Linens, and Wicked, and Cake! Oh My!

The last few weeks have been busy with things at home, things out and about, and foodie things.


I've slowly been trying to put our bedroom together since our move some months ago (eep! almost 9!), but it needed to begin with the curtains. I bought the purple Ikat fabric over a year ago, and a friend of mine sewed them together to make some panels a few months back. Right before we moved we purchased an upholstered headboard, which has been the first headboard we've had since we were married. No kidding! We then got some simple natural linens, and then ... I waited for the final piece. And it finally went on sale! It's that lovely coverlet with a paisley design, and matching shams.

Now all the room needs is for some pictures to go over the bed (I have them, they just need to go up), and for a bed skirt -- do you know how hard it is to find an off-white bed skirt? *sighs* Unfortunately, I may have to go with "ivory." Here's hoping it's not too yellow!

~*~

And then, a weekend before Mother's Day, I took my mom to go see the musical Wicked! I've seen it before, but I wanted her to experience it. She loved it. It IS quite the production. You're not supposed to take pictures, but I managed to go near the stage AFTER the production was over and take a picture of the backdrop that greets you when you first enter. It's a map of Oz, with the Emerald City in the middle (with it's twinkly lights).

~*~

And, to celebrate May, we had a May Day party at work, and I decided to be ambitious and attempt a delicious-looking dessert I had found via Pinterest—a Triple-Lemon Blueberry Cake (3 layers, with lemon juice, zest, extract, oh, and curd, so, maybe, technically, 4-Lemon ^_-).

And, not an official P52 shot, but I got a pic of the inside. Yum!

I know, I know, I promised I would not try to post food pics for my Project 52, but ... I've never made a cake like this, so I HAD to take a picture of the success. Not only did it come out pretty, it was DE-LISH! (I added the sugared blueberries, as the frosting was a little plain because I could not get it to go yellow—I think I got the wrong kind of food coloring.)

So, there ya go! My last few weeks in review.

Christmas Printable

I came across this idea on someone else's blog, and I thought I could easily make one, in a color I wanted!

Have you seen those "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters? Well, this is a Christmas version of that poster.

And, you are free to download and print out to use in your holiday decor! I have two versions, each in green and red, all in 8x10.

Enjoy!

(To download, click on image, which will take you to the larger image. Then just save down to your computer by clicking "Save Image As." You can print at home, or take somewhere that makes prints. Any questions, just let me know!)

Christmas Decorations are Up!

So, I don't usually put my decorations up the day after Thanksgiving, but ... knowing how crazy my December (and part of January) will be, I decided it was now, or never.

However, we are not putting up a tree. It's mostly because the cats have really damaged the one we have, and it looks pretty sad. That, and we don't have much room these days. The place it went in last year has a chair in that spot now. And no place else to put the chair.

So, what we mostly decorated was the mantel, and a few other little places here and there. What do you think?

(Sorry about the lighting -- this was taken indoors, without flash, using my phone camera.)

My favorite part is the stockings for the cats. I got them several years ago, and one says "It's All About Meow" and the other says "I've Been Purrfect." Also, very hard to tell, but on the upper left corner of their stockings, on the white cuff, there's a silver embroidered fish skeleton. They're so adorable! Seriously! ^_^

Edited to add:

It's All in the Details

I realized today that I am a true details person. In other words, I love all the little details that take something from simple, to amazing, from cookie cutter, to personalized. But not cluttered. Never cluttered.

Over the last few months I've come to realize how much I come to admire and regard details, and how I try to infuse that into my own life.

The biggest moment of realization came when I was working on my Halloween/Party costume. For me to be Atropos, I had to get the details right, from the use of scissors, to the little hints of skulls (signifying the death she brings). And many people noticed those details. But it's what made the outfit complete. Whole. Interesting. At our church's Trunk or Treat, there was a little girl there dressed up like a Spanish Lady/Flamenco Dancer. She had on these cute little Mary Jane shoes (no heel, as she couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 years old), a pretty red dress on, her hair done up in curls ... and the detail that caught my eye? A white fan that she would flutter every so often. A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. And, while I know it was her mom that probably helped with the outfit, I kind of think the little girl had something to do with it. I complimented her on her fan, and she seemed as appreciative as a little girl can be. *laughs*

I love looking at scrapbookers and card makers to see how just an extra little detail here and there can take a project from simple to fabulous!

I love looking at photographers' blogs and seeing the details they capture with their cameras.

