Category Archives: Around the house

Cow bell fever

Posted on July 12, 2012 by | 2 comments

Shenanigan has the fever.  And the only cure is some more cow bell.  The little monkey is always scratching/kicking at the back door to be let out.  I decided to make him a bell to help reduce the wear and tear on our door . . . .

(See how scratched up the paint is on the door?  I finally got around to painting that, mostly as part of this project.  Yay!  We still need to put a sweep on the bottom of the door though . . . .boo.)

Out came the $13 ball ‘o twine that I used to crochet my ZZ plant’s snuggie pot.  There’s still a ton of twine left so I cut about 16 pieces to use for my braided rope.  I simply put a twist tie in the middle, had the husband hold on and twisted each end counter-clockwise.  Then they wanted to wrap around each other, creating a twist/rope/braid thing.

Next the cowbells.  I just wove them into the bottom of the twine rope/braid/twist and tied it off. 

Now for the training . . .  Shenanigan says you want me to ring what?

To be fair, I did try to photograph Sophie as well but every time the camera comes out she runs for her life. . .

Actually, the bell is starting to catch on.  We’ve been encouraging Shenanigan to ring it every time he goes outside and he’s willing to do whatever stupid thing we make him do if we’ll just open that door!  So hopefully the new paint job will remain intact.  I’m going to withhold judgement on that one . . .

And, coming soon . . . . a new chair for the Living Analog living room.  I am officially a chair (and ottoman) hoarder.  But it rocks and the ottoman tilts up OR lays flat.  And it was $13 for the set . . . . so home it came.  We may have had to rearrange the whole living room and put some furniture on Craigslist but I can’t resist a vintage chair and JT can’t resist a rocker.  I have a feeling this will be my old man’s old man chair.

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Posted in Around the house, D.I.Y., Dogs, Furniture, Kitchen

Plant and Mantel Triage

Posted on June 29, 2012 by | 4 comments

So we’ve been having a bit of a heat wave here in St. Louis (and I think most everywhere in the nation) but the plants that seem to be suffering the most are INSIDE my house.

Case in point — Little Walter, the tree.  He’s perched up on a Nelson-replica slat bench.  We don’t often get too close in to him because he’s kind of nestled into the banquette and you’d have to kind of slide down along the seat to get all the way there.  However the other day I had the dining table pulled out to do some serious dog hair sweeping and took it upon myself to water Walter as well.  Turns out Walter is a Fun Guy!  (Fungi was literally having a field day in there.  INSIDE my house.)

So that got dug out and new soil was added back.  I’m going to have to keep a closer eye on that one.

And then the bullet planter.  The Larry, Curly, Moe and Shemp succulents I picked up at Home Depot were the least sickly looking of their offering but I kind of figured at least one of the four wouldn’t make it.  Turns out only one of the four DID make it.  I had a ZZ cutting from Zappa the ZZ plant growing some roots as well as a cutting of this other thing I liked from the neighbor and so I filled the bullet back up.  It looks a little funny right now but at least it doesn’t look dead.

(And yes, that is a giant dog fuzz/hairball hanging out on the bullet planter.  All these legs are not helping with my “keep the house clean of furballs larger than my dogs” campaign.)

Next the rubber plant (no name poor guy.  Actually Poor Guy might be an apt name for him right now . . . )  The rubber plant was all dusty so I moved it a few feet out the front door and gave him a thorough watering/cleaning/shower.  Then it was so nice out I left him there for a day.  Came home to find he’d been scorched.  Poor Guy is too pampered by his indoor life to cut it for one day out in the wild.

However, all is not lost.  I can keep SOME things alive.  Zappa the ZZ seems to be pretty happy in his new crocheted and dipped plant snuggie.  Also, Jazz Hands, the tall tree thing has gone from having two big leaves (hence the Jazz Hands name) to a crazy lot more.  I think he likes his new (to him) Ikea pot.

