Jen Bowles Design

Sign of the Times: Merry Christmas

Inspired by a few greeting cards I've seen along the way and the wonderful art of Jenni Horne of Mattie's Social Circle, I painted a Merry Christmas sign.

I'm pretty excited about it.  Unlike the color of our house, which does not excite me and I had on the list to change this year.  Oh well, there's always 2011...

In fact, it's my most favorite wooden sign I've ever made.  Not that I've made a lot of wooden signs.

I started off with a piece of scrap plywood from our garage.  The dimensions were not exactly what I wanted so I enlisted the help of the circular saw.  I used a t-square to help me draw a nice straight line and then proceeded to cut somewhat nearby said line.  Straight lines are not my strong suit.

Next step, priming with black gesso.  Jenni shared on her blog this cool technique along with creating your base drawing with chalk (hello, genius!).  Jenni used this method with elementary school students, so I figured I could do it too ;-).  I first drew my design on the backside of the plywood in pencil.  Then I turned it over to the primed side and drew something completely different--that I liked much better.

Over the next, oh, 2 weeks, I painted a bit here and there when I had a few spare minutes.  The most time consuming part was filling in with the red paint around the white painted words. The white painted (my handwriting) words took a while too.  The rest was pretty straightforward.

Yesterday I decided the sign was done enough and powered up the sander.  Naturally I can't find my Mouse sander, so I had to use the larger circular one we have.  After wiping off the paint dust, I put a bit of Elmer's glue on each of the white polka dots and sprinkled on irridescent glitter.  Finally I coated the whole thing with two coats of matte poly.

This morning I scavenged around the garage and found the last 2 sawtooth hangers we have in inventory.  I attached them and (finally) took my baby sign outside to hang.

Ta-da!

All ready to greet everyone that visits us with a timely & festive message--for the next 4 days anyway.

Next year I'm hanging it the day after Thanksgiving ☺.

 

'Welcome' Thanksgiving banner

For whatever reason, I decided that the house *needs* to be decorated for Thanksgiving this year.  To that end, a couple of weeks ago I made the 'Give Thanks' wreath.  This weekend I made a simple table runner (no pics yet).  My favorite Thanksgiving decoration I've made so far though has got to be this 'Welcome' banner.

I used a cereal box (Frosted Flakes to be exact) to make most of the pennants.  The circular ones are chipboard coasters.  All are covered in sheet music and/or scrapbook paper and machine stitched for extra detail and overall snazziness.  The letters are chipboard by Basic Grey.  I painted them gold and then glittered them with my most harvest-y looking Martha glitter.  I finally got brave enough to use my Martha scoring board and created a few rosettes to mount some of the letters on.  I only had to call to consult my mom 3 times to make sure I was doing it right.  For embellishments I used a few vintage buttons, silk flowers, some ball fringe and an assortment of ribbon. 

It's a little ridiculous how much I like this thing☺.

Hopefully our guests will like it too and indeed, feel welcome.

 

Visiting: Heart Rock Display

A few weeks ago Ebby and I ditched the boys (and the dogs, the cat, the turtle and the chinchilla) and headed west on the Mass Pike to visit our bff's in upstate NY.

I was lucky enough to see my bff Kathy just a few weeks prior, when she came for a quick solo visit to our house.  Our girls (she has 3) however,  hadn't seen each other in over a year.  We're only 3 hours away--that's just not right.

We love poking around each others homes when we visit, seeing what's new since our last trip.  Or maybe just admiring the same well-loved objects over again.

Now, I have my own collection of heart rocks.   I don't have my collection displayed in a muffin tin in my kitchen--but Kathy does.  Love. It.  I also don't have the coolest heart rock ever, from Alaska.  But Kathy does.

Great collection, great display, great friends ♥.        

Give Thanks {wallpaper} wreath

After taking down our Halloween decorations, things were looking a bit bare around here.  As we are the official Thanksgiving host family this year, that just would not do.

