tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40247788207388889762024-03-17T15:25:53.695-05:00Hammers and High HeelsCarla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.comBlogger671125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-42593227959993543122015-09-01T03:20:00.000-05:002015-09-01T14:13:19.113-05:00Hello * Quirk Madame * <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Okay everybody, now I'm not going to lie- today was a really, REALLY horrible Monday and after hours of sorting through all the domain, sub domains, DNS, CNAMES, and all other HTML coding craziness I went cross-eyed and punched myself in the face.... Just kidding! But really I almost did... or wanted to maybe? Sorry its way past my bedtime so I'm a wee bit nutty right now :) Thankfully my wonderful GENIUS friend <a href="http://www.kaydroy.com/" target="_blank">Kayd Roy</a> helped me out very late tonight so I didn't have to</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> do that whole punch myself in the face thing <i class="_4-k1 img sp_ZrsPFjUrAQL sx_a7dbf8" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yv/r/0ZIO9JhgCXd.png); background-position: 0px -357px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 18px 476px; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"></i></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i class="_4-k1 img sp_ZrsPFjUrAQL sx_a7dbf8" style="background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yv/r/0ZIO9JhgCXd.png); background-position: 0px -357px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 18px 476px; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"><u style="left: -999999px; position: absolute;">smile emotico</u></i></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> There's still a whole lot of formatting and fixing to do but the important thing for you to know NOW is where to find our blog because our old web address will be GONE very soon! In case you missing that or skimmed over it.... THERE WILL BE NO MORE</span></span><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> HAMMERS AND HIGH HEELS! </b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b><u>http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com</u> is getting</b> </span></span><b style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">KILLED. </b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> Yep, it'll be the saddest disappearance this summer </span></span><i style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">(at least on the inter-webs)</i><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">. Sadly you'll only find some businesses with zero similarity in it's place other than a name </span><i style="line-height: 19px;">(note: I said businesses, not bloggers).</i></span></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Now where was I? Oh yes... Thankfully to take it's place is our <i>new place</i> on the web. Be sure to bookmark it, save it, subscribe, whatever and however you follow- It's bittersweet and emotional to say goodbye to our familiar old name but with a whole lot of <b>fresh </b>energy I'm very happy to introduce you to my new handle, title, and website- <b>Quirk Madame</b> <a href="http://www.quirkmadame.com/blogposts/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.quirkmadame.com/blogposts/</a></span></div>
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<b><i>Out with the old story and in with the new! </i></b> Be sure to save our new web address, the current site is going to disappear and you will lose us! Find us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quirk-Madame/129925963738379?sk=timeline" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/hammersandhighheels/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/carlaz/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>- <i>no way you can lose us then!</i> </div>
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I'll be working on getting our new site formatted and organized throughout the week so please bear with me for a bit! I'm not going to lie, it's sort of a hot mess right now but it's 3:30am here in Minneapolis I need to get some beauty-ish rest :) </div>
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Lots of moving and changes to come! Hope you'll stick with us because it's going to be bigger and better this time! </div>
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<b>What are you looking forward to reading about on our new blog?</b></div>
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<b><i>Fashion? Home Decor? Travel? Our Pups?</i></b></div>
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<b>I want to know! Don't be shy now :) Tell me in the comments!</b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-83660046252872400252015-08-27T17:00:00.000-05:002015-08-27T18:13:28.692-05:00We're Moving (kind of)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Hello again! Can you believe it’s been more than three months <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2015/05/onto-next.html" target="_blank">since you’ve last heard from me</a>? I’ve had a lot of time to noodle on the blog and what the next step will be… that and a WHOLE bunch of <i>(more important)</i> life things of course :) With that said, it’s a bit bittersweet for me to announce that in a few days my blog baby Hammers and High Heels will no longer be “Hammers and High Heels” as I will begin transitioning it over to it’s new title and URL/web address. The same goes for our Facebook page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;"><i><b>“WTF Carla?!? Why the hell would you do that?</b></i><b> WHY!?!!"</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Looking back to when we began our blog, I had no idea really what it would be or become. I only knew we were going to share our home renovation photos and stories, then over time as it grew and our audience grew so did my attachment to it's name & title. So naturally, parting ways with it is somewhat emotional for me but I’ve probably been ready for it for more than a year now. The ongoing home projects/ renovations/ to-do’s/ painting, repainting/ DIY’s/ etc. got old. We were over it, the blog world was over it, and then everything got all dull and silent here. Our home finally felt complete. There were no more Hammers and High Heels tales to tell and that was when I realized it was appropriate to move on from it. </span></div>
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<span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION"><span style="font-family: Times;"><b>So heck no we’re not going away! </b> We still have a story to tell and questions to ask. Stories about our lives, travels, food, family, fashion, pet peeves, struggles, etc…<span style="color: black;"> and I am sure there will still be some about our home or home decor</span>, but that won’t be a primary focus anymore. </span></span></div>
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The real gist of it is that the story may be changing, but the voice will remain the same. <i>It’s still us :)</i></div>
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We’re working on re-naming/re-branding our blog and setting up a new URL location along with a temporary re-direct <i>(so fear not, w</i><i>e’ll help you find our stories while we work on 'finding' them too!)</i>. I'll have all of that information posted up on Monday August 31st, so be sure to stop back so you’ll have all the deets!<span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION"></span><br />
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<span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION">Eeeekkk!!!!! It’s so exciting! I hope you’ll join Alex and I for a whole new adventure! And no, we’re not having a baby so don’t ask :) </span></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-84849811038821072382015-05-04T12:33:00.001-05:002015-05-04T12:33:20.037-05:00Onto the Next <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Perhaps you have noticed the slowing of blog posts and the lack of house project happenings? <i>I know I have! </i>The slowing on projects along with <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2015/03/six-years-six-of-our-proudest-most.html" target="_blank">our six year house anniversary milestone</a> last month made me realize something- <b>We've made this house our home, no longer our ongoing project.<i> </i></b><br />
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Things have changed for us in the past year, we've been living more life in these walls than thinking about the color they should be painted- <i>no joke I am honestly tearing up as I type, weird! </i> Long gone are the days when <i><b>I traded in my heels for a hammer when I walked through the door</b></i>. I don't think my DIY-ing days are done at all but I know that the things that keep me creative, inspired, and driven have shifted and I gotta go where that wind blows :)<br />
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Our adventure in this house isn't over but maybe now we're onto the <i>'next story in the series'</i> and it has a whole new plot... or something like that?<i> </i> <i>You get what I'm saying right?</i> Sorry, I seem to be full of cliche's and metaphors all of a sudden. <br />
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One thing I do know, is that <i>Hammers and High Heels </i>has always meant something more than just this house renovation and the DIY's we've shared. This blog helped give me a voice, confidence, and a love for writing that I never knew existed inside of me. I have truly loved sharing every story on this silly blog- <i>even the ones I knew were dumb to begin with</i>. I've missed writing. I've missed the story telling. <br />
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With that said, whatever that new story might be, I hope you'll join me on the journey.</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">To be continued...... !</span></b></i></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-67183642963196574372015-03-30T17:43:00.003-05:002015-03-30T17:43:31.249-05:00Six Years, Six of Our Proudest & Most Painful Projects<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Late Friday I realized that it had been <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-story-began-march-27th-2009.html" target="_blank">six years since the day we closed on our home and moved into this little old Dutch Colonial</a>. <b>S I X... Y E A R S...</b> It's sounds like such a long time ago but it feels like I blinked and here we are. <i>Wish it felt like that when we were in the middle of each house project</i>, <i>right?!</i> <br />
