Day Three

Ebay rug returned, new temporary rug in place. We got the ebay rug back from Stanley Steamer and it looked wonderful:

It was a little faded and stained, but it was also from the 1940's and had the best colors to start a palette in the house. We sat on the sofa and the smell from the rug hit you in the face like 'whoa'. I got on all fours and started smelling the rug. "Stanely Steamer didn't do crap to this rug". My mom came over and brought her steam cleaner. Drew went over it FOUR times and

each time emptied filthy water, a ton of dirt and hair, and the smell was starting to permeate the house.

Here's just one bottle full of what we found. I could have filled up a truck load of these. Finally, we threw the rug outside in hopes that fresh air would help. 5 hours later, I go outside and I can smell the freaking thing the minute I open the door. Grossed out beyond belief, I told Drew to just return it through Ebay. We opened a case and are out the $31 it costs to ship it back. Lesson Learned!!!! I mourned my beautiful rug for a while and almost felt a slight depression from finally finding something to kick start the major design element in the house. Oh well, press on.

I did still want a rug for a multitude of functional purposes and I knew if I waited, I might not ever have the time or energy to look after the babe is here, so I hopped on craigslist and found this replacement:

Is it my dream rug? Not in a million. Are there any colors in it that I can pull into pillows and art? I don't think so.

But

Does it stink? No. Is it soft? Yes.

Did I mention that it was $45? It could be worse, I know, but it just looks so...........generic and the colors with my sofa aren't ideal.

But it will be staying for a while until I find my dream serapi colored antique oriental that doesn't smell like straight ass. Where are you rug?!?!?

In other news,

I go to the doctor at 10am today in hopes of some news that I've progressed and will not have to be induced on Thursday. I'm trying to stay positive, but I just don't "feel" like anything is happening :(

-jd

Drew

I felt overwhelmed with pride today.  We woke up early to go garage sale-ing and with this being my last Saturday to junk for a while, I was hoping we'd pile up...or at least find a desk for our new computer.  We headed out and about 30 minutes into our venture, Drew got called into work.  Bummer.  I peeled around to our house on two wheels to throw him out of the car so I could get back to it. 

About an hour later I get a picture message from him with gold nesting tables followed up by a call to see if I like them.  Now Drew is down to ride around with me occasionally and junk, but for him to go to a garage sale on his own in between work appointments, find tables that I love, and send me a picture!  What a turn on!  lol.  They were $25, so I told him to load them up!  He called me back a couple of minutes later and said he got them down to $12!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reason #4,987,569 why I love him: he's more frugal than I am.

Not quite sure where they'll go yet, but here they are:

I see these all the time, but neva for twelve bucks!  The white design on the top looks cute next to white upholstery. Probably not going to stay next to that chair, but next to something white...

I'll be celebrating my due date tomorrow by laying out in the pool with Drew and my mom.  Maybe the baby will decide to descend...

-jd

Happy Friday!!!!!

I've been a little MIA lately working on the nursery (pics to come soon), getting ready for my maternity leave, and just being pregnant in general.  But today I am freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.  Free from the eight to five that is.  Starting Monday, I will have four months off of work! 

I started my day at the doctor's in hopes of dilation news.  No such luck.  Baby girl is quite content in my belly and It doesn't look like she's going to make her appearance by her due date on Sunday.  I'm not mad at her though.  My sciatic nerve pain is gone and I'm feeling pretty good.  I get out of breath walking to the bathroom and am not sleeping all that great, but that's to be expected.  I've had two mini freak outs this week thinking about the pain of birth, the babies health, what I'm going to do with her when she gets here, if I'll be a good mom, what a baby will do to my marriage...you know, the normal things moms to be get to think about at 3am!

My induction is set for Thursday at 6:30pm, but I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning and if "things are progressing" then they're going to leave me alone (I'd rather not be induced).  If they're not, the date is probably going to stay as Thursday depending on how the doctor and I feel at that time. 

In other news, the nursery is turning out to be my new favorite room in the house and has actually opened the door to color in the rest of the hizzy.  Can you believe it!?!?  COLOR.  IN.  MY.  HOUSE.

