easy peasy lemon squeezy lighting project.

lighting pwn!

so cute, right? i can't thank nicole at parlour enough for inspiring me to make this adorable pendant light!

it was about as easy as it gets - and super cheap too. here's what you need if you want one yourself. gather up:

1. single light pendant (like this one at home depot)
2. paper lantern - i used the 20" version from pier 1
3. coffee filters. i used about 600 for mine. you can get them on the cheap at amazon
4. your trusty glue gun and lots of glue sticks. i hadn't used mine since my sorority days - brought back some memories, i tell ya! (" i am a sigma kappa girl, sigma girl. i wear a pin of gold and pearls, gold and pearls...")

and then you just start gluing. and gluing. and gluing. put a dab on the bottom of each filter like so:


and place the dots of glue veryclosetogether, like this:


about half way...


and DONE!


now i just have to call my electrician. AGAIN. i'll post a photo when it's up in the guest room. until then, back to the dreaded kitchen cabinets...

oh, you fancy, huh? (an easy how-to for custom pillows)

my most recent "creations"

pillows are a great way to punch up a space with color, pattern, texture (and shine - OOH, SHINY!). they are also super easy, even if you don't know how to sew.

grab someone who has a machine and ask them (nicely - don't be so bossy, fancy!) to set it up and show you how to sew a straight line and you'll have a new pillow in no time!

here's what you need:

- a sewing machine
- fabric. 1 yard will do for most of you. throw pillows at 16x16 are pretty standard.
- thread to match your fabric
- pins
- pillow insert (i like west elm's feather/ down versions, but any poly version would work well too)

and here's your how-to...

1. measure your pillow. in this example, mine is 16"x16".

2. cut your fabric with a width equal to the shorter pillow dimension (in this case it does not matter since width and length are the same). cut the length to 2x the length of your pillow + 4 inches.

in my case, the fabric i need is 16"x36".
3. with the backside of the fabric facing up, fold over one inch on each edge of the fabric's length. pin and sew. your fabric will now be 2 inches shorter in length.
4. now, with the backside of the fabric still facing out, fold your fabric into a little envelope.

the length should be 1 inch smaller than the length of your pillow - in this case 15".

the width will remain the same as those sides remain "unfinished".

pin the unfinished sides and sew 1/2-inch in from each. this will give you a finished size 1 inch smaller than your pillow in each measured dimension.
5. turn your pillow cover finished side out and insert your pillow form. your pillow should be nice and full because the cover is just a tad tight.

now sit back and enjoy your handiwork!

maybe you even have time to make some festive pillows for the holidays. throw 'em on the sofa for a refresher before the family arrives, toss a couple on the guest bed for an update, or make one for your room to FANCY it up!

curtain call redux! (10 easy steps to silk curtains)

new sparkly curtains for the dining room (please, as usual, excuse the mess!)

well, my dears, i am finally making some headway in the dining room - it's beginning to look like a place where i might ACTUALLY entertain.

in an effort to lively up the place, i made another set of silk curtains this weekend. they turned out fab so i thought i'd share the instructions again. they are very easy and very inexpensive compared to ready-made panels (and even more so if you'd have to have them custom made like i would for my monster windows).

so, without further ado, here you go...

******************************************

i don't want to show you TOO much of my bedroom and ruin the surprise (i'm still waiting on my bedding and my AMAZING chandelier), but i thought some of you might find this quick tutorial helpful.

one of the best ways to create a bit of drama in a room, and to give it some added height and "dimension", is to add some great window treatments. i, personally, have a fondness for silk dupioni curtains - but i find the price for ready-made prohibitive. i mean, like, FAINT-WORTHY prohibitive.

because i am blessed with a bedroom that has 12-foot ceilings and 4 very tall windows, the ones i browsed at pottery barn (the tallest they've got) were $179 PER PANEL. multiply by 4 and throw in the rods and clips and liners and i just about had a HEART ATTACK. (plus, i'll be honest, i just don't like shopping there.)

instead, i found two FANTASTIC sources of silk online, silkuneed.com and silkbaron.com. they both carry loads of lovely colors and all for $9.99 a yard or less. i spoke with the owner of silkuneed, pam, and she shipped me some samples that were not available on her website. i was able to match my paint exactly!

so, i ordered up 14 yards at $8.99. add on the thread i needed at $3.99, and i had the equivalent of what would have cost well over $700 at pottery barn for under $130.

next was a pit stop to hancock fabrics for thread and black-out lining. at $5.99 a yard, this is a very good investment. it helps with city noise reduction, heat retention, and lets me sleep past 6:30am - when my room turns into a vampire's worst nightmare (that link is for you, melissa. i still refuse to give in!)... you know, minus the crosses, holy, water, garlic and silver stakes (unless you count the hand-dandy maglite 4-cell i keep next to my bed as a silver stake).

