I've been sitting on it for far too long. I'm going to allow this holiday season to be what spurs me on.
JUST ANNOUNCED on the BodiceGoddess Facebook page!
I'm looking at a Grand Re-Opening of BodiceGoddess on Etsy sometime this fall (probably November)! Folks here on FB will be the first to know. I'm looking at doing more upcycled shrugs, scarves, and possibly hair fascinators or pillows. What do you all think?
I'll also be doing a giveaway here on Facebook and my blog as soon as I reopen. Stay tuned!
My Etsy shop has, until now, simply been an outlet for my crocheting habit. While I will keep it that way, I've been doing a lot of experimenting with upcycling while the shutters have been closed, and I've learned a lot. I think it's time to come in from the cold, or rather, supply items to those going out in it.
I've been inspired by a lot of Etsy users and other designers, and I'm excited to get started again!
What do you think?
22 September 2010
16 September 2010
Sincere Flattery: How I Met Your Mother
Inspired by Etsy's "Get the Look Decor" series on The Storque, and design*sponge's "Living In" series on their blog, and my own proclivities, I've decided to put together my own series. I'm calling it "Sincere Flattery," because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Considering how stoked I am about the How I Met Your Mother season 6 premiere next Monday (on CBS, 7pm Central), I've decided to cover something that's near and dear to my heart: Ted's kitchen.
My own kitchen experiences have been varied: growing up, it was a small, and then a large gathering place when my family moved. In college, kitchen design was never an option (though we did get new cabinetry my senior year). Since college, I've had one medium-sized kitchen, followed by two small galleys. I've been jealous of Ted's kitchen since I first saw the show.
First off, props to the set dressers for making Ted's kitchen look like something people actually use. It's cluttered, but not terribly so. It's full, and not staged, which is nice. I'd rather look at a kitchen from a TV show than a kitchen from a home design magazine any day of the week.
The first thing that strikes me is how huge this kitchen looks! In "reality", it's not huge at all. It's as regular as a kitchen in a rental unit can be - not a whole lot of counter space, a mild and neutral color palette, non-matching appliances - and yet, the renters have made it their home.
Now, where to get started...
Color
Neutrals, but we've covered that. I'll do my best to match the Behr or Dutch Boy paint colors - they're the brands I'm the most familiar with, have the coolest names, and have proven themselves through my use and through legitimate vouches (the painters on Holmes on Homes use Behr). The colors that I've found that most closely match are:
Behr's Antique White is perfect for the cabinets, while Toffee Bar is a great complement for the wall color.
The Floor
The floor appears to be something very simple - vinyl floor tile. I've been seeing it make a resurgence in recent years, since it's typically an inexpensive material, it's durable, and it's easy to replace if need be. Black and white checkered is a classic pattern that never goes out of style.
The Countertop
1) It matches the floor... mostly.
2) There isn't much of it.
White tile with a black edge is a very clean look. The colors match the floor, and make a nice break in the room. These countertops are something I'm incredibly used to - rental unit, not a whole lot of counter space. After using up that corner for storage, they really only have the area in front of the pass-through (to the left)
The Cabinets
Obviously painted - and Behr's Antique White is the best choice. The other things to notice are the hardware, the fronts, and the backs.
Since cabinet hardware can sometimes be one of the most expensive parts of a renovation, I'm going to the old trusty sources for inexpensive hardware.
IKEA's KOSING are nice, round knobs in a chrome. Granted, the knobs in Ted's kitchen are black, but chrome is another accent in the lighting, so it wouldn't be out of the question.
Target - believe it or not - carries decent cabinet hardware as well. Their Amerock Colonial knobs in black match the kitchen pretty perfectly, and are about a dollar a piece ($3.99 for a 4-pack).
The lower cabinets have a full front, however, the upper cabinets have a nice glass front. I'm all for this idea. It looks like they use their upper cabinets for food storage (check out the iconic Campbell's soup labels above the dishwasher), and this strategy would definitely force you to keep your cabinets more organized and good-looking. Also, having glass-fronted uppers makes a kitchen look bigger and fuller when it may not be.
It also looks like, while the cabinets themselves may be a wonderful antiqued white color, the cabinet backs appear to be painted with a bit more of a peachy color. It could be a trick of the light, but personally, I like the idea of having a third color in there.
The Appliances
First - and wonderfully - they don't match. Not even a little. But they do show a history of the apartment. The stovetop/oven/range combo looks to be from the 1940s, the fridge maybe from the 50s or 60s, and the modern stainless steel dishwasher and black microwave tucked in the corner bring us to today.
