Author Archives: CT

Do you realize . . .

Posted on August 29, 2012 | 2 comments

We’re floating in space?

Yes, that’s my man Wayne Coyne in the giant ball at LouFest.  Yes I jumped up and down for two hours in the mud and took terrible iPhone pictures.  Yes it was amazing.   Yes I am still hobbling around two days later because my legs were not ready to be jumping up and down for two hours.  Yes it was worth it!!

Because half of you may be scratching your heads right now at my cryptic ramblings, please amuse your ears with this amazing song.  I hope it gets played at my funeral.

Do You Realize by The Flaming Lips

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Shenanigan helps me with a sewing project:

So helpful.  I needed a giant furry paperweight just then.

And, the music room gets taken over by thrift store picture frames, soon to make their way into the almost finished bathroom!  A lot has been happening in the littlest room of our house — new trim has been installed, caulked and painted.  Shelves are up.  Hooks are up.  Turkish towels are up.  And soon, I’ll put a blog post up!  Cheers – CT

2 Comments

Posted in Bathroom, Dogs, Music related

Every plant needs a home

Posted on August 22, 2012 | 4 comments

A while back, one of the Stitch N’ Bitch girls brought me a new plant.

So far, all the other plants have received masculine names but I think this one may be a girl.  I think.  So I’m thinking Joan, like Joan Jett due to the plant’s spiky hair.  Joan’s been living on the mantel for a while now in the paper wrapper and plastic pot she came in.  I decided it was time for something more permanent and wanted it to look nice but didn’t want to spend any money.

I had the following materials on hand that allowed me to make Ms. Joan a new home without spending any money: terracotta pot, white spray paint, hot glue and jute yarn/string (left over from the ZZ plant’s snuggie and Shenanigan’s doorbell). 


The rest, as they say, is history. 

Oh, and I also had a white saucer in the kitchen that wasn’t getting a whole lot of use, so that became the base.  Now Joan’s rocking out permanently on our mantel and she adds a whole bunch of spiky green goodness.

Mainly I’ve been working on the now top-secret bathroom.  It seems to keep jerking me around, first suggesting I do things one way, then the next day recommending something else.  My own indecision is about to make me crazy.  I went out last Saturday and braved the aisles of Target, Hobby Lobby and Hancock Fabrics trying to nail down some of these final details and may have come home even more confused. 

However I didn’t come home empty handed.  These things (above) may (or may not) be making their way into our soon-to-be brand new and improved bathroom!  Well actually we have already tried out the black and white striped Turkish towels and they are really great.  Nice and thin but absorbent and as an added plus – aesthetically pleasing.  Win, win and win.  The towels actually came all the way from Turkey via The Anatolian on Etsy.  Go figure.

Countdown to One Month One Project completion is now at T minus 9 days (or however that works).  And I still haven’t ordered the mirror.  Yikes.

4 Comments

Posted in Around the house, Bathroom

Whatever you need, Etsy will be there.

Posted on August 13, 2012 | 1 comment

Along with the incense that I buy from Etsy, I also head over there when I need a specific vintage item I don’t have the time to search the antique malls high and low for. 

Case in point: clock.  In order for the kitchen to be “finished” (I say in quotation marks because nothing is ever really finished in our home) I had a specific item I needed — a clock to cover up a small wall outlet and also tell time.

It’s a little hard to see, but in the image above I pointed out where the outlet is.  Off to Etsy I went, and with a quick search of “wall clock” I came across this little gem from Zane Leigh’s shop.

(Image above courtesty Zane Leigh).

I knew what dimensions I needed (or a max I could fit) and it was also vintage enough to actually need the outlet it would be hiding.  As an added bonus, it is lighted!  So I just gave away one of my secrets — when I want vintage but have a more specific need in mind, a lot of times (read always) I’ll take to the interwebs to hunt it down a lot faster than I could find it trolling the local thrift stores.  It’s a win-win to me  – I get my vintage fix and someone else gets paid to carefully seek and curate great vintage items.

For fun, I dug out a picture of the clock hung up before I painted the walls. (Yes I have had the clock for that long.)

And then here’s the real after.

You can see Miss Sophie our sofa monster dog in all the house shots, ironically enough.  That’s pretty much “her” spot, although she is content to share with the husband as long as she can have her chin or foot or some part of her on top of him. 

We’ve been living with our “finished” kitchen for a few months now, so I forget what a difference the paint color is, but looking at these images I’m so glad we went for it.  A $30 (or less) can of paint can have a huge impact and can be (semi) easily changed again a week later if the mood strikes.  So that’s Secret #2.   

