This past October we excavated the yard {it previously sloped towards the house} and had the uneven front walk {tripping hazard!} removed and replaced. Then there was mud everywhere. Outside and inside the house.

One of our neighbors is a retired landscaper and his yard is immaculate. On our family walks, HH will stop and pet this particular neighbor’s velvet-like grass. Not kidding. {HH would like me to mention that he would happily lie naked in our neighbor’s yard if he knew he wouldn’t get arrested.} But we’re always leery of perfect lawns. Green grass and no weeds scream “pesticides!” and “herbicides!” to us. So we were pleasantly surprised and intrigued when our neighbor told us he doesn’t use chemicals on his lawn. With our yard freshly excavated, he pointed us towards a specific grass seed mixture {which we promptly bought and spread} and told us to water for only 15 minutes during the hottest part of the day on days it didn’t rain. We followed his directions last fall and now…

…NOW we have grass!

It’s the kind of grass that kids want to roll in {yup, ours do it daily} and adults want to lie naked in. Okay, maybe HH is the only adult wanting green grass to touch every part of his body. But, still, did you see that grass?! The perfectionist in me needs to point out three obvious details: 1) the original curtains in the garage window {?!} need replaced with some sort of shade and 2) the window to the right of the front door is Mabrey’s room and her shade was drawn at the time these pics were taken because she was napping and 3) the front door is still an eyesore.

So, please, continue to feast your eyes on the green, green grass.

There were a few areas in need of reseeding this spring. Mostly they were bare spots next to the sidewalk – scars from the concrete install. HH spread the same grass seed over the bare spots and the rest of the yard {to crowd out any weeds} just a little over a week ago and baby grass is already filling in.

I like baby grass. The perfectionist in me needs to point out two more details: 1) the sun decided to peek out from behind a cloud halfway through my shoot of the yard so the lighting is different from here on out and 2) I’m currently taking an online photography class and tried my hand at shooting with my camera in manual mode FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER during this little outdoor photo shoot so I apologize for any exposure inconsistencies. I’m learning.

If you were able to peel your eyes away from the velvety grass, you may have noticed that we’ve done a little landscaping, too. On a whim, HH felt the urge to create flower beds around the house one weekend. He rented a small tiller for $25 and a bed edger for $50. I helped him map out the beds then he went to work while I wrangled the kids. The very next day we found ourselves at a local nursery “just looking.” When we returned home from the nursery, HH asked if I could figure out what plants we needed where and how many. He wanted to go back to the nursery before it closed that day to purchase plants. First, I was all, “What?! I need time! I do not have a green thumb. I have no idea what to do. I don’t know where to start.” Then, I was all, “Yes. Let’s do this. I’m so over having a yard that I’m embarrassed by. Let’s just get some stuff in the ground already. Anything will be an improvement.” And that was it. We’re usually not that spontaneous when it comes to home improvement but we were so tired of our shameful front yard.

Two days later, HH took a vacation day off from work and we planted and mulched the front beds. I dug holes for and planted each and every plant you see in this post.

After being the spectator/babysitter for most of DIY projects that have taken place here over the last year, I cannot tell you how good it felt to be involved. It was hard, hard work. But it was cathartic. Sure, I had to take breaks to drop off kids, pick up kids, feed kids, change the baby, put the baby down for a nap, etc. but it was so worth it. I might take a liking to this gardening stuff after all.

I don’t think we’ll be winning any landscape design awards but we did it ourselves and we saved a ton of money. We actually got several estimates last year for having professional landscapers come out and do everything for us. The numbers we got back were upwards of $5,000. In all, we spent less than $1,000 to buy and do everything on our own.

Our house faces south so we made sure the plants we chose do well in full sun. The hydrangeas are the only ones that need shaded from the afternoon sun. I really wanted ‘em so I planted them on an east-facing wall under the eave. They get sun until about 1:00 p.m. So far, so good. They’re blooming like crazy. No signs of scorching. We purposefully left some room in this bed for annuals. Someday, when my thumb turns green, I will attempt annuals.

We also decided to use river rock {$30 for a ton! – crazy inexpensive} in the front beds for a different texture and to give the kids a place to walk through the beds since we know they’ll do it anyways. Eventually, the planter below the picture window will be revamped into a bench/outdoor toy storage.

HH and I both wanted bright greens and white/yellow flowering bushes to work with the red brick. We’re happy with the overall look.

HH created flower beds along the side and back of the house but we’ve yet to fill ‘em. The plan is tackle them this fall along with adding a tree or two in the front yard.

Other outdoor projects on this summer’s to do list: 1) install a platform deck off the back of the house 2) fix the front door already! 3) replace the garage door 4) replace the driveway.

