One of the Best IKEA Hacks...

Is over at Me, You and a Weiner.  Brilliant IKEA hack.

Beagles are Trouble

I love this dog, but he cost us $350 today. A persistent case of fleas (gross, I know) sent him to the vet where he came home with about 5 different medications. Good thing he's so damn cute.

Dropcloth Rug - A Kinda Fail

This story starts off promising enough. A big blank canvas of a drop cloth. But the seams were wavy. I proceeded to ignore that. 

I started taping off diagonal stripes 8" wide

I realized that would FOREVER so I switched my pattern up to wider stripes going the other way.  It was also about 98 degrees this day so I was running out of gas fast.

Then I painted.  I used some leftover latex paint from other projects watered down

My finished project. The paint made the fabric all wavy-like. Love the colors. But the size is really out of scale for the space. I ended up cutting it down to 9' x 9' but it's still not right. 

FAIL. 

I'm back to searching CL for a proper outdoor rug.  

Pantone Paint at Lowes

I ran over to Lowes Home Improvement today to pick up my big ass dropcloth (a 10oz 9 x 12 is $25) and passing through the paint section I saw that they are now carrying Pantone-branded paint!  I don't see anything about this online -- they only reference Google returns is a tweet from @BellaGrind here.

Paint is pre-mixed quarts in a limited array of colors. Here's an image of the display area from Gilly Grey:

So Pantone freaks of the world - your answers ave been prayered!

What I Am Doing This Weekend - Dropcloth Rug

I am going to make a dropcloth rug for our covered deck. Outdoor rugs are pricey for what is essentially a big piece of plastic. Although PB has an AWESOME one right now.

Because our deck is covered, I'm not as worried about it getting wet. Plus, for the cost of a large dropcloth from HD or Lowe's, if it lasts just one summer I'll find another way to repurpose it.


Here are some sweet inspiration pics:

via Martha Stewart

I love the zebra design and shape on this:

via Gorgeous Shiny Things

This pattern would be fun for a very colorful deck like I am doing:

via Lovely Crafty Home

Can't go wrong with stripes!

via Be Different Act Normal

Ok, I hope this goes well.  I need to be patient for I am very un-patient when it comes to projects. 

More DIY Drapes

after success with my no-sew panels in the dining room, I decided to attack some panels for the master bedroom. This time, I decided to line them for extra heft and light-blocking capability. 

The lining wasn't difficult but I wasn't terribly precise in my measurements so a few of the panels have slightly shorter linings than ideal. Luckily no one will see my mistake!

More rings and drapery hook action:  

Bam! Lined drapes!  I just used some $5.99 stuff from JoAnn purchased with a 50% off coupon.

My fabric - quatrefoil in a creamy yellowy color.  It is NOT upholstery or drapery weight, however, so it's a little thin. Had I not lined these, they would be pretty transparent. 

Little Dining Room Update

I'm not one to just let things be. After I had our hall bath wallpapered in blue grass cloth, I wanted to find a use for the leftover scraps.  My bird prints in the dining room needed a little sprucing up so I added a bit of the cloth as a fake mat for each one.  Frames are Target.

I had to use two scraps for this one and I varied the pattern.  It gives it even more texture and depth!  One day I will trim off the edges of the print cleanly for a nice crisp look.  I've never had the patience/motivation to do it yet.

(Sorry for the reflection.  My hub's fancy Nikon can't compensate for my crappy photo skills)

I also threw up some no-sew panels out of some $5/yard ikat I came across. YoungHouseLove just made some for their dining room out of another colorway!) Drapery hooks + rings are my favorite thing now. They make homemade panels look professional!

And the view into the dining room from the living room. The dining room table is off center becuase there's a big old china cabinet out of frame that's taking up space on the left hand side of the room.  Once I knock out that wall, I'm moving it to the right hand side (the patterned wall).

We have a giant hydrangea plant in our backyard that is seriously in bloom right now.  Makes for a cheap centerpiece!

Puerto Rico

 

We went on a quick Memorial day getaway to the island of Puerto Rico! It was lovely (and hot) and we made the best of it despite losing a day to some terrible weather.  RDU delayed and cancelled flights due to some terrible thunderstorms.  We would have missed our connection in the ATL so we had to come back the next day for another flight (boo).  

Once we arrived, all was well and we explored the old area of San Juan on foot for a day.  The colors are so very pretty. In fact, the whole island is more colorful that you'd expect. A big old box of crayons in some places, really.  

 

We were able to balance a little sightseeing with some Caribbean sea-soaking too.