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Area Rug Inspiration

A new living room area rug is providing me with a fresh and fun combination of neutral colors to work with ... one that combines gray AND tan.




 (Note:  I was not compensated in any way for this post - 
the opinions expressed are my own and reflect personal experience.)

With a transitional design, the background is warm smoky gray, and the pattern is soft tan, creamy white, and deep charcoal.

The interior walls throughout our home are Sherwin Williams Softer Tan and this rug's subtle use of tan in the design ties our basic color palette in with gray --- a color I've not yet used in decor. 


Sherwin Williams Softer Tan

I like that I don't have to choose between gray and tan, and can have both!




It comes in other size options as well, including a runner.



Home Depot - Anniston Brindle Area Rug



However, actually choosing an area rug posed a bit of a challenge thanks to these three loveable and furry family members:

 
(L to R)  Baby, Mia and Shelby



While there are many beautiful area rugs available in unlimited textures, materials, patterns and colors, our rug has to be invincible.  

 It has to endure paw traffic, has to camouflage multicolored pet hair, withstand daily vacuuming and ... accomplish all this while continuing to look fresh, clean and inviting!  Oh, and before I forget ... it has to also be super budget-friendly.

 Yes, we do expect a lot from a simple area rug.  :)

 In addition to the daily pet parade and pet hair, there is an even bigger challenge.  One of the beasts in the photo above (I won't mention names, but here's a hint ... it's not the one on the left nor the one on the right!) can't resist the temptation of super fuzzy rugs and likes to pull fibers out when no one is watching.

Fortunately, this trio doesn't have accidents on our rugs (knock on wood) and they don't scratch or dig in them.  See .. they do have some redeeming qualities! 

With this list of seemingly impossible criteria in hand, the search was on for an 8' x 10' area rug that would somehow meet most of our requirements and yet be visually appealing.     

It was so much fun to browse through all the awesome area rugs at Home Goods, Tuesday Morning, At Home, Home Depot, Target and Lowe's.

The beauties below were immediately eliminated as contenders but I'll share them with you in the event you can use them in your more "civilized" home.  


Lowe's

Lowe's


Tuesday Morning

In my desperation, I even considered an indoor/outdoor patio rug, but it was woven and the one on display actually had several pulled loops which gave me a realistic view of how it might hold up with our pack.

 
Lowe's


Then I spotted the Anniston Brindle area rug, part of the Home Decorators Collection at Home Depot.  

I was immediately drawn to the contrast between the warm smoky gray background and the light, fresh pattern.  The online specifications describe the light area as "yellow," but in our home it reads a soft tan.  

 Unlike the chenille, shag and natural fiber rugs of my dreams, it is 100% polyester but is a practical low pile and paw-friendly with no loops.

We've had it for a few weeks and I'm still thrilled with the pattern and color palette. 

 


More importantly, I'm happy to report no attempted fiber removal efforts have occurred. :)

I'm really thankful that at this time I didn't give in to a super plush or natural woven looped version that would have been exhaustingly impractical for us ... standing guard constantly to protect an area rug from a mischievous set of teeth wouldn't have been my idea of fun! 




Do you have furry family members that pose decorating challenges?  Have you tried a color scheme that combines gray and tan?  




Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting!  

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Glazed Biscuit Beignets

These melt in your mouth pastries were a favorite childhood treat ... not health conscious by any means, but nostalgically tasty and frugal!




Ingredients:
  • Can of refrigerated biscuits (I used Grands Homestyle)
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
  • Cooking oil (I used Canola)



The first and most important step in making these is to temporarily set aside all health-conscious thoughts cluttering your mind.  :)

 While traditional beignets feature a final sprinkling of powdered sugar, our family's version is topped off with a drizzle glaze.




In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  Set aside.  Remove biscuits from can and cut each into fourths.




Pour 1" oil in a skillet - preferably a cast iron skillet.   Place one of the biscuit fourths into the oil.  Heat oil.  

When oil is hot and biscuit begins to fry, carefully add more biscuits (using tongs) to fill pan, but without sides touching.  One can of Grands biscuits made 3 batches.

When golden brown, carefully turn biscuit pieces, using tongs. 



When browned on all sides, the biscuits instantly become beignets. Doesn't that sound much more elegant than "fried biscuits," or "canned biscuit donuts?"  :)

Place beignets on paper towels to drain.

Transfer to serving plate and while warm, drizzle with glaze.





Next steps ... eat as many as you can while they're warm then contact your fitness trainer to schedule an extra session!

Have you made these or a version of them?  Even better, have you made homemade traditional beignets? 


Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting! 



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What a Difference a Machine Makes

There's nothing better than a new toy, especially one that's hobby-related!   This little beauty came into my life six months ago and I'm having so much fun!





It's the Husqvarna Viking H Class 100Q.

 (Note:  I was not compensated in any way for this post - 
the opinions expressed are my own and reflect personal experience.)




A little background ...

For years I tolerated a super inexpensive (translation: cheaply made) sewing machine that I am fully convinced did not like me.  From the day we brought it home and took it out of the box, it went on strike.  

Everything was a struggle with it - so much so that once I finally got it threaded and the bobbin loaded, I cringed at the thought of having to change thread colors or having the original thread run out!  We won't even get into the stitch inconsistency issues.

I couldn't avoid feeling like a complete sewing failure because when it comes to sewing, I hail from a long line of seamstresses.  My paternal grandmother made beautiful and detailed clothing - all without store bought or digitally downloaded patterns.  She actually used newspaper pages to cut out her own patterns!

As you can guess, I rarely used my challenging machine.  It was far less stressful to keep it in its box hidden in the closet.  I had exceeded the warranty period years ago and was too disgusted with it to pay for attempted repairs.  To be kind, I won't share with you the "pet" name I had given my first machine!

