Loving: Urban Outfitters

I used to go to Urban Outfitters every week when I lived in Florida. While there is one in SF, they're way too expensive for my means right now, and I even stopped looking at their website. Oh, silly me. How could I forget the awesome that is UO?

For example, a solution to my jewelry storage crisis:


Birdcage Jewelry Stand, available in 4 colors


Hand Quilted Velvet Pillow. DIY idea much?


Owl Couple Printed Cotton Rug. Our bathroom needs some personality, why not some purple owls?


Strawberry Roots Wall Art. How cute would this be in a little girl's room? (Yeah, I know. Baby room pictures. Soon, friends.)


Enough said, really.

DIY idea: Ruffley Goodness Duvet Cover

The more and more I think about yesterday's post, the more I HAVE to make a duvet cover.

It's between the two Urban Outfitter knock offs I mentioned, Waterfall Ruffle, and Tuxedo Ruffle. Both look deceptively easy, but so so cozy. Technically, the Tuxedo version is a quilt, but I'm sure it'd look fine as a duvet cover, right? And if not, I can always rip out the seams, and insert a batting.

Either way, I need to bone up on my ruffle skills. I love either version in a grey, ooh, or maybe a light turquoise. Something muted, almost neutral, so I don't get sick of it so fast.

Does anybody know of a great tutorial on how to make a duvet cover? I've considered putting two flat sheets together (I've already mentioned my family's aversion to them), but I'll easily need more than 2 sheets if I want all the ruffles to be the same color.


PS. I need to redesign this blog page. It's boring the heck out of me.

To-Do: Master Bedroom

My bedroom depresses me.

Okay, not TERRIBLY, but its definitely one of the most sparse rooms in the house, and since it's not pretty, it often becomes a 15x12" laundry hamper. So then, I have nights like tonight, when I spend hours picking up dirty clothes with a baby strapped to my chest. (Let me tell you, my thighs are KILLING from the careful squats to pick things up without waking her!)

As you may know, I work best off of lists. So, a list of design ideas for our bedroom, to be bought when I have the money, or to to be recreated with crafty flair when I don't. (The latter is more frequent.)

Jewelry Storage

Gorgeous, hmm? I've been spending a lot of time up in my bedroom this evening, purging and organizing, and I came to the realization that I definitely need some sort of jewelry display. Too often necklaces end up in my undie drawer, and become tangled and broken. The picture above is from Design*Sponge. Who wants to buy me a jigsaw for my birthday?


I've seen variations on the framed jewelry board too, and if I found a particularly special frame, this might do. But, it does seem somewhat busy if you have a TON of jewelry, which I do not.

Then of course there is the ultimate lazy DIY version.

Bedding
Since we've lived together, our bedding has been cheap Tarjay/Walmart separates combined with retired duvet covers from my mom. Once, we stood in front of the wall of duvet covers at Ikea, and picked the most neutral one up there, because everything I wanted was too girly, and everything he wanted was too masculine. Ooh, grey tonal blocks. Exciting.

Ultimately, bedding is what truly makes a bedroom. It's the visual centerpiece that beckons for you to come spend more time between the sheets. Ooh, look how cozy I am. Come cuddle.


We currently have a dark cherry four poster bed, that's super high. Another mom handmedown, but it's a grown up step up from our previous Craigslist Ikea Malm bed. It's pretty similar to the photo, but the headboard is round. And it's up against our big window facing the street.

This ruffle duvet cover from Urban Outfitters looks like a great base to a cozy, dreamy bed. But for $128? Mmm, not so much. Broke, remember? This could be a great DIY project, however. My first sewing project was a bag similar to this. Same thing for their tuxedo ruffle set. Something textural and neutral, with awesome throw bright pillows. Yes please.


I'm also thinking I need to rearrange the room. With the bed in front of the window, we pretty much always need to keep the curtains drawn, which even with white curtains, makes our dark room even darker. I think I should finish Trevor's nightstand too. That thing has been sitting stripped in the garage for months now. Now if only I had the time to do any one of these things!

The end is near!

The hole is patched up, and the plaster is resurfaced. Now we just need to paint!

Paint is going to completely change this room. First, we're going with a flat paint, duh. The walls are super textured, and any sort of sheen makes it look cheap. And then, see how dark it was in previous pictures? The plain plaster on the wall makes it instantly so much brighter in here!

So, I'm going with a lighter slate grey, in a blue tone still. That way, I don't have to buy new accessories, and it will go with the cream color currently on the walls, and the wood floors and furniture. It should also be close to the same color as the couch on the opposite wall, making it all come together.

Then, I just need to get some white curtains in here, and I think I'm going to go the drop cloth + grommet route. Even at Ikea a two-panel white curtain with big grommets is $40. Champagne taste on a beer budget here.


The title of this post also refers to my hiatus... I'm getting the swing of this mommy deal, and my best best friend is expecting! (Funny story, would belong on TLC if she didn't find out sooner.) She's super crafty like me, and is good at the imagination aspect. She's a painter, and made these little guys all on her own, or without knowing about Etsy really. (she's on Etsy now, click the image for a link). I'm a workhorse, and good about big picture stuff. We have big plans of starting our own interior decorating company. So, I'm really looking forward to getting back into baby decorating (which reminds me, I've never done a finished product post about Delaney's room. I'll get to that soon.)

Hope all is well, and that I may have a few readers left. Maybe?