{10 minute} Fabric Letter DIY

There is nothing like a little color to put a smile on your face and that's just what this little project did.  Yep, I'm smiling one because I completed a DIY project and two I have color on my walls!  It all started with in April when I finally installed my Run Strong gallery wall.  It included a few inspiration quotes and images that revolved around running.  I was was over joyed at how it turned out, but a few weeks ago I was trying to think of a way to add some color since mostly everything is white.  

Well, as I was sorting through a few things in my spare room I came across a few pieces of vintage fabric given to me earlier this year.  I wasn't sure what to do with them so I had them in my spare room and just this last week I knew exactly what I wanted to use one of the fabrics for as soon as I read this fabric wrapped letter DIY.   So the other night I gathered all of my supplied and while watching a movie I began wrapping my R. 

Supplies:

* batting

* fabric 

* scissors 

*staple gun
* cardboard or wood letter

I also came across this Fabric Letter DIY Fabric Art that makes using the cardboard letters a bit more interesting. I will definitely have to try this when I find a coordinating fabric to wrap around the sides.

I first started by wrapping the batting around and stapled it to the letter, though I think using spray adhesive would have worked nicely to.

As you can see it doesn't look very pretty from the backside, but the good thing is that no one will ever notice unless you take it down and show them.  I had already had a command strip Velcro attached to the letter so I made sure not to cover it so I can hang it back on the wall.

 

You can still see where the fabric was to short to go around the thick side of the letter, which is why at some point I will do some coordinating fabric to adhere around the edges so it doesn't look so rough.

 Ah, now isn't that better.

{Weekend Organizer} Run Strong

As a designer I have so many ideas running though my head at one given time, so it's nice when I finally see something come to fruition and my running inspiration wall is one of them. When my bed was angled I had planned exactly where I was going to put whatever inspiration I needed up using, but since moving my bed I had a design relapse. It took me a few weeks to figure out how to create before an asymmetrical design while still being visible when I wake up and I'll I had to do was move my mirror down a few feet.  Though this was after my bedroom spruce up since the last bedroom design.  
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I had a few ideas at first and wanted to use some crafty ideas, but ended up keeping it simple and I'm really glad how it turned out.  Here are some art ideas I had thought about adding to the wall 1) run 2) felt banner 2) run strong 

Finally when I did a spurce up in my bedroom on 26th of March my running inspiration wall finally happened and I have to say I'm pretty happy wiht the results.  It's simple, but says what I need.

Sources:
Large Frame: IKEA ODBY

Art: Quote by Gossip Girl. 
Live: Marshall's 
Med. Frame: IKEA Ribba White 
Art: Liberate Your Inner Awesome - found online
R: Cardboard letter is from Micheal's and I spray painted it a high gloss white
Embroidery hoop I found at a thrifty store after seeing this DIY
Green Clock: I had this on hand and don't really remember where or when I bought it.

View from my bed

I knew I wanted the clock there so I could read it, but it just didn't look right until I added the embroidery hoop.  It really adds some symmetry and I love the over all. I plan to add a real bookcase where the rubbermaid laundry shelf currently is to hold my shoes and workout books.  I may even bring down all my magazine, but maybe not.  I just have a plain white cheap 3 shelf bookshelf that I plan to paint and fabric the back of the wall with some fabric I found at JoAnn's.  The fabric really helps to inspire, but still adds a feme-retro look.

What ways do you have to create inspiration to run or workout?

{60 minute} GID mini projects

Shower Caddy
I've spent the last few months dealing with the annoyance of my shower essentials having to be stored on my IKEA stool that was intended for when I shave my legs, however, it's been difficult with everything stashed on top and a lot of the times my larger bottles fall.  I've tried a few options, but none of them have worked until my 3rd try.  It would have been an easy fix if I didn't love having my drop down shower head.  It really helps since my shower is pretty small, but the metal cord isn't very flexible and doesn't work with shower caddies that hang from the shower head.  Which is a huge bummer since I found an amazing shower caddy with a vintage vibe for only $16 from Marshall's,  but it had to be returned. 

Next was this vertical shower caddy from Target that was a whopping $26.  I thought it would look nicer for the price, but it still looked cheap and I couldn't get it to stand up straight.   I tried to tighten it, but it was to short without the extra extension piece and about a foot to tall with it.  Plus, the base of my shower is a bit wonky so now it's packed back in the box and awaiting my next trip to Target to go back.  

After this fail it hit me that I should have just bought 2 more of the clear shower suction caddies that I've been using already.  It's fantastic and suctions to my glass wall like super glue so I purchased 2 more and they are working fanatically. 

Clean Paint Brushes

After some procrastination I finally tried this DIY I found on Pinterest, however, I really didn't find that it helped any bit as the brushes looked like this before, during and after.  I even let it sit for longer than 30 minutes. 

Clean Paint Brushes

1. Buy White Distilled Vinegar Add to bucket
2. Pour Hot water in with Distilled Vinegar.
3. Add paint brushes to bucket
4. Let sit for 30 minutes

Freshen Your Sink Drain

Freshen Kitchen Sink Drain

1. Buy Baking Soda {1 TB}
2. Buy White Distilled Vinegar {1/4 cup}
3. Mix ingredients and pour over drain
4. Let bubble and spray clean

December Items Donated:

Another pile of items that headed out the door for someone else to enjoy.

{Weekend Organizer} Clean the Couch

Finally!  My large chase for my sectional has been cleaned! Ever since I came across a pinterest DIY for this I was like, YESSSS, totally need to clean it.  It took me a couple of months to gather the supplies, because I kept forgetting what I needed to pick up and then finding the time and energy to want to complete this hefty task.

COUCH: AFTER CLEANING

Though I have to say that my couch really wasn't that dirty, as it's been shampooed at least twice since we purchased it from another family off Craigslist back in March so it looked nothing like the stained couch in the pinterest posting.  Nonetheless, I still wanted to try this method....maybe, just maybe it would keep my dog from licking the couch and leaving wets huge spots, I know gross.  Plus, I wanted to stop using a sheet to cover the couch - looked totally tacky  - to keep him from doing so and I wanted to sell it so I could buy a loveseat that would fit better in the space as this piece is 7' long and 5' would be more appropriate.

I started by pouring the alcohol into a spray bottle and then moved the sectional to an open space.  I then removed all the cushion and began to clean the back of the couch,  the very back of the couch, the seat cushion, and lastly the back cushions.  Overall the cleaning wasn't to bad, but the smell of alcohol did permeate in the main floor for a while.  I was pretty content with the end results, and overall it took about it an hour to complete.  Next time I think I'm going to use a white or beige colored sponge that doesn't have an abrasive side so that I can see more of the dirt.  It was a bit hard to see any dirt on the purple sponge, or it could have been that it wasn't as dirty as I thought it would be.

Eventually, I would like to sew a cover for my couch, but at the present time I don't have any sewing skills to even try to attempt this task so cleaning it for now is at least a step forward.  Plus, the cover will help to add some contrast to my very neutral living space.