Fabric Wallpaper

If I had my way, I would purchase rolls of temporary wallpaper from domesticate's shop on Spoonflower and go crazy with color and design.  Alas, those rolls are $60 each and . . . I really in no way have that kind of money.  There are, however, alternatives for renters in search of ways to put temporary color and pattern on the walls.  Sometimes those options can be pretty affordable.  

I decided to go with hanging fabric on the walls.  I was especially intrigued by the idea of using fabric starch to adhere fabric to the walls.  Starch is supposed to work as wallpaper paste, but release cleanly.  

That is totally not what I did in my test case-our hallway linen closet.

I have no idea whether liquid starch is easy to come by in Savannah or not.  I didn't even look for any.  As I may have mentioned before, our apartment is painted with flat paint.  I can't clean the walls without leaving marks so I was not willing to take any chances with liquid anything.  Plus, that was way too many steps.

I decided to go with tools and materials I had on hand--some batik from my fabric stash and my handy staple gun.  I can not remember why or when I bought this batik but I am 90% certain it came from JoAnn's.

It took maybe a yard and a half to do the closet interior.  I washed and pressed the fabric first, then measured my walls and cut pieces to fit.  Why yes that is Bushido Brown.

I removed each shelf and stapled as close to the edge of the fabric as possible.  I was worried that the staples would show at first, but the print does a great job distracting the eye.

On a side note, removing the shelves (they aren't attached to anything-they just rest on these supports) uncovered all kinds of gross goodies from previous tenants.  As you can see, this spray paint job they did in this apartment is . . . . not that thorough at all.

Measuring and trimming before stapling was by far the easiest way to do the whole project.  If you look up the process on the web, you'll probably see pictures of a straight edge and a box cutter or something to trim the excess edges.

That . . .  is utter bullshit.  The razor blade trim method worked-but not at all well.  Just measure, trim, and staple.  Then stand up and decide it looks good enough from your regular point of view.

Overall, I was pleased with how my fabric wallpaper test run turned out.  This was essentially a zero dollar upgrade since I used stuff I already had and did not purchase anything especially for the project.

So pleased, in fact, that I got really ambitious.  More on that later.

One Box At a Time

We moved!

I am excited and happy and exhausted and just a little terrified.

Why?  Well, to begin with, our living area looked like a Fed Ex office.  This is actually an improvement--it originally looked like this.

Personal Image

I solved this problem by stuffing our many and generous closets with boxes I won't be dealing with anytime soon.  

It's a start.

Can I just say-I love living in new places but I hatehatehatehate moving.  This is our first time as a couple living in a second floor apartment and by a stroke of fortune/misfortune, I only ended up hauling about four boxes up the stairs.  Wes injured his knee when he brought our box spring up so we ended up calling in movers to unload the truck.  

Movers are awesome.

It took two guys less than an hour to empty our twenty foot truck.  I held the bottom door for them and as box after box after box headed up the stairs I thought to myself-what the fuck is all of this stuff?  Why do we have all of this stuff?  I don't even remember some of these boxes.

We are talking twenty or so boxes of books, ten boxes of dishes, glassware, small kitchen appliances, and cookware, five or so boxes of coats, clothing, and linen, and over ten boxes of files, tech paraphernalia, and paper.  Our stash of power tools and beauty supplies ain't nothing to sneeze at either.  The really sad part is that our storage unit isn't even empty.  There are still quite a few items large furniture items in there that will eventually be donated to the Salvation Army.  The even sadder really sad part is that we donated several boxes of goods to Goodwill before we even left the old place.

Stuff-we are drowning in it.

Wes and I agreed that at least half of this crap needs to go elsewhere.  Ideally, we will sort, donate, and toss as we unpack.  If there isn't a place for something-it will have to go.  Hopefully by the time we move again we won't have 8,000 boxes.  We missed our things desperately and grieved the pieces we had to leave behind.  Despite that, we don't want to sacrifice living space, or living ease, or freedom for things that we don't really need, things that don't really work, or things we do not absolutely love.

Unpacking

Posting will be a bit slow because . . . .

