CasaSugar

My first DIYs for our first house!

nikkeeb — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:12:22 -0800

My husband and I bought our first house in November, and now that our finances have balanced out, we realize we can't really afford nice furniture. So over the next how ever many years, my life may just be a series of DIY projects...which I'm kind of excited about! I have a couple ideas on the docket, but first I did the ubiquitous DIY projects: an upholstered headboard & a bookcase tweak.
Upholstered headboard (Ignore the mess!):

We actually needed a headboard for aesthetics but also because we had the MALM nightstands...which have to be anchored to a headboard.
The plywood was $1 in Ikea's As Is section (my new fav place), and the other materials were 50% off at Joann's. We fell in love with the weaved (fake but realistic) leather material.

Bookcase Tweak:

Bought these short bookcases from Target ($16). I've seen a lot of painted bookcases, but I wanted a pattern and I'm lazy, so I bought some fabric from Hancock and glued it to the cardboard backing as I was constructing the furniture.

Sooo...hopefully my next projects will come soon! (Maybe some more snow days off from work...)

Before & After: Headboard

carawilkerson — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:56:09 -0800

Alright now, this project definitely took the most imagination. Turning an old head and footboard from a crib into a headboard for a queen-sized bed was no ordinary project, but it sure was a fun one!

We started by painting the wood black. Too add a softer touch, we crafted two upholstered panels and attached one to the center of each of the two pieces. I was unsure how this would play out, but I definitely think it was a good choice.

Not too shabby for a $27 project!

For more furniture rehabs, visit Live the Home Life!

-Cara

101 Things NOT To Say During Sex

PinkNC — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:34:14 -0800

1. But everybody looks funny naked!
2. You woke me up for that?
3. Did I mention the video camera?
4. Do you smell something burning?
5. (In a janitor's closet) And they say romance is dead...

6. Try breathing through your nose
7. A little rug burn ever hurt anyone!
8. Is that a Medic-Alert Pendant?
9. Sweetheart, did you lock the back door?
10. But whipped cream makes me break out

11. Person 1: This is your first time... right?
Person 2: Yeah... today
12. (In the No Tell Motel) Hurry up! This room rents by the Hour!
13. Can you please pass me the remote control?
14. Do you accept Visa?
15. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

16. On second thought, let's turn off the lights.
17. And to think- I was really trying to pick up your friend!
18. So much for mouth-to-mouth.
19. (Using body paint) Try not to leave any stains, okay?
20. Hope you're as good looking when I'm sober...

21. (Holding a banana) It's just a little trick I learned at the zoo!
22. Do you get any premium movie channels?
23. Try not to smear my make-up, will ya!
24. (Preparing to use peanut butter sexually) But I just steam-cleaned this couch!
25. Got any penicillin?

26. Huh, do what! But I just brushed my teeth!
27. Smile, you're on Candid Camera!
28. I thought you had the keys to the handcuffs!
29. I want a baby!
30. So much for the fulfillment of sexual fantasies!

31. (In a ménage a trois) Why am I doing all the work?
32. Maybe we should call Dr. Ruth...
33. Did you know the ceiling needs painting?
34. I think you have it on backwards
35. When is this supposed to feel good?

36. Put that blender back in the kitchen where it belongs!
37. You're good enough to do this for a living!
38. Is that blood on the headboard?
39. Did I remember to take my pill?
40. Are you sure I don't know you from somewhere?

41. I wish we got the Playboy channel...
42. That leak better be from the waterbed!
43. I told you it wouldn't work without batteries!
44. But my cat always sleeps on that pillow
45. Did I tell you my Aunt Martha died in this bed?

46. If you quit smoking you might have more endurance...
47. No, really... I do this part better myself!
48. It's nice being in bed with a woman I don't have to inflate!
49. This would be more fun with a few more people.
50. You're almost as good as my ex!

51. Do you know the definition of statutory rape?
52. Is that you I smell or is it your mattress stuffed with rotten potatoes?
53. You look younger than you feel
54. Perhaps you're just out of practice
55. You sweat more than a galloping stallion!
56. They're not cracker crumbs, it's just a rash

57. Now I know why he/she dumped you...
58. Does your husband own a sawed-off shotgun?
59. You give me reason to conclude that foreplay is overrated
60. What tampon?

