Do you know Curbly?

I read several blogs daily. Curbly is now at the top of my morning reading list. What a great mix of DIY, furniture, and inspiration! A MUST to check out. www.curbly.com

Front Porch Re-Paint

I knew our front porch needed to be re-painted. The mat had peeled away the (poorly done) paint job of the previous owners. I had a stencil all lined out, but our vacation to New Orleans found me some unexpected inspiration. At a deli in Midtown I spotted these beautiful distressed floors. Mind you, distressed from years of wear, not a faux job. The graphic pattern made me change the entire scheme of my front porch. I used this stencil paper and cut out the simple pattern. I chose a dark blue, white, and the blue of our door for my color family then sealed it up with a concrete sealer.

Some tips for stenciling your own porch...

• Everyone recommends paint especially for concrete and porches. I didn't have any. I'll report back if it starts to come up.

• Don't put very much paint on your mini-roller. It seeps under the edges of your stencil.
  
  
• Make a grid so you can keep the pattern as straight as possible.
  
  
• If you're rubbish at keeping things straight, go for an all over pattern that can overlap and doesn't need to be precise to look good.
  
  
• Don't want to attempt making your own stencil? No sweat (or guilt). Buy one of these amazing stencils on Etsy!

I recently added some campy flare to a mirror in my hallway using used shot gun shells. To add to the outdoor-hipster-crafty look I decided to paint a small scale pattern on the surface of the door. Red arrows fit the bill and were easy to paint with a small brush and red acrylic paint. It doesn't matter that each arrow is different from the next. I think it only enhances that hand-drawn, craft camp kind of look. If you're looking for something prefab, check out these fabric stickers, scrapbook stickers, and wall graphics all in eye-popping arrows on Etsy.

Okay, I know I've been an Etsy Treasury addict this past week (4 treasuries!). Most of these are a result of working the front desk at an office that allows access to Etsy. This latest collection is inspired by plums. If I had a wedding redo, I just might pick the deep red-purple as my color inspiration. Anywho, I vow to provide more than one post this week not containing any mention of Etsy. Look forward to pictures of my newly painted porch (inspired by a deli in New Orleans) and a hand-painted detail in my hallway.

Here's another nifty Etsy Treasury stacked with pink and yellow octopi!

I'm happy to announce I'm back from vacation and back on Etsy! Check out my shop here to see vintage clothing, housewares, and items hand-crafted by me. I only have a portion of my items up right now, so check back and heart my store to see all of my items in the upcoming weeks!