Being a former apartment dweller myself, I know how strong the urge is to personalize an apartment. No matter how temporary the living situation may be. Unlike most people though, I have a hard time suppressing the urge to paint. However, if you’re not the painting type but you still want to add a personal touch to your home without making it permanent this might be the product for you. A new line of removable and reusable wall coverings is now available from Casart.
both of these designs are Mary Douglas Drysdale Signature Colors
Each panel is 52″ W and comes in different sizes to meet the height of your ceiling, 8′, 10′, and 24′. They’re durable and simple to cut to size, imagine a thick wallpaper but without the messy back. The wall treatments have a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing you press on the wall you want covered, but the best part is they aren’t permanent so you don’t have to worry about violating a “no painting/wallpaper” clause in a lease agreement. The wall treatments are also reusable once you take them down, just replace the original backing sheet on the Casart covering until you’re ready to put it up again.
left image: Mary Douglas Drysdale Signature Colors, right image: Birds & Birch by Casart
As most of you know, I’m a color freak, so I love that you can pretty much color match any pantone or shade of Benjamin Moore paint to make a wall custom covering. I also read that you can upload images and pictures as well to make wall installations.
I once saw this episode of Home By Novagratz where they created custom wallpaper for a client’s home; they took pictures of the client’s children and created larger than life prints and put it up the children’s bedroom of the client. Doing something similar could make a bold statement in a room. Knowing myself, I’d create giant pictures of my dogs and put it up in the kitchen, which would make no sense but could be kinda cool, right? I’m such a nerd.
Once again, I find myself embracing my inner nerd to bring you some gift guides for those obsessed with today’s popular books/movies/comics/tv shows (anyone a Big Bang Theory fan?) for the holiday season.
[From top right] 1. Jason’s Super Power Strip $14.99, 2. Harry Potter Inspired Subway Sign $15, 3. Deathly Hallows iPad Case $58.58, 4. “Everyday I’m Hufflin” T-Shirt $23.52, 5. I solemnly swear bracelet $16
[Counter Clockwise] 1. Star Wars AT AT Attack Pillow Cover $40, 2. Millennium Falcon Ice Cube Tray $5.99, 3. Darth Vader USB Hub $34.99, 4. Chewbacca Dog Collar $7.99 – $8.99, 5. Star Wars Inspired Print $30, 6. Star Wars Tea Death Star $19.99
It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Try not to worry about it, this season should bring you joy, not stress. I personally had to talk myself off of a spending ledge just today while I was looking at a flash sale site. I saw two or three items that I thought would make decent gifts for people on my list, then next thing I knew I had $250 worth of product in my shopping cart just because I was worried I wouldn’t find anything else as good. Never shop out of fear I say. There will always be another sale!
If there was ever a post to fall under my geek out section, this definitely makes it into the top three (so does this one). On Saturday, John and Sherry of Young House Love came to the Dallas West Elm for a signing of their brand new book Young House Love, 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your House Some Love. I would highly recommend it, their book already has pushed me to complete a few loose DIY ends at my own house, and has given me some great ideas for new projects for the future.
Can you see how bad I’m blushing? Yeah, I do that when I’m nervous. Or maybe it’s because along with my book, I asked them to sign my ceramic elephant from Marshalls, a map of DFW, annnnd I crossed the line from “big fan” to borderline “total spaz and a half” by making them a small present which John is actually holding. I had to cart all of my goodies and my camera around in a giant bag and when I reached the table I bent up and down about four or five times trying to get all of my stuff signed, I was a little spastic I think. Hopefully it made me endearing?
The line was three hours long, but it wasn’t too bad. I was able to hangout with my friend and coworker Christi, and fellow Dallas bloggers and while we were waiting they had lots of yummy cookies from a local bakery along with some cinnamon spiced hot chocolate.
As for the gift I brought them…I made them a Christmas ornament to remember their signing in Dallas. I went to Michael’s and bought two packages of clear ornaments, a giant size and a medium size, because I wasn’t sure which would best serve my purpose. They were marked 50% off so I bought some extras for myself for my own Christmas tree as well.
I wanted the ornament to represent both John, Sherry, and Dallas. I cut out the shape of Texas around Dallas from a map I bought a half price books for $1.50. Of course I couldn’t stop at just buying a map, so I bought some pretty $1 poetry books as well to use for future shelf decor.
I was even able to salvage some of the map to use for John to sign when I went to meet them.
For Sherry, I knew she loved ceramic animals and I wanted to represent them in the ornament as well. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stuff an actual ceramic in a tiny glass bulb so I figured teeny-tiny dollhouse miniatures spray-painted white were the next best thing. I actually kept the little deer in the picture directly below because he was too big to fit into the ornament, he now lives next to a framed picture of me and my roommate. Doesn’t he look cute?
I bought several little animal packages at Hobby Lobby for $2.99 a piece. It was quite the menagerie of animals, I had a group of deer, a flock of birds, and then all these “busts” of exotic animals like elephants, gorillas and tigers.
I gave them a couple of coats of spray paint and the next thing I knew I had quite the collection of miniature ceramic animals.
I stuffed as many as I could inside, some of the larger deer wouldn’t fit, and then rolled up the map and slipped it in as well. I was so nervous I never even took a real picture of the finished ornament so here’s another close up of John holding the ornament. If you look closely you can see one of the birds in the little orb and the back of the Texas map.
After we made it through the line to meet Sherry and John, we had a chance to sign their blank book/dummy copy and leave them some love, and then we poked around West Elm for a minute or two. I really liked these white pitchers (and the industrial shelf they were on) because I thought they would look great in my kitchen’s see-through cabinets.