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In those moments, during each and every DIY renovation, it felt like time stood still and we weren't getting <i>anywhere </i>with <i>anything</i> in this house and that it was <i>never</i> going to look the way we dreamed that we could make it look. Now here we and the place looks nothing like the bland peachy/beige box we walked into six years ago. The crazy thing looking back now <i>(which is a good thing I must mention for any new fixer-upper owners out there)</i>, most of the work we did happened in the first 3 years we owned the house and then more minimal updates happened during the last 2-3 years. <br />
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Like I said, I wish it all happened in the blink of an eye but thankfully we didn't totally drag all the projects out over the last six years. - <i>Ugh, I shutter at the thought of that!</i> - So celebrate our <b>SIXTH</b> year at home, I thought what better than a look back at <b>SIX of our proudest and most painful projects! Be sure to click the links for a look back at all the posts and drama documented along the way! <i>Drumroll....</i></b><br />
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<b>The <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2013/05/calling-closet-room-complete.html" target="_blank">(My) Closet</a> & <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-new-workspace-set-up.html" target="_blank">Workspace</a> <i>(additional links <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Dressing%20Room" target="_blank">here</a>)</i></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/search/label/Master%20Bedroom%20Redo" target="_blank">The Master Bedroom</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2010/11/bathroom-redo-2-is-complete-after.html" target="_blank">The Upstairs Bathroom</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-look-at-new-kitchen-decor-and-updated.html" target="_blank">The Kitchen</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/03/wainscoting-tutorial-getting-my-diy.html" target="_blank">The Dining Room</a></b><br />
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<b>The <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/search/label/Living%20Room" target="_blank">Living Room</a> & <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2011/10/revisiting-our-fireplace-diy-projects.html" target="_blank">Fireplace Mantel</a></b><br />
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<b>Which project do you think was <i>most</i> worth the pain? </b></div>
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<b><b>What was the most painful or longest project in your home?</b></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-38899656141054508122015-03-14T14:14:00.000-05:002015-03-14T14:14:14.204-05:001959 Paris Michelin Guide Map Wall Art DIY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been working on a couple fun DIY projects and have the first ready to share- <b>DIY wall art made from a 1959 Paris Michelin Guide Map! </b> If you have any bare walls at home and aren't sure what to put on them, this is a SUPER budget friendly and thoughtful way to add in some wall decor. <br />
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If you have any bare walls at home and aren't sure what to put on them, this is a <i>SUPER</i> budget friendly and thoughtful way to add in some wall decor. <br />
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Kind of crazy that I picked up this <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2013/06/adventures-in-antiquing-make-day-of-it.html" target="_blank">1959 Paris Michelin Guide Map for just $5.00 at an antique store in Hopkins almost TWO years ago</a>! Can't believe it took me this long to do something with it but truthfully I kind of forgot I had it until I stumbled upon it a couple days ago while doing some spring cleaning and organizing... <i>whoopsie! </i><br />
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That's when my light bulb moment occurred- <i>I could use these maps for wall decor in the small hallway under the stairs!</i> So, I thumbed through the guide book and picked out six maps for my 4"x 6" frames and hung them up in the hallway. <br />
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I think the contrast of the black frames really pops against the paint color <i>(Behr's Sandstone Cove)</i> and the dusty pink + red maps create the perfect accent color combo!<br />
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I know I haven't shown this space on the blog before so in case you are wondering, the hallway connects our kitchen to the back entryway and the door on the right leads into our <strike>scary old </strike>basement. We have a couple topographic maps by the kitchen so I like that the theme/type of art flow is similar through to the hallway.<br />
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Like I said, if you have some bare walls you are looking to fill at home be sure to always keep an eye out for interesting books at antique or thrift stores. Who knows, you might be able to create a whole gallery wall with a couple thrifty book finds!<br />
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<b>What do you think of the new DIY wall decor?</b></div>
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<b>Would you have done something different with the guide book maps? <i>I'd love to know!</i></b></div>
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I'll be working on another <i>forgotten</i> antique find this weekend. Can you believe <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/10/antiquing-is-like-box-of-chocolates.html" target="_blank">I got this antique camping stool almost THREE years ago</a> and haven't done anything with it?! It's just been sitting in our <strike>old gross</strike> basement, poor guy. Anyway, cue the makeover montage music, it's time to get to work! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ugh, I love a good makeover montage. I mean who doesn't?!</span></i></td></tr>
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<b>I'd love to hear any color/finish/fabric suggestions for the stool, let me know!</b> </div>
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<i>Be sure to stop back to see how it turns out! </i> </div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-69453311506413284222015-03-01T19:18:00.001-06:002015-03-01T19:18:39.507-06:00Deja Vu or Just the Winter Doldrums?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since we are in the worst part of the <i>winter doldrums</i> here in Minnesota, I felt the urge to head over to Bachman's to get some fresh flowers and plants for the house. Once I got to the store and started looking at the mini potted plants, that deja vu feeling hit me because I suddenly remembered doing <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/02/brining-little-green-inside-this-winter.html" target="_blank">the same thing last year</a> AND <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2013/03/indoor-spring-floral-decor.html" target="_blank">the year before</a>, blog posts that proved it even <i>(freaky)</i>! And just look, <i>I am doing it again, LOL! </i><br />
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I suppose it's just an odd time of year- holidays are over, it's not quite spring or close enough to Easter so I suppose I'll just call it <i>my winter doldrums decor update</i> :) highly likely that I'll be doing the same thing next year so why not give it a name right? Anyway, I'll just get to the whole point of the story and show you the freshened up sideboard decor in the dining room...<span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br />
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I picked up three $3.99 bundles of Mini Myrtle stems and three $2.50 Delphinium stems at Bachman's and placed them all in my large glass Ikea vase. I also bought that cute little rosemary plant for #3.99, couldn't resist! Then, I added in a framed landscape map, ceramic fruit bowl <i>(Alex is really into clementines and kiwis right now, random but not random)</i>, and oval mirror on an easel.<br />
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I also draped two necklaces I purchased during <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/03/head-over-heels-friday-experiences-in.html" target="_blank">my first trip to India</a>, I know it's different but I see them as art and not just jewelry so why not display them? <i> * Sigh * </i>Traveling sounds like a dream right now!<br />
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I have to say, fresh greenery and flowers really does make a difference when cabin fever is hitting hard. Just having something new to look at counts for a lot too I suppose? Ugh, can you tell I am tired of being stuck inside? Winter, barf. It's just not cute anymore. <b><i>Who's with me?!</i></b><br />
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<b>What do you think of the updated sideboard decor?</b></div>
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<b>Anyone else out there experience deja vu moments during the winter doldrums?!</b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-49699735308506383192015-02-23T19:42:00.001-06:002015-02-23T19:42:31.084-06:00DIY Zippered Pouch with Angled Corners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello and happy Monday from <b>sub-zero</b> Minneapolis! Hope you had a nice weekend, I'd say mine was <i>nice-ish</i> because even though I hate being trapped inside during this long stale part of winter, I did manage to tackle a couple sewing projects! So... <b>WIN <i>(slash "nice-ish")</i>!</b><br />
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First up to share is an update to <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/01/versatile-zippered-clutch-diy.html" target="_blank">my DIY Leather Zippered Clutch</a> tutorial from last year. The new twist- <b><i>Angled corners! </i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4Ym8jy0Mdt5EHcC0p_pHe0H8bq9kUY4At-iGhtfnNBJvGW7fEFqtpP_yVeWUGbq3MWgSlJwGhIl-ARdkhljZrXupNAUZRmo1b61nTiGDXdmjdEruwOmPS7HIAlzSrLDpl6jNJ29Yf9wJ/s1600/DIY+Leather+Clutch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4Ym8jy0Mdt5EHcC0p_pHe0H8bq9kUY4At-iGhtfnNBJvGW7fEFqtpP_yVeWUGbq3MWgSlJwGhIl-ARdkhljZrXupNAUZRmo1b61nTiGDXdmjdEruwOmPS7HIAlzSrLDpl6jNJ29Yf9wJ/s1600/DIY+Leather+Clutch.jpg" /></a></div>
Not gonna lie, it's a pretty simple update honestly :) Glad that I went ahead and tried it though because I still use my zippered clutch/pouches all the time and after a year, it's pretty nice to have something a bit different to make the ol' zippered clutch look new and fresh!<br />
