Pagoda Pillow

I love a good Pagoda Pillow.

I found this one by Society Social when working on my last One Room Challenge.
It  is perfection.
I love it.

It is $96.00.
I'm sure it's fabulously worth it but not in my budget.


I found this pillow cover on Etsy for about half the price of the one from Society Social.
I love this fabric.

PopOColor on Etsy

TrendyNest on Etsy
 You know we are fans of Neo Toile around here.

And @wheatonwhaleydesigns has quite a few good pagoda pillow options.

I used this fabric (below) on a lampshade in my Black Library ORC!

But that first Pink Pagoda pillow had my heart.
So, I decided to try and make my own reasonable facsimile.
#morecreativitythancash

I had this pillow cover from IKEA.
And more of the Sherwin Williams Ruby Shade paint that I used for my IKEA curtains.
I explain the hand stamping method for the curtains here.

So, I just took a paintbrush and painted a pagoda on my pillow cover. 
And I stamped the same design as the curtains on the back. 
That makes it reversible!

It's not as refined and elegant as the Society Social version
 but I think it adds a lot to the pillow mix on the daybed.
I'm ready to paint a blue one now!
I just have to find a spot for it first.

It was quick and fun - try painting a pillow!

From My iphone 5/2017

Some randomness from my phone.

It's a mixed bag for sure!

This one pan ( read 5 minute clean up) recipe is turning into a major favorite around here. I've made it for my parents when visiting and they are big fans too. The original came from Waiting On Martha but I have tweaked it slightly. 

I have switched WOM's green beans for the asparagus. 

The timing still works perfectly and we love it.

It's in the rotation!

I bought tickets to see India Hicks speak at a garden club fundraiser.

 I have been a fan since an article in a magazine decades ago. She's my hero - she ran away to  small island and lives in a big white house. What more do you need??

She was delightful.

Go see her if you have the chance.

I'm loving these two chinoiserie fabrics currently.

Where, oh where, can I use them?

(I've used this fabric before but in a different colorway. This colorway is growing on me!)

I posted pics on IG and on the blog of a blue version
of these hand stamped anthro knock off curtains. 

I printed the pink version for my One Room Challenge.
The details of how I went about it and what I used are here.
I will tell you that for the blue version I used old sheets, laid them out on a table and eye-balled the layout. You can read why time was a major factor.
For the pink version I was printing on IKEA panels and I laid them out and used painters tape and a t-square to create a registration process for the hand blocked layout. It didn't take much longer to do the measured registration if you feel the need for more definite order. However, when the two different treatments were hanging I couldn't really see where the more precise layout made any difference. So if you are pretty sure handed and can eye things then you may not feel the need to register the block printing.

Then I felt the need for a pink pagoda pillow. The example I found while making my Olio Board was $91.00. So you know what that means? I had to make my own! I used a white pillow cover I happened to have, some of  the gorgeous Sherwin Williams paint - Ruby Shade- I used for my block printed curtains, and a small flat brush and painted it freehand.

 I like it. 

I am currenty obsessed with the Watermelon Mint Lemonade at Chic Fil A.

It is sooooooo good!

Where have I been??

I just discovered @blueandwhitehome on IG. 

Great feed!

Look at this porch. I want to be there. Sipping Watermelon Mint Lemonade!!

I'm also loving this blog right now!

I fell in love with their room on the One Room Challenge that I just participated in and now I'm reading the blog like a book!

J and J Design group.

This room!!!!

And school is out here. 

So we are putting together a Summer Bucket List and getting ready for FUN!!

For us that means lots of porch time with friends. Grilling. Relaxing. Chatting!

BTW, Chloe is more excited than she looks!

Time on the Boules court...

And maybe an umbrella drink around 5 o'clock right here on the shady chaise!

 

Happy Summer!

PS. I love to see pics of fabulous backyards to hang out it.

Tag me on IG if you post your backyard hang out spots!

More Thrifty Decorating - The Reveal!

