My Grandpa's Vintage Abode - A Tour de 70's

I keep meaning to give ya'll the certain satisfaction of a mini tour of my grandpa's home in Dover, OH. he moved in here 11 years ago when he married the house's owner, my step gramma, Dottie. The 70's decor is as pristine as it was upon installation. I always marvel at the patterns and color schemes. So last time I visited, I took some sneaky pictures of some of my favorite highlights of the home.

Just a quick pictorial update. I'm using the blogger app. I really don't know how to format on here, so I apologize if the page looks wonky.

Don't you just love those bright colors? the green and pink rooms are both bathrooms. I love the simplicity of being able to tell people directions in a color coded fashion. There is no question where to put my luggage when Dottie tells me I'll be sleeping in the purple room. 

Let's Go Bowling! : DIY Record Bowl

Yeah, okay. Cheesy title. Deal with it, I'm punny. It's just I had a day full of bowls and I'm blogging about it. You know?

Found these great vintage mixing bowls at the Troy Goodwill. I passed up on a couple other pieces, trying to be money conscious. Now, I really regret not getting them, and there's no way they are still there. I should follow my gut more often, especially when it comes to adorable vintage things that are reasonably priced. Dang-it thrifty upbringing!

But bowls don't have to cost a cent if you've got an old warped record on hand. I have seen these record bowls at stores and online for the past few years. People are crazy about records these days. It's fun to have some company in the record stores. Normally, I wouldn't condone defacing an album, but this Beach Boys record skipped so much that one side played in about 20 seconds. It was doomed to warp further, I just helped it along. Now it's useful again!

The process was really easy and super quick. Now that I know just how simple it is, I may have to make some more. Guess I gotta stock up on some really desperately scratched 25 cent records at Omega.

I loosely followed instructions from a couple sites online. Like in cooking, I think you just need to feel it out, be patient and attentive.

• Preheat oven to 200
• Put a cookie tray with an oven safe bowl on it in the oven for 5 or so minutes (the size and depth of the bowl will help determine the shape of your final product)
• Place record on top of the preheated bowl 

• Watch as your record bends over the bowl! MAGIC! (it will smell dusty and hot like the first time you turn on your heat in the fall)

• In about 5-10 minutes, you will want to take the record out of the oven and quickly finish the next step. This step will vary depending on the record type and the oven heat. You can easily test the pliability of the record with a oven-mitted hand. It should bend easily in one place without moving the whole record about.
• When it seems pliable enough- carefully remove the tray 
• Quickly flip the record and HOT bowl into a larger bowl (again, the depth and size of this bowl will determine the size/shape of the final product)
• Remove the hot bowl and shape the record with your fingers (if things don't turn out the way you like, you can always reheat and re-shape)
• Press the middle sticker down into the bowl to ensure the record has a flat bottom to sit on.

And Voila! You've got a record bowl. Of course, this isn't food safe, and it can't hold wet things. Still, it's doing a great job holding the things that clutter the table near my door.

If you love records, you should check out this really awesome art exhibit which features The Beatles' "White Album". The track near the bottom is so interesting. 

Ikea Nightstand Hack - Cheap & Easy Footstool

My boyfriend is a couch hog. He works hard all day at work. He likes to get comfy afterwards. And that means lying down on my skinny vintage couch effectively taking up the entire length and width of the couch. After many long suffering months of trying to share this space, it became necessary to get: a FOOTSTOOL.

I was kinda aching for a little stuffed box with hidden storage space, but I'm too thrifty to pay 30+ dollars for a tiny piece of furniture. I mean, I got my awesome couch off the side of the road. (One day, maybe, I'll grow up and pay full price for something that hasn't been used already.)

I found the solution at Ikea! Go figure.  I used this simple, inexpensive RAST nightstand as the premise. This was the only thing I found at Ikea that fit the bill. It needed to be short enough to be comfortable to put your legs on while sitting on the couch AND it needed to be thin enough to slide under my coffee table when not in use.

