by Wendy Scheel | Jan 30, 2017 | DIY
My friend Alyssa and I were texting back and forth last week, and one of the questions she asked me was if I was working on any big projects.
I responded that I was working on some wholesale things and changing up some blog things but nothing big.
Silly, silly me.
I decided at 2:30 yesterday that I am going to redecorate the guest bathroom. There won’t be any walls coming down or vanities ripped out, but more like new paint and wallpaper decorating.
I haven’t touched the guest bathroom since we moved in besides hanging three hooks for towels. The best part about that is that I blogged about it!
Crazy interesting, right!? (yawn)
I have picked out Tony Taupe as the new wall color. It just so happens that this is also on my bedroom walls that Alyssa and I painted over a year ago.
Remember when I mentioned that Sherwin Williams had chosen Poised Taupe as the color of the year for 2017?
Here is Poised Taupe and here is Tony Taupe.
Similar, but Tony leans more towards the browns than the grays which works better with the browns of my woodwork.
Our bathroom has a double vanity on the left when you walk in and past that a linen cupboard before you walk into the toilet and tub room.
Standing in the doorway of the of that room and looking back,
the big red wall on the left will be wallpapered ⅔’s of the way up with a paintable subway tile wallpaper.
From there, I am thinking of painting the wallpaper. I haven’t decided 100% on that. I am going to wait and see how it looks.
Oh and if you were wondering, the toilet/tub room is also red so it will get a fresh coat of Tony also.
No big deal.
~Wendy
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 28, 2017 | DIY
It will come as no surprise to anyone that when I grow up I want to be KariAnne from Thistlewood Farms.
Granted, she is younger than I am, but let’s not sweat the details.
Besides her wonderful ability to tell a great story on her blog, the style in her home is something I strive to emulate.
So, when I read a recent post of hers, I was not surprised to see that my living room looked like a long, distant relative of her living room.
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Thistlewood Farms
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Old Lake George
There are lot of similar elements; neutrals, wood, light, etc. But the item that caught my eye in her room was the ottoman.
Somewhere in my subconscious I must’ve known she had this ottoman, which she calls a coffee table ottoman, when I went to At Home and purchased mine.
In the blog, KariAnne then brilliantly took her post a step further and showed us three different display ideas on the ottoman all while using items she had around the house. So today, I am going to see if I can also “shop my own home” and come up with three long, distant relative coffee table ottoman ideas.
I used the same general concepts as she did.
#1 The Galvanized Metal and Greenery
#2 Boxwood and Wood Vases
#3 Typography
Here are my guided visions:
The Galvanized Metal and Greenery
Boxwood and Wood Vases
Typography
What do you think? A distant relative or not even in the same gene pool?
~Wendy
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 26, 2017 | DIY, Home Tour
Today was a good day. I rate my days in terms of “things I need to do vs. things that got done.”
And today I checked off the removal of this mistake, which has been on the list for months.
The Merry Christmas saying was looking so festive until the season was over and it was time to move on. That is when I realized I had screwed up…big time. These jelly letters had left a stain on my wallpaper. (I hid most of it behind this wall art.)
Not happy. 🙁
I tried everything to get the stain off, and I even used some reader suggestions, but nothing worked. From this point I considered removing the wallpaper, repainting the wall or even hammering up some actual shiplap.
And then the skies opened and the angels sang. I found the leftover roll of wallpaper that I didn’t even know I had kept!
So today, I used my fabric cutting edges and a utility knife to remove the stained section of wallpaper.
Then, using the same tools, I measured and cut the new piece of wallpaper and applied it to the wall.
If you look really close, it is not a perfect match. But if I don’t tell anyone, no one will know where to look. 🙂
I hope your day was also good and stain free.
~Wendy
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 25, 2017 | DIY
So as it turns out, I have very limited “computer” related skills. (Don’t feel bad for me, I have skills in other areas. It’s all good.) For instance what should be a very simple thing, i.e. saving a digital download to your computer, frustrates me every time. But I am a problem solver by nature and have figured out to save everything onto my desktop.
I can find things there. They are literally staring me in the face.
One of the greatest things about writing a blog is meeting people who can teach you new things.
Techy things.
Enter Cindy.
Cindy has the greatest blog. You should check it out, B.O.R.N. House Living. She has also recently opened an Etsy shop, Born House Creative.
Born House Creative is a shop that sells digital downloads.
Can we just slide back up and look at that again. Did you notice that this download was $1.00?
Where on earth can you buy something this nice for $1.00?
Well, after purchasing the digital download, I realized that I had zero idea what I was going to do with it. (I am going to say “digital download” as many times as possible. It makes me feel so “techy”.)