I love watching design shows and reading design blogs, to see how it's easy to transform a room with just a few details.

So, here's another attempt of mine to add some detail to my life. This time, to my home. We live in an apartment, and although we may be able to technically paint the walls, the hassle of having to paint them back isn't really appealing. So, many months ago I saw a great idea on a design blog to incorporate a little color and texture into a room that has a bookcase (or more than one). I've seen people put wallpaper on the backs of shelves (usually built ins) or paint the backs a different color, but this person used fabric instead, and wrapped it around foam core board that she cut down to fit the back of her shelves. It's easy, somewhat inexpensive* (depending on price of fabric) and can be changed out quickly, if need be. And, knowing that I couldn't/wouldn't paint, I decided to do that with my bookshelves that sit in the back of the dining area which is open to the living area.

So, here we have the before and after (which included me removing some books and repositioning others):

The fabric isn't that bright, I just had to use the flash on my camera so it was noticeable. And, there's not an imperfection in the fabric on the right side, it's just the extra light from the mirror reflecting back onto it. The effect is noticeable, for the most part, but still subtle, which I like. And I LOVE the fabric, which was a 365 photo some time back. Almost has a linen look to it, and the paisleys are so fun!

Oh, I know that my eye for details has probably come across because I'm a proofreader. It's something I've been trained to do, but that's just my case. Some people are naturally drawn to it, and some people even have a better ability to translate that into something tangible.

Slowly, but surely, I will try to do that. I usually get people that comment on my home, saying that it feels comfortable. And I'd like to think that it's because I try to pay attention to the details, that may not always be noticeable to someone's eye, but the feeling is still there.

* Total cost for the project was about $15-20 per bookcase (maybe a smidgen more). I could have cut that down, if I had gone with less expensive fabric. But, as it is, this home decor fabric was already on sale for $7 a yard. The foam core board was only $1 for each one, but unfortunately, because each space was so tall, I could only get one shelf out of each one. So, all in all, not bad for shelves I've had for several years that I wanted to spruce up.

Proofreading Work

So it's been 10 years since I began my career as a proofreader. I'll admit that, even though I had an English degree, I hadn't really thought that proofreading was something I would do. Sure, my collegiate career had begun in the track of grammar and composition (as opposed to literature, because even though I love to read, I felt the mechanics of English would be of greater help than how many times I had read the great classics), but I probably fancied myself more in the "I want to be a writer" frame of mind, than anything else.

Well ... anyway, I was in need of a job, and found a great one, where I stayed for seven years. Granted, there were times when I really got stressed and burned out and wanted to change so badly. And I thought what I really wanted to do was work in an ad agency and proof all of their creative, because I would love to be in a creative environment such as that, since that's the way I am. But boy, was I surprised! For a brief stint, I did just that. Usually, at ad agencies, there's one proofreader. Depending on the size, maybe more than one. And they're overworked, highly unappreciated and don't get one ounce of creativity to circle through their minds.

Maybe I'm just an anomaly -- a proofreader who is actually creative. And who has a personality. Seriously! I interviewed at a placement agency late last year and was told by my interviewer that I had a great, outgoing personality, which, she said, is not usually the case with proofreaders, mostly because, she thought, proofreaders tend to be the only ones in their department/company and don't get much interaction with others.

Which brings me to my current gig -- freelance proofreading. I'll be honest, trying to make a go of it myself has been ... not really lucrative. The nice thing is that my own personal investment (as far as money) has been minimal (some inexpensive business cards, a few books, red pens/pencils, etc.) -- waiting until I had some money coming in to really indulge in things like a company name/logo, web site, etc. I have tried calling, emailing, sending resumes via mail, well ... it's slow going. However, over the last month or so I have been working extra hard to find and make more contacts. So far, nothing, but ... I am still trying. We'll see how I am in a few months, because at that point I may have to consider going back full time somewhere.

Except, I dread that. See, a few weeks ago, I went on a temp assignment for one of my placement agencies (I'm with three, in case anyone cares to know) at a "marketing company." They have a decent-sized group or proofreaders and have the amount of work to justify it. I was there to help out during the week as they had people out and needed the help. Oh my gosh. I was BORED out of my mind! The work was easy enough, but ... boring. And, you know, I could maybe deal with boring, simple, tedious work ... if the atmosphere was a little more ... fun? Okay, I get not really talking to the temp or getting to know me much. I mean, I'm just going to be there for the week, right? And, at first I thought maybe it was just me ... and then I realized ... they don't really talk to each other much, either! They're quiet and stick to themselves and when they do talk, it's with low voices -- which I could understand if they were in the middle of many other areas, but they have one side to themselves and they have tall cubicles so that talking in a normal voice would be OKAY -- and usually about work. Then I realized what that interviewer had meant. I counted down each day and each hour before the assignment was over. I mean the people were nice enough, but ... they weren't really engaging or personable, and really, for 10 years of experience*, I am worth more than they were paying me! LOL. But, at least it was money.

