The Inspiration Circle Of Friendship

My oh my, crochet is so relaxing! Can you guess what I am up to? A sweater...? Or maybe a scarf...? Hint, hint! Follow the colors in the picture below... They look kinda familiar, don't they? You're right, friends, if they remind you of my first crochet pillow... I am using the same colors for a very good reason. I am making a striped crochet pillow :)

I was so happy to see that lovely Erica from Caught On A Whim loved my triangle crochet pillow... so much that she made her own version, as you can see here. While my pillow had a simple back in solid color, she made her back side with crocheted stripes. Inspiration struck me, so now I'm making a matching striped pillow myself. I can't wait to finish it - hopefully before the summer heat strikes again :))

How To Introduce A New Old Lamp Into Your Decor

There it is, my precious new old lamp! I found it in a thrift shop: wooden base, camel skin and golden tassels. It has the most beautiful curvy shape and it lights up my days (and evenings, of course). You all know that my decor style is eclectic, but my furniture is mostly contemporary. So I set for myself a design challenge - how to gracefully incorporate this granny lamp into my current home.

Step one: Choose your colors well. My motto is that "The best things in life are free" and my design corollary is that "Color is one of them". Color unifies objects from different eras or styles and envelops everything in an eye-pleasing cocoon. So I let the warm camel tones of my new old lamp guide me. You can see here similar shades, some lighter (honey, yellow), some darker (burnt orange), some stronger (vivid orange).Complete the rest of your decor with neutrals (white, off-white, tan, brown).

Step two: Choose a function and a space. Every object, no matter how pretty, must serve its purpose. Decide where to use your new item depending on the way you want to use it. If you get a new pillow, is it for the bedroom or for the couch? If you get a new chair, is it for the hallway, the kitchen or the dining room? My granny lamp is quite small, I wanted to put it on my desk but finally I made an impromptu reading spot in the home office, directly on the floor. Just because I feel a little boho today and this wonderful graffiti album  needs to be fully explored :)

Step three: Add lots of texture. Who said that beautiful can't be cozy? Remember that you're not updating your decor for a museum. You're doing it for YOUR home, the best place on Earth. So you've got your color scheme right and you've chosen a designated space. Now you need to add some texture, which will make it all feel great. Notice the solid wood in the herringbone floors, the crochet yarn  in the couch throw, the fluffy sheep skin pillow and the smooth leather pouf. Instant pampering for your senses :)

Step four: Add a twist to your decor. All things matchy-matchy make a boring sight. Remember to always have an element of surprise, in order to save your space from anonymity. Put a quirky picture on the wall. Display some toys in a very grown-up surrounding. Use a striking accent that you wouldn't normally expect to see. In my case, I just added this shiny fantastic plastic Tam Tam stool. It looks like it was stolen from a Karim Rashid hotel, but it completes my otherwise traditional, classical decor.

So there it is, my simple reading spot on the floor created around this new old lamp. Follow these simple rules to welcome any new item into your already existing decor. Don't be afraid to experiment - the more you try, the more you'll get the taste of it. And the results may even surprise you! 

My First Crochet Pillow

It's about time to share a little tutorial on how I've finished my first crochet pillow ever. Perhaps you've already spotted it here and perhaps you also remember that the yarn I used to make it was my inspiration for this year's Fall colors. Anyway, most of my yarn was already in the house (indigo, grey, yellow). To complete the color scheme I shopped my mother's stack for a little dusty pink wool.

My first instinct was to crochet a pattern that I had already made before: the "granny squares" crochet. I think it's a lovely design, vintage and playful at the same time. But the colors had a very contemporary vibe, so I switched to a more modern pattern, inspired from this little beauty available on Etsy. I made the triangles  as I went along, without a proper pattern. 