Source: tokyo-bleep.tumblr.com via Cameron on Pinterest

. . . we are settling into our brand new place!

Unpacking is a bitch and I only wished our junk looked as good as the stuff in this picture.  That looks intentional-I'd just leave it like that, lol.

Easy Bookcase Standing Desk

Most of our workhorse furniture is of the relatively cheap Target brand variety.  This is actually good because you get a lot less stressed trying out new things and it also tends to be pretty flexible.

This is my easy bookcase standing desk hack:

The clutter you see is real

As you can see, we have a media center configuration consisting of two cubical shelving units and two bookcases.  Creating this standing desk was a simple matter of re-homing some books in other rooms and adjusting shelving to the correct height.

Some notes:

• Working at a standing desk does take some getting used to.  Your legs and your feet have to get used to it.  Ultimately, I like standing up and working a lot more.  
• The television is less of a distraction because watching it would mean I have to stand at a really uncomfortable angle.  
• I spend less time cruising the internet because-hey, who wants to put up with aching feet just to watch some dumb stuff on youtube? 
• Another benefit is that standing makes you much more likely to move.  Even though I stand up to work, I am much less likely to sit down when I'm done working.  
• Sometimes I prop a foot up on a step stool or stand on my yoga mat-these can help with discomfort as well.

Why do we have twenty-eight + spoons?

I've been spring cleaning.

I'm not sure why Tim had this much silverware.*  Remember, most of the time only two people live in this house.

Before

Family housing has some odd size drawers.  This organizer is one of two at Target that fit and the only one that wasn't plastic.

After

Seriously . . .  what single man has this much silverware?

The rejects-I hid them in the bottom of the napkin basket.  I don't know why.  Don't judge.

*(We never really consolidated belongings upon marrying but my silverware was the kind you get at Walmart in a bundle for a dollar. . .  so, good riddance.)

Prioritizing Projects

All Images are Mine

We have a family weekend coming up and I think it might be the perfect opportunity to get some home projects started.  I'll have Wes around all weekend to be the muscle and to execute my orders.

I like to give orders when I attempt something new.  That way, if it goes all cockeyed it's not really my fault.

I also have been picking up some great ideas on my daily blog rounds and I can not wait to try some of them out!  In fact, there is so much great stuff swirling around in my head these days that it is a little difficult to decide where to start. 

There is also the question of project storage.  Since a lot of my raw materials are refugees from the wedding they literally have no place to go until I make something out of them.  So the question becomes, do I go room by room or do I prioritize emptying the big box of junk that is currently located in the Kid's room?

Room by room would satisfy my secretly orderly soul, but I think I might have to just tackle the big box o' stuff first.  Kid needs room to play right?

Right.

Timing Out

There have been a lot of changes around the old new Ponderosa lately.  We moved, I started summer school . . .  and Wes got a part time job! These things are all pretty awesome.

The not so awesome?

Wes starts his job next week and I also still work part time--across town.  I've been making it to work on time but barely . . . and this is only because Wes picks me up outside of my classroom building and whisks me away to my gig.  We won't be able to maintain that though.  Why?

We have been a one car family for nearly a year now.

I thought it would be a pain in the ass not having a car of my own.  Instead, I've found it incredibly liberating.  No car, no insurance, no gas . . . money that can be spent on other things.  We only needed one since Wes was in class full time and I was the only one working.  Things will be different now.  We will both be working similar hours and I don't know how possible it would be for me to make it to work on time throughout most of the week.

Additionally, there hasn't been much time to finish homework or finish unpacking . . . and nothing left over to work on the wedding.  Since I work most evenings in a week, it's pretty much go, go, go on classwork from 6 a.m. on. 

I just don't know how to make this work or even if eight dollars an hour is even worth this much angst.

Progress Report

Yesterday was my 100th post!  Go me!

Hopefully I can finish unpacking and sorting this weekend so I can get back to getting these posts out on time.  Wes and I have been really busy around here with projects.  I'll post on these in more detail in the coming week, but for now--want a progress report?

I sorted and organized our book collection.

All images personal photos.

We built a table.

We printed invitations.

We assembled invitations.

