Subway Sign Giveaway!

Here is a great giveaway for you! Last two days to enter! Winner announced on Monday!

Chris from Subway-Sign.com offers a choice of any "standard" products sized 20" x 30" selected from Subway-Sign.com Subway, Metro and Streetcar 20" x 30" Photographs or Subway-Sign.com Destination/Personal History 20" x 30" Photographs
It is only available for shipping to USA addresses. The prize winner will need to provide her/his street address and email address.

You know the drill - please go to Subway-Sign.com HERE and look at all the cool choices. Come back here to Visual Vamp and leave a comment telling us which sign you like. The contest will go on for one week, and the winner by random choice will be announced next Monday. You must please leave a comment here on this post in order to win.

Visual Vamp has a subway sign in the kitchen!

Say what???!!!! Can this be the dreaded subway sign dissed on many a decor blog as another trend that bites the dust?

Like many of you, as a trend gets popular and trickles down to entrepreneurs like Chris, it becomes affordable and accessible to us mere mortals, of which I am certainly one.

I am a great fan of the art of typography, and have loved vintage subway signs, since I saw one hanging in a friend's loft in New York twenty years ago. These genuine vintage signs have become rare and collectible and pretty expensive, and I have always had my eye out for that miracle flea market find.

Buenos Aires subway sign HERE
Visual Vamp kitchen

Over the past three years printed reproductions have been cropping up most notably at Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn. Oh the kiss of death for sure for so many that wouldn't be caught dead using such pedestrian stuff. And the signs were pricey. And then one showed up in a JLo movie, and the coffin lid was creaking shut.

Visual Vamp kitchen with chicken wire insets on upper cabinets

As many of you who read Visual Vamp know, Alberto and I have been working on a progressive kitchen project HERE, as in we progress when we have some money and energy to DIY improve our kitchen. It is a quirky space in an old New Orleans shotgun house. Alberto has been refacing the cabinets, and yay! he felt well enough to hang the last two cabinet doors he made with chicken wire inserts to show off the white ironstone.

Eventually we will replace countertops, and maybe do a new backsplash. In the meantime a concrete treatment I did six years is holding up, and I love the color. There is a boxed in chimney from an old fireplace that has also been walled in (by the previous owners), and this provides a very long and narrow wall space to uh hang something. I have always envisioned a subway sign in this space. Read more HERE

Of course I always thought it would be a New York subway sign of some sort. Or maybe a sign with the streetcar stops in New Orleans. Or maybe a Paris metro sign.

New Orleans streetcar stops from Subway-Signs.com
It was added to Chris' great selection at my suggestion

But since our devastating trip to Canada, Alberto and I realize we may never be able to fly to Buenos Aires again. So what does this have to with our kitchen and subway signs? Well after trying several art options on the long narrow wall space, with nothing looking right, I bit the bullet, swallowed my pride, and gasp, started looking for a subway sign for that wall. I immediately knew I wanted to have one from the B Line from the Buenos Aires subway, and couldn't find any such thing, because, uh, it doesn't exist.

I found several sites that do custom signs, and I found Chris and he/she (still don't know if Chris is a man or a woman ha ha) immediately came up with a design based on the information I sent.
I wanted do the canvas sign, but the size I needed is not available. So I opted for the paper sign, a super glorified poster, great quality on a superior heavy paper stock, and at a terrific affordable price.

The Buenos Aires subway sign is so perfect for anyone who loves the city, or for a tango lover. Two of the stops on the B Line are named for two important and beloved tango personalities: Carlos Gardel and Osvaldo Pugliese.

The sign did need to be framed, and a huge custom frame job like that would break the already broken piggy bank. After a little Google shopping I found a DIY frame and ordered that too from HERE

Framing it was a two person job, and not that easy, and I am sure there is a hair or two and a speck of something under the plexiglass. But all and all, it came out so great, and Alberto and I love it.

I sometimes let the idea that something is "out", influence my decor choices. Often this is valid concern and a good thing. But sometimes when you know something that has been trend trashed is really right, and it is something you really like, you just have to say fuck it, I like it, and that's that.

Enter the giveaway - you will love having one of the high quality signs from Subway-Signs.com in your home, or giving it as a holiday gift.

If you don't win this time, just buy one! It won't break the bank.

And thank you Chris for providing this wonderful holiday giveaway to the readers of Visual Vamp!

Read more in Some words about styles

Do You Know How To Build A Snowman?

The news tells us that 2/3 of the USA is in a deep winter freeze, with a ton of snow falling. I feel kind of guilty here in New Orleans. It was 75 degrees yesterday. But let's make lemonade from the proverbial lemon. Or a sno-cone from a bunch of ice.


I am sure you remember the first snow of past seasons, and perhaps making a celebratory snowman.

