The Retail DIYet was featured!

Thank you to Stacey @ Embracing Change for featuring my yellow desk on her Creative Inspirations Linky Party.

Hop on over to Embracing Changeand see all the other amazing features!




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Evolution of a Desk

I found this desk a while back for only $25.00!  It's solid mahogany and I love it.  I originally painted it in Provence by Annie Sloan.  You can see that post HERE.  Since then we have been working on our living room and Provence just does not match anymore so I opted to repaint this beauty with another Annie Sloan Chalk Paint color-Arles.  It's a nice mellow yellow and it goes great with our gray/yellow/white/black living room.

 I picked up this chair a while back for only $2.50.  You can read that blog post HERE.  I just recovered them in fabric to match and I am so happy with them. 

I used the same fabric to recover the lamp.  Yes, recover the lamp!  We purchased this lamp at IKEA like 5 or 6 yrs ago.  Here is what it looked like before...

It had a burned spot and it was just getting icky, so I just removed the fabric and used spray adhesive to attach the new fabric.  Super easy!

So here is the before and after--all it cost was a jar of paint!

What have you recycled in your house to work with your newest decor?

Linking up to:
Chalk Paint Link Party @ Shades of Amber
POWW @ Primative & Proper
WOW Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Under $100 Link Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence
Creative Inspirations Linky Party @ Embracing Change

How to give your Foyer a Facelift on the Cheap

We've needed to add some color and functionality to our foyer for some time now.  When we decided to make a new stand for our TV out of a Vintage Remington Typewriter Crate (coming soon!) I knew exactly how I wanted to recycle the old entertainment center.  We bought this from IKEA about 5 years ago.  I believe its the BESTA TV unit and we added a door to one side to hide all of our DVD's, etc.  This piece has definitely given us our money's worth.  It's been moved cross country and is still in tact.  In these pics it looks dusty (my bad) but in tact!

I just gave it a few coats of flat white interior paint from Glidden.  EM helped as well!  She sure is here Mama's girl!

I figured we could use this as a bench/storage for putting on shoes and storing them away instead of them being strewn all over the foyer hallway.

We had an existing mirror in the hallway that was so lonely and blah.  I decided to give her a few coats of spray paint in Rustoleum's Meadow Green.

We also picked up an antler coat rack at Hobby Lobby for cheap--like $10 dollars.  I can't find a picture of the before but it was ugly!!  A few coats of Rustoleum spray paint in a White Semi Gloss and they are much better.  Here is the finished product.

 I added the pillows I made out of left over fabric and old pillow inserts, a few bins from TJ Maxx that cost me less than $20 for all 3 of them and a cute rug that is also from TJ Maxx that I scooped up for $7.99.

 My favorite pictures of our space have actual people walking into the frame and living in the space.  Our foyer doesn't get much good natural light but you get the idea. 

Not bad for under $40!

xo,
Danielle

Linking up to :
Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co.
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm
WOW Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Under $100 Link Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence
Creative Inspirations Linky Party @ Embracing Change

Old Navy Cardi Party!

My lovely friend, Christy, who happens to blog over at Beyond the Fried invited me and 2 other lovely ladies to an Old Navy Cardi Party she was asked to host!  I was super excited and couldn't wait to go.  Here is a picture of us loving ourselves some Old Navy.

Christy, Me, Mandy & Rebekah excited to be at Old Navy!

Hop on over and visit her at Beyond the Fried for the entire post!

xo,
Danielle

Quick & Easy Pillow Tutorial

Later on this week I'll show you our Foyer reveal, but for now, here is a quick tutorial on how to make really quick pillow covers.

I had this fabric left over from my recovering my dining room chairs (which I still have yet to show you!) and I've had the pillow inserts since we purchased our first house almost 10 years ago.  Steve kept asking me when I was going to throw them out and I kept saying I know I'll have a use for them and guess what?  I do!  So I spent no money on this since I already had the materials left over.  I love when that happens.

This is the reverse side of the fabric

I am no seamstress so I just went into this like I do most things--winging it!  I used an old pillow cover as a template (notice the awesome hole?  I guess that's why S wanted to know why I was saving these, but inside that torn cover is a down pillow insert!) and just cut out my fabric allowing about 1/2 an inch or so around the edges so I could sew them.

 I then sewed it up on 2.5 sides--I used one long piece and folded it in half so I only had to sew 3 sides. 

 Because I'm not cool like that, and I don't know how to put a zipper in, I first pinned the small opening that I left open to squeeze the pillow in and then hand sewed it together.  This fabric itself is laminated so its super easy to wash off with a rag so I don't anticipate needing to take the insert out.  It's especially awesome in places like dining room chairs (stay tuned for that reveal soon..I promise) and in places like the foyer where no doubt dirty/muddy shoes will end up. 

Here they are all finished. 

I think they will make a great addition to our foyer.  In this little room spruce up I took our old entertainment center and made a bench.  I made these nifty pillows and we spray painted an old mirror and a cool coat rack.  Stay tuned!

xo,

Danielle

Linking up to Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk

So glad to be back!!

I've been beating myself up about my lack of posts.  I feel like I have 39 projects in the works and none are finished.  I will give myself a small break since...well...this has been in the works as well...

Our little peanut is scheduled to arrive on 12.01.12.  We couldn't be more excited, although this time around has been a little different.  I think keeping up with an almost 3 year old and feeling the drain of pregnancy has gotten in the way of my DIY and blogging, but alas the third trimester is upon us and I'm feeling great!  Here are a few pics that my awesome sister and partner in our photo business, Kelly, took for us.  

 I can't believe this little love of mine is going to be 3 in just a few weeks!  Time is going so fast!

I will be back this week with lots of new content, pictures and tutorials!

