A little of this, a little of that...

I was gone for the holiday weekend and majorly slacked at getting my butt back into blogging but I'm back on track! I had a nice night, I was able squeeze in a little exercise and settle in with some reality tv and spend some quality time with my hubby and step-son. I started thinking about all the little things I've done around the house and actually felt good tonight when Reid (my stepson) complimented the living room he said, "it's really come together in here and it looks designer-ish in here and I know you guys didn't spend a lot of money." It felt good to hear him say that because he knows what a deal freak I am, I've even dragged him with me to pick things up from craigslist. The truth is I'd say 85% of my living room is from Craig's, rummage sales, or estate sales. I decided to showcase a little picture combo I have hanging on my living room wall that I really just love. It's actually an old and truly kick butt picture of my grandpa wearing a fedora and a leather jacket looking 50's cool. I loved the picture so much I wanted to feature it somehow in my house. I decided to frame it in a dark beat up frame...and I picked up the outside frame at a resale shop for literally like $1.00 or something. I played around with the placement for awhile and literally just decided to hang the smaller picture inside the large old beat up frame. I thought it turned out quite nice; it's not the best photo but you get the idea. I love blending old with new and I think the pairing gives even more character to a picture I love dearly.

Spring is on the way...

I'm thrilled to see my tulips peeking out to say hello...FINALLY!! I'm also happy that the crazy squirrels in my neighborhood managed to leave most of my bulbs alone. It's so nice to see signs of life poking up through the ground. I can officially say I'm ready for spring and summer it was a long cold winter here in Madison. The not so great trade-off is the start of my Spring allergies; enough with the headaches and congestion already! I have yet to start any of my Spring yard work and boy do I have a lot to do. Most of the landscaping outside my house requires some maintenance and I think after 4 years in this house I'm finally figuring out how this green-thumb business works. As a first time home buyer a few years ago I didn't realize all pruning and clipping that goes into having a house, but it's nice to get outside and welcome the new season even if it does require some grunt work. Bring on the sunshine; I'll show some more pics when they pop I can't wait!

Housewives, Hills and Beyond

Aside from loving all things decorating I also love to indulge in oooh let's just say a few TV shows. I'm definitely a bit of a TV bug and always have been. I can honestly say that a dvr saved my life as strange and pathetic as that sounds. My life used to revolve around rushing to get home at a certain time or not accepting phone calls during the hours of my favorite shows...it was torture. I love that I can now relax...know that things are recording for me to enjoy at my leisure after accomplishing all my tasks for the day. I don't know if there are any housewives fans out there but can I just say what the hell Jill's apartment looks CRAZY!! Let's talk decorating for a second here...that place is out of control. Now I'm definitely a girl with a love for accessories but there is definitely such a thing as overboard...come on! That was insane...I love Bethenny she tells it like it is. The POP tables....are CRAP; please get rid of those. Completely insane...can I say I think there is such a thing as over decorating. The wall of mirrors and the display cases at the entryway seemed way too chaotic. Man I love this show...the tennis match was a hoot are you kidding so much drama I loved it. Ramona, Jill, Bethenny, Alex, LuAnn and Simon thank you for throughly entertaining me tonight!

Check out the ladies blogs on Bravo...hilarious

http://www.bravotv.com/blogs

I'm also not afraid to admit that I love The Hills...yippee for the premiere last night. Not one, but two episodes back to back. I'm seriously over flesh colored beard Spencer and Heidi please break up already I can't take another trip back to Colorado to cool off and think about things. As mindless as this show may seem somehow it keeps sucking me in and I'm really ok with it.

Update: The New Jersey girls look crazy delicious....can't wait to see what the table flipping over is all about wow

Bathroom Before and After

Thus begins the first of many before and afters I've taken around our house. The bathroom was a colossal ugly nightmare when we first bought our house. I was very happy to discover when going through photos that I managed to videotape a mini tour of the bathroom before we did any work on it. There is still a lot of work to be done because the shower is hiding a window; the previous owners completely covered and sealed it off....who does that? Hopefully we can attack that project in the next year or so depending on our budget. Rob and I did everything ourselves including ripping out the old toilet and sink and installing the new ones, installing new drywall and who can forget the fun of removing wallpaper. I am also known as a crazy paint lady...I've painted each room in my house at least twice in 4 years; the bathroom is on paint job number 2 and at this point and I think I can say I'm happy with it. Without further ado...my old ugly bathroom (agh...don't you hate the sound of your own voice I sound annoyed by everything in that room...awkward)

We removed our ugly pinkish toilet and put in a fresh new full size white one.

No more fugly weird pink texturized wallpaper on this wall!

Ditched the weird oak cabinet...

Keeping the old flooring for now...it's in good shape and honestly I kind of like it!

New sink, hardware, light fixture and mirror. We went with a square pedestal...I just love the look. I miss the undercabinet storage but I went for fashion over function...

Just another obsessive sink shot....

I love before and after pics....it's seriously one of my favorite things to peek at if anybody has any good ones I'd love to see them.

