Love: Blue Rooms

 Ugh. You guys. Sorry it's been so long.
I've been doing a lot of home stuff. Like paintings and stripping tables (it's not what it sounds like. you are a sick person.) and buying vintage desks to paint and re-re-upholsering (that's two different fabric changes) chairs and experimenting with gold leafing. We'll get to all of that once I can upload pictures and follow through. I promise to do better.

Until then, I'd like to talk about something I love. The color blue. For rooms. As a renter, I can't do this. And it's killing me.


Do you guys remember that song Blue by Leann Rimes? This was popular back when times were simpler. Remember? Children drank soda pop and malts from striped straws, people strolled in verdant parks unconcerned with becoming inspiration for the next Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and dear sweet Leann Rimes was years away from being the silicone-filled, husband-stealing, home-wrecking skank she is today.

Ah, the halcyon days.

Anyway, blue is a much better color for rooms than for a song.

Let's take a look.

This darker blue is just HEAVEN isn't it. And the white molding? And everything else in this room? One day, friends. One day.

Could this be any crisper? (no)

A wallpaper option.

Blue cabinetry.

Less dramatic, but still nice. Like for a teenager? Like if you were a stepmom/dad and wanted to be "cool"/ wanted them to like you.

A bit more understated 

Love the floor, rug, and wall color. Hate the china on the walls. It looks like a lot of plates fell off during an earthquake or something. What is that about. 

I mean, it's the White House. How great is this? 

A much better use of patterned china.

Wasn't that nice? Looking through these rooms that none of us have? But could? One day? 

If you are inspired right now, Martha Stewart has a "Decorating by Color" section of her website that can be found here for suggestions about incorporating blue in various ways. Most are good. Some, like those awful gingham fabric stools, are questionable.

DIY Project: The Time I Stained the Vintage Side Table

So, once upon a time I lived on a Navajo Reservation. I got almost all of my furniture at Goodwill, with the exception of the leather couch my dad bought me at basically an abandoned warehouse in Gallup, NM called Big Bears Furniture Depot or Big John's Things and Other Stuff or something.

After my first year, this kid Josh moved from the Reservation to a real place like California and he gave a lot of his crappy stuff away.
He piled up everything on his porch and was like "Hey guys, I'm leaving stuff I don't want on my porch."
I acquired a really beat up vintage side table and a crooked wooden stool. When I left the Rez, I gave a lot of my stuff away, included the crooked wooden stool, but brought the table with me to Alabama.

The table was a...meh... color, beat up, and bothered me with its 70s-ness. I hated the table, but it's still a table, you know? And who am I that I think I'm too good to need this table. I can put things on it. And you can lift off the top and there's this little tray inside, which is nice. Also, it's real wood and not particle-board or something, so, a win there.

Here is the top of the table before. It had tons of scratches and marks and sadness.

The bottom of the table before. 

It still had some varnish and clear coating on it, especially on the lower part and the tray.

So I sanded it. A lot. 

A LOT OF SANDING HAPPENED. 

It would have probably been a lot easier to strip the table instead of cleaning and sanding it. 

But stripping furniture is frightening. Also, it was a zillion degrees outside that day so 

sanding inside > using chemicals outside

 

 (Ever noticed that my dog finds his way into a lot of the photos on this blog? I don't know how, but I think he senses the camera. Also, he's very clingy.)

I bought Minwax "Jacobean" stain. It's the darkest stain that isn't black. 

Here's how staining works:

1. clean and sand wood

2. brush on even layers of stain in the direction of the wood

3. wait for a few minutes...like 5...or 15 if you want to give it more time

4.  wipe off the stain with a cloth that doesn't have a lot of lint....

5. Repeat, or don't. It's up to you. 

I don't know what I thought staining would be like, but it wasn't really what I expected. I guess I thought you brush on the stain and it dries and you're done. I had no idea you have to let it kind of soak into the wood then take it off?

I did not, repeat, did NOT sand this enough. The parts that weren't bare enough and took about 2 days to dry and I felt very foolish because I wanted instantaneous results. 

Anyway, here's what that looked like after the first stain:

After the second stain:

After it fully dried, which took way longer than it should have if I had just followed directions, I put on the first clear coat of polycrylic.

After I brush on the first coat, it dried, I sanded out the brush strokes, and put on another layer.

 After it was fully dry.

BAM! done.

Love: America

This weekend we celebrate America's birthday!

The 4th was once one of my very favorite holidays. I say "was" because when I taught 2nd grade, I had to explain Independence Day to a classroom full of Native American students.

It went a little something like this:

Student: So what is the 4th of July?
Me: Great question! We celebrate the 4th of July because that is when we became independent of Britain.
Student: ...
Me: So, the Americans were living here, in America, before it was the United States of America...and, uh, well I guess so were the Native Americans....Yep, the Native Americans were living there, actually before the colonists got there. Anyway, the colonists didn't like the British telling them what to do. Wow. And, so....hmm...but, uh. Huh. Sooooooo, yes, the Native Americans were definitely here. But, uh, the British colonists moved here and uh, well....huh. Freedom?

Fin.

This was nothing compared to the Columbus Day Discussion or, my personal favorite, The Thanksgiving Story! Hooray!

Anyway, America. AMERICA. Bald Eagles! Fireworks! Walmart! Pushing uncomfortable truths about our country deep deep deep into our  collective psyches so we never need to speak or think of them again! Missiles! GDP! Swimming Pools!

I mean, who am I kidding? The Fourth of July is fantastic. It means, sun, water, sand, grilled meats, fireworks and family. I also think of fresh fruit for some reason. Also, my older brother, younger sister and I trying to drown each other?

OK, we're back. Let's talk about some good ol' Red, White, and Blue inspiration!

The patriotic displays seen this weekend can also be used throughout the house. It'll always looks like summer. 

Look at these whimsical paper things!

 Tablecloth.

I think I love everything about this room. So crisp. So clean. 

Primary colors without looking like a box of crayons.

This is perfectly Red, White, and Blue without looking like you were too lazy to take down

your Independence Day decorations. Cheers!

 

 Alright, you guys, let's ignore that this is a kid's room. 

The rug. Old Glory. The white sunburst mirror. Red couch. Bordered crisp linens (do I spy a monogram?)

 Everything about this is pretty terrible, except for the little America banner. How droll!

But, seriously, the other stuff?

I look at this and see a bunch of wooden geese with handkerchiefs around their little necks being sold

at a county fair. Thank you, no.

I don't know what the hell is going on with the backboard there. 

Also, I hate monkeys. 

BUT, what I do see is some crisp red, white, and blue action. Also, Boston University?

Everything I found below, I found on etsy. 

I searched in "Vintage" and just typed in "American Flag."

Framed Vintage Finds:

Old Flag print + Vintage War Poster

48 Stars. Perfect for rental walls you cannot paint. 

 

Coffee table. Side table. Table. 

 

Look at this great vintage book, and the pages therein!
I'm imagining choosing maybe the title page and 3 others and FRAMING them, guys. Framing them.

Together? Or maybe just choosing your favorite. And framing them separately.

Happy 4th!