DIY Done Right

 One of our favorite things to do, besides art projects is to decorate.  Always having more ideas than money, this was one of those times to use both skills.  After a long marathon session of 9 X Design episodes, we fell in love with Ann Carrington's work.  While I am confident it will take winning the lottery to afford one of her pieces, the girls and I decided we were going to try an art project INSPIRED by the great and wonderful Ann.  We started by taking a large piece of denim we already had from another project and used a bleach pen to do the outline of a peace sign.  From there, using primarily vintage buttons from Ebay, we started (or rather I started) sewing buttons onto the fabric.  This monster task illustrated to me why Ann has a great team...GEEZE it was time intensive.  As days melted into weeks, we decided both to switch to various glues and add multi-media elements.  My wonderful boyfriend added his carpentry skills by building a frame and stapling it on.  When completed, there was actually a section of the project that represents each person in the house. We incorporated old keys, foreign and domestic money, political buttons and sheet music just to name a few things.  Little Monkey (who is a great fan of Nate Berkus, as am I) decided this would also be a great I Spy piece and constructed a list of items and a key.  Despite all the work, I think the finished product came out well.

Paired with lamps I scored on serious clearance at Target, a clearance bowl from Pier 1 and a ten dollar orange platter I found at Walmart it looks great.  Both kitchen table are made from old doors.  The white buffet table, one I scored in a Galveston Island junk shop for 35 bucks and the other, the former front screen door from my Grandparents house in the 70's.  The legs came from Ikea (both sets on sale) and a local glass shop provided the tops.  My chairs and bench on the other side I already had in a previous kitchen incarnation and I painted these from red to beige.  Even the light fixture was a clearance item from Home Depot and the baskets under the white table, Longaberger that I purchased 10 years ago.  They have served me well for the cost and have gone from living room toy catchers for little ones to comfy cat bed for our aging flock of furry babies.  The vases/candle holders on the kitchen table are punch cups from a pottery punch bowl set from Thailand.  Not too bad if I do say so myself!