October 29, 2012 by Sally Vandermark Leave a comment
October 29, 2012 by Sally Vandermark 1 Comment
I think spring is FINALLY here in Auckland. Today has been NICE! Warm, but not too warm, and most importantly dry.
The kids and i spent ALL morning outside, mostly playing at a great little park right down by the sea… perfection!!
Anyways, today i thought i would share a little project that i did about a year ago that i still LOVE!
It is still one of my favourite pieces of furniture in my entire home and makes me happy every time i see it!! : )
Here’s a few of the important “specs”:
It was FREE! Yup, once again i “rescued” it off the side of the road.
The makeover cost a grand total of $2.50 and about an hour of my time! Yes, that’s it!!
Here’s the “before” shot. Sorry about the quality… but you get the idea.
And, here she is… yes she’s a she!! She’s too pretty to be a he!!! ; )
October 26, 2012 by Sally Vandermark Leave a comment
October 25, 2012 by Sally Vandermark Leave a comment
October 25, 2012 by Sally Vandermark Leave a comment
It’s a quiet kinda day in our house.
Mr. Fun is tired from his first week back at kindy and i know this means HE DOES NOT COPE! A day requiring energy or patience was going to end in tears (probably for more than just him!! ; ) so we decided quiet time, movies, books, inside playing and a nap was on the to-do list.
He was excited that he could spend the day in his Mr. Incredible costume and thought “Dame Edna” glasses and an olympic medal would complete the outfit perfectly!! : D
My little boy really is the funniest, sweetest little boy ever!!
October 24, 2012 by Sally Vandermark 1 Comment
I’m sure that i’m not the only one who sees a super cute, colourful tea-towel LOVES it but know that i would never use it to dry the dishes cos IT’S JUST TOO PRETTY!! you know??….
Well it happened AGAIN! Summer is on it’s way, as well as Christmas, which means new accessories are in the shops including the most LOVELY tea-towels ever!! So, i have put together 10 cute things to make from a tea-towel : )
1) http://www.bhg.com/crafts/easy/1-hour-projects/creative-bulletin-boards/#page=7
2) http://handmadebyrianna.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/tutorial-childs-knight-costume-tabard.html
3) http://www.elizabethabernathy.com/2011/06/tutorial-and-pattern-tea-towel-hat.html
4) http://ihavetosay.typepad.com/randi/2007/02/little_library_.html
5) http://www.jollygoodegal.com/2011/06/make-do-and-make-lovely-monday.html
6) http://www.marthastewart.com/272738/pretty-plastic-bag-organizer
7) http://www.marthastewart.com/266736/sewing-machine-cover
8) http://www.marthastewart.com/266189/gadget-travel-tote
9) http://itsacreativeworld.typepad.com/its_a_creative_world/bags/page/2/
10) http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2011/03/how-to-make-a-pillow-from-a-tea-towel/
October 22, 2012 by Sally Vandermark Leave a comment
October 21, 2012 by Sally Vandermark 9 Comments
I’ve been wanting a chalkboard for the kitchen for a while.
I had an idea of what i wanted but it took a while to find the perfect thing suitable for a makeover.
Then, about 3 weeks ago i found it!! At a school gala, for a dollar!!! (happy, happy, happy!!! : )
All it took was a couple of coats of bright, cheery blue paint on the frame and a couple of coats of blackboard paint on the print
and there ya go!! : )
Now i have a fun place to write reminders, important stuff and things i need to remember in the craziness of life! : )
October 12, 2012 by Sally Vandermark Leave a comment
“I am a person who likes structure. Everything has a place, a plan is made, obstacles are inconveniences.”
This is how i used to see life and because of my thinking this was also shown in the art that i created and the home that i made.
I enjoyed the calmness and life-like characteristics of painting with watercolor. I wanted my home decor and furnishings to be matchy-matchy. Creating was done within simple, easy to remember “rules”, was done quickly, without too much trouble and left a “nice” finish.
As i grew, life happened, kids came, my outlook, imagination and perspective were expanded i found my home, style and decor doing the same. I now longer felt that my home had to fit into the box of matchy-matchy, i found confidence in exploring a variety of decorating styles and going with my “instinct” of what looks good. As confidence came, so did the love of decorating my home and other’s spaces and i was ENJOYING the outcome AND the process!! : )
This is just a brief summary of my journey to arrive at an eclectic style of home, personal style and decor.
It doesn’t mean just sticking all sorts of STUFF in your home and calling it eclectic as an excuse for disorder and chaos!
A true eclectic style is very carefully thought out! It allows you to take what you see as the “best” of several decorating styles, link them together through shape, colour, texture, pattern ect and create a setting that you LOVE!
I believe that although eclectic decor does have its “rules” the largest part of creating a successful space is confidence!
A large part of the journey of life includes learning through trial and error
and i don’t think decorating and homemaking is the exception!
This can be done easily & inexpensively while giving you a practical platform to experiment and train your eye to see what looks good together and what doesn’t.
Why not choose a blank empty wall or a shelf and have fun accessorising and making it look PRETTY! : )
Sources: Makelyhome.com; Elle Decor; Better Homes and Gardens
Another quick, easy and inexpensive way is through adding cushions to your sofas and chairs! My favourite way to do this is by using vintage scarfs to make the cushion covers. Vintage scarfs have the most beautiful rich colours and textures, you can pick them up for a couple of dollars at the op-shops and with basic sewing know-how and a few minutes you can make beautiful cushions.
This is what i chose to do here. Eclectic, rich in colour and texture, fun and happy : )
(All these cushions were created for under $5! Full post can be seen here)
If you’re in NZ, why don’t you use this blustery, stormy day to look around your home, rearrange a few of your favourite things and make a little display that you can look at, smile and say “i love i! it looks so pretty and makes me smile!!!” If you can say that about your home then i think you’re doing an awesome job!!! : )
(then comment below and send me a photo cos i wanna see!!!! : )
October 8, 2012 by Sally Vandermark 4 Comments
About six months ago i finally got around to reupholstering Missy’s little armchair.
Here is the before and after and a link to the original post.
It was a little kids armchair that i picked up off the side of the road!
It was in bad condition, but the frame was in perfect condition, which is what i needed! : )
It was the first time that i had tried upholstering anything and i was actually really happy with the results.
I covered the chair with vintage material that i had found at a school gala. It was full of rich reds & oranges and looked great in our living room.
Well since then we’ve moved homes & Missy now has her own bedroom.
Her little armchair is perfect for her to sit in and read her books but no longer fits in with her girly, pink, slightly-eclectic bedroom.
This time i was more prepared!! : )
Hubby had bought me a new staple gun, as i had found my old one really hard to use with one hand, i had figured out that you can buy staples in different lengths!!!(yup! that’s how unprepared i was the first time!! : ) & i had cute, thick material that was more appropriate for upholstering.
I decided to keep the seat cushion loose at it will make cleaning easier.
This project took about 2 hours and the material was bought on sale from Spotlight for $6 ($2 per metre).
A great, reasonable quick project that has a big impact in a little girls room : )
This was a little taster of Missy’s bedroom.
It’s almost finished and then i’ll share the whole room! I just had the rug to make which will hopefully be ready to start very soon!! I’ve been collecting material and i think i almost have enough : D
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