To contact paper or not to contact paper? That is the question.

I have really become obsessed with natural wood lately. I just love the warmth and earthiness it can bring into a room. I love that it can add texture and visual interest, while at the same time remaining netural. Wood is like denim...everything just seems to goes with it.

The other day I came across these lovlies and was smitten. The shades remind me a little of the sixties, but I don't mind that mid-century modern look so much. Besides, when they are paired with the right lamp base, like in this picture, they become totally current.



The only downside to these gorgeous lamps, is that they can be pretty spendy. I saw some selling for as much as $170...just for the shade. So, I started brainstorming ways that I could recreate the look for cheaper.

I researched wood veneer and found that it was less inexpensive than the shades themselves {ranging in price from $40-$70, depending on what kind of wood and the color etc}, but that was still a little too spendy for me.

Then I remembered ripping out a bunch of contact paper shelf liners when we moved into our current house. Of course, at the time I thought the idea of large, fake wood, stickers was repulsive and in very poor taste, but I started to wonder if I could actually make it look respectable.

I decided to give it a try. I bought a 24ft. roll of the stuff for $3.50 and figured I wasn't out much if it ended up looking tacky and crappy.

I decided to try it out on this very unassuming lamp. She's not hideous, but she could be so much more...maybe...hopefully.


After about fifteen minutes of wrestling with the contact paper and finding the best way to go about wrapping it around the lamp shade {this particular lamp shade couldn't be removed from it's base, so it was a little awkward} I ended up with this.


What do you think? Be honest. I was really skeptical at first, but when I put her back on her crate, I thought she actually looked pretty hot...in a totally inantimate sorta way.


The biggest difference between my c.p. version and the veneer version is, well, the fact that mine is plastic contact paper. But unless your guests have a tendency to rub their hands all over your lamp shades, you should be able to get away with it. The other slightly noticeable difference is the sheen. C.P., has a little more shine to it than the veneered version which is more matte.
That said, I only spent $3.50 as opposed to $170 and with that kind of savings I am totally okay with a little shine.

So, what's the verdict? Yay yay, or nay nay to contact paper?

Faux zinc/industrial metal letters-Tutorial

Anybody remember seeing these beauties at Anthropolgie awhile back?

I really like the urban punch these industrial letters give. They are super versatile and look great in any room and in any decor.

As I was nearing completion on my latest project, my laundry/mud room revamp...I thought some of these lovelies would be the perfect accessory for personalizing some hooks I hung.

Always the sucker for knocking off anything I think is over priced, I set out to recreate these preciouses for as little as possible.

I started out with a regular, old paper mache letter {or number or whatever tickles your fancy}. You can get them at any craft store {$2-4.50, depending on what size you choose}.

I grabbed some black and some metallic silver craft paint. {$2-3 each}

and some silver brads {$3 for 50}

Bam! That's all you need to create some industrial chic goodness.

To begin, paint the letter {or number} black


After it is dry, lightly brush over it with the metallic paint.

You want to take care not to put the paint on too thickly. The goal is to allow some of the black base coat to show through.

After this coat of paint is dry, apply one more coat of metallic paint. Again, brushing very lightly. Most of the black should be covered up with the silver paint at this point. But, you should still be able to see some of the black peeking through- giving the letter more depth and the zinc look we are going for.



Now, you could stop here and call it good, or you could add a little industrial bling by applying strategically placed silver brads all over the letter.


Poke a little pilot hole with a sharp utensil of your choosing...I used a little paring knife.

Once you have the hole made, add a little hot glue to the prongs of your brad and insert into the hole.

{I brushed over all of the brads with some left over paint to tone down the shine and help them blend in with the letter more...not necessary, but I think it looks better personally}.



And voila. Paper mache letters that look just like industrial metal letters.

I ended up spending about $30 for five, 12 inch letters. The zinc letters at Anthropologie, were smaller and sold for around $18 each. That's a savings of almost $70. Boo-ya!!!

{Also, my little tip for hanging the dears...use adhesive velcro cut into little squares on the back. The letters will stay nice and secure on the wall. This also makes it easy to take down and put the letters back up should you ever need to.}

A tutorial, a fun find and a question.

Howdy, bloggy peeps.

Couple of items I wanted to address this fine morning.

First, my tutorial on "painted floors-how to paint over tile" is up over at Lovestitched...just in case any of you were wondering about the ins and outs of it all. I teach you all about the appropriate paint and primer to get the job done. You'll essentially have your degree in Painting Floors 101 after you finish reading it. You're welcome.

Also, in other awesome news, I found a fun new photo editing website called picmonkey and spent, like, all day yesterday ingnoring my kids so that I could mess around on it. It is really user friendly and even better, it is super quick and easy to upload your pictures onto your computer. That is a big deal. Anyway, if you have 2-3-9 or 10 hours to spare to today, I suggest you head on over and check it out. All that being said, I have a question to throw out there.

How do you feel about "tricked out" pictures...especially on a blog?

Do you find them distracting and annoying, and would rather see a straight forward, simple picture that represents what's being discussed?

Or do you think that as long as they are not too crazy and don't compromise the integrity of the photo that they are a good thing and can add interest?

Take for example, my photo's at the beginning of the post. Is the polaroid effect too much? Don't worry you won't hurt my feelings. I am really curious to know how my peeps in Bloggyland feel about this topic.

All right. I guess that's all for now. Have a good one. I'm off to fold laundry...eh, who am I kidding? I'm off to "unecessarily" edit more pictures.

