Archive for Details

Maxi Skirt: Pinterest Challenge

By Kristen on May 8, 2013

Today, I’m unveiling my Pinterest Challenge!  It has nothing to do with home decor but rather sewing.  For those of you who haven’t noticed, my “Sew” board on Pinterest has grown to 70 pins – and that’s after cleaning it out.  Mostly it consists of fabrics I love, quilt designs, and other baby gifts (like dolls or booties), but there are also some clothing projects on there.

20130508_pinterestskirt1 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

While I’ve been busy sewing curtains and quilts ( 1 | 2 | 3 ), I haven’t actually gotten around to successfully sewing any clothing for myself.  This was the perfect chance to remedy that.

Ultimately, I decided to tackle a maxi skirt because I love them and they are amazing to wear.  Seriously, I cannot recommend them enough.  If you’ve never tried one on before, it’s like having a blanket around you at all times but you never get too hot.

My inspiration was this pin, originally from Elle Apparel.  When I originally found the site, it included the tutorial but that has since been removed (although you can buy it in her etsy store).  Since there was no step-by-step tutorial for me to use, I sort of winged it.  I’m going to share a detailed how-to next Monday, but this is really the perfect project to start with when it comes to designing your own clothing. It’s a very forgiving skirt.

For today, you’ll have to enjoy my awkward photos.  Clearly I was not meant to be a fashion blogger.  Or was I…?

No.  I definitely was not meant for that.

20130508_pinterestskirt8 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

Seeing as I had never actually made anything wearable before, I was intimidated but determined.  I bought two yards of a navy jersey/knit fabric from Joanns when it was on sale and kind of hid it away.  After all, jersey fabric is supposed to be intimidating to work with, right?

To be honest: it is and it isn’t (Sewaholic has a bunch of great tips).  Ultimately, I think that jersey and knit fabrics get a bad wrap.  It’s definitely different from any other fabric I’ve worked with (ie. it’s very important that the fabric pulls in the right direction), so it took me some time to get comfortable, but I would definitely use it again.  It’s a great fabric for clothing.

20130508_pinterestskirt2 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

What I created isn’t perfect by any means (note the photo below) but my goodness, it is comfortable.  I even felt confident enough to even wear the skirt out in public after finishing it!

20130508_pinterestskirt3 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

The bottom of the skirt was simple enough, but the band was somewhat tricky.  At least I thought it was tricky (in actuality, it wasn’t).  I created the band and the just stared at it for a few days because I thought it was too small.  Turns out, it stretched and was perfect.  After attaching the band to the bottom part of the skirt, I did a final seam around to keep it looking nicer.  My stitching isn’t perfect, but I think it looks nicer than what I originally had.

20130508_pinterestskirt4 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

My favorite part of this skirt is that if I eat too much spaghetti – which I definitely did on Sunday – I can just unfold the band.  No one has to know that I went back and had a second bowl of spaghetti…

…and then 75% of the fresh strawberries…

… followed by some chocolate when I got home.

20130508_pinterestskirt5 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

Something great about making your own clothes is that you can tailor them to you.  This skirt isn’t too long or too tight.  In fact, I’m so in love with it that I want to go back and get a few other color options – maybe even a pattern! – and make a few more skirts.  Ideally, I’d like one for every day of the week so I can wear these all the time.

20130508_pinterestskirt7 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/ 20130508_pinterestskirt6 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

What did you end up tackling for the Pinterest Challenge?  Was it something outside of your comfort zone?  Were you happy with the final product?  Any ladies out there who are pro-maxi skirt?  Would you support me if I argued that maxi skirts are work appropriate?

Linking up: Young House Love | Bower Power | Sparkle Meets Pop | Red Bird Blue

Previous Challenges:  Fabric Flowers | Beaded Necklace | Spray Painting Lamps | Paper Rosette Escort Cards.

Posted in Details, Fashion, Projects, Sewing | 18 Comments

Getting Out of the Red

By Kristen on April 29, 2013

For the last 2.5 month, Joe and I have been sleeping in a green room with red blinds.  This was not our design choice, but rather something we came into.

It has been interesting, to say the least.

20130429_redblinds1 www.popcornonthestove

To give the blinds credit, they are very good at blocking out the light (which I have taken advantage of when sleeping in on the weekends), but they are horrible in every other way.  When the sun shines through the blinds, there is a red glow throughout the room.  It honestly feels like I’m in a horror movie.  The room has also felt very dark and dirty because of these blinds.

