Just looking...

I love window shopping online. This is from Horchow's. I sometimes wish I'd bought the enormous Victorian brownstone semi I looked at about 12 years ago (I can barely believe it's been that long), so I could buy stuff like this for it. At $3179, it's quite a bargain, huh? Well, maybe not, but the house was only $75,000 and I was a total fool for not buying it. Easy to say now, but at the time the one reason I didn't buy it was the school district and you know what they say... location, location, location. But what a gorgeous house it was, double parlors, pocket doors, all original woodwork, a 3 story round turret. Ok, it still is gorgeous, I drive by it sometimes and wish it was mine. Though what I'd do with 6 bedrooms I have no idea. I'd have to open a B&B or something.

50% off Coupon!

I had completely talked myself out of this glass canister until I saw Michael's ran a 50% off coupon in the paper this weekend! Had to buy it, for $19.99, what's a girl to do? Ok, I could have gotten a plain glass one at another store for a few dollars less, but I love the finish on it. I don't have a really perfect spot for it right now but I have something in mind for the new house, if it EVER happens. I'm not in a big hurry to move, I just like to plan things so I need to know WHEN.

Goodwill Shelf Project

A short time ago, I bought this little shelf at Goodwill. I think the style of it sort of indicates 1970's or early 80's "colonial" decor. I think it was handmade.

I primed and painted it, then tried sanding down the edges for a worn look. This does not work so well when you've got gray primer. I had to sand through the primer and then touch up the black, which was sort of a pain, but now I know for next time not to prime the edges.

Yesterday I put on a couple coats of polyacrylic, and now it's finished.

Inspiration

I've been looking for decorating inspiration and found some really great blogs. One I really liked is Amy's at Winterberry Creek (http://winterberrycreek.blogspot.com/). She uses warm colors and her place is very cozy, with a french country look. One thing that really stood out to me was that Amy said she loves to decorate with plates. Today when I went out for a little shopping trip (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross & my local nursery), I found some black toile plates just like hers, and I was so excited! They only had 2 salad size plates, but I snapped them right up. I also found a mercury glass looking candle holder, which reminds me of the large piece I saw last week at Michaels' and didn't buy because of the price. This was only $9.99 and I don't really think I will buy the expensive piece now. I also bought a red Japanese toile plate, a green plate and a pretty little blue & white plate. Luckily, I found plate stands at the dollar store, so I got a whole lot of decorating impact for just a few dollars.

I actually bought several things today, one of which was a staple gun, so I could do my little upholstery experiment. I think it turned out pretty well. Here is the before picture. This is a chair I bought from my employer several years ago for $5 when they redecorated the office. I think it's probably from the 70's, very ugly but totally comfy and sturdy:


And here is the after picture:


It's a dark brick red, though I guess it looks lighter here because of the flash. This is my leftover Waverly fabric that I bought to make pillows. I did the buttons in a coordinating check, which I also used to cover the back of the chair. I didn't put it on yet, I'm missing a screw, so tomorrow I have to run to the hardware store. Hopefully tomorrow I can also finish the pillows then my computer chair will coordinate with my sofa pillows! (Ok, little things get me excited...)

I bought several mums today too, and while I was at the nursery, I looked over the little decor items they had for sale and I fell in love with this rooster. It has holes in it and you put a tealight inside it. So cute! I bought the little pumpkin too... got a bit carried away.

One thing I didn't buy that I'm sort of kicking myself over is a wire dress form. Amy mentioned she found one at TJ Maxx. I'd bought a picture of one there but never saw an actual dress form - today I saw one at Ross. I should have bought it... I don't have a place to put it right now, but I keep picturing it in my new house in the bedroom between the window and my vanity, dressed in a lace scarf and long pearls. I might have to go back.

Camoflauge

Isn't this pretty? I just love these planters. I think I'm going to try something like this to cover up the utility boxes at my new house. I don't think anything will really hide them but something this beautiful would distract from how ugly the electrical meter is.

Reupholstery

I think I'd like to give reupholstering a shot. I guess that is probably a ridiculous idea since I have not even finished my new sofa pillows yet (can't find the dang zipper foot for the machine), but I would just love some furniture with this type of look. Not these exact fabrics, but in the same style of mixing patterns. I think I might start with my poor battered desk chair.

Looks like I will have lots of time on my hands on Saturday. My oldest daughter (who no longer lives at home) is coming by to take my youngest daughter with her to visit the middle daughter, who is 3 hours away at college. So, hopefully this will give me some inspiration to get some things finished up.

Color

These are photos of my dining area, with my stark white apartment walls, bad light fixture and horrifying beige carpeting. In the new house, I will have chocolate brown carpeting, which I hope will hide those clumps of black cat fur that seem to appear an hour after I'm done vacuuming.

Not sure what to do on the walls though. Since my hutch is cherry (not really, it's maple but I stained it cherry), I got the table in black with a cherry top, and the pie safe in black. The oak curio (shown on the left) will not fit in the dining area, that will probably go in a hallway or in the sunroom. The adjoining kitchen will have cherry cabinets with black appliances and a gray/black/white speckled countertop. So, I like the idea of warm autumny earth tones like a carmely beige with maybe a brick red accent wall in the dining area and a mossy green backsplash in the kitchen for pops of color, but that does not work with my cobalt blue dishware or my pinky-red transferware and depression glass.

Maybe if I put the curio in the downstairs entry, I can paint the walls a soft yellow and hang the blue willow dishes down there. Then in the sunroom, I can paint the walls cream and use some dark wicker and black shelves, and put the pink stuff in there. I wonder if that will mean my place won't have any 'flow'?

I thought it would be easy to decorate a new house.