DIY: Seahorse Wall Art

So remember how much I fell head over heels in love with the Aidan Gray Seahorse Wall Art?


Seahorse Wall Art: $306



Well….here’s my version I finished last night. Costing me a whopping $8.00 in printer ink to make.





I already had the MDF Planked Board that I cut to size. Then using an editing program on my computer, I made the seahorse graphic and filled it in with the names of beaches my family and I have vacationed at, along with that great saying, “Follow the River and You Will Find the Sea.”





I painted the board in a weathered gray and then dry brushed it in cream. Then I cut out my seahorse and Mod Podged him to the board. This morning I hung him up and love how he has become the focal point of my dining room!


I found the Driftwood Runner at T.J. Maxx last week. I had been wanting one from Crate and Barrel, but they were so expensive. I paid $15 for the T.J. Maxx version.





Happy Monday!!!

Coastal Subway Wall Art

I heart the Subway Art that’s popping up everywhere these days. The simple black background and the large white letters that pop off the canvas. It’s just, well…cool, right?

Pottery Barn’s Version

Courtesy of Pottery Barn

Restoration Hardware’s Version

Courtesy of Restoration Hardware

Yes, I was a fan of the standard Subway Art, until I saw this and my jaw dropped!

 

Now this is MY kind of Subway Art! I love the wooden weathered planks and the silhouette Seahorse. Check out the message hidden within the words that reads, “Follow the River and you will find the Sea.”

Seahorse Wall Art from Aidan Gray retailing for $306.

I have a huge blank wall in my front room when you walk in my house that is screaming for some wall art. Now my wheels are turning again! Definitely food for thought!

Hallway Wall Makeover

Unfortunately newly built homes don't have a lot of character to them. I have a long wall in my upstairs hallway leading to the gameroom that was naked for nearly four years. It was time for an easy and inexpensive makeover!

I wanted something neutral with a little coastal flare to it. I've always loved the way neutral thick stripes look on walls, but I also wanted to display a little personal art. So I came up with...

While we were in Orlando when Nikolas was three, we had a candid moment at Disney's Beach Club Resort where Nikolas ran out after dinner to make "snow angels" in the sand. I'm so glad I had my camera with me! I had a series of good shots that I was able to capture with my el cheapo digital camera! Later I sent them in to Walmart to have them made into 11 x 14" canvas'. I wish they had been in a matte finish (not offered at the time), but even still I love them and they were pretty reasonable for all four (around $65, I believe with a coupon).

The paddle is from Pottery Barn. I couldn't pass it up as I have an addiction to chippy old paint!

The bell was a find at T.J. Maxx in Destin of all places! I love it so much as it adds to that coastal vibe without being too "themey" (I know, themey isn't a real word, but you catch my drift).

My Coastal Summer Mantel

I was so inspired by our recent trip to Destin, that I wanted to have that happy beach feeling surrounding me at home. I didn't have a huge budget so I gathered a lot of the decor from other areas of our house.

The white lantern and rope starfish were from Nikolas' room. I got the large glass vase on clearance for $13.00. The freebies include the sand inside the vase from the beach, along with several of the shells. Can you spot the typo in the wooden sign (a T.J. Maxx find)? It's okay, I still love it!!!

Other areas of the house needed a little summer spruce up so I did spring on some new throw pillows. (These are a mix of Pottery Barn and T.J. Maxx.)

I used some industrial strength velcro to attach a starfish to the wall and a vintage inspired seashell tray.

I tied these wooden buoys together and hung them on a wall hook

 with the clock above for a little visual interest.

Now I've got my own personal beach house to bring sunny vibes all summer long!

A Great Loss & A Sunny New Perspective

Life has a way of turning things upside down on you....just when everything seems to be going your way, out of no where you get blind sided by a big, fat curve ball.

My dad passed away on February 1st, the day of the big ice storm here in Dallas. It was a heart attack after falling on the ice. It happened so suddenly that it took me a month before I stopped feeling numb from it. I've never lost someone close to me like that and in such a sudden and final manner. It was like being punched in the gut.

I'm an only child and my parents are divorced, so I didn't realize how much was to come in the months following, dealing with an estate. It became my new day (and night) job, leaving little time for Urban Farmhouse.

I was hurting so badly that I had no desire to think about design or be creative. I truly wanted to curl up under the covers and stay there indefinately.