Lonny is Live! If you don't know now you know...

I love getting the email in my inbox that Lonny Magazine has gone live.  For those of you who don't know what Lonny is its an online interior design magazine.  Lonny "highlights extraordinary interiors, innovative bloggers, and the latest market finds".  I just adore it and have been reading it since its inception.  Every glorious picture that graces your screen is a hyperlink for where you can see/purchase it.  Awesome.

Here are a few of my favorite things from the August issue:

How great are these Lucite boxes.  Displaying your jewelry instead of hiding it makes it more of a decor/art piece in your room.  And at only $27.95 they are an affordable addition to your design.  It's also a great excuse to get more amazing jewelry to display..hint, hint ;) I also love the mirror front dressers!

Lonny Magazine

Estee Stanley, co-founder (with Justin Timberlake) of HomeMint shows off a clients house in Brentwood - Los Angeles that she designed.  The entire house is gorgeous, but I particularly love this bathroom.  I think because it is definitely something I see for our house when I think of long term renovations/additions.  Perfect

Image - Lonny

And if you look closely you can see the open jewelry display in this house as well...

Image - Lonny

In the same house designed by Estee Stanley you will find this amazing nursery.  Clean, crisp and classic.

Image - Lonny

Check out this half-round table..I love this!

Image - Lonny

There is so many amazing pieces and home tours in their international themed issue.  I have a slight obsession with magazines and online magazines like Lonny are great for me because I get in my fix of great design and pretty pictures without adding to the massive collection of magazines in my home.

Enjoy!
Danielle

Apartment Guide Sweepstakes

I always feel like I am in the middle of changing one of my spaces, but in reality I guess I always am.  We've been working on our home office for about a year on and off and really haven't gotten too far.  It's a tricky space since it serves as an office for 2 people (me and my hubs) and it doubles as our guest room.  This bookshelf lives there now as well as this desk.  We're getting there slowly but surely.

It was perfect timing for Apartment Guide to contact me in regards to their "Your Picks.  Your Place" Sweepstakes.  Right now they are in round three of their sweepstakes - HOME OFFICES.  I loved all of the choices, but one in particular really gave me inspiration!  Check out the sweepstakes here.  Can you guess which one?  Check out the official information below and enter to win one of their eight $250 weekly prizes or their grand prize of $10,000.  All you have to do is vote to be entered to win! 

About the Apartment Guide “Your Picks. Your Place.” Sweepstakes
Is your place in need of a style update?  Apartment Guide has partnered with TV host and design expert Kim Myles for the second annual Apartment Guide “Your Picks. Your Place.” Sweepstakes.  From now until August 14, visit YourPicksYourPlace.com to vote once per day for your preferred room design showcasing furniture and home décor items selected by featured bloggers.  The site will feature four different room designs every two weeks. By voting, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $10,000 grand prize or one of eight $250 weekly prizes to go towards your own selections for your home. While you’re on the site, you can find design and décor tips from Kim Myles, Apartment Guide and featured bloggers to help you design a room that’s uniquely you.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes ends @ 9:00 PM on 8/14/12, subject to Entry Periods outlined in Official Rules. Must be a US legal resident of the 50 US or DC and 18 years of age or older. Sweepstakes subject to full Official Rules available at www.yourpicksyourplace.com. Void where prohibited.
Disclosure Statement:
Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partner with bloggers such as me to participate in blogger programs. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any products and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendation.

Update on Dining Room and Life in General

Hi All,
Our camera has been out of commission for about 2 weeks now.  We'll have it back on Sunday and I can finally post some of the projects I've been working on.

Remember the dining room chairs that I wanted to recover and I gave you a few of the fabric choices I was thinking of in this post?  Well I didn't go with any of them.  It is so me to narrow them all down and then change my mind.  But in the end I am soooo glad I did.  I chose this fabric from Fabric.com and it is awesome.

The fabric is LAMINATED so its perfect for our dining room.  EM has "put her mark" on every chair and now all I have to do is wipe it down.  Its amazing!  I can't wait to post about the finished project!  Sunday cant come soon enough.

I am also overhauling our entryway and these colors (and maybe even this fabric) will be back if I can figure out how to sew a custom cushion for an entertainment center turned bench I made.  My sister created this awesome art for me to hang in either the entryway or the dining room.  There are 4 in total--but I am only sharing 3 since the 4th is our current address (and its a shame that I don't want any stalkers or weirdo's showing up because its my favorite print)!  How amazing are they..and she!!  They are going in white frames with white matting.

I also have our new TV stand that we made from an old vintage typewriter crate.  It looks awesome in our living room so look for that project coming soon.

I am looking forward to sharing all of my projects with you soon!
Dani

The Retail DIYet was featured at Embracing Change!!

Check out the awesome blog Embracing Change and see the Retail DIYet's Living Room Decorating (on a budget) featured as one of the Best of the Week!  Thank you, Stacey!!
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Recovering Chairs...(again!)

I have had my chairs recovered for almost a year now, so what else is there to do besides re-do them, right?  Here is where I originally mentioned them.  I still am happy with how they turned out, but we added a Cowhide Rug from Kinetic that we purchased from a HauteLook sale about 1.5 yrs ago.  Ours is a little more brown/less white, but pretty similar. 

In the room we also have my Hutch which I just love.

So...now that you see what has to stay in the room I need some opinions on new fabric for the chairs. 
Here is what the chairs look like now.  I'm not opposed to painting the chairs bright white or keeping them off white depending on the fabric choice.

I've pulled 5 I like from Fabric.com.
Here is the Option 1--

image via fabric.com

Option 2

image via fabric.com

Option 3

image via fabric.com

Option 4

image via fabric.com

  Option 5

image via fabric.com

 Any thoughts?