I accidentally bought a rug off of ebay last week and it's at Stanley Steamer right now, but pics soon to follow.  I am an avid craigslist-er and as you all know, I love a good bargain hunt.  I'll e-mail low ball offers and once I get the item down to the lowest possible price, I determine if it's worth it.  Horrible, I know.  Well, Drew is an avid ebay-er and I browse on there from time to time under his account, but have never really been as into ebay stuff because you can't see if before you purchase which makes me nervous.  I'm not a huge online shopper.  So, anyways, I figure out that I like Oushak Turkish Serapi rugs (I know you're thinking "What in the hell is she talking about").  It took me about a month of research to figure out which kind of oriental rugs appeal to me so I knew what to search for.  I liked the Serapi colors and the faded look of an oushak and the patterning of the turkish rugs.  SO, off to ebay I went to browse around.  A few caught my fancy and I saw a little things that said "make an offer".  I'm good at that, so what the hell.  I made an offer of $400 on a $800 rug.  Figured there's no way that deal was going through and if it did, maybe I'll consider the purchase.  Skip to the next night when Drew is like "You bought a rug?"  "No, I just made a few offers on some"  "Um?  It doesn't work like that and one of your offers was accepted....so you bought a rug???"  "Oh."  "Yea, this ain't craigslist honey" "Um".  Of course I freaked until the rug arrived looking at the pictures online like a psycho, e-mailing the seller after the fact asking if there were any stains, if it stunk, etc.  Yesterday Drew calls me that the rug has arrived.  I flew home my heart pounding and walked in.  He had already laid it out and arranged the furniture exactly how I had the past 4 times I've brought living room rugs home from Tuesday Morning (ended up returning every one).  I LOVED IT!  It adds so much color depth to the room.  I can't wait to post pics, but unfortunately it did have some staining and Drew said it smelt "old", so we dropped it off for a good clean just to be safe. 

I finally feel like I have some sort of design direction as far as colors for the abode!

As for next week's agenda: I'm going to clean the house in preparation for the babe's arrival, finish the little onsie and hat I'm making her to come home in, and just try and relax (we all know how that goes).  I'm sure my rambling blog posts will get longer and more frequent now that the eight to five isn't in the way...

Stay tuned!
-jd

garage sale finds

Well, baby girl is technically full term today!  YAY!  I had a baby shower yesterday in Clearwater which just happens to be one of my favorite places to go junkin' so I took full advantage of the drive over.  The shower was at 11:30am, but I woke up bright eyed at 6am to hit garage sales over there because Clearwater garage sales are where it's at! 

This is what I picked up:

These two lamps for $15 (total)!  I have been looking for a matching pair of lamps for the buffet which I'm thinking of painting black.  I got those frames (a little while back) for $1 a piece at Goodwill, but not sure what I'll slap in there yet. 

Maybe black and white modern paintings?  DIY...

Aren't they cute?  The shades have seen better days and could be replaced, but they'll work for now!

Also picked this puppy up for $3.  I think it'll be cute outside on the picnic table as part of a table setting or even as spring decor for, Oh...I dunno...a first birthday party.  I mean, not that I'm planning that already.....but it would be cute ;)

Last, but not least, scored this frame for $2.  It's pretty big and will be perfect for a vintage botanical print!

Close up.

I was on the hunt for a dresser/changing table, but no luck so far :( 

Enjoy the rest of this beautiful Sunday!

-jd

Nursery Progress

I have been totally MIA recently, but I promise I have been busy and have a ton to blog about.  I'm totally redesigning most of my house in my head and it should make for some pretty interesting posts   : /

I'm 2 days into week 36 and besides baby girl resting on my sciatica nerve which is almost unbearable...I'm doing great!  Last Monday I started having a little back pain and by Friday I was crawling around the house.  No lie.  C R A W L I N G.  Other than that itty bitty thang, I still feel pretty good   :) 

Baby,
You will be full term this Sunday...I'm just sayin'  ;)

You're loving mommy

I'm still plugging away on the nursery design which has proved to be the hardest room in my house.  It's tiny, only has one tiny window, brown carpet, and has to be hands down the cutest room in the house for the cutest occupant of the house.  Here's where I am:   

Here's the view from the door.  Daddy...in his panties.  BAHAHAHAHHAHAAHA.  Just kidding.  I still haven't decided what to cover that chair in.  If I was brave, it would be a pattern....but you know how I roll.  I'm sure it will be some sort of neutral, probably gray.  I think the elephant table will be receiving a fresh coat of white paint to match the armoire.  Note: I still have to repaint the frame of that chair to be the soft white of the armoire and not the primer white it is currently.  I need a new lamp or a new lampshade, but I'm digging a floor lamp in that location.  I'm keeping my eye out for a {cheap} replacement. 

I don't think I've blogged since we {and by "we", I mean "Drew" repainted the nursery .00001 shades lighter than it was before.  SO much better, right?  I scored that armoire off of craigslist for $75 and painted her up right.  It might be my favorite find to date. 

