Family Room

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
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It's has taken me the better part of two days to finish this project, and it was much like a blooper reel, I'm sure, to have seen this unfold. To say that I struggled would be a major understatement but... you guys... this is the first time I have ever used a Silhouette and believe me, it was apparent through each and every step! Eek.

At long last, I finished this cute little addition to our family room and I learned a ton along the way! At least you all won't suffer much when it's your turn to give this a whirl... there is something to be said for that. Believe me...

So let's get into the wwwww.... oh and one of you lucky folks will be going home with your very own Silhouette Portrait! Sqeeeeee... Aren't you so excited? I posted the giveaway here, so click on over to enter, yay!

Please bear with me through this crazy maze of instructions, and know that the images don't coincide directly with some of the ultimate results. This is because many of the details I was able to photograph were midstream or before I decided to scrap the whole thing for the 3rd time and change it entirely. The details remain the same, but the appearance may get wonky throughout.

Also we are going to begin at the very beginning of using a Silhouette machine and this is because I learned much that might have been helpful to know from the start and I couldn't find any exact instructions along these lines. Now there will be something helpful for those of you in my situation! 

Let's dive right into the chaos, shall we? So the first thing you will need to do is set up your image or text in the Silhouette Studio. Now as you will see in the next couple of steps, the guides for where your paper should sit, aren't exactly accurate so you will want to be sure your image or text sits down 1/2" from the top of the 'paper' edge on your screen. Likewise, it should sit up about 1" from the bottom of what appears to be the 'paper' edge. and at least 1/2" in from either side. If you keep your image within those boundaries, you will have better luck when you start to cut! 

Once your image is set you will need to get it ready to send to Silhouette and you will have to choose a few settings to make this thing function properly.

First you will want to choose chipboard from the dropdown of paper/item type. If you don't have that option (as I didn't) you can choose custom OR you can choose heavy cardstock paper weight and make sure your cutting blade level is at a 6. Now, if you do have the chipboard option, it will set your level to a 7, but if you have never used your machine, mat and blade before...this will cut right through your brand new surface and leave you with a mat that is a bit crazy. So start with a 6 to be safe. You can simply adjust the number using the little arrow buttons. 

Also, if you haven't cut anything with your machine before, stick an extra piece of chipboard or cardstock to your mat and peel it off to de-sticky it a tad. Mine was so sticky at first that it ruined my cuts. 

Once you have your level set to a 6, you will need to trim down your chipboard so it will feed through the machine properly. I removed about 3" from the width of the chipboard and stuck it onto my mat, centered and lined up with the guides on the mat. 

Once your chipboard is on your mat, you will want to center the mat between the white roller wheels on the bar in your machine. This will make sure your page goes through properly. 

The image above shows what happens when you don't add that extra clearance for your image (the 1/2" extra bit of margin I suggested earlier). Eek. 

Now let's chat about your blade. That cute little thing above has markings around the white portion with numbers. When I mentioned you want to set your screen setting to a level 6, this also means you need to adjust the actual blade accordingly. To do this, use the gray cap that comes with your blade, or the hole on the front of the machine to set your blade and then turn to adjust where the red marker aligns. Once it's set for 6, you are good to go according to the blade directions and set up instructions. Unfortunately my blade still wasn't cutting. After chatting with support for an entire day, it turns out that I can make the blade cut by removing the teeny tiny top portion of that white cap (which the instructions say to remove for cleaning and then replace). It seems as though it is supposed to sty on, but my blade doesn't stick out far enough for that to work, so I simply left it off. I am sure I am ruining my machine or something devastating, but I tried 2 blades with the same results and 2 blades in 2 different packages can't both be defective... so my thought is that a new safety measure perhaps, is a bit too safe? Not sure, but this is the story I am sticking too! 

This is what it looks like with this little piece removed. You simply unscrew it by turning it counter clockwise. 

Voila she cuts... and then if your mat is too sticky, she doesn't come off. Double eek.. 

