Bromeliad

A day at the beach

2012-01-31T17:19:00.001-05:00

While in South Carolina, we enjoyed one very foggy day at the beach.

My DIY extreme cardigan makeover

2012-01-30T17:09:00.001-05:00

Inspired by this. (J.Crew, almost $200 but cashmere.)

I made this. (Thrifted, less than $1. Not cashmere.)

From this.

Yeah, it was enough sweater for two people.

You combine taking in the sides with taking in the sleeves and add taking up the shoulders, below.

If you've got any fears about refashioning old clothes, this will blow them out of the water.

Backyard chickens

2012-01-27T17:15:00.001-05:00

My in-laws get at least three eggs a day from their four backyard chickens.

Sweetie, the friendliest, tolerates being picked up and held by strangers - as long as there are dried mealworms in play.

However, she'll sit quietly for Marion, the chicken whisperer.

Sugar, the smallest, got a bath and was, as you might well imagine, madder than a wet hen. (Note chicken soap dispenser in background.)

Plain and simple

2012-01-26T17:55:00.003-05:00

Whenever I come back from being away for awhile, my home looks very:
1. White 2. Plain 3. Empty.

Here's a little uncluttered soft neutral inspiration from Coastal Living to clear the mind.

Back

2012-01-26T12:58:00.001-05:00

Back. Will share some photos soon. (This is our grand-nephew in a rare moment of stillness.)

Blushing pear

2012-01-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

Sorry posts are a little slow. And now going out of town. Don't quit me. Good stuff coming soon. In the meatime I give you fruit.

White sofa du jour

2012-01-14T16:45:00.001-05:00

Alberto Pinto in Architectural Digest. Note white and leopard again. I've spotted a trend. And I crack myself up.

DIY wall flowers

2012-01-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

Make a version of this.

Or a version of this.

Make it huge.

And create wall art inspired by Lorna Syson.

Start now and you may have one done by spring.

Little bedroom DIYs

2012-01-11T19:19:00.000-05:00

Here are the lame DIYs I did for my bedroom. First is the curtain, which is a piece of really gorg cobalt blue dupioni silk I thifted.

I didn't hem it or anything. I folded over the excess fabric at the top and clipped on these curtain rings I also thrifted. YOu can get similar rings at IKEA for three bucks.

Then I hung it up. Didn't even hem the bottom. I just let it "puddle" artfully.

The pillow was made from this non-cute thrifted leopard coat that I felt terribly guilty over cutting up, but it was not a good-looking coat and nobody else seemed to want it.

I simplified my zipper making. Just take the zipper and put it right sides together with your fabric and pin. Sew it and then do the same with the back half of your pillow (right sides together, pin and sew.) The zipper came out fine.

The pillow came out pretty bad. I have a hard time cutting straight lines.

Then the framed Pucci-ish art is a thrifted JCPenney scarf in a thrift store frame. It's the same frame and idea for the tribal art DIY here.

That's it.

Mini bedroom makeover part 17

2012-01-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not even going to link up to any 'before' images because you'll be, like, what changed?

What changed is a tiny addition of pattern and color, to wit - a leopard pillow made from a thrifted coat, a cobalt blue pop of curtain, and some Pucci-esque wall art.

All the additions are DIY and/or thrifted, right down to the real coral and the faux fur on the ottoman.

I'll give some DIY details later this week.

In the meantime, there's some leopard inspiration here. and some leopard with blue inspiration and some blue stuff.

For more on blue, see From the Right Bank and again here.

Does any particular color intrigue you right now?

Zoom

2012-01-06T17:15:00.001-05:00

About a month ago Mr. Bromeliad jumped on an Amazon sale and got me a 55-250mm zoom lens.

It gives me a nice short depth of field (e.g. fuzzes out the background).

And the ability to zoom in on weird details.

And forlorn pups outside of liquor stores (with the thought bubble 'No, not the Chianti!')

Never know what will get you famous

2012-01-04T17:21:00.000-05:00

My most popular post of 2011 and of all time was not the hand-designed pattern for Moroccan poufs nor the suzani templates that took days to sketch. No no no. It was the five-second necklace made from ribbon and clip earrings.

Thanks to the DIY divas of Pinterest like Becki Malloy who have enough followers to start their own religion, this thing really took off.

I can take a hint. Prepare for more stupid simple projects.

White sofa du jour

2011-12-31T19:34:00.000-05:00

Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber's place in House Beautiful.

Tip: white and leopard look good together.

My DIY: Shorten the sleeves of a sweater

2011-12-27T17:12:00.003-05:00

A carmel-y camel-y beige has become my new go-to neutral, but my only beige cardigan (thrifted) had sleeves that hung down like ape arms.

I finally decided to be brave and hack into the world of sleeves.

I have to thank Carly Cais of Chic Steals for her tutorial on how to fit sleeves. I would have never figured out the whole right side out/inside out stuff without her.

First measure from the end of your sleeve to where you want your new length to be. My sleeves were more than three inches too long.

Remove the sleeves and measure down that same distance on the other end of the sleeve and mark. Do this on the outside of the sleeve. (Note: That's your sew line, not your cut line. Leave yourself a seam allowance if you need to cut off excess fabric.)

Since your new shorter sleeve will be a little bit narrower at the arm hole than your old sleeve, you'll need to take in the sides of the sweater a bit. To do this, I try it on inside out and pin fit.

Sew up the sides. Then leaving the body of the sweater inside out, slide in your sleeve right side out.

Match up the bottom seam of your sleeve with the side seam of the sweater and pin. Then sew on the sleeves.

Stay warm and try not to pack on too many pounds this winter now that your sweater is fitted.

Camel

2011-12-27T12:35:00.004-05:00

Camel really does go with everything.

