WHAT is wrong with me?!?!?!?!

That is a REALLY good question, and frankly, one that would take wayyyyyyyyyy more time and energy than I think any of us really care to devote to answering.

However, there is, as my mother would say, "a reader's digest version."

Let me clarify: when I ask "What is wrong with me?" I mean "WHY have I not posted anything in a month and a half?"

The answer?

I have no idea. I think I got lazy reading everyone else's and was like "eh, that'll do." But I was so lazy I couldn't even point you here, here or even here....which is basically like oxygen to me.

I'm really sorry. Please forgive me. Also, I work, right? so there's that...... (you're not buying that excuse, are you?)

So here's a promise: I promise that I will post more frequently, unless something better, I mean, urgent (like watching everything I've Tivo'd in the past 6 months) comes up. Heh.

But really, there have been some great things going on out there that you should see. So in the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some awesome projects I've seen.

Also, I know I told you about all those projects I had started myself. Let's be honest: I have not started a single one of them. So sue me. Okay, please don't sue me. Now that the weather is getting craptastical, the "summer dining room" that was our carport is coming down, till next year, which means I'll have a work space to attempt doing some of this crap in, until the snow catches up with me (God willing, right?)

[NOTE TO SELF: go buy chains this weekend at Wal Mart while in Lake Chelan]

[QUESTION TO SELF: can I use chains with my Ford Explorer? I have 4 wheel drive, but we know what happened last year when I really depended on it: Sergio crapped out on me - Sergio is my black Ford Explorer. I will have to ask about using chains and 4 wheel drive]

Okay, right, so back to decorating stuff. Ummmmm, where were we? Right, I promise to work on my projects. I've got the following to do:

-strip and refinish that office chair I got for Paul, even though he told me he doesn't want it - even without seeing it, or letting me give a description

-strip and stain or paint cute entryway table I got on Freecycle (currently Barney purple with broken top)

-cover and fix elementary school cabinet that was supposed to be our china hutch that I've had for over a year, which houses a bunch of crap we don't want people to see. (yeah, cuz the sunshine yellow and orange doors and sides are totally camo)

-Store all my summer clothes (um, I didn't even take them out of storage, so why are they all over my bedroom floor?)

-Knit everything in sight:

-puff ball ottoman

-hat for Paul

-scarf I started 4 years ago, seriously, I'm not joking

-water bottle cover

-hat for little Jackson (our friends' newborn)

-Take a picture of Emily and I and put it in a damn frame once and for all (we have many empty frames all over the house, it's weird.)

-Buy a house.

Okay so that wraps it up!

WHAT?! Oh, you saw that last one? riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Well, I've been himming and hawing for a year or so now, and I think it's really time for me to get serious about it. I think I'm one of those people that is in a situation to be able to buy, and if the price is right and the project looks good......you know what I always say! "I'll start that this weekend"

Oh! Also, one last note: I'll try to take pictures of Chelan this weekend to show you and gush over when I return, AND I am attempting to start my long overdue food blog, so if you have any name suggestions, I'm all ears people!

hugs!

Siiri

Bring the outdoors in, and bring it all together

Grace over at Design*Sponge just did a great DIY post on some homemade botanical prints, and I had to share it with you because I just really love them, and if you have empty frames laying around at home like I do, then it's time to GET CRACKIN' and put them to use.

Best thing of all? It's free if you have the frames already and it's so satisfying and very little actual work involved.

Enjoy!

Stop stalking me, Sunset Mag!

Sunset magazine seems to be stalking me and my summer ideas.

I just showed you my top faves of their out door dining rooms, and now they're showing lanterns you can make......um, anyone think that's a familiar concept they've seen here at Decorazzi this summer? yeah, thought so.

Whatever, I'm no hater, I love some of the takes they have on summer lanterns, so enjoy!

Cute cluster. Me likey!

Then you can mod podge some tissue paper on the outside and create stained glass versions, great embellishment idea for the advanced crafter (easy to do, hard to make look good).

Sunset's version of MY lanterns. :)

Chandelier of mason jars. I would like to see this at night to decide if I really like it.

EXTRA EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! Tablesetting competition!

(taken from Rosana's post on her blog about the contest)

Okay, I can barely even type this, I'm so excited. And I'll ellaborate more later, but I just found out that my favorite local (Seattle) based tablewares design firm, Rosana Inc., is putting on their 3rd annual Tablesetting design competition.