However, I have to say that not all temp jobs are the same. A few months ago I had THE most awesome experience with temping. I went to a company that designs and makes high-end outdoor furniture and fabric. (I have a 365 of my time there.) Even though I was in their marketing department that is quite small, the feel of the entire company is ... amazing. There is a friendly, creative vibe that really resonates with everyone and throughout the entire company (which is shown in one way, with the owner bringing his two giant dogs to work with him every day). They had rooms devoted to fabric and fabric creation, even containing looms so test fabrics could be woven. How cool is that? Then they had a back area where actual fabric was being sewn together for different items. I was given a tour of the place and met some nice people and was awed by the creative design rooms filled with swatches of fabric so designers can go in and piece looks together to their little hearts desire. It was amazing. And even people I didn't know would see me in the hall or the break room and stop me to introduce themselves. The people in the marketing department talked to me and each other, and not just about work, about their actual lives. I was only there for about a day and a half proofing their spring catalog (which, in and of itself was pretty basic), but I wished I could have a full time job there, it was that cool of a place to work!

It's so interesting how different environment can make a job seem palatable.

And as I've done these temp jobs and other small freelance assignments, I do know that I DO want to do this proofreading thing from home, if I can make it work. I really want to try to exclusively read books, but I can do other things. I don't know if I could truly find a proofreading job full time that would fulfill my needs of a person. I have the proofreading thing down!* (Which doesn't mean I don't have things to learn, because I do. I used AP Style for a long time and am now having to learn Chicago Manual because that's what publisher's use. But those are nuances.) Now, if I can only translate my desire and work into a full-fledged business that brings in decent money.

You see, I realized that while I can do the stay-at-home thing and live okay on Brian's salary, if we truly want to move forward in our lives, we need money to save (not necessarily be a two-income family, but use my income to put into savings for a house and the future) -- and that's where I come in. Which is why I'm working harder on my business, while Brian is trying harder to help me at home (so I don't feel like I have to do it all).

So, one of the things I did to help me sort of visualize success, is to think of ourselves in a home, me with a room/study that's the office I work out of. I have it planned (for now): dark wood floors; purple paint on the walls trimmed in black molding -- perhaps one wall with a cool wallpaper treatment, with dark/black furniture pieces; a comfortable office chair in a delicious fabric; chairs that would work for anyone visiting in my office, but could easily be taken out to incorporate into the rest of my home if any additional seating would be needed; a few mirrors on the walls to bring light in, along with some art and other wall accessories, including a memo board to hold important info (along with some photos); and, depending on the size of the room, either a sleeper couch so I could relax, but also some room for overnight guests OR a comfy chair and ottoman for a comfy place to sit while reading or on the phone (this would be for a smaller place). Although, maybe I COULD have both if the space was VERY large. (But, if so, I would have to change the colors a little to be more complementary.)

I put together a mood board (using olioboard.com) to give a visual representation of what my dream home office would look like (at least, what my mood is expressing currently). And, I'll be honest. I found a lot of high-end pieces that I loved (like from Horchow or Haverty's) that unless I do REALLY well in my business I couldn't afford. But, part of me thinks that even if I COULD afford it, would I really buy one exquisitely executed purple velvet chair, much less two, at $1300 each? Well, probably not. But a girl can dream, right? (Besides, you never know when I'll run into a thrifty, similar piece that I can redo. Ah, more dreaming.)

I left off smaller accessories, like lamps and a side table for the couch or chair, mostly because of the time finding and putting this together. Besides, I doubt my home office will end up looking like this -- except for the purple walls and black trim and molding. I am not budging on that. For now. ^_^

* Disclaimer: While I may be a proofreader, and I try to read over my posts before I publish them, this is my blog and I have my own writing style that may not be exactly the norm (like my use of ellipses ^_^, oh, and anime smiley faces). And, the occasional typo does slip in. So ... sue me! LOL

Before and After: Gold Mirror Redone

I have a gold-framed mirror that I got very cheap inexpensively at Walmart many, many, many years ago. I thought that before I decide to get rid of it, that I might try painting it, like so many thrifty sites I come across.

