Project ReStyle Guest Post on A Beautiful Mess

I found two old children's cots awhile back at a local thrift store. This is what happened next. For the full story head over to Elsie's blog for my Project ReStyle Guest Post and favorite ReStyles from our Flickr group.

xoxo,
Rachel

House Tour #3, Part 3: Master Bedroom

I've shared the kids' room, the living room, the kitchen and middle room, and now the master bedroom. We've been in this rental for six months now and other than the studio feel like we're settled. Almost everything has found it's place, the walls are full, and most importantly it feels like home.

Knowing we'd likely only be living here for a year, it was important to get things unpacked and arranged as quickly as possible so that we could really enjoy our time here rather than seeing it as a temporary space. That said, I'm not the kind of girl that can have her house set up in a week. For some reason (and maybe that reason is named Ruby) I get things done in layers and spurts.

I like to get things where I think they should go and then see how it works for us. I need to feel out traffic patterns and whether or not a certain arrangement is useful.

Our bedroom wasn't a complicated space to set up but it took me up until the day before I took these photos in late March to decide what to put on the walls. We didn't have much on the walls in our old bedroom besides two mirrors and a giant gas station number (still included in this one) and we had a completely different furniture arrangement. We also purchased our first ever bed frame for Christmas! This means we're adults now, right?

I brought in a few things I had hanging in my studio in our last rental like this orange and cream gas station signage as well as some things that were in storage tubs such as the For Like Ever print and a matted photograph from a friend in college.

The bench finally got it's coat(s) of paint and was given a home at the end of our bed. In a perfect world I would have adorable pillows stacked in the corner but it currently acts as a clean laundry catch all.

Yes. We have piles.

We have two bedspreads and a duvet (gift from a special lady) that we regularly keep on our bed during the colder nights but keep the duvet stored in our closet when it's warmer. The hounds tooth bedspread is from Urban Outfitters and still one of my favorite patterns. The pink bedspread is from the Liberty of London line from Target a few years back. The duvet (not shown) is from Anthropologie.

I've always loved the look of random photo collections hanging near a bed. I had photos of me and my best friends taped to the wall through high school and college but stopped when I got married because it felt too 'young' and uncouth. Ha! I've made this one a little more grown up by using photos and art with common themes and colors.

The stair case is where Brett and I spent one of the last evenings chatting away before Christmas break our first semester. We weren't dating yet but it was obviously headed that direction. He was off to India and I was going home and it felt like we'd never see each other again. Ahhh, young love.

The old photo is a copy of one my Meemaw gave me. I'm not really sure about the story behind it but it's right after her and my PawPaw's wedding ceremony. Mom, remind me of those details next time we talk. They look so happy and smitten.

The Enid Collins purse was given to me by my Grandmother and has seen some use lately but is usually carefully placed on a little shelf in my closet to keep certain toddlers from coloring on it.

The band poster above my dresser was a purchase from Domestica earlier in the year. I fell in love with the colors and design right away and THEN realized it was from a favorite band of ours! The clipboard used to be in the kids' room but was a small one from Staples that I painted with chalkboard paint. I plan on rotating photos and the chalkboard paint makes it fun to add details. The matted photo is from a friend from college.

I made the curtains for this room the same way I did in the kids' room by stitching almost all the way around all four sides of cut fabric and a vintage sheet (the lining), turning it right side out, stitching all the way around it, ironing it, and hanging it from clips. It's fast, easy, and allows for the curtain panels to slide back and forth without much tugging.

I removed the DIY lighting from above the bed for photos as it was getting in the way of some clear shots but we keep it up all of the time. It's good mood lighting for...umm...reading...and stuff. Ha!

The only thing left to show is my studio but don't hold your breath. I may save that one until the very end of the year the way things are going right now. It's full of half-finished projects and those last few boxes we haven't unpacked. Maybe I shouldn't even look in them and donate them to Goodwill, huh!