Also I can keep alive dogs, as evidenced by the giant furballs lurking in every corner of my house and Shenanigan photo-bombing me at every turn. 

You can kind of see the mantel a little in the picture above and you might be able to see that it was getting a little cluttery.  Since I’m having the girls over this weekend for Round #2 of the Stitch ‘n Bitch brunch, I thought I might do a little mantel triage as well.  It really involved removing about half the stuff.  I also picked up some nice blue candles at Hobby Lobby for my new candle holders I got at the Green Shag Market parking lot sale.

What’s that another “T” snuck in?  (The black wire loopy one.) Crazy I know.  It came from Pottery Barn Teen and can hold pictures (I should fill it with Teen Beat pictures for all the PB Teens out there.)

It’s Friday now and I can’t wait for our Stitchin’ and Bitchin’ weekend.  I’m sure the girls will do some awesome projects and maybe if I make a nice enough brunch, they’ll let me share them here.  I’m collaborating with Martha to make her French Toast Kebabs.  Yum!

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Posted in Around the house

To Sell or Not to Sell . . .

Posted on June 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I know what a first world problem, right?

Such is the drama that is my life (and for that I am oh so thankful, let me tell you.)

So — to sell or not to sell?  Living Analog’s living room (and music room) is beginning to look like  a game of MCM musical chairs.  Something has to be done.  But the Hans Wenger knock-offs I just got at the auction are staying.  The Eames rocker that was gifted to JT is DEFINITELY staying.  The white vinyl Kroehler that JT found for $30 at Goodwill and used all through college is definitely staying.  The MCM chair gifted from my grandma is definitely staying . . .  Do we sense a pattern here? 

This guy is the only one I’m not über attached to but I’m not sure if I’m ready to quit him yet.

I don’t really have a spot for him now, but maybe in the next house?

I think I’m just stringing myself along — the next house won’t be anytime soon and in the meantime there are at least three more chairs and two ottomans in the basement that I think I want to keep after I fix them up so . . . I think it may be time to sell.  I’m gonna miss you, little white fiberglass Eames knock-off desk chair.  You never really had a fighting chance in the Living Analog living room.  And once you’re gone, I’ll probably have some serious regrets about selling you.  Oh well, a chair hoarder’s gotta do what a chair hoarder’s gotta do — thin the herd to make room for some new chairs!

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Posted in Around the house, Furniture

Green Shag, what a sale (delayed reaction . . .)

Posted on June 11, 2012 by | Leave a comment

The Green Shag Market, an antique mall (the best kind!) just put on a parking lot sale two Saturdays ago now.  We may or may not have made our Memphis vacation a little shorter to accommodate said sale.  Whatever, I have a vintage buying addiction and I’m not afraid to admit it.

So, sale.  I didn’t take a lot/hardly any pictures AT the sale because I feel uber-awkward with a camera around people I don’t know. . . so, here’s what I got:

 Mister Modtomic, who is much braver with his camera than I am, covered the booths pretty well — check out his post here.  If you look close, you may even see me in there (Where’s Waldo style) with my new red “vacation hair color”.  Because that’s what people do on vacation, they dye their hair.

What’s more important (to me) is the “haul” from the sale.  We’re pretty full up here at the Living Analog abode on furniture so I tried to avoid it . . . and still ended up with one larger item.

The bar cart was only $15 and I couldn’t resist it.  It needs a little cleaning — the lady I bought it from said when she found it, it had contact paper from the 70s covering up all the black and white retro star goodness.  But I think I’m going to put it in my back porch and use it as a potting bench of sorts so it doesn’t have to be too clean.

JT snagged up the cool 13 colonies/13 stars American Flag reproduction.  I’m thinking we might tack it to a frame and use it for some artwork.  I found a large silk scarf for only $5 and then had to plan an outfit around it so I could wear it to work . . I love me some vintage (or any) scarves, and on a quick trip to Iowa last weekend, my grandma hooked me up with some more.

