Fall decorating part three: the master bedroom

Wreath I made with Dollar Tree supplies, $7 total.


Mini-pumpkins from Tuesday Morning, $3 and $4. Switching out the wooden roses for leftover floral picks, $0.





Grapevine pumpkin from Michael's, $14--way cuter, cheaper, and the same size as Pottery Barn's small grapevine pumpkin. I actually bought another small one and a large one with a 20% off coupon! And it does actually light up, but the cord is too short/my dresser is too tall for it to reach the outlet.




And this is probably about as far as I'll get with my fall decor before Jason gets back. But that's okay because in this house fall lasts all the way until Black Friday. ;)

I'm linking up to:
The Project Parade @ The DIY Show-Off

The master bedroom "reveal"

Since it's not technically done, there will be more photos down to road--not to mention I still have to show you what I end up doing with the master bathroom, but that's definitely still a ways off. Please disregard my wrinkled duvet--I'm still planning to have it dry cleaned and hopefully it'll be nice and magazine-worthy-smooth once it's done. Let's just have a few refresher photos, shall we?

The very before, in 29 Palms. So. Sad.



The "update" it got when we moved to the new house.





And after. I splurged on the faux fur blanket, which was $150 at Nordstrom. Mom and I had seen it one day and I was instantly enamoured by it. A week later I went back to return a purse and bought it! It was worth every penny as I feel it gives the room a very decadent, sumptuous feeling to it. The silver tray I made out of an old cookie sheet. You can check out that project here.



I wanted our room to feel romantic, modern, but with a hint of vintage/eclectic to it as well, and I think I accomplished it!



You may remember what the main wall looked liked before. It definitely needed something since it's directly across from our (now amazing) bed, and the room would have felt off if this wall was left empty.



The shelves and brackets I picked up from IKEA and painted really help to fill up all the blank space. They were decorated using mostly home shopped and freebies, with a few store-bought items (post make-over). And I do still plan to make a runner for this dresser. But I might wait and see if we get a new TV first...


(hello reflection!)





This little dresser needed some sort of pick-me-up as well. My readers suggested leaning a mirror against the wall to make it look more like a set, and I really liked the idea! I picked up cheap-o plastic framed mirror from Wal-Mart for a whopping $18, gave it a coat of satin black paint (I didn't want it to be super glossy since the dresser isn't either).






I added some more of my $3 Michael's candles, along with a plain one too to mix up the textures.



Another on of my thrift store candle sticks, and a twig ball that was originally downstairs in my spring/summer decor. The picture frame was black, but I thought white would pop better since the mirror and dresser are both black. It may become apple green in the future.



The saying inside is from "Leap Year" (c'mon, you knew I'd get an Irish element in there somewhere). When I heard it, it made me bawl and I knew I had to have it in our bedroom. It says:

"May you never steal, lie, or cheat.
But if you must steal, steal away my sorrows.
If you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life.
And if you must cheat, cheat death.
Because I couldn't live a day without you."
And now for the part that everyone is always the most curious about: the price tag. Just remember, this isn't actually complete since I haven't taken the foot stools to an unholsterer yet and that will probably tack on a few bucks.

BUDGET

- Bed/headboard (DIY) - $99 (I'll be posting a tutorial on this in the next few days!)
- Window Treatments - $58
a. Hardware (Home Depot) - $0 (purchased with gift card)
b. Curtains (IKEA) - $48
c. Blackout curtains (already owned fabric) - $0
d. Velcro (Joann's) - $10
- Paint (Home Depot) - $0 (purchased with gift card)
- Bedding - $238
a. Faux-fur blanket (Nordstrom) - $150
b. Euro shams (One Kings Lane) - $34
c. White pillow cases (4, Wal-Mart) - $22
d. Pillow inserts (eBay) - $32
- Décor/Misc. - $118
a. Amber’s lamp (from Mom) - $0
b. Amber’s side table (reused from other room) - $0
c. Jason’s lamp (IKEA) - $60
d. Jason’s night stand (already owned) - $0
e. Shelves (IKEA) - $16
f. Brackets (IKEA) - $10
g. Candles (Michael's) - $6
h. Pottery (World Market) - $16
i. Picture frames (from Grandma) - $0
j. Mirror (Wal-Mart) - $10