This is the crib that we got off of craigslist for $150!  A custom bedskirt and window treatment are coming soon....as soon as I make a decision on the fabric.  OH!  ps.  The reason we were hanging in the nursery tonight is beacuase we {again, just Drew} rearranged the furniture in the nursery in every possible configuration before returning it to exactly how it was when we started.  Reason #1,456,987 why I love my husband.  I have three vintage botanical prints that will go over the crib.

Closet doors.  I'm just going 'round the room so you can get a feel for the {tiny} space :) 

Remember this?  It was some sort of buffet piece and I picked it up at Salvation Army for $25.  Well, it's a hot mess.  I can't stand how junky it looks and am currently looking for a wee dresser to put in it's place.  I know...

Also hunting for vintage corbels to make into a shelf to go above the future dresser.  That piece will be repurposed somewhere else in the house; don't you worry!

Now back to the window treatments and bedskirt.

This color looks kind of whack in this pic, but this is really closer to the wall color...

I picked up a boat load of this antique lace at a thrift store that I'll put at the bottom of the window treatment which will look a little like:

This is Drew's attempt at humor.  Not funny.  He got one of my double chin zoomed in like 45x too while I was thinking....thinking of what?

This teeny tiny fuscia silk I have carried around in my purse for months.  Hmmmmmmmmmmm.  It would look super uuber cute with the lace, BUT....you know how I do with color!

Maybe it would be better than the neutral silk and spice it up a bit?  Or maybe I would hate it or get tired of it in 2 months...who knows?

Whatya think?  I know everyone will probably say the pink, but I'm just SO SKEERED.

The neutral option is on the right {that's how much the colors change in certain light...the top and bottom are the same fabric}, the pink on the top, and the lace.  The lace and whatever fabric I go with for the window treatment will be incorporated into the bedskirt as well.  Probably with a neutral sheet.

Also toying with covering the back of the armoire in that black and cream dot paper.  I've started to accessorize the inside, but still have a long way to go.

That's that.  My goal this week is to get set on the fabrics.  That will be quite a feat if it gets accomplished!

-jd

R E D O

Where do I start?

So, back when I wrote this post I was all jazzed about my gray sophisticated nursery.  I wanted the nursery to flow with the rest of my house and look "designer".  I wasn't going to have the typical pink girl's nursery because how boring would that be?  Since I got the crib and painted, I've been at a hault.  I haven't been able to find anything {affordable} for the nursery that goes with the sophisticated neutral gray that I was going for.  Then I had the shower.  Home came TWO TRUCKLOADS of baby crap.  Guess what I learned?  99% of baby clothes, toys, stuffed animals, affordable nursery bedding, artwork, and anything else cute and baby related is PINK.  Can you say "REALITY CHECK?"  I have spent 2 weeks stressing out about how to hide all of the loud colors and pink.  Can I buy neutral bins to put it all in?  Where do I find neutral toys that she can have out?  What if she gets attached to a bright colored toy and it totally puts a kink in her beautiful room.  Where for the love of god, do I find neutral colored affordable cute shabby chic stuffed animals?  I have been searching for months...

As some of you know, my neighbor is pregnant with twin girls!  How exciting right?  I have been helping her decorate the rest of her house, so naturally, I am helping with the nursery.  The first advice I gave her was what I recently learned.  "Look.  Everything that's cute for baby girls is pink and loud colors.  Find bedding FIRST that you like and build the room around that.  Don't try to do something outside of the box, because it isn't practical".  As I've been thinking about her nursery, it has turned out cute {in my head} and WAY easier and cheaper to accomplish than the madness in my house. 

So, that brings me to today.  I'm at Babies R Us just doing the usual: browsing around totally overwhelmed trying to add the "last minute must haves" to my registry when I passed my 5th cute pink item that I thought would be perfectly suited for my neighbor's nursery {which I have designed to be pink, teal, taupe, and white} and I got that "feeling".  You know that feeling when you're not about to cry, you're not mad, but you realize that....YOU WANT TO TOTALLY START OVER AND REDESIGN YOUR NURSERY AT 32 WEEKS?!?!?

I dismissed it thinking "I can make what I have work.  Hide the loud stuff and continue on.  Pink can work with the paint color and gray/purple chair fabric.  It's too late in the game to switch concepts".  On the ride home, I thought about my sweet baby Annie sitting in her gray room, playing with her neutral colored toys {cannot find} that I searched for months for and probably paid 4x the amount of a regular baby toy so it would match her room.  I thought about her laying in her bed and looking up at her neutral artwork {that I still haven't found} and wishing she had some fun loud colored artwork and could pick up a toy at Wal Mart and play with it without giving me anxiety.  {Oh, the hard knock life of a designer and the stress we go through}. 