The blinds aren’t even a deep red.  They’re blood-red.

20130429_redblinds2 www.popcornonthestove

That’s not even the worst part…  they were custom ordered.

Now, I’m not against getting blinds that are in fun colors, but this is an aggressive color.  I’m not sure if the bedroom walls were always green or our landlords repainted them before we moved in.  I like to imagine that the walls were black or red with these curtains because that’s the only way it can make sense to me.  Even with those colors, I’m pushing it.

Life has been hectic lately so it took me a while before I could high-tail my butt over to Home Depot and pick up some replacements.  I originally grabbed some white aluminum blinds but a sweet older lady recommended that I get the plastic version (I grabbed these 30″ blinds for $4.70 each).  The plastic blinds were the cheaper option – by over $17.00 each! – and they wouldn’t show any dents.  If that’s not a win-win, I’m not sure what is.

I’ve never changed blinds before so I was very intimated by this project.  In my mind, I thought I could pass this project off to Joe but it didn’t happen that weekend because Joe’s at the end of his semester and has a full plate on his hands.  Ultimately, I put on my big girl pants and tackled this project.  There’s only so many times you can wake up in a red haze before you have to do something about it.

Side note: all of these photos are going to be from below because I am incredibly short, even with a step stool.

I followed the instructions that came with the new blinds.  The first thing I did was pull the blinds all the way up.  This makes it very easy when you’re ready to remove them.

www.popcornonthestoveWhere the blinds are clipped into the wall, there are these little covers that you can slide right out.  Once you’ve done that, you can just pull out the blinds.  Be warned that there will probably be a lot of dust when this happens.

I tossed these suckers immediately into a trash bag.

20130429_redblinds4 www.popcornonthestove

While the bracket on the left was okay, the bracket on the right wasn’t installed all the way to the edge of the trim so it had gotten a little warped and stretched over time.  This was a simple fix: I unscrewed the bracket and grabbed one of the new brackets and installed that closer to the edge.

20130429_redblinds5 www.popcornonthestove

Once the brackets where in the right place, I just grabbed the new blinds, slide them into the bracket, and cover the brackets with those little pieces that slide in.  I also added the valance piece at this point.

20130429_redblinds6 www.popcornonthestove

Can we just take a minute and talk about how much better the room looks now without those crazy red blinds?  The room feels about 1000% cleaner and it’s much more relaxing at this point.  I’m actually a fan of the green on the walls (the red blinds altered the green constantly, and not in a good way).

20130429_redblinds7 www.popcornonthestove

And, rather than having you scroll back up top to check out what we originally had, here’s a side-by-side comparison.  I’m not sure how it comes across on everyone else’s monitors, but you can see that the walls on the left are sort of a muddy-green color, where as the photo on the right is a more accurate version of the green on the walls.

20130429_redblinds8 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

Yesterday morning was the first morning waking up with the new blinds.  While they definitely don’t block anywhere near as much light as those red blinds, they get the job done.  Besides, I’m looking to invest in some curtains for this room to help tie everything together.  I spent a decent amount of my Sunday just walking into the bedroom and admiring how bright and clean it looked.

Did you spend the weekend tackling any projects that had been on your to-do list for far too long?  Anyone else been intimidated by swapping or installing blinds?  What’s the worst color you’ve seen (growing up, our basement had teal blinds)?

Posted in Bedroom, Details, Home | 15 Comments

Curtain Time (Again)

By Kristen on April 24, 2013

In the midst of organizing our living room, I realized we had hit a speed bump.

Mainly, this:

20130423_curtain1 http://popcornonthestove.com

It’s not so obvious in this photo, but the curtains are about two inches too short for these windows.  Let’s just say that this is not the look I’m going for, especially since we have such wonderful natural wood trim around the windows.  Sure, I could lower the curtain bar but I’m really not into putting more holes in the wood trim.  Ultimately, these curtains have got to go – either to another room or a place where I convert them into pillows.  Both are viable options.

Our windows came dressed with honeycomb shades (similar to these) so it hasn’t been a big deal to leave them bare as long as we have, but I’m really looking to add some curtains in here.  It’s one of those details that can really finish a room and make it cozy and easy on the eyes.

