Brought to you by the letter G

While Capricious was out here, themes from my decorative chaos emerged. We went through my limited collection of decor and discovered I owned nothing that went together, or at least that I wanted to be a primary theme in my house. (I don't think my house really says morrocan gypsy like these jewels do. Fun, but not an everyday look I was going for.) There were pieces I owned that really stood out as something to work from. Among them, the letter G. Which is right up my ally as a sometime typography aficionado. I love me some type, and in my down time, when a design mood takes hold, I can often be found perusing the latest type at dafont.com.

Capricious and I already managed to whip up some free art (that's for another post) to grace my mantel working with the G theme, and after splurging a tiny bit for another item to start rounding at my mantelscape, I wondered what else I could make or buy on the cheap. I didn't have to look far for ideas. In my own blog backyard, I found the Daily Drop Cap. G, how perfect. Now to transfer my big idea from my head to house.

Bedskirt? Can it be found?

Unless my search turns up something more than a 80s floral number, I think the options for modern, classy, and fun (you can do all three) bedskirt are limited. Seriously limited. But then I recalled this post from Young House Love. (I'm seriously obsessed with them since buying our house. Can you tell?) I can make one. Without a sewing machine. Because my crazy bone is just that. Crazy.

I'm in love Michelle Engel Bencsko's Beyond the Sea organic fabric.

Bedskirt?

Looking back at my earlier post, I notice what an eye sore my box spring mattress is. But when I think of a bedskirt, my mind automatically does a line dance (not a good thing). So: to skirt or not to skirt? What are the other options? On Young House Love's blog, I found a bedskirt idea I think I can get under.


Here's the duvet. From West Elm. It's a dramatic yet simple (and organic) pintuck duvet. I'm thinking natural so as not compete with the Rain Washed walls.


I like the idea of a patterned bed skirt so the bed doesn't seem like one block of neutrals. Now to find that dramatic and anchoring bedskirt.

My new best friend

is a microfiber dusting cloth. Take that baseboards!

From this to that (bedroom painted)

With the help of Capricious, who flew in for the weekend (thank you!), we got our master bedroom painted. From a boring neutral (is off-white or tan? I couldn't decide), it went from blah to Rained Washed (Behr). All for a $150 investment (paint, ladders, rollers, duck tape, tarps, etc.). It was more work than I ever imagined, and I thought I'd never get the blue splatters off my feet. Good thing we treated ourselves to pedicures after all our hard work.


See my paint block test? Quite the contrast without being over the top.


Here's the finished project. It's a soft change that I'm calling classy beach cottage.

Decorating jewels

Let me start this post by first saying that in the 5 years we lived in our apartment, I never exactly honed my decorating skills. You see, I refused to believe that we would stay in our apartment long (that didn't happen) and second, I didn't want to spend money on decorating such a temporary place when who knows what kind of house we would end up buying or how long we would end up staying (smart on both counts). I also didn't unpack and distribute the decorations I had from college (mostly consisting of bright gems from my sister's stint at Nell Hill's).

I don't decorate. I try. I read the magazines and blog stalk these guys and her, but I don't possess the DIY bone that makes me scour Craigslist looking for ready-to-spray paint cheap wonders. It's the reason why you haven't seen any pictures yet of the house all dolled up. It's the reason why she's coming to visit this week. To help me decorate and give me ideas. To define my decorating style. Or just let me borrow her's.

And tell what in this collection goes and what stays and how to use it. So much trust here. I mean, who couldn't trust someone who makes stuff like this for fun? (And I secretly hope she will be inspired to make me one too once she see the house.)

Just sifting through some of those forgotten treasures (?), I found these. Aren't they cute? Will they find a place in our new nest?

Locked out

If you're reading this post title and wondering if we locked ourselves out of the house. On the Mother's Day. Yes. We did.

We were headed out to go grocery shopping to host the in-law crew for a Mother's Day dinner.

"Honey, will you grab the recycling on the way out?"

"Got it!" (Look at us being super organized and multitasking. I mean, we could save the recycling trip for later. But nope. Two birds.)

[Rushing out the door beaming at our geniusness of multitasking.]

"Let's check the mail on the way out."

"Okay!"

"Honey, do you have the key?"

"What? No, just use yours."

"I didn't bring mine. You were supposed to grab your keys. I only grabbed the car key."

"I grabbed the recycling." [Still beaming. I still hadn't got that we were locked out.]

"We're locked out."

"Crap!"

So another two and half hours later and a trip to the in laws to grab the key we gave them, we were back in business with our keys and ready to go grocery shopping. Dinner was late. So much for being super organized and multitasking.