Master Bedroom Makeover

My home, like any homeowner knows, is a constant work in progress. One makeover that I truly enjoyed doing is my master bedroom. I have a three bedroom home and no children so I have had a roommate for the last few years. This makes my bedroom a pretty important place to me and I really wanted to turn it into my own oasis. Years ago I had purchased a bedding set that was King size from Macy's that I still absolutely love. It's Calvin Klein and I was very lucky to get a great deal on it! Once my old roommate moved out I wanted to do a ton of updates before my new roommate moved in and my master was top of the list. First I had to chose paint color to match my bedding and then furniture. I knew I wanted something dramatic for the walls but still have contrast with the furniture as well, so I went with a dark grey from Home Depot and IKEA's Nyvoll collection, which has unfortunately been discontinued recently. Luckily they have several new designs that can replace the Nyvoll look easily. 

These photos are from when I originally panted my room a beautiful green color and I had the MALM bedroom set in birch. I really enjoyed that room, but really needed a spare bedroom and wanted to upgrade from a full size bed to a king. 

Once we moved all of my old MALM bedroom set out and into the spare bedroom, I was able to tape and paint the walls. I chose the dramatic grey also because I have large windows that let in a lot of light. I personally would stick to light colors in darker, poorly lit rooms. 

In the painting process unfortunately little Oppenheimer (Oppie), my dachshund, tried to help a little too much and bumped his little leg against the wall! He wasn't happy that mommy thought it was funny and needed to take pictures, but he will survive! 

Be sure to always test a section of your wall first to ensure that you like your choice in wall color. I was quite happy with my gray and it definitely makes the furniture, wood work and bedding pop!

Once I got the furniture together I also purchased cheap matching lamps from Walmart and added a few decorative items to the nightstands that I've collected over the years. I also keep my leather journal right next to my bed. Journaling is so important to free your mind and let go of negative thoughts or events. 

Additionally I purchased a smart TV and mount to add above the dresser. I'm not completely satisfied with the decorative items on the dresser, and I really would like to add some plants and possibly something above the TV. I also need to install a cover for the cable that dangles form behind. 

Finally I added two fur rugs from IKEA that I've had for several years, which I'll eventually sew together. My only other goals I still have for this room is adding a mirror and white window treatments to the two over sized windows. Cheers!

Mardi Gras Masks

So for Mardi Gras this year, I will be traveling to St. Louis for some fun festivities! I decided to make a mask for myself, which turned into making three. First You will need plaster cloth, Vasoline, sandpaper, plaster, paint brushes, cotton balls, cardboard masks with straps, black, white, and gold acrylic paint, glitter glue sticks, white fabric paint, a hot glue gun, and feathers/a feather piece.

I started by making mine first, which I made to contour my face. Be sure to pull your hair back and cover the area you are plastering with Vaseoline. Using plaster cloth strips. Dip them in water and apply to your face. Be sure to rub the plaster with your finger tips, so that it fills in as much as possible, creating a smooth, more seamless look.

Next, allow it to dry and then remove by wiggling your face. It isn't too difficult to remove. Once removed allow it to set before going back over with plaster to remove and further cover imperfections. This is done by adding water to the plaster and then using fairly quickly (it sets in 20 minutes).  You know it's beginning to set when the material warms up. I applied my plaster using a brush and cotton balls. The cotton balls help smooth out any brush stroke lines.

 

 Also, if you missed any areas like I did under the eye, just cut off a small piece of cardboard (I used a piece of an ear that I cut off the cardboard masks I purchased) and attach it with more cloth plaster. Then repeat the same process to smooth it out. 

Next you will want to begin shaping your mask. I did this by standing in front of a mirror and drawing the areas I wanted to cut off. I used small scissors for cuticles to cut out the eyes and edges. I used an Exacto knife to poke out the wholes for the straps (just poke and twist gently). You generally want the wholes directly to the sides of the eyes. After shaping it's time to sand. This helps remove any other flaws in the surface and gives it a more finished look. 

The fun part is definitely the design though. For this I drew the design directly on the mask and then began painting. For the gold trim I used white fabric paint (gold would have been easier), that I then painted gold with acrylic paint. To fill in the glittered area I just used a glitter stick and then placed some of the glitter glue on my index finger to smear over the rest of the mask. This helps hide imperfections, especially on an all white surface. For the trim I added a line of the gold acrylic paint and then glued the feather piece on to add some flair. 

After finishing my mask I decided to make two more with the cardboard cutouts I had purchased. They had ears on them so I cut them off and used the cardboard as a base for the plaster. To get them to set in the shape of a face I placed them between two weighted boxes to crest a bowing effect. Finally I drew out an different pattern and painted the two extra masks the same way. 

Cheers! DIY Fun Wine Glass Project

This week I worked on two projects and one was a mini-project for my mother. I normally get her tulips for Valentine's day, but this year I decided to save some money and be a little more creative. I recently purchased new wine glasses and only had three of my old glasses left so I wasn't sure what to do with them. It dawned on me that my mother doesn't have anything casual for wine, only crystal or port glasse, so I decided to personalize my old glasses for her! I searched Pinterest for the easiest ways of doing this and found a few examples using Sharpie's. I adjusted and personalized my designs and this is the end result. Be sure to bake your glasses for 30 minute at 350 degrees and let them cool in the oven. The Sharpie shouldn't wash off, but I would personally only handwash them to be on the safe side.

I purchased a set of Gold, Bronze, and Silver Sharpie's from Walmart.

Here are the end results. My only concern or disappointment with this project is when the light shines directly through the writing you can see that it's not professionally done. I may try this again with Enamel Paint to ensure full coverage. On a good note, the bronze base made the dot detail much more visible once I covered the bottom of the glass. Cheers!

Casual Valentine's Day Work Outfit

Today I went with a casual outfit again, but wanted to make sure I had my red on. It's still pretty cold here in KC, so I've been trying to wear my boots and slacks as much as I can before it warms up. Always a silver lining to even cold weather.



American Apparel- Viscose Dolman Sleeve T in lipstick
Limited- Exact Stretch Skinny pants in black
House of Harlow- necklace
Marc by Marc Jacobs- Classic Q Natasha in black
Nine West- black boots

Navy and Blue Work Outfit

Zara- navy sweater

Old Navy- wrap-front jersey dress in blue geometric 

House of Harlow- gold locket

H&M- 4-pack bracelets in gold

Steve Madden- Intyce in cognac leather 

Living Room in Progress

Hi, my name is Amy and I'm new to this whole blogging concept. I have several hobbies that I thought would be fun to share. One being style and the other being interior design. I additionally enjoy running, working out, art, and cooking. I personally like to mix high and low things and am a sucker for a deal. Hopefully you will enjoy some of my posts. I'm hoping that slowly they will improve! Enjoy! 

Casual Work Day