The exterior of our house is in such a weird phase right now. I jokingly refer to our Underdog as “the crack house with the decent front yard.”

To keep things in perspective {because even we need a good look back to appreciate how far we’ve come} our house upon purchase…

…and our house as of today…

Slow and steady for the win. “For the win” is the cool blogging phrase these days, btw.

P.S. – Inquiring local minds want to know…

*Our grass seed is a mix of this and this. Pricey but cheaper than sod and totally worth it to us.

*We bought our seed from this sod farm.

*We almost always buy our plants from this nursery.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Our patio reveal is up over on The Home Depot’s blog, The Apron. Here’s where we started…

…and here’s where we ended up…

The goal was to create an outdoor dining space that jives with our simple, modern, cozy style. To see more pictures {day and night!} and hear all the details, check out my post over on The Apron. Bonus: There are many great ideas from other bloggers over there, too, to get your creative juices flowing.

Sprucing up the back patio jumpstarted more outdoor projects. Stay tuned…

Click here to see who won last week’s giveaway.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

And they all live happily ever after. The end.

Okay, there’s more to it than that.

So, by now you know that I’ve partnered with Target to bring you the best of Threshold. {If not, you can catch up here and here.} This month I was asked to feature Threshold goodies in my bathroom. I’ve been wanting to add something to the wall above the toilet. {On a side note, do guys care what they look at when they pee?} I browsed the Threshold aisles and immediately zoned in on a trio of sea urchins.

I have a peculiar fascination with anything urchin-esque. I can remember going to my grandma’s house when I was maybe 5 and she had a children’s book {couldn’t tell you the title or story line} that included a picture of a child stepping on a sea urchin in the ocean. I read the book every time I was at my grandma’s and I was so infatuated with that bothersome urchin. That’s how it all started.

Now, thirty years later, there are three sea urchins hanging above my toilet. I am not normal. Off the shelf, the urchins were a little too dark for my liking so I spray painted them gold - the same spray paint I used on our garden stool. If I may, let me correct myself: Now, thirty years later, there are three gold sea urchins hanging above my toilet. Still, not normal.

I brought in a few gold accessories on the sink top so the urchins wouldn’t be all “Damn it! I knew the one time I made an effort to dress up for a dinner party everyone else would be wearing jeans and loafers. I’m overdressed and under-appreciated. Never again.” I bet you didn’t know sea urchins were so temperamental, did you?

The soap dispenser and tumbler have an antique brass finish. My bathroom is quite the melting pot for metal finishes.

Shop the look: brass soap pump / brass tumbler / rattan wastebasket / metal urchin

I apologize for the artificial light in these pictures. It’s just that HH and I spontaneously decided to landscape our front yard. By ourselves. With three kids. {That’s contradictory, isn’t it?} As in digging, trenching, planting, shoveling, watering, wheelbarrowing, sweating, raking and seeding our crack house into submission. In the midst of our spontaneity {which totally isn’t like us}, I forgot to take pictures of the bathroom before the sun went down.

I am tired. I love Target. Sea urchins are fascinating.

***UPDATE: Daytime urchin pictures because I felt guilty.***

This post brought to you by Threshold, a Target collection. The Threshold collection focuses on specialized design techniques including hand-painted accents and artisanal touches to make each piece unique yet affordable. What differentiates Target’s new Threshold collection is its unprecedented style coupled with its high quality and affordability. Thank you Tar-jay!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

One week from today our outdoor dining patio will be featured on the Home Depot’s blog, The Apron. To hold you over until then, I thought I’d share a few of the DIY projects that were involved in the makeover. The Home Depot provided us with a dining table and bench to help furnish our back patio and the rest was up to us. There were budget and time constraints – not to mention the Ohio weather was NOT cooperating at all until a week before the already extended deadline. But I think projects like these {ones that require little time and not a lot of money} provide the most opportunity for creativity and inspiration.

Patio project #1: Update a garden stool. We had a ceramic garden stool sitting in our garage just begging for a makeover. Originally, it was a glossy green. {You can see the original stool here on the front porch of our previous home.} I had been eyeing pricey gold versions for our patio makeover so I decided to try painting ours. HH was concerned that regular spray paint wouldn’t adhere to the shiny, slick surface. After a little research googling, I discovered that applying a few coats of flat white spray primer first would be my best bet. I wiped down the stool, applied two coats of Rust-Oleum primer then finished with two coats of Rust-Oleum pure gold spray paint. Behold! A much cheaper alternative to the trendy gold and brass versions floating around on the internet. I like that the finish isn’t brassy but is a little on the “champagne” side. Very sophisticated. It’s been outside for a few weeks now and is holding up superbly.