It was a fantastic day of signing, shopping and snacking and I am totally going to make an effort to go to more book signings from now on. What are you guys geeking out about lately? Did anyone else hit up some of the other signings around the country? In unrelated TV talk, did anyone watch Homeland or Walking Dead this weekend? I can totally talk your ear off about those shows…and Young House Love.
As most of you know, I’m addicted to TV. I absolutely love to watch shows and pick out things that I would have in my house from the sets. I think it all started with Friends, I actually bought one of those yellow frames to go around our peephole. And since I have always been a closet geek, I love Star Wars, read comics, and I even have a zombie survival kit (just in case), I really can relate to the characters on the Big Bang Theory.
{Images from: CBS.com}
From top left: 1. Green Lantern Hal Jordan Bust $84.99, 2. Star Wars Luke Skywalker Stormtrooper Disguise $14.99, 3. Markdale Leather Sofa $1599, 4. Plymouth Table Lamp $149, 5. SEI Metal Spine-Style Book Tower $107.54, 6. L’Anatomie Poster $24, 7. Round Glass Top Metal Coffee Table $139.99, 8. Wildon Home Quentin Upholstered Sofa $575.99, 9. Billy Bookcase Medium Brown $219.97, 10. Double Helix Model $53.50, 11. Halcyon Area Rug 8′ X 11’6″ $1399, 12. Avon II Area Rug 5′ X 8′ $449, 13. Dry Erase Board $29.09
I really enjoy all the geekery the guys have displayed proudly around their apartment, especially all the books they managed to stuff into their five bookcases. Actually, considering all the hobbies these guys have: physics/ comics/ movies/ computer games, it’s amazing how organized they are. I guess that’s TV land for you, or maybe Sheldon’s OCD.
Also, ever since they brought Amy Farrah Fowler onto the show as a full time cast member I love the show even more. Who’s your favorite character? Does anyone else feel like they could completely do without Howard’s mother? HOOOWWWAAARDDD! Ugh, immediate headache.
This is the second time I have ever been able to vote, I don’t know about you but I always feel extremely patriotic. I’m not the type to try to sway people to vote for my candidate, but I always enjoy a healthy debate. Really, as long as you vote, I’m happy. I created a fun little graphic to commemorate today’s election with some products carried in the Compartment Life store!
Loading ... Loading ...Make sure to get out there and vote today! You know you want an “I voted” sticker!
Happy Halloween! In case you didn’t know, Compartment Life made its way onto Instagram. The place where anyone can be a photographer, or at least the place where everyone thinks they’re a photographer, myself included.
Check out all of my instagrams from the month of October, you can absolutely tell this was Halloween month. I spent a large portion of my time taking pictures of some of the decor we did to the condo for Halloween, and what I found in stores. Next month I promise I’ll deliver photos that are more design based!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram @Compartment_Life, and as I’m still fairly new to Instagram (when do you begin feeling old hat at technology?) please share your Instagram handles with me so I can actually follow some interesting people!
During the summer, I shared my room makeover with you all where I repainted my bedroom….twice. I also shared a little mini teaser of my newest obsession. Viking Glass.
I have wanted to start a collection/personal hobby for a long time, and nothing really seemed to stick. For example, about three years ago I really got into saltwater aquarium keeping. Random, right? It didn’t really take because one, reef keeping is expensive, and two, I was bad at it. Everything kept dying or eating each other. I’m sure I’ve picked a few other things here and there to try to become awesome at (“I’m going to become a yoga master!”) but like I said, I never stuck with anything. Mainly because it was something that I was having to work to be excited about. It’s always fun to dream about practicing yoga in an ashram, creating an amazing seascape in a tank but it wasn’t effortless.
Really, a collection is just a grouping of three or more similar items. Which is why this type of collection is so great, I can choose to add to it or not but I’m still a viking glass collector.
Viking glass originated in the late 1940′s and was made all the way through the 1970′s. As you can see there are many colors and they all share similar traits such as a very long neck, the uneven mouth (that comes from “swinging the glass”), and similar body shapes. I love it because every time I visit a resale or thrift shop, there’s always the possibility that I’ll stumble upon a great piece. When I started this collection, I’ll admit I was a little hasty because I would get so excited I found another piece of viking glass. This resulted in a few purchases that I may not have purchased again given the chance at a do-over. Also, I’m trying to make sure they’re authentic pieces actually made by the Viking Glass Company. The easiest way to tell is by a little sticker or label that they carry.
However, just because they don’t carry the viking glass label doesn’t mean they aren’t a product of the Viking Glass Company. Until you become an expert, which I am most definitely not, it’s just not as easy to tell. Isn’t that little Viking ship on their label cute?
My favorite piece is probably the amethyst purple glass on the right, and oddly enough, it’s the only piece I suspect may not truly be made by the Viking Glass Company. Come on though, how can you not love that color?
I’ve added to it since I repainted my room, two I believe and one more on the way. A big green vase, which is now the largest in my collection (about 24 inches tall), a deep ruby red vase, and a tall yellow vase on it’s way in the mail. I actually got the idea for this collection from David Bromstand, I would suggest checking it out.
I really love the way they catch the light in the room and add some additional colors for me to work with. It’s a collection I know I’m going to enjoy growing over the next 60 years.
I’m such a dork that I’ve actually began trying to “catalog” them, keeping record of when I bought them, how much I paid, and any details about the vase I want to remember. I really know how to take all the fun out of things don’t I? I take a picture of each one as well and keep it in a record on my computer to refer to if I ever should have the need to calculate the value of the collection.
What do you collect? Are you like me and tend to make things harder than they need to be? Who else follows Young House Love and is planning on participating in the pinterest challenge?
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