Changes

I spotted the tile coffee table at the Salvation Army on Tuesday and returned to purchase it yesterday. It's hand made and weighs a ton. The wood is beautiful. At first I wasn't too keen on the tiles, but after sleeping on it I realized that it was perfect. That no one else snagged it I took as a sign. I would have been crushed if it had not been there when I returned to the store. Ordinarily I don't get too worked up about missing out on a thrift store item, but that little internal blinding light went off as I awoke yesterday, and in a panic back to the store I rushed. I had been scouring craiglist and the thrift stores for weeks in an attempt to find the right table, and I have two misfires to show for it. Even so, the three tables I ended up purchasing came in way less than any new table that I was remotely interested in. I will admit, however, that I have got to start listening to the little voice that tells me when a piece isn't quite right for the space. Every time I deny that voice an audience I almost surely regret it. Patience, Noel, patience.

The pictures are kind of dark because I took them late yesterday afternoon in available light. That and I intentionally wanted them to be a bit grainy so as not to reveal too much (dirt and the mess just outside the frame). The room is still unfinished, but I believe most of the major elements to be in place.

  Below is a picture of what my living room looked like earlier this year.

Yeah, I think the new version is improved. I'll try to get some more pictures up this week.

Craigslist Love

All of the above items: SOLD! They came for the picture and left with the mirror and floating shelves as well. No, the shelves were not mounted. I took them down several weeks ago when I found a cool steel barrister case for the books. I listed the shelves at the time I took them down and had some interest but no takers. The mirror I listed at the same time as the picture, which was yesterday.

I was over the picture long ago. I liked it when I got it, but now, meh. The mirror was huge, and has been leaning after a couple of failed attempts at hanging it. I bought it with the intention of painting it, but that never happened. It needed to go where it could be loved. Same with the shelves.  I just don't have a place to store the excess. It feels so good to purge. Clearly I need to be more mindful of the items I purchase. But I think I did ok on selling them, especially if you take into consideration that I did get my share of use out of them.

Spotted

On Design Sponge. Kate Schintzius' Sneak Peek:

In the archives:

Found

Spotted, while I was out and about, at the curb, walking with Buster. They were a dirty mess, but cleaned up without too much effort. There are 19 of them, but I didn't have the space to hang all. This might be a temporary installation, as I think I'll tire of them in my entry way. Perhaps they spelled out "restaurant", but if that the case, I'm missing the additional "r." I hung them randomly as I wasn't feeling particularly clever at the time. They're kind of fun and different.

Staycation

I'm taking some time off from work, but since I have a thousand and one things to keep me occupied at home, I'm not going anywhere. I decided to treat myself to some total non-essentials as a consolation prize for staying put. My reward:

This is a Michelle Armas print on canvas that I've been coveting. It's available at Urban Outfitters. I was able to stack a couple of promotion codes during the online ordering process that knocked the price down to $54.39. Pretty resourceful, heh? The picture is in transit and should arrive on my porch on Tuesday. It's so different than any other artwork that I already have, which is a good thing.

Also:

Mary Randolph Carter's new book. Borders sent me an email with a 40% off coupon, thus easing the blow to my checking account.

I spent a couple of hours reading my new book last night and plan on spending some more time with it throughout my staycation.

Of course there are other acquisitions that I've made in the nearly two months since I last posted. For these things I have no justification in getting. However, I have been mostly thrifty in my pursuits. I will try to get back on track with blogging and share what I've been up to.

Rugs

If you're looking for a nice area rug that won't cost an arm and a leg check out Lowe's. They always have these bound Mohawk carpet remnants at great prices. I have purchased a multitude of these rugs over the years. They are durable and can be cleaned with a carpet cleaner.  I picked up this 6' x 8' last night. They had a couple of nice 8' x 12's that could have worked as well. The selection varies, so you may have to wait to find a good fit for your decor. Or you have the option of visiting all of the local stores to see what's available.

Zinio

I'll admit that I've become a digital magazine convert. Thus far I've subscribed to the digital versions of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Country Living. I've purchased individual digital issues of a Living Etc and Martha Stewart Living, and plan to add them to my subscription list soon.

If I subscribed to the traditional paper issues, eventually I would be overwhelmed by the clutter and the magazines would be handed off to family and friends. Not that there's anything wrong with passing your magazines down the line, but  sometimes it's hard to let go of all that inspiration. Now I can access all the past issues of my magazines sans the storage dilemma. I'm finding that the benefits of digital print media outweigh the cons. Actually, I'm not sure that I can report any negatives.

If you're on the fence when it comes to paper vs. cyber, here's your chance to try digital without obligation: The Read Green Initiative. I know this isn't the first time I've blogged about this, but now that I've had a few months worth of experience with digital magazine subscriptions, I can honestly say I'm hooked. And if you're wondering, I'm in no way affiliated with Zinio or any other subscription service.

Try it. You won't be sorry.

Project

This project started out as a 4' x 8' piece of maple veneered plywood that I picked up today at Home Depot. I had the sales person assisting me rip the sheet into two 2' x 8' boards so it would be more manageable to transport. With a loose plan already in place, I knew that I could work with the dimensions of the cut board.

The piece is assembled, but it needs finishing. Stay tuned for the reveal.

More Art

At Tuesday Morning I found this picture and three others from the same series by this artist. I love the prints, hate the frames. Or more accurately, I hate the antiqued border on the inside of the frame. The cheap-o pressed board frames I can sorta live with. Fearing they would be gone if I didn't snag them, I bought them knowing that I might be returning them. Generally, I end up regretting purchasing framed massed produced art. However, I do love this artwork. The pictures were $30 apiece, and at a little over 20" square they are sizable and would make a statement on my wall. I would have to fix the hideously tacky antique border if I kept them. And I have no business spending $120 and some change on artwork right now. I will have to figure out where the money is going to come from if I am to keep them. I'm leaning toward returning them. Some days I hate having a conscience.
 

Folk Art

Found at the Salvation Army Store on Wednesday. My pictures are poor, so they don't do the piece justice. I haven't decided where I'm going to put it, but I love it.