Hmm, what else did I buy . . . it’s been so long I almost forgot! 

I got a cute little (toothy looking) footed planter/collect all bowl from the Rocket Century booth.  The pretty bracelet things inside are actually a $2 set of fun napkin rings which look pretty good for a garden party on our new backyard dining table.  I semi-reluctantly bought the candle holders because I don’t really need candle holders . . . .but I couldn’t resist.  I’m thinking I need to find some funkier color of candles to use these two.  Turns out they’re from Ikea, go figure.  The pretty coasters are actually tin squares (that we will use as coasters) from Secondhand Hannah (one of my favorite STL bloggers).  I wasn’t sure at first because the tags only said “Secondhand” and there was a man working at the table but it was later confirmed by my brother and sister in-law.  I wish I had known at the time so I could say hi!

I also got this from Secondhand Hannah’s stall:

Cover Your Lover.  Classic and great and BLUE!  It will probably get stashed away until winter but for $7 I couldn’t resist.  (Are we noticing a pattern here?  I need to build up some resistance skills!)

And here is what happened when I started this photo shoot. . . first one dog comes nosing in, then two . . .

But I can’t resist their cute little faces . . .

. . . even if Shenanigan is giving me the stink-eye.  So that’s it from Green Shag.  Next weekend is a sale at Rocket Century . . . lock away your wallet, husband.

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Posted in Around the house, Thrifting

Transmute is the new tweak

Posted on May 24, 2012 by | 5 comments

You guys, I was getting really sick of the word “tweak.”  We use it at work ALL THE TIME because as designers, nothing is ever quite right and we’re always searching for those little adjustments (tweaks) to get a project further along.  I’ve been using that word a lot here on the blog as well to describe all the little adjustments I am continually and perpetually making to our home. 

So, more little adjustments . . . remember way back in January when I started this sisal crochet wonder?  Probably not because that was above 4 months ago.

At  any rate, I finished up the sisal crochet to make a little pot snuggie for the ZZ plant, George.  Or Zappa.  We call him different things.

Before George/Zappa was just hanging out in a standard issue green pot  and once we brought Hans and Wenger, the new chairs, home, he now has a floor light (can uplight from cb2) behind him to light the easel from below since we took off the clip light that used to be above. 

And now he has a fancy new coat.  I “dipped” the bottom in black paint to help it stand off the wood floor.  The sisal made it a little hard to get the color in there evenly but overall I am happy with how it turned out.  The whole skein of sisal was $13 at Home Depot and I didn’t even use half of it . . .  so maybe more (dipped) pots are in my future?  Maybe I’ll finish another in 5 months . . .

In other plant adjustments, the plant we originally put in the Bullet Planter was sad.

So sad that I didn’t even take a picture of it before I took it out.  (Not to fear, I put him in a little blue ceramic pot and I’m going to take him to work for some healing time.  Is that the dog equivalent of going to live on the farm?)  But picture it with about four and a half leaves thanks to Sophie Machete Tail.

Yep, that one.

But she also does an angelic face, so it’s hard to be so mad at her.  And also the reason she is usually wielding her machete tail is because we’re home and she’s so happy to see us . . . so she’s forgiven.

But we had to replant the Bullet with something that could survive the Sophie. A succulent garden planter at Home Depot caught my eye because it had a nice variety and was a good scale to survive the tail.

And, because all the plants seem to have names, I named them Larry, Curly (the little “curly” guy in front), Moe and Shemp.

Any more tweaks?  I mean adjustments?  Don’t worry, if there are, I’ll be back with all the details.  Have a great rest of the week, everyone.  We’re almost to a long weekend.  There’s a lot of plans and a little renovation going on . . .

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Posted in Around the house, D.I.Y., Design Diversions, Dogs, Hand Crafted

Tweaking, redux.

