More Ledge Art

Still haven't spent a dime on my living room picture ledge but I did dig around the house and come up with a few more frames.  I filled them up with some temporary printouts and magazine clippings to help me visualize.  I'll continue to tweak the ledge but at least it's better to look at now.

Hangers Hung

Luckily my No Wire Hangers needlepoint was a size that easily fit into a regular picture frame.  I didn't plan that so I got lucky.  I grabbed a basic frame at Target.

I did have to trim the edges a little bit but other than that it fit right in.  I decided to keep the glass in as a cover and to prevent any bubbling or dirt.

My plan is to hang this inside my closet once I remodel it, but for the meantime I decided to just hang it on my closet door.  Not wanting to drill holes in my door, I picked up some of these awesome 3M Command hangers.

You just stick two strips together (they are like hardcore velcro), stick one side on the frame, peel the other side and then pop it up on your surface.  Piece of cake.  I love these things.  And when I decide to move the picture, they'll come off without marring my door.  Score!

Now that I have new drawer storage in my bedroom, it's time for me to get cracking on the closet remodel!  I hope to have it done in the next couple of months!

Trophy Time

No, I will not be handing out end of the year superlatives.  But there will be trophies involved.  Ever solve one of those problems that you didn't realize was a problem until you found the solution?  Well I did last week.  My problem: A whole big wall with only a funky orange mirror on it.

My solution?  Well, white ceramic deer head trophies, of course.  Problem solved!

Who needs boring sconces when you can have faux animal heads glaring at your dinner guests.

They are a little quirky and I love them.  They help fill up space on that wall that I didn't even realized needing filling.  Actually this all began because I wanted the "large" deer head at Z Gallerie that was basically life sized and cost $250.  I wanted it so bad yet had no idea where it would fit in my house.  My compromise...2 small deer heads that only ran me $80 total.  And I might add, my office holiday bowling party winnings paid for these suckers.  So they were basically free!

So now I'm over the expensive deer head but now I'm kinda eyeing the $129 giraffe head.  He'd look really cute in my office.  I better start practicing my bowling. 

No actual animals were harmed in this post.

Needlepoint Saves Me $158.00

I have already discussed my obsession with Jonathan Adler.  I just love everything he does.  Unfortunately I can't afford 90% of what he does, but such is life.  [sidenote: Barnes & Noble has a line of JA designs especially for their stores and the prices are awesome!  Haven't picked anything up yet, but might after Christmas.]  Anyway...another thing I love in life is the movie Mommie Dearest.  This is in no way to be a reflection on my own childhood.  I just love me some demented Joan Crawford by way of Faye Dunaway.  So I was super excited to see this new pillow in Jonathan Adler's Needlepoint collection.

I love everything about this pillow.  Everything except the price.  $165.00.  No, even I know that's too much for a 9" throw pillow.  That's when I got the brilliant idea to learn to needlepoint and make my own.  I started out in early November after purchasing about $7.00 in supplies (yarn and the grid).

I just sort of freehanded it from what stiches I could see in the photo of the pillow.

I ran out of room for the third hanger but still think I did a pretty good job!  It took about 5 weeks (which may be why the hand stitched pillow is so costly) and I finally finished it last night.

I was going to turn it in to a pillow but now I think I'm going to frame it and hang it in my soon-to-be-redone master closet.  That renovation won't get started until after the new year but in the meantime I'll be starting my next needlepoint project.  This next one will become a pillow eventually.  So, sorry about stealing the JA design but I think of it as a nod of appreciation.  And once I win that lottery, I promise to hit the Jonathan Adler store for a shopping spree.

Target + Neiman Marcus

Yes, I was lined up at 7:30 am on Saturday for the much awaited Target & Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection to debut.  I would rank in below the great Missoni release mostly because it was a higher price point overall and the collection did not have a lot of decor items. But this does not mean I didn't buy anything.  I managed to get a Thom Browne blazer and a Marc Jacobs clutch and then my favorite purchase was the Tracy Reese dessert plates.

I liked them so much I bought 2 sets.  I don't actually plan on serving dessert on them though.  I think they are going to look fabulous on the wall in my guest room.  I want to hang them above the headboard (which doesn't actually exist yet).

I really think they are going to look great.  I need to buy some plate hangers and I potentially need to find a larger plate for the center of my planned hangings. 

 

I'm imagining a diamond shaped layout with the ninth larger plate being at the center of my 8 dessert plates.  I wish they had more decorative items in the collection, but at the rate things were priced it is probably best that they didn't.

Spanish Art

While in Barcelona this summer I saw a lot of beautiful art.  But what caugh my eye the most?  The random graffiti all around town.

I took a bunch of pictures and when I got back I decided to blow a few up to frame.  I ordered them in 11x14s.

They sat around for a month or so until my frames went on sale for 40% off and I was able to use an additional coupon for 25% off my whole purchase at Michaels.  Basically it was like getting 4 for the price of 2.

I wanted to hang them on the blank wall in my bedroom since my art in there is all pretty colorful and funky.

No idea why that last picture is sideways.  The ellipitical kind of covers that wall but I decided that I'd still decorate as if nothing was there.  It took a while but I think I got them fairly centered and straight.

I love all the random statements they are making.  "We are all one."  "Remember who you are."  "Do what you love."  "Be human." "Peace worldwide starts inside."  Nice little sentiments to see every day. 

