Summertime Blues

My roommate told me whenever I see anything colored cobalt blue, I want it. Cobalt blue was big as a jewel tone last fall, so close to sapphire. Yet, I’m still loving it! I put together some of my favorite blue finds of this season! I’ve added links underneath so you can find the items in some of my favorite stores.

1. Flats – Steve Madden Vegass $52 @ 6pm

2. Skirt – Pleated Voile Maxi $15 @ Newlook

3. Top – Mesh Crop Tank $20 @ Topshop

4. Pants – Mossimo Ankle Pants $9 @ Target (ON CLEARANCE!)

5. Shorts – Zip Front Shorts $30 @ Janenorman

6. Bralette – Sparkle & Fade Lace $20 @ Urban Outfitters (SOLD OUT but similar here and here)

1. Bag – Deena & Ozzy $69 @ FashandFurn 

(I got mine on sale at Urban Outfitters for $40 and it is one of the most durable bags I own!)

2. Necklace – Bejeweled Art Deco $9 @ Forever21

3. Scarf – Merona Polka Dot Scarf $14 @ Target (In stores only)

4. Book – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green $18 @ Barnes & Noble

(I’ve read his book Looking for Alaska and I’m so eager to read this one with my book club!)

5. Headband – Gleaming Mosaic Headband $32 @ Anthropologie

1. Bin – KNODD bin w lid $15 @ IKEA

2. Bag – SINGLA tote $2 @ IKEA

(How cute is the pattern? And it can hold up to 17 lbs!)

3. Rug – 6′ x 8′ STOCKHOLM Triangel $499 @ IKEA

4. Vase – Dot Wall Vase $29 @ Urban Outfitters

(It’s a simple vase for your stems, it just sticks to the wall. Great for apartments/dorms)

5. Napkins – Petite Dots Set $8 @ Anthropologie

6. Candle – Bamboo Blue Agave Soy Wax $9 @ Target

(I am in love with these candles. They give off perfume-like scents & the containers are great as makeup brush holders once it’s used up. My roommate uses hers for pencils!)

xx

Blue doesn’t have to be limited to small accessories and fashion! These rooms have found cobalt blue to be their interior design inspiration.

Blue chevron stripes liven up an entry way.

The bright blue of this headboard is just as eccentric as the rest of this room!

I’m surprised by how easily this bright blue couch brings the living room together.

A simple paint job makes this dining space crisp and modern.

Finally, my favorite. How scandinavian-chic; a natural wooden dining table painted bright blue!

How are you seeing cobalt blue used? I’d love to see more great finds!

I’m going headboard CRAZY

I have overlooked the value of a headboard ever since I wanted to redo my own room. I constantly was looking for ways to disguise a bed frame and toss the headboard. But lately I have noticed how effective a headboard can be at bringing a bedroom together as one sophisticated, put-together room.

I love the shape of this headboard and how regal it makes the bedroom look!

This geometrical tufted headboard from Urban Outfitters gives such a masculine effect to the bed. The dark rich wooden slab below would also help add masculinity to a bedroom.

DIY headboards seem to be all the rage lately, and I’ve seen so many that come across as tacky. I think these do a pretty good job of looking unique but also fun and cohesive to the space.

an old fence painted halfway across

the oh so trendy pallet DIY

a huge metal “medallion” look turned into a headboard/art piece

fabric upholstered on wood to add a whimsy, fun detail.

There are also many ways of reinventing the headboard!

This pink divider screen displays pictures and clothes while functioning as a sunblock to the sleeper!

I like how this headboard is wider than the bed, and encompasses the nightstand.

Inverted Shelving in the wall provides more storage space and visual appeal to an otherwise square, white room.

The detail on this metal headboard adds dimension with its shadows to the white of the walls and floors.

And finally, one of my favorite bedroom inspirations! The whole room is blue, from floor to wall to bedspread to headboard, yet it’s eclectic and gorgeous! I love the studding around the edge of the nontraditional semi-circular headboard.

Use these ideas to spruce up your space, and show me what DIY headboards you have come up with!

