house + hem: election day!

can i get a hip hip hooray for the end of election season!?! bye bye horrible awful political ads, misused quotes and photoshop forwards!  

regardless of who you are voting for, i hope you get out there and do it! what an amazing right we have! :) 'merica! i truly believe that both candidates love our country. and that they are generally good people. i pray that we can unite behind a leader, pray for him and our nation and trust that God is in control. we are after all the UNITED states of america. 

a little election inspired house+hem:

house // america travel map DIY via design*sponge (an oldie but a goodie)

hem // be the change sucka t-shirt via mnkr

(thanks for the t-shirt find, sarah - www.threelittlefreckles.com)

"sew" what now?

time to decorate!

at home in illinois for the weekend. doing a little antique shopping w/ my mum, my neice nyah & grandma while dad & wade golf. of course - shopping w/ a purpose!

inspired by these adorable sewing spaces from the 36th avenue & going home to roost:

and this ridiculously cute print from pen & paint on etsy:

{source: 1, 2, 3}

my singer 15-91 obsession.

if you follow along on FB or instagram or have run into me in person lately - you're quite aware that i've become a bit obsessed w/ old singer sewing machines. with much research, i purchased a beautiful singer 15-91 from stagecoach road sewing (reborn sewing machines on etsy). the wait was impossible!!! but she finally arrived last week.


isn't she lovely ...




why the 15-91, you ask? 

it was between the singer 201-2 & the 15-91. both include cast iron body and the same gear driven internal motor (aka - no belt - perfect for thicker materials!). they use the same needles and low shank, screw-on feet and attachments & have the same quality straight stitch + reverse feed. there's a difference in hook type, bobbin size, light placement and a slight difference in harp size (read more here), but the biggest difference is price. released around the same time, the more expensive 201 was known as the "dressmaker's machine" while the 15-91 was slightly cheaper and known as the "farmer's wife's machine". let's face it folks ... i'm much more of a "farmer's wife" type. :)

i was also completely sold seeing how excited mike from stagecoach road sewing was over my pretty girl. (yes - there's a video.)



of course - once i bought the machine, i had a new mission. she needed a home. the mother of one of wade's friends from high school saw that i was buying a machine on FB and offered us an old table that she had in the basement as long as we took the broken machine inside w/ it to dispose. we like free! we drove to gallatin over the weekend to pick it up. (thank you, deb!)

unfortunately we soon found out that older singer's require very specific cabinets. wade promised that he could jerry-rig the table to work - but instead we decided to check out craigslist and see if we could find a bargain cabinet that fit exactly. yup - i became OBSESSED again. i think i checked craigslist on the hour for the entire weekend.

and then on monday am (at 9.25 to be exact) ... the post:

singer sewing machine in cabinet. model 15-91. works and is in great shape - was my great grandmother's and i simply do not have space. comes with every attachment you can think of!

i pounced! so ...

see that little desk perfectly fitted for the 1 spare corner of our bedroom. well it's so much more than just an absolutely adorable little antique writing desk. it houses my refurbished 15-91 & is the 1st piece to our sewing nook puzzle! yes - an excuse to decorate! peekaboo:

that means that we now have:

4 sewing machines and 2 sewing machine tables!! 

• 1 rinky-dink kenmore sewing machine (my original - which i'll keep as a backup - and until i get a zig-zag stitch attachment for my 15-91).
• 1 broken 1980's model viking.
• 1 singer 15-91 (in working condition - but in need of some TLC and possibly rewiring).
• and my prized possession: 1 completely refurbished singer 15-91.

yes - in our 500-something square foot sweat shop apartment.

