#113...lamp redo take two

I recently redid this lamp for a client. I picked the brass candlestick lamp up at the Goodwill for $6.99. At first, I spray painted the base orange, and wrapped the top part (like this) with a scrap of Amy Butler's Love fabrics. I found the shade at a different Goodwill shop for $1.99.

The whole thing looked O.K. and you can see it here in my client's room, but neither she or I loved it. The orange was slightly garish, and the shade, while being the right shape, was slightly yellow in color and covered with some type of tone on tone squiggle pattern that just did not look that great lit. Additionally, the fabric we chose for the top of the lamp seemed to be too big of a pattern, and you really lost the paisley effect with such a small bit of it showing.

So, I took another stab at the lamp, this time changing the base color to wine to match mirrors hanging in the room. I recovered the top part in a smaller fabric print, and decided to try covering the lampshade with fabric that has a coral/orange in it that we used elsewhere in the room. I think it makes a better coordinated statement now, and will hopefully fit right in with the other room elements.

#112...wallpaper inspired painting

I recently completed this acrylic on canvas painting for my friend Nancy's bedroom. The painting inspiration came from this Graham & Brown wallpaper that we used on the inside of her bookcase, which you can see here.

#111....to give and get

I have enjoyed reading though the multitude of gift guides out there this season, so I figured I'd compile one of my own. To be honest, I am not giving any of the below items as gifts, but they are all things that I would love to get. Hope there is something on this list that can help you wrap up your holiday shopping! This upside down hanging orchid pot is the coolest

I think this walnut tape dispenser would look great on my desk

...and I need some Japanese tape to go with it

I never buy this kind of thing for myself, but I have been given this Bliss body buff as a gift and I love it

Kelly Wearstler's new book HUE would be an inspiring addition to my book collection

One of my aunts gave me a tie dye kit when I was a kid, and I am really dying (no pun intended) to tie dye again

I am in need of a new bike (sadly, my last bike was stolen). I think I might like a cruiser like this

I'd really like a lemon tree to grow in a container on my deck

We are in desperate need of a doorbell

I saw this embroidered clutch in person and it is so lovely and unique

I can never get enough fabric, and I really need a yard of this red riding hood fabric

and a yard of this animal print which would make a nice summer beach bag

#110...Isabella's Room

I have been helping my client Sara pull together and finish decorating her daughter Isabella's room. Below are two shots of Isabella's room before we started.

This room had good bones to start with....pretty furniture, a lovely custom window dressing and a soothing green wall color. We simply set out to add some personality to the room, and to give it a style that could grow with Isabella. Starting with removing the pastel wallpaper border that was not really adding anything to the room, we rearranged artwork, added a few new pieces including lamps and mirrors, added two matching bed quilts and some bright pillow shams. After the holidays, Sara wants to turn Isabella's closet into a play fort for her, which will be a fun project. Here is Isabella's newly spruced up room.

Over the bed, I used these gold frames found at the Goodwill, and simply painted them a wine color, recovered the mat with some Amy Butler Love fabric and added mirrors.

I also made this little silhouette art of Isabella that we hung gallery style over her bed along with other sentimental heirloom pieces. You can see how I did it right here.

We added this lamp to Isabella's dresser. It was a plain brown lamp that I painted with the little owl that coordinates with the Alexander Henry Spotted Owl fabric that I used behind Isabella's silhouette.

I also made this little owl (which Sara and Isabella have not even seen yet) using this pattern that Sara found on Etsy. It is so adorable I want to make more!

#109...quick holiday decor

This weekend, I hauled out my outdoor holiday lights. However, the rainy weather kept me from making the effort to string lights on my house, and I opted for the easy way out. I pulled out my large glass candle hurricane vases, loaded a strand of lights in each, plugged them in, put a decorative wrapping paper collar on each vase, and placed them on my front porch. It is pretty simple looking, but I think it still shows some seasonal spirit.
As for my indoor decorating, I am usually fairly minimal, but I did decide to put up my fake white tree this year. I wanted to put the tree in some type of urn-like container to elevate it, so I looked around my garage for something I could use. I found this old plastic trash can behind the garage. Tyler uses it to haul yard clippings around, so although it looked bad, it never really held any gross trash. I used industrial clippers and cut the handles off the can. (sorry Tyler)

Next, I decided that I would pad the can to give it less of a trash can look, and more of an upholstered furniture look. I planned to use quilt batting, but was out, so I used this silvery bubble wrap that I found in the garage (no idea why we have this material). I used my hot glue gun for this entire project, and after I finished hot gluing the bubble wrap around the can, I began hot gluing my striped fabric on the inside lip of the can, and stretching it over the bubble material and gluing on the bottom of the can.

Once finished upholstering the can, I stacked boxes and scrap wood inside the can, placed my tree at the height I wanted it, and then hid the messy inside of the can with some purple velvet. I thought the can looked a little plain, so I decided to give it a button trim, sort of like a tufted effect. I stitched red X's in the button holes for color, and then hot glued the buttons on. While I did succeed at disguising the can, I think it is a tiny bit big for the tree, which I think draws attention to the fact that it is a trash can. Oh well.....its up!
After spending about 2 hours crafting the upholstered can, I was out of time for actually decorating the tree, so to quickly finish my decorating, I opted to hang my pet's stockings on the tree. They are oversized, but balance the giant base a bit. I also had some cardboard gift tag letters so I added our initials to the tree as ornaments. Our tree definitely has an artsy, craft project look this year, but it is really the glow of the tree at night, not the tree decor that does it for me!

#108...elevated elevation

Driving through a client's neighborhood recently, I spotted this amazing exterior transformation. All the houses on the street appear to be circa 1960's, and here is a "before" example.....one that looks to be in its original state. A few houses down is this updated elevation transformation, of a house that must have been identical to the "before." I'm impressed. I really like it when people redo old things.

#107...holiday table dressing

The winner of my final holiday pillow cover giveaway is.......Robert Fontenot.....congrats! Email your address to christie.chase@gmail.com and your pillow cover will be on it's way to you! On a side note, if any of you want holiday pillows made from that same Marimekko red table cloth, I have enough fabric to make a few more. $12 for zippered closure pillow cover without insert (including shipping)....$25 with insert (including shipping)...email me if you are interested.

Above are photos of my Thanksgiving centerpieces that I quickly put together the morning of. We had a turkey fry to celebrate the holiday, and I set up tables on my deck for family and friends to eat, drink and chat. Taking a cue from my friend Vanessa of OneHauteKid's post on gathering flowers from your yard for arrangement, I quickly cut some berries off of a thorny pyracantha bush that is taking over my side yard. (The berries look much prettier in the vases than they actually do on the out of control bush.) I used clear glass vases for several of the tables, and did a small arrangement in a glass that had red botanical silhouettes on it that was a candle gift from Anthropologie a few years back that I just could not part with once the candle was gone.