::Making simple things beautiful::

Friday, October 28, 2011

How the living room "ended up"

 I thought it would be fun to share pictures of how my living room switch ended up.  Well you know me, does any room ever really "end up" any way?  Not really, but here it is anyway.


I strongly dislike the color of my couches.  They are just too yellow for me.  I really go more for cool colors (besides pink), and the yellow just throws me off.  I threw one of my vintage bed spreads on it.  It turns out that it was just the right size and I decided I liked it.  It works out really well too, I can just toss it in the washer and bleach it (because it gets covered in Cheetos and chocolate).  Bleach makes me a happy camper.






 Here is the wall where I moved the TV to.  I am so glad to have it moved over to this side of the room.  It has been over a week and I am finally getting used to it.  I still haven't moved my french chic sign over to the other wall yet.  I am really slacking on finishing this room up!


 Here is the corner where the TV was before.  I moved my little desk over to that spot from the dining room.



Since I took these pictures, we inherited a black 1940's leather chair.  My husband loves it, and it actually doesn't look too horrific so it gets to stay.  I will share pictures of that another day.  Enjoy your weekend!

-Brittany




Thursday, October 27, 2011

Drying hydrangeas and unwrapping a surprise


It has been so nice enjoying the cold and sunny fall days we have been blessed with this week.  My kids have thoroughly enjoyed their time outside, and I will be honest and admit that I have enjoyed it too.  My house was clean for almost an entire hour today while they were outside building a fort and climbing through the lilac bushes.  And what a way to end the day...right now I am snuggled up next the the fireplace in my jammies.  This is the life.

In the middle of my cleaning marathon, I managed to sneak a few minutes to take pictures of these hydrangea stems I cut yesterday.  I saw them while I was at my mom's house and decided that someday soon I might like a dried hydrangea wreath.  That requires patience on my part though, as I have to hang them upside down and wait for them to dry.  And since I possess little patience for that sort of thing, I am trying my luck at just letting them dry upright in this enamel bucket.


Oh yes, and I found a treasure today...



My mom sold her house and only has a month to get packed up and moved, so I have been receiving boxes of goodies from her.  There are advantages and disadvantages to this.  Disadvantage -I am getting bags and boxes full of my childhood crappe.  It is all stuff that I can't part with (such as baby book baby shoes stuff my grandma made me etc.), but I am already considered a hoarder in 46 states so taking on more is just insane.  Advantage-I found a lovely little blue jar mixed in with a box full of old hazel atlas jars.  I was very excited to unwrap this one and add it to my collection.






That sums up my day : )  Cleaning, a touch of decorating, going through boxes and bags, and finding gold in the form of a coveted blue jar.  Tomorrow is my little guy's first day of show and tell at school.  He is taking in a pumpkin that was given to him by Bill and Cathy aka ma and pa from the Amazing Race.  I know he is going to have a blast getting to stand up in front of his class and talk.  That is just his type of thing.  He is such a social little guy.  I love him so much.

Enjoy your evening and thanks a million for reading!
-Brittany

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Rearrangaholic makes discovery

I have had the itch to move our tv for months now.  It has been in the same place for almost three years, but I wasn't exactly sure that I could make it all work in the new spot.  I was originally thinking that I would have to teach myself how to drill in a new cable outlet to an outside wall, but I really really didn't want to have to go that route.  Light bulb moment!  I could just use an extra long cable cord and string it behind my curtains.  Not ideal, but it would get the job done.  

Sooo, last night while Tim was in class I began my project by pulling the long cable cord out through the outlet.  After I had pulled about ten feet of cord through, I started feeling water.  This meant that there must be some standing water under the house.  After a thorough inspection, my husband concluded that there has been a leak under our bath tub for some time.  Not good.  My mind went right to plumber, and then to dollar signs.

Luckily, I have a super handy hubby. He educated himself on the topic and bought what he needed to get the job done.  He ran out of time to finish it tonight, but I have every confidence that he will be able to get it all done (knock on wood).  Until then, there will be no bathing at my house.

So, you ask, did I ever get the tv moved?  You betcha!
I literally took two seconds to snap this pic, but it is the corner where the tv was.  I moved my little farmhouse desk over there and stuck the lamp on it.


Please ignore the cables and junk under the table.  I haven't quite finished up my project.  I need to find a basket to stick it all in to hide it.  I am still not used to the new arrangement, but I love it.  Or is it just that I love change?  Well thank goodness for that or it might have been another year or more before we noticed our leak.

Have a great night, and rearrange to your heart's content...you never know what you might find.
-Brittany

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

New shabby goods sharing

Today was a really great but busy day.  I drove to Eugene first thing this morning to see the orthodontist (only 6 more weeks of invisalign and my teeth will be completely straight!), followed by a bit of shabby chic shopping, some pricing and sanding, a visit with sis and mother in law, working this evening for a couple hours at the Athletic Club, home for dinner, bath and bed time, blogging, wreath making...you get it.  It was a crazy day!

Despite the craziness, I am so so so excited about some of the new stuff I got for my booth that I am having real issues putting price tags on it to sell.



It was fun today to snap a few pictures outside in between rain storms.  I just love this little wicker chair.  Reluctantly, I put a price tag on it and stuck it back in my car to take down to my space at the antique mall.


This antique printing drawer is so adorable.  Yet another thing that is so hard to see go to my space.


If you know me, you probably already figured that this vintage cabinet was one of the things I am keeping, at least for now.  It is so sweet where the white is chipping and the green and pink are showing through.  It has found a fabulous home in my entryway.  So funny that I was just thinking I needed to find something to go there.  It sure didn't stay empty for long.


