Rustic Shabby Chic Design

Today I've got a little eye candy for you. I was hoping to have a cool bathroom design to show but unfortunately because of our busy holiday schedules my friend and I couldn't get together to look at her bathroom the other weekend. -Insert sad face here- I'm bummed out, hopefully we'll get together soon.

In the meantime another friend of mine is moving to a new house soon and wanted some ideas for decorating her living room. She said her style is Rustic Shabby Chic.

All Star Block Party #27 Guest Co-Host!

I have a little surprise for you today- I am super excited to be Guest Co-Hosting at the fabulous link party All Star Block Party! Yay!

I love checking out this multi blogger hosted party each Tuesday and am honored to be a part of it this week. I hope you'll link up and and have fun! And be sure to check out the other co hosts as well! 

    Shasta @ In The Old Road

         Heather @ New House, New Home, New Life

           Meg @ Nutmeg Place

Holly @ Full Circle Creations

Now the business part of the party....We ask that you be a follower to participate. 

Link back to the blog that you linked up to.

Keep your links family friendly.

Only submit projects made by you.

No business pages, giveaways or link parties allowed.

We reserve the right to delete any link that does not follow these rules.

You are welcome to link up any of YOUR creations, old or new.  It can be crafts, remodels, woodworking, artwork, recipes, gardening, sewing projects...you get the idea.  We want to see what YOU'VE been working on.  Make sure that your link  is to your specific post and not your blog's main URL.  Be sure to visit some of your fellow blogger's link ups.  Then leave them some comment love.

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DIY Candles Holder out of Chair Legs

Hello All! Today I have a fun DIY for you that costs next to nothing to make. I found an old chair in the garbage (no picture :/) and picked it up for my friend who is a photographer. She had been looking for a chair that she could saw the legs off of, paint a fun color and use as a prop in her photos like so:

Source: Mia Bella Photography (check out her site she is awesome!)

Since I cut the legs off the chair for her I was left with a bunch of spindles. 

Small Bathroom Design

I'm trying not to get to over excited over here but a friend of mine here in Altus has been slowly renovating their older 1940's- 50's home themselves (her husband is a contractor). They've done the kitchen and other projects and they are ready to tackle the bathroom. She said that she's stuck for ideas though and is looking for some help. Hooray for some real design work!!

I have yet to see it but from what she's told me it very pink and very small. We're hoping to get together this weekend to talk options. In the meantime I've been searching for ideas and inspiration of small bathroom solutions.

Sawyer's 4 Month Photo

I'm a little late getting this one up but better late than never! This week Sawyer rolled over from his back to his stomach. He weighs 16.4 lbs (more than double his birth weight) and is in the 75th percentile for height. Way to go Sawyer!

A Modern College Apartment Design

So did everyone have a good Thanksgiving Weekend? I hope everyone was able to spend good quality time with family and friends. 

We headed to Arkansas to watch LSU beat up on the Razorbacks (sorry Razorback fans). My MIL and some friends came with us and we had our Thanksgiving up there. It was fun and it was Con-Man's first LSU game!

Last week I shared some inspiration ideas for my sister's college apartment. This was just for fun- basically to play around and give her an idea for her dream living room.

A Modern College Apartment

My youngest sister is a college student at LSU. (Where else?!) She's going to be a senior next year and is hoping to move into a larger apartment. She and I thought it would be fun to dream up her ideal college living room.

Her request was a living room that was modern but still homey. The colors she wants to see are black, white, and red with accents of chrome.

Even though this is excercise is just for fun I tried to keep the costs low and somewhat practical; with some bold and bright thrown in here and there.

Here are some furniture ideas I've come up with so far:

Sofas

I like this Ektorp sofa from Ikea. It's modern feeling and comfy too. And since it's from Ikea the price is right at $500.

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The Clare sofa from Macy's is sleek and I like the button tufting. It's an apartment size sofa so it's smaller scale will be good for my sister's apartment living room. It's a little more pricey at $899 but still a good buy at under $1,000.