Moral of the story: Find a good “junk” supplier and invest a few pennies in a can of paint and big changes can be yours!  Cheers – CT

P.S.  There is also a hilarious website called “Regretsy” with an apt subtitle: “Where DIY meets WTF”.  If you need a little laugh, check it out here.

1 Comment

Posted in Kitchen, Miscellaneous Diversions

Is your home dog scented?

Posted on August 10, 2012 | 6 comments

A while ago Holly Becker over at Decor8 had done a post about each home she visited having its own signature scent.  I thought about that recently and wondered if our scent is dog scent.  Not cool and not really what I want people to be overwhelmed with when they walk in the door.

These little furry mugs might be cute, but their “eau de dog” is not.  Especially Sophie.  She can stink it up like no one’s business.  So for the last year or so, we have been buying incense sticks from DivineScentsations on etsy.  Spice Orange flavor to be exact.   It’s the only thing I’ve found that seems to combat the dog smell but not just layer another stink on top of the dog stink (kind of like the bathroom sprays — I don’t really think they help.)  Also these sticks don’t burn up immediately like some of the cheapy ones you can get at the big box stores which is nice.  You get a nice slow simmer of smell. 

For a while, I had a wood incense tray on the mantel but inevitably some would ash out of the tray and I would be left with a mess.  The other day I had a brainwave and decided to try out my houseplants as incense holders instead.  Here we have “Jazz Hands” the little tree/plant (not sure what it is, a co-worker gave me a cutting which I almost killed and then nursed back to life).

Jazz Hands is holding my incense stick so nicely and all the ash just crumbles into the dirt and you don’t have any mess! 

And here’s the little stink bombs themselves as I tried to snap photos of the mantel this morning – hanging out and living the life.  The “I’m so spoiled I have my own pillow and toys and things and I’m bored with them go get me some more” life. 

So long story short, I would say that our home’s scent is “Spice Orange”.  It’s nice and subtle and not too sweet or sickly like some of the home sprays or scented candles I’ve come across.  Although, for variety we have also tried some other flavors from DivineScentsations like Butt Naked, Balsam Pine (around the holidays), and Gemini and Libra (the husband’s and my zodiac signs, respectively.  Oddly enough, we each seemed to prefer our own Zodiac scent.) 

Does your home have a scent?

Anyone else ready for the weekend like I am?  I’ve got some more bathroom projects up my sleeve and the husband and I have been discussing some changes in the music room as well.  Enjoy yourself – Cheers, CT

6 Comments

Posted in Around the house, Dogs, Miscellaneous Diversions

Progress is boring! I want it done!

Posted on August 7, 2012 | 1 comment

While more progress has been happening on the bathroom, it doesn’t make for so much fun and exciting content on the blog.  Here’s where we’re at:

This small little room took a not small amount of effort to get patched, textured/primed and now painted (and that’s only the gyp board, I still have to do the bead board!).  Thank goodness I’m not in it alone:

Husband came to my rescue.  Saturday morning we got out, ran some errands and stopped by Record Exchange for some new (old) vinyl.  With some Boss (The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street shuffle)  and Manassas (hey it was the dollar bin) blaring from the next room, we took turns painting — I did the brush for all the corners/trim cutting in and he wielded the roller.  JT also demoed out all the chair rail trim to make way for the new, chunkier profile stuff we’re putting in soon.  It turned up a little surprise — some of the yellow flower wallpaper was still living under there.

Yikes.  Imagine (if you dare) that instead of the nice Sea Serpent/dark grey-blue walls and white bead board there was yellow floral wallpaper and pee-yellow bead board.  Uh huh, that’s what it used to look like.  What I wouldn’t give for a “before” picture.  However that was seven years ago and this blog wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye — I just wanted it gone.

I think from here on out, the bathroom’s going top secret.  That way we can have a nice “ta da” come September 1st.  Although if I finish it sooner, I will post it sooner.  No need to keep you in heedless suspense.  So the One Month, One Project continues . . . .

In other One Month, One Project news, Stacey over at A Goode House went crazy and finished her king sized king bed project already.  So much for one month, more like one or two days!  Congrats on taking the leap AND getting it done.  That’s REAL progress.

Cheers – CT

1 Comment

Posted in Bathroom

Don’t Worry, I Didn’t Fall In

Posted on August 3, 2012 | 7 comments

After a long and list-y post about bathrooms and then a week of no blogging, it occurred to me that you guys might think I have had an unfortunate mishap with one of our bathroom fixtures.  Not to worry, I didn’t fall in. 

