Moving Up in the World

It's Mooonnndaaaay! I hope everyone had a great weekend despite it probably going by way too fast. I finally got to see Silver Linings Playbook and went to a new Portland bar called The Tannery which was really cool. I also had one of these. :) The biggest event for me, however, was purchasing my first TV ever!  Now I don't have to watch all of my Netflix shows (currently House of Cards) on my little laptop... very exciting. So, I flipped my bookcase on its side, reorganized my books and then put the new TV on top. And I found myself a little overwhelmed. 

It's kind of weird how a television, especially a large one, can become such a presence in a room; just a Giant Black Rectangle hangin' out and stealing the show. Maybe it's because I'm not used to having one and I'm not someone who fawns over the "beauty" of technology, but I just want to hang a pretty textile over it or something when I'm not using it. Am I crazy? Perhaps.

I spent Sunday using things I already have to decorate my bookcase in an attempt to soften up the Giant Black Rectangle. It is a work in progress considering the artwork is hung with no thought whatsoever (the hooks were in the wall when I moved in) and those green ginger jars in front of the screen aren't in a practical location. But that's what I've got so far, and I like it way better than when I started.

Another thing I'm excited about? My sofa is arriving this week! But more to come on that later...

How was your weekend? Did you work on any projects at home?

Australia Chat and Makeup Talk

Back in November, Kim from the fun lifestyle blog Northern California Style kindly gave me the "Liebster Award" and asked me to answer ten questions about myself and then share the award with two other "up and coming" bloggers. Well, here I am, finally answering her questions a whole three months later. Thanks Kim, sorry for the delay!

1. What's your favorite scent and how long have you been wearing it?

Dead Sexy by Tokyo Milk has been my favorite perfume for about 2 years now. It's different from anything I've smelled before and not very expensive, and supposedly smells a little different on everyone. Before that I wore Pink Sugar which I would describe as a complex cotton candy. It's still one of my favorite scents but always got totally mixed reactions so I'm more likely to spray it on my pillow than wear it to work. :)

Tokyo Milk on the vanity tray in my bedroom

2. Lipstick, lip gloss or chapstick?

Either lipstick or chapstick. If I feel like putting in effort or getting a little glammed up, I love YSL's Rouge Volupte in Peach Passion, but I most often have basic chapstick on.

3. If you could have a chef, a housekeeper, a driver or a masseuse at your service 24 hours a day, which would you choose?

Is it totally horrible that I live in a small apartment by myself and want to say housekeeper? Whatever, I'm going with that!

4. Do you prefer city living or the country life?

I have always lived in a city (grew up in Houston, went to college in San Diego, have lived in Portland since) but my mom lives on a farm in Texas and I absolutely love visiting. I must admit though, I get cabin fever pretty quickly so I'd have to say I prefer city living. Especially in Portland. There's just so much at your fingertips!

My mom's sweet little farm house in Chappell Hill, Texas

5. Where do you do most of your shopping for clothes: online, malls, discount stores (like Ross), boutiques, thrift and consignment shops, or outlets?

Even though I love vintage and antique decor, for some reason I am not very good at shopping for vintage clothes. So, Forever 21, H&M and Target are my go-tos. I do like places like Nordstrom Rack and Marshalls but for whatever reason I always forget to shop there.

6. What is one food that you can't stand the taste of?

Kimchee. I just can't, even though I really wish I could.

7. If you won a round-trip ticket for two to any destination in the world, where would you go and who would you take?

I never would have said this five years ago, but ever since I started reading Australian blogs, I've had a really strong desire to take a trip to that part of the world. It just seems like such a laid-back, naturally beautiful destination, and I love what I've seen of Aussie style. I would take my brother since he and I have a lot of similar interests and I think he would dig Australia more than anyone I know. Sorry Mom!