The Details
Finally, the details. One of the things I love about the character of Ted is his passion for the history of things. The whole point of the show is that he wants his kids to know exactly how he met their mother - and refuses to leave anything out. (Okay, that's not true. There's that story that Victoria told in Season 1, the joke of Barney's from Season 4, and his substitution of "sandwiches" for joints and "bagpipes" for loud sex... but you get the idea.) It's the details that make this kitchen. The vintage-looking tin signs, the big chrome light over the sink, the little towel bar for washcloths and spice rack next to the range, the red tea kettle, even the oversized utensil jar on the stovetop. I like to look at the spirit of something, and go from there. So in the spirit of this kitchen, here's a couple of my picks from Etsy:
My own kitchen experiences have been varied: growing up, it was a small, and then a large gathering place when my family moved. In college, kitchen design was never an option (though we did get new cabinetry my senior year). Since college, I've had one medium-sized kitchen, followed by two small galleys. I've been jealous of Ted's kitchen since I first saw the show.
 |
| Special thanks to sweet nothings for sharing pics from her visit to the set! |
First off, props to the set dressers for making Ted's kitchen look like something people actually use. It's cluttered, but not terribly so. It's full, and not staged, which is nice. I'd rather look at a kitchen from a TV show than a kitchen from a home design magazine any day of the week.
The first thing that strikes me is how huge this kitchen looks! In "reality", it's not huge at all. It's as regular as a kitchen in a rental unit can be - not a whole lot of counter space, a mild and neutral color palette, non-matching appliances - and yet, the renters have made it their home.
Now, where to get started...
Color
Neutrals, but we've covered that. I'll do my best to match the Behr or Dutch Boy paint colors - they're the brands I'm the most familiar with, have the coolest names, and have proven themselves through my use and through legitimate vouches (the painters on Holmes on Homes use Behr). The colors that I've found that most closely match are:
The Floor
The floor appears to be something very simple - vinyl floor tile. I've been seeing it make a resurgence in recent years, since it's typically an inexpensive material, it's durable, and it's easy to replace if need be. Black and white checkered is a classic pattern that never goes out of style.
The Countertop
1) It matches the floor... mostly.
2) There isn't much of it.
White tile with a black edge is a very clean look. The colors match the floor, and make a nice break in the room. These countertops are something I'm incredibly used to - rental unit, not a whole lot of counter space. After using up that corner for storage, they really only have the area in front of the pass-through (to the left)
The Cabinets
Obviously painted - and Behr's Antique White is the best choice. The other things to notice are the hardware, the fronts, and the backs.
Since cabinet hardware can sometimes be one of the most expensive parts of a renovation, I'm going to the old trusty sources for inexpensive hardware.
IKEA's KOSING are nice, round knobs in a chrome. Granted, the knobs in Ted's kitchen are black, but chrome is another accent in the lighting, so it wouldn't be out of the question.
Target - believe it or not - carries decent cabinet hardware as well. Their Amerock Colonial knobs in black match the kitchen pretty perfectly, and are about a dollar a piece ($3.99 for a 4-pack).
The lower cabinets have a full front, however, the upper cabinets have a nice glass front. I'm all for this idea. It looks like they use their upper cabinets for food storage (check out the iconic Campbell's soup labels above the dishwasher), and this strategy would definitely force you to keep your cabinets more organized and good-looking. Also, having glass-fronted uppers makes a kitchen look bigger and fuller when it may not be.
It also looks like, while the cabinets themselves may be a wonderful antiqued white color, the cabinet backs appear to be painted with a bit more of a peachy color. It could be a trick of the light, but personally, I like the idea of having a third color in there.
The Appliances
First - and wonderfully - they don't match. Not even a little. But they do show a history of the apartment. The stovetop/oven/range combo looks to be from the 1940s, the fridge maybe from the 50s or 60s, and the modern stainless steel dishwasher and black microwave tucked in the corner bring us to today.
The Details
Finally, the details. One of the things I love about the character of Ted is his passion for the history of things. The whole point of the show is that he wants his kids to know exactly how he met their mother - and refuses to leave anything out. (Okay, that's not true. There's that story that Victoria told in Season 1, the joke of Barney's from Season 4, and his substitution of "sandwiches" for joints and "bagpipes" for loud sex... but you get the idea.) It's the details that make this kitchen. The vintage-looking tin signs, the big chrome light over the sink, the little towel bar for washcloths and spice rack next to the range, the red tea kettle, even the oversized utensil jar on the stovetop. I like to look at the spirit of something, and go from there. So in the spirit of this kitchen, here's a couple of my picks from Etsy:
 |
| Vintage Industrial Metal Red and White... by SugarCubeVintage |
 |
| Mid Century Sconce Lamp by claireferrante (for that pop of orange over the sink) |
 |
| LYLE Snack Server / Cookie Robot by reclaim2fame (Every kitchen needs an R2-SweetTooth!) |
 |
| Vintage Wooden Spice Rack by lemontreefarm |
 |
| Mosaic Serving Tray - Retro Blues by rushcreekmosaics (made in Ohio - just like Ted) |
And one more IKEA pick:
 |
| KVOT Dish Drainer |
I think that about exhausts me. Beyond that, I'm full-on copycatting. I really do love this show, and the design of the kitchen - and the accuracy of it! - plays but a small part in that. One more thing - check out beanforest on Etsy for magnets. They're little and kitschy... and just the thing that would be at home in Ted's kitchen.
06 September 2010
September already. Where'd the time go?!
Now I know I've been an absentee blogger folks, and I'd like to submit my humble apologies to all of you. (Which I'd be glad to do in writing. Seriously - e-mail me your address, and I'll send you a personalized postcard!)
What I've been up to:
- My sister got married on 21 August 2010, to a gentleman she's been dating for something like 7 years. It was a largely DIY affair - no wedding planner, no equipment rentals, just hand-making 200 purple boxes and filling them with Hershey kisses, assembling centerpieces, altering bridesmaid dresses, making the garters and the like. It was a LOT of work, but we had a great time, and got some new family members in the mix!
- My little brother left for college... the day after the wedding. Let's just say August was packed pretty solid with family activity.
- As part of my gift to the happy couple, I re-fabricated a pair or bedside tables I found on craigslist. They were a pair of very simple pine tables, and now they're a very simple pair of pine tables with a lower shelf and a wonderful high-gloss espresso paint job to them! (Post to follow...)
- Last night, I completed my attempt at recreating the Kaylee "prairie harpy" dress from the "Out of Gas" and "The Message" episodes of Firefly. I'm content with the results. The pattern on the fabric's a little bigger than I expected, and I took some liberties with the piecing (made it a long tunic rather than a bodice and skirt, eliminated the back zipper since Kaylee never used it anyway, and used a taupe piece of doily for the detail rather than pink), but the spirit remains in tact. As do the voluminous sleeves.
- I'll soon be moving... I hope. But more on that later.
- The temp dropped like 30 degrees this week. I mean, it's Minnesota, but it's also a huge slap in the face to say "HEY! Turn your calendar page! It's September now!"
I've been looking at Etsy a lot, and thinking that it's really been all about transitions at this time of year, especially late August. With Katie getting married, Tom moving to college and myself and my roommates thinking about upgrading from our apartment, there's a lot going on and a lot to look at and think about.
Blah blah blah. Enough windbagging. Here's some Etsy picks for this time of year.
jackbear is a fantastic stamp carver, and I had to give him some props here on the blog. As a shower gift to my sister, I made her a set of Thank You cards, and hand-stamped each one with a swan stamp jackbear customized and carved for me.
Also, my brother's favorite animal for a long time was penguins, so this is a little tribute to both of them.
autumn shine - necklace by airportlovestory
airportlovestory is a delightful 20-something woman who is way ahead of me on her Etsy journey. I met her through Alchemy, we try to keep in touch, and occasionally swap items. Like pen pals, only with crafts! (and it's my turn :/ ) Her shop has come a LONG way since we first met, and it's been fun watching the journey.
beanforest's shop reads like a stroll through a very clever, one-off comic book. I went on a shopping spree through his shop just before Christmas last year. This button went to my roommate, Kathy.
My brother and best friends also got some. It's really quite a fun shop, especially if you don't know what to get for someone.
Real comfort Jane Austen mug - by Brookish
I loved this shop so much, I forwarded it via Facebook to my best friend's mother, an English professor and Jane Austen scholar in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1950's Antique Samsonite Luggage - by Ms2SweetVintage
I picked this piece because I just found one and have spent the weekend fixing it up. It's a beautiful piece, and the company had been featured on "Mad Men" - giving credence to its vintage cred.
vintage 1940s dress - by traven7
A beautiful vintage gown to wrap things up!
I picked this piece because I just found one and have spent the weekend fixing it up. It's a beautiful piece, and the company had been featured on "Mad Men" - giving credence to its vintage cred.
A beautiful vintage gown to wrap things up!
Well folks, That's that.
Here's to transitions.
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