Crochet Pillow For The Purple Wall

Quick update from the bedroom. I ditched the massive leather armchair that you can spot here and here and replaced it with something much more cozy and comfortable. It's a beanbag! Once you get in there, you never wanna get out of it. My purple wall is the perfect backdrop for Autumn, with its dark shade inviting me to make up strange moody stories. This is my first pic with the new crochet pillow I've made (tutorial coming up soon) in yellow, grey, dusty pink and indigo. I must thank lovely Mariela from One Happy Mess - her love for triangles inspired me for the crochet pillow design.

Jungle Kids Art

I am a hopeless thrifter - I admit, so shoot me now! I rarely buy something new, but every once in a while the thrifting fever hits me and I go running around town, hitting every second hand shop that I know of. My storage is full of old lamps in need of some serious TLC, queer tableware, crooked stools and little boxes (which I am gonna restore - someday soon). This time, I went out there and got back with a set of four jungle scenes. There's the giraffe, the puma, the elephant and the black and white zebra.

Until they will get a new use, they are sitting pretty in my craft room. I don't actually like the designs - well, except the elephant family at the water pond, they are darlings and I also love the turbulent reddish color and the composition. Anyway, my grand plan is to use those square canvases for a higher purpose. Maybe a stencil project? Maybe a neon craze? Some mixed media 3D art? We'll see about that.

Meanwhile, I've paired the jungle art with a pink Lucite coffee table and some nesting art albums in complementary colors. Please notice Chagall, my favorite visual artist since childhood <3.... The kids theme works great next to the faux wallpaper. There's something charming about bicycles and giraffes together, I must draw them someday :) And for a complete mix and match, I added a 3D puzzle of the London Bridge (thank you, Roxy!) and a crochet wooden stool made by yours truly. Long live the eclectic decor style!

Corners of my home

A little faux wallpaper goes a long way

Lavender and red bedroom and a DIY crochet stool for a nightstand

Polka dots in the kitchen and a beautiful vintage lamp

The sunny entryway

Easy like summer morning

DIY Crochet Stool

All you need is a crochet, a wooden stool (from grandma), colored yarn, small nails and a hammer.

It took me longer to find a good You Tube tutorial on how to crochet the "granny squares" pattern, than to actually make the whole thing. I followed Bethintx on her simple, calm, accurate and logical tutorial. Thank you, Beth!

The colors were meant to complement my turquoise living room at that time. I got off-white for the neutral hue, burgundy for the opposite, a playful lime green and of course turquoise.

As for the pattern, I had already made up my mind to crochet the "granny squares". And THAT was the worst decision, since I was working with a round stool. What can I say, stubbornness runs in the family!

Here is a transition phase - nine squares and no connection between them:

Naturally, the crochet stool goes well by the kitchen table:

It is also a great addition in my tiny balcony, if I want to catch the morning sun and have some coffee as well.

Speaking of coffee, it blends perfectly in the living room and it can serve as a coffee table:

Not to mention it is a sturdy nightstand, with plenty of space for your current readings, your glass of water and some of your favorite memories.

And it complements my vintage cabinet, helping me when I get surrounded by too many stacks of books.

SORRY, folks:

No 1: My cat Anais thinks that all the shooting sessions are especially done for her. Hence, she graciously features nearly every picture.

No 2: In onor of my blog, I got myself a brand new camera, which I don't know how to manage properly. Hence, the bleached pictures.

Anyway, you get the idea on the versatility, usability and beauty of a crochet stool!

Crochet stool inspiration

About a year ago, I got up one morning with the terrible, unexplained urge to crochet.

It was a sunny Saturday. What to do?

I went out and immediately bought some colored yarn and a shiny metal crochet.

But what to crochet?!

Than it hit me: the beautiful granny stools from Wood and wool stool:

and their crocheted cousins from all over the blogosphere:

via Attic24

from the colorful online shop Rice

via Dottie Angel

So I went to my grandmother's house, grabbed the first stool that came into sight and made my own crochet stool. I shall post some pictures tomorrow, so stay tuned!