At this point I figured perhaps the sticky mat and the chipboard dont mix and I should just send the chipboard through without the mat... wrong... that sucker got crazy and folded over on itself and made a horrid horrid mess. No, you need that mat to keep the small cut sections from lifting, but you need that mat to just be a little less sticky, which it was after my first incident with my cuts not coming off properly. Another problem accidentally solved... after I spent 30 minutes trying to scrape the residual chipboard off, of course! 

Finally after I adjusted my margins, used a less sticky mat, adjusted my blade to a 6 so it didn't cut all the way through, removed that cap from the blade and re ran that sucker through... everything worked properly! And then I decided it was too small... womp womp womp. 

Back to the drawing board, and I don't have pictures of these steps since by this time it was nearly midnight but I will happily suggest you paint any of your pieces prior to removing them from the mat. This just makes things easier... 

Ultimately I was able to fit 2 hello images per sheet and I cut a total of 6 to layer and give it dimension. This isn't necessary if you are making a banner in the traditional sense, but I was of course moving to the beat of a different drum... 

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
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UPDATE: This contest is now closed and a winner has been drawn at random. Check below to see if it's you! If you would like to purchase any of the bundles listed below, you can do so with a discount by entering CONFIDENTIAL at checkout! Yahoo

I am excited to bring you all an amazing giveaway today and a promotional bundle of deals for those of you who prefer to buy your way to bliss! Silhouette just came out with a new product... Chipboard! I know, right? For those of you who like banners and anything with glitter, chipboard is the stuff for you! And for those of you who like to win big, one of you will be going home with a new Silhouette Portrait... Sqeeeeeee... I know, right? Could you die? Yahoo. I will be back in just a bit with a project showing you how to use this cool stuff... stay tuned!! 

There are three bundles available to TDC readers which you can take advantage of by visiting www.silhouetteamerica.com/chipboard and entering promo code "CONFIDENTIAL" at checkout by May 15, 2013:

1)  1 pack of chipboard, 1 $25 download card for $19.99


2)  1 Silhouette Portrait™, 1 pack of chipboard, 1 grey dust cover, 1 $25 download card for $129.99

3)  1 Silhouette CAMEO®, 1 pack of chipboard, 1 natural dust cover, 1 $25 download card for $269.99

And now for the even more exciting part? Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter to win your very own Silhouette Portrait from Silhouette! The giveaway ends at midnight just before May 13, 2013 (so on May 12 basically) and a winner will be drawn at random and notified via email! 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
Project Image

Is it just me or do any of you folks have those projects that haunt you... plague ridden with problems from the start? This was one of those projects for me, but luckily it was only because we were in the middle of a move and I didn't have the proper tools I truly needed to complete this project with ease. 

I can't stress how much the 'right' tools are the make and break of a project, the true determining factor of a project's ultimate success or utter failure, outside of the more obvious potential design flaws that are a definite possibility with some of my hair brained ideas. What can I say, I'm a dreamer, and some of my creative endeavors speak volumes to that fact. This was not one of those failed whimsical projects, but it could easily have gone more smoothly and so we shall just look at this as the crash test dummy to your quick and fast DIY project and count ourselves lucky that someone had to take the bullet on that one and that it wasn't you! Yahoo!

When Wayfair and Hometalk challenged me to create something using this bad boy, I actually jumped at the chance because a) it speaks to my inner Macgyver persona and b) I kind of needed a light fixture in my family room. Would you believe I didn't notice that there wasn't one when we moved in? Yep, I'm that gal.. the oblivious one sitting in the dark... in her own family room, eek!

The challenge also included the caveat that whichever item was chosen needed to be made over using one of three themes: black and white, rope, or geometric. I actually chose two of the three themes being geometric and black and white, and obviously took some liberty with the 'white' portion of that combo...

Anyhoo, would you like to know how to make one for yourself? Yes? Ok then read on my friends.. read on...