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The DIY steps start the same as the original tutorial <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/01/versatile-zippered-clutch-diy.html" target="_blank"><i>(click here for those steps!)</i></a> but instead of sewing the rectangular shaped corners, you'll will make a 45 degree angle...<br />
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... and then cut off the excess/triangle corner piece. <b><i>Easy-peasy!</i></b></div>
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Like I said, not rocket science or anything, just a simple switch-up to something I've loved for the past year! <i>They say change is always good, right?</i></div>
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In case you missed them, below are a few pics along with post links for the previous Zippered Clutch tutorials in case you missed them...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnKz707Ve25kYVwbLTm_rpRB9hKtp3yaCq3IlSXzW2itSmKFvA8obpqfrXL5rcI9582XIAII_hyphenhyphen6Fg04pB02JJtiqy79dJu9iw2t4cyoV3uTpVT7HYaLL-cn_xI7-s7j1xec6CxMxzDjN/s1600/Hammers+and+High+Heels+DIY+clutch+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnKz707Ve25kYVwbLTm_rpRB9hKtp3yaCq3IlSXzW2itSmKFvA8obpqfrXL5rcI9582XIAII_hyphenhyphen6Fg04pB02JJtiqy79dJu9iw2t4cyoV3uTpVT7HYaLL-cn_xI7-s7j1xec6CxMxzDjN/s1600/Hammers+and+High+Heels+DIY+clutch+bag.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i> Original <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/01/versatile-zippered-clutch-diy.html" target="_blank">DIY Zippered Clutch</a> tutorial </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllpx2GYqbcacq0Lra8BjetwyOhVTQVQlLfEKDnI01AMYQBIQFsszVSKmCXq8rDOBvSvgYLzVNqM33hNCJmUl3y_h16caPjRRFcdup_mckPVn7WsgmYKsSQjFI8mTOH03Eb45DkHRRw_vP/s1600/Hammers+and+High+Heels+Clutch+DIY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllpx2GYqbcacq0Lra8BjetwyOhVTQVQlLfEKDnI01AMYQBIQFsszVSKmCXq8rDOBvSvgYLzVNqM33hNCJmUl3y_h16caPjRRFcdup_mckPVn7WsgmYKsSQjFI8mTOH03Eb45DkHRRw_vP/s1600/Hammers+and+High+Heels+Clutch+DIY.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i> <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/03/zippered-clutch-carry-all-with-handle.html" target="_blank">Zippered Clutch with Handle Strap</a> tutorial</i><br />
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<b>Hope to share the tote bag I've been working on next! <i> </i>Fingers crossed it doesn't end up being a huge FAIL... <i>eek!</i> </b><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><b><i>Wish me luck!</i></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What do you think of the new clutch/pouch shape?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What new twist/update would you have done instead?</span></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-91709159200840024562015-02-18T08:29:00.001-06:002015-02-18T08:29:42.817-06:00Back in the Saddle <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, we're nearly done with February already folks. <i>Where the heck is the time going?! </i> That I don't know but what I can say <i>(happily)</i> is that I've getting back into my more normal routine of things at home <i>AND</i> with the ol' blog here!<br />
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Guess you could say I'm back in the <i>-ahem- </i>DIY saddle again?!? Hehe, Alex hated that :)<br />
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I'm looking forward to sharing what I've been working on, hope you'll swing by to check it out! See you then!</div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-78462287606264229872015-01-31T22:08:00.002-06:002015-01-31T22:08:03.200-06:005 Easy Superbowl Party Planning Tips (Even Last-Minute!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Who's excited for tomorrow's big game? I just got back from <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-hammer-less-january.html" target="_blank">my second NYC visit this month and Alex will be returning from London</a> tomorrow! So at least we'll be able to watch the big game together but we won't be having a <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-look-at-our-super-bowl-shindig.html" target="_blank">big ol' Superbowl shindig like last year</a>... but that doesn't mean we won't be getting a <i>ridiculous</i> amount of food for just the two of us :) <i> That's part of the fun right?! </i><br />
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Anyway, I'm kinda going to miss the party planning part this year because last year's ended up looking fantastic AND it was pretty easy! I felt really proud of it so I wanted to share what I learned in case anyone out there doing last minute party prep needs some help!<br />
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<b>Here are the five key things that really <i>upped</i> my Super Bowl party game last year:</b><br />
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<b><u>#1 Butcher Paper</u></b><br />
This is genius! Butcher paper/ food safe paper is cheap, you can decorate it how ever you'd like <i>(gets you away from the cheesy football themed decor- yuck!)</i> and it makes for EASY clean up. You can cover your entire table with it and place food directly on it if you want to. What I liked the most about it is that we used it as a key decor element along with black+white. It'll add a super sophisticated touch to your party and you'll be thankful you used it at the end of the night when it's time to clean up!<br />
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<b><u>#2 Grab-N-Go Paper Snack Bags</u></b><br />
Yep, your plain old basic paper lunch bags. The look ties back to the butcher paper so you'll be looking oh-so clever! Take them and cut them down to about half the height <i>(I used my pinking shears from my sewing kit to get a zig-zag shape at the top)</i>. Then fill them up with whatever Super Bowl treat you'd like and line them up on your table. We filled ours with different kinds of popcorn, but another really fun idea would be filling them with thick-cut french fries and letting guests top them they way they like! Whatever you fill them with, it's a really easy grab and go treat for your guests and MUCH cuter than a big old serving bowl filled with popcorn, chips, etc.<br />
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<b><u>#3 The Bloody Mary Bar</u></b><br />
This is an interesting one, more than likely half your guests love Bloody's and the other half hate them. Nonetheless, everyone will be impressed when they see it and even some of the haters will want to try one. The DIY drink approach makes people curious :) For our fixings bar we included pickles, stuffed olives, cheese sticks, pepperoncini, beef jerky or Slim Jims, Tabasco, and Worcestershire with Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix and Absolut Peppar vodka.<br />
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<b><u>#4 Chalkboards</u></b><br />
Okay, I bet most home owner in the US own a chalkboard these days but if you don't you can easily make one to incorporate into your food and/or bar set up. We have quite a few but the ones we used at our Super Bowl party were made the night before- <i>really it's true!</i> We have a TON of scrap wood in our basement from old house projects so I took a couple plywood pieces <i>(<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/03/wainscoting-tutorial-getting-my-diy.html" target="_blank">Alex cut them back when he added the wainscoting in our dinning room</a>)</i> and slapped on two coats of chalkboard paint, let them dry overnight and they were ready the next morning! We used them to list Bloody Mary and Margarita bar directions for our guests. Decor<i> and </i>inform?! How can you beat that?!<br />
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<b><u>#5 "Did you try the <i>(fill in the blank)</i>?" Food Fun</u></b><br />
My fifth and final tip has to do with the food- <i>and this was something I didn't share photos of last year!</i> Supply the basics<i> (hot wings, pizza, cheese dip, chips, etc.)</i> to keep everyone happy but include something signature to you and/or whoever you are hosting with. In my case it was my husband and knowing a lot of his buddies from work were attending he wanted to make the hottest, spiciest chili imaginable just to see who would man up and <strike>suffer</strike> try it. He even gave it a name and although it was inappropriate, it added to the fun of the night. <i>"Did you try the chili?"</i> was the question of the night when it came to the food, so include something that isn't at every Super Bowl party and you'll hear it too! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7dKTl4V8e3daZKHMWNJNKBkw0V8TNklvtKilPm7zdHmaMaQ1ArN0wc7nRsqEzF5okac0b2mBEfdBgeO7SPMxmCZxFVagFTrOyM6lcNeRQqdP557NJqamTOjITqAlk1LqrCSTnNSo5-dl/s1600/Super-bowl-party-game-ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7dKTl4V8e3daZKHMWNJNKBkw0V8TNklvtKilPm7zdHmaMaQ1ArN0wc7nRsqEzF5okac0b2mBEfdBgeO7SPMxmCZxFVagFTrOyM6lcNeRQqdP557NJqamTOjITqAlk1LqrCSTnNSo5-dl/s1600/Super-bowl-party-game-ideas.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not intended to offend, this is an example of the kind of humor I deal with frequently when it comes to Alex & his buddies.</td></tr>
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That rounds out the play-by-play for my Super Bowl party tips. I hope some of you last minute party planners found it helpful! Even if you just use one of the ideas it might add a fun touch to the elements you've already finished up?! Hope you have a blast! Enjoy the game <i>(and commercials, that's my fav)</i>!<br />
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<b>What are your key Superbowl party planning tips?</b></div>
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<b>Are you using any of these ideas for your party this year? Which one(s)?</b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-10347024635349459412015-01-21T19:44:00.003-06:002015-01-21T19:51:21.856-06:00A Hammer-Less January<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2015 kicked off with a real BANG and I mean <i><b>"BANG"</b></i> like someone lit the fuse on a cannon and out I flew at high speed - high heels and all - headed toward the horizon without any hammers... for a little while.<br />
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Now, I realize that the whole <i>cannon cartoon</i> going on in my head probably doesn't make much sense to anyone else <i>(usually the case for many other things)</i> so what I mean is that there isn't much of my <i>"Hammers"</i> side going on because things have been quite busy in my <i>"High Heels"</i> world- aka my job. I spent a couple days in NYC last week for work and will be headed back at the end of the month. So...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NYC sunset & Empire State Building view from the Standard Hotel after a long day</td></tr>
