Monday, January 23, 2012

... In With The New

(This post is by Erika- not Miriam. Blast you Blogger!)

Finally.  The paint is up, the fabric is on, and everything is tucked into place!  (Come to think of it, that sounds a lot like my ritual for getting ready in the morning.  Add "praying while standing on the bathroom scale," and you'd pretty much have it.)  The whole process of redoing the master bedroom has been a family affair:  my sweet hubby painted the walls, I wrestled with the sewing machine to line the drapes and pleat the bed skirt, and the baby vomited on the carpet to give it that "lived in" look.  I'd also like to thank Pottery Barn's clearance page for marking this Chinoiserie toile duvet down to half-off, and to Ballard Designs for creating pillows that I could never afford, forcing me to make my own.

Scroll mouse over picture below for a before and after look at the room.

While I relish the room as a whole, I have to say that the pillows are my pet love.  They turned out SO much better than most of my other hair-brained schemes, including my 6th grade perm, my stint as a violinist, and the three ballroom lessons that my husband and I took together before quitting to save our marriage.

Here are the Ballard Design pillows that I used as inspiration.
 
And here are my knock-offs. 

The best part--and I hesitate to confess it--is that these pillows are the product of 2 dollars worth of muslin, some scrap fabric from the bed skirt, and a metallic sharpie.  I simply printed the text onto computer paper, traced it onto the muslin with a sharpie and a steady hand, and sewed up the pillow.  And voila!  

I realize that sharpies aren't for everyone (like those with higher standards than myself who probably have a Ballard Designs credit card), but I'm starting to think I was on the "sharpie creation committee" in heaven.  Who knew those little hand-held darlings could make an ordinary pillow seem so perfectly romantic?

It all reminds me of a Charlotte Lucas quote from the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice:  "Not all of us can afford to be romantic, Lizzie."  

With all due respect, Charlotte, I disagree.  
We might not all be able to afford boutique burlap pillows, 
but with a sharpie in hand, we can all afford to be a little romantic once in a while . . .

41 comments:

  1. Beautiful! I can't believe you used a Sharpe for those pillows! I thought for sure they were embroidered. It looks wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, right?! She's amazing. Mine would look just like a little kid had gone to a pillow with a marker. Oh, I actually have some of those. Not attractive.

      Delete
    2. Janine, can you please be on my judging panel when I go to heaven? You are so gracious and kind that I have a feeling you are my ace in the heavenly hole . . .

      Delete
  2. Love the Charlotte Lucas quote from "Pride and Prejudice." Your bedroom turned out beautifully! Congratulations, you did a great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Who doesn't love that Charlotte. I cannot help it; I always wish for her a happier fate than Mr. Collins.

      Delete
    2. Sunday, what my bedroom really needs is you as my decorator! The pictures of your house make my heart flutter. Thank you for your good taste, your love of Austen, and your kind words!

      Delete
  3. I'm so impressed! I love the new look. And what room isn't complete without a little vomit...or poop?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KRISTI!!! It's just so good to "see" you! And there's not a room in MY home without at least one of those, so it MUST be a necessity. Haha.

      Delete
  4. P.S. I don't think I'll ever invite you to my house, as you will be sorely disappointed with my lack of, well, anything. Why didn't I inherit some of those creative genes? :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. By "lack of anything" you are probably just referring to the fact that your house doesn't have 16 piles of laundry on the counter right now, or a pretzel graveyard under the high chair. I think I'd take your "lack of anything" over my "creativity" any day . . . :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your room is beautiful...love the headboard & pillows! I'm your newest follower from the Savvy Southern Party. If you get a chance, I'd love you to stop by my blog & follow along too! I'm also hosting my first giveaway...come by and enter to win a free My Memories digital scrapbooking program.
    Sally
    loveofhomes.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Will and I are in the middle of trying to figure out how to make our master bedroom a bit more intentional and haven-esque. Would you like to come take a swing at it? We'll provide lodging (read: air mattress), food (lots of quesadillas!), and half-clad children shrieking through the house!

    Seriously though, this room is heavenly. I can feel its power to calm just seeping through the internets. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I offered her the same accomodations, and she's taking me up on it this weekend if all works out. So don't be surprised if she shows up at your door one of these days :)

      Delete
  8. Love the transformation. The colors have such a calm and peaceful feel. You did an amazing job on your pillows. Love them.
    Your newest follower, Mary Alice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome to the blog, Mary Alice! You share a name with one of my favorite Tea Room owners :)

      Delete
  9. Found your blog over at Savvy Southern Style and so glad I did! Your bedroom makeover is FABULOUS! I love the wall color and your headboard is gorgeous!! Just became a follower I hope you will follow me back. Martina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome! Isn't that headboard great? Her hubby made that from scratch. They have got some serious talent in that family.