Materials:

  • 1 - 4x6 (Lumber) at 20" or so... (this can be to your desired height)
  • Saw (or you can have your lumber supply cut this to size for you)
  • Deran Lamp Shade
  • Lamp Kit
  • Drill
  • 11/16" Spade Bit
  • Sanding Supplies and Sander
  • Duct Tape (in color of your choice)
  • Paint

Cut your lamp base (lumber) to size and create an X shape, from corner to corner, to designate the center of the post. Using your spade bit, drill a hole into the center of the top of your post. 

Drill a second hole about 4 or 5" from the top on what will be the back of your lamp base.This will be the exit point for your cord.

 

Sand your base well and begin taping the cord from your lighting kit. You will want to work in small sections so the tape is manageable and I think it's easiest to work vertically with this so you aren't wrapping the tape for days on end. 

Once your length of cord is wrapped up in a pretty little package, so to speak, it's time to paint your base and wire your lamp! 

To paint with a nice looking wash that isn't too contrived seeming, first paint with a layer of water in the designated area then use a bit of watered down paint and layer until you achieve your desired result. You can see below that I didn't drown my lamp base, I simply gave it a minimal coating of water. I wanted a bit of gradation so as I layered I also varied the height of the paint.

When your paint has dried completely you can wire your lamp! This part was tricky and I used teasers to help me collect my wires and pull them out through the top. Once you pull them through, follow the directions on your lamp kit and they should go a bit like you see in the images below. 

  • 1. Pull through your base
  • 2. Thread through bottom portion that is supposed to screw into your existing lamp base (which in this case doesn't exist).
  • 3. Tie the wires into a fancy schmancy knot according to the kit
  • 4. Wrap designated wires around the appropriate screw (silver or gold) and secure.
  • 5. Fasten the part with the switch over the top of the wires, then lock down the gold cover on top. 

All that's left at this point is to add the bulb, test that baby out and add your lamp shade. Unless of course you want to alter your lamp shade, in which case I highly recommend you use fabric and cover rather than paint, but of course I didn't do that... womp, womp, womp. 

It turned out rather nicely, after 207 coats of paint for the shade, don't you think? 

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
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UPDATE: We have a WINNER!!! Kimberly Kostiew you will be receiving an email to track you down and get your shipping info! congratulations!!

I have mentioned a couple of times, briefly, that we moved last week! Well it's a true story and our new home has an abundance of ceramic tile throughout the ground floor. In truth I have a renewed appreciation of hardwood flooring now, because you guys, tile is FREEZING! Yikes...  

So when we decided to move, one thing that was crucial in our timing was having the ability to move in over the course of a month. We generally do a move ourselves, and this requires time, unfortunately. With Easter, the SNAP conference (which I am speaking at, weeeee!) and a couple of birthdays, this 'extended move time' is even more important than ever. We were lucky enough to arrange for that, but with that comes a lag in furniture placement. Not to worry, there is always a fun solution to the 'no place to sleep' problem. Perhaps an Indoor Camp Out? Yes I think so...

When the kind folks over at Mohawk Flooring offered to send me a new SmartStrand rug, I jumped at the chance to cover this cold tile with something plush and fluffy. Even better that it worked to provide the perfect backdrop for our little adventure! Can you imagine camping out on ceramic tile? Not cool... or perhaps, too cool, as it were. For the 5 of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember me mentioning that my 'littlest dog in the world' considers rugs to be nothing short of a very large potty pad (lesson learned with potty pad training) so the fact that this rug promises permanent lifetime stain and soil resistance to kids and pets is kind of huge... ya. Otherwise my tendency is simply to avoid rugs, which is sad... so very sad, because I LOVE rugs. 

GIVEAWAY:

So guess what, one of you fabulous folks will win your own 6’ X 9’ SmartStrand bound carpet rug. Go to the contest page to enter, and be sure to select 'The Design Confidential' from the drop down menu so that you can be entered to win this particular contest that I am so excitedly hosting! SmartStrand carpet is rated #1 in consumer satisfaction… Experience it for yourself!

The contest starts Monday, March 18th and ends April 8th, so go enter here now. Please see the registration page for legal rules.