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Because I won't give up my fun <i>husband/family/friend</i> time <i>(and no one should!)</i>, blogging and house related things are taking a backseat and I've accepted that I won't be getting much done at home until Feburary, <i>wa-wa :(</i> At least I got caught up with laundry yesterday because I couldn't find a clean pair of matching socks and all my "<i>1st string" </i>jeans were MIA over the weekend. It's pretty sad moment when you realize that you're stuck with ill-fitting pants and mismatched socks which leads to the realization that a MOUNTAIN of laundry is waiting for you downstairs. -<i>SHUDDER-</i><br />
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Anyway, 20 days sans blogging felt a little strange so I just felt like saying something!<br />
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<b>What had your January been like? </b></div>
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<b>Easy going?</b><br />
<b>Or did the year kick off crazy <i>(ill-fitting)</i> pants style like mine did?</b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-67208540782689726622015-01-01T18:08:00.001-06:002015-01-01T18:27:58.162-06:00A Look Back at the Old, Looking Forward to the New<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With the new year upon us, I am beginning to take down the remnants of the 2014 holiday season and it made me feel a wee bit nostalgic about the past year.<br />
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Looking back at some of our 2014 posts, I realize that the blog we began about our home in 2010 shifted quite a bit with more of a mix about the daily happenings in our lives. I am not sure what the blog will look like in 2015 but I do know it won't look anything like 2014 because life keeps moving and changing as it should. <br />
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I look forward to our new 2015 journey ahead but today I also want to celebrate some of the moments & projects that made the past year so special. <i>Here's a look back at a few of my favorite posts from 2014!</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiDSHNKqArdcgNz5Q9Lq2oUp9r46b0iWjy1cRIhPH3NNQpEgyS6-29P8nsGuQ5bIbCcrmVSnZmx-Q5vczOpTIG3Q3QmRCzBhplu6uhyFO5GZ6wOVGwhj1M8jkhAErkBvQBJXWlTJyKjc5/s1600/Hammers+and+High+Heels+Filming+for+TV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiDSHNKqArdcgNz5Q9Lq2oUp9r46b0iWjy1cRIhPH3NNQpEgyS6-29P8nsGuQ5bIbCcrmVSnZmx-Q5vczOpTIG3Q3QmRCzBhplu6uhyFO5GZ6wOVGwhj1M8jkhAErkBvQBJXWlTJyKjc5/s1600/Hammers+and+High+Heels+Filming+for+TV.jpg" height="536" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/08/lights-camera-hammers-and-high-heels-in.html" target="_blank">Lights, Camera, Hammers and High Heels in Action! Filming Experience</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-new-workspace-set-up.html" target="_blank">My New Workspace Set Up</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-look-at-our-super-bowl-shindig.html" target="_blank">Our Super Bowl Shindig</a> </div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-halloween-movie-spoof.html" target="_blank">My Halloween ET style "Ride in the Sky" video with Rocco</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/06/home-insider-look-jon-katies-1924.html" target="_blank">Katie & Jon's 1924 Traditional Home Gets a Modern Mix Update</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/11/vietnam-or-bust.html" target="_blank">What I was doing in India, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/04/five-year-refresh-week-4-our-mini.html" target="_blank">Our Five Year Refresh Week Mini Chalkboard Wall Bathroom Update</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/08/thirty.html" target="_blank">I celebrated my big 3-0</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/01/operation-deep-soak-complete-our.html" target="_blank">Completely Gutting and Updating the Bathroom</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/03/zippered-clutch-carry-all-with-handle.html" target="_blank">My Zippered Clutch DIY Tutorial</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-look-at-new-kitchen-decor-and-updated.html" target="_blank">Our Kitchen Color and Decor Update</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-unintentionally-humorous-guide-to.html" target="_blank">Our Unintentionally Funny Guide to Rocco & Sadie</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/05/can-you-guess-whats-behind-old-house.html" target="_blank">Guess What's Behind Old House Style Door #1 and #2</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/02/high-tops-to-high-heels-origin-of-my.html" target="_blank">The Origin of my High Heel and Height Obsession</a></div>
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<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/02/winter-storm-seneca-morning-after.html" target="_blank">Snow Storm Seneca Morning Aftermath</a></div>
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<b>That's a wrap on 2014 for us! Thank you for joining us on these adventures, hope you made the most of 2014 too! </b><b><i>Cheers to all the 2015 moments ahead!</i></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-33459533399392159142014-12-16T13:12:00.001-06:002014-12-16T13:12:08.138-06:00A Look at Our 2014 Christmas Decor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yikes, can you believe we are just 9 days away from Christmas?! I'm freaking out a little bit because I am not feeling ready at all! At least I finally have the tree decorated along with the mantel & dining room! I meant to get these pics up on Saturday but <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-kangaroos-and-cheesy-potatoes.html" target="_blank">my hubby returned from his two week Australia + New Zealand trip</a> so... I was, ummm, busy :)<br />
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As I mentioned in <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/12/holiday-inspiration-and-ornament.html" target="_blank">my inspiration post, the decorations are pretty simple/minimal</a> this year but it still feels cozy and Christmas-y... <i><b>especially now that Alex is home! </b></i> Here's a look at our 2014 Christmas tree & decor!<br />
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The most fun I had with the decorations this year was finding a new spot for our tree which ended up being next next to our staircase. Not sure if it's my favorite tree location but I really wanted to try something new. Other than that, my favorite details are the large white paper stars and the faux sheepskins, but to be honest with you- I kind of miss the over-the-top Christmas-y look. I know I wanted to keep things a bit more simple, clean, and white but maybe our house just looks more charming during the holiday season when it's filled with more Christmas themed decor? <i>(click to see <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2013/12/of-stars-snow-green-and-gold-its-our.html" target="_blank">our 2013 tree</a>)</i><br />
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<b><i>What do you think?</i></b><br />
<b>Are you liking the more simple holiday style or do you miss the <i>uber</i> Christmas-y decorations?</b></div>
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<b>Do you put your tree in the same spot each year?</b></div>
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<b>What decor elements are your favorites this year?</b></div>
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Last but not least, I caught a couple adorable <i>Rocco & Sadie by the Christmas tree</i> moments that I had to share, that one of Sadie snoozing just melted by heart! </div>
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Now, I'm going to get my rear in gear and wrap some presents tonight! <b><i>Anyone tackling any fun DIY gift projects this year? I'd love to hear about them if you are!</i></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-73302728774686208872014-12-12T21:47:00.000-06:002014-12-12T21:47:00.813-06:00Holiday Inspiration and Ornament Frustrations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey there! I've been working on some finishing touches with my Christmas decor this week. I thought I'd be done with it already but I had to spray paint a slew of ornaments- <i>more on that in a minute!</i> But I figure before the big reveal, I thought I'd share a few of the images that inspired this year's style! <br />
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While pinning ideas, I started realizing that I was leaning toward a lot of white; white with greenery and just a few shiny accents, nothing too metallic or glitzy. These pics also inspired me to keep things a bit more clean and simple this year which sounded like an interesting challenge! <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lily.fi/blogit/suvi-sur-le-vif/vihreat-greens" target="_blank">Lily </a> | <a href="http://style-files.com/2013/11/28/10-beautiful-styles-for-a-green-christmas/" target="_blank">The Style Files</a> | <a href="http://www.sivanayla.com/2013/11/19/modern-xmas-checklist/" target="_blank">Sivan Ayla</a> | <a href="http://bellamumma.com/2011/12/home-inspiration-modern-christmas.html" target="_blank">Bellamumma</a> | <a href="http://weronica.daysweekends.com/" target="_blank">Living By W</a> | <a href="http://www.trettien.com/search/label/jul" target="_blank">Trettien</a> | <a href="http://trendnet.is/svartahvitu/jola-3/" target="_blank">Trendnet</a> | <a href="http://lottaagaton.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-12-03T11:14:00%2B01:00" target="_blank">Lotta Agaton</a></span></div>
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So the idea I've been going with is a <i>White Christmas</i> kind of feel or as Alex likes to call it, <i>"A Christmas Void of Color,"</i> you decide which sounds better :) <br />
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The unexpected issue I ran into with this whole theme idea was finding plain ol' white ornaments. Who knew?! I checked Ikea, Target, Menards, JoAnne's, Michaels, and Bachman's <i>(not all in one day, I spread out those disappointing visits throughout the week)</i>, no plain white ornaments! Sure, maybe 4 white ones in a set of 20 with the remaining 16 being useless. <i><b>Which made me wonder...</b></i><br />
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<b>Anyone else feel annoyed with all the color combo ornament sets when you just want one color in particular? </b> </div>