And I experimented with making coffee filter flowers.

Who knows what next week will bring!

Chaos Prevails

We moved. 

We have not unpacked.

I can't do any creative work until we get this situation addressed.  We are having house guests this weekend so we need to get a move on with the unpacking, sorting, and organizing.

Prioritizing Projects

YAY! We are officially mostly moved into our brand new place.  Do the qualifiers make that seem lame?  We moved all the heavy stuff yesterday and what a hot and sweaty venture that was.  Then I went to class and Wes he-manned on without me for a couple of hours.  Then I came back and did it all some more.

Today . . .  same verse same as the first.

I have to say I am very pleased with our progress thus far.  We even got around to some furniture arranging last night.  Then we started talking about all the things we would like to do and I thought it might be helpful to make a list.

• We need to shorten two bookcases by about two and a half inches to make them fit.  Why yes, our entertainment center is a combination of Target bookshelves stacked together and anchored by wedging against the ceiling.

• We have been getting by with a card table but we want to build a nice wood table with benches.  I found these plans on ana-white.com and I have been lusting, lusting I tell you, ever since.  It's perfect for seating a lot of people in small place.  The benches can sit underneath when not in use and thus, take up less space.

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• I want to paint our cloffices.  We are already re-purposing them as separate desk areas but I would like to make some further customization.

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I'm thinking white exterior with an interesting graphic and turquoise and white interior . . . at least for mine.

• We also have plans for the Kid's room.  These we will probably get to sooner rather than later.  We want to add some more storage baskets for toys, a kid size table and chair, a colorful rug, and a chalkboard wall! 

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We live in an apartment, so we won't be painting the actual wall-but we were thinking of painting and hanging wood panels from the picture rail to achieve a similar effect.

I'll take some pictures to post soon-but all in all, I am very, very pleased with our new apartment.  Almost giddy if you will!  It's awesome and I have so many plans and projects that I can't wait to dig into!

Creating a Getaway

I have high hopes for our new bedroom.  Right now it is purely functional but what I really want is an oasis of calm that's soft, beachy, and not too frilly.

I sprung for these sheets from Macy's.  The price was pretty shocking to me, but then I've always purchased sheets from Walmart and Target and never anything with more than a 200 thread count.  These puppies were waaaaay more than that and totally worth it.

The first ones were a 700 thread count cotton and polyester blend.  I was skeptical of polyester in sheets and the slick feel was a little strange at first but these sheets are pretty damn awesome.  They even kept us nice and cool and non-sweaty on some pretty humid nights.  I picked the clover color.  It's a nice putty greenish color than can look tan or green depending on how you look at it.

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These were so great that I just had to go back for more.  This time, I got the 800 thread count 100% cotton ones in Burnished.  I love this sandy shade and it's in keeping with my ultimate goal-a nice beachy look in our bedroom.

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Wes and I plan to eventually build ourselves a bed frame . . . we really like this one from Pottery Barn but there's no way in hell we'd ever pay that for it. 

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I also have a strange and intense desire to make a ruffled duvet cover for our comforter like this one from Anthropologie (called Rivulet) in either all white or a color palette of white and cream hues.  Look at all that gorgeous texture!

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The Big Boy Room

One of the things I'm most excited about is the Kid getting his very own room!

This totally means I get to make all kinds of adorable kid stuff.  I can't wait.

Here are some things I just love for a little boy's room.

We won't be able to paint in our new apartment so I'm focusing on adding color in other ways.  This room posted on ohdedoh has the most amazing rug.  Don't you love that?  I also really love the low bookshelves.

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 Ideally, the Kid's room will be for sleeping and play.  A colorful rug with a kid size table and chairs, his bed, and book and toy storage would complete the package nicely.  He's also obsessed with tractors and trains so I want to work those in as well.

And if you want a project to knock out today-check out this post on Cakies to make the quickest, cutest play tent  ever.   I kind of want one just for me.  Lol.

Moving On Up

Wedding projects will be on the back burner this week-since we will be moving.  However, daily posting will continue as I showcase some of my plans for our new space.

As Wes and I pack and prepare to mooooove on up . . . I find myself reflecting on the trials and tribulations living in our tiny house this last year.

