DIY Abstract Art (with the kids!) & My New Velvet Curtains

Hey, all! Just a little somethin' somethin' for this morning's blog post: Some examples of DIY abstract art that your kids can do that looks like you spent a ton on a great art piece! Also I thought I'd share a pic or two of the velvet panels we just hung the other night! Hope you all have a great day!!

There are so many Kelly Wearstler inspired/black&white abstract art pieces floating around out there right now, and while I love them all, I just can't shell out that chunk of change. Especially when I have a budding artist right here in my own home! My 3 year old son, Graham, painted this beauty for me:

Isn't it great? I can not wait to get it framed (another DIY project I will soon be sharing). I simply let him go to town with a little black paint on a primed canvas I bought from Hobby Lobby.

This one his sister got involved in and I let them get a little crazy with color, too:

I love how bold it is! I also let me son have some fun with gold leaf. They sell a kit at Michael's that includes the adhesive pen and several sheets of gold leaf.

Not only does this art look fabulous, but it has way more meaning to me than something  that happened to be a trend. It's a piece I will truly cherish forever and is definitely one of a kind!

And here's a little peek at the black velvet panels I whipped out this weekend:

That's Moose enjoying the first sliver of sun we have had all winter!

I love how it really pulls you in from the black entryway.

Thanks for looking!
Xoxo, Natasha

Linked up at: Makeovers and Motherhood A Bowl Full of Lemons
The Gunny Sack
NapTime Creations 

Black Walls

As I've mentioned before, our home was built in 1937. It has tons of cool art deco features such as curved walls and an extremely deco molding above the front door. I knew immediately I really wanted to keep that feeling going, and what could be more art deco than black and white?

I had already painted the front hallway twice, but it just never felt perfect. I wanted to make a dramatic statement when you first enter, so I finally decided to take the plunge. This is why we own a home, after all. So we can make it what we want.

The color I used is called Gargoyle Shadow by Dutch Boy. Although I love Dutch Boy colors, I always have them mixed in Pittsburgh Paint. I really love the coverage they offer.

Alright, enough blabber! The reveal:

I'm really please with the heavy contrast. And my husband didn't freak out, either, so that's a plus! He actually really loves how formal our entry now feels.

With so much white. a bold color can be pulled off with ease.

What could be more trendy right now than a black and gold color scheme?  Our old door bell pops against the dark walls.

I moved my $6.99 Goodwill cherry blossom tree into the front hallway and now I feel like an extra in the recent Great Gatsby movie. (Still waiting for Leo to make his appearance. Ahem.)

More black and gold rears it's *trendy* head: our antique Ansonia clock that once belonged to my husband's grandparents.

And it frames our front door beautifully. We have mega-light coming in right now with the sun gleaming off of the snow, but had I taken a better photo, you could see how the leaded windows really pop with the black walls drawing your eye to them. Just take my word for it, ok??

I now need to get moving on some black velvet curtains that are going to frame our french doors. I need to tie all of this black paint into the living room somehow. A great excuse to use more black velvet fabric!! Thanks for looking!

Recipe Quickie: Zesty Tuna Quesadillas

Something a little simple after all of that work changing up my blog: lunch!

Zesty Tuna Quesadillas!

My family loves quesadillas because they are so easy to make and so much fun to eat! (We like using our hands with our food).

The recipe:
2 soft tortilla shells
I package of Starkist Tuna Creations: Hickory Smoked
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 large jalapeno pepper, sliced
About a cup and a half of monterey jack cheese, shredded
A little margarine

Get just a dab of margarine melting in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Throw on your tortilla shell and let it start to crisp up. Mix all other ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Spread mixture out onto your tortilla and add the second shell on top. To avoid overcrisping, I usually scale the heat down at this point. Go ahead and flip it over once the cheese starts to melt. Let the other side crisp up and the cheese bind the shells together.

Cut into wedges and serve!

Xoxo,
Natasha

Ch-ch-ch-changes! Adjusting my focus.

Sorry for the switch-up, ladies and gents. Figured it was better to tweak early on as opposed to later.

I've pretty quickly come to realize what my central focus with this blog is going to be. As I have organized photos, future blog posts and ideas, it has become apparent that the central theme always returns to our home. And yes, I am still, obviously, mismanaged, but instead of focusing on the flaws of everything I do (which is quite a bit), I want to take this time early in my blogging life to simplify and adjust my brand. I have many passions, and this doesn't mean I won't represent them all here, it simply removes the pressure of having to do EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. And I need a little less pressure.

It also lets me focus on the one recurring theme and the overall most important thing to our family: our home. And while I absolutely love decorating and all things beautiful, I would like to point out that I am not talking solely in a material sense, here.

This whole switch finally clicked with me when I was leaving with the two kiddos to run errands yesterday. My 3 year old shouted, "Bye house!" as we pulled out of the driveway. He blew it a big kiss and said, "Mom, I love our house." When I asked him what he loved about it so much he told mr it was because that is where we all play together. Tugged on my little heartstrings, he did. Isn't it funny how we as adults can glean something so profound from what is really a simple matter to a child?

So there you have it. Decision was made. Re-focus, re-brand. Home. In all of it's forms.