So, here's the small, cheap mirror:

So I got some spray paint in black, with black spray paint primer and, after carefully covering up the mirror, and adding some swirly rubons (the scrapbooking type) in the corners, I finished with this:

For my first attempt, it's okay, but really, I have to say it wasn't my fault. You see ... I did this on a hot Saturday afternoon, and let it sit outside while it dried. Might have worked for a normal wood mirror, but this one seemed to be cheap laminate over particle board. Unfortunately, the wetted laminate, combined with the heat, warped the laminate and caused it to bubble in places (mostly the corners). Prior to that (but after painting it), the mirror looked really nice! Ah, well, lesson learned. Oh, another lesson learned: wear a mask of some sort. Even though I was outside and well ventilated, later I was blowing bits of black paint out of my nose. Gross!

Anyway, we'll see how long I can live with it before I get rid of it. It serves its purpose for now -- it's across the sliding glass door in the dining area. I told Brian I can probably wait until we move again before I decide on getting another mirror.

And, I'm linking this to:

Desperately Seeking a Side Table

If you remember my mentioning the new-to-me chairs I got (that the cats like to rule from, erm, sit on), well I now have a new problem: I need a small table to go between them (to hold a small lamp and someone's drink if they sit there and have a drink, etc., or in case the cats decide that the chair's not good enough at the moment). Problem is, I have a very specific need ... and a desired want. It can't really be less than 22 inches, or taller than 26, and about 12-15 inches wide. I know. It's a tight space. What I'd love to have ... is a classic pedestal table, like this one:

(This one I found online at Target.com.)

Problem is ... I don't want to pay much for it. I'm frugal ... and poor, but I need a table. (The one at Target is $80.) I've been searching some thrift shops, but not quite found what I want. I tried some antique shops, and while a few things caught my eye, they're still more than I want to spend. It doesn't have to be black, that's easily changed. I just want a cute, wood, side table with some country, classic lines. Is that too much to ask?! (Frankly, I wouldn't want to pay more than $30. Maybe if I don't find something at thrift stores, it might go on clearance at Target some day. And Craigslist has NOT been helpful. Le sigh.)

SO, any of my friends, if you wanted to buy me something, then ....? Hehehe... kidding. But if anyone close to me comes across something similar for cheap, let me know. Seriously!

Hybrid and Thrifty Craft: Pear Art Wall Decor

So, remember the 5x7 black, distressed frame I found at Goodwill for a couple of dollars?

Well, I decided to try my hand at some wall decor, using pears -- an idea I got from the Thrifty Decor Chick, who got HER idea from The Happy Homebody. (I also thought I could make the color scheme work with the colors in my kitchen.)

Luckily, I didn't have to distress the frame (not that I needed to, but it lends some charm) and then had to search for some fake pears. Not all fake pears are created equal! Some have this sand core that is impossible to cut through. Yikes! But, my second attempt proved better.

So, after some time promised with showing you my thrifty finds re-worked, we have:

The before...

And, after...

Cute, huh? Something you could easily find at some little home decor place for like, what $15-20? (Altogether this was less than about $5.)

Now, you're wondering how this craft could possibly be considered hybrid? WELL, the paper I used to put behind the pear was digital scrapbook paper (from Shabby Princess' "Damask and Dots" kit) printed on matte photo paper. Hah!

Hopefully the weather will cool down some soon and I can get to some of my other projects, which involve spray painting.

Thrifty Finds

I recently found an awesome person and site -- Sarah, the Thrifty Decor Chick. What I love about her, is that some of her decorating style is similar to mine, but more importantly, she tries to be very thrifty about it (from inexpensive moulding that makes her home look like a million bucks, to thrift store finds that she re-purposes).

She finds a lot of her home decor items at thrift stores and she does amazing things with spray paint (no lie!). Since I'm trying to make home more homey I decided I would try this out. I have ventured to a few stores, but so far my luck has been slim. Either there wasn't anything really worthwhile (although it could just be I don't have a keen eye like her and some of the other bloggers she reads), or the stuff was a little overpriced.

But, I managed to find the following 3 things at Goodwill. I admit, some I prolly overpaid for, but, eh, I totally saw a use for them right away. I'll be posting the "AFTER" pics and posts of what I ended up doing with these items some time soon. But, for now, you get the BEFOREs.

