Project Bedroom Bright: Never Ending Painting

It really does seem never ending.

The good news is that lots of progress has been made (and my apologies on such slow posts lately)! The old desk got a new paint job, the walls are now Frost white, the door, trim and baseboards all got a fresh coat of paint, and now I'm on the windows. The window frames are taking forever, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel- I hope to finish them by tomorrow night. Then, I've got the closet doors though (I want to cry just thinking about them- but the orange makes me want to cry more), and in a month or two the floors. *whew!* I hope to show you some pics within the next few days though- and it already looks SO much brighter & lighter! No regrets- that's for sure!

Anyways, with the constant projects, I'm loving this print from Viv Strauss- it's called "Marguerite Woodworth relaxes in the bath before a big night out on the town." It makes me want to relax in a hot bubble bath... which is what I think I'm going to do right now!

A Painting a Day...

Sorry for such a late post- my internet has been screwy today!
Lately, one of my goals for my little etsy shop has been to keep continuously adding prints & paintings to the lineup- the more variety I have, the more likely visitors are to find something just for them. It's been quite fun & for the past few weeks I've been adding something new every day (except for the weekends sometimes)! Here's a little peek at some of the recent listings & some that haven't even been listed yet...

From the top left, clockwise: Bridget, Emma, Alice, Angelica, Winnie, Claudette

Hope you'll hop on over and check out them all!

Have an Adventurous Weekend!

I'm so excited- Jesse & I are going on a hike tomorrow! I bet these two little imps would love to go, but they'll likely be stuck at home in their pod. We've also got a bit of yard work and some major painting in the works. Are you doing anything exciting?

Hello Spring!

Well, we've gotten an unusual (and temporary, so I'm told) batch of beautiful warmer weather here lately, and with it, spring! The bulbs are sprouting furiously and trees & bushes are starting to slowly come back to life. We've also seen a possum and a wild turkey in our yard in the past couple days... so, yup, spring is here!

Inspired by the warmer weather, I thought I'd share some recent colorful touches to the exterior of our house. The front steps got some nice little boxwoods in pretty blue containers (I know they're not flowery, but our yard needs some more evergreen staples). The Christmasy wreath finally got switched for something more cheerful and appropriate- isn't it great?

The wreath is an easy DIY too! Just wrap the multicolored yarn around a smooth wreath frame (I'm sure you could do one color or plan out your stripes, but I left mine to chance). If you want, you can add some yarn poofs to it too (more on those later). Really simple, fun, and customizable if you're looking for a new wreath!

And of course, the little window box trees are finally surrounded by english ivy! I still have room to plant season stuff in there too, but I'd prefer this look because it's evergreen, lower cost, lower maintenance, and very British. You can also see a little imp peeking out from the window wanting to know why I'm not inside entertaining her.

Hope you've got spring wherever you are too!

New Coffee Table

The coffee table is painted (still need a quick coat of sealer, but the hard part is done)! I snatched this little Drexel table off craigslist for $25. The finish was awful on the top & one side was all scratched up, but it was the only thing I found at all that was the perfect size & shape. Some white paint, a nice blue dot on top, and she's good as new! One side is all carved with a moorish design on some doors that open up to the hollow interior (storage! ca-ching!), but we're not using them now, so they're turned around to the other side (you can see them in the post about the sectional).

New Sectional!

Yay! We can finally seat more than 2 people comfortably in front of our tv! I'm quite proud of myself, particularly because this is one of only two sectionals I found anywhere that fit in this space. Seriously... anything from DWR to Ikea did not fit. Not only does this one fit perfectly, it's also a durable bi-cast leather (the Klippan was too, so we know the dogs handle it well).

It's the modular sectional from Target online (currently on sale, free shipping, and it can be returned if you don't like it!). It's simple, sleek, modern, and small-scale. Better yet- the seats even come up for storage underneath- and who doesn't need more storage? It also blocks the nest of cords under Jesse's desk from view- an added bonus!

...And sorry it took so long to unveil the contents of those boxes, but the basement has been a demolition area while we unpacked & assembled it. :) The coffee table is a recent craigslist find that's currently primed and ready to be finished- more on that later!

Happy Chaotic Weekend

Yeah... that's a pic from Jurassic Park. Partly because when I think of chaos, I think of chaos theory, and when I think of that, well... you get the picture.

It really is chaos here though! Somehow I ended up with a zillion projects at once!

• The dining room is wiped out by desk drawers that have been freshly painted.

• The bedroom is out of commission with contents of said drawers everywhere. The desk itself is in the middle of being painted and have been pulled into the middle of the room.

