But Martha Made it Look So Easy!

Image from Martha Stewart Living

When I saw this etched glass project at marthastewart.com, I knew I had to try it. I swoon for anything with an initial on it. The directions were only a couple of paragraphs, how hard could it be? Wouldn't a small glass vase with an etched initial make a nice little Christmas gift.*I saw myself completing dozens of these assembly line style. But am a big believer in telling it like it is. This project did not work out as planned and it's my own fault. I followed the directions of the back of the etching cream bottle to the letter. I should have followed Martha's instructions instead. If I had only read the last sentence, my project might look like Martha's.

"Practice on a jar until you're comfortable with the process; the cream is simple to use, but for best results, the design must be applied carefully and smoothly."


Did I practice first? No. Did I apply the cream smoothly? No. The bottle of etching cream said nothing more than to apply a thick layer. Even the photograph illustrating how to apply it showed a gloppy mess. So that is what I did. When I rinsed off the cream after five minutes as instructed, instead of a perfect etched project, I got this hot mess:





It actually looks worse in person. I was hotter than the devil when I saw that I had ruined a perfectly good vase and wasted about a quarter of the bottle of etching cream. The moral of the story : Always do it just like Martha says.

*Due to my unsteady hand, I chose not to try cutting a letter stencil with a utility knife. Instead, I bought a sticker that is typically used to create signs. You can find these at hardware stores.

If anyone has successfully completed a project like this, I am begging you to let me know how you achieved your result. I would like to try this again.

What's the Buzz

Image from Better Homes and Gardens.

Lately I've been noticing a lot of rooms done in a combination of yellow and black. I have to say I'm kind of digging it. Very bumblebee chic! Take a look at these rooms:

Image from House to Home

Image from lovehome.co.uk.

I love the wallpaper in this bedroom.

Image from Apartment Therapy




Image from Absolutely Beautiful Things

What do you think, would you like a bumblebee inspired room?

Should It Stay or Should It Go: Home Addition

Does this girl have no friends?

Who could forget the photograph of actress/singer, Jessica Simpson in those hideous high-waisted jeans. It was splashed all over the media for the world to see. Where were her friends when she needed them? Were they too afraid to break it to her that her bum looked inflatable in those jeans?

We've all been in that situation. Your friend asks if her new spray tan gives her a healthy glow. You have already assessed the situation and decided that her skin is approximately the color of a glass of Tang, but you tell a little white lie, "yes, you are definitely GLOWING!" Sometimes this type of situation happens with our friends' decor too. What do you do when a friend brings some item into his/her home that is so horrifying that you are rendered speechless? Do you tell the truth?

Velvet Painting of Jesus and The King of Rock 'n Roll. Image from alleewillis.com

From time to time I will be asking readers to answer the question, "Should it stay or should it go?" Is the item(s) something you should tell your friend to ditch or is it acceptable home decor?

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are strictly those of the author and are in no way intended to incite a riot.

Item #1: Paintings by Thomas Kincaid

Image from myambiancegardens.com

I am going to have to pass on creations from "The Painter of Light", how about you?

Item # 2: The Snuggie

Not sure it's the real deal, but I thought it was hilarious and the baby is adorable. Image from looseneck.com.

I say, if it is discreetly hidden after each use, what's the harm?

Item #3: The Stone Goose Dressed In Seasonal Decor

Image from figureconcord.com

This may be a Midwest phenomenon, but there are hundreds of people who place stone geese on their front porches and dress them for the weather. Clothing options for stone geese are readily available at church craft bazaars. Most often the apparel is created by residents of local assisted living facilities. I have seen a number of geese over the years dressed as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.

My opinion, there is never a time when the stone goose should grace your front porch. The SG is the killer of curb appeal. As a matter of fact, if anyone in my neighborhood were to acquire a SG, I would be forced to immediately evacuate my home. What do you think?

If you have an item that you would like to suggest for "Should it stay or should it go", leave me a comment or e-mail me at karen.evans@bex.net.

Please remember, friends don't let friends purchase tacky decor.