Turns out, a few other web folks have found this Ikea hack on their own- so it's not a NEW idea. But I think my final product is still bragworthy. The whole project took maybe an hour total to complete, though I finished it gradually over a week while I was gathering the necessary tools and add-ons.

What you will need:

• RAST Night Stand - $14.99
• Sturdy Material - from my craft stash
• foam padding (a pillow would work) - from my craft stash
• staple gun - borrowed
• gliding furniture tacks - $2.49
• Murphy's Oil (or other oil or stain) - from the cleaning cupboard

Making it Happen

1. Stain all pieces using oil
2. Cut some foam to fit the top of the night stand
3. Stretch fabric over the top piece and staple (I did the corners like I was making a bed) 
4. Poke holes through stretched fabric where the screws go in
5. Assemble the night stand
6. Tack on gliders

You know me, I like to get things done quickly so I can enjoy them. The unseen details aren't quite as important as the more visible parts of a project. So it doesn't matter to me that there are some salvaged edges showing when you look under the stool. I might eventually hot glue a square of fabric or covered cardboard under here for a more finished look. The glider tacks are a super addition to what was a clunky piece of furniture. they allow the stool to slide across the carpeted floor with ease.

Now I'm on the lookout for a basket or box that will fit perfectly into the open space in the footstool. I can't believe Ikea doesn't have it! 

I love my new footstool. In fact, I'm using it right now. If you're in need of a resting place for your aching dogs, try this one out. It's easily customizable to your stylish space.

The Gift of Decor (or) Window Treatment Fix

Since it's spring, I suppose it's time for a little catch up with Christmas time crafting. (Yeah, that doesn't really follow- but I'm gonna run with it anyway.) My sister is a mother of 4 (soon to be five) who lives in a rental home in Ypsilanti, MI. She's a wonder woman. She cooks, cleans, crafts and home-schools her little ones - and usually with a contented smile on her lips. I adore her and have always looked to her as a role model. One drawback to the business of her life is that she hasn't had much time (or will) to decorate her home since the family moved in last summer. Since it's a rental, it's hard to make an investment in any kind of decor decisions that might be permanent. In six months, she's put 1 nail in the wall. I can't imagine living in an undecorated home. Every apartment I've ever lived in, any home I've ever had a room has been decorated immediately. I can't feel at home until the space feels "homey". 

For her Christmas gift, I put together a low key decor kit for her tiny master bath. It's one of the only places in the house that receives more adult usage than kiddo, and I wanted for her and her husband to feel like it was a little special. Like a little oasis? I don't know if any space in that child-ridden home will ever really be relaxing. (Although, I gotta say, sitting next to the fireplace with one of my brother-in-law's homebrews is pretty magical.) But at least the room has a window treatment - and a bath mat!

A lot of the decor elements came from the Dollar Tree (oh I love that place!). I cut down a bamboo placemat to make a makeshift runner for the flat surface behind the toilet. I made a little candle feature with stones and funny moss covered rocks. The cut-off portion of the placemat had this neat suprise feature of staying in a twisted shape like a vertical pinwheel. I stuck a string on it and it hangs fromt he ceiling! Elements of the decor kit not pictured: bath mat, soap dispenser and toothbrush holder. All in a light sage shade. 

My favorite invention for the bathroom? A tricky way to hang a sheer curtain and valance on only 1 pressure curtain rod. Knowing my sister would be hesitant to put holes in the wall I wanted to take out all the work of hanging the curtains. Problem solved!

I achieved this special magic using a length of foam tubing. (That stuff people on Pinterest have been making wreaths out of!) I cut it to just shy of the width of the window and slit it down one side. Then I put it over top of the sheer on the rod. 

What's awesome about this method is that I could have two sheer panels on the rod and still be able to open and close them to adjust how much light I want to come in the room. You have to tug a little to move the bottom sheer, but it's still effective.

