Gold Front Hall for a Golden Birthday

Hi, internet! 

I just got back from a busy but fun weekend in DC with my mom's side of the family- 36 people in all! After celebrating 4 birthdays and a new arrival in the family, Amanda and I drove home through a snow storm in Virginia and re-united with out Lady who was in the safe care of our dear friend, Irina. 

It was a good weekend and I'm especially glad I got to see my parents but I am also glad to be back and working on everything I have to get done. I mean, now that I'm 23, it's time to be real grown-up, right?

Seeing as Saturday was my golden birthday, here's a post about my gold frame front hall!

The final product after months of finding, adding, moving and filling gold frames.

The inspiration for this whole wall was taken from the poem Desiderata mentioned in some of the captions below that my sister found and introduced me to. We both love it and practically every line speaks a very loud and clear truth about living a good and happy life. 

From sound business advice to fair warnings about romance, the poem straight-up rocks! We tried to make every picture either a quote or an image related to the overall theme and message of this poem.

If you have a minute, read the full poem at the bottom of this post! You won't regret it...

Bob. F'n. Ross.
I (illegally) printed this from a google search and I love it! 

The last few stanzas of Max Erhman's Desiderata.
My sister wrote this out and covered the text in a
thin layer of gold paint but she's iffy on the result.
 I like it but it may be a re-do down the road...

Probably my favorite picture- I found this old print of
a hunter and his pointer, perfect for our pointer mix, Lady! 

A wise but ironic quote for two very loud occupants! 

One of my sister's thrift store finds.
I love the colors and how the gold in the map sparkles. 

Mirror conveniently hung by the front door
so you can "check yoself" before you leave! 

Coming Soon...

I'm hoping to make lots of blog posts this week of all the things I've been doing lately. So many projects! And (hopefully) soon, I will be making some changes to the blog and opening an Etsy shop, which has been a goal of mine for a long time now... Get ready, people!

Thanks for reading!

Max Ehrmann 


Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Taken from http://mwkworks.com/desiderata.html

Homemade Dog Bed

I mostly want to use this blog for projects and ideas as a way to keep myself motivated and to share ideas with others. So, without further ado...

My beautiful Lady and her beautiful bed!

 She curled up and fell asleep only a few minutes after I finished making the bed

Why make your own dog bed?

When my sister and I adopted Lady- our wonderful 8 year old Blue Heeler/Pointer mix- 2 months ago, I knew I wanted to make or use resale items as much as possible for her. I try to buy as few store-bought things for myself, so why not do the same for my dog? If you're not particularly opposed to buying-new, however, there are several practical reasons to make your own bed:

Customized: Make it the exact size, color and fabric you want. Mine matches my bedspread!

Cheap: I used 2 old pillow shams and bed pillows that I didn't need. A pack of pillows from the store costs less than $4 but you probably already have old pillows laying around anyway!

Washable: Since the bed is really just a big pillow case, you can machine wash it.

Semi-disposable: If you have a dog that rips everything to shreds  why waste money on store-bought beds? Just use all pillow cases, bed sheets or even tablecloths and make a cover. If it gets ruined, make a new one!

Easy: How easy? Read below!

Making your own dog bed:

If you have sewn a lot before, this project is a walk in the park. But even if you don't sew much, this is a great beginning project because you can do it however you want and it doesn't require much attention to detail (it is for a dog, after all). Even if you don't have the same materials I started out with or you don't understand my very vague directions, basically, sew 2 pieces of fabric together and stuff it! I'm sure your pup won't complain...

What I used:

2 pillow shams (left from the previous resident and that match my bedspread!), 2 old bed pillows (less than $4 at any department store), my sewing machine and my dog (as a tester).

A very tired puppy waiting for her bed...

The Process:

I didn't get any step-by-step photos for this one and it's relatively hard to explain (though not hard to do) so I'll just lay out the basics. I cut off one edge of the long side of each sham and sewed the tops, bottoms and edges together SEPARATELY.  If you don't sew each part separately, you will basically end up with two sew-together rectangles and your dog won't be very comfy...

That's it. The complications come in the details though, as sewing each part separately can be pretty difficult with a machine depending on the weight and weave of the fabric you're using. That's why it's fine to do it however works best for you!

Enjoy!

Lady still using her bed 2 months later, as I type!