Christine Chitnis: March 2009

Stash

This is what the floor of my studio looks like at the moment. The reason is because I just scored an amazing stash; basically the crafters equivalent of winning the lottery!

A sweet little old lady at my mothers church recently moved in to assisted living and she decided to weed through her fabric stash. Guess who was the lucky recipient?

Yours truly!

Check out my amazing vintage-y supply... I cherish them even more because they have a history, they were loved by someone before me. That makes them all the more amazing!

Special Person

I took a quick trip home to Michigan this weekend for an incredibly important event. My little brother, Tommy, was having "Special Friend Day" at school and guess who he wanted to be his special friend? ME! So I flew in on Thursday night and surprised him Friday morning by showing up at school! The grin on his face was truly priceless.

I have to say, this event put things in perspective for me. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by work, household duties, wifely duties and the busyness of life in general. But really, what it all comes down to is relationships. At the end of the day, being at the top of someones "special friend" list, is one of my greatest accomplishment. My goal this week is to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of life; the coming of spring, my husbands company, dinner with friends, long chats with my mom. Anyone care to join me in a little spring slowdown?!?

Quick reminder: you still have time to enter my giveaway and win a fantastic set of stationary. Just click over and leave a comment by midnight!

Spring Cleaning

The one part of owning a house that is not so much fun is Spring Cleaning. And I capitalize that because it is an event, a truly large event! I am kind of wondering, do I get a year off since I just moved in and nearly broke my back putting the house together? I guess that is only for me to decide.

Anyway, while my mom was here visiting, she put her homeowner knowledge to use and helped me compile a 'Spring Cleaning To-Do List.'Spring Cleaning To-Do List
1. Remove storm windows
2. Wash all the windows (inside and out)
3. Dust/ wash blinds and curtains
4. Wash all slipcovers and pillows
5. Sponge down all the heaters (they get SO dusty over the winter)
6. Clean out the gutters (this is a spring and fall chore)
7. Clean the fireplace
8. Put microwave and stove plates in the dishwasher (or hand wash, depending on the model)
9. Vacuum underneath appliances, especially the refrigerator coils
10. Vacuum/ clean bathroom fans and ceiling fans
11. Organize closets and put away winter clothes
12. Cleanse your house of unused items and donate them to Goodwill or The Salvation Army
13. Clean the fridge of any old food and wipe down the shelves
14. Clean out the pantry and wipe down the shelves
15. Collapse into a heap and sleep for a full week straight!

Wow, I am tired just writing that, and it doesn't even touch on yard work!

Okay readers, wrack those brains... anything to add? By the way, to add a bit of fun to your day...enter my SPRING GIVEAWAY for your chance to win a sweet set of note cards. Just click here and leave a comment!

Flags of Flurry

So last night, in a flurry of creativity, I decided to make some fabric flags. They are perfect for jazzing up the guest room, which I haven't shown you yet because it still needs a final coat of paint. But here is a little sneak peek! By the way, these flags were so easy and quick to make. They totally fulfilled my creative urge and I think they are a cheap, fun way to decorate a room!

Happy Monday GIVEAWAY!

There is no better way to start off the week than with a GIVEAWAY!

I have to admit, when Nicole from Kireina Paper contacted me about hosting a giveaway, I was tempted to keep her offer to myself. Her stationary would be perfect for the situation that we are currently in: moving! These adorable "We've found a new nest" cards are the perfect way to announce your new address. Even if you are not going to be moving any time soon, these cards would be a great gift for friends or family with a move coming up! I would have loved to receive them myself!So, all you need to do to win is leave a comment on this post by next Monday, and I will pick TWO numbers at random! That's right, TWO winners! Each winner will receive a pack of ten "We've found a new nest" note cards.

Thanks again to Nicole at Kireina Paper for such a generous giveaway and make sure to stop by her shop for a plethora of beautiful stationary options!

The First Spring Weekend!

Whew, I am signing off for today now that I have shown off all of my latest progress! Let me tell you, it came with a high price, my back is aching something fierce. Suggestion: don't try to move furniture, unfurl large rugs, wash floors and staple gun chairs all in the same day!

Anyway, I wish you all a beautiful, restful weekend. You can find me settling in my bedroom reading nook, devouring my library books, which all happen to revolve around the subject of raising chickens! What will you be up to on the first weekend of spring?

