I'd like to thank the Academy...and wtf

Saturday i went here, to my most favorite concert/theatre venue,

and saw this.

It was pretty good, not the greatest musical i've seen, but pretty good.  Nothing compares to seeing Morrissey play this venue.  It's really unusual to see a concert here, usually it's theatre only.  Do you have a favorite venue?  What was the best concert/show/event you saw there?

Also...check out this ad on CL

"Thing - intricately carved, hard to dust, slightly broken...but pretty."

Best. Description. Ever!

Moving sale-everything is free

That is the subject line of an email that greeted me last week at work. 

The email explains the unplanned move because people knocked on their door and offered them an insane amount of money for their already insanely expensive house with 3 acres that backs up to a park.  This really happens!  That is so "movie," you know?  Good thing they happened to be home!

She then gave a sampling of what is available-100s of cds, coolers, art, books, planters, plant stands, holiday decoration, bike rack, housewares, laundry baskets, etc.  She had me at "planters" and i couldn't wait to get outta the office.  She had it set up with business hours, and was having one person at a time come through, so my 2:00 showing yielded me:

1 insanely large cooler
1 igloo cooler
2 3 foot plastic window boxes
2 terra cotta large bowl planters
2 plastic bowl planters

and these:

1,000 places to see before you die!  I have always wanted this book, and now it was free.   Is it sad i have already gone thru and checked off where i have been?  And starred my favorites?  I don't think so!  More frames.  Oy.  Did i ever mention my lack of closet space here??  The official inspector ispecting any new arrival.

Completely full spray paint? Yes, please.  There was another one of the rust, but i left it for someone else.  What am i even going to spray rust colored?  My brain goes to mush when confronted with a multitude of things to choose from or a really good deal.  It's on some sort of delayed response, and i panic, thinking i need things when i don't.

 This is the perfectly colored accessory for the new bedroom direction! Double woot!  That circus-like other vase will be getting spray painted.

My coworker who went with me made out even better since she needed more things.  She got a canvas laundry hamper, a wooden dish rack, a bike carrier for the car, a bike pump, a mini stereo...i can't remember what else.  Needless to say the owners of these items are extremely generous people.  I'm just glad i got there when i did!

Free is for me...isn't that the saying? 

Linking up to Southern hospitality, debbie doos, coastal charm, tales from bloggeritaville, chic on a shoestring, favorite things friday.

toil and trouble

Fun with Catnip Bubbles

A new direction

I am trying to go in a new direction for the bedroom, yet keep it as cheap as possible.  It's very maroon and gold heavy b/c we never painted up there, and i had one maroon drapery set.  I thought it wise to buy a second pair, and based the whole room around it in order to bring color to the blah and boring space.  Clearly a good choice.

There is also hideous hideous 80s furniture which belonged to my mother that i hope to get rid of as soon as i can find something of good quality, not too expensive, and fits with the sloped wall. This is quite tough since most tall dressers are taller than 51 inches, the most i can go.  So til then i am doing some smaller fixes so i can at least feel like the room isn't an afterthought and perhaps inspire relaxation. 

This picture from Homegoods is my inspiration and validation that i can make it work.  See that red-we'll call it maroon-around the flowers?  And the gray and blue?  It actually fits in the space of another piece i took down.  I call it fate.  S calls me out about spending more money.

So, this incredibly affordable and framed art is my jumping off point.

Things that will stay the same:

the rug-matched the gold and maroon, but has the gray/blue i am going for in the room now, too.
the maroon chaise-have never seen a slipcover for a chaise, can't make one, will try throwpillows in gray/blue.
the wood storage bench-fine as is.

Things that will be changed:

bedspread color-no more maroon and gold, tho the bedspread was really nice.  will try duvet color for easy season changing and better for the wallet.
artwork-less french, less maroon.
wall color-paint one already!
furniture-not cream laqcuer with gold trim.  and maybe a new mattress that is soft. 
lighting-goodbye, eiffel tower lamp and cream and gold touch lamp.  dude, it matched the 8os furniture perfectly.
overall feel/theme-boring blah to ahhh.  oh yeah, that's good.

The room has a french theme in the artwork which looked good for color on the walls, matching the maroon.  Not good for the whole gray/blue calming direction.  Thanks to the internet, colored pencils, and scrapbooking paper i have new free artwork.

I printed this little birdy at work, so it printed only black and white.  That's where the colored pencils came in. I think i hear it calling me. "cheap cheap".  

Annnnnd...sigh.  Yes, i'm calmer already.  How bout you?

Party link page

you like me, you really like me

Well, at least one person does anyway.

Jill of Jembellish gave me my very first blog award, and i am super excited.  Thank you thank you thank you, Jill who i am insanely jealous of.  She gets to live here:

No, it's not Hawaii, it's Australia.  I know, right?