Classic Sunburst

This is an old favorite of mine, I found this cute little sunburst at an antique shop about 4 years ago for the low price of $13.00. I almost missed it hanging on the wall because there were so many knickknacks cluttering up the shop. Sometimes when I go antiquing I have this feeling that I have to find something and feel disappointed when I don't. I think it's generally a good thing to do one final sweep when shopping in cluttered spaces because many times you can miss out on something really special because there is simply soooo much to look at. I loved it right away when I spotted it...it's not in the best condition the mirror is kind of aged in a few places but you can never go wrong with a classic sunburst in your space.

Found!

I was perusing craigslist yesterday and found a sweet little chair that seemed to have loads of potential. I've been on the hunt for a cute little accent chair for my living room but have yet to find something quite right for my space. I'm always up for a challenge and at $10.00 I'd say it was worth the inquiry. It was probably one of my most unusual craigs experiences as it was a teenage boy selling the chair(he disclosed he was in high school on the phone it was funny)...I was his first contact about the chair so we quickly made arrangements for me to snap it up. The day I was supposed to pick it up he sent me a text message to see if I would be willing to pay more for it. What happened is he received multiple inquiries on the chair and people were offering to pay more that what he posted it for; he didn't realize what a little jem he had on his hands. Well at first I was kind of mad about it and thought what the heck this kid is yanking me around; he said 10 bucks I'm not going to text him back and barter. I called him and was like look what kind of offers have you had on this chair..he said that no one had really thrown out a number he thought he could give it a week and see what kind of offers roll in...seriously. This is something I do not have the patience for so long story short I said I haven't even seen the condition of the chair, I'm driving all the way to get it the most I'll give you is $20.00 and take if off your hands. In the end I parted with the chair and paid this kid $15.00. All in all really $20.00 is not a lot of money for this chair it was simply the principle behind it....he set a price I was willing to pay it....it then became "chair blackmail". In the end I'm super happy because this chair is cuuuuute. Check it out....I have some ideas for it I may paint it but it definitely needs some new fabric on the cushion as its seen better days.

You can see that the cushion is pretty worn but this chair has great bones and detail.

I'd like to find a fun bold print for the cushion but need some ideas...

To paint or not to paint? If I paint should I go with black, white or a fun bold color or leave it the way it is and just do a really great print on the cushion?

So many options...if anyone has any good ideas I'd love to hear them!

New Hutch

I'm excited to share the cool new hutch I found at a local estate sale shop. I know that I've expressed my love for hutches and buffets before but I just love how retro hutches are great for additional storage, double as entertainment centers and oh yeah they work in dining rooms too. I had been hunting for a new one for some time now and kept missing out on finds on craigslist. I saw this and knew it was just what I was looking for. I have so little storage in my house so I loved that it had three doors of storage...plus the square hardware is probably my favorite thing about it. I have a tendency to be attracted to a mix of mid-century modern and traditional things...it's an interesting blend. This piece is solid wood, has a nice glass top and is in really great condition. These pictures were all taken with my cell phone so they are not the best.

I've decided to put it in my living room as an entertainment center and I moved my old refinished one into my basement. I love the storage it's great all my photo albums fit nicely in the shelves on the left; I can literally fit a ton of stuff in this thing!

The drawers are perfect for dvd's, remotes and all the other things I want to hide.

I'm thinking at some point in the future I might consider painting it...but for now I'm going to hold off. I want to give a lot of thought to the color and figure out what works best with my space. It's really in great shape as is and the wood is a complimentary color with my existing decor so for now it works!

A Simple Love....

Dear Bread and Wine,

Why must you be so delicious? My love for you is a very simple love...it's amazing what happiness you provide after a long day of work. There is nothing better than a chewy loaf of bread with olive oil and balsamic paired with a great glass of red vino......

lots of love,
Rachel

Savers Steal

Just wanted to share a cute little picture I picked up at Savers for a fantastic price. I picked this print up a few months ago, I was wandering around thinking there was nothing in the store for me when I found this little guy sitting on a shelf...perfect for my bathroom. It makes me happy when I find something cute and affordable especially a framed picture because usually it's so expensive to get a nice print in a nice frame. Anyone else have any great Savers steals to share?

Labor of Love

One of my all time favorite projects and definitely one of the most labor intensive was when I refinished this old hutch. I got this beautiful old piece at an antiques mall close to my home(which sadly is closed now boo) for $60.00. I must say I had always wanted to tackle a project like this but the daunting task that loomed ahead was very intimidating. I sadly forgot to take a picture before I had started to work on it but you get the drift it was pretty rough. I started out by sanding the heck out of it but not too hard because I didn't want to damage the wood. The top of this piece was severely damaged...so damaged that I wonder what someone did to it.

The drawers after I removed the original hardware and sanded them a bit.

Here is a picture of the severe damage to the top. There were deep scratches all over it; I wasn't able to eliminate all of the scratches because they were just too awful. I didn't mind at all in fact I think it's what gives a piece it's character; I don't need it to be perfect. It's the imperfections that make refinished pieces so great.