Running Total: $513

I'm amazed at how much more sophisticated it looks! And for less than $600? Hoo-ray. Yes, this took some time, but it was worth it. I've found that taking my time and finding things that make the bedroom juuuuust right is more satisfying than buying stuff all at once and then donating most of it to Goodwill once something better comes along.

I'm linking up to:
The Project Parade @ The DIY Show-Off

Preparing for Jason

Talk about having a laundry list of items to do! Between a few last minute things for the house (I've come to accept that no, the room will not be 100% finished when he gets back, but it will be dang close!), grocery shopping, Jake's fiancée Stacey coming in from Minnesota--and oh yeah!--my day job, I'm going to be crazy busy!! I have a ton of stuff I also want to post about before the clock strikes midnight and I turn into a pumpkin I go into hibernation with my hubby, including the winning homecoming dress.

So guess what time it is? Honey-Do time. For shizz. Only this isn't just a weekender's list--this is a serious it's-time-to-git-'er-done list!


- Grocery Shopping
Among other things, tiramisu from Olive Garden is on my "need to buy" list!
- Have duvet dry cleaned
I had an unsuccessful attempt at washing it at home.
- Make chocolate covered strawberries
Seriously? These things are like $5 at a candy store! If I can DIY furniture, I can DIY these!
-Purchase mirror for bedroom
- Mop, sweep, & vacuum like crazy
- Paint other foot stool
They won't be reupholstered before Jason gets home, but they can at least match.
- Find cold weather alternative for homecoming outfit
After all that work, I'm going to have to prepare for the likelihood of grey, drizzly, or smack dab in the middle of the night for Jason's arrival!
- Hit up Tuesday Morning & Dollar Tree for some cheap fall decor
I just need a few more things to finish my decorating extravaganza (see parts one and two here).

By Sunday, I'm hoping to have a shot of the room in its no-it's-not-actually-finished-but-it's-pretty-dang-close stage, and a shot of the winning dress, plus its cold weather look. So here we go!

It's the final countdown!

Finally! A focal point!

I hung shelves on one wall of our bedroom, and wow! What a difference! It really makes the room feel more anchored and balanced, since this wall is directly across from our four-foot tall headboard.


(sorry. icky flash.)


(i need to make a runner for this dresser. that pillow case just ain't cuttin' it!)

When Mom and I went to IKEA over Labor Day weekend, I grabbed a couple of Ekby Östen shelves and Ekby Hensvik brackets to help spice up the decor in our bedroom. A couple coats of paint (I used Behr Paint & Primer in their basic black color) brought them up to our color code. ;) I found the best way to hang them was to drill two screws into the sides of the brackets, rather than try to mess with the Hensvik bracket hanging system.


(there's one on either side. these babies ain't goin' nowhere!)

I decorated them using a mix of store-bought and home-shopped items. The bottle on the far left I found at Cost Plus World Market on clearance for $8. It was a mottled cream color, so I gave it my favorite Rub 'n Buff treatment to make it match a little better. The frame was from a bunch my grandmother was giving away (I snatched up a whole lot from her!). The little "&" block is also from World Market, the pillar holder is from IKEA, and the candle is from Micheal's. I must have snagged about 10 of these when I was there. They were on clearance for only $3 each! The red "A" used to be in our office (and it used to be blue). I painted in with Rust-Oleum's Colonial Red, a very rich color which reminds me of my favorite lipstick and nail polish!



Most of these accessories are from the same place as the other shelf. The only addition is the bunch of wooden roses in the vase (which used be be an ugly purple-ish color before it got its own R 'n B treatment). I bought those one year at our county fair.