So here's the deal with this award.  First, i display it.

Check.

Then i must link back to the person who gave it me.  Check.

Then i must come up with 6 truths and 1 lie about myself.  

This amused me-which one do you think is the lie? 

1.  I love halloween so much, i tattooed it on me.
2.  In college, i became addicted to the shop at home channel QVC.
3.  My passion is working to empower women who are victims of rape, sexual assualt, and domestic violence.
4.  S and I, though not married, have been together for 15 years.
5.  I think I was born in the wrong era.  I go weak for the "wah wah" of 40s jazz.
6.  My favorite ice cream flavor is Birthday Cake.
7. I am determined to host an Academy Awards party this year.

Then, I must pass the award onto 7 other bloggers.  This was rather hard to do, because I wanted to ask people if they would accept it before i passed it on.  Some were a no, some i haven't heard from, so i'm just gonna go ahead with it and if they don't pass it on, that is entirely up to them!

First up is Alyssa from 33 Shades of Green.  She was one of my earliest supporters, has inspiring ideas like her summer mantle and fun letter art.  I also really appreciate the time she took to answer a question i had, and included the link in the answer.  That took time, people!

Next is Linda from A La Carte, who comments instead of lurks, has awesome thrifty finds, and loves her cat crazy like i do!  She also just turned 60.  I just noticed Linda has an award free button, so she she is opting out of passing this along.

Sarah from Hennessey House is a super talented artist and first time homeowner.  Her tales of gardening are too amusing, and she isn't above some dumpster diving.  She also opened at Etsy store....personally i love the drawing in her blog header b/c it reminds me of the art in my sunroom.

I feel like Tana from Orange it Lovely and i could be friends IRL, yo, for real.  We live semi near each other, and with the consistent comment interaction we've had, yes, it could happen.  She's on a mission to take her sunroom from drab to fab, and started with these great chair finds.   She baked her first cake for her best friend who is a Styx fan.  I don't think i could even name one Styx song, but i can appreciate her effort! 

Sandy from  The Wonders of Doing is awesome.  She turn a dated old light fixture into a much more modern piece.  I am desperate to get a new one in our upstairs bath, and this may be just the "after" to motivate me to diy it, instead of paying more for a good lookin' chrome piece.

So yeah, that's only 5.  That's all I've got right now.  Love to Debbie Doos who also opted out, but know that i think she rocks!

So, did you guess which one is the lie? 

 

S and I haven't been together for 15 years, it's only 13.  Not bad for college sweethearts who survived long distance while at school, and then living an hour away from each other until 3 years ago.  You're reading the chronicle of our first home, and our first cohabitation after years of only seeing each other on weekends!  It's taken some adjusting, mostly by me, having to cook and launder while he works on the house.  You know how i feel about gender roles, right? But really, nothing is better than coming home to each other every night.  To our home, that we are making together.  Sappy.  I'm done here.

Peeling back tape

otherwise known as "how i was helpful in the basement"

This was actually quite a b*tch to do, the tape is a cross between duct tape and the security tags that some clothes have that you need to cut off before you wear...anyone?  So i had to peel them back while S taped.

this is the official system of how we maneuvered the tape exchange from where i was sitting to where he was sitting.  We shoved this piece of foam board at each other.

Ugh, this is the basement.  And you don't even know what progress this is.  The garage was where this ductwork is sitting.  A car would have been here, surrounded by cinder block walls, ie you wouldn't see that new window.  We are turning it into a non garage, usable basement.  Slowly.  Very very slowly. So things need to be insulated, hence this bubble wrap stuff around this guy.  You can also see the foam board up with the furring strips attached (real technical terms!)  After the wiring is ran, we can put up drywall.   

Snug as a bug in a rug.

12:00 is quitting time?

What time do yard sales end around your way?  When we've done them in the past, we're out there til at least 3 or 3:30.  Sometimes even later b/c we figure what else are we gonna do the rest of the day, and we have to wait for "The Van."  The Van comes just as you think no one else is coming, have given up hope, and begin putting away your items.  The van holds at least 3 generations of yard salers who are willing to pay full price for everything, and they buy a lot.  You hastily bring back out the items you put away in an attempt to entice The Van.  We love The Van and it is a sad day when you pack up too early for The Van.

Over the weekend we were at the shore, and this development's yard sale ended at 12.  Whaaaat?  That is way to early to be packing it in, however, it led people to leave their items at the end of the driveway with a "free" sign!  Score!  I felt greedy taking 3 things, but there were still tons more.

I have visions of painting the duck sign black and putting a white mongram on it for my coworkers who are getting married.  It's pretty big, the item it is in front of is a portable file box, so it will be a nice piece.  I blew up their first initial to 200 in word, and 250 for their last name initial.  Not sure if i should try to find vinyl or attempt to paint within the lines i'll trace.  sigh, if only i'd won that cricut that time!  The frames are just for frames, not the innards, but i couldn't pass them up for free.

