Posted: March 12th, 2012 | Filed under: Art, DIY, Treehouse | Tags: godzilla, minecraft, vintage godzilla posters | 7 Comments »
Not exactly an update, as much as an update on plans. We had a family “meeting” in the treehouse this weekend to discuss next steps with the interior painting etc.. and some fun and interesting requests emerged.
1) Zip line access – We have a zip line in the front yard that we can move…this will be tricky to keep it safe, but we think it’s possible…
2) A chalkboard inside - Easy Peasy! We can paint a few of the panels in the chalkboard paint.
3) A refrigerator – Um, no…this is a treehouse, not your college dorm room….next?
4) A TV – See #3….DUH.
5) The bottom bunker built – This is actually top of their wish list. We really wanted our big outdoor project to involve a deer proof vegetable garden this year, but we’re feeling some pressure here. Our answer was: “We’ll think about it.” Still thinking.
6) A poster/collage depicting Godzilla destroying a Minecraft city – COOL!!!! We are a family who geeks out over old 50′s-60′s Godzilla movies…we love them. The boys are also completely obsessed with Minecraft, so this marries their passions on what should be a super fun art project for us…
We’ll be looking to create a combination of these two.
via koyaanisqatsi degauss
PLUS
image via godzilla2012
= CHAOS!
While looking for images, I can across these great vintage Polish and Czech Godzilla movie posters from the 70′s, I love these and I can’t wait to show the boys and see what they think of them.
images via Monsterbrains
We concluded our planning session up there with snacks and a round of Life, and I’m so happy that it is only in this game that I would have 3 weddings and both a set of twins AND a set of triplets…phew!
Oh, I almost forgot! I made a mini-tour of the treehouse so far so that new readers don’t have to slog through all those treehouse posts to see the progress of the building.
Posted: February 24th, 2012 | Filed under: Art, Shoppin' and Junkin' | Tags: Green Willow barkcloth wall hanging Breton Fabrics NYC, nashville flea market | 10 Comments »
Ran into Kathy at Gen’s sale (I got some really cute stuff, and YES, her house IS as fab as it looks in pictures) and we decided to hit the flea together! Here’s what we saw….
These bookends were supposed to be cheaper, or they’d have been mine. Couldn’t confirm that they were Ben Seibel or not as they had felted the bottoms, but I think they are. The dealer didn’t know anything about them, but she knew they were awesome enough to be $95.
Ben…you should have come home with me at half the price. I wanted these peachy tables too, but at $135 with chipped laminate all over…I don’t think so.
I had no plans to get anything..I’m up to my ears in projects, but then I saw it…..
What have we here? A vintage barkcloth wall hanging in pristine condition, destined for my dining room. It had 2 labels still on it….
…..and I LOVE it.
I oiled up the wood and hung her immediately. Here’s some detail…
As I walked through the market, several people asked to see what I had rolled up over my shoulder, they all thought it might be a vintage map, but it was SO much better!
I also got these brass tulip candle holders, I don’t know where they are going yet, I’ll have to shuffle some things.
Have a great weekend!!!
Posted: January 15th, 2012 | Filed under: Art | Tags: brass cobra, master bedroom, Walasse Ting Blue Horse | 12 Comments »
Those following on other outlets got a sneak peek of this already.
As you know, I find cool stuff on Craigslist from time to time, but this weekend I found something with serious BLAMMO impact.
I’m sure this is going to be one of those love it or hate it things, but I’m loving. Behold the new wall adornment in the bedroom.
$10 for a handsome sized framed Walasse Ting “Blue Horse” Poster. I found the exact same one selling online here:
I was all pleased and smug with my bargain, enjoying the splash of color, when Thing One said it creeped him out. REALLY?! Why? It seemed a friendly horse….”NO. It stares at you when it’s dark and you’re leaving the room.”
Who knew?! Must I now call him the One Eyed Blue Menace?!?
“But the cobra that sits on the bedside table doesn’t bother you?”
“NOPE.”
Kids these days.
Posted: January 2nd, 2012 | Filed under: Art, Just for fun, Puppy Love | Tags: holiday decor, Holidays, melted crayon art | 2 Comments »
I didn’t blog much over the Holidays since I’ve become such a fan of Instagram. It doesn’t mean I won’t ever be back here, but it has definitely changed the way I share. Being able to snap on the go minus all the time required for a blog post=more time for family and friends=good thing. I’m switching the link on the side to Followgram over Instagrid since I think it’s more comprehensive. Anyway, here’s what we’ve been up to.