Also, our home is rarely as clean and clutter free as it is in these images because we lead busy lives and have little ones like many of you. Ask my neighbors! However, all my messes are colorful and all my piles a sign of fun being had.

I totally subscribe to the idea that you can make a space you love on a budget with a little patience and a strong idea of what you want. If you're totally overwhelmed with where to start in your home or are wanting to plan for your next place I've shared everything I know about
pulling it together and making it work in my recent E-Course, Style Your Space. It includes guidance and resources on finding your specific style, how to work with what you have, getting the most out of your arrangements, and four fun DIY's to make your space more fun. Details here.

I'm so thankful for our current house. Even our leaky basement. We no longer have to worry about where to go when the tornado sirens go off!

What's your favorite thing about your space? Do you have a lot of half-finished corners? Do you like to rearrange every few months? How do you keep it feeling fresh?

xoxo,
Rachel

Furniture: End table and two dressers, Craigslist. Bench and chair, thrifted. Lamp, K-Mart. Bed frame, AllModern.

Lighting & Accessories: Large industrial light, thrifted. Large gas station #3 and smaller metal gas station sign, thrifted. Vintage fan, books, and birds, thrifted. Picture frame, thrifted and painted. Fake rotary phone, found but originally from Pottery Barn.

Art: For Like Ever print originally from ReForm School. Frame purchased from Michael's Craft Store. The New Pornographers poster, Domestica.

Linens: Hounds tooth bedspread, Urban Outfitters. Liberty of London bedspread, Target. Liberty of London pillow, thrifted but originally from Target. Cross pillow and curtains, handmade by me. Afghan, thrifted.

Style Your Space Now Available

My newest e-Course, Style Your Space, is finally available!

It's everything I've learned about styling a beautiful home on a budget. I share how to find your interior style, tips and tricks on arranging, interviews and room tours from eight other women whose own beautiful homes have influenced my style, and a few DIY's to make things more fun.

This course is for anyone frustrated with their interior style or overwhelmed with pulling it together. Whether you love vintage, modern, factory line, or a little bit of everything, this course offers the tools to help you get the look you're going for. Here's a little info on each session...

Session 1: Introduction - Well curated homes take time and patience but you probably have a lot of what you need already.

Session 2: My Vintage Romance - I share the story of my clueless decorating days, how I found my style, and why it's mostly pretty stuff that used to belong to someone else.

Session 3: Finding Your Style - How to gorge yourself on interior eye candy, digest it, and create a plan. Plenty of resources and links to get you started.

Room Tour: Lisa Congdon - Peek into her well curated living room.

Session 5: Resources - Deciding what you need and where to find the good stuff.

Session 6: Working With What You've Got - What to do whether you're phasing it out or starting from scratch.

Room Tour: Victoria Smith - This lady knows how to use pink!

Session 8: Rules to Follow - Techniques that can make all the difference in how your space looks.

Session 9: Rules To Break - Permission to disobey.

Room Tour: Jenny Mitchell - Her bold and beautiful living room/dining room.

Session11: Scale, Balance, & Composition - Examples from my own space on creating a beautiful vignette and making sure your arrangements are pleasing to the eye.

Session 12: Arranging A Space - What comes first, second, third, etc. when layering your space.

Room Tour: Rubyellen Bratcher - She didn't let her suburban track house stop her from creating a rich space full of character.

Session 14: Display Dealbreakers - How to get it wrong.

Room Tour: Andrea Jenkins - You'd never know it was a rental!

Session 16: Dealing With the Ugly - Ideas to help you get through the rest of your lease.

Session 17: Editing and Organizing - Taking out the clutter and replacing it with harmony.

Room Tour: Ashley Campbell - DIY at it's best in her daughter's bright and cheerful room.

Session 19: DIY Chevron Rug - Get in on this trend without spending a fortune.

Session 20: Mod Industrial Lighting - An easy option when overhead lighting is driving you crazy.

Session 21: Happy Hammock - Taking design outdoors. Step-by-step instructions to creating your new favorite spot in the yard (or your room!).