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And when your looking for furniture somewhere you may not think to look is JCPenny. They have a lot of quality pieces  at good prices. (I know this because our one of our sofas is from there) The Audrey sofa is modern, small scale, and a good price- $700. Only downside is that it only comes in 2 fabric options.

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Coffee & End Tables

This Rustic Storage Coffee Table from West Elm immedietly caught my eye. I liked the warm feel of the wood combined with the modern lines of the table. Extra bonus is that it has storage inside and the top pops up to act as an extra table space. Perfect for my sister who uses her laptop a lot. It's a splurge at $500.

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I liked the warm wood and storage/ display solution of the Gallery Coffee Table from Urban Outfitters. At $300 it's still a bit high.

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The Klubbo coffee table from Ikea is a perfect for a college budget at $90. And the chrome look metal legs are perfect for our modern theme.

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End tables can be a great way to bring some fun and funk into a space without overdoing it. 

This bold red Hourglass Lacquer Table from Urban Outfitters would be a perfect pop of color for our college living room. But at $270 it might break the bank as far as end tables go.

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These Nesting Tables from Ikea are much more budget friendly at $99. The color is right and since they nest they are good space savers- the tables can be pulled out as needed for extra seating or table space.

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Fun Rugs:

Rugs are another way to bring in some fun and pattern into a space.

This bold pattern Lappljung Rug from Ikea is a great price at only $69. 

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The Almsted rug from Ikea is off white so it feels warmer than stark white. It's made of wool so it's durable and stain resistant. It's on sale for $199.

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Cowhide anyone?

How am I going to pull it all together? Be on the lookout next week to find out!

A La Cart

Not sure why but I have been Jones'n (did I just say Jones'n?) for a little metal kitchen cart for a while now. I think they are cute and vintag-y. There's something that gets me all nostalgic over furniture pieces that we in our modern society don't use much anymore. 

I've had my eye out at thrift stores and junk shops for a little cart and my persistence finally paid off a few weeks ago. 

Check out this beauty!

Some More Bedroom Dreaming

I've been playing around with Olioboard lately. I had signed up for it way back in the day- like when it first came out- and never really did anything on it since.

Lately I've had ideas for our bedroom floating around in my head; and the only way to get my mind off something is to get it onto paper. Enter Olioboard~

And Then There Were Two

Happy Monday Everyone! And Happy Veterans Day Weekend. Special shout out to all military members out there- especially my Hubs. Go Air Force!

Seriously- Thank you to all U.S. Military Members for all you do and the daily sacrifices that you make.

Today I want to share with you my finished reupholstered mid-century chairs. Woo Hoo! Yay for finally having a pair of matching, good looking, non upholstery falling off, chairs in our living room!

Giveaway Winner!! & Other News

Woo It's Friday!!! That means the weekend is around the corner. We're planning on football watching, kids birthday party going, and overall relaxing.

What are your weekend plans?

I also want to announce the winner of the Ana White Book Giveaway! Thank you all for entering as always- appreciate everyone who reads my blog!

So without further adieu the winner is:

Drawing #12,410 PRIVATE

Ana White Book Giveaway 11th drawing held by Rachelle Falcon Completed on Friday, 9 November 2012 at 02:34:46 UTC 12 entrants, 1 winner

Winners (1)

 1st: 3

That would be Ashley from Attempts At Domestication!

Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication said... 3

Tweeted! https://twitter.com/aadomestication/status/262926478591795200

October 29, 2012 9:39 AM

Congratulations Ashley!! 

In other less exciting news I painted my nails midnight blue for Fall/ Winter which you may have seen on my Instagram (rfalcon12 look it up!) or Twitter account. 

I thought dark nails were on trend/ in fashion. But my husband keeps asking me if I'm going goth. I mean if the girls from Glee can do it why can't I?

What do men know right?

