Year: 2010

Flower Power

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Spring is by far my favorite season.  Everything is bright green, flowers are blooming and birds are chirping.  The flowers are a big selling point for me.  Anyone who knows me should know that I cannot keep indoor plats alive.  Sometimes I think they commit suicide because they know their fate.  Rather than having dead indoor plants, I have outdoor plants, which Ben lovingly tends to.  Probably The only reason they are still alive. 

Two years ago, Ben built two window boxes and new shutters for the front of our house.  Here they are this year with my purple and green color scheme in full bloom: 

It was such a beautiful day yesterday.  It has rained for the past few weeks-very unlike Montana.  So beautiful I decided to take a few photos of our house.  The roses are beginning to bud out, leaves are green and the sun was shining!  Just don’t pay attention to the hoses…

I’m very pleased with our shade plants, too.  They have filled in very nicely:

Four long years ago, I transplanted a group of peonies from my great grandma.  After three years of small buds and no flowers, I have this:

I’m pretty sure I will have at least 4 flowers!  YAY!!  Now we need to fill in with rock-and paint our fence…

The Curtain Call!

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I’ve been wanting to add some color to our living room for quite some time.  Repainting is out of the question for now due to small children and lack of time.  So, what else makes a big impact while being cheap?  Curtains, of course! 

I considered sewing curtains, but decided to look for a pre-made set first.  First stop, Target.  And guess what I found?  Two sets that I liked.  Target rarely lets me down.

Option number 1:  The first set is made be Fieldcrest.  A navy blue with a lovely overlapping circle pattern and lining.  Perfect for blocking light and adding privacy. 

Option number 2: The second set are from Target’s Home line.  The faux silk has the texture of real silk, but unlike real silk, these curtains can be machine washed and dried.  Perfect for homes with kids with sticky jam hands.  And the color is great. 

I bought both sets to get Ben’s opinion.  He liked the navy curtains becuase the color would help hide dirt.  BUT, the sea green color, texture, and airyness almost matched the dining room curtains I sewed last year. 

So, number 2 it is.  They seem happy in their new home, right?

We’ve Been Framed

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I think I have some form of seasonal depression.  When spring finally arrives, I feel compelled to make everything light and bright.  I make new artwork.  I sew new pillow covers.  I clean like crazy.  I still have a few changes on my list, but we checked one off this weekend. 

We (when I say we, I mean Ben) painted some of our picture frames.  Most were black before, like this set of family photos in our hallway:

And this in my office:

A few (7) cans of white gloss spray paint later and we have this:

The hall frames weren’t the only ones to get a facelift.  The remaining frames hung on the living room walls got the same treatment. 

Here’s an action shot:

Add some high gloss brown and my office frames look like this:

I really love the gloss finish.  It makes everything feel more chic and polished.

In the Spotlight

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I am such a cheap skate when it comes to artwork.  I rarely buy prints because they usually have no meaning to me.  Instead, I buy cheap frames and make my own art.  Like this map. 

I like to take inspiration from items I see and make my very own, which has more significance.  I LOVE Roadside Projects work, but she is not taking custom orders.  So, I decided to make my own 3D art.  It took about 1 day, but I love how it turned out. 

The first dance at our wedding was to George Strait’s ‘Carried Away’, so I took a whimsical direction and had us getting ‘carried away’ by the wind holding an umbrella.  I am from Minnesota, so I added a lake.  The mountains are to tie Montana in.  I want to add more trees, but that will have to wait for now. 

Here’s a detail shot:

I also love silhouettes.  You’ll see them in a few places in our house.  Like this set of our family:

I need to find a frame that will accommodate all four of us now.  Here’s another set of Ben and me that is hanging in our bedroom:

One of the reasons I love silhouettes is because they are personal.  Another reason is because they are so easy to make!  Just take a profile picture of your subject and print to the size you want.  Cut that profile out.   Trace (opposite the way you’d like the person to face) and cut out again.  Stick it to another sheet of paper and frame!  Instant art! 

You don’t have to limit the silhouettes to people, either.  Here are a few floral silhouettes I whipped up:

Ben always says I’m crazy because I make time consuming art.  Like this set:

Interested in custom artwork for your walls?  Check out the custom art pieces in my Etsy shop.  Have an idea for great art?  E mail me at ourhumbleabowed@gmail.com to discuss a creation of your own.