Patio project #2: DIY a modern outdoor art piece. I can’t get over Ariele Alasko’s work. As much as I’d love to own an original piece, it’s just not in the financial cards for us. So I did the next thing best thing. I sketched a simple chevron design and handed the drawing over to HH who brought it to life. HH started with a 3′ x 3′ piece of treated plywood as the base. He borrowed a neighbor’s planer to rip 2 x 8′s {leftover from demo’ing the original 8′ ceilings in what is now our vaulted great room} down to ½” thick strips. Using a compound miter saw, construction adhesive and finish nailer, he attached the wood strips to the plywood base. He trimmed the outside edges and framed them then stained and sealed the entire piece. We hung the outdoor art on our home’s brick exterior with concrete anchors. The piece is sheltered by a deep 3′ eave and hangs on the north side of the house to avoid rotting and fading.

It is my favorite part of the entire patio because 1) it’s a personal design and 2) we used wood salvaged during our home’s renovation. It’s just a bunch of wood but it holds a lot of meaning for us. It turned out so great! HH and I are thinking we’d love to incorporate more pieces like this inside the house.

Patio project #3: Create portable light poles. Ever since I started brainstorming the patio makeover, I knew I wanted to string globe lights above the patio but there was one teensy, weensy problem. There aren’t any outbuildings or trees in the backyard to string lights to and I didn’t want to sink poles into the ground permanently. Along with HH, I came up with an idea for portable light poles.

HH poured 7″ of concrete into two concrete tube forms, set fencing top rails into the wet concrete, placed 4 eye bolts into each concrete base {for tethering purposes if necessary}, then held everything level and in place with a clamp/ladder system for 24 hours. It wasn’t until after the concrete was dry that we realized the clever clamp/ladder system had a fault. The only way to remove the ladder was to turn the entire apparatus on its side and slide the ladder off the metal rails. Oops! Luckily, it wasn’t a huge problem. More funny than anything. We removed the forms and cut the poles to our desired height. We added looped end caps to the top of each pole. String lights can be secured to the loops with zip ties. To be honest, we weren’t confident these poles would work out but, so far, they have been wonderful! They are sturdy enough not to topple or lean when lights are strung from them (or even during thunderstorms) yet they are light enough to move around. We haven’t had to tether them.

There are a few peeks at our patio tweaks. Can’t wait to share the final result next week!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Oh, hey. It’s Friday and I’m just hanging out in my laundry nook posing all The Price is Right beauty-like. I am so weird. My idea of a good time is staging amateur photo shoots in my house. Not necessarily with me in the picture but I like seeing other bloggers in their homes, so I thought I’d give it a go. I should have put on shoes.

The last time I showed you the laundry nook it looked like this…

Not too much has changed but I would like to point out my recents tweaks and then give you the full monty. Of the laundry nook’s innards, that is.

First up, I took all y’alls advice and rehung the homemade curtains {I cut up and hemmed IKEA linen panels} under the DIY countertop. Instead of clipping the curtains across the top, I gathered the fabric and clipped it about 2″ from the top hem. I guess you could call it the poor man’s pinch pleat. And it rocks. You guys are awesome with a capitol AWE! The gathered top looks more polished and pulls the curtains up off the floor a bit which makes sweeping easier. I haven’t heard other bloggers say this but I, for one, think a great advantage of having a blog is receiving ideas from the peanut gallery. Sometimes, even as a blogger, it’s really helpful to see my house through others’ eyes. Thank you!

The other obvious change is the mirror. The original mirror wasn’t the best shape for the vertical space between the two upper cabinets. The round mirror hung above the mantel in our previous home and there was no harm in trying it out but, once I hung it, I knew I’d eventually replace it with something taller and leaner.

I spotted Feiss’s Cleo mirror on Wayfair and the measurements were perfect. Its shape is curvier and a bit more feminine than I’m usually drawn to but I thought the curves would help break up the straight lines of the cabinets and countertop. Plus, hello, I am a girl {I don’t think I’ll ever be able to call myself a “woman” and feel comfortable saying it} and I am the only person in our household who uses this nook so I’m entitled to a little girlification when I’m handling dirty underwear, no? I clipped some forsythia, redbud and other green stuff from the backyard and threw them in a vase. Along with the leaning mirror, they give the nook a relaxed feel.

Please note the reflection of the dining pendant light in the mirror. Money shot.

