this week

8.31.12

In true Lovely fashion, we are jetting around the country again! This week and weekend we’re in Denver, visiting Mr. Lovely’s family — keep an eye out for a Where Am I Now post soon. Other than that, I’m still loving finding new and exciting things about LA. This week my favorite is the way that the skyscrapers and palm trees and mountains all hang out in the same place. Crazy.

And after some good feedback from you guys about last week’s link list, here’s some more good stuff for you to check out around the web! I came across some doozies this week. Have a great weekend! xoxo

I love old video footage — especially when it’s in Disneyland.

Have you ever been to a City Hall wedding in NYC? I think they’re kind of romantic.

Saw an installation kind of like this in an airport once, but this one is way better.

This list of celebrities and what they smell like won’t stop making me laugh.

Did you know that H&M had a home department? And that it’s coming to the U.S.?!

woah!

8.31.12

I’m sure you’ve noticed that Lovely Indeed is a big fan of DailyBuzz Style, and we get to hang out over there sometimes! Well, I’m super stoked because today’s 9×9 on DailyBuzz Style is all about Lovely Indeed! Those sweet folks decided to do a little feature on our little ol’ blog, so check it out to find out what posts they’ve loved. Click here to see the magic. xoxo

DIY Ikea Chair Restyle

8.30.12

These old Ikea chairs were sitting around in my storage unit, so when we moved back to Cali recently and could finally fit a table and chairs in our apartment, we decided to spruce ‘em up!

They were four different colors, so we sanded them down to ready them for painting.

I’m sure you know by now that painting things gold is one of my favorite pastimes, so why break with tradition?! Gold it is.

They actually ended up being kind of obnoxious to paint. After trying standard paintbrushes, foam rollers, and nap rollers, we finally found that foam brushes did the trick best. It’s still a little streaky; we may decide to do another coat on top of the two that are already there.

But I kind of love the effect! We’ve got a laid-back California vibe happening in our apartment so far; I love how these fit in. They’re great gathered on one side of our dining table, to balance out the bench on the other. And they look pretty cool on that rug from Urban, too! So, are you as under the spell of gold paint as I am? Painted anything recently? xoxo

agreed?

8.29.12

I came across this awesome Calvin Coolidge quote on darling Bekka’s blog and it stopped me in my tracks.

Bold, right?! That Calvin Coolidge was really laying it out there. I just have to say, though, I’m not sure if I agree. I’ve seen (and been one of!) millions of persistent people, completely determined to achieve their dreams, slogging away day after day while people who just happened to be at the right place at the right time zoom past them. I’ve witnessed that it’s sometimes more about who you know and what you’re willing to do that gets you ahead.

To be fair, I’ve also seen persistent and determined people finally have their day — and those are the most rewarding moments to see! One of our closest friends just booked his first Broadway show, and getting the call from him with the news, hearing his voice shaking and the disbelief in it, was so incredible. And he is one of the ones who’s been persistent, who’s been working at it and chipping away at it. And it’s 100% deserved.

So I don’t know! What do you think? Is there a magic combination of factors that lead to success? Do you think persistence is key? Or do you think the world has changed and there are too many other deciding factors to be able to come to a definitive conclusion? What I do know is that when I find something I love, I go at it wholeheartedly just for the love of it. And maybe that’s enough. xoxo

Dude DIY: Arrow Marquee Light

8.28.12

After doing a ton of thrifting and flea marketing when we first moved to LA, Mr. Lovely found himself totally jonesing for one of those vintage marquee lights. They’re pretty popular right now, and you can get a handmade reproduction for a few hundred bucks, but that’s just a little too tough on the pocketbook for yours truly. So Mr. Lovely confronted the sitch head-on and got all man-crafty.

Full disclosure: I was not involved in this project whatsoever. I basically said, “Have fun!” and took a photo every once in a while. But I’ve got the instructions straight from the horse’s mouth, so read on if you want to make your very own! You’ll need:

strand of globe lights (Target has bunches)
plywood
6-inch wide aluminum flashing
jigsaw
drill, screwdriver bit, and 3/4″ bit
tin snips
screws
wire stripper
electrical tape
screw cap
protective gloves

Put on your gloves! Lay your plywood out and draw your arrow design. Mr. Lovely measured twice and cut once with the jigsaw!

Across the back of your arrow, screw in a piece of plywood as a cross-brace. Plan where you’d like the bulbs to be on the arrow (we cut out paper the size of our bulbs to be able to experiment and move it around). Mark lightly with a pencil and drill a hole on each mark with a 3/4″ drill bit.

Unscrew bulbs from the strand of lights and push the sockets through the holes from the backside.

Measure the exterior of your arrow and cut a piece of flashing long enough to fit around the outside. Carefully mold it to the corners. Screw it in place, starting at one end and working your way around. Place screws about 2-3″ apart.

Screw lightbulbs in. Cut off the excess lightbulbs and use wire stripper, tape, and caps to attach to an extension cord if necessary.

There you go! Seriously manly stuff, right? And that husband of mine didn’t even break a sweat (that’s a lie). But it’s relatively simple! And now we’ve got a vintage vibe for seriously a fraction of the cost. Whaddaya think? Would you attempt this one? xoxo

brighten up // green machine

8.27.12

This entire installment of Brighten Up is all because of that bike! You guys, ever since I can remember I’ve wanted a cruiser bike that cool. I mean, the whitewall tires and the matching seat/handlebar combo and the front basket platform are just too much for me to take! Looks like I need to save my duckets for that one. In the meantime, I’ll just admire it from afar. Maybe while I read Black Beauty and wear those awesome vintage glasses. Happy Monday! xoxo