Here's the link to Rosana's blog (Which I just found today and am peeing my pants over), and the rules for the contest. I'll be submitting mine, but must take some careful consideration as to the theme and execution, and will most definitely be enlisting the help of my super secret decor mavens: my florist sister, Kate,

(seen here with the ever precious Riley)

and everyone's favorite gay, Adam, aka Poods.

(Which you remember from my recent project of redoing Paul's office...stay tuned for another update and post on that)

Before and After: Carport/outdoor dining room Phase 1 complete

Hello, my faithful followers!

This weekend was Emily's (my roommate and best friend from childhood) 27th birthday, and she planned a girls night at our house to celebrate. We were very excited, and my end of the preparation was to get our carport to phase 1 completion of it's "outdoor dining room" endeavor.

To jog your memory, here's what we started with:



And after many days of prep work, building my vintage mason jar lanterns (which took so much arm strength, I think I got my upper body work out taken care of for the next two weeks), lots of de-cob-webbing, sweeping, nailing pilot holes and installing cup screws for said lanterns, our center piece lighting and privacy curtains, we finally ended up with this fabulous scene:

I haven't painted the picnic table yet, but hope to in the next month or so. For now, it's a great place to relax with friends. The roses are from our three rose bushes in the front yard, the picnic table as you recall was a recent estate sale find, and the table cloth is a scrap I picked up at the fabric outlet in SoDo.

I hope this before and after inspires you to take something old and make something fabulous!

Out door dining room

We're gonna have in, in our otherwise useless carport (which was SERIOUSLY made for a Model T, I'm not even kidding).

This weekend I'll be taking pictures and transforming our carport from BLAH, to FABULOUS!

Stay tuned for pictures. I'm going to take my estate sale picnic table find (a $22 investment, well worth it) and some estate sale bamboo rolling shades (a $3 gem if I do say so myself) and create some sweet lanterns (also estate sale goodies at $.25 each, and they're realy vintage).

You can see the Seattle skyline from our carport, and we're getting geared up for Emily's 27th birthday party (next weekend, girls only), so it's the perfect time to get it all set up! We're dividing the tasks and tackling the project. I'm in charge of sanding, cleaning and painting the table (might not paint just yet, depends on what's available to me), hanging the shades, making the lanterns, installing screws and hanging lanterns.

Em's in charge of sweeping out the carport, which is my death task, I hate it. With the passion of a thousand winds.

So, stay tuned for another great before and after!

Another great idea.

Hello, Sampson! Anyone home?! Apparantly not, because I have totally been thinking "I really need a bag for my yoga mat, something that I can attach to my gym bag or that has a pocket or something...." but I am toooooo cheap to buy anything.

Enter the obvious: a knit sack, basically a really long hat. Add draw string to the bottom (where you would start the long hat, it would be open, so you could thread the draw string through that first row of stitches). then either add a knit strap, or a couple of caribeaners (sp?) to either end and clip that bad boy to the strap of my gym bag.

DONE!

and that's why they pay me the big bucks, Ladies and Gents.

I'll be signing autographs for the next 10 minutes, and they're $20 a piece. Now no pushing and don't talk to Ms. Sampson.

Thank you and good night!

And another thing!

So in my house and at the condo, we have doors that sometimes need stopping! Like when we come back from Costco with arm loads of stuff, and we're running between the car and the lobby, then the lobby and the elevator, then the elevator and the hallway, and finally the hallway and the front door of the unit. (Phew! I'm out of breath just thinking about it!) These "Tube" door stops would be great for that, because they'll hold any door, they're small so I can put them in my car, purse or pocket, when needed, and they're COLORFUL so you wouldn't forget you put it there (unlike those ulgy old doorstops you remember from Sunday School, libraries or hospitals).

Then, for the screen door at the house, and other party like situations, I'd want something more design oriented, that is a bit whimsicle (sp? sorry), and old school, to fit with my eccletic style:

Like this hot little number, from Design Within Reach (or without reach, God, who's paying $100 for a doorstop again? remind me of where they live, so I can go steal this from their rich front porch).

I'm making that knot myself, and I'm doing it this weekend, with the help of my Eagle Scout boyfriend, and handyman brother in law. (Sorry guys, you're knot off the hook this weekend! ha Ha, get it? know? hook? yeah....................)

This would do nicely.

I just saw this fab French industrial book case that I could SO easily repro on my own.
I was reviewing the extensive and wonderful "book storage roundup" which is offered by Design*Sponge, but I was referred by Jamie over at i suwanee.

