In With the New

After going back and forth between the paint or au naturale debate (on my beloved deal of a chandelier) I decided to leave it unpainted and see how I liked it. Done deal. I don't think it needs to be painted. I like it just how it is. This is it hanging over our Sunday dinnerscape. Do you think it wishes it were human just to try the cider-glazed salmon or cream-braised cabbage?

And remember these old table legs I bought from my neighbor for $5?

VOILA! Leave it to T. Schuller to work miracles in carpentry...

...and his pixied assistant to paint, stain and shellac.

I love it. I can't wait to set up shop and start using this little space of my own.

Funkyman Junk Sale

Once in a blue moon, a yard sale will have JUST what I have been looking for. Yesterday was one of those. I went to the Funky Man's sale last year and came away with lots of cool vintage pottery. This year I found the little kelly green metal table of my dreams, a solid wood shelf for my craft room, another small shelf for my craft room and a $15 crystal chandelier. I couldn't believe I had a car full of cool stuff for so cheap. The two old men hosting the sale were also alot of fun to haggle with.

Now my only question is: should I paint the chandelier a different color? White? Black? Please let me know your thoughts. I'm stumped.

Bravery

{side swoop bangs}

{brushed forward bangs}

Usually when I'm feeling the need to control something, I get my hair cut (trimming my fingernails, painting a wall or baking usually do the trick too). I already had an appointment and after seeing this beautiful picture of one of my favorite actresses, I decided to bite the bullet and go pixie short. Plus, I have these baby hairs framing my face that won't grow past the one inch point. So I decided that instead of fighting what nature had given me, I might as well accept it and cut the rest of my hair to match those angel wispies. That was the second brave thing I did today. The first was kind of embarassing, but since this is my blog, I will share that instead of hating the underwear lines beneath my spandex running shorts, I went commando to the gym. It was pure freedom. I may or may not do that again. You guess.

For Emily: Birthday Wishes

See? Even in her running garb, Emily still looks pretty. And, on top of that, she's outdoorsy, musical, artistic, creative, funny, active and thrifty. We shared twin beds in Charlotte and that sealed the deal: we have been best friends for most of our lives (excepting a few dry spells in high school when I erroneously thought I knew more about her life than she did). I love you, Emily! I hope you are enjoying a delicious birthday cake and hearing the songs of friends.

Tradition

The Schuller line has a 4-generation tradition of taking pictures of the baby boys at 9 months of age, laying on their stomachs with no clothes. Miles was due for his photo shoot. As most 9 month old babies, he had a difficult time maintaining his prone position, opting to crawl at the cameraman instead. We got a keeper though. It will go on Grandpa Robby's wall, joining the collection that spans 83 years. Way to go Miles!

Stacking It Up, Packing It Up

This collection of treelawn, yardsale and otherwise cheap plastic toys we have amassed has been stacked for the last time (at least for the next couple weeks). Yes, we're leaving on a jet plane for some R+R in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. We will see alot of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, go to 2 family reunions and 1 wedding, and celebrate Finn's birthday. And I will take some time off the blog as a little vacation from the cyberworld I have come to depend on. I am sure I'll find myself holed up in some relative's office, reading blogs when I have a spare minute. Wishing you all a happy Summer! See you back here in a few weeks.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I'm taking you on a virtual photo tour of my "new" digs (well, it's the same digs, only I've changed the pictures on the walls, added a few touches here and there, and updated it to my liking). I bought a bunch of frames at yard sales (and used some that I had) and sprayed them white. I am liking white frames these days, probably the same reason I only use white sheets: clean and simple.

I have been meaning to make Miles a mobile for about 9 months now and decided if I didn't make it now, I never would. So, it took about five minutes to whip this tissue paper flower ball together and voila! Instant (free) mobile. He is fascinated with it.

Before the makeover, Miles room was just a crib and a bed. I bought the rug and a few frames, but everything else I had and just added to the room. I talked the rug salesman down 25%. Then I didn't feel so bad about splurging on a new rug.

I took our old bedspread and put it on this guest bed. It's amazing how much just changing a bedspread will do to improve a space that needs some sprucing.