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<i>I know, I know! </i> I am a Christmas crazy lady wit decor so maybe I am the only color particular weirdo, but I feel like I run into that frustration every year so I had to ask. <b><i> Why can't the colors just be separated gosh darn-it!!! I don't want blue and teal... or a bomb of glitter, arrrgghhhh!!!!</i></b><br />
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In the end I did what any DIY-er would do and spray painted some old ornaments white. That task wasn't as easy as I thought it would be either. Sure, they were plastic ornaments so I should have known. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yea, had my own little paint line set up! The right image shows the paint coverage progress.</td></tr>
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It took probably 5 light coats of paint along with lots of drying time and circulating air to get a good amount of paint color/coverage. Sort of felt like it was as big of a pain as it was to look for white ornaments, <i>sheesh!!! </i>Thankfully they're finally dry, some still a little tacky, but they're finally hung!<br />
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<i>I'll take pics of all the decor tonight and probably tomorrow morning. Stop back to check out this year's tree, mantel, dining room and more! </i></div>
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<i><b>Hope to see you then!</b></i></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-27382233795537668882014-12-04T22:49:00.000-06:002014-12-04T23:01:01.268-06:00Christmas, Kangaroos, and Cheesy Potatoes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yep. <b><i>Christmas</i></b>, <b><i>Kangaroos</i></b>, and <b><i>Cheesy Potatoes</i></b> are my life at the moment. No, I haven't gone completely nuts although I'm sure some of my closet friends would argue that I went nuts a long time ago <i> * ba-dum-tshh *</i> :) Sorry, couldn't help myself! But that's what the real deal is here, I'll explain!<br />
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Let's start with the <b><i>Kangaroos</i></b> part...<br />
Well once Thanksgiving was over and our visitors hopped on their flights back to MI and CA, Alex also headed to the airport to catch a MUCH longer flight for work. <i>Where to?</i> I'll tell you but get ready- it's going to make you jealous, I'm still REALLY jealous! My hubby is <i>down under</i>, visiting both Australia AND New Zealand-<b> <i>for work!!!!</i></b> Ugh, typing it just made me super jealous again, who gets to do that?! I am sure there are plenty of people out there that do but no one that I know, I can't even think of someone that has been to either place for vacation! Have I mentioned that I feel sort of jealous? He's going to see kangaroos, wallabies, Crocodile Dundee and stuff, <i>ugh!</i><br />
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Okay, moving on from the <b><i>Kangaroos</i></b> part to the <b><i>Christmas</i></b> part...<br />
With Alex traveling, I am at home doing some Christmas decorating on my own. Sadly that meant we didn't get to do our annual Griswold Style Christmas Tree Adventure<i> <span style="text-align: center;">(click the links to see </span><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2010/12/our-christmas-tree-adventure-cutting-it.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">2010</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2011/11/griswold-tree-tradition-continues.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">2011</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-very-dark-griswold-style-christmas.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">2012</a><span style="text-align: center;"> and </span><a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2013/12/hunt-down-chop-down-time-its-our-annual.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">2013</a><span style="text-align: center;">)</span></i>. <span style="text-align: center;"> </span>Kind of a bummer but at least we got to squeeze in enough time to go to the local Farmer's Market and pick out a tree together. Still felt special for us! <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I did warn Alex that I was photoshopping him in a kangaroos pouch since he hasn't shared any pics yet :)</span></div>
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Onto the <b><i>Cheesy Potatoes</i></b> part... <br />
Well, a couple hours ago I was searching through our fridge and cupboards for dinner options. If you don't already know, I hate cooking, if I cook it has to be simple <i>(aka Betty Crocker boxed or frozen food entrees)</i>. Alex is the chef in our house thankfully but when he's gone I tend to go on a frozen pizza and cereal diet :( <i>Anyway,</i> during my search I was also replying to a text from <a href="http://www.amberengfer.com/" target="_blank">my fabulous photographer friend Amber</a> when I stumbled upon a random <i>(but still well before it's expiration date)</i> box of faux homemade bake-able Betty Crocker cheesy potatoes. <br />
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Say what you will, it's not fancy but it sounded damn good so I felt the need to express my excitement about the cheesy potato discovery via text to Amber, I knew she'd understand :) Due to it's random-ness, she and her husband Dennis told me to blog about it and I thought why not?! So here we are. <br />
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There you have it, <b><i>Christmas, Kangaroos</i></b> and <b><i>Cheesy Potatoes</i></b>, it all makes sense now right? <br />
I'll also say, if you don't think the potatoes part is randomly funny, it's Amber's fault for suggesting that I share with the blog world :) Now, I think I need some more before I go to bed, I just might eat this whole giant bowl of cheesy potatoes and land in a couch food coma :) <i>tis' the season I suppose?!</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Are you a sucker for cheesy potatoes too?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Did you enjoy reading this post? I ask because...</span></b></div>
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<b><i>I know it's not about home decor or DIY-ing but I really enjoyed writing it so it made me curious. Please let me know in the comments if you have a moment to!</i></b></div>
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<i>I'll share some of my Christmas decor pics soon! Things will look simpler this year than past years (<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2013/12/time-to-cozy-up-for-look-at-our-holiday.html" target="_blank">see 2013 here</a>) since we picked out a smaller tree- but wait, who am I kidding? It probably won't look simple, I really do love Christmas decorating! Swing by then to take a look! </i></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-71453525636702818412014-11-29T15:43:00.001-06:002014-11-29T15:43:20.670-06:00Finch's Warehouse Boutique 2014 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Finch's Holiday Boutique is back and bigger than ever this year! </b> Elisa started this event in 2006 in her own home, but <a href="http://finchsboutique.blogspot.com/p/boutique-history.html" target="_blank">this year she has teamed up</a> with <a href="http://onsolidgroundrentals.com/" target="_blank">Sarah from On Solid Ground Vintage Rentals</a> and utilized her amazing warehouse space for the event. The result is a one-of-a-kind, enjoyable holiday shopping experience and all the local artists & designers made a donation to the American Cancer Society to participate. <i> Doesn't the sound of it just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?!</i><br />
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You might be familiar with the <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2011/11/handmade-hammers-high-heels-home-decor.html" target="_blank">2011</a> & <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/12/head-over-heels-diy-friday-good-finds.html" target="_blank">2012 </a> boutique posts, but if not here's some background info:<br />
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<i><a href="http://finchsboutique.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Finch's Warehouse Boutique</a>, formally known as Finch's Holiday Time Boutique, features unique items from over 50 artists & designers- and sorry to any long distance readers! This one if local here in Minneapolis. This Open House style sale takes place Saturday & Sunday, November 29th & 30th, and Saturday, December 6th. Check out <a href="http://finchsboutique.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Finch's Warehouse Boutique Blog for all the event details and location</a>. </i></div>
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I was able to attend the VIP Sneak Peek last night to snap some pics of all the goodies at the sale and do some of my own holiday shopping. Here's a glimpse of Finch's 2014 Warehouse Boutique!</div>
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There's plenty more up for sale too! I think anyone could check off their entire Christmas gift list with items at Finch's Boutique! I also must say, it's pretty amazing to see what this boutique event has grown into- <i>Elisa & Sarah you two did such an amazing job!</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Which items would you put on your Christmas wish list?</b></span></div>
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<i>If you are here in the Twin Cities be sure to check it out today, tomorrow, or next Saturday Dec. 6th!</i></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-39879191766527749082014-11-28T18:27:00.001-06:002014-11-28T18:27:40.016-06:00At Home & Thankful<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Gobble Gobble and oh my GOODNESS-</i> <i>Thanksgiving sure snuck up on me this year! </i><br />
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I returned home <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.hk/2014/11/vietnam-or-bust.html" target="_blank">from my Asia trip a week ago</a> and it's felt really busy leading up to Thanksgiving but now with the turkey and pies behind us, <i>(no pun intended ick!) </i>it feels <i>incredibly</i> awesome to slow down, relax, and enjoy the weekend with my family.<br />
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Alex and I hosted for seven this year! I'm kinda bummed I didn't have a good chunk of time yesterday to share pics of our dining room set up, but here's a glimpse. <br />