The first thing I did was to head to the attic.  I took down all of the Thanksgiving decorations we had (that I like).  After setting up 6 toilet paper roll Pilgrims circa 2002, I decided we need more.

My first Thanksgiving project for this year, completed today, is a wreath. 

Ta da:

Originally I was going to make a yarn wreath.  Then I decided that would take too long.  When my mom and I helped our friend Pam clean out her art studio last week, she gifted us with many treasures.  Included in my haul were several sample size rolls of wallpaper (Pam is also an interior designer).  I had an idea.

I started with a $3 straw wreath.  Next I wrapped it with thin batting secured directly into the wreath with pins. The rolls of wallpaper were not terribly big (think wrapping paper) so I was able to slice off  3-4" chunks/mini rolls using my heavy duty guillotine style paper cutter.  I pinned one end of the wrapping paper to the wreath and then wrapped it around several times, pinning the end.  Onto the next wallpaper piece: overlap, pin, repeat.  It may not be the cleanest look but I like it☺.  And it was quick and used upcycled supplies  I had on hand--bonus!

The rest of embellishments were attached using hot glue including some vintage Scrabble Jr. letters I mounted on punched pattern paper and chipboard scrapbook letters that I altered by glittering.      

The wreath is now hanging on our back door, ready to welcome our guests.  Thanksgiving and otherwise.

 

Linking up to Robin Rane's All Things Merry & Brite Blog Party :-) Lots of great holiday decorating ideas to enjoy!

Halloween Around Our House

I {finally} worked up the energy this past weekend to go up to the attic and get down the totes of Halloween decorations.  It's always fun to discover what I bought on clearance last year and stashed away.  

Anyone need a pair of pink and black striped tights??

Anyway, I foraged through our decorations and spread what felt like an appropriate amount of spookiness throughout the downstairs.

First stop on the tour, the dining room--now with bookcases!

It's always good to know how much 5 glittery skulls weigh, right?  Please note: not very much.  Though it could be that my free baby scale from the swap pile is not exactly accurate...

I was going to put the rest of the glittery skulls under a cloche but they weren't fitting in easily.  Instead they've taken up residence in the Pottery Barn (never been used as but intended as an advent calendar) shadow box.  Amazingly, the head vase woman does not appear at all fazed by the ghoulish visitors.

Now, not only do the new bookcases in the dining room hold lots of books, they present additional decorating opportunities.     Thank you very much ☺.

Moving on to the family room, hark, it's one of my handmade BOO banners strung between the curtain rods.  Just below that, on a chest that has been begging to be painted a faded apple green color, a vintage Underwood typewriter (yard sale score) and a mini pumpkin Ebby got at the corn maze this weekend.

Panning left, a collection of some of my favorite vintage inspired Halloween goodies and of course our friend David, in costume already.          

Finally in the kitchen, an adorable Jennifer Murphy crow-in-cone, all decked out for the season.

So there you have it.  I may have no idea what any of my children are going to be for Halloween, but by gosh, the house is decorated!

 

Thrifty Finds

Yesterday I went to the Salvation Army to drop off a pile of books for my mom.  I could've just left the books, gotten back in my car and driven away.  But I didn't.  Of course I didn't.

Allow me to share what I scored during my quick trip inside the store ☺.

First, an adorable little pitcher.  I'm not sure if I'll use it in my studio for storage or as part of my Halloween decor.  Love the black & white combo.  And it made me think of my dad who is currently in the midst of a three week vacation in Tuscany.

Next, a fun, coastal vibe picture frame.  I'm planning to paint the pink stripes coral and use it in the basement family room.  Of course then I'll have to select one beach picture from the approximately 3000 beach photos I have to put in it...

I honed in on this enamel colander right away.  Lime green.  Love it.  This will go in my studio to hold paints.  Or glue sticks.  Or some sort of crafty supplies.

Finally, this napkin holder.   Originally from Crate & Barrel, I scooped it right up.  You see, I actually need a napkin holder.  As soon as I saw it I could picture it spray painted.  So yesterday afternoon, ahead of the rain due from Earl, I presto-change-oed it.  Ta-da.  Even my children were impressed--they thought it was new and that I bought it green.  Oh yeah.

