Ampersand Wedding Date Art | DIY

When it comes to gifts, I've been on a mission to either give locally made items or make the gift myself, especially since moving to Colorado. Going into Christmas here in a few months, I'm already starting to plan out what I want to make (like more of these & these for my friends), and am really excited for snowy days spent "making". When Morgan and Josh got married this past September, I knew I wanted to make them something. Something that would be unique to them and Morgan's eclectic style--and continuing with the "handmade" approach that their wedding was. Remember when I painted that chartreuse cup and used left over paint to make an ampersand (here)? Well, this is what that became. 

Using the painted canvas, patterned paper, a large frame from Ikea, and the tools below, I made the newlyweds a piece or art that had a hint of their wedding colors and their wedding date framed in a fun way. (I figured ampersands are hard not to like, so I was pretty safe with the idea). 

The amerpsand is a cute way to symbolize the 'and' when you are talking about a newlywed couple. Morgan and Josh are now officially Morgan and Josh--hence, the ampersand. The numbers are their wedding date: 9-7-13. First I traced the matting and centered the patterned paper under it, placing the canvas on top to lay out how I wanted the end result. Then I cut the paper to matting size.

Next, with my paper the exact size of the matting, I could place the canvas directly center and that would center up nicely in the frame. I actually glued the canvas to the paper, allowing it to set for a few minutes before framing it. Then I flipped it over into the frame with the matting down first and replaced that back of the frame.

Orange and chartreuse, I just always love this combo--a bit vintage yet also current, which is a win win. I really like how it turned out. Yes, it is a painting, but it really feels more like a print (which is what I really like about it). Now for a busy week ahead. But get ready, because I'm going to be sharing a few newly styled posts this week. I'm excited to stretch myself a bit! 

La Catrina Tile Art (a framing DIY)

After stowing away a few handpainted tiles on our Sayulita adventures, and a few other treasures, it was about time to frame the falkloric ceramics. Being tiles, both small and thicker than the normal frameable art, I had to come up with a way to make framing work. Ikea has these great frames (the RIBBA) that allow you to add depth to your picture. Pretty perfect, right?

Repurposing Frames. Tray Chic.

I am notorious for framing too many photographs and art. I switch out what is on my walls and shelves so frequently, that a stack of unused frames accumulates in a closet.  Problem number one: Clutter. Problem number two: Pretty prints and photographs hidden away. While tackling problem number one this weekend, and decluttering the stacks of items on shelves and in the closet of my second bedroom, I played around with the unused framed pieces. While organizing away I came up with a fun way to incorporate a few framed art and photographs back out of the closet, and into our home, tackling problem number two.  

Typically for coffee tables, desk tops, and other home surfaces I've seen a lot of mirrors transformed, vintage crates repurposed, and other ideas out there for trays in the realm of home decor (even those trays that have slots for you to add photographs, you know the type). I am happy to say that now we can add framed art to the list of makeshift decor trays (and I'm sure I'm not the first to come up with the idea, but its still a refreshing way to use framed art!). Whether you go the mix and match route (like I did above in my desk area) or stick to a color palette where the items complement or go with the feel of what is framed (like below with the shabby beach vibe), it is a way to organize a space where knick knacks and little bits of lovely might otherwise look disheveled and not cohesive. A perfume and jewelry tray? A place to collect letters and stationary? A tray for lightweight jars and tea candles? A place for your fill-in-th-blank collection? Love it.

Clothing hanger art display.

There is a tiny little strip of wall between the bedrooms in our home. Sometimes the tiniest strip of wall is the hardest to decorate. I never could decide on what to hang.  Leave it blank? Add some flare? A cluster of photographs? A mirror? A strip of polaroids? One single geometric piece of art? Or two? Or three? After much thought, and after cleaning out my closet and happening upon a wooden hanger, I played around with this unconventional art display. I love that there is the option to change out the print at my liking. And I also love the mix of wood and silver with the vintage print. I think this is a great way to display children's art. Especially if at their level, they can change it out themselves! {You may have seen this photo awhile back on instagram. Yes, you can follow me there!}

Guest Post: Confessions of a Thrifting Momma

photo source 1/ 2

Thrift store hunts may be a daunting endeavor to some, and an even bigger scare when thinking about thrifting with children in tow. To encourage you to brave the thrift store treasure hunt, my friend Noelle is here to share her experience and attest that it is not the impossible {even as a mom with two little ones}! 

In her words:

Lauren has inspired me so much with this little blog of hers, that I’ve gotten back into my love of frugal treasure hunting, repurposing and handmade gift-making with a renewed passion. I’ve been wanting to jump into the blog world for quite some time since I am a graphic designer and also a mom: (lots of stuff to write about, be inspired by, etc). But alas, life gets the best of me and I’d rather be busy playing with my kids and making things. I have so many projects in my head right now. I can barely think because all I want to do is go cut some fabric and start sewing! It’s literally killing me to sit here, knowing that I have brand-new fabric downstairs waiting for me to start planning with. Anyway, I told Lauren that thrifting with kids was a whole new ballgame and thought that sharing my experience might be fun for others to read about.

