Guest post from Kristy at Hyphen Interiors

I have such a treat for you guys today!  

A guest post from an interior designer via Pheonix.

Kristy from Hyphen Interiors

I would love to tell you all about her, but after you read

this you should just go on over to her blog and read all about her.

She's got great style and a good eye, enjoy!

Hi everyone!  I’m Kristy from Hyphen Interiors.   I am excited to guest post here on Suzanne’s blog.
 


I am originally from Texas (all good Texans have to throw that in), a graduate from the University of Texas, and now live in Phoenix. 



I currently work as an Interior Decorator.  Having previously worked in youth ministry and recruiting, interior design sort of just happened organically.  I’ve had a deep interest in design for several years, as I worked on my own home(s).  During that time, friends were often coming to me for decorating advice and eventually, through some prodding, they convinced me to start doing it full-time. 

I’ve only had my blog for only 5 weeks now, but boy has it been a blast!  I’m still stumbling around in the blog world, learning the ropes, but I guess that is something I enjoy about life – the learning.

So, as a blog newbie, I really appreciate Suzanne taking interest and asking a few questions.

Suzanne ran across my  recent blog post on how I painted my upholstered chair. 



I didn’t recover it, I painted it.  Yes, painted it!  I know, crazy!  It was just so expensive to recover that I had to come up with a better solution and ended up taking a huge risk… that paid off!  The full tutorial is on my blog.

Suzanne asked me to walk through some questions she had about pieces of furniture in her own home. 

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Suzanne’s first question:   
This couch in what is currently a playroom, it could be a sitting room someday or an office.  We love the comfort of the couch, but have had the couch for over 5 years and it's been faded by both the Minnesota and Nevada sun! 





I liked the original color, but you can see by the pictures...it needs some love. 

Do you think this piece would be appropriate for fabric painting?  It's a cotton/canvas-type material.  I am not afraid of bright colors, but usually bring color in through accessories.

I have dark leather couches in another room, so I would keep it a neutral if you suggest, but could even do a kelly green or a dark gray, whatever you think would make it look new and wonderful? 

Thoughts Kristy?

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Though I can’t give a sure answer, my best guess is that it would be a candidate for painting.  It has a nice flat fabric and it’s a piece that you don’t mind messing up, if it doesn’t work out.  Perfect.

My biggest concern is the looseness of the fabric.  That could make painting more difficult.  You’d need to be sure to stretch it tight as you paint.  So, be prepared to get your hands dirty!   I would think with this being less thick than the velvet that I painted, it should work well.

Of course, colors always depend on the overall design scheme of the room.  However, I’d say go wild if you are going to do it.  Let it be a statement piece.  Go for the kelly green. 

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Suzanne’s next question: The second is an ottoman for our master bedroom, I am not in love with the piece but until I find one I can make my own, I may want to paint it too?  It's a great fabric with a floral pattern in it...but is stained from my kiddos?  Thoughts on if it would be a fit for painting?  If so, any ideas on color?



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I *think* the fabric and piece is a great candidate! 
However, I am concerned about the stain.  It depends on how deep and severe the stain is.  If it’s a piece you can part with, then I’d say take the risk.  See how the paint coverage is when it comes to the stain.  If the stain is bad, and you don’t want to take a risk, you may forgo the experiment on this piece.  I did see this piece on Little Green Notebook that is painted.  It is a little similar.



The pattern will show through a bit, but that is not always a bad thing!

I hope that helped.  I wish you the best of luck!  Please share the photos with all of us if you do it!

Is that not the coolest thing ever?

Now....what colors should I choose!?

Toodles....

Sew...that's my girl!

 I'm sew done with the pillows for this room!

Don't worry...I have at least 3 rooms to go.

I needed something for the king-sized, 4 foot tall, bubble gum pink

headboard that seemed to literally "take over" our

Master bedroom.

 And it involved two more bold patterns within the 

same color scheme....

I made serious, fast, friends with Marie at JoAnn.

She told me she didn't like the floral fabric with the headboard

fabric until I added the stripes.  She said, "your style must be

REALLY eclectic"...like eclectic was a bad word.

  She kind of bugged me with her opinions at first, but

after awhile she grew on me.

I sewed the pillow cover that doesn't require a zipper,

much easier, kind of like an envelope.

Found the fabric at JoAnn...

....slapped down a 40% off coupon on the register, 

and headed on out.

Enough sewing....

....after watching another episode of "Bethenny Ever After"

I'm announcing my girl crush!

I just love her!

So much so, I am putting a pic on my sidebar to be

the first to say "That's my girl!"

...I have to meet her.

I follow her on FB and entered the contest to meet her on her

website and if any of you have any connections to me meeting her,

that would be fab!  I'm not going to take it the stalking level, 

I mean seriously, she lives in New York, but

if she comes here for a book signing...I will meet her.

Or, I will die trying.

Toodles!

Sew me sumthin'!

{Image via Tumblr}

When it's still 30-something degrees at the end of March, 

regardless that the calendar says it's Spring...and the rest of the 

world has flowers sprouting up, I am

forced to start a new hobby.

This hobby may cost my husband a little bit more money 

every month, and the kids will definitely get neglected....but he will come

home to a house chock full of color and comfort, 

cuz gosh darn it....he married a woman whose gonna make this house 

a home! {like he cares about color and comfort}

After seeing my new headboard every day for the last couple of weeks

I realize it's pretty grand-e-ous...I mean, it's 4 feet tall, so

it needs something to pull the whole look together.

That would be pillows.

Pillows are every woman's friend.

And I'm about to have about 20 new friends in this house.

Watch out world, I've got a new hobby.

 And here is a sneaky peaky, cuz I love to give them.

Really, this could turn into a problem,.  When I get something in my head, I can't

get it out and I need to conquer my need for new pillows in

every.single.room.of.this.house.

