Art -- Art-- Art

I love art. All art. From professional to made by yourself, or family members, to photographs. I love it all, and I love it stacked.

This is a mix of artists stacked on my fireplace mantel in my entry room, (or formal living room, which we never use -- that's why I call it entry).

One of my bedrooms, love hanging art unusually.

My family room, using art to cover a fireplace over the summer.

I love the art stacked down the hall, and floor to ceiling. Photo Lonny Magazine.

You could easily do this as a DIY project, would totally love it on a canvas. Use everything from newspaper to magazines. Photo Ballard Designs.

These look to be pages maybe from book? Photo Restoration Hardware. The table with the wheels -- wow.

The stacks upon stacks of photographs, a personal favorite. I don't know where this photo is from, but I must do this somewhere in my house. The easiest way to achieve this look is to print your photos black and white, then mount not mat, but mount on top of a white matting board, leave a little more at bottom, and frame. That makes it a great and inexpensive DIY project. If you feel like you might change the ones on the shelves frequently, you could even just mount and not frame, that would lower your cost even more.

Ballard Designs, again, a great DIY project.

Get your creative juices flowing.

Boudoir Chairs -- Recovered!!

Finally I have finished the boudoir chairs. Remind me never to attempt a project this big again. We have had these chairs since the 1980's they were my husband's grandmothers. Somehow we inherited them, and they have been simply stapled with fabrics or sheets and moved about to various rooms over the years. There are 2 of them. I have no idea how old they really are.

Here is one in all it's glory. Really needs a recover. Yes, layers of fabric stapled on them.
The brown and blue fabric I am using as an outdoor tablecloth. Hey, didn't want to waste it. The denim was trashed, and got thrown in the trash.

Beautiful round backs. You might recognize the checked fabric in black and tan, it is on my husband's office chair. I said the fabric was around the house when I posted.

Pleated sides of the chair.

Pleating the chair. There are 3 fabrics on each chair. All bought on sale, I believe total I have about $15.00 per chair in fabric.

The pleating took the longest.

Fully covered. Everything else was a tuck and staple, and then the nailhead trim. About $8 between the 2 chairs. But you know what, I like them, and will keep them in these shades for quite sometime.

You don't really see the back, although this is not a good pic, the fabric really looks wrinkly and isn't. Oh, and I simply painted the old ugly legs simple out of the garage black.

Finished chair in the corner of my room. I love it. Other one, is on the otherside. May have to put them together side by side, hmmmm.....

This project embarassingly was started before Thanksgiving, and one was finished in a semi timely manner, and the other, well, I just finished it. Oops.

Enjoy the long weekend.

Recover an Office Chair

This office chair had seen better days, but truthfully didn't want to spend any money on it.
So, I dug thru some old fabric scraps, and found just enough in a tan and black cotton.

I put took the chair apart, put some leftover batting on the seat and back, then began stapling. Love a staple gun. Not a professional job, but, perfect for this office. Best part, no cost at all.

It is also more comfortable in the heat. Love it, love projects that you can do with stuff from your house.

Cuff/Roll Your Jeans

It is almost summer time. Feeling the need to show off your sandles, or some great heels? Cuff your jeans. Take any pair of jeans from straight leg to a boot cut and make them capri, best part, you choose where they hit on your leg.

Simple instructions below.
This is a pair of a semi boot cut jean.

I want the leg a little straighter so, I am taking a pinch in the middle.

Then one roll.

Then 2 rolls. This would hit above my ankles and below my calf. Now I like the 50's look, (this is a 50's roll) of a roll that isn't perfect.

If you prefer it perfect. See next pic.

By the 3rd roll totally straightend out. How you wear it is up to you. If you have a straight pair of jeans, you don't have to do the pinch. The only jeans this won't work on is a really flared pair, just too much fabric.

What are you waiting for?

Wristloads of Jewelry

Pile it on. That's the look. Once you get used to it, you just can't stop. So mix your metals, mix your jewelry, dig thru your jewelry box and see what you have. Then just pile it on.

Feeling the need for some more bracelets? Forever 21 has them by the arm load. Everything from base metal to wood. And the price, just right, most under $5.

Have an expensive watch and want to protect it, I saw in a magazine where they had all the bracelets with the watch at the end and a scarf tied between the watch the bracelets to keep the bracelets from hitting the watch. Get a small thin polyester scarf (I am sure you can find one at Tah-Jay).

Use your imagination and have fun.

Inspiration -- Ralph Lauren Style

I was perusing the Ralph Lauren Spring Collection and ran across this piece of inspiration.

I am loving the use of old "Cowboy" style "Western" belts. You could get this kind of feeling with a belt from Target or your favorite Thrift store. Too new looking, scratch it up a bit with a nail file.

For the look, I am leaning more to jeans, heels, and a long white or black shirt, with the belt loose over the top myself.

Love the look below.


Love the skirt below, not crazy about the blouse. Would like something simpler.

Bring out your maxi dresses, and add a belt.

All Images Ralph Lauren Spring Collection 2011.

