here.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Jewelry Armoire Makeover

Ever had a piece in your house that was both a blessing and a curse? Something that's absolutely essential for your needs but is SO UGLY that you hide it away? Enter: my jewelry armoire. 



I got it as a gift from my mom quite a few years ago, and despite it's ugly appearance, I desperately need it for all of my treasured baubles. Until recently, it's been stowed away in my closet so that I don't have to look at it :) 

I didn't want to put any money into purchasing a new one as it's perfectly functional, but as my wardrobe has expanded my closet has gotten seemingly smaller and I needed to find the armoire a new home. There has always been an empty spot in my master bathroom between the closet and the shower, and so with a fresh coat of paint, I got this: 



This type of furniture has never been to my taste, but I love that when painted a vibrant color it almost looks....modern? 


And I think it ties in quite well with the shower curtain when styled. Also, the aged brass flower plaques tie in with pattern on the shower curtain as well as match the aged brass of the drawer pulls. 

Do you have any brightly colored furniture in your house?