Living Room | Cape 27

New Around Here

January 7, 2013 by Jessie R. 19 Comments

So, so happy to be back here on the blog with you guys! I took some time away from the screen to enjoy time with the fam. It. Was. Fantastic. Spending the entire day with my girls without having to worry about posts and projects was an entirely new world. That being said, I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss this little blog of mine

I’d originally planned to just take the week of Christmas, but then life happened. Zoey ended up in the emergency room after having a high fever induced seizure. Most terrifying day of my life. But that’s maybe a post for another day.. or not at all. We’ll see. All is good now though, no worries

On a much lighter note, you guys haven’t peeked into our home in over two weeks and I’m dying to spill the beans. Nothing too major, but a few small additions that I’m still drooling over. Lets just jump right into it!

1- I made two separate trips to Home Goods since we last checked in, and I didn’t leave empty handed either time. We were in the area on the first trip (without kiddos) so Ricky and I popped in for a promised “5 minute browse”. Which happened, because the minute I saw this beauty I bolted to the checkout line. Do you ever find a product you love and then check over both your shoulders to make sure no one else sees what you’ve found? Yea, that happened. And if you love ceramic stools the way that I do, then you know that similar versions can run up to $300 and the least expensive version I’ve seen still runs just under $100. This babe was $50. Done. Deal. Perfect for beside our living room sectional to drop an extra drink, book, or (if you’re two) to actually use as a drum

2- Now, the second trip to Home Goods I was alone. Never good. You really can’t trust me in that store. Which is why I came home with a second one. Ok, ok, I know. Another ceramic stool? But you have no idea how long I have been stalking Home Goods for a ceramic stool of any kind, and to find one in the top two colors I wanted was just too good to pass up. And seriously.. If the stool didn’t want to be purchased, then it wouldn’t have yelled to me from across the store. Plain and simple. And I actually like this one more than the first, so I was able to justify the slightly higher price of $69. (similar version here marked down from $300 to $150)

3- Buying anything over $100 usually takes some serious contemplating for me. Especially on something that will be used solely to please my little design and organizing heart. Which is exactly why I’ve been going back on forth on the purchase of the Silhouette Cameo for months. In the end, I just couldn’t justify spending the money when we’re still dishing out $30 for friggin’ baby formula. So, when my hubs extremely generous dad surprised me with it on Christmas morning.. well, you can imagine my excitement. You guys. This is the mack daddy of electronic cutting. I foresee some serious labeling going on around here. This will not be the last time this guy makes an appearance on the blog.

4- If you follow me on twitter than you may have gotten a sneak peek at the next item on the agenda. An owl cookie jar. How can something so small consume so much of my love? I kid, but seriously. This thing is adorbs. I had a leftover gift card to West Elm from my birthday (thanks ma!), so this guy was f-r-e-e. Holla.

5- Anxious does not even begin to describe how I feel about reworking our entryway. I’ll probably only mention it 30-40 more times before it actually happens, but for any newbies, we’re planning an addition to our home this spring-summer, which will include a larger, main living area. What that means for the current living room- no more office space, no more sofa in the middle of the room, and less rooms suffocating from too much furniture. This is where our plans to work some function into the entryway come into play! This fantastic (and huge- 34″x14″) boot tray will be the perfect landing spot for wet shoes and muddy boots, which we never have a short of thanks to Ricky. Wiring brand new homes on sites surrounded by nothing other than mud can bring home a serious mess. Is it just me, or there something seriously sexy about a man coming home from a long day covered in sweat and dirt? Feel free not to answer that.

6- The last buy was sort of on a whim. Well, we’ve been looking for a better functioning option for the eggs in the refrigerator, and these adorable egg crates from World Market were only $5.99. So, naturally, I ordered two. One yellow and one white. One for the actual eggs and a second for holding my jewelry in the bedroom.

Filed Under: Accessories, Living Room, Product Roundups

Deck the Living Room

December 12, 2012 by Jessie R. 20 Comments

We made a few holiday switcheroos in the living room this year. Nothing too crazy, but just enough to give the room a little extra flair. Confession – I’m really not all that into Christmas decorations. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about the celebrating the holidays, but I’m just not into most of the decorations. Maybe it’s all the glitter, I don’t know. That stuff sticks around for weeks. Ugh.

