{frame wall. finally}

Many of my friends and coworkers have commented that I have a chic sense of style.  Specifically, they're referring home decor (while I love to browse fashion mags and daydream about what I'd wear if I had the dollars to do so, I stick to pretty mainstream stores and have a typical twenty-something wardrobe).  Anywho, back to the matter at hand.  Sure, I may be above average in the home furnishing department, but in reality, I usually just copy what I see others do.  And if imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, Sherry and John from younghouselove should be on top of the world (read: pretty darn vain).  They're the chicest couple I've never met, and they transformed not one, but almost two now, older homes into modern/adorable ones on the cheap.  Reading their blog is one of the best parts of my day, and each time I fall in love with a DIY project they've done that I can actually see myself completing without injury or catastrophe, I do my best to re-create it in my own abode.  The most recent example?  A frame wall.

A few weeks back, I ordered a new duvet for my bed from West Elm.  Before those fabulous and crisp stripes entered my world, I had a really bold purple comforter from Tar-jay, so when I made the switch, the look and feel of my room really did, well, switch.  First came the bed, then came the accessories.  I got rid of the purple accents and swapped them out for more neutral ones.  Still though, something was missing.  I had a lot of white wall space, and nothing to fill it with.  The design gods must have been on my side, because it was the same day that I first read about Sherry and John's frame wall project.  Could I do it (on a much smaller scale of course)?  Yes, in the immortal words of The Little Engine That Could, "I think I can. I think I can!"

Of the fourteen frames that ended up making the cut, only eight were born white.  A quick trip the hardware store, five dollars, and a can of satin spray paint later, all was well white in the world.  I used Sherry's tip and sprayed three thin layers to avoid dripping, although because I'm still an amateur when it comes to spray painting (yep, no vandalism in my teenage past), there was a run or two.  Thankfully, said runs were on the side/insides of the frames and thus nothing to fret over.

Next up? What to fill the frames with.  I used a combo of childhood pictures, recent photos, sketched drawings I found on the interwebs, and inspiring typography quotes from Pinterest.  I printed each of the quotes/pictures on cardstock (it's tougher and easier to work with), trimmed them to fit the frames, and voilà.

The arrangement of the frames was semi tough.  I followed Sherry and John's rules and started with the biggest frames in the middle.  I surrounded those with smaller ones and worked my way out.  This part was a lot of trial and error.  I'd set things, take a picture, switch something, take another picture, etc.  Rinse, wash, repeat.  I took the pics so I could always go back (in case I changed something, didn't like it, and wanted to return to a previous placement).

Once I picked a place for each frame, it was time to transfer everything from the winnnndow to the waaaallll (okay, no, actually from the floor to the wall, but I like that song.  Well, I did in high school I think).  Here's where John's expert advice came in handy.  I matched magazine pages to the size of each frame, marked an "X" on a piece of tape where the nail would need to be on each, and taped the pages to the wall so each was an inch apart from all adjacent ones.  Sounds complicated, but it's mostly just time-consuming.  Believe me though, it's worth the hour not to put tons of extra holes in the wall tweaking things post-hang.

Once the faux frames were up, I just hammered a nail through each "X," ripped off the stand-in, and hung up the real deals, one by one.  It was a slow process, but worth every second.  The only setback?  One frame toppled to the floor and got a little bent outta shape (literally) while I was nailing it's friend up next to it.  No worries, it was nothing a little tacky glue couldn't fix.

The final result was awesome, and I'm digging it.  I think I nailed it, if I do say so myself.  Hah.

Here's the journey, in picture form:

{the idea is born}

{all white = all good}

{faux frames, almost ready for their close-up}

{getting there...}

{before}

{nailed it}

{more than obsessed}

Facebook.
Twitter.
AIM (holy throwback to middle school).

They've all held the #1 spot in my heart (meaning browser bookmark list) at some time or another. Well friends, move over, there's a new social media platform in town, and she is sexy. Ladies and gentleman, I give you PINTEREST.