My Art

Hello followers! I’m so excited to tell you that I have opened an Etsy shop! This website is so cool; you can look at different original artwork, clothes, jewelry, and crafts from people all around the world. Then if you love it you can buy the item at usually very reasonable prices. My favorite part is seeing how talented, original, and creative some “no name” artists are out there!

These are a few of my random canvas paintings that I’m selling

I also have my butterfly wall art for sale on my page. I decided to sell them in black too!

These are some of my favorite things I have seen on etsy. Freya does amazing marker and pen drawings. They are whimsical, unique, but awesome, and she is so young!

 Claire Elsaesser also does really amazing paintings with characteristically thick strokes. They are so realistic but so beautiful! I want to own one someday

Finally, these prints in The Aestate, an etsy page owned by Jessica Rowe, are so bold and beautiful! I like the lips one for an adult girl’s bathroom wall.

Go to Etsy and look around! I have been fancying some jewelry and iphone cases from so many artists. Check out Freya, Claire, and Jessica’s pages (links above if you click on their names!) as well as mine and purchase something!

Love always,

Madelyn

Fall is Here, Fall is Here!

As we’re transitioning from fall quickly to winter (it snowed in Indiana two days ago.. and before that it was 70 degrees outside…) I decided to post some pictures of cold weather street style & fashion ideas! I love the red pants and leather pants, especially with a bright color punch in a scarf or jacket!

Here’s a couple images of stuff I have worn lately, all fall inspired!

oops how did he get in there? hehe

Love Always,

Madelyn

As promised..

I said months ago that I would do some renovations of furniture and my room, and I am FINALLY getting around to showing them off. DIY done!

I transformed this free desk

 

into this with some paint!

I cut butterflies out of paint chips (I first made a paper template then traced it over and over….) & from some inspiration from tumblr, I folded them in half and put them on my wall w sticky tack!

tumblr inspiration

close up of my wall

I’m actually in a butterfly obsession phase..I was even one for Halloween & painted my face.

I also painted a huge bulletin board my mom found at a thrift store. It hangs above my small bookshelf filled with books I have read/want to read. I love finding really old first publications of my favorite books, like this one in its original cover of The Catcher in The Rye.

I covered the board in inspiring prints and images & things I have collected, like IU Basketball Tickets, a ticket from the Ben Folds Five concert I went to in October, & even the Coldplay concert in Chicago over the summer!

Have any of you made/painted anything recently to inspire you? Share with me!

Love,

Madelyn

Skirts & Stripes

Looking through my pins & tumbles lately, I realized I post a lot of pictures of stripes and skirts. So I gathered up all the posts I could find of a fashion trend I think will be big this spring and summer. Boost your wardrobe combining your maxi, a-line, pencil, and mini skirts with a simple striped top!

What do you think? Send me pictures of you wearings this adorable, simple outfit!

Love always,

Madelyn

Bedroom Makeover

Guess who is moving into an apartment this summer? After living in a teeny dorm freshman year at IU, then renting an older house in Bloomington for my sophomore year, (and as cute as the little bungalow may be) I am ready for some easier college living. Our house right now is 3 bedroom, 1 bath. For three girls, this just does not cut it. The new apartment will have 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and…. TWO CLOSETS EACH! It’s the little things.

Enough of my rambling. I’m doing some DIY projects to revamp my bedroom for next year. Let me enlighten you first with my quick Illustrator inspiration board.

I hope to make a lot of things I have found courtesy of Pinterest. Click on the links to get directions to make your own, and I’ll keep you updated on my DIY status!

1. a vanity (desk gifted free from a family member of my brother’s-in-law, which I will paint white & hopefully find a really cute decorative mirror)…(or frame a cheap mirror).

2. a chandelier (made from a hanging wire basket, Mardi Gras beads, and some spray paint)

3. A perfume display like this here (since I collect perfume bottles & the collection is growing)

4. Paint my trunk (I got it at goodwill for $20 but the color doesn’t really fit with my color scheme of light pastels)

5. paint my dressers (one big, for the room. One small, for the closet. Both white, because I’m into the “all white” thing right now.)

