More easy art ideas!

Art can be a hard thing to tackle.  So for the next few blogs I'd like to give you some sneaky little tips on incorporating meaningful art into your home.  First we can talk display.

Art Blog Numero Uno: The art of the gallery wall...

Gallery walls are not a new thing.  I mean, check out this 16th century portrait gallery wall from the ultimate art collectors the Medici. 

Whether I'm a handful of centuries late to the game or not, I love a good gallery wall.  Plus there are so many options out there!

You can slap some art on a corner...inside OR outside.

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They can be totally neutral

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Or very colorful

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They can have a classic, structured, rhythmic pattern

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Or be more whimsical (I love how this one bleeds from the wall, to the window pane, and to the floor)

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You can even incorporate things other than your typical framed art (this creative person included lighting, letters, numbers, paint brushes, and little bolts of thread!)

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Whatever setup you go with really just depends on your own personal style.  One little design tip that I have learned through the years is if you are going full on floor to ceiling, wall to wall art, it really makes a much bigger impact if you reduce or eliminate art on the surrounding walls.  It's the beauty of the negative space that draws you and your eye to that one wall.  I'm also all about breaking design rules, so if that doesn't work for you then you can just tell me to mind my own business...

Once you establish your style you get to play!  Don't be intimidated by that big blank artless wall.  Embrace it!  Literally.  Got up to your wall, hug it, let it know you are a team and are about to go nuts with a hammer and nails.  

If you are a little stressed by the thought of doing it all on your own, here is a "well why didn't I think of that" way to figure out the perfect spot for each of your prized possessions.

OR you can just wing it like me!  Coming up - cheap, eco friendly, and easy ways to fill your gallery wall....

Technology Tuesday

I don't know if anyone else is as late to the cool technology trends as me....so you may already know the wonders of Pinterest.  I am OBsessed with a capitol OB!  It has opened up a whole new world of creativity and ideas from design, cooking, fashion, and pretty much everything else under the sun.  *Shameless plug time*  You can even follow Anderson Design Group on Pinterest.  Fun fact: did you know Pinterest was co founded by an architect?

Since we are talking creative technology,  I'd also like to share my new designing time saving love - Olioboard.  It is the easiest mood board creator eva.  I used to create image boards in Photoshop, no more!  In a matter of minutes I have created boards like this:

Now my example is the simple of simplest mood boards out there, but does a really good job of getting an idea across to a client.  

Once I get down and dirty I could create boards like this (from asite2bhold):

Gotta love technology.  Unless our world ends up like in Terminator or the Matrix, but we've got a good 100-150 years before that happens :)

Adventures in Thrifting

I think you could make a movie or at least a half hour special about thrift store shopping.  My husband used to hate it when I went thrifting because the best deals are usually in the worst parts of town.  He's backed off though since he knows I usually come home with a pretty good buy, and I've got a killer karate chop in case something does happen to go down.  Today I did some exploring around some Costa Mesa thrifts.  My first stop was the Salvation Army on Harbor Blvd. and I spotted this:

Bedroom set chock full of character.

Hello hardware.

Mmmm mmm, details.

You all might think I'm crazy for this, but this mid century sofa was the real deal, and reupholstered in a teal linen or velvet would make me melt into a puddle.

Monkey not included :(

Or you could buy this lovely Room and Board version for much more...

I also spotted some end tables.

How do you do Asain inspired lovely.

I like your friend too.

Mirror = yes please.  Lamp, not so much.

Next I went to the Goodwill on 19th.  I've seen posts about people complaining how terrible the parking is, but at 10:00 am on a Wednesday I can't complain.  I'm not sure if someone was playing a trick on me, but I was told I couldn't use my phone in the store and that the cameras were watching me.  Being the paranoid person I am, I had to play spy and take this pic in stealth mode.

This would be so ha-mazaing painted a fun color and used as a credenza in a dining room or as a tv stand in a living room!

Like this sassy burst of happy I found here.

Oh, and PS, I think they do make a tv show about thrifting.  I can't believe I haven't taken the time to watch it yet, because it looks to be right up my alley!  I first heard about it on the Everything LEB blog: http://everythingleb.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-brake-for-yard-sales.html.  Or you can go grab the book from Amazon.  They always say the book is better anyway don't they?

Join us, like us, tweet us, blog us, pin us, follow us, google us, or whatever else us!

My good pal Susan and I are embarking on the world of business ownership!  We are so excited, and I am so excited because Susan will get to put her two cents in on this ole bloggy blog.  She has a delightful sense of style and we hope to get to work with some folks out west (she's in San Francisco and I'm in Laguna Beach), and create mind blowing interiors that will stand the test of time...even if the world ends in 2012.  So check out our website, give us a like on Facebook, or you can get to know our style on Pinterest.  If you are reading this blog (thank you so much) you're off to a great start on getting to know us!

Easy Art / Gallery Wall

Art can transform a space.  I am always on the hunt for easy art I can make.  I needed a little more pop of color on my gallery wall and looked to an old paint deck of mine for some inspiration.  If you don't have an old paint deck you can always run out to your local hardware store to get some paint chips.