• The livingroom is in mid-rearrangement and full disarray... more to come on that later.

• The basement is almost completely out of commission- like, you can't walk around freely

• And to top it all off, I just bought a TON of plants for the yard that need tending to.

It's going to be a hectic (but productive!) weekend... and I have a bunch of paintings to do too!! I stress out terribly when things are in disarray- what about you? Can you live amid chaos, or do you like having everything done and put away asap?

Boxen

A short while back, we ordered something big... but it wasn't supposed to get here until next Monday...

Then I looked out the window and saw this in the driveway... surprise!! :) I can't wait to show you what it is once it's out of the boxes! It's been a wonderfully bright, sunny day here- hope it's just as lovely wherever you are!

And if you're unsure of just what "boxen" refers to, I highly recommend listening to this (the actual joke is from 1:37-2:18, but it's all hilarious).

Little Touches for the Little Bedroom

Our 3rd bedroom is super tiny with a lovely stained glass window. Eventually it'll be a nursery, but for now, it's empty (Jesse keeps claiming he's turning it into a temporary office). The room is so small though, that every detail counts!

Enter: clearance knob and switch plate from Anthropologie

I just love how this switch plate looks with stained glass (which is considerably darker turquoise in the morning)- and sorry I couldn't get them in the same shot! Plus, now on trips to the attic, we're greeted by this lovable little lion knob (who matches the hardware on the window amazingly)! Too cute- and such a bargain!

Ceiling Fan Face Lift

If you're like me, you're not crazy about how most ceiling fans look these days.... but don't get too excited- this isn't an amazing fix-it-all solution... just a little face-lift.

This is what I wake up to every morning... it's pretty blah:

Nothing particularly horrid about it, but a few things really bother me. First, why pair off-white translucent shades with a white fan? They look FILTHY! I made a sour face every time I saw them. Second, cheesy pulls hanging down a mile long that say "Harbor Breeze" or whatnot all over them: not so stylish. And finally, it just lacks some sort of customization or little bit of fun & luxury (although that's admittedly hard to do in a fan).

So here's what I wake up to now...

Might not look like that much at first glance, but it makes such a difference IMHO. First, we ditched the dark shades for nice, bright white, simple ones. Second, switch the pulls with simple acrylic prism ones scored on clearance (and shorten them up!). Finally, a simple ceiling medallion adds a touch of customization. That medallion did something else too (although you can't really see it in the photos). Before, the fan seemed to protrude down & into the room, but now, the medallion seems to anchor and pull it up to the ceiling!

Nothing too fancy, expensive, or creative, but if you've got some functional fans that are less than gorgeous, these simple little fixes might make them just a little nicer!

Happy Weekend!

Hope you're all having a wonderfully lazy weekend!

Our weekend started out super busy with some chores and small purchases (more on those later!), and fizzled into a wonderful mid-afternoon nap. Tonight it picks up again though- Jesse's jazz band has their first concert of the season! :)

Rad Little Tiki Stool...

Maybe it's the pang of warm air that's allowing me to keep my doors open & enjoy the beautiful day, but I just ordered this rad little Offi Tiki Stool. We had a $25 gift card to YLighting & out of the extremely small section of items priced anywhere near $25, this was the clear winner. I love it's retro little shape & that we can use it in any room of the house as seating or stool- even outside! And I bet you all think I chose the bright green one (which was tempting), but I fooled you all and bought white! ;)

And check out this goofy video I found... clearly, this is one awesome stool.

DIY Fridge Frame

I really can't stand the chaos that usually exudes from fridges covered in magnets, reminders, ads, etc... Of course, the information is usually practical and necessary, so any way to wrangle or organize it gets an A+ in my book. Here's a super-simple project to help organize & beautify that typically chaotic part of the kitchen:

We happen to have a stainless fridge (non-magnetic front!) with a magnetic side right by the sink and not viewable from most of the house. I love it. I can tack up any important info, but it isn't seen the second you walk into the house or kitchen. Still, just drawing a pretty outline seems to calm this chaos & while I'm sure it won't stay as spic & span as it is now, it makes me smile...

Materials

(be sure to measure out your frame to know how much you'll need)

• moulding - you can find this at any hardware store- pick your favorite!

• paint - again, pick your favorite!

• glue - tacky or hot glue will work

• paintbrush

• magnetic tape

• cutting tool (a table saw is best, but any other saw or even an exacto can work)

• Polycrylic or some other sealer (optional depending on where it's going)

Materials you're most likely to not have at home.

First, calculate how long each piece needs to be for your desired frame size. Measure twice, mark your wood, and cut away! Be sure to be safe no matter what blade/saw you're using. If you don't have a saw that allows you to easily cut 45 degree angles, you might choose to just cut @ 90 degrees and lay the pieces on top of each other making a butt joint.