My brother and I on the zip-line course during a family vacation in Costa Rica

8. What's the last movie you saw in a theater?

Zero Dark Thirty. Hopefully I'll see another Oscar nom or two this weekend - it's kind of killing me that I have yet to see most of them! What was your favorite - which should I make sure to see!?

9. Drugstore or high-end designer makeup?

I went through a weird phase last summer where I got all kinds of designer makeup, but I'm really just a drugstore kind-of-makeup girl.

10. Real "old fashion" books made with paper or electronic reads?

Old fashion books. Please. ;) Just finished Gone Girl, now about to start The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Read 'em?

The entry table in my apartment with some books I read in book club, minus Design Sponge...

Thanks for asking me to participate, Kim, it was fun! I'd like to pass along this award to two bloggers who I've recently started reading and really enjoy...

Kim of See Kim Decorate

and 

Ashley of The Photogramps

Of course, this is totally optional but I do think it's pretty fun to learn more about the bloggers behind the blogs we read. I'm going to ask some questions that are pretty different from the ones I answered, so hear ya go ladies:

1. What are the weirdest/most unusual things we'd find in your fridge?

2. What is your favorite childhood movie?

3. Where is the best place you've ever slept?

4. What is your favorite book (and why)? 

5. How would you describe the style in your home?

6. What's your beverage of choice?

7. If you could have an all-expenses paid vacation for two anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you bring along with you?

8. Would you rather float a river, layout at the beach or ski/snowboard down a mountain?

9. If you could learn to speak another language over night, which would you choose and why?

10. What's your favorite music of the week?

Well, that's a wrap! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!!

~all photos in this post are my own~

Getting Stuff Done!

where the magic happens: I sit in that chair by the window and work on my laptop; 

as you'll see below, I need to get a sofa and rug and hang some artwork...

How was everyone's weekend!? Friday night was especially fun for me because I grabbed drinks with some close friends at Clyde Common in downtown Portland and then on Saturday I went on a spontaneous shopping spree at Tar-jay and found all kinds of irresistibly cute Valentine's Day decor at really good prices.  I can't wait to show you the couple of items that practically jumped into my shopping cart!

I also worked on a giant list of things I want to do in the relatively near future. I'm the kind of person who needs lists to survive. I can't get my house organized and cleaned unless I break it down into tiny spaces and list them out: kitchen counters, area by the window, bed (anyone else use theirs as a table?), bathroom sink, floors, etc. It may sound kind of ridiculous but it helps me to focus and not get overwhelmed by all there is to do. Plus, it's really fun to cross things off the list.

I was inspired to start another sort of list by blogger Jackie Jade, a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. The original idea comes from Mackenzie of Design Darling who describes the 101 in 1001 as the "happy medium" between a to-do list and a bucket list. I thought it sounded like a cool idea and am hoping it will help me concentrate on the things that are important to me and make better use of my free time.

So I have a little less than three years to get the following accomplished:

