DIY Chalkboard

Friends! As I mentioned in my last Friday 5 post, I had been planning on adding a chalkboard to the maisonnette for some time, but couldn't find one that was the right size or the right price. So, whats a girl to do? Make her own!

I found a 1/4" sheet of plywood at Lowes & chalkboard paint at Hobby Lobby, and went to town last weekend making my own chalkboard.

Instead of hanging it on the wall, I decided to affix it to the front door, so I can write reminders and quotes that I'll see when I walk out of the door. To do this I simply used Command Picture Hangers that are sticky on both sides, this way the chalkboard will be easy to remove in the future.

This project took about 1 hour of actual work, 25 hours of waiting (for the paint to dry), and about $20 for supplies. It was fairly quick & simple, and I absolutely love the result!

xoxo

Marisa 

The Friday 5

Hey there friends! Last weekend and this week were fairly busy for me, but I'm hoping to carve out a few hours to tackle some projects around the maisonnette this weekend. I hope y'all have had a great week, here is my Friday 5! 

1. I’ve been planning a new little project for the maisonnette, and hoping that I’ll be able to finish it this weekend. Hint: it involves chalkboard paint!
2. This simple roasted chicken dish is just another example of a few simple ingredients coming together to make an amazing meal.
3. A few weeks ago I purchased this inexpensive floor lamp for the living room. Although it serves its purpose, I’m dying to spruce it up a little. Right now I’m debating painting the base and/or painting the shade. Any thoughts?
4. These black d’orsay flats are calling my name. I’m always a sucker for suede, and love that they could be dressed up or down.
5. The men of my family have always been avid hunters, and my parents home has always been filled with mounted deer heads and antler decor. While I was at their house last weekend I grabbed an antler and added it to my fall decor. 

Marisa's Maisonnette : Shop Open!

Happy Friday, friends! 

I don't have a Friday 5 post today, but I do have a little announcement! 

I have officially opened an Etsy shop! The shop will feature homemade crafts and decor items, many of which have been featured on the blog. I'm planning to add more items shortly, but for now I have burlap wreaths, like this one, for sale. 

Here is the shop link, Marisa's Maisonnette Etsy Shop, I'd love for you to check it out! 


Y'all have a great weekend! 


xoxo
Marisa 

Friday Five

Hello friends! Long time, no blog. I started a new job a few weeks ago, and am still adjusting to the longer hours. But without any more excuses, here is my Friday Five! 

1. Its finally starting to feel a little like fall in Florida, so I spruced up the maisonnette with a few fall touches. This area next to the TV is my favorite.  

2. Almost 10 months after graduating college, I finally framed my diploma last weekend. This probably won't be its permanent frame, but for now I just love that its on display! 

3. I prettied up my bedside lamp the other day by adding a simple black ribbon to the top and bottom of the shade. A simple upgrade, but it makes it stand out a little more. 

apologies for the crappy iphone picture

4. My new job requires that I wear closed-toe flats, every day. It turns out that for a girl with a fair number of shoes, my selection of comfortable, closed-toe shoes is slim. I'd love to add this camel leather pair to the mix soon. 
5. After visiting a very cute plant nursery in Tallahassee last weekend, I came home with a two more succulents and a new square brass planter! 

What have y'all been up to this week? 



xoxo
Marisa 

Friday Five

Hello Friends! I was a slacker last week (and the week before) and didn't post a Friday Five, but I'm back! I hope y'all had a great week, and are looking forward to the weekend... I know I am! 

1. I must have been bitten by the furniture re-arranging bug, because straightening the rug last weekend quickly turned into "I wonder what the living room would look like if I switched the sofa and TV console?". For now I think I like the new arrangement. We'll see how long it stays this way. 

2. This tutorial explains how to make almost any object into a lamp, so now I am on the hunt for a vintage jar/jug to transform. 

3. As we begin to transition into fall, I am making a concerted effort to simplify my life, starting in my closet. This series is a great guide to building a wardrobe that is functional and not excessive. 

4. This carnitas recipe from Pinch of Yum is hands-down the best I've ever eaten, and its all done in the crockpot!

5. FSU has their first at-home game of the season this weekend against Nevada. GO NOLES! 

Thanks for reading!

xoxo 

Marisa 

DIY Burlap Wreath

Hi friends! I hope y'all had a great Labor Day weekend. I spent mine relaxing and spending time with friends & family. Although it doesn't feel like it in Florida yet, fall is officially upon us, and I plan on embracing it as much as possible! To help usher in the season, I decided to make a burlap wreath for my front door. 