6. make-up brush holders & soap dispenser (from Ball jars)

Look back later when I have updates on my step-by-step projects. I hope to tackle the desk first, & the little makeup brushes & dispenser are easy so they’ll come last. Comment/email me at msfry@indiana.edu to give me updates on your own DIY projects, especially if you tackle the ones listed above!

xoxo,
Madelyn

Paper Lace Doily Lamp

Back from Christmas Break and still not tired of crafting from ideas on Pinterest! Nevermind my project in Interior Architecture to design a chair out of cardboard to hold a person…I’m making lamps instead. I’m so good with time management Anywho, I saw this doily lamp and have been dying to make it. So, finally, I remembered to take step by step pictures & instructions to show you how I made it and how readers can make them too!

(original picure found on DOS family that startled my inspiration.)

I remembered the project when I was walking through the dollar section at Target here in Bloomington. I swear I’ve spent more money in those aisles than in any other part of the store. (Okay let’s be serious that’s not true, though I did just snag this Missoni Ottoman for $12 at Target the other day.) I was looking at their cute Valentine’s Day decorations and found these paper doilies for $1 for a pack of 20. I bought 6 packs in both red and white and brought them home to my roommate Leah who also wanted to do this craft. The original calls for actual crocheted doilies, which I’m sure are a lot more expensive and hard to find. I prayed these paper ones would work just the same.

Next, my other roommate Nicole & I headed to the Dollar Store to find big round punch balloons, which form the the “mold” that the lamp is made from. It took us at least half an hour before we found them, right next to traditional balloons which I figured I’d buy incase I wanted to make smaller lamps too.

To begin this project, you blow up the balloon and hang it by a string a bit below eye level (to make it easier to hold onto and glue onto). I hung mine from the ceiling fan pull strings in the dining room. Then, to make the adhesive, you can either use wallpaper glue which they advised in the tutorial (though I’m guessing that’s because they needed more heavy duty glue for their fabric lace doilies), or use my wallet-friendly/conserving method of mixing a little bit of elmers glue with water so it becomes a liquidy form. This conserves glue (that I need for class projects) and also makes it a lot easier to coat each paper doily with a paintbrush. I tried sugar starch, and I do NOT advise it because it takes forever to dry, makes the paper fragile and watery, and really just does not try in the same effect.)

Next, you take a paintbrush, put a little watery glue on the balloon, but the doily on top, then coat the whole thing with a layer of glue just enough so that it sticks flat to the surface. If you want to coat it thickly, be careful. This method will ensure that the paper doily doesn’t fall off, but it also can make the doily rip from all the wetness and takes longer to dry.

When adding additional doilies, make sure you’re overlapping them at least on the corners to make sure that when it all dries, there are no gaping holes that prevent the lamp from maintaining a circular shape. Also, make sure to leave a whole big enough for a light bulb at the top of the balloon so that if you do want to hang it from a light cord, you can.

After you’ve finished covering the whole balloon, allow to dry completely, still hanging. I would occasionally push my fingers on the blank spaces of the balloon once it was nearly dry to make sure that the paper wasn’t sticking to the balloon anymore. That way, when it pops, the doilies don’t shrink with the balloon itself.

Once finally dry, you’re ready to pop the balloon and pull the remnants out through the opening at the top. Then hang it alone with a string or hang it from a light cord so that the spaces in the doilies make cool light patterns on the walls.

Here is one of my balloons in its final product. I hope to make more later.

DIY Weekend

Since our discovery of Pinterest and our avid do-it-yourself pins, my two sisters and I (with the help of Mama Fry of course) definitely delved into some projects over Christmas break.

From abeautifulmess.typepad.com, Amanda and I made our other sister Julie and her husband Chris paint chip art animal photos, fitting the theme of her future nursery. With a lot of modge podge, a little bit of animal drawing, and a lot of paint chip cutting, we were able to make these framed bright accent pictures to add to the nursery they’re renovating. (Pictures to come on their nursery Chris is hard at work over.)