Although I did squeak in Item #1 (Apply textured wall finish as primer coat to walls and ceiling)  from my “To Do” list, I’ve also been buried under a mountain of furniture.  And not the stuff I’ve been hoarding in my basement.  No, we just had a big furniture bid package go out at work yesterday and it took up literally every spare minute of my time.  I have a hard time with this whole “balance” concept and always seem to fall off on one side or the other.  These last few weeks, work won the delicate tug-of-war that is my life. 

But enough complaining! (although I will say if you had to specify three floors worth of furniture for a new building on a small midwestern college campus, you might complain a little too . . . ).  Onward and upward!  By announcing my “One Month, One Project” goal to the interwebs, I was also gave myself a few days head start and used up the last weekend in July to texture over our un-smoothable bathroom walls.  It was a simple matter of buying a little jug of Sand Finish paint additive for around $4 at Home Depot and mixing it up with a gallon of white paint the previous homeowners had left in the basement.  It took a few coats to get an even texture but I think it will be worth it in the long run because it covers up all the weird patches and ugly bits that were making me crazy.  At the end of the day, it is a little more texture than I would have liked but I also just wanted to stop obsessing and be done! 

So be done (with this step) I am. 

I snapped these pictures this morning . . . the nasty light fixture is now done to three bulbs.  Soon very soon, he will be all the way gone and I will be so happy!

So, texture.  Next step is paint.  Although the blue we had picked for the bathroom was much darker than the blue we used in the kitchen and music room, it was reading so much lighter in our little bathroom.  Like almost the same.  Since I did the texture primer, I figured that gave me an opportunity for a fresh start with the paint color.  I picked up a gallon of Sherwin Williams “Sea Serpent” last night and I think painting will be happening tonight.   I grabbed a generic bathroom image via the   Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer to test out our new color —  it was the closest thing they had to our bathroom — some white beadboard and some painted wall surface.  Here’s Sea Serpent in action:

A little grayer, not so “happy” blue as the kitchen.  Just what the doctor ordered. And on the ceiling too, it’s going to be so nice!  And one step closer to One Month, One Project completion.  I also may have done a little internet shopping/ordering last night as well . . . the things I can fill my time with when it’s not absorbed by work (Enough complaining CT!) 

Since we are speaking of bathrooms, I thought I would share that my sister-in-law has also shared a makeover of one of hers and started up a blog!  You can see all the details at French Grey and Chrome: www.fgchrome1.blogspot.com . The Interwebs welcomes another Thompson to its midst.

7 Comments

Posted in Bathroom

I’m having a hard time going from “To Do” to “Ta Da”

Posted on July 24, 2012 | 4 comments

All my projects seem to be draaaaaaaaaaaaaaging on . . .   First world problems, I know, but (whiny voice) I just want something to be done already!

This led me to a *shocking* realization.  If I want something to be done already, I better damn well do it!  With this revelation ringing in my ears, I focused my new-found determination on our half-destroyed, no-mirror bathroom.

Bathroom. (Phase One) Will. Be. Done. By. September. 1st.

I summoned the husband to a meeting of the minds and we looked at my (lack of) progress so far and brainstormed for the future.  I had left the walls half smeared with blue and froze when the patches were not blending away.   After a little internet research, we decided on trying to add a (subtle) wall texture.  Then I hit it, list style (perhaps we should call it a “Ta Da” list rather than a “To Do” list . . . ) 

Phase One  “Walls”  Work to be Done:
1.  Apply textured wall finish as primer coat to walls and ceiling.
2. Paint walls and ceiling Sherwin Williams Rainy Day.
3. Demo out clunky wood shelf.
4. Demo nasty disintegrating caulk around sink.
5. Caulk/seal any areas that need it.
6. Sand and clean all paneling.
7.  Install new chunkier chair rail.
8.  Paint all paneling and trim.
9.  Demo nasty light fixture.
10. Order and have custom mirror installed – this will be too large for JT and I to attempt ourselves.  I would rather have someone with big mirror suction cups hoist this into place then face dropping and shattering a mirror and the ensuing bad luck . . .
11.  Install new light fixture.
12.  Install shelf/cabinet/TBD storage above toilet.
13.  Install hand towel ring

This is the work/hard/boring stuff.  Now for the fun stuff — shopping!  Here’s my list:
1.  4 Turkish/Peshtamel towels.  Like this (via The Anatolian on etsy).