Then I started thinking, all I would have to do is repaint and call the upholsterer ASAP to put a hault on the chair until I could find a more suitable fabric.  I haven't been able to find bedding, art, accessories, NOTHING because of the current scheme which means...not alot to "redo".  

I had a mini panic attack at first thinking about it, but then I realized...finalizing the design will be WAY easier if I just go with the mass market colors and baby girl will probably thank me for not having to reside in a boring room where the only way you can tell a kid lives there is from the crib....

Could I work in some color with the current paint color and chair fabric?  Sure.  Would it be as cute as if I started fresh?  Hell no.  So fresh start, here we come...

The new inspiration will be bedding that I can find at a local Target, Babies R Us, and/or Buy Buy Baby mass market retailer.  It will be fabric that is fun and playful.  It will be more colorful {lets not get crazy though...this is still the queen of gray we're talking about here}.  It will have pink.  It will be FUN!

Stay Tuned!

-jd

desks

I'm pumped to paint the desk next to the bed tomorrow.  I'm still trying to perfect the "restoration hardware" wood finish look with paint.  I haven't yet, but another try will be tried tomorrow on the desk!  I painted and reupholstered the chair today and can't wait to see it all pulled together.  Here's some inspiration:


The mirror and lamps are so interesting and I so wish I had a space for a big table desk like this...



This is so perfect... Why can't you ever see the wires to the lamps??!?



I think I'll take the mirror I got for the nursery {that I don't think I'll use now} for $5 and hang it over the desk.  The wood look on this chair is what I'm going to try to create on the desk...


I need a lamp, books, flowers, a mirror, and some other things to lean against the wall to layer...

Hopefully tomorrow I can get the desk and chair finished and possibly accessorize with what I got!  Stay tuned :)

-jd

Hide Rug

I've been trying to figure out how to incorporate a little animal print into my house since this post and I think I've finally figured it out....a hide rug!  I got an oriental knock off rug about 15 days ago at 'Tuesday Morning' that has been posted up in my breakfast room until Thursday.  It just wasn't doing it for me.  Old rug returned, obsession of hide rug continues.  I found one on eBay last week and I promised myself that it can be mine, all mine...IF........I finish all of the other little projects I have going on at the house right now.  Let me tell you, that is no small feat.  I have a breakfast table, 5 dining chairs, a desk, a desk chair, a guest room and closet, and a king headboard to paint.  I have curtains that need a rod to be hung.  I have to get a cable outlet installed in the guest room, another chair to be painted and reupholstered, baby bedding and curtains to make, and last but not least, a chandelier to repair and hang.  Whew! 

So, it might be next year before my hide rug actually gets purchased, but that's OK.  I actually need a rug for the living room more so me and baby girl can have a play area!  To date, I've drug home three different rugs for that purpose.  They've all been returned :)

Here is the one I found on eBay.  It's almost 7'x8', so the scale would be amazing and take up almost all of the floor space. 


It will go so cute under the round table {to be revealed soon} and bamboo chairs {soon to be painted and recovered}.  I'm hoping to have a revamped breakfast room in about a month :)

Here are some pics that are helping to pursued my decision...

 



Hope everyone has a relaxing, peaceful, but productive Saturday!  Hopefully new posts to come tonight or tomorrow with what I get accomplished today. 

-jd

The F I N D

On the way home today, I stopped into my F A V O R I T E store: The Goodwill.  I think I found my favorite F I N D to date!

What a cute lil' stud, right?

But what is it you ask? 

AN ASHTRAY!  Holy coolness!!!  The wings flip up and there are two cig rests.  The best part...

Three dollas!  Woop Woop :)

I just set him out on his new home = the patio table.  Now if you come over to visit and want to take a puff, you can do it in style ;)  Bye Bye drinking glass ashtray.

This purchase has just reminded me how much I love old junk.  I have vowed not to make any "new" purchases.  Besides sheets, sofas, and towels...I'm going USED. 

What are some of the good ol' finds you all have come across?

-jd

the crib

I had almost given up on my search for an affordable, cute, used crib.  Of course, it didn't have to be used, but the new ones I was loving were "affordable" at six hundred united states dollars.  Really!?!?  I could furnish my house over again for that kind of cash...well, almost.