Light up my Life

And finally, one of the best finds of the day (who am I kidding, they are all the best!), this gorgeous teak lamp. The shade is from Kreatelier, the little shop where I teach my craft classes. I believe it is made by three sheets 2 the wind. Doesn't it compliment the lamp perfectly? You can see that the living room is painted too, in the prettiest shade of robin egg's blue. It makes me so happy to walk in to this light filled room, especially on the first day of spring!

Pooh Bear

Here is a little, tiny peek at my studio bookcase, which still needs some straightening. But look who has made his way onto my shelves. It is a Winnie the Pooh original wooden Disney bear. Can you think of anything cuter? He was always my favorite storybook character growing up. I actually slept with this cuddly Eeyore stuffed animal all the way through college. How embarrassing is that?!

Anyway, I found him at the thrift store yesterday and couldn't pass him up. He will be perfect in our future nursery. How weird is it that I am already daydreaming about decorating a nursery and there is no baby in sight??!!

Thrifty Kitchen

Yesterday, I took some time off from the business of 'work and home' to go thrifting and did I score some goodies. Take a look... I will start with the kitchen and show you some other rooms with their thrifty goods displayed throughout the day. The house is really starting to come together (forgot what it used to look like, click here)!
The best find of the day were these measuring cups. They remind me of something Anthropologie might produce, but these are all the better because they are one-of-a-kind. How much do I love their little mustaches??
Some sweet Easter decorations for my bright, newly painted kitchen. Doesn't that color just make the white cabinets POP?!And just to give you some perspective, here is the view from the kitchen into the entryway. Look at those bright, fresh colors. Loving it!

Studio Progress

I am so excited at the progress we are making on my studio. I am also thrilled to finally have a space to call my own! No more working at the kitchen table, shuffling my work load around to accommodate the dinner dishes! Above is the before shot, below is Step 1: painting. It turned out to be the loveliest shade of pink: Flower Petal Pink (from Behr, I think, but mixed as lo-vo C2 paint). I was hoping to show you the latest progress, including the desk, bookshelves and rug, but today is overcast and this room is already a bit on the darker side anyway. I will have to wait for a sunny day!

Beauty from a Beast

Remember this beast. Great bones, but in rough shape and in need of a little TLC, which came in the form of a nice sand down, a coat of dove gray paint and *amazing* turquoise handles from Anthropologie. I also lined the drawers with some pretty paper that I had laying around.

Okay...so here it is, all ready for its debut!

The prints above the dresser are from Creative Thursday, the lamp is courtesy of Pottery Barn and tray is from Ikea. The rest of the knick-knacks are from a variety of sources that I no longer remember...oops, bad blogger!

Extreme Makeover!

You might think I have fallen off the face of the earth, and by the ache in my back and bones, I feel like I have taken that fall! The reality is that my mom was in town this weekend and we literally worked from 8am-2am each day to pull the house together (she is the best mom in the whole world, in case there was any doubt!). We were on a serious mission. And let me just say...mission accomplished. This will be the week of before and afters since the house is really starting to come together. So with no further delay...

Remember the consul table (above) that needed a bit of love? Well, it got it in the form of a nice sand down and a creamy, luxurious coat of white paint! Here are the after shots, which also give you a little peak into our newly painted/ decorated entry way (if you need a reminder of the entry way before, click here)!

Before Horror

No...I have not lost my mind and decided to round up bad decorating pictures. Instead, I thought that I would put together a Flickr set of the 'before' pictures of our house. The one above is of the family room- yikes. I think it will be fun for you to see what I am working with here. So click over and check it out. And try not to be scared by the hideous yellow paint colors and the 'country with a K' decorating style (that's what Sarah calls it when country has gone sour)!

DIY Flower Boutonnieres

It is a grey, rainy/ sleety day here in Providence and I am trying to use my day off to catch up on some articles that are coming due and continue to unpack and straighten up. I saw these lovely DIY flower boutonnieres over at Once Wed (via housemartin) and I thought that they would look amazing lining my mantle (which I plan on showing you once the room is painted. What do you think...a neat collection of pottery with a few of these fabric lovelies? I guess I can add them to my list!

Elephants on Wheels

Do you ever open your Google Reader to a picture that knocks the wind right out of you. It happened to me this morning when I saw these amazing elephants featured on the Design*Sponge guest blog. I have a thing for elephants, only made stronger by the fact that I recently read the story of Modoc; The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived and now want my own pet elephant to go along with my future pet chickens! Anyway, I am in the process of emailing the contact that was given to find out how I can get one (or ten) of my very own.

