My Apartment!

I've been waiting until my apartment was pretty much decorated and I was fully moved in before I shared pictures--and I finally feel ready to post some! There's still some things to hang, curtains to put up, and things to be organized, but for the most part it's ready to go--and I love it! It's the second floor of a house in the Regent Square area of Pittsburgh. There's a nice back yard, parking, a front porch, and back deck. And most importantly, Chloe is allowed :) Here are some of my favorite parts of my new place:

Now there's a table there!

Obsessed with the deck. Chairs were $8 from Fleatique--didn't even have to paint them!

Back deck at night--lanterns and mason jars=happiness.

Kitchen.

Old box and bottles from the Fleatique.

Ikea cart turned into a bar cart.

Kitchen chalkboard--no longer says "Hello Summer"

Bathroom wall.

Bathroom window fabric scrap valance I made--and little bird clips from L.O.F.T. in Asheville.

Vintage magazine rack found at the Fleatique--perfect for records!

Cubes in the living room--filled with books, pictures, records, and candles!

And this little lover--Lucy, the neighborhood cat!

Terrain

Have you ever visited Terrain? I stumbled across it the other day and since then I can't stop going back. I haven't purchased anything yet but I have my eye on a few things. I love the simplicity, yet unique and beautiful colors of many of the items. Gardening has always had a special place in my heart and there are some amazing outdoor items on the site. Here are a few of my favorites:

Engraved Vines Copper Cocotte

Floating Wall Terrarium

Starburst Mirror

Jadeite Cake Stand

Patchouli Powder Box Candle

United States Chalkboard Map

Lyric Chrysoprase Necklace

Be sure to check out their blog, The Bulletin, for ideas, inspiration and easy DIY projects.

DIY: Coasters.

I wish I could remember where I first saw this idea--
but all I know is that these DIY coasters have been stuck in my head ever since.
This is the third time I've made them--
I wanted to "perfect" this craft before I posted about it.

This craft is so unbelievably easy and cheap!
I made a set for a friends fairly new home, a Dave Matthews Band set,
and now the one I'm about to share with you!

Here are your supplies:

4 square ceramic tiles (Home Depot or Lowes)
1 piece of felt
photos/scrapbook paper
scissors
E6000 glue
Mod Podge
Paint brush
Acrylic finisher spray

Cut out four squares of paper, for this I chose scrapbook paper.
Make sure the tile is clean and apply your first layer of Mod Podge.

Place the scrapbook paper on top and be sure to smooth out any bubbles.

Once it dries, put on the top layers of Mod Podge.
I usually let the layer dry, then apply one or two more layers.

Make sure your Mod Podge is completely dry before you spray the finisher.
This will make your coasters waterproof and give a nice glossy shine to them.

I highly suggest doing this outside. It has a pretty strong smell that sticks around for a while.
I sit the coaters on wax paper (not any colored paper) because the coating tends to be a bit sticky and you don't want anything attaching to the coasters.

Let this dry for a few hours, overnight is best. Do NOT stack the coasters on top of each other until you are sure the finisher is completely dry--trust me, I made this mistake.

Cut out the felt squares and glue to the bottom using your E-6000 (or similar) glue.

 

And you're done!
These make great gifts--people can't even tell they're homemade!

 

You can really notice the glossy finish on this last picture. 

I've used them, dripped water on them, and they work perfect!