Step one:  Gather paint chip colors you dig.

Step two:  Get a frame with a mat, or if you are extra crafty you can make your own mat.  I got mine at Michael's.  You'll also need glue and tape.  I just happened to have these sitting around.

Step three:  Organize your colors into a pattern that suits your eye.  I intentionally offset all of mine so I didn't have to worry about aligning the lines perfectly.

Step four:  Put a piece of tape at the top and bottom to hold those babies in place.  Fold over the extra hanging bits.

Step five:  Glue the inside edges of the mat.  Place the mat over the paint chips, then flip back over and add a little more tape to the sides just to be sure there is no wiggling.

Step six:  Hang and enjoy!  Can you find my easy art hanging in our new gallery wall?

Note to self...get a better camera so all my images don't turn out so fuzzy!

Spaghetti and moving

My family loves a big bowl of spaghetti, and we hate moving.  Say wha?  That sentence may sound like jibber jabber, but stick with me.  Because we love spaghetti we end up with a boat load of glass jars.    Because we hate moving (we have moved four times in the passed 3 years), we have the bare minimum of kitchenware needed to get by.  We are now on an uber budget with no glasses and a lot of glass jars to recycle....no glasses + glass jars = glass jar galsses! 

I want to put these and a tasty beverage in them!

This really isn't a new phenomenon.  Folks have been drinking moonshine out of mason jars since mason jars existed.  And here are 50 other things to do with your left over jars!  (click on the image to go to the link)

*I want to make wall planters with herbs for my kitchen, and toiletry holder for my bathroom!

Upcydown revisited

I had an epiphany this morning.  Yes, I am a big fan of the environment and keeping the old gal safe and clean, BUT I'm also a cheapo.  Not by choice really, I just live on a budget like pretty much everyone else on the planet.  And honestly, I think being green really just helps justify me living like a cheapo.  For example, was my vow to only buy used clothes for one year an effort to save the planet or me trying to save my wallet.  The answer is....BOTH!  So from now on my blog will start highlighting the cheap-ness going on in my little life.  Maybe the more money I save the more time I can spend doing this:

Soy fragrant candles....feeeeel the relaxation

Nope soy's not just for your tofu.


I really tried to do some serious internet research on the great paraffin vs. soy candle debate and found so much conflicting info on whether the chemicals in parrafin and the "soot" they create are really bad for you.  Paraffin wax companys say "no" (surprise surprise), and soy wax companys say "yes" (well of course they would).  With no unbiased info in sight I throw my hands in the air!  Curses!  


It came down to a few simple pros and cons as to why I personally think soy is a better option:

• Paraffin wax is a by product of petroleum that basically comes from from the bottom of a barrel of oil that is bleached and textured with a chemical call acrolein.  Eww.
• Soy is a natural rapidly renewable resource.
• Purchasing soy products supports the soy farmers of America.
• Soy burns longer than paraffin (However, keep those wicks trimmed for a cleaner longer burn).
• Soy candle spills can be cleaned with soap and water vs. practically having to get a chain saw to get up paraffin wax.

In a perfect world we would have all our windows open all day with fresh lavender growing adjacent, and cookies baking in the oven to give our home a nice pleasant aroma.  In the real world we light candles that make those smells.  And now you don't have to buy a fancy pants $30 candle.  Target has some great ones starting at $5!  We've been enjoying this bad boy for I don't know how long, but the packaging claims to last for up to 25 hours. 

And here are some action shots.

BOOM!

POW!

Relaxation in yo face!

I heart air plants

Another simple way to green your home literally and figuratively is by adding indoor plants.  Plants are nature's air purifiers.  The best plants to add are philodendrons, green spider plants, dracaenas, palms, fern, English ivy, peace lilies, mums, and daisies.  Here are some traditional and not so traditional options I wouldn't mind using as my own personal home purifiers.

Green Spider

Dracaenas

Any green thumbs know what kind of plant this is?

Flower box plants hung on the wall

Some nice bright indoor citrus

And these little air plant terrariums that are all the rage.  So cute!

Refinished dining table...FAIL

In the past I will admit I have been guilty of sloppy workmanship when it comes to refinishing furniture.  I just get so excited that I rush the process.  So I have decided to take every project from here on out very seriously, slowly, and carefully.  My first attempt was my dining table. 

I'm Stumped

My go to spot for DIY inspiration is etsy.  They have unique handmade, reclaimed, upcycled, vintage, and all other sorts of treasures.  Note: try not to get overwhelmed by their selection because there seem to be millions of items.  So I was browsing to find some fun green (in color and content) items for St.Patrick's day when I stumbled upon their featured seller for the day - Real Wood Works.  You can check out their featured seller interview and store here.  They sell really beautiful and surprisingly affordable accent furniture and accessory items all made of rescued tree stumps, logs, and branches.  I'm adding them to my list of furnishing for my future dream home :)

Awesome end tables

A sleeker option

Throw in a little metal accent

So cute for a kid's room, or to profess your love for someone

I want to design a coffee shop with these guys on casters

Lazy susan to hold all my art supplies

Custom cutting board, only $45!

Even stumps for your pup

Stumps for everyone!