Friday Finds

This weeks' finds are from 2 church rummage sales, one of them being Velda Rose which happens twice a year and I've never left empty-handed! It was a good week for old books because besides this pile I have more that I've already ripped the covers off of and tied together. I bought the pair of suitcases with the intention of re-selling, but I may have to rethink it after seeing some very creative ways to put them to use. I'll show you Monday!

Before and After: Kitchen

I decided it's high time I post about at least one of the rooms I've redone. Because I ended up redoing multiple rooms at once, there are still a lot of little things that need to be finished, but I can't say when they'll be 100% done, so I'll show you now. First up is the kitchen. Keep in mind there's some backsplash missing (I'd eventually like to do subway tiles and get stainless steel appliances).

Before:

I loved the green while it was up, but I thought going with a color similar to the cabinets would open the space up and I was right!

After:

The color I went with is Behr- Creamy White. I didn't want it too stark or hospital feeling, and this was a great choice. I don't miss the green a bit! I tend to think that every wall or empty space needs to be filled, but I'm really loving the clean, uncluttered look. It's bright, open and airy- just what I wanted!

The other change is the addition of the "island". I've always wanted an island in here, but didn't think it was a possibility because the kitchen is small as it is. But I was flipping through some Costco coupons and saw this stainless steel work table for a great price and the dimensions were perfect! I thought it would take some getting used to and that I'd be running into it all the time, but it hasn't been a problem at all. I love the little bit of extra counter space it gives, and the shelf underneath is perfect for storing aprons, tablecloths, and dishtowels.

Up next, Clay's room!

Winner

The winner of The French Inspired Home is


~ Lindsey N. ~


Congratulations!

Friday Finds

Here are my finds of the week; do you see a theme going on? I can't help what I'm drawn to- gold and brown, white, and just a hint of turquoise! I'm telling you now, this upcoming sale is going to be UNREAL. Prepare yourselves!

It's Giveaway Time!

I wanted to start this giveaway a couple of days ago, but my computer has been giving me some trouble. Ah well, at least it's up and running again! I recently purchased some new decorating books to give me some inspiration for the living room. One of the books is this one:

It's my new favorite. All of the pictures are AMAZING. Want a little peek inside?

Wouldn't you love a copy for yourself? Leave a comment before Monday at midnight and it could be yours! Best of luck. :)

Friday Finds

Would you believe all of this is from one estate sale? We drove quite a ways to get there, but it was SO worth the trip. It was a teeny tiny house filled to the brim- hoarding was definitely their specialty! These are the beginnings of what will be our biggest sale yet! A few friends and I have decided to collaborate and we'll be holding a HUGE vintage sale in my front yard on Friday, November 12 & Saturday, November 13- mark your calendars! (More details and photos to come)

Turquoise

I'm always drawn to the color turquoise, and yet I have it nowhere in my house. It was in the guest room for a short time, but it never felt quite right. I still have a few turquoise items hidden away that I just can't seem to part with. I love seeing how other people incorporate it into their homes and maybe someday I can put my things to good use. :) I can't wait for tomorrow to show you my beautiful finds of the week- some of which are turquoise!

Ironwork

{photos from here and here}

I've come to realize that getting the perfect feel to a room is all about layering textures. I love the added dimension that the scrolly ironwork gives. I decided to try it in my own living room and I LOVE IT! With my piano, the mantle, chairs, coffee table, and side table there was too much wood and it felt like something was missing, so I switched out the side table with an iron patio table. Instant fix! I couldn't believe the difference it made. I promise to show the progress on the living room soon! (Also coming soon- an announcement and a giveaway!)

Friday Finds

I was short on time this week, but I did manage to find a few last minute treasures for the sale tomorrow. I was especially excited to find this antique dough bowl. It's such a cool shape and I think it would look great in the center of a coffee table filled with seashells or magazines or mini pumpkins for fall; the possibilities are endless!

Halloween decorating

I decided to let the kids do the decorating this year. Here's what they came up with:

They had so much fun and I have to say, they did a pretty good job! ( I just hope they don't mind when I do a little editing.)

Sale Info.

This is where the Home Sweet Sale will be on Saturday. See you there!

Friday Finds

Lots of gold finds today (surprise, surprise). I think gold may be taking over this house! Of course I still love the whites mixed with the gold, but you probably already knew that; or if you didn't, you will when you see my living room! It might be a while though because the prison seems to be taking their sweet time on my chairs. I guess that's the price you pay to get a good deal.

Book Bundles

I know I'm obsessed with Restoration Hardware lately, but I've had my eye on these antique book bundles for a little while. I just can't seem to justify $29 for a stack of old paper! So I made some myself the other day:

I took 5 old books that I had collected at garage or estate sales ($1 or $2 each),

ripped the covers off,

then tied them together with twine ($3 a roll).

A new addition to Derek's nightstand for under $8.

(FYI- There may be more of these at the upcoming sale!)

I'm in Love...

I was browsing through the blogs on my sidebar, and happened upon this home. I almost fell off my chair I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves-

(Images from here)

Hoarding

Those that know me well, know that I have OCD about keeping a clean and organized home. It's a blessing and a curse. If I let the house go to pot, I'd have lots of time for other things, but instead, most of my time is spent picking up, putting away, sorting through, and cleaning out. I have been this way my whole life. I'm usually okay parting with things because it rids me of unnecessary clutter. Since starting the home sweet sale, however, I've been finding it harder and harder to part with items because I've acquired such great things. Even though I don't need it, even though I don't have a place for it, I think "but maybe someday, somewhere, somehow I can use it!" I imagine that's how hoarding starts. Things just keep piling up until it's outta control. I'll show you what I mean:



This is the one room that I've given up on. It was just about empty after the last sale and now it looks like this already. Yikes! Lucky for you though, I'm not hanging onto all of this. The majority of it will be coming with me to the sale in a couple of weeks although I'm sure it won't be long until I fill it up again! I'll also be posting some furniture on the sale this afternoon so check it out!

The picnic table

I promised to show you my find of the century, and here it is! I went to an estate sale in Arcadia on Friday and I almost didn't notice this table; it was hidden under so much junk! The thing that caught my eye was the price tag hanging off the end- $25. I took a closer look to see that this massive table WAS for sale and nobody had snatched it up yet. It was meant for me!

This thing is over 10 feet long!


My favorite parts are the wheels and the color of the weathered wood. All it needs is a light sanding.

It is missing half a wheel, but it looks like it's just a couple of 2 x 4's glued together, cut in a circle, and a hole drilled through the middle. Sounds easy enough, right?

I see lots of backyard BBQ's in our future. :)