      Delete
  10. your new remade bedroom
    is truly lovely

    thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!

    alison

    ReplyDelete
  11. I WANT those Pillows! Too Cute! XO Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your room is goregous. And I'm in love with those pillows.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very pretty, Miriam! I love your pillows! Hey, if Sharpies work, go for it! : ) I love your headboard, too ~ such a nice focal point.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I LOVE this! I would love if you would share this at the Crazy Cute link party happening at Between U & Me right now! I've got a totally awesome giveaway this week, too!
    OOH! AND, I'm your newest follower! ;)
    www.betweenuandme.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. So happy I stopped by from Common Ground...this is a beautiful space you've created! Your post is very witty too!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Love your room,love your pillows and adore your headboard!Newest follower from Savvy Southern Style! Stop by for a visit!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great job!Thanks for sharing,love the pillows.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Stunning ... absolutely stunning. Tell me again how you a) printed what you wanted it to say onto computer paper, b) traced it with a Sharpie onto the muslin - I'm a little slow, but did you cut out the letters you had printed and then trace through ... or let the ink seep thru the computer paper. Sigh, I know, but I'd love to learn so if you don't mind :) Hugs ~ Mary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All you have to do is find a font you like on your computer and make it large enough to fill a regular 8.5x11 sheet of normal printer paper. I used "Edwardian Script" and enlarged it to almost 500. For my pillows, I printed one page that said "Mr." and one that said "Mrs." Then, you simply center your muslin fabric over the printed paper (tape it down if you are worried about the fabric shifting), and trace the lines of the letters with a metallic sharpie marker. The muslin is thin enough that you can see the print on the paper right through the fabric. I hope that helps! Enjoy! ~Erika

      Delete
  19. Darling! And who didn't get a bad perm in the 6th grade?! I sure did! ugh. :) Anyway, your room is beautiful and I like your pillows better! So pretty! What a great idea! Thanks for showing off at my place!
    Melody
    ChattyChics.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. So pretty! I actually like your version of the pillows better than the Ballard Design ones!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love it- I love those pillows and have been working on making a few myself! Thanks for linking up!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I will be making these pillows! I thought I was the only one who could quote Pride and Prejudice....you are my kinda girl! I'm a new follower, so stop by and follow back so we can keep in touch. Love makin' new blog friends, Lori

    ReplyDelete
  23. I wanted to tell you that I scrolled but the befroe picture didnt show, but I was wrong it just takes time ...what a transformation...and those sharpie pillow??? !!!! Im not gonna try these cause of course it is not gonna look like urs in a million years..
    love it and the duvet cover is just perfect

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh the gorgeousness!!! Love your new room, it's so beautiful, and all the details work together to create a stunning oasis! I'd be absolutely delighted if you'd come and share this (and any other posts you'd like to show off) at the Head to Head Showdown link party. It's going on right now at www.icantstopcrafting.blogspot.com I hope to see you there! ~Jen

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love your new bedroom look. Great wall color and I love that tall unique headboard. Thanks for sharing at Wow.

    ReplyDelete
  26. The new look is fabulous. I love the color. The pillows are magnificent. Sharpies are awesome and I love the idea of using them for fabric. Great new look.

    Ruth

    ReplyDelete
  27. Congratulations on a job well done! Your bedroom looks absolutely beautiful! and so romantic,especially those pillows! I like yours better than Ballard and all done with a sharpie,that just blew me away! Beautiful wall color and I love that headboard, adds so much character to the room. Thanks for visiting me and leaving me a sweet note on my "Winter Blues." Have a wonderful week!~Poppy

    http://withadashofcolor.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  28. My bad perm happened in high school!! Love everything - those pillows are too cute!

    This would be a perfect inspirational post for our "Impossibilities" challenge ...

    I've joined up with 5 talented bloggers for an "Imagine the Impossibilities" challenge multi-blog link party going on now. It's all about tackling your most daunting task ... and you can find out more at this link ...

    http://www.eclecticallyvintage.com/4/post/2012/01/imagine-the-impossibilities-link-party.html

    Hope to see you there!
    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  29. Lovely and cozy! Your headboard is exquisite! :)
    A new follower,
    -Revi

    ReplyDelete
  30. I'm off to buy a Sharpie! Love the transformation...of course, I'm partial to greys and blues.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I just subscribed via email. You have no idea how thrilled Mr. Wonderful will be when I tell him I just subscribed to a blog called BeBookBound!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...