A Definite Design Don't

Oh, Honey, don't you own a mirror?

I used to subscribe to Glamour magazine. Each month I couldn't wait to rip off that plastic cover and head straight to everyone's favorite monthly feature, the "Glamour Do's and Don'ts". For the one or two of you who have never seen the D&D's, it usually involves photographs of unsuspecting woman on the streets of Manhattan committing some serious violation of fashion rules. Often times it involves visible panty lines. Ah, the dreaded VPL. It can take a perfectly beautiful ensemble and render it a complete failure. (The above image withstanding, that is just a whole lot of wrong no matter how you slice it.) Of course Glamour would offer suggestions for taking the "Don't" and turning it into a "Do".


What does Glamour magazine's D&D's have to do with design? Well, there is a design equivalent of the VPL. Something that can take an otherwise flawless room and turn it into a disaster. I am talking about the OVERSIZED TELEVISION. (Cue the music from "Psycho" as the knife wielding killer is about to stab the woman in the shower.)

"Officer, we have a 2-9-0 in progress, the alleged offender has tried to pass itself off as a part of the decor. "

Yes, these staples of the '90's family room are just as offensive as a woman wearing her black panties two sizes too small with a pair of stretch pants. Take it from me, I own the above pictured crime of design. But I was framed, I tell you!

Just before our move, our former behemoth set finally broke. I was ecstatic, I was going to get one of the new flat screen t.v's that could be hung on the wall or maybe placed on a sleek little table:Image from ABC Warehouse

Instead, I trusted the hubs to go out shopping. Alone. Big mistake. Five years later and it still works like the day it was hauled in by two very large and strong men. The moral of the story-never let your significant other shop for a t.v. without you.

Orange You Glad I Painted Them

The pathetic "before"

I have been working like a crazy woman for the past couple of weeks trying to redecorate my guest room/office and I'm just about done. If you have been following along, you know that I was so inspired by HGTV's Design Star's White Room Challenge that I decided to try it at home. My mission is to redecorate my own big white room using only items I currently own or things I can purchase at Michaels.

A quick jaunt to my basement's storage area yielded me a set of cast-off nesting tables from the now defunct Bombay Company. These little beauties graced my home during the days when I decorated in a style I like to call "Early Marriage". I have a feeling that some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. I chose the two smaller tables to use for my room.

I had one can of orange spray paint left over from painting a few things for my wall arrangement, but I didn't think it would be enough for both tables. Lucky for me, I had about a half a pint of orange paint left over from a project I did last summer. Sometimes the stars are all in alignment!

With a little sanding, primer and the orange paint, I ended up with a couple of pretty sweet bedside tables.




I borrowed the lamp from my desk, a Goodwill find that I dolled up with a little rick-rack. The small glass holding my backyard bouquet came with a scented candle. Finally, I found an old Lucite frame for a pic of the hubs and me. (Look close, you may never see my face again. I'm always the one behind the camera!)

If I hadn't issued myself this challenge, I would have painted the tables a brighter orange, but I still think it's an improvement. Now I need to come up with an idea to bring color to the area over the bed. Any suggestions?

Domino Inspired Wall Arrangement

I'm bound and determined to turn my guest room/office from something with all the appeal of a hospital room to a bright, welcoming space where I can write and also, host the occasional guest. However, there's a little twist to this makeover. I have been using only furniture and accessories I have around the house with the exception of an odd item or supply from Michael's (40% off coupons with every purchase are a must!)

Here is where I started. Charming, right?

I've already finished the headboards and desk. Now it's time to bring a little color to the wall above the desk. After all, I need something to look at while I'm working. Michael's doesn't carry wall paint so I had to use a little imagination to come up with a scheme to bring some color to the wall. Here is what I came up with:




I got my inspiration from a picture of a wall arrangement I had seen in the late Domino magazine. Sorry I don't have the image, the Domino site is no longer up. I know, it's like a death in the family. Shall we observe a moment of silence?

