DIYwithjules – Withjulespham

Giddy-up horsey

I’m just now realizing I haven’t really shared with y’all my love for all things vintage. No joke. My closest family and friends know how deep it runs.

My dream car is a hunter green vintage mini cooper. Like even if I’m rich and have the chance to buy the “newest mini cooper that can fly” I would still choose the vintage mini time after time.

There’s a reason for sharing all of this. So as an avid thrifter or whatever you want to call it, I peruse antique stores regularly much to Khang’s dismay.

So when my sister-in-law Ngoc, who also likes to go antiquing, came to visit, I happily showed her my favorite spot, The Sleepy Poet.

She was expecting at the time and scored the cutest wooden rocking horse towards the end of our trip. Horsey was a little rough but I immediately offered my services to refurbish it (no, I’ve never done so in the past) and assured her it would be a breeze. Hah. It didn’t matter anyways because I could not say no due to the absolute truth that it was so stinkin’ precious.

Plus all I could think about was fixing it up for my baby nephew and hearing him excitedly saying, “Giddy-up horsey!” when old enough. It was a done deal and we packed it up in Georgie (my mini cooper). I think it’s safe to say we were both excited to introduce horsey to our boys.

I remember them both sorta surprised and for some odd reason it looked a tad bit more rough in my house compared to the dimly lit store (hah). No worries though because the four of us started to list all the things that needed to be done to it like new paint colors, missing hardware, adding new props, etc.

After a little research, we found out horsey was once a popular rocking horse (The Wonder Horse) back in the 1940’s-50’s, which is also the same brand rocking horse both Ngoc, Khang and Greg (more on this later) grew up playing with too except a plastic more detailed version with horse sounds!

It was meant to be. You already know my excitement went up a high notch.

I think from start to finish, it took roughly 8 month off and on. Khang and I were pretty much on the same page about what all needed to be done. I decided in order to do a “proper job” was to completely dissemble and sand sand sand it. Whew. Looking back, I was not fully prepared.

After this stage, I bought transparent paper and traced horsey’s outline along with its trimming details.

And then we put horsey all back together again. All new nails and screws. Closed the unnecessary holes with wood putty and sanded again and again. So. much. sanding.

Then of course me being me. I googled how the original looked like and noticed right away ours was missing his “backing” on the seat. So I called in Uncle’s Khang expertise and he made horsey a new back.

During all that time, I was giving Ngoc and Greg time to decide on colors. I think the most stressful part was picking the colors. So much that they decided to “let” me decide. They said they wanted to be “surprised” but I have other thoughts–it was easier putting all the pressure on me haha. Just kidding. But not really.

So I started to brainstorm and sketch. I went back and forth about keeping the new design close with the original along with the cherry red color or going 180 and giving horsey a total makeover.

I ultimately decided to go with the latter. I had to be careful with my sketches because Ngoc was closely following along with the whole process.

Just a few detail highlights:

New hand-drawn trimmings for a more modern/simple look (for Greg)
Personally mixed custom color called Ngoc’s Mint (for her love of pastels)
Miss Mustard Seed Primer, Milk Paint, and Beeswax finish (for its non-toxicity)
10 mm braided rope that I knotted to look like a bridle
Custom stencils designed by OMAC (my awesome sister Jill): Smith Wonder Horse and name labels in gold (for Ngoc) foil paint
A whoooole lotta love from Uncle Khang and Auntie Uyen

The paint was on a whole ‘nother level. I think all in all, there’s about 4-5 coats on horsey not including the primer layers (2). Not sure if it was because of the wood/plywood being 50+ years old or milk paint choice but it cracked significantly. I was really upset about it at first but then it grew up me. It kept horsey looking vintage and charming.

Even when I was frustrated and nervous about messing up (again and again), I kept picturing this image in my head of Greg on his own rocking horse and in turn thinking of our nephew on horsey. It definitely helped me stay focus on finishing. His mom shared the image with me 3 months after finding horsey.

But I always knew it would be worth it.

Everything started coming together towards the end. I stenciled the labels last along with Khang and I signing the backseat.

And the results! I absolutely love how horsey turned out in the end. But I think I loved the entire process so much more. I’ve just always enjoyed meticulous work especially with my own hands.