So, I admitted my ignorance and asked for help. I contacted Cindy to ask if I could trace the digital download onto something else. She graciously replied this:
You absolutely CAN trace it onto something else…Let me break it down for ya:) If I were going to trace it, I would print it out, and then use the Art transfer paper. Can’t remember what it’s called, but it comes in either white or black. Put this down first, lay your image over top, and then begin to trace. I’m assuming you’re going to using paint afterwards to go over it? If not, let me know what your thoughts are so I can help.
If you are ever going to purchase an image to use as a transfer/iron-on, it’s always really nice if the designer gives you the print in a PNG file as well as anything else. You are able to do so much more with the print because when someone denotes it as a “PNG”, then the background should be transparent!
So, going from there, let me explain what you can do:
(1) Transfer method using Mod-Podge. You’ll want to use the reverse image when doing this, but this method also leaves the white background of the paper. So if you don’t want the full 8.5″x11″ on something, just trim it.
(2) Transfer method using Transfer Paper: If you have an ink jet printer, make sure your paper denotes that. You would print your image onto that paper, and then iron it on whatever you like WITHOUT the white background. Some people print this directly on their material!? Although I would never recommend doing that. You could also use citri-solve. I believe using that method works best on a nice smooth flat weave such as that tea towel material. If you Pinterest transfer methods, there’s a ton of information!
Now for the Cricut: A lot of people seem to think that they need SVG files for this thing. I know that there must be some kind of “hidden” reason, but I haven’t figured out why? LOL! All I do is upload the file, determine the size I want, and then figure out if I want to make it a iron-on transfer, or stencil. Note* Weeding a iron-on is slightly tedious, but produces beautiful results. Weeding a stencil with that much area is VERY tedious, down right stressful, makes ya wanna peel the skin off your face…LOL! HOWEVER!!!! It produces top-notch professional results, and looks silk-screened! NO JOKE!
Wow! Talk about going above and beyond in an answer!
Someday, I am going to try all of these options, but for today, I took my overwhelmed self and printed her digital download onto some antiqued cardstock I had in the cupboard.
From here I simply cut it to size and put it in one of my barn red frames.
First a barn red cabinet and now this frame, I’m on a roll.
So cute!
~Wendy
P.S. I used “digital download” seven times. Mastering the technology one word at a time.
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 24, 2017 | New Products
When I get excited about something, my words and my thoughts become total goobulldegook. All of these thoughts go flying through my head, and the excitement takes over any hope of being able to clearly verbalize them.
This happens on a daily basis.
Sometimes those thoughts when they finally do settle down are just that, goobulldegook. But sometimes, I get my poop in a group and pull off something like this.
You see, my Mom and Dad gave me a blue and cream tablecloth from Magnolia Market for Christmas. I jumped for joy!
A perfect Wendy gift.
And today it struck me, that I could make something similar that maybe other “Wendy’s” would enjoy.
So I did.
I have listed this grain sack/feed sack/farmhouse tan stripe table cloth in Etsy shop here.
And if you happened to miss it, I also have these runners:
These placemats:
And these coasters:
Currently I only have tan available, but plan to have the blue stripe listed by the weekend and a red stripe listed soon after that.
Thanks for letting me get that off of my chest. 🙂
~Wendy
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 22, 2017 | Life
It’s been a little while since I have updated anything about Sam and Justin’s Wedding. So let me catch you up.
The venue is booked, the dress is purchased, the catering company has been selected along with the menu.
Check, check and check.
Helping Sam and Justin plan their wedding is a completely different ballgame than when Wade and I were married over 26 years ago.
Almost everything can be done from the comfort of your home and with the push of a button.
The most recent item checked off their to-do list was completing their website. The Knot is where they have collected all of the necessary information for their guests to reference the details of their big day.
Along with those details, they added pictures from when they first dated and also their engagement pictures. (Their engagement pictures were taken by my nephew and social media guru for this blog. His company can be found here. Spencer.)
Along with these beautiful photos, they shared, “Our Story”. It’s a He said/She said story, and gives great insight to their personalities. 🙂
Here are my favorite photos of these two.
They were friends for a years, before finally dating.
I remember this junior prom picture (on the left) like it was yesterday. Justin was so nervous and barely had his hand touching her shoulder. Notice how the confidence kicked in for the senior prom picture on the right.
After high school graduation, Sam went to Drake University and Justin went into the Air Force. Sam flew down to San Antonio to see him after boot camp. The grip she has around his neck and the look in his eyes, says it all.
And that sparkle continues six years later.
Next on the list of planning are detail items. Things like flowers, wedding shoes, invites and so on.
~Wendy
P.S. if you would like to visit their website, it can be found here.
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 20, 2017 | DIY
The barn red cabinet reveal is here!
If you need a short, light-hearted break from the news coverage taking over the airways, you’ve come to the right place.
So without further ado, take a moment, sit back, relax and enjoy!
Have a great weekend!
Wendy
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 18, 2017 | DIY
There’s nothing like a checklist to keep a person on track. I had nine Must-do’s on my list today. (Technically, a Must-do list is what you didn’t get done on your To-do list yesterday.)