The tall mirror is another thing that hasn't yet made it back out my front doors.  I just love it so!



Some old ironstone...always so pretty.


Behind the pumpkin here you can see a glimpse of the antique tin tile.  It is about a two foot square and chipping and rusting in a few places.  It is a gorgeous piece.  I am excited to have some fun displaying it.


I realize now how horrid these pictures are.  I was really trying to rush, but there are things that I never even got close up pictures of.  I guess you know where to find them if you want to get a better view of anything : )

I stayed up into the wee hours last night finishing up a Christmas project that I have been wanting to make for a while.  It took hours, but I forced myself to stick with it and I couldn't be happier with the result.  I will be sharing that project soon!

Have a great night, thanks so much for reading!
-Brittany

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Candy shop party sneak peek

Happy birthday to my sweet two year old girl!

I only have a minute on the computer tonight but I wanted to post a few pictures of the candy shop party.  It was a smashing success with all of the kiddos and adults alike!

I will post details later this week but for now here are the pictures...







That's all for now...enjoy your night!
-Brittany

Friday, October 7, 2011

Latest finds and creeping pink

I'm back!  You might have to sit down for this one, but yes I am doing back to back posts!

We just got home from a wild night at Chuck E. Cheese with the kiddos.  It was a special treat from Grammy for my sweet girl's birthday.  She ran and ran through that place and then got to go shopping at Toys R Us and then to spend the night with her Grammy.  I cannot express how excited I am to sleep solid through the night without having to go find a pacifier for a sweet girl at 3 am.  Aaaaah!

I thought I would share a few pictures of some of my latest finds.


As it turns out, I have become quite the little hoarder of antique kitchen scales.  I now have five!  I keep finding reasons not to part with any of them.  They are all so uniquely worn and aged.  It is bordering on ridiculous that I have so many, but I love each one for different reasons.  I have decided that I will part with these two though.


I have to say that I almost like the rusty ones better than the ones that are in better shape.  There is just something about rust that is irresistible to me.  Rust and chippy paint, the perfect combo.


I have had my eagle eyes out for vintage locker baskets.  I put the only two that I had in my booth with hefty price tags and they both sold last month!  I feel like I will probably regret not keeping this one too, but I already have so many baskets that I can't part with.  I am really trying to be good about only keeping things that I truly love or that have sentimental value (I apply this rule only to the inside of my house, not my garage.  For those of you out there who have seen my garage, please don't laugh at me, I am working out my hoarding issues : )


This basket is a little different than most that I come across because it has the solid front.  This might come in handy if you need a cute basket but need to hide something not so cute inside.


I am so excited about some new paint colors that I have!  I was given some really great paint in a vast array of gorgeous colors including pink , cottage green, a pretty light green and more.  I used the pink on a little rickety side table that I had on my front porch.  I had intended for it to go to my booth but for the time being, it has made itself right at home next to my couch.  Oh yes, the pink is creeping right in.  I am just waiting for my husband to tell me how much he hates it.  But for now, I will just enjoy!

Tomorrow we have a fun morning at the pumpkin patch planned, followed by volleyball and some major party shopping.  Enjoy your weekend!

-Brittany

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Lavender sachets

 Happy Thursday!  I feel like a broken record but I can't believe this week is almost over!

I have recently been back to the gym and it feels so great to be exercising again.  I am not doing anything crazy like running marathons like some of my friends, but I have been going to spinning class and when I can't make it that, I work out on the elliptical.  I know you don't care about that but I promise it has something to do with the project I am about to share.

I met a lady there that has a lavender farm!!!  I have been looking for a place to buy lavender bunches and buds for a while now and fate brought me to her!  She brought me some to try and see how I liked it and voila!  Lavender sachets were born...


I started out making them striped but I wanted to make some of them look a little different.  I thought the numbers were cute, but I there are so many other designs that will be adorable too.


I am thinking about tying up packs of three and putting gift tags on them for Christmas.  I think they would make a cute but inexpensive gift for just about anyone: )


I did a little shopping yesterday.  I found some great things including another rusty old kitchen scale, a locker basket, a gorgeous farmhouse dresser and a twin bed.  I have been working like crazy to get everything ready to go into my booth but I am not sure if it will all make it there by the weekend.  After all, I do have a birthday party to get ready for.

Thanks so much for reading
-Brittany



Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The most beautiful ladder's end

I know that I have been a bad blogger lately but you have to cut me some slack...It has been busy around here with a new pre schooler and a husband that is back in school and an almost two year old's party to plan.  I have been working on so many projects as usual, I just haven't had time to take pictures and blog them all.

Last week I turned a dresser that was in pretty rough shape into a cute little stand with a vintage sink on top.  I thought about keeping it for my front porch but honestly, I really didn't want to clean out the inside of the bench that is already out there.  So to the booth it went!

Yesterday I was tinkering around the house when I got the sudden urge to hang that piece of ladder that I had stashed out in the garage.  I wanted to hang something to the right of my french doors. I have never hung anything on that wall because it is so huge and it is above the total eye sore of a desk.  Basically it is no man's land and I have always refused to try and make it look better.  I gave in.


I am actually really glad that I hung the ladder there because it has given me the motivation to hunt for a smaller and cuter desk.  I haven't exactly broke the news to my husband, but I am sure he will love it once I have it all looking great ; )


The ladder was looking a bit lonely so I threw some ironstone plates and lavender up there.  You can never go wrong with that combination.



I am so excited to share some of my new projects.  I have been making signs like a mad woman.  I have sold quite a few over the last week in my booth so I have been trying to get those restocked.  I will share those just as soon as I can get to it.

Thanks for loving me even though I have been neglecting my blog.  I promise that I will get back at it!

-Brittany