my new home: the difference new curtains make

I keep promising that I'll post all the changes I've been trying to make around this new apartment, but... well... I have an online shopping problem.. and boxes are constantly everywhere and as soon as I "finish" one "project," another one pops up.

I gave this little peek on Instagram a while ago...



The TV stand still needs drawers or doors, but every time I go to IKEA, I get the wrong size- go figure. The second biggest change in that room were the curtains, though. This apartment came with gross-gold drapes, and I knew they were hideous, but I didn't realize how much they can change a room until I experimented in my bedroom.

[Before I go and show you these, you need to know that this room will be my biggest project. So much of my furniture is from my sophomore year of college. It's been through eight moves. I finally got my first big girl bed, though!]

How ICK, right?!

Loved this pattern when I put it up against my yellow striped comforter, but the shorter length was a bigger deal than I expected.

I put these college-curtains up just in the meantime, and figured I'd show another big difference. 

And here's my final decision [for now]. Look how much better the darker contrast and long lengths look!

Now I just need to rearrange everything so I like it even more. I've been using this website to experiment, but haven't figured out anything I like yet. The interesting part: It's the exact same dimensions as my room in Texas! 

Curtains have to be the best way to quickly makeover a room, though. If you're not too picky on color/pattern, you could do it for like $25 and a trip to TJ Maxx. I spent hours and hours looking online, but ended up with a pair of panels from Target for a total $50.

Also... that chair is freaking me out, man. I took those pics on completely different days, but it's always in the same position. IS THIS PLACE POSSESSED?!?!

Aw hell... I'm gonna have to move again.

love,
elizabethany

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pinspired: shower curtains turned window curtains

Maybe one of my most favorite, genius ideas Pinterest has taught me is the *art* of turning one shower curtain into two window curtains.

Were you aware you could get a fantastic shower curtain from Ross or TJ Maxx for $8? I got a yellow damask one for that price, and it was originally $28!

BTW- this is how ugly the curtains in the bedroom were before.

That doesn't even show the horrid-ness of it. They were a black-out beige that blended in to the walls and just made the room feel dull and dark. 

Originally I planned on making yellow an accent color in the room with the thrift store lamps and other things, but when I found these yellow curtains, I loved them. I was excited to mix up patterns and bring some light to the room. 

Because my room came with built in curtain rods, and I didn't plan on having some huge drapes in there, cutting a shower curtain in half was the perfect width for both sides. 

It's the easiest thing you'll ever make for your house. You cut in half, sew or bond the cut end under as a hem, then either hang them with shower curtain rings or attach pieces of ribbon across the top. 

I went the ribbon route, but I think I'll be undo'ing that action and probably just getting some rings for it. Because my curtains are so light, you can see the ribbon through them when the sun is shining through.

Also when the shining through, it makes it a bit difficult to show you the design and how light, colorful, and fun they really are in the room. 

...so here they are with a little flash/nighttime help.

I'm not/wasn't worried about the pattern being centered, especially because the curtains are perfectly aligned on the outer sides of the bed. Plus, I don't think anyone is really ever going to notice unless they're looking at that picture. 

So to sum it all up, you can get two curtains for the price of one. You don't even have to spend $20-30 at Target. Two curtain panels for $8 total. That's a freakin' bargain, my friends.

Also, they look fabulous if you use two panels on one window. I really enjoy the one Little Pink Monster [Kane's wife] used for her daughter's bedroom.

Next up in my bedroom: fixing up that nightstand. It really brings everything down, huh? All I want is a "grown up room!"

love,
elizabethany

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pinteresting: i finally made a headboard!

My bed was completely shattered during the move [along with 75% of my stuff], so I've been sleeping on a broken, ugly bed. I've always wanted to make a headboard, but with so many possibilities, I didn't know which one to choose!

So, instead, I made one up/combined a couple ideas.

The inspiration for what I decided to do actually came from "wall artwork" which is foam insulation paneling wrapped in fabric. I figured it'd be super easy and simple!

While the entire process was really very easy, fitting a gigantic panel in my car was not. I bought six skinnier panels and placed them on top of each other. They're about 4x1.5 feet each, and $10 for a pack of six. I also got two 6 ft tall, skinny craft boards for about $2.50 each.

