I'm knee deep (more like neck deep!) in a variety of projects but I wanted to pop in and give you a little peek of what's coming. I often share bits and pieces on my Instagram stories of what I'm working on, but I realize that many of you might not see those so I thought I'd share here, too.
First up, I told you a few weeks ago that I had plans for the shelves in the living room. That project stretched out for about 2 weeks working off and on when I decided to hand paint a pattern on it. It got a bit tedious and I had flashbacks of painting the Powder Bath walls, but I'm so happy with how it turned out! Here's a little peek. As many of you suggested I decided to paint the mantel white and although I was worried about it being too stark against the brick, it's not and I love it!
I can't wait to show you more, the new paint has totally transformed the look of the living room! I've had the itch to change a few other things in the living room too, so I bought yards and yards of these fabrics for something new-
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and a little bit of this happy fabric to throw in the mix too. The colors are so good!
Here are a few tips that in the process of sharing might give you a hint of what I'm doing with all of that fabric. Because of one of my projects, all of my curtain rods needed an overhaul. This is how I rigged them up for easy, all at once painting. I used some jute rope to hang the rods, leaving the finials unscrewed a bit so the robe could hook in between the finial and the rod. Then, I strung another line and clipped all of the curtain rings to it. Some of them didn't have a clip attached so a Christmas ornament hook comes in handy to hook it to the rope. I'm actually sewing my rings on this time instead of using the ring clips, but I waited until after I painted them to remove the clips.
(our poor brown landscape...hurry up Spring!)
Speaking of rods, drapery hardware is expensive! I need really long rods in my living and dining areas (like 10-12+ feet) and if you've shopped you know that sturdy rods that long cost a fortune. To save money, I buy an unfinished wooden pole from the lumber section at Home Depot. I can cut it to exactly the length I want and I think the 12' rod was around $20. You can't beat that! Then, I drill holes in the end and add the finials I want to use. I usually use a coupon at Hobby Lobby for the brackets and rings if I need them (or they have a good selection at Home Depot), although I've had most of those things for years and could re-use them this time.
Speaking of finials, I did want to change those out to something more substantial than what I had before. These were on clearance for $4.25 at Hobby Lobby, hurry and get a pack if you need some!
They are a good size and although I think they fit a 2" rod, my rod is 1 3/8" and they worked fine for it too. The white is the only color on clearance but I knew I was going to paint them anyway so they were fine.
I had a friend on Instagram ask how the paint on the rods holds up after with daily use. I've never had a problem with it, and if anything the top of the rod might get a bit worn from the rings sliding back and forth, but mine never really have. And no one can see the top of the rod anyway if it does!
One more drapery tip that I learned from my friend Emily- When cutting out large pieces of fabric that are all the same (like for curtains, wink wink), measure out the length you want to cut and mark it with masking tape on the floor. I measured each end carefully and used a laser level to make sure my tape lines were straight. Then, just roll out your fabric and cut away! I used to measure every piece with a measuring tape, I can't tell you how much faster and easier this is (and why had I never thought of it before???). I neglected to take a still picture but here's a screen shot from the video clip I shared on Instagram, sorry for the poor quality but you get the gist. (You can't see the other end of the tape but it extends out across the left side of the fabric too.)
Lastly, I probably won't be doing a Five Friday Favorites post this week, but I wanted to share this Bamboo Ark Bag before too much longer! It's been super popular lately and I can't wait to use it this Spring and Summer. The designer version can sell for hundreds of dollars, so this one is a steal coming in around $40.
It comes in 2 different sizes, small and large. Mine is the large, I wanted to make sure that I could fit all of my necessities in, but the small would have probably been fine for a slim wallet, phone, and small cosmetic bag. The quality is very good and I was super impressed by the packaging- they even threw some sweet freebies in like a small scarf to tie on and a few other things. It's packaged so nicely that this would be perfect to send straight to someone as a gift!
It's super cute plain or tie on a scarf to complement your outfit. The slats are very close together so I wouldn't worry about anything falling out (I mean a credit card might if it's loose in your bag, but a pen wouldn't), but I plan to use a few small bags inside to contain the contents (like these!- Hobby Lobby has some cute sets).
Large Bamboo Ark Bag || Vintage Scarf
(My kids were kind of enthralled by it when they saw it sitting on the table... "What is that?" A purse. "Are you going to use it?" YES! "It looks like Noah's Ark." (which I thought especially hilarious considering the name of the bag which my kids had no clue about... ha!)
So much goodness! Thank you for sharing those tips and tricks.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the end results!
loving all of these little peeks!!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE your new happy fabric! Can't wait to see what magic you do with it.
ReplyDeleteYou'll love that blue and white drapery fabric! I used that fabric to make pillows for my blue and bedroom and was just considering making more for my living room. It's lively, but soothing. It always makes me smile! Love reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteMary, I think that's the perfect description- lively, but soothing!
DeleteCannot wait to see your bookcases!
ReplyDeleteAnother great tip for long wooden rods that I got from my drapery installer, rub a line of clear silicone across the top of the rod and the rings will slide smoothly for years.
ReplyDeleteI had that Bamboo bag in the smaller sixe 40 yeaars ago! I paid less than ten dollars for mine. I usually had a scarf in it, just to be sure nothing fell out.
ReplyDelete