I've spent more hours on this website in the last two days than I've spent sleeping. Okay, that's a little hyperbolic, but it's pretty close to a 50/50 split at this point.

What is Pinterest and why do I love it so? To quote its creators:

"Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.  People use Pinterest to collect and share all sorts of things... You name it, people are pinning it."

My current stats:
5 boards
57 pins
6 followers

In case you are a visual person (as I am), here are some of my "pins" for you to feast your eyes on:

{i WILL make this}

{wanted one of these for a while now}

 

{could it even get any better than this?}

{typography is fantastic}

So there you have it, folks. That's a super simplified sense of my style.

Don't take it from me. Try Pinterest for yourself. You may have to wait a few days, because word on the street is the madness (also known as thousands of future fans requesting an invitation to the site) has necessitated a waiting list.   

Gotta go pin some stuff. Until next time...

{looks great! little full, lotta sap!}

Disclaimer: this blog post has nothing at all to do with the happiness challenge.  That being said, last night was one of the coolest/happiest nights of my life, so I think I've earned the right to brag blog about it.

Last night in DC, the National Wildlife Federation celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a big fancy gala (a cougar cub, golden eagle, and wallaby all walked (read: "crawled" / "flew") the red green carpet) and I was lucky enough to be there.  Also in our midst?  One CHEVY CHASE.  Color me giddy.

{if only you weren't older than my father...}

In preparation for the evening, I watched Caddyshack, Oprah's SNL reunion episode from this week, and reviewed my favorite Clark Griswold lines (hence this post's title).  I watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" at least every week once December rolls around, and my sister and I can often be heard quoting the lines to each other and snickering at the dinner table during Christmastime.  What can I say, the man is a hoot and a half.

Some of my favorite lines from the night:

Thirty minutes after his arrival:
Me: We're gonna go take your picture with some of the animals now, if that's okay with you.
Chevy: Wait, there are animals here?
Me: Yes sir, lots of them.
Chevy: And you know you're one of them.
Me: I was gonna say the same to you, but I wasn't sure we were at that comfort level yet.
Chevy: (laughs) -- the fact that I made him laugh made my night.

After taking the glass of red wine I got for him:
Me: Here you are!
Chevy: Look at this girl! But, wait, what are you, thirteen?
Me: Very funny. I'll have you know I'm 24.
Chevy: Well you look thirteen. 
Me: Sigh. I wasn't sure if you liked merlot or cabernet, so I guessed...
Chevy: What? Oh hell, I don't care. It's wine.

During a photo opportunity with Robert Redford, his wife, and the president of NWF:
Mrs. Chase: Wait, I'll take off my coat for this.
Robert Redford: And I'll take off my jacket.
Chevy (to photographers and the whole room): If everyone could hold tight for a second, I'll just take off my pants...
 
When all was said and done (and laughed about), it was an incredible night.  It was an honor to meet the Chevmeister and I can honestly say he is as funny in life as he is onscreen.  He kept everyone in stitches for several hours - I will fondly refer to last night as WNL (Wednesday Night Live).  Different day, equally hysterical.

{Me and CC}

{april showers bring may...}

We've certainly had more showers than flowers this spring.  Thankfully, one of roomie #3's co-workers planted the seed in our heads (via her happiness card) and we evened the showers vs. flowers score with her challenge.  It read, very simply, "buy fresh flowers for your desk."  Editor's note: this challenge happened more than a month ago now, but it's been addictive and I wanted to wait to share it with you.  It's amazing how little flowers cost, but how much they can brighten a kitchen counter, windowsill, or cubicle.  I'm full-on obsessed - I've had some type of flora in my life ever since we first pulled that card outta the bunch.  Bring on the showers, mother nature, I'll take care of the flowers.

{baby daffodils at home}

{orchids in perrier bottle}

{mums in my cube}

{love the purple and green contrast}