However, I do love myself a good Christmas tree, and I’m all about “winter” decorations. You know, the ones that can blend in well beyond the holidays. One problem – They’re not that easy to come by, so our collection is starting out small and will hopefully grow over time. Kind of like the approach we take with the rest of our home.

First up, adding a few strands of white lights to frame the wood pallet wall. We weren’t sure if we’d actually be able to fit a Christmas tree in the living room, so we settled on the idea of at least having some festive lights on the wall. Turns out, with a little furniture maneuvering we were able to do both! The lights are so fun! I’m tempted to keep them up year round (crazy lady alert). Well, at least through New Years.

Zoey had a blast helping Rick hang them. The kid pretty much enjoys anything that involves helping either of us. Permission to use the hammer earned double fun points.

Next up, the two large art prints on either side of the television. We knew we wanted something modern, maybe even a quote. But when I stumbled on this art project, I knew it would look great in those giant frames. The process was surprisingly simple and totally kid-friendly.

I traced out my tree shape on paper and cut it out beforehand to use as a guideline. I chose to use scrapbook paper (a holiday pack from Target) to make the strips, but you could really get creative here. Ribbon, fabric, washi tape, a combination of several, etc.

One glue-stick party later and I was left with this.

Since I glued the paper strips onto a separate tree shape, it made framing super easy. I just flipped over the existing art prints to the blank side and attached the tree shape to it using some painter’s tape.So when we’re ready to change everything back all we have to do is flip the print over to the original art.

I made a stocking version for the opposite side!

The media console, below the art prints, also got a mini-makeover.

I added a mason jar filled with mini ornaments (dollar section at Target) and another jar (from Ikea) filled with vintage white light bulbs. I’m obsessed with these bulbs. We scored a few collections of them on Etsy and I’ve scattered them all throughout the house. They’re actually the same style bulbs (C-7′s & C-9′s) that we used to light the outside of the house with. And although they’re technically “Christmas” lights, you could definitely leave these out all season long, especially the white ones.

I also DIY’ed a few holiday drink coasters a while back that I tossed up there. Even though we’re not really coaster people we have about a dozen of them, basically because they’re just too darn cute not to have in every room. For anyone else looking to make coasters of your own, there are plenty of tutorials floating around on Pinterest, but we used 4″x4″ white tiles from Home Depot (about 10 cents a piece), scrapbook paper cut slightly smaller, mod podge to glue and protect the top of the paper, and felt pads glued to the bottom! And if you’re going to use the coasters for hot beverages, try using a clear automotive spray sealant designed for hot temps

We topped the white jewelry box with a glass bowl, filled with the same small ornaments and a small candle in the center. The bowl and votive were some crazy cheap price from Ikea. Shocker.

And finally on the right, a perfect winter decoration – an adorable white ceramic penguin.

You should know, I’m a freak about penguins. I have issues. When Rick and I were first dating he helped me grow an embarrassing collection of these creatures. So yes, somewhere in storage I have 2-3 boxes of stuffed penguins. Putting it all out there. Needless to stay, when I stumbled upon this guy on sale at Homegoods he went straight into the cart. No decision-making necessary. Which is a big deal for me. I’m that girl in the store, staring blankly at an item for 10 minutes, before I finally walk away.. and then turn the corner and come back. And away again. And then I buy it online.

Your turn! Anyone else out there feeling the same way about traditional Christmas decor? Have any good “winter” decoration ideas? Any procrastinators out there still trying to get their tree up?

Filed Under: Accessories, Artwork, DIY, Holidays, Living Room

Temporary Faux Fireplace

December 11, 2012 by Jessie R. 22 Comments

Both our current home and our previous home are lacking in the fireplace department. It’s definitely something on the top of our wish list for the addition come spring time, but we won’t have one in time for the holidays. So, every year about this time we struggle to come up with a solution for Christmas stockings. Especially now that we’ve gone from three to four of them. But not this year!

Instead of trying to come up with a logical place to hang our stockings we just painted a temporary fireplace instead!

We had some leftover chalkboard paint from our kitchen calendar wall, and it seemed like a fun paint option for the kiddos. And I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a blast to chalk my dream fireplace to life. We chose to paint it on the large, empty wall in the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. We’re hoping to do something fun here down the road, but for now it’s pretty bare. A perfect contender!

And for anyone looking to get better oriented, here’s a few shots to better explain the placement of the fireplace.

