This time, I chose Skyline Steel and although it’s still more blue than grey I’m happy. Although the color looks the same, it’s a lighter shade.

Next, the fine crack that runs across the entire ceiling had to go. Last time I painted, I tried scraping and patching but it just came back.

I called my contractor neighbor for reinforcement and he told me to dig it out again

and he would patch it for me. Yes!!!!

I also disconnected the radiator, no easy task, and he patched the wall behind it that needed to be patched as well.

Next up is the trim and ceiling. I realize I should of painted the ceiling first but the original plan was to leave the ceiling alone, however, I just couldn’t live with the crack anymore. I hope to complete the trim and hopefully the radiator by the end of day 3.

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Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorposis Monday

Bought a few sample pots and painted a few swatches.

Left to right: Behr Millenium Silver, Wet Cement, Stone Fence and Dark Pewter

I wasn’t completely satisfied with any of them but when I lightened Stone Fence with some white primer, I was happy with it’s greyish blue tone (third swatch down in the center).

I sent Mr. DIY to Home Depot with the sample I made and instructions to get Stone Fence about 10 percent lighter. Their coloring system is computerized so isn’t it reasonable to think that they can program a 10 percent lighter shade? Apparently not. Mr. DIY returned with two gallons of paint that had no resemblance to my sample. It was a pretty shade of blue and although I love blue, I wanted a grey blue; more grey than blue. Back to Home Depot, I went, purchased a can of Stone Fence, returned home and mixed it with one of the cans Mr. DIY brought home, hoping to get close to the shade I wanted. Well, not quite. Here’s how day 1 ended. It’s still too blue:(

Live with it or start over? Not sure just yet. Can you relate? Any paint disappointments of your own?

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Funky Junk Interiors: Party Junk

Who are you? Such a simple question but a difficult one to answer. There’s no easy answer and when you think about it, I mean really think about it, your answer will be like no other. Because each of us is born with special gifts and talents like no other. When we have the opportunity to share those special talents with the world, that results in the manifestation of pure joy. All of us are here for a reason but sometimes everyday life gets us in the way of making and keeping the connection between self and the world. What were you put on this planet to do? What is you true calling? What is your purpose?

So if you strip yourself of your everyday family and work roles, who are you? Can you sum it up in one word, three words or a sentence? Tough, right? I think the reason it is so difficult is because we get so caught up in our everyday roles, we forget about who we were before we stepped into those roles? You know, a time when we had zero responsibilities and had time to kick back, daydream and fantasize about our lives. I challenge anyone reading this post to take a few minutes and ponder the question, who are you? And please know, there are no right or wrong answers.

Have I given you something to think about? I thought it would be only fair to share my thoughts about who I am. I have pondered this question a lot through the years and continue to do so because life is an evolution. I am a creative soul who’s creative journeys allow me to see the world as a vessel of possibilities. My handmade endeavors are the vehicle that allows me to reach deep inside and stay in touch with my authentic self. Just the other day, I was listening to an interview where a daughter described her mother as “someone who could have fun inside a paper bag.” It made me chuckle because that is so me. I see both the world and people as a spectrum of colors, each person, each hue, uniquely different. And looking at life through a creative lens is my “it”, my unique specialness.

What is your “it”? I believe everyone has “it” whether they realize it or not. And your “it” is that special part of you that sets you apart from everyone else. Have no idea what your “it” is? Thinking of the defining moments in your life, times when you rose above adversity and experiences that touched your heart. Think about what you love to do and others appreciate. What are you doing when you lose track of time and/or forget to eat? Notice any common denominators between those defining moments, experiences or fond memories?

So, again I ask, who are you? What is your it? No clue? Either way, I would love to know.

My absence was due to working diligently to move my mother from one apartment to another. Initially, I thought no problem, same building, same floor, a weekend should suffice. Boy, was I so WRONG! By day 4, I realized the magnitude of the move and my time estimation skills were completely off. After eighty long hours over a two and a half week period, I am so glad operation apartment swap is over! With the exception of her bed, dresser and piano, I moved everything else. Let’s just say Motrin, became my friend and that is coming from a person who avoids taking medication whenever possible. Although I have a high tolerance for pain, my back was screaming for relief.

During the process, I had to strongly demand encourage my mother to toss, donate or sell. Her apartment was bursting at the seams and she was ready for a new start. My philosophy is “everything in it’s place” and if you can’t find a place that is an indication that you you have exceeded the limits and something has to go.”

Paper and books are my mother’s downfall. Don’t get me wrong, I too love books. But I restrict myself by using the library as much as possible and being very selective if I happen to pay Barnes and Noble a visit. When the shelves at home get too full, I edit, edit, edit because the limits have been exceeded. And since her file drawers are still bursting at the seams, I will be introducing her to digital filing courtesy of Neat.

I use it all the time to tame the paper shrew that seems to rear it’s ugly head and take up way too much valuable real estate. It scans a stack of papers really quickly and what I really love is the double sided feature where it scans both sides of the page simultaneously. Let’s just say it lives up to it’s name because it is, in fact, really neat!

How about you? What accumulates or getss out of control in your home?

With that said, I’m having fun exploring all the possibilities. Initially using only black, I used stamps from “Perfectly Paisley” and “Flower Power” with some free hand squiggles. Can you picture this border running along the side edge of a curtain or trailing along an arched door way in your choice of color? It could be subtle or bold, depending on your taste.

Then the VersaCraft ink pads I ordered arrived, and let’s just say I regressed to a kid in a candy store.

All that color encouraged me to step away from my usual blue and brown sensibility and venture out. I’ve been having so much fun experimenting with various color combinations.

The designs below, with the exception of the floral and paisley border, were created with the “Squared Away” and “Full Circle Moments” art stamp sheets.