Session 22: Geometric Art - An easy way to reuse an old frame and get a little creative with your wall space.

Room Tour: Abbey Hendrickson - Not your traditional play room!

Room Tour: Tania Patritti - Her well-organized, colorful studio space.

Session 25: Afterthoughts - How long this could take and how not to panic.

Bonus: Tips on photographing your space to show it's good side.

I'm so proud to have eight special ladies joining me for this e-course. Lisa Congdon, Victoria Smith, Abbey Hendrickson, Andrea Jenkins, Jenny Mitchell, Tania Patritti, Rubyellen Bratcher, and Ashley Campbell.

Each of their unique tastes and trademark spaces have inspired me in some way as I've developed my style over the last few years and I'm sure you'll enjoy their insight into how they put their rooms together. They make it look so effortless!

Style Your Space is full of interior shots of our current and previous spaces with plenty of great ideas on how to introduce color when your home doesn't belong to you. Great for home owners and renters alike who are looking for ways to design a space that feels like home.

This is a 'work at your own pace' course. There are no due dates. Students are encouraged to follow along at their own pace.

You can purchase your course through Red Velvet here.

This project has been in my head for months!It's kind of thrilling to finally have it online and already being enjoyed by people wanting to make the most of their space. I appreciate all of the support from my little family as I've worked on this e-course these past few weeks and for all of your encouraging comments on our room tours!

All my love,
Rachel

To Paint or not to Paint: Toybox Makeover

I love the look of natural wood crates but I had also grown tired of the dullness of a semi-warped wooden box sitting in the corner of our living room. I decided it needed a job. A purpose. I told the box it was going to be a catch all for the numerous toys Ruby drags in from her and Sebastian's room. It was going to be the dumping ground for everything from library books to left over legos until it was so full everything needed to be returned to it's places.

I decided it needed a face lift, too. I painted two coats of white primer and then free-handed a herringbone type pattern on three of the four sides. I was going to finish the fourth but got distracted with something. Maybe later (probably not). I had a little help with one of the ends.

This catch all won't stay organized for more than an hour after they wake up but here it is. Just like I saw it in my head. I left the inside natural because it meant less painting and I like the contrast. I used a light blue for my pattern because it's kind of subtle but if I had it to do over I'd use black.

I also thought about putting little casters on it but that would only encourage Ruby to use it as a wagon and end in a trip to the emergency room or something. So, flat-bottomed it stays.

If you're interested in trying something similar you'll probably find a little inspiration in the latest design work by Aesthetic Outburst and another take on a toy box by Lovely Chaos. Oh, geometric shapes, I heart you.

xoxo,
Rachel

Making Bank Tutorial

In honor of Celebrate the Boy month over at Made by Rae and Made, I've come up with something crafty for the boys. This little project can easily be customized for a girl and a variety of ages and has probably been done in some form or another before but is perfect for any little man with a Transformer/Thomas the Train/Spiderman habit.

This Save/Spend/Share bank came to be after we ordered a similar bank online that came in primary colors. It was well designed but...in primary colors. Did I mention the primary colors? I have no qualms with red, yellow, blue, and green in their bold states but I knew I could make something similar for Sebastian to use as a learning tool that we both enjoyed. I used contact paper for a modern look but it could easily be substituted for Kraft paper so that your children could decorate it with crayons or stickers.

We've recently started giving him an allowance in return for completing basic chores such as making his bed, putting his dirty clothes away, picking his room up, clearing his place at the table, etc. and wanted to teach him at an early age about save and sharing. The spending part comes easy to him. He takes after his mother.

I used three plastic Welch's juice containers that had yellow lids (we like yellow!), two shades of wood grain contact paper (available at hardware and some home stores), a ruler, sharp kitchen scissors, and a large rubber band. I used the one from the original bank but you can use an industrial strength rubber band.