Posted on May 23, 2012 by | 2 comments

My meddling in the kitchen was not done with yesterday’s post, it instead continued over to the fridge.  Oh lovely fridge, we inherited you with this house and you work.  You cool our food and freeze our ice so I have no reason to kick you to the curb just yet.  But you’re kind of boring, no offense.

None taken, I’m sure.  So to spice up Miss Fridge, I took a sheet of butcher paper and trimmed it a few inches smaller than the big bare side of the fridge.   I thought about getting all crazy and doing something with chalkboard paint but this seemed like a less permanent solution . .  .and I could always move on to the chalkboard if I ever got bored with the butcher paper.

So *ta da* – fridge tweaked:

(Pardon the extra-large case of beer, it was JT’s birthday and we celebrated with chicken, waffles and the Mick Jagger finale of Saturday Night Live.  The Bud Light blue does seem to match the kitchen though . . .)

I sprung for some heavy-duty magnets on Amazon and mixed in some others I had purchased at Ikea.

Some baker’s twine holds a pen in place and with the butcher paper you can just scribble your heart’s desire on there – phone messages, obscenities, you name it.  Right now we just have a few useful phone numbers.  Double stick tape holds up a few classic fortune cookie fortunes for posterity.   I also outlined the knives so they always have a place to go back to.  . . .

The other knives just have one magnet but I got nervous and used two on the big guy.  We’ve had them up for two weeks and it’s been a great solution since we demoed out the larger Ikea knife rack in favor of some artwork over the microwave.  

That reminds me,  I’m not sure if I ever really showed you guys the artwork over the microwave . . . I just printed out some song lyrics that seemed kitchen appropriate and added them to my Ikea frame (which was white upon purchase but became black thanks to my spray paint addiction.)

Can you spot Tiny Elvis in our kitchen?  I think we may have Elvis in every room in our house . . . . so, kitchen finally tweaked?  Not yet.  I’ve still got to get to the back door which Shenanigan firmly kicks every morning to demand to be let out FASTER and then I also want to tackle some storage in the base cabinets and pantry . . . but that’s for later.  More tweaking to come, just not in the kitchen.  Cheers – CT

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Posted in Around the house, D.I.Y., Kitchen, Music related

Kitchen Tweaking

Posted on May 22, 2012 by | 4 comments

Hi everyone!  (Yes, all five of you, my loyal readers!)  I’ve been a busy little bee and have a bunch of little projects to share . . . so we’ll get right to it. 

The kitchen.  It used to look like this at one point.

And then it looked like this:

Much better, but still not done.  There was some pesky things bothering me — the open space above the storage rail for one.  For two, how the base cabinets were still just a little too light grey.  And for three, the red toaster that I kept hiding away whenever I took pictures because it was a hanger-on from a red kitchen in our first apartment.

So base cabinet painting began, toaster-ordering happened (I’m an avid Amazoner) and I searched around for something to hang above our storage rail.  Because of the Mother’s Day Brunch-a-palooza, I was in more of a hurry to find artwork then I usually would be. So I decided to just create some rather than waiting for that just perfect thing to jump out and hit me on the head  . . . . 

I dipped into my trusty mat board stash downstairs and cut two pieces to the same size.  I pulled out the wall paint color and mixed up a few others and voila, artwork.  It’s extra amateur, but it will help fill the space as a placeholder.

I also dipped into my trusty “T” collection and found two waiting for a good home.  One was a cheap silver painted color and the other was a brassy thing that had arrived from Urban Outfitters all scratched.  To the backyard spray booth they went and both came back a nice white.   I did my trusty templating to find a good placement . . .

And kitchen tweaking!

There’s more projects to come . . . there was also a flea market at Kenrick Plaza/Antique Mall last weekend.

Great weather, full parking lot and . . . I didn’t really bring anything home. 

I almost brought home this little dog, Paige, from Open Door Animal Sanctuary for my mom.  She’s a five-year-old schnauzer-maltese rescue and was very calm and sweet.   I resisted a pair of vintage wood slat bar stool things that I kind of am regretting not purchasing now.  Oh well.  Onward and upward.  More projects soon!

