DIY Coral Velvet Bed

I finished reupholstering our old bed frame right before we moved out of the loft, and I still really love it.

Remember how I was trying to figure out what fabric to use? I thought a lot about the color...

I was leaning toward this pretty silk velvet from Kravet, but it was pricey (like, very pricey), but I loved the color and sheen.

Then I stumbled across this really pretty cotton velvet when we were in Arizona this summer, for only $13 a yard at Home Fabrics in Mesa. I bought six yards and had to carry it on with me on the plane right home -- it was so heavy! (and I had too many Last Chance finds stuffed in my suitcase)

I used this basic approach to the upholstery process after pulling off the old fabric, but I actually removed some of the footboard so that it would be easy to climb over in our small room. I also used the same nailhead trim roll. This time, after tapping in the nailhead strips, I quickly colored over the nailheads with my gold leaf pen. (see how bright the bottom few are here?) The key is to not color too perfectly. A messy job looks more real.

I'm in love with how low the head and footboards are - it feels more modern to me. The top of the headboard is about 38" high. It's nice because my head sort of rests on the top edge when I'm reading in bed and my back can be supported by the euros and standard shams. It's really comfortable.

And, hey, do you recognize the pillow fabric? I wish I had a 100 yards of that vintage stripe.

PS In case you are struggling with the corners of a piece like this, I did the reverse approach I shared in this project. Corner strip first, edge pieces last.

PPS More photos of how this bed used to look a couple years ago HERE (including a folding screen DIY)

i don't know about y'all but i am super excited that today is actually halloween b/c i feel like we have been celebrating it for about 10 days now!!  walker is obsessed w/ candy so tonight should be interesting to say the least!

*images courtesy of calder clark, lonny, the glitter guide

MTG Halloween

~
Happy Halloween MTG peeps,

Perhaps not so happy for all the folks in the U.S. in shelters after Frakenstorm ripped up the east coast - here's wishing a fast 'n' speedy recovery to normalcy as soon as possible.  Elsewhere in North America and here in Ontario, Canada, most kids will be heading out in the wind, rain, and cold (and stepping over some wind debris) to go door to door all guised up and trick-or-treating.  Oddly, not many people realise the origin that veiled threat.  A 'trick' is really a warning that the little monster at your front door will perform mischief on your property should then not get a 'treat' - most homeowner go for the candy option.

Anywhoos - let's have a looky-loo at some of the amazing halloween pumpkins carved which will likely end up smashed on your roadway by miscreants . . .

We suggest the perfect evening may be spent with all the lights off with a few halloween-themed games of Magic: the Gathering -

Here's a few apropos MTG wallpapers you may want to adorn your desktop screen for the next few days.
All Hallow's Eve, Legends by Christopher Rush

1280x960 pixels
1024x768 pixels
800x600 pixels
~
Nightmare Lash, Mirrodin by Puddnhead

1024x768 pixels
800x600 pixels
~
Urborg Skeleton, Invasion, by Alan Pollack
 
1024x768 pixels
800x600 pixels


~

Childhood Horror, Odyssey, by Larry Elmore
 
1024x768 pixels
800x600 pixels

~Gravestorm, Odyssey, by Alex Horley-Orlandelli
1280x960 pixels
1024x768 pixels
800x600 pixels
~
Grave Pact, Ninth Edition by Puddnhead
 
1280x960 pixels
1024x768 pixels
800x600 pixels
~

Happy Halloween

It's spook day so here's a little creepy pretty....mixed with some of my most loved darkness wish list...

{via}

{via}
{via}

{via}
{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}

{via}
Happy hallows everyone...I'm off to the redhead's school costume parade this morning and will likely be doing the trick-or-treating at the mall this year since the weather blows large chunks.
Stay safe and dry all.
xo

Post-Sandy Report

Finding this lovely photo on my phone was a surprise. I think Grace was impressed with the gorgeous sunset and felt the need to document it. :) 

Hi friends! The hurricane blew through here, and we're still safe. Things have been a little crazy as you can imagine. We are housing out-of-town guests as wells as family who were evacuated from the flood zones in Manhattan, so at least we have lots of great company at the brownstone! It's looking like it will be several more days before the city will be up and running again. I'm hoping we'll have internet tomorrow though and I'll be back to posting like regular.

How did you fellow east-coasters fare? It's been heart-breaking to see so much destruction to our friends homes and apartment buildings. We're feeling lucky nothing major happened to us. 

MTG Gift Box

~
Happy Tuesday MTG peeps,
Last evening was some serious weather for those living on the north-eastern seaboard.  Here in Barrie, some 900 kilometers north-west of where Hurricane Sandy hit land, we had no more than strong winds, driving rains and a few trees down.  We were expecting to accumulate a pile of Halloween decorations in front of our place but unfortunately we'll have to hit up a dollar store as no windfall was delivered.

Anywhoos - we wanted to catch up with a rather old piece of news from the mothersite.  First annonced back in August on Magic Arcana, the 2012 Holiday Gift Box is set to be released to local Magic: the Gathering stores worldwide on 16th November 2012, just in time for purchase as a Christmas gift for that gamer in your life - or, if like us, we'll buy it, wrap it, and slid it under the Christmas tree for ourselves.  We will also need to get some Magic: the Gathering singles from MTG Mint Card for stocking stuffers.

Anywhoos - let's have a look at what the MRSP of $20 will get you :

• Four Return to Ravnica booster packs
• A pack of twenty Return to Ravnica basic land
• Six illustrated plastic dividers
• A sticker sheet for customizing the dividers
• An alternate-art Dreg Mangler from Return to Ravnica

The alternate art Dreg Mangler, illustrated by Svetlin Velinov is pretty sweet and we think as good as Peter Mohrbacher's original art.
~

Thinking about 7 - #3

Morning...or afternoon/evening as the case may be.

I'm a little pre-occupied at the moment...all is fine but just have things on the brain so for today, a little light hearted prettiness...7 styles.

1. This...

I literally think it is the most gorgeous piece of artwork I've ever laid eyes on.  I linked over and discovered that the artist, Nick Knight, is a photographer so wondering if this is some sort of manipulated digital image...whatever the case, I absolutely ADORE it.

Some more of his work...

{via}

Ridiculous.

Would. Kill. For. One

2. And speaking of adore, I've mentioned my love for KW and her staircase before but this shot just takes the 'holy shit I want to be her and live in her house' cake...

{via}

So pretty...adore the carpet with the gold bars...this has to happen in my house...has to.

3. While we're on the topic of carpet, this prettiness belonging to Jennifer Fisher also strikes my fancy...

{via}

...a nice graphic take on leopard.

4. No words for this guy except for, holy mother of all that's good and holy...

{via}

5. And speaking of good, did you see my girl Sarah's recent kitchen tour photos?  They're tres beuno...this one in particular has me all smiley whiley...

{via}

6. KW strikes twice in one post with this genius...
{via}
Why didn't I think of putting cool studded shoes on top of my busts?
7. Frankenstorm....
{via}
Hoping very, very much that everyone is safe and sound after the uber weather yuckiness.
xoxo