I measured and cut the lighter wood grain contact paper so that it fit around the juice containers and overlapped about 1/2". I had to adjust them a few times to make sure it was even but contact paper is forgiving!

I then hand cut the words 'save', 'spend', and 'share' from the darker wood grain contact paper making sure they'd work above the line of the rubber band.

I then poked a hole in the middle of the plastic lids with my sharp scissors and cut out a rectangle in the center of each.

Lastly I reattached the lids and gathered them with the rubber band.

Each week when Sebastian gets his allowance we give it to him so he can put 10% in his save category and 10% in his share category. The rest he gets to keep and use on any toys or treats that he wants. We've explained that we don't always buy something just to buy something when we go to the store and that when he chooses to spend his money on something, he has to wait awhile to build up enough money to buy something else. This has helped him to appreciate how much things cost, make choices about what kinds of toys he wants to buy, and hopefully will help him take care of those things a little more.

We're also hoping that it will instill a sense of generosity when we decide together how to spend the money on someone else when he's saved up a larger amount in his share container. We've talked about purchasing chicks or a bunny through Heifer International or maybe donating it to a local charity. Sharing this with Sebastian has been not only fun but good accountability for us to remember to manage our money well!

Thanks for stopping by! If you're here for the first time from Celebrate the Boy, welcome! If you haven't checked out the projects and round ups that have been shared so far, you'll want to head over NOW and see what so many creative women have been making for their boys! Thanks Dana and Rae!!

xoxo,
Rachel

Project ReStyle: Shirt to Skirt

Look what Mandi from Here's Lookin' At Me Kid made with an old western shirt! This week's Project ReStyle is something you can do if you've got some basic sewing skills and a thrift store nearby. This skirt would be perfect for spring with some vintage woven oxfords or a fun wedge sandal!

Here are a few of my favorites from the Project ReStyle Flickr pool.

From Brown Bobbin

And the Before from 003k


Before here from Tura Lura Laral

Head over to Elsie's to see some of her favorite Project ReStyle's this week.

xoxo,
Rachel

Handmade for Kids Month: Interview with Dana of Made

I'm pleased to share this interview with another one of my favorite creative mamas, Dana, of Made as part of my Handmade for Kids month at Smile and Wave. Just try to walk away uninspired!

* Why do you make things?
Hmmm. Well, I can't really imagine not making things. I think that creating is just part of how I think; how my brain and hands work...as I'm sure most creative people feel. I truly find joy in taking fabric and turning it into something useful or recreating an old shirt into something new and (hopefully) cute! It may be an addiction. But I think it's a healthy one?

As women especially, I think we all have a longing to create. And creativity comes in a variety of forms. My athletic friend once told me "I'm not creative; I run marathons." But creating doesn't have to mean "art". Some women create organization within their families, some are fabulous cooks, some create math equations and solutions to problems.

My favorite quote by Dieter Uchtdorf sums it up perfectly, ""The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty."
Sorry to get serious on you in the very first question! I'll try to lighten up a bit...

* Have you always been a crafter/maker/manipulator of surroundings?
I think so, in various forms. I remember as a kid cutting up photos to create funny picture collages with people's heads on different bodies. And I've always loved coloring with crayons (and still do--good thing my daughter Lucy asks me to help her). Pumpkin carving, gingerbread house decorating, valentine's making...these were all my favorite creative nights at our house.

But as far as sewing goes....my Grandma taught me to sew when I was 10. We just sewed straight lines on a brown paper bag, no thread. We made simple little bags and gaudy 80's hair bows. And by 12, my mom showed me how to read and use patterns. I made all sorts of elastic waistband pants, simple skirts, and dresses for church.

It wasn't till I was an adult that I realized I could sew and create from the ideas in my head--that I didn't need a store-bought pattern. So I started deconstructing clothing and learning how garments went together. And that's how most of my sewing is done these days. I either draft my own pattern or use existing clothing as a size guideline. It's liberating and exciting!

* Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere--watching kids play at the park, the weather, trends, walking through stores, requests from my kids. But most of my inspiration comes from the photography aspect of my projects. It sounds a bit backward, but I often come up with a clothing design after I've thought about a photo shoot location or concept.

Blogging is the best of many worlds for me. I get to share creative projects but I also get to showcase photography. And this might be my favorite part. Whenever I'm out driving, my eyes are always looking for interesting photo locations, cool houses, colorful walls, beautiful fields, ratty old fences. I actually came up with the Market skirt after spotting a bright orange wall near a Mexican market. Clothing creation is art but the photographic presentation is the bigger art, to me.

* What does your crafting space look like and how do you keep it organized?
I've got a sewing nook in our office room. You can see a little tour here (along with other FAQs). And in true creative form...I'm already itching to redo it. When we first moved in last year my husband thought I'd be in heaven (and I was compared to my old sewing space which was our kitchen table). But I knew I would outgrow the space quickly. I told him that one day I would need a whole room for my stuff, with various painted walls for photography. He laughed. And now he understands. Mostly, I need more cabinets to house fabric and trims, so there won't be any boxes sitting around. On a good day I can get it pretty organized in there because I do love sewing in a clean space. But that's not realistic.

I will say this though....If you really want to devote more time to sewing, designate a space in the house for your sewing machine to sit and NEVER put it away! This can be a computer desk in the corner of a room, your kitchen table, a folding table in your bedroom--whatever! If you leave your sewing machine out, you'll be far more inspired to sit down and sew for a 1/2 hour here or there, instead of yawning at the idea of pulling it out of the closet and messing with the set-up. Try it for a few months and see what happens!

* Do you finish your projects in one sitting or over time?
Um, both. I love fast projects that come together quickly, that I can photograph, and have ready for the blog in a day or two. But there are plenty of projects that start and then sit for months. In fact we started working on a project for our backyard that is 95% finished but won't happen till Spring time (because of the weather).

I like that though; part of how my brain works again. I need to have my hands in a few projects at once. And when the timing is right, they come together. This also helps with projects that have reached a point of frustration--mostly due to my own mistakes. The instinct is to throw it away and move on to the next thing. But usually I put the project aside for a month and when I come back to it I'm excited about the original concept again and have the energy to "make it work".

* What happens to projects that don't make the cut?
Well....in all honestly, I hardly ever leave a project unfinished or un-fixed. It just eats away at me. 99% of the time, there's a way to fiddle with something and make it work. And often, these are the times that I come up with a design idea that I never would have done originally.

The Christmas In July dress was supposed to be sleeveless. I had finished off the armholes and then hated it. So I added sleeves to the finished edge, which is odd looking but I love it. The aqua velvet dress was similar (a skirt that wasn't working turned into a double-banded bodice). I've found ways to fix holes on blankets and if I burn a hole in a swimsuit....well.....I just have to start over.

* What are some of your favorite online resources for tutorials, fabric, inspiration?
Oh wow, this could become a laundry list. Here are some of my favorites--and many of them are not sewing blogs but rather sites that inspire me visually:

Cool French blogs:
Mimi Mouse
Sous le Parasol
13 & 3

Roundup blogs of design and craft (both Spanish but great photos)
Hola Mama
Kireei

Food:
Good Life Eats
Joy the Baker
Smitten Kitchen

Pretty photos, pretty sewing, eye candy:
Vermilijoen
Adore Vintage
Grosgrain
No Big Dill
Cakies
Katie did--though she no longer blogs but has fabulous ideas like this
Birch and Bird - vintage home interiors
Famille Sumberbelle
Elizabeth Dye
Garden by the Sea

Thanks so much for putting this incredibly inspiring and resourceful post together, Dana! I appreciate the love and thoughtfulness you put into all of your work and the way you share it online. Your blog is such a happy, colorful space! If you're looking for some new projects Dana has many tutorials available for non-commercial use here. Go take a long look!

xoxo,
Rachel

p.s. All photos courtesy of Dana.