March 2013

Gimme a Giveaway Winner & Favorite Florals

Published on March 29, 2013March 29, 2013 by Our Humble Abode3 Comments

Happy Easter Friday, everyone! Are you looking forward to the weekend? We are! My family is coming in today to spend a week with us. And our weather is finally warming up. Bring on spring! Which is the inspiration for today’s post. But first, the winner of the Lamps Plus giveaway is Elizabeth G! Congrats and have fun picking out pretty lights.

Spring is my favorite season. The fresh green leaves, warm, sunny skies, and bright flowers. Though our weather has warmed up a little, we still don’t see signs of spring. Instead, I brought some in the house with a brightly colored floral fabric I found at Hobby Lobby.

I love it paired up the nearly citron green pillows. I can’t find it online, so I thought I’d share a few other favorite floral fabrics.

Tangerine and pumpkin large floral:

Richloom Cevennes Peacock:

Perch in Seaglass by Thomas Paul:

Spoonflower has pretty, modern florals galore. My favorite is the Garden Lark:

Or you can create your own fabric print.

On a Safari

Published on March 26, 2013March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode13 Comments

Okay, this should be the last of the guest room/Handy Sammy’s room chronicles. Why? Because Ben installed the trim and I got it and the walls painted. Meaning, this room is finito. At least for a while. After much debate and help from you, we settled on Safari from Benjamin Moore, color matched to Glidden Duo.

Ben said the darker color, Honeymoon, looked like (and I quote) “calf scours.” No cow poop on the walls, thank you. Lighter Safari it is. Though the color is a tad brighter than I expected.

Ben and I are happy with it, but more importantly, Handy Sammy likes it. But, it is fun and warm. Still dark enough to make the trim stand out.

Speaking of trim, I painted it off-the-shelf white Glidden Duo in eggshell. Then gave Frog Tape a chance for redemption by taping off the trim before painting the walls. And I cringed while doing so, because I had painted the trim the day before. But, I also used the Duo to paint the bookshelves, and it seemed to harden quicker and be more durable than regular Glidden.

Wouldn’t ya know it, I made it through the entire painting process without one swear word. Yes, the tape came off clean without tearing off the trim paint. Hallelujah. Maybe the paint and primer combo helped. Or the lower sheen could have been a factor. I probably pressed lighter on the tape, too. Whatever the reason, I’m happy. This is probably the most accurate picture showing the color as it is in the room.

Because I already had the pictures down, I filled the nail holes. The bird, tree, and feather gallery wall fits well in the room (covering the old sconce covers), so I think I’ll rehang it.

I asked Handy Sammy his opinions but he wasn’t much help. He said having a comfy bed and place to relax was all he needed. What do you think? Rehang the gallery wall, or go with something new? What do you think of the color?

Etsy Favs: March

Published on March 25, 2013March 25, 2013 by Our Humble AbodeLeave a comment

Happy Monday, all! Did you have a great weekend? How was your weather? Were you one of the areas to get a mountain of snow? We didn’t, but our temps were cold. Raise your hand if you’re ready for spring. I’m completely ready. Judging by my most recent Etsy favs, even my subconscious is ready for spring. Lots of bright, springy colors and flowers in the group.

Seattle 1 (Ferris Wheel) print from Yellow Brick Home:

Emerald Green Air Plant Pod by Bird and Feather Co.:

Armadillo Art Print at Rove Studio:

Running Flamingos by Vivian and Beverly:

Sun Mobile from Me and She:

Diamond Hanging Planter at Raw Dezign:

Tiny Gem Studs at Eleanor Joseph:

Golden Gate Bridge Pillow from Nesta Home:

Modern Ceramic Cup by Studio Lorier:

reBeam Planter from Busch Design:

Love Mumford and Sons Quote by First Snowfall:

Do you have a favorite?

Tray Chic

Published on March 22, 2013March 22, 2013 by Our Humble Abode14 Comments

I’m sure you’re getting sick of posts about the guest room, but I’m so excited to have a room to decorate. And tweak and perfect. New green accents are a great burst of color, but I wanted more. For handy storage, I made another storage box, this time green with navy accents and an octagon tray.

For $2.49 from Hobby Lobby, I think this little two-tone tray is down right cheerful. Navy diagonal stripes on the box lid are youthful (perfect for a 19-year-old boy) and tie into the other navy elements.

Even more greenery in the form of a fake succulent (perfect for a room with little natural light) nestled in a spray painted glass jar. Here’s a tip, get a glossy outside by painting the inside of glass vessels.

Fingers crossed we’ll install trim in here this weekend. After painting it, we can finally paint the walls. I’m almost positive we’ve settled on Safari by Benjamin Moore (the top, light sample).

It is more pale than I originally planned for, but I think it should work well. There’s enough orange to keep it from turning lime green under the bluish CFL lighting, but still looks yellow. Although I should admit I’m still yearning for a darker warm gold like Honeymoon. A chip close to the light switch nearly blends in with the color I originally wanted. I’m apprehensive to go with the darker color because I’ve struck out my last four attempts.

Which would you choose? The lighter, safer option or the darker that is close to the original vision?

Rope and Ribbon Pendant

Published on March 21, 2013March 21, 2013 by Our Humble Abode12 Comments

Well, the guest room has a new light fixture. Surprise, it’s not on this list, though I was leaning toward numbers two and five. But I remembered I had a lamp shade I kept when our lamps broke. I unscrewed the glass cover and hung the shade from the old light, just to get an idea of how it looked.

Too small, and I didn’t like the slightly tapered shape. I took a drum shade off a lamp in the basement, replacing it with the tapered shade. Whaddya know, they were perfect for each other.

Knowing I liked the look and size, I started working on the wiring and hanging. Inspired by this cord cover up, I got out an Ikea cord kit (I had on hand) and cotton/poly rope from Home Depot (for 3 bucks).

A knot at the bottom, close to the socket to start. Then I wrapped the cord like a friendship bracelet. Behind the cord, then through the hole from the front. Not only does this wrap cover the cord, it makes a neat swirl knot design.

Ben hung the light last night using a basic ceiling canopy. The plain shade was boring, so I taped two pieces of wood veneer around the top and bottom.

Everything looked too monotone, so I stole pillows from other rooms to test accent colors. I loved the punch of green this one added. Imagine yellow walls with the dark blue headboard and shots of bright green. Yes, please!

Which prompted me to dig in my ribbon box, coming out with kelly green.

Exactly what I want. Fun, colorful, and lively. Green has a way of perking up any space. To evenly distribute the lively green I want to make another storage box. Luckily the navy set will work perfectly in the main bathroom.

Because I had most of the supplies already, the light cost me $3 for the rope. Score. And you know I can’t resist a DIY. Double score. What do you think of the changes?