Why yes that is a vintage copy of Lord of The Flies... and why of course that is entirely appropriate reading material for a 5 year old (parenting genius here, folks...). Thankfully he can't read and has no idea of the actual subject matter of his favorite book. It might make the indoor camp out into something different entirely, and not in a good way? My amazing little monster mash guy lovingly refers to this book as FaceBook, given the large face on the cover of the book, and decidedly checks in several times a day to his 'FaceBook', just to see what's happening in the world. Just love this kid... 

All was quiet on the western front with our fun little pretend adventure and so far no spills, stains, or other ephemera to deal with! Be sure to enter the giveaway, I promise you will want this prize! 

DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Mohawk Flooring for sponsoring today's discussion and giveaway! 

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
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Isn't he gorgeous? I just adore his quirky retro vibe and his colors... I feel like he needs a name, but haven't decided what that should be! 

I found him during my recent adventure at Denio's and fell instantly in love. In fact he was one of the first things I brought to the new house! Yep, did I mention we moved? Ya, that happened. I can't wait to show you around the new place, but for now I shall tease you a bit and show you my new boyfriend above and a very limited sneak peak at of the place we now call home!

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
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Last year my family room acted as our Christmas headquarters (you can see that here), unlike this year for which my living room was definitely ground zero... Even though I didn't stage the occasion in the family room I still managed to get a few decorations up, thanks mostly to my partnership with The Home Depot and my seasonal crafty projects for them (see here and here)! 

You can see that aside from the 2 trees from 2011, not a whole lot changed for this year in this room's holiday decor. I'm still loving the blue, and perhaps next year I might even get one of these fabulous trees up again! Penn will be 1 by then, so perhaps I will have time (not likely...)!

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
Project Image

Last year I didn't put up my standard big tree in the living room, because I simply didn't have time. I was frantic the entire month of November preparing for a live tv segment I was doing, for my local News 10 channel. Throw in the actual holidays themselves (Thanksgiving hosted at my house) and my monster mash boy Blake's birthday (also at my house) and you have one frazzled mommy blogger on crack. Ya true story...

The segment I did was on budget friendly holiday decor and I created 3 mini trees each decorated in a different color scheme. Once the segment aired I was so burned out on holiday decor that I quite literally brought the trees home and plopped them on my dining room table... all 3 of them... and I ended up loving the mini tree on the table set up so much I repeated it this year for no other reason than that I wouldn't have to rearrange furniture to fit the ginormous tree of yesteryear! yahoo...

This mini tree in shades of green is what we used for our main tree and where I put all of our family gifts. Of course I am neurotic about my decor so all of the gift wrap matches the tree... I even used a few unconventional items for wrapping this year including an old map and some fabulous printed wrapping paper I found here. It really brought the whole spread together nicely, which you can see in the images, and gave the gifts some fabulous visual interest. yay...

Stay tuned for more holiday decor from this year to come, and my holiday card to all of you (late of course)... what can I say... 

Being a brand new mommy of 2 boys has put my schedule so far behind that it will very likely take me until the end of the first week, of the new year, to finish sharing all of our Christmas adventures, but hopefully you don't hold it against me. #newbornbabymamadrama

Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
Project Image

Rustic Thankful Trees were a big craft hit this Fall season, and I for one love the idea... but alas, we live in a relatively newly developed suburban area surrounded by moo cows. That means there aren't any fabulous cut or fallen branches to be had...unless of course you want to behead your lovely backyard specimens (not likely). 

When I found the perfect solution and a most fabulous bit of inspiration at The Home Depot, I pretty much did a little happy dance... There is nothing more frustrating than wanting to create something, that you simply can't find the ingredients for. 

So for those of you who are in the same boat I am, or just want to take things up a notch and move your rustic trees to the next level... I give you my LED Rustic Holiday Tree, perfect for thankful thoughts, holiday wishes, and just general all around wondrousness (ya pretty sure that's a word, innit?).