I also enjoy seeing pictures of all the people whose dirty underwear I’m tending to while I tackle mounds of laundry. The second tier countertop was the best idea I could come up with to hide the dryer’s control panel. The magnetic photo strip is angle iron that you can find at any home improvement store. Ideally, I would prefer a dryer with controls on the front but there’s nothing wrong with ours so I made do. I strategically placed a few horizontal photos near the start button for easy access.

The photos can be removed to change the dryer’s settings but I rarely change them from load to load.

HH made the wood countertops using boards he found in the attic during renovations. He secured them together lengthwise with joiner biscuits and wood glue to get the depth we needed. The lower counter rests on wall cleats at the sides and a 2×4 in the middle. I painted all the supports white to blend in. The upper counter rests on the wainscoting.

There’s a secret trap door that gives me access to the washer’s control panel.

HH installed sliding latches to lock the door in the closed position. The door itself can’t support much weight when closed {a full laundry basket is fine} but the rest of the countertop is really sturdy. I can stand on it, no problem, and I have. Both countertops – the lower, deeper one & the higher, shallower one – are removable in case we ever need to get to the water/electric hook ups for the washer or dryer. They just slide out.

And now for the full monty…

BAM. The cabinets and woven baskets hold laundry supplies, lightbulbs, a water pitcher and our owner’s manuals. We have empty shelves!

The washer and dryer take up most of the floor space under the countertop.

There’s room next to the dryer for a rolling cart, drying rack, petite ironing board and small trash can. I hung the ironing board from a hook that’s screwed into one of the wall cleats.

My little laundry nook isn’t perfect but it makes me happy and I’ve come to love it. Since it is part of our mudroom/dining room, I keep it tidy and it keeps me honest. I try not to let laundry pile up in here. And whenever we get around to having a party {we are so due for a party}, I think it could moonlight as a bar.

Everett really, really, REALLY wanted me to take his picture. He says he’s going to be a principal when he grows up {lord help us all} and this is his attempt to dress like one. A clip-on tie on top of an argyle sweater vest on top of a striped polo and everything tucked in to show off the *reversible* belt. So smooth.

Thanks to Wayfair for supporting my habit.

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Surprise!

On a whim, I rearranged the living room furniture. We’ve been living here for nearly a year and something felt off about the living room layout. So I decided to switch things up. Luckily, rearranging furniture doesn’t cost a dime, takes little time and is totally reversible – you know, if things don’t work out like you hope they do. Also, my miraculous lifting powers have been likened to an ant’s. Don’t let my petite build fool you. I’m strong when I have to be. Like when an overturned car needs to be removed from a stranger’s mangled body {just kidding, that’s never happened to me} OR when a large piece of furniture needs moved across the room and I’m the only person older than 9 in the house {on the contrary, that happens quite often}.

The leather sofa used to sit perpendicular to the picture window but now it lives in front of it. I posted a sneak peek of the new layout on instagram and a follower said they needed shots of the room from different angles. Being an online peeping Tom of houses myself, I can appreciate that. This post is devoted to images of what our real life living room looks like right now. No styling. No prepping. Heck, no finished walls in some areas. Just straight up giveittomelikeitis. Here ya go.

As soon as I moved the furniture around, I was sold. Putting the sofa under the window totally opened up the room and felt more relaxed. My immediate thought was “this is it!” My second thought was “I hope HH likes it.” I pulled the switcharoo while HH was at work. He didn’t even notice when he got home that day. But after two mum days, he spoke up out of nowhere as if it had just hit him “I really like the furniture this way.”

Sold and sold.

It’s funny how a little thing like changing your furniture layout can change the way you use a room and feel in it. We used this room quite a bit before because it’s our only “sitting room” but now…NOW…we hang out in it. It draws us in. The kids are falling for it too. Mabrey loves standing on the couch, looking out the front window and watching neighbors walk their dogs down the street. {dog-dog!} It’s the place to be. All. the. time.

Reconfiguring the furniture even makes the unfinished fireplace wall look better. Okay, not really. But it does give me a clearer vision for the room.

Clearer vision decision #1: the brick fireplace surround is totally getting painted white. You may recall that the original red brick didn’t bother us enough to paint it ASAP so we were living with it as-is because un-painting brick is not an option.

Clearer vision decision #2: the TV will be framed out and recessed within a simple white tongue and groove feature that reaches to the ceiling. Long-time readers may recall that we had a grandiose idea to hide the flatscreen with a large painting that would raise/lower at the push of a button. But, now, that idea seems a little over-the-top. A little too “you’re trying too hard.” Sorry to everyone who was anticipating that.

I am working around the boob speakers. I hung two mirrors from Joss & Main and I think they’ll do. As much as a mirror can do next to bosom audio devices.

