Knitpickity

just over a week until the big reveal

I know I have been quiet lately on my thrifty chic finds.  I have a big giant enormous and amazing project that I can post a week from Monday.  I have been totally redecorating Catherine's bedroom and she does not want to see it until she gets back from her visit with her Dad so I promised no pictures online.  I think this will be one of my favorite rooms that I have ever done - I love everything in this room, from rug to chandelier!!

I am almost done with everything - will finish painting the case pieces and making the upholstered headboard tomorrow.  I think everything will be ready for her by Friday and that gives me 3 days if there are any oh nos before her flight arrives on the 28th.

So I have started to turn my thoughts to my next project.  I have bought most of the major pieces and now I need to just go and finish each room 1 by 1.  I am debating the playroom or my bedroom next.  I was at a bit of a loss on my bedroom.  My ex and I bought the fontana line from Broyhill years and years ago and I am very tired of it and honestly I have changed so much of my life, I need to update my bedroom to reflect who I am (ok so I have gotten rid of just about every single thing from when I was married - it is cathartic really it is lol) but that was going to be a big investment.  So then I thought hmmmmmm paint it all white and do all white furniture, bed etc which has a certain appeal to it.  Also the black cat fur always breaks that up and keeps it from being too monotonous and pristine.

Well today while I was working on Catherine's fabulous headboard I thought hmmmmmmm don't I have a bunch of toile from Pierre Deux that I got for a steal on ebay - seriously I think it was right around 40 for this $500 cut of fabric.

 Yup 5 yards of Aumont Toile . . . 

Hmmmm maybe I should hop on the band wagon and have a upholstered headboard too . . .

Here is a beauty from Pierre Deux for $1895 . . .

Another stunning example - this one from Horchow

Anthropologie for $995

Hmmmmm maybe I am on to something - time to go scouting for a king sized headbord to transform . . .

  

Finding my eye . . .

The media center is finished and in place and looks great as well as being highly functional - I will post pictures soon of that project and am getting ready to do a 3 week whirlwind remodel of Catherine's room.  I put her on a plane today for her Dad's and want to have her new teen-ager room ready when she gets back on the 28th,  So look for  lots of pictures of her soon to be thrifty chic room!

So besides the furniture (I have to clean out the garage of what is in there before I get ANY new thrift finds) I have another passion and that is photography.  When I was a little girl I helped my dad in the black and white dark room that he had.  I graduated to basic Kodaks and was an early adopter of digital technology but had some hangup in getting a "real" camera.  In March my boyfriend convinced me to take the plunge and I am now having fun with a NIKON D5000 which I absolutely love.

I have always been frustrated in the shutter lag in my older cameras meaning I always just missed the shot or the moment I wanted.  I have never been fond on posed pictures instead I like the pictures that told a story.  Pictures that captured the expression and the emotion of an individual.  I like the quirky over the beautiful, not that I am against beauty and I like lots of color or black and white - rarely any middle ground.  If you are friends with me on facebook then you have seen a nauseating amount of my work.  The neat thing for me is that while I am strictly an amateur and have a LONG way to go I am developing a style to my work.  I have found my way of expressing how I see the world.

Of course rambling about photography would not be the same without visuals so I leave you with some pictures I have not published before . . .

 

 
 
  

two awesome recipes from food network and another copycat project

A nice lazy Saturday, slept late, ate big bakery bagels, figured out a new project, went thrifting (found a great floor lamp at Salvation Army for $10.00) ran a few errands and made an amazing dinner . . .

Food Network has been my inspiration of choice tonight was Baked Shrimp Scampi from the Barefoot Contessa,  Light, lemony and really yummy served over pasta served with artisan bread and asparagus . . .

Baked Shrimp Scampi Recipe

A couple of weeks ago I made a simply but scrumptious Chicken Piccata from Giada De Laurentiis also on the Food Network site.  Made it for a dear friend that was visiting and we all agreed it was really yummy - very easy too

Chicken Piccata Recipe

I think I am going to keep exploring Food Network for more fun recipes . . .

And I did do one more lazy day project - I have to admit it was another copycat project from Kate at Centsational Girl . . . she posted this entry on May 3rd.  Then she showed how she made some wonderful encrusted wine glasses with instructions on May 11th.  I finally got my turn this weekend and am extremely pleased how they turned out . . .

 

 

I got the crystal wine glasses at goodwill for $1.50 each and the beads/buttons at Joann's at a 50% off sale.  I do not have an exact total but believe I spent about $20-$25 total for the 4 glasses.  I will let them dry for 48 hours and see how they wash on Sunday.  Fingers crossed and if they do well I will definitely be making more.

Time to go play Phase 10 with the kids - I think I will have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in anticipation of the new glasses . . .