Finn and Lucy's room is difficult to decorate because everything I put up or put around the beds either falls down or breaks. So, I decided the sturdiest thing I could put in there is one of our metal chairs. I thought some cute quilts would soften the industrial look and go with the kid theme.

I got this frame at a yard sale over the weekend, spray painted it, printed out some baby photos of all of us (except me...still in the process of printing one) and voila! Instant bathroom interest.

And this is the dresser I got at a thrift store a couple weeks ago for $40. I cleaned it up (and took that stupid toll-painted star off) and I left the little paint chips on the handles because I think it gives it charm.

I got these lamps over the weekend at a yard sale too. They needed rewiring and shades. I painted the metal between the crystals, learned how to rewire from the local hardware store and got this shade at Target today for cheap because it wasn't labeled with a price.

Remember that "For Ever" painting I had in my room a while back? I got sick of it, so I had Travis cut out the letters for me and hung them above our bed. It looked a little sparse, so I tore a piece of fabric I had in half and thumb-tacked it up in a bow above my bed. I later thought it would make a cute treatment over a baby's crib.

The rug was a clearance Anthropologie bathmat and we used it in our bathroom at one point.

Yard sale table $3

After using some paint I had and adding a lamp, it went from old plant stand to end table.

It feels so good to have these little changes made. I feel like I'm living in new rooms. The best part is I didn't spend a fortune and I got to exercise some creativity in the process. And because a "mother's work is never done," I still have lots more projects brewing. I'll keep you posted.

I Am My Mother's Daughter

My Mom has a thing for cool old stuff. At one point, she had filled half of a five car garage with her neat finds: old desks, corbels, architectural salvage, old windows, dressers, lamps. And she is good at fixing them up too.

When I saw these at my neighbor's yard sale this weekend, I instantly thought of my Mom. And when he said I could take them home for $5, I was sold. I am trying to convince Travis to make a craft table for me and use them as legs on it. Wish me luck.

And this is what Miss Lucy is up to these days: wearing her free yard sale sunglasses and coloring with her new markers. She likes to wear them upside down and she won't let you fix them to the right way!

Through the Camera's Eye

We had a great time shooting these photos with our friend (who is also a great professional photographer), Sarah. If you're in the area, I highly recommend her. I can't stop looking at these photos. My family means so much to me and to have them captured in photos makes me really happy.

P.S. It was her idea to shoot in front of the metal Frank Gehry building on Case campus. I love it! He's my favorite architect of all time.

Happy weekend!

Still Under Construction

Thanks to those who commented on yesterday's post about repurposing and redoing. I'm trying to use the advice and try to reuse whatever I have. So that means spray painting. And taping. And trying to keep my kids entertained erstwhile.

Two little bugs.

A little cocoon-like sweetie sipping his nectar.

Tinkering and Tweaking

This morning I entered the "cave" (a small room in our basement where we store all kinds of equipment, boxes, and random stuff that we're not using at the moment) and lugged up this box.

Yes, I'm revamping. Everytime I get sick of looking at the same configuration of pictures, or am just plain tired of seeing the same old decor in my living space, I like to mix it up. Right now my house is in project mayhem mode, with lamps on the table, screwdrivers and a hammer on the dresser, and two rugs in my front room.

Change is so much fun! The only problem is once I get going, I can't stop. I'm pretty good about using what I have and just reshuffling it around my house, but buying more pretty stuff is alot of fun too. How do you balance buying new and using what you have? I would really like some feedback because I have been thinking about this alot lately.

Stay tuned for pictures of the changes!

"Is This Corn Hand-Schucked?"

Yes, Bob, it is. By Miss Lucy herself.

Celebrating With a Bang

For the Fourth, we went to our "adopted family" (aka our church) breakfast. Miles especially liked the lemon strudel muffins.

I had to wear my bright red lipstick. Oh, I'm so patriotic! :)

I loved the bike parade. Finn and I got his Schwinn bike all decked out with red streamers. Travis even drank six diet pops the night before so Finn could have pop cans trailing behind him.

This little gal didn't quite catch on to the whole parading concept, but at least she was showing her proud USA spirit. Maybe her missing steering wheel had something to do with it.

Red, White and Blue

Happy Fourth of July!