For those of you just joining in, you can catch up on the sofa saga with part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4.

I'm not a tease, no matter what you may have heard about me. But I feel like I've been dangling a carrot in front of you for too long.

Now technically I can't call this 100% complete as it is missing one rather important piece (the cushion is unexpectedly delayed) but I couldn't wait any longer. And anyway, my Polly Perfect card expired long ago, so I figure its better to show you real life, right?

There are so many great tutorials out there for reupholstering. Linda, Tiffany and Erin can all school you on the ins and outs. So I won't reinvent the wheel, but I will share some of what I learned about the process. (I'm going to go ahead and pretend that you are going to actually read this list and not just scroll thru to see the final pictures.)

It was easier than I thought. This is not to say that it was an easy project, but I had imagined bruises and cuts from ripping out old fabric and -not kidding - 3,000 staples. I thought there would be screaming, crying, punching, cussing. (Obviously I have a very dramatic imagination). But I made it thru with only one small cut. I did cuss through the whole thing, but I pretty much cuss thru everything so that's not unusual. I did find though that there were a wicked number of opportunities for 'That's what she said...' in upholstery. But that's a story for another post.

BYOF. That F is for Friend people! There are many areas of this project that are a two-person job. For me at least. I am sure there are master upholsters who can hold the fabric tight with one hand on both ends while stapling. Their friends probably call them 'The Octopus' or something cool like that and they wear hats with funny sayings on them. I am not one of those people. The hubs was a huge help in keeping things taut (that's what she said) while stapling. We were a rockin good team on this project and usually we don't work well together on DIY stuff, so that is a "bold statement" as John Travolta would say.

Upholstery is not a no-sew project. I don't sew, hence me sending out the cushion, but I now think I wanna. After my dear friend Becca (who also designed my blog header) helped me to sew the piping, I realized sewing isn't as intimidating as I always thought. Btw, when I say 'help' I really mean she did everything while I stood over her shoulder yapping in her ear. But it looks fun. I think the trick is figuring out the machine. Once you've got that all you need is time and the fabric world is your oyster!

Foam is a B@*#$. It comes in all different depths and densities. The ladies at the fabric store expect you to be as knowledgeable as they are on the subject and it never seems to want to cooperate. Don't get me started on foam.

All in though, I enjoyed this far more than I anticipated and I'm over the moon with how it turned out. I anticipated an epic failure, when in reality I've saved myself over $600!

So on to the eye candy. Let's remember first were we began.



And here is where we are today.

Sorry for the crooked angle, I was blinded by staring into that crazy window

All taut and piped up. Not bad for an old lady.

I really need to learn how to un-yellow my nighttime pics

So there she is, in all her 95% glory. I'll take some legit beauty shots when the cushion comes in. Does this give you the upholstery DIY bug? I say go for it! You might surprise yourself.

I'm linking up to POWW @ Primitive & Proper 

Another post from Portland,  more exactly from the Chinese Garden. Despite being flanked with buildings and busy streets, the garden is a peaceful place. From the moment you step in, you forget about  the busy life and get sunk in the culture and history that invite you to know more and more about China. This place energizes one's batteries for a long time.
I was wearing this H&M dress for the first time since las year when I bought it: This is just a first ! I will attend to this floral garment in this S/S again for sure.
This was another day spent wonderfully with Bogdan and Roxana in this magnifique city.

                                                                         Dress: H&M/similar style here, here and here
                                                                         Pants: H&M/another great pair here and here
                                                                         Ankle boots: Sam Edelman/ similar style here
                                                                         Bag: Margot
                                                                         Cuff bracelet: St.Thomas/ similar style here
                                                                         Ring : thanks to Poshlocket
                                                                         Sunglasses: Ralph Lauren/ similar here

I'm having another monkey monkey underpants episode.

Between finishing the couch, trying to get inspired to finish the bedroom, children, jobs and the general merriment that is life, my brain has a hard time resting these days. Since our society apparently frowns on early morning cocktails (I should have worked at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce) I have to find alternative ways to let the stress out. This results in small projects, which results in more on the to-do list, which results in more stress. These are the days of our lives.

The newest example of this was over the weekend. I wanted to get something hung up in our bedroom so that it starts to feel more like a room and less like a prison on Locked Up Abroad. So I made my templates for everything, just like I did with the gallery wall, and all was progressing. Until I ran out of newspaper. No panic required though, I just used my MacGruber MacGyver skills and decided wrapping paper would work just as well.
(I'm cropping out most of the mess in this picture btw. I'm all for keeping it real, but some people might be eating.)

After hanging the wrapping paper, my ubiquitous and ever helpful 4-year-old said "Oh mommy, I really love these stripes. These are good colors."

While I agree they are good colors for something else, not so much for my room. However, the longer that stayed on the wall (we're talking minutes here) the more I kept thinking 'I like this idea'.

Now I've framed wrapping paper many times before. Hell, I even tape it to my mantel at christmas. But this time I was thinking a little different. Something longer. Possibly a way to introduce more pattern into the room.

Something clicked (not my jaw this time) and just like that, it became my mission to find this 'something'. I found a few options the next day and temporarily taped them up to see what I thought.

Not bad.

My husband liked it as well and said, "you know what would be cool is if it went all the way to the ceiling and down to the floor" (he'll be getting an extra present on his birthday this year).

Then, yesterday I saw this picture on Chinoiserie Chic
Its a sign.

I'm thinking I'm on the right track here people. Or at least a track. Which is a big improvement from the muddy gravel nothing I was on before. Inspiration is a'rising again. I better get something done before it disappears.

Have you had any happy accidents lately? And did you see RHONJ? Oh yeah baby, this is gonna be good.

A first post from my trip in Portland:) we spent a wonderful time with our dear friend, Roxana, who showed us the most important's touristic points in Portland. I'm declaring myself in love with this city for so many reasons. Somehow, it reminds me of Europe. The ability to walk a lot, see great exhibits at art museum, the outdoor gardens, the shops... everything together creates the perfect atmosphere that I have been missing for so long.
Here are some photos from the river walk, where Bogdan and I, we enjoyed in one of these days. I worn a very simple outfit with a fuzzy sweater( backwards again), and skinny jeans.
More photos from my trip very soon !