This is how it looked:
- Make Etsy order: 12×72” table runner from blue ticking stripe
- Update inventory on Etsy for all stocked blue striped farmhouse table runners
- Go to the Library for a Lee Child book
- Go to the local hardware store for cheesecloth
- Mail Etsy order
- Watch YouTube video about how to use antiquing wax
- Finish Cabinet
- Take pictures of cabinet
- Blog about cabinet
Makes you wonder what my To-Do list looked like yesterday if these are now on my Must-Do list, right?
Well, I can tell you that I got eight of those nine things done. Probably not too difficult to figure out which one will be on tomorrow’s Still Must-Do list.
You guessed it. #7, finish the cabinet.
This is where I left you yesterday.
This is where we are now.
All of the cabinet is now painted, but only half of it is waxed. I took a close-up shot of the doors so you can see the subtle difference between waxed and non-waxed.
The left side is waxed, the right side is not.
I googled “ How to Use Antiquing Wax Miss Mustard Seed” and found this. I put “Miss Mustard Seed” in there because that is the brand I had.
The video is about six minutes long but well worth the time.
Marian uses a large waxing brush on her furniture. I do not have a waxing brush, nor was it on my Must-Do list to purchase. But I have a new friend in the blogging world and she suggested that I use cheese cloth instead of a brush. (Thanks Cindy!)
The waxing step was very easy to do. As long as you work in smaller sections and go back over that section to wipe off any excess, antique waxing is foolproof. Using cheesecloth was not only a great suggestion, but a clean up time saver too!
Once the second half of the cabinet is dry, I will wax it also and call it complete. So here’s my Must-Do list for my next post:
- Finish waxing cabinet
- Style cabinet
- Share cabinet reveal!
Let’s hope this Must-Do list actually keeps me on track 🙂
~Wendy
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 17, 2017 | DIY
According to Pantone, greenery is the color for 2017.
A refreshing and revitalizing shade, Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings
I was thinking about that looking around our home and realized that I have zero to no greenery. Well, unless you count this berry twig branch that sits on my ottoman.
Seriously, I don’t have one green live plant in my home. For that matter, I don’t have one dead plant either, so kudos to me.
When deciding which color to paint the cabinet, I took the color of 2017 into consideration.
And then I painted it barn red. 🙂
Last summer I received a bunch of free samples when we went to Haven Conference so I had been looking for something to try them on. The new milk paint I tried is called The Genuine Old-Fashioned Homemade Milk Paint, and I liked but didn’t love it. It came as a powder, that you had to mix with water, but an insert gave easy mixing direction. Although it is VOC free, there is an unusual odor to it, not unpleasant, but unusual. In terms of how easily the paint adhered, I can’t really say because I used a bonding agent, which thickened the mixture a little bit. So all in all, I would use this product again, but it isn’t my favorite milk paint.
Moving on, the cabinet sits at the top of our staircase and I thought it would be the perfect place to put a subtle pop of color.
This is a little bit risky and kind of dramatic compared to my neutral color palette, but hey, it’s just paint. It can always be removed or painted over.
The cabinet isn’t completely painted, and I still need to research how to use antiquing wax. I’ll get that done tomorrow and have a final reveal for you on Thursday!
~Wendy
P.S. Sherwin Williams picked Poised Taupe as the color for 2017
Earthen brown combines with conservative grey and the result is a weathered, woodsy and complex neutral that celebrates the imperfections and authenticity of a well-lived life.
That sounds more like me. 🙂
by Wendy Scheel | Jan 15, 2017 | Get To Know Me
My husband travels for work…a lot. The other day, someone asked me how I deal with that.
Good question.
When our children were small, it was difficult. I missed him, the kids missed him and truth be told it was difficult being a part-time single parent. And on the flip side of that, he missed us and felt guilty for having me manage everything at home.
Now that we are empty nesters, life, of course, is different. We still miss each other but can make up for the time apart by making the best of the time when we are together.
Why am I over-sharing this with you?
Well, Wade and I had a super fun weekend making the most of our time together and because of that I didn’t get my project started that I wanted to share with you.
Bad Wendy!
But, I will tell you about it.
I have decided to paint this cabinet. Parts of it are stained, parts are not stained and most parts are different colors of stain.
It’s going to be amazing and I am even going to try my hand at a wax finish.
So I’m looking forward to that, even though I didn’t start it when I planned to. What I did do this weekend was answer some questions about our newly upgraded closet. The other day when I posted about our upgraded closet, some of you noticed and asked about the chandelier. Well, Number one: it’s still in there. Number Two: I still love it. And Number Three: Wade is starting to enjoy the projects I ask him to do. 🙂
You can read all about the chandelier here:
You Light Up My Life
Now I have to actually get started on the cabinet so I can share with you later this week!
~Wendy
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