1. Make a 101 things in 1001 days list
2. Take a sewing class
3. Buy a piece of furniture at an estate sale
4. Paint my bathroom and kitchen white (early Feb 2013)
5. Put drapes/shades up in all of the windows in my apartment
6. Go to an estate auction
7. Save up for a large, flat screen TV; I have never owned a TV and just watch movies from my laptop... but I'm kind of over that and I'm pretty sure my friends are too
8. Create five pieces of artwork for my home
9. Visit my sister in Washington D.C.
10. Make my own stationery
11. Barbecue a Texas-style beef brisket
12. Go skiing on Mt. Hood and graduate from being a total beginner
13. Host a winter cocktail party
14. Host a Cinco de Mayo party every year 
15. Go cross-country skiing (mid Feb 2013)
16. Go deep sea fishing
17. Learn how to really work my camera
18. Learn how to use photoshop to do the things I want to do
19. Learn how to make a collage of things for my blog (I am so clueless!)
20. Help three friends (including blog friends) decorate their homes
21. Learn how to reupholster a piece of furniture, and do it
22. Make my front porch really inviting with potted and hanging plants, a pretty mat and a welcome sign
23. Replace/repair the crown molding that has detached from the ceiling in my apartment
24. Get to an intermediate level in yoga (I have a loooong way to go!)
25. Get better at telling jokes :)
26. Host a game night at my apartment
27. Participate in Apartment Therapy's "January Cure" - I'm currently doing the "February Cure" instead!
28. Make a really good homemade salsa 
29. Learn how to make queso without using any Velveeta
30. Go through my clothes and take 1/3 to Good Will or swap with friends
31. Knit a hat
32. Add some houseplants around my apartment
33. Transfer my beloved Staghorn fern to a larger base, so he can grow!
34. Update my blog layout
35. Figure out a way to incorporate The Lucky Find Vintage (my Etsy shop) into this blog
36. Read three biographies and three autobiographies
37. Ween myself off of The Bachelor (2 hours/week is just soooo much time) (Feb 2013)
38. Create a floor cloth for my kitchen
39. Complete my bar table (Valentine's Day 2013)
40. Find a great vintage Persian rug for my living room
41. Get glasses
42. Begin a "vintage recipes" series on the blog
43. Make sushi
44. Create Instagram magnets for the fridge
45. Get an iPad
46. Read Lonesome Dove
47. Get a better URL for my blog (I really really really don't like it as is)
48. Be able to better define my design aesthetic
49. Watch three classic musicals that I haven't seen before
50. Spend a Saturday having a Disney movie marathon
51. Camp along the Eagle Creek trail in the Columbia River Gorge (it's the most beautiful trail I've ever been on)
52. Attend some kind of Interior Design or Antiques event/seminar
53. Connect with at least 5 blogging friends in person
54. Make 10 recipes off Pinterest, first up being this
55. Make 20 recipes out of cookbooks handed down from my grandmother
56. Try Zumba
57. Watch Star Wars (I never have)
58. Refinish a piece of vintage furniture

I took this photo a couple of summers ago while hiking the Eagle Creek trail. Summer and #51 on my list can't come soon enough!

59. Make a fancy cake with my vintage mixer
60. Do a cleanse (NOT the Master Cleanse)
61. Find out my blood type
62. Send letters and cards to out-of-state family members and friends on a regular basis
63. Send birthday cards to family members and friends
64. Visit Santa Barbara
65. Stay at a bed & breakfast
66. Go to a national park in Utah
67. Go tubing in the river
68. Draw a floor plan of my apartment
69. Organize my storage space in the basement
70. Brew my own beer
71. Go on a Distillery Row tour in Portland, OR
72. Cook a nice dinner with meat/seafood purchased at the farmers' market
73. Have a friend over at least once a month for dinner (started Feb 2013)
74. Make a tie-dye picnic blanket
75. Paint my kitchen table a fun color
76. Get a sofa
77. Frame and hang all of the artwork I own
78. Get new tires for my car (and maybe get a new car??)
79. Learn how to make a martini and have them regularly (Valentine's Day 2013)
80. Become flexible (physically)
81. Learn how to make flower arrangements
82. Get a cute light fixture for my front porch
83. Get a new piece of furniture to store books (Ikea bookshelf be gone!)
84. Babysit some kids for free
85. Start volunteering again
86. Go to Yosemite National Park with my family
87. Go to Disneyland
88. Go on a brewery tour in Bend, Oregon (for my 29th birthday in Feb 2013!)
89. Go crabbing on the Oregon Coast
90. Go clam digging on the Oregon Coast
91. Find some new chairs for my kitchen table at a thrift shop or secondhand store 
92. Learn how to play a new lawn game
93. Have a barbecue with friends in the backyard
94. Replace the battery in my Macbook
95. Go bike riding at least 20 times
96. Watch 10 movies made before 1960
97. Add at least a dozen framed photos to my home decor
98. Go gold panning in Southern Oregon
99. Take a trip to Seattle and go to the top of the Space Needle
100. Clean out the trunk of my car and keep it that way
101. Take more of my own photos, and share more of my own projects on this blog

