The Day We Were Married

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, but if I must add one more it might be 'perfect'. 

May 21, 2011:

(all photography by Conrad Erb)

TGIF, 7/15/11 Edition

It's with a big sigh that I type my usual "It's Friday, friends!" 

There's a lot going on in my life, some good and some not so good. [Srsly, could I be any more vague?]

The "good" things going on--artwork in my guest bedroom that makes me smile:

Strawberry print: Jamie Shelman; Vintage floral painting: Thrifted

I had these framed at a stellar local frame shop. If you're in the Philadelphia area, you will not be disappointed in the work and customer service that Trinity Framing offers. Do be a pal and support this awesome shop:

Trinity Framing 

701 S. 3rd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19147

(215) 351-1600

info@trinityframing.com

(and no, I received no compensation/discount for sharing this honest opinion with you all)

As far as the "not so good things" going on, they relate to my job. I've been experiencing career stagnation for awhile and I'm going to give my notice this morning. Actually, it's less "notice" in the formal sense as it is a "Hey, heads up, I intend to leave." I work in academia and it operates somewhat differently than your typical business setting. Wish me luck.

Wait! Before you go! More "good things" going on:

Next week I'll be sharing wedding photos! Get psyched up!

Finally, Sister Parish is Mine

I thought I'd offer you a respite from guest bedroom-related posts today to let you in on some exciting news (well, maybe only exciting to me...I live a very small, insular life).

I've gone ahead and ordered the Sister Parish "Tucker" fabric I've been dreaming about for months and months!!

 I know what you're thinking: "Wait, that's the exciting news?"

 Yes, yes, it is. 

Let me start by explaining that ordering alone took nearly 8 months...you know, involving a lot of coaxing of a certain fiance/new husband all around the time when we were planning a wedding. Certainly some of you out there can understand the potential minefield of decorating conversations with men.

The past 8 months were also spent trying to find the Sister Parish fabric at a discount because, as I readily admit, I am cheap. Sure enough, I did, only to find out...

...that is was being discontinued.

What the f@#*&%k? 

Is this where my patience has gotten me?

Not so fast. The discounter that I worked with informed me that I could tack on my relatively small order (under 10 yards) to another order to meet the custom order minimum that Sister Parish Design set for reprinting the "Tucker" print.

Wait, so you're telling me that multiple people want this fabric and you're still discontinuing it?

Sometimes I fail to see the logic in certain decisions.

Fast forward to last week. Imagine me, desperate to secure this fabric before it's too late, begging Adam to use his Blackberry to place the order. He's ready to fish or kayak or just generally "vacation" and I'm all worked up over fabric.
A day in the life, I tell you.

So, here is where we find ourselves. Sister Parish "Tucker" fabric, come to mama!

For those of you unaware, I'll be using the fabric on these pieces in my living room:

If you're new to the blog, be sure to catch up by checking out this post and this one on the matter, too.

I can see that the end is near and the long-awaited fabric is mine [insert maniacal laugh here].

Expect gratuitous pictures of these pieces transformed in the coming months!

Pretty, Pretty Pillowcases

A few Fridays ago, I alluded to my plan to sew custom pillowcases for my guest bedroom. Before you question my sanity and comment with a "Don't you live near a Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond where they sell those things?," let me say that I searched high-and-low for printed pillows that struck my fancy. But alas, all my searching failed to produce the perfect print.

That's when I found this very easy-to-follow tutorial for open-sided pillowcases from Eighteenth Century Agrarian Business (a really cool crafty blog, for those of you who haven't checked it out yet). I stumbled upon  a traditional printed fabric at Purl Soho that fit the bill: Devon Shirtings' "Red/Ivory Medallion" fabric (though I found here for much less), and it appeared that things were coming together very quickly.

Here's a detail shot of the print. 

It has a prim-and-proper-but-slightly-block-print look, right? 

Plus, the best part: It was about $7.50/yard and is really soft and durable.

 I ordered 4 yards to create 4 identical pillows, and followed the clearly-written instructions for the pillowcases. 

 Let me confess, this was the first attempt to use my new sewing machine, and it could not have been easier!

If you can cut and sew in a straight line, you can make these pillowcases yourself.

 Ironing, both before sewing and after, makes all the difference.

BTW: I received this cordless iron for a bridal shower gift, and it has changed.my.life, I kid you not.

I won't rehash all of the steps for you, but if you're interested in making your own open-ended pillowcases, I encourage you to check out the ECAB tutorial. Who doesn't want to lay their head each night on a pair of custom pillowcases?

Now, on to the exciting stuff! The end results of my efforts:

and the ever-important detail shot:

The curved stitching, which is a setting on my sewing machine, adds a touch of whimsy to each pillowcase.

Now, who wants to be my guest? 

Hurry and make your reservations because, once the room's done, I think it will be booked for months. 

Guest Bedroom Curtain Reveal!

Happy Monday, everyone! I've missed you all while in Canada and I'm planning on spending some major time catching up on your postings that I missed while away.

Vacation was spent working on some projects for our guest bedroom, which you'll remember I've been unhappy with for far too long. One project is ready to be revealed...are you ready?

Don't my new curtains look great? 

I sought your advice, readers, on this project, as you may recall. I wanted to recreate the look of Anthropologie's "Toorie" curtains for much less, and I found that 1 set of Ikea's Aina curtain panels and some ruby red 5/8" pompom trim was exactly what I needed.

 Naomi smartly reminded me to pay attention to quality when it came to the curtain panels, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the texture and weight of the fabric.

I took my time hemming and narrowing the original 2 panels, and found that 4 panels were more appropriately sized for the small casement-style windows in our guest bedroom. So, I simply divided the 2 panels into 4. To give you an idea, 2 57" x 98" panels became 4  28.5" x 85" panels.

With all that unglamorous work out of the way, I added the pop of fun pompom trim. 

 My new sewing machine certainly got some mileage.

You'll note that I only added trim to one side of each panel (unlike the Anthropologie curtains, which have trim on both sides). I'm still wondering if I want to add trim to completely replicate the look of the "Toorie" panels. 

What say you?

 And remember the metal floral-shaped sculpture from Etsy I included from my guest bedroom mood board? 

Well, I bought it and it's just the perfect piece of "found" art.

 Before I get too proud for my hard work, I have to show you that the rest of the room isn't as pretty...just take a look:

I'm making huge strides on this room and I'll be sharing my work bit by bit all week. 

Hope you enjoy the progress as much as I am!

When Design Takes a Vacation

 Staying in a seasonal cottage like we are this week, I've been ruminating on summer homes on the shores of lakes or deep in the woods. I've actually never stayed at a magazine-worthy one, but there's something uniquely charming about a place that sees life for only a quarter of the year and is promptly buttoned up come Labor Day.

Sure, we have all seen fully renovated and well-designed vacation homes of the rich and famous in the June, July or August issues of our favorite shelter magazines, but can't perfection take a vacation, too?

We are spending the week with friends on a lake in Ontario and the appeal of this place far in the woods isn't the decor; it's the friends and the connection to nature that a group of late-twentysomethings lack in our normal urban existences.

Seasonal cottages and cabins also possess the distinct ability to stop time, to hold a decade or age inside their walls, so that when you visit you're immediately transported to the summer before college or the time you proudly completed several thousand-piece puzzles at the Saarinen-like table. 

I have to wonder, how many more memories does this place and it's decor hold?

However small the space, spartan the decor, or anachronistic the furnishings, the lure of the vacation home is the escape they provide and, perhaps maybe, it's a relief to overlook a shabby recliner or plush red carpeted spiral stairs and focus on the beauty of nature for once.