(the not so pretty twin! - still super pretty, eh?)

house + hem: neon

i love an organized blog. yes - i'm somewhat ocd (by now you've surely caught on to that!) so i'm excited to introduce house + hem - a fun new post category! and a place for me to spotlight favorite decorating & fashion finds in perfect pairs.

of course, what's hotter than neon right now? the perfect summer pair:

house // electric pink salad bowls via wind&willow home

hem // summer chevrons romper via anthropologie

african-themed food labels

tonight i'm throwing a little get together w/ a group of girls to celebrate our big trip next week. we're going to eat yummy african appetizers (don't worry - i'll share soon!), watch either ghost in the darkness or nowhere in africa AND we'll make bracelets for the kids.

my mom warned me to not get to OCD in my party planning - but who is she kidding!?! in another life - i'd like to be an event planner. :)

as a little preview - here are some quick african-themed food labels i designed:

(oh instagram photo!)

supplies:

this printable

this font (bebas via font squirrel)

someone w/ adobe illustrator

6" kabob skewers

something to sturdy your skewers (ie. gumdrops, cork or clay)

instructions:

1 // modify ... in illustrator, open the file and modify the labels to fit your menu! choose your colors. red, black, yellow and green are often associated w/ africa. but i went neon & PINK instead of red! girls' night and all!

2 // print ... i used hp premium photo paper in gloss for that extra finished look.

3 // cut ... you can either use the guides to cut out 2.5"x3" squares or carefully cut a border around the edges.

4 // tape or glue ... to the back of your skewer.

5 // add your something sturdy so that they stand (or press them directly into your item).

easy peasy! :)

a little update: i was having trouble getting these to stay up w/ just corks. a little super glue and a nickel did the trick. is that illegal?!?

feeling hot, hot, hot

i was feeling pretty wild this weekend and decided to shop outside the box. that's right ... i purchased a bit o' color. this adorable hot pink striped tshirt from mossimo (via target) now has a home inside my closet.

i'm loving neon this spring. baby steps, people! first i dared to paint my toe nails hot pink! then i stepped it up and painted my fingernails too. i'm not gonna lie to you - i constantly wish i was a bit more bold w/ color. in both my wardrobe and our decor. talk about a ginormous leap into color - have you seen the designs from the divine chair?

wow - talk about transforming old, forgotten furniture into the star of any room! talk about loads and loads of pinning inspiration. must learn to reupholster.

i'm back!

well - mostly!

new paint - √
new carpet - √
rerouted wires - √
window - okay okay ... i get it. the request was a bit out of the budget. ha.

i'm loving the new color. happy place! would you believe i picked the boldest color in the office!?! corporate people are sooo boring! ;)

currently, my cabinet doors are MIA (showing how completely disorganized i really am at the office) and i need to decide which projects to display, but we're getting there!  i'm 99% sure i want to paint the black angled portion of my built-in w/ black chalkboard paint. what do you think, should i commit?

tomorrow i'm excited to share a little valentine project i participated in. see you soon!

pipe dreams

plumber's crack? not hot.
furniture made from plumbing materials? now that's hot ...

our 9' wide x 7.5' tall bookshelves were our first project / furniture purchase as a married couple. easy peasy and a lot cheaper than purchasing metal & wood bookshelves the same size. wade is grateful that they add a bit of masculinity to our apartment. i'm just plain smitten w/ using industrial elements as decor.

check out these other sexy plumbing inspired projects ...

{clockwise from upper left}

handmade industrial coat rack (complete w/ DIY) via apartment therapy

 desk via atlanta homes magazine

canopy bed via traditional home magazine

rotating bookshelf via apartment therapy

industrial pipe rods via west elm

we need a bigger house! obviously it would be a bit much to decorate the entire bedroom w/ pipe desk, bed, & coat hanger in addition to our bookshelf and bedside lamps. {someday!}

a little bonus:
while maybe that canopy bed is out of the current picture,
make your own industrial pipe curtain rods.

a quick trip to the hardware store:

2 1/2" 90º elbows ... $2.50

2 1/2" floor flange ... $10.50

2  1/2" x 2" long nipples ... $2.00

1 1/2" x 4' long black iron pipe ... $8.00

TOTAL: $23.00
compare to west elm's version: $69.00

hey good lookin' ...

there's a new lady hanging around the munday apartment ...



unwrapping christmas presents w/ my parents is extra special. and the best part: there's a story behind each gift.

for example, this year my brother unwrapped some rather snazzy cowboy boots. the legend goes ... dad won them at the closing auction for the local opry house. unfortunately they didn't really fit his feet ... or style. thankfully they included a monetary gift tucked in the toe. ;) i should totally post a pic here to embarrass both ross and his fiancé angela! (don't worry. my parents included them to make us laugh!)

and another example, there was the beautiful antique marble chess set for wade this year. a last minute craigslist purchase that ended up including 6 hrs in the car, 1 dead battery, a tow, 1 new battery ($150 buckaroos) ... and the list goes on. needless to say the chess set is priceless!

i spent a good part of last year searching the local antique malls + craigslist + the flea market for the perfect dress form. and all along my parents had already found her ...

ain't she perty!?!

yes, she's a bit rough around the edges. aren't we all? but i love every single little imperfection!

