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Nov 29

just hangin around… on the wall…

I promise, it is my vow, to come up with the most random subject lines EVER. It’s bad when you roll your eyes at yourself…

Things have been CRAZY as of late… crazy in a good way… but not in a “wow. so crazy! look at what 508 did! it’s finished!” kind of way. I PROMISE I have big big HUGE plans of taking pictures of the spaces I’ve worked on, the spaces in progress, etc. But for some reason, I just can’t seem to get motivated enough to actually take said pictures. Probably because I want ah-mazing pictures, and the truth is that I’m not an amazing photographer.

I digress. Lately, some folks have asked me for ideas on what to hang on their blank walls. Depending on your personality, this could go LOTS of ways. But, if you are wondering the same thing… or just want to do a little cheap DIY artwork in your home, here are some ideas that I’ve found and adore…

Scrapwood walls. I’m not going to lie. I would LOVE to do this on a blank wall in my bedroom. But, I also have a rustic, love-the-look-and-feel-of-a-cabin side to me. To recreate this, you would simply need some wood scraps (or cough cough pallets), a few different shades of stains and, if you really want to make it look legit, some dark gray nails or old finishing nails. And, of course, a saw… and probably a lot of time…

I love this idea if you or someone you know is a handy person. White-washed scrap wood and built out frames on top… I’m sure you could buy frames to attach, but it would be MUCH cheaper to get out that wood glue, wood and paint. Add your black and white pics, and it’s insta-artwork!

Call your grandmother. Stat. Ask her if she would gift you a few of her hankies. Not only do I love this idea as an easy-do… but I also love it as a way to display something special. Imagine. Grandmother’s hankie. Maybe a hankie you carried in your wedding. Or a hankie your mom had monogrammed for your dad. I guess what I’m getting at is that it doesn’t have to be matchy matchy. Just put up your favorites… the ones that have meaning. Even if it’s as meaningful as finding it on the best shopping day you’ve ever had with your best friend. It’s great potential to be a wall of memories…

Go to Hobby Lobby. Buy different sized canvases. Cover some of those canvases with fabric that you get in the fabric area of Hobby Lobby. Boom. I don’t think it could be easier to make your own art…

While you’re at HL… why don’t you pick up some puffy paint. That way you can make something like the above. If you aren’t so keen on free-handing a design, small wood letters will be your best friend. Pick up some letters that spell out your favorite verse, song lyric, line of poem, word, or even your last name. And then drop by the fabric paint aisle and pick up a light color that would go really well with your fabrics. And paint the WHOLE thing… letters and canvas.

If any of you are fellow Pinterest crazies, you have probably already seen all of these ideas. But, I think that even the most dedicated fan of Pinterest can sometimes have a memory relapse when thinking about ideas for the home!

Hope this helps some of you! If you decide to do any of these projects or something else… be sure to let me know! I’d love to see what you guys are up to! Send me an email at fiveoeightdesign@gmail.com. I would LOVE to hear from you!

Nov 10

my sweet nugget’s nursery…

This is my best friend, Beth…

[beth & me at Red Rocks in Colorado]

Beth deserves a shout out. Why? Well… right next to my family, she’s my biggest cheerleader. She’s the sister I never had… she patiently walks through this life with me. But, even more so, without Beth’s constant encouragement, and somewhat insistence, FIVEOEIGHT would’ve never been. She seriously built me up in a way that helped build my confidence that I really could do this… so this shout out is to say Thanks to B for nudging me, cheering me on and trusting me with your house :)

So, on to the fun part… Beth is pregnant with baby #2. Baby #2 just happens to be a little girl. Little girl doesn’t have a name yet, so obviously, I’m calling her my “Nugget”. Which, let’s face it, will probably be her name for the rest of her life. And don’t worry that Aunt Shera is ready to spoil her, along with her big brother, Jake. Seriously the cutest 2 year old on the face of the planet. Beth and her family live in San Antonio, and her house is precisely 1.5 hours from my front door. It’s been such a joy walking through this pregnancy with her… not only for being so close in proximity, but getting to work on this precious baby girl’s nursery.

Beth and her hubs decided they wanted to make baby girl’s nursery super special, but have a limited budget. Which, honestly, makes it so much more fun. We are using Jake’s crib, which is dark wood. After talking concept with her, and scanning Pinterest for inspiration, we settled on these pics for a jumping off point…



I can’t wait to see how this nursery turns out! I know one thing is for sure… this baby girl will have a SPECIAL room… with items that she will have for a lifetime! How awesome will that be to be able to physically see the love that went into making a place for her in their home? I’m so hyped… so so so hyped. Stay tuned…

Nov 9

question. invest. trade.

 

Often, I’m asked about my furniture. I’ve never been the girl to walk into a store and buy matching anything. I was taught that furniture should be an investment. Rugs should be an investment. And, for the most part, the stuff that goes on the walls, should be an investment.

If you’ve browsed the website already, then you’ve seen this… but I think it’s worth a post by itself. It’s my approach when I buy furniture. I ask myself a lot of questions. I’m not as impulsive as some may think!!


I want to talk more about the last comment…

When I moved out of my parent’s house into my first apartment, I saw most of my furniture as “hand-me-downs”. When I moved to Austin after college, I started realizing that “hand-me-downs” weren’t all that bad. And THEN, I realized that trading, whether for a brief time or permanently, was something that is truly valuable. My mom and my aunt have ALWAYS traded things. When my aunt needed a couch for her garage apartment, my mom gave her our futon. When my mom needed a rug, my aunt gave her one that she hasn’t used in a while. Dishes, linens, beds, tables, chairs… you name it, it’s probably been traded between the two of them.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I’m now in this same mix! And, I’ve added a few to my circle of “traders”… not to be confused with “traitors”. :) At any rate, it’s saved me a lot of money along the way… and it’s kept my home pretty unique.

 

Nov 7

and then there was FIVEOEIGHT…

Oh my goodness. Y’all. I’ve started my own business. It is CRAZY. It is HARD. But it is so fun! Thanks for visiting the new website. For some reason, this makes this new venture so much more real.

So, the purpose of this blog is to share some ideas, projects and inspiration! I’m, by no means, the best, but I do tend to get asked about what inspires me, where I get some of my decorating ideas from, etc… so why not share them in one space!

I’m currently working on about 5 projects for people. Everywhere from just finding a few new pieces of furniture for their living rooms, to completely starting from scratch in a 3-year-old’s bedroom! I’ve been so blessed so far, and I pray that these families are blessed with a home they are proud of, comfortable in and absolutely LOVE.

I’ll be super surprised if any of you reading this at the moment don’t know me already… but just in case… let’s get to know a little about Sarah and FIVEOEIGHT Design…


Please keep me in mind if you ever need help “tweaking” your house! Check out the decor consult page to get more of an idea of things I can help you with!

Looking forward to this new adventure!

Nov 3

let the pics speak for themselves…

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