neon leg accent for my black table

 

 

illustration, cute baskets and use of rugs

 

 

a new pendant light for my dining room

 

hooks for dress up clothing

I'm hoping to paint this giant room a light gray, but I'm not up for the task by myself. Maybe, if I had 10 people come over with a roller, it would take no time at all? Who is up for it? ;)

 
Above photo: Dresser after I painted white lines on 3 drawers and changed knobs on same drawers a couple of years ago.

 

I love those marquee letters, but they're so expensive. So I made one (that doesn't light up) using cardboard, glue and pins. Up close it doesn't look great, but from where it sit on our mantle, mistakes aren't TOO noticeable.

And the munny (what's the plural?) that spell "wiese" are finally done.

Lately.

I have been ON IT lately. Actually hanging photos long printed and framed. Painting, making completing, organizing. AND taking care of an 8 month old. I don't know what happened and where the motivation came from, but I'm happy. 

Above is our dining room. I always planned on it being black and white art only. The 4 largest photos to be in that room are finally up, now I have to print and frame 6 more photos and give this a completed look.

 

I have never been one for the typical baby blankets with monkeys or cars on them. And quilts never seemed to fit into my modern graphical aesthetic. But these. These I'd put all over my house!

Find these at b/perrino on Etsy.

 

 

I love the Christmas season! The lights, giving, and cool weather (sometimes) that make this season great! I especially love the break in summer heat that makes you want to sit close to your loved ones, and bundle up for a movie. Add a Caramel Macchiato to the equation and you have perfection!

With all of that said, I thought I'd share some of the Christmas decor around our house!

 

    Christmas is at our house this year, and we're super excited. To make it special I wanted to have    

    place settings for everybody. I've been saving glass jars and bottles for a while, planning to do 

    something with them, and I finally figured out the perfect use.

    Here is how to complete this project:

    1. Scrub EVERY bit of the wrapper and glue off of your jars/bottles. Hot water helps get 

    the glue off. 

          *Paint is not a cover up, if anything, it emphasizes any glue or wrapper left on the bottle.

    2. Once they're dry, use blue tape to cover areas you don't want painted. Some of my jars have 

    patterns, and I tried to make others look like they were dipped in gold.

    3. Paint.  (I used a gold metallic spray paint, but you can use whatever you want)

      - Cover a large area with plastic, because spray paint spreads especially when it's windy. 

      - Be sure to cover the opening of the bottle so paint doesn't get inside.

      - The first coat of spray paint should not be the last. Spray painting is better with multiple 

         thin coats. 

      - Wait 15 minutes between each coat, and let dry for 30 minutes before handling it.

    4. Remove tape once jars dry, and display.

 

    The photo above is an example of what happens when you don't aim.

 

This is not the complete place setting, but it is a complete jar.

Did I mention I'm excited about Christmas? I AM!

  

 I know...two DIY posts in one week! But it's been a productive week!

Some rooms have been neglected in my house. One in particular is the guest room, and we hate the idea that people stay with us, and the room has no mood whatsoever. With our state of finances, and the free time I am endowed with, I have to make decorations. FINE BY ME!

I wanted to create a geometric painting (it has no significance), but didn't want a flat piece. So i created some texture. Here's how you can do it:

1. Use a flat edge to spread spackle on your canvas. (A metal spatula is best, if you have one. I figured out where mine was hidden AFTER I applied spackle.) It's up to you how much or little you apply. Remember, the more you put on, the more little crevices you will have to work at getting paint into.

2. Once the spackle has dried (it should be white when it is dry), apply the background color. I used a heavy acrylic paint. The crevices will be difficult, make sure you take a small brush, if necessary, to fill in tighter areas.

If you're layering paints (as I am) it is important to remember that it is easier to cover light colors with dark, so paint the light color first. 

3. Let your paint dry really well. You don't want colors to smear together just because the base wasn't dry yet.

 

4. If you are looking for a more precise painting, draw out shapes you'll be using. I was really hoping for a specific sized triangle, so I made my measurements and drew them accordingly.

5. Cut out shapes.

6. Place cut out shape in desired place. Trace. 

7. Paint the edges first. If you are not adding texture, you can use blue tape to keep a straight edge. With all of the spackle on this canvas I had to just go very slowly, and embrace little mistakes.

8. Fill in shapes with paint. You may have to go over some areas again.

 

Now I have to get another canvas to paint and hang above the other lamp (not pictured). The guest room is getting a little more personality...we just need to invest in a comforter, instead of using a quilt that doesn't match!

Good luck painting!

 

 

My guestroom needed a little something. It has been neglected since I never use it. 

I used blue tape to create a grid on the wall. If you get 1 inch thick tape then that can be used as a spacer between the photos. Put two long strips on the horizontal and vertical center, and from there use small pieces of tape in between photos. Make sure you use lots of double sided tape so the photos don't fall...I've had to redo my wall because I didn't use enough tape.

I didn't want any sort of permanent fixture, because as more photos were taken I wanted to switch them out. So, I may end up putting photo corners on a poster board and slide the photos in that.

All of these photos were taken with my iPhone using Instagram or Hipstamatic. I love these apps...any time I can have the look of analog, I'm happy!