I started by picking through my house and found a few old frames, a never-used embroidery hoop (as if I was ever going to embroider anything. What was I thinking buying that in the first place?) a few sheets of scrapbooking paper and the most god-awful gold wooden letter "K". The frames, letter "K" and hoop were spray painted orange or red. Once the items were dry, they were ready to be hung.

I started by cutting a piece of brown craft paper to the size I wanted to act as the boundary in which to hang my items. I hung this above the desk to be sure I was satisfied with the size.




Next, I arranged the items on the paper until I came up with an arrangement that I liked. This is an old trick I learned from watching The Martha Stewart Show.



I traced around each item, then made a mark for the nail placement. Time to hang the paper back up and get busy nailing.



I used a piece of fabric leftover from my office chair makeover to fill the embroidery frame and the scrapbook papers became my art work. Ta-da, my wall arrangement is complete! I will probably add a couple items down the road, but for now, I've got something to look at while I work.

Free Downloadable Art

Want a way to add a little drama to your walls but are a little strapped for cash? Go to Vintage Printables to download free art images. You will find a variety of images of flowers, animals, vintage posters, illustrations and much more. This is just a small sampling of what they have to offer:





















Print several images of the same subject matter and group them for a wall arrangement. Images of botanicals, fruits, birds or butterflies would be perfect. Try using cardstock to print your images and then place them in identical frames and mats for a custom look. Check out the site and let me know what you think.

Striped Walls and Not a Paintbrush in Sight

One Sunday evening while browsing my favorite design blogs I came across a post about painting horizontal stripes on your walls. I loved the look of the image showing wide cream and white stripes with a thin band of red. I had to have this in my basement's half bath and I had to have it right now. The walls were already an off-white shade and I had a lot of leftover paint in Sherwin-Williams Canvas Tan from our build. I'll spare you the gory details, but it was a lot harder, messier and time consuming than it looks.

I did complete the wide stripes, but the thin band of red never happened. Not until I discovered the key to a no-tape, no paint, solution. My two new BFFs , liquid starch and .50 cent ribbon from Michael's. 10 yards for .50 cents, score!






I used this technique to create a pinstripe effect on another project and it was a piece of cake. I could have that thin red band in a flash. This is the bathroom before:



and another angle:


My straight lines were already on the walls so I was able to begin my project with no preparation involved. (Obviously, if you didn't have the walls marked you would have to do this step first. If you want detailed instructions for marking the stripes on your wall, e-mail and I'll get right back to you.)

First off, time to cut the ribbon to the right length. I measured the length of ribbon I would need for each stripe and added a couple inches just to be safe. Some lengths were shorter because there was a light fixture and commode to contend with. Once I had the ribbon cut to size it was ready to be hung. I cut one long, continuous piece, but cutting a piece for each wall would work as long as you overlap the ribbon just slightly at the corners.

One at a time I dipped a length of ribbon in a plastic container in which I had poured a shallow amount of liquid starch. This is an image from the last project I completed using this technique:



Once the ribbon is saturated, using my index finger and thumb, I squeezed out the excess starch by working down the length of the ribbon until I came to the end. (This is where it might have been easier to have cut one piece of ribbon for each wall.) After removing the excess liquid starch I was on my way to getting the thin red stripe I had been coveting.

Starting in a corner, using the existing stripes as my guide. I eased the ribbon on to the wall. This process is very similar to applying wallpaper because the starch is slippery and allows you to adjust the ribbon up or down, if necessary. I worked with small sections, just a few inches at a time, making sure to remove any air pockets that formed. When working the ribbon around a corner, I made sure to hold my finger on the ribbon at the intersection of the two walls so that it wouldn't pull away at the corner. Once I came to the end of each line, I used a small pair of sharp scissors to trim the excess ribbon. I followed this same process for each stripe.