I thought about DIYing some new curtains but when it comes down to it, I haven’t found a fabric that I like.  For three windows, I’d need about 10 yards of fabric since I’d like the curtains to go down to the floor – so it could get expensive very quickly.  I’ll be on the look out for some potential fabrics, but for now, I’m mostly considering purchasing curtains from the store.

Here are some potential options:

20130423_curtain2 http://popcornonthestove.com

one | two | three | four | five | six

1) These Vivan Curtains from IKEA (in grey) are a great option.  Two panels for $9.99 is sort of a steal and I think they could end up looking great in here.  We’d have to actually get on painting the walls since the grey wouldn’t match the color on the walls but that’s not too bad.

2) I’m a big fan of the Threshold collection from Target, so it wasn’t a surprise that I was drawn to the Ombre Stripe Window Panels in tan.  In all honesty, I’m actually leaning more towards getting these in grey for the bedroom but who knows – perhaps they’ll land in the living room instead.

3)  I’m really into navy and green right now so Anthropologie’s Ink Garden Curtains in blue are adorable and pretty much perfect for what I’d like, except for their price tag.  I would be looking into 96″ curtains and each panel would cost be $178.00 (!!).  Unless I win the lottery next week, these are not happening.

4)  Jonathan Adler has a line at JCP (called Happy Chic) and I am a fan.  You can’t go wrong with bright colors – like these green Charlotte Canvas Curtain Panels.  Each panel is $50, so this isn’t a financially responsible option either, but it’s totally worth stalking them online and hoping they go on sale.

5)  I am a fan of buttons – case in point my button drawer in one of our card catalogs.  When I spotted the Murano curtains in Sage from Linens and Things, I was immediately interested.  Sage can be one of those tricky colors so I think this is something I’d need to see in person before making a commitment.

6)  Another option from Target’s Threshold collection is the Jacquard Ikat Window Panels in tan.  I love the pattern because it’s not so bold that it’s over powering but interesting enough to please the eye.  Based on the online image, it looks like the tan could actually end up our brown couch so that would be a nice bonus.  They’re under $30 but in my opinion, they look more expensive than that.

Do you have a go-to place to buy curtains?  Is this an item you splurge on or tend to look for the best deal?  Anyone prefer short curtains to long?  Who thinks we should keep the windows bare for now?

Posted in Decor, Design, Details, Home, Living Room | 14 Comments

Pinned to Purchased

By Kristen on April 10, 2013

Roughly five weeks ago, I pinned a knob from Anthropologie (this knob if we’re getting specific).  I knew that the combination of brass and mother of pearl would be the perfect combo for our nightstands, but each knob was $14 and that is a bit much when you’re used to buying knobs from home improvement stores for a few dollars.

Our nightstands have been teal for a few months now, even though I only shared the finished product in February, and I’ve been looking for knobs for quite some time.  I kept hunting, but I always came up empty-handed.

And so, our nightstands have looked like this for a five months now.

20130410_knob2 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

At this point in the search, I was leaning more towards purchasing the knobs from Anthropologie but my problem is that I’m the type of person who will talk myself out of purchases all the time.  This isn’t really a complaint because this approach gives me time to think about it and either go back and get it or forget about it – it’s just annoying when you’re on the hunt for something specific and you’ve found it.  I sent Joe the link to the knobs a few times and he finally encouraged me to go get them.  I responded by reminding him that they were pricey, which he countered by asking me if I really liked them.  I did, and so I headed to Anthropologie during my lunch break.

Of course, while I was there, I found another (more wallet friendly) option and texted Joe this picture.  Truth be told, I wasn’t as crazy about it because the color was a little muted, but I didn’t hate it.  Joe still preferred the first option (shiny vs. un-shiny is a totally unfair contest) and so I got them.

20130410_knob1 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

The point of this story is that I did splurge on knobs, but they’re pieces that I really like.  Even if our nightstands get replaced, I will be holding onto these knobs.  They’re pretty spectacular in person (the photographs don’t do them justice) so I think this was a good time to spend a little bit more on something I loved rather than something I thought was ‘eh’.

20130410_knob3 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

When it came time to swapping the old knobs for these beauties, it’s a pretty straight forward process that I don’t need to get into.  I will share that I was so nervous about how these would look on our nightstands (because they’re larger than I expected) that I was very careful when removing the price tags.  You know, just in case it looked terrible and I had to return them.

