I resolve...

While February was busy sneaking up on me, I was still thinking about January. What can I say, I'm a day late & a dollar short around here. But did I make nice on those resolutions? I'm happy to report that...

We're consistently eating cleaner

I'm flossing more than before

I'm fairly certain I've narrowed my choices for a new blog design

I've finally navigated Pinterest (check me out with my one pin...go me!)

I'm finally tackling that master bedroom makeover

Okay, so I'm lying...the flossing isn't going so well. But I felt the need to say it, in the off-chance that my dentist might happen to be reading this (although, if we're getting technical here 'flossing more than before' is actually true, considering it's something that I rarely did before). So eh, 4 out of 5 ain't too bad.  

The last time you joined me, I complained mentioned that I couldn't find a small console table for the real, real entryway to save.my.life. And then like magic, this appeared...

Okay, so it didn't magically appear. But the day I wrote my last post, I found this little gem for $35 at a local antique store. The piece itself was missing the back of the unit, which is why it was such a deal. But that didn't phase me since this is really more of a decorative piece. The doors stick, the inside is covered in awful contact paper, and the painted faux wood finish isn't so hot either. So to sum things up, this is definitely not what I'd envisioned for the space. But it works. Sometimes thinking outside the box isn't such a bad thing. Which is why going into a space with a well laid out plan isn't always the best idea. You never know when the unexpected will fit the bill!

Obviously I have plans to paint it. I was originally thinking that whatever found it's way into this space would be painted green, ala this great piece from Emily Clark...



via



But now I can't help but wonder if something this large would be like the big green elephant in the room. I'm all for adding an unexpected color to a space, but I may have to mull this one over.

And again, that's what we like to call deviating from the original plan, my friends. TGIF!

Take a seat

Again, here we go with another blog title that sounds vaguely familiar...

Anyhoo! Moving along. I've been doing a considerable amount of thrifting lately. I know there's a whopping two of you out there who are excited to see what I've picked up this month. But before you get yourselves overly excited...I haven't bought a thing. I've been visiting every last Goodwill, Salvation Army, Amvets, etc. in search of a few specific items (two nightstands and a small console table for the real, real entryway). In the words of the Rolling Stones, "you can't always get what you want". Mick must really be onto something here, because try as I might, I just can't find these damn things.

But in my journeys, a trip to Amvets turned up this beauty...

It's in mint condition, doesn't smell (always a bonus!), and was only $20. Not bad, huh? I'm no thrifting newbie, but I foolishly thought about this chair for an entire day before actually returning to purchase it. Luckily it was still waiting for me, but sadly, some other chairs I was eyeing had already gone home with someone. When I saw that this baby was still hanging around, I nearly took out kindly made my way around another shopper to snag it. There's no time like the present to make that thrifting purchase. Let that be a lesson to all! Me included.

I'd been looking for some extra seating in our living room, but check out just how ridiculous it looks next to our existing furniture...

OMG. Totally ridiculous, right? We have zero plans to replace our existing furniture right now (not to mention this oversized chair is uber comfy), so I'm thinking this thrifted beauty might be finding another place in our home. Depending on where it ends up, I'm planning to have it reupholstered. My mom and her mad skills used to reupholster stuff, but she recently informed me that she got rid of all her tools. What?? I know! So if anyone knows of a good reupholsterer in the Buffalo area...do tell!

And just because I'm excited to share, check out the beautiful fabric that recently showed up on my doorstep...

SIX beautiful yards of this greatness from Anna Horner's Innocent Crush line! As a side note, Fabric.com is fabulous by the way. It was my first ordering experience with them, and although I had heard how great they were...I guess I needed to place my very first order to see that myself! We're (i.e. my mom) are planning to make simple panels to add to the stairwell of the entryway. The lone window in that space has been bare for way too long. I'll be sure to share photos when we finish up this project!

TGIF!

Thriftin'

If you know me well, then you're aware I spend a decent amount of time thrifting. Goodwill, Salvation Army, Amvets....I'm like a kid in a candy store at these places. Only there's no candy, just smelly belongings that someone left behind (potato, potah-to).

I'm pretty bad when it comes to updating the 'ol blog with my found treaures. I figure you'll all get to see them at some point (when I figure out exactly what to do with them). But after the Christmas decorations got tucked away, I realized I'd been hoarding a lot of my recent finds. Because frankly, I had no freakin' clue what I was going to do with them. That's how I roll when presented with the opportunity to purchase something cool for $5...buy now, figure it all out later (or not).

