Lettuce Turnip the Beet

Hey guys! I’m excited to tell ya that I’ve been selling a lot on Etsy! I’m definitely excited… its definitely something I’m doing for fun instead of for profit but its always reassuring if people are interested and making purchases! Today I’m going to be shipping to Australia! How cool is that? Anyway, I have a new print to add to my kitchen prints line. This really all started with me really needed a conversion chart in the kitchen but they were all so ugly so I made my own pretty one! They are all up on Etsy if you are interested. Anyway, this one, i think i saw the quote on a tshirt somewhere and i thought it would be really cute in the kitchen. So here ya go!

Say Hello to my Little Friend!

This lil wooden mannequin was a necessary purchase. No, I’m not doing any life drawing anytime soon – that class was just intense. I just remember my mom having multiple of these little dudes and playing with them when i was a kiddo. I saw him at ikea this weekend for about 4 bucks and he just HAD to come home with me. So into my awkwardly large ikea shopping bag he went. He has landed right on my desk. I think he likes to take care of my pens for me.

He also likes to hand me things like scissors. Hes pretty strong for a little dude.

And he’s been making friends really quickly. He’s definitely bonded with my chinese lion bookend….

Yes i know im a geek. Anyway, lots of fun entertainment and all for just a few bucks! I thought about painting him a fun color or even staining him, but for now i like the light natural wood. Now i just need to figure out what the heck im going to name him. Of course, woody was my first thought. which is terrible… so we’re still working on it. Any votes?

Only took 2 years…

Sometimes projects just dont go well. In this case… its taken 2 years. Yikes! I bought this “E” from goodwill for maybe 2 bucks almost TWO years ago! It started off as a badly colored gold color so i decided to spray paint it purple and go from there. One of the problems with this one was it was broken in a few places. Both the top and the bottom have huge cracks and i kept filling them with glue but since they were hollow, the glue would settle through the bottom of the whole thing. So eventually i gave up and forgot about it. Now, this is for my sweet sister, Erin. Shes the one who taught me to crochet over here. Then i had a beyond brilliant idea… not only will using yarn hold the E together, it will also be a crocheter’s dream! (is that how to spell corcheter?! is that even a word?)

So voila! It actually took a lot more yarn than i expected and it was also more difficult to wrap than i expected. All of the straight sections were pie. But all of those edges and corners… two words: glue gun. I also tried to wrap them “pretty” instead of looking like i was intoxicated while i did it… or without it looking like it has a grey cast on.

Oh, and see that little grey ball of yarn? That is all thats left! I’d used it for one or two small projects but most of it is wrapped on that there “E”!

Heres a bit more detail on the edges for ya…

I thought about adding a little crochet flower or some other decor like that but… i like simplicity. I definitely tend to overcomplicate things.

Have any projects that have been sitting around for 2 years? Get on that!

Hope you like it, Erin!!

-Rach

Feather Your Nest

There are SO many amazing shops in Austin that i never go to but need to. Like Feather your nest.  Its right off of 35th and Jefferson in a busy shopping center. I’ve drivin by this shop maybe 100 times but never went in. So this time i did.

Right when you walk in you get a hit-you-in-the-face amazing whiff of soaps, candles and other yummy scents.

They had about 15 different unique, funky chandeliers made out of awesomeness.

Adored this mirrored antique tray.. but at over 300 bones, its a bit out of my broke ass budget. Yup, i said it.

I definitely had to resist the urge to jump on the oh so cozy beds, but all the 50 signs telling me not to made me think twice. They had so many soft, patterned linens and pillows, i was in heaven.

These suckers were maybe my favorite things in the store. They just remind me of the ocean… like something you’d find in a vibrant reef. Just me? I guess they could also look like a medieval torture device. I’d prefer to think of the ocean though. Especially if they were hanging next to my bed.

It was very hard not to take a few of these babies home. Check it… handmade vibrant frames from India.

I LOVE this front orange and blue one… i need it.

They also had some of the best smelling bath goodies ever. Every bar of soap was amazing.

And heres my final thoughts on Feather Your Nest:

Great quality goods priced a bit high. If you’ve got the budget for it, go crazy. If not, you can definitely pick up some yummy scents or fun accessories!

-Rach

Decorating 101: Walls

So Ive had multiple people tell me this week that i need to come over and decorate. First off, heck yes! I love to decorate, especially when its with someone elses credit card. What I’m realizing is how hard it is to move into a house with horrible paint color… throw your furniture wherever it best fits and then to be overwhelmed with how the heck to start decorating. So i put together a few tips! The most important thing to know is that its going to take time. Its not going to change overnight unless you have the money to do so. Even then, its better to just gather pieces you love, pillows you adore and random crap to make your house (or apartment) a home!

So first up, we are talking about cho walls. This is the easiest way to change up the feel of the room. And sometimes drastically. You can add paint, wall paper, shelving, pictures or art… this is a great way to add some color and have a little fun!

