Archive for September 2010
Trip Pics: Name that state
Well we’ve hit the road on the first leg of our vacation, heading north through the seriously insane wind and rain. When I promised to share at least one decor-related photo – good or bad – each day, I had no idea I’d start off with such a delightful example of curb appeal.
I’m really at a loss for words:
But Ryan isn’t, of course. In his words,
It looks like a discount Halloween store threw up all over their yard. . . I think the only thing scary about it is what it’s doing to the property value.
Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to get back to gleefully giggling over the fact that I am sitting in my car, with a laptop on my lap, surfing the freakin’ web! As Brad Paisley says, welcome to the future.
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From fabric scraps to fall decor
I’m a total hypocrite!!
I rolled my eyes when I read that Martha Stewart suggested changing out throw pillows and other home decor accessories with the seasons. Who can afford to do that, not to mention have the room for storing all that crap? (Aside from Martha.)
But now I’m heading straight to my non-seasonal mirror to roll my eyes at myself, since I accidentally made a few fall pillows for my sofa. I could afford to, because I only used fabrics I already had. See, the other day the pillow shams from my old bedroom set caught my eye. Sitting in my closet, the rust-colored fabric had me thinking – “Why not?”
I’ll skip the tutorial because there’s already good ones out there – like this one from Betz White. Suffice to say I cut up the king-size pillow shams and sewed them into square “envelope” pillow covers that open in the back for ease of use. Envelope covers are my fave, because there is no fighting with a zipper when you sew them!
Once the pillow cases were made, I surprised myself by finding a ton of earthy fabric scraps in my stockpile. I sketched and printed some shapes onto scrap paper, cut them out, and used them as templates to make a few little seasonal appliques for the pillows. Some brown microfiber fabric became a bird and a branch, while an old strip of burlap made some fun textured acorns and leaves. With only an hour to spare before company arrived, I laid out my designs and used fabric glue to adhere the appliques to the pillow cases. Oh, I was so excited and impressed with myself!
I love my pillows. They provide a touch of fall ambiance and provide a cozy cushion for those rainy days that require curling up with a warm mug of cider and a good book. Plus, my sofa needed a splash of color. Bonus: because they’re just pillow covers, they can be easily removed, folded, and stored when not in use during the other seasons.
Shared at Upcycled Awesome at The T-Shirt Diaries, Sew Much Ado, The Thrifty Home, Blue Cricket Design, and Someday Crafts. Hop on over to these blogs to see a slew of other great fall decor ideas!
We’re hittin’ the road: New England
Tomorrow night Ryan and I are hittin’ the road for a long road trip to see the fall colors in New England.
You’re probably not gonna get a post until then, as I am INSANELY busy at work getting ready for said vacation. I am dying because I have a ton of fun stuff I want to share with you all…and it’s just not gonna happen until probably Thursday. Sigh.
But here’s the good news: I’ll be blogging as I travel, and at least sharing one photo a day of something decor related. It may be a gorgeous hotel room. . .a fabulous antique store find. . . or it may be the most hideous example of backwoods motel decor. It all depends what we encounter.
I do know we’ll have this view of Somes Sound from our room in Acadia National Park for two nights:
Where are we going? I’m so glad you asked! We’ll be driving to Portsmouth, NH, then up the coast of Maine to Bar Harbor, then across the state to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, then up to Burlington, VT, then south to the Berkshires in MA, with a visit to my college roommate, then down to Tarrytown, NY. . .and then home.
I can’t wait!
My new blogging toy!
There’s been one teensy-tiny addition to my desk at home: A new blogging toy.
It’s pretty, it’s got a large screen, and it’s mine, all mine. For years I’ve been using my company-provided laptop, which is great, but it was time to get personal.
Things I love about my new iMac: the large screen, the user-friendly interface, iPhoto, and the pricetag (very low, bought used from a friend). Oh, and I’ll admit it: I love how pretty, clean-lined, and white it is. It looks much prettier on my desk than any other desktop would have.
Now, if I can just wrestle my new toy away from the cat (he quite approves, if you can’t tell), I’ve got to get back to work. But first, any Mac fans out there? I know Jeannine is, as evidenced by this image of her fabulous desk. If so, what awesome things can I and should I do with this Mac? Not a Mac fan? Tell me why!
Rental Remedy: Ashley’s Fabulous Farmhouse
I’ve decided to start featuring other bloggers’ awesome rental remedies here at The Borrowed Abode, because this blog is supposed to be providing rental-friendly decor and DIY inspiration for everyone, especially including other design-obsessed renters like me.
