birds, birds, and more birds

So i have this small iron birdcage that i bought on impulse at the thrift store 2 years when i went through a birdcage decorating stage. Luckily i haven't completely left that stage but now i'm more stuck on birds. i have a bird tattoo, bird earrings, a bird necklace, feather headbands, even bird salt and pepper shakers. i can't help it. So anyway, i have this little birdcage that looked lonely ... I thought about putting a vase underneath it and letting the flowers reach up out of the top but then i had this brilliant idea to make fabric birds and a fabric twig and put them in the cage! So i googled "how to make fabric birds" and voila.

I used my ruler to copy the pattern from the computer onto a piece of paper, cut out the pattern and then cut out the fabric...



stitched it together (this is the inside out view)...


then i made a fabric stick, sewed the two birds onto it and hung it from the top of the birdcage!


Sometimes i even surprise myself. Seriously, how cute.



And then i got so excited about how cute they were that i made 3 more... Just for the hell of it. New favorite craft right here people.



~m~

being crafty

Over the past two weeks i have spent most of my free time settling in and making everything "flow." I'm still definitely not finished but it's starting to look like people live here instead of just a storage unit. Below are some little things i've been making to fill in the gaps. The first project was created because i have a lot of jewelry that i never wear because i can't see it... it's all bunched up in travel jewelry cases and zip lock bags so i was determined to actually be able to see my jewelry! I went to buy a white framed piece of corked board but the white frame was $5 more expensive then the plain brown. So i bought the plain brown, spray painted it white (with paint i already had) and then stuck sewing straight pins in an organized array! And tada!



The perfect necklace and ring holder! The next project needed to be pillows for my big comfy white couch. I sat down one day and in 1 hour had these two adorable pillows! I'm using that dotted brown and cream fabric in other places around the apt so it has turned into a "theme," if you will.



The project which has already been used the most is my 4 placemats and 6 coasters, all made from inspiringly simple fabrics. For most of the coasters i used scraps from my big ole bag of fabric ends and awkward pieces so i felt thrifty ha.



~m~

furniture!

Here are the other pieces of furniture in the apartment that have been collected in the past week. The first is the beautiful "hoosier"/china cabinet. I've looked everywhere for something like this but they are SO expensive and way out of any kind of budget i could create in the next couple years- however, one day my mom and i were browsing at hannah's antiques and found this! It was beautifully priced and it's even better then i hoped- it has all these cute little drawers and compartments for easy organization.

The table and the big comfy chair were sold to me by very dear friends- the table is PERFECT. PERFECT i tell you. It fits perfectly into the room and i'm already envisioning seasonal table decorations because, well, i'm just that kind of decorating dork. The last picture is of the bookshelf that my mom emptied for me for all of the sewing/craft stuff to go... i spent all afternoon a couple days ago organizing it and giving everything a place. i probably had too much fun but oh well. Now all my glues, needles, threads, patterns, fabrics, buttons, paints, and ribbons have a home. i'm sure they are appreciative.







It's starting to look like a home!!!!!
I'll post more of my craft/sewing projects soon.
~M

THE REAL THING!!!

I am moved in! And i have been for almost 2 weeks... at first the space was intimidating and i wasn't sure how we would make it look like an actual home. The first few days there were just boxes and bags everywhere. The first piece of furniture we found was from the Good Will- $12 and extremely heavy. My sister Marge sanded, stained, and painted it (while my siblings and i laid on the couch and watched) so that now it looks awesome! It's the tv stand except that right now there's no tv. In the bottom picture you can also see the FREE couch that one of my mom's neighbors gave me! The one that Re and i originally wanted to get was sold when i went to buy it but this couch is big and comfy and white so i'm planning on making big ole colorful pics to bring it to life!









More pics soon!

inspiring images

lately i've been gathering images from blogs and tumblr that inspire me! here are a few

decorative display

Ah! How adorable... thinking about this apartment just gets better and better.

musings

This is what i have been imagining lately:



In the living room we will have a white bench like the one above with glass bottles of all different sizes and colors- sometimes fresh flowers on it next to inspiring magazines.





This will be in front of our 70s-ish-mustard-yellow-print (a mixture of the ones above i think) couch with homemade pillows and vintage ladder next to that to hold blankets/throws. A floor lamp with a coordinating shade that i'll make will bring light to our little living area.




Also in this room, i want to use my ikea wardrobe. When i bought it last year the doors didn't fit so instead i made curtains with a tension rod for my clothes. In the apartment, i will use a heavy greyish brown fabric so that we have a cute place to put our rain boots, purses, and coats right by the door. And of course we'll have artwork everywhere cause Re is a genius like that.

In the second room, Re and i want to create a dual-purpose space. Technically it should be a dining room area but we are both artists and we want a space where our work can be easily reached, as well as an area for dinner or parties. SO! I want a table kind of like this so we can cover it with a cloth and Re can paint or i can sew and where we can put out lovely place settings and have dinner. I also really like the idea of a bench on one side because when you're creating something, sometimes a chair gets in the way as you get up to get something quickly. So something like this:



Against the wall in between the doors leading to our bedrooms i would LOVEEE something like the piece below! However, things like this are normally over $500, so i want to try and find a thrift store version that i can paint this turquoise/aqua blue. In it, we can store plates and miscellaneous china a well as baskets full of art supplies.


I also love this little area and would love if, in our kitchen, we could hang some plates along the wall like this.




In my room i will keep my grey and yellow theme; my ikea grey comforter will stay on my bed with my grey blanket at the end. My coordinating grey and yellow pillows and paintings will keep the room flowing. Across from my bed i will have my white dresser with the cork board strip, 3 white picture frames and one floral painting above that. Next to my bed i want to find a white chair and small table to create a little reading corner.

I can't wait to see all of this in reality.

our tara

There has always been a part of me harboring a fascination with small spaces- corners, staircases, petite kitchens, etc. On July 1st i will move in to another small space called an apartment. It's in a building called the Berkshires (how quaint!) 2 of my dearest friends will live there with me; Ashley for one month and then Rebecca for 11! I get way too excited when i muse over beautiful spaces and i can't wait to collaborate with Re as we create a place that is just ours.

Re and i have decided to call it "Tara" after our mutual love for Gone With the Wind. Though our small 2 bedroom, one bath home does not have acres upon acres of land, servants, or have a war threatening it, the name seems appropriate in how we would really like our apartment to be where we "can think about things tomorrow." We'll see how it goes!