These little guys were a Salvation Army find for $3 (I just realized this photo is a little deceiving...these things are tiny...like, fit into the palm of my hand tiny). I don't know why, but I think they would look great in a nursery, no? But don't go getting any crazy ideas in your heads...not our nursery, just any old nursery. So until we have a baby & a nursery, these things will just have to take up space elsewhere...of which, I'm still trying to figure out. Surprised, much?

"But it's a fake!" That's what my mom kindly pointed out when we were thrifting & antiquing one day. I mean, for $25, I sort of figured that out. Ain't no real federal style mirror sold at that price point! But I've been wanting one for a long time, and this one fit my budget. Real or not...I have no shame!

I have zero clue where this thing is going. But at $8.99, I could not pass it up. End of story.

Okay, so this one was not a thrift find (and I'm well aware that these birds are grossly disproportionate to the size of the bell...I'm still working things out here), but I couldn't resist this bell jar that I picked up at Paris Flea. I think this thing is in temporary placement for now. Seriously, I need to get my act together. You would totally get that if you came to our house right now.

So that's the latest & greatest on the thrifting front! It's so hit or miss most of the time, but I'm thinking that if I have a jackpot month of great finds, I'll be sure to update on a more regular basis!

This is country livin'...

Nothing like a post-weekend recap with another weekend right around the corner, right? Right.
So did anyone guess what I was up to this past weekend? That's right, I'm speaking to all 4 of you. And sorry folks...if you're family or friends, you don't get to play along. Because you already know that I was in Columbus for the Country Living Magazine fair!

Ooh boy, let me tell you, it was good times. The weather was perfect & the vendors were a plenty. In fact, I don't think either my mom or I were prepared for the sheer madness (albeit fun) of this event! We were first time newbies, but even the folks who had attended before said the Saturday attendence was IN-sane! So instead of carrying on about how amzing this event was, I'll get right to it with some photos. Man, there was a lot to capture...this is just a fraction of what we saw while we were there!

Cari Cucksey of HGTV's Cash & Cari was also at the fair! I spotted the Re-Purpose booth, but figured she had sent staff to the event to hold down the fort. So I was surprised when I saw her roaming about, visiting with folks, etc. I attempted to say hello & get a picture with her, but she was chit chatting with some women, so sigh...I moved on. And don't even bother looking for her in this pic 'cause you won't find her...the booth was madness!

We took a post lunch break for some Jenni's Splendid Ice Creams. YUM! If you are in the Columbus area, or have a store near you that sells this goodness, you are in for a treat! I'm actually quite happy we don't, as I'd be frequenting this place often. I went for a trio of brown butter almond brittle (to die!), salted caramel, and brambleberry crisp. Did. Not. Disappoint. That's all I'm saying folks.

The Fabulous Beekman Boys, Josh & Brent, were there for a book signing! Okay, so this was one event I was not planning to miss (along with hundreds of others apparently). There was a lot of hoopla surrounding this book signing--think competition with others for a prime spot in line, standing in line to buy their latest cookbook only to find that a second freakin line was simultaneously forming for the actual signing, a lot of sweating, standing around for 1.5 hours (!), and general chaos & confusion--but then it happened...



I had no clue what I was going to say to them, but they were so, so nice. I think we were chatting about my necklace in the above photo (Josh was a fan). And apparently whatever Brent was saying in the photo below was so exciting, that clearly I was about to burst.



And lastly, the family portrait...we are SO tired in this pic, it's actually quite comical. Brent and Josh? Not so much. Get a load of them, aren't they the best?

I heard a nasty rumor that their show might not be coming back to Planet Green. And I'm hoping that's all that was...a nasty rumor. The husband & I can not get enough of their show!

Okay, so you're probably wondering what I purchased while we were there. Truth be told it wasn't much. Which is kind of crazy, considering there were an insane amount of vendors. There was so much great stuff to be had, but honestly...if I can't figure out where I'll put it when I get home, then I'm not gonna buy it. I guess I'm practical like that. Also, I'm not a fan of hoarding (although, some might say otherwise at the sight of our attic). Some of the antique vendors were pretty pricey, so that pretty much solved my "to purchase or not to purchase" dilemna right then and there.

These large plastic letters were $12 each, and I'm sure you'd never guess they're going in our kitchen, right?

I'm loving this K made out of old scrap metal. Because one can never have too many initials in the house.

