Merry Christmas!

I'm heading to Massachusetts with my fiance to be with his family. Should be fun! Merry Christmas everyone!

Here's a shot of our tree:



And our little snowman:

Bedroom Inspiration

My bedroom keeps changing...Hmmm, imagine that! I'm still just not happy with it.

I bought new curtains from JCPenny, and they're velvet in a rich caramel color. Cindy Crawford (or her team) is good! Oh and they really block out the bright morning sun our bedroom gets.

I also bought some new lamps, which I love, from Pier 1.



They're very similar to this in size and shape, but they have a cream drum shade, and the base is glass stacked bulbs. They're not on their website for some reason... They were only $30 each, and they're the perfect height for reaching over and turning off the light while in bed. Success.

But I'm still not satisfied. Hmph!

I think it's the pink/peachish wing back chair I have and the dark wood night stands. Too dark! I'm going for a light and airy bedroom. So then I came across this gem!



Woah! This is a $40 Ikea Rast dresser madeover! I paid more than that for my nighstands. So this is a must! Plus there's storage, so no more plastic crates for my socks and whatnots. Sorry, Brian, another project...

I want to skip work for a week and do nothing but projects. It's a sickness.

Let There Be Light?

I do not have this kitchen:



Or this one:



I have a galley kitchen in an apartment. Enough said. We have an overhead light which is decent, but we like to keep a little light on instead of having to flip the switch each time. Plus at night, the kitchen just looks dark and sad. I had a cute little lamp with a red shade that gave just the right glow, but it burnt out and the shade tore.

Any suggestions? What do you do for light in your kitchen?

Jewelry Display

I used to keep my necklaces in the bathroom! Bad idea. Hot showers and little ventilation is no good!

I wanted everything in one place, so I bought this cute little jewelry box at TJ Maxx for $20, sorted through my jewelry and got rid of a lot! Then, what to do with the necklaces? I had seen on several blogs people displaying their necklaces in all sorts of ways, and this is what I came up with. A few vases and some pretty chains dangling down. Plus I put out a vase of buttons 'cause I like buttons. I know, it's a sickness. I used to dump my mom's jar of buttons out on the floor and pour over them for hours.





Too many books = no room for dresser, so I had to clear the top row of books on my shelves to make room. But I kept a cute little stack of orange books and popped a bird on top. Instant happiness. Now I have my own little dresser/vanity top, which I've always wanted.

Before and After Office Chairs

I was debating for awhile about recovering and painting these office chairs I picked up at the thrift store for $15 each! Here they are before with a yellow dingy floral fabric:




I decided to go ahead and recover them and see how that changed the look instead of painting them. I'm super bad with spray paint and paint--I'm impatient and it always comes out streaky or spotty. So just recovering them made all the difference. I got a yard of this fabric for $11 from Calico Fabrics. I like the subtle pattern and the gray color. Here they are after:



Much better! Old but new with a pop of pattern. I am finally starting to love patterns. Ridiculous I know. Even my wardrobe could use a little of this kind of makeover.

Starburst?

No, not the sweet chewy candy, the mirror, which is all the rage, right? Well now I'm on the bandwagon, and I want one over my bed. Like majorly.

I've looked high and low on the internet, but they're all so expensive, and I'm constantly changing my decor. So I found this on Ebay from West Elm, no longer sold in the store.



Can anyone tell me if it's nice? I want gold, and I want it to be classic looking, not too flashy. Or if anyone else has suggestions, I'm open to them.

Luckett's

It's always your lucky day at Lucketts store! Sorry for the cheese, but it's true. I drive almost 45 minutes to Lucketts, VA to go to this vintage hip store. They have great stuff! When I was there on a Thursday they were delivering and carrying in all kinds of goodies. It's 3 levels, and there are lots of individual rooms with various decor. Some rooms are packed full (especially upstairs on the top floor where they have vintage clothing). And then other rooms are sparse. Take this room for instance. I gasped when I walked in. A bed frame in the middle of the room.



And then the ceiling decorated with this thick fabric.



Swoon. Actually I think I noticed the ceiling first. Stunning and such an easy idea.

Then there were other rooms full of great finds: horns, antlers, old glass bottles and such. My pictures do not do this place justice (crappy camera phone).







Seriously, if you live around Northern Virginia, it's totally worth the drive. I ended up buying a nice satin pillow, an iron upright organizer for papers with a cute bird on top, a few old glass green bottles, and two votive holders with a crackle gold finish. Beautiful when lit.

Wedding Ideas

I've come across some amazing blogs. Some solely dedicated to brides, others decor and style. And they are incredible. Some of the most inspiring DIY ideas, images, etc. I say this because Brian and I are on an incredibly limited budget, so these ideas have really helped me to think outside of the traditional wedding box... And they're cheaper, handmade, and unique.

So here are a few:

From August and Everything After--Photos in Mason Jars





I love how easy and vintage looking this is! All you need is old mason jars, a bunch of 4 x 6 photos, vegetable oil, and dried flowers (optional). And by the way, check out her blog. You will totally die over the images from her wedding.

From Peacock Feathers--Seating chart idea



I love this idea, and will hopefully steal it, if I find the windows. It's so easy, plus you aren't using a bunch of paper that you will eventually throw away. It's the same with invitations--I know when I get wedding invitations in the mail, I think oh so pretty, but do I keep them? No! Maybe for a little while, but eventually they go in the trash and that makes me feel bad. But it's true. So I'm hoping to cut down on paper costs, too, maybe using some sort of postcard as the invitation, and RSVP to our wedding blog (yet to be created) or by phone. There's something nice about getting a phone call saying "yes we're coming!" Is that a total faux pas?