In case you’re wondering where the subwoofer is {I know, it’s weird that I can read your mind like that}, it’s rocking its ginormous cube self on the floor behind a curtain that’s behind a basket that’s behind a chair. Ha. I’ve got you right where I want you, subwoofer.

The media cabinet is vintage and I haven’t done a thing to it. It is screaming for an update. Don’t worry. I have an idea. Isn’t this sliver of wall begging to be a vignette? Much like the old drywall mud drippings on the hearth leftover from renovation are begging to be scraped off. Seriously. I am that busy lazy.

Looking back the other way is our crack house’s front door. I am ashamed.

We don’t use the front door yet. It’s a pain to open. It sticks and the jamb needs rebuilt. There’s a nice gap at the bottom too that I’ve stuffed with a beach towel until we find time + warm weather to tackle the door. Fancy, we are not. The UPS guy automatically brings our packages to the picture window for delivery. He knows.

Clearer vision decision #3: the shoe cabinet and octagon mirror will be relocated to the master bedroom. I love them together – just not here. They’re crowding the door. Plus, HH wants shoe storage in our bedroom. Currently, all of our shoes are stored on a rickety shoe rack in the garage.

Do you like our solution for disguising the wall speakers? It’s just an off-the-shelf wall shelving bracket system that you can get from nearly any home improvement store. We topped it with pine boards that we cut to length, stained and sealed. I LOVE them. I’m going to have fun filling them up.

Clearer vision decision #4: we won’t be DIYing a console table for behind the leather sofa. When the sofa used to live where the gray chair {above} now lives, we thought it needed a sofa table. But the sofa’s new home is under the window so we’re good. HH is way too excited about being able to set his drinking glass down on the slate windowsill behind the couch where it can’t get knocked over by rambunctious boys or a curious lil’ girl. He tells me at least three times a day how much he likes it. That’s what she said.

So what do you think of the recent turn of events in our home? Are you appalled by our living conditions? Has rearranging furniture given you a clearer vision for a room too?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Some of my favorite bloggers have a case of the kitchen blues.

John and Sherry of Young House Love recently painted their kitchen walls a happy blue. The blue-gray walls play nicely with the white cabinets, warm wood tones, gray accents and bursts of cheerful color.

Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home is using blue bead board in a client’s kitchen. I think it gives the farmhouse style kitchen a youthful feel.

Chris and Julia are in the midst of a complete kitchen overhaul. They updated their existing cabinetry with new paint – white on the upper cabinets and sophisticated navy on the base cabinets. I’ll be checking in on them tomorrow to sneak a peek at their new walnut countertops which are sure to look rich and handsome next to the navy.

What do you think of using blue paint in the kitchen? Would you try it? Where? Walls, backsplash or cabinets?

images:  1) Young House Love  2) Pure Style Home  3) Chris loves Julia

You first got a glimpse of the new wall planter in the kitchen here. Today I’m sharing how I filled and hung the planter. The gist? It was really easy! I installed the planter by myself. HH was away on business and the kids were tucked in bed for the night.

I ordered my wall planter from Wayfair but I’ve since seen it available via other online retailers. If you’re interested, my suggestion would be to google “BrightGreen” or “GroVert” to compare pricing and styles. As shown above, the living art frame holds ten 4″ plants. There are ten separate cell planters so you can customize the potting soil to each plant if desired. At first, I was leery of plants falling out of a vertical planter but the cell planters actually tip back to hold their contents.

The directions that came with the planter said to fill the planter before hanging it. Since I was working alone, I decided to hang the planter empty first {it’s really easy to remove from the wall} to make sure I had everything level and secure. It ended up working really well. The planter comes with a mounting bracket but no hardware. The instructions said the planter weighs ~35lbs when full. So I grabbed some drywall anchors from the {very messy!} garage. They can support up to 90lbs vertically.

Without an extra set of hands, I kind of had to guess where I wanted the frame then measure accordingly by making a bunch of pencil marks on the wall. Once I settled on the placement, I held the mounting bracket in its proper place with a small level resting on top of it to make sure it was level. {As you can imagine, this step took two hands leaving no hands for taking pictures – sorry!} I marked the two screw holes with a pencil on the wall – see above – and then double checked that they were level.

I screwed the drywall anchors into the wall with a manual screwdriver. Luckily, I didn’t have any problems hitting a stud but if I did I could have just screwed directly into it. I held the mounting bracket in place and used the accompanying screws to secure the bracket to the wall.

There’s the bracket in place.

I hung my empty planter on the bracket to check the placement. Perfect!

Knowing the placement of the mounting bracket was where I wanted it, I lifted the planter off the bracket and proceeded to fill the planter. I like Miracle Gro’s organic potting mix.