yesterday's project

I'm thisclose to being able to cross "paint my bathroom and kitchen white" off the list - it's what I spent all of yesterday doing (made bearable because of this playlist)! I even skipped a Super Bowl party so I could get it done, and now I just need to do one final coat in the bathroom. Sometimes it feels good to just do it, ya know? Now I can really move forward with decorating my bathroom and kitchen, which is exciting because I desperately need to get some ideas out of my head. :)

How was your weekend??


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Latest Inspiration

I have a lot of catching up to do since blogging has taken the backseat to this other project I'm working on that I will finally be sharing with the world minus my mom on Monday. I am SO excited. I can be a bit of perfectionist with the things I really care about (as I'm sure many of you are) and so it's taking way longer than I would like it to. But it's getting soclose.

I'm also really looking forward to getting back into my groove and spending Sunday morning at my favorite bakery, chocolate croissant and latte in hand as I read through all of the wonderful blogs that I have been neglecting recently. I can't wait to see all of your latest visual inspiration, read your creative short stories, find out what food you have been enjoying (does anyone not blog about food?), and learn about the home projects you've been spending time on. I get so much inspiration and enjoyment from the blogging community and can't wait to be 100% involved again.

Until then, here is some of my favorite inspiration from all over the web... (and if you are active on Pinterest I am a bit of a pinning psycho and would love to connect on there. Heehee. Find me here)

this pretty living room via House Beautiful's Pinterest account

this very cool entry table (loving the polaroids) via Design Sponge

the cool-as-it-is-cute style of Miroslava Duma, former editor of Harper's Bazaar Russia
(if you search for her on Pinterest you will not be disappointed)

this elegant but cozy bedroom featured on Glitter Guide

this eclectic, treasure-filled vignette via Design Sponge

this fantastic combo of leopard and grey via Lauren Santo Domingo's Pinterest boards

this incredible bathroom via Gild & Grace, one of my very-favorite interior design blogs.
Constant eye candy.

this great mixed-style living room in San Francisco via Apartment Therapy

this Oscar de la Renta NYFW runway look (actually the entire RTW collection - trust) via vogue.com

this perfectly rustic bathroom via Apartment Therapy

this ultra-glam living room featured on Vogue's APT with LSD

What do you have planned for the weekend? And give a girl some tips: how do you successfully stay on top of blogging? I need to knoooooow ;)

DIY: Jewelry Organizer

A couple of weekends ago I stumbled upon a $25 gift card to Forever 21 that I'd never used, so I headed to the mall to do a little outfit shopping for a wedding I was going to later that evening. I decided to let myself spend the whole thing on jewelry - guaranteed I'd walk out of that store with multiple options for the night. Well, $52 (obviously not the plan) and about 20 minutes later, I exited the mall with three necklaces, one bracelet, four pairs of earrings and two rings. I was so happy.

When I got home, however, I was disappointed to find my precious jewelry all tangled up in its little yellow plastic bag and I knew it would only get worse after it found its place in my "jewelry pouch." The makeup bag that I use to store my jewelry is where most necklaces, rings and earrings go to die because I forget about them or am too rushed to untangle them before I head out the door. Can you relate? I basically have two pairs of earrings and one bracelet on heavy rotation, but I have lots of other worthy jewelry that deserves its time in the spotlight as well. I'm not trying to go all Toy Story with this post I promise...

The next day I decided to come up with some kind of organization system that would keep my jewelry accessible and out of harm's way. And because I think jewelry is pretty (and my closet is just way too damn packed with stuff to do anything there) I started thinking about ways I could display it attractively in my room. There were many options, but I decided to go with an idea I had seen on Pinterest... perhaps you've seen it?

originally from Better Homes & Gardens

Now, truth be told I don't take on DIYs too often and I pretty much despise anything that involves using a drill, so I will probably never get my own show on HGTV. This particular project came with swearing, sweat, phone calls to my mom, and near give-up moments, but in the end I completed the project and I'm really glad I did. (Don't be scared, keep reading...)

