Craigslist Finds

If you've never given Craigslist a try, you are missing out!  I've been searching CL a lot lately, and thought it would be fun to share with you some of the things I would buy if a) I had a place to put it the item and b) if I had more time to paint/refinish some of the items- ha! and 3) an unlimited budget!

First up, this amazing corner desk.  It's four separate pieces of furniture- a closed bookshelf, a three drawer unit, a corner desk, and another desk with three more drawers.  Mint condition, solid wood made in the 1960's.  $50 for all four pieces!!! 

What I like about it is the infinite possibilites because the pieces are separate.  You could use the closed bookshelf as a credenza with a tv mounted on the wall above, or as a foyer/hall/entry table to throw your purse and keys onto.  The little three drawer unit could easily sit beside a bed as a nightstand, and the desk could stand alone in a kids room.  Or I can see this entire grouping set up in a craft/sewing room.

If the wood was in great condition (as the listing states), I'd probably just clean the wood and hardware to bring back the luster and line the drawers and shelves with some retro/modern contact paper.  

Next up is this sweet vintage twin bed.  Finished in a french blue, the listing also states that it could be used as a daybed since the headboard and footboard are identical.  This type of bed is really popular all over the internet right now.  Would look great in a little girls or boys room if you're going for that mid-century or vintage/eclectic look.  $100.00.

To go along with the twin bed above, this solid wood dresser would look great painted.  Add some new drawer pulls and you've got the start to a great new room.  Only $25.00!

This little bamboo side table would make a great little bar set-up in a small apartment.  I can see it painted glossy black with a large serving type tray on top to hold your vodka, gin and whiskey.  $80.00.

This is a great vintage bamboo display case.  The inside has a light and a glass shelf.  I would paint this piece something fun and make it a focal point in the room.  Turquoise for a living room, fuschia for a little girls room, kelly green for a dining room?  The possibilites are endless.  $200.00.   

Have you found anything you couldn't pass up on Craigslist lately?  Share a link!  Or if Craigslist isn't really your thing, check out my friend Amanda's blog- she goes garage saling every weekend, yes that's right, every weekend.  Today she's featured her favorite finds!

A little progress

I really would like to know how DIY bloggers get anything done if they have kids?  Forget about starting and finishing a project at one sitting.  For me it's one seam stitched during today's nap, one chair frame partially sanded during tomorrow's nap, and one picture hung during the day after that nap.  Weekends?  Not happening either.

We've had a lot going on the past month, so the living room has been kind of pushed to the back burner.  But, I have changed it up a little bit.  Last week the UPS truck rumbled down our street and stopped in front of our house.  I wasn't expecting anything, but was delighted to see him jump off his truck with a long skinny roll- my Trina Turk Peacock fabric arrived a whole month earlier than expected! 

I've managed to sew one pillow cover and it turned out pretty nice- considering this was my first time sewing a zippered pillow cover with a welt.  It's pretty tricky and I got to be good friends with my seam ripper.  Finally got it right on the third attempt.   

 Here's a close-up of the welt.  I used the cheater way to make my welt- it is so much easier than fussing with sewing.

 Found some lamp shades with a navy trim on clearance for $4.98 at Target last week, and they fit perfectly on our existing brushed nickel floor lamps.  And popped my beachcombing artwork into some Ikea Ribba frames and things are starting to look much better already.

When Avery woke up the next morning and saw the new pillow, she immediately walked over to it and said, "peacock!"  Franz and I were totally blown away that she was able to see the resemblance.  Maybe we're just biased (aren't all parents?), but we think she's pretty smart :)

I might try and tackle that other pillow cover tonight, but now that the new season of Jersey Shore has started, it's pretty difficult to get much done on Thursday nights anymore!  Yes, Jersey Shore is still my fix while trying to adjust to life with two kids.  That, and Storage Wars.  Don't you just love Barry?  His comments always have me laughing.   

What? A recipe from me?