This evening I'll share a camel sweater rescue.

Camel also goes with glitter clutchs. So don't forget the glitter clutch giveaway.

Affordable shoes for the extremely picky

2011-12-22T12:10:00.000-05:00

About 90 percent of my shoes are thrifted, so when I do buy a pair, they have to be cheap, fabulous and comfy. This matrix comes together maybe once every two years.

Sadly, the aisles of cheap shoes are filled with stubby-toed flats, platforms the size of bricks and an inordinately large selection of stilettos.

While trendy yet graceful shoes from J.Crew, Madewell, Talbots, Steve Madden, etc. are $70 to $300, here are some similar looks for less.

The bow flat at Kmart (Restricted Footwear Women's Nectarine $32.50)

A tapered toe skimmer flat in happy colors - Urban Outfitters (BDG Leather Pointy Skimmer $34)

The chunky pump - Target (Mossimo Pemota Chunky Heel Pump $24)

The glittery flat or pump - Payless (Chelsea Flat $17)

The colorful suede pump - Target for price, Urban Outfitters for colors (Pemota pump in Coral $24, OU Suede Pump $39)

The animal print pump - Target (Merona Euna Cheetah pump $25)

A really cute tapered animal print flat for around $20 - Still looking.

Leopard stools

2011-12-20T17:55:00.000-05:00

Noticing lots of little leopard stools lately.

I feel a DIY coming on.

And two more random images from Claiborne Swanson Frank's home in Elle Decor just because it's so bright and happy.

Persimmon

2011-12-19T17:53:00.000-05:00

The blog has been a little fruitless lately.

A friend brought persimmons from Florida from his mom's tree. Persimmon - another fruit I never tasted until recently.

Sad that my Ohio childhood was so deprivational.

Glitter

2011-12-15T17:58:00.001-05:00

I used to think glitter was the must useless invention next to rayon. In addition to its ability to render something otherwise practical into something hardly ever worn, it gets everywhere. (You will not catch this girl throwing a fistful of glitter in the air without a Hoover nearby.)

Tomorrow I will be reviewing a product that could revolutionize the DIY glitter industry.

In the meantime, here's some DIY inspiration.

Images: Ari Skyes; Mackie Baby; Unknown; My Cutiest; Love Maegan; Burberry via Cup of Te; Blink Pink; Made by Girl; Pair and a Spare.

Modernizing the rag rug

2011-12-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

Make it square, not round. Make it bright. bold and linear.

Braided rug by Christina Ruhaak.

Rope necklace winners

2011-12-13T12:34:00.000-05:00

Sorry I sort of forgot about this. But our rope necklace giveaway winners are MaviDeniz and Christina at Full House. Since Christina specified the smaller necklace, she gets it.

Please contact me at bromeliadliving at gmail dot com and I'll get these mailed off to you.

We'll have another giveaway this week - something J.Crew-ish.

DIY striped skirts and curtains

2011-12-08T17:10:00.000-05:00

Lots of stripey ideas today. Make a no-sew striped skirt out of a shirt with Sarah at Welcome to the Good Life.

Make a stretch knit skirt with one seam using an existing skirt as a template with Suburbs Mama.

Make DIY horizontal striped curtains with muslin and spray paint with The Crafty CPA.

Anthro knocked off

2011-12-02T17:34:00.004-05:00

The design scouts at Anthropologie have been snooping around my blog again, evidenced by the Decorated Bib Necklace, an obvious riff on my faux crochet necklace of Fall 2010.

I went looking for the thing, hoping to update it with some cording and beads only to discover it was apparently the victim of a recent craftwa. Which is a lesson in why you should never declare war on your mess since it could one day become a $600 accessory.

Speaking of which . . . mom, don't throw out any glasses.

Snakes on chains

2011-11-29T17:33:00.003-05:00

Thrifting is fun because it saves you a ton of money. It is also fun because you never know what wackadoodle thing you will run across. Like these two snake chains. Or belts.

Would you ever walk out of your house with the sole purpose of finding a bit of snake jewelry? But look where thrifting can take you.

These guys are probably from the 80s, but I like to imagine a bit of an Alexander McQueen vibe. Haven't worn them yet. Only taken them out for location modeling shoots.

Found anything fascinating lately?

Big fat bag of eye candy

2011-11-24T17:31:00.000-05:00

It's only the end of November, but I've already grown tired of traditional autumn activities like carb loading and cursing the early darkness.

Which leads me off instead to the escapist fantasies like Boutique Homes, where I click until my wrist swells.

Have you seen it?

Banana bread

2011-11-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

My friend Mise at Pretty Far West has built a blogging empire around photos of baked goods and sage domestic tips such as 'never let the children know the yogurt is homemade.'

In this spirit I present my banana bread, distinguished only by the use of buckwheat flour (we were out of regular) and my trademark banana buttons down the center of the loaf.

I advise not letting the children know about the buckwheat.

Rope necklace giveaway

2011-11-21T12:04:00.000-05:00

Giving away these two necklaces made by moi during a knot-tying phase. If you have a preference for one over the other, say so.

Just be a follower and leave a comment.

Warm color

2011-11-17T17:19:00.002-05:00

Cold, dreary, rainy here.

But it's always warm and bright in a high-end catalog. Here's some cool weather/warm color inspiration from Etro.

Urban autumn

2011-11-14T17:27:00.001-05:00

I took a walk around the neighborhood Saturday and got to see more fall color than I could find upstate a few weeks ago. We are enjoying an extended autumn in the city.

House Beautiful and Elle Decor for $5

2011-11-11T17:38:00.001-05:00

Sign up for a free trial issue of HGTV's new magazine here and you'll then be directed to a page that offers Country Living, Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Veranda for $5 subscriptions.

