Sharpredpencil’s Weblog

A Hodgepodge of Things

So, I’ve been a complete blog slacker. I don’t feel like I have much to blog about, really. It’s not that I’m busy or that nothing has happened, it’s just…blah is the only thing that comes to mind. Maybe this post will jumpstart my 2010 blogging.

A few things here and there have been going on. I haven’t completely finished my lapghan, but I did replenish my yarn supply and I completed two rounds of edging. I started the third, but promptly set the project aside after 10 or 15 stitches and am contemplating undoing those and calling the lapghan finished. See, the third and final edge is supposed to be stitched backwards. Backwards?!? I definitely do not have the hang for that, or the patience to struggle through it. I think no one will be able to tell the difference and the lapghan will look fabulous. But finishing that is on my to-do list.

We walked into a furniture store fully expecting to buy two black, leather swiveling bucket chairs for the sad, bare area in the living room behind the couch. They were going to be perfect. I was in love with them and super excited. And did I mention they swiveled? Swoon! Apparently the chairs were discontinued, though, and there weren’t any available. At all. Anywhere. Boy, was I bummed. Until we saw this and came home with it:

The “bare” area I’m referring to is the one where the Christmas tree and bench are in this pic. The bench is staying there, but obviously the Christmas tree is not. We still have a sorta bare area there, but that’s where the coordinating chair to the sectional comes in. We ordered it in beige (it’s on back order, wouldn’t you know it?), and will place it across from the sofa and move the chair that’s currently there to the corner where the Christmas tree was. I’m not convinced the chair/bench thing will work there, but it’s a start. I’m sure tinkering will be involved, including repositioning the current artwork and adding more as pieces continue coming together. I’m happy, and the whole sectional/chaise thing is genius!

We painted the master bedroom and got new bedding. I’ll take more pictures as the room progresses (I’m thinking a DIY headboard, new nightstands, drapes, and one of those large mirrors that leans against the wall). We have one accent wall, which you can see in this pic. The other walls are a light putty color.

This room has been interesting. During one of our many late-night discussions about what to do with the room, we realized we had two very different visions for what we wanted. I don’t think that’s happened before! I wanted light, fresh, crisp, clean, and airy. He wanted a bold, dramatic, high-impact look. How the heck do you combine those two visions? I think we’re on the right track. The orange, white, and neutral wall color are definitely fresh and crisp,while the teal is high-impact for sure. We’re brainstorming artwork ideas now and looking for some nightstands we can refurbish. And of course I have two table lamps already staked out at Ikea.

Next up, besides forging ahead with the bedroom stuff, is replacing the half bath hardware and painting. If we can ever agree on a color.

P.S. I had two great-looking tomato plants on the brink of flowering, then we had over a week of cold weather (I don’t know if it ever officially froze, but my tomato plants are not happy). So not what I signed up for when I moved to south Florida.

Dining Room

I realized I haven’t shared any photos of the dining room. I had my excuses. First, I was waiting for the new light fixture and dining table/chairs, then the wine bar, then items for the wine bar, and then something I haven’t even thought of yet. Here’s our dining room as it looks today (It still drives me nuts that the pictures don’t show the color very well. Darn my photography skills.):

I’m not crazy about the table setting and the drapes, but I’m not sure what to do differently with either of those things. Wait. I do know what to do about the drape situation, but the ones I want gave me sticker shock. Maybe they’ll go on sale…

Kitchen nook

Except for a new window treatment of some kind, the breakfast nook area of the kitchen is finished.

Note: I’m not a good photographer, so the paint color looks quite off in the second picture.

Here’s our new artwork from Ikea:

And, on the opposite wall, our chalkboard/herb garden project:

The rod and herb pots came from Ikea. We used chalkboard paint from Lowe’s to paint a rectangle on the wall. We also used some unfinished molding from Lowe’s that we cut to size with a miter saw, nailed together to assemble, painted white, and nailed to the wall.

Now I’m just hoping I can keep the herbs thriving. Fingers crossed!

Kitchen

The kitchen feels much more put together after the fresh paint. A couple more accessories, a black and white valence for the window, and a small arrangement of red flowers on the table will complete the look! I’m digging my new kitchen.

Living Room Looooove

The living room is quickly becoming my favorite room in the house. It’s so comfy! My mom was here for a few days and we were very productive. We sewed a cushion for the bench and custom fit some store-bought curtains by sewing a band of fabric to the bottom. We picked up a cute accent pillow (in the bench cubby) and the huz hung some artwork. I love it!

The bench, before and after:

My “custom” curtains:

The bench–artwork combo view:

Living Room Pics

We finished painting the living room. Woot! Here are three views:

In the corner next to the bookcase, we’ll add an accent chair (already picked out, just need to purchase, along with 5,000 other things) to create a reading nook. In the entryway (the nook of the red wall), we’ll add a table, mirror, and some accessories. I’ll make a cushion for the bench to add some color in the bland part of the room (i.e., the first pic). We’ll find some curtains for the window and put up some artwork and be done with this room.

The wall with the arches that leads into the dining room was originally red, too. It was just way too much, and it really stopped the eye from seeing the rest of the house (not that there’s much to see right now, but there will be someday). We’re thrilled we changed our plan and it’s my favorite room right now. It feels so warm and cozy.

We painted with Valspar paint: Oatbran and Quite Red. I love the color of the Quite Red, but it’s quite unforgiving when it comes to mistakes. When you come to my house, don’t scrutinize too much, ‘mkay?

Guest bath, office, and DIY artwork

The first two rooms (and only so far) we’ve painted are the guest bathroom and office. Here’s the guest bath:

I can’t for the life of me get a good, nonblurry pic of the other half of the bathroom, but trust me, it’s a standard bathroom. We’ll add a couple of white shelves and some artwork my aunt painted for me a few years ago.

A couple of views of the office, complete with our DIY artwork!

I want to sew a curtain for the window and make a fabric-covered bulletin board for above my desk in that same fabric. A new desk chair and a red lamp will complete the room. When we get a laptop, we’ll move the personal computer stuff out of the room and replace it with our perfect-for-apartments-but-way-too-small-for-a-house dining room table, sanded and painted black, so I have another work space.

The artwork was very quick and easy, and we’re now inspired to try other techniques for DIY artwork in other rooms. We used the same blue wall color and added the red. A few flicks of the wrist later, we had these great abstract paintings. They turned out exactly how I envisioned them. Total cost: $23.

I probably should have taken these pics in the daylight, but I was just too excited to post about our artsy weekend.