This was a super simple project and took a lot less time (but much more material) that I originally planned for. 

All you need is a wire wreath form, burlap garland, and a little hot glue. For my 16" wreath form, I ended up using exactly 3 rolls of 20ft burlap garland. I forgot to take a picture before I started making the wreath..oops. But you can still see the wire form here. 

This was how far I was able to get with one roll of burlap garland, so it was back to Michaels to get two more rolls. To finish the wreath and prevent the burlap from slipping, I hot glued the ends to the wire form on the back and used a 20" strip of the garland and a command hook to hang it. 

I'm loving the texture of burlap right now and the earthy, cozy feeling that this wreath gives my front door! 

Have you tackled any fall-inspired decor projects lately? 


xoxo
Marisa 

Friday Five

Happy Friday friends! I hope you all have had a great week, I know mine has been very busy. Without further ado, heres my Friday 5!

1. Earlier this week, I picked up this beautiful ginger jar, marked "Kaiser W. Germany" on the bottom, from a local antique store. For only $22, I love it & think it's a steal! 

2. I'm loving this idea, of running basic party napkins through the printer to add your own sayings, and I'll have to try it out once I fix my computer/printer issue. 

3. Recently I stumbled upon Inslee by Design, a small sketched stationary and print shop that I'm loving. I think one of her prints might have to make an appearance on my gallery wall soon. 

4. Feeling inspired by all of the beautiful watercolor prints I've pinned on pinterest lately, I'm thinking about trying my hand at watercolor. It can't be that difficult....right? 

5. This coming Monday, most of my friends will be starting classes again for the fall semester. Monday will also be the first time I haven't gone back to school in the in 17 years. Strange. 

Thanks for reading! 

xoxo

Marisa 

Friday Five

Happy Friday everyone! I've been trying to get my act together enough to start a little series on the blog, and the Friday Five seemed like a perfect place to start. Most Fridays I am going to share with you 5 things that have been happening around the maisonnette, or things that I have been loving during the week. Hopefully it'll be a great way to share more with all of you, and keep me on a better posting schedule. So without further ado, here is the first Friday 5!

1. Almost as soon as I hit publish on my last post, I started restyling the TV console and entryway shelves again. This is how they're looking now, but who knows for how much longer...

2. I have been trying to jump on the bar cart bandwagon for a little while, but all of the ones I love seem to be way out of my price range. This gold tray & stand from World Market might be just the ticket.

3. I've been on a black and white kick for a little while, and I'm absolutely in love with this typography print. I think it'd make a great addition to my gallery wall.

4. Cauliflower. While I've always liked cauliflower, I'm just now stumbling upon all of these neat ways to use it instead of grains... I made cauliflower 'rice' Wednesday night, using this recipe as a guide and I'm very excited to try this next!

5. I love summer just as much as the next girl, but the heat wave that hit Jacksonville this week has me wishing for fall. Football games, jeans, sweaters, and temperatures below 90 degrees cannot come soon enough!


Thanks for reading! 

xoxo
Marisa 

Gold Accents & DIY Paint Dipped Bottles

Lately, I've been adding little touches of gold around the maisonnette, just to glam it up a bit! First I started with a picture frame, then a few old bottles that looked like they could use some love. 

I painted a wooden frame that I had lying around gold a few weeks ago, and I love how the antiqued gold shows off the vintage picture of my Grandma. Painting the frame inspired me to add a few more gold touches around the TV console, and these "gold dipped" bottles were the perfect complement. 

Vintage picture of my Grandma,  gold painted frame

I used this picture of gold dipped milk bottles as my inspiration, but instead of tracking down milk bottles I used an old wine bottle, jam jar and spice container. 

source

"Gold dipping" the bottles was fairly straight forward. I simply taped off the parts of the bottles that I wanted to stay clear, and spray painted the rest. 

I let the bottles dry for about 10 minutes before I carefully pulled the painter's tape off and let them dry outside overnight. 

I like the way that the three bottles look grouped together, but I might add a few more in the future. I think they'd also look great with flowers in them! 


Have you added any gold touches to your decor lately? 


xoxo
Marisa 

Paint Chip Inspired Artwork

Well, hi friends! I know... its been a while. No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or forgotten about my little corner of the internet, life has just been crazy for the past few weeks (months?). 

Anyway, I had a very relaxing 4th of July (and have the sunburn to prove it), and am back with a super quick and easy art project! 

I've seen some paint chip-inspired artwork lately and I'm really loving it.

