{diy project: watercolor words}

Watercolor Words Tutorial

This morning I have a little tutorial on how to make this watercolor words print:

I can't take credit for this project. I was browsing Pinterest & came across the project. It linked me back to this blog. All credit goes to Katy!

Here's what you need:

The hardest part of this project is deciding what to write! Dylan requested "hello darling" & "let's run away" so I was very happy to not have to make the decision :)

First, you use a tiny paintbrush & write whatever you want with the masking fluid. It's easier to use tinted masking fluid so you can see what you wrote. {I'll also add that it doesn't need to be perfect. It'll still look great in the end!}

After letting that dry, paint over the words with the watercolor. Go back & forth with your strokes. {If you're feeling particularly crafty, I suggest painting it ombré, as opposed to just one shade.}

Once the watercolor is completely dry, peel off the masking fluid. You can gently rub it with your fingertips to get it off or use tweezers.

Voilà! So easy, & yet it makes such a beautiful product.

I copied Katy on the one below & made a print for my cousin Violet.

Happy Monday!

{in bloom}

I have lots going on this week, so please excuse the radio silence. Right after I hit "publish" I'm off to sand three pieces of furniture. They're getting the ole redo :) I'll be sure to take lots of photos of the progress & update you all here!

Last week I went out to my front yard & took some pictures of all of the flowers that have been blooming. I couldn't handle how pretty everything looked! Our courtyard is one of my favorite things about this house. I thought I'd share a few...

Happy Wednesday!

{my sister's east village room}

Like I said on Tuesday, I went to NYC this past weekend to cover my sister's white, bare walls in her bedroom. I first painted this canvas & then got together all of the frames & photos I could find. I showed up to NYC with plenty of options.

The space above her bed is about five feet in length, so we didn't want to cram too many things up there. But we wanted it to be mismatched & each piece to have meaning.

Dylan chose a few & we laid everything on the carpet. After a few let's move this here, no here etc, etc, we finally came up with this:

Well, this layout actually changed a bit. But we had the general idea of what to do.

& just to explain a bit, the photo to the right is of lightening. I found it under my bed at home. We tried for twenty minutes to switch the picture, but we couldn't figure out how to disassemble the darn frame. Lol. I'm Miss DIY & I couldn't figure it out! I'm still a bit annoyed, but Dylan ended up keeping it because it's a cool photo. The other picture is of our adorable sister {who turned the big NINE last Saturday!}, the three sisters, & four polaroids in a frame.

Then we headed into the bedroom, grabbed a hammer & nails, & got to town.

Doesn't it look great? She's going to keep adding to it whenever she finds other fun pieces, but this is a perfect start!

& because her room is so cute, here's some more details...

NYC apartments = tiny tiny tiny. This IKEA wardrobe solved two problems: it gave more closet space & it doubles as a mirror. That's her hamper up on top. Lol. At least it matches? ;)

Her bedroom attaches to a little half-bathroom. LOOK AT THAT TILE. Obsessed.

I think it also goes without saying that I wanted to make-out with her exposed brick wall. Is that weird?

The whole room is totally fab. Who else wants to visit? :)

Once they have the rest of the apartment together, I'll be sure to share photos! 

{wishful wednesday}

1. I want Oscar Isaac to play the guitar & piano & sing to me.

2. Yet another summer dress I would like to have.

3. It's time for Dunkin Donuts to help a Celiac girl out, am I right?

4. I need this cord for my wireless camera remote. I think I'll need to make a trip here today.

5. What a perfect beach tote!

What's on your wish list this week?

{diy project: a canvas for my sister's room}

Like I said a few weeks ago, I've been itching to paint. So I finally made it happen.

My sister just moved into her fancy NYC apartment last weekend, & although her furniture looks great...she has no art! I hate bare walls more than white walls...& these were both. So after browsing Michaels for an hour & researching ideas online, I finally decided what to do.

I would recreate {a smaller-scale version of} this Young House Love canvas....

But with the colors of Dylan's curtains...

Pretty, right?

After picking my paint, I used a ruler to trace lines on the canvas to map out my shapes. Each line is exactly one inch apart to make things easy. Then I got to painting.

Here's the end result:

I thought it came out great! 

This was a really simple, easy, project; it just took a bit more time than I expected. But I finally itched my painting bug :)

I'll be back this week to show you what else we hung on her walls. Spoiler alert: the painting looks awesome!

{wishful wednesday}

1. This linen summer dress.

2. This beautiful Orla wallpaper.

3. I need a cute polka dot bikini.

4. Final Cut for my fancy camera videos.

5. Chic print for one of my walls.

What's on your list?