This apartment was decorated as part of a housing program with MUST MINISTRIES to help move veterans from homelessness into a transitional housing program.
There are more details in these previous posts but all of the furnishings were thrifted or free!

Here is the finished apartment.

See the "befores" here.

Looking in from the front door- 

Looking to the left from the front door- you walk right in to the Living Room.

 (Yes, I found that amazing wicker trunk at the Donation Center!

Remember that this apartment is pretty old (vintage itself!) and the goal was to make it welcoming for someone moving from homelessness to transitional housing.
It is a long and involved process that requires a great deal of work on the part of MUST Ministries and the fabulous staff there.
I have been lucky enough to help with this in a small way and it has been an eye opening experience in many ways.

(The curtains are two very nice tablecloths without a spot on them. I sewed a band of fabric  that I had in my stash along the bottom so that I could hang the curtain rod closer to the high ceiling.) 

Lucite nesting tables. Free. Happy dance.

Bold gallery wall to fill up the space and integrate the TV a bit since that is the only place it could be located ( remember: quirky older building!)

All contemporary art painted by me on big canvases and frames that had been donated and were not the look I wanted. 

Paint, marker, chalk, gallery wall. bam!

Front bedroom:
It's large and look at the light in these rooms. It's gorgeous!
What a cheerful apartment to move in to from a shelter!

And on the wall opposite the bed

My $4 chair that you may have seen on IG.

The little footstool came from the donation center. I recovered it with a scrap of fabric I had on hand.

(Look at that perfect marble lamp from the donation center!!)

Bedroom 2: 
Much smaller. But still bright and fresh. 

The Hallway:

The Bath:

(I googled "free wave pictures" and these popped up. I printed them at home and popped them in frames I found. They just "made" the little bath. I added some small blue and white dishes for soap, etc. but forgot to take a picture after I finished it up!)

And the biggest challenge- The Kitchen:

Looking in from the back door.

Looking in from the hallway:

And a little lamp to use for a night light.

This was a fun apartment to work on and I got an email a couple of days ago 

that it is now occupied.

Yay!

More Thrifty Decorating

This is my second apartment decorating/styling project for MUST MINISTRIES.

#morecreativitythancash

You can check out the first one here.

This apartment complex is smaller and considerably older than the first one but it has some unique and charming details to work with.

Again- zero budget but freedom to grab anything I need 

from the Donation Center or MUST Marketplace Thrift Store. 

Before photos:

 

 Same donated rental company furniture but I found that fabulous and huge wicker trunk at the donation center and snagged it to replace the matching coffee table. It also ties in the oak desk that won't fit through the hallway (I told you the apartment is old and has some charming quirks I have to work with!)

 Front bedroom. 

It's huge. 

Sliding closet doors - long gone.

And I can't do anything about the scary ceiling fan :(

The Bathroom.

It's tiny and has the original tile but it is fortunately a nice neutral instead of a scary color.

 I'll take it.

Second bedroom.

Much, much smaller. 

There is a strangely shaped hallway with all of these rooms coming off of it

 but it has this cool bookshelf closet thing that is going to be fun to incorporate storage and decorative items both.

I've started placing "my finds" in here.

And the kitchen. 

It is very dated and the cabinets are not that well painted but it is functional 

and has fresh white paint on the walls. 

My time frame is very short because every day that this apartment isn't ready

 is a day someone is staying in a shelter and considered homeless.

So painting is not an option. 

The apartment is clean, dry, has working appliances and all the amenities.

We are working with what we have to create a welcoming home!

The kitchen cabinets are black. The kitchen floor is beige as are the bathroom tiles.

The rental furniture is black and brown tweedy fabric with black end tables and lamps. 

The bedroom furniture is oak. 

With those "givens" I have decided to go with a sort of boho neutral/natural look with lots of texture and neutral fabrics and art.

I am off to find everything I need at the donation warehouse, 

the MUST Marketplace, Goodwill and my basement. 

I will have a post with the finished apartment soon!!