A peek into the nursery...

Man 'o man, I thought holiday seasons past were busy.  But this one took the cake.  On top of the usual hustle and bustle, we have been busy preparing for our newest family member.  But it has all been welcomed chaos, and we are so excited to be so close to meeting our baby girl. 

That being said, certain things have taken a back seat, like this little blog.  And as much as I'd like to think I will pick it back up while I have some time "off", I know I need to be realistic.  I'm pretty sure all I will want during any free time will be a nap and a shower. 

I wanted to at least put a quick post together though, to show where we are with the nursery.  It's about 90% complete.  Just need to finish a couple sewing projects, like the crib skirt, and get shelving hung to create some display space.  Other than that, the room is ready, the linens and adorable little clothes are washed, and we are just waiting on the baby! 

Here are a few photos of my newest favorite room in the house...

{Don't worry...those pillows and bears will come out when baby goes in.}

{Still need to hang two long white shelves on this wall}

{My parents brought me home in this little sweater and booties, and we will bring our little girl home in them, too.}

 

{My parents helped us sand and paint this estate sale armoire.  It's more coral, less pink in person.}

{Along with this Value Village dresser.}

 {Love the original pulls!}

So there you go - a little peek into our nursery.  I should have some better photos, of the fully finished room, a little later on...once its tenant is all settled in :)  I hope she likes it!

Furniture Delivery Woes

New Furniture.  It's fun to pick out, it's exciting to buy, and it can change the look of an entire room.  It can also be a major source of frustration.  I recently learned that for myself.  We placed three orders for furniture in the month of September.  That is rare for us.  But we just happen to be working on two rooms at once - the breakfast room and the nursery.  Would you believe all three orders arrived damaged?  And all need to be replaced.  That means the companies have to reorder them, and I have to rewait for them.  Waiting twice, on the same furniture.  Those of you who share my excitement for the arrival of new goods for the home can imagine how agonizing this double wait is to endure.  And I'm only exaggerating slightly. 

First up - these chairs for the breakfast room. 

I saw the delivery guys drop one of them on the truck.  Flat on its back.  Then I saw them trying to wipe it clean in the back of the truck.  They brought it in, put it in place, and acted surprised when I pointed out the dirt marks and small tear at the back seam.  They never did fess up.  So, we wait for a replacement to arrive.  In the mean time, at least we still get to use the damaged chair.  I'm just reminded of those lyin' little delivery guys every time I see the rip on the back.

A couple weeks later, the glider for our nursery arrived.  We ordered it from the same company, so I was understandably leery as the truck pulled up.  Two different delivery guys appeared at my door (much to my relief), brought it in, and got it situated in the nursery.  Sure enough, it was filthy, and I'm 95% sure it was from the guys' hands.  Or maybe from the dirty truck.  Why this company doesn't wrap it's furniture before loading it on the truck is beyond me.  Back on that dirty truck it went.  I almost cried.  Really.  No photos of this one because it was out of my house just as quickly as it was carried in. 

And finally, on Monday, this upholstered bench arrived while I was at work.  It was left in a box and wrapped very tightly in plastic inside of the box.  Surely, it would be unscathed and beautiful.  Things were looking good as we tore the giant box off.  But just as we slid the bench out of the cardboard, it toppled over.  One of the back legs was broken clear off.  I shook my head in disbelief, and shook my fists at the furniture delivery gods.  Worst luck ever.  So this, too, is being reordered.  Ugh.  For now, the broken one is just sitting there, propped up on its broken leg, like a tease.  I can see how great it will look...but I can't unwrap it, and I certainly can't sit on it.  Torture, I tell you.

I know my furniture woes are nothing compared to real life problems.  And I'm sure I will be back with "happy ending" follow up posts to this very whiny one.  But for now, I'm going to pout just a little bit.  And wait on my new furniture.  Again. 

Hot off the sewing machine...

New pillows...

for my new chairs...



I sewed these last night, from a yard of fabric I bought last week.  It was half off, and ended up costing around $8.  I already had the down inserts, so these babies cost a mere $4 each.  I think they're the perfect complement to my new chairs. 



These chairs {and the pillows} are part of a little room repurposing I've been working on.  We are in the process of turning our breakfast room into more of a hearth room.  Which really just involves some new furniture, a new layout, and of course a few decorative touches, too.  I'm waiting on the final piece to arrive.  It should all be complete in a few weeks.  I'll be sure to do a full "reveal" just as soon as it is.  I will say, we are already loving the new layout - wish we would have done it sooner!

Laundry Hooks

A few weeks back, I spotted some cute wall hooks at Hobby Lobby.  You know how they have their knobs and hooks 50% off like every other week?  Well lucky for me, the sale was on, so I scooped up five hooks for $2 each.  I knew exactly where they were going...on the empty wall in my laundry room. 

Here it is in all of its blah and boring glory before...

 

And here it is after, with the hooks on the left and a new little grouping next to the window. 

