freshen up your front porch for spring

The sun finally showed up again here in Charlotte yesterday, and so Teddy and I decided to spend some time outside. I worked on freshening up our decidedly bedraggled front porch, and Teddy worked on a popsicle, as well as getting so muddy he had to go right to the shower afterward. But back to the project . . . is your entry letting you down? Put your best foot forward with a fresh look for spring. We bought these pretty encore azaleas and potted them temporarily in our bunny pots (we'll plant them properly very soon!), tossing in some shells and pebbles to set off the pink blossoms. We gave the front door a good scrub (it's been wet and muddy here for days!) and looped a length of easter egg garland into an egg-ish shape, tied with a simple length of tulle, and we were done. This garland is from Pier 1 a few years ago, but Target has a similar product available now online for $20.99. When we were finished, the front porch looked very spring-y and clean, in contrast to Teddy, who just looked like he'd been rolling around in a giant mud puddle!

make your own unique and fun chalkboard

It's another wet, dreary Sunday in Charlotte, so we thought we'd share another one of our favorite how-tos, in case you're stuck at home on a rainy day and you happen to have a vintage frame, a piece of MDF, and a can of chalkboard paint handy. We like to get really fun frames, and if they're not fun, we paint them a really crazy color, although you can just paint them to go with your kitchen or laundry room or whatever. Once you've got the frame ready, just cut a piece of MDF to fit, and paint it with a few coats of chalkboard paint. If you're feeling really creative, you could put on some magnetic paint first. (Make sure you put a few coats of magnetic paint on, otherwise you'll only be able to attach very small things with very big magnets!!!!) Then, just tack the chalkboard MDF to the frame, and you've got yourself a unique and special message board, way better than anything at Staples! And, bonus, did you know, kids and adults develop better fine motor skills and upper body strength by writing on a vertical surface? . . . true!

our fergusandme bricksandsticks store, for spring

a peak at fergusandme at Blacklion for spring . . .
we have gone a bit crazy with the waste not paper letterpress flowers and butterflies, but it is quite festive! This is an example of our usual trick of applying high quality individual sheet type wrap to walls with wallpaper paste, or dare I admit it, staples (as here). Only use staples if you're not too neurotic and you're just using the paper under a chair rail or to add pattern behind a big furniture piece, or like, here, you'll change it in a month, anyway! This is a riot of spring, and since we did it, our snowy north carolina March has given way to a more "normal" sunny north carolina March. . .
P.S. a big, crazy pattern like this generally means that worrying about the repeat is something you need not do! Hurray!

Super Saturday recipe: do you have any old squashy bananas?

Do you have any old squashy bananas, too yucky for anything but the bin, you  say?  Don't toss them!  Use them in this time-honored, super easy (I'm typing this without reference to a recipe card!) fergusandme family recipe.  One teenage member of our household who shall remain nameless can eat an entire loaf in one go, and "accidentally" eats the little loaves we make for our neighbors . . . it's that good, so here goes!

Mix in order given:

1/2 cup butter or margarine (we use smart balance sticks), softened in the microwave

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 tablespoon of hot water

3 mashed or disintegrating bananas

optional 1/2 cup walnuts

pour into oiled loaf pan(s), half full-ish

bake at 350F for approximately 45 minutes

when a fork comes out clean, it's done!

feel free to double the recipe :)

make this for breakfast tomorrow morning!  it's delicious!

master your mantle, in a few easy steps

IS your mantle a gaping hole in your otherwise inventive decorating?  Does this most focal of focal points stymie your creativity by virtue of its prominence and length? We have a solution, so here goes: first, choose a UNIFIER -- this can be color, here, a sort of sea inspired blue, a loosely arranged theme, or some combination of the two.  We went for a combination -- this mantle works on several subtle levels, since the sea blue of the papier mache deer head (sustainably handmade in Haiti for Stray Dog designs, and available in 16 benjamin moore colors) refers back to the shell frames (target!), the driftwood/barnwood blue frame (Laville Frames of Baton Rouge, Louisiana), the one shell, the sea glassy vintage bottles (see last post on our infatuation with these!), and the vintage clipper ship silhouette.  But wait!  Did you spot the other "link"?  IT's the turf, of surf n turf.  To reinforce and echo the big ol' deer head, there's a collection of kiddo's tiny vintage deer in the center, complemented by an owl she made in art class.  This arrangement is also unified by color -- the colors are limited, complementary, and all evoke the seaside.  We also used shape as a quiet unifier, creating a wave pattern across the mantle with object placement, and repeating the element of the darker square/rectangular photos within lighter frames.   So while a casual glance shows you that this mantle "works," a quick but careful second look makes the why obvious.  Give it a shot: find a common thread among art and objects on your mantle, and remember, the look will be better if it's not too predictable.

super storage, vintage style

Ever wondered how stylists get those kids' rooms and work spaces in magazines to look so uniquely fun and interesting? Here's a fail safe way to make your space very special -- use vintage lunch pails and boxes, and vintage Ball jars, to hold all kinds of small stuff.  Ball jars are widely available in the U.S. at estate and yard sales, antique shops, and flea markets, and cost between $3 and $12, depending on size and degree of rarity.  We love the blue ones, but clear ones are less expensive.  Lunch pails and boxes are a bit more expensive, but the cool old graphics make them so totally worth it!