Last week I had the itch, so I decided to stop by my local Goodwill (conveniently right next door to our Vons grocery store) before going grocery shopping. At noon. Before feeding the children. Genius idea #1. Then I got sucked into the New Arrivals rack and found tons of brand name, new clothing and decided to try some things on. Genius idea #2. I asked if I could take the kids into the changing room in the cart with me and the clerk said sure (14 year old boy who has no clue), and dangit, they put a flag on the cart so no one will TAKE CARTS in the dressing room. So I took the baby out of the carrier and the 3 yr old out of the cart and entered the dressing room. Genius idea #3. Mind you, it’s about 12:45 at this point and we haven’t eaten or done our grocery shopping yet.....ughhh. I’m getting tired just thinking about that trip! I ripped through the clothes all while yanking my 1 yr old back under the very high doors and making the 3 yr old stand up after peeking at the next door neighbor and asking loudly why someone was in the room next to us, all while constantly apologizing to the neighbors. Tired yet? I sure was!

Despite the craziness of hunting with kids, I managed to come away with a Forever 21 hoodie, a Target tanktop, a Banana Republic sweater top, a comfy new jersey knit dress, a gorgeous lacy blouse, a Lauren Conrad t-shirt, and these BEAUTIFUL gems:

Tray and gold dish were each only 99 cents! EEK! Jar is for my sis-in-law for Christmas, hope she doesn’t read this. But only if I’m willing to give it up!

My favorite aisle is always the kitchen/housewares section. People walk right past these treasures thinking they’re dated or too beat up and completely miss the beauty in them. I’m going to hang the tray on the wall near my kitchen to tie into another piece of artwork with similar colors. I was planning on using the gold dish for rings in the bathroom, but it found a new home as you’ll see below.

Well, the itch wasn’t thoroughly scratched, because the very next day I had already planned a treasure-hunting trip with my good friend Danielle, who also has a love for all things worn, peeling and rusty. We somehow escaped our houses and children for an entire afternoon alone together (thank you hubbies!!) and just went from shop to shop exploring. That’s when I found a huge collection of old Reader’s Digest short story compilations from the 60’s with GORGEOUS covers, full-color interiors and beautiful illustrations. I was in love, and I got 26 books for, wait for it, $3.25!!!! They were marked as 25 cents each and I found them on the 50% off table! 

It made my day, my week, my month!

Some of the beautiful books I picked up for a steal.
I actually only bought 10 and then was so sad about leaving   their friends behind, I headed back (with children) for 16 more and made the store clerk carry them out ha! 

I was so inspired by my finds that I finally had purpose for my drab living room built-in that had been sitting half-empty for 2.5 years since we bought the house and moved in. It has been a thorn in my side forever and I finally had enough treasures to fill all those daunting shelves. Filling shelves is LAST on the priority list when you have 2 small children and are self-employed and working from home. But I did it! It took probably 3 hrs on a Sunday afternoon, but I did it and boy am I proud of myself and can’t stop staring at my creative masterpiece!

Even the sconces were $2 from a garage sale!
The huge rustic U was from Ross for $3 on clearance.

The only letter they had and it’s our last name, booya! 

Disclaimer, the baby was NOT a thrift store purchase! ;)

  Frame: Flea market, $2. 

  Bird: hardware store(?!), $1. 

  Gold dish: thrift store, 99 cents.

  Books: library sale, $5.

 Books: thrift store, 12.5 cents each. 

 Vintage Golden book: thrift store, $1. 

 Glass jars: garage sale, 3 for $1 

 (gave one away and now regretting it, I’m a hoarder) 

 Bird: gift from my mom who knows me :)

  Books: library sale, $7. 

  Potpurri: Big Lots, $2.

I can’t stand throwing away beautiful cards 

so I just decided to tuck this one into an 
empty frame and it perfectly ties in the 

mint color on the book binding, I love it!
Frame: Flea market, $3. 
Letters box: library sale, $5. 
Mirror: Ross, $20 (pricey for me!) 
Book: thrift store, 12.5 cents.
Bird candle holder: gift from my momma again!

I knew something was missing, so I stole an Ikea lamp from my office and added it later in the evening, and it was just what the space needed. Now I sit under it’s warm light while chilling with the hubby and working on new projects after the kiddos are down each night. It was light I desperately needed to be able to see my needle and thread.