Just a shot to show the great detail on this piece. I loved this hutch because it had such cute accents....I could just imagine how nice it would look with a fresh coat of paint. Just to note I probably did about 4 to 5 coats of paint; let each coat dry thoroughly in between and lightly sanded between each coat as well. It was very time consuming but the outcome is a nice smooth finish well worth the labor.

And finally some after shots...I love the way it turned out. I decided on a creamy white color and took my time hunting down the perfect hardware. I decided on a darker rubbed bronze color...I thought it worked well with the paint color. All in all I think I spent maybe $75.00 on this project and that's including the price of the piece itself.

And one final shot...I love this piece and it now serves it's purpose in my living room as an entertainment center. It may soon be retiring to my basement as I recently stumbled upon another cool hutch I think I may rotate into the living room. I have a thing for old buffets and hutches...I think they are so fun. They usually have so much character and provide additional storage which is always an issue in my house. I love to hear about other people's DIY projects anyone tackle any old pieces that they'd like to share?

Sweet Golden Nugget

I was surprised and overcome with excitement when I spotted this adorable little gold lamp at a estate sale shop. The lamp was literally sitting on a table screaming to be purchased by yours truly and at a sticker price of $4.00 I simply could not say no.

The lamp is the perfect little accent on my bedroom dresser and compliments the golden tones of my bedroom curtains. I love that this lamp isn't in perfect condition, it's chipping and showing signs of a long life.

The thing about an estate sale is you wonder who owned these magnificent treasures before others stumble upon them? It's sad but also makes me more than happy to give it a new home in my bedroom where it now casts it's golden glow each night before I head off to sleep.

Lather, Rinse and Repeat

In addition to always loving a bargain I also love being clean, smelling clean and well cleaning in general and my next sweet little discovery combines both loves yippee! I found this adorable little bathroom soap dish for .69 cents at my local goodwill...yes you heard me correctly .69 cents folks!!

I was even more thrilled to find that when I peeled the sticker off the bottom I revealed the words Pottery Barn...such a shame because I know somebody probably paid $18-$22 dollars for it at one time. Oh well, their loss is my gain and now my bathroom soap is proudly displayed in an appropriately labeled dish.

Nothing says lemonade like a pretty pitcher

I love to eat and drink using special stemware, nice bowls and servers; basically using the appropriate kitchen housewares when I can. For Thanksgiving it was just my husband, stepson, and I but since I did the cooking and they agreed to do the cleaning I didn't mind whipping out all my best bowls and servers for the mashed potatoes, asparagus, and the other fixings (however cleanup did worry me with those two on KP duty; eg breaking stuff). For some reason I think a meal or a drink is simply more enjoyable when served in a visually appealling way, I even eat my frozen meals at work on a plate instead of out of the plastic container it comes in. That said I found the sweetest little pitcher today that just screams for lemonade on a hot summer day in the backyard. I found it at goodwill at the uber-affordable price of $1.99, I mean seriously that's a great deal for something I would pay an arm and a leg for at Williams Sonoma....gotta love it!

Apothecary Madness

I know that apothecary style jars are popping up everywhere lately in all colors and sizes and have been popular for centuries but to my surprise I stumbled upon a fantastic little jar of my own at a fraction of the price today. I have a small bathroom with limited space so I have to pick things that make a statement and appropriately spruce up my space. I saw this little jar for $2.00 and knew it would be perfect to display the simplest of things...cotton balls. It's funny how such a simple bathroom staple seems more important in a pretty glass jar. The white cotton balls bring a tiny little zip of freshness to the space; and more importantly they are easily accessible. Ahh the simple pleasures in life....well maybe not to everyone but to me these little things make me happy.

Adorable white bird...

The most adorable white bird called out to me while out thrifting on a Saturday. I love white because it looks so fresh and clean and I knew the perfect spot for this little dude was in my kitchen holding court over my counter. It's a nice little accent piece and at $3.00 I would definitely say it didn't break the bank. I love when little things catch the eye and you just know it would work perfect in your space. Thanks little random white bird for making my kitchen a little more stylish!

Spring has Sprung!

Well Spring Fever is definitely in full effect for me that's for sure! I'm so excited to open the windows and let the fresh air roll in. I've been very inspired by the unseasonably warm weather to freshen up my space and let the Spring Cleaning begin. In addition to cleaning which is definitely not on the top of my list I love to rearrange my home accessories; hunt for new pieces and keep the identity of my home constantly evolving and growing. One of my favorite things to do is hunt for affordable bargains to spruce things up a bit. My husband Rob and I live in a comfortable yet not an incredibly large home so I'm constantly challenged with ways to keep my house looking organized and stylish at the same time. Today felt victorious for me...I went bargain hunting with my best pal Amie and had an incredibly satisfying experience looking for affordable goodies; not to mention the fact that I went home with some pretty "kick butt" things. I really love sharing all my finds and hope my fellow decorators out there can appreciate this strange obsession.