For this one, I used Brick and Sand.

Next, I used a Cerrulean, Ultramarine and an Autumn Leaf combination.

Here, the top border was created with “Flower Power” using Cherry Pink and Tangerine and I added Celadon to the patterns underneath.

This is a tone on tone look using Sky Mist and Midnight.

Then I threw in a little Maize into the mix to create a blue/yellow colorway.

And here we have Pine, Autumn Leaf and Cherry Pink combo.

As I mentioned, I designed this collection with the intention of mixing, matching and layering to create an unlimited assortment of design possibilities. Changing the color or the combination of art stamps completely alters the look and the pattern of the design. I wanted to offer the opportunity to create without thoughts of perfection, limits or restrictions. It’s an opportunity to branch out, explore and be freeeeeeeee!

All colors and stamps are available in my Etsy store, Art Stamps and More. As I take baby steps through this creative entrepreneurial journey enterprise, I welcome your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

Have you used art stamps to embellish and personalize your home decorating projects?

Anytime I’m unsure of how to proceed or I second guess myself, procrastination sets in, and there you have it, an unfinished piece waiting for closure far too long. Taking note of it’s unfinished state when passing by, I get so annoyed with my indecisiveness. Can you relate to this experience?

But the other day, I decided to embrace the uncertainty of it all and take a creative stand once again. I stained the molding I added to drawers. At first, I stained everything in varying shades of brown as you see in the second drawer. However, I liked the mix of the natural and stained wood tones and went with that.

Mistakenly, second guessing my original creative decision, I sanded off the previously painted top and tried a dark painted/stain finish instead. It looked hideous!  I didn’t  take any pictures, but trust me, it wasn’t pretty. I repainted  the top white again, afterward, uttering a huge sigh of relief.

And after all that procrastination and second guessing, here it is:

 
I used the original hardware.

However, the finish was really bad, so I decided to spray paint them white.

As for the legs, I sanded off the original finish and couldn’t decide, dark or light.

So I left them natural.

All it needs is a couple coats of wax and it will be ready to begin it’s second life.

Not sure of it’s final destination, but it has lots of storage, two drawers on one side and a cubby on the other.

So here’s the before, tired and leaning to one side.

and here’s the after, strong and confident.

All in all, I’m pleased. Mid Century Modern Desk completed. Check. So many more pieces waiting in the wings but I’m making progress and have kicked procrastination to the curb once again. Hands on hips, I almost feel like a creative super hero. Yeah!!!

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Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
The Shabby Creek Cottage:Transformation Thursday
Miss Mustard Seed:Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special

First, here’s my logo.

I wanted a vintage look even though my stamps are the “new school” way of stamping.

Now for Art Stamps and More’s very first art stamp line. First up is “Perfectly Paisley”.

next, “Squared Away”

followed by “Full Circle”

and lastly,”Flower Power”.

Unmounted stamps are a great alternative to mounted stamps because they require less storage space, since each one does not have it’s own handle, and they can be organized and stored in a binder or in CD cases for quick and easy access.

Acrylic handles are then used in place of the traditional wood handle or block.

Before using unmounted stamps, they need to be mounted to EZ mount Cling Foam (white layer) and then trimmed around each individual design with a sharp scissor.

The cling foam allows the stamp to temporarily adhere to the acrylic handle.

When I designed these, I wanted to give the option of using them individually or mixed and matched to create multi-layer and color designs. With the right paint or ink, they can embellish any surface including paper, wood, fabric, glass, metal etc. I’m looking forward to experimenting with them on furniture and fabrics. For now, I am experimenting on paper while I’m wait for the stamp pads to arrive which I will be selling in my Art Stamps and More Etsy store, as well.

So what do you think? Do you use art stamps? What do you like to use them for?

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Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

I could hardly contain myself. Inside contains a dream, a vision and a creative journey that I started over 5 years ago. It’s contents are a symbol of the hard work and constant thought that I had put my on the back burner far too long. After second guessing and doubting myself all along the way, I decided to kick fear to the curb and go for it!

So let’s see what’s inside. Here’s your first clue. Hmmmh, what could this be?

How about now? Can you guess?

Okay, I know the suspense is just too much as it has been for me since I began my journey. Here it is!

These beautiful red rubber sheets are my first set of art stamps that I designed from a DIY point of view. Art stamps are a wonderful creative tool that can be used on a variety of surfaces to give any creative project that personal touch of embellishment. And the great thing is, they are quick, easy and fun to use!

More to come. I’m heading over to Etsy to set up shop. Yeah!

I miss his show but I am loving his new book “The Things That Matter”. He has the inNATE, no pun intended, ability to create cohesive spaces out of “things that matter” and, in so doing, tells the stories of people’s lives through design. Your home becomes a mini scrapbook, meticulously edited, with reminders of special memories and defining moments carefully displayed throughout. Also, this editing process might help with our hoarding tendencies as well, don’t you think?

With that said, I’m on the hunt for seating for our basement family room to replace the faux leather chairs that started peeling. What’s that about? Out of nowhere, they just started peeling. I was thinking about a vintage sectional or sofa that I could reupholster with puffy cushions like this

or this.

However, all the sectionals I discovered thus far are huge! Some would consume the entire basement. But I will keep looking. The thrill of the hunt, right?

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Miss Mustard Seed:Furniture Feature Friday
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Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday

With that said, I think this chair can add romance to any room, not just on one day, but everyday.

Or how about daily soaks in this beautiful bathroom

or stepping into this lovely outdoor space and lounging till the sun sets?

 Yes romantic spaces are what do it for me. Especially the ones that make me stop, gasp and bring me into present moment envy.

How about you? Are you feeling Valentine’s Day?

Either way, have a beautiful day!  And please know, I heart your comments.  They make me smile every time.