Those Little Things (That Nag)

Sometimes it is those little things that just never get done. You know, those things that don't deem important enough to be put on a to-do list.  These are the things that end up nagging me tenfold the amount of time it would actually take to just get them done.  Enter the hand towels in our guest bathroom.

Like the towels, the towel loop not so much.   When a loop came off of one of the towels I knew I would have to do something, eventually.

Eventually came a few months later when I found this ribbon while Christmas shopping.  The picture above almost makes it look like I know what I am doing, but I don't really. 

I winged it and am hoping the ribbon holds the strains a seven year old will undoubtedly put on it.  This is going to be one of the things that I will add to my to-do list just to have the self satisfaction of crossing it off again.

Speaking of lists, I have been working on a major one.  Jules from Pancakes & French Fries is continuing The William Morris Project with a post every Thursday and a link up.  She created an awesome list describing her intentions for each room with all the things she would like to accomplish.  A list broken down by room is exactly what I need to keep me focused.  I will be joining her Thursdays with something that I have accomplished.  Most of the time it will fit under the header of my (slightly withered) More of Less series, but sometimes it will be just be something that I needed wanted to get done for our home (like today).  So, here goes.

Replace loop on guest towels

I am still tweaking my list and will be posting it sometime in the next week.  Today I plan to spend a good part of the day over in the comment section at Jules and visiting all the blogs that have linked up.  Should make for an inspiring day.  Thanks Jules!

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

- William Morris

Some Things Go

And other things enter. 

Insanely awesome things.  This Plycraft lounge chair and ottoman made their way into our home a few weeks ago.  You see, I have been up to more than purging around here.  I did get rid of a sofa (see the first picture in my last post) to make room for them.  My parents bought the set 49 years ago and I am elated that my mom said yes when I asked if I could have it.  Thanks Mom!  Now I just need to talk her out of a teak dining table, high boy and buffet.  Not gonna happen, but I can dream. The chair needs a different pillow and I am thinking of painting the nesting tables, but those are just little details.  In my book it is both useful and beautiful, so it is a double score.

Keep Calm

 

Many would say that it has been over done, but if I like something I really don't care. I felt the same way  about the Cole & Son Woods wallpaper that I put in our guest bathroom. The only difficult part about getting the poster was agonizing over deciding on what color, but once I did I ordered it from here. 

For me the kitchen was the perfect place to hang it.

Sam's Room

In today's post Benita @ Chez Larsson asked everyone to share a picture or post of the EXPEDIT shelving units in their home.  You can find ours in Sam's room.

Considering that our home plays a substantial role in this blog I haven't really shared that many pictures of it.  Mainly because I find it really hard to shoot interiors (and gardens).  It took about 20 shots to get this one (thank goodness for the digital age). The angles always seem weird and it is just plain frustrating.    I am hoping to improve and start sharing some more.

Go on over to Benita's to share your pictures and while you are at it link to them in the comments here too.

Senorita

This painting entered my home a few months ago when we had to remove the last of the things from my grandmother's home. She bought it from a door to door salesperson probably close to 50 years ago.  For as long as I can remember it had hung her stairway, but I do remember seeing a photo of it hanging in her living room with a striped wallpaper.  She always said that she loved the way the Senorita's eyes would follow her when she walked by and that fact always fascinated me when I was a child.  I remember going up and down the stairs with my eyes on the painting.  I never thought it would one day belong to me, but I am happy to be able to give it a new home.

Doormat - Part Deux

Painting a doormat, how hard could it be?  Well, a little harder than I thought.   On the Monday after my initial post I jumped right into the project and bought all needed supplies. Since I was making my own template for the pattern I decided to alter it slightly.  The H&M doormat was a little too pointy.  So, I widened the spacing between the tips of the zigs and zags.  I started the stencil and was almost finished when I realized that not only did each row need to be centered (with a tip in the middle in each), but the spacing and angles needed to be (fairly) accurate. 

So, on to stencil number two. You might be able to discern the center line that I penciled in.  I made the pattern template using equally sized rectangles taped together at 90˚ angles and then used it to trace all of the rows I needed.
 

Then I cut out the stencil wearing down the blades of my box cutters in the process.  It took up a, felt, eternity.

There it is the plain doormat, about to be transformed.  In case you are wondering I did for a moment consider running back to the store to get yellow spray paint, but then I thought of hoards of small muddy shoes.  FYI, I used a whole can (small one) of spray paint to get the black I wanted.  Turns out coconut fiber is a natural fiber (duh) and absorbs paint, lots of paint.

And here it is all finished and stuff.

Doormat - DIY

How is that for a post title?  I think obsess about a lot of things and doormats can, on occasion, be one of those things.  I have been searching for the perfect one ever since we moved into our house almost two years ago.  Last week the H&M Spring 2011 Home catalog arrived in my mailbox and this is what I found on page 2.

Cute, right?  I have been looking for something with a print and I like the chevron pattern. Our entry is somewhat exposed to the elements so the typical doormat just becomes a soggy mess on a rainy day.  Coconut fiber should do fine, I hope.

Unfortunately, it only comes in 50 x 80 cm and that is too big for our entry.  My first thought was to buy one and cut it down.  Then while writing this post I had an idea.... Make, or should I say paint, my own.  Plain coconut fiber ones are widely available and so is paint. :)  I have plenty of masking tape. No idea if this will work (well), but I figure if Anna can renovate her house, Benita can paint her house, and Dan can upholster his bed  then I can paint a doormat.  We will see.

(image: h&m)

Zzzoolights

Last week I ran across Zzzoolights,  the work of kirigami artist Ramin Razani for Officina Crea.  Aren't they just too cute and in a good way?  Modern lines with just the right amount of whimsy.

I just wish that I would have discovered them about 3 or 4 years ago. Tomorrow I am going to ask Sam, but I can guess he would prefer a dinosaur or a shark version.

(images: officina crea)

Guest Bathroom

We have lived in our house just two weeks short of two years and there are still some things left to complete both in the house and out in the garden.  That doesn't stop me from reworking some things that were considered done.  In this case, it was just adding a shelf in the guest bathroom.

Before

After

I just had our carpenter move the panel hiding the u-bend further back and add a shelf in front.  It is just a small change, but it has makes me happy.

Chair love

Just a quick post to spread some chair love.  Have you seen these?

Eye Exam

Alphabet Color

Both of these prints are from Blue Art Studio.   I discovered them on [room] by sofie who was featured with Benita in a Swedish magazine.  Wouldn't these prints look fabulous, well just about anywhere? Especially in my house.  :)

(images: blue art studio)