Ugliest Room Ever- Make-over

Do any of you have a space in your home that you just hate? A room that every time you walk by it or go into it, you feel the joy and life drain from your person?

Well, I've got a few. But the one that I hate most right now is my laundry/mud room. This space has been woefully neglected since we moved into this house three and a half years ago. There's just something about it that feels dingy and dirty...even after I've cleaned it.

Here, let me just show what I mean, so you can understand where all of my animosity is coming from.

Okay, so having a smelly, guinea pig cage in there probably didn't help the situation.

After taking some time to build up my courage, I decided it was time conquer this eyesore.

The first thing I wanted to do was lighten up the walls to help make the room feel brighter and more open. I decided to add a some decorative B&B, which I painted white. I love B&B. It is a super easy and fairly inexpensive treatment that adds lot of texture and interest.

Even after completing this project, I noticed a definite difference in the room. It was already feeling brighter and cleaner...it could have been in large part because of the paint smell. Fresh paint has a way of making things seem clean and new. But the party did not end there.

After enlisting the help of my personal "sweat shop" to paint the walls, the floors were totally thrashed.

I hadn't intended on doing anything to the floors, except for maybe adding a rug or two. But it became quite evident after the painting was complete, that they couldn't be left as they were. There was paint all over. Since I didn't really have the budget or the time to rip out all of the tile, I opted to paint them. This little fiasco ended up being the best mistake.

I love the way the floors turned out. It was a time consuming project, but well worth the effort. They definately contribute to the open and airy feel I was going for. They also add a lot of visual interest.

I flip flopped about whether or not I should paint the cabinets. I decided that with the white walls and light floors there needed to be some warmth in the room, so I kept the cabinets wood. They were your basic, run-of-the-mill oak cabinets. Kinda meh!


So, I decided to add some character to them by taking my pent up aggression out on them.

My weapons of choice were a hammer, a chisel and a little contraption I made myself called...a worm hole maker. Pretty menacing, eh?

{and when you're not using it on cabinets, you can use it on your kiddies...I'm totally kidding!!! Please don't go sicking DCFS on me.}

I went over the cabinets in a dark stain to help bring out the imperfections.

Here's a side by side of the before and after.



Now all these babies need in some bling, by way of knobs.

I made a few minor adjustments to the space as well.

I exchanged the "boob" light for an industrial looking pendant.

I added some hooks {personalized with faux "zinc" letters} for the kiddies to hang backpacks and jackets.

Finally, I added a little sitting area for putting on and taking off shoes.

The window shade is my fave. It was made from a $3 Ikea rug.

My goal was to complete this transformation for around $100, but that was before the floor fiasco. In total, I ended up spending about $207: $100 of that was just for the floors, $30 for the pendant light from Ikea, $35 on artwork and frames, $30 on the "zinc" letters, $10 on the floor rug and $2 for the rod for the window shade. Everything else I already had on hand.

It's amazing what a few dollars and some elbow grease can do, eh?

I now lovingly refer to this space as my David Beckham room, because I find it so devastatingly gorgeous. The only thing that could make this room any better is if I actually found David Beckham in it doing my laundry.

What does your favorite color say about you?

I had a beautiful, long Easter weekend. The fam and I headed back to my hometown in southern Utah and enjoyed "slightly" warmer weather.

Isn't it a cute, little place?

While it wasn't quite the "warm" I was hoping for, it was better than the depressing, spring snowstorm I would have had to endure up north.

I always savor these bits of time away from my daily routine. It allows me the chance to think about things other than "what should I make for dinner" or "how many loads of laundry will it take me to get the job done"? It allows me the opporunity to forget all about the pressing issues we mother's encounter daily and allows me to think about more meaningless and mundane things...which is quite refreshing, frankly.

I'm not sure why, but over the weekend I found myself pondering the age old question..."why I love turquoise so much"? It had me in a tizzy. I mean, why am I so in love with this soft, blueish hue that I have so lovingly and strategically incorporated into every.single.room. in my house. I've even incorporated into the outdoor decor. My front door and planters also boast, a very bluish hue. So, what then, does my color of choice say about me? Inquiring minds want to know.

I had a few down minutes today, so I did a little research and this is what I found out about myself.

Peacock Blue Lovers are: Patient and serious. You love to explore but you worry about what you will find. Often times you are inflexible, but the flip side is you are compassionate and loyal.
{You know, it's really true. I do have a slight fear of running into Sasquatch when adventuring in thick, forested areas. You think I'm joking, but I kid not}.

Pool Blue Lovers are: The ones everyone should ask for advice because you stay objective and don't get petty. {BTW, did anyone happen to see the hideous, floral get-up Beyonce was sporting recently? Ugh-lay!} You need space and like options, especially in love relationships.

Lake Blue Lovers are: Very attractive, talkative and have beautiful, expressive eyes. {Seriously, how do they know all of this stuff about me...it's freaky!} One of your greatest assets is your sincere love for those around you. You are in touch with your emotions and help others get in touch with theirs. {Wow!!! So true. Just ask Studly. I have a real knack for getting him in touch with his emotions...specifically those of the "frusterated" variety}.

Okay, so maybe some of this stuff is a crock, but I think there may be a few slivers of truth. I do consider myself, loyal and compassionate and value those around me more than anything else. I am also extremely emotional, which might explain why I am drawn to blue...a color often considered the most soothing and calming of the all the colors. But whatever the reason, I have always loved and will continue to love the color turquoise.

Are you curious about what your color of choice says about you? Then go here to find out what it means.