Mantel, in transition

I have a mantel.
Fall is here.
I am seeing mantels everywhere.
I hear (or, read, on blogs the looming question of "what's on your mantel"...sounds like the Capital One commmercials, huh?)

Not one for peer pressure, and without my mantel being fully complete (see below..), but I jumped on the mantel bandwagon.
Here's my mantel, currently being "fall-ized", so it's in transition......
don't judge :)

I made a few crafts and specifically for my Fall mantel....

The Easiest Wreath. Ever. Evah.
It's two steps.
Step One: Take the Michael's tag off.
Step Two: Clip a hairpin on.

...yes, that's a hairclip from my own About a Bride (Shimmer & Tulle Collection, of course) line. The wreath is just borrowing it....

Fall Frames

Getting two ugly "fake bronze" frames from the Dollar Store, I removed the flower prints and sprayed painted them a glossy white. I then used some jute as the backdrop (which I got on clearance at the beginning of summer, it really was to wrap your trees in for the winter...).

For the green one, I clipped the flowers off of a bouquet that I used for a Little Girl's Nutcracker Party I hosted last year....not fully sure of the color -- but I sprayed one a bronzy color and well, it looked a bit like poop and that wasn't quite the look I was going for. Lol.

For the pumpkin one, I bought a cheap packet of self-adhesive foam pumpkins from Michael's and just painted them blue and one white. Yeah, as said before, I couldn't do plain orange.....

Also, that yellow flower bush on the righthand side of the mantel, that is my tissue paper tree that I made many years ago...you can see a closeup here.

And you obviously saw the unused Ikea Ribba Frame....yeah, still working on that...its a huge frame and this is really the only place it works, so I am still trying to decide what to do with it. Was thinking either a fun wall quote or scripture or the "house rules" (inspired by this)....

What's "stifling" the decor a little in this room is that in all honesty, I've wanted to paint this room since we've moved in, 4 years ago...the green is okay, but not really me. I would love a cottagey/country look with white batten board walls and pops of that robin blue color that I adore....so all along the years, I have been decorating with what I will eventually change this room into.....

So, overall still working on my Fall mantle....I have till around Nov anyhow when then, I will be working on my Christmas mantle.
Linked to:
The Centsational Girl ,
Blue Cricket Designs
and

Fall Equinox Decor Countdown

According to my calendar, it's a week till the Fall Equinox. But actually, according to the weather outside, Fall is practically here. I'm already donned in a pullover sweater and furry boots and have bought some "little man" fall clothes for my 2.5 year old.
(I was so happy to find that Old Navy was having their $5 sale....)

And now that my family is all set, the mind turns to the house and FALL DECORATING! I do enjoy seasonal decorating. I'm not completely there, but I can't wait to have huge tupperware buckets, one for each season, just all organized, full of decor items and anticipating their release at the change of each season.

But in reality, for the Fall, I only have a few items....but have been really enjoying seeing what other bloggers are doing to fall-ify their homes....so I will be joining along in the DIY'ing and posting as I create.

My first piece of Fall Decor is a centerpiece that I made when we first moved into the house, about 4 years ago. Granted, it's out ALL year long. I just switch the vase for more of a seasonal indication. Currently, it's in a deep red bamboo vase and I love the contrast.

I've used this in the summer, in front of the fireplace as an "alternative fireplace cover", or on the dining table as a "welcome spring" centerpiece. Currently it is on our mantel.

Can you believe this is tissue paper? Using a Martha Stewart template for making flowers, I cut and folded square pieces and hot glued them to branches I pulled from our backyard.

Welcome Fall! :)

Linked to:
The Inspired Room

Productivity via "Awkward Neighbor Moment" Lane

As most "awkward stories", this is somewhat of a long one.

We redid our kitchen about a year ago. And since then, the space over the window has been shamelessly naked. Either because I couldn't find a curtain I liked or I hadn't ever come across time for me to make one - the space was pretty empty. And really needing some coverage. But coverage finally was demanded - and given - last night.

Why?

Put it this way. A day or so after remodeling our kitchen, the next door neighbors upon bumping into my husband outside in front of the house said "Oh, I see you redid your kitchen". Oh, my husband says, then asking how the neighbor knew this. The neighbor says: "Our first floor bathroom window looks right into the kitchen".

Can you see the tiny window --- to the bottom right of the hanging bird and slightly above the wood fence. Yes, see what I am talking about?

Now there's somewhat of a tiny window, so I hadn't thought it was the window of a room (used multiple times in a day) as the viewing gateway into a kitchen that I am in every day. And sometimes, I'm functioning as if the window directly across from me is a low-usability window. Functioning as in, being in my robe (or not)....as in, adjusting bra straps....as in...oh the blatant horror of what I could have possibly done unknowingly.