I realize this mini transformation hardly qualifies as a dramatic before and after.  But now I have a place to hang drying clothes, jackets, Q's leash...whatever my little heart desires.  And it doesn't hurt that it's nice looking, too!

I've got a date with my sewing machine.

Because this just arrived!

The big bolt and the two fabrics on the left are for our bedroom. I'm making curtains out of the floral fabric, and using the other two for lamp shades, an ottoman, and pillows. And the cute fabrics on the right??? My friend picked those out for her little girl's nursery. I'm going to make a few pillows for her. How cute is the pink dog fabric? Love it.

I ordered these fabrics from Premier Prints Fabric. Most of their fabrics are only $9.99 per yard, they have a great selection, and everything I've ordered has been of great quality. Definitely a good site to check out when you need fabric for a project.

Now I just need to chisel out a little time (or a lot of time...I'm an amateur seamstress), to crank this stuff out! Hopefully I'll be back soon to share the finished goods.

From Shady to Shadey

For just $20, I finally have a proper shade on my laundry room window. Which means we are no longer subjecting our neighbors to a wide open shot of what may gather here. Because it's usually far from pretty. Honestly, I'm sure they've never even peered in, but I know I feel a lot better about things now.

I found this roman shade at World Market last week. It isn't the fanciest shade ever, but it adds a little color to the otherwise very boring room and makes it feel a bit more finished. It was relatively easy to hang, too, which is always a plus. For some reason, I don't see it on their website. But they had plenty left in the store. They always seem to have a nice selection of inexpensive curtain panels, too. So next time you find yourself "in the market" for window coverings (pun intended)...you know where to go! Oh, and sign up for their rewards program - I used a $10 off $30 coupon to score this deal. Can't beat that!

Fresh Cut Friday

I really, really love having fresh flowers in the house. They add color and life to whatever room they're in. If I could, I would have an arrangement in every room of my house...at all times. BUT, since that isn't exactly realistic, I am going to aim to have at least one fresh bouquet in my house, at all times. And to help me with that self-serving goal, I am going to institute "Fresh Cut Friday" as a weekly feature on this little blog of mine.

For the most part, I get my flowers at my local grocery store while I'm doing my weekly shopping. But every once in a while I get to hit up other places that offer a wider variety. Like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Walter Knoll. WK lets you create your own bouquets from the buckets of flowers in their cooler. You can do that any day of the week, but on Saturdays & Sundays, they're half off. I used to live just few minutes from one of their shops, so I took advantage of that deal often. I could walk out of there with two or three great bouquets for under $20.

Sadly, I never find myself near a Walter Knoll on the weekends anymore, but that doesn't stop me from popping in on my lunch break every once in a while to pick my own bouquet from their cooler. This is what I brought home today...

This arrangement turned out a little wild, but I like that. I love the color combo. The wintry gray with the bright and springy yellow and orange is perfect for this time of year. Ahh...nothing like fresh flowers in the house. I look forward to having them around ALL of the time!

Finds in The House

I'm back with another post, to show you what I did with my "Friday Finds". I've been working on them here and there the last few days. Really, the only thing that required work was the botanical print project. The mirrors were hung as-is.

First up, the $24 mirror. I left the frame dark and just cleaned it up a little. I hung it above my entry dresser. I think a really traditional piece like this looks best paired with something more modern and fun. In this case, the dresser with the chevron top. It keeps the mirror from looking too stuffy or formal.

Next is the coveted convex eagle mirror. I decided to hang it in the dining room. I was sick of the plates I had hanging here before. This definitely changes it up a bit. You can see I'm trying to trick myself into thinking Spring is almost here, with the tulips. Not working though...we got more snow today.

And finally, here are the botanical prints in those cheap-o frames. I spray painted them gold and popped the prints in them. It was really simple. To make sure all of the images were nice and centered in the frames, I cut them with an exacto knife, using the glass as a guide. And I didn't bother measuring when I hung them. I just eye balled it. Sure, I put a few extra holes in the wall. But they're tiny, and they're covered by the frames. If my dad reads this, you can bet he'll be doing some head shaking.

As you can see, I only have nine of the twelve hung right now. I think I'm going to pick up one more frame, so I can hang two more above each lamp to fill the space out a bit more. This is a big wall.

Seeing my finds repurposed and happily hung in my house makes me feel warm and fuzzy. And isn't it great how just a few new inexpensive pieces can freshen up a house? I get a major case of the blahs if things stay the same for too long. My husband just loves that, let me tell you. Hey, at least I do it on the cheap. And better yet, I don't ask for his help. I'm pretty sure that's enough to appease him.

Friday of Finds

There are two very dangerous places located within the same plaza as my office - Value Village and Kenrick Antique Mall. They may not be dangerous by the average person's definition. But for a treasure hunter like me, they are dangerous indeed. Lately, I've been trying to stay away. But some days I can just hear them calling my name.

