I've got a few minutes...

That is pretty much the mentality of my daughter.  It makes me laugh and living here up in the Northwest it is a strong mindset.

So with that in mind I knew her room had to be part recycle, thrift, and colorful.  Also artsy, can not forget artsy.

 

On one of our expeditions to thrift stores in town we cam across some very dated, vintage, bamboo chairs.  I took pictures, I know I did, but can not find them for the life of me.

I even spent hours searching on google and bing for a similar chair but Nooooooooo.  It is so rare that it only exists in this little town. in an old thrift store. 

Ok, so picture this in brown instead of turquoise.  Kinda shabby where the varnish wore off.

 We then tried them out and loved that they not only rocked but spun as well.

How fun is that?

But it was part of a three piece set, two chairs and a coffee table that was at least 4 feet wide.  The chairs were not that wide or large.

There just no way all of it would fit in her room.  Plus they wanted 36 dollars for the whole set.

I know that isn't a lot but it was for me, at the moment with payday another week off.

So I asked if they would be willing to split up the set and let me buy the chair.

They said "yeah" and offered ten dollars for one chair.

I said YES and grabbed the chair before they changed their mind.  I did feel a little bad because I knew there would be no way they could sell the remaining as a set.  But I was on a mission to finish this room.  A week later I strolled back in with a few minutes to kill and low and behold the other chair was still there.  Not to my surprise and I inquired to how much they wanted for just the chair.  The person was saddened to say that someone else had broke up the set and sold the chair for way less and so she had no choice but to sell the remaining chair for 9.99.  I told her I would buy her chair!

 

  I felt like Snidely Whiplash and if I had a mustache I would of been twirling it.

At the register the cashier admitted they were relieved it was being purchased because they thought it was the ugliest chair they had ever seen.  I smiled because I knew it wasn't.  It was only in disguise. 

Because I think it's pretty beautiful now. 

Even though the fabric I bought to recover the cushions is not going to be used (my daughter preferred the original) maybe I will turn them into curtains. 

She is delighted with these chairs and they are good sturdy chairs that have survived decades.  I think they can handle living in her room.

The other day I was driving by THE thrift store and in the window all by it's self. was the matching coffee table.  My daughter was with me and we joked that we should go in and inquire about the price of table and then state that if it was a set we might of bought it.  We laughed all the way home because that would of been a funny skit come to life.

We did stop to find out the price but refrained from voicing the troll comment.

I also realized that if I did not live in this little town I would of never found these awesome chairs for such a cheap price.

Looks Geek-Chic to me

This is what it was.  A long forgotten memory of Paris.

When I had originally decorated this room it had many things going for it.

New activities and growing older made it......well.....cluttered.

The bed broke and the mattress was on the floor. 

I did not take pictures of the floor because you could no longer see it. 

Just imagine all the stuff in her dresser on the floor. 

Her bookshelf was exploding and fell apart at least every other week. 

 

I tried for a couple of months to convince her to let me re-do her room.

She was not having it.   She does not like change and was in fear I would throw away some of her beloved possessions.

One day I was talking about her having a loft bed and filing cabinets for all of her papers.

She was intrigued and accidentally gave me permission to do her room.

(Stuff and Ideas I was using for inspiration)

 

Within an hour I had a storyboard done up with ideas and colors she liked.

She got scared and cold feet and wanted to back out but being a mom I pushed her.

This is the  first wall I tackled, a purple brick faux wall.  She loved it!!

I did too and it was so much better than the broken down Paris. 

I continued the grey and purple by recovering the necklace holder with duck tape.

The curtain was on sale at Walmart and I loved the pattern but after staring at in on the brick wall I changed it.

Since she was still living in this room I could only work on one wall at a time.  The bricks were covered in purple glitter as well and I did the grout lines in a paint that simulated concrete so it feels like grout.  I was excited about that. 

 

Ok, so here is the room now.  I still have to build her bed and find a rug for the chairs.  The chairs have a great story I will blog about at a later date. :)  I hope you come back.

So without further ado ....so Hipster it's really Beatnik GeekChic Teen

TAAAADAAAAAAA!!

It is not completely done yet.

But it is definitely at BETTER.

 

book hooks

Yeah, no real witty title there.  I can't help it, it's just plain.

Kinda like this wall.  For some that would be awesome but my daughter is anything but plain.

I painted this wall a yellowish beigey tan color, because I needed something to tone down the purple and also it was 5 dollar oops paint.

