Some Blog Love

Sorry for my unexpected lull since my last post. I have been taking advantage of the warmer weather we’ve been experiencing and working on a DIY transformation. Coming to a future post real soon! Promise!

In the meantime, I would like to share with you a few blogs, I developed an instant connection to recently.

When it comes to fabric and sewing, I just get weak in the knees. I know, I know- fabric nerd! And a very proud fabric nerd I am! Well, not only does Petergaye at Yahgie and Nic at Yardage Design share my passion for fabric, they design their own fabric as well. How cool is that?

And then there’s Lolalina and MondoCherry which are like creative libraries jam packed with design ideas and inspiration.

And finally, there is Sustain By Design which deeply moves me because as the author, Liza, points out “the gap between “green design” and “good design” needs to be closed.” That is music to my ears and here at The DIY Spot with its re-design, re-purpose and re-use philosophy, environmental consciousness, however you decide to approach it, is the only way each of us can do our part to preserve the planet.

So when get a chance, please stop by and visit some of my fellow bloggers. I am sure that you will be inspired and touched as well. Let me know what think!

Basement Makeover – Part 1

I found the inspiration for my basement workroom/laundry room makeover. I love this basement makeover story immediately because it is functional, pretty and economical with a mid century modern/vintage feel. I remember tearing it out of Country Home magazine and filing it away for future reference; however, when I looked in my files, it was nowhere to be found. Luckily, I found it on Country Home where you can find more detailed pictures of this makeover.

image taken from Country Home Magazine

Here are my goals for my makeover:

To create a functional and aesthetically pleasing workspace for woodworking, tool storage and doing laundry in the unfinished section of the basement

To use my creative super powers to the fullest, repurposing and reusing as many materials and furnishings I already have

To document the process step-by-step or baby step-by baby-step depending on time constraints.

Step 1 – declutter, organize and sketch a floor plan. Stay tuned.

Do you have any makeovers big or small planned or in the works?

All Snowed Out!

It snowed again yesterday, schools were closed and No.1 son and I spent close to 3 hours shoveling while No.2 son watched cartoons. The husband is in London on business. Lucky him! Lately, I’ve been leaving the shoveling to the men of the house (how sexist is that?) but it takes two, so I was out there, side by side, with my son. Actually, it was very nice, because it wasn’t very cold and we took mini breaks and had some fun conversation. Teenagers aren’t one for much dialog, especially with their parents, so I welcome any opportunity to have unplanned conversation. Dinner time is the best time for us to connect, so we eat as a family just about every evening. But I have digressed. Sorry about that.

Okay, so I think I have had enough snow and I am looking forward to the warmer days ahead. No real plans this weekend, other than catching up on some E-coursework for BYW class I first mentioned here.

Just wanted to wish you a wonderful weekend whether you are snowbound or basking in the warm glow of the sun. Either way, it is all good.

Have any weekend plans you like to share?

One day….

I long for a craft/work room where I can work year round creating and experimenting. I have an unattached garage, and the messy work requires warmer weather. Last winter, I was able to sneak in a few days here and there due to some unusually warm weather. This year has been quite different. The temperature has been rather consistent, as it should be.

Right now, I am feeling creatively stifled. I know that I could turn my attention toward indoor projects, but I am reluctant, having so many outdoor projects waiting patiently to be completed. I am anxious for spring to arrive so that I can proceed. My woodworking husband and I share the unfinished area/laundry room of our basement, but to be quite honest, it is a disaster. Like the garage, it ends up being a dumping ground and our indoor projects begin spilling over into the family room. Not very tidy, as you can imagine, and it makes us crazy. Sometimes we just laugh and shake our heads because we spend more time trying to find tools, attachments, hardware, etc. than doing actual work. I know, not very productive. Again, it makes us crazy.

My goal is to revamp the garage and unfinished area of the basement to make them orderly, functional and pretty in an industrial kind of way. So I am gathering budget conscious inspirational ideas I can use and will share in another post. Not sure if I am willing to show you any before pics; however, let’s just say the graphic below is a good graphic of the dysfunctional mess that is lurking within our home.

Financial Times How To Spend It

One day I will have a studio work area that will allow me to do, to create and to be whenever. And that new day will come very soon.

Is there a room in your home that is out of control and begging for order? Have a wonderful weekend! Any
fun plans?

Disclaimer:The thought of a magazine whose focus is how to spend money is the antithesis of who I am. It accompanies the Financial Times to which Mr. DIY has a subscription. He happened to tear this graphic out to show me and there was an immediate connection.

The Ink Pad on the Spot

Over the weekend, I was craving some creative inspiration. I decided to stop by The Ink Pad, one of my all time favorite spots. It has been a while since my last visit when I took a rubber stamping class there. As always, that warm and fuzzy feeling overcame me as soon as I crossed the threshold.

The Ink Pad is a unique one of a kind independent craft store located at 22 Eighth Avenue in the Greenwich section of Manhattan. This pint size rubber stamp specialty store is jam packed floor to ceiling with rubber stamps, stencils, ink pads and creative embellishments. Taking advantage of every square inch, their inventory is tucked into every nook and cranny, neatly arranged by category, making the selection process easy.

Stamp pads and paper products galore.

Be sure to look up, there is inventory everywhere. When I saw the ribbon hanging from the ceiling I immediately thought of the song “A Ribbon in the Sky” by Stevie Wonder.