And yes, I did manage to purchase some other things (other than large letters) during our trip, but these were the most notable house related purchaes that I made all weekend.

I can't wait to share what I'm up to with those large letters! I'm loving the way things are turning out (minus one large minor mishap) & I'll be back to share pictures soon!

Long time, no post

Long time, no post! I have little time to write anything of substance today, but I'm alive. And alive is certainly a good thing...especially after the fun, whirlwind weekend of yore. I'll be back with a full update later this week! Can you guess what I was up to?

I'll be back tomorrow with an update on the real, real entryway. Until then, happy Monday to all!

Deals & Steals

It's deals & steals time! I scored so many this past weekend, I don't even know where to begin. So let's get right to it, shall we?

Can anyone say, TWO side tables for the low, low price of FIVE DOLLARS?!

Why, yes please and sold! And no, that's not a misprint. Both tables came in at a grand total of $5! You can't tell from this picture, but they need work. The owner of this no-name junk store told us he priced them at $5 figuring someone (ie. me) would come along & be willing to restore and give them new life. I'm not sure what I'm planning to do with them just yet, but I knew I could not turn these down (doing so would be a crime!). The husband thinks (or perhaps wishes) I'm going to refinish & sell them. But you know what? The husband would be wrong. That same visit I also purchased a vintage milk jar (sorry, no pics) and costume jewelry...

Grand total: $10 (score!)

That same day (different shop) I purchased this mirror for our hallway...

Okay, for starters...let's ignore the mess in the man's den & the collection of just folded towels & sheets on the dining room table (where everything goes to live these days)....mmmm, k? I tried to crop them out of the photos, but I'm lazy...so welcome to my reality.

Anyhoo, back to the mirror! I've recently been on the lookout for a federal style mirror. But since those are expensive & hard to come by, I settled for this vintage lovely instead. It's amazing how your mind shifts once you see something new & exciting! I was instantly drawn to the color & finish (it's kinda hard to see here, but it's off white/yellow & worn in all the right places). But when I got it home I hated it and had plans to give it a little makeover. Fast forward a couple of days, and I'm in love once again (with no plans to change anything)! The husband, on the other hand, HATES it. In fact, he yells "ugly!!" everytime he passes through the hallway. At first, I laughed and told him to stop calling himself that. But now it's just annoying & I ignore him.

Grand total: $34 (yeah buddy!)

And check out this beauty that I incorporated into the gallery wall...

I did a little switch-a-roo, changing out a framed initial for this amazing sunburst mirror found at a country/general store. There was zero hesitation here. I snatched it up the second I saw it, fingers crossed that it was priced right. And guess what?

Grand total: $18 (boo yeah!)

And last but not least, this frame that I posted about earlier this week...

I found this baby sitting by its lonesome in an antique shop...with no price on it. Which normally isn't a good sign in my experience. But something told me to ask anyway. The woman in the shop said she'd have to look it up or contact the owner for more details. So off I went, continuing to browse the store. I figured if I came back & it was too expensive, I would sadly turn it down. So my socks were knocked right off when she told me the price...

Grand total: $15 (sold!) 

And I'm sure all you smarty pants out there can figure out--from the multi-colored cardboard--that I wasted no time getting my spray paint on. And you would be right. I'll be back tomorrow to share what I've done with it!

And that concludes this episode of deals & steals. Don't you just love a good bargain? Martiyn Lawrence-Bullard, eat your heart out!

Vintage Ice Crushers

Say what? It's July?! What's happening to summer? It's going way too fast. We headed out of town over the long weekend (an update on that soon...'soon' as in tomorrow, not 3 weeks from now), and I got a chance to catch up on the July issue of Martha Stewart Living.

I'm not a regular reader, unless of course, the cover catches my eye. Seriously (or 'bible' if you're a Kardashian). But would you look at those firecracker cookies? Why, yes please! Anyway, my mom's friend (hi Pam!) told us there was an article in this month's issue about vintage ice crushers. Remember the one I purchased a few short months ago?

Truth be told, I got nostalgic & bought this particular one because my parents had it when I was growing up. Plus I thought its vintage vibe fit our 'old' meets new kitchen. But did you know these ice crushers are a hot collectors item? Well, consider me in the know (ha, I wish!). If you google 'vintage ice crushers' you'll get a whole slew of items to peruse. But here are some lovelies from Etsy that caught my eye...

A turquoise Ice-O-Mat from seller Miss Hettie's...

A lovely little red number from Forgotten KC...