I'm going with Geekchic with a side of hipster and also reflect things she loves now as well as the past with things she's not so good at.  Like organization and finding things.

 

So a quick trip to thrift store to find very cheap hardback books with colorful graphics and a few hooks screwed into books. 

See where I'm going with this yet?

 

To the WALL! 

Now we have a unique way to hang all of the bags.

One of a kind and reflective of who she is.

I screwed the hooks to the books and then the book (back cover) to the wall and used tape to keep it shut.  Pretty simple.

 

Her door is still covered in fabric, why you asked?  Because when we moved into this house the doors were old, full of holes, horrible and we couldn't afford to replace them.  So thick fabric to the rescue. 

I also reused an old towel bar for her dressing area as a belt holder 

Just a few ideas and suggestions for those of us who struggle with organization and finding things

Nothing genius just handy :) tada

Craaaaaash happens

Remember my awesome glow in the dark totally hip light?

Check last post for more description.

Seems it was too cool for the ceiling.  I heard a scream and found my daughter tweaked out by said falling light.  Seems I had not tighten it to the appropriate point of tightness. 

Yeah, no repairing that bad boy.  I searched for a while to find another glass globe thingy to redo the thing.  Yet it was a no go.  I gave up.   Yes I did, I knew I would not find another like it, it truly was one of a kind.

 

While wandering in Restore after Restore I gave up and just grabbed this cheap plentiful light diffuser so my daughter would not be blind in her room. 

Then I went to Walmart and there in the middle of accessories I had a brilliant idea.

 

How about I just liquid starch this cute bandanna on there and call it a fine day. 

So I did.  Yeah, just that easy and tadaaaa no longer an ordinary light. 

I also made sure it was fully tighten and secured.  (there were no injuries in the making of this post)

But don't you worry, I also came up with an idea to use the pieces of the other broken light.

 

It involves an embroidery hoop and some chopsticks 

So measure chopsticks and cut then glue to hoop with wood glue. 

Cool huh?  I used tape to support until glue dried and I also only did one hoop at a time.

This is not a quick project.

After it dried I gave it a few coats of spray paint and then pulled out my Goop. 

After removing the shades I re glued them to my new structure.

 

Seeing I did not have as many glasses I wished I had, I added some velum to the inside of my new drum shade. 

How does it hang there other than by sheer awesomeness?

I screwed some small eye bolts and used wire to cross thread through the little hoop on the chandelier.  Yes I rigged it.

 

So when crap happens pick up the broken pieces and double your production :)

Faking Andy Worhal

So as I posted a few weeks ago, I am in the process of re doing my daughter's room.

We are doing "Geek Chic" with a side of hipster.

While gathering ideas I stumbled upon this classic Andy Worhal print.

She loved it, I did not how ever love the price plus shipping.

So this is faking Andy Worhal.

Cue in Staples and there engineering prints...ta da daaaaaa!

 

We searched the web and found an adorable picture of a different cow and sent it to Staples.

I did a 2 foot by 3 foot print.  Total cost?  3.59

 

Ok, now the hard part, kinda, not really.

I used poster paint and a small brush.

The cow green and background aqua. 

Then wipe with paper towel.  It's better to do a light coat and then go back over where needed.

 

Now the ear tag I wanted to pop out a little.  I rummaged in my daughters art supplies and found a copic marker that did the trick. 

Then I threw it in a frame I already owned. 

Art has been achieved!

Taaa- Daaaaa!

 

This is a quick sneak peak at her room. 

Wow! what an exciting few days!

So it has been busy few weeks and there are a few pics to show. First off I made a few more lanterns and stuck them in my tree. Aren't they pretty?












I have also been busy helping my daughter plan her 13th birthday party. She wanted to be the one to plan and she wanted it scaled down to just a small sleepover with 4 of her friends. So I made a giant 13 out of dollar tree foam board and duct tape. She loved it!!

She also let me design the candy table. Well actually it's our woodstove and I jazzed it up a bit with some pink and purple. We also (well, I mean me) found these bags with jammies and slippers and pedicur set already in it for like three bucks a piece last Jan. Totally stoked about that find and the girls loved them!!!! They had a great time talking, watching movies, painting nails and just being 13.

I am also working on helping my niece plan a party as well and hope to post a few pics of that when done.

Oh one last thing, and I am sooo excited about this!!! Some wonderful person who has an awesome blog is going to feature me. YAY I'm so touched I almost cried when I read it. Somebody likes me!!!! So check her out .....that is as soon as I figure out how to paste her link. Her blog is called "Ready Set Craft".