This could be a cool alternative to Paul's condo book storage, and it could go behind the chair I want to put there (for additional company seating). And since it has massive casters, it would build consistency with the desk I'm going to build (that drafting table I have, but I'm going to replace the saw horses with HON 2-drawer filing cabinets with commercial casters on the bottom for height and mobility, and of course a bit of manliness.

I'll punch your lights out. If you don't give me coffee.

Funny but true, if I'm in a grumpy morning mood, (which only happens on mornings where I wake up, so that's only 100% of the time really), I need a steaming cup with cream and sugar.

And now I can have a mug that says that, without necessitating me either:

1. talking to you

2. punching you in the face

Thanks, Karich Design.

pain is: squeeky metal hollywood bedframe

Get out of my face with your stupid, ugly, loud and dumb bed frame.

I have a dumb Hollywood frame for my bed, and so does Paul. Yes, it beats having it on the ground, but by such a small margin that I can't even show you with my fingers.
I have been searching for the perfect bed frames, one for the condo: manly, urban, and most importantly Paul proof*, and a pretty one for my house.

I am still searching. There was a close call, but then I figured he'd be able to somehow break it, just by looking at it. So I decided against it. He's like the Chuck Norris of furniture.


If anyone has any ideas, please dump them in my lap, before my skull collapses from lack of good bed options.

In other news, my bed can be pretty, and made of anything short of tissue paper or toothpicks. I have been debating bed concepts for a while, but basically I'm stuck between a white canopy bed, or a sleigh bed, or an old wrought iron bed. (BTW: so sick of people misspelling that word on Craigslist).

I have not even found a picture that would come close to describing this for you, but I'm sure you have an imagination. So get to work, mommy's tired.

Help me before I make one. We don't need another project around my house.


*"Paul proof" is a term I have created to mean: indestructable, unbreakable, made of nuclear strength metal, must crush with a the power of a thousand anvils in order to dent.

Follow Up: I think I can, I think I can

Hey there,

So, I have a couple of pictures, but........................they're not the best. One is fuzzy, and neither really shows the hat. So sorry, but maybe there'll be another opportunity to wear it, or maybe I'll get annoyed enough and retake the pictures later.

Either way, here's how it sat on my head (PS: my hair didn't go so well, but them's the breaks)

I think I can, I think I can!

So, this weekend I'm going to a wedding shower for a friend of Paul's (she's Polish also, a couple years younger than Paul, but their families have known each other since before the kids were born), and I got the invitation a couple of weeks ago. It said that it's a hat party. Well, that should be fun, right? I have a few cute dresses to choose from.......but no hats to go with any of them. I LOVE hats, and have a TON of them, but none of them are "fancy" hats that would go with a dress.

Before I realized it, it was Thursday night and the shower is in two days! YIKES (at least I already have the gift! thankyouverymuch Macy's online!). So I decided rather than hunt various thirft stores for an overpriced hat that may or may not match one of my dresses (not to mention sometimes they're just a little musty smelling and "don't-touch-me-or-I'll-break-into-a-million-pieces" delicate, I'd make my own custom hat! Hat Couture (sorry, I know that was lame - 'hat'/'haute', you get it)

So off I went to JoAnns. Since I didn't have my dress with me, and wasn't even sure which one I'd wear (Depending on how fat or skinny I am, and the weather/temperature, and my mood), I got supplies for the hat in three different colors: forest green, navy, and dark taupe/beige.

I spent $20.75 on all the supplies. Here's what I used to create the hat:

-a kids sized foam visor: $1
-1 sheet of craft felt (eco-fi, made from recycled plastic bottles): $.72
-1/2 yard of shiny tulle (of which I used about 1/4 of): $.65
-a high temp glue gun (I only had a low temp one): $2.50
-a bag of mini glue sticks (I used 4): $2.50
-a fake Magnolia bloom (was 50% off): $2.50
-a fake cherry blossom bloom (or something like that, also 50% off): $1.99

Total price: $9.36 + tax (per hat, except of course the glue gun stuff you only buy once)

First I made a duplicate of the visor on some scratch card stock, so I could cut it up and play with how to make the actual hat form from the foam (say that 5 times fast).

Once I had figured out how I wanted the hat form to look, I used my template card stock to cut the foam, then glued it in place with my glue gun.