Sorry the pictures aren't better. It's hard to photograph a window feature during the day especially with a silly little camera. (It's so time for an upgrade!)

Making it is simple. I made a rectangular valence the width of the window and finished it on all ends. Then I HOT GLUED the sucker onto the foam tubing. Here's a picture to explain the construction.

I think maybe I might be a genius. (A super-humble genius!)

Happy spring, ya'll!

Found (then lost) & Found Again

A discovery when I was doing a little spring cleaning the other day. During my years in Minneapolis, I amassed a little collection of found items. It had been my intention to send the lot to Found Magazine. But here they were, under a pile of old chapbooks and thank you notes. I never sent them, and now I don't think I will. Instead, a FOUND post of my own here on glass huff full. (The captions are the cherry on top. Always my favorite part of the magazine. I'm not as funny as the Found staff.)

If you've never heard of Found Magazine, I suggest you spend a chunk of time on the website. It's an incredible community project, well worth your time. Basically, it's a collection of found items from around the world that have beautiful, poignant or funny implications when seen out of context.

FOUND in Minneapolis, MN ** May 2006 - August 2009

Mom and I picking apples. No one else was invited.

I don't have a phone; here's where I live.

Picture for the dating site. "Loves reading in public" And documenting it.

Self Portrait with Cougar & Air Conditioning Unit

"even when you were mad"

(7x9 Print) Proof we were Beiber before it was cool. 

Hippo. (Playing fetch with a Frisbee?)

Just a little friendly segregation with the girls.

A popular topic. 

What have you found lately? It's amazing what you can find dropped on the ground, in a book borrowed from the library, in the closet of a rental, etc. What makes these things interesting is the people who made them or  possessed them. It's like peeking into someone else's life. It's a little bit sneaky. And I love being sneaky every now and then. 

A Cutie Pie Baby Shower for a Precious Friend

After a little hiatus due to long work hours and a full life (not to lack of projects, news and ideas to share- mind you)... I'm back! One of many friend-filled days from the last couple months was a baby shower I had the honor of co-coordinating with a couple dear friends. The mama, my gal pal Madison, is one of the most darling people I have ever met. She is a crafter herself, and has impeccable taste. Putting together a shower for her and her little girl (coming in April) was so fun. 

The nursery Madison and her husband, Chris, have been decorating features a wonderful vintage globe lamp. Madison doesn't shy from pastel tones, but enjoys less obviously baby patterns and colors. She's also an earthy gal, so the party took on earthy pastel tones like the colors of a vintage school map.

The afternoon went seamlessly and everyone had fun. Madison was surrounded by so many wonderful women who love her and her family. It is so good to see a community of such strength to come around and support the beginning of a new family unit.

Plenty of vintage luggage and home made pennants donned the whole space. I sewed the pennants together on my sewing machine - easy peasy.

Guests shared motherhood tips at their leisure in the "Unsolicited Advice" corner and jotted a quick note to baby in the pages of the travel-ly Seuss book, "Oh the Places You'll Go!". 

More tiny pennants made from scrapbook paper in the food room. Our super hostess, Kim, did a fantastic job of hanging these garlands.

I designed the postcard invitations. Easy and cheap to print and post. I had a fun time making the little balloon. I had never done anything like it before.

Instead of playing the traditional baby shower games, we had free-flowing mingling and a little crafty corner. Madison and Chris want to have an Alphabet Wall (ala this one on Pinterest) in the nursery so we had party goers RSVP for a letter assignment and bring different sizes and fonts to decorate at the shower. Some people, myself included, decorated their letters beforehand. That's my measuring tape "S" for sarah in the corner of the box.

What a wonderful party.  Baby LIKE.

Here's my own handmade gifts for the sweet little girl baby. Blocks and a bear. Pretty old school gifts. I knew Madison would appreciate the craftiness. She makes baby blankets for all of her friends' little ones. That's the kind of person she is. I wanted to be sure that my gifts were also thoughtfully made. 