And to make matters worse, their window is right over their toilet. So there have been a few times that I am casually doing the dishes having awesome thoughts of my family, of the yummy dinner, of my beautiful white farmhouse sink....and I look up and Ahhhhh --- there is a head looking back at me from about 5 feet away. He's doesn't even have the shame the guilt the obvious decency to look down and not directly at me. I try to casually look down as if I hadn't seen him because I was too busy looking at my reflection in the window, OR I was admiring the color of the brick of his house OR I was staring at a tree.

Then I just wait and wait and wait. Seriously, how long can this guy go for? He's like 80?! Finally, I peripherally notice the light go out and I know it's safe.

And that's when I say THAT'S IT! I am making a curtain for this window. TONIGHT.

Here is the space before.

Yes, my impulse to do this came post-washing of the dishes....as you can see them all! Lol.

Here is what it looks like now.

And to help in my recovery of the situation, the curtain costs, around $2.50!

The material is a sort of jute/burlap-y material --- really something that is used to cover trees during the winter I think. I found it LAST YEAR in a liquidation store for about a buck.

The fabric the ruffle is made out of is leftover fabric from d'stash (read: free!) and the flower is a plastic green orchid that fell off of an arrangement (read again: free!). The ribbon is two rolls of a fourpack from the dollar store so that's about .50c.

Here's what happened. Oh no, my story ain't over yet. (Remember, I am a New Yorker!)

Initially, I was going for a short cafe style length. However, I didn't want to cut the material in fear that it would fray and that I wasn't sure of using fray-check. So, I left that "decision" to the end when I would either just fold it under or fold it over for some pretty dips in the fabric.

I accordion-folded (and pinned) the plaid fabric to the bottom of the burlap material and then straight stitched. Then I hot glued the red ribbon to the "intersection" (where the burlap met the plaid). Finally, I found a spot (about a 1/3 of the way in on the left) where I wanted to place the flower and hot glued that as well.

Then it got interesting. And I thought I was doing so well....

Being a Mis-treater (and following the Nester), I was dead set on just staple gunning the material to the wall. Made my first attempt, the staple didn't catch. Tried again, maybe I wasn't really at the right angle. Turns out, the staples I had in the gun were for light-duty and these were partial drywall-partial plaster so all I was accomplishing were scratches and paint chipping.

K, feeling still very motivated and unmoved by this, I decided I would up the anti and NAIL the thing to the wall. It's burlap and practically full of holes so I could just kind of "hang a box" on the nail. Shamelessly slammed three nails into the wall, put the curtain up and realized I had too much "dippage" in between nails, so okay, what am I to do? Hammer more nails, right?
Of course.

So I banged two more nails but it still wasn't hanging right.
Plus, the nails weren't lined up....really. I could tell. Kind of look like a picture of a heart monitor.

I "fussed" artistically with it. You know, teasing fabric this way, schmoosing it that way, giving it a good fluff. Besides the fact that when I would fluff on the right side, the left side would fall off the little nail head....(meaning very unstable.....it would be a concern when during the summer, the window is open...and a slight breeze comes in...) but it just.wasn't.looking.right.

It's like a scene of an accident --cant look away right?

Now I was getting a little teed. It was about 930 at night and already I chanced waking my sleeping 2 year old from the usage of a hammer, but I didn't want to wait another night to put this curtain up. After all, these are like free shows for my neighbor. This curtain was going up tonight.

But I didn't think that I had any curtain hardware laying around in the house and I didn't really want to use powertools to make additional holes (and wake the baby). Then it dawned on me....Didn't I see a curtain rod on the workbench in the basement....My heart leaped with hope. Please don't let me need additional hardware to put it up.....

I ran downstairs and for sure, there it was. A plastic cafe rod from the Dollar Store WITH holes at the end for me to just stick a nail through! Bonus!

So I returned to the kitchen, figured where I wanted the rod to be and then attached it to the wall. Perfect, I thought and then went to put the curtain on.

Duh. I needed to put the curtain on the rod first and then attach it to the wall because in order for me to not need any additional hardware I just banged the nails through these two little holes on the sides of the rod.

And besides, looking at it, I thought, naaah, with it being burlap and all hole-y, it doesn't look right with that much "light" coming through. It looks like I just put a potato bag up on the wall and called it a curtain. And the wall is so much taller than the window that the curtain just looks awkward being in the "middle" of the window. And I didn't really want to block that much light. (Probably if I had made the curtain not so long, this wouldn't be a problem and would be just like petite cafe curtains but I didn't want to cut in the fabric).

So I decided to put the curtain up. Waaaay up, to where the wall touches the ceiling. I felt like that was the spot.....

Okay, a slight interruption....
This whole time that I am putting this curtain up, I'm climbing up and down the countertop, leaning towards and against the window now GIVING MY NEIGHBOR A REAL SHOW. Thoughts such as "please don't have my zipper fall down" (because of course, I was wearing the jeans who's zipper definitely believes in the Law of Gravity) and "think my pants are sagging a little on my hips ---- please pants don't show the bright yellow trim of underwear".....I was trying to go as fast as I could.

