Author Archive
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Thrifting/Estate Sales on
29 July 2010, with 2 comments so far.
How about some lovely bookends to keep your reading materials nice and organized? I’m on the hunt for bookends at the thrift this week but if you’re not near a good shop, these vintage Etsy sellers have you covered. From genuine Travertine originating in Death Valley to a pair of upcycled spindles, any choice will keep your books in great company.
clockwise from top right
Brass horse, $58, Lucy and Ellen // $22, Vintage French Iron Bookend, French By Design // $24, Mid Century Bookends, Mary Grace Thomas // $295, Death Valley Travertine Bookends, Vintage Zen // $21, Spindle Bookend, Funkie Finds // $8, Library Bookends CometWreckage
Tags: bookend, etsy, vintage
Posted in Decorating, Thrifting/Estate Sales | 2 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Reuse on
16 July 2010, with 7 comments so far.
Lisa Congdon’s wall of plates
ReadyMade’s Editors’ Notes blog recently featured a fantastic round-up of ceramic plate reuses. At the end of the post, Katherine writes: “If all else, and I mean all else fails, you can hang them on the wall.”
Gotta disagree with Katherine on this one: I think plate walls are a first rate choice for ceramic and plastic dishes, especially suited for the dining room or above the kitchen stove. Plates won’t catch fire in the event of a wok flair-up and if grease happens to spatter upwards, you can simply remove, wash with the rest of your wares and rehang. In fact, I love plate walls so much that I have three of them! Two in the kitchen and one outside on the back porch.
The majority of my plates came from thrift stores for less than a dollar apiece, making the plate wall a cost effective way to achieve big impact in any space. Craft and hardware stores have wire plate hangers in a variety of sizes and you can trace your plates onto wax paper and tape up a template for perfect planning or start with one and go random. Use different sizes, shapes and colors or go monochromatic. The possibilities are endless.
(more…)
Tags: ceramic, hang plates, plate, plate wall, Reuse, vintage plate
Posted in Decorating, Reuse | 7 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Stores on
15 July 2010, with 6 comments so far.
DC’s Hunted House
I had the great pleasure of visiting our nation’s capital last week smack dab in the middle of the Fourth of July activities. While checking out the White House and the National Mall was fun (and insanely sweaty during that heatwave), my visit to resale shop Hunted House stood out as the trip’s highlight.
How could I not stop in? Mid-century furnishings strung together with security wire on the sidewalk will always catch one’s attention. Up one flight of stairs and I was smack dab in the middle of vintage heaven.
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Tags: hunted house, mark johnson, mid-century, mid-city design district, washington dc
Posted in Stores | 6 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and How-To on
28 June 2010, with 4 comments so far.
Have an old chair in need of some extra TLC? Can you crochet? Here is the project for you! Jo of About Mo and Me made this charming chair cover using a pattern from Attic24.
I know my way around a pair of crocheting needles as well as I do a spaceship but the hexagon how-to is full of close-ups, detail and simple language. Plus, it’s been lauded by the commenters for being easy to follow. Happy making!
[Images: About Mo and Me, Attic24]
Tags: attic24, chair cover, crochet, diy chair, hexagon pattern
Posted in Decorating, How-To | 4 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Organizing and Storage on
23 June 2010, with no comments so far.
Added to the ReadyMade Flickr pool by user lakbdesign/fergusandme
When I was seventeen I moved from Milwaukee to the Virgin Islands. I drove my new-to-me Hyundai Accent from the Midwest to West Palm Beach, Florida in three days to ship my car and sent the rest of my belongings down by post.
What did I not trust the US Postal Service to hang on to? My books. Those I stashed in my trunk, the backseat and oh yes, the front seat. In the ten years since then I’ve moved five times and every single one of those titles and my many new acquisitions have traveled in the car each and every time. No moving service has laid hands on the majority of them and as neurotic as it sounds I always feel good knowing they’re close by.