Once all of the stripes were complete I let them dry for a few hours and my job was complete. Mirror back up, picture on the wall and I was back in business. Here is a glimpse of the finished project (the stripes look a bit pink here, but they are a bright shade of red):




In retrospect, I think the stripes would look better if I had chosen a slightly wider ribbon, but all in all I'm pretty happy with the result. It gives me an idea of what it would look like if I decide to take the plunge and make these stripes a little more permanent with paint. But the great part about this project is that the ribbon can easily be pulled off in seconds and replaced with something else. The old ribbon can be washed and recycled for another project.

*This is a great technique for renters because it allows you to add a touch of color without having to worry about losing your deposit because you painted. Liquid starch can also be used to adhere fabric to walls. Make sure that if you try this with fabric that you wash and dry it first to avoid shrinking. Also, this will not work well with very lightweight fabrics like bedsheets. The fabric must have a little weight to it. I tested this technique with a piece of indoor/outdoor fabric and it worked really well. The edges didn't fray and it clung to the wall with no problem. One last note, do not use this technique in a full bath. The steam from the shower could cause the ribbon to pull away from the wall.

The project took about 30 minutes in total. It's not called Strictly Simple Style for nothing!

Trashy Table Turns Pinstriped Perfect

Remember the little pine kitchen table from this post about My Big White Room Challenge? Sad, isn't it?


I was determined to turn it into a presentable desk for my office that also doubles as a guest room. It started out as a kitchen table in the early days of marriage when pine was all we poor struggling kids could afford. More recently, it was used as a craft table by my children. It was covered with remnants of glue, glitter and crayon. One leg was covered in a thick brown substance that I sincerely hope was finger paint. After a very thorough cleaning, it was time to sand, prime, paint and possibly, add a finishing touch.

Voila, the finished product!

Step one was sanding. Years of use left the surface of the table, soon-to-be desk pretty scratched up. Pine is a very soft wood. It took a bit of time to remove the finish and sand down the years of abuse. After a good wiping down, it was on to primer and paint.

I may sound like a broken record here, but I grabbed my trusted friends, Rustoleum spray primer and paint in White Satin and had at it.



A few thin coats of each was all it took. Remember, when you are using spray paint, it is always best to do multiple thin coats to avoid drips. I followed the directions on the can and waited about 20 after priming to paint the desk. I let the desk dry for 24 hours then applied a wipe on protective coat.

It now looked like this:



Better, but not quite there. It needed a dash of something to punch it up a bit. How about painting a pinstripe border? I liked the idea of it, but I'm all about effortless design and the thought of measuring, taping and painting sounded like a lot of trouble. If I didn't like it, I would have to paint again. Enter liquid starch.



This fabulous product and a couple of rolls of .50 ribbon from Michael's could give me the look of a painted pinstripe in minutes. Here's the skinny:

Step 1 - With a ruler placed at the edge of the table, parallel to the top, I marked the distance I wanted between each of my stripes. I moved the ruler down several inches and again marked the same distances. I continued this process in about 4 inch increments until I was at the opposite end of the table. I repeated the process on the other side of the desk. I chose two thin stripes on either side of a slightly thicker stripe to give me the look I was going for.





Step 2- I measured the length I wanted each stripe be, including how much would be necessary to wrap around the edge of the desk. I cut four lengths of orange ribbon for the outer stripes and two lengths of red ribbon for the inner stripe.

Step 3 - I poured a small amount of liquid starch into a plastic container and placed a piece of ribbon in the liquid. I made sure to saturate the ribbon, then, with my thumb and index finger, I squeezed out the excess starch, working my way to the end of the ribbon.



Step 4- Using the pencil marks as my guide and starting with the innermost stripes and working my way to the edge, I positioned the ribbons on the desk, tucking the ends under for a finished look. This step is very similar to using wallpaper. The liquid starch is very slippery allowing you to reposition if necessary.

Step 5 - I let the ribbon dry overnight and I was ready to place my accessories on the desk and call it a day.







From start to finish, this took about 15-20 minutes to complete. The best part about this method is that the ribbon will adhere to the desk until I decide to remove it. But it gets better, unlike wallpaper, an absolute nightmare to remove, the ribbon will peel off in one pull. No mess!

Stay tuned to see how I use liquid starch for another home makeover in minutes.