-------------------------------

you have until 5pm (central) today! have you signed up for the noonday giveaway? three fabulous noonday necklaces to choose from if you win & entering is super easy so go check it out. click the banner below for all the details:

trimming the tree: cranberries + popcorn

we found the sweetest pine on sunday afternoon. perfect for our itsy apartment. unlike last year, this gal is a lean machine - incredibly health and slim (enough that we can still open our living room closet - hooray!). we've been little by little trimming the tree over the past 3 days. 1 part busy busy december + 2 parts picky picky me.


by now you've probably picked up that wade and i are old @ heart. we're not modern nor trendy 1960s vintage ... rather 1860s primitive. and our christmas tree patterns that precisely ... glowing w/ white lights and draped w/ vintage lace and gold beads.

and this year another classic: cranberry + popcorn garland.

a wee bit of a task (poor husband and his many tangles) ...

but definitely worth it in the end ...

what's your christmas tree style?

------------------------

our newest munday family tradition (borrowed from my sister and her husband):

instead of silly souvenir t-shirts or shot glasses from family trips, collect an ornament! this is our ornament from hawaii - a sweet little sea urchin <--- and currently the only ornament we've hung.

time to get busy!

wanna know a secret?

wade and i are looking at another house today!

this one looks super promising:
* built in 1940
* 3 bedrooms + 2 bathrooms
* updated kitchen & bathrooms
* 9 fenced in acres w/ a horse barn
* just a short commute from downtown nashville

so today i'm daydreaming about ... beadboard walls, farmhouse kitchens, wood floors & a spare bedroom which doubles as a craft room!

{source: 1 // ngoc minh ngo, 2 //house beautiful, 3 // me and alice, 4 // bhg }

wade on the other hand is dreaming about a yard & a garden ... and a cow & chickens ... and of course the perfect farm dog.

what's on your home sweet home wish list?

{ hello munday }

 {source: shop // allure by u, eat // make&takes, covet // madewell}

shop // this pretty little leaf bracelet from allure by u on etsy. i'm feeling rather girlie today & loving that price - $20.00!

eat // yes - i'm still on my apple kick! it's fall, after all. and especially now that i've seen these adorable apple cupcakes from make&takes - a must make for all future falls! however - i'm thinking a little tweak. apple-flavored (and gfree of course).

covet // mama needs a new blazer this fall! while i find lots and lots of inspiration on madewell (gah - love!) ... my new clothing budget is more suitable for a second hand find w/ a few alterations. w/ printed inspiration, it's time to thrift.

{source: make // the picket fence, visit // oh, hello friend, play // one sheepish girl, smile // sears}

make // this cute little corn husk fall wreath from the picket fence. hmmm i posted a wreath last week. it's official - i need 2 front doors! ;)

visit // it's yellow week on oh, yello friend (woops - oh, hello friend). yellow is my ultimate favorite color ... it just makes me so happy! click here for to instantly brighten your day!

play // this photo challenge display from one sheepish girl has me completely inspired to attempt this super fun 30 day photo challenge from oh so lovely. okay okay so i'm a month and a half behind ... woops. but i just bought some new gear for the camera w/ blogging in mind and it should arrive any day now! so am i up for the challenge? hmmm ...

{source: oh so lovely}

smile // it's official ... i stumbled upon the ODDEST thing on the internet. these 7" spike heel ballet ankle boots from sears are NOT OKAY. i was googling rainboots for my mum and happened upon those bad boys girls. hmmm - what are you thinking sears? stick to hardware and appliances.