But I have been bad. My precious books are now scattered around the house in different areas and completely unorganized. I have stacks upon stacks of books lining the walls in two different rooms and little piles decorating bedside and coffee tables. Do they look nice? Yes. Can I find the Walter Mosley section at 2am when I want an Easy Rawlins fix? No.
Here are some book displays from must-see Tumblr Book Lovers Never Go To Bed Alone that look good and make organizing a cinch.
This floor-to-ceiling bookshelf would be perfect for the bay window in my apartment. Instead of just sills, I would love to construct two separate window seats for couples reading sessions in the breeze. Add a cocktail or a glass of iced tea and you have the perfect Sunday afternoon.
A series of small wire shelves for collections by author or type would help keep large groupings by author together. I’ll now be on the lookout for small shelving on thrifting and estate sale trips.
A nice spin on simple shelves for odd angles in your home. Simple to construct with plywood and brackets, it is also darn affordable.
How do you display and organize your books? Add your photos to the ReadyMade Flickr Group here.
[All images via Book Lovers Never Go To Bed Alone on Tumblr]
Tags: book display, book lovers never to go bed alone, bookshelves
Posted in Decorating, Organizing, Storage | No Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to How-To and Reuse on
22 June 2010, with 13 comments so far.
Chris recently posted about how wonderful anyone-can-do-it DIY projects are. This recycled-bottle dish soap dispenser definitely fits the bill and coming across it made me downright giddy.
I’ve been griping to the Mister for months about having an eyesore on our kitchen sink. Been searching high and low in every thrift and craft store I enter for something to replace it, something with some character and whimsy (I almost bought a vintage still-sticky syrup pourer with a smiley face sticker on it, that is how desperate we are talking). Claire, the blogger behind Blah to Tada, has come up with something simple and cute to replace the ugliness many of us have perched atop our counters right now.
Glass + spout + soap = problem solved.
Check out Blah to Tada for the whole post and do go through the whole site. It had me yelling out “TADA!” to my computer after viewing each transformation.
Thanks, Claire!
[Images: Blah to Tada]
Tags: bottle soap dispenser, dish soap, dish soap dispenser DIY, Kitchen, recycled bottle, soap
Posted in How-To, Reuse | 13 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating on
17 June 2010, with 2 comments so far.
If you have an big fisherman in your life, he may appreciate some fishing memorabilia for Father’s Day this year. Instead of a taxidermy or singing fish for the wall, how about something handmade?
Flickr user laughing.goldfish—how appropriate—sewed this felted fish out of old sweaters as a gift for her fisherman father-in-law. Much more appealing (to me) than taxidermy and not nearly as irritating as those mechanical singing fish, I think anyone who lives in the house with her dear father-in-law owes her a hearty thank you! After all, she could have given him a Big Mouth Billy Bass.
Don’t forget: Father’s Day is Sunday, June 20th.
[Image added to the ReadyMade Flickr pool by laughing.goldfish]
Tags: big mouth billy bass, father's day, fish wall hanging, fishing gift
Posted in Decorating | 2 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Reuse on
16 June 2010, with 6 comments so far.
Summer is definitely here in Chicago. It’s been a strange one so far, with eighty plus degree days followed by a few milder ones where we struggle to get up to seventy. I’d prefer something right in the middle—say eighty-two—especially since my apartment has no air conditioning.
When the temperatures have pushed past ninety, fan to the rescue! I picked up the turquoise baby pictured above from new-resale-shop-on-the-block Seek Vintage here in the Second City. Thirty bucks. It keeps me cool and was loud enough to drown out all of the fireworks and hootin’ and hollerin’ that went on last week when the Blackhawks took the Stanley Cup.
If you’re hunting for a fan to get you through to September look no further. Here’s a round-up of what’s available from second-hand Etsy sellers right now. Read the fine print: some are not in working condition but I think they’re gorgeous all the same. Perfect for you lucky ones with air conditioning.