20130410_knob4 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

When it came to trimming the bolts, I opted not to.  The bolts are part of the knob so once we trim them, they’re trimmed.  There is the potential for these knobs to end up on another piece of furniture so I don’t want to trim them now and regret it later on.  They haven’t been a problem thus far, so for now, they’ll stay as-is.

20130410_knob5 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

This close-up shot really lets you see how these knobs shine (the shiny factor definitely explains why I’m so fond of them).

20130410_knob6 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

I love the direction the nightstands are going in.  The deep teal color next to the bright yellow is a nice pairing, and the new knobs add a bit of sophistication to everything.  I’m thinking of painting the bottom of the legs in a color that matches the brass knobs.  I’m not entirely sure how it’ll end up, but I think it could be amazing.  We’ll see.

20130410_knob7 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

Do you splurge when you find something you love?  Ever talked yourself out of a purchase, only to end up regretting it?

Posted in Bedroom, Decor, Design, Details, Home | 16 Comments

In the Kitchen

By Kristen on March 20, 2013

Yesterday, we chatted about our dining nook (this weekend Joe and I will try pushing the table against the wall) so today, it only seems fitting to discuss the kitchen next.

So far, I like where we’re at with this room.  This kitchen is significantly smaller than our last kitchen, yet bigger than our first, but we’re able to make it work… even though we still don’t have a microwave.  It can be annoying to not have one but it’s also kind of interesting to see how long we can go without it.  In terms of appliances, we’re getting used to the stove since it’s a bit temperamental but we love our fridge.  It’s the perfect size for the two of us (we have yet to completely fill it) and look really great in the space.  Since it’s so short, we have an opportunity to hang some  shelves above it for some extra storage.

New Refrigerator http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

There’s not a lot of counter space in this kitchen space – just your basic laminate counter top that’s on both sides of the sink.  One side is home to our drying rack while the other holds our paper towel rack and cooking utensils (like spatulas and large spoons).  The counter space in front of the nooks isn’t ideal for prep work because it’s tiny and tiled.  Oh well.

I am a fan of the upper cabinets having glass doors.  It feels so old-timey, in a good way. Plus, I know where everything is, even if I do have to make sure I keep things looking nice.  For now, those little white shelves next to the windows are filled with a random assortment of stuff because I have no idea what they’re meant for.  We’ve got a hen (for good luck), coffee filters, vitamins, and our mortar and pestle – just to mention a few items.  In a couple of weeks, I’m going to start our herb garden so that’ll take up three of the shelves.  A little touch of green will also make the kitchen feel nicer.

20130320_kitchen1 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/

Just like the built-in, there has been lots of rearranging but I think I’ve come up with a great system…

20130320_kitchen2 http://www.popcornonthestove.com/
1: Our cake stand, tea cups, and bowls | 2: A glass bowl, soup bowls, and our plates
3: Toaster and coffee maker | 4: Tinfoil and wax paper | 5: Tupperware
6: Miscellaneous cleaners and our fire extinguisher | 7: Baking sheets and pans
8: Small kitchen tools (measuring spoons, can opener, etc). | 9: Pots and pans
10: Stand Mixer and kitchen knives

There’s still some things to do in here to make it pretty/functional.  Out of necessity, Joe and I need to invest in some oven mitts since we tossed our old pair (and I’d like to grab a fun dish towel, as well).   In terms of storage, it would be nice to bring in a kitchen cart of some type, mostly for the extra prep space.  That’s not something we need right away, but something I’m keeping an eye out for.

Ideally, I’d like to trim and hang the window curtains I made for our last apartment and I’m thinking about applying some of that window film to the kitchen window since our kitchen window looks directly into our neighbor’s kitchen.  The walls on the color are kind of a butter-cream kind of color, which isn’t terrible.  I can live with it.  If we were going to be here for 10 years, then sure, I’d paint, but for now, it’ll work since I’d rather focus on painting the bathroom and the dining nook.  That grey trim on the other hand… that’s destined to leave us.

So let’s hear it – when you moved into your current home/apartment, did you play around with how you arranged the kitchen or did you walk in with a plan?  Any tips for finding an affordable workstation?  Do you have any grey molding at your place (that sounds gross just typing it)?

Posted in Details, Home, Kitchen | 17 Comments
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