Because I wasn't following any kind of directions and just sort of figured it out as I went along, there are many things I would do differently if I repeated the project (#1 being: make sure you have a drill bit). So, that's the version you'll be getting below. I believe that this is a pretty simple DIY and with a little effort, anyone can do it. If you are good with a drill, this will be a piece of cake.

And please don't get too annoyed with me if I over-explain. I have a degree in Elementary Education and that communication style has unfortunately stuck with me...

First, your materials and tools:

Rectangular piece of plywood - I got mine for $0.51 from Home Depot's wood scraps and it measured 24" by 28" and was a little less than 1" thick.

Sandpaper - (only if the plywood needs to be smoothed down)

Burlap - Enough to fold in half, cover the front side of the board, and staple in the back. I got 2 yards to be on the safe side, and had lots of extra.

Hardware - Drawer knobs, drawer pulls, hooks, etc. that you will be hanging your jewelry on. You might want to draw out what you want the board to look like so you know how many of each kind to get, or you can just lay it out at the hardware store and see what you like. I ended up choosing 5 pulls, 5 knobs, and 2 hooks. If I did it again, I'd get a couple pulls that are pocket shaped, like in the photo from Pinterest, to put stud earrings in.

Staple gun and staples

Power drill

Drill bit - Choose one that is the same size in diameter as the bolts that came with your hardware. This is the one tool that I did not have during this project, and as a result, it became way more complicated than it needed to be.

Screwdriver - You may not end up using it

Ribbons - Two ribbons, one wider than the other and in different colors, long enough to wrap around the front of the board and staple in the back

Picture Hanging Materials - Brackets, hooks, wire to hang the board on the wall

Pencil

And then this is what you're going to do:

1. Use the sandpaper to smooth the plywood edges and corners if necessary. Then, with the board on the ground, lay out where you want to put all of the various pieces of hardware. Keep in mind what you will probably hang from each one (earrings, long necklaces, etc.) and space accordingly. 

2. With the hardware in final place, use your pencil to mark the bolt holes for each piece so you know where to drill. For pieces of hardware that have two bolt holes, mark the two holes but just drill one of them.

3. Wrap the burlap in two layers around the the side of the board that you did not mark and staple gun it to the back (marked side), stapling about every two inches. Pull at the burlap with one hand as you staple with the other so that the material lays smoothly on the front side.

After this photo I was about to throw the drill out the window so I was over taking pictures. Sorry!

4. Take the bolts from the hardware and match them with the correct bolt holes in the board. Use the screwdriver or power drill to screw in the bolts so that they poke through the burlap on the other side. You will need to prop the board up from the ground (I used yoga blocks) so you don't drill into the floor.

5. Flip the board over and carefully push the burlap down around the tips of the bolts so that you can screw the hardware on tightly. Then one by one, twist on your hardware.

6. Finally, wrap the larger ribbon across the top of the board and staple to the back. Then wrap the smaller ribbon around the board so that it lays on top of the larger ribbon and staple to the back. Attach your hanging hardware to the back of the board and hang on the wall.

Finished! Now the fun part is hanging your jewelry...

Do you have a favorite way to organize your jewelry? And more importantly - are you doing anything fun for Labor Day weekend? I'm going camping for two nights with a big group of friends and seriously CANNOT WAIT! :) Have a good one!

Messy Mondays

Well, the weekend came and went, and while it was a good one (two days of sleeping in, a close friend's wedding, and a fancy homemade dinner paired with three episodes of The Newsroom), it's now Monday and my apartment is not as tidy as it usually is as I'd like it to be. Story of my life. So, I guess I know what I'll be doing after work today!