It was nice to know that my source of frustration was out of sight, but each time I glanced at handmade items - beautiful pillow covers, cute aprons or coordinated dinner napkins and table runners, I felt that longing to try again. 

Then one day while browsing in Joann's Fabrics, while resigned to a future of using my trusty fabric glue, their collection of shiny, sleek machines caught my eye and the rest is history.

 I was able to test out the machines and the knowledgeable and helpful staff answered all my questions and helped me narrow down the model that best suited my individual (and super basic) needs.

 Once selected, I fully expected to happily walk out of the store with my new purchase and tackle unboxing and setting it up at home.  Was beyond surprised when the salesperson unboxed my machine there on the spot, piece by piece and walked me through assembling the attachments, using the built-in needle threader, and winding and loading the bobbin.  

Once I had it all set up and sewed on test fabric, she had me unthread the machine and repeat the steps to ensure I understood the process (maybe she doesn't do that with everyone - my look of fear probably prompted her to do so!). 

The service provided by the salesperson was excellent!

 From day one this machine has functioned problem-free.  No struggles to load the bobbin, no tension issues - a trouble-free and enjoyable experience.  


Husqvarna Viking H Class 100Q Sewing Machine

 I won't list all of this machine's features but click HERE to find full details.  If you're looking for a basic machine that offers 20 built-in stitches, I highly recommend it. 




 To date, I have made six envelope style pillow covers and am working on a vintage-inspired apron (using a store bought pattern!) - something I wouldn't have attempted with my old machine.  Will share more on them later but here's a glimpse at a couple of the pillow covers.

 These were made using a Waverly floral print:


And this lovely neutral striped upholstery fabric was a remnant from Joann's:


I am so grateful that I was able to purchase a new and cooperative machine and continue my sewing journey.

Can you relate to frustrations with certain machines?  Were you able to overcome them or did you discover that finding another machine was the solution for you?  Please share!

Thank you to Kathryn at The Dedicated House for kindly featuring this post!


Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting! 




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DIY Wood Plank Lighted Headboard

Our recent foyer console table build provided motivation to create a wood plank lighted headboard for our guest room.



Materials used for queen size headboard:

  •  Four 1"x10" boards cut to 5' long
  •  Two 1"x4" boards cut to 37" long
  •  Brad nailer and 2" brads
  •  2" screws to attach support boards to wall studs
  •  Two wall lamps with wall plugs
  •  2-1/2" hole saw
  •  Two 1" wood screws (for mounting lamps to headboard)
  •  Level
  •  Wood stain
  •  Fine sandpaper




Four boards were found in our stash of scrap wood.  They were 1" x 10" and each had a totally different wood tone.  The shortest was actually a 1" piece of plywood (looked like a board to me!).  I was unsure if wood stain would unify these but took a chance that they would blend together once stained. 



LOTS of hand sanding and two coats of Minwax Dark Walnut stain resulted in a beautiful and smooth finish.  And, thankfully the stain looked even and uniform - or as close as possible.




For lighting, we searched Lowe's and Home Depot and looked in all departments - interior, exterior and utility lighting.  While there were lots of awesome options, many were too large.  

We selected two of these from Home Depot in brushed nickel:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-5-1-in-Brushed-Nickel-LED-Spotlight-Desk-Lamp-19274-002/205749849?cm_mmc=shopping-_-bingpa-_-27-_-205749849&ci_src=328768002&ci_sku=205749849&gclid=CIny3MSry8wCFeSAMgodyjgCPg&gclsrc=ds
Hampton Bay Brushed Nickel Lamp
Hubby drilled holes in the top board and dropped each lamp's wall plug through the hole.  These would be hidden behind the headboard.  The lamps were attached to the top board with a 1" wood screw - each lamp had a predrilled hole in the back plate and these slipped easily and snugly onto the mounting screws.





We chose to attach the headboard directly to the wall and first installed two 37" 1x4's vertically, using 2" screws to attach them to wall studs.  




The stained boards were then attached horizontally to the support boards using a brad nailer and 2" brads.  For a more rustic look, you could use wood screws to attach the boards, but I wanted a sleeker look with no exposed screw or nail heads.

Even though the board below looks deceivingly slanted, it's all an illusion - it really is level.  









The finished dimensions are 5' wide x 37" tall.  It was tempting to add even more boards for a much taller headboard, but I wanted space above to hang a piece of metal art.


This was a fun project and I love how a few scrap boards can provide such impact and function in our guest room!   




Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting! 


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Idea Organizing ... Before Pinterest

Before Pinterest, many of us had been collecting and organizing creative ideas for years ... in binders, photo albums and ... for me, on index cards!





 My simple system was devoted mainly to home decor ideas gleaned online and in magazines (remember those?).  

My index cards were equivalent to Pinterest Pins ... it was easy to attach or jot down an idea (photo, sketch) on an index card, and add specific details ... paint color, materials used, etc. 





(If anyone knows the source of any of the decor ideas above, 
please let me know and I will link back.)

 The index card topic dividers were the equivalent of Pinterest Boards. 




Pinterest has thankfully made this entire process so much easier, quicker and less cumbersome, but it's still fun to browse through these cards occasionally.  It brings back the excitement and joy of finding a neat new decor idea to try, or seeing an old idea in a totally different way and having it trigger another creative thought.

 But who knows, perhaps I'll return to my index card system some day ... surely Pinterest won't be around forever, right?  My cards will!  

And, unlike Pinterest, my cards are stored in a cute little lidded box!  :)





 Did you have a paper idea organizing method pre-Pinterest?  Do you still?  


Your comments are greatly appreciated and I look forward to your thoughts and ideas!  I try to respond to comments via email as soon as I can. If your email address isn't available, I will comment here. Thanks so much for visiting! 




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