So there you go. Two great ideas. I also like the idea of having a neat birdcage and guests write on small cards and drop them in the birdcage (sans bird, of course). The list goes on and on...

Pretty Pretty

Grace over at Design Sponge posted images yesterday from Michael Penney's house from Canadian House and Home. I quickly discovered that Penney has a blog at CH&H. I love his style and his thrifting tips! I'm so in love with these images that I had to post them, too!

Turquoise is hands-down my favorite color. Or is it aqua? Both! I think his rooms are more aqua, or robin's egg blue. I am smitten. Terribly. Seriously.











Please stop being so beautiful...

Paint Paint Paint!

Where to start? I've lived in the same apartment for 4 years. Just the other day, my fiance says "why don't we paint, we've lived here 4 years." Or something along those lines. In my past apartments, I've painted one accent wall in the living room. Now I'm thinking, why not paint the whole living room/dining room combo (one open space)?

But what color? I want something soft and fairly easy to paint back over. I have neutral colors in my rooms (mostly dark wood, tan couch, etc.). But I do have buttery gold curtains, and a lime green couch with pops of turquoise around and a little cranberry. So I'm thinking a nice tan/beige but something that still stands out.

Here are some pictures of my living/dining area. Please help!

Things that make you go hmmm....

Okay, I love me some Apartment Therapy, like every day I check it love it.

But this posting is just ridiculous! I mean seriously, you can still tell it's a dishwasher...



And I also love me some zebra print, but come on. I think I want a decal of a toilet seat just to mix it up.

Appliance art, my ass. I guess I'm in a bad mood.

Wedding Inspiration

Style Me Pretty rocks! It's the best site for wedding ideas and has some of the most amazingly gorgeous images.

Here is one wedding by Alders Photography. I love all the vintage, handmade touches. I especially love the colors of pink and light blue.


*Click the image for a larger view.





I will totally DIY that wishes tree! I love it.

And The Winner Is....

Me! I got engaged in Cape Cod. One of my favorite places and to my favorite love. ha ha!

It was amazing, and everyone is now asking when's the date, will you change your name, what, where, when... It's overwhelming and part of me just wants to get married here (Kevin Dillon did!):



Lots to think about now. Any suggestions are welcome. I'm so excited!

Vacation...

I'm headed out this weekend and next week to Cape Cod with my boyfriend and his family. We've been the past five years, and I just love it! So I'll be away from the blog for a little while. Here are a few pics from our last trip there.





I love how the date stamp is on the pictures... Ah well. Happy weekend!

Stool Makeover

I have been wanting to makeover my entryway. I live in an apartment, so when you walk in you're instantly in the living area.

So I bought this cute little stool. Here are the before pictures (I forgot to photograph the legs, which were shabby chic white.) I thought of keeping them, but the fabric I was using was more modern and clean, so I figured painting the legs and frame glossy black would look better.

Before:



I spray painted the legs and frame black, then draped the new fabric over the edges. I was originally going to use nailhead trim, but was too lazy and used a staple gun instead. Ha! That nailhead trim shit is hard. You really can't see the staples, and I plan to put a ribbon around the edge to cover them. Quick solution!

After:



Entrway Before: (Boring!)



Entrway After: (Better! sans plant + rolled blanket)

Been A Long Time...

Wow, it's been over a week since I posted last. I was out of town for a long weekend visiting family in Pittsburgh. Here's my lovely niece, Lynlee. She's 14 months and such a doll. She is the happiest little girl--she wakes up smiling literally.



Also I've been working on a cute little stool makeover... Pics coming soon!

Have a happy weekend!

Ikat Ottoman

Can I have this, pretty please? I think it's no longer sold at West Elm. Anyone know where I can find this?

Mercury Glass Lamps

I found this pair of mercury glass lamps on Craigslist for $40! They're 60's originals! I was so excited and emailed the person--alas, someone was coming to pick them up! I was so upset, but then a few days later, the woman emailed to say they didn't show. I was there in a flash.

I bought the two black shades at Kmart. They're a little beat up in places but they were on sale, so oh well! They look great with the lamps. I love how reflective they are. Sometimes when we eat breakfast, I stare at them and am happy. Sad, I know.

Of course, I had to rearrange in order to make them work (as Timm Gunn would say!) I wanted a kind of buffet/sideboard/bar area in the dining room, so I used an existing console table and voila! I love when things work out.







And yes, that is a branch I scavenged from outside and spray painted pink. When I think how insane I can be about decorating, it makes me laugh. My boyfriend said, "there are no pink branches." Little does he know...

Bathroom Dilemma

I bought this zebra shower curtain on Ebay from West Elm. I really like it, but the problem is it's a bit too long. It pools at the bottom and touches the floor. Now normally this wouldn't bother me with say, curtains. But it's the bathroom and the floor might get a little wet.



Should I hem it by hand (I don't have a sewing machine) or should I be real cheap and use my iron on hem tape? And if I use the hem tape, will it hold up when I wash the shower curtain?

Also, does anyone have any artwork suggestions? I never know what kind of art to put in a bathroom. This is our only bathroom, so I want it clean and simple. Plus the only wall is across from the shower and when you open the door, it blocks half the wall. Right now I just have a mirror there, but can change this.

Michael Jackson

Okay, so I know this is all over the news, and people are sick of it, and then a lot of other people are very sad. For me, Michael Jackson represented my early childhood. I can remember taking my jam box to the horse shed (where we stored hay and feed for our horse) and practicing my MJ dance moves by myself. I lived way out in the country and there weren't many kids around. So I guess I had to have a greater imagination, and I loved playing by myself. Anyways, I digress.

For my 6th birthday, I asked my mom for a Michael Jackson cake. And like a great mom, she obliged.

Here's to Michael. You will be deeply missed by so many of us.