DIY: Louis XV Chair Makeover

Hello, everyone! I am back with a DIY decor project I have been SUPER excited to tackle: recovering some Louis XV chairs I got for a song on Craigslist.

I will briefly give some tips on how I went about this DIY project, but I am not going to go into to much detail because it's pretty straightforward, and let's just be honest: if you're like me, you just browse through the pictures.

So let's get on with it! The before:

Great, right? Eh, not so much. I got a set of two chairs, one is a side chair and the other has arms.

First we need to remove all of those nail heads! Tedious work, but sometimes I like busy work while I listen to Judge Judy,

The fabric should come off cleanly. Make sure you save the inner padding to re-use later.

Then all of the little staples in the cardboard backing need to come out. Save this piece as well.

Do the same for the seat. I removed the ugly floral fabric but was able to keep everything else underneath. it had been upholstered nicely and covered with a plain vanilla covering. Small blessings!

Use the old pieces of fabric to trace your new panels.

Make sure to leave extra around the edges, just incase.

Now drape your new fabric over the seat to make sure you have enough.

Tool time! This is what my husband had, so this is what I used. A little overkill, but whatever.

I started stapling in the back. I simple tucked he raw edge under itself to give it a "hem" and stapled as close to the edge as possible.

Just keep tucking and stapling.

Little pleats will happen, I just try to put a staple in those areas.

If you plan to use nail heads to finish, you do not need to place as many staples.

Next I moved torwards the arms.

Always be sure to keep checking that you still have your fabric evenly distributed. You don't want it to get wonky and end up short on one side. My fabric had a great amount of stretch which helped. I didn't need to pull as hard.

Seat is done!

Trace the back panel next.

Make sure the right side of your fabric is facing out on the back of a Louis Chair.

 Start stapling at the top.

Then down the sides.

After you've stapled all the way around the back, go ahead and place your cardboard and padding back in and staple in place.
Repeat the same process of rolling the edge under and stapling over the back cushion.

Ta da! Now you're ready for piping, trimmings or more nail heads if you choose!

 Isn't she a beaut??

"Black velvet in that little boy's smiiiiillleee... black velvet in that-" ok I will stop there.

This was an incredibly cheap DIY decor prjoect with a huge impact. The chairs were only $30.00 a piece and I got the fabric from Fabric.Com for $3.82 a yard! So go forth and make some ugly chairs pretty!

Fabric Love: Michael Miller

Hello, again!

Are any of you Fabric.Com trolls like me? If not, you should be. They are incredibly affordable and have a great selection. I have used them countless times.

After trolling again this morning I came across some picks from one of my favorite designers they feature, Michael Miller, and wanted to share!

His fabrics are cute, whimsical, colorful, and oh so fun! I have used them for curtains, pillows, bedding, you name it! I also think the designs are perfect for quilting, especially for children/baby minded crafters.

Some of my Michael Miller children's fabric picks:

1. Children at Play On Parade Double Border Multi - This sweet and airy scene would make an adorable bolster in a little girl's room!
2. Gnomeville Border Red - I love the vintage Hobbit feel.
3. Trailer Travel Camp Multi - In the vintage Airstream Trailer I own in my head, this would be used in a quilt for cozy nights camping with the kiddos.
4. Retro Rocket Rascals Multi - I love the retro Jetsons vibe.
5. Retro Candy Shop Cream - Someone please put this in a retro kitchen! Maybe a covered high chair or child's seat?
6. Flamingo Love Flamingo - Flamingos are very trendy right now, which is great because they are PINK!

Michael Miller decor fabric picks:

1. Bekko Home Decor Parquet Navy - Love the graphic blue and white!
2. Bekko Home Decor Pagoda Garden Blue - A very classic-feeling print.
3. Laminates Neon Pink - It's laminate pink fabric. I need it.
4. Rouge Et Noir Freckled White - Very on-trend spots - they're everywhere!
5. Sultana Deco Geo Black - Our home was built in 1937 so I am into all things deco.
6. Kiss Dot Clementine - Polka dots plus this hot color? Yes, please.

These fabrics are incredibly affordable to boot! So become a Fabric.Com addict and get DIY-ing!!

Home Tour Sneak Peek: Graham's Room

Onto my son's room!

When we purchased the home, this room was functioning as a bedroom already, but horribly outdated and so, so BLUE. Blue walls, blue carpet, blue.

The space seemed so small and cramped.

Now it feels cramped with toys! But much more suitable for a toddler (who loves toys).

I ripped out the carpet myself, painted walls and trim. My husband added a brass light fixture to the existing fan to at least make it functional for now. Hubby also made that amazing reclaimed wood bookshelf, full of thrifted treasures.

A closer shot of his shelving unit.

Oh, look! More toys! That rocking horse belonged to his great-grandfather when HE was just a child so it is priceless! And yet it's still sturdy enough that I have no fears about my wild man damaging it.

These built-ins came in handy when Graham's dresser literally snapped in half on the moving trailer.

Still lots of work to be done here. I have since started adding window treatments, cleared many of the toys, and switched up the bed for a toddler bed from Ikea. It gives him more room to run around and set up his Thomas Tracks. Because really, isn't that what kids' rooms are for?