{ PINspired } paint by number.

are you as addicted to pinterest as i am!?! i have to make a conscious effort to avoid it during the work day or i can get lost pinning for hours on end! hours, people! yikes.

all that time pinning needed purpose. and so to motivate myself and to share a few of my ultimate favorite finds ... i introduce a new series on the blog {PINspired}!

today's {PINspiration}: this paint by number project by ashley ann of under the sycamore.

 {source: under the sycamore}

w/ $10 burning a hole in my pocket ... i hit up garage sales last weekend w/ the intention to buy bits and bobs for the boring 'ol wall in the living room. i printed out a few of the inspiration walls that i had shared last week to keep me on task (talk about garage sale-ing w/ purpose!). included in the inspiration was ashley ann's living room - and her paint by number bouquet. to my delight, i came upon a similar bouquet print for just $2.00:

for the full diy on under the sycamore - click here.

i've been ultra busy working on little projects for our bits and bobs wall. so here's a little bonus {PINspired} project i wrapped up last week:

{PINspiration}                                                     {PINspired}

{unfortunately pinterest isn't always the best for finding the original source. if you know who designed this original print - please let me know!}

bits and bobs {part 1}

wade + i walked away from a garage sale earlier this summer w/ a $10 box of random art. of course to the art collector ... it's full of mostly cheap prints - but to us ... it was the beginning! and so i began to brainstorm just how to display our finds.

i saw this little post by martha stewart and was dead set on converting our bookshelves from just bookshelves into an art gallery. and then ... i happened upon dottie angel's bits and bobs wall. wowee!

the wheels have begun to turn (and who am i kidding ... there's no stopping them. sorry, wade.). maybe we need a bits and bobs wall of our own? we do have the most appropriate living room wall that could use some love.

and look i've already pinned lots and lots and lots of lovely inspiration:

{1 // claiborne swanson frank for vogue,  2 // pinterest, 3 // studio da lu, 4 // max kim-bee for brides.com, 5 // dottie angel, 6 // under the sycamore} 

{hello munday} ... on a tuesday

eat // gluten free gnocci. w + i are converting this yummy gnocci recipe to gfree this thursday before i head out of town for the weekend. i love a good recipe w/ pictures for each step! of course if everything works out pictures + recipe to come.

{source: the kitchn}

make // a feather earring so that you can pick and choose when you want to wear your feather extensions. genius idea via faith. a quick easy DIY coming tomorrow ...

{source: pinterest}

wear // this "i'm a hugger" tshirt from sugar and bruno. i've been a bit glum this week - ask wade. but just seeing that shirt makes me feel a little happier. :)

{source: sugar and bruno}

learn // this perfect friendship bracelet DIY from honestly ... wtf. then invite your girlfriends over for brunch to spread the DIY love. i snapped a couple quick shots @ emily of little observations' "crafty girls brunch" last sunday. fun in the sun!

OH - i didn't share - my big weekend flub. i made the most lovely (gluten-free) pear apricot tart to share at the brunch in one of those pans where the bottom pops out. well - i went to reheat it at the party ... and when i lifted it out of the oven i forgot about the removable bottom and the sides slid down into the fold of my arm. the HOT 350ºF sides. yowch. in a moment of panic - i completely dropped the tart. :( martha stewart would be so ashamed. luckily there was plenty of other yummy treats to go around.

daydream // about 10 days in hawaii. :) w + i bought tickets to spend thanksgiving in hawaii with my big sister + her husband + their 2 little guys. pretty dang excited. i went to visit them the last time they were stationed there 5 years ago - but this will be wade's first trip to hawaii. let the countdown {and beach body workouts} begin ...

{check out my short hair in '06!}

cheer // scouring craigslist might have finally paid off!

{drumroll}

i decided to expand my daily craigslist search to southern illinois since i'm heading up for a girls weekend w/ my mom + aunts. and what did i find ... a listing for 200 old high school desks @ $10/piece or 3 for $25! i immediately called the gal and she asked me to send her a picture of what i've been looking for. just received a message back that she's 99.9% sure those are the ones. fingers crossed.

{an example via buschdesign on etsy!}