Lazy Crafting

Truth be told, I have a pretty big fabric stash. I love fabric. I love handmade. Why don't I sew? One simple answer. I am realllllly freaking lazy. And I'm impatient. And I mess up stuff and get frustrated really easily.

Even with crafting, I enjoy coming up with the ideas. Not so much the hands-on making part of it. Every once in awhile, I come up with a good excuse to use my fabric. Take today for example.

We had our eye on this really nifty television stand for our basement, but it's now discontinued.

It was a little more than I wanted to spend too at $450 after shipping. I would have loved to have bought a vintage mid-century credenza, but we had a problem with the weight and length of vintage getting it in our house. Plus, the ones I found were more than $450.

We settled on this generic but economic and plain tv stand from Target ($179.99):

And this is what I did to it today! Forgive my pics. I cannot, for the life of me, get a good picture down there.

The rolling doors come out and the glass comes out kind of like a picture frame. I had a yard of Erin Michaels for Moda Lush fabric in woodgrain. I cut the fabric leaving about 2" on all 4 sides. I wrapped the fabric around the glass like wrapping a package securing it to the glass with packing tape (see? Lazy). Popped the glass back in the doors and the doors back onto the stand. Voila!

If you try this at home, just be sure your remote can reach the equipment behind the fabric. Mine had no prob.

I feel like I've seen someone else do this but probably with way more thought put into it and with a more perfect and finished method. Sarah, perhaps? She always does the most wonderful sprucing. This way is the lazy way.

Here are some more pics of the illustrious basement. It's coming along nicely.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Ours was nice and relaxing. Oh, and speaking of lazy, I didn't apply to Craft Revival. I'm a little sad, but I know I would be having to force myself to make stuff (not in a good way). It will actually be fun to just go and shop my brains out. Doesn't help that my Etsy shop is super slowwwwww this month (and last, for that matter!).

xo!

The Basement Reveal!

Finally...sigh.

Oh My Aching Basement

...As Amanda so eloquently put it. I'm almost done. Allllllmost there. Just a fewwwwww more days. Here is a sneaky peek. Click to enlarge.


Yes, I'm trying to be like Nicole with my mockup thing-a-majig. Falling a tad short.

We've modified the look a bit from my initial thought, but it still has that mid-century thang going on. Lots of repro stuff, but that's all we can justify in the basement. The clock was my grandparent's. I love it!

I'm even going nutball with the laundry room. That sneaky peek is coming soon to a computer near you.

Moi, Je Joue

Have I told you I'm a sucker for marketing? My bro and SIL gave me a Nordstrom's gift cert for perfume last year for my birthday. I chose Miss Dior Cherie, and I wear it every single day. I'm on my second bottle. If I hadn't already bought it, after seeing this new ad, I would buy it now.




Not only is it French, but it's directed by Sofia Coppola. In terms of aesthetics in film, she is my favorite. Oh, and that's Brigitte Bardot singing.

Speaking of Frenchy-ness, there is a new crepe place downtown Detroit!!!!!! It's called Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes (how cute is that?). Read their menu and tell me you could resist. Can't wait to make a trip to the D. Carryout only, but I'll sit in my car and eat them (Weight Watchers what?). I'm drooling reading the description of the Vera, Katie, and Melinda. Yum.

Sorry I'm so lazy lately re-posting stuff. I don't know what's wrong with me. I need to get with the program and start making some Valentine's stuff. I've been doing very well shopping, however. Look at the cuteness I purchased at Target today. Their owl Valentine stuff is to die for.

And look at this nifty modish lamp for the basement!

That would be my basement for which I STILL don't have a single quote despite the fact we've had 3 contractors in here. No, I am confident that we'll pick a great contractor, and I am so thankful to all my great friends (Amy, Danielle) who have given me contacts.

Some more creative thought-provoking posts soon, I promise! xo

Popovers

I was trying to think of a whimsical title to this post. But, alas, I could not.


One of my absolutely fave restaurants is Marshall Field’s Café (aka Lakeshore Grille now). Every November 11, my mom comes to visit (it’s her birthday and I get the day off for Veteran’s Day), and we lunch at L.G. and shop. My idea of a decadent lunch consists of their popovers, lobster bisque and Oriental Salad with perfect(ly fattening) toasted sesame dressing. My MIL and bro both acquired the Marshall Field’s Café cookbook. I made the popovers today and not only are they soooo easy, they taste IDENTICAL.