(the original version)

(The version Amanda & I made for Julie & Chris)

(The version Amanda & I made for my parents)

 

Amanda made me a similar modge podged canvas panel using a motivational quote, fabric paint, and modge podge. It’s adorable and hanging in my house at IU. My roommates love it too =)

I found this little gem on Pinterest, fitting my best friend Nicole’s Harry Potter love. It’s a golden snitch ornament made from a cheap gold ornament, cut-out cardboard wings, and LOTS of gold glitter. After finishing it, I felt just like a Seaker! ha. This is her version, but mine looks similar, minus the paint swirls. I forgot to take a picture. #bloggerfail.

Now the final project was a doozy. Seriously we had a lot of problems figuring out what side to put the fabric on, etc. I’m getting ahead of myself. Julie is going to a baby shower and, I quote, “had so much pint up energy from all her Pinterest posts that she had to do something crafty.” She came up with this idea mostly by herself! She bought onesies and hoped to find a baby tool box set to put the onesies in. The creative part was introduced by making cut-out fabric tools and putting them on the onesies, aka “daddy’s little helper.” I did some step by step instructions…for the most part.

Step 1. Draw the tools. I tried to make the outlines of them a little cartoonish. Then backside down, put the outline (I drew it on paper first) on the fabric.

Step 2. Cut along the edges to cut out the shape of the tool (so that now the tool outline is of fabric, to be sewn on the onesie.) Then we used Wonder Under adhesive to make the tool patterns “iron-ons.” For this you put the fabric onto the bumpy side of the Wonder Under & then iron it, and they’re stuck together!

Step 3. Once we got the tools “stuck” to the onesie with the Wunder Under, all that was left was the sewing. My mom used her sewing skills and added a zig zag white stitch to attach the tool to the onesie permanently.

The outcome is an adorable gift in my opinion (Mom wished we would have gone out and bought them, but what’s the fun in that?) Julie used to work in a basket company in high school, so she’s putting her cellophane skills to the task and wrapping the gift up all nice and pretty. So proud of our crafty family.

Check out my pinterest board, http://pinterest.com/madelynsfry/ and get cool ideas for DIY projects, fashion, interior design, and more!

This Room for Less!

I love this room I found on the blog myidealhome.tumblr.com and I decided I wanted to figure out if I could redo this room for cheap, a la Sabrina Soto from HGTV. So, I’m on a mission to find each piece at an affordable price! (I did it all for under $1000). Perhaps as a college student this room could feel a little more at reach. Here goes!

MAIN FURNITURE

The couch is the biggest piece, which I found one similar to at IKEA for $399 (Ektorp sofa)

The coffee table is also from IKEA, Lack coffee table for $20

The Louis upholstered accent chair to the right of the sofa is like this one from Walmart, called the Wildon Home Vernon Chair for $126!

The side tables are of mirror and gold detail, which are details also found in this Jules Large Accent Table from Crate and Barrel for $300

or as an alternative this mirrored table from Target for $80 (which is sitting in my home right now, except I got it at Goodwill for $42)

ACCESSORIES

The lamps on the side tables I found at pottery barn for $129, called the Gemma Milk-Glass Table Lamp

Sun-shaped wall art found at Pier One Imports for $100

The pillows I found at Target, the first on sale for $10, Embroidered Toss Pillow, then the second Target Home Outdoor Toss Pillows for $25 in a set of two that has a similar design as the rug.

 

This rug from Walmart is in the same color pallet as the rug in the picture, and starts at only $50! This one is called America Millennium Toronto Blue Rug.

Here’s a trick I saw through Pinterest to making gold vases, cups, bowls on your own! Love a good DIY project. Check out instructions here

To pull the whole look together, stack thick architectural or artist books on the coffee table, adorn the vases with flowers (or get some fake ones at the craft store). Hang your own artwork or clippings from magazines on the walls, and settle in! I love how this room is cozy and chic. Like fashion, I love things to be beautiful and comfortable…oh and affordable too. =)