61. Have you ever considered liposuction?
62. And to think, I didn't even have to buy you dinner!
63. What are you planning to make for breakfast?
64. I have a confession...
65. I was so horny tonight I would have taken a duck home!

66. Are those real or am I just behind the times?
67. Were you by any chance repressed as a child?
68. Is that a hanging sculpture?
69. You'll stil vote for me, won't you?
70. Did I mention my transsexual operation?

71. I really hate women who actually think sex means something!
72. Did you come yet, dear?
73. I'll tell you who I'm fantasizing about if you tell me who you're fantasizing about...
74. A good plastic surgeon can take care of that in no time!
75. Does this count as a date?

76. Oprah Winfrey had a show about men like you!
77. Hic! I need another beer for this please
78. I think biting is romantic- don't you?
79. You can cook, too right?
80. When would you like to meet my parents?

81. Man: Maybe it would help if I thought about someone I really like...
Woman: Yourself?
82. Have you seen "Fatal Attraction"?
83. Sorry about the name tags, I'm not very good with names
84. Don't mind me.. I always file my nails in bed
85. (In a phone booth) Do you mind if I make a few phone calls?

86. I hope I didn't forget to turn the gas oven off. Do you have a light?
87. Don't worry, my dog's really friendly for a Doberman.
88. Sorry but I don't do toes!
89. You could at least ACT like you're enjoying it!
90. Petroleum jelly or no petroleum jelly, I said NO!

91. Keep it down; my mother is a light sleeper...
92. I'll bet you didn't know I work for "The Enquirer"
93. So that's why they call you MR. Flash!
94. My old girlfriend used to do it a LOT longer!
95. Is this a sin too?

96. I've slept with more women than Wilt Chamberlain!
97. Hey, when is it going to be my friend's turn?
98. Long kisses clog my sinuses...
99. Please understand that I'm only doing this for a raise...
100. How long do you plan to be "almost there"?
101. You mean you're NOT my blind date?

*
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What the Hell is this?

serasvictoria — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:16:59 -0700

The hand-painted curtain features the young English actor's recognisable tousled hair and rugged jawline – in a headshot blown up to more than 3ft.
Pattinson, 23, has become one of the most desired actors on planet since starring as Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's teenage fantasy novel. He previously played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The famously shy Londoner has been strongly linked to Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart, but now his adoring fans across the world have the chance to get up close and personal with their idol.
The black and white curtains proved so popular when they were first put up for sale on Etsy, the craft website, in June that the Toronto manufacturer is currently out of stock.
Each curtain comes fitted with hook holes to allow it to be hung up in any bath or shower, but the maker says that it can also be displayed as a work of art.
"Hand-painted with a brush just like a piece of art," the listing states. "Hang it in your shower, on your wall, in a window, behind your bed as a headboard, or frame it and display it just like any art portrait in your home.".
Pattinson, who earns around £10 million per film, needed a police escort earlier this year in New York when a crowd accosted him while leaving his trailer to shoot a scene for The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the sequel to Twilight.
He has proved reluctant to talk about his love life, insisting that he spends most of his time at home watching films and reading.

Mi Casa - I'm frustrated as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

Whiplash — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:42:16 -0800

My boyfriend's brother is coming to visit us next weekend, and we kind of let our place go over the holidays, so today we cleaned our asses off. And, maybe it's because I'm totally hormonal, but as I dusted, scrubbed, swept, and straightened every nook and cranny of our apartment, I realized that I hate almost everything we own.

When we moved in, almost a year and a half ago, I had all these lofty decorating plans, but a week later we got the puppy, and he was SO much work (and SO much money because of his surgery) that I put off spending any time or money on the apartment. But now if I have to live much longer in this cluttered, soulless apartment, I'm going to scream.

I think the place has got a lot of potential, but the problems are:

1. I hardly have any money to spend
2. Since it's a rental, we're not allowed to paint
3. The apartment is very large but there is hardly any storage space
4. My boyfriend has a lot of items that have sentimental value to him but which I consider super-fugly.