You’ve already seen the finished product but here are the plants I used. To be honest, I didn’t have the time or patience to think too much about which plants to buy. I had all three kids with me at Home Depot and I was going on day five of single-mommin’ it. To make things less easy, my local Home Depot had a very small selection of 4″ plants to choose from. At first, I was thinking of doing all succulents but there weren’t even ten 4″ succulents available so I ended up grabbing a mish mash of 4″ers. The composition was nice but I worried that the various plants wouldn’t survive under the same watering schedule.

I played around with the arrangement until I finally decided on this one. I planted each cell individually adding potting soil first, then a plant, then more soil if needed. It’s nice that the cells allow for individual soil customization. My succulents are happy in the rockier soil they came with.

After all the plants were potted, I gave them a good watering. The directions say to water the newly planted planter on a horizontal surface then let settle for 2-3 days before hanging. I couldn’t wait.

Needless to say, I had some dirt spillage. But it was easily cleaned up and the plants seemed to be snug in their cells so I left it on the wall. But you should follow the directions – just not that part about hanging the planter full right off the bat. Test it out empty first.

The planter sticks out ~5″ from the wall.

When figuring out the exact placement of the wall planter, I made sure the upper corner cabinet could be opened with no problems. I can still reach my fancy heirloom wine glasses. Whew.

As for watering the wall planter, it has a pretty innovative built-in irrigation system. You simply pour water into the top water chamber {see the sponge?} and it slowly disperses across a moisture mat all on its own.

There’s a small tray at the bottom of the planter to catch any runoff and there’s no worry of any water running down the wall. I’ve seen a bunch of DIY outdoor wall planters but the design of this planter’s watering system makes it ideal for indoor use.

All in all, it took me about an hour to completely install the living art frame. And it took me about 5 seconds to fall completely in love with it.

Now for the big question: How are the various plants holding up? I took the following unedited picture of the planter early this morning just for your viewing pleasure.

So far, so good! Even after 10+ days of being unattended while we were on vacation last week. I simply watered the planter very thoroughly right as we were leaving for vacation and the plants managed to stay alive while we were away. I can’t say what might happen over the next six months with my black thumb tendencies. The good thing is if one {or all ten!} of the plants starts looking weak/dead, it would be very easy to remove an individual plant and replant something else. I don’t think I paid more than $4 for any of the plants you see, so if some of them die it’s not a huge deal.

Still, if you’re thinking of trying this particular wall planter it might be a good idea to choose your plants more wisely than I did!

Would you ever try a wall planter indoors?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

Some of you noticed the black and white horizontal wall stripes in the boys’ bedroom. Good eye! Would you believe the striped accent wall is the result of peel-and-stick wallpaper? Well, it is.

The boys’ room it set up to keep the middle of the room open for floor play – a big necessity when the room doubles as the playroom. Originally, we were thinking of DIYing a desk along the wall opposite the bunk beds. But over the last several months, I’ve discovered that it’s much easier to help the kids with homework and crafts out in the main living areas. {Typically, we use the kitchen island or dining table for homework and crafting.} So we nixed the desk idea and opted for bookcases along the wall to hold toys, costumes, books and more. More on those later…

With the bunk and small dresser on one wall and two tall bookcases on the opposite wall, the room was starting to feel a bit galley-ish. I’m sure you’ve heard of a galley kitchen. Is there such a thing as a galley bedroom? I started thinking about adding something to the far window wall to make the room feel wider. That’s when I discovered the peel and stick wallpaper by Chasing Paper. At the time, the company hadn’t rolled out the new product and was looking for DIYers to try it and give them feedback. You know how I like DIY and feedback. One thing led to another. I chose a simple stripe in black and white hoping a horizontal application would give the optical illusion of a wider room. Here’s how it all went down.

To prep, we removed furniture, outlet covers and one of the boys’ book ledges – all of which were on the wall to be wallpapered.

I wiped the wall down with a damp microfiber cloth and let it dry completely. This step ensures good wall-to-wallpaper contact.

The wallpaper comes in 2′ x 4′ precut sections. Essentially, it’s one huge sticker. You just remove the backing and press the wallpaper onto the wall. I’ve worked with traditional wallpaper before and this peel-and-stick stuff is SO MUCH EASIER. No long and winding rolls of paper to get tangled up in, no dripping adhesive. Still, I found it helpful to have a second set of hands. HH – and the three kiddos! – was/were at my disposal.