Odd Collections

I've collected a lot of odd things throughout the years.  I think this happens to everyone.  There's just something satisfying about creating a collection and adding to it.  One of my first collections was "Photos of McDonald's Restaurants Around the World".  It was a wordy and strangely specific collection.  I amassed photos with my point and shoot camera and via my dad's business trips.  I had huge dreams of turning them all in to a coffee table book some day.  I no longer take photos of foreign McDonald's restaurants but seeing unique ones in new cities always stirs up a smile.  And I still have a thing for coffee table books.

Later in my teens I got really into Gumby and had quite the impressive collection of Gumby  licensed products.  I sold the collection on Ebay for a handsome profit.  As a flight attendant I started collection magnets of the states and countries I visited.  Still today I can assemble about 85% of the US on my fridge if challenged, though the magnets live in a drawer now.  When I started skiing in high school and college (recreational once or twice a year) I would collect pins from the various mountains I skied.  Lapel pins that I would attach to my neon green poufy ski jacket that screamed "TEXAS" to all the native Colorado skiers.  As a matter of fact, I think the pins are still on that jacket. 

Lapel pins are probably the one collection I still keep up with today.  I received several during my time as a flight attentdant and then have picked up other ones along the way.  I don't have tons but each one I do have comes with a special memory.  I've been lucky to visit a few cities hosting the Olympics.  Last year I attended my first World Series game.  This year the UT Co-op handed out Red River Rivalry pins with purchase.  I would take each pin and stick it in my lapel pin Ziplock baggie.  Not an exciting display of my collection.  With the office renovation in full swing I decided I wanted to put them in a shadow box.  Shadow boxes are not cheap but I found one at Michael's on clearance for $8 since a piece of wood had broken off the interior frame.  That's at least $20-30 in savings.  What a deal!

I considered painting the wood first, but it grew on me.  I punched my pins into place and then hung it in my office.  I like that I see it when I walk in the room.

I still have plenty of room for growth, which is good.  I probably only acquire 1-2 pins a year.  I like to think of it as my own version of a charm bracelet.  Oh wait, I have a charm bracelet and collect charms for it too!  I forgot about that.  Excuse the mess of my office.  I'm starting with that far wall and slowly working my way across the room.  Making progress.

I feel like my collection is now official and not just a plastic baggie I've held onto over the years. Now if I could just track down those old ski pins...

Back to Reality

I'm finally getting caught back up after my vacation and should be back on blogging and decorating schedule.  The dogs are doing good.  Stewart is adjusting to being a Dog-In-The-Box while I am at work, but I let him roam the house if I'm home.  70% of the time, that just means he's sleeping in his box with the door open.  Tomorrow will be 4 weeks post treatment so I will call the vet to see when I can start taking him on walks again, and then eventually running with him again.

Pablo's glad to be back home but starting to complain about the back lawn.  I keep promising to mow it this weekend.

This weekend I will also be going to Target (I know, how unusual) because they will be carrying limited edition Andy Warhol Campbell's Soup cans starting Sunday!  I think I need several.  There's bound to be some sort of art project there.

Other than that I am planning fall projects which I should have more on tomorrow.  I currently have paint on my arms and legs so rest assured house projects are back in progress!

Bring on the Color Pops

This past weekend was all about color.  I had a shelf full of spray paint and wasn't afraid to use it.  First I tackled my T, E, and S with Rich Plum.

Much better than the black version that just blended into the sideboard.  I went pretty bold with my large mirror and painted it Fire Orange.

It is a pretty bright reddish-orange.  It's definitely loud.  I'm still getting used to it but so far I'm digging it.  The bowl on my table was recently ordered from CB2.com and ended up being a great pop of yellow.  And it works good with the random Z Gallerie yellow flowers that I threw on the table along with some mercury glass votive candle holders.

I'm not very good with tablescapes so I'll probably just shuffle things around until I find something that's perfect or I get bored.  I originally bought this mirror vase and flowers to go on the table when I was at Z Gallerie.

It's funny how things can look so small in a large store and then you bring it home and put it on your table...and laugh at how ridiculously oversized it is for your room.  But I love it so now it just lives on the floor.  My other new addition to my dining room is Mr & Mrs Muse.

I finally got to go by the Dallas Jonathan Adler store and had to buy something.  Most of it was way out of my price range but Mr & Mrs Muse weren't.  They are actually salt and pepper shakers but I'm going to pretend they're art. I think they rock and are right at home in my crazy dining room.

Happy Things

1.  I got an email today that the Jonathan Adler store just opened in Dallas on McKinney Avenue and I can't wait to go check it out.  This might not be a good thing for my wallet, but it makes me very happy.

2.  In other inbox happiness, 20x200's email today caught my eye.  Artist Michelle Muldrow's collection called Cathedrals of Desire is featured on the site.  From the email: "While the works are alluring and arresting, they also induce a sense of horror in me: to be lost in the wash of something so beautiful and ethereal that turns out to be The Home Depot or Target."

Michelle Muldrow, Garden Delight

I have got to find a place to work in this painting of Home Depot in my house, right?  It only seems right.

3. I am still obsessed with my front yard mystery plant, better know as my Bear's Breeches.  It just keeps growing.

4. I'm looking forward to the weekend and hope to have time to stop and smell the...flowers.

Including, of course...the roses.

Have a good weekend!