7.29.2013

A Beautiful Mess Feature

I'm so thrilled to be featured on one of my all-time favorite blogs today - A Beautiful Mess. Check it out! To all of you new-to-insideways readers, thanks for stopping over!



My name is Jen and this blog is where I share the results of my thrifting, crafting, DIY, and home decor passions. I'm always striving to learn new things! My day job is as a freelance cellist - you can learn more about that side of me here >>> jenniferbewerse.com

But really, let's get down to it. My favorite part of seeing a beautiful space, is the before and after comparison. Shall we? ...




It's been quite the journey! If you're curious about how I got this far, it's almost all here in the blog. Here are a few links to get you started:




Thanks again for stopping by! Hope you enjoy!

7.20.2013

Macrame Plant Hanger



With my surging interests in whicker, vintage inspired florals and (according to my sister) all things granny, I guess it's pretty predictable that I would feel the need for a little macrame in my life.



When I hung a beautiful stag horn fern in my dining nook corner, I tried my hand at a very temporary macramae hanger - a stand in while I looked for a vintage macrame hanger from etsy.



After a couple of weeks of occasionally perusing etsy I still hadn't found the perfect plant hanger for the perfect price. So... I decided to make my own!



I didn't use any particular methods or patterns, I just looked at a lot of photos then went for it! I did research a few knots to use. The best resource I found was Free-Macrame-Patterns.com. The site is a little... out of date, but it's a GREAT resource! Here's a link to all of the knots >>> here.



The dining nook is turning into one of my favorite rooms in the whole apartment. In fact, it's probably time for a good ole before and after with that space... I'll get on that ;)

Any macrame experts out there?

7.16.2013

Pretty Small Things: a bar cart!



Summer is here - the perfect time for sipping cool cocktails while enjoying an evening breeze. I've recently declared myself our family's mixologist and am slowly mastering a few delicious drinks (hello Moscow Mule!).



The whole process has been all the more enjoyable because I found the perfect little bar cart for our dining nook. Brass with walnut veneer? Yes please.



Tim and I took our time looking for a cart that a) fit the specific dimensions of our dining nook b) looked awesome and c) was affordable. We stubbornly held out for one that fit all three requirements and I'm really glad we did. To see the difference it makes, check out my last dining room update post >>> here.



You also may have noticed, I also tried my hand at a macrame plant hanger - more on that soon ;)

7.15.2013

Green Thumb

I've become the kind of person who announces how many new leaves her beloved plants are currently growing whenever her husband comes home. Did you even know that kind of person existed? It's probably sad, but mostly exciting :)



After watching them from afar in a blog-photo love affair, I bought my first fiddle leaf fig tree in August of 2011. As you can see in the photo below, it was 14 leaves of amazing.



By February 2012 it had managed to perk up a little and had grown a few inches (as seen below from my little porch reveal)...



When we made the big move to our new place a little over a year ago (May 2012) my little figgie was doing pretty well at about 3ft tall.



Well... it loves the new place as much as I do. Commence super growth! Here it is about a foot taller and full of new leaves in August 2012.



Seven months later in March 2013...



And today (July 2013)!



So that's what nearly two years of tender lovin seems to do! I'm so grateful that this blogging adventure gives me the opportunity to look back at these things.

Are you ever shocked by how much things have changed when you peruse old photos?