October 2013

Top Twelve: Thanksgiving Goodies

Published on October 31, 2013October 31, 2013 by Our Humble Abode3 Comments

Happy Halloween! I’m headed out the door to help with festivities at the school. Should be fun to see all the little kiddos in costume. You know what else is fun, planning a Thanksgiving feast. Here are my favorite Thanksgiving essentials:

1. Storage Cutting Board from West Elm

2. Threshold Double Old Fashioned Cheers Tumbler from Target

3. Hammered Glassware from World Market

4. Barsk Wine Glasses from Ikea

5. Happy Chic Gold Wine Decanter at JCP

6. Hand Painted Dotted Dinnerware from West Elm

7. Leather Cord Cuffs for Napkins

8. Pavillion Dove Napkins at Crate and Barrel

9. Rose Gold Flatware Set at West Elm

10. Wood Bark Pedestal from World Market

12. Maybe use the holiday as an excuse to get new head chairs like the Baxton Studio MCM Shell Chairs on Amazon

Have fun trick or treating tonight and we’ll see you back here tomorrow with a fun giveaway.

Carried Away

Published on October 30, 2013October 29, 2013 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

Often, I get carried away. Start cleaning the kitchen and then go organize the rest of the house. Wipe up the bathroom floors and end up cleaning it from top to bottom. So it’s no surprise I got carried away when I met Ben. Head over heels. That phrase doesn’t make sense. Aren’t we almost always head over heels? Anyway, I knew when I met him I needed to know more. It’s only fitting George Strait’s Carried Away was our first wedding dance. And now we have those words on our wall. I used Bombshell Pro to create these black and white designs.

I thought I’d paint the design on old canvases. Then I took the easy way out. Engineer prints to the rescue. Again! By formatting two 16 by 20 inch designs on one 2 foot by 3 foot page, I paid only $4.50 for the two.

Back in May I bought two acrylic frames for three bucks each and finally put them to good use. The old astrological sign cut outs were too small, so we’ve got new bedside art.

I’d love to hang the art lower, so new, shorter lamps are in order. Just have to find the perfect ones.

Simple, sweet, and sentimental. Ben chose his favorite line.

And I chose mine, which happened to follow his.

Do you have song lyric art in your house? Favorite sentimental art you’d like to share?

Gimme a Giveaway Winner & Etsy Favs: October

Published on October 25, 2013 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

Hey, hey and happy Friday! How’s your day so far? Hope it’s good. I know I can make one day better and that the winner of the Jacaranda Designs and Retro Menagerie giveaway. Julianne, enjoy your new jewelry and art!

Deer Antler Pillow Cover at Sewn Natural

Snug Vase from Snug Studio

Infinity Ring at Tinahdee

White Modern Vase by Carriage Oak Cottage

Small Brass Frog Dish at The White Pepper

Reclaimed Chevron Table from The Honey Shack

Abstract Watercolor Painting by Linnea Heide Art

It’s Ok Banner at Secret Holiday Co.

Yellow Plush Fox from Laura Frisk

Porcelain Railroad Spike by Red Raven Studios

Plaid Wool Blanket from Oh This Nose

Twig Modern Wall Hook at Studio Liscious

Skull Planter by Brooklyn Global

Paris Photograph-Head in the Clouds from La Paperie & Print Shop

Now I’ve got to get working on the boys’ Halloween costumes. What creative costumes have your kids requested? We’ve got a ghost pirate and a s’more.

V Stripes

Published on October 23, 2013October 23, 2013 by Our Humble Abode22 Comments

This project started because I had a free sample of Valspar paint, thanks to an in-magazine coupon. Of course Pantone’s paint colors are beautiful. So i picked a random favorite, June Bug, and brought it home. I painted over my red stump. And made another for a friend. Then I saw the Dwell Studio Chevron coffee table and knew how I’d finish up this color. I flipped the coffee table top over and painted it white. Measuring wasn’t my favorite part, especially because I didn’t want to draw lines all over my table. Instead, I drew lines on small pieces of tape and worked from there.

With my three-inch stripes marked off, I filled in with masking tape and rolled on June Bug.

Three coats later (why I try to buy paint and primer in one) I peeled off the tape to reveal this:

Perfectly crisp lines (thanks Frog Tape!) and a fun pattern.

And I can still flip the top for the plain mint top. Best of both worlds.

For now, I’m liking the bold design and deep color. Something to wake up the family room.

What do you think of the large pattern? Do you start projects because you get something free? Or just have to paint and repaint for a quick, new look?

Basket Weaving

Published on October 21, 2013October 21, 2013 by Our Humble Abode8 Comments

Remember that thrifted sewing caddy I found last month?

I found the perfect use for it- to store newspaper for fire starting. But first, it needed a makeover.

I started by measuring the outsides.

And taking pictures to remember how everything looked if I got stuck.

Then I sewed a liner and cut strips of left over gray felt to weave together. My strips are three inches wide.

I probably should have pinned them in place and marked everything to take it off and sew. But I am sick and that seemed like such a hassle, so I hand stitched along the top.

The rest stayed in place well, so I just lightly stitched in the corners. Once I had the pieces woven together, I decided I liked the matching inside, so I skipped the liner I had made. It works really well for paper storage by the wood box.

Right now, the wood box looks kind of like a bookshelf because Ben filled it with scrap lumber.

Not sure it’s my favorite look, but I don’t have to walk outside to get fire wood. And now we don’t have an ugly stack of paper on top. That’s what really counts, right?

Now I feel justified in hoarding thrifty treasures, because I found a use and home for this guy. Have you revamped thrift store scores recently? Or made a woven…something?