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Posted in Around the house, Hand Crafted, Kitchen

Next?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by | 1 comment

Now that the kitchen’s mainly finished, I’ve been kind of bobbling around the house with a “what’s next” puzzled expression.  I think the best, most rational course of action would be to finish up all the loose odds and ends projects I have started but yet to finish (like the kitchen door, sewing some pillows for my mother, finishing the crochet plant pot among others . . . )

But something keeps calling me to the bathroom.  The last room in our house that the public sees that I have yet to do over.  Oh how I wish I had some before pictures from move-in day.  The bead board was painted a pee colored yellow and above that was a lovely yellow floral wallpaper.  I did paint the bead board white and the wall above it Sherwin Williams Amazing Grey . . . and then nothing.  Same nasty light fixture.  Same clunky wooden shelf.

Oh yeah and I changed out the knobs on the vanity.   Funny what a picture can remind you of.  The shower curtain was a Goodwill score.  $3 I think.  I was planning on making pillow covers out of it at one time but just went ahead and used it for its original purpose instead.  Go figure.

Prepare yourself for the aforementioned hideous light fixture:

(Not only are you hideous Mr. Light Fixture, you are also impossible to photograph).

So one day, this:

What’s that Elvis, you like the one on the bottom left the best?  So you want to hang out and coif your hair on Sherwin Williams Rainstorm?  Who am I to deny you Elvis. 

So, it’s not the same blue as the music room and kitchen, it’s a little moodier and seductively handsome, kind of like The King himself.  But you know me and my notoriously slow progress on projects . . . we’ll see this again in November?  Sounds good.

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Posted in Around the house, Design Diversions

Mother’s Day – another day to bring brunch back!

Posted on May 14, 2012 by | 2 comments

For my 2012 resolutions, I had given myself a goal of “bringing brunch back”.  Now that our kitchen is mostly/kind of/all the way done, it seemed like a great time to host a Mother’s Day Brunch. 

Both JT and I’s mothers and siblings gathered together yesterday for la Fete de la Mere.  There was food and relaxation for all.  We had a coffee crunch right before the guests were to arrive (e.g. it was missing and we needed coffee STAT)  so I didn’t snap any pictures before nor did I want to trouble our guests and break up the flow of the little gathering so I didn’t snap any “durings” either.  But I do have a few “afters” to share:

What’s Mother’s Day without a banner?

Or “MOMOMOMOMOM” napkin rings (I just printed them out on our home printer, cut them down and used some double stick tape.  The green napkins I snagged at Ikea.  See the new stove in the background (#3)– it’s amazing and we love it).

And no brunch is complete without chocolate covered bacon . . . (so I’ve heard, I don’t actually eat bacon . . . )

I had some canvas left over from a deconstructed slip cover so I zig-zag stitched some blue and black lines on it to make a tablecloth at the last minute (if I would have had more time and some white thread, I probably would have serged the edges but for now it has a little more rustic look. . . .

So that was the most of it.  Food and family makes for a nice weekend.  Plus we didn’t have to leave our house!  I hope everyone had a great weekend as well.  Cheers – CT

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Posted in Around the house, Family, Hand Crafted

Dip It?

Posted on May 3, 2012 by | 7 comments

When the blogger’s away . . . . she’s working on more projects so she can have something to blog about?

Or she’s having a melt-down about her job/future/creative career path and can’t get to the computer?

Take your pick . . .

At any rate, this blogger is back with a question – should I dip it?

Let me clarify — there seems to be a growing trend of furniture/decorative items that are partially painted/dipped.  Case in point, these gorgeous chairs I first saw on Desire to Inspire —

 

Now I have 4 matching chairs being hoarded in my basement and I’m thinking they might look a lot better getting this “dipped” treatment . .

What do you think?

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Posted in Around the house, D.I.Y., Design Diversions, Furniture, Miscellaneous Diversions