My DIY: Make a macrame rope and hardware necklace

2011-11-09T17:49:00.000-05:00

Here are some fun things you can do with laundry rope, hardware and old purses.

Cut four strands of rope. Tie a bunch of lanyard knots. Slide an aluminum conduit connector (or hardware of your choice) over your ropes. Keep tying knots. Add another aluminum connector.

When you get it long enough, rip a clasp and loop off an old purse. Tie one on each end of your necklace. Pull the ropes tight. Glue. Let it dry. Trim off the rope.

Wear it. In a pinch use it to defend self. (It's quite heavy.)

You can also make bracelets.

Closet of dreams and IKEA hacks

2011-11-04T17:22:00.000-04:00

So many projects and things I wanted to post about and so little time.

In the meantime here's a little inspiration if you're cleaning closets this weekend. Interior designer Saudah Saleem turned one whole room of her brownstone into a closet. (Although really it's a home office and sitting room accented with shoes.) She used IKEA's Pax and Billy storage. From House of Fifty.

Speaking of IKEA, two Lack side table hacks, one from Little Green Notebook, the other from Clementine and Olive.

And Jackie at Teal and Lime pulled off an IKEA hack of that Design Within Reach chandelier I walk by once a week and always think I'll try to do some day.

And totally unrelated, but this made my day. Watch it to the end and learn a new word.

The color of less money

2011-11-02T17:05:00.000-04:00

Under the influence of this.

And this.

My latest thrifting haul looks like this.

Instead of this from a year ago. (Note: It's not a black and white photo.)

Is color blocking exploding in your closet?

Images: NYMag, J.Crew

Vera Bradley giveaway winner

2011-11-01T17:27:00.000-04:00

After adding two more entries for Mise for being Irish and witty, our winner is Maria C., who is not Irish but had a very challenging day.

Congrats Maria, I'll be in touch.

Random thoughts about blue

2011-10-28T17:46:00.000-04:00

1. Blue and animal print look good together. (Note far right above and center below.)

2. The Novogratz and I both scatter solid throw pillows in shades of blue, the difference being that the Novogratz apparently settled on actual pillows whereas I was draping pieces of fabric in imaginary pillow shapes for hours.

2b. And the Novogratz were working in this space.

2c. And this was just an excuse to use the phrase 'the Novogratz and I' in a blog post.

Images: Elle Decor; via Full House; Elle Decor Spain via Design Elements.

Vera Bradley giveaway reminder

2011-10-28T12:32:00.000-04:00

Last chance for the Vera Bradley giveaway.

Fall

2011-10-27T17:31:00.001-04:00

A few pics from our trip upstate with family. The last two are from the Culinary Institute of America. (No photos of food. Just myopic shots of flowers.)

No tree stumps were obtained.

My DIY: How to take in the sides of a top

2011-10-21T17:35:00.001-04:00

Refashioning has been a tar pit for me. I used to spend all kinds of time thrashing around until my dream of inexpensive cutely fitted items sunk out of sight.

But my slipcover project must have burned some new synapse in my brain. Pin seam after pin seam has taught me that the human body is nothing more than an oddly shaped cushion. Thus, above you see my first successful alteration -a resized thrift store cardigan.

The secret - unleashing the power of the straight pin.

We start simple here with a top that already fits in the shoulders. (Unfortunately I don't have a "before" photo to indicate its former voluminous size elsewhere.) We will tackle the scary world of shoulders another time.

Button the sweater up, turn it inside out and pin the sides to a size that fits you. To save some pinning time, I sometimes start by laying a top that already fits over the larger top. I use the smaller top as a pattern and pin my sides accordingly.

My pin line is indicated in pink. Note that you can't just stop at the sides. Continue into the sleeve, then gradually angle back into your original seam.

Try the top on inside out and adjust your pins if needed. You don't want your buttons straining (too tight) or your sides droopy (too loose). Use a measuring tape to check that you are taking it in the same amount on both sides. Take your time with the pinning. Get it right before you sew.

Here you see my seam. I used a long straight stitch. There are special stitches for stretchy fabric, but I have not gone there yet. My straight stitch worked fine.

Notice that the new seam goes basically parallel to the old seam. Don't get too curvy. Your top will stretch around you anyway.

Here you see the seam gradually joining the original seam in the arm. Sew your new seam all the way to the end of the sleeve, right over top the original seam.

You want the edges of your fabric to match up. Here I'm a little off.

Then, if you're not lame, you trim your seams and finish the edges with an overlock or zigzag stitch.

Or you leave them as is because they look and feel OK and nobody would know if you hadn't posted an inside out photo of your cardigan on your blog.

A peek at the neighbors

2011-10-20T17:49:00.001-04:00

They always have the best stuff in their pot.

DIY Lucite cuffs and rope necklace

2011-10-18T17:34:00.000-04:00

Make DIY Lucite cuffs by melting plastic in the oven with Love Aesthetics.

Make Lucite and gold cuffs from a plastic tube and a toy lizard with Glitter N' Glue.

Make a DIY Anthro rope necklace with Thanks I Made It.

DIY rope bracelets

2011-10-17T17:35:00.000-04:00

All of the rope bracelets pictured here from Miansai and Roarke (and appearing in the latest issue of Elle) will run you $55 to $100 a piece.

You can so totally do these.

The one above is a square knot. Get a tutorial from Elizabeth Abernathy. (She was way in front of this trend.)

The next two are braids. I know you've got this covered already.

If you like, though, you can get a similar look by handweaving strips of jersey (you can cut up a t-shirt) with a tutorial by Vanessa Christenson.

And for this last one, don't even go out and buy the latches. You can get them off thrift store purses.

Which one would you make? Have you seen some you like even better?

