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.