And now, may I present to you the rented farmhouse that is the inspiration behind “Ashley’s Thrifty Living.”
Though I’ve followed Ashley’s blog for almost a year, I just recently learned that she and her boyfriend rent their country farmhouse. When they moved in three years ago, the house was dated – complete with layers of wallpaper, fake wood paneling, and some interesting orange carpet. With the help of a ton of paint and some seriously thrifty craftiness, Ashley’s given the entire house a major rental remedy (with her landlord’s permission, of course).
So let’s start with the living room. Looking at the photos you’d hardly know they were of the same room! In Ashley’s words,
“We were very eager to start peeling off the wallpaper in the living room when we moved in. It was actually originally the dining room but it was much bigger and we knew we would be spending most of our time there. That’s why there is a chandelier smack dab in the middle of the room. After peeling the wallpaper off, the plaster was coming out in chucks so we had to putty and make it as smooth as possible. We painted the walls (over the wallpaper), the wood below and put in nice new carpet (that we got on sale). So it wasn’t much money to make the room beautiful! Throw in some curtains, bamboo blinds and a fake mantel and you are all set. We spend a lot of time in that living room and it still makes me smile every time I walk in.”
I’d be smiling a lot too, if I’d turned that dreary, outdated space into this amazing “after!”
Speaking of the chandelier, look how she modified it to blend with the dining-room-turned-living space:
Ashley’s kitchen is another jaw-dropper, again brought about with paint and some budget-friendly accessorizing. This is only the tip of the improvements iceberg; be sure to check out her big reveal for photos of the cabinets and more.
And just look how she’s transformed her bedroom into a peaceful, breezy retreat. She painted over that wallpaper, built a headboard out of bead board and trim, and used some white paint to bring some cohesion to all her mismatched furniture. I know Ryan mocks us bloggers for painting everything white, but that can of white paint can really be a thrifty girl’s best friend.
Finally, you’ve gotta dig a girl who knows how to make herself a craft room. As with the other rooms in the house, this one was completely overhauled – from the warm sage walls to bamboo blinds and some whimsical homemade tissue paper pompoms. Just behind her sewing table is her clipboard inspiration wall – where she hung clipboards to display magazine clippings, etc. Isn’t that a clever way to keep all your ideas in plain sight? 
That’s just a glimpse into Ashley’s rental remedy. For more thrifty decor projects, be sure to hop over to her blog. And if you’re wondering if there are any quirks she hasn’t been able to fix, she shared “There are obviously things about the house that are dated and that we would change if it was our own house, but you learn to live with them – like the lovely orange carpet going up the stairs!”
Orange carpet or not, I think Ashley’s got a perfect example of what a difference you can make with some hard work, a few cans of paint, and some clever accessorizing. Any smart landlord should be thrilled by the improvements she’s made. What do you think?
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Psst: If you’ve done a kickass job of decorating your rented space and would like me to feature it on The Borrowed Abode, brag to me at borrowedabode (at) gmail.com. I love seeing what clever designs my fellow renters come up with!
The most amazing studio apartment. Ever.
When my mom sent me a link to this amazing house tour, I knew I had to push my scheduled post aside in favor of sharing this.
As a small-space living afficionado I’ve peeked at a lot of studio apartments. But nothing compares to this absolutely incredible use of space. He calls the studio his “domestic transformer” because he’s able to move walls, creating 24 different rooms as needed.
As far as function is concerned, this place has ousted my former favorite small studio in Seattle, WA (although the Seattle pad is much more in line with my design style). Think how simple life would be – very little space to clean, not much room to collect junk. Lowered utilities and certainly low rent = more money for travel! Of course, with two cats and two dogs, these places are out of reach for me. But a girl can dream. . .
My favorite part of this “transformer”? That’s got to be the hammock in the screening room. What’s your favorite part? Or do you just think that anyone living in 344 square feet is insane?
A disappointing projectd
I’ve always loved these little glass CB2 Teardrop wall vases. They’re the perfect solution for adding a splash of color and life to a wall in even the smallest space.
After lusting after them for more than a year, I finally cashed in a few of my AmEx membership rewards points to pay for them. The plan was to hang two in the kitchen, one on either side of the cabinets flanking the window over the sink:
So after months of envisioning how they’d provide a bright splash of color to jazz up that window space, I finally got to hang them.
Er, attempted to hang them. The nail didn’t want to go into the side of the cabinet, and I quickly got worried that I might destroy the brand new cabinets. So instead I used the Command adhesive velcro strips (because Command stick-on strips are a renter’s dream) to hang the vases. I added some flowers, and stood back to be impressed.
