Western Crib - Before

My wonderful friends Elizabeth & Dan are expecting their first baby, a little girl! & what does every newborn need!? a crib! They bought this crib off of Craigslist and we decided we could re-do it to make it fit their unique western style. It's not quite finished yet but the picture above is after a coat of primer and the first coat of light brown. Originally we talked about sanding it down & staining it, but after I started to sand I discovered it was MDF which just wouldn't work. So, Plan B! I decided paint it a light brown followed by a dark brown & then rough it up with some sandpaper to give it a rustic look. I'm excited for it to be finished & hoping it turns out just how I have pictured in my mind!

When one door closes ...

... you are left with the world at your doorstep.

After a full year working with Nike, my contract is coming to an end. It's a little bittersweet but I know that timing is everything. It has been such a great opportunity to have had the chance to work here & the experience I have gained is invaluable. I was lucky enough to interact with a few athletes including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, & Rafael Nadal (pretty awesome!) and worked with a bunch of great & truly inspiring people.

Career wise, it's weird to be (almost) 25 & (almost - I have one month left) unemployed. Although I knew it was coming, it's still a strange feeling. This is the first time I have not been working as long as I can remember. I have always had some sort of job lined up since I was old enough to babysit! Sooo what's next!? :)

The exciting part about it is that I have NO obligations. I have no lease, no job, no ties to anything here in Portland. I am free to go wherever I want and do whatever I want. I have about 9 months of school to finish until I will have my Accounting Degree (which is online & I can do anywhere!). I've been throwing ideas around about moving somewhere new. Maybe back home for a little bit in order to just focus on school & spend the time to really dive into and learn it. We will see!

The things I DO want to accomplish in the next year:
1. Run my half marathon!
2. Re-do (at LEAST) one piece of furniture (I have a dining room table that's calling my name ... & this requires NOT living in an apartment)
3. Finish my accounting degree.
4. Travel to either Montana or Colorado.
That should be a good start!

Table for Four-ty Bucks!

I'm pretty impressed with my most recent purchase. I'm an avid Craigslist-er & always get excited about a good deal. Last week I found this dinning table & four chairs for $45! - I was surprised the lady I bought it from let me talk her down on the price to just $40! There are a few scratches & dings here and there, but for the most part it's a very sturdy solid table.

I will take better before pictures once I actually get to work! But this is a screenshot of the actual table:

Since it's a little hard to see, here is another picture of what it actually looks like:

(just with a little darker wood top)

My plan is to sand down the top of the table & re-stain it with a dark finish. Then paint the legs & the chairs an off-white/cream color. I might get half way done & realize it would have been easier to leave well enough alone! But I'm excited to get started on a project.

I envision the final product will look similar to this:

Wish me luck!

Starting Over

In the last year and a half of my life I have successfully lived in six different places. I really didn't think that was possible but I guess I'm just making up for living in one house throughout my entire life (until moving to college of course). I don't really do well with change. I like things to be settled & somewhat predictable. Don't get me wrong, I'm always up for a good adventure but I like MOST things in life to be established (job, house, etc.).

I've learned a few things throughout all of these moves ...

1. I have too many shoes (it almost hurts to say that & even as I type it I want to go shopping for more ... ).
2. The only two things I own that go in the kitchen are a wine opener & an espresso machine (my goal is to work on that one).
3. I'm too independent to want help ... but sometimes need it.
4. Things never happen like you have planned ... but it keeps things interesting.
5. Save for a rainy day. It rains in Portland ... a lot. (Also, carry an umbrella. Even if it's sunny in the morning ... the days not over ...)

6. There are a lot of people that come & go in your life ... & this is completely okay. It's mainly to teach you lessons ... usually about yourself.
7. Then there are those special few that are there unconditionally, no matter what, through the good, the bad, the really stinkin' ugly. When push comes to shove, you can easily seperate the two kinds of friends.
8. You can spend a lot of time missing the 'way things used to be' but then you miss the beautiful life right in front of you.
9. Listen to your heart. There are a lot of other voices, pressures, opinions ... but at the end of the day you have to live with the choices you make.
10. Call mom.
11. Work hard & be nice to people.

Paisley Denim Pillows

Another little 'unfinished project' I'm working on for the new place: paisley denim pillows. (Sadly, my camera lens shattered & I haven't replaced it yet so all of these pictures are a bit fuzzy ... the best my Blackberry can do! Darn it! So, bear with me ...)

I LOVE pillows. They are a simple & easy way to decorate & they really help establish the style of a space. Because they are relatively inexpensive, they can be changed out as often as the seasons if you'd like. Not to mention, they are also comfortable & my bed can be stacked with at least six at any given time.

I bought several down pillows of various sizes from Ikea that came without covers. I fired up the ole sewing machine (which, let's also be honest, I haven't used since I was in a 'sewing circle' in probably middle school, if not elementary!) & got to work! I found a paisley printed denim at JoAnn's that just-so-happens to be super soft. Instead of sewing all of the sides shut, I made them with an opening (similar to a sham) so they can come off if need be & attached three wooden buttons to the front. I didn't realize how much work it is to sew button holes! Thus, this project is also still in process ...

When I get my camera fixed I will add a few more pictures & when they find a home on my new bed, I will show the true 'before' & 'after' photos.

Lampshade

When I first came across Northwest Hospitality's blog, I fell in LOVE with this lamp. I adore the feminine look that it adds to her country cottage space. So, clearly I had to try my attempt at my own.

I found a lampshade & lampstand at the Goodwill awhile back that were just sitting around waiting to be used for a good project. The lampshade had a little dent in one side that needed to be covered up. Together, they were probably about $6. I didn't know quite until I saw this project what I actually wanted to do with it! This is the 'coffee filter lampshade' because it is made up of hundreds of folded & fluffed coffee filters simply hot glued to the shade.

Here is how mine turned out. Well, I shouldn't lie ... it's not done. I cheated a little & took a picture of the side that is finished! The poor back is still bare! I ran out of filters & got tired of buring myself with the hot glue. This is one of those projects I'll be working on shortly to actually finish ... but you get the idea. I also would like to either find a larger stand, or switch it out with a another one that I already have. The shade & lamp stand went well together until I added on the extra size with the 'fluff.' Now it just looks a little disproportional to me. But, I love the look of it & I'm excited to find just right spot for it in the new place!

Western Sign

The first project I recently did wasn't actually for me. I made it for a friend of mine, Elizabeth. Her & her fiance, Danny, are getting married in July! She has been a lifelong friend of mine & I couldn't be happier for the two of them. She ended up having two bridal showers, so for one of her gifts I made a sign with their future married last name. Olson. I wanted the sign to be western, since she is! & to go with the rest of her home decor.

I found a piece of wood just the right size at the Goodwill (this worked out handy since I have no way of cutting a larger piece at the moment), painted it a dark brown & roughed it up a little with some sand paper. I used a water-based cream color for the letters. This was the tricky part! I free-handed the letters (which didn't quite turn out as perfect as I had in mind). Then I used a thin rope & stapled it to the back with a staple gun so it could be hung. Voila! It turned out to be a relatively easy project.

Elizabeth sent me this picture (below) of it hanging up shorty after I had given it to her. I told her she could hang it out in her barn since it didn't turn out quite like I wanted, so right next to the front door is an upgrade! ;)

Best wishes on a long & happy marriage - congrats Elizabeth & Danny!