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It was a bit of a tight squeeze but it was so lovely having having family with us and we had such a good time- perhaps even too much fun because it wasn't easy getting up this morning :) <i> </i>Needless to say, we didn't do any early black Friday shopping but I am going to head over to <a href="http://finchsboutique.blogspot.com/p/finchs-sneak-peek-vip-event.html" target="_blank">Finch's Holiday Boutique now for their VIP Sneak Peek event</a>! I'll be sure to share some photos of all the goodies made by talented local designers & artists, if you are local too you should check it out this weekend!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Did you snag anything good at the Black Friday sales?</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Are you ready for the Christmas crazy to begin?!!</i></b></span></div>
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<i>I'm still finishing up my post about<a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.hk/2014/11/vietnam-or-bust.html" target="_blank"> my first visit to Vietnam</a>, hope you'll be back to check out the pics and some of the stories- like how we got hustled by some pedi cabs or how I got pretzeled up during a massage :) For a two day stay, things sure got interesting! </i></div>
Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-23130890621513184902014-11-17T01:37:00.003-06:002014-11-17T01:37:40.917-06:00Vietnam or Bust! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>Holy smokes!</i></b> I can't believe it's been over two weeks since I've written a post, so unlike the norm for me but the reason things have been quiet for Hammers and High Heels is because I am over in Asia for another business trip- and I mean the good kind of <i>another</i> because these trips never get old to me! <br />
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I know I've shared a little bit about some of my past trips and this one includes the usual stops in India, China, and Hong Hong but this trip also includes <b>somewhere totally new- </b>We'll be heading to <b>Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!</b> I can't tell you how excited I am to see and experience another city and country while we are over in Asia and I guess it's a place I never thought I'd get to see. I'm just there for two days mainly business focused, but you <i>bet'cher</i> buns I am going to get out there and see as much of Ho Chi Minh City as I can! Even if I am sleep deprived and delirious like I am right at this second I'm still doing it :)<br />
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If you <a href="http://instagram.com/hammersandhighheels" target="_blank">follow me on Instagram</a> you might already have seen some of the trip, but if you don't follow here are a few of those pics along with some new ones <i>(but really if you aren't following on <a href="http://instagram.com/hammersandhighheels" target="_blank">Instagram</a> you should be for the real time action, duh!) </i><br />
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We're already through the India, China and Hong Kong portion of the trip so we're hanging in the airport lounge about to head Vietnam! I can't wait to share some of the photos and stories from Ho Chi Minh City this time! See you back here then!<br />
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<b>What would you like to hear about from my Vietnam visit or about my trip <i>(or past trips- <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.hk/2013/02/pig-bunnies-squatters-more-in-my-china.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.hk/2013/01/a-day-at-market-in-india.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.hk/2012/03/head-over-heels-friday-india-china-trip.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.hk/2013/01/we-did-macau-macau-did-us.html" target="_blank">etc.</a>)</i>?</b></div>
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<b>Are you curious about what Alex is doing while I am away for two weeks? <i>I imagine he's up to no good :)</i></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-36470860377676195482014-10-31T17:55:00.003-05:002014-10-31T18:04:26.062-05:00My Halloween "Ride in the Sky" <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><i>I have a special Halloween treat today! </i></b><br />
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Although we haven't been as into all the Halloween themed fun like we have in years past, I did still come up with a genius Halloween costume this year.... and it involved Rocco :) Click the play button to check it out, hope you get a good laugh!<br />
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<i>In case there's anyone out there that somehow missed a movie classic called E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, here's a link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1-UFrcZ0k" target="_blank">"Ride in the Sky"</a> scene. </i> </div>
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I am thankful that my co-star was a good sport about the whole thing...</div>
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Even when he got pooped on. So rude right?!? </div>
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At least the drive-by bird dropping landed on his blanket and not him!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Have a fun, safe, and Happy Halloween everyone!</span></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-54836539964783937042014-10-27T19:00:00.000-05:002014-10-27T19:00:01.258-05:00Salvaged Souvenirs Straight From Amsterdam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy Monday everybody! <i> [Side note: whenever I hear or say that I think "really, is it?", does anyone else do that too?]</i> Anyway, I think today is a happy Monday because I have Alex back home! He returned from Amsterdam this weekend and being the sweet husband that he is, he brought home a thoughtful little surprise for me-<br />
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Yes, a set of salvaged European speed limit signs with a authentic worn finish- <b><i>I love them!</i></b> He picked these up at a salvage store just outside of Amsterdam called <a href="http://www.neeflouis.nl/" target="_blank">Neef Louis</a> <i>(which means Nephew Louis).</i> <br />
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Alex's cousin Jaimi brought him to this neat salvage & vintage shop knowing it's the kinda place we like :) His/our cousin Jaimi lives in Amsterdam with her hubby Arnaud and their two kiddos Mila & Remi so Alex also got to stay with them during his trip....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: Alex enjoying a local brew with Jaimi <i>(not pictured, darn!)</i>; Right: Alex with their kiddos Remi and Mila</td></tr>
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I was so excited that he brought home a little piece of Europe for me :) </div>
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Now, I just have to figure out what I want to do with them...<br />
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<b>What would you do with the 4 signs?</b></div>
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<b>Would you just mount on a wall?</b></div>
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<b>Or, would you repurpose them in a unique way?</b></div>
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I'm about to do some noodling on Pinterest, but I'd love it if you have ideas to share! <b><i>I'm all ears, help!</i></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-18394914032485474582014-10-22T17:45:00.003-05:002014-10-22T17:45:45.772-05:00Dead Man's Shoes Vintage & Other Curious Goods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Don't you love it when you find great new local shops when you aren't really looking for them? That happened to me and my mom over the weekend when we ended up at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dmsvintage/info" target="_blank">Dead Man's Shoes Vintage</a>...<br />
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Alex was out of town on another business trip so I asked my mom to come for a visit and thankfully she hopped in her little red hybrid and drove on over from Michigan to keep me company over the weekend! <i>Or maybe she did just to make sure I don't <a href="https://www.facebook.com/129925963738379/photos/a.685393134858323.1073741829.129925963738379/759549050776064/?type=1&theater" target="_blank">end up in the ER like the last time Alex was gone</a>? </i>Anyway.... <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shopping adventure selfie with mom :)</td></tr>
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We were out and about on Sunday heading to a few estate sales and one of the sales happened to be next to <a href="http://deadmansshoesvintage.com/home/" target="_blank">Dead Man's Shoes Vintage</a>. Naturally, when I saw <i>"vintage"</i> I told her we had to stop in to check it out, so glad we did!<br />
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The store had oodles of fun vintage clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, home decor and other fun curiosities or as they describe it- <i>"A truly one of a kind collection of curious goods"</i>. I also loved the way the store was curated, the mix of color and pattern throughout added to the fun retro vibe and made browsing through every little bit irresistible. <br />
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I have to comment on a few items now- the favorite being the <b>Disposable Dress! </b><b>Did you know there was such a thing?!?!</b> The packaging said it was for <i>"shopping, dancing, partying, funning, and house cleaning"</i> and that it was <i>"for today's Swingers".</i><br />
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It made me wonder if this is where the phrase <i>"she'd look good wearing a paper bag"</i> came from? Because it is really just a paper bag... with a paper belt/sash. At least it was water resistant and flame resistant so you can't soak your dress with a spilled a drink or get light on fire during your Swingers party :) </div>
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Lastly, I have to tell you that the best thing about this store is that the prices are reasonable! That's usually my beef with some vintage stores when you find great things but the pricing is outrageous. I mean, that dress form in the above pic is $42! Such a deal!<br />
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For all you local Minneapolis/St. Paul folks, you should definitely check it out! After writing about the Disposable Dress I am kind of kicking myself for not buying it, <b><i>should I go back and get it?</i></b><br />
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<b>What did you think of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dmsvintage" target="_blank">Dean Man's Shoes Vintage</a>?</b></div>
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<b>Would you wear the Disposable Dress?</b></div>
