Friday, June 29, 2012

The Jealous Armoire

So we're really down to the wire here... in 2 days I find out if I get to keep the Su Casa dresser from the Test It Blog It Win It contest.  In the meantime, another piece of furniture in our house is feeling a little jilted.
The armoire has been banished to the basement and he isn't happy about it.

Right now, the Su Casa dresser, who can do no wrong, is in our bedroom

Ahhh, so beautiful.  I will miss it so much if I don't win it.


The kids have even taken a liking to it
Perfect for forts, right?

That poor armoire in the basement is on it's last leg anyway.  I bought it for $15 at Goodwill and refinished it.  He isn't holding up as well as I had hoped, especially since the move.

If you're interested in helping me win the dresser, be sure to click on the this Su Casa link or go to their facebook page and tell them The Creative Imperative sent you!

Thanks so much for your support throughout this competition.  I know it was a departure from my usual content and I appreciate you sticking with me!
Blessings,
Jamie

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Bathroom Towel Hooks for the Kids

I have no idea who was in charge of deciding where the towel racks in this house would go, but I don't think he was of sound mind.  They are in the strangest and most inconvenient places!

OK, I'm done with my rant.  Here is my solution to the problem (at least for the kids' bathroom).


I let each of them choose their favorite ribbon from the ribbon holders.

I cut a small length (about 5") of ribbon and burned the edges to keep them from raveling.


Look at that!  I've never burned the edges before, but it really does work well.

I then sewed the ribbon into a loop onto the side of the towel.




I used white bobbin thread so the blue won't show on the towel side.

Then I hung each towel from the kids' jute-wrapped hooks.





Perfect height for them to reach right after washing their hands.  Now the trick is to get them to wash their hands in the first place....

Thanks so much for stopping by.  What do you think?  Is this something you could use in your kids' bathroom?
Blessings,
Jamie

featured here
freckled laundry
This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip JunkieThe Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z Naptime Crafters Whipperberry delightful order blissful and domestic elizabeth and co diy by design gingersnap crafts>my repurposed life

Monday, June 25, 2012

Art in Your Home

I've really enjoyed seeing some of the Su Casa furniture the other bloggers in the test it blog it win it contest have been blogging about.

I know you've seen a lot of this dresser in the last month...

 let's take a look at some of the other amazing pieces that are out on test runs with bloggers.

He found his sofa at Su Casa's sister store, Pad.


Then there is the Iskow Family and their sectional.  These people are hilarious!  Here Jamie is cleaning under her sectional.  This is just before she begins writing about losing her baby underneath the sofa...

And one more from them:  this video about a man who doesn't know how to sit down..  I couldn't stop laughing!!!


Oh my gosh, the chairs that look what mom made chose.  Gorgeous!  I adore the nailhead trim on them.


And the bed that It's a Potter Life has in their home... so sophisticated!


Wandering Lili chose a dining table... love those chairs!


Love Feast Table decided on a sectional... this looks perfect for her family!


Maggie from Life as a Wife has a beautiful table from Su Casa.  Those chairs are so stylish yet they still look comfortable.


And how fun is this fabric on the chair that Jenny from Meet the Fockels chose?
I dare you to find fabric options that cool at another furniture store!


I hope this gives you an idea of just how amazing Su Casa's furniture is.

This must be why Su Casa is hosting this competition.  They want to spread news of the stories, the experience, the professionalism, the relationships fostered by their store.  I love the environment they've created in their showroom; I feel blessed I was able to bring a bit of that environment home with me for a while.  When all is said and done, Su Casa gave me the opportunity to live amongst art.  People have thought some of that "art" from Su Casa (the corner frame from this post) was so cool, it has been pinned over 83,000 times on Pinterest!


Here are the rest of my posts if you'd like to follow the dresser on it's journey over the course of the last month.

Hopefully this is just the beginning!  Your comments and clicks on this Su Casa link can help me get to keep it.  You could also stop by Su Casa's facebook page and like them.  Be sure to mention The Creative Imperative sent you!

Thanks for following me on this journey.  I'll let you know if I get to keep it; the winner will be announced July 1.
Blessings,
Jamie

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Help Me Style My Dresser...