I started by taping off the outside shape with painters tape. Frog Tape if you want it done right As far as the shape goes, I started by first sketching a fireplace shape on paper, based on a few inspiration pics I had, and then measured everything out on the wall.

I don’t always lay down a drop cloth when painting, but I’ve noticed in the past that the chalkboard paint tends to splatter off the roller quite a bit. Maybe it’s just my own experience, but thought it’d be good to know for first-timers. About three coats of paint later she was looking pretty good.

You’ll notice the roller marks in the photo above, but I snapped this just after painting, so they blended in as everything dried. I could not wait to rip that tape off!

I ended up outlining the fireplace shape with the chalk. This gave it more of a finished look, rather than the just the lines of the dark paint up against the gray walls. I think the contrast was just a little much.

I’m definitely not the best artist in town by any means, so when it was time to draw the actual fire I turned to google for some inspirational pics. Turns out, I’m not the first person to chalk a temporary fireplace! Which I’m very thankful for since the fire below was exactly the look I was going for! Since we’re hoping to have a real fireplace by the time next Christmas rolls around, we were only concerned for a one-year option, but I’m loving what they did for a more long-term option!

via

Something else worth mentioning, we tried to use command strips to hang the stockings – ultimate fail. Not sure what the exact problem was, maybe the strips weren’t meshing with the chalkboard paint, but they all fell down several times within the first 24 hours. So, it may not be as pretty, be we switched them out with push-pins. So far so good

Any other fireplace/ mantel alternatives out there? I was really surprised at the lack of options on the web. We can’t be the only ones without a fireplace…

Filed Under: Budget, DIY, Holidays, Living Room, Paint

Large Custom Art Prints Tutorial (Part Two)

November 9, 2012 by Jessie R. 11 Comments

A few weeks ago I shared some super easy do-it-yourself art prints that are currently living beside our television. Since that time, several readers have come forward asking for more details. So, here I am to spill the beans!

The original post had some basic details about how to go through this process. I’ll be honest here. I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that people actually read what I write, and maybe even want to do these things themselves. So bare with me if my past posts are a bit light and lack the detail that they should. I promise to get better at this. You have my virtual word.

Buying Frames:

Alrighty. The first step I would recommend, before even thinking about designing anything, is to buy your frames. As I mentioned, we picked up two of Ikea’s Ribba frames. The reason for this? Measurements lie. You can look specifically on Ikea’s website and the measurements read 19 3/4″ W x 27 1/3″ H. Which we trusted, and ordered the prints accordingly. So, you can imagine our disappointment when they arrived and didn’t fit in the frames. And not just a “barely didn’t fit“. I’m talking we had to shave off nearly an inch on both the height and width. Basically, it’s better to be safe and measure the frame yourself, than having to risk cutting down the print and possibly ruining it.

Designing the Artwork:

I’m going to walk you through what I did, but this is obviously artwork and the more custom the better. So make it your own and don’t be afraid to veer off from what I’ve done. There’s no better place to break the rules than here. I used Photoshop Elements to layout our prints, but I’m sure there are plenty of other programs that could’ve been used just as easily. This is just the program I prefer to work with. Also, I am in no shape or form a Photoshop expert. There are probably other ways (and better ways) to go about this. This is just what I found to be the easiest for me.

I began by opening up a new blank file. You’ll want to insert your frame dimension here. I used 18.75″W x 26.5″H (removing 1″ from each side to fit the frame). 300 resolution is best for printing, anything higher is unnecessary.

This tutorial is so easy. I can not stress that enough. You literally use a total of three tools. Three, people.

Move tool, type tool, and color.

To begin inserting dates I selected the type tool, chose a font family (we used 28 Days Later, free download), selected the font size (300 pt in this case), and finally the color (the dark gray is #565555 and the mustard yellow is #e3ca5b). The numbers are all individual. For instance, in the last line 03 is a set, 12 is a set, and another 12 set. The only exception to this is the 11 (third row down) where I had to split the numbers from each other to match the spacing of the others.

There’s probably some fancy grid layout that I don’t know about and would make my life so much easier, but here’s how I went about centering all the dates to one another. The Align Tool. You simply select all the dates you wish to line up (hold the shift key to select multiples). For example, select 07, 04, 11, 02, and 03 to align them vertically. Once the dates are selected, chose the Align tool at the top of the toolbar, and the “horizontal centers” from the drop down menu. Voila, aligned. As for spacing the the numbers out, again probably a better way to do this, but I just eye’d everything. You’ll just want to make sure that the spacing to edge of the canvas is the same all around for a cohesive look.

