In Praise Of: Ceiling Medallions
It doesn’t matter how decrepit a home is, whenever I see ceiling medallions in a home I think, “Ooh, fancy!” Is that your impulse too? That impulse is spot on. Ceiling medallions peaked in popularity in the mid to late 1800s. (source) This was the Victorian era and folks living then liked to make a bold statement in their homes with everything from elaborate trim to fussy furnishings. There was nothing subtle about the Victorians. If you had a ceiling medallion in the 1800s this meant you likely had a hanging light fixture of some sort and these items were signs of wealth. There’s nothing like your neighbor’s wealth hanging…
No-Sew Denim Bunting Banner
I’m excited to share a no-sew denim bunting banner with you today. Honestly, it took me longer to decide what to call this creation than it did to make it. According to the internet, which never gives false information, flag banner, flag bunting, pennant bunting, pennant banner, and 4 million other iterations of those words were also acceptable names. Thanks, internet. Super helpful. I made these denim bunting banners to hang over my son’s bed. They replaced the crepe paper streamers that had been hanging there for 11 months. ELEVEN! I hung the streamers up for his birthday and never intended them to be up for more than a day.…
A Modern Country Laundry Room For Our Colonial Farmhouse
If a modern country laundry room can be a thing, that’s what we created for our Colonial Farmhouse. The transformation of this modern country laundry room only took us 3 months, 13 days, and, oh fine…a while. It took us a good long while to finish. Either this project was more tedious than we originally anticipated or we actually found a life and hobbies outside of working on this house. Yeah…you’re not going to believe we have actual hobbies, so this project was probably just tedious…as all good projects are. Almost four years ago our laundry room looked like this. Sexy, wasn’t it? That photo was taken on the day…
14 Ways To Reuse a Basmati Rice Bag
Have you ever wondered about all the ways to reuse a basmati rice bag? Have you ever bought rice in one of these bags? Royal brand basmati rice is sold in the neatest burlap bag. It has handles. It has a zipper. It has neat typography. It has bold colors. It can hold at least 20 pounds. In short, it’s amazing and something that could definitely be reused. Here are 14 ways to reuse a basmati rice bag. 1. Turn it into wall art. 2. Use it as a grocery shopping bag. 3. Use it to store potatoes, onions, and any other vegetable that needs ventilation. 4. It’s the perfect…
In Praise of Basket Walls
Basket walls, meaning baskets as wall decor, have been on my mind lately. Does that mean I’m turning into a basket case? Nah. That’s something entirely different. But give me time and that may happen! I, like many people, have not met a basket I didn’t love. Do I need all the baskets I love? Need is a relative term, but probably not. Do more baskets really make me more organized? In my ideal world, yes. Could I justify having more baskets if I used them as wall decor? I can make a strong argument for that. Baskets, when grouped together as wall decor, can provide a tremendous amount of…
No Utility Closet? Make An Utility Wall Instead.
If your house is like mine and has no utility closet or logical spot to put a broom and mop, do not fret. Just don’t sweep or mop. Kidding! Make a utility wall instead. Functionally, all you need is a little bit of wall space and some hooks and you can create a utility wall. Don’t have wall space? That makes it trickier, but you might have the side of a tall kitchen cabinet or even the side of your refrigerator to use as a “wall.” But won’t it look bad to hang your dirty laundry broom, mop, dustpan, etc. out where everyone can see them? Possibly. I’m not going…
Recent Home Photos That Made Me Smile
Today, I thought I’d share some recent candid home photos that made me smile. I’m forever captivated by the light in our home. Often when I’m walking through the house the light catches my eye and a scene I’ve seen thousands of times suddenly looks different. Special. Noteworthy. I really wish my camera could capture the feeling those fleeting moments evoke for me. Perhaps it’s the warmth from the afternoon light or just how lucky I feel that we get to live here. But that might be putting a lot of pressure on a camera. This view from my kiddo’s room that I cleverly cropped so you can’t see the…
My Latest Thrift Store Finds: Part 5
Welcome to another round of My Latest Thrift Store Finds! We’re on part 5 of this story. How many parts will there be? It is anyone’s guess. As long as there are thrifted treasures to be found and a few bucks in my pocket, I’m there. I was trying to think of everything in our house that has been thrifted and decided it would just be easier to list the things I’ve purchased new such as mattresses, pillows, bed frames, the couch, recliner chairs in our bedroom, and rugs. Oh, and 20 years ago I bought the piano new. If I take care of it, it should last another 80…
3 Creatives Uses For A Wood Sewing Machine Cover
Way back in the day, sewing machines were fancy. I’m talking capital F fancy. Some sewing machines were housed in ornate pieces of furniture that were prominent fixtures in homes. Later, as sewing machines became more portable but were still made of metal, not plastic, they didn’t stop being stylish. Not at all. That’s where the wood sewing machine cover comes onto the scene. In 1884, the Singer Sewing Machine Company introduced a bentwood sewing machine cover. This was a big technological achievement. In essence, Singer and their competitor, Wheeler and Wilson, figured out how to make plywood. Then, after much trial and error, the Singer Sewing Machine Company discovered that…
3 Ways To Label DIY Furniture
Have you ever thought about how to label DIY furniture? Or even if or why you should label DIY furniture? We’ve made DIY furniture for years but didn’t think about labeling it until a couple of years ago when we had an “oh no” moment. We own a wood-framed mirror that, according to family lore, was made by my husband’s grandpa. Everyone in the family knew it was made by him but no one in the family could remember when he made it, why he made it, who he made it for, etc. The story of this mirror is now lost and that’s sad from a family history perspective. If…
