sometimes store-bought IS better than homemade

I have been using my weekly 40 and 50% off coupons at Michaels to pick up some of those really pretty Martha Stewart craft boxes. I have gotten the CD and the Photo boxes. While I was at Wal Mart, I picked up a plain white box and thought -- why not save some money and make my own?

Here you can see my attempt at covering the box. I just used fabric I had laying around and some Mod Podge. It all worked out OK, except once you put the fabric on, it makes it too bulky for the top to fit on right. In order to smoosh the top on, the sides if the box cave in a wee bit. Once you pry that label holder off on the front, the grippers don't want to hold anymore, so you have to hot glue it back on.

Furthermore, the inside of the Martha Stewart boxes are prettier:

I decided that the aggravation of sticky fingers, smooshed in boxes and undecorated insides were not worth it.

The photo box is normally $16... I used a 50% off coupon to make it $8. The craft box at Wal Mart was $5, plus I used about $5 worth of fabric and glue... So, really, with a coupon, it wasn't a savings. I suppose if you HAD to have something in your very favorite fabric, then making your own would be worth it. But since the boxes come in a pretty blue, as well as white, black and brown, I am happy with them as-is.

idea file: studio/office

While it is way too early for me to even being planning for my studio/office, I do keep a mental “idea file” of things I simply must have. I have found this blog has let me commit my mental file to something a bit more tangible. Here are a few of my “must haves:”

I don't know why, but there is just something cheerful about these little trees. Providing me with lemons to go in my Coke is just a happy bonus. I think a little lemon tree sitting on a sidetable would be so charming. (Not that I have a sidetable yet for my studio... I do possibly have line on a great little loveseat so comfy and perfect for a catnap though...)

My studio, right now, is the back porch. It had, at one time, windows and doors, but is now open to the elements. I will scout out some antique wood windows, since as I really must insist on wood windows. The door, however, is up for debate. The door that leads into the kitchen will be a dutch door, because I think it would be quite charming. The door leading outside is TBD.

The look of the room will be rustic meets pop art, I think. With the stone walls and electrical conduit, it will be very rustic. But I do plan on bringing in a lot of color with my art and fabrics. I think fixtures from Barn Light Electric would be perfect. Here are some options:

I won't be able to afford real copper awnings like these from Cannon Copper... but aren't they gorgeous? Mine will most likely be stainless that I treat to look like copper.

My desk (which is in this thread) will be moved out there, along with all the accessories and whatnot. It will be placed in front of a giant wall of shelves. In the middle of the room will be a worktable with 2 chairs. The table base and chairs are actually wrought iron dining pieces I bought some years ago. I just need to give the table a new top as the pine top it came with didn't hold up at all.

Sigh... back to the real world where in progress we have the master bathroom (still no toilet!), the kitchen (still no backsplashes), the nursery (still down to studs), etc etc etc.

Entry Way

It was killing me that the first thing people saw in our home was nasty, peeling wallpaper, broken plaster, and grungy carpet. Right before Halloween, I decided I didn't want half the neighborhoood seeing our ugly entry way again this year.

After steaming off the wallpaper (that is my other half, Steven, working on the stairs), I repaired the plaster over the pocket door and all over the ceiling. Steven replaced the missing trim over the pocket door and updated the electrical. Now here is where I will make a few people cringe... I liked the existing light fixture, and it was original to the house. They are gas/electric lights and very pretty... only I wasn'r grooving on the finish. So, Steven painted them flat black and I picked out pretty etched glass shades. (We don't have a full set of the original shades).

After priming with Kilz, I mixed up some sand texture in a light grayish ceiling paint (Valspar "Irish Mist") and rolled the ceiling. The walls were painted Valspar's "Dockside Haze," an airy light blue with a hint of gray. Finally, the carpet was removed (ask Steven how much he enjoys using a screwdiver and vise-grips to pull out staples!) and shined up.

We have yet to hang our artwork, since it is a complete pain to locate studs and pre-drill the holes in plaster, so you can see a few of our pieces leaning up against the wall. Steven's mother gave us the beautiful metal trunk in the corner that we will use for the boys' hats, coats, etc. The wooden painted umbrella holder I found at Goodwill for $4. The little plant stand to the left of the door was also from Goodwill. I left the metal alone and painted the shelves white. I chose new hardware, curtains and sheers from Bed, Bath and Beyond. The rug is from Target.

Here is a nice close-up of the push-button switches we are putting in through-out the house. The original switchbox was hanging outside of the wall and butted up against the door jam. Steven moved it over (and into the wall), and I patched the plaster.

Here is a close-up of the front doorknob. It is pretty and original to the house. I hung a jingle bell for the holidays. Can you believe the flaming on the wood? I suppose you HAVE to have a 100 year old door to get wood that pretty anymore.

Here is the pocket door all fixed up. We were told by an appraiser that to replace this door would be $3000. I think we will take really good care of the one we have!

Until my office/studio is completed in what is now our backporch... I have set up my desk in the entry way. Here is a shot of my black desk. The top is just wrapping paper and Steven cut a top out of plexi. I lined the drawer in the same fabric I used for the sidechair (which my cat has totally destroyed and already needs recovered). The sidechair came from Goodwill and was painted in a BRIGHT pink to match the Tina Givens fabric. My desk chair, again from Goodwill, I left in the original gloss black. The rug I got on super-clearance from Pottery Barn Kids. The piece sitting on the desk is a portait of Robert Smith (The Cure) which I did in watercolor. Sitting on my desk is a watercolor I did of our house (pre-remodel, of course). The lamp was on sale at Hobby Lobby.

Let me take a moment to justify my obnoxious chair and desk... Eventually, these will be going into my office/studio in the back porch. The back porch walls are made out of the same stone as the front of the house. It has small conduit for wiring (rustic!) running along one wall. Currently, it does not have any windows or door. (When we get to it, windows, awnings and a door with a doggy-door will be added. The door from the kitchen to the office will be replaced with a dutch door.) With all that dreary stone going on, I thought a nice pop of girly color would be nice. And since it will be my creative space, I should be able to "do it up." Until then, I will be forced to camp out in the hallway that runs from the entry way to the dining room. Grumble grumble.