The snowman still conjures up childhood innocence, and a simple (and healthy) activity that anyone and everyone can do. And don't forget the snowball fights! And the snow forts!
So in the spirit of this first blast of winter I present Jim Sysko who is going to tell us how to build a snowman (in case we forgot).

How To Build A Snowman by Jim Sysko

Assessing The Snow: If the snow depth is two inches or less, don't attempt to make your snowman too big. A five foot tall snowman can be made from a two-inch-deep snow cover using only an area of about 20 feet by 20 feet. If the snow is deeper and you have lots of help, try a 7 - or 8 foot snowman.

Geography: Assuming you have good sticky snow, start by selecting a spot for the snowman that is in the geographical center of the area of snow you will be rolling. Put him in the shade for longest "life."

Rolling Snow: Start by rolling the first ball around the outside of the area, gradually tending toward the middle, all the while making it as round as possible for easy rolling.

When it's big enough or you can't roll it anymore, brace the ball by packing lots of snow around its base.

Roll the second and third balls, remembering that dense snow can be heavy, so be careful when lifting these. Recruit friends to help -the more hands the better! If you are building with a small group, use a wide wooden plank as an inclined ramp to roll or slide your snowballs up.

Longevity: Pack bracing snow at the belt line and neck to keep the guy together. If you want a face to last as long as possible, carve and create the features on the side of the head that is away from the sun.

You will want to show off your creation so place and face your snowman in the direction that gets the most visibilty.

Dress him up...
...and if you have time and ambition, make a whole family to keep him company.

Remember that snowmen usually don't long in this world, except in our memories, so treat them well. Snowmen have a way of paying us back by making us all a little younger.
///.....


Jim Sysko is the engineer who led the team the built the world's tallest snowman (113 feet 7 1/2 inches) in Bethel, Maine, in 1999.

Jim Sysko's World's Tallest Snowman

Read more in Some words about styles

Darn That Eddie Ross!

First let me tell you that Alberto and I absolutely love and respect Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar, and cherish their friendship tremendously. That being said, I would like to wack Eddie with a wire hanger!

Last year he published a little how-to project on his new blog. It was an immensely popular project and post, with scads of people writing in saying they were doing the project. That post and that idea has haunted me all year long. It involves making a wreath with about 80 round Christmas ornaments, a wire hanger formed into a circle, a glue gun, and a pretty hank of ribbon. Of course you can buy a similar looking wreath at Target for around $25., but where's the sport in that?!

I have had my eye out at yard, garage, and estate sales, and searched eBay and Craigslist looking for some vintage ornaments. Of course I didn't want to pay too much. Who does?

Finally last weekend I found a huge box at an estate sale. I was already "checking out" when I saw it hiddden near the door.
"How much for the box of old ornaments?"
"$100."
"$100.???????!!!!"
"What do I know, I'm Jewish, make me an offer!"
"I'd like to pay 50 cents, but I'll give you $20."
'Sold!"

So I got my box of the 80++ ornaments, amongst them some drek like 1980's twee, and treasures like a few New Orleans Saints (Go Saints!) ornaments, and over a dozen truly beautiful vintage beauties destined to be displayed in a mercury glass blow. And there were plenty of just-how-I-like-them tatty ornaments for the project.


I have chops. I have been a hired (glue) gun for Martha Stewart (amongst others). I have hand wired thousands of flowers, and hand tied thousands of bridal bouquets. I have made thousands of bows. I have pouffed and fluffed thousands of napkins. In other words, I fear no project, especially one like this that seemed so easy peasy.
And this is my little bone to pick with my dear Eddie (and Martha for that matter). Even if they don't actually say one of their DIY projects is easy, they imply the ease when they do it for us on camera.

This project was not easy. First I did not go back and read the instructions. There are no wire hangers in our house, so I had to scrounge one I found banished in the garage. Bending it in a circle is not that easy. My circle was a little irregular.

Then I just started to happily string the ornaments on the wire hanger. Ooops! I forgot you had to glue gun each and every one of the 80 (!) little silver caps of the ornaments BEFORE you string them along. They started popping off, flying to the floor (don't you just hate the sound of an exploding Christmas ornament!). So I removed them all, plugged in the glue gun, went to Eddie's post to read the instructions, blah, blah, blah.


I had some large balls, some medium and small, but no tiny ones. My wreath did not take on a circular form very easily to say the least. I tried to hot glue some filler balls to the balls already wired on. This was a disaster (I took them off and peeled off hot glue globs). I turned the wreath every which way to see if the balls would fall into some pleasing resemblance of Eddie's gorgeous wreath. I did this for over an hour, futzing and fussing!

Then I tried to hang it somewhere. Eddie showed his hanging on a door. Well my wreath was so fat, it had no flat side, so it didn't work on a door or in a window. What was I supposed to do, suspend it like a mobile? And I had some empty space on the wire hanger, where I could not make it work by filling in with ornaments, so the pretty band of ribbon Eddie showed as a hanger, was a total flop for me.