I truly had a wonderful time even with the stress and worry especially since I know without a doubt Ngoc, Greg, and our nephew will take special care of horsey and give him all the love for years to come.

Khang and I were able to deliver it personally to horsey’s new owner on his baptism weekend. Of course, Auntie Uyen wrapped it all up for my baby boy.

He has a little ways to go before he can fully test out those brand-new extension springs.

But already he’s the most adorable little cowboy in the south.

Have you ever tried to refurbish anything or would like to? Oh please do share!

Thank you for reading and following along

with me,

Jules.

DIY Copper pipe kitchen pulls

I love a good DIY.

And this one by WeLoveHome is soooo good!

I’ve been itching to replace our kitchen knobs and pulls for quite some time now and just never found ones that really “spoke” to me.

Until I laid eyes on these.

What’s crazy is I love copper and pipes, which are both used throughout our home already.

Aaaaand I had copper pipes from a previous DIY for my sister’s baby shower just laying around so it worked out so well!

I didn’t really expect to share at first so not many before photos were taken. But you get the idea of how blah they were.

And B O O M! Afters!

Such a simple design change with significant impact that’s much more our esthetic and style.

Right?? Aren’t they perfect?!

Fell in love right away.

As I mentioned earlier, they match the rest of our kitchen and house too. We made these open shelves and copper pipe pot bar our first year. And yes, we do use those pots! They are not just for decor.

Please excuse the mess on the kitchen island. Hah.

And that’s all folks!

Fairly easy to moderate DIY (shout-out to the best husband), so check it out and GO FOR IT if you’re on the fence. You know you reeeeeally want to anyways!

Thanks for reading and following along

with me,

Jules.

Embroidery Hoop: MS Gulf Coast Edition

Khang and I fall in love more and more with Charlotte. Interestingly enough with every visit back to the Coast, we have a deeper and deeper appreciation for where we were raised and grew up.

Maybe it comes with age or moving away. Either way, it’s the best of both worlds!

I’ve been trying to think of different ways to incorporate The Coast and that southern charm into our home. More specifically, things that give us the nostalgic feel of our hometowns of Ocean Springs and Biloxi.

With a little inspiration on Instagram and countless Google image searches…this is what I ultimately came up with. Each piece was stiched free-handed. No patterns. I’m pretty proud!

To say I’ve enjoyed working on this embroidery project would be a total understatement. I was happy to finish but a tad bit sad it’s over.

Here are a few short explanations of each piece:

A is for Apple Pie

My favorite type of pie. But I’ll admit, I enjoy the crust more than the apples.

B is for Beignets

Can you also picture the cloud of powdered sugar delight? And of course, the best beignets are made at Cafe Du Monde and enjoyed under their iconic green and white awning.

C is for Crawfish

Best enjoyed by sucking the heads for all the juicy and spicy flavors. I’m salivating just typing this…

I wasn’t happy with the awning and did it over…this would become a trend because I redid almost every piece at least once.

D is for Donut

By the only real donut shop, Tatonut, in my hometown of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. To me it’s an unofficial historic landmark. Try their blueberry cake donuts if you can ever get one before it sells out!

E is for Egg

To be specific, a deviled egg with a sprinkle of paprika.

F is for Fleur de lis

The official symbol for our Saints Football Team and honestly, all of New Orleans. Khang’s been cheering them on waaay before Brees.

G is for Gumbo

When Khang and I lived in Baton Rouge, there were gumbo tasting contests after 5K races. They take their gumbo seriously. And my Mother-in-law makes the best gumbo!

H is for Hot Sauce

The most famous brand back on the Coast would have to be Tabasco. Notice the tiny “T”? It’s still produced on Avery Island in Louisiana.

I is for Ice Cream

The flavor is Mississippi Mud Pie. Oh, I lie, that’s technically my favorite kind of “pie”.

J is for Jazz

This teeny tiny trumpet is in my top three favorite. I mean I love them all, but this one is at the top. Might be because I redid it around SEVEN times! I imagine hearing the slow blues music in my head.

K is for King Cake

Mmmmhmmm. It MUST be decorated with green, purple, and yellow frosting with a plastic baby secretly tucked inside. If honestly doesn’t taste as good if not.

