Kitchen Dreams

I don't know if you remember from the MLS photo tour that I shared when we first moved into our place, but our kitchen leaves a little something to be desired. See what I mean:

We made some cosmetic changes the moment we moved in - removing the crazy amber sconces over the sink, some of the wallpaper (we stalled above the cabinets) and most of the galley rail on the upper cabinets (also stalled). We got a new stove and freshened up the walls with paint. And it goes without saying that the old owner's furniture is gone. I had high hopes when we bought the house that we'd be able to live with the kitchen long-term. The cabinets weren't in bad shape and while they are cream (not white, which is my preference), that could be easily remedied.

But the reality is that the kitchen just doesn't function well for us. We have dry food crammed in the peninsula (which, mind you, is only 12 inches deep) and in the upper cabinet to the left of the stove. That doesn't include cereal, which is too big to fit in either of those spaces and lives in the dining room instead. And our pots and pans are crammed into the lazy susan in the corner to the right of the range. It looks spacious, but looks can be deceiving as there's actually a lot of dead space behind that cabinet. And to boot, our dishwasher just recently died. Whomp, whomp, whomp...

So I was really excited when I heard that Ikea is currently doing a kitchen sale. My dad is a little skeptical about Ikea cabinets, but everything I've read says their boxes are better than competitors', as is their drawer hardware. And their frameless construction means you get more space than you would from a framed cabinet with the same dimensions. Not to mention that even though you have to put them together yourself, they're something that I might be able to install myself (well, with the help of Mark and my dad). So I've been using their planner to come up with a possible floorplan. Here's the current frontrunner:

Check out that U-shaped wonderfulness! This plan has us relocating all the appliances either a little bit in the case of the range and dishwasher (it's hidden by the cabinet door just to the right of the sink) or a lot in the case of the fridge. And we gain four (yes 4!!!) cabinets, including a tall pullout pantry to the right of the fridge, an appliance garage in the far right corner and a trash pullout to the left of the range. All while still leaving some breathing room around the window for fun curtains or artwork. In addition, I've mapped out what items will go in which cabinets and we have an entire cabinet empty right now. Yay for room to grow!

I priced out my first floorplan in an Ikea store. This one's been modified a bit since that 2+ hour pricing session, but not enough to make a huge difference in cost. The cabinets and appliances are within the budget. Now I just need to find a contractor and price out the electrical, plumbing and drywall work that we'll need done. And see if they can build a custom baking sheet cabinet to go in that grey filler space to the left of the sink. Speaking of the sink, I realize it's not centered on the window. This would normally bother my supremely anal-retentive self, but what you can't see is the vertical piece that runs down the center of the window (look back at the MLS photo), which makes it so that the sink is centered on the left pane. Love that this move allows for a nice long expanse of countertop to the right of it!

I'm beyond excited, in case you can't tell!! And thinking that I missed my calling. I'm so addicted to this kitchen planner that I think I should change careers to kitchen design. ;)

Crib Spring Photo Solution

When I made my to do