I love his pink one (with a removable ice bucket) from seller Looking for Yesterday...

Yellow & white from Hello Pretty...

Energy for the Soul is selling this fun retro ice crusher...



A search on Etsy also turned up these items that my family had too. Old fashioned ice cube trays...

Forgotten KC

And a vintage Tap-Icer...



Gypsy General Store

What can I say, our family liked ice.

If you're in the market for one of these, they'll set you back around $15-$30. Which makes me feel like I wasn't ripped off at $25. Whew.

Anyone want to come over for a frozen margarita?!

The day I tricked the husband into going antique-ing

This past weekend the husband & I ventured out to hit up some antique shops that I've been dying to visit for some time. Coincidentally, it's an item on the 2011 'to do' list. Yes folks, make that a whopping two items I've tackled so far this year--and to think it's only May! Only about 18-ish more large items to tackle before 2012...

Anyhoo! I may or may not have tricked the husband into this little jaunt by telling him we were only visiting one store (shame on him for actually believing me). Our first stop was Room...which yes, I understand does not count as "antique". But a stop at Room is always a necessity when you're in the neighborhood.



photos via

Ah, I'm in love. I can barely contain myself when I'm in this place. These guys are good. But since things like paying the mortgage are a bigger priority, we walked out empty handed & dreaming of the damage I'd love to do in there. Moving along...

Our next stop was, CooCooU, a store I'd been wanting to visit for awhile now (the lone store I told the husband we'd be visiting...as if!). It's a mad collection of mid century modern furniture (think lots of Eames chairs) all packed into one tiny little store front. While browsing, we enjoyed some fine keyboard tunes by none other than the owner himself. I didn't realize we were listening to live music until the husband said "um, there's a man back there playing the keyboard...WEIRD". I don't know what was more weird...the fact that the owner was playing a keyboard, or the fact that we couldn't see him because of all the stuff in that place. We talked to him for a few minutes, before he showed us the larger-than-our-dining room-gong (and yes, if you're wondering....gongs of that size are very LOUD), and then on our way we went. Alas, I have no photos to share of this experience. But trust me...it was good times. We will be back for sure. It was just that good.

Afterwards, we ventured next door to a fabulous antique store who's name will go unmentioned as I don't know what the hell it was called (how's that for giving credit where credit is due?!). Anyway! We had our eye on a great light fixture that we briefly considered purchasing for the kitchen. But after speaking with the owner & realizing it would take a lot of work to get it up and running (and even then, you never know), we decided to pass. 

And that my friends, is when the good stuff happened. The owner sent us down to the basement to check out other light fixtures & we happened upon this magic...

I know, this is just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill scary basement photo. But believe me when I say this place was a goldmine of amazing stuff! And suddenly things got not-so-scary really quick. It's also important to note that I didn't realize I had adult ADD until I entered this place. Moving along...

Quick! Can you spot the husband?

If you guessed the red head floating in the air...you would be wrong. Zero points for you.

The lamps I'm about to purchase...

The lamp I wanted to purchase, but it was missing a mate...

I had my eye on that schoolhouse pendant in the back, but it needed way more love than I was prepared to give it. I'm good, but not that good.

The wire baskets I should have purchased. Especially after seeing similar ones in the latest Pottery Barn catalog that same afternoon. I'm guessing I could have gotten the pair for $20 vs. the ridiculous price Pottery Barn would have asked for them...

After a lot of ooohing & aaahing, we eventually made our way up from the basement to inquire about the blue lamps. The owner said he'd give both of them to me for $40, when ordinarily he would have charged $100. Apparently, he was just looking to get them off his hands. Well, sir, you have yourself a sale! Afterwards, there was an awkward shuffle at the register, as the credit card machine was down & the only way I was buying these babies was with cash or check (and go figure, I had neither on me that afternoon). So the very laid back owner instructed me to "take them & stop by later with the money". And to think, if I wasn't so honest I would have gotten these lamps for the low, low price of FREE! But since I'm an honest Abe, the husband ponied up and forked over the cash for my latest thrifty find.

So here's what the lamps looks like when they're not in a basement...

I actually don't mind the color, but the owner painted them with a brush & they are horribly imperfect (you can't tell from the pics). So they'll be getting a new paint job (color TBD), as well as some new shades & a good old fashioned rewiring.

Also, I worried they would be too tall, but here's how they stack up against our existing lamps...

Perfect!

So stay tuned...I'm hoping to have these lamps refinished by this weekend. I'll be sure to post pictures soon!