Have I mentioned how much I love creating these picture quotes? My passion for photography and quirky obsession with motivational quotes combine! Have an exceptional Saturday my friends!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Hi. It's Friday (the pink edition)
It's a Friday long awaited. Today was my last official day at Cheezburger.com and I already feel lighter.
What shall I do with my lightened self? Oh the possibilities! It will have to start with a quiet weekend at home. Lennon is battling an ear infection, our bathrooms are in need of deep clean, and I have about 300 unfinished projects begging for attention.
I am SO craving pink at the moment ... everything I have needs to be pink right now. I want it everywhere, color moods are so crazy and dangerous. Here's some fab pink rooms for your enjoyment and my mental health.
Are you convinced that you're entire house needs to be pink yet? I am.
Something will be pink before the weekend is up. Stay tuned
xo, chelsea
xo, chelsea
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Things I Love Thursday
That cow necklace is my new favorite thing in the world. What do you love this Thursday?
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Channeling Julia Child
Spring planting has begun. My dear husband will be a slave to the land for the next several weeks. This means that I get to prance around the house wearing aprons, pretending to be a 50's house wife. I need to find some heals ... kidding, that would be taking it too far, I don't want to hurt myself!
Most of you know that my wonderful husband, Brett, was a chef in a previous life and relives the glory days every night by preparing dinner. Myself in the kitchen, on the other hand, should be outlawed. I would really would rather stick to cereal if it comes down to me being in charge of dinner, but no ... no 50's house wife would expect her husband to eat coco puffs for dinner, and neither will I! So during planting and harvest season I become a master chef, thank goodness I watched top chef religiously last season.
What's for dinner tonight? I haven't figured it out yet ... but I do plan on playing with my vintage spoons and flipping through the Julia Child cook books, for effect.
Seriously though, ideas? dinner? easy? anyone?
Monday, March 26, 2012
Thrifting and things
This weekend was an awesome weekend for second hand finds. The thrifting gods were undoubtedly smiling down on me. Friday, Brett and I traveled to the town of Clinton which is about an hour and a half north of where we live in Shelbyville. I responded to a Craigslist posting there for two china cabinets priced at $40! It was just a no brainer for me, I mean seriously, $40?!
When we got there we were happy to find the china cabinets in fair condition other than some minor water damage and some major dirt. We also found a wonderful vintage washbasin and the guy threw in some free chicken wire and a beat up table, score! I will be posting on each of these things soon, and probably separately. I have already entered the cleaning stages on our new finds. Worst part of any furniture restoration project is cleaning: bugs, mold, drrryyyyyy hands.
Now that I have teased you with that, I will actually show you some second hand finds from the weekend. My fabulous friend Wendy was nice enough to humor me on Saturday morning and let me drag her to Effingham and this little town called Altamont where I had never been. We found a gold mine of an antique mall in Altamont, I'm talken gold mine! The best part is that we were there early enough that we had the place to ourselves for like 45 minutes.
Fav finds:
Quilt.
I have a serious love for antique quilts. It's almost like you can hear and feel them speak to you. So much love and care is put into the construction of a beautiful quilt. This one has an old Americana feel to it, it's colors are still so vibrant. There are a couple small stains and a few worn spots, but other than that, great condition! A quilt this elaborate and well made bought new would cost you hundreds of $$, and they don't come broken in ;)
Lamp.
I found this owl lamp for $12! I love unique pieces and knew this was a keeper. I gave it a little makeover (which it was in desperate need of) Now I'm pretty sure it's my favorite lamp in the entire world (at least for today).
before after
and again with the after..
Rooster.
Need I say more?
This weekend fed my soul... mmmmm, soul food.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Things I Love Thursday: Laundry Edition
I'm excited about this new site I found, I Am The Lab. It supports indie shops producing and selling handmade goods, awesome. It's my life long dream to have a photography studio with a boutique shop in the front of the store. When my dream comes to fruition I will collect antiques, rally artists, and urge the community to sell handmade goods to fill the boutique. Shopping indie is a big deal .. and it's like 1000x cooler than anything you can pick up at Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel or Target. fer realz.
I am all hyped up on our laundry room project at the moment so I thought I would bring to you some of my fav vintage laundry finds via Etsy.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Spring Mantel 2012
Today is the first day of spring, rejoice! I decided to be a grown up and decorate for the season. The Lettered Cottage is hosting a mantel party so I jumped on the band wagon and dressed my mantel.
Ever since we've moved into this house I've struggled with decorating this mantel for a few different reasons. First of all it's like totally gothic, Halloween worked, spring was more of a challenge. Secondly, it curves in and out and the narrow parts are actually pretty narrow. Thirdly I placed my favorite mirror above this mantel, which is most certainly it's rightful place, and I refuse to take it down and replace it with something more seasonal. Despite my challenges, my daunting challenges ;) , I am pleased with how the mantel turned out.
