Happy Humps

I totally missed my review of last weekend... so stay tuned for that as well as one for this past weekend.  Normally in cases like this I just combine them, but two weekends ago was pretty full of interesting things and even though I did a day in pictures I'd really like to share about the weekend in it's entirety... hopefully I remember the details.

Anywho... this past weekend was pretty full as well, but before I get to that I really wanted to share some purchases I made.  My mom and I went to the Antique Mall (among other places) and both of us made some good purchases.  I thought I'd share with you the things that I got.

First, I've been casually looking for a Q-Tip holder for that bathroom.  I thought it would be neat to find a small container at an antique mall or the like for the bathroom to hold Q-Tips.  I've seen this done very cutesy on blogs and such.  I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted, but looking for cute, small containers was fun.  We saw a couple of contenders but this ended up winning!

So cute

It's technically a toothpick holder, but I love the bright blue and the details on the glass.  I keep moving it from the back of the toilet to the sink... I'm not sure where I'll end up liking it better, but loving it in the bathroom!

My second find we saw pretty quickly... and I fell in love pretty darn fast.  I mean it's a camel plant holder - how freaking adorable is he??

What day is it?

I kept walking past it and really wanted to get him... but being $45 it was just not in the cards.  We went back one last time for me to say goodbye... and the owner of the stand just happened to be standing there.  He caught my admiring the camel and told me he was just about to put him on sale... um what?  I asked how much and he said $24... sold!!  I told him I'd gladly take him for that price.  I was so happy it just worked out that perfectly.  My mom admitted she was going to come back for him for a Christmas gift... much like my jaguar.  But now he's already living at my house.

He is a planter... so I guess he could go outside, but I'm not sure I want that... right now he's sitting in the mostly empty dining room in the corner... He will find his perfect spot eventually.

I know I have a different kind of style... and I like that.  But seriously even if you wouldn't put him in your house, doesn't he make you smile?

My New (old) Things

This past weekend we did some second hand store shopping.  Mostly I am on the look out for some chairs.  A few weeks ago I was browsing a blog and she did this awesome dining room update (look here) with different chairs she found over town for cheap and repainted them with bright fun colors.

I saw the pic and fell in love immediately.  That picture screamed to me - this is what you should do in your dining room.  So the mission was set.  A couple of weekends ago I scored two chairs at Value Village.  I haven't taken pictures of them yet... but I need to.  I want to end up with at least six chairs so I was one third of the way there (if you don't count the table which I also don't have...)

This past weekend we were on the lookout for some more chairs.  I'm looking for solid (not flimsy), wooden chairs without a cushion (so if anyone sees one for cheap let me know or buy it and I'll pay you back!).  I have been able to find some chairs but they are usually in poor shape structurally or being sold as a set (which I would like to get different ones - 'Friends' it if you will).  I'm excited for the hunt!

We went to a couple of shops and our last stop of the day we found one chair that I think will work for the dining room.  It has arms where my other two don't, but I figure this can be an end seat.  They are usually bigger than the other chairs.  So I'm down to needing just three more chairs!

Aint she a beaut!?

While that picture above show lots of different colored chairs, right now I'm thinking about painting all the chairs different shades of blue.  Or possibly all of them navy... I'm just not sure what I'll end up doing but I don't think it will be all loud colors.  I'm really excited to get to this project, but I'll also need to find a dining room table.  And I think ideally it would seat 8 if need be... so might actually need 5 more chairs instead of just three.

But that's not all I got this weekend.  While we were in our first store stop (we went to a festival thing earlier in the day which I'll tell you more about in my typical weekend recap) I found something else I've been keeping a casual eye out for... sconces!!  I had an idea that they could look good hanging on either side over the archway cutouts.  Most of the sconces I had been seeing at second hand shops were cheap feeling (and looking).  Nothing had really caught my eye yet.  Then we were standing in this shop and my aunt (or sister I can't remember) pointed them out to me... and they were awesome looking and for only $10 I fell in love pretty darn quickly.

Sorry the pic is the wrong way

This beauties will be painted some color and hang on the dining room side of the archways.  I think it will depend on what color the chairs end up being... right now I've thought that black might look good or a charcoal.  But I've also pictures them a fun color like red or teal.  We'll see but I'm really super excited about them. 

All these colors I'm day dreaming about and right now there's a khaki neutral on three of the walls and a red accent wall (on the wall with the doorway and the arch cutouts).  I'm thinking that in this day dream of a world that wall would probably need to change colors.  I guess will all come together.  I want to get some more chairs and a table and stuff before I jump to painting anything... but I'm way excited about the sconces.

After that store we went to another store my aunt found.  I think each of us ended up getting something from that place.  My sister got an awesome peace sign painting.  We also got some Christmas presents too for people.

I ended up getting this $12 chair.  No, it doesn't fit into my dining room project, but it's a solid, comfortable chair that was cheap... so why not.
 

The colors are kinda fun too

It's a bit on the taller side (I know with the angle you might have a hard time telling).  Until we get a table or something in there I'll have it in the kitchen to sit in if needed.  I like have that option now.

Finally, my aunt got me a little something for my house which was very nice of her.  She got me this vase, which I love because it curves to the side.
 

It's like a floating window in darkness haha

See that green vase in the center - that's what she got me.  I'm not sure if it will forever live in this window, but for now I'm happy with it there.

So that's my random finds over the weekend.  I love second hand shopping - especially with my family that makes it so much more fun!!

Ikea

As I mentioned in the Chicago weekend post I made my very first trip to an Ikea.  While I was in the store I got some ideas of possible furniture for the new house.  I have no idea if I'll actually get any of this, but I wanted to try to put it all in one post so I could reference it later.  I haven't really looked at furniture else where yet, so really this is all just preliminary research.

