Archive for November, 2008
In Addition
We’ve had home additions on the brain lately. Maybe it’s the house a few blocks away that’s in the middle of adding what looks like a garage (see below). Maybe it’s our new favorite show on HGTV- “My Big Amazing Renovation.” Or maybe it’s just our reoccurring daydreaming about what our house would look like with a second story (all part of our plan to never ever move).
Whatever it is, it led me to this article on RightContractors.com which has some pretty good reminders for anyone contemplating some extra square footage by way of an addition. It underscores the importance of maintaining design consistency- both interior and exterior – with your existing space, as well as with the neighborhood. And of course since the site focuses on helping you find the “right contractor” they mention that it’s a crucial first step to find a GC, architect or engineer who can keep those factors in mind.
We’d love to have a contractor or architect help us brainstorm a waaay-in-our-future addition (second floor? bump out into the backyard?). But preferably not the person responsible for the obvious line between old and new roof on our neighbor’s addition… or the obviously bricked-over window created when the previous owners of our house turned their porch into the den that we inherited:
Have any of you guys done the home addition thing? Or seen someone else do it particularly well… or especially poorly? Any tips or advice for the rest of us? Think we should take the plunge and at least get a free estimate… even if it is just for fun in these penny pinching times?
Furry First Aid Freebee Winner!
I hope you guys had fun reading all the funny comments about each pet’s strange habit. We certainly were entertained. In fact, I’m glad we weren’t awarding the prize based on the weirdest anecdote because that would’ve been an impossible choice. Instead, we used trusty random.org to tell us that the winner of the Pet First Aid Kit courtesy of FirstAidLive.com is… Ljcadv!
Hopefully Ljcadv won’t have to use the kit for her brindle boxer, Riley, anytime soon. But considering Riley’s “drinking problem” it’s probably best that she has some sort of first aid nearby. Congrats Ljcadv!
Thanks again to Danielle at FirstAidLive.com for the friendly reminder to be prepared. Oh, and apparently her dog Bubba saw the picture of Burger playing Vanna with the kit in our last post and wanted to get in on the action. Modeling’s tiring work, eh Bubba?
If your number didn’t come up this time, you can always snag a Pet First Aid Kit of your own here. Plus, our first International freebie is right around the corner so stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed.
A Little Thanksgiving Eye Candy
Since T-giving is just days away, we figured it was high time we sleuthed out some decorating and entertaining inspiration (thanks Google!). Luckily, all of these ideas will take just minutes to throw together- so having a few days notice is really all ya need. This Thanksgiving why don’t you…
…place a pear on each plate with a simple leaf shaped place card tied to the stem (thanks, Martha):
… create little turkeys with a pine cone, some feathers, and a pipe cleaner (Martha again):
.. or top each napkin with a leaf and line the table with amber candles, twigs and gourds (found here):
… fill a bowl with fruit, leaves and maybe some acorns and call it a day (seen here):
… fill a wooden bowl (or woven basket) with apples and keep things woodsy and warm (via Pottery Barn, seen here):
…. let the food be the star (it’s really all the decoration you need) and place a small vase of flowers or branches on the table (thanks Domino):
… dress your front door for the occasion with a leafy square wreath that says “it’s turkey time” (from BHG):
So there ya have it. A bevy of ideas from Martha, BHG, Domino, and everyone else who came up when I googled “Thanksgiving decorating”. Happy entertaining!
We Got Carded
When looking for some crafty Christmas projects to take on this season, we knew we wanted to do something using our personal photos. And since your typical photo-mug isn’t really our style, we turned to Moo for inspiration. They’re a quirky lil’ printing company (popular among flickr users) that makes it easy for you to print stylish photo cards, postcards and stickers. Our personal faves are their MiniCards, stick-of-gum-sized cards made from your own photos. So we decided to order a $20 pack of 100 cards to tackle two simple holiday projects.
One of our projects came at the suggestion of the folks at Moo themselves. Their site recommends a slew of craft ideas, including a bunch of seasonal ones, and we were all over their personalized gift tag idea. Taking inspiration from the Burger-as-Rudolph Christmas card we made last year, we photoshopped our little guy into another festive scenario for the card’s front and had them print “To:” and “From:” on the back. Mistletoe anyone?
Our second project was inspired by the fact that the MiniCards are roughly the size of those expensive rectangular glass and marble tiles that are all the rage now. All we had to do was find a pattern that mimicked the texture of stone and voila, we’d have some easy faux-tiles at our disposal. Fortunately, we took this cool pic of an Alaskan glacier during our honeymoon last year, and by cropping different areas of the icy peaks and slightly changing the color of each one, we amassed the perfect collection of varied stone-like photo tiles.
Now, where to use them? How ’bout on this $10 holiday tray we snagged at Target? Nothin’ like a good tile job to make it look more expensive…
Tiling the tray was a family affair. I was in charge of applying the tape loops to the back of the MiniCards while Sherry was responsible for laying them in a brick pattern. And Burger, well, he was in charge of not getting himself into any trouble.
Oh yeah, Sherry was also mistress of the utility knife used to round the corners (something we did with the card in place for the best possible fit).
By sheer luck we ended up with the exact amount of tiles we needed – no more, no less (PHEW!). Looks pretty tile-esque, no?
But of course if takes more then tape and paper cards to complete a faux tile project. So in comes the bar coat to finish the job! After mixing up 16oz of a clear liquid resin called Envirotex Lite- Pour On High Gloss Finish (snagged at Michael’s) we poured it evenly across the bottom of the tray to solidify and therefore protect the design.
The resin is super thick (the equivalent of 500 coats of varnish- it’s actually what they use to create those thick glossy bar tops) so it takes 72 hours to fully harden into a clear, glossy, waterproof coating.
So even though we can’t put anything on the tray quite yet, we can already tell it’s going to come out very nicely. And very tile-like, indeed.
Wanna take on a Moo MiniCard project of your very own? For this week only, if you’re new to Moo you can get 10% off a pack of MiniCards by entering the code “younghousemoo” at check-out. And be sure to let us know what cool projects you’re undertaking with your cards… especially if they’re holiday themed. Now go out there and get carded.
Jean and Andrew’s Design Dilemma
When this cute couple wrote to us for help with their front room and entryway, we were excited to create something light and welcoming for a house that says “why hello there” every time they enter. Here’s their letter:
We’re looking for beachy, light and airy entryway and front room with clean lines, kid-friendly style and a fair dose of whimsy. We’re big fans of relaxing colors and things that make us smile. The rug in the front room can go and we also would like a runner for the entryway (maybe jute for both rugs?). We’ll also need new end tables and lamps for either side of the couch, and we need decor for the walls, a chair, a coffee table, etc. Only the beige couch, entryway piece (bench with long, upright mirror), and hallway credenza have to stay. We’d love a new wall color, not only for the front room but also for the adjoining stairway wall. We favor greens and blues and I probably overly avoid patterns and tend to stick with monochrome blocks of color – to a fault. One challenge is figuring out how to store the shoes at the entryway. Without fail, either the floor of the coat closet ends up being a pile of shoes or there is an ever-expanding array of neatly-placed pairs of shoes flanking the entryway bench and it just gets out of hand. I’d also like a small entryway table that I can hide two backpack hooks underneath. Oh and I’d love if you could work a star into the space (even subtly as it’s a symbol of my children and my husband). Thanks so very much, in advance. – Jean & Andrew
This space is already open and flooded with light- two things that really help to create a welcoming and inviting vibe from the second you step through the door. So here’s our handy dandy mood board full of colors and pieces to bring out that beachy & whimsical style that Jean and Andrew seek:
Here’s the mood board breakdown.
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