Yippee for yard sales!

I love a good find.  Love.  It.  I tend to get lots of them at the flea market, but just recently I found some at a yard sale in my neighborhood.  The lovely family used to have an antiques booth at a different flea market than the one I usually go to, but had taken their stuff out of the booth and were just having a plain old fashioned yard sale.  I had not yet met these particular neighbors of mine so when I saw they were having a yard sale I figured what better time to stop by and say hello!  I sure am glad I did!!

There is a small triangluar void between Trey's leather chair and the loveseat which is almost impossible to find an end table for.  This means there isn't really anywhere for Trey to put a beverage in between sips since our coffee table is centered on the sofa.  Bummer.  Enter a $25 marble-topped plant stand which could also conveniently double as an end table of sorts and voila,

problem solved!

The other three items I picked up were less for function and more for aesthetics.  I found out from Ms. Rosalin that the small dresser I got from my dad was actually used as a wash basin when it was originally built.  She had a similar wash basin at her yard sale with this pitcher and bowl on top and I thought it made the perfect accessory for the dresser that will now hold towels and toiletries in one of our guest bedrooms since there are clothes in what could be used as a linen closet.

I also picked up two chairs for $25 each.  I'm not crazy about the fabric, but the lines of the frame and the porcelain rollers had me at hello so I grabbed them with the intention of having them reupholstered in something charcoal for the sunroom.

Ms. Rosalin also referred me to a guy that has reupholstered similar chairs like these for her before. 

Great neighbors, great finds!

Guest Room Update

While I was taking picture of the newish lamp in the guest bedroom, I realized that I haven't shown ANY pictures of that room whatsoever.  Here's my attempt to change that.

Remember, I got this bed from Craigslist.

This bed used to have some bedding I've had since college from Pottery Barn - it was white with a deep red monagram (hence the lamp you'll see in a minute).  It was a little more modern and harsh (is that the right word?) than the look I wanted in this room.  So, I found this beautiful, soft bedding from Target, of all places.

I got the comforter and the blue sheets for Christmas from my mom and grandmother.  I picked up a coordinating bedskirt afterwards.  Still, after adding the soft bedding, the room still felt a little bare.  So, my parents brought up a chest that was my dad's growing up that they were no longer using!

And a picture that makes me laugh every time I look at it.  Some days you're the cowboy, some days you're the dog. (The picture is of a cowboy hanging by the reins of his horse, who is hanging by a rope tied to a bull, who is being held back by a saloon.  All the while, a dog just watching.)

But back to the lamp,

This lamp went PERFECTLY with the bedding that used to be in this room.  Not the case anymore.  I thought I was going to have to purchase a brand new lamp...not the end of the world but just another purchase that was probably unneccesary.  While at Target earlier this week, I noticed a new section I had never seen before....a mix-n-match lamp section.  I just picked up this sweet new drum shade for $15

and voila!  New lamp!

This is also the room where I'm planning on putting up the mirror collage.  This house is coming together bit by bit.  Baby steps!  I'd like to paint this room blue eventually.  However, I have to conquer the hallway first....

Fab Flea Market Finds - Feb/March 2011

I went back to the flea market in February to try to find something for a women's retreat.  Instead, I picked up these little treasures.

Cheese plate - I know, I know.  You're probably thinking, a what?  Why do you need a special plate for cheese?  Especially when it has that strange fruit design on it.  Well, I'm a copy cat.  That's right, I said it.  Almost every ounce of creativity I have dumped into my home, has been someone else's.  I just copied it.  This is another one of those cases.  The folks over at Young House Love purchased a similar cheese plate and made it into a unique decorative item.  I plan on doing something similar.  :)

Glass cruet - I purchased this for the women's retreat, but I'm thinking it might just look lovely in a display somewhere after it's used.

Antique mirror - This antique mirror (with stand) will make a perfect addition to the bedroom furniture that we haven't purchased yet (but plan to purchase soon, a lovely sleigh bed suite).

In early March I went back with a specific project in mind - an antique mirror collage a la Dear Genevieve!  I found these two on this site called Wuslu - they have a deeply discounted deal every day on some home decor item and I happened to run across this one a few weeks ago.

With my best friend from high school, Josh Wadkins, in tow, I found these three lovelies!

I plan to arrange them on the wall in the main guest bedroom with a big "H" that I'm going to eventually get around to making.  I cannot believe that I'm going to have this project completed with a price tag under $100!

I also picked up this mirrored tray.  I'm not sure where I'll use it yet, but for only $25, I couldn't walk away.