There's a lot of stuff I plan on doing and a lot of stuff I need advice about. I'll walk you through our apartment and show you what I mean.

We live on the 3rd and 4th stories (the top two floors) in a 150 year-old building in downtown Philadelphia. Here is what it looks like when you walk into our front door.
View from the front door: the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms are all on the 3rd floor and that stairway goes up to the 4th floor, which is our living room.

There is no coat closet, and I haven't found a coat rack that I like, so we always end up tossing our coats somewhere, and in the winter, I have this bag hanging by the front door for our hats, gloves, scarves, etc. Not an ideal solution but better than hanging them over the banister for the dog to chew on.
This is also where we hang the dog's leash, usually, but the BF had him out when I took this photo.

Okay, now. After you walk into the front door, if you make an immediate left, you're in the bathroom, which is the only room in the house that I don't completely hate. I never ended up installing a towel rack so all our towels are hanging on hooks on the back of the door (not pictured) but I plan on buying nice towels that actually MATCH and hanging up a towel rack.

The view from the bathroom door. I dig the pedestal sink and the mirror, which actually opens up to a medicine cabinet. There is also a linen closet to the right which is full of all my crap.
A little wall to the left of the sink separates the sink from the terlet.
The toilet. I want to buy a new seat because the wood one is all chipped and yucky. Notice the magazine rack in the lower right hand corner. It is brown and orange.
(That watering can isn't usually there but we don't have a detachable shower head so we use it to rinse the doggy when we bathe him).
Our shower is across from the toilet. That mirror was there when we moved in, not sure why it's at crotch height.

Okay, now pretend that you've left the bathroom and your back is to the front door again. Just past the bathroom on the left is the L-shaped kitchen.

The kitchen set and makeshift coat rack.
This kitchen set is the bane of my existence. I hate, hate, HATE it. The boyfriend's parents gave it to us and it's got sentimental value because it's the table he ate every meal at as a child. I tried to convince him that the fact that it's been around since the 70's does not make it awesome, but he loves it. I recovered the chairs from the country-plaid it had been to a retro-mod type print but it still looks like crap.

I do like the size of the table and how the sides fold down. But I hate the shape of the legs and the chair legs, and the fact that the table top is laminate.

If I primed the hell out of the set and painted it a nice high-gloss color, would that work? What color would you recommend?

The kitchen ceiling - another bane of my existence.
Those of you in my private group may remember me b*tching about how it took my landlord 8 months to fix the leak under the deck that made our nasty drop-ceiling in the kitchen cave in. Well, he finally fixed it but it's been about 6 months and he still hasn't replaced the light or ceiling tile. I think we're just going to do it ourselves and then send him the receipt and take it out of the rent.

But still, I loathe the drop ceiling. Anyone know any quick, cheap ways to cover one up?

These drawers and shelves are across from the table
We have to keep our snacks in here because we get mice in the pantry. I like having our cookbooks on display but I hate this mess in general. I just got a new sewing machine so I'm thinking about making a curtain to hide this mess. Good idea or bad idea?

This is the other side of the L. Boring and bland, but fairly inoffensive.
There's a pantry to the right of all this, not pictured. We keep our plates and glasses on the top cabinets, silverware in the drawers, and pots and pans below.

You can't really see the window, but there are old, dingy miniblinds hanging on it. Yuck. I want to sew curtains for it, using the same fabric as what I'll use for the curtain to hide the shelves.
Across from the previous pic. Again, boring and bland, but fairly inoffensive.

The pantry is at my back, the applicances are to my right. This is looking out back into the hall.
That's a vintage Guinness poster above the table that I love, but I'm not sure how well it goes with the room. I also want to buy a bigger, bolder shade for the floor lamp in the corner.

Make a right from where that pic is taking, and you're facing one of the doors to our bedroom (the other door goes in from the hallway). This is the view of our bedroom from the kitchen.
Our room is large. Almost TOO large.
Believe it or not, that comforter used to be AWESOME before it got all faded (and before the boy spilled Cheez Whiz on it). I ordered a new one that should be here soon, it looks like this:
(from Urban Outfitters)
That afghan was knitted by the boy's grandmother and it's super cozy and warm. Usually it's hidden under the comforter.