Spring Time Green

A few little lovelies that I have been storing to share! Can you tell I am in a spring/ green mode today! The sun is shining, the snow is melting and I have gardening books stacked high next to my bed! Spring is coming!

Ozzie Rabbit: le train fantome

Headband: Tree and Kimbell

Cream lantern: Urban Outfitters

Fabric lanterns: India Rose (my favorite thing of my favorite things!)

A Sneak Peek

I am so excited to show you the first before-and-after of our new home. Although the master bedroom is not completely pulled together (you will notice I only show you one angle of the room), it is ready for it's mini debut!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

So this room was previously used as a T.V. room (the before photo is what it looked like with the previous owners furniture). It was painted the most awful shade of yellow and it had scary cheap white curtains.

We decided that the light in this room was just too good to pass up, so we turned it into the master bedroom. The makeover started with a coat of paint (Tide Pools by Behr, re-created with C2 Lo-Vo paint). It is the most calming, beautiful shade of blue, but unfortunately, the pictures don't really do it justice. Then we moved in our gorgeous Crate and Barrel bed frame and centered it on the wall opposing the windows so that we could take in the three-window view from bed.

My love of Purl was the deciding factor in hanging the colorful fabric rings, which add a nice splash of color to the room! I can't wait to show you the rest of the room...I am just waiting for my new/old dresser to dry so I can move it to it's new home and complete this room!

Everybody's Working for the Weekend

Who moves into a new house and starts a new job all within the same week? I do...I know, I am a bit of a nutter, but it just seems to be how my life works. When it rains, it pours. I have taken a part-time non-profit consulting position, just filling in for someone on maternity leave..oh isn't life ironic.

Anyway, tomorrow I have the day off and hopefully I will get around to posting some pictures of the new abode. We are completely unpacked and when I say we, you all know it was moi who did everything, right??!! Regardless, the house is starting to come together. There is still much painting, decorating, sewing and arranging to be done, but slowly, it is starting to feel pulled together. Maybe I will post my to-do list for the house tomorrow and we can all stress out together! Oh wait, that doesn't sound like much fun at all...perhaps I will stick with pictures!

photo above found via Le Love

New Old Furniture

I need more projects like I need a hole in the head, but I really can't help the type of furniture that I am drawn to... cheap and/or free! Here are my next three projects...a gorgeous consul (which I found abandoned in the snow), a sweet little telephone booth (craigslist) and a dresser for our bedroom (salvation army). I can't wait to be able to show you the 'after' pictures! I primed these pieces yesterday, so they are ready for their paint today!

I have to say, in this age of big-box stores and mad consumerism, I am proud that most of our furniture is antique, second-hand, vintage or hand-me down. Not only does it give our home character, it reduces the waste that is produced when new furniture is purchased. Granted, there will be a few Ikea purchases in our future (I have my eye on a few of their rugs), I think that for the most part, we will stick to well-loved pieces that just need a bit of love.

Time to Purchase a Shovel

We were hit with a huge snowstorm last night and my husband and I just realized we don't even own a shovel. I guess that is the sort of thing that happens when you go from renting to owning...oops. So that makes it official, we are homeowners!! Can you believe it?! All that talk of moving and now, we did it! I just woke up (for the second morning) in our new home and felt this giddiness come over me. We own this beautiful home.

With the help of my wonderful pal Sarah, two rooms have been painted. They are not yet ready for their before-and-after pictures, but here is a little sneak peek. Whoa, that is pink, huh? It really is a lovely shade and it will be perfect for the purpose this room will serve...oh, just wait and see!

Saturday was the big moving day and it went extremely well. We did quite a bit of it on our own, but we did hire some muscles to help move the bigger items. It seems to be the cheapest when you rent your own Uhaul and simply hire a few guys to help with the lifting, at least that is what we found. Anyway, I have totally killed myself getting things unpacked, but that is just my style. Our bedroom is unpacked, as well as the kitchen, dining room and bathroom. That just leaves the living room, guest room and office. Once the unpacking and painting is done, then comes the fun part.... decorating! Hanging pictures, displaying books and belongings, rearranging furniture, I can't wait for that part.

Funny side note: I have to mention this because it sums up guys (well, maybe just my husband) in a nutshell. Vijay invited a houseguest to stay with us and guess when they arrive? March 10th. When I expressed how difficult it was going to be to have the house pulled together for a guest he replied, "You have a whole 9 days, I mean come on." I might have to harm him.