For $1.99 ...

I got this black, distressed frame that fits a 5x7 photo. What I liked was that it was already distressed, and any extra nicks and scrapes from being in a pile of frames just adds to its character. This frame will be going in my kitchen, as another item to complement my valance.

For $2.99 ...

I got this little shelf. All wood and never been painted. We've been looking for a short shelf to put in our bathroom because we lack immediate vanity storage. Everything I found at hobby/craft stores was too long (and MUCH more than this). Some paint, and it'll be good enough for now!

For $3.99 ...

I got these drapery holdbacks, WHICH I'm actually going to use as something different, as soon as a give them a new color. Interestingly enough, I saw these were from Target, and apparently they are still on Target's site for $9.99. So hey, not a bad deal, eh? (Apparently, Target sends a lot of their clearanced-out items to Goodwill -- people have been able to find brand new items from Target for just pennies on the dollar.)


So, that's it for now. Brian has off next week (since our wedding anniversary is coming up and he hasn't taken a decent vacation er, well, ever), so I plan to hit a supposedly really good thrift store which is a little farther off, but we shall see what I find. Honestly I don't really have too many things I would like, although my dream find would be a set of parson's chairs for my dining room table (I found one at one resale shop, but they only had the one, argh!). We shall see.

How about you? Do you like to go thrifting? Any good stores near where you live?

Hybrid Craft: Glass Gem Magnets

I had seen these type of magnets before and thought that once I moved into a house I would make some for my newly decorated kitchen. However, we ended up moving to another apartment, instead. I have been trying more (smaller) things to make this place feel more like home, so I finally decided to make fridge magnets (because ours don't hold up much) that match a cute valance for a window in the kitchen that I bought shortly after moving in. Besides, I knew it would give me practice to work on a new craft. Overall I like them, but definitely see ways to improve how they're made. But hey, they're just for me, right? (Oh, and there are a few missing from the pic because I ran out of magnets. Oops!)

In case you're wondering, I printed digital scrapbook paper, along with some digital elements and digital stamps, so this is a hybrid craft. ^_^ (But easy to do with regular scrapbook papers, or fun pics from magazines or the newspaper.)

What's Your Decorating Style?

A friend posted on her blog a link to a quiz to find out your decorating style. Mine is:

41% Wine Country

Tuscan sun, here we come! The Wine Country style reflects the feelings evoked by the seaside regions of Europe such as the South of France, Spain, Italy and Greece. The style manages to be both refined and casual, such that you can mix beautiful antiques with more rustic wrought iron or wood and the result is both sophisticated and cozy.

Furniture is large and comfortable, colors are bright and cheery, and regardless of the color palette the spaces almost always feel warm. You can easily translate the style into the perfect family environment but you can just as easily emphasize the more formal pieces and make your room the perfect adult getaway.

30% Traditional Country

Even if your backyard isn't acres of farmland and you don't actually have a cow out in the barn, your house sure brings you back to a time when that was the case for many.

You love spaces that feel casual and lived in. Furniture is practical and comfortable, and yet at the same time its very stylish. The best part of country style is how much it highlights collection and found objects. Antiques here, garage sale finds there and Aunt Milly's hand-me-downs throughout. Unique items that used to serve very practical purposes are now on display, and their history seems to permeate the home. Each space in the home seems to invite friends and family to come in and stay a while. There is a true sense of home felt throughout.

29% Classic

What's old is new again! The beauty of Classic style is how well it takes all of the beautiful forms, colors and textures of the past and reinvents them in a way that feels both fresh and inspired.

The style itself is a mix of European influences and French, English and Italian antiques and replicas are often used together. Furniture is well proportioned and comfortable and the rooms give off an air of sophistication and grace. Oil paintings depicting still-life or nature scenes and emphasizing symmetry of pairs helps maintain the traditional nature of the room. Windows are often covered with opulent fabric shades and/or drapery.

Traditional rooms give off an air of history that seems to say "I was here long before you, and will remain long after you've gone." And yet, even with this level of sophistication, the rooms are soft and inviting.

Many years ago, I believed that "country" equaled farm house decor, or lots of ugly florals, BUT, I have since discovered that it is not the case, and that "country" very much suits me. (While I had plans to already be decorating a house at this point, it's always good to put this down to remind myself down the road.) Overall I like the rooms above, though I would definitely change out some things here or there.

So, take the quiz and find out your decorating style (and let me know, as I'm curious.)