It's probably not that interesting, but oh well, this one is more for me anyway!

Stornas Extendable Table ($449) - I really liked this dining room table.  I liked that it was simple but would look good with chairs (not sure what kind of chair yet... man chairs are expensive).  This one seats 6-10 which would be great.  The house has a dining room area and I know I'll want a table for in there for doing everything from eating to wrapping presents.

Stornas Buffet ($449) - I really think I'll end up with a buffet in the dining room.  There's a good spot for it (which you'll see when I finally do my home posts).  I could see getting this in a dark wood - the brown wood is easier to see.

Igatorp Drop-Leaf Table ($129) - There is room in the kitchen for a small table, and the previous owners had a drop leaf table.  I think it would be a good idea to have something there... although recently I was thinking I might want one that's more bar table height.  I would probably end up with darker wood here too.

Ekby Alex Shelf with Drawer ($54.99) - I'm not exactly sure where I pictured these shelves, but I liked them... so here they are, haha

Hemnes chest with 2 drawers ($129) - I could see this being a good night stand for the bedroom.

Svelvik bed frame ($249) - I love the simplicity of this bed frame.  I also like that it has a head and foot board (of sorts).  This would be for the master bedroom.

Ektorp couch (price varies, one shown is $899) - I always like the idea of sectional.  And I could see this working well in the living room or the basement.  I liked the height on this couch (a lot of their couches felt low) and the general shape.  As for color, I'm not really sure.

 





It's coming together

So as you remember I bought a dress for an upcoming wedding. The fact this dress is such a unique color I really wasn't sure how I would piece together the rest of the outfit.

So yesterday I went on the hunt for some shoes. And by hunt I mean I went to just two stores, haha. I started out at Target, this is mostly because Chad needed to buy a gift for the groom for the wedding. So usually I'm able to find something at Target, however the selection was not good... there was like one show that was a maybe and they didn't have my size... disappointment...

So after we picked up my car from the dealership... my driver's side window stopped working, the selt belt needed fixed, there was a recall part that needed installed and my roaters needed turned. Where was I... oh yeah, after picking up my car I decided to stop by Payless on the way home.

And I immediately found these beauties... I'm very excited about wearing them...






Aren't they just adorable? They feel pretty good on my feet and I love the shape and that they have a buckle and aren't just slip on.

The only negative thing about these beauties is the fact I will be about 6'2" when wearing them. I will be a TALL lady. Some of my friends are trying to convince me that tall is beautiful... which I agree, however I just get sick of people commenting about how tall I am. Plus I will be taller than Chad which will be weird, but he'll be in the wedding so there's less standing next to each other than normal. Plus I figure at the reception I will take the shoes off anyway and dance barefoot.

So here's the final pieces I need to figure out... jewelry (I'm thinking silver) and a purse (hopefully something at Target!!) and finally how the heck am I going to do my hair. I'm going to try curling one final time this Saturday night for a ladies night, so we'll see how that goes, if that's not good it will probably just be straight or some type of pulled back do.

Coffee Table Woes

I've been on the topic of shopping a lot lately huh?

We need a new coffee table... I absolutely HATE our current coffee table. For one, it's got a huge discoloration in the center, and then it's got burn marks where someone knocked the carcoal off the hooka at one of parties. And one of the legs is about to fall off. This coffee table came back with Chad from Cuba. It was never a desirable table, but we used it until we were able to afford something we liked better. Awhile ago we replaced the couches and the entertainment center and the area rug. The coffee table is next and I am SO READY to see it go.

The problem is we cannot find something we want. Sure there are plenty of tables that would work, but the perfect table? It doesn't seem to exist. I don't think we're asking for anything too crazy. Here's what our ideal table would look like. It would be a fairly large table, I mean we have the space for it. The one I'm eyeballing (I'll show you soon) is 20" by 20". We do NOT want any glass. We want it to be dark work. Ideally it would have a shelf underneath and would have a drawer. We'd also like it to be on the taller side for a coffee table. I mean, that's not unreasonable right??

Here's the one from CSN Stores we've had our eye on:

See the dark wood finish, the drawers, the bottom shelf, the square? Swoon... the problem with this one is it's $460!!!! That just seems a little steep, no?

This past weekend Chad and I took to the streets of St. Louis and tried to find something else we liked. We ended up looking at Ashley, Weekends Only, SleepLand, and American. There are PLENTY of other stores we need to check out... but the sad fact remains... I don't think the ideal coffee table is out there in our price range. We did see a few at Ashley that would work very well, we may go back. There are plenty of other stores we should look at too... so the hunt isn't over yet, but I am sooo sooo ready to have that thing in my house and that fuglly table gone... banished to the basement.

After we find the coffee table we'll still need to find end tables which will be a whole other ordeal. We don't have much space to work with at the end of each of the ends of the couches... but those don't bother me nearly as much as that coffee table.

So here's to hoping that we find a table to we both love, that's dark woodand big with a shelf and drawer, and tall that's in our price range.... please and thank you.

Confession

When I 'fake' shop... it usually turns into actual real shopping... I know, you're not surprised. But in my defense Old Navy was running a sale that was too good to turn down... 30% off your entire order. Combine that with the fact I got a gift card to Old Navy for Christmas, I just wasn't able to turn that down... and dang, it's my birthday in a week, I'm going to buy myself something since I never ever ever do.

So would you like to see what I got? You know it includes some dresses!!

And then I got some tops too...
With the gift card and the discount I think I got a lot of stuff for the money I had to pay out of pocket. I'm excited for this stuff to arrive in the next week (hopefully before the weekend) I choose the slowest shipping so I wouldn't have to pay for it. I'm excited!! I'm super excited about the dresses. Hopefully I'll have some things to show you soon!!