Still inspired

2011-10-14T17:48:00.000-04:00

One of the fun things about tidying up is finding old magazines in your stash, opening the pages and discovering that your taste has not changed a bit in six years.

This is the East Hampton's home of Donna Karan, designed by Bonetti Kozerski, who also did a bunch of the furniture.

Karan's "spa house" was featured in the February 2005 issue of (the now defunct) House & Garden.

I would still take this place in a hot sauna second.

Lest you think it's not possible to duplicate such a look in your own spa-home-to-be, note the white back cushions paired with the black and white striped seat cushions in the next photo.

I apologize in advance for showing you yet another photo of my sofa, but check out the striped seat with the white cushions.

OK, that was a stretch.

Not so much of a stretch is the artwork in the dining room, featured only in House & Garden (I could not find an image online.) It's by Karan's late husband Stephan Weiss.

It looked so familiar because I had knocked it off years ago.

A mini version is part of my permanent floor gallery.

This home also explains my six-year yearning for some tree stumps for DIY side tables.

I'm going upstate in two weeks. They have trees up there.

Vera Bradley giveaway

2011-10-13T17:39:00.002-04:00

Time for a little reader appreciation. I'm giving away a Vera Bradley wallet clutch in nice autumn shades. To enter, just be a follower and leave a comment below. Your chances are very good.

If you are Irish, give yourself a second entry.

If you are Irish AND have a whimsical blog about home design and Welsh cakes, by all means enter again.

If you are having a challenging day in any way (regardless of nationality), enter again.

You know you've lost your mind when

2011-10-12T12:49:00.001-04:00

Your spouse is working late and instead of reading enlightening material or learning to play the violin, you try out various potential throw pillow arrangements over and over and over . . .

. . . and over and over . . .

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

How to wear a pleated skirt

2011-10-10T12:27:00.000-04:00

The last time I wore pleats, they only came in plaid and were paired with knee socks and deck shoes.

Now I have no less than four pleated skirts, a big adjustment for an over 40 pencil skirt girl.

After a considerable amount of trial marked heavily by error, this seems to be the way to go - at the knee, shirt tucked, skinny belt/waist of some sort and a sharp eye for subway vents with big gusts of air.

For the more daring/young/skinny, there is the longer pleated skirt (but still moderated with the tucked top and skinny belt.)

The long bulky top over long pleated skirt can be pulled off by only one woman in the world, and she's in this picture. So don't bother trying it.

Are you wearing pleats? What's working for you?

Images: Via Love Maegan; Elle via Say Yes to Hoboken; Lookbook.nu; We Heart It; What I Wore; Asos; Style It Lovely; Like Whatever Online; They All Hate Us.

DIY mat, pillow and roller shade

2011-10-05T17:10:00.000-04:00

Get inspired by these beautiful reclaimed marine rope mats by Serpent Sea (It's like Orly Genger for your feet). And make your own with this tutorial from Martha Stewart.

Design your own geometric pillows with masking tape and screen printing paints at Tatertots and Jello.

Add ribbon trim to roman shades - without sewing - at What the Vita.

Screen print or ribbon glue your own Jonathan Adler Positano pillow. No tutorial for that. Just an idea.

Be strange, rearrange

2011-10-03T17:12:00.000-04:00

My quick lamp purchase decision making is now followed by extended lamp ambivalence, related to location and style.

There are an amazing number of ways to set up one small room. Unhappy with my floor lamps, I moved them across the room and installed two diminutive table lamps on either side of the sofa as a test.

I'm liking the table lamp option, even though my test lamps and tables are too wimpy for the job.

Fortunately, the world of tall economical table lamps is a large one. Below are two from Walmart in the under $50 range.

The other side of the room looks like this and casts a warm bright glow.

I'm still toying with swapping out the benign nickel-base-with-white-shade combo for IKEA's hot new Januari brass floor lamp base, which is only $20 and which seems to only be available in Paramus, New Jersey.

My friend Summer used to say "brass is not class" but times have changed.

And I'm still considering the brass base/black shade combo.

None of this really fits my current style (minimalist global beach).

Have you tried brass?

And help me to explain to Mr. Bromeliad why four lamps is not an excessive number for a living room.

Styling a white sofa

2011-09-28T12:59:00.000-04:00

When one is wracked with indecision and one's own design inadequacies, it's always nice to take a trip to decor fantasy land.

Images: Design Elements, Architectural Digest, Atlanta Homes, Atlanta Homes, Diversion Project, Everything LEB, Traditional Home via Full House, Glamourai, House Beautiful, Lauri Grassi, Little Blue Deer, Loft and Cottage, Marie Claire Maison, My Happy Little Place, Design Sponge, Diversion Project, Diversion Project, Everything LEB, Full House, The Zhush, Lonny, Vogue Living Australia, Unknown, Zoldan Interiors, Little Blue Deer.

Lights but no action

2011-09-27T12:58:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have followed this blog awhile know that I am both extraordinarly cheap and excruciatingly picky. That means a simple decision like picking out a couple of lamps can take years.

So, what a surprise to announce that I marched out to IKEA last weekend and bought two lamps.

The Alang, which I thought I would like, ended up being way too tiny in person.

So, overheated and jostled by other shoppers, I went for a Jara shade with a Rodd base for a total cost of abour $45 per light.

Of course, nothing can be that simple.

The new Jara shades are great (they also come in black). But I think the base is too tall.

I think I need an adjustable base.

IKEA only has one, and it's on the Alang floor lamp ($40). I could buy it and swap with a Jara shade. Cost: $60 per lamp.

Or there is this adjustable lamp from Walmart that I've been eyeing for awhile. I could go out on a limb with newly-cool-again brass. On the down side, the shade is described as "cream." Cost: $52 plus $5 shipping or $72 with a different shade (wouldn't a black Jara be cool?)