Wah-wah. It doesn’t look at all as I imagined it would. I think it’s cluttered and boring, at the same time. 
Plus, when you are closer, you can see the velcro strips that hold the vases to the cabinets. Neither classy nor clean-lined.
I guess not every project is destined to be a great success.
So I think I’ll take the vases down and find a better space in which to use them. In the mean time, do you think a colorful fabric valance would do a better job of dressing up that window in the kitchen?
Pet-Proof Living: That non-destructive dog in the window
Like a heart-wrenching scene straight out of Animal Cops, the dog wandering the streets was hairless; an emaciated 30-pound skeleton of what should have been a 60-pound dog. The day was hot, over 100 degrees, and the dusty streets of Richmond’s less desirable neighborhood offered no shelter to the pup. A young girl drove through, on her way to a better part of town – but upon seeing the dog, had to stop and help. She didn’t know it at the time, but that day would forever change the trajectory of her life.
That girl was me, and that dog was my Charlie.
The moment she lifted her eager, flea-bitten head and looked into my eyes I knew she was the dog I was meant to have. I threw her in my car and took her to the vet hospital where I worked, where she proceeded to live until I rented a house that allowed dogs. That’s right, I moved to a house I couldn’t really afford JUST so I could bring my sweet Charlie to live with me.
Ok, enough sap.
When I first caught Charlie jumping on my window sill to look out the window, I knew that had to stop. Do not pass go, do not collect 100 dog bones. I was dead broke and renting my house, and couldn’t risk losing my security deposit because my dog had torn up the window sills with her claws. Working in the veterinary field, I’d seen that kind of destruction caused by dogs in several of my coworkers’ homes.
I wanted her to be able to look out the window, but in a less destructive way. Enter the step stool:
Now you may think that this photo is staged, but seriously – I’m not joking. This is what both Charlie and Merlin do when they want to look out the window. Even when I’m not home. If there’s a step stool they stand on it, and if there isn’t then they just crane their necks. They are so freakin’ smart and awesome!!!
I wanted to share how I trained the dogs to be such mild-mannered window watchers, so I went out on a limb and made two short videos about it. I felt like a total dork as I recorded them, but I’m sharing them anyway. The movies are not perfect, but I hope they help.
In this first video, you can see that Charlie (my black dog) is a bit distracted by the concern that even the smallest crumb of treats may have fallen on the ground. That’s the story of her life. Never mind that she’s lived with me for 8 very spoiled years now, she still thinks that she lives in danger of starving like she did back when she roamed those dusty streets.
And in Part 2, Merlin’s the sole star of the show, demonstrating his mad step-stool skills.
10 tips for training your dog to stand on a step stool:
- Keep a water-filled squirt bottle handy when training your pups. When you see an undesirable action, such as jumping on a window sill, squirt them a few times, until the jump off the sill. This comes in handy for stopping the habit.
- Be sure the step stool you use is stable. I had one that would flip if the dogs stood on the end of it. After a few times the dogs started to avoid the stools and I had to re-train.
- Work on the step stool exercise several times a day, for several days (or weeks) in a row.
- For best results, make sure your dog is in a calm place before starting the training. Then bring them to the window, and have them sit on command to connect with you and listen.
- The first time you put their feet on the step stool, they may freak. Remain calm, have them sit again (to get their minds centered again) and then try again.
- If the dog is really scared of the step stool, acclimate them by putting treats on the stool. After a few times, they should start to associate the stool with happiness.
- Sometimes you can trick them into jumping on the stool by holding treats in the air above the stool, just out of their reach.
- If you’re using treats as part of the reward, use single pieces of dog food – so that you can reward the pups over and over without dietary impacts.
- Don’t just reward the good behavior with food, also lavish praise on them each time they do the task correctly!
- Remember, practice and patience make perfect. Every dog learns at a different speed.
So that’s my two cents on how to train your dogs to exercise good manners while keeping an eye on the neighborhood. If you own your house, it’s a great trick. But if you rent, I think it’s absolutely crucial – because renters who let their dogs destroy their apartments make it harder for even the most conscientious pet owners to find nice rental properties. Oh, and if your dog has mad step-stool skillz, it’s a great bragging point for when you market yourself to future landlords.
Got any questions for me about this, or any other, pet-proof living idea? Have another “pet” peeve when it comes to living classy with four-legged friends? Maybe you need a little extra help with training? Let me know what stumps you, and I’ll see what I can write to help! And while you’re at it, let me know what fun tricks your pets can do!
