the TV stand with no TV

The third big project I tackled last weekend (other than covering up the polka dots and painting the yellow room) was assembling a bookshelf/entertainment center for the basement, with the help of a strong and patient friend.

Here's the space I wanted to fill:

I found a piece at IKEA that fills about two-thirds of the space, and I'll fill in the remainder of the wall nook with another smaller bookshelf. I also chose this piece because it's designed for a TV - and although I don't have one yet, I imagine I'll acquire one eventually. But for now, it will at least get my books off the floor of the basement!

The big assembly:

Ta-da!

It was a monster, that's for sure.

Yes. It's a lot of books. Trust me, I've moved them all multiple times. And this isn't even all of them.

But I had to save room for the imaginary TV, you know.

the yellow room

Calling rooms by their colors always reminds me of my grandma. I don't actually know if she does this, but I have it in my mind that she does.

Regardless, I think I'll probably end up referring to the guest bedrooms by their colors. It's just too cumbersome to say "mom and dad's room" and "the other guest bedroom," not to mention explaining which one is which. Much easier to say "the yellow room" and "the blue room." Right? Right.

What I won't be saying is "the lime green room." Because that one, my friends, is no more. Along with getting rid of the polka dots last weekend, I tackled mom and dad's room. {Background: my parents live on the West Coast but my younger brother and sister both go to school here - so, they plan to visit us often, which means I let them pick out a bedroom of their own to decorate and keep their stuff in.}

Mom sent the comforter a few weeks ago, and I picked up the sheets on sale at Target. The rug used to be in their bedroom back home, but I inherited it a few years ago when I officially moved to Minnesota. I picked the wall color based on the gold in the rug and the caramel color of the wood floor:

Before:

Painting:

After:

A gallon of Behr Ultra (primer + paint in one) was just enough for two coats. And it only took about five hours from start to finish! Definitely my quickest painting project to date.

goodbye, polka dots!

You were adorable for a nursery. But you had to go. The tiny guest bedroom just couldn't handle your overwhelming power.

Plus, you distracted everyone's attention from the farm door, which I think is the best part about the room. So, goodbye polka dots.

I'm not sure yet what will take your place. But it will be all one color, that I can assure you.

Anyone want to weigh in on these swatches? Should I go dark or light?

the kitchen in action

Remember when the kitchen looked like this?

A perfectly nice shade of green that just didn't go with the rest of the house, sadly. But then I decided to paint it red, and now I would almost forget it was ever another color if I didn't have the photos to remind me.

For those of you who watched the transformation unfold here on the blog last April, here are some updated photos from a family gathering last weekend:

all clean and ready to party

the second phase of our progressive dinner (phase one was at the Millers' house down the street)

Aunt Debbie's berry cobbler, including raspberries from the garden

cousins :)

freedom from weeds

It was a thoroughly American Fourth of July around here, let me tell you.

Aside from the fact that I forgot to buy a flag (picture me devastated when I realized this at 3 pm).

I mean, I'm sure you're dying to hear about the sunnies I caught at the lake...

Or the firecracker shaped like a tank that we set off by the pool at my aunt and uncle's...

Or the impressive fireworks show at the park down the street.

But I know the truth. What you're really all here to read about is how I rescued my patio from the tyranny of the weeds on the day after Independence Day.

Good. Because I have pictures.

~ before ~

~ middle ~

~ after! ~

All clean and purty and ready for the family BBQ on Monday night... except that we ended up eating indoors anyway because of the rain. Oh well. Now, at least, I can say I'm winning the battle somewhere in the yard.

PS: I don't actually believe any of you care as much as I do about my patio's current lack of weeds.

You might, however, care if you come over for dinner and I make you eat out on the patio with me because I think it's a) fun, b) going to make for a good picture or c) because I haven't turned on the a/c inside. All of which are possible.

Because then you might care to not be standing up to your knees in weeds. Don't worry. I've got you covered.

Love,

LG

Firenze, mi amor

So, there's another craft project that I finished on Saturday but haven't shown you yet.

It involves a set of black and white photograph postcards that I found in an amazing Florentine paper shop back when I was gallivanting and reading books instead of working and reading blogs about houses/cooking/gardening. (Wow, that sounds harsh. You know I love my life now, too, right?!) I knew I wanted to save them for something special, so I've kept them safely tucked away for almost four years.

The project:

I started with 10 white 5x7 frames from IKEA, which not only required mats for the 4x6 postcards but also posed an additional challenge: they have no glass plates to hold the photos in place. So, my cousin Genevieve and I pulled a selection of patterned papers and picked out five - in various shades/patterns of red, aqua, black and cream - that matched the existing colors in the room where I planned to hang them. (I also didn't want papers that would distract too much from the photos, and we were lucky enough to find some).

Then, we made custom mats for each postcard. Each paper pattern was used twice - one for each side of the windows, since the set would be split into two arrangements of five frames each.

We attached the postcards to the mats using old-fashioned black photo corners. This not only allowed me to preserve the postcards (as in, keep them safe from tape and glue) but also added an important visual element to tie the frames back to the rest of the room.

(Side note: you'll notice that I didn't make full 5x7 mats out of the patterned papers. Two reasons: 1. Some of the best elements of the patterns were scattered throughout the papers, and the only way to capture the right colors was to construct mats out of strips. 2. I wanted to save paper, and full mats really weren't necessary.)

And, the finished product!

Seeing these photos of Firenze every morning when I first wake up is an excellent way to start the day, I've learned. Having them in matching frames only makes my heart happier.

So what do you think? I'm still playing around with the arrangement, and have a few more plans in mind for the surrounding wall space. But share your thoughts! And have any of you ever made custom mats? Anything I should do differently next time? Do tell...

creative space

Sometimes you just feel like making something. (Or, if you're like me, a million somethings). You buy the supplies and you daydream about what it will look like when it's done.

But then, you don't have enough room to spread out and work. Or you fill your weekend with other plans. Or you get started, and then you get stuck and you don't have anyone to help you figure out what to do next, so you give up.

That's why this picture makes me so happy:

Saturday marked the first of what I hope is many, many crafting days at the farmhouse. In fact, it's something I had in mind from the very beginning of the house hunt. I fell in love with this basement from the get-go because it just had that creative space feeling.

So I invited some friends over and we put it to use. We set up an extra work table next to the desk, and Kristen and Danica brought a sewing machine...

... Onyx was here to keep us company (and remind me how much I want a dog, even though that's about the last thing I can handle right now). He had his paws in everything.

Jen and I did some serious spray painting out in the garage (you might recognize the carpet remnant from the basement "before" photos). She had some great baskets that needed a fresh coat of paint, and I was working on an assortment of frames.

Watch for these to show up in the house soon...

Kristen's project: a sewing machine cover (from this awesome book)

Danica + an old t-shirt + a bag of lace pieces from MN Fashion Week's annual garage sale

Genevieve's new earrings

Hope you'll join us next time!