Or I could play it safe with nickel with this adjustable lamp from Walmart. The shade looks fine. The downside here is that it's a floor lamp/table lamp set, so I'm shelling out $20 for a table lamp I don't want. Cost: $70 plus $5 shipping.

Discuss.

Party

2011-09-26T12:27:00.000-04:00

Italian friends from Long Island had us for dinner and surprised us with an anniversary cake.

We enjoyed a "black tomato", homemade wine and we got to drink espresso with sambuca from some very special cups.

On to lighting

2011-09-23T21:27:00.007-04:00

Back to the sofa again. Since we saved all those pennies not buying a new one, I think it's time to blow it on new lighting instead.

I'm thinking a pair of floor lamps or sconces since side tables are kind of useless with those big sofa arms. And something modern to counteract the trad-iness of the sofa. Above are a few options in the $20 to $150 range.

Here's where they need to go, the sofa rasa, the blank slate, with present lighting removed.

I give this slick and shiny one from Cal Lighting ($124) the highest marks for aesthetics.

And this IKEA Alang lamp ($40) I voted most budget friendly and therefore most likely to succeed.

Here's predicting it will take months to decide.

Walmart Aged Brass lamp, $52; Wayfair Kenroy Keystone floor lamp in chrome, $130; Crate and Barrel Metro swing arm sconce, $100; IKEA Alang floor lamp, $40; IKEA Alang wall lamp, $20; Crate and Barrel Metro swing arm floor lamp, $150; Wayfair Cal Lighting Malibu floor lamp in brushed steel, $124; IKEA Kulla lamp, $90; Wayfair Kenroy Hydra lamp, $122

Blue and green at 17

2011-09-23T17:51:00.003-04:00

Mr. Bromeliad and I recently celebrated our 17-year anniversary.

Thanks Mr. B for keeping it colorful all these years.

My DIY: How to make a relatively cheap and easy no-hem slipcover

2011-09-22T12:36:00.000-04:00

Here are some how-to details from my slipcover project.

Total cost was about $225. This included fabric, new foam seat cushions, Scotchguard and shipping.

For comparision, a Pottery Barn slipcover for almost the identical sofa costs about $800.

For fabric I bought five sets of sailcloth curtains from Target. Each panel cost $10 and measured 42 by 96 inches, so I got fabric at less than $5 a yard.

I'm always down for what's cheap/easy. The other reason I went with curtains is that the edges are already hemmed. I can't cut or sew a straight line, so having one straight edge already built in gave me confidence to try this project. The curtain route also reduced the cost of a potential Craft Fail to proportions I could cope with.

On the down side, the fabric is thin. You can only do this on a sofa that is already white underneath. Even then, some of my seam allowance shows through. (For heavier bleachable white slipcover fabric, I would consider Dharma Trading. Best prices I could find.) There is so much labor involved in this I would advise not to let fabric price be the biggest factor. Go for something durable because believe me you will never want to do this again.

I won't go into detail about how to pin fit a slipcover since many other blogs have covered this. (For some examples, check out Honey Bear Lane or What the Craft.)

The only thing I did different was cut my pieces so that the bottom edge used a pre-sewn curtain hem. Pre-wash and iron the curtains of course.

I loathe the shabby chic look, so I spent a lot of time trying to get the slipcover as tight and fitted as possible. For a more modern look, I skipped welting. I lie. I skipped welting because it's too much work and I don't know how to do it.

To keep the look as modern as possible, I also eliminated the skirt. I raised the hem of the slipcover to show a little bit of the sofa feet. (For some tips on how to modernize a slipcover, visit Naomi at Design Manifest.)

I have a zipper down the back of the slipcover and on all the cushions. For a zipper tutorial, see this post.

Since I live in a 480-square-foot apartment, I had to burn out the bulk of this over one weekend. Our home looked like the mafia searched our place for a micro chip. If you live in a house, I would say haul your sofa to some dark corner and work on it slowly.

Here's the before - not bad, but the seat cushions were bulging and there was dinginess that no amount of cleaning would remove.

Here's the after.

Done and done

2011-09-21T12:41:00.000-04:00

I've been working on two large DIY projects this summer, which explains the complete lack of tutorials since framing a scarf in a picture frame back in July (lame).

Although a shy midwesterner, I have included myself in this photo of my completed slipcover for two reasons:
1. Scale
2. My second huge DIY project was myself.

Until you see someone sit on this couch, it's hard to imagine just how big it is.

The great white whale is eight feet long and three feet deep. It took 20 plus yards of fabric to cover the thing, and four (four!) cans of Scotchgard to protect it.

See, huge, right?

The other reason I look so small on the sofa is that I lost 10 pounds via rigorous calorie counting and doubling my exercise.

I used My Plate at LiveStrong.com to document everything that went in my mouth and every calorie burned for the past three months. Tedious but effective.

I still need to trim the seams and lose three pounds. But it's nice to say that both projects are basically done.

p.s. A note on the outfit - all thrifted except the skirt, which was clearance from Talbots. I had the grey blouse for ages not knowing what it really needed was a pink leopard sweater (thank you Mom and Goodwill Industries).

DIY scarf tying

2011-09-20T12:37:00.000-04:00

Here are a few ways to wear a scarf that a normal woman could pull off.

The first two are street fashion from New York Fashion Week. The last is a how-to from Keiko Lynn.

DIY New York Fashion Week

2011-09-16T17:27:00.000-04:00

New York Fashion Week wrapped up yesterday. The above necklace by Do.Ri is on my list to do, especially since I already have some white suede cord and lots of hardware lying around.