For those of you who don't know me well, the running joke is that if I ever got married, my husband would starve.  I do not like to cook.  Why should I be ashamed of that?  It is what it is.  I do try my best though to make healthy, fresh dishes for my family- most of the time.  This is a recipe I found in Real Simple, and we've had it a few times now.  It is so easy to prepare, and so tasty, that I thought I would share.  Franz asks for this once a week now, and I'm happy to oblige. 

Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

via

Ingredients:

12 ounces Spaghetti

3 Large Beefsteak tomatoes (Better if they're firm)

3 Tbs Olive Oil, plus a little more for the baking sheet (or broiler pan)

Salt (I like to use Sea Salt) and Black Pepper

8 oz. Fresh grated mozarella

1/4 C grated parmesan

2 Cloves Garlic

1/4 to 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper

3/4 C fresh torn basil leaves

Directions:
1.  Heat broiler. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.

2.  Meanwhile, arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, sprinkle the slices with the mozzarella and Parmesan (mix cheeses together in a bowl first). Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

3.In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

4.Add the garlic oil, basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with the tomatoes, additional basil, and shaved Parmesan.

Yummy!  I've adapted the recipe to include more garlic (about 4 cloves), 4 tbs of olive oil, and we find that a pinch more than 1/4 tsp is just right for the crushed red pepper.  I don't use a full 12 ounces (or one package) of spaghetti.  A little more than 1/2 of the package is just right for the two of us.  Firmer tomatoes hold up better in the broiler and don't become as soggy.

What are you having for dinner tonight? 

Before/After- A different kind of project

Now you see it:

Before

Now you don't:

After

Our humble little ranch abode was literally being overtaken by an ash tree.  I'm not sure what genius planted the tree, how long ago it was planted, or why they planted it so close to the house.  But I did know it had to go.  In hindsight, we should have had it removed a long time ago.

Two guys:

This tree was huge- the stump dwarfed the two workers.

Seven days of near constant chain-sawing, jack-hammering, sledge-hammering and digging.

Making progress.

And it's finally gone.

You would never know a tree dominated this space just one week ago.

The lead guy said that this tree was still very young.  I can only imagine how much bigger it could have gotten had we let it.  It did provide us with some great shade in the backyard, and we can already feel the difference without it.  But removing it was the right thing to do. 

Bits and Pieces

When I was working, I could design an entire space pretty quickly.  But for some reason, when it's my own space, I think about it too much.  And research, and google too much, and stalk Craigslist night and day waiting for the perfect piece to turn up.

I have made some progress though.  The living room pretty much looks the same today as the before photos, but I have been busy putting the design together and ordering things.

Have you seen the new Trina Turk indoor/outdoor fabrics?  Hand to forehead, ~faint~.  I love them...each and every single one of them in the collection.  I'm a sucker for geometric prints, and these are fabulous.  Anyways, this particular fabric jumped out at me and Franz liked it too:

And the name of it?  Peacock print- how fitting considering my inspiration for this room is this peacock paiting.  I'm thinking throw pillows for the sofa:

via

However, there is no stock and it is backordered until September!  So, it will be awhile before I get my hands on it.

These three photographs arrived on Saturday:


quercusdesign

Quercusdesign is a great little shop on Etsy.  Jenn also has a blog, where she writes about her beachcombing adventures in Maine.  I love that all these random objects were found on the beach- and the way she arranges them in such a simple way highlights the beauty of these things.  I will definitely look at items washed up on the beach differently now. 

How about these chairs?

I think one of my friends had these chairs in their house in the 80's!  I bought these on Criagslist from a sweet old widow who was downsizing from her very large, beautiful house.  She walked all the way out to my car to see them on their way.  I'm pretty sure she and her husband used to sit in these chairs together in the morning and drink their coffee while reading the paper.  On one hand I felt bad for taking them from her, on the other, I know they will enjoy a second life here with us. 

They are in pristine condition.  After googling the label underneath, I discovered that these chairs were made in the USA by a furniture manufacturer that was in business for over 50 years.  The quality is superb.  So far I've removed the seats and stripped off the old fabric and foam, and cleaned the aluminum frame.  I think with a little update they will look fabulous!  Now just trying to decide on a fabric...

Check back later this week for what we had going on last week- another Before/After project of a different kind.