January 2013 – Page 4

Mantel Madness

Published on January 9, 2013March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode26 Comments

For a long time, I’ve wanted a house with a mantel to decorate. We had a fireplace in our first house, but the stand alone design didn’t allow for a mantel to decorate. But now we’ve got one, thanks to a new fireplace surround. I’ve patiently waited for the paint to cure. Now that it has, I’m in full decorating mode. Originally, I thought I’d stretch a long, lean canvas to paint an abstract landscape on. It would have worked, provided the real painting turned out as well as the one I had mentally painted.

Then, to get an idea of the size I’d want, I pulled a few frames out of the basement storage. And then I switched gears, pulling out more frames to make a layered frame shelf. Sure, one large art piece would look fine, but then I’d feel the need to fill in with tchotchkes, aka clutter. Round one, I centered a 16 by 20 white frame then layered in 11 by 14 frames and filled in gaps with smaller ones.

Don’t mind what’s in the frames, some (or all?) will change. Too small and washed out. I pulled slightly larger wooden frame out from under the guest bed and set it up front and center. More frames around it, this time including a 12 by 12 frame.

Not a winner. I really liked the black frame and mix of styles and colors.

Close, but no cigar. Needs a little more height on the right side, so the 12 by 12 frame got the boot and an 11 by 14 took its place.

Almost there; that gold vase just didn’t tickle my pickle, nor did it serve a purpose. A set of matching white marble vases balanced the ends, and holds matches.

Obviously I’ll need to fill the center frame and swap out some art in the other frames.

Also on the redo list, painting the small square frame white and the small rectangle frame black. Gotta spread out the light and dark for balance.

We also loaded up the wood box over the weekend and love the usefulness, rustic look, and warmth it adds to the room.

So what do you think of layered frames on a mantel? What do you have above your fireplace? Do you have a favorite art piece? Any suggestions for customizeable/DIY/special art to add in the frames? I’d like a mix of art, photos, and something for the small shadowbox.

Mini Me Tree Gall-ery

Published on January 8, 2013January 8, 2013 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

How about a little rhyme this afternoon? Or a little art? Today, I’ve got both. And a cold. One is more fun and interesting than the other; I’ll let you guess.

Back in December, I made silhouettes of the boys (mini me) on wood slices (tree) leftover from our Thanksgiving table setting. Originally, I planned for these to be ornaments. Instead I decided to keep them up year-round as mini art in my collection (gall-ery).

One slice has started cracking, but I’m keepin’ it until it breaks entirely. And then I’ll make a new one. All because these make me smile. Especially my little Peter Pan look-alike.

No framing necessary, just a pop tab, small screw, and a piece of felt pad to help it hang evenly.

I’m still curating the collection and hoping to add more color soon. Now, I’m going to the tv to see what episodes of New Girl I need to catch up on.

Bathroom Break

Published on January 7, 2013January 7, 2013 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

For the New Year, I’m trying to organize more around the house. Call it a resolution if you wish. Some of that includes improving our current systems. In the words of Tim Gunn, ‘Make it work!’ First up, working out the main bathroom storage. After rearranging some miscellaneous supplies gathering on the top shelf, I cleared room for our supply of toilet paper. Yes, we buy it from Costco, so we’re stuck storing 36 rolls. Lucky for us, we’ve got a large shelf to help out there. Below that we store soap, cotton balls, and q tips in covered glass jars. A stack of clean white towels toward the bottom rounds out the closet.

Then I added a ‘guest jar.’ Basically, I took all the travel sized necessities and stuck them in another lidded glass jar. This way, our guests can see assorted items and take something they might have forgotten.

Below that we still have the storage caddy, a bottle of mouthwash, a lotion pump, and a few more travel sized toiletries.

This time, cute Burt’s Bees. Just a little something special.

In a house full of boys and DIY projects, we often need a basic first aid kit. Easy access is always nice, so I filled two plastic boxes with supplies. The top one, from my great grandma, holds an assortment of bandages.

The bottom one, an Alli weight loss container from a thrift store, has first aid necessities. Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, in labeled travel sized shampoo bottles leaves space for other items.

Unfortunately, everyone in this house has a cold, so I haven’t gotten my organizational hands elsewhere. Have you organized (or reorganized) any areas of your home recently?

Gimme a Giveaway: Studio Tullia & Our Humble Abode

Published on January 4, 2013January 30, 2013 by Our Humble Abode126 Comments

This giveaway is closed; thanks for entering! See who won here.

Happy first Friday of the New Year, everyone! We’ve got an awesome giveaway today, coming from Studio Tullia and yours truly.

Studio Tullia is a lovely Etsy shop stocked with pretty, pretty pillows, so here’s a peek at my favorites.

Natural Cotton with Red Ribbon Embellishment:

Orange Ribbon Embellishment:

Chartreuse Velvet Pillows:

Now, feast your eyes on this beautiful 10 by 22 inch Ribbon Lumbar Pillow Cover, the first prize of the day.

Each pillow cover is made to order, so you can choose aqua (shown), pink, white, red, or brown ribbon on the natural cotton backing. Also up for grabs is a pair of my new Astrological Constellation Cut Outs.

Choose a pair to hang by your bed. Or keep one and give the other to someone special, the choice is yours.

The Goods: One 10 by 22 inch Ribbon Lumbar Pillow Cover from Studio Tullia and a pair of Astrological Constellation Cut Outs from Our Humble Abode. That’s a total value of $105.oo!

To Enter: Leave a comment, which can (but doesn’t have to) include our Just for Fun question.

Just for Fun: Tell us if/what your New Year’s resolution(s) is/are.

For additional entries:

1. Like Studio Tullia on Facebook.

2. Like Our Humble Abode on Facebook.

Contest Closes: Thursday, January 24th, 2013.

Number of Winners: One!

Ships: Anywhere around the world!

Other Info: We will select the winner using random.org and announce on Friday, January 25th. Good luck!

P.S. We’ve changed the length of our giveaways. Rather than one every other week, we’re spacing them out to one per month, for the whole month.

Nookie There

Published on January 3, 2013March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode17 Comments

In addition to the fireplace surround, we’ve also been busy building a little nook storage. We’re still not completely done (are we ever?!), but a few of you noticed it a few posts back. It was a small project, but we think it will make a difference in the function of the room. Another dead, useless corner, we need not. Ben built a basic cabinet with a floating shelf above. To make the floating shelf, Ben attached thin strips to the side and back walls. A piece of 3/4 inch MDF on top, then a few bracing boards sandwiched between a piece of 1/4 inch MDF.

To hide the gap, he added a piece of 3/4 inch MDF. Wood filler, primer, and paint covers the seams and brightens the little nook. Eventually, we plan to add a tv on top of the cabinet with decorative items and books on the top shelf. Originally, I wanted two shelves, but it would have been too tight and cramped up to the ceiling.

Oh, and I’m testing out a paint color. I picked up many of the swatches you all recommended, and Behr’s Wheat Bread was a close contender. But being on the north side seemed to bring out the blues in every color. Instead, we moved to the next swatch over and liked Behr’s Sandstone Cove. In bright light, it reads more tan, but in dimmer light (natural on the other side of the room or artificial) it has a slight gray undertone. Here it is compared to a 25% tint of Wood Smoke.

Wood storage is necessary close to the fireplace. Right now, we’re going outside to get wood. Every time we want to start or stoke the fire. So that’s how the bottom cabinet will function, once the paint cures that is.