(this shelf isn't crooked--the picture was taken at an angle to deflect the light from the windows.)

And in case you were wondering, the photos of me and Jason are from a few of our trips. The big(ger) one is us at Graceland, TN. The two smaller ones are us in Multnomah Falls, OR and Las Vegas (NV) ;).



There's only a couple more things I'd like to do in here, but I'm almost worried that it might be too much. I was thinking of a mirror on this wall...


(ugh. i need to do something about this blue jewelry box.)

...and maybe some wall words on this wall.


Too busy you think? There would literally be something on every wall at that point. How much decor is too much decor? My grandmother used to say, "Whenever you think you're dressed, take off one piece of jewelry."

I think the wall words and mirror might be that "one piece of jewelry." Hmm...

I'm linking up to:
Transformation Thrusdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage
Fresh Coat Fridays @ Life in the Fun Lane
The Project Parade @ The DIY Show-Off

Guess what I finished??

Our bed is now crowned by a nearly four-foot tall headboard!
Full pictures coming soon!

U-G-L-Y but F-R-E-E

I've been working my fingers off , trying to transform an old 80's brass lamp that my mother gave me for our master bedroom. Since we're still in a financial cul-de-sac (still dealing with an empty-not-selling-and-not-renting-house, plus I've applied for something like 35 jobs and have received 6 rejections so far), anything that I can get for free I'll take! Old crappy brassy lamp with a dirty shade and headed for the trash? GIMME!

Of course I was so anxious to get the ugly out I forgot to take a before picture, but I managed to find its twin online. Now, I apologize if someone owns this same lamp and it's the pride and joy of your collection. But vintage Princess House is so not our style!


Back in the early nineties, my mother, grandmother and aunties were serial party goers. And I mean Princess House, Party Lights, Avon, and Tupperware. I'm bummed to think of some of the other potential make-over worthy goodies I've missed out on over the years, but now at least the fams know to come to me with items they think are unsalvageable.

Anyhoo, I laid on my Rub 'n Buff kind of thick, which I wish I hadn't because it didn't give me the same mercury glass affect as when I did my Pottery Barn knock-off lamp a few months ago (live and learn!). I used the shade from said lamp as well and gave the other a big frilly style one. So even though it's more solid silver than mottled silver, I still pink puffy heart it! For those who have yet to use R 'n B on on lamp, things such as the harp and light socket were actually spray painted with metallic spray paint. Rub 'n Buff doesn't stick to those kind of surfaces very well.

As for all that great empty space in the center?




Yes, those are coffee beans! I used flavored (and therefore, scented) coffee because that was all the commissary carried in the whole bean variety, but after about a full day or two the smell has disappeared (just in case you were wondering). And since the cost of the beans fit in so easily with our grocery shopping, I didn't really spend anything on this project (it took about 1.75 pounds of beans to fill it up). ;)

I've yet to put it in the bedroom, as I'm still toying with our night stands (hence why it was photographed in the living room). But now I need to find something for Jason's side. I'm definitely going to stick to the silver/mercury glass finishes, but I need to find something more masculine for him. I'm loving this one from IKEA.


It's their Åsele lamp and it's $60. It's not horribly priced, but back when I was making the budget for the master bedroom, I only gave myself a $75 allowance for the decor and accessories (who dropped the ball on that one?!). But I haven't seen anything that I like nearly as much as this one, and since Jason saw it, I think his little mind is wrapped around it too. So I might have to find room elsewhere to save a few bucks.

In other master bedroom news, thanks to one of my remaining birthday gift cards, I have the base of my supplies for the headboard and I have a plan of attack for the materials that will help complete it. I think Mom and I might be going out tomorrow to accomplish some of that, so we'll see how it goes! :)

I'm linking up to:
Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

UPDATE: I just got word that our house back east has been rented! Bummed that we weren't able to get rid of it, but that just took the lid off the pressure cooker we've been in. Now to find me a job!