For more DIY ideas from NYFW, visit examiner.com.

My own personal Missoni

2011-09-15T12:51:00.001-04:00

I picked up this knit top in my favorite thrifting spot last week and wore it yesterday.

Several people said, "Hey that looks like the new Target stuff (e.g. Missoni.)"

I was surprised my non-fashionista friends were so up on designer Target lines (and besides I considered the pattern to be more Jonathan Adler than Missoni) until I found out that people in the city were killing each other to be first to grab Missoni at Target prices.

I wore my version with a thrifted orange scarf, thrifted teal shoes I found in my drawer at work, my DIY bangles and a white Talbot's skirt (to give the eye a break, natch.) Total cost: $27.

I don't think there is a color that does not go with this little top.

For those of you who did not make it to Target and aren't finding fabulous second-hand knit tops, there's a free tutorial for making your own Missoni-inspired throw.

Yet another reason to learn how to crochet.

How to sew a zipper

2011-09-14T12:17:00.001-04:00

While the interwebs is curiously silent about how to install a zipper foot, there are tons of tutorials on how to sew a zipper.

You could skip this whole thing and visit Sew, Mama, Sew!, which was my font of enlightenment.

There are regular zippers and invisible zippers. Right now, I only know the regular. When I get further educated, I'll let you in on it.

Step 1: Sew your two pieces of fabric together along one seam where the zipper will go, leaving about an inch seam allowance. The right sides (e.g. nice sides) of the fabric should be facing in. Important: Use a longer stitch since you will be ripping this seam out. Press the seam open.

Step 2: Lay the zipper face side down in the middle of the seam.

Using a glue stick or fabric glue, apply a little glue to each side of the zipper. Try not to get glue on the zipper teeth. As you roll the zipper down, make sure it's positioned right on the seam.

Run an iron over both sides of the zipper to help seal the glue. At this point, I found it helpful to put the zipper aside so the glue could set.

Step 3: Turn the seam over so you are looking at the nice side of it. Rotate it so you start sewing at the top of the zipper.

Consult my previous tutorial as to how to position the seam and zipper foot.

Basically sew down one side and up the other. (Back stitch at the beginning and end.) When you get to the botton of your zipper, you can leave the needle all the way in, lift the zipper foot and make a 90-degree turn, sew across the zipper, lift and make a 90-degree turn and start back up the other side. You are sewing a big U-turn. See the photo below for a glimpse at what is going on with the bottom side (e.g. unfinished/ugly side of your zipper). Note the helpful sewing directions in pink.

Step 4: Holding the nice side of the zipper up, use a seam ripper to rip out the big stitches you made earlier. Underneath will be your zipper.

Step 5: Holding the fabric above your head, dance around a campfire shouting, 'I have made a zipper!'

Put the right sides of the fabric back together again and continue with sewing the rest of your seams. Turn the fabric right side out through the zipper opening.

How to install and use a zipper foot

2011-09-13T17:16:00.003-04:00

. . . subtitled Zipper Feet for Morons. . .

In order to make my gigantic slipcover, I had to conquer my fear of the zipper foot. So, iPad in one hand and a seam ripper in the other, I searched multiple blogs to figure it out.

People, it is not that bad. Really.

The above photo shows you a zipper foot. To get it there, you have to take off the regular foot. I stared at my regular foot a long time. I could loosen it but could not get it off. I even got out a screw driver. Note: You should not need a screwdriver to remove a sewing machine foot.

After 15 minutes of Googling and staring, I finally got up and looked around at the backside of the sewing machine, an older Kenmore. Which has the lever below indicated in pink. (Newer sewing machines have some sort of red button.) Lift the lever all the way up, and the foot will fall into your hand like a ripe peach.

My next stumper was figuring out where the needle goes.

A lot of zipper feet have a notch on both sides for the needle. You can slide the foot to the left or right of the seam.

The side with the needle should be closest to your seam. So, if you are making a zipper sandwich it would be zipper, needle, zipper foot. See the photo below. If you like it on the other side, it would be zipper foot, needle, zipper.

So there you go. Took me quite awhile to figure out these very obvious things that everybody knows except for hapless pathetic people who need such details the most. See the pain I've saved you?

Next I'll show you how to sew a zipper.

DIY lampshade, chandelier and taxidermy

2011-09-12T19:52:00.000-04:00

Line your hum drum drum shades with silver paper at Little Green Notebook.

Make that Lonny-featured chandelier way back in the dining room from six dozen martini glasses.

Decapitate a thrift-store stuffed animal for faux-animal head art. From the twisted yet creative people of I Love to Create.

Roses

2011-09-12T17:47:00.000-04:00

A momento of my nice weekend/surprise party. They probably would have lasted a whole week if I had remembered to give them some water.

DIY ottoman and dressed-up drawer pulls

2011-09-08T17:06:00.000-04:00

Look at the things clever people have been doing while I've been watching Seinfeld.

Sarah at Prairie Perch knocked off a designer ottoman with vinyl and plywood.

Christina at Full House gave some artsy South American charm to a bunch of IKEA drawer pulls. (It's like friendship bracelets for furniture.) Also check out her twine-covered pulls.

My kind of peeps

2011-09-08T12:08:00.000-04:00

They trash pick, build their own furniture, make baggy slipcovers and decorate with sticks.

From The New York Times.

Summer summer summer

2011-09-05T17:35:00.001-04:00

This weekend Mr. Bromeliad threw a surprise party for me, my mom and dad sent me a computerized Janome sewing machine, and I got to spend a day at my favorite place in the world - the beach.

Not a bad way to go out.

How was your summer?