I did tweak the recipe a tad because my husband used one of my designated eggs (I adjusted all other amounts and cooking time). Oh and I also just mixed everything together because I’m sloppy like that (they said to mix the wet ingredients first and then add the dry):

MF’s Popovers (Girl Land’s Version)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put UNGREASED muffin pan in oven for 15 min (recipe says to spray first but the spray stunk up my house big time).

Combine the following in bowl and use electric mixer until frothy:
4 Eggs
1-1/3 Cups Whole Milk
4 T Butter
2-1/3 Cups Flour
¼ tsp salt
Spray heated pan with Pam and fill all cups evenly. Bake 30 min and if not sufficiently brown, decrease heat to 390 and cook 5 more min.

I wish I could have taken a picture of the finished product, but my muffin pans are grody. So let’s pretend this picture is them (photo courtesy of travelingfeast.net). We had them today with a variety of soups (potato leek, lasagna soup, and white bean with ham) and aged white cheddar cheese. Mmmmmm!



Also, our basement dude is finally coming tomorrow. Here is my scaled layout! I got it from http://www.floorplanner.com/. You can do one room for free, and it’s so great. If I ever have to lay out anything else, I’m going to buy an account. So user friendly and fun.

More Basement & A Cheshire Kat Giftie!

So here's another Polyvore amalgam I have created. This is more piece-specific. What do you think? Too much?? Too many themes? I think the curtains may push it over the edge, and I would only use them to give the illusion of larger windows, but I still may need to nix.


Basement 2 by Girl Land

Look at the lovely care package I got from my friend, Kat!!!! I am a bad bloggy friend. I didn't send any gifties out this year. I'll get'cha back, Kat. I love how she packages her magnets and pins in these cassette cases. Too cute! Thank you soooooo much! Big smooches.

I'm Dreaming of a New Basement

Our Christmas was nice. Wrap-up to come in the next day or so. However, a cruddy finale-- the hubby and I were hit with the stomach flu Saturday necessitating an extra day's stay at the in-laws which was completely fortunate because I don't know how we would have managed without them. Q puked in the car on the way home yesterday. LOVELY! Besides that, it was good. Just hard to remember at this point...ugh.

My latest obsession is........our basement. "Huh," you ask? Our basement has been the bane of my existence for about a year now. It is chocked full of crapola-- most of which we actually need to keep. We still need to whittle that load down. However, we have actually SAVED up (what's that?) the moolah to have it finished. I designed a little floor plan which is merely one big living area sectioned off into an adult's area with gas fireplace, sofa sleeper, and TV and a second area for the girls with Q's new mini trampoline (from Santa), blackboard, and beanbag chairs, a closet, and a laundry area. How heavenly!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my dilemma. I have no idea how to make it appropriate for guests AND the kids in terms of decor and practicality (read: no velvet and no white anything). We are on an Ikea/Macy's/JCPenney's/Urban Outfitters kinda budget here too.

Man, could I use Nicole Balch's skills (of Making It Lovely/Pink Loves Brown) right about now. Have you seen her creations???? Love, love, lu-huv!!! Yes, I used her name in the hope that she may get a Google alert, visit my blog, take pity on me and throw me some ideas. Heh.

Here is my sad attempt at the *feel* I'm going for (not necessarily the actual items):

Ooh, although I do have my heart set on a chandelier decal of some sort. I just like the irony of a chandelier in the basement. Especially OUR grody basement.

I'm going for the woodsy, part mod, part grandma, hip-but-cozy feel. Does that read in my pic? I need to insert some sort of brighter color, and I don't know what. Thinking a paprika-type color but don't know where or how. Anyone out there with ideas and/or skills in the realm of interior design, PLEASE HELP...I MEAN, SHARE! :) I would be forever indebted.

Here are the items I need: a (sleek) sofa sleeper, floor and table lamps (at least 2-3 of each), TV stand, shelves for adult and kid area, possible sofa table, 1-2 possible rugs (we're going to have berber down), and lotsa accessories!

Are you still awake??? Sorry to bend your ear about something so YAWNY. You know when you get obsessed about something, and it's all you can think about? It's pretty sad when that thing is...your basement.

Our estimate's coming Thursday...to be continued...

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I have been catching up on my blog reading. If you haven't heard from me in awhile, I'm still there, just no stinkin' time to comment. I'm there in spirit! In fact, I have just Facebook friended a few of you girls cuz I miss ya! MWAHHHH.