I was trying to figure out how to make the standard Ikea crib work with my shabby chic glamour dream nursery when an e-mail from my friend and neighbor {who is also preg with TWINS!} came through showing a beautiful crib on craigslist {my favorite shopping source}.  I fired off a desparate e-mail right away "Is your crib still available?  Will you take less?".  I always ask for a discount, no matter what it is, what's it's worth, what it's marked or where I am.  Most times, I actually get one.  Not too long later an e-mail came back in "Yes.  You can have the crib, mattress, and whatever else 'baby' I find for $150".  So, we planned to go get it on Sunday. 

Saturday, I went on a 45 minute journey for this little bookcase I found for $35 only to see its raggedy self in person and run.  But, while I was in Largo, I decided to stay for a THIRTEEN HOUR day of junkin'.  I picked up a headboard for $7.50 for the guest room, a chandelier for $20, a mirror for $15,  2 vintage purses for $4, a china cabinet for $100, a lamp for $15, and a stool for $1.  What a day...

Here is some of the goods...

What a steal, right?  I'm not sure where it will go, but I've been hunting for a fixture of this style since I found the one below at Shades of Light

  Of course, there are some slight differences, but this puppy is $325 + tax and shipping.  My lovely was $20 OUT THA DOOR!  It was originally marked $25.  After asking if it was half off {hey, you never know}, we settled on $20.

The owner of this store actually took my half off bait.  This mirror was marked $35 or something crazy like that.  I asked if that was as low as she'd go and she asked me what I wanted to pay.  I threw out $15.  She said "Oh, no honey, I can't go that low".  So I said thanks and continued to look around.  We chit chatted about the weather and whatever.  As I was walking out the door, she shouts "You want that mirror for $14.95?".  I whipped out my wallet and loaded it up.

I can't enjoy something unless I know I got the best deal humanly possible.

Last, but not least, I saw this china cabinet and knew I had to have it.  I knew I had no idea where it was going, it was not even on my long, long list of things to get and I didn't budget for it.  But I had to have it.  I flipped over the price tag holding my breath.  $197.  Yikes.  Then I noticed a 20% off tag.  There's hope.  I asked the woman if she would take any less {knowing I would only spend $100 max}.  She called the owner and asked.  She came back with $116.  I made my sweetest preggo face and said $100?  SOLD. 

Now, onto Sunday...

Drew and I left for our HOUR drive to go see the crib.  I was a little hesitant after the bookcase dissapointment, but we didn't really have many other options in the way of a crib and I was ready to get that piece of of the way.  As soon as we rolled up, I saw it in the garage.  L O V E at first sight.  It was gorgeous.  We loaded it up and headed home. Even Drew {who shows minimal excitement in my decorating finds} was blown away at how pretty it was for the money.  We unloaded it in pieces into the nursery.  It looked perfect even in 10 pieces laying on the floor. He quickly started assembling and I was snapping pics on my phone left and right sending them to everyone I knew...high on the purchase of my new crib.  Then it came to the adjustable rail. 

Fast forward TWO HOURS.  Drew is cussing.  I am crying.  Our dog is hiding.  The rail will not go in.  I think at one point I was sobbing "I'm never getting pregnant again"...because somehow in my  pregnant hysterics, I felt like a failure for not finding a crib that was easier to assemble and by Drew cussing at the crib, I felt like he was mad at me.  That's how my mind works these days.  I'm like a glass case of emotion.  lol

We gave up after hour two and spent another 30 minutes in silence.  I was folding laundry when I heard my name.  I flew into the nursery expecting hubs to be bashing the crib parts into the drywall.  He did a light internet search and apparantly found a solution.  We said a silent prayer and started again.  After 20 minutes or so, the crib was assembled. 

Lesson Learned: Craigslist items aren't guaranteed to come with instructions.  Use google when in doubt.

Well worth the drama, here it is:

So cute, right?  Especially for 150 bones.

Onto my next delimma = the layout.  The room is all of 10x10 max, so my ideal layout of two bookcases flanking the crib went out the window.  I belive that the furiture in there now, is all that's gonna fit.  Which is fine.  First I put the crib like this along the same wall as the chair.

It's really hard to get a good shot of the room because it's so small, so bear with me...and my crappy camera.

I don't think I've ever shown this view, but there is a window in there, lol.  {crib is to the right.  closet on left}

So, it can go like this

OR

I can flip the crib.

Which one would you do???

This is what you see from the door when you enter and I'm good with that.  I moved the crib over to where this chair is and it looked like butt, so that option is out.  Use your imagination on that chair now....it'll be reupholstered soon enough, but for now...the navy blue satin with gold seashells is a little distracting ;)

That's it for now.  Hopefully, next weekend the crown molding can go up, london shade window treatment can get started, bedskirt fabric can be purchased and walls can be adorned.

Happy Sunday!

-jd