Dining Dance

Yesterday, in a flurry of inspiration, I figured out how I can finally make my dining room work. Up until now, the dining room has been fine, but something has just been missing for me.  Now that the china cabinet is in it's new home (and looks amazing in her dining room!), I have to room to play around with the space a bit.  And play I did.

I brought all of my collected chairs up from the basement and started playing around to see which 4 of the 7 would work best in the space.  I think I have come up with the right combination.

I know they're looking a little random right now, but once they are all painted the same color and reupholstered in the same fabric (with seats), I firmly believe that it will make perfect sense.  The 2 upholstered chairs will stay as is so they can ground the table.  Speaking of table..... You may have seen on instagram/facebook I'm on the hunt for a slightly larger, rectangular table that can accommodate 6 chairs.

After playing musical chairs, I started playing musical artwork- hence the lack of something on the wall between the windows.  In digging out some unframed pieces I had also collected, I realized I had one that felt 100% right in the dining room.

It's an unframed print that I had bought at an estate sale this summer for a whopping $5 and has been sitting behind the door in my office since.

Everything really fell into place when I took this print with me to the fabric store.  The planets aligned, the universe was on my side, and I ended up with 2 large pieces from Calico Corner's remnant clearance section ($10 for each yard piece!!) that look spectacular with the print.

I swear, these are the moments that happy dances are made for.  The stripe is going on the chairs, and the floral will probably be the piano bench.  I can't quite get Hubby to jump on my granny floral bandwagon yet.  I can get him to jump on the light pea green chair bandwagon though!

Now I just need to decide between "Golden Delicious" or "Sweet Vibrations."  I'm leaning toward the latter, but I'm going to look at them in different lights throughout the day.

I'll be getting started on painting the chairs today, so hopefully I'll have a room to show you in the coming weeks.

What do you think of my new dining room plan?  Not toooo crazy/over the top I hope!

60 Minutes

Ugly sweater to cozy pillow in 60 minutes or less. I love me a quick project, and a quick, cheap project is even better!  I found this delightfully dated sweater at the thrift store for a whopping $3.99.

The style may have been screaming "Cosby Show", but the pattern was screaming "make me a pillow!"  At least that's what I heard.

So I did.

I started with a 12 x 16 pillow form, and since I like my pillows overstuffed (no karate chopping in this house!)  I cut my fabric slightly smaller.

With the "right" sides together, I sewed 3 and a half sides, leaving an opening on one end to flip and stuff my pillow.

I then sewed the opening together by hand (and since both of my hands were occupied, I wasn't able to get a picture... I tried... it wasn't pretty)

And a cozy sweater pillow was born!

And the cats rejoiced.

Just kidding.  They were indifferent at best.  I'm just happy I was happy to bribe a cooperative model with a treat.

And there you have it- an ugly sweater- turned-cozy pillow in under an hour.

Have you tackled any speedy-but-gratifying diys lately?

Knitty Gritty

Rainy, gloomy, colder weather is not really the most motivating.  The only thing it's motivating me to do (aside from wear oversized sweatshirts and hibernate) is think about some knitting projects I'm planning.  (although as I write this, the sun is poking it's head out, warming up and making me a liar......) Anyway... I learned how to knit just over a year ago as part of a group through my old 9to5 job.  I wouldn't consider myself a knitter, although it can get addicting.  I've only completed a few projects, but I'm being requested a do-over on one.  A winter hat for the cutest nephew ever.

Since my sister stubbornly insists on feeding this kid regularly, he is now too big for his lovingly made hat.  My dad has also requested one.  I need to make less cute hats next time so no one'll want them.  Oh well.  I'm thinking of making several of these hats (time permitting) in varied sizes.  How cute would it be if Eli, Daddy, & Papa all had versions of the same hat?  (not too cheesy, I hope)  Get knitting Auntie Karen!

I also need to get on a project for myself that I started last year- cable knit fingerless gloves.  Last year I started a trial and error with this one.  I attempted to follow the pattern, but either I did it wrong or it needs some modification (maybe both).

My first try (the unfinished one) was with larger needles and has an oversized, cumbersome thumb.

The second try was with a smaller needle and I tried something different with the thumb- it was VERY close, but too tight.  Basically, I need to attempt to remember what improvising I did on this one, and replicate it with a larger needle or yarn.

If it wasn't a hair too tight, it would be near perfect.  How cute is it?  Oh, and I would need to make a pair, not just one.  Details, details.

Here I go again talking about projects that I'm planning to do instead of actually doing.  I need to get my rear moving on personal projects, though- if our next flip-house prospect pans out, I'll only have a few weeks to check things off my to-do list.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!