We started in the upper left-hand corner of the wall. I used a tape measure, level and pencil to draw a horizontal pencil line to line up the bottom of the first section. HH mentioned something about leveling each and every section but that sounded too engineer-ish to my impatient self. I figured if the first section was level and we based all of the other sections off of it, then everything would be fine. Maybe not perfect but good enough. {Yes, Everett is wearing a Batman t-shirt tucked into underwear. He has the personality to pull off the look.}

One row of wallpaper in and we were on a roll!

Three sections got us ~6″ short of the entire width of the wall. We used a sharp utility knife {a razor blade would work too} to cut a small piece to get us just past the corner. We decided to leave a bit of overhang at the end of each row in this corner and trim them all together at the end for a nice, straight edge.

At the window, I wallpapered up to the window then HH carefully cut the wallpaper while I held the wallpaper taut.

Three rows in and we had a good technique down.

I would peel one side of the wallpaper away from the backing, get it all lined up then HH would slowly pull the backing away from the rest of the section while I smoothed out the wallpaper. We took it maybe 8″ at a time. If we got too ahead ourselves, we found that resulted in lots of air bubbles under the wallpaper. If we did get a bubble, all we had to do was peel back the paper to the bubble, release the air, and re-smooth. Super easy but even more so if you avoid getting too many bubbles in the first place.

One thing I noticed while we were working…too little overlap of neighboring sections caused a small line of the painted wall to show through and too much overlap resulted in a slightly visible seam. I’m guessing the wallpaper works best on white walls. {Ours was a taupe-y gray.} Now you know.

Once the wall was covered, there was trimming to do – at the baseboard and at the right-hand corner.

HH simply cut along the baseboard edge and corner with the utility knife then pulled the trimmed wallpaper away.

Super clean edges and super easy!

When we were done, only a small section of wallpaper remained. Thank goodness for measuring twice! Oh, and for fun HH checked the rest of the stripes with his level when we completed the wall. Such an engineer! Guess what? They were spot on.

Somehow in the chaos that is DIY + three kids, I managed to not take a picture of the finished product right after. I think we were all hungry. I’ll get you an after but until then here’s a little sneak peek of the aforementioned bookcases. {There’s still a lot of little things to do in the room.} We – the boys included – are crazy over the results. The horizontal stripes really do make their room feel wider and larger. I’ve yet to meet a stripe I didn’t like.

HH asked what was the benefit of wallpapering the stripes versus painting them. Obviously, removable wallpaper {did I mention you can remove this stuff without damaging the wall underneath?!} is geared towards renters, dorm residents or even those of you in military housing. When you move, pull it up and take it with you if you want. Just save the backing papers! But I have to say, the quality of the wallpaper gives a depth and crispness to the stripes that wouldn’t be exactly the same with paint. The company also offers plenty of other patterns that would be much harder to duplicate with paint.

If you’re thinking of trying this new peel-and-stick wallpaper, here are my thoughts:

*Make it a two person job.

*Start with a clean, smooth, white wall. I don’t think this wallpaper would be a good option for bumpy or rough walls.

*Level your first section of wallpaper and go from there.

*Work in small sections, removing the backing paper and smoothing slowly.

*Don’t overstretch the wallpaper. The paper does have some stretch to it.

*For the cleanest cuts, use a sharp utility knife or razor blade.

*Wallpaper is not only for walls! Try framing it, covering an unsightly outdated appliance, lining a basic tray or adding life to vinyl rollup shades.

Hop on over to Chasing Paper to view the entire product line. UPDATE: Initially, I thought the wallpaper was constructed of vinyl but after clarifying with Chasing Paper, the wallpaper is actually constructed of PVC free fabric {!} NOT vinyl and printed with latex ink. So sorry for the confusion! Still, I did allow the paper to off gas in the garage for several weeks before installation and aired out the room after installation by cracking the windows for a day or so. When we recently returned home from vacation, there was no odor in the boys’ room even after being closed up for 10+ days. Hope that clears up any concerns!

Would you ever try removable, peel-and-stick wallpaper?

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I bought a new coffee table. Technically, it’s a bench but the proportions were right. Our previous coffee table was almost five years old. It was West Elm and I found it at a Pottery Barn outlet for $40. It was originally red but, for the price, I primed and painted it white. It worked really well in our previous living room but it was too high, too round and too chunky for our current living room. I envisioned something longer, lower and narrower. I bought the bench/coffee table from Overstock although it looks like it’s currently out of stock and they’ve raised the price. I used a coupon and paid $171.58 total for it two weeks ago. The dimensions are working out perfectly and I’ve been having fun styling it.

With the help of Target and their new Threshold collection, I’ve put together three different coffee table looks for you. I took Mabrey shopping while the boys were in school one morning in search of tabletop accessories and, boy, did I find them. Candles, vases, figurines, bowls, hurricanes…you name it. You guys, Target is killing it right now. And that’s why I agreed to work with them. Everything I’m about to show you are things that would be on my personal wish list even if I wasn’t partnering with them.