We have made it through our first year of living together without killing each other.  We started our engaged life here.  We have had our first family meals with the Kid here.  We had our first house guests here.

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 And I will not miss it.  Not one single bit.  I will dance a damn jig when the last box is loaded on the truck.

This apartment has defied me at every turn.  I originally resolved to make the best of our cinder block cell.  I wanted to make it bright and homey and stylish.  I just couldn’t do it-I couldn’t even hang our “art” on the walls.  These walls laughed at adhesive strips, they scorned hammer and nails.

The lack of space forced me to perform serious surgery on our belongings—reducing our things nearly in half—and we still are barely squeezing in.  The visual clutter of not having adequate storage has made me anxious and at times very unhappy.

Our kitchen is too small to contain our pots and pans and has forced us to use the “dining area” as extra kitchen space/office.  That means we have a microwave, coffeepot, mixer, shredder, and printer lined up side by side right behind the stove and the sink.  This, by the way, equals grime.

The place is small which should make it easier to clean.  In our case, it’s just not true.  The lack of storage means a messy look even when it is clean.

It has been a constant frustration. 

This move is going to be a hassle—but, I kid you not, when we walk into our new apartment I will light candles and perform a ceremony of Thanksgiving for our brand new dishwasher.

What is the Opposite of Antiquing?

Check it . . .

John Deere Lamp, ca 1999

Five dollars and it came with a bulb. 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

One of the great things about living in graduate housing with a large international student population is that resources are made available that a lot of Americans wouldn't consider asking for.

Like garden plots.  Our university plows up a patch of land every year and doles out garden plots to interested parties.  Wes and I signed up for one and just couldn't wait to get to work in it.  The last frost is scheduled for March 23 but . . . who can wait to play in the dirt?

Check it out.

All Pictures by Me

We decided to divide our plot into a number of semi raised beds.  We got a used hoe from ReTool that came in pretty handy for this.  We also got all McGeyver and utilized some of little bit's toys as garden tools.

 

 We planted three different varieties of tomato and basil plants.  I was thinking pomodoro sauce.

We also planted two varieties of lettuce and bellpeppers.

And a whole, whole lot of onions!

We've never had the run of our own garden before and this is my first time growing anything ever so we'll see how it turns out.

I'm excited!

Flowers Anytime?

What's a girl to do when she dreams of this?

But she doesn't have much of this?

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If you're me you relate this unfortunate incident to all such unfortunate incidents in your genteely impoverished childhood that seems Dickensian in retrospect and boo-hoo a little bit.
Then you get down to business.  Plotting business.

Say hello to my current obsessions .  . .

Ranunculus

Green Hydrangea

Pink Anemones

Cafe au Lait Dahlias (drroooool)

Sigh.  Beautiful.  Dusky.  Vintagey.  Preeeeeeeeettttttttyyyyyy.  What must I do to make you mine?

I can't afford to purchase you in bloom but maybe . . . I could grow you.  And keep you with me forever and ever and ever.  Now we're talking . . . but how. 

We currently live in a jail cell/cave that has the very odd combination of huge windows and very little natural light.  Or artificial light for that matter.

Wes suggested that we create a set up like this . . .

utilizing compact fluorescent bulbs.

I like this idea for a two reasons.  One, I could grow the flowers I want for the wedding sure. And two, I could grow the flowers I want like all the time.  Not to mention tomatoes.  Don't get me started on the impossibility of finding decent tomatoes at certain times of the year.

This article totally makes me thing it's possible and I have to say I am really hyped about the possibility of having tulips whenever I want them.

It must be said though.  YouTube and eHow regularly save my bacon and/or make a fool out of me.  We shall see.

*Just for kicks. . . google "growing flowers indoors" and count the number of marijuana references.  FUN!

Mission Organization-The Tiny House Conundrum

Remember this?

That's how I'm living yo. At least, that's how it feels.

Resolution Organization

Today, in a bid to both waste time and give myself a break from bill paying and number crunching, I began working on my first resolution project. This idea is courtesy of Sara from 2000 Dollar Wedding.