Last Friday was one of those days. I had nothing to do for lunch, but I needed to get out of the office for a bit. So I headed to the antique mall. And I hit the jackpot. It was one of those shopping excursions where you find so many great things, and at such great prices, that your heart kind of races the whole time and you get a little panicky. And you really, really wish someone was with you to witness the great stuff you were finding. Or does that just happen to me???

First I spotted this gold eagle convex mirror...

It's definitely my favorite out of the loot I brought home. I've seen these in a lot of beautiful rooms lately, via design mags and blogs, and I've really been wanting one of my own. This one is a little beat up, but nothing some glue and a little gold touch-up paint won't fix. It's a really good size - about 20" in diameter. I thought it was a good deal at $50, considering I've seen high end versions selling for as much at $500 online. It's going to be a great statement piece!

Here are a couple of the photos that sparked my convex eagle mirror love...

Abode Love

Elle Decor

Next up is this mirror....

I'm not exactly sure where I'll use it, but we still have plenty of blank wall space to fill in our house. So I'm sure I'll find the perfect spot for it. It was just too pretty and too much of a steal to pass up. $24...can you believe it?! It's about 3' tall and really solid. I LOVE the shape. And the mirror is slightly antiqued, which is my favorite thing about it. I'm not sure if I'll paint it or leave it as is. The dark wood is actually really pretty and would work well in our house. We'll see.

I also picked up these 4 mirrors in an antique silver finish. I'm going to hang them somewhere in a grid. Not sure where yet. And I might paint them. At $1.50 each, I just couldn't pass them up.


And last, but not least. These 8" x 10" frames are going to get painted and filled with botanical prints from this great book I found at an estate sale last summer. I bought 12. I'm thinking I'll hang them, also in a grid, above the living room sofa. I'd like to add more interest to that wall and brighten things up a bit, and I think these would do the trick. They ranged from $1.50-3.50 each. The ones with a cardboard arm/easel/stand thingie on the back were $2 more than the ones without. Hmm...didn't realize they were such vaule adders. Oh well, they still only cost a total of $30ish, and since the book was $3...it's going to be one cheap project!


There was more I wanted to grab that day, but I decided I'd practice some restraint and leave a few treasures behind. Hopefully they'll be waiting there for me, for the next time I find myself answering the call...the call from the antique mall.

{Our Home at the Holidays}

I'm linking up to The Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes, and I'm so excited about it. I've enjoyed looking at the homes of some very creative bloggers the past couple of years, via this link-up party, and this year I have a blog and can join in on the fun!

First, here is a quick look at the front of our house. We always keep it simple. Just some greenery and lights.

Next up...the tree. We got a real beaut this year. It's full, as symmetrical as they come, and a perfect fit for the space. We bought it here, which is always fun because it involves a little frozen treat after the tree is selected and loaded up. In the comfort of our warm car, of course. I used 11 strands of lights. That's a record for me. Hopefully not a record that will result in a blown fuse or an electrical fire.

Close up of some of my "new" vintage ornaments.

Next is the mantle. Every year, I swag a combination of real and "faux" greenery, with white lights and embellishments. What I put on top of the mantle varies from year to year. This year, I brought in two metal topiaries from the front porch. I got these at an estate sale this year - $15 for the pair.

I also hung a fresh boxwood wreath from the mirror.

One more close-up shot. The lighting was pretty terrible,

especially for my sad litle camera.

More garland & white lights hung on the railing.

I stick different things in this garland every year. This time around,

I tied some strips of fabric in and added some gold bells and orange picks.

Here is a little vignette on my old trunk.

I propped up this sweet little book I found...probably at an estate sale???

There is no date to be found inside, but it's really old.

The cover is like velvet - so pretty.

My dining room buffet, all dressed up for the Holidays. The wreath is actually a strand of garland wound up. I bought it a couple of years ago at Crate & Barrel,

and they still have it. It's really pretty in person.

A white poinsettia on the table.

Red never looks quite right in my house, so I always go for the white.

The little china cabinet...in another blurry photo.

Here is my entry table , with a couple of Christmasy touches,

and of course...a wreath (from Wreathfest 2010) hung over the mirror.

I might have a slight obsession with the wreath/mirror combo.

Moving on to the kitchen. I don't put much holiday decor in here.

Just a pretty little display on the table...

And a simply dressed mantle, including a wreath on the mirror.

I tried to leave it bare, but it looked so, well...bare.

Here is my book page wreath, hanging in the kitchen window. It looks awfully cute here. That's the problem with this wreath. It looks cute everywhere. So I need to make like 4 more. But having 5 bookpage wreaths scattered among the house would be kind of weird. So I guess I'll just have to move this one from time to time, to spread the cuteness around.

I do love decorating for the holidays. While the process can be a little tiring and time consuming, there is nothing like having a cozy home all decked out for Christmas. But what I love the most is having my family around to enjoy it with me. Isn't that what it's all about?

See, we're giddy with Christmas joy! ;)

{Merry Christmas, and many blessings to all in the new year! }