Back on my feet & covered in paint!

Thank you all for you well wishes--not only with my accident but on our anniversary (which is actually when I fell). I received a clean bill of health this week, and aside from a few lingering bruises and a rug burn on my knuckle, I'm feeling pretty back to normal. Good thing to because this house has been ne-glected!

Today I woke up sweating; while most people hate that, I was thrilled because it means summer has finally hit our little beach town! As I type all my windows are open, the fans are on max power, and I have still have a bit of sweat forming along my brow. I'm in a super cute sundress from American Eagle (purchased on deep discount on July 4--woot!) and it finally feels like the typical California day. So what have I been up to? PAINTING!

I've previously mentioned this white wicker chair that I picked up for our outdoor pub that I've been slacking on working on. I picked it up for $50 at Urban Barn in Escondido. While super sweet, shabby chic doesn't exactly mesh well with Irish debauchery.



So, a quick coat with some leftover Rust-Oleum Espresso paint (seriously? I have an arsenal of this stuff--how did I amass so much?!) took some of the charm out of it.


(Forgive the chop job)

Then as I was waiting for it to dry, I realized I just might have enough flat black paint to get our old IKEA night stands converted as well for the master bedroom project. I also busted out an old shower curtain rod for a quick make-over (you'll see it in action in just a sec).



I still plan to go over the tables with a coat of a semi-gloss paint to make them a little more scratch resistant, but I learned my lesson when it comes to using glossy spray paint on flat surfaces (remember this coffee table?). So I think I'll stick to a roll on paint.

As for the shower rod...

I wanted to hang some sort of partition in our "dressing room" that connects our bedroom to our bathroom. When Jason comes home I'd like for him to start using our bathroom again instead of keeping all of his stuff in the guest bathroom. So, to allow him to actually be able to see when he's shaving at four a.m. without waking me up, I knew some curtains were in order.


(Obviously this shot is from when we were first moving in)
I'd been using some old off-white sheets as the curtains, but I just wasn't feeling them. Lacking any motivation until today I just let them hang there until I remembered some amazing faux-silk panels I'd retired to the Goodwill bag in our garage. Thankful that I hadn't actually made it over there recently, I dug them out of the bag and immediately hung them on the newly painted rod. Yes, they're a little short on top, but I don't think it's going to matter any.


The rich chocolate color up against our white walls is stunning (waaaaay better than the off-white sheets), and I love that I was able to use them again--I had loved them so much in our home back in North Carolina. Here they are acting as window panels on our front door.


They matched our accent wall in the living room to a tee!


(Maybe this is why I still have a ton of espresso paint--leftover loves??)

So, that's what I've finally gotten around to doing! I'm thinking I might swing by Home Depot today or tomorrow for some headboard materials. I've been tossing the original plan back and forth and have a feeling the bed may change a bit. I'd like to do something a little more romantic-modern than farmhouse-meets-bed-and-breakfast. I'm trying to keep the idea fairly simple because I'm attempting to talk Jason into upgrading to a king sized bed when he gets home (!!), which means I don't want to do anything too permanent structurally-wise.

Sunday Mom and Step-Dad are coming over to help set up the gazebo. I'm so antsy to get the furniture out of the garage and into the backyard! I can't wait!

So good to be back...

I'm linking up to:
Fresh Coat Fridays @ Life in the Fun Lane

Bench this, baby!

I could have sworn that I shared these with you, but after searching through my post archives, it looks like maybe I didn't! Back in November, I purchased these art deco bed benches from The Estate Sale Warehouse that I'm constantly endorsing (and, for the record, not being paid to do so).

Now, this is a class-A how-to-take-a-bad-picture example, but the bad flash highlights the many scuffs that these otherwise worldly beauties have on them.



I want to upholster them I'm going to pay a professional to upholster them in this gorgeous fabric that Ballard Designs is carrying (but I have found much cheaper elsewhere!). They call their style "Cantana."