Then I got some black fabric that I wish I could describe to you, but I don't. It's got a little texture to it, but not too much.

First step, lay the boards on the fabric, and cut around it, leaving about an inch or so around the edges. [Enough to fold up over the edges of the board.]

My motto has always been "who cares what the back looks like, no one is going to see it," so don't worry about it being perfect. 

Then you're just going to take a staple gun all around the edges, pulling tight enough to get wrinkles out, but don't create them by pulling too tight. It was a bit trickier to master than I thought it would be.

I never figured out how to perfectly do the corners until the end, and I'm still not even sure how I really did it, but here are some up close shots. 

[Pretend like you're wrapping a present, maybe?]

Once they're all wrapped in fabric, break out the craft boards, measure to make sure they're straight/parallel, and nail the foam right to them! [If you want your headboard to be more sturdy, use three. I'm more about being cheap, though.]

This is where my perfect vision lost its perfection. I moved a little to quickly, and didn't make sure I was lining everything up perfectly and really pushing the panels close together so there were no gaps. The imperfections aren't terribly hard to see, but I may try to fix them later down the road.

I have a mirror next to my bed which I wanted to match with the height of the headboard, which happened to be exactly six feet! I simply stuck the headboard behind my bed with the legs on the floor and VOILA! I feel a couple points more official.

I purposely did white nails because of the colors in my room [which the furniture you see is ruining until I paint them], but it would have been neat if I found some cuter, decorative nails.

ALSO... BONUS! Someone pointed out that since it's foam, I can tack some pictures, "good morning" notes, or ANYTHING to it! Neat, right?!

I think I spent about $30 total for the insulation boards, craft boards, and fabric. Not bad!

What do you think? You can be honest! Let me know how you'd do it differently!

love,

elizabethany

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nifty: the karmasheetra (do it yourself!)

After trying to play Twister with adults at the 90s Dance Party on the Patio in Texas, I realized it's definitely a kid's game, and we need something a little more involved if we really want it to be challenging.

Helloooo Karmasheetra. Thanks for answering my requests.

Combine the Kama Sutra with Twister and a bed, and BAM. You've got yourself a fun game to play with someone special [or someone that will do for the night].


Basically, you pick a number on the sheet, and arrange your body parts on the guide. They outlined feet, hands, butts, and knees for you!
You don't have to look at pictures and figure out how positions are working, you just place, work it, and don't fall down!

Even more fun: Mixing up the numbers. I think it'd be fabulous to place your limbs on a variety of numbers [maybe use a set of dice?] and somehow make it work. Adult Twister, I've been looking for you.

The only problem: They're out of stock right now! Who knows if they're really making more like they say, but pssstttt. It's totally easy to make, and probably even more fun! NAKED BODY PAINTING! Check out the picture, grab some paint, a white sheet, and your honey, and put your real prints on there! [I estimate it costing about $20 with a Queen sized bed.]

Crafty sex? I enjoy.

love,
elizabethany

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the current state of my new bedroom is scary

It's been about 8 weeks since I moved to Virginia Beach and this is the first week I've actually stayed in my new home. [I didn't get to move in til last week, so I had been couch surfing quite a bit.. but that's a whole different story.]

All of my furniture that the [Proud American/United] movers transported is now broken in one way or another, but they're only reimbursing me $.60/pound for the broken things. I'm assuming I'll be able to buy a used plastic drawer unit for the amount I'll be receiving.

Anyway, that's all [kinda] in the past. Now that my stuff is in my room, I need to organize it in some way and turn my room into something pretty. I have plans for once I get some more replacement furniture, but in the meantime, this is what my bedroom looks like:

It's one of those things where you want to clean it and unpack everything, but you have no freaking idea where to put anything. I'm at a loss right now.

And yes, I'm pretty sure a tornado did roll through here... obviously.

I figured I'd post it so you could see why I may be in and out for the next week or more, but I also plan on giving updates on my progress. I hope to turn this into the first room that doesn't look and feel like a college dorm. [Thank you Pinterest for the inspiration!] Wish me luck!

love,
elizabethany

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