I truly hope this post inspires someone else out there who’s feeling frozen by lack of time, resources, etc. because all of these shelves were filled with thrift store, garage sale and Ross finds from over the years. And that’s the biggest part, it took me a few years to feel like I had the right stuff to fill these shelves and finally call this project complete. Or maybe just complete for now. Anyway, it has already inspired me to make new pillows for the couch (hence the fabric taunting me downstairs!) Maybe I’ll send an update when those are done. But with my kiddos, that could be next Spring!

Noelle Uzzi is a wife, momma to two awesome little girls, and designer extraordinaire! She spends most of her days wiping butts and taking names on the Central Coast of California, also known as the Happiest Place in America {according to Oprah}. You can follow her creative work at www.uzzicreative.com.

Frames, maps, and a sewing machine {the beginnings of a functional guest bedroom and workspace}

The other day I wrote about glorious gallery walls and how my plans in the second bedroom were to piece together my very own frame covered wall. I have so many frames, with photographs, thrift store prints, my own art, etc. etc. After countless times stumbling around in that room and tripping over frames, I decided to get my picture hanging on. It was getting ridiculous and too messy for too long, so this morning I got to work and have some progress to show you on this long awaited guest room (which for the past month you could call a storage closet of sorts).

windmill sketch: thrifted
wooden shoes: bridal shower gift from Matt's mom
hand painted pot: from grandma's house
hard-cover books: thrifted
glass votive: anthropologie sale
wooden library box: thrifted
vintage desk: craigslist
green runner: Ikea

We have very little storage space in our Park Hill home. We do have a garage which is wonderful, but storing inside items (linens, coats, games, photographs, paperwork, wedding dress) that should steer clear of extreme garage weather are left for me to get creative with in the home storage dept.  The closets are filled to the brim, and even then, there is still more to store. With this second bedroom, I used a lot of trick storage. The wicker hamper next to the desk is filled with board games. The box setting on top of the hamper is actually a wine rack. We have a hutch now that houses all of our wine, so this wine storagebox is full of letter writing materials, sewings bits, maps, and travel books. The maps are not vintage, but merely trail maps we've gotten from various hikes. Instead of having them folded flat in a drawer, I rolled them up  add some visual interest. I like that this box has built in handles, making it easy to lift the box and access the board games in the wicker hamper below. (You will get to see more of this room soon, and the rest of my visually pleasing "store it" tricks).

Sewing Machine: from my grandma
{chair missing because it is being painted}

I merely created this space with things I already had. It was fun to put together because I had to make do with whatever was not being used in the rest of the house, and piece by piece hang each frame until it looked just right. Now I have a great corner of the room to learn to sew in, write letters, map adventures, sketch, read my Bible, and work on other small projects. 

Glorious gallery walls.

I have arranged two gallery walls in past apartments we have lived in. The first was in our office, the second was in a hallway. With the guest bedroom in our new Denver home ready to be put together, my mind has been going to thoughts of gallery walls much bigger and grander than my first arrangements. I have accumulated a lot of vintage artwork and prints from various thrifting adventures, in addition to larger framed pieces. I love the overall look of a gallery wall and am excited to play around with the new space. 

When I put together my first little gallery, I decided on black, white, and a mix of wood frames, all of various sizes. I had a few to start, but I actually made a trip to HomeGoods found the rest in one trip. Matt was such a trooper as I must have looked crazy laying all these frames out in the aisle floor to play  of the store until I was happy with my selection (hey, you do what you need to when you are a visual person). 

all photos taken from here

What do you favor, neutral toned frames, a bold and colorful mix, monochromatic themes? Thin frames, chunky frames, barely there floating frames? Do you have a gallery wall in your home? Do tell!

{post update: officially, my second bedroom walls have turned into a gallery, you can see them here}

Mini art collection additions.

Today it is going to be a scorcher. One hundred degrees! My cousin and I are planning on going over to the Cherry Creek Beach to lay out and wade in the water and possibly run through the sprinklers if we still need some cooling off. This California girl is used to having a pool or the ocean close by, but lucky for me there are still ways to sport my swimsuit and escape the heat in this mile high city.

vogue

Before I get my day started, I wanted to show you what the other $1.50 got me at Goodwill the other day in addition to the dainty gold trimmed cup. Once the second bedroom is clear of garage items, I will start my long anticipated list of projects and design for that room. One of which is a gallery of fun thrift & antique store prints, paintings, and sketches. These two little framed works of art will be a part of that collection. The navy frame with the flower print is from the 1950s and the windmill sketch may be more recent, but it has that old feel, which I love. 

One more thing. This blog has been viewed over 2,000 times and it has not even been a month  (21 days, but who is counting?) since I started Pearls Poppies Pinkies Up! Thank you for reading and following along. I so appreciate all of the blog loving and your support as readers. Here's to another month of old meets new, bargain hunting, projects, and ways to bring affordable lovely into your home. I feel like I am just getting started.