I hope everyone has an fantastic weekend!!

Barreled Over

I just want to start off by thanking everyone who entered my giveaway! I'll post the winner shortly. We got back in town from our Louisiana vacation late last night- we had a great time visiting family and friends as always.

Speaking of Louisiana; I wanted to talk a little more about the barrel I found last time we were in New Orleans. 

I bought it on a whim- it was so cool and it was cheap! 

The shop owner said it is Pre-Civil War based on the square nails and wood rims (instead of some type of metal) holding it together. There's no way to prove it though; hence the price.

A Blue Redo For You

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! My LSU Tigers had a heartbreaking loss but thats ok; I'll get over it.

And don't forget that the Ana White giveaway ends today!

I wanted to share a makeover with you today. I found this metal vintage card catalog drawer at the Goodwill several months ago for just a few dollars. 

A Halloween Quickie

I know I said I'd be light on projects but I can't help myself. I'd rather be painting and making a mess in the garage than packing. I can't stand packing! Especially since now I have to pack for not only myself but for the 2 boys, our dog and cat (and occasionally the Hubs but don't tell him I told you that.)

Anyway- Happy Halloween!! I thought I could take down my Fall Wreath for one night to celebrate the evening. I saw this idea on Curbly and knew I had everything on hand to make it. 

Ana White's Hand Built Home Giveaway

***This Giveaway has ended. Check back soon to see who won!***

I think we all know who Ana White is. Purveyor of ana-white.com - the amazing website where she shares her amazing furniture plans.

Ana is a self taught furniture designer and builder- an inspiration for women who are out to tackle furniture projects of their own. She has now come out with a book filled with some of her most popular furniture plans called "The Handbuilt Home".

The book is filled with plans for every room in the house; they range from easy to more complicated. The plans are laid out in such a way that makes them easy to read and follow; great for builders of any skill level. And each plan has lots of pictures and step by step images along with tips on getting started, cut and wood types.

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I also thought it was pretty cool how she included pictures of people who built different pieces. (I could have submitted Con-Man's Bed!)

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Today I am offering you the chance to win a copy of your own! The generous company marketing the book has given one lucky reader a chance to win. Giveaway starts today and ends Monday November 5, 2012 at 8AM.

3 ways to Enter and Win:

1. Leave a comment below about what room in your home could use a new piece of hand built furniture.

2. Become a follower of Adventures In Creating (leave a comment if you already are)

3. Share the giveaway on Twitter or on your blog!

Disclaimer: 1 winner for Ana White's book "The Handbuilt Home".I have not been compensated for this giveaway. US residents only please (sorry!). Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted shortly afterwards. If the first winner does not respond the runner up will be contacted.

Good Luck!!!

A New Orleans Weekend

Like I mentioned the other day we spent the week in New Orleans for the Hubs Pediatric Conference. It is my favorite city for many reasons! If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram (follow me!- rfalcon12) you've seen some of these pics.

We were pretty overloaded on the ride over there with two kids and a dog in the back of the Murano.

You can't really see it but that's Tiger Stadium in the background. We're driving over the Mississippi River Bridge going into Baton Rouge.

Nate Berkus & a Video

I happened to catch Good Morning America this past week and guess who was on? Nate Berkus! 

He was on promoting his new book "Things That Matter". He believes that interior design should tell the story of the people who inhabit a space. He spoke about your home should tell a story about you; because you are the one who lives there. He said if something in your home don't have meaning to you then get rid of it. He advocates a mix of old and new in the home; and discourages running with every new trend, to give your home a lived in feel.

One of My Favorite Places

I'm dreaming of a city that never sleeps and has the best food in the world. Has the friendliest people and where the beignets flow like water.

Where am I talking about? New Orleans of course!!

The Hubs has a Pediatric Conference this weekend in New Orleans and we're tagging along. We'll drop the kiddos off in Baton Rouge with the grandparents for 2 days and have a fun weekend together (when he's not in his conference). Then we'll pick them back up for the rest of the trip and hit up the kid friendly venues like the Aquarium and Zoo.

Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulez!

Cutting Up- DIY Style

Did everyone have a fantastic weekend? We had some rain and hail here in OK but luckily it didn't last long and we were able to get outside and enjoy the Fall weather. And my LSU Tigers won so it was good times all around.

I was also able to get some rare wood shop time in. If you remember I posted a few weeks ago about scoring some scrap wood from the shop. 

Sawyer's 3 Month Photo

3 Months has flown by already!

3 Months

2 Month

Outtakes

Design For A Cause

Unless you've been living under a rock you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Back in my college days I was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority; our philanthropy was the Susan G Komen Foundation. So October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month has always been important to me.

So when I came across this article about designers collaborating for raise money for breast cancer awareness and research I was excited. Design and breast cancer awareness all wrapped up in one?! Very cool!

Orange You Glad I'm Finished?

I sure am! I can't believe that I haven't shared this with you yet. I finally finished upholstering my orange chair! 

Remember these guys? These orange chairs I've been carting around since we lived in San Antonio?

You may remember that I took an upholstery class here in Altus in order to learn how to recover these bad boys.

A Legitimate Reason as to Why My Husband Thinks I'm nuts

I have a problem; I'm the first to admit it. It's a furniture problem- I change my mind about it a lot. The should really have a support group for people like me. Furniture-Aholics Anonymous. 

Back to the issue at hand- why my husband thinks I'm nuts. In the past I've brought home questionable pieces of furniture. These orange chairs for example:

(Special Update on These Coming Soon!)

Not You're Grandma's Wallpaper

Wallpaper has gotten a bad rap in recent years. I would think manly because when most people think of wallpaper images like this come to mind:

Metallic Butterflies anyone?

Attack of the pink flowers!

It's always sunny in this kitchen

It s Starting to Feel A Lot Like Fall!

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope everyone had a relaxing and fun weekend. Last week I mentioned that I was itching to get out of town- and we did! We took Sawyer and The Con-Man to Sesame Street Live at the Army Base in the next town over. Con-Man had a blast.

And while we were there not only did I get to stop at a Starbucks (Yay!) we ran into Hobby Lobby and picked up some of these baskets for 50% off! 

Awesome Altus

Sometimes I like to whine about the town we live in. But they just ask for it sometimes!! Here's a pic from a few months back:

Can't Make this stuff up!!!

I've been having small town fever this week- gotta get out of here! What are your plans for the weekend?

Scrap-Tastic!

This past weekend I finally made it back to the wood shop after a several week absence. It's been tough getting over there with a new baby and their new limited hours. But this weekend the Hubs volunteered his time and I took advantage.

I mainly went to continue work on our dining table. It's been slow going but I finally made some visible progress. If you follow me on Twitter you would have seen this picture:

That my friends would be a nails removed, sanded down, glued up panel basketball flooring that will soon be one section of my future dining table! Yay!!

While I was at the wood shop I noticed in the scrap pile some pieces of wood that were of interest to me.

I liked how the wood is already cut down into strips and thought I could glue it up in a similar fashion to my dining table top. My specific idea is to make a cutting board. Similar to this one:

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And while I was digging through the scrap pile I decided that there is no such thing as scrap wood. You can pretty much always use leftover pieces to create something. So here's a little round up of fun scrap wood projects:

Make some fun and unique napkin rings:

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IPhone Holder anyone?

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The ever popular and easy Tea Light Holder:

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And you may need to save up your scraps for a while or score a really big haul for this one but wow- this bed would be cool to make!

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Again can we say "Wow!"? This would be one awesome dining table.

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And this is an interesting application for scrap wood. Here is it used on a desk front but it would be cool on a wall as well!

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So now that your wheels are turning with all the cool stuff you can do with leftover wood let's get scrappin!!