Vintage Electric Brown Metal Fan For Display, $32 by Sweet Love Vintage // Vintage Industrial Small Dominion Electric Fan in Green, $34 by Junk Culture // Refurbished Westinghouse Electric Fan, $72 by Fishbone Deco // Turquoise Electric Fan, $28 by Finding Fabulous // Vintage General Electric Table Fan, $60 by Rhan // Vintage Shabby Chic Green Trav-L-Aire Electric Fan, $72 by Fishbone Deco // Large Vintage Electric Fan, $15 by Mrs. Potts Vintage, Tripl Aire Cintage Electrical Fan Lasko, $42 by The Vintageholic Frog // Large Industrial Fan, $145 by Hindsvik
Tags: etsy, vintage decor, vintage fan
Posted in Reuse | 6 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to How-To and Lighting on
26 May 2010, with 3 comments so far.
Ah, Anthropologie. How I love to meander through your store, caress your goods, picture my home outfitted in your charming wares. If I could afford to, I would snatch up everything down to the fixtures and make my apartment into an Anthropolgie bunker. But sadly, I can’t. I’m forced to stick with thrift and hardware stores most of the time…which is okay until I open your catalog or peek at your website. The glutton in me has to avoid doing so because everything about you is so perfect for my house, my wardrobe and my jewelry box.
But wait! I can make an Anthropologie-inspired item with stuff from said thrift and hardware stores. Photographer Ashley Ann of Under The Sycamore shows how, with a beautifully shot step-by-step tutorial on making her own version of Anthro’s pretty pendant lights.
Supplies
spray paint
metal outlet cover
ready-to-go pendant light kit
metal basket
(more…)
Tags: anthro, anthropologie, ashley ann, diy, Lighting, pendant light, under the sycamore, wire basket
Posted in How-To, Lighting | 3 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Stores on
19 May 2010, with no comments so far.
I’ve seen a huge amount of brightly painted vintage frames around the interwebs lately. Have a peek at Flickr Group Flea Market Style and play a quick game of Eye Spy. How many do you see? (Well, maybe just a few, but they’re all awesome!)
The photos in Flea Market Style led me to super-cute Etsy shop Amye123. Super bright and quite affordable, Amye123 is stocked with tons of gorgeous upcycled vintage frames in pretty colors. The light blue would be just perfect in my living room.
Let’s be serious: I would love to have all of Amye’s frames in my living room. Take a peek at her shop here.
[All images: amye123]
Tags: amye123, etsy, painted frames, picture frames, vintage frames
Posted in Decorating, Stores | No Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating on
18 May 2010, with no comments so far.
Nashville Flood Relief Poster, Lift Up Nashville, by Ty Mattison, $10
According to ABCNews, almost 2,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the May 1st flood in Tennessee. You can donate to flood relief in Nashville with the Red Cross here or purchase the poster above and many others from Lift Up Nashville. All proceeds go to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
Blogger Collyn of ModFruGal allowed me to share the photo above of her driveway and mailbox after the storm. Thankfully, her home was not among those with major damage but the pictures on her site show the severity of the flood. Collyn also posted a link from Nashvillest with detailed information on how to help the relief effort with time, money or goods. Please consider donating in whatever way you can.
For brighter news (and only after you’ve donated!), check out Collyn’s blog for some Nashville style and her guest post over at Design Crisis for a tour of her fabulous modern-on-a-budget Nashville home. Viva Nashville!
Tags: lift up nashville, modfrugal
Posted in Decorating | No Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Decorating and Organizing and Storage on
4 May 2010, with 3 comments so far.
My cheese grater earring display was (mostly) declared cute and not crazy by you, ReadyMakers! Thank you for the validation.
Today, I’m thinking about do-it-yourself necklace displays and as usual, the internet is proving to be a treasure trove of useful, pretty and inexpensive ideas.
How do you display your necklaces?