But I have been debating back and forth over what to do about their finish. Did I want to paint them? That was my plan for a while, until I remembered this curvy cutie still sitting downstairs in our dinning room (again, please forgive the huge mess on the dinning room table).


At the time I purchased it, I also faced the same dilemma with this mirror. To paint or not to paint? The wood doesn't have a single flaw in it, and I hate the idea of covering up the warm color. So I had the idea to mix wood tones. It's working surprisingly well downstairs in the few areas I've started on, so I thought why not?

But first I had to make sure my what-looks-to-be-a-cherry-wood-finish-on-them benches would strip down to a natural wood color. So using what little Citristrip I had left, I went ahead and gave 'er a test run!



Hmm... I was very surprised to come back and find that the Citristrip made almost no difference in the finish. So I busted out my handheld power sander and gave it whirl.



Wow! That is some orange wood! I guess the faux-cherry finish isn't so faux after all! Too bad this looks nothing like the warm honey-wood color of the mirror. Okay, so paint it is! I'll find other ways to bring in some more "woodier" tones to match the mirror--maybe some baskets and some faux-wood wrapped candles will do the trick! ;)

Wall art: what do you think?

I love using vintage prints as artwork. For one, they're unique. For two, they're free! I have these three prints that I'm thinking of using in the master bedroom. Two of them are ferns, the other is purple Scottish thistle. I want to bring a bit of purple into the room for a little luxe-ness (this is the order they would hang in as well).






Do you think these prints/images will work, or should I try to find something a little more--ahem!--sensual and less clinical? What could I use if I wanted to add some more "spice" to our bedroom artwork?

Start simple; hang 'em high!

- Pull weeds

- Light house cleaning

- Finish sorting vintage silverware

- Hose off patio furniture

- Date with Tony & Katie

Hanging pool side over the weekend. (Can we tell how productive I was?)

---

I've come to realize that window treatments really do make a room. Even if it's something really simple. When I was working downstairs in our living room and hung my first PVC-pipe curtain rod, I was blown away at how just the rod seemed to anchor the room. Ever since then I couldn't wait to rip the old IKEA Index curtain rods from the walls in our bedroom. So that's where I started!

While I was out picking up supplies from Home Depot, I swung by Wal-Mart to check out their sheet options. I'm a huge fan of using bed sheets as curtains, especially when you can find them on the cheap. Plus, their length, fullness, and ability to filter light without blocking it completely makes them the perfect alternative to twenty-something-dollar-apiece panels that barely cover your windows. Unfortunately, Wal-Mart had nothing! All of their flat sheets were about $11 a piece, and since the Vivan curtains I had my eye on down at IKEA were only $13 for a two pack, there was no doubt which was the cheaper more budget friendly option!

So, while I supposed to be pulling weeds (heh) I decided instead to drive on down to San Diego and get some curtains. I rationalized to myself that the rods had been hanging empty for so long now--didn't they deserve a little company? Besides, when I walked outside to pull weeds I discovered a whole host of dirt mounds that looked a little freaky. A phone call to the housing office netted that they were probably gopher holes, but until someone comes out and verifies that, I'm not going near them!

Anyhoo, I started by hemming the curtains using the iron-on hemming tape that comes in the package. Now, IKEA recommends cutting them once they're hemmed, but I'd like to use these in another house down the road, so I just pressed the edges and kept all the extra fabric. Besides, it gives the bottoms a bit of a billowy look, and that's fine by me!





Once they were all hemmed (I brought them up about 5-inches), I tossed them in the dryer to get all the wrinkles out. Nothing worse than hanging creased curtains! After a quick cycle, I hung 'em up! I can't decide if I want to keep them in the rod pocket, or the hidden tab style...



They still have a few wrinkles in them, but at least they don't have that fresh-outta-the-package look to them! I'm anxious to start working on our bed, but just having new curtains up already makes the room so much more relaxing. There's just nothing I love more than the sight of white curtains blowing in the breeze.