I knew I wanted to hang these in the kitchen, so I stuck to blues and greens. 

I had some left over white poster board from another project, and roughly cut two 5x7" pieces. From there I just grabbed a medium sized brush and went to town. I knew I wasn't going for perfection, I really like how you can see the brush strokes and that the stripes aren't perfectly spaced. 

After I let them dry, I popped them into basic white frames with white mats and hung them up. 

Simple and low cost, I think they add a great pop of color right around the window.

Have you tackled a easy art project lately? 


xoxo 
Marisa 

Blueberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake + Blueberry Topping.
A simple birthday dessert for my dad, who turned the big 60 on Monday! 

Cheesecake is one of my dad's favorites and the obvious choice for his birthday. I adapted the recipe from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Chessecake and it was amazing! The cheesecake isn't too heavy, and has lemon and orange zest in it, making it brighter than a traditional cheesecake. The blueberry topping adds a little more tartness and another layer of flavor. I made the cheesecake the night before, let it refrigerate overnight and made the blueberry topping the day of.

Cheesecake & Blueberry Topping 

adapted from Tyler Florence's 'Ultimate Cheesecake' 

Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened (I used 1 block 1/3 fat, and one regular)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1/2 orange, zested 
1 dash vanilla extract

Blueberry Topping:
1 pint blueberries
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. (I used a 10-inch springform pan and this was plenty)

Pour the crumbs into the pan press the crumbs down into the base and up the sides. Refrigerate until the filling is ready.

For the Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest, orange zest and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 50 minutes. The cheesecake might jiggle a little, but will firm up once chilled. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Cover and chill in the refrigerator, until ready to serve (at least 4 hours, I chilled mine overnight). 

For the Topping:
In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.

Serve:
Once you're ready to serve, run a knife along the edge of the pan and unmold, transferring to your cake plate or server. Pour the blueberry topping over the cheesecake and enjoy! 

xoxo
Marisa 

Anthro-Inspired Kitchen Decor

I've been wanting to add some personality to my kitchen, and the wall space above the stove seemed like the perfect place to do so. Inspired by Anthropologie's Zinc Letters, I decided to create my own at a fraction of the cost. 

Anthropologie Zinc Letters

Empty wall space before

"EAT" seemed like a perfect phrase for the kitchen, but you could change the word to suit a different room or make a monogram with two small letters and one big letter! 

I found these 8" paper mache letters at Joann's for $2.99 each and used craft paint that I already had on hand. 

Black base coat 

First I painted the letters black, then I painted a rough silver layer. I didn't want to add too much paint at once because I wanted the final result to look worn. 

After first coat of silver paint

After adding one more silver coat I went back with a little black and blended it until I liked the way it looked.  

Finished product

To hang them, I just used lightweight command strips and stuck them to the wall.

I love the way they turned out, and for less than $10, I think they make a great impact! 


xoxo
Marisa 

DIY Ikat Curtains

My new little abode has pretty white wood blinds everywhere except the bedroom...in the bedroom the two gorgeous windows are outfitted with skanky light blue vertical blinds... 

Skanky vertical blinds on move-in day 

For the past 2 months I’ve been trying to think of a way to fix this situation, but I couldn’t find a fairly easy way to cover the vertical blinds without taking them down and hanging curtains. The window behind my bed seemed like the easiest one to tackle first, because I never open those blinds. Of course I couldn’t just find pre-made tab back curtains that I loved, so I finally decided to improvise and make my own! I really wanted to bring a fun pattern and some color into the room because my headboard is a neutral color, my bedding is all white and the walls are greige. The “fabric” I finally decided on was actually a fabric shower curtain from Target in this fun red/beige ikat pattern.

Close-up of the pretty ikat fabric

The shower curtains were originally 72”x72”, but after a little trial & error, cutting, sewing, hemming (and a lot of help from mom), I successfully completed a custom pair of tab back curtains to replace the vertical blinds!

In progress

The finished panels are 89” long. I added the extra length by cutting a 34” strip off of the side of one panel, and using that strip to extend each panel by 17”. The panels are not even in width, but it isn’t noticeable. If I had been making these curtains for a window that I would open and close regularly, I would have made them more even but for this particular case it really didn’t make a difference. For the tabs on the backs of the curtains I used white grograin ribbon and generally followed this tutorial from View Along the Way.  

Measuring & pinning for the back tabs 

I absolutely love the way that they turned out, and now I just have to decide what I’m going to do with my other window!

 xoxo
Marisa