DIY to TRY

Even though I've been nursing the coffees this week since the time change, I'm so excited for sunlight past 5pm!  Lighter evenings are the boost that my maker motivation needs each (almost) Spring.  As you may have noticed, I've been on a bit of a DIY hiatus lately.  Never fear, however, I have fun stuff in the works!  Until then I've been filing DIY ideas away that I would love to try! None of these projects look DIY, which, in my opinion, is the mark of a great DIY!

**Obligatory note: please pin responsibly!  Click over to the original sources and pin from there to give credit where it's due**

Lauren at Bless'er House made this inexpensive poster look like a vintage roll-down school map.

These gem air plant planters from Lexy at The Proper Blog are just adorable!  I never would have thought to make concrete shapes with silicone ice cube trays.  What a wold of possibilities!!

I am endlessly fascinated by paper flowers.  It probably started when I decided to make 200+ paper flower puffs for my own wedding centerpieces many many many moons ago and since then, my eyes have been opened to the amazing possibilities that are paper flowers.  I absolutely adore Beth from Reality Daydream's coffee filter poppies!

While I'm usually not drawn to items that feel a bit more bohemian, this tassel wall hanging from Brittany Makes kills it.  I think it's the gold pip accents that elevates it to a very elegant place.  Textural and interesting without competing with other, bolder elements of the space.

What DIY's are you itching to do??

Polka Dots and Power Tools

Sometimes it's a bit annoying as a girl in house flipping.  I've been lucky enough to find some good contractors, but I've run into my fair share of 'good ol' boys' along the way.  To me, 'good ol' boys' are those guys who say things like "you can't work in those shoes" (oh you mean my paint-covered Betsy Johnson boots with ruffles?  You bet your a$$ I can!  I could renovate this house successfully in heels if I wanted to) and "does your husband have ___ tool?" (no, my husband has no tools unless you count a spatula.  I however can build you a piece of furniture with my OWN tools).  So you can imagine how completely excited I am to see artwork that celebrates femininity and strength in the best way possible.  I've shared her art on my facebook page previously, and since then every time I come across Kelly Reemtsen's work, I fall harder and harder in love.  Even the name of each painting hits the nail on the head (pun intended, sorry, I couldn't help it).....

Kelly Reemtsen, Power Point

Kelly Reemtsen, Heart Wrenching

Kelly Reemtsen, Bent

Kelly Reemtsen, On Top (my personal fave painting name)

Her work is currently available at NYC's De Buck Gallery.  I wish I could buy them all and line the walls of my non-existent dream workshop with them.

Are you as smitten with her work as I am??

Colors: Where to Start

The number one thing that people get stumped on in a space is colors.  How do you pick colors?  Where do you start?  How do you make colors flow from room to room? A current color trend that I have to say that I'm on board with (and never thought I would be) is white.  White or another light neutral can be an amazing backdrop to display colorful artwork, amazing furniture, or simply your quirky finds.  Even with white walls, however, you still need to keep a color palate in mind for a room to ensure that it feels cohesive as a whole.

One of my favorite ways to start a room design is with an inspiration piece.  This could be a painting, a rug, a pillow- just something with a bit of visual interest.

This gorgeous rug from Etsy (which is sadly no longer available) was the catalyst for this color scheme.  Rich blues, soft pinks, and a splash of yellow.

Translating that into a room environment, I would allow the tile to be classic and neutral while playing up the colors from the rug.  The fun part is that you don't have to use the same value of each color- in the below space, I played with the blue a bit, bringing in a darker version with the navy in the curtain and lighter values in the painting.

Color should be fun, not intimidating!  True there are pretty much endless colors to pick from, but if you give yourself a palette to work within, you'll have room to play an the confidence that it'll all work together.

Sources *may contain affiliate links*

Flushmount light, Rejuvenation

Shower Curtain, Anthropologie (no longer available and I'm devastated)

Artwork, 24sevenARTs Etsy

Turkish Towel, One Kings Lane

Mirrors, Wayfair

Towel Hooks, viadeinavigli Etsy

Faucet, Home Depot

Vanity Top, Signature Hardware

Vanity, Kohler

Vintage Rug, realvintageshop Etsy

Towel Ring & Toilet Paper Holder, Lowe's