I am terrible at styling areas like mantels, tables and dressers.  I find myself fussing over the area, but I am rarely satisfied with how it looks.


Here are three of the arrangements I've had on the Su Casa dresser since it has been in the new house.

Look number one:  old-timey


I really like the use of our family heirlooms in this one.  The tray (which desperately needs polishing) is from my grandmother.  The pewter pitcher and silver jewelry box are from my husband's family.  My mother-in-law kindly had the jewelry box sealed before she gave it to me so that I wouldn't need to ever polish it.  Now THAT is a gift! 


Number two:  stacked books


I love the use of color in this one.


I wanted even more stacked books, but I ran out of energy hauling these up from downstairs.

Number three:  minimal




Have you noticed yet that all of the artwork is leaning against the wall in these photos?  I know leaning is a huge trend right now, but I'd rather put the art on the wall.  I just don't have the guts to put holes in the new walls since I don't know if I've won this dresser yet.


I am impressed by what a chameleon this piece of furniture is turning out to be.  It is so versatile in how it looks great against different color walls and with  different styles of accessories ranging from mod to vintage.

Which is your favorite?  Do you have any suggestions?  Help me out by letting me know in the comments.


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings,
Jamie


This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip JunkieThe Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z Naptime Crafters Whipperberry delightful order blissful and domestic elizabeth and co diy by design gingersnap crafts>my repurposed life

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Tips for Moving {DIY Style}

I thought about posting this before we moved, but I wanted to see if my "system" really did work before sharing it with you.

We DIYed our move.  We rented a truck and had a bunch of friends help with the boxes and furniture.  Here are a few of the strategies we used to help things run smoothly.

*Get the biggest truck and reserve it early.  I know, I know, you don't have that much stuff.  That's what I thought.  Get the big truck just in case.  We almost ran out of room in the big one!

*Don't be afraid to ask for help.  I know this is easier said than done.  We don't have family in town, so we've had to learn to lean on friends a lot.  They have been such a blessing to us, offering to take the kids, helping with  the move itself and helping me with unpacking/organizing.  Also, we originally had commitments from about 12 people to help with the move and 8 showed up.  Life happens and other things come up for people, so be sure you plan to have enough hands!  Also, be sure to provide food and drinks for the people helping you.

*Don't move junk with you.  I've heard so many people say, we'll handle it when we get there.  We might need this.  If you haven't used it in your old house, chances are you won't need it in the new house.  Do yourself a favor and get rid of it.  If you need some help with decluttering, here is a great article from Becoming Minimalist.

The following are a few items you are allowed to collect/hoard:

*Hoard organizing tools and look for deals.  I've found shelving for the garage, bins and baskets at Goodwill or on clearance at stores.

Need window treatments for the new house?
*Hoard supplies for window treatments so you aren't overwhelmed by the expense all at once.
Here are a few of the deals I found in the month before we moved:
$5 rods (gorgeous!) with hardware from IKEA
$3 tablecloths (for curtains) from WalMart

$1.50 per yard fabric from WalMart



*Start hoarding boxes.  Ask friends who have recently moved.  Post something on Facebook about looking for boxes.  Or check freecycle.  Don't forget the packing tape and paper.  When we ran out of boxes, we found more at a great price at Home Depot.  They were between $1 and $2 each!  They had good prices on packing paper too. 

*Label boxes clearly.  Our boxes have been through a few moves already so we had to find a way to distinguish our labeled information from all the previous moves.  I used yellow construction paper and wrote the level of the house, room, and contents on each label.  My husband laughed at me and said, "our friends who are helping us aren't idiots; most of them have advanced degrees and don't need it spelled out like that."  I say you can never be too specific!

*Label furniture.  I just used a piece of blue tape and a piece of paper on an area of the piece where I can be sure it won't damage the finish.  You don't want the people moving the stuff to have to ask you everytime they bring a piece of furniture in, "where does this go?"

*Label the rooms in the new house.  Again, you don't want to have to direct people every time someone brings an item into the house.  I just used a big piece of paper taped to the doorway of each room

*Avoid shoving everything in the garage of the new house.   This one is pretty self-explanatory.  Get the boxes into the rooms where they will be unpacked.  It will save you a lot of digging through piles of boxes later on.