L is for Lighthouse

This is when I became deeply attached to this project. Not just any lighthouse, but the Gulfport Lighthouse, where Khang asked me to be his wife on the cutest sailboat during sunset in the bay a few days after our 8-year anniversary.

M is for Magnolia Flower

The Mississippi State Flower and Tree! And in my opinion, the most elegant of flowers. When they bloom, I know instantly before actually seeing them due to their distinct scent.

N is for Nuts

(almond, peanut, and walnut)

I am not a fan of nuts. But that does not stop Southerners from using them in so many dishes.

O is for Oyster

Raw, chargrilled, rockefeller…it’s all good! I prefer them raw on a saltine crackers with lemon squeezed on top and a dab of Tabasco.

The oyster underwent many changes…

P is for Pearls

I’ve always had a love for pearls. My promise ring from Khang is actually a pearl. I think every girl should own a nice piece of pearl jewelry.

Q is for Quilt

(Shout-out to Kim for the suggestion)

My super talented sister, Ginni, made me a beautiful crochet quilt about 6 years ago. The colors I used are based on it!

R is for Root Beer Soda

I don’t drink soda now, but when I was younger, Barq’s Root Beer was my favorite and originated in Biloxi! Every now and then, I crave a root beer float!

S is for Sailboating during Sunset

Y’all, basically our proposal story. And it’s Khang’s personal favorite!

T is for Tea

Sweet iced tea of course!

U is for Upside-down Pineapple Cake

As one of my favorite people, Ms. Debbie, advised that it’s best made in an iron skillet. It’s easier to make than stitch!

V is for Vegetable Garden

If you grew up in the South, you either have your own garden or know someone who does. Aren’t they just darling?! The felt turned out better than expected.

W is for Walter Inglis Anderson

This one hits home for me.

Walter Anderson and the Anderson Family had (and still) a significant influence on Ocean Springs. I went back and forth on how to represent him. I remember learning about the 7 motifs he repeatedly used in his paintings and ceramics during my visit to The Walter Anderson Museum(WAMA): straight line, zig-zag line, wavy line, half-circle, 2 half-circle, circle, and spiral. I chose those specific colors to imitate his watercolor paintings.

X is for Xilinous

(Shout-out to my brother, Greg, for this great word)

It’s actually an adjective. The definition is “of, like pertaining to cotton”. The word “cotton” was all I needed. I automatically thought of the cotton flower fields during my drives back and forth from Ole Miss to Starkville to visit Khang.

Y is for Y’all

Um, yeah. Y’all know why!

Z is for Zinnia Flowers

(Shout-out to my fellow Ocean Springsian??, Christine, for this great idea), which are native to the area and come in such colorful varieties.

And that’s it, y’all!

This little project has made its way close to my heart and I get so excited when I think about passing it down to my children and grandchildren.

A Phamily Heirloom for many generations to come.

Thank you thank youuu to all of those who gave suggestions and encouraged me along the way!

Thanks for reading and following along

with me,

Jules.

Christmas Card + Calligraphy Inspiration

Our very first official Christmas card! Yay!!

Last year, we didn’t bother.

And I almost didn’t this year, but we got a cute shot during our Asheville camping trip earlier this fall that worked out perfectly!

I think it represents us well. Hah!

I hand addressed all the envelopes and, of course, I was reminded of how much I love love calligraphy.

Disclaimer: Not our real address.

It’s especially fun because I get to customize everything like the colors and greetings! After much debate (with myself), I decided on “Blessings from” and “Kindly Deliver to” with a tilt.

There’s something about someone’s personal handwriting on paper that makes a letter or card so much more special.

This is probably why I’ve kept every single card and poem Khang has ever written me!

Makes me sad that some schools don’t even teach writing or cursive anymore.

I vow to teach my children this lost art.

So this is my attempt to try to inspire as many people out there to try calligraphy!

If you’re skeptical or doubting yourself–DON’T!

Here are two practice sheets from my very first attempt back in ’14.

It was rough, y’all. I waited two weeks until I tried again because I was so discouraged!

I did a comparison from that first time to present day. Look at the difference! I remember hating the letter “B”, now I love it!