Be forewarned though, The Ink Pad cant’ help but give you that “kid in a candy store” feeling, so be prepared to make some tough purchasing decisions. However, no matter your level of restraint, you will most likely leave with much more than you had anticipated. I just had to purchase these to add to my collection.

Art samples are displayed throughout the store.

They offer “hands on” evening classes on a regular basis. They have an upcoming 3D pin class this Friday, February 19.

I want to note that the customer service is impeccable. The staff is friendly, warm, helpful and, more importantly, knowledgeable about all the products they sell; they use them and are excited about them. And it is instantly clear, that the staff has a relationship with their customers that goes beyond “can I help you”. While I was there, I could tell many were repeat customers. While another customer just stopped in to say “hi” and share with the staff that her work was being featured in Rubber Stamp Madness; a definite tribute to The Ink Pad since she had taken classes there to develop her craft. How wonderful!

Do you have any specialty independent craft, fabric, or trim stores etc. that you just love?

Photography 101

My Blogging Your Way adventure continues and I am learning how to really use my Cannon Powershot SD750. Although I’ve had the camera for some time, I started reading the manual for the very first time a few days ago. There are settings I had no idea I had. Slowly, I am understanding what they all mean and how they work. I can’t say I know what I am doing just yet; however, I am determined to master the use of my camera. Here are a few of the many many pictures I have taken thus far.

As for all you camera buffs out there, any tips or advice for working in natural light would be greatly appreciated?

Enjoy your weekend!

A Moodboard for The DIY Spot

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend. I was so happy that snow was not an issue as forecasted. If you weren’t as fortunate, I hope you were able to have some indoor fun.

I had a creatively challenging weekend. I am taking an E-class called Blogging Your Way. It started about three weeks ago; however, since I signed up for it back in November the start date slipped my mind. Anyway, I have been working diligently to catch up so that I can get the most out of the class. It is an informative class for bloggers and Holly Becker of decor8 and Leslie Shewring of Creative Mint are excellent teachers. I am learning a lot.

Our homework assignment last week was to create a mood board for our blog. After considerable thought, I came up with this one.

The DIY Spot is centered on my passion for creativity, home fashion and all things DIY. Driven by my creative pursuits, it is my hope that The DIY Spot will empower and inspire you to take your own personal creative journeys, creating living spaces that reflect who you are by redesigning, repurposing and reusing furniture and accessories destined for the landfill. Together, we can make a difference and save the planet one DIY makeover at a time.

Swivel Chairs with Color Issues – Maybe, Maybe Not?

I snagged these chairs from an estate sale a couple of months ago. The swivel design was exactly what I wanted for our basement family room. Although I am a blue-aholic, the color caused me to be hesitatant and question my impulse to buy them. Realizing that I could always reupholster them, I gave in to my impulse and purchased all four for seventy five dollars. Here’s a closeup.

As soon as I got home, I cleaned them up; soap and water on the vinyl and steel wool on the metal base. After I finished, the color started to grow on me. For some reason, this retro blue color makes me smile. I guess it’s because it offers that unexpected pop of color designers always talk about. So for now, they will remain as is.

I have been experimenting with colors to coordinate with them. This shade of blue looks nice with brown, grey, burgundy and dark orange shades. I’ve been searching for visual ideas like this dining room I discovered on decor8.

Do you think my swivel chairs have color issues? Do you have any inspirational visuals incorporating this color to share? Have you ever bought something totally off your color radar?

This post will be linked to:

Inspirational Challenges

Today, as I was walked out of my aerobics class at my local YMCA, I bumped into Laura, a member who I met about a year ago. She is an extremely friendly person with a bubbly disposition. As soon as our eyes met, I was greeted with her usual bright, wide toothed smile. Through our short occasional conversations, I learned she had suffered a few strokes. Today, Laura walks a little unsteady with a cane. She comes to the gym regularly for her swim aerobics class.

Laura is an inspiration as are many of the senior members. Why? Because they don’t let anything stop them from getting up, getting out and moving on no matter what physical or health challenges life has brought them. I have seen members who can barely walk navigate through the weight room. The other day, I was in the cardio room working out on the elliptical and a man using a walker entered. As he made his way down the aisle at a snails pace, I couldn’t help but wonder where he was going. A few minutes later, I turned my head and saw this man on the treadmill walking. I said to myself “WOW”.

Both Laura and the older members are a living testament to how I want to live my life. Aging, illness and injury are inevitable. Often, I think about how I am going to face life’s challenges before they happen. Thinking about what “can be” helps keep me grateful for “what is”. I make a conscious effort to utilize my mental and physical abilities to the fullest today, because tomorrow my story might change. Attitude is everything and we can choose to let challenges consume us or we can choose to fight back. I choose to fight back, no matter what.

How about you? Do you have any challenging inspirational stories to share?

Home Goods Style Scope Quiz

Home Goods offers a style scope quiz to determine your design style. After answering a series of questions, I found out I am Elegant Classic. My full description reads:

You have a refined sensibility with an appreciation for history and tradition in your furniture and your rooms. You value beauty, things that are well crafted, and family heirlooms. You are visually sensitive and understand how symmetry and a formal layout give order to a room, and hence your home is refined and calming. You are not taken in by the trends of the moment. You go for things with a timeless appeal, and appreciate old-fashioned virtues like manners and handwritten notes and making a home that is welcoming for others.

You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.

I have to say this is a accurate description of who I am. How about you? What is your design style?