*Have everything packed in boxes before the move starts.  Yes, everything!  I know what you're thinking:  we'll come back and get it later with the minivan, truck, whatever large vehicle you have.  Trust me, avoid this temptation.  Once you are in the new house, you are going to want to be working on/in the new house.  I don't care how many odds and ends you have shoved into boxes marked "miscellaneous".  We found it best to get it into a box or get rid of it.

*Give yourself some grace.  This is a stressful process.  The house we were moving from didn't have a garage; we had boxes stacked to the ceiling in our master bedroom and kitchen for weeks.  I needed to calm myself down every morning since those boxes were the first thing I looked at each morning.  I just told myself it was temporary and we needed to make a few sacrifices to get to a better place.


Hope your move goes well!
Blessings,
Jamie

Monday, June 18, 2012

Help Me Choose a Wall Color

I love looking at paint colors... I could spend hours flipping through fan decks.  With all of the blank walls in this new townhouse, I'm spending even more time than usual daydreaming about color.

I can't believe I've never used the Sherwin Williams Paint Color Visualizer before now!  I'm currently deciding what color to use in our master bedroom.  Here are some of the colors I tried

SW ponder

SW midnight

SW less brown

SW interesting aqua

SW sensuous gray

SW mink

I love how the variations in the Su Casa dresser are highlighted in different ways, depending on the color behind it.  I know that I shouldn't be decorating around a piece of furniture that I might not be able to keep, but I think it is a great jump off point.  The bed and window treatments will be solid white, so just about any color will work with those fixed elements in the room.

So, spill it!  What's your favorite?  Let me know in the comments or on my facebook page!

Blessings,
Jamie

This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip JunkieThe Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z Naptime Crafters Whipperberry delightful order blissful and domestic elizabeth and co diy by design gingersnap crafts>my repurposed life

Saturday, June 16, 2012

New Dresser, New House {and a winner!}

First, we have a winner for the subway art giveaway:  Random.org chose comment #7:  Lauren @ Tennessee Honey.  Congrats Lauren!


Now, on to the post...


The dresser from Su Casa made it to the new house safe and sound.  I was pretty worried about putting it on a moving truck, so a friend put it in the back of his pickup for us.
I talked my husband into putting our TV from downstairs on the dresser, just to show you how nice it looks.

And remember that secret compartment?

Ta-da!  It's perfect for the DVD player.

The cords fit neatly through the hole in the back.

Then close the door when it is not in use.
I just love this thing.  It is perfect in the new bedroom with the high ceilings (not to mention we don't have another dresser!).  I really hope I win it and get to keep it.

I can't wait to get some color on the walls and fix the "draperies".  I use that term loosely...

Yeah, we're classy around here.  Hopefully I'll have time to pull out the sewing machine and remedy this tomorrow.

What do you think of the dresser with the TV on it?  It looked like this at the other house

Let me know in the comments!  Thanks for stopping by.
Blessings,
Jamie


This post is linked here:  Today's Creative Blog Blue Cricket Design Kurtz Corner Mommy by Day Crafter by Night Cherished Bliss Lines Across My Face Southern Lovely Bear Rabbit Bear French Country Cottage Craft Junkie Too DIY Home Sweet Home Saved by Love Domestically Speaking Funky Junk Interiors Homemaker on a Dime Eisy Morgan The Answer is Chocolate Making the World Cuter Craft-O-Maniac lolly jane 504 Main I Heart Naptime Singing Three Little Birds mad in crafts House of Hepworths Somewhat Simple Chic on a Shoestring Keeping it Simple Be Different Act Normal Sew Can Do Sew Chatty Pinkapotamus The Girl Creative Flamingo Toes Tatertots and Jello Sisters of the Wild West Reasons to Skip the Housework Giggles Glitz and Glam Tip JunkieThe Trendy Treehouse Ladybug Blessings Night Owl Crafting Tea Rose Home My Girlish Whims Allie Makes Gluesticks Thrifty 101 Momnivores Dilemma A Little Knick Knack Miss Mustard Seed Freckled Laundry kojo designs A vision to remember Primitive and Proper 733 Rook no 17 Home Stories A to Z Naptime Crafters Whipperberry delightful order blissful and domestic elizabeth and co diy by design gingersnap crafts>my repurposed life
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...