I plan on making a headboard out of plywood, foam, batting, and fabric. I also want to take down the ubiquitous mini-blinds and sew some curtains. That fabric panel above the bed is from Ikea and I love it so after we get the new bedding, I'll probably take it down and find another use for it. I'm not crazy about the side tables but at least they're plain. I like the lamps, they're from Ikea. And there's an old trunk at the bottom of the bed that you can't really see. I can't tell you what's inside it but it's my boyfriend's and it rhymes with "florno."

That is the boyfriend's dresser with my clean laundry on top of it. Yes, it's clean, I just haven't put it away yet from this afternoon.
I hate his dresser.
This is the other door that goes into the hallway.
I don't hate my dresser but I'm not crazy about it. I really want matching dressers but we don't have the money right now. That picture above the TV was made by me. I found a bunch of vintage sewing patterns and cut out the illustrations and decoupaged them onto a canvas. It looks stupid there but I don't know where else to put it. It's actually really cool, if I do say so myself. Maybe I'll post a close-up pic of it later.
The view from the bed back into the kitchen.
My dresser is to the left of this door. The closet to the right is tiny, about 10 inches deep, with no bar to hang clothes. We keep the boyfriend's old comic books and some other crap in there.
We inherited this bookshelf from the BF's parents as well. I like it but it's way too small to hold all our books.

The view from the bedroom to the hall.Those are our closets out there.
Take the hallway to the right to get back to the kitchen and bathroom. To the left is the guest bedroom/storage room.

Okay, even though I'm not too concerned with redoing this room at the time, I'll share our guest room with you as well.
View from the master bedroom door to the guest bedroom.
More hand-me-downs from the BF's parents.
These beds can also be bunk beds. We can push them together when couples stay over. What I want is to buy a bigger bed for our room (a queen or king instead of a full), put our bed in the guest room, and get rid of the bunk beds. But, hell, they were free, and at least our friends don't have to sleep on the floor.
My favorite thing about the guest room is the nifty beamed ceiling.

The rest of the bedroom is filled with the boyfriend's old Star Wars toys. He promises that he'll sell them on eBay but it's been 18 months and he hasn't sold any of it.
Those boxes are all FILLED with toys. And that is the Ewok village on top.
Also, some old junk and some Christmas gifts that I want to eventually re-gift.
The area rug was also a hand-me-down from the BF's parents. I loathe it, but it covers the floor. Pardon the dust, by the way. The belt on our vacuum broke today.
The view from the guest room back to the hallway and front door. Everyone got their bearings?

Okay, now that's out of the way. Our biggest decor problem is the living room, which just happens to be where we spend most of our time. I'm at my wit's end. HELP!
Here is the view if you're standing at the top of the stairs.
This is a very large room so it's divided into three sections: the TV watching section, the music section, and the "office/crafting" section.

That love seat on the right is HEAVY and ugly as sin. Our friend gave us that green slipcover which is ugly but not as ugly as what's beneath it. We want to replace it but it is SO heavy and took SO long to get up all the flights of stairs. We may have to destroy it with a hatchet and bring it down piece by piece. We both loathe it but it is comfy so maybe we'll just try to find a better slipcover. Because even though I'm learning how to sew, I think that slipcovers and upholstery are beyond my skillz.

I don't love the Ikea coffee table but it's okay for now. And the beige microfiber couch is the first piece of new furniture I ever bought, but because the dog insists on sitting on it and licking his feet, thus getting slobber all over it, we put that quilt over the cushions, hiding the nice sofa. Speaking of the quilt, it's another thing that has sentimental value for the BF but it's totally not my style. His mother made it, and I don't want to throw it away, but I think we should keep it in the guest room.

And the chair is the Ikea Poang chair. I think most people have owned this at one time or another.

Another view from the top of the stairs. The cathedral ceilings make the room VERY hard to decorate.
That "entertainment center" is a piece of crap. We hate it but haven't been able to find anything better at this time. I think I'd like a lower, wider console. And we have two teeny bookshelves stuffed with DVD's on the far side.

Please ignore all the dog toys thrown around.

