Craigslist Score: Baby Things!

We've been tossing ideas around about how we want to deal with the sleeping arrangement once the little guy is here. Originally I thought we could just move in to the guest bedroom for a few months (it's right next door to the nursery). Then, as I was sitting in bed worrying one night I casually mentioned to Daniel that I didn't know how I was going to be able to sleep without constantly checking that he was still alive. Daniel thought it might be a good idea to room in with the baby.

Of course that lead to all other problems of logistics. Do we buy a bassinet, a pack & play, keep him in a hamper on the floor. Luckily Craigslist to the rescue!

One rainy drive and $40 later it was mine. I'm in love. It is the most quintessentially baby thing I own (besides onsies) and it is just so adorable I could die.

Did you get a bassinet? If I had to pay full price I probably would have just sucked it up and dealt with my separation anxiety but for $40 I don't mind that it will only get 4-6 months of use. 

Cheers!

Have A Seat

Since we moved the dinning room in to the living room area, the old dinning room has been in flux. I'm still struggling with a few aspects but here is the in-between state.

The chairs are from Fred Meyer a while back and the table is from Cost Plus. The rug is way too small. I bought one from Urban Outfitters but it was too big so I'm back to square one.

The sunshine has been making picture taking difficult but here is the view looking in from the front of the house back towards the kitchen.

We still need to move the chandelier. We have been ducking around it but now that we are sure we are happy with the new set up I can move it back over the dining room table.

My ikea desk has replaced the buffet that was here. It is a bit too small but it is a good place holder until something better comes along.

A few little changes but I am starting to see what I want this room to look like. I just wish I had a warehouse full of every type and size of furniture known to man so that I could try a bunch of options. Like a staging company but for regular people.

Cheers!

VITTSJÖ Hack

Daniel and I have what I think of as an unorthodox way of decorating. We tend to sit on ideas for a long time only to radically change plans and then go on a shopping spree. It sounds crazy but it actually works for us.

This is the story of my ever evolving living room.

It started out like a normal weekend. We made a list of things we wanted to work on and settled in to our plans only to find ourselves taking an impromptu Ikea trip and spending the day making this.

This hack was quite literally that.  We started out with this shelving unit (x3) and took some measurements.

See too tall. So we got out the trusty hacksaw and got to work (though the hacksaw was later abandoned for the multi-max for the sake of our arms).

Many many hours later we had successfully modified and built our shelves. We decided to cut down from the top (leaving that little half shelf) because it required the least changes to the overall structure of the unit.

Then I got to move all my books up from the office and style (probably my favorite part). The giraffe helped.

I love this little vignette. My thrift store Asian art and wooden bird cage (i'll show you how I put that together later), the cute little pig from my childhood and my favorite pictures of my parents.

Here's the view from a bit further back. I don't know how I want the seating arranged so that will probably change.

The living room has been my biggest design dilemma because it is so long and narrow with the front door dumping in to one side and the dining room cut out of the other. It is rarely used and so has until now been sparsely furnished. Now I actually like sitting in there! There is still much more to be done but we are making little tweaks at a time. I've already tackled the nook by the fireplace and have some ideas for seating so there is more to come!

Cheers!

Office Tray

While we have a dedicated office, it never gets used. Daniel prefers to work at the dining room table which, as you can imagine, often means the table is covered in papers and pens and cords. It was starting to get a bit silly but since Daniel likes working there I figured we could make something work.

A few months back I read and interview in House Beautiful about a woman who liked to work at her dining room table too. She used a tray with boxes to keep things contained and as a bonus, it could easily be removed when it was time for dinner. Genius! I looked and looked for a tray I liked and eventually settled on a cheap Ikea one that seemed like it would do the trick. Add a box for pens and cords and you get a dedicated office on a tray.

We used it for a few weeks (just to see if it was worth keeping or returning) and so far it seems to be great. Everything important sits on it until it needs to find it's own home and the piles of paper have been tamed. But it felt like it needed something.

Spray paint!

The color isn't quite true to life. The tray is more teal and the box a shiny metallic gold. Alas, my photography skills still need some work, but you get the point. The box perfectly holds phone chargers, headphones, and other odds and ends.

Perfectly out of sight and organized. We don't even move it for dinner.

There you have it. Our home office tray. Daniel has been really good about using it to put things away which makes this project a success! Now if only I had a place for all of the random tools we have. One day.

Cheers!

Linking up to

Frugal Friday

House of Cards

Well, house cards anyway. I was trolling my blog roll the other day and came across this post from The Design Pages about organized shopping. It's true, with everyone organizing every other aspect of their houses it is a good idea to organize how you buy for them. I certainly am in the same boat as Carol having frequently purchased furniture for the house only to get it home and realize it doesn't fit where I thought it would. Most often thrift store finds, which are sadly non returnable. I was really struck by one idea she had in particular. A pocket sized floor plan from Apartment Therapy.

Apartment Therapy 

And of course I thought "I can totally make that!" Little did I realize it would take all afternoon just to do the measurements. When I was finally done I got something that looked like this.

I did the same thing for each room noting measurements where I needed the short walls sizes for new furniture or paintings. I created them in publisher on 3X5 sized paper and printed them on card stock before laminating them.

This is the final result

I also clipped in paint swatches and fabric that I am using in some of the rooms to help with future color choices. I only laminated the front side so I can add measurements and info on the back. Now I only have to remember to bring it with me. It should come in handy with the kitchen remodel we are working on (if the snow ever goes away so that I can get more supplies!)

Are you always this organized? Or are you like me and leave your lists at home? Maybe you just have a good eye for proportion? Tell me your secrets.
Cheers!

Linking up to

Frugal Friday

Finally Finished!