Ah, the thrift store.  Where there's always treasure waiting to be discovered.  And purchased.

{Speaking of treasure, wait 'til I show you rocking horse I scored at the dump swap pile today!}

 

Handmade: Baby Name Banner

It's been a busy week around here, with 3 days of birthday celebrating so far and the big 13 year old birthday bash still to come tomorrow night.

Phew.  I'm tired just thinking about it all.

Last week though I finished up a custom name banner.  It was for a baby-to-be, Cristiano.  The banner was to serve as a decoration at the baby shower this past weekend and then be hung in his nursery.  I used the nursery bedding as my inspiration.  The bedding is lovely, shabby chic sophisticated with toile, dots, ruffles and lots of texture.  I tried to bring all of those elements into the design of the banner.  Judging by the overwhelming positive thank you note I got from the recipient,  I guess I was successful :-).                 

Out & About: Company C

Last week Ebby and I made a quick stop at Company C while we were walking from Snip-Its to Barnes & Noble.  So convenient.  I was searching for a rug to put at the bottom of the stairs in the new basement family room.  While I've since settled on an ultra plush and fuzzy beauty from HomeGoods (I mean, I think I've settled on it...), I did snap a few pictures with my iPhone in Company C that I thought worth sharing.  The colors and patterns in there are such a treat.  Enjoy!

I love this display of flower plates and glass bottles.  Is it just me or just it look like it could just as easily be at Anthropologie?  Save for the bright green wall maybe.

This room vignette was our favorite.  It would've been nice to somehow tele-port all this colorful goodness into our basement. 

Great color on this rug and a bold yet subtle textural pattern.

The rug covered ottoman.  Very nice statement piece.

The Garland rug.  All sizes are on sale this month.  I liked it and I was going to come back for the 3'x5' one this week.  But then I found the $40 substitute at HG and I think I'll be holding onto my cash.  For now anyway.  I have until June 30th to change my mind.  Again.

Speaking of the basement, haven't gotten a chance to take pictures yet for the latest update.  It's on my list for today though, so do check back.  I've been painting again...

Basement Project Update: Week 5

In the last week there's been a pretty dramatic transformation in our basement. And while the space isn't complete, the family room portion is officially open for business.

First, a few details...

*Stairway

I'm slooowly but surely working my way up the staircase with the porch and floor tinted primer.  Now that people are using the stairs all the time, it's much harder to paint the stairs.  But I really need to finish them.  Soon.

*Door Curtain

My special order sale fabric came in at JoAnn and on Sunday night I whipped up this lined panel to serve as our makeshift doorway to the laundry room.  I'm loving the fabric but I'm not crazy about the 3+ inch drop from the top of the door jamb to the top of the curtain--but since it's the laundry room and we go in and out of there all the time it just made sense to use the clip rings so the curtain would be easy to slide back and forth.  I have plenty of extra fabric so I sense a pillow making session in the future.  Or something...

*Under the stairs built in

Painting beadboard, even when it's pre-primed, is not fun.  Painting beadboard that's cut at an angle under a stairway is even less fun.  But I love the look.  I haven't styled the shelves yet, but the boxes are a start.  I made my 2nd contractor callback when one of the doors on the built in cabinet came off it's hinges.  Repair is scheduled for tomorrow.

*Painted furniture

Bobby Law walked into my workroom one night last week, took one look at the rainbow of colors I was painting our furniture and declared that he felt like he was in Wonderland.  Awesome!  Of course he didn't mean it as a complement ;-).  No matter, I love it.  And since I'm doing all the work down there, I get to decide.  That's what I keep telling my family anyway.  Can you tell that I'm an only child??

*Accessories

There may have been a mini shopping spree (or 2) at HomeGoods in the last week.  Pillows, a lamp, a basket, and a throw all came home to live in our new space.  The coral fabric is a memo sample that is waiting to be stitched into a pillow.  I'm loving the colors I picked.  Ouch, I think I just pulled a muscle patting myself on the back...