Then, I flipped it upside down and traced it on the wrong side of the felt, so I had a 1" boarder. I cut the felt out and used the glue gun to stretch, wrap, glue and repeat all the way around (of course doing the opposite ends first to avoid pulling and weird gathering). so then I had the basic hat form. (Save that scrap of left over felt for later, so you can cover the bottom side of the hat. you want it to look professional, right?)

Next, I cut out my tulle shapes. I wanted to do something a bit off center, with some body and volume, so I cut three different sized ovals, and gathered each one separately, (using the glue gun to "sew" at the gather. once the glue was dry, I had little veils). Then I sat in the mirror and played with positioning. After deciding on each one's position, I carefully glued it in place on the top side of the hat.

Once all three were complete, I grabbed my mag bloom, pulled it off the stem, cut the plastic part beneath it as short as possible, and then went back to the mirror to see where I wanted to position it. But FIRST, I pulled the big leaf off the stem and put that in place, so the flower had a base, and the hat had some contrasting color (otherwise it would be all white, cream and tan. blah!)

So, once you've got the mag (or other flower bloom) and leaf glued down, you can use your filler flower to fill in (duh) spots that either show a bit of glue, or show the base of your work. This way you add a pop of color, and some nice detailing that does double duty to cover your tracks!

Now, you're almost done. Take that left over felt, cover the bottom side of your, gluing it ALL OVER so that it really stays put. This is important because later you might need to use this as a base for bobby pins or a comb, to secure into your hair.

I however, took the stem from my filler flower, curved it into a headband, fit it to my head and cut it to the right length. It's already covered in floral tape, so it's a little sticky-ish, and it blends into most hair color (people are looking at the hat anyway, right?!) Then I sat in front of the mirror, AGAIN, and played with the position of the finished hat, atop the head band.

Once that was in place, I carefully took the hat with headband off, ran to the table. and traced the headband on the under side of the hat, so I can glue it later, if I decide to use the head band rather than bobby pins or a comb.

If you use bobby pins, then either get some that are going to blend in with your hat (you've done all this work, don't ruin the illusion with ugly bobby pins showing on the top of the hat) or you'll want to create little loops for the bobby pins to slide through using scraps of your felt on the bottom side of the hat.

Okay, without further ado, her are the pictures of the finished product (I promise to take more pictures when I'm wearing it, so you get the full effect):

This is the top view of the hat (above).

This is the back side of the hat....where most of the work would show, so I used my filler to cover it and act as a garnish to the major bloom (above).

This is the front/side of the hat (above). The tulle will sit over my left ear and side of my face. there are three layers of tulle, all in different positions and different sizes, you'll see when I post pics of me wearing it.

Okay, go and build!

Pear cozy

I was just checking in over at SeeSaw Designs, and they were highlighting the ubercute apple jacket.

I decided I must have its cousin, the Pear Jacket (although I'm calling it the Pear Cozy) from Handamade, this superpresh Etsy designer.

Here it is in all its glory:

Although I might ask them to join Reveal and put up the pattern...doubtful they would since this is one of only a handful of items they make.....and it's a steal at only $8.00, considering how many pears I eat a week....

And now back to your previously scheduled programming. work.

Headboard? What headboard?

Sometimes I'm pretty sure I'm still in my freshman year of college, because I have this piece of crap bed frame that I think we found out back near the dumpsters of the apartment building I used to live in....classy, I know.

I'm hell bent on finding a cheap bed frame that is also beautiful, but I'm having this internal dilemma between making the frame myself, or holding out to find one on Craigslist. So far, the holding out hasn't worked so well. My thought was to create something neat from materials at the local salvage yard, SecondUse, that way it'd be custom and if I ruined it, I wouldn't be out a lot of cash, just a lot of my time.

But then I saw this article (also on Sunset.com): http://www.sunset.com/home/decorating/great-ideas-for-headboards-00400000039992/page17.html



This one is great, it's an old pocket door that they reclaimed, super dramatic. just like me. (at least I admit it)

I like this wooden one, for many reasons, it's so masculine, but they still have that woman's touch with the nook.

Does anyone have any great beds to show off? What about sources for frames or materials?

Sew perfect!

Okay, I know I should be posting a "welcome to my blog" post right now, but I can't help it.

I. MUST. BUY/SHARE/SHOW/DROOL OVER. THIS.

It's sew perfect and I think I might rip off the idea. I'm thinking of doing seasonal covers in this style (shilouette) for some great down throw pillows I have.



http://www.pointclickhome.com/blogs/i_design/wiener_dog_style

I promise (to try) to do a "welcome to Decorazzi" post lates.

MUAH!