groovy in the 70s, just as groovy today

Does your home need a splash of fun and funky?  A groovy, gorgeous 70s sampler might be just the ticket to wake up your walls, or your sofa, or your console table . . . get out and go on a hunt at your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or consignment shop!  Look for needlework with in good condition with graphic appeal and bright colors.  You can use the piece as is if the frame is in good condition, as we did with the wild and crazy birdy in the back, you can stick a smaller piece in an off the rack frame (this beaded  one's from Target) (just pull the piece tight over cardboard backing), or, if you're handy with a sewing machine, you might make a really sweet pillow, like our totally groovy swirly one.  However you use them, these blasts from the past make really cool art and accessories for today!

 

here's the real Fergus of fergusandme

So this is the true Fergus, our one year old Scottish terrier.  Obviously, he likes the beach, like the rest of our family.  He's quite endearing despite being extremely messy and smelly. Our only design advice relating to Fergus in particular, and dogs in general, is get yourself a really cute dustpan and brush set, like the smiley-faced one used at our house, above, from Japanese company Dulton. We bought ours at our relatively local World Market store, but it's available online, I think -- anyway, great for sweeping up dog hair, among other things . . . 

more powder coating success . . . lab stools become kitchen stools

Here's another powder coating project.  We did these thrift store cast off stools (from a Cal Poly chem lab, according to the old metal labels on the bases) years ago, and they still look terrific, despite loads of swivelling up and down! Total cost per stool on these was $35. Keep your eyes open for these! Crate & Barrel makes a silver/stainless Navy chair-esque equivalent, but obviously, that would be a much more expensive option.  Gets this look, though, if you like it . . . 

powder coating is your friend. . . really!

Like any family with a bunch of kids, actually like anyone, we here at fergusandme need Storage, with a capital S.  Throw in a house built in 1969, with teeny tiny closets, and you'll understand the problem.  So, we're always on the lookout for storage solutions, and this is one of our favorites.  It's a simple set of old school lockers, adeptly sprayed in a fetching shade of blue by our local auto body shop.  And the bonus? It's magnetic, so kiddo's homemade felt flower magnets work really well for hanging reminder notes, a handy feature since the lockers are used to store shoes, coats, backpacks, and soccer cleats, right by the back door.  So keep your eye out for lockers in consignment shops, salvage yards, junk shops, and where businesses are closing :(  Your favorite auto body shop can spray or powder coat your "Storage" very reasonably.  Two things you should know: first, spraying gives a finish that is a little less pristine and perfect, but is available in thousands of colors.  Powder coating is a little bit more durable and even, but is available in a limited swatch of colors.  Either way, you'll get a finished piece that makes great, glossy, inexpensive storage -- and it's recycled!

P.S. Don't forget to take off any hardware or metal labels before powder coating, and put them back after. These add a charming authentic touch to your pieces.  Please watch for more metal salvage items in future posts! 

cool new use for grimy old letter holder

Got young kids and lots of paperback picture books, all over the place? You know how difficult it is for little ones to look at those teeny tiny spines and figure out where their favorites are on the shelf.  Solution, at least for the current ten or twelve favorite reads; redo an old office supply staple, a super quick project that costs practically nothing.  

You've seen them at estate sales and junk shops -- those old metal racks for letters or files.  Mostly, they run about $2, and feature no attractive features.  Our advice: a quick spray paint job (we're advised NOT to use metallic paint where small children are concerned, and, as always, do this outside and real all labels and cautions!) We just happened to have a can of hot pink around, but despite the color, our little boy loves this method of storage -- he's keeping his favorites in here, at least for now.  If you can get your hands on a toast rack, that would be even more fun!

wishbone chair redux -- thrifty is in!

Okay, so you've got your eye on some cool kitchen chairs, maybe those pricey mid-century modern ones from DWR, but your budget is distinctly not DWR-friendly.  Cue what we at fergusandme like to call "design for the times" -- awesome looks on an austerity budget.  Like these cool 1951 no-name NC made wishbone chairs, scored for a song at an estate sale.  They had been sadly neglected, were dusty and speckled with tar (stored in the attic -- who knew this could happen?), but were fundamentally sound. We just got to scrubbing with soap and water, pulled off the damaged pleather seat covers (check when you're buying for the telltale four screws underneath -- this generally means you can just take the screws out, pop the seat off, and commence yanking out fifty year old staples!), and got to work with the staple gun, covering the seats in our choice of spill resistant materials (our family includes a four year old who believes ketchup is a major food group!) Finally, we buffed up the wood with Briwax, in clear. Et voila! Excellent, comfy, mid-century cool chairs for practically no money.  Everyone fights over them at dinner time, honest.  Our DWR be-pop chairs, while as adorable as ever, are no longer the favorites.  This project, a total revamp on four chairs, took about two hours one recent weekend morning.  Check out the before and afters above. You can do it! Recycle, save money, be thrifty.  It's the new economy, whether we like it or not.