I pulled in my wild flower seedlings from the next room and tucked in a couple of seed packets that I haven't planted yet.
I used my usual books in a different orientation and pulled some San Pelle bottles out of the pantry to use in the spring display.
Brett got me these pretty antiqued birds for Christmas and I think they are the perfect addition to a spring inspired mantel.
A yellow painted shutter serves as a backdrop. We have several of these old shutters in our attic that were here when we moved in, and I just so happend to have a can of yellow spray paint in the garage (it pays to be a hoarder).
The purple branches I brought in from outside. I know it seems cruel to trim back a blooming tree, but the tree is awkwardly placed and Brett has never liked it. I keep it trimmed back, to save it's life!
Mantel mania. How's your mantel looking?
---------
The Novogratz
Everyone needs a role model, right? Some one to look up to, aspire to, etc. Bob and Courtney Novogratz do it for me.
photo via: hgtv.com
Why?
They get it. Husband and wife inspired by life. They have seven kids ... seven. They get that kids keep us young, don't let us take anything too seriously, and allow us to be whatever the hell we want to be. Being a parent isn't a job, a requirement, or a task ... it's who you are.
Don't become static because you're a parent ... become inspired because you're kids inspire you.
The Novogratz are always taking risks with design. I've been feeling underwhelmed lately with monotonous design. I love that the Novogratz don't hesitate to be original, try new ideas, and use bold color. The design world should not be over saturated with beige walls and shabby chic tables.
The guest room in the Novogratz's country home:
The dining area in their New York home:
Front hall in their New York home:
all images via: thenovogratz.com
Pattern, art, material, unique design. You can't pin an original life, you have to make it.
This is my current quest.
Who inspires you, and why?
Who inspires you, and why?
Monday, March 19, 2012
8 Tile Laying Tips for the DIY-er
Allow me to give you a few pointers before you embark on your own tile project. While my finger nails are still coated in a thin layer of grout, I have recognized it's urgency.
1. Consider your adhesive.
There are two main tile adhesives to choose from, Mastic and Thin set. Mastic is good for small jobs in a space that is not exposed to water. Mastic has a stronger initial bond and makes the process of laying your tile easier, however it is a natural compound and will break down in the presence of water. If you are doing tile anywhere in your bathroom, mastic is not a good choice, but if you are doing a laundry room backsplash or even something in your kitchen, mastic may be the product that you are looking for. Thin set is the traditional product that is used to lay tile. You must mix this product and it can be tricky for a beginner to achieve the right consistency, but if you are doing a large tile job or tiling anywhere that water is present, it's the product you want.
2. Think about how the tile will fit in your space.
Always buy a little extra tile. Even if you measure you space at exactly 20 sq ft. There may be a few places where you will have to cut tile in a strange manner, making the other half of that tile unusable.
3. Consider the tile material.
If you are using glass tile keep in mind that they can be very hard to cut, where as ceramic tiles snap right in half after scoring them lightly with a blade. There are several different types of tile cutting tools, however you may want to research them before making a tile purchase, so you have an idea of the cost of buying or renting your tile cutter.
4. Take design into consideration.
If you buy tile that has several different colors involved you will spend half of your time making sure the color pattern works while cutting and laying. This process is very tedious.
5. Realize that laying your first tile will be a learning experience.
Getting the right amount of mastic or thin set laid is the hardest part of actually adhering the tile to the wall or floor. This process might take some research and/or trial and error.
6. Measure twice, cut once.
Really though, measure twice, cut once.
7. Grouting is the easy part.
Although grout is messy and sticky applying it is easy and goes quickly. Remember not to grout your tile until the adhesive has fully dried. Grouting will take you a fraction of the time that laying your tile did. You'll definitely want a sink near by during this part.
8. Tiling isn't easy.
Too many resources lead you to believe that tiling is a totally easy DIY project, untrue. It's probably something that gets easier the more times you do it, but the first go is rough, and takes time. With that said, tiling is a completely achievable task, and if you want to do it yourself I encourage you to!
So those are my tiling lessons. Even though our tile laying experience was rigorous, exhausting, and required many moments of problem solving, our space turned out really awesome! I cant wait until everything is finished. The grout is still drying and we will have to caulk the seems. After that's done, no more heavy lifting involved, just finishing touches. Stay tuned!
The worst iphone photo in the history of the world:
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Happy St Patricks Day!
While gardening today I scored this four leaf clover. Happy Irish festivities!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Hi. It's Friday!
a balanced breakfast
The kids are home this Friday, so I'm looking forward to a fun day with my two partners in crime. I think we definitely need to go on an adventure of some sort.