2.  Knobs/hooks to hang the above turkish towels on that will be installed on our soon-to-be chunkier chair rail.  Maybe like this (via Anthropologie)

Or this? (via Hobby Lobby.  So it’s a Hobby Lobby Knobby. Yikes)

And a bath mat  — a fun woven one via Bed Bath and Beyond . . .

I’m considering adding to my month-long challenge with a sewing project — an extra tall shower curtain like this one from Mothra, I mean Martha Stewart (found via Escapade).

So what do you think?  Does anyone want to jump off the one-month-one-project challenge cliff with me?  I’ll hold your hand and scream with you on the way down.  Should I post up some in-progress stuff or just save it all for an extra big “Ta Da” on September 1st? 

All right, it’s off to the races, folks . . . or in my case Home Depot!

4 Comments

Posted in Bathroom, D.I.Y.

Living Analog Living Room, Rearranged

Posted on July 19, 2012 | 5 comments

Hey everyone — since we found our new thrift store chair, the living room became a mad jumble.  And then I promised more pictures.  I was literally thisclose to doing a post about how all the furniture in our house is all set and now it’s time for me to focus on the artwork . . .

But life never really works out the way you plan it!  Once we had determined in the store that New Chair was a rocker, I knew we would be buying it.  I had seen a sign up front that said all furniture was 50% off.

But lo and behold, when we went to check out, it was 75% off!!  The chair and ottoman were only $12.25 (before tax!)  Into the SUV it went. 

So here’s the new living room . . .

The big rolling cabinet our TV used to sit on went to Craigslist and met its new owner last night.  That shorter TV stand was donated from my mother.  It’s part of her Danish Modern buys for our house in Wisconsin and had been sitting unused in her basement.  We sprung for some new casters at Home Depot (one had gone missing during the multiple moves this guy has endured over the years.  I should have taken a picture of the remote control that was still stashed in that drawer.  Back to the Future classic.)

And another angle.

Yes I put my ZZ plant in the fireplace.  That fireplace is really starting to bother me. (And also the Target/Aalto-knock off blonde bentwood stool next to New Chair is temporary as well.  More furniture to hunt for!  But if a man’s going to sit in his man chair, he needs a place to set his whiskey.  Or so I’ve been told.)

The nice thing about our new chair is not only is the chair seat a rocker but the ottoman has two positions — up like you see in the photo for maximum comfort while sitting in the chair — but also it sits down so a person can sit on just the ottoman.  I’ve got another post in the hopper about what we’ve done to the chair so far (new webbing/strapping and some finish fixes, exciting stuff! Not to worry, there is also a plan for new upholstery in the future.)

No post of mine would be complete without gratiuitous dog images, so here is what Shenanigan did as soon as we removed the chair cushions to work on the seat.  Quite the princess and the pea, isn’t he?

5 Comments

Posted in Around the house, Dogs, Furniture, Thrifting

Thanks!

Posted on July 17, 2012 | 2 comments

Hi again everyone!  Thanks so much to all who voted in the Apartment Therapy/The Kitchn “Small Cool” Kitchen contest.  We’re up to 31 votes and that means a lot to me.

It was pretty cool to open up the webpage and see our kitchen there. 

When I told Shenanigan he was famous on the internet, not so much.

He’s one hard chameleon-like dog to impress.

Also, due to the new “Papa Bear” chair as I’m calling it, the living room is totally rearranged.  I’ve photographed it twice now but none have come out to my liking, so I’ll leave you with this teaser: total chaos as we tried to reconfigure.

Better images to come!  Some items went to Craigslist, others have reshuffled and we’re liking the flow of our new living room.

2 Comments

Posted in Kitchen

Small Cool!!!

Posted on July 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Hey y’all!  I may have had an ulterior motive to fixing up Shenanigan’s cowbell and the kitchen door . . . I was readying the kitchen and photographing it for Apartment Therapy’s Small Cool Kitchen contest. 

And we’re in!  You can vote for us — CT’s Perfect Cheerful Blue Kitchen — here.  I think it’s semi a lot of work — you must have an Apartment Therapy/The Kitchn account and be logged in.  But maybe if you already have one and want to vote, that would be cool.  Or if you want to make one and then vote, that would be totally cool too.  

I’m so excited to have one space in the house feel so complete.  It will still be ever evolving and changing but I feel like the big tasks we set out for ourselves — new countertop, new lighting and tiling the floor — have made a huge improvement in our little home. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Posted in D.I.Y., Kitchen