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<i>No update on <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/10/couch-contenders.html" target="_blank">the sofa situation</a> yet due to Alex's business trip (and the warning he gave me if I buy a couch by myself). Hopefully we'll get to decide and buy this weekend!</i></div>
Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-29787998156886905232014-10-14T18:30:00.000-05:002014-10-14T18:30:00.809-05:00Couch Contenders<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ready to meet the top contenders <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/09/time-for-furniture-refresh.html" target="_blank">in our search for a new couch</a>?!? We hope so <i>AND</i> we're also hoping that if any of you own one of these sofas you can tell us if you are happy with your purchase or not :) Here we go!<br />
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<b><i>* DING-DING *</i></b><br />
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In this corner are the <i>"true to our original idea"</i> category are the leather chesterfield style options. The Home Decorator's Collection option is priced really well and is our current favorite, the downside is that it is online only so we can't sit on it before buying it :(<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Gordon-Tufted-Sofa/00/760/" target="_blank">Gordon Tufted Sofa: Home Decorators Collection</a> </span><a href="http://www.homfurniture.com/Online/Home/Store/Product_714969_Edgar-Leather-Sofa" style="font-size: small;" target="_blank">Edgar Leather Sofa: HOM Furniture</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
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The look is pretty much what we want as <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/09/time-for-furniture-refresh.html" target="_blank">I mentioned in the first post about replacing our current sofa situation</a>, it's just so classic!<br />
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The next contenders in the <i>"next best thing"</i> category are some fabric chesterfield style options. We like them just not as much as the leather and the color options we've found aren't the most appealing. The upside is that some of them are a little more budget friendly and the Martha Stewart option does have a lot of positive online reviews.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDDSA0ZdnCMsWZXTnYv9OarwjxuKS0q89u04gfjMSe0dAE363Bb0-1NI5_oqJQYVYITjkMjn_Ayg7YbvUTJcLNRO99v22ZbQrz-Ew6REFQRfY8N67wo5JFNEX1gHPlYm33aj8Dro0LgtE/s1600/Fabric+chesterfield+sofa+options.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDDSA0ZdnCMsWZXTnYv9OarwjxuKS0q89u04gfjMSe0dAE363Bb0-1NI5_oqJQYVYITjkMjn_Ayg7YbvUTJcLNRO99v22ZbQrz-Ew6REFQRfY8N67wo5JFNEX1gHPlYm33aj8Dro0LgtE/s1600/Fabric+chesterfield+sofa+options.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/martha-stewart-collection-fabric-sofa-saybridge-custom-colors-92w-x-40d-x-31h?ID=662897&CategoryID=35419#fn=FURNITURE_CATEGORY%3DCouches%20&%20Sofas%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D170%26ruleId%3D%26slotId%3D9%26kws%3D383808" target="_blank">Martha Stewart Collection Saybridge Fabric Sofa: Macy's</a> <a href="http://www.ashleyfurniture.com/Showroom/Showroom.aspx?PageId=Showroom&CategoryID=1&ItemNo=1680438&SetDomTab=1&SeriesNo=16804&CollectionId=&style=&PageNumber=1&IsClicked=1&CatPageNumber=2" target="_blank">Hindell Park Sofa: Ashley Furniture</a> <a href="http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Gordon-Tufted-Sofa/00/600/" target="_blank">Gordon Tufted Sofa Sage Velvet: Home Decorators Collection</a></span></div>
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Last up in our list of contenders are in the <i>"well that's cute though"</i> category because we both liked these when we came across them during our shopping excursions but they weren't the original look we both agreed on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpsXsvIGykyorD1kcsfUO94ex2IWiaVBwXvGn1ffDc7s9bI90iiG3b-2q9OozW4dM1-6E-gamxWj6O-hQBpAN41Pel-qXKjAclWjUdM3sxxv6-dQyrVk5qSrLR29mmk1FsIeB5KnDInC0/s1600/Mid+century+sofa+options.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpsXsvIGykyorD1kcsfUO94ex2IWiaVBwXvGn1ffDc7s9bI90iiG3b-2q9OozW4dM1-6E-gamxWj6O-hQBpAN41Pel-qXKjAclWjUdM3sxxv6-dQyrVk5qSrLR29mmk1FsIeB5KnDInC0/s1600/Mid+century+sofa+options.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.crateandbarrel.com/margot-sofa/s296288" target="_blank">Margot Sofa: Crate and Barrel</a> <a href="http://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/living/sofas/reese-sofas" target="_blank">Reese Sofa: Room and Board</a></span></div>
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<b><i>Which contender will come out on top???</i></b> We still aren't 100% sure on that right now but I can tell you that it might be a while until we have an answer for that unfortunately <i>(wa-wa)</i>. My hubby has to do some traveling for work for a few days and I've been told/warned that I will get in trouble if I buy a couch while he is gone... <i>he knows me waaaaay too well :)</i> It is a big decision so we want to make sure we do it wi$ely and of course together.<br />
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<b>What do you think? </b></div>
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<b>Which couch contender would you pick?</b><br />
<b>Do you own any of the couches? If you do, are you happy with it?</b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-89144413587791240552014-10-06T18:00:00.000-05:002014-10-06T18:00:03.228-05:00Pumpkins and Our Fall Bucket List <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Good news! I was able to get <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/10/fall-fever.html" target="_blank">my <i>fall fever</i> to go down a little bit :) but in case you missed my last post</a>- I say that because I finally did a wee bit of fall decorating at home. It's not a lot but the simple <i>switch-er-oo</i> I did to the decor on our dining room sideboard really added the touch of fall I felt like we were missing.<br />
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I picked up two green Fairytale/Cinderella pumpkins at Trader Joe's for $6.99 each and a mixed herb plant for $7.99 and then added one of the chalkboards we made with a scrap piece of plywood. My favorite detail of it all is the <i>"fall bucket list"</i>we added on the chalkboard... <br />
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I've seen a few <i>"fall bucket lists"</i> on Pinterest used in fall decor and thought it was a fun idea! You know how much I love crossing off a to-do list :) at least it will be fun to-do's to complete this fall!<br />
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All and all, just mixed shades of green against black and white with a hint of the warm copper. Simple but still seasonal! Maybe it will get a little spookier too as we get closer to Halloween, <i>we'll see</i>!<br />
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<b>What's on your <i>Fall Bucket List</i>?</b></div>
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<b>What are your other fall favorites this year?</b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-8475371139599263832014-10-03T18:52:00.002-05:002014-10-03T18:52:09.620-05:00Fall Fever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I did some sofa shopping earlier this week and unfortunately we haven't found the sofa of our dreams just yet but what I did find was lots of lovely new fall themed decor! Since then, I've kind of had fall decor fever I guess? <i style="font-weight: bold;">Has it hit anyone else too? </i>I hit West Elm, CB2, and Target, here's a look at a few of the fun things I spotted while I was out and about!<br />
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CB2 and West Elm even got me noodling on Thanksgiving decor already! I mean who doesn't need a <a href="http://www.cb2.com/trot-turkey-candleholder/f10459" target="_blank">poultry shaped tealight holder</a> at their table?! I also loved their <a href="http://www.cb2.com/set-of-12-table-by-numbers-placecard-holders/s258857" target="_blank">table by number place card holders</a>.<br />
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My favorite though was their <a href="http://www.cb2.com/chuck-wood-storage/s188743" target="_blank">Chuck Wood Storage</a>. I wondered if Alex could DIY something similar for us though, <i>hmmm....</i><br />
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Over at West Elm there were more traditional, yet still fresh and modern Thanksgiving decor ideas. I loved the <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/triticum-stack-medium-d2324/?pkey=cthanksgiving-gifts&" target="_blank">Wheat Bunch</a>es and the <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/painted-metallic-table-runner-d1526/?pkey=ctable-linens&cm_src=table-linens%7C%7CNoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-&group=1&sku=2495687" target="_blank">Painted Metallic Table Runner</a>. <i>Hmmm, another DIY idea maybe?</i><br />
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They also had a really fresh sophisticated take on Halloween decor. I loved their decorative <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/apple-objects-e803/?pkey=challoween-gifts&" target="_blank">Apple Box</a>, <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/snake-candle-holders-e805/?pkey=e%7Csnake%2Bcandle%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules" target="_blank">Snake shaped candle holders</a>, and those <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/pyramid-candle-e809/?pkey=e%7Challoween%2Bcanlde%7C2%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules" target="_blank">studded-pyramid shaped candles</a>.<br />
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One thing I can say I <b>did</b> <b>NOT </b>like was the <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/x-ray-plates-e824/?pkey=challoween-gifts&" target="_blank">X-ray plate set</a>...<br />
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I think these would ruin my appetite? That snake head one especially seems kind of icky! <b>Would you be able to eat off of them???</b></div>
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I also found a few cozy <a href="http://www.target.com/c/threshold-brand-shop/-/N-56clv" target="_blank">Threshold things at Target</a>...<br />
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<b><i>All of it got me noodling on what to buy or DIY to bring some fall decor into our home!</i></b></div>
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I didn't purchase anything just yet but I know I need to change couple things up to get that fall kind of feel- <i>and I have to do something to get rid of my fall fever!</i></div>