I'll keep you posted on how that mirror wall turns out!

Cultivating my crafty side

Anyone who knows me, knows I would be categorized as "left-brain."  I am good at math, love excel, only cook with recipes, etc.  My right-brain doesn't get much exercise, or I should say didn't until we got the house.  I've had to grow some muscles on my right side that haven't been there since I was a kid.  I am happy to report however, that they are growing....hence this post :)

I saw this sign on another persons blog about a month ago.

It conveniently retails for $300!

I mean, I like this look....but not for $300!

I decided I could probably make that.  It's not very artsy, simplistic, and I could probably calculate exactly where each of the letters should go to make it look like the original (I know, I'm a nerd). 

So I went to Home Depot and got a big piece of plywood (sidenote - this will have to be a verbal play-by-play...I forgot to take in-progress pictures) and got them to cut it into two large 35" X 35" squares.  The original is 36" X 36" but I made one 35" X 35" because the math works out better (5" stencil letters, 1 inch above and 1 inch below, in 5 rows makes 35").  Anyway, I also got a 2" X 1" board and had it cut into 4 pieces to frame out the back.  I used Gorilla Wood Glue to attach the two 35" square pieces together to give the sign a little thickness and nailed the frame onto the back.  It took several coats of ivory spray paint to cover up the marks on the wood while still leaving behind evidence of the graininess.

I debated on how to fill in the letters but ultimately decided on sponge application of a chocolate craft paint with a little bit of champagne sparkle paint mixed in.  I also debated on sanding it down a little to make it look a little more like the original, but I was scared I would take off too much paint and then create more work for myself.

Anywho, here's how it looked when I was finished.

Not too shabby for an engi-nerd!  Trey hung it above the mantle for me in our living room and we hung that flower picture that had been there above the piano. (Sorry that second pic is a little fuzzy, my camera isn't all that great)

Here's a close up of the letters so you can see that they aren't just opaque.

So, what do you think?  Should I start selling these too? :)

Painting dilemma

So, I didn’t get this one finished in January…. mainly because of some paint brush issues, a hyperactive puppy, and sheer laziness.  However, I did get it finished up by Super Bowl Sunday thanks to a hard deadline for guests!  When I started, I didn’t realize that I would have to be painting areas like this,

or this,

That’s where this baby came in!

It was like the perfect size to paint in between corners and doorframes!

Here’s what the room looks like now with the help of paint and a few new laundry hampers.

 

It definitely looks cozier than it used to (if you can call a laundry room cozy).  I'm planning on putting some kind of art on the wall above the hampers and potentially building a few shelves for the laundry detergents, etc. 

Sorry for the lack of before pictures.  Just imagine the whole room being the same color as the doors and molding. J

Kitchen...phase 3

Our kitchen is getting closer and closer to being the way we want it these days.  Trey sent me this picture a few Tuesdays ago.

And by the next Monday…

All we had left to do was call a plumber to install our new faucet.

They REALLY change the dynamic of our kitchen.  Remember, here’s what it used to look like.  Note the navy laminate counters and backsplash, older mis-matched appliances, wall oven and awkward corner cooktop, etc.

And here’s the new again (with the addition of our new faucet but of course no backsplash yet).

We worked with S&B Stoneworks here in Montgomery and they have the best prices I could find.  They are also really great to work with.

We went with quartz for several reasons.  With the approximate cost of granite you get a non-porous counter (won’t stain, granite is porous), you never have to seal it (granite has to be resealed every 3 years), and it is virtually indestructible.  Win/win/win!

Here's a close up of the stone.

We are also loving our new under mount sink and Delta fixture!

So, what do you think? 

Next steps – cover that ugly green wall with a backsplash, paint the cabinets and walls, make new window treatments, and add hardware to the cabinets.

Fab Flea Market Finds

We are still trying to navigate the city, but we have already found our way to the best flea market ever!  Eastbrook Flea Market is 3 floors of absolute flea market awesomeness.  Beautiful antique furniture, quirky collectables, and everything in between.  A couple months ago we went and found these great items!

Three green bottles - I added candles to add a rustic flare to the living room.  They now reside on the mantle and help tie together the greens already in the room.

We also found this quilt rack for only $20!  I had been trying to find a storage ottoman or basket that I could store blankets in when we found this tucked away in a booth on the bottom level.  It's another great addition to the living room.

I'll keep you posted on other great things I bring home with me from the flea market!

Note:  This is not the Flea Market Montgomery...the one that's "just like, it's just like, a mini-mall hey hey."