There were Ninjabread Men…..
and Star Wars Pancakes….. (Thanks LBJ and JJ!)
We made our very first Gingerbread house! It’s never been my thing, but after seeing an A-Frame at Trader Joes, I couldn’t resist. We had a blast making it. Next year we might try again, baking all the pieces ourselves…The CC thinks we should make a mini treehouse!
and there was daily Elfing…..
A road trip…..
…and back home in time for Christmas.
The first signs of doubt…heartbreaking. Hoping this wasn’t our last year for the magic…but if it was, I like to think we made the most of it.
Of course, there were gratuitous puppy shots…..
On New Year’s Eve, we hosted a slumber party with an art project…the ubiquitous crayon melting project.
This was mine……
and here’s the gallery of the kids’ creations….
I showed them photos from here and here in order to give them more ideas with different styles. I loved how everyone made something unique, and they had such a good time. There was (outside) doubt about whether boys would get into such a project, and when they were done and so proud of their creations, I felt quite pleased that maybe all my ideas aren’t so bad after all!
For what it’s worth, here’s my take on this project. I found that the embossing heat gun (white one above) was the best tool. The hair dryer puts out too much air, so we tended to use that to create splatter patterns and not so much for melting. A tea light flame isn’t quite strong enough and gets extinguished easily, so we subbed out a taper candle.
Time to start packing up the decorations and get organized. We haven’t printed out the annual list yet, so lots to do to ring in 2012…Happy New Year!
UPDATE: Hung the yellow piece in the bedroom. Things are still deciding where to hang theirs.
Posted: September 5th, 2011 | Filed under: Art, DIY, Our Projects | Tags: cardioid string art DIY, DIY string art | 11 Comments »
I’ve always been attracted to geometric string art, and when this photo started making the rounds, I filed it away for a rainy day.
Photo via sub-culture via Apartment Therapy
I absolutely loved it just as it was….until I read the comments…where the consensus was, it isn’t really a cardioid, it’s just a big butt. Well, after that, it’s all I could see, so I began searching for other circular designs. It’s a dreary weekend and we are stuck inside…let’s do it!
I wanted it to have a feel like these images, where the pins are part of the design. On a side note, I think I will adapt a combination of these 2 styles for the tree house numbers this fall.
via Ruthi Auda
via ohsobeautifulpaper
I also wanted it to feel a little less rustic and a little more glam, so we found a scrap piece of Abstrakt/Perfekt cover panel left over from the kitchen renovation for some high gloss action, and I used galvanized roofing nails since they had a big, fat, shiny head.
Armed with the letter turner’s skein, I started off trying to make up my own patterns to avoid buttage……
But you know what? I kept coming back to the butt.
There are so many cool designs out there, but there was something I didn’t like about all of them. Too busy, too much like a spirograph drawing, too hippie, too much like a wreath, etc…I had to somehow, come to terms with the fact that I like big butts.
So I decided that would make a cardioid butt, and I will OWN it.
The instructions are found here at String Art Fun, and it took me a few tries before I got it right, but eventually, I finished it and the CC and I couldn’t stop giggling like kids.
Yup, even at the diagonal, it’s STILL a butt. We liked it though, so we kept the design (for now) and finished the edges of the panel with some iron on veneer we had, and hung it up…snickering.
So we decided to ask the Things what they thought of it. “It’s a turnip! An onion! A heart? A fan!!” They didn’t see the butt! But we just kept laughing harder and harder that they didn’t see it…so of course we had to ruin it for them.
Now, when they look at it, they give themselves a little pat where the sun don’t shine as they walk on by. Go on, call social services on me. We are clearly a bunch of immature morons.
But we are a childish house divided! The CC and Thing One like the red, and Thing Two and I like the silver….the nice thing is that it can change when we get sick of it. For now, I’ll let them have their way……
Posted: August 27th, 2011 | Filed under: Art, DIY | Tags: DIY Art by Tina Sindahl | 1 Comment »
I recently saw these projects, which are all several months old, and I liked the concept a lot. I’m thinking different shapes and either the frameless route or more modern framing. All are from Signed by Tina with her tutorial here. Use Google Translate if you can’t read Swedish!
images via Signed by Tina
Basically she makes a grid on canvas and glues vinyl shapes to the grid for uniformity. So simple, yet what an impact on a budget. The matte black looks great in her house.