Images: Loft and Cottage; Design Elements; Aubrey Road; Lorilangille; Little Blue Deer; French By Design; Outdoor Sanctuaries; My own

Melanie Turner, slipcover queen

2011-09-02T15:22:00.000-04:00

A little slipcover inspiration (to get me to to finish mine this weekend).

Watch where you sit.

Summer in the city

2011-09-02T14:57:00.000-04:00

A few favorite outdoor spots in the summertime.

More beachy blue

2011-08-30T17:13:00.001-04:00

Fashion imitates throw pillows. Definitely having a blue period.

I must learn to crochet

2011-08-29T17:41:00.000-04:00

So I can make these rockin' Orly Genger inspired bangles. Been trying to figure this out myself since November.

Get the DIY at Green-Eyed Monster.

Irene, etc.

2011-08-29T12:09:00.001-04:00

Not your typical Irene photo footage.

We brought all of our deck furniture and many of our plants inside, including our Morning Glories. Mr. Bromeliad, trapped inside as well, amused himself with night flash photos of the Morning Glories, which were so confused they bloomed all day.

In other news, I got the back cushions of the sofa done. The seat cushions are out getting new foam. Everything looks kind of lumpy at the moment.

Irene gave us a buff and a blow dry. The power didn't even go out.

Buckling down

2011-08-26T17:04:00.000-04:00

Irene is scheduled to visit Sunday. I plan to be holed up at home and, if the power holds out, finishing my slipcover.

Hope you other East Coasters make it through without injury or loss.

Mmmmmh, summer

2011-08-24T17:08:00.000-04:00

DIY photo wall

2011-08-24T12:50:00.000-04:00

Sanity Fair has a great DIY photo wall made from magazine pages she already had on hand and IKEA frames.

More poufs

2011-08-22T17:50:00.001-04:00

The pouf trend rolls on. The first two are Pier 1, $140 and $70. The last is World Market, $70 (a knock off of CB2's knock off of Design Within Reach) and already out of stock.

DIY info for fabric pouf here and knitted here. Group therapy available via Meredith's Pouf-a-Long party.

Sneak peek

2011-08-22T12:41:00.000-04:00

I spent the entire weekend on a project I've been putting off for five years - slipcovering my enormous dingy off-white sofa.

Sunday night I collapsed from exhaustion with two seams left to go on one seat cushion. (Four back pillows still need done, too.)

Will give you more details when I get it all done. In the meantime, look at the difference!

Better Better Homes and Gardens

2011-08-19T17:16:00.000-04:00

The September issue of Better Homes and Gardens was a surprise - lots of fresh fun interiors and familar faces and places from blog land, which I would show you but nothing is online yet except an iPad rendition that I don't want to pay for.

In the meantime, enjoy the work of one of the featured designers - Tia Zoldan - from her own portfolio.

In other news, I have a huge DIY project this weekend. I hope to have something good to report next week.

Kate Spade giveaway winner

2011-08-18T17:39:00.001-04:00

Sorry, I almost forgot about this. And I have more stuff to give away.

Nikki P. is the winner of the Kate Spade sunnies. Congrats Nikki.

More giveaways coming. Check back.

Cheapie tribal jewelry

2011-08-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

Late summer has me in the mood for some tribal bling.

Kelly Framel's handcrafted necklaces would hit the spot for $100 to $300.

Or there's the $10 range from Charlotte Russe and Forever 21 for those on a teenybopper budget.

What are you wearing these days?

Simple vases

2011-08-12T17:55:00.000-04:00

You could even do weeds in a simple glass vase and it could look good.

Images: Super Sam via Aubrey Road; Good Measure via Fondly Seen; via Griege; Livet Hemma via Aubrey Road.

More DIY abstract art

2011-08-11T17:49:00.000-04:00

Get the how to at Oh Happy Day.

My DIY: Partial tentative bedroom makeover

2011-08-09T17:10:00.000-04:00

This makeover was free because it involved only the dragging of furniture from one wall to another.

Our bed has now been on every wall except in front of the closet doors. Its current location was inspired by bloggie friend Nick Olsen, whose tiny apartment makover was featured in House Beautiful.

As you may recall, Nick placed the bed smack dab under the window.

The other influential man in my life, Mr. Bromeliad, has been persuading me to try the same thing. And it worked.

Here is my new Z Gallerie Tunis Lantern. I have a battery operated candle that lights it up at night on a timer. These modern things dazzle me.

The room feels bigger and brighter.

The only thing I'm not wild about is this wall. I like the screen but the ottoman doesn't seem to have enough heft. What do I need here? A big plant? Chair? Dresser? Something else I don't currently own and probably will never buy?

Make a DIY paper mache side table

2011-08-08T12:23:00.000-04:00

West Elm came out with a paper mache side table. In no time at all DIY bloggers figured out how to make their own. See two ways to do it, one at Prudent Baby and the other by my bloggie friend Ashley at Meet Me in Philadelphia.

Above is the DIY by Prudent Baby. Below is the West Elm original.

Colombia

2011-08-05T17:17:00.000-04:00

A few pics of our recent trip to Bogota, Colombia.

Back

2011-08-04T12:05:00.000-04:00

Back from visiting family in Ohio, a quick stop in San Francisco and a long weekend in Bogota, Colombia.

Here is my baby cousin Brock cleaning a hand rail with his tongue.

More later.

Away

2011-07-25T23:03:00.000-04:00

On vacation. See everybody soon.

Image via Cardigan Junkie.

West Elm

2011-07-18T17:07:00.000-04:00

. . . is like the nerd friend you had who has since grown her hair long and started wearing heels and might even have a tatoo.

Check it out.

Some more cool summer decorating

2011-07-15T17:23:00.000-04:00

Leave it to Brazilians to know how to beat the heat. These are two different homes by two different designers - Sig Bergamin and Carlos Miele - not sure which came from where anymore.