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I guess you could even say...<br />
<i>I've got a (fall) fever and the only prescription for that fever is <strike>more cowbell</strike> new fall decor!</i><br />
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<i>Sorry, it was too hard to resist! (<a href="http://vimeo.com/91715361" target="_blank">If you aren't familiar click this link,</a> you'll be glad you did)</i><br />
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<b>What are you fall decor favorites this year?</b></div>
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<b>What decorations are you using for Halloween or Thanksgiving?</b></div>
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<b><i>Would you eat off of those X-ray snake plates?!?</i></b></div>
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Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-54425387130698874502014-09-25T18:52:00.002-05:002014-09-25T18:52:50.194-05:00Time for a Furniture Refresh?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a while since I last shared new photos of our <a href="http://hammersandhighheels.blogspot.com/2014/04/five-year-refresh-week-1-living-room.html" target="_blank">Living Room during my <i>"Five Year Refresh Week"</i></a>, but I've seriously been thinking about a <i>furniture refresh</i> ever since when it comes to our couch/sofa situation- <i>and I mean seriously like it's officially scribbled in on my to-do list.</i><br />
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Currently, we have a leather sectional that we purchased in 2008 when we lived in our condo downtown. It actually was the first big furniture purchase we made together <i>(awww!) </i>and it still is a very nice sofa... but as you<i> may</i> have noticed, that sectional doesn't fit into our living room due to the sofa/chaise positioning and we have been using each section separately. If we had purchased the sectional with the opposite layout- chaise on the right, sofa part on the left <i>(facing the sectional)</i>; it could have worked in our house just fine. <i>- wa-wa -</i><br />
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<b style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: center;">Yep. I know. It's </span><strike style="text-align: center;">kinda</strike></b><b> really janky :(</b> </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Perhaps we had grown <i>"house blind" </i>to how odd it probably looks to everyone else? Regardless,</span><span style="text-align: center;"> we've come to the realization that it's time pull the trigger on buying a <i>(real)</i> new sofa! </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">I have been digging the look of the Chesterfield style sofas and thankfully, Alex is onboard with this look too... Ahhh, always feels like magic when we just happen to agree on design/style choices! Really though, there's something nice about that classic tufted look that seems to fit our style...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zPZluj5lVUybRxL0pkbqDbRumyFCyCDFu__G2S9mYlbypjKASBf7I0vBC7HDXqVn7OUOMrNSwyNeJ5aGnSW8DHubJgy9XIL4_W_iP_3EYdCGOTczPW9tgssrYo62wbCdhndvmFFjarzT/s1600/Chesterfield+sofa+Hammers+and+High+Heels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zPZluj5lVUybRxL0pkbqDbRumyFCyCDFu__G2S9mYlbypjKASBf7I0vBC7HDXqVn7OUOMrNSwyNeJ5aGnSW8DHubJgy9XIL4_W_iP_3EYdCGOTczPW9tgssrYo62wbCdhndvmFFjarzT/s1600/Chesterfield+sofa+Hammers+and+High+Heels.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Images via <a href="http://therusticmodernist.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">The Rustic Modernist</a> | <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/01/chesterfield-sofas.html" target="_blank">The Little Green Notebook</a> | <a href="http://www.veranda-interiors.com/search?updated-max=2011-05-27T06%253A06%253A00-06%253A00&max-results=20" target="_blank">Veranda Interiors</a> | <a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1f/a8/2d/1fa82dfd00feb4ad221a1fc108b666d1.jpg" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> | <a href="http://www.parlourhomeblog.com/2012/04/great-right-now.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Parlour+(Parlour)&utm_content=Yahoo!+Mail" target="_blank">Elle Decor</a> | <a href="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/f7/b1/70/f7b170cc16f5b26be88e73666da3857d.jpg" target="_blank">Pinimg</a> | <a href="http://www.47parkavenue.co.uk/reception-3-12/" target="_blank">47 Park Avenue</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I've been doing a lot of online research but I hope to get out and do a little shopping this weekend to see what my options are. As for our current/old sofa, we </span><span style="text-align: center;">will likely list it on Craigslist since we can't fit it anywhere else in the house. Kind of a bummer but at least we can use that money towards a new one! Now, I'd love to hear your ideas/suggestions/recommendations since this is a larger purchase, ya'll better give me some tips...</span><br />
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<b>Where would you shop for a new sofa?</b><br />
<b>Would you buy online without seeing it in person?</b><br />
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<i>A special thanks goes out to our friend Amber for keeping it real and telling us that our sofa situation is strange :) we always appreciate your wise insight... and Alex always knows you are right :) you have secret mind powers!</i></div>
Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024778820738888976.post-77830231403600185342014-09-18T23:47:00.000-05:002014-09-18T23:47:29.587-05:00West Elm Souk Rug Pattern Inspired Pillow Cover DIY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>It was gettin' crafty up in here today</i>- Check out my latest little DIY pillow cover project!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IAIec5nQ6kHU561SEbdx_-BHYfz7mNwZkfpuGVMn6WWWt9Of4ejxlUPyn8uZied5UiU9bt97aOQpQOsTJIN_mSHwICItKhR1YRidC4PeG59qAIiyS-UjQHSc1BMaxKLVtRFG6Idnanyg/s1600/Hammers-and-High-Heels-DIY-Souk-Pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7IAIec5nQ6kHU561SEbdx_-BHYfz7mNwZkfpuGVMn6WWWt9Of4ejxlUPyn8uZied5UiU9bt97aOQpQOsTJIN_mSHwICItKhR1YRidC4PeG59qAIiyS-UjQHSc1BMaxKLVtRFG6Idnanyg/s1600/Hammers-and-High-Heels-DIY-Souk-Pillow.jpg" /></a></div>
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A combination of things inspired me to take on this little DIY project which started when I found this cute <i>"Ziggy"</i> pillow from <a href="http://www.finelittleday.com/textiles/pillow-cases/ziggy-pillow-case-black.html" target="_blank">Fine Little Day </a> on Pinterest a while back....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyG_XRL-Z-x8ubYW8HB4fRngH7BMFHcGytkpS2oRrQBwNWZgXm71lWbFroEeWjMJi0eKP7l3jsJ3cqFuO5Vc9x2iEdhgsMjU5-pvz4X3EVzfRxPLSioQtt7Tl3MXJBtYZdxvttiJcmNB4r/s1600/Fine+Little+Day+pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyG_XRL-Z-x8ubYW8HB4fRngH7BMFHcGytkpS2oRrQBwNWZgXm71lWbFroEeWjMJi0eKP7l3jsJ3cqFuO5Vc9x2iEdhgsMjU5-pvz4X3EVzfRxPLSioQtt7Tl3MXJBtYZdxvttiJcmNB4r/s1600/Fine+Little+Day+pillow.jpg" /></a></div>
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The pattern was cute, simple, irregular and had a handmade sort of feel. I kept coming back to the Pin thinking <i>"I wonder if I should try to DIY something like this?"</i> <br />
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The look or texture of the print reminded me of the popular zig-zag or interlacing trellis patterned Souk and Torres rugs at West Elm with that similar irregular type line work... <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUmp9sE9Spjk6PUBd0K8YfminG19h2qAYwLX4R3f8PLHH5ivHvmpTw9Byoskk62iohAiwHNRE13aFQS8zuSGNNIvhrXEJUDFk9o9RsCpMVx78U4qqFwUWGYhUe7lvns0-h4msHrGkfYBq/s1600/West-Elm-Souk-Torres-Kilim-Rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUmp9sE9Spjk6PUBd0K8YfminG19h2qAYwLX4R3f8PLHH5ivHvmpTw9Byoskk62iohAiwHNRE13aFQS8zuSGNNIvhrXEJUDFk9o9RsCpMVx78U4qqFwUWGYhUe7lvns0-h4msHrGkfYBq/s1600/West-Elm-Souk-Torres-Kilim-Rug.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/souk-rug-b865/?cm_src=AutoRel" target="_blank">West Elm Souk Wool Rug $199-$1299</a> and <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/torres-wool-kilim-rug-iron-t984/?cm_src=AutoRel" target="_blank">Torres Wool Kilim Rug $59-$599</a>; Sidenote- I'd love to have one of these if anyone has a spare $1,000 I can borrow?! JK</td></tr>
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I figured I should give this DIY a green light using a combo of the looks I was inspired by, seemed like DIY-ing the print would be totally do-able right? So, <i>I had to try it!</i><br />
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I had an old cheaper white pillow cover that I figured I could sacrifice in case this turned out terribly and after steaming and ironing it for nearly an hour to de-wrinkle it was ready! I started out by lining up the pattern look I wanted with painters tape. I wanted to fit the three lines of diamonds going along the length of the Souk rug so I started by lining up that pattern with painters tape. <br />
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Using the painters tape allowed me to adjust and get the right size and shape similar to the rug. Once I had the diamond shapes fitting across the center I cut out a piece of cardboard that fit into each of those three diamonds then used it to trace out the top and bottom rows of the diamond/zig zag pattern. Once that was complete I used black fabric paint and a foam brush to apply the pattern.</div>
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All in all, it was a pretty simple DIY and I imagine there's probably ten other <i>(and perhaps better?) </i>ways I could have gone about applying or tracing out the pattern? But I am just happy with the end result! I think it has a simple modern look that we can fit easily into our living room or sunroom decor. <b style="text-align: center;"><i>What do you think?</i></b><br />
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<b> Do like how the pattern turned out?</b></div>
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<b>If you want to try this DIY, would you do the same pattern or something different? </b></div>
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I almost want to attempt a sewing version of this DIY now, hmmm... Using the same pattern inspiration I could use thicker yarn and stitch it through a pillow cover instead of the printed/painted version?! <b>Sound crazy or should I try it???</b> <i> Let me know!</i></div>
Carla @ Hammers and High Heelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16169182688809628378noreply@blogger.com1