If you delegate the cutting to an engineer/scientist husband, don't be surprised to see something like this in the process. Although that gnawed bottom corner is evidence that he had to ask the Boo for help at some point.

Next, lay your pieces fancy side down on a table making the frame shape. Lay a strip of glue along the back of each seam. Wait to dry. Even after the glue is dry, the frame will be very delicate! Be careful moving it around!

Turn the frame over, and paint! I'd recommend at least 2 coats- or you could do some awesome design. If you want to seal it, now is the time. I chose not to seal mine, as I used a scrubbable paint & the area doesn't get a ton of splatter.

Once the paint/sealer is dry, turn it back over & glue a strip of magnetic tape to the back of each side. Don't rely on the sticky side of the magnet- it wasn't strong enough it my experience!

Once the glue is dry, she's ready to go up! Carefully position her on the fridge, purge all unnecessary, old, or obsolete stuff inside it, sit back, and admire your work! Yay!

It isn't a fancy project, but it's a nice simple way to help organize just a bit more! I also find that with a frame around that area, I'm better about keeping it de-cluttered!

My Own "dot com"

Weee! Finally got around to registering my own domain name- you may have noticed your links now forward to www.cozylittlecave.com - Just letting know about the change! :P

This must be how Tracy Jordan feels- what with having his own 'dot com' too! ;)

(Boy, I can't wait for 30 Rock to come back!)

The Log

A few of you asked about the log side table next to the guest bed, whether it had a story behind it, and how I sealed it. The log actually came from my parents' home in Houston & was part of an red oak tree that came down during Hurricane Ike.

They paid the kids across the street to hack up the tree & dig out the stump. Next time I visited, I found a whole set of logs (formerly trunk) in a little vignette out in the yard holding pots and plants of all sort. My mom did a great job with them, but I wanted to take it step further and bring one indoors. We carted it back to my place & it sat in the garage drying out some more for several months. After that, I sanded the cut surfaces & started to seal it. Because of the texture of the bark, I used spray on Polycrylic (like Polyurethane, but water-based). I sprayed probably at least 4 or 5 coats. For the flat surfaces, I used a brush on Polyurethane for a bit nicer look and something more durable (again, 4 or 5 coats). We've had no problems with it at all! It did split some at the top (as you can see) during the drying process. Many people would tell you to dry it for much longer and do all sorts of expensive, time consuming things, but for us, this has held up beautifully!

Only things to be wary of if you plan on doing it yourself- it's HEAVY. Plan on getting a lot of dirty looks from whoever you ask to help you move it. Also, when my generation walks by, this song often sprouts out.

Guest Bed Before & After!

A great craigslist bargain, many coats of paint, and a dozen Dr. Pepper's later... this happened!

I love it! The paint job isn't perfect- that yellow gave me SO much trouble, but the bed itself isn't in perfect condition, so I let it slide. I had to replace 4 of the wood finials on the posts with the closest thing I could find, lightly sanded & primed, and then painted away. The trim is Snow Fall and the panels are Citrus Splash - both from Behr in semi-gloss.

It's so much more cheerful, and it only cost us about $70!

If you come visit us, we now have a proper place for you to stay! :D

Hello Tuesday...

So I stayed up all night last night painting... and painting... and painting (and watching all 3 Jurassic Parks).

And now it's Tuesday.

At least I was productive though! After about 10 millionbazilliontrill..... coats of primer and paint, the bed is done! Well, it's not really 'done,' but I am done and saying stop. Later on, I'll wipe it down with some Polycrylic & pics should be up by tomorrow! I also managed to crank out some new paintings. OOPS just got listed today!

Have a lovely Tuesday- I'm off to take a nap and snuggle with the 2 little imps & then we're off to take the PickleDog to the vet!

EXPLOSION!

Against all odds, I made progress this weekend on painting the night stands & guest bed and updating the "Hard Day's Night" headboard. Those projects will be up soon, but the highlight of the weekend was when my can of wipe-on polyurethane decided to 'explode' all over me. I still can't explain the physics of how gently squirting some into my wiping cloth resulted in it getting on my face, hair, arms, shirt, and everything around me. ugh...

image via linden.g

Luckily, everything was salvaged or cleaned up & 30 minuted of ferocious scrubbing & shampooing later I was suitable for contact with others. Talk about annoying... and what makes it worse- I hated how the wipe-on poly coated my night stands & ended up re-coating with polycrylic. Am I the only one out there with bizarre, exploding messes occurring? I hope not...