Looking for some ways to spice up your man cave? These man cave ideas will have you inspired to re-decorate your “cave” into the cool, refined, and rugged zone it was meant to be. Remember, you can still have a very masculine room without it resembling the dive-bar next door (no neon beer signs, no ripped vinyl seats). What you do need is some raw material here and there, some cleverly curated corners, and a few solid punches. The devil is in the details.
It’s still January, which means the holidays are officially over and we all have to face the facts: it’s time to get back to work! No more short days, no more holidays, just a beautiful brand new year to light the way.
To start, here is a photo of me working very hard.
Happy 2015 🙂 Continue reading
The new color of the year was announced by Pantone on December 5 to be Radiant Orchid!
“A beautiful blend of Radiant Orchid blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination. It is an expressive, creative and embracing purple—one that draws you in with its beguiling charm. A captivating harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid emanates great joy, love and health.” Read Press Release
This gorgeous new color excites me for 3 reasons. 1 because Pantone made a marvelous choice. 2 because I like making accurate trend reports, and I said to myself a few days before the reveal “I have a feeling the Pantone Color of the Year is going to be something purple-pinky.” And most importantly, 3 because these colors are beautiful and I can’t wait to accessorize with them.
You will observe that I prefer a deep magenta and soft lilac, but I think the Radiant Orchid does well in encompassing the whole purple toned spectrum. I have rounded up some of my favorite products, fashion, decor, and photos inspired by Radiant Orchid on my Pinterest, you can view them here on my Pinterest board, Pantone Color of the Year! (and don’t forget to follow it) 😉
I would also like to give a special shout out to Scarves.com who sells radiant orchid headbands (shown in “The Chelsea” above). Here are 3 reasons why I love them (since I’m on a number kick). 1 You can wear these stretchy headbands like 50 different ways: click here or on image above to find out how! 2 The orchid is a terrific color that also looks good on everyone. 3 because they are only $5! That’s so cheap! Click here to shop it!
For those of you who don’t know, my favorite color is black, and my decorating go-to is black with pops of texture and color. The gold flakes serve this purpose. I ordered them from Amazon for about $5. The bottle is large and they will last you a very long time.
You will need:
*Mod Podge can also be made by mixing equal parts Elmer’s glue with water, in a cup
The instructions for this project are basic, and as follows:
Acquire your frames. (I purchased these from Ikea many years ago they were probably $1 for 3.) You can get frames anywhere, a favorite place of mine is any dollar tree, 99cent store, or a thrift/consignment/antique shop. Frames are easy to come by. Please do not buy the $15 version anywhere… that is a waste of money and resources. A used frame works just as well as a new frame.
Decide what color to paint the base, unless you are already happy with the color of your frame. I chose black for obvious reasons. White would look marvelous perhaps as a wedding gift! Silver or dark blue also pair nicely with gold.
First, remember to remove the glass and image inside, right now you should be working with just the frame. Also make sure any paint color you applied is dry.
Second, on a separate plate, bowl, or cup, pour out about 2 tbsp of mod podge and shake out some glitter flakes onto of it.
Then, take your clean paint brush, dip it in the glue/glitter mixture, and paint your frames. The glue will appear white but dry clear.
Continue adding the flakes to your project until you are happy with the amount. The glitter will naturally separate itself and disperse among your work in a various and skewed pattern. The natural look is desirable here, it might resemble the night sky or my favorite: Galaxy Granite.
Wait for your frames to dry, then attach the glass and pictures! Hang them up or give them to your friends! You have now gilded your photos. Job well done.
Here’s a preview of the frames in my own space.
Click images to repin!
Connect with me @itsa_Lisa on Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest
I’m So glad someone finally invented this!
I’ve always wanted a night sky lamp, but they seemed so hard to come by! people would draw on the constellations with paint, and you would get an inverted night sky. It is not subtle, and definitely not the same thing.
I have lived in a city or the pacific north-west all of my life. (sorry Oregon – you’re too cloudy). As a lover of stars this was always a bummer because I would only get to see them when I traveled. It did make the night sky more special when I would actually get to see it, but why should I have to wait for special occasions when this magnificent feat of nature is always above me? At last… a solution for city dwellers (and PNWers) The Starry Light Lamp.
When in use, the lamp projects a magnificent and exact view of the night sky to the walls.
Thin, subtle lines drawn on the inner surface of Starry Light help users in
the identification of different constellations.
Developed specifically for this collection,
the LED fixture is able to project a strong direct
light downwards, while providing ideal circumstances
for the stars to shine at the same time.
The launch collection of Starry Light Lamps is available with the celestial constellations of the Northern Hemisphere’s two equinoxes and solstices, but as the lamp is manufactured by hand, it is suitable to customizations according to a given date, time and geographical location.