Feeeeling the possibilities?! Well here are the basics to get started:

This book (I started with this one and its great for other handlettering techniques like chalk or paint) or this book (great for just calligraphy and provides different options for each letter).
Modern Calligraphy set at Micheal’s- Recently saw this set and it has my Top Three Favorite nibs! And it comes with a little ink too.
Calligraphy paper– Can be bought at Hobby Lobby too! You cannot use normal notebook paper because the ink will bleed.

That’s it! I am very practical especially when it comes to my wallet or starting a new hobby. As you get more comfortable and confident then you can explore different pen handles, nibs, and even colors!

Over the past two years, I’ve learned a few things that have helped me. Of course, I’m no professional and everyone is different. Do what works for you, always!

Few tips & tricks of mine:

If your nib is brand spanking new, then it’ll have the factory-applied lacquer (prevents rust) coating on it. It’ll need to be removed before usage. Use warm water, soap detergent, and an old soft toothbrush. It will help with better ink flow.
I like to run my nibs through a flame for 1-2 seconds just to make sure that waxy coating in gone but you don’t need to do that if you already wash and rinse the nib as stated above.
Always always dry your nib after cleaning–it will rust!
Do not death-grip your handle. It takes very little pressure for the ink to flow and it’ll help with smoother transitions with all the curves and loops.
Don’t get too caught up on making your calligraphy look like someone else’s. Everyone’s hand-writing is different so your calligraphy will be different too, which is a beautiful and unique thing!
Don’t forget to take breaks or your fingers will cramp up and you’ll just get frustrated and waste your precious (& expensive) ink and paper.
Once you use up all the space on one side of your calligraphy paper, wait for it to dry, and use the other side too for practice.
Practice, practice, practice! It will not look pretty or the way you want it to at first but it will get better. I’m still learning after 2 years!

Just remember: Anytime you are making a “downward stroke” then the line will be thicker because you will be applying more pressure, which causes the “split” on the nib (tip of pen) to widen.

See below for examples.

Notice the space on the nib. See how it’s wider? This will create thicker lines.

And then “put it together”.

Just giving you a small idea of what you expect. The book(s) will be very helpful. If you like videos, then there are video tutorials too on Youtube!

I’m more of a reader.

Please feel free to ask me any questions! Or if you need clarification. I will try my best to answer questions or help in anyway so that your “Calligraphy Dreams” come true!

I promise it’ll be worth it in the end. I almost didn’t want to mail out our Christmas cards because they were so beautiful!

As always, thanks for reading and following along

with me,

Jules.

Ronald+Joy

When I look at my four sisters,

I really don’t know how I ever survived childhood.

Ha ha.

So much has changed, but we’re still a big hot mess.

And I know I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them.

There’s no way I can explain or describe the dynamics of each relationship I have with each sister, but I’ll tell you this:

They’re individually so different in their own right.

And I love each one so much.

Today, it’s all about my our baby sister, Joy.

This girl.

We used to “hate” one another … like big sisters versus little sisters do.

Just ask our group of girlfriends growing up.

She’s exactly 1 year and 11 days younger than me.

Room, clothes, friends, and the list goes on…

We were forced to share everything with much resentment.

Everything.

This only added to our annoyance for the other.

And now thinking back on it, I never ever ever thought in a million years that I would be sad to share her.

Like what? How did that happen?

Y’all, my baby sister is a married woman now.

Witnessing her during this whole marriage process was more emotional than I ever thought possible.

Listening to her talk about her soon-to-be husband with so much love, care, and utmost consideration was a prideful experience for me.

For me, the best thing about being a big sister is watching your little sister grow up in all ways possible.

Joy likes to say “Sisters by birth, but best friends by choice” and I couldn’t agree with her more.

I’m so proud to be her big sister.

My family likes to joke that she got lucky with Ronald, but I know the truth.

And it’s the truth that Ronald married a sweet and caring soul who puts those she loves at the top of her priority list.

I know Ronald is at the very top and just know they’re in for a lifetime of happiness.

So Joy asked me to handletter a few signs for the reception.

They turned out a lot better than expected.

Their florists from The Petaler Co did such a beautiful job executing Joy’s vision by incorporating natural arrangements of florals and greenery at the reception hall.

Look at that gorgeous flower wall!

*A little hint for later on*