 Sew, after receiving a short refresher on Sewing 101 from

my Mom this morning....I realized not much has changed since my

Home Ec days in high school.

Sew, I don't think it will be that difficult.

And it's just sew apparent I will have 20 new friends by the end of 

next week....pending good behavior from the kiddos and a continued

lack of spring weather in these parts.

Sew, do you think my Mom noticed when I stole her 

sewing machine?

Egg Topiary - Craft Day

Have you seen the cute Easter decorations at Pottery Barn 

this season?

Those pastel, speckled, Easter eggs were part of the inspiration for

our infamous craft day's latest project.

We made an Egg Topiary...

And if you forgot, here is a refresher on what "Craft Day" entails,

eating.drinking.talking. and maybe if you are lucky, we

finish the job and go home with a craft.

Here is the finished product....

....adorable huh?

And here are some pictures getting us

to the finished product....

Two of the girls have pink glue guns {they are the ultra girly ones that come}....

....what did we do before glue guns?

And of course, it wouldn't

be a successful craft day without great salads, 

and decadent desserts....

Do these gals look like your run of the mill

crafters?  No.....I didn't get the memo on

'everyone wear blue' today!

Oh, and I am still loving my Bayalage hair....

...the main thing I love is not having to get it done every 8 weeks....

Here they are!  All done.....

Toodles....

Now, I'm a showoff?

Excited to say...

...another awesome blog featured my fabric covered headboard!

Check out my {almost} famousness here.

Sometimes a girl's gotta toot her own horn!

Toodles...

Guestpost on the Headboard

I'm over at "The Way We Are" 

gabbing about my huge, bubble-gum pink, fabric covered headboard.

Go over there and check out her adorable blog!

Toodles....

The next Princess Wedding

When I was 8 years old I watched my first royal wedding.

I don't remember a ton of details, but I remember

watching Princess Diana walk down the aisle to her

Prince.  Her dress had a huge, long train...remember?

My Mom was, and still is an avid sewer and I remember telling

her that I wanted a wedding dress like that someday...and asking,would

she sew me one like that?

I always was a huge fan of Princess Diana, and

thought she was stunningly beautiful.  I loved her short, blond

hair and blue eyes...something I could never look like.

I loved her style and her grace and what she did for others.

I love to this day, the kind of Mom she was to her boys.

It was a sad day for my Mom and I when we heard of her death.

Oddly enough, we were together on that day as well.

Gone too soon.

Well, April 29, 2011 is going to come fast!

The next huge Royal Wedding!

I love Kate Middleton's style as well, and think 

it's kind of the coolest thing ever that she has Princess Di's

engagement ring!

We have big plans on April 29th, and my little Princess Tatum

is already anticipating the upcoming nuptials.

We plan on sleeping at my Mom's house,

just Tatum and I, and waking at the exact time of the wedding.

Do you realize that is at 5:30 am our time?  Whew!

We plan on rolling out of bed, drinking coffee in our jam ma's and

Tatum can wear her best princess dress.

She has requested that we make her a wedding veil

for her to wear.....it will be a really sweet, memory-making type 

of day....or at least that is what I am hoping for!

Do you have a princess in your home?

Would you care to join our celebration?

If so, let me know your plans!  

Maybe I will steal your ideas....maybe we could share pictures

of your celebration here at So Stinkin' Cute?!?!

We are pretty excited for the wedding, 

we could make this a big princess party....this side of the pond.

Toodles...

DIY Upholstered Headboard-King Size!

For months I've wanted a fabric covered headboard.

Since we were renters for so long and moved so much, 

it really wasn't a possibility.

Well, I no longer have to wait.

For instructions on how to do this,

I would go here. 

Here is my bed before:

It was really easy to do, we had it done in less than an hour.

I enlisted the help of some brawny men to help

muscle it to the wall, but the rest was up to my

 untrained eye.

By the way, I went with the pink side of the fabric.

Why?  I just decided it was more "me" and with all 

of the black and white mirrors on the long wall, I needed

some color.  Plus, if my husband was up for that much pink in our bedroom,

I had to go for it.  And wait till you see the "after" pictures...I am so glad I did it.

Of course, my kids had to be around,

getting in the way, helping.

 ....my hunky hubs, kind of can't resist a man with power tools...

 ....look at my Dad's handsome hand against the pink fabric :)...

 It's as if my kids knew how nervous I was that this would all come together,

they wouldn't leave us alone.

Maybe if I do more of these projects, they won't be

so curious.

Here it is...

We mounted it to the wall,

mainly because we plan on staying here for a bit, 

and it's 4 feet high....so very tall.

 {bedside tables are from Ikea, and lamps are from HomeGoods}

...and I happen to love it's grandeur....

..finally, I have a bit of luxury in my kid-filled life.

I also found a faux orchid arrangement to add color to my

mirror wall....

...I wrapped a couple of books in wrapping paper,

just to give them a better look...

and that shell I found at a thrift store...

I paid less than a dollar for it!

Here's the final "after" shot...

I put a pillow from my DIY chair on there to show how

a bunch of fun colored pillows will make the look complete.

I hope to work on that in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I'm looking for a vanity table 

for my makeup and jewelry...and a bench for the end of the bed.

Overall, the cost for all materials was $160

vs. $1000's that most stores are charging right now.....

I love decor, 

my way{seriously, who has a bubble-gum pink headboard?},

and on a budget.

{Tip: I got the fabric at Jo Ann Fabrics...it was $53.99/yard, yikes!....

I waited and it went on sale for 40% off, also had two coupons for the 

batting and foam at 50% off, it pays to wait for coupons 

on a project of this size!}

****Update**** Here is the headboard with the pillows I sewed,
makes the whole project complete....

Toodles!