I can’t wait to get one. Online you can choose your colors, (available in 4 colors), and your preferred constellations based on the time of year.
The price might be high, (what isn’t these days), so crack open those piggy banks 😉 the view will be worth it!
But hey, until you can afford your own night sky… a small road trip to the country might be enough satisfaction for now.
Now go get star-gazing, and enjoy your weekend!
xoxo @itsa_Lisa
Connect with me @itsa_Lisa on Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest
I’d like you to meet my new roommate, “Mr. Pothos.”
After a long four years away at school I got used to having roommates around.. or at least having any one around! But this baby bird flew back to the empty nest I once called home (my two brothers have both moved out). Being an only child in a large house felt strange so I decided I needed a new roommate. And this is why I adopted Mr. Pothos, my pothos plant.
He breathes fresh air into my life for many reasons. Obviously because he’s a plant, but he also provides a pop of brilliant green which matches my emerald accent walls, and it is comforting having his quiet presence hanging at my bedside.
To make this plant hanger you need:
Follow these steps:
Step 1) Begin by cutting your fabric into strips. Any woven fabric (not stretchy) is tearable, which will give your look a raw finish. To do this, snip away at the top in a row, leaving about 2 inches between cuts. Then tear it down until breaking point! (I also recommend doing this step any time you need to relieve stress, tearing fabric does wonders for my nerves #fashionproblems). If you are using a jersey, (stretchy) make sure the strips are wider and you will not be able to tear them, so cut in a straight line and stop snipping once you have at least 4 feet.
Step 2) Now that you have your long strips of fabric you get to make your nest. Starting from the bottom and work your way up. The first step is tying all your strips in a big fat knot. I gathered 20 long strips together for my hanger because my fabric was so thin, choose your number accordingly, any even number between 6 and 20 will do.
Step 3) Take all of your strips, and start tying! The initial star shape is made from grouping 4 strips together into 5 groups, tie 2 and 2 together… you’re a star!
Step 4) Now we continue our web. Keep tying 2 and 2 together, this picture above is 4 knots deep which resulted in 6 final points that I gathered together at the top.
Step 5) Place your plant in the center of the web and hang! I trimmed all the extra fabric hanging below the plant into thinner and staggered strips to give it a loftier appearance.
I hung the plant from my ceiling in the corner of my room next to my bed. I did not want a plant crashing down on me as I slept nor did I want it leaving a pile of soil everywhere… so in order to test the strength of my wall hook I stuffed a carryon with shoes and hung it from the ceiling overnight. Since the weighted carryon did not come crashing to the floor, I knew my plant would be safe.
Now I water Mr. Pothos weekly and have been enjoying watching him grow. He has been a quality companion all summer. My future plans include bringing in more roommates, My goal is to have an entire plant family by the end of summer! (AKA a hanging garden). 
More fun facts:
The fabric I used was from sheer silver curtains I purchased from ikea ages ago. These curtains have been a decorative part of my room for the past 10 years – I have used them as drapes, bed skirts, a canopy, and now this! I love the sheer and subtle color, it gives my room a silky and airy feel, and the shiny silver adds a touch of luxury.
The pot I placed my pothos in is a custom ceramic bowl made by my friend Charles Allen. He is an author and artist from my graduating class at George Fox University. I look forward to hearing even more about his successes in the future!
Follow me for more creative solutions!
Connect with me @itsa_Lisa on Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest
Click images to Repin!
I found this fantastic poster of Velvet Underground album art drawn by Andy Warhol. Andy Warhol is my favorite artist, Velvet Underground is a terrific band, I love lips, and old coke glasses… how could I say no?
I wanted to frame it, but not with your typical college frame, I needed something more.
Since I am always on a budget I first sought out frames at Hobby Lobby. Ugly metal frames were going for about $20, I bought one and realized it was too small once I got home.
This is when I realized I was going about it all wrong, I needed a quality frame for my work. So I went to the Goodwill with a tape measure and searched for art work in frames large enough to hold my Warhol print. I wanted a metallic polished frame to fit my room, because my favorite colors (or lack of colors) to work with are black, white, and shiny. Shopping for a frame is similar to shopping for a house: pay no attention to what is inside of it! Only look at the BONES, the structure that is holding it together. I came across this metallic and black number for $13 and bought it on the spot.
I look it home, took it apart, painted the matts black, and put it back together. It took all day (granted I was photographing and video taping along the way) but I am so happy with the result! Hard work pays off. And I barely paid a thing!
You can watch my video to see the entire process, and check out these pictures below.
Click images to Pin!
Connect with me @itsa_Lisa on Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest
