New life for trash

I finished the cubby that Michelle and I got out of the dumpster.  I am convinced I have to spend more money and get nicer paint next time I buy some.  This took 2-3 coats of primer and 4 coats of glossy paint.  Just like the free buffet, it took much longer than I expected!  It is now residing in the nursery.  Paddy is thoroughly enjoying seeing lots of baby toys again - so none of these items ever really stay put :)

I bought a few fun New York books for this baby...

My mom made this needlepoint for me when I was little...

My talented friends, Sarah and Haven, gave me these gorgeous, handmade burp cloths...

My old books and brush...

 My sweet friend, Jen, made this adorable hat...can't wait to put the little man in it!

My old shoes...don't these look comfy?

Haven knitted this perfect little hat...love!

Hooray for dumpster furniture!!  Thanks again, Michelle!

Outdoor Time

Last fall, we sold our trusty old patio set.  It had served us very well over the last 6 years.  It took several new coats of Rustoleum paint, but it was just old and tired.  So, since last fall, I have been contemplating what to do about outdoor furniture.

Our requirements were basically:

1.  Eight chairs would be ideal.  Stackable would be even better.
2.  Want table that can seat eight; however, this would take up most of our current patio space, and we don't know what type of yards we will have with our future moves, so a huge table could be problematic.  Ideally, we wanted a table with leaves or one that had the capability to expand.
3.  A non-matching table/chairs.

So, after much debating, we settled on some stackable chairs from Lowe's.  We got 8, and I couldn't be more happy that we did.  We have already had several occassions to use all 8 of them, and I love that we can store two of them down by our basement door.  Stackable seemed key for all the moving we will be doing!


The price has dropped a lot...these are the Garden Treasures - Key Largo Stationary Patio Chair
The table was a bit trickier.  I found a couple of guys on craigslist who make picnic tables with pedestal legs which I really liked...after having one guy up the price quote by $100, I decided against that option as I was hoping to find something at a better price.

Sean and I started thinking about making our own table.  We knew we wanted metal legs...but that was all we knew.  Then, I got this crazy idea that we should make our own table out of pallets.   On a whim, we went and picked up 5 free pallets.

I liked these types of designs...but then we would have had to fill in all the openings on the tops of the pallets, we would have had to basically make two tables in order to be big enough, and the pipes to make the legs are pretty expensive.  This was starting to feel like a lot more work than I was ready to put forth.

Then, finally - we lucked out.  We found the perfect table to meet our requirements and budget!  The IKEA Applaro drop leaf table...costing only $129!  It has two drop leaves on the sides.  Sarah was a good sport about joining me for the Ikea trip to pick one up while she was here.  Then, I learned that she loves to assemble things - NICE!  So, thanks to a long Paddy nap, she got it assembled, and we got it outside!  YEAH!
I had thought that the chairs fit under the table, but they don't - the table is about an inch too short.  So, my dad is going to be helping us with that.

We get full sun in our backyard, and I love being outside with Paddy during the summer; however, the sun gets pretty intense.  So, I ordered this umbrella from Overstock.  It looks like it should arrive tomorrow. 

We need to stain the table, probably soon.  I am contemplating trying some sort of gray, washed out look.  We will see!  For the meantime, I am just adoring the new table.

Bowling Alley

So, I have some left over bowling alley from the slab we found on craigslist that we used to create a second shelf for Paddy's dresser.  I have held onto it because I was hoping to use at least one piece for a nice long table or a table with bins under it.  I am hoping to sucker my brother into helping me with it at some point.

Much to my dismay, our landlady pulled the piece out of her shed and won't let us put it back in, so it is just getting wet with the rain we have had.  Hopefully it will be salvagable!

Here is the inspiration we are looking at...

The original inspiration.  Ryan was thinking about making a table for he and Jamie like this Restoration Hardware one.  I love the industrial look of the metal legs, so we were wondering if we could do this with the bowling alley....



Ryan found the Gutterball Dining Table, From Counter Evolution NYC the other day through a post at Uncrate...gorgeous!



To take a REALLY easy way out, I could get some of these Ikea legs...only $10 each!  But, we think this would make the table a little too low.

Hopefully there will be progress after the move....

Wish I had an eye for color...

I hope that I can get better at picking colors one day.  I am horrible, TERRIBLE, at picking colors.  It usually takes Sean and I about four tries to get a color right.  So, I need help.

I got this desk last year when we moved here on craigslist.  It was a steal, and I think it could be adorable with a little TLC.  It is currently sitting on our 3rd floor landing in a space that isn't very usable.  The ceiling is only 6 feet tall, so at 5'11", it feels a little claustrophobic.  Nonetheless, we will only be here for another 3.5 months (WOW...I can't believe we are leaving that soon!), and I am thinking that any projects I can get done now, I should.


I wish I was more of a risk taker when it comes to stuff like this.  I would love to paint the desk a bold red...I was inspired by this piece...by the way, Jenny's blog is my latest favorite.  She is incredibly talented, resourceful and tasteful.