How'd you do?

Linking up to Southern Hospitality, Debbie Doos, Coastal Charm, and Tales from Bloggeritaville!

Look what came in the mail...

They wouldn't drop my package off until i signed for it....

Just kidding.

She really can sleep anywhere.

An exercise in patience

Finally!!  I thought there was something wrong me/my plants/my mad gardening skills!!

These are the only 2 buds blooming, but i shall continue this exercise in patience since i know it will be gorgeous when the rest bloom!

What were you surpised to see in your garden today?

please excuse my gumby toes!

"interesting blogi"

Hello, Russian friends.  Or shall i say....no, i don't know what Hello in Russian is, sorry.

 My new friend at La Maison Reid let me know that we, along with many others, were featured as "interesting blogi" on a russian blog.  This clarifies why as of yesterday i had a russian follower (hello sir).  She translated it via Babelfish if anyone is interested, and i would imagine his US readership is skyrocketing once everyone figures out they're highlighted.  I have to admit, being skeptical and pessimistic, that i am not 100% sure this isn't some sort of scam/spyware/evil virus infiltrator.  After checking other sites he joined and recognizing those blogs, i feel somewhat better about this.  This is strange...i'm talking about him, and he is probably reading this translated since he's a follower.  (hello again, sir, please don't be offended by my skepticism b/c you are 1. male and 2. russian.)  And why must i be so formal?  You don't see me calling anyone else ma'am!   

So if you are interested in seeing what other fun Babelfish has in store...."creamy is the kitchen table to repeat"(savvy chic home) and "it is built from zero shelf" (My Repurposed Life) go check out his blog.

On another note, i was awarded my very first blog award (yippee!!) from Jill and can't wait to get into that.  It shall be it's own post later in the week.

This has been the strangest day, and it's not even 9:45 am.

What the devil....

I find it very unnerving that everytime i find good things at the thrift store, the total is 6 dollars.  So that makes 3 productive trips full of good finds.  3 trips that equals 6 dollars each.  So 6...6...6.

What's that supposed to mean, do you think? 

Cute yellow planter 70% off, 1.50.  Iron scrollwork pair 70% off, 1.50.  Bucket that i am going to repurpose as a planter once i scrape the beerness off, 3 bucks. 

In case you're interested in what those other finds were, go here and here.

Linking up to Southern Hospitality, Coastal Charm, Tales from Bloggeritaville and Debbie Doos!

Cats on Stairs

Well, it's only one cat, but "cat on stairs" sounded just plain odd. 

Seriously, what is this about?  Maybe she got too tuckered out from playing with that pink string? 

lightweight.

Half moon Hallway

I had been contemplating the idea of a half moon table for the living room "path" just under the mirror. Something needed to go there, besides just the carbon monoxide detector and fake mice.  I was even going to try a different mirror to see if that did the trick since all the tables appeared to stick out too far.  But you know how it goes when you go to return something at the mecca (Homegoods)....you just have to give the store the once-over.  And there she was, the only one, beckoning to me, saying "i will fit, trust me."  So, i did.  And she did!
 

It's like her mug shot!  Turn to the right.

Face forward.

Turn to the left.

I wasted no time decorating her, keeping in mind Bower Power's console decorating breakdown of short and tall. Pulled some blue books and glass vases i already had in this room, and artwork from Vol.25 shamefully still in sleeve, and she looks perfect.

I think it does a nice job of balancing and grounding this side of the room, plus it brings in more white and helps the mirror make sense, and brings the blue to that wall.  Yep, it does a lot.  I can really see how blah and empty it looked with just the mirror, yet i thought it would make it feel smaller with the table and more "stuff" over there.  Clearly i shouldn't quit my day job.

This side of the room needed more white, so i swapped this vase with the turquoise one on the bow window, but it needed to be higher.

Look at me being sneaky-that's an upside down glass bowl from the dollar store elevating it.

I think it was money well spent, but i need your advice on the square black wall art.  Should i paint them white?  Leave them as they are b/c it would be too much white?  What would you do? 

Here's a (dark) pic of the rest of the room if that helps:

 My party link up page, for a cleaner look!

we want to party all the time, party all time

how sad is it that this is the song that pops in my head?  it's by eddie murphy, yes, the actor eddie murphy.  i think i learned this from vh1 or something and that's literally the only line i know.  well, there's one more "party all the time" but i thought you got the idea.

hopefully this party link up page will make it easier and cleaner for future postings.  thank you hosts for hosting, and i always love seeing the creativity that is out there!  and thank you, fellow bloggers, for inspiring in me the "want" to try these out on my own or at least put in my inspiration file of "one day."

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toot your horn tuesday









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Domestically Speaking

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