The table next to the loveseat is something I love. It's a rustic plank table that I got for $4 at a garage sale.
A closer view of the sofa, etc.

The coffee table is to my back, I'm now looking at the "office/crafing" section of the room. The staircase is behind the desk on the left.

Okay, the desk on the left is another issue between me and the BF. He kept telling me his parents had this awesome antique wooden desk. Well, it's not awesome, it's not antique, and it's not wooden. It's MDF with wood laminate. I think it is a horrible eyesore but he loves it.

Also, that is where the furbaby sleeps.

Here is my new sewing machine and my craft area. It's still kind of a mess.
I love the mod, clean lines of this desk that I got at a garage sale. I would like to paint it an obnoxiously bright color, like glossy red. Is that really stupid?

Those prints are from an Etsy seller called the Black Apple. I'm too lazy to post a link but she's awesome.

Here is the desk that I hate.
I never actually use this desk, I do all my Sugaring on the sofa, but I keep the lappy here when I'm not using it. Since our bookshelf downstairs is too small, we keep the overflow here. Can you tell that the shelves are sagging? MAN do I hate this desk!

This is the music area, behind the sofa.

There are a lot of problems with this area. First of all, we have a zillion CDs in a bunch of different cabinets and shelving units. All of my CD's have been converted to digital format and are kept hidden in boxes under our bed, but the BF keeps all his CDs out, and they take up a lot of room. We also have the stereo and turntable, AND all of our vinyl to the left. I like displaying our vinyl and would like to keep it out, but I wish we could hide the other junk.

Now, the boomerang coffee table is from the mid-50's and I am obsessed with it, but I think I may need to get rid of it because there's no place to put it. What I'd actually like is to buy a console-type thing to put behind the sofa and put all the CDs and crap in there. But then there'd be no room for my awesome table. That red bench is from Ikea, I have no problem getting rid of it.

A better view. The records are stacked haphazardly right now because we're in the middle of an annoying attempt at alphabetizating.
The door out to the balcony
We usually don't leave the vacuum cleaner out. Also, tomorrow we are going to mount the modem to the wall so that the chair isn't being used as a table anymore. By the way, that chair is covered in the same fabric as is hanging above our bed.
A view of our cathedral ceilings. From an aesthetic standpoint, I don't love the ceiling fans, but from a practical standpoint, I appreciate them. Plus, they're fairly new and not bad looking.

The view from behind the couch. The stairway down is to the right.

I really wish we had something in which to hide all the DVD's. Also, that mirror was my dad's in the 70's and looked AWESOME as a kind-of headboard in my old funky loft with the red walls. But it just doesn't quite go here. But I don't want to give it up.

Anyway, this was an incredibly long post, so here's what I'm asking:

Does anyone have any cheap, easy tips to jazz up this place, considering that we're not allowed to paint the walls, the two of us have different tastes, and we have these crazy cathedral ceilings that we can't hang anything on, and we have no storage?

Help! Help!

Update - Here is a floor plan (not 100% to scale but pretty close) of the living room.

Master Bedroom

tmenotte — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:29:29 -0800

Here are some images of my master bedroom I have been trying to put together. Unfortunately this room is small and it is a rental and we will probably be moving within the year so I decided not to paint. But I wanted to do some things and stick to a budget since this is not going to be a long term room. So I went to Ikea and had some fun and I got the fun and funky yellow circle duvet cover and the cool poster print that I framed to make it pop. I love the colors of the duvet because it contrasts nicely against my teal sheets from Tuesday morning. For the windows I wanted to cover up an awkwardly placed widow that was off center. Since my husband and I do not have a headboard yet I decided to give the illusion of one by using the curtains that I picked up from target. So I was able to kill two birds with one stone. It helps to define the bed and still get some balance. I would have hung the curtains higher to make the ceiling height seem higher but there were already holes where previous curtains had been hung and I did not want to drill a bunch of holes in the wall. I feel like it is coming together, I still want to get some artwork for some of the walls and I need to paint my dressers so that they co-ordinate with everything else but I feel like it is coming together. I would love to hear what everyone else thinks or if anyone has any fun suggestions!

View Slideshow ›