I did, however, pick up a couple of pieces of art that I had left at Michael's for custom matting (and I'm feeling like it was money very well spent) so I'm convincing myself I was a tiny bit productive. I'll have to do a before and after post of the progress I've made on the "art wall" in the near future, but until then, here is an Instagram sneak peek I took this afternoon...

don't mind the crispy dead flowers...

And coincidentally, my good friend Anna texted me a photo of the art wall she has created in her baby Max's room, which includes a piece of art I sent as a baby gift in the bottom left corner. I can't get over how cute this little nook is! Way to go Anna and Nate!

What was the best part of your weekend?

Personal Project: Dresser Re-vamp

Well hello there. I hope everyone had a fantastic, summery weekend! I just wrapped up what was by far my busiest week in a looong time, and between sippin' beers at the Oregon BrewFest, gettin' down at both Phantogram and Florence and the Machine, and enjoying a few backyard barbecues - one involving togas, I didn't even have time to watch The Bachelorette finale blogging has been on the back burner. Until now...

One of my best friends, Michelle, is working hard to clean out the was-his, now-theirs home she and her husband share as newlyweds, and since I was smart enough to mention how much I loved a dresser in their basement a while back... it's now going to be mine! The only place it'll fit in my apartment is the kitchen, and I've decided not to question the weirdness of that because I just can't pass up free furniture that has some smidgeon of style.  I will make it work.

what I'm working with

I think the dresser has a lot of potential, so I'm planning on sanding, priming and painting it to create a totally new look. I'm in the brainstorming phase and would love any input on colors, finishes, hardware, and so on and so forth. Thank you in advance :)

A few things I'm trying to keep in mind:

1) Since this piece will be going in my white-walled kitchen, I am leaning towards lighter colors so it'll camouflage itself a bit and not feel like it's taking up the whole space. But maybe it should stand out? Help!

2) I would also like to consider the color palettes throughout my apartment because this dresser may not always be in the kitchen; my "bedroom" is made up of muted florals, my "living room" is a rainbow of colors, heavy on the brights, and my kitchen is so basic that the only thing I might need to consider complementing is the table and chairs which can be seen here. Side note: the blueness of the table is a little intense in that photo - in real life it's much lighter.

3) I already have a lot of paint in the color below (glossy Behr "Malted Milk") and I am obsessed with it, but it happens to be what my bedroom dresser is painted right now and I don't want to walk around with "B-O-R-I-N-G" written on my forehead. Perhaps it could be paired with another color or two?

via

Here are some photos I've rounded up for copying ideas....

 photo source

photo source 

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So... what in the world do you think I should do with this dresser?

awesome art that won't break yo bank!

For a while now I've been wanting to share a few of the artists I've fallen in love with as I've slowly started gathering pieces of art for the awkwardly blank wall above my bar table. It's a gradual process, but I finally feel like my money's going to something better than random things I don't need from Target or fedoras from Gilt Groupe that don't even end up fitting - final sale in fine print. (It was some kind of weird day when I thought a fedora was my style. Blessing in disguise.) Anyway, thanks to the wonderful world wide web, finding awesome art on the cheap has kind of fallen into my lap.

And there's really been no better time to do this post than now, because last Friday I received this super pretty watercolor print by the talented Laura Trevey of Bright Bold and Beautiful in the mail. This is the kind of art that makes me so happy to be a girl. It's elegant, colorful, and fun and has lotsa pink. The best part is that I actually won the print through a giveaway on Laura's blog, and included with it was a hot pink shade of Essie nail polish! Total score - thank you Laura! I can't wait to get this lovely piece of art framed and hung on the wall.


And some of the other artists I'm so happy to have discovered...