But, I did not give up! I used the hook from the hanger as a way to hang the thing, and finally found the only place it would work, which is hanging off the edge of the fireplace mantle. I wiggled and jiggled, and put a pretty satin bow in the gap at the top, and finally it looks kind of cute. Or does it? It took me about three hours of huffing and puffing, and laughing so hard at the image of brilliant Eddie watching not so brilliant me execute his "easy" project.

Here's Eddie's masterpiece! Go to his blog HERE for the easy instructions!
And do send me a photo of your Eddie wreath!

Read more in Some words about styles

British Invasion! Fab!

The British Invasion happened back in the 1960's with rock groups "invading" the USA, including the most famous Beatles. It also launched a whole fashion style and decor trend. Everybody wanted to wear Mary Quant and Biba, and have a piece of pop art kicky plastic furniture in their home.

Emily Henderson styles a British Invasion living room

Emily Henderson, star of HGTV's Secrets From A Stylist, recently showed a living room she decorated in a style she called "British Invasion". The low slung modern couch, and kicky fabrics, and sleek metal trunk were her gestalt touchstones. Not one Union Jack in the room. Emily is too cool for school to use that in a room called British Invasion style.

Pink Union Jack rug via Design Blahg HERE

Vivienne Westwood rug hung on the wall as art

The Union Jack has had a tremendous revival as a decor object. Somehow it just adds a little cool factor. I don't think any flag except perhaps the Jasper Johns series of the USA flag has such panache in the decor world.

Chaise lounge upholstered in a Union Jack fabric

The Union Jack is used as upholstery, and on rugs, and on painted furniture.

Union Jack rug

Dresser painted with the Union Jack at Decor Demon HERE

Appliances even get covered with it.

Visual Vamp kitchen with Union Jack dishwasher

I like it as a graphic image, although I think you can only have one thing in a room using it, or perhaps only one thing in the entire house.

Union Jack even looks fab with pink!

My friend Sabina recently passed onto me a deco style armoire. She just moved to a new home, and had no room for this piece. We might have trashed it, but I just can't seem to abandon any old piece of furniture with some life left in it.

Old armorie - before

At first I thought of just giving it to the local thrift shop, but then I thought: British Invasion!
What a perfect piece to paint the Union Jack on! Not that I needed another project ha ha, but what the hell.

Primed and taped

I found an image on the internet of a refrigerator covered with the Union Jack, which was perfect, since this humble little closet resembles the shape of a refrigerator.

Many more hours were spent taping and painting

I primed it first, then taped off the stripes, and the Jack started to emerge. Alberto helped out alot, fascinated by my project. The red is called Spanish Red, and the blue is Old Navy, and both are by Benjamin Moore, and the white is some Kilz white cabinet paint we have around due to the kitchen project.

The Union Jack armoire - styled for a child's room

It turned out so cute! I never meant to keep it. I think it would be so perfect in a child's room, so I am going to put it on Craigslist at a very good price.

So what do you think of the British Invasion in decorating? Do you have any pieces in your home?

Cheerio!

Read more in Some words about styles

Do You Paint Your Furniture?

Painted furniture. Every interior designer, pro or am, uses it. Every do-yourself-er tries it.


It's a quick, inexpensive, and relatively easy decor change to paint furniture. Which one of us hasn't wielded a can of spray paint on some wicker?


Or if you remember Shabby Chic, how we slapped on white paint (and ruffles and slip covers) on anything that didn't run away from us.


Over painted furniture has been around for over 300 years.


With the Swedish (Gustavian) interior design craze, and the shabby French style having become mainstream, vendors are over painting everything in sight. Stores in the mall, and a dizzying myriad of catalogs feature hundreds of cookie cutter reproductions made in China.


Mid century modern style employs high gloss painted furniture.



And there are some pretty crazy contemporary interpretations too.






Folk art painted furniture from every country in the world has been around forever.




Most every man I know cringes when we girls paint over wood! Oh the horror of ruining good wood!

A little white washing goes a long way in the glam department.


Sometimes an unexpected color can revive a piece of furniture we've had forever.

And what about those scratched up Ghost chairs?

Ready to take those on with some paint?


Bless me Wood Loving Man, for I have sinned! I have painted my nightstands vintage aqua.

Vintage aqua nightstand I painted, and I also painted the lamp faux alabaster

And some bombe chests I bought in the 1980's, Swedish snow white.

I painted a pair of pine (with hand painted flowers on them) bombe chests

And I confess I painted a hideous French reproduction console table that was stained dark brown - it's been painted in china white.

Read how I painted this table HERE

I also painted a funky 1930's vanity shabby white.

Vintage vanity in my closet/dressing room painted shabby white

And the biggest sin of all ha ha, I painted a nine foot long vintage Baker credenza.

Section of the nine foot long vintage Baker credenza

What about you? Have you "ruined" any good wood lately?

Read more in Some words about styles