Retro Fun

Watch out, I've been fooling around at work! I stole borrowed this super-duper retro red mug from the creative director and took some pics of it. The red mug is a star and was in need of company. So I dug up in the drawers and freed these stainless steel coasters with pin-up girls. The illustrations are great, these ladies look so full of life with their red cheeks and all :)

Not a bad collection, I think! My absolute favorite is the one with the handsome couple and the bottles on the tray. That guy with the red bandanna looks ready to party! I photographed the coasters on my desk, which is a grey one. I think I'm in love with this sort of background.... And speaking of photography, here is another interesting perspective: like a raft on a quiet, silvery ocean...

So there it is, my vintage fun for the day. If only I could have a Nelson lamp and a Ribbon chair from Artifort to decorate my office :))))))))) After I win the lottery, maybe, but it's sure nice to dream about it!

Bedroom Light

"Here comes the sun, little darling... Here comes the sun... It's alright (Tananananana...)" is the first thing that comes to my mind. A song to celebrate the sun. After 4 weeks of really dark skies, after yesterday's snow, came a little sunshine to brighten up my day. And my mood (now that I have the fever, I might use the cold remedy tea sooner than I expected). I had no time to prepare anything with a Christmas touch, as I was already running late for work, so I just snapped some pics with the light slipping on the bed cover and onto the wall.

On my nightstand (a re-purposed, moved around the house powder blue Ikea Lack coffee table) there is all the goodness in the world. The stuff that dreams are made of: a children's book with wonderful illustrations by a Romanian artist (entitled "The Day That Mr. Sleep Ran Away") - check!, a pocket-size handmade journal with red polka-dot fabric and coptic bound in turquoise wax thread (from the days when my friend Ana and me were only fantasizing about opening our Etsy shop) - check!, tap dancing metal plates - check! and an old handmade bookmark - check!

Just looking at these pics makes me smile - who knows when are we going to enjoy another sunshine day like this? The weather prognosis is dreadful, so all I've got left is the pattern the light makes when it comes crawling onto the crochet pillow and the orange bed sheet. Note to self: need to change them soon and figure something else for the upcoming Christmas celebration...

Opposite the bed is that one DIY project that never bores or disappoints me - my beloved purple plum accent wall and the vintage cabinet I inherited from my grandfather. I've got my childhood turntable and my favorite vinyls in there, plus a plethora of matryoskas and other ethnic dolls collected over time. Far in the back, the Burberry style cardboard boxes. I already grew tired of that look, so I need to paint them soon!

Retro Fall

I'm getting back to my design roots with this retro look. Why is that? Because in spite of my current decorating style that you can see on the blog, I am in fact a little nerdy at heart. I am a geek who loves round furniture, new materials, organic shapes and acid colors. My first "designer" love in kindergarten was Kubrick's film set from "Space Odyssey" and I've been hooked on 70's style ever since. I still don't understand why we don't see a Djinn chair in every home and why our tables have four legs instead of just one :))

Of course, my personal taste has undergone major changes in the last 30 years. I love an eclectic interior and I've learned to appreciate the charming warmth of natural textures. Still, from time to time, I feel the need to escape to a world of happy curves and this is exactly what we have here today. The Fall colors from the Tam Tam stool, the apple lamp and the little lithography on the wall (upper right corner, made from real leaves) converge beautifully in the Mad Hatter poster. I don't mind, since I've got a Bukowski poetry book to read from :)

Bookmark No 2

I love paper crafts. I love paper! And color! Look at the materials I've used - it feels like kinder garden again :)

I didn't have a lot of inspiration, so I thought I just might reproduce the pattern from the Spring Trees free printable. Draw the pattern on a piece of paper, trace it on the back of the origami paper, cut the paper following the outline and glue it carefully.

I've made 20 bookmarks for a family reunion. I just wanted to give them a little something to celebrate the day. Everybody grabbed one, even my old aunts in their 80's!

Click here to read about my first bookmark - a Christmas present.

Happy Happy Joy Joy! I've been featured at Candance Creations - thank you sooooo much!!

Free Printable: Spring Trees

Spring is finally everywhere! I felt inspired to make a retro spring forest and share it with you all. I want to put it above the bed in the bedroom, but it would make a wonderful addition to any children's room, as well!

I've made it as a collage, using scraps of paper and recycled craft paper :)

Feel free to download it from here (click on the 'arrow' icon in the right bottom corner):

If it doesn't work, you can click on this link: 

http://www.box.com/s/6036bf1fffc6283b409c

If you have any questions, just let me know! The file is quite large, big enough to print even on a 10" x 8" paper. This printable is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Enjoy!

UPDATE! I've been featured at CrayonFreckles, The Shabby Nest, Lovely Crafty Home and It's Overflowing! Thank you, lovely ladies, you've just made my day!

      

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

Gift wrapping 4

Ta-daaaaaaaaaa!

I know. I know, Christmas is coming in 10 months. But it's very cold in my home town - 20 degrees Celsius below zero (-2 degrees Fahrenheit) and my car sits under 60 cm of snow. 'Cause shoveling is futile. And the reindeer are too proud and precious to be related to a single day in the calendar.

For this gift box, I decided to do something wild. I chose the brown paper for the neutral base and I topped it with a brown stripy one, for extra bling. The red yarn is just a leftover from my last crochet pillow session.

Click here to see my other gift wrapping posts :)

The happy entryway

Happy happy joy joy! A punch of sunny yellow tones for the darkest corner in the house. Plus, my Feng-Shui book says that a yellow / golden entryway is essential for the well-being of one's home.

I had the budget of a worker ant, but plenty of time and enthusiasm. I drew the retro pattern on the walls myself, mixed my colors by hand and spent three week-ends painting the faux wallpaper.

Good thing that the entryway is just a small nook, as you can see below:

What about the furniture? I reached deeply into my zero budget and came up with the lovely IKEA hat rack and hooks, that I already had. I painted them too, added the cheapest floor lamp I could find - about 9 euros (because the overhead light doesn't work) and called it a day.

After almost a year, I found in a warehouse the perfect stool. Retro organic shape in edible colors: my love for Kubrick's film sets has been satisfied!

And last but not least, the essentials: shoe cloths, shoe shine, dust brush.

Plus a little something for the pet friendly home: the pet hair roller & brush. Yay!

Update: I've been featured at Meg and Mum's and Christina's Adventures! Also at A simply klassic home, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo, My Simple Home Life, Destination Craft and Organize your stuff now, Addicted2decorating, Making the world cuter, Crayon freckles, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, The 36th Avenue, Beyond the picket fence, Sugar Bee Crafts, One Artsy Mama, Tutus And Tea Parties, Between U and Me, DIY Home Sweet Home, My Repurposed Life and A Girl and a Glue Gun. Thank you so much for your support! For a newbie like myself, it's an unexpected honor.