OKAY - time to head back to mom's house and get to stitchin'!

step one: roll out black-out liner nice and flat. smooth with your hand.

step two: line up cut fabric ends and roll silk onto liner. smooth as well. (*note: if you're using a fabric that looks different on each side, place the side you want to display away from you - i.e. when you roll it out, you should see the back of your fabric.)

step three: pin top and sides. pin further than the length of your curtain.

step four: measure both sides to desired length. my windows are 108" high, so i opted for 112". i wanted them to puddle gracefully on the floor (this also allows for more error than ones that skim the floor - you'll need to be much more precise).

step 5: using a fabric marker and a level, draw a straight line across your fabrics. cut along this line and pin next curtain top as you go.

step 6: (ask mom to) sew top and sides of curtain to liner.

step seven: trim excess fabric around your hems.

step eight: turn panel inside out and smooth.

step nine: (ask mom to) stitch bottom as desired. i like to do this by hand so you see no thread at all on the finished curtain. (but you could just as easily zip along the edge with a machine in 30 seconds.)

REPEAT steps 1-9 as necessary.

step 10: hang your lovely curtains! i bought simple satin nickel double rods by levolor at home depot for $24.99 a piece. to hang the panels, i bought 1" nickel drapery clips at target for $4.99 a pack (one per panel).

these make hanging curtains a snap. just clip them and go! and the look is much cleaner than pole pockets (*blech*).

i'm still working on the tiebacks (and the sheers that will hang behind the curtains), but you can buy or make whatever you like. you'll see them in my bedroom "afters" soon.

here's a breakdown of what i spent:

silk: 14 yards at $8.99 - $125.86
black-out fabric: 14 yards @ $5.99 - $83.86
thread: $3.99 for one roll
curtain rods: $24.99 x 4 - $99.96
drapery clips: $4.99 x 4 - $19.96

TOTAL: $333.63 (compared with well over $1000 at pottery barn or equivalent) and about 2 hours of sewing.

this is a quick project that saves you LOTS of cash and can be done by even the most "beginner" of sartors and seamstresses (though my mom is a PRO).

hope you've enjoyed this how-to! let me know if you have questions!

and a BIG KISS to mom for all of the help! xx

if.. you... asked me to...

well, YOU DID if your name is sandra, elaine or kelly.

no real post today, just a quick update on the mirrors for the dining room. some of you may recall that i was playing with a few ideas for the finish (and blogged about it here).

so many friends liked the multi-colored graffiti look that i decided, "what the heck? we're only young once!" so here you go...

ignore the styrofoam up top - just testing different angles for the mirrors to hang at...

if you're curious:
- mirrors were a sale item at pier one
- used the following paints: rust-oleum in "white gloss" and "black gloss" and krylon x-metals in "anodized purple"

i ain't sayin' she a gold digger...

well, due to laziness and because it seems it's impossible to book a contractor, i have made very little headway in the dining room. for months it has been a glorified storage locker-slash-project room and it is all so very sad.

well, while i can't empty it out until i find a contractor WHO RETURNS CALLS to fix up the basement, i can still plan for the day when i can decorate and entertain in there... (please, god, let that be SOON!)

the room is large, with our very high ceilings, so i've been looking for some high-impact items to fill the space. one thing that was absolutely necessary was to add at least one mirror - i love the way they reflect the candlelight during a long dinner party with friends - but it would have to be BIG.

i searched and searched antiques fairs, consignment and antique shops, craigslist, ebay, but i just could not find what i wanted. then, one day, at pier one i spotted this one. the finish is truly HIDEOUS but it is over 4 feet tall and has great bones.

close up of the original finish... yuck.

so i tried high-gloss black...

and high-gloss white...

and a fuschia metallic paint.

it's kind of a mess, but sort of fun too!

but i think i'm back to my original inspiration, so i have ordered some gold lustrgild paint in the hopes of creating something more like this:

so hopefully, sometime next week, these two lovelies will be finished and hung and i can finally say i have made some kind of progress in here!

you are the apple of my eye...

"forever you'll stay in my heart..."

isn't stevie wonder just the awesome-ist? if you say no, i just don't think we can be friends anymore. (unless you bring me booze. it's true, i am easily bribed.)

anywhoooo... huzzah for holiday weekends! right? are you with me? it was absolutely GORGEOUS here in san francisco and the weather inspired me to work on a quick art project.

i was tired of looking at the big, blank wall in the kitchen and was inspired by this photo of sarah jessica parker's hamptons kitchen (which is very similar to the plan i have for mine, you'll note!):

i love the big pop art apple, so i decided to make one of my own.

first i bought a sheet of oak plywood and had them cut it to 36"x36" (and other various sizes for future projects). i took it home and whitewashed it with CHEAP white acrylic paint.


then i free-handed (is that even a word? and who else out there is thinking "FREEBIRD!!!"?) the apple shape in red paint.


filled it in and fixed the shape a bit.


the stem was the hard part. i couldn't decide on the shape i wanted, so i played around with a pair of scissors and some paper towels (i'm high-tech, i tell ya). when i got what i wanted, i painted the edges of the back side and stamped it on to the plywood.


then filled it in, et *voilà* - a giant pop art apple of my very own!


total cost was $24 for the sheet of plywood and $7 for the craft paint. and maybe 1 hour total of painting time. not bad, eh?

when the kitchen is complete next month, i'll show you what it looks like on the wall.

hope this inspires you to pick up a paintbrush!

i want to go to there.