There but for a fear of color and pattern go I.

Happiness is watermelon and a fancy spoon

2011-07-12T17:17:00.000-04:00

We got a nice set of silverware using a gift card and 60-percent off at Bed, Bath and Beyond. No more eating melon with our hands.

My DIY: 5-minute tribal art

2011-07-07T17:36:00.001-04:00

Ellen Tracy square scarf plus poster frame and doublesided tape equals fake tribal art for no money. Use it to cover ugly cables in corner.

Got a project? Join the blog party.

Like free stuff? Join the Kate Spade giveaway.

Inspired in July - Beachy blue

2011-07-04T17:47:00.004-04:00

I'm usually not that into blue.

But summertime swimming pool Caribbean blue? I'm thinking about it.

What's inspiring you this month? Link up to our last blog party below.

Images: Architectural Digest, High Gloss, Emily Henderson via Young House Love, High Voltage via Design Elements, House Beautiful via Splendid Sass, Marie Claire Maison, Pininterest, Traditional Home, Design Elements.

What inspired in June

2011-07-01T17:09:00.000-04:00

Here are a few things that inspired you and me in June.

Above is organic art by Paul Schick via Griege. Makes you want to do something with sticks, doesn't it?

Cristin at Simplified Bee was inspired by summer party decorations, but I also got excited about her sneak peek of West Elm's fall items, especially this coffee table.

Amber Interiors featured this modern macrame.

Laura at Design Share did this smart DIY by making a suzani rug/floorcloth from . . . a Target tablecloth. I bow to her.

Modern Country Lady made this. I don't know what it is, and she's not telling, yet.

Chelsea at Vignettes was inspired by this summer house.

And Lia at Smart n Snazzy knocked off some $50 Disney Couture earrings.

See all the projects and inspiration at the June blog party.

Eddie Borgo padlock jewelry inspiration.

2011-07-01T12:25:00.000-04:00

Seems DIYable.

Speaking of stripes

2011-06-29T12:45:00.000-04:00

Cotten tote bags from IKEA. $6.

Summer Kate Spade giveaway

2011-06-23T17:57:00.000-04:00

As a little blogger appreciation, I'm giving away these vintage Kate Spade sunnies. The style is calle Brice, and they come with this pink case.

To enter, just be a follower and leave a comment. If you tweet or post about it or tell your mom, give yourself extra comments.

Happy Summer!

Better Homes and Gardens does the pouf

2011-06-22T12:27:00.001-04:00

The July issue of Better Homes and Gardens features this pouf, and BHG.com includes a step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own for less than $50.

The BHG pouf looks very similar to my own Moroccan ottoman project from '09 - the difference being that my pouf was made from an old party dress and cost no where near $50. It cost $0.

That being said, BHG did offer some good tips I didn't think of. One, after stuffing your pouf with towels, fabric scraps, blankets and so forth (which I did), top it off with fiberfill to give it a nice puffed shape, thus avoiding pouf cellulite.

The other was a how-to for adding decorative stitching along the seams of the pouf.

DIY art inspiration - Lipstick dots

2011-06-21T12:42:00.001-04:00

Save your stubs.

See more Jen Ramos art at Cocoa and Hearts.

DIY copper pipe table

2011-06-20T17:11:00.000-04:00

A little DIY inspiration from Brooklyn designer Paul Loebach. The Ultra-Conductive Table is made from copper pipe and nylon zip ties. See more here.

Peonies day by day

2011-06-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

I photographed the same patch of peonies day after day until I aroused suspicion and concern.

They are now all gone. Sniff.

Bromeliad

A day at the beach

My DIY extreme cardigan makeover

Backyard chickens

Plain and simple

Back

Blushing pear

White sofa du jour

DIY wall flowers

Little bedroom DIYs

Mini bedroom makeover part 17

Zoom

Never know what will get you famous

White sofa du jour

My DIY: Shorten the sleeves of a sweater

Camel

Affordable shoes for the extremely picky

Leopard stools

Persimmon

Sponsored post: My J. Crew-inspired DIY glitter clutch and giveaway

Sponsored post: My DIY glittery eco-friendly tank top tote

Glitter

Modernizing the rag rug

Rope necklace winners

Sponsored post: My DIY Pendleton-inspired pillow

DIY striped skirts and curtains

Anthro knocked off

Snakes on chains

Big fat bag of eye candy

Banana bread

Rope necklace giveaway

Warm color

Urban autumn

House Beautiful and Elle Decor for $5

My DIY: Make a macrame rope and hardware necklace

Closet of dreams and IKEA hacks

The color of less money

Vera Bradley giveaway winner

Random thoughts about blue

Vera Bradley giveaway reminder

Fall

My DIY: How to take in the sides of a top

A peek at the neighbors

DIY Lucite cuffs and rope necklace

DIY rope bracelets

Still inspired

Vera Bradley giveaway

You know you've lost your mind when

How to wear a pleated skirt

DIY mat, pillow and roller shade

Be strange, rearrange

Styling a white sofa

Lights but no action

Party

On to lighting

Blue and green at 17

My DIY: How to make a relatively cheap and easy no-hem slipcover

Done and done

DIY scarf tying

DIY New York Fashion Week

My own personal Missoni

How to sew a zipper

How to install and use a zipper foot

DIY lampshade, chandelier and taxidermy

Roses

DIY ottoman and dressed-up drawer pulls

My kind of peeps

Summer summer summer

Melanie Turner, slipcover queen

Summer in the city

More beachy blue

I must learn to crochet

Irene, etc.

Buckling down

Mmmmmh, summer

DIY photo wall

More poufs

Sneak peek

Better Better Homes and Gardens

Kate Spade giveaway winner