DIY Frappuccino 100 calories 12 carbs

I can't cook, but I can put stuff together.......
The other afternoon, while working on the computer, I wanted a good old fashioned pick me up. So, I got into my car and drove to the supermarket and purchased these Starbucks Frappuccinos. I went for the 100 calorie Splenda version, but you can go with whichever one you want. They were on sale for $3.99. What a bargain.

Yum, can't wait to prepare......

So, I put in some ice, dug out a water goblet ($1, at the Dollar Store), makes drinking water fun. Okay, not really, but it does feel nicer. Anyway, put in some ice, topped with whipped cream, and ready to drink. 100 calories, and 12 carbs, I did use a lite whipped cream, and a very small bit. Whipped cream 25 calories and 3 carbs.

If you have chocolate syrup or caramel syrup in your frige, a drizzle in the glass would add a nice look to it too. Just don't go overboard.

I am not a big coffee drinker, and like all good frappuccino's I like them after they sit and water down a bit, so this will last me awhile. Yes, I did cut the straw to fit the glass. A tall thin glass would be fun too, I just didn't have any like that.

Stirred in the whipped and topped off with the rest of the bottle. Yum.

Like I said, I can't cook, but I can prepare.

You?

Great fun afternoon treat.

Summer Fireplace & Art

What to do with an unused fireplace, when a chair really has to sit in front of it?
We have had everything from candles, to packed with logs, to a branch with Christmas twinkle lights (that you plug ing) (my personal favorite), all inside the fireplace at various times. We really don't use it that much.

Therefore, when needing to clean out the garage to make room for more stuff.......no judging, I ran across this old large Amado Pena. Not really our style, but the colors were right, and the size was right on.

So propped up it went.

Now, if I like the look, I might just go for an abstract striped canvas, kind of a DIY. Just testing the look for right now.

More views. There are these strange metal ledges on the fireplace that can't be removed.

The pic below (don't know where it is from), shows a chair in front of their fireplace too!!

Contemplating really stacking up some art on the fireplace. Hmmm.....

Enjoy.

Daughter's Graduation Ring

Again, Congratulations to our Amazing Daughter for her College Graduation!! You rock!!

Since she rocks, I decided to custom make her a ring to remember her college days. She didn't buy a college ring, so in honor of her college's colors, Cherry and Silver I made her the ring below.

Although it looks brownish in the pic it is a 10 x 8mm Garnet, and .925 sterling silver ring. I picked the setting and garnet and set it myself for her. I hope she likes it.

I went for a right hand ring, that can be worn on multiple fingers. Hopefully when someone asks her about it she will remember her college days fondly.

It really looks brown in the pics, but is a beautiful deep red garnet.

Graduating -- So Proud!!

These were taken years ago, in a photo booth. They have ink on them, but are still my favorites. The bottom one says it all.

Congratulations to our amazing daughter. Who is graduating from College on Saturday, at barely 21, in exactly 4 years. With a 4. what???? GPA. Wow. You totally rock.
We couldn't be prouder of you.

So, now, slow down, take a breath, enjoy a gap year. Ya, work, volunteer, try a hobby, walk the dog, paint a room (wait you already did that--so proud), ok, paint another room. Come by and see us, (haha). Really take a breath and enjoy these moments.

We love you.

Her face says it all.

Guest Room Dreaming

I have 2 Jack and Jill rooms, that our amazing daughter lived in when she lived at home. Now, what to do with them. One has exercise equipment and a sleigh day bed (should post pics), I rearrange constantly. The other is an office, which makes like 3 in this house. So, do I put another day bed? Or should I just make it a bedroom? A good friend of ours has 2 guest rooms. I always joke, they have more bedrooms than they use, and we have more offices. What to do? Oh, and the caveat, I don't want to spend any money on it. I want to totally use what I have. Suggestions?

Loving the daybed below. Potterybarn?

This one looks like it is off the kitchen. Fun.

Ok, so this one with the two lounges would totally be my ideal. But totally not practical, they I would have to put a tv in there to watch while lounging, and I don't want to do that.

This reminds me of a tour of Paul Mitchell's house years ago, and his wife had an army cot by the windows looking out onto the beach, with pillows and blankets for a quick cat nap. Now that might be an idea. Or, even a lounge from the home and garden department. Hmmmm.

Sorry, I don't have the info on where these pics are from. If you do please let me know. Thanks.

Kokopelli Jewelry

Kokopelli's are everywhere here in the southwest. They are considered a fertility deity. (Big words, haha). Lots of people just wear them for luck. Anyway, I have upcycled 2, one into a charm, and one into a floating necklace.

The one below is on a base metal European Bead Charm, the Kokopelli is on unmarked Indian Silver.

The sideways, floating Kokopelli necklace is on a .925 silver chain, with the Kokopelli being unmarked Indian Silver. This is great as a layering necklace. It also is great alone.

Click the link to my Etsy Store ShopShelbyLynn, to see these and more.

What kind of jewelry are you wearing today?