One of the last things on my to finish list this summer was repainting our dresser.

Here's the BEFORE:

and the AFTER

Much better if you ask me. I painted it Behr's Solar Fusion in a high gloss. I also picked up some new pulls from our Re-Store to give it more of an eastern feel. I like the way it plays with the yellow in our bedspread. Once I get a nice mocha-ie brown on the walls the whole room will feel warm and inviting.

This was my first full color furniture painting experience and I was worried Daniel would hate it but he surprised me and really likes the color. See, I'll make a color lover out of him yet! Anyone else have a husband who is afraid of color? Any tips? Daniel is great because he lets me try just about anything but there is always the chance I'll have to paint something twice if he hates it.

Cheers!

Linking Up to:

The Shabby Nest

New Project

I got a surprise delivery on Friday and I am crazy excited to get started on it.

I did say it would be a project right? Isn't my mom wonderful for shipping this to me all the way from CA? Thanks mom!

It is my grandmother's secretary desk (imagine that rectangle leaning up against it attached to the front). For years this was in our house and I remember how fun it was to use it. It was just so romantic folding it open to reveal all the secret papers inside. I always imagined some young Victorian woman sitting at this desk writing love letters while sipping tea. Some how when we moved houses it disappeared. Out of sight, out of mind. So I forgot about it for years until my mother mentioned she still had it and would ship it to me! You can imagine the poor UPS guy carrying this up our stairs.? I think he was a bit shocked when I told him it was a desk.  Little did I know it was not in the shape I remembered it.  I think I can bring it back to life though and then I will sit at it and write love letters and sip tea and think how wonderful it is to have something that was from my mother's childhood in my home. Antiques are the best aren't they?!

Cheers!

Library-Office Swicheroo

I swore when I moved that couch it would be the last time but somehow my couch has made a liar out of me yet again. A few weekends back we began the horrendous fun process of turning the office into a library and the library into an office. It definitely served to renew my hatred of my couch. We know this couch is not permanent. It doesn't fit anywhere in the house but it is what we have but we are not ready to buy another one right now. That being said, you can now see the new library.

Before (As an office)

Now (As Library)

As you can see it is absolutely tiny in there with the big couch and closet but once we get the right furniture and deal with the closet space it will be great. It is nice being upstairs when we watch tv and Daniel really likes having the office a little more separate from the living area of the house. 

Since the pictures give no indication of how the room is actually laid out here is a mock up of the floor plan with everything that is currently in the space.

Hopefully that makes is clearer as to what is where. We are still working on the great TV debate (we've got 30 days to decide) and I'm keeping my eyes open for a new couch. I've got some great inspiration for the room so I'm excited to see it come together.

Cheers!

How Can You Not?

One of my favorite things about traveling is going to new thrift stores. There is just such a range of things people give away and it is fun to see what is out there. In fact, some of my favorite thrift store finds have been from non local stores. So how excited was I when we were getting off the freeway in Spokane, WA for gas and I see the Goodwill sign. It was like choirs of angels began singing. Of course we had to stop and as always I made a b-line to the furniture section (this is always my first stop). I was mightily rewarded (if I do say so myself). Ok, I know orange velvet isn't exactly chic. Reupholstering is definitely in this chairs future.

Just look at the details. I love the caning on the arms and the art deco legs.

The only thing I am kicking myself over is that I didn't get both! This is why....

I bought the chair for the corner where it is now but it just doesn't match with the 70's style upholstered green chair. The lines clash. My green chair is all squat and dumpy next to the romantic lines of the orange chair. Of course since I got it at the thrift store in Spokane I can't even go back for the other one. Oh well. For a 20$ investment I will find somewhere it fits but until I know where it will go it will stay orange. It will make a good winter project. Anyone else cursed like I am with bringing home furniture only to find out it doesn't fit where you think it will? Maybe my sense of proportion will get better with age?

Cheers!

So Much Time, So Little to Do...

Wait. Scratch that, reverse it. I have way too many things that I want to do. You might might have noticed I've been doing a lot of little projects lately (like the button monogram, button billy balls, and spray painting my side table) in between work on the back yard. There are just so many fun projects I want to work on but the bigger things have been getting in the way. I decided I needed to make it official and make a list.

I started to type out the whole list but decided you'll just have to wait and see what I come up with. If you'd like a sneak peak check out my Pinterest To Make page. Here are a few at the top of my list.

A terrarium 

Closet storage

Sunburst mirror

Shabby flower pillow

Scrap colorways pillow

and a Lacquered side table

Just to name a few. 

Every time I read a blog or get on Pinterest I add a few more to my list but there is nothing wrong with that. Just wait until the holidays, my head just might explode from all the craftiness. Joy!

The lumber is here so we are going to try to knock the backyard out this weekend. Fingers crossed people!

Cheers!

Stylin'

After waiting a whole week (give or take a day) I finally was able to finish styling the front porch. I didn't want to go out and get anything new for it until I got a feel for what I already had and how it all fit in so no money was spent on this styling (well, I did buy plants for the hanging baskets but that is it).

You probably remember from here my final reveal of the stenciled floor but I'll do a quick before and after for you anyway.

Hideous Before

Sophisticated After

**swoon** A million times better! There are still some tweaks to be made as I grow my decorating arsenal but I like how put together it feels out there. I'm not entirely sold on my round table for that corner and I don't know if I like having the "coffee table" (It's a shelf from IKEA) there either but they are what I had on hand. As I find fun things thrifting I'm sure the whole place will change (I'm already looking forward to doing a Christmas display!) but for now I think it will be the perfect place to have a nice glass of wine and hang out on these long summer nights.


&Here @ Savvy Southern Style