K, back to the "show"...

Obviously, this arrangement doesn't do much for my whole neighbor issue --- which was the whole reason right??? Sigh.

So with $2.50 in materials, about an hour and a half of work, 7 holes in the wall, 3 staple gun scrapings and a couple of burnt fingers, I have a semi-functioning curtain.

I consider the curtain like a great pair of stilettos ---- all aesthetics, functionality needs to be argued!

I might have to put up a pair of sheer curtains --- for some coverage. I think I would turn pink in the face (and I am brown people!) if I heard my neighbor say --- "I just think your Little Miss Sunshine pajamas are just so cute. How old are you again?...."

Linky Parties my curtain and I are attending:
The Thrifty Home
Blue Cricket Designs

Motivated Mondays Linky Party: Getting Hutched...

I am really excited about this linky party...and this piece I worked on.



Just a background story..(there's always a story with me). I've wanted a hutch and a white dining table for a while now. I really dig the country/cottage/farmhouse look, the white furniture etc, and so I set up an alert on Kijiji.ca (Canadian equivalent of cragislist). Well I found someone who was selling BOTH of these items for a very good deal. Thing was, the pieces were about 30 mins away and was only for pickup and would definitely not fit in our little jetta....I had to settle with the lady that I WOULD get someone to pick up, begging please hold these items....Anyhow, she did and the day before I said I would get there, I found out that my aunt recently bought a Chevy Uplander and agreed to help me out. My husband had something come up that evening of pickup and therefore it was just me who drove out to my aunt's house (oh yeah, which was about 2 mins from the pickup location....) and she saw just me get out of the car and was like, um who else is here to move the stuff, for I don't lift furniture. So we had to drag her son to do the work --- who reluctantly did it, all of a sudden spouting the importance of him needing to do homework!

We arrive at the house and all the lights are off. Determined, I knock on the door and it opens a crack and an eyeball peeps out at me. Yes?, it says. Speaking to the eyeball, I say, "I'm here for the table and hutch". Hold on, the eyeball says to me and closes the door. I'm assuming a hand and arm and fingers helped out in the process. I just turned, looked at my aunt and shrugged. The door opens a brief moment later and out steps a boy about 18 yrs old. "Well, my parents are out, but they left the hutch on the porch". My cousin and this boy attempt to start putting the 2pc hutch in the SUV, but in the trunk/loading area, there is a bulge in which gets in the way of the hutch fitting.....So there they are, using only the light coming from the car as their main source of light and keep switching, rotating, turning, pushing, pulling, heaving. My aunt keeps saying "don't scratch the inside of the car" and I am grimacing....They finally get it in and it really barely fits. They go to put the top part in and have to do the same thing, this time with 3 panes of glass to be wary of. They get that piece in too and the boy is like "k, there you go". And I am all "there's a table too!". The look on the boy and my cousin's face was priceless. Here was the ensuing conversation:
boy: it's probably in the garage and I don't have a key to it. And my parents are out. As if to remind me and to say in other words, can you leave now?

Me: Well, don't you have their number?
Boy: They probably don't have their cell phone with them.
Me: Can you try?
Boy: And if they do, it's probably not on.
Me: When are you expecting them back?
Boy: I don't know.
Me: Is there a backdoor to the garage?
Boy: Yeah, I guess I can just check that.

So he goes to check it and in between the silent knowing glances between my aunt and I, creeeak, goes the garage door. Yes!, I think.

There's the table, says the boy, pointing on one of the beams. And there's the legs, pointing behind a sitdown lawn mower, garbage bins and a massive amount of storage boxes.

When did you say your parents should be back, I ask?

And blessings, here they come around the corner and pulling into the driveaway. And out of the car comes a man, I am assuming, the father.

And if anything sheds more light on the weirdness of the whole situation, especially the conversation, here is how the conversation between them go:
Boy: Where's mom?
Man: Dunno. I thought she was with you.
Boy: Oh okay.

And that was the end of the conversation! Oh okay....
I decided then to just get my goods and get out of there.

Me: I'm here to get that table, that is well, hanging on that single beam up there on your ceiling.

So the man pulls out a ladder and gets it and then like just shoves it into the car.

Anyhow, this is what it looked like before:

It was originally a dark wood color and the previous owner just dry-brushed white paint on it, so it looked like it was bathed in smoke. The handles needed to be updated and replaced and though I kind of liked the glass with the swirly gold thing, it looked like chicken wire done wrong. Really wrong.


And some more pictures of the after.




decided to keep the doors off as I think it made it look bigger. (Guess the same thing in my kitchen, eh?)

Going with my cheap paper theme, I attached this blue floral paper to the backside after painting. It's not yet organized/decorated it as I'd like, but I was so excited to show you! And the cost was about $60 for the actual furniture, $15 in oil paint, $1.50 per knob and about $1 in wrapping paper. Not too shabby...Now I get to start on the table and chairs....

What was a creative highlight for you this week??