Before I dive right in to how I made this beauty, I would like to share a bit about The Home Depot Fall Style Guide, since I'm an official member of their blogger network, and this project was brought to you by those kind and fabulously stylish folks.. yahoo

To check out fabulous fall (and now holiday) inspiration and generally amazing room decor ideas, visit the The Home Depot Fall Style Guide

  • The Home Depot Style Guides give you a dose of seasonal inspiration and know-how. Check out the best projects, trends and colors year round.
  • Download the latest Style Guide to enter your best Holiday Décor for the chance to win $1,000 GC to The Home Depot
  • Sarah Fishburne, The Home Depot’s Director of Trend and Design, highlights ways to incorporate seasonal trends into your home in The Home Depot Fall Style Guide.
  • Subscribe to the Style Guide and get updates each time a new edition is released. Plus, you'll get exclusive Home Depot savings, offers, how-to project ideas and much more.
  • Make the fall season your own with The Home Depot Style Guide app. Find the latest home improvement projects, design ideas, décor trends, budget-friendly updates and more. Easily browse, share and shop this magazine so you can start enjoying your space faster.
  • Wreaths aren’t just for Christmas anymore. They’re finding their way from the front door to practically every room of the house. And when you’re creating a wreath to celebrate the season or a special occasion, you’re only limited by your imagination. Find wreath ideas in The Home Depot Fall Style Guideto welcome the harvest season.
  • Create your home’s oasis with the latest trends in kitchen and bathroom décor by using muted, natural hues that sing to warm, cozy spaces, or metal finishes that make your home sparkle. You don’t have to leave summer behind when blending in fall’s best colors.
  • The Home Depot Fall Style Guide shows how optical illusions can make any room seem just the right size while adding a festive touch to your décor inside, and preparing the space outside.

​But first let me share a bit of my project with you before you go skipping away...

...And now back to our previously scheduled programming and a bit about how I made this fab specimen! It was oh so easy!

I began this project with 4 items: an urn, a package of yard decorations, assorted zip ties (see my wreath project for details on those), and a bag of small gravel. I could have used sand as well but I have a sandbox loving monster mash kiddo so that was a no go...can you imagine the mess, eek!  

I mean...do you see this face? It has trouble written all over it. 

I added a bit of gravel to the urn, just enough to give my 'tree' a leg to stand on and allow it to stand up a bit.

To create my 'tree' I simply bundled all three yard picks together in varying heights and zip ties them in 3 spots. Easy peasy...

I separated out the cord that links the picks together from the cord that plugs in and simply wrapped the cord that links around the bundled tree picks to keep things under wrap.

Then I stuck my bundle into the gravel and filled it the rest of the way up, making sure to keep the cord that plugs in, running out the back of the urn.

That's it folks... super easy and extra all quick like... don't you adore a fast craft? I do!

Disclosure Language:

The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me for their Fall Style Guide Blog Network. As part of this program, I received compensation for my time. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Beating the Heat

06|06|12
Submitted by RyTurner / The Design Confidential
Project Image

As I mentioned in this post, with baby on the way, not many 'actual' projects have been getting done around here... But, I have been doing my fair share of shopping in the meantime. Gal's gotta keep busy, right? One of the many problem areas of my home is the extreme heat we face in the backyard each summer. With temperatures in my regions climate starting to climb, this has been a looming concern for the last couple of months. 

Since we are currently renting our casa, building a permanent structure, like this, is out of the question. With the occasionally very windy day, a ready-made version of a gazebo, like this, becomes problematic as well, not to mention our patio is just a tad too large for one to suffice, and so there's that... We would need 2 and really have no way to secure them adequately. 

The cantilevered umbrella seems to be a very viable option except that the price point puts most of them well beyond reach and I still need 2 to provide enough shade to make the backyard sufferable. 

Then I found these gorgeous specimens at IKEA... Sold! $200 for a pair, plus the cost of pavers to provide proper weight for the bases, about $16, and I am still coming in at a fraction of the cost of just one cantilevered umbrella from another retailer! Score! 

Ask me how long it took me to send the hubs down to the nearest IKEA to get these beauties? About 5 seconds... yep! done and done! I chose the white variety since the fabric is washable and I think white tenting and umbrellas look quite resort-chic... LOVE them. 

Note

This post brought to you by solar PV systems

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