As much as I love the piece above, I think I would go for something a little deeper...this is the red that I picked out today at Home Depot (Glidden Red Delicious)


The more conservative part of me says to stick with a color that could go with almost everything...a white or a cream.  For inspiration, I love this desk.  There is some detail work on mine that I could paint a contrasting color, but I don't think mine would look as good as this one.


And, wouldn't it be fun with a modern chair?  I have my eye on this one from craigslist:


Or maybe a chair from West Elm...or...maybe I should paint the desk yellow and get this gray striped chair!?


What to do, what to do? Suggestions anyone??

Potential Project

So, from an email misunderstanding has come a potential very cool project. Ryan was talking about wanting to build himself a laundry cart sort of like this one, but with a wooden top that could be used for folding, but could also be removed....


I misunderstood and was selfishly thinking he was talking about trying to build one for us out of my left over bowling slab from Paddy's dresser. So, he humored me, and we continued thinking about it...it could also be a cool toy storage piece for Paddy, or really anything - a cool mudroom organizer, laundry bins, etc. You know I adore furniture that can be multi-purposed.

Plus, these bins have been on my Amazon wishlist for a while now, so it would be an awesome excuse for having some!



Based on our email exchanges, Ryan did this great drawing...



We 'discussed' a few options, but we were thinking of adding another row of the canvas bins to maximize storage space. The legs would be wood or maybe iron...I think iron could be fun in keeping with the industrial feel.

So, now, either I need to become a woodworker, or I need Ryan to come back and visit. Oh yeah, and we need more room in our apartment to place a piece like this :)

Hopefully there will be some developments on this plot...

Dream Glider for Nursery

If I could pick any glider, I would pick the Monte Luca Glider. It gets excellent reviews from every site I have checked, and I like the modern lines of it and high back. Even more fun, Gina texted me and asked if I had seen that one b/c she just saw it and liked it too! If only it was more inexpensive! I keep checking craigslist, hoping someone may not have room for it in their place anymore :)

I am planning to go to the SOWA market this Sunday in the South End to see if I can find any chair I can't live without there...my fingers are crossed!


Image via Monte Designs

Crib

So, I decided on the classic Jenny Lind crib. I went with white...I was a little concerned it was too feminine looking, but I saw some cool boys rooms with it, so I overcame my fear.

Like Hallie, I really enjoy looking at crib bedding, but I just haven't found anything I feel like I can commit to. I really like this Dwell set, or the cheaper Pottery Barn version (I think they are both expensive, so I have saved searches on eBay...hoping they might appear for very cheap) just because I feel like I could potentially use for more than one bambino and could accessorize however I would like to.

I think I have decided on this blanket to throw over the side of the crib, and I may just use navy or white sheets and call it a day. We will see.

Currently in the crib are a couple of fun things...

1. Sleeping Bunny pillow - Hallie handmade this pillow. It is the most beautiful pillow to me...it looks like it has been passed down through generations, and I think it is so sweet. Bonus...it matches perfectly.
2. Sock Monkeys made by my great great grandmother Thomas - my mom gave these to me...I need to fix up the girl's hair, but besides that (and a few stains), they are in great shape, and they mean a lot to me b/c they have been in the family for so long!



Is it wrong to miss a piece of furniture terribly?

We are lucky to have a dear friend, Randy, who is an incredibly talented furniture maker. We were fortunate enough to have Randy make us several pieces during our time in Columbus. Each piece is incredibly crafted, made of such beautiful materials, and means so much to us.

As most of you know, I have grown up spending time at my grandmother’s cottage each summer in Northern Michigan…it is my favorite place in the world. Some recent renovations were done to the cottage, and being the sentimental sap that I am, Sean and I rented a U-Haul and brought home a cast iron claw foot tub as well as some exquisite doors. We had to the doors for a while before we figured out how we wanted them to be used. I met with Randy to go over ideas, and he ended up building us our most favorite and LARGE piece of furniture ever. It is so meaningful to us because of the history of the doors, and we miss the piece so much. At the time we designed it, I wasn’t thinking of how we would get the furniture into the multiple houses we will live in over the next several years. Needless to say, there was no way it was going to fit up the stairs in our current home.

So, I think about this piece often, more often than is probably normal ☺. I miss the storage for sure, but most of all, I miss the meaningful piece that was crafted by Randy.

I wish I had a picture of the full piece without the table in front of it!

One more piece from Randy...

Entering the world of parenthood...

It still sounds strange to think that Sean and I are going to be parents. I feel so lucky to be going through this with my best friend. We are happy that I have completed the first trimester...I will admit, I was hoping that on the first day of the beginning of week 14, I was hoping there would not be a trace of nausea or fatigue. I know, too high of expectations. :)

Anyways, we are currently planning to find out if we will have a little boy or girl. If it is a boy, Sean and I are hoping that we will be able to score this ADORABLE leather club chair rocker that we found in Stillwater, MN this past weekend.