Clockwise: Knob Necklace Display, Decor8 via Mustard and Sage; Make A Necklace Rack, Painted Fish Studio (with tutorial) via Thread Banger; Solaana’s Jewelry Display, Apartment Therapy
Tags: display, diy, diy jewelry display, diy jewelry organizer, jewelry, necklace, organize, Organizing, Storage
Posted in Decorating, Organizing, Storage | 3 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Reuse and Salvage and Storage on
29 April 2010, with 1 comment so far.
Blogger Elsie Marley (real name Meg, like me!) added the photo above to ReadyMade’s Flickr pool this weekend. It was just the inspiration I needed to start thinking seriously about what to do with my own tiny bathroom. Her blog post on the project details the three year journey spawned in part by her brother dropping a hammer on their previous sink, leaving them no choice but to replace it quickly. I’m contemplating dropping something very heavy on my own pea-green sink and telling the landlord that it has just got to go.
What is not to love about this bathroom? While small, Meg has added practical storage that doesn’t sacrifice style. The mailbox on the side of the $100 antique cabinet was scooped from the trash years back and repurposed to hold books and magazines. The metal First Aid kit on the right wall was an eBay find and hides meds from little kiddies. A high school boyfriend was the source for the box on top of the toilet.
The most inspiring part about this photo? She spent a little over three hundred bucks for the whole thing. Thanks for sharing, Meg! I’m off to go (accidentally) destroy my sink.
Add your photos to ReadyMade’s Flickr Pool here.
[Photo: elsiemarley]
Tags: bathroom makeover, bathroom repurpose, bathroom storage, decor, Decorating, elsie marley, flickr, mailbox, small bathroom, upcycled bathroom
Posted in Reuse, Salvage, Storage | 1 Comment »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Organizing and Reuse on
21 April 2010, with 26 comments so far.
I just added my very first photo to the new ReadyMade Flickr pool. In a moment of clarity this weekend, I decided that the holes in this cheese grater would be perfect for dangling earrings.
The method: Sand and spray paint a thrifted cheese grater. Fill with earrings. Pin onto wall.
Thumbs up or thumbs down?
Add photos of your DIY jewelry displays or whatever else you’re up to around the house to the ReadyMade Flickr group. We’d love to see and share them.
Tags: bathroom, bedroom, cheese grater, diy jewelry display, diy jewelry organizer, flickr, jewelry, organization, projects, vintage cheese grater uses
Posted in Organizing, Reuse | 26 Comments »
Posted by Megan Jeyifo to Furniture and Stores and Thrifting/Estate Sales on
19 April 2010, with 8 comments so far.
Finds from an Urban Dig
During my angst-ridden teenage years, my stepmother constantly invited me to accompany her on weekend jaunts to estate sales around the Milwaukee area. I always demurred. I was sixteen with better things to do, like finding the perfect jeans and flat-ironing my curly hair. I finally made it to an estate sale this weekend and I’m kicking myself for not tagging along with my dear stepmom ten years ago. It’s not like I ever found the perfect jeans or figured out how to straighten my hair anyways.
This estate sale was billed as an “Urban Dig” by Lynne McDaniel, the organizer and owner of Chicago vintage shop An Orange Moon. The home belonged to the state of Illinois’ first Black chief nurse anesthetist, Willye Tillman. Ms. Tillman was born in 1928 and passed on in November of 2009. Judging from the contents of her condo, she lived a full and colorful life.
Ms. Tillman did a lot of traveling. My first find during the “dig” was a Brazilian-Porteguese conversational guide printed in Rio de Janerio in 1961 (Foi atropelado: He was knocked down). I also walked out with vintage postcards from Jamaica and Paris, addressed to travel clubs she belonged to.
(more…)
Tags: an orange moon chicago, backgarage, estate sale, willye tillman
Posted in Furniture, Stores, Thrifting/Estate Sales | 8 Comments »