Paint

My first advice is not to go too crazy. or too boring. I’ve been house hunting and some houses are completely white… not a single hint of color on a single wall. And theres other houses where you feel like you’re walking through a rainbow. And thats not a good thing. Feel free to go bold on one wall, but not 20. Not sure about what color you want? Check out My Colortopia! This is a great new website where you can import an image and it comes up with multiple corresponding colors for you. For example, i uploaded this image from Desire to Inspire.

I uploaded the image and then it asked me to select a part of the room that i love in particular. It came up with a few selections of colors. Pick each of those colors and it comes up with a full color palate for you. This is a great option when you have no clue or maybe you like one rug or accessory in particular but youre not sure what colors would go great as paint colors. So definitely check it out, its a great resource!

A coat of paint can do wonders to a space. West Elm turned this boring office into a cozy space with a great deep ocean blue.

Your color choice always determines the mood of the room. If you want a calm, relaxing “spa-like” environment, go for lighter colors like sea green.

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Also dont be afraid to try some crazy colors. Maybe a bold yellow, green or even purple. I wouldnt suggest your whole house be eggplant, but one accent wall in the bathroom would bring out a nice relaxing space to come home to.

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Wallpaper

How about some wallpaper? Theres a ton of really great new modern wall paper like what MadebyGirl used in her office over at Graham and Brown. Isnt this so cute?!

Stencils

What about stenciling? I love the look of a high glossed stencil over a matte paint color. Does this look classy or what!? I’ve heard it takes a while but its always worth it. Image from Cutting Edge Stencils.

I love everything about this shot. Such a pretty wall!

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How about a chevron accent wall? How can you not love this!? Adorbs.

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Shelving

The best way to keep your house from feeling like your home is to have big blank walls. I know that you’ve got a ton of really cute pictures that need to be printed and framed. How about a cute mirror to add some depth. Even an old poster could be spruced up by throwin a fancy frame on it. Put up some floating shelves and add some decor, frames and accessories.

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Frames

Over at Young House Love they snagged some inexpensive frames from ikea that are huge and square. Then they simply added colored paper! Its really that easy to get a fun pop of color.

You can always change it later to polaroids or photos.

Art

You dont have to be a millionaire to have some great art. Etsy has really made some incredible art accessible. If you know me, you know i love Mae Chevrette. As must as I’d love an original piece, you can grab a high quality, archival print for less than 50 bucks (depending on what size you get!) $42 bucks for a 16 x 20 of this “Always” print would look just lovely on my walls.

How about 42 bucks for a large 18 x 22 print of this Boston skyline:

And one of my favorite “Bloom” paintings:

All four images above are by Mae Chevrette!

Just get on Etsy and dig around. You can find tons of amazing artists selling either originals or inexpensive prints! Go find YOUR favorite artist!

DIY Art

You could also always make your own art! I am no painter. Read here and you know i just like to push around paint… its more fun than anything for me. But just sometimes i come up with something i enjoy enough to put up on my walls. In this case, my best friend’s wall:

Or these recent fun, small little paintings that add a great splash of color to my office:

Or this piece that i put up in our bedroom. Love maps? Paint one! What do you love? What colors do you love? Its definitely the cheapest way to bring some art into your home.

I’ve even got a piece in my kitchen. If you cant paint walls while in an apartment, a large blue painting is a great way to add some color:

Wall Decor

Theres also other things you can put on your wall other than just paintings. I love adding dimension. Like these wall sculptures that are remarkable affordable bring nature inside and add a lot of fun depth to your walls:

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I also love these antique wall tiles i found for  a few bucks a piece at the City Wide Garage Sale. Just find fun things like this that are interesting or pretty to you and throw them up on the wall. I love the texture and interest those two tiles create.

How about just throw some freakin plants on the wall like here from West Elm. Just make sure you have a ton of light in this space or else you’ll have a lot of dead plants on your wall.

How about a chalkboard and 3D letters. I love this space because the walls are covered… but somehow its still not too much. Love it!

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So get to it! Go grab a bucket of paint and add a little character to your walls.

Also coming up, I’ll be posting Decor 101: Furniture and Decor 101: Accessories. Stay tuned!

-Rachel

Grey + Yellow Office

I adore the combo. So, of course… I’m redoing my art studio and office in yellow + grey! Here is my “dream setup” and gives you an idea of whats goin on in my mind brain.

A. Hand build desk similar to this guy by West Elm, Ana White shows you step by step instructions on how to build your own for MUCH cheaper here.

B. Rug by West Elm

C. Sabertooth Scull from ZGallerie. Why? Because everyone needs a sabertooth tiger scull in their art studio…

D. Bookshelf from Overstock

E. cleaver Bookend from CB2

F. Manhattan office chair from Overstock (though you can see my craigslist find here)

G. Filing cabinet from CB2 or find an old one and spray paint! (saves $100+ that way!)

H. Pillow from Target

Considering i have a ton of built in shelving and really dont need a sabertooth scull (though i think it would REALLY help me get inspired… somehow) this is just fun inspiration. Hopefully i’ll be able to post the before and afters soon!

-Rachel