Without further ado, look #1. POPPY & GRAPHIC

This is probably the “springiest” look. It’s a combination of graphic patterns, red-orange pops of color, gold and wood.

At one end of the table is a stack of colorful books, a pair of single stem vases, a gold dipped bowl and a small matte white bowl painted chartreuse on the inside.

At the other end of the table I put down the marble pastry board I introduced to you here. I topped it with a third single stem vase, a brass hurricane, a black and white canister and a chevron wood box.

I tossed a white pillow with gold embossed edges on the chair and added a punchy patterned pillow with sequins and now they are planning their wedding.

I stole a graphic black and white pillow from the boys’ room for the leather couch.

Cheerful?

A bright red-orange candle brings color to the marble slab vignette. And it smells uh-maaaaaazing. Melon-y.

I can’t get enough of the brass hurricane/lantern and wood box.

Shop the look: dipped bowl / lattice canister / chevron box / brass hurricane / embossed pillow / dot stripe pillow

For look #2 I kept a few of my favorites {the lantern and wood box} on the table and brought in other items. WORLDLY & ECLECTIC {a.k.a. PUT ME IN THE ZOO}

This look is more masculine with ethnic-inspired patterns, animal figurines, brass, wood tones and a little quirk.

I grouped a yarn wrapped gazelle figurine, the same brass lantern {this time with a neutral, less aromatic candle} and a pierced tin hurricane.

Near the middle of the table is a hand painted wood bowl and a thrifted wood sculpture. To achieve a “lived in” look I threw in an open magazine, fresh greenery, a small bowl of cashews and cloth napkins.

The other end of the table holds books, gold animal figurines and another snack bowl filled with cashews.

There is a diamond patterned pillow and sheepskin on the chair.

I threw down a chevron runner under the table. The same embroidered pillow from look #1 is on the sofa along with a Nate Berkus gold mesh & tweed pillow. Of all the pillows shown today, the gold + tweed is my favorite. I love you Nate.

Can you see how the seat of the leather sofa is starting to patina and wrinkle? I love it. Good leather only gets better with age.

The painted detailing on the wood bowl is an art form. Of all the non-pillow pieces I selected, this bowl is my absolute favorite.

The gold rhino and elephant are pure fun. Everett asked me if rhinos and elephants eat cashews. It does look like I’m feeding them cashews out of a fancy trough, no?

Shop the look: yarn wrapped gazelle / brass hurricane / silver lattice hurricane / wood bowl / snack bowls / brass animals / diamond pillow / gold & tweed pillow

Finally, for look #3, I decided to go au naturel. NEUTRAL & LOVELY

This look is casual and effortless. It’s all about matte whites, warm wood tones, piles of books & magazines and glowing candles.

On one end of the table I brought in a white serving platter and topped it with a natural wood vase, two curvy white vases and a silver tea light holder. I cut a few crape myrtle branches {from the store…still no sign of spring!} and stuck them in the vases.

In the middle of the table is a stack of my favorite home design books. The gold & wood box makes another appearance in this look alongside a ceramic tea light holder.

I brought back the marble board and used it as a casual serving tray. I filled a chip and dip server with salsa and tortilla chips. A squatty candle and stemless wine glasses round out the tray. Chips and salsa go with wine, right? I consume them together all the time. YUM.

Our new coffee table has a large open space under it. Here, I slid in a woven basket and a stack of glossies for my reading pleasure. I could get used to having stuff under the table.

On the couch is a simple striped pillow and sheepskin.

When I was trimming the crape myrtle, I thought the fallen leaves looked pretty on the white tray. So I left them.

The tea light holder has a super functional design. The silver top and suspended candle holder are all one piece that lifts up and out of the glass surround. It’s easy to set a tea light in, light it and then drop it into the glass surround. So cool. I think it looks like the tea light is sitting on a swing.

The cutouts on the ceramic vase make for a spectacular light show.

I have to fuss over the squatty candle for a minute. I’ve been around the candle block a few times over the years, ifyaknowwhatImean. I’m a bit of a candle whore. If it smells good, I’ll give it a go. But this candle? It has three wood wicks. Say what? Wood wicks. And, get this, they CRACKLE when they burn. It’s like a mini wood burning fireplace right on top of the coffee table. A mini-crackling-wood-burning-fireplace-that-smells-like-vanilla-dolce heaven. You guys. I could live off of this salsa/chips/server/wine/crackling candle vignette for the rest of my life and be very happy.