Once you have a design that you’re happy with, you’ll want to save it as jpeg to your desktop.

Print Those Beauties:

Now you’re ready to print! As I touched on in the earlier post, I used FedEx Office, costing us around $50 for the two. We didn’t do a whole lot of comparison shopping, only ybecause we’ve worked with them before and had great results. I’m sure there are several other companies for printing, and possibly even a less expensive alternative.

You’ll want to go to the FedEx Office website to begin and select the “start online order” button.

Which will bring you to this screen, where you can “set up a document”.

After selecting the “upload from your computer” option, a pop-up will allow you to select the jpeg document that you’ve saved to your desktop. Open it.

FedEx will then upload your document, which may take a few minutes depending on the file size. Once it’s completely uploaded you’ll get a little purple warning saying “this is not standard type file”. Select the “review options” button.

A pop-up box will then give you a few file type options. Select the second option, “make a large print”.

Then you’ll be taken back to the loading screen where you’ll want to select “set print options” and then the “print and posters” option.

Another pop-up will appear giving you options to customize the paper. Change the selection from “posters/print packages” to “custom prints & posters”. For this print specifically, you’ll want the portrait orientation option and the custom size of 25.5″H and 18.75″ W. Under “Paper Stock” I chose heavyweight paper with no sheen, but that’s just a personal preference. I also chose not to have lamination or mounting. Again, up to you.

After selecting to continue you’ll be taken to review your options where you can either chose to checkout or add more items to the order. And although I rarely choose this option, I love that the checkout gives you the choice to pick-up the order at a FedEx location. Save some shipping mulah. Just a heads up, once you’ve filled out the shipping and billing information, FedEx usually gives you a call to confirm all the information. Being fairly new at all this, I really appreciate this step because I’m always afraid I’ve messed something up filling out so much information online. It’s like my FedEx mom checking my homework before I turn it at class the next day. Thanks ma!

* And despite how much this is starting to sound like I’m on the FedEx team, we are not paid or perked for anything said here. Just our honest opinions sharing what we love.

Now just okay the phone call and you can call this artwork Dunzo. And yes, I realize that this post has become incredibly long, but I wanted to make sure to cover all the details. No matter how simple they may be. Hope this cleared up any questions you guys may have had from the original post! If I’ve left anything out, feel free to ask away in the comment section. Also, any photoshop experts out there that have any extra tips or advice, PLEASE do tell!

Filed Under: Artwork, Budget, DIY, Living Room

DIY Mason Jar Vase & Key Hooks

October 23, 2012 by Jessie R. 7 Comments

Since it’s unlikely that the mudroom portion of the laundry room will be completed by this winter, we’ve been brainstorming on a quick fix for the collection of jackets and coats forming by the front door. We have a wooden coat tree from our last home, but the entryway is already so tight with the office crammed in, that we wanted something smaller. I’d come across this brilliant little key/ coat hook combo a few months ago and planned to buy one eventually. Well, ever since we started building nearly every piece we can for our home, I decided it would definitely be something I’d rather DIY. Just for the sake of it being built by us. Ricky is loving this new approach to things, ha. Thankfully, this was an easy project, taking us maybe 20 minutes tops.

We started with some basic supplies.

- 21″W x 5″L piece of pallet wood, leftover from our pallet wall – Free

- (3) oil rubbed bronze hooks picked up from Home Depot – Under $10 for all three

- Large Mason Jar – Just over $1 with coupon from Michaels

- 4″ Pipe Clamp – From the plumbing section at Home Depot for about $3

Total Spent – $14

After cutting down a piece of pallet wood to the size we preferred, it was mostly using screws to attach the pipe clamp and hooks to the wood from there. We slipped the mason jar into the pipe clamp, tightened it up, popped in some flowers, and called it a day. Well, with this project at least.

She sits just to the left of the front door (looking from the inside of the house), and is the perfect drop spot for our keys and jackets. It’s definitely not enough room for several guests, but we have bigger plans down the road for that. Possibly once the addition is complete and my desk/ office area are out of the way! For now, we’re enjoying having things off the floor