The weather cast predicts 81 today. Im actually writing this blog post from my front porch watching what looks like a storm rolling into town.
Im going to buy a bail of straw later and use it for bedding in our chicken coop, then I can actually move the chicks to their new home. I can't wait, they're going to be so excited!
I got a little surprise in the mail yesterday. Well okay, it wasn't really a surprise, more like something I ordered last Friday and tracked online every day since, naturally. It's a reproduction switch plate to fit our Victorian era home. I know, you probably think Im crazy because, who actually gets this worked up over a switch plate? I admittedly don't know anyone, but just look at this beauty!
It's my new favorite thing. And it's really heavy, made of cast brass. I have to order one at a time to justify them, because they're $15.00 a pop! About 15 times what you might spend on a standard switch plate, but these are the real deal. Thank you Antique Hardware!
Brett and I have a fun weekend of stenciling and tiling in store for us ... I can't wait to see some results!
Dinner will be Philly cheese steaks. Does anyone else plan dinner in advance?
Home grown beef.
Alright I think I have given you enough random thoughts for one day. Im off to make some stuff happen!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Things I Love Thursday: St. Patty's Edition
Is everyone ready for a Saturday St. Patricks day? I'm sure that much fun will be had. As for me I will be at home, bottle of baileys in one hand, corn beaf in the other. What do you have planned? In case you need an idea here's a smallish dose of St. Patty's inspiration. Have fun, stay safe, and be ginger.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Pi Day
Usually on Pi day you might be in the mood for a winter pie, perhaps a good apple pie. This year in Shelbyville, IL we're nearing 80 degrees on March 14th. I wish I was more prepared for summer, but instead my kids are wearing tight shorts (from last year) and spring sneakers. In spite of our unpreparedness for this early heat, we will be enjoying a homemade blackberry pie this evening. Blackberries were 1.80 at the market today, so I got lucky and we're embracing the summer weather through dessert.
To all you math nerds, computer geeks, and folks who just love an excuse to bake a pie,
Happy Pi Day!
Victorian Home Tour
I want to lead the Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter.
-Freddy Mercury
Brett and I live in a Victorian Era home. Victorian homes are oh so extravagant and wonderful. It makes me want to wear a corset and a velvet dress with a gold choker, and ringlets in my hair. But, alas, people no longer live the Victorian life, do they? It's probably a good thing considering their very strict lifestyle. These indulgent beings did, however, leave behind many less than humble homes that we can admire in the modern age. Our home is really very straight forward compared to many of the Victorians I have selected for you viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
Love and Lavender
the porches speak to me. A Folk Victorian home.
the porches speak to me. A Folk Victorian home.
victorian houses
little victorians are always so quaint looking .. like little gingerbread houses. They are known traditionally as the Shotgun Style Victorian.
little victorians are always so quaint looking .. like little gingerbread houses. They are known traditionally as the Shotgun Style Victorian.
victorian houses
detail, everywhere. An Eastlake Queen Anne Victorian.
detail, everywhere. An Eastlake Queen Anne Victorian.
unknown source.
mega turret. Turrets belong to the Queen Anne Style, however this home seems to have a more Folk Victorian look to me.
gold accents, little special windows. An elaborate Eastlake Queen Anne, also known as a Painted Lady
unknown source.
screened in heaven porch, in the Queen Anne style.
This is my favorite. Mansford roof, white brick. Second Empire Style.
Ice Dog Dude
window frames that reach the floor. Tiny Second Empire
window frames that reach the floor. Tiny Second Empire
Apartment Therapy
And we can't forget San Francisco's famous painted ladies, can we?
And we can't forget San Francisco's famous painted ladies, can we?
Ours. An 1880's Italianate, dressed in it's original siding, the original color is unknown. This style Victorian is known for it's boxy shape, low pitched roofs, and brackets in the eaves.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The Chicken Farm (aka, our house)
Hey there, do you want to see something cute? Well here you go, one of my baby chicks just a mere three weeks ago. Oh how time flies when they are young!
At three weeks the pubescent poultry had their first outing. The weather was hot today, so I let them play outside for awhile. Chickens are hilarious creatures ... just look at their faces, you can tell how incredibly intense they are just by looking at them.
I don't even want to know what they're huddling about here ... as if I can't see them.
Talk about a bad hair day ... I can't get them to keep up their appearances, they're just not into vanity. They are, however, obsessed with flying. It's their life's destiny to fly.
They are constantly yammering away, and continuing to look incredibly serious as they do. It's just so hard to take them seriously with that hair.
So there you have it ladies and gentleman, life with pre teen hens. It's not always pretty, but it is always intense (for them ... obviously).
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