"it's spring fever. that is what the name of it is. and when you've got it, you want... oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~mark twain

well, it seems spring has sprung (although it's been in fits and starts - as is usually the case here in san francisco). it's hard not to be excited - the skies are clear, the air is fresh and everything is starting to bloom.

when we bought this house, the backyard trumpet vine was in bloom (you can see some of the original photos here). i can't wait for them to come back and to enjoy a summer in our new home!

as you well know, we have been spending A LOT of time working on the interior of the house, but this weather has rgot me thinking about how to make the most of my backyard (which is really just a small patio - but it's BIG deal to have private outdoor space in this town!).

here are some small outdoor spaces that inspire me. i want to go to there!

i LOVE the color in this one - and how lush it is! don't you just want to grab a bag of marshmallows and stick and cozy up to that fire?!

more fantastic landscaping in a small space - i think it gives the illusion that the yard is much bigger than it actually is!

more fab colors - and shine!

so, this weekend, my friend nicole and i hit home depot for a few starters for my "garden" - which will consist of lots of colorful pots and plants.

i fell in love with these pansies - their little "faces" are so cheerful. and of course i need some lavender for my drawers (yes, that kind!).

and some neon orange geraniums and pink jasmine waiting to be potted. (please ignore the mess - i had just potted the pansies.)

need to grab some more pots to add to this wall! and maybe a fun vintage plant stand?

the vines are just about ready to bloom!

have any small garden ideas or tips to share? i'd love to hear 'em!

color me beautiful.

okay, friends, i'm not even the teeniest bit ashamed to admit it: i heart bridget jones.

bridget reading one of my favorites, house & garden magazine

the first time i read the first book i laughed so hard i cried. there are so many reasons to love her, not the least of which is her relationship with her mother.

when i started on my latest mini project, picking pillows for the sofa, i couldn't help but think of this gem:

"I'm taking you to have your colors done! And don't keep saying, 'what,' please, darling. Color Me Beautiful. I'm sick to death of you wandering round in all these dingy slurries and fogs. You look like something out of Chairman Mao." (click here to determine your "season".)

sometimes (a lot of the time, actually) mother really does know best. rather than a house full of dull colors and boring pieces, i want a house full of COLOR and HAPPY.

so, when i was packing up ye ole christmas decorations (in february - that's right, people, i said february), i realized that i had stumbled upon the perfect palate for my living room accessories. i mean JUST LOOK at this picture. don't the colors make you smile from the inside out? (if you said no, you might be dead inside. get help!)


here's a closer look at the decorations (please ignore the rest of the mess - the dining room is currently my project room).


so cute and cheerful!

i've started to collect and make pillows that approximate this color scheme. there are a couple left to make or acquire, but i like where this is headed!


from left to right:

* fuschia velvet pillow from pier one
* chartreuse beaded pillow from pier one
* homemade (yes - i MADE it) bolster pillow. it's a pretty cream wool herringbone with sparkly gold threads. gussied up with black velvet ribbon and antique lace.
* tube top, yup - TUBE TOP, from forever 21 in an amazing iridescent purple-y blue sequin. popped it over a down insert from west elm et VOILA!
* chinese silk pillowcase procured in chinatown many, many moons ago (2004, i think)

MY adorable mom bought me this amazing purple silk embroidered with butterflies - that'll be the next one.
and i'm still on the lookout for a great peacock blue fabric to balance it all out. any suggestions?

project doorway update: ready for its close-up!

is it sort of pathetic that i'm waxing nostalgic about a project that's not even done yet? (it's okay to say yes. i said yes.)

i have only one room left to paint and that means project doorway is rapidly coming to a close.

so let's raise a glass - scotch if you've got it - to the progress we've made on the paint front over the last six months. here's a retrospective of our work...

the front door, interior:


inside of the downstairs bathroom door:


the inside of the built in nook on the side of the fireplace:


inside of the upstairs bathroom door:


inside of both master bedroom closets:


inside of the guest room bedroom closet:


the back door, interior:


i'm loving this door in nicky hilton's INSANE closet (and i'm SWOONING over those shoes she's wearing). pretty sure that this is what will end up the inspiration for the doors in the dining room...


hope you've enjoyed the close-ups!