And finally...CARPET!!

Last Wednesday the carpet was installed!  Instant game changer.  It allowed us to move the furniture back in and really start using the room. 

Here are a few full view shots of the space...

Before:        

and After:

        

Progress has been a bit slow this week, but hopefully by Sunday night there will be even more done.

And then I get to start on my studio space :-)

Basement Project Update: Week 3

3 weeks into the Basement Project, 3 more days (hopefully) to go!

Of course the 3 weeks and 3 days refers to the work that we're paying to have done, not the painting, carpet, moving of furniture, hanging of art....But let's not dwell on what's ahead right now, rather focus on all the progress this past week.

Plastering

Not to be confused with 'Plasterhead', the plasterers arrived Monday morning.  They taped, the mudded, they plastered.  At the end of Day 1, they left a big, scary mess.  I made the mistake of peeking, even though our carpenter told me not to.  Luckily by the time they left the next afternoon, everything was cleaned up and the walls had gone from gray drywall boards to plastered masterpieces.  They even got rid of the hideous texture on the stairwell walls.  Hurray!  Next year maybe we'll have them back to get rid of the fish scale pattern on our ceilings...

Trim & Doorways

After the plasterers did their thing, baseboard trim started to go up.  Doorways were framed in and one door was hung.  By design, the door to the laundry room was left off.  We have some space issues (i.e. the washing machine is in the way of where a door would swing) so for the time being I will be sewing a beautiful lined drapery to hang there instead.  A nice way to bring some fabric into the space ;-)  Perhaps next year (or the year after...) we will purchase a stackable washer & dryer and hang our door. Or not.

Stairway

After the plasterers smoothed out the stairway wall texture, the old-new railing and newel post were able to be installed.  The railing is re-used from what we had there before and the newel post (chopped off at the bottom) is a swap pile find.   We changed the brackets from shiny brass to brushed nickel and once it's all painted, it's going to be mucho spiffy.  I hope.

Closet

The closet really came together this week.  It was plastered, got an energy efficient light and 3 built in shelves.  The bi-fold doors were also hung, though the knobs were intentionally left off.  I'm hoping to visit Anthropologie sometime in the next few days to pick out something special.  Or Lowe's.

Electrical

One thing that didn't get done this week was the dropped ceiling.  In fact, it's the last major piece of the project.  The dude that was lined up to do it went m.i.a. , turns out he was in the hospital due to some sort of asthma flare up.  He's fine but he won't be putting in our ceiling.  We think we have someone lined up for Tuesday.  Fingers crossed.  Anyway, because the ceiling didn't get done, our electrician wasn't able to finish up.  He did come and put in all the receptacles and a few lights that are in the sections of ceiling that are drywalled.  As soon as the ceiling is in, he'll be back to install the recessed lighting and pretty up the outlets and switches.  'Pretty up', that's an electrical term...

Built-In

Much progress was made on the built in cabinet and shelving under the new staircase.  I'm loving the beadboard backing, happy that our carpenter convinced me to use the high quality beadboard rather than the thin, flimsy sheets they have at Lowe's.   Once I get in there with paint and accessories, I'm planning on the shelf brackets sort of disappearing.  They still have to build and install the doors on the cabinet but as you can see, Cuyler's secret lair will still be accessible ;-)

It's looking quite nice down there and I'm getting excited at the prospect of having 2 more {real} rooms in our house.  I'm having a bit of a paint dilemma: leave the studio all white and fill it up with colorful art and objects or paint the walls a shade of pale robin's egg blue that I love?  I'm leaning toward white.  In the family room area I'm going for a vintage beachy/coastal vibe and planning on using blues and greens with some brown thrown in (reminiscent of sand and some of our existing furniture that I have to work with is brown or beige).  Not sure about the wall color in there yet either.

Luckily I'll have plenty of time to ponder as I roll primer on 500+ sq ft of newly plastered walls.