The little red dude is made from pieces of a soft sweater my mother accidentally shrunk. The bottom became a throw pillow for my guest room and the scraps were calling out to me to become a bear. Hopefully, baby will one day cuddle him ragged.  The blocks feature a mustache fabric my dear dear cousin gifted me for Christmas.

The last couple months, like I said, were packed full. Middle school overnights and conferences, travels to visit family and grandparents, crafting, friendly get togethers, sickness, snow storms. Oh -you know- LIFE. But I've got plenty yet to share and a renewed determination to attend to the blogosphere. See you soon.

Pinterest Post - Stuffed Ninjas

About time I post about some of the Christmas crafts I made last month. My favorite project? A stuffed toy weapons project based from this popular pin on pinterest. It's a pillow fight, get it?

Since my nephews are pretty big into things like Yu-gi-oh and Pokemon, I decided to hone in on the ninja stash. So, that means ninja stars and nunchucks for all. 

For fabric, I had an old bed sheet that needed new purpose. It was a little worn through, but since I quilted the designs, that provided plenty of reinforcement so the toys will (hopefully) stand up to a solid, little-boy pummeling.

A couple quick google image searches and I had two fun ninja star designs and a simple idea for a nunchuck. I cut stencils into paper box lids, which kept the spray paint contained when I was transferring. Fun trick? I used toothpicks stuck into the corrugated cardboard to suspend the center holes on the stars.

I used regular standard cheapo black spray paint to transfer the design. This should be fine as these toys won't get a lot of washings. (Though, I imagine they are pretty machine washable.)

 

Cut matching batting for each piece (there are two matching stars/chucks per stuffed part) and machine quilt a quarter inch outside the stencil design. Initially, I tried a black thread for the quilting, but I much preferred the monochromatic look. It adds dimension and strength but doesn't make it look busy.

 

Once the quilting is done, sew the right sides together, leaving a 2 in. gap to turn the toys right sides in. Use a pen or chopstick to straighten out the seams. If the seams are too bulky, or not evening out, you might try scoring them (cutting little snips in the excess fabric) at 1/2 in intervals.

For the nunchucks, I used a heavy wool yarn. Single crochet the "chain". I did a little research on the dimensions of nunchucks. The branches (the stick part) are supposed to be about the length of the user's forearms. The chain is supposed to be about the width of the user's palm below the fingers.

Making the nunchucks is a more integral process than the stars. The chain needs a lot of reinforcement. I'd say 4-6 go-overs is probably enough. The fabric, batting and yarn will make this bulky work. If you're anywhere near as impatient as me- be prepared to break a needle. You will sew, reverse and stuff the chuck and close the whole shebang from the chain end.

 

Once you stuff the stars you can either machine stitch or hand sew to close. I stuffed the nunchucks so that they felt sturdy and kept shape when flailed around. The stars I left a little lighter, since I didn't want them to break things when they take flight. (Because, you know, they will fly across the room, ALOT.)

 

I'm not big on gender divisive toys, usually. But I also don't think my 3 year old niece stands a chance in a nunchuck battle with her 3 big brothers. She's a real girly girl. She loves princesses so much. I totally cannot relate, I was such a tomboy. Anyways, little Lily got a fairy princess wand from Aunt Sarah for Christmas. Wand of massive cuteness instead of weapons of mass destruction. I just kinda tossed it together from some sweet little scraps and some lace.

 

And it had to be well-stuffed and highly reinforced as well. Just because she's cute and girly doesn't mean that this little girl isn't going to be waving her wand around at mach speed. And I've already witnessed a battle between a ninja and a fairy and the fight wasn't so mismatched.

I got to watch the kiddos open their gifts the morning of Christmas Eve. In seconds the wrapping paper was strewn about the room. There were only a couple wide eyed and mouthed moments before the first battles began. It was a major success. Even Isaac, the 8 1/2 year-old, gave the gift rave reviews. Welp, there's nowhere to go but down from here. Guess I'm sticking to books and socks from here on out.