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Gold and Emeralds

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

Sometimes I feel super overwhelmed by the things in our house. The stuff that accumulates little by little. When I look at a place that was once organized, I freak out, clear everything out and start fresh. Well, that happened last week when I put towels away in our linen closet. Here’s the before:

Sorry for the bad coloring in these. Overcast day + dark hall + bad flourescent light = terrible white balanced photos. Some things were still grouped together, but we had random toys, a light fixture, and stacks of pillows tossed around. About an hour of purging, grouping, and shuffling around, I had organized my way to happy.

I’ve wanted to add labels for a long time and thought about my best option for our bullnose shelf fronts. Something pliable seemed best, so I dug out a scrap of light cream leather. Cut 3/4 inches wide (to match the shelf thickness) I wrote with a plain Sharpie. Spray painted small gold nails hold each label in place.

Oh, and I painted the shelf fronts the color of the year, Emerald.

It’s just a fun splash of color to brighten up a dark utilitarian space.

While I had the gold spray paint out, I unified the small metal bins I had. Then used the bins to store pillow covers and cases. No more throwing old pillow covers to the top shelf.

Even this little hanging wire basket.

Now everything has a labeled place with room to spare. Least used items at the top, out of reach. I know this is a very small change, but fun little additions make me smile. And if I can smile while putting away laundry, it’s worth it, right?

Have you incorporated Emerald in your home? If so, how?

Etsy Favs: August

Published on August 19, 2013August 19, 2013 by Our Humble Abode3 Comments

Good morning everyone! Hope you have a nice weekend. V and I were sick for most of it, but I think we’re on the up side of it. Now to finish up the few projects I’ve been working on.

Set of 5 Floating Honeycomb Shelves by Handmade Riot

Vintage Green Legs Trestle Table from Seven Hands High

Custom Wooden State Plaque at Sy Wood Ink

Silver Positive Studs by Kerrie Yeung

Hello Weekend Pencils from Amanda Catherine Designs

Geometry II Original Watercolor by Geometric Ink

Black Cross Plus Pillow at Pencil Me In Stationery

Copper Bud Vase from The Vintage Vogue

Mint Green Jewelry Box and Apricot Post Earrings by Paragraph Loop

Geometric Wool Pillow from Scout and Whistle

Happy and I Know It Print at Hairbrained Schemes

Custom Calligraphy First Name Mug by Wander Sketch

Faceted Wood Quartz Crystal Point Sculpture from Stone and Violet

Custom Initial Necklace by Havok Designs

Wooden Coat Pegs at Chocolate Creative

Spruce Dot Earrings from K. O’Brien Jewelry

There’s too much fabulousness there for me to choose a favorite. Which do you like best?

Going for the Gold

Published on August 16, 2013August 16, 2013 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

Hey there, everyone and happy Friday! After a week of sick kids (and now I’m getting the same cold) I’m really ready for a weekend. While the boys have napped, I’ve worked several gold items into our house. Some serve a purpose and others are face lifted items we already had. Here’s one that is super useful to me:

A stump, slit cut in the side (using a hack saw), then gilded with Antique Gold Rub’n Buff.

Is now a handy recipe card holder in the kitchen. But it can also display a picture or store recent important receipts or coupons.

While I had the Rub’n Buff out, I used it on a plain white tray. Eyeballing it, I taped off a design and used a scrap of old t-shirt to buff gold over the rest.

Hello fun little tray!

I shall use you to control our remotes.

Because I couldn’t stop there, (addicting much?) I covered over the flourescent orange ends of this little timer. They boys got a few from the dentist, so one is living on the guest room bookshelves.

Odd, I’m developing an hour-glass collection. Perhaps to go along with my recently discovered owl turned doorstop group.

After my Rub’n Buff binge, I moved on to gold spray paint. Because why not? I used most of the can for another project. Rather than store the little left, I sprayed this little succulent planter:

And my perpetual calendar box.

Five rooms got a touch of gold in the past week. Midas touch, I’ve got it. Ha. What’s your latest addiction? Gilding everything in sight? Hour-glasses? Owls?

Cutting Corners

Published on August 14, 2013August 14, 2013 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

How ’bout a round of applause for our new spider base coffee table top:

While marble or glass would be beautiful, I think marble is too heavy for the base. And I know glass would be completely covered in fingerprints, taunting me daily. So I had Ben help me (okay, he did all the cutting) make a paintable top. He cut a sheet of 1/2 inch MDF to 36 1/4 inches square, then made a pivot point to make a perfect circle. A scrap of MDF nailed to the center of the square, like this:

Which gives a rigid edge to spin, following with a pencil.

Using a jigsaw, Ben cut close, but just outside the line. With the corners cut, I got out the orbital sander with 80 grit paper and sanded until I met the pencil line. For a smoother edge, I followed up with 150 grit paper, primed, painted, and sealed both sides with Polycrylic. I set the top on and for the first time in my home ownership, I’ve got a coffee table.

I had a sample jar of Valspar’s Sweet Mint, which I think pairs nicely with the wood base. Fun and colorful, without being bright and crazy.

Sweet Mint is also a near perfect match for the sky in my MT Photo Journal Heavenly print and landscape painting on the mantel.

If I get sick of it, I can quickly sand it down to repaint with minimal money and effort.

We’ve got a few games on top including tic tac toe and the checker book. The terrarium, pulled from the boys’ room, adds greenery and a glass jar with our initials rounds out the set.

Which do you prefer, coffee tables or ottomans? It feels less like a dorm room, so adult, to have one. And really fun to accessorize. Now to convince Ben to replace the ottoman in the living room with a coffee table.

It’s So Sick

Published on August 12, 2013August 12, 2013 by Our Humble Abode20 Comments

Hello everyone and happy Monday! Weather finally cooperated with us this weekend and we gave the back deck a finish coat. Per Ben’s research and paint store recommendations, we used Sikkens SRD in a Teak finish.

Ben had a one day only 20% off all paints and stains coupon at Home Depot, so we bought six gallons. And used just under five to get it covered in one thick, even coat.

The color samples at Home Depot and the can showed a medium toned finish, but it actually is much darker.

Not that we don’t like it, but it just wasn’t what we expected.

However, the dark wood is high contrast against the limestone, so happy accident.

It takes 48 to 72 hours to fully cure, and a few areas still are shiny. But soon we’ll be able to walk on it and (gasp!) use it.

Once the back deck dries, we’ll coat the new front walkway and steps.

More beams make three steps and a small platform.

Because the house originally had concrete steps (that still tie into the house foundation) we had to build the steps over the broken concrete.

An outdoor bench and cable rail system are still on our to do list, but we’re slowly finishing up this year’s landscape work. Which means we’re getting closer to a pretty exterior and a master bathroom remodel.

What do you think of the darker finish? Did you cross somthing off your to do list this weekend, too?