We had planned a family vacation to Destin, Florida the first week of May.  I knew I needed to take a break and get out of town. I've been to Florida several times, but never to the Gulf Shores before...and I've gotta tell ya, this was exactly what I needed to get my spirit back.

We found a great little house called "My Margaritaville" in SanDestin. It was a stones throw from the beach situated in a small, quiet pocket of vacation homes.

The view from our porch

The cheery and quirky design was a breath of fresh air at
My Margaritaville

The house was colorful, quirky, and beachy with a huge wrap around deck where we hung out everyday.

Being by the water was just the therapy I needed to start feeling like myself again. I have a strong connection to the sea and always tend to incorporate coastal undertones when working on a design project.

               My boys playing on the shore

Thank you so much for all of the amazing emails and calls!  I was so touched by the overwhelming amount of support and prayers over the last five months. It's helping my heart to heal...

Craving Coastal Trends

I've been caught up in all things Coastal this month. It may be the weather or that I'm longing to be at the beach, but I can't get enought of it. Sea blue colors, shells and sand instantly put me in a happy, relaxed state of mind.

I just picked up these glass candle hurricanes encased in wicker baskets. They are my favorite new accessory sitting on our coffee table on a vintage wooden tray.

I added some natural sand and chunky pillar candles. I love the texture of the sand and the coral. It instantly says Summer to me.

I also painted my kitchen island in a Coastal Sea Foam blue to give the neutral space a splash of color. I love how it livens up the room without being too overbearing.

At Urban Farmhouse I've started adding lots of Coastal elements as well. One of my favorite dining sets is the new Coastal Collection I just finished. See more pics at Urban Farmhouse.

Inspired by the Sea...Dining Room Inspiration

So I've been a bad blogger :-( So sorry...I'll try to be better! Lately I've been incredibly inspired by coastal design and I've wanted to paint everything in a color I've named Sea Glass. I can't get enough of it!

This table was so beat up and needed a lot of TLC. If it hadn't found it's new home so quickly, I may just have kept it for my new dining set.

I can't wait to see how the new owners plan to incorporate this set into their newly built home that has a Cottage Coastal vibe to it.

I'm also hooked on white dishes and cake stands mixed with glass cloches. I think it adds such a crisp and clean element for spring.

Oh and this little breakfast table and cane back chair set was supposed to be cream...and then I got a crazy idea to try a Sea Foam green. I love how it turned out with a tobacco glaze giving it depth.

I'd love to see some of your "Sea Inspired" design ideas. I must be ready for summer sunshine!

 Have a great weekend!

Pirate Style

Okay, so I've been a slacker on getting Nikolas' room finished. Urban Farmhouse has been taking up every waking minute I have...even in the snow this week in fact, I've been trying to keep the workshop warm so I can finish custom refinishing projects. Who knew paint doesn't like cold weather?

At any rate, I've been struggling with a theme. I know those of you with toddlers won't relate, but my three year old bounces from one "favorite thing" to the next before I can bat an eye. Tonight while we were reading our bedtime stories, it came to me...Pirates. It's certainly not a new idea, but it is something he can grow with and I plan to keep it neutral enough that when he's sick of pirates, we still have a basic color scheme and look to the room that we can theme or leave themeless.

So I've spent the last hour searching the web for "Pirate Inspiration." Here's the best of what I've found:

My favorite, by far...I love this simple idea of taking a sheet, table cloth or drape panel to create a sail above the bed. Who said canopies were just for girls? This is definately a masculine take on one. How cute are the pendants that carry over to the window treatments and bookcase?

Photo Courtesy of Ideal Home Magazine

Elaine from Our Semi Homemade Life did her adorable son's nursery in a Pirate theme. Order the wall stencils here. I love how the beadboard stands out against the dark blue walls. It helps me visualize our beadboard wallpaper against the light blue walls. Throwing in accents of navy or even black will be a nice contrast.

Pottery Barn Kids keeps with the navy, white and light blues in their Pirate Room as well. Love the mast above the bed with the initial on the sail.

I'd love to get some opinions on the new theme! If you've done a similar room, I'd love to see it! Oh and I just got his cute little window seat cushions custom made in navy with white piping. They really stand out against the light blue walls. Now on to window treatments! It never ends!

Happy Snow Day! :-)