Alexandra Valenti Photography. (You may have heard me talk about this talented gem before.) After flipping out over Alexandra's work featured on Design*Sponge, I immediately purchased her "Rope Swing" print and began following her professional page on Facebook (slightly obsessed). I now find myself falling head over heels for every new photo series of hers that pops up on my minifeed. Girl does not disappoint! Her mysterious, bohemian, black and white portraits are shot in the most interesting locations, and the colorful "painting" on top makes them especially unique. Truly stunning stuff.

Another discovery via Design*Sponge (I'm soooo original), I found the perfect piece of modern art for my collection in "thepairabirds" work on Etsy. I was struck by their geometric designs of faceted gemstones created with colorful woodgrain. Funky right? I chose the amethyst print because it's my birthstone and I'm sentimental like that. I do hope to get a few more of the gemstones in the future - if I don't have them on my fingers, I want them on my wall!

And last but not least, an Ideal Bookshelf print by Jane Mount was another instant (midnight) purchase (for a baby gift!) after I stumbled upon some of her wonderful work featured in a Camille Styles post. Does seeing that top photo give you a really big smile like it gave me? Quite simply, she paints collections of books that one might find on any old bookshelf - everything from Goodnight Moon to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (however I did not see Fifty Shades of Grey so calm down). I got way too excited when I saw the bookshelf above - The Brothers K? My favorite book, and very few people have read it. I highly recommend it. If you are one of those cool people who has read it, you better leave a comment below.     ;)

Have you discovered any artwork that you couldn't live without on the web? 

fyi: all images are from the artists' websites 

Personal Project: Art Wall (Pt. 2)

Okay so, not a ton of progress has been made with the art wall project, but there's been some. The sun has been out in Portland (finally!) and I've found myself spending my free time, ya know, sitting on rooftop bars getting happy hour, playing lawn games in the park, driving around with windows down, frappuccino in hand, reveling in the fact that Somebody That I Used To Know is on the radio 24/7 because that song is SO fun to sing along to! Not that I relate to it or anything. ;) In other words, I haven't been spending much of my time sitting inside scavenging the net or shopping indoors for pieces of artwork to add to my collection.

So... progress:

1) I decided to paint the gold frame of the plein air painting a very dark, blueish-black based on the input I got in my previous post. My thought was that the poorly applied gold made the painting look too wannabe-fancy, so I wanted to do something more understated that still made the colors pop.

I mixed generic black and blue acrylic paint that I picked up at my local art supplies store with the portions shown in the photo above. I used a large brush for most of the frame and a very tiny one for the edges closest to the canvas. There were a few times I accidentally got paint on the canvas, but I was able to wipe it off very easily with a damp cloth.

I only painted one coat because I was pressed for time (story of my life) and I wasn't totally sure about the color, plus it looked good enough to hang on the wall for a few days while I thought it over. I'm still not crazy about the painting (perhaps it was too much of an impulse buy?) but maybe it's just because it might be a little too mature for the rest of my apartment. (Ha, yeah that's probably it! See the pinata below.) Maybe if I move it to the bathroom or kitchen it will be so unexpected I'll like it again? Sitting on it...

2) Frida and Diego (whose frame I decided to leave as-is for now) were getting lonely, so to fill up some of the blank space above them I hung a painting I recently created at a one-time art class my friend Amanda and I attended on one super-wild Friday night (yeah Living Social!) And fyi, that's Oregon's Mt. Hood yo! I don't think it will stay up there forever because I'm not crazy about it, but I do like it for the moment. 

3) Finally, a while back, I was on the prowl for some kind of book-related print to hang above my bookshelf, so I pretty much struck gold when I discovered that Peter Max (one of my favorite artists) had created a poster for National Library Week in 1969.  I found a print of it on Ebay and going with the bright color palette, I bought a royal blue frame at Ikea for only $8.99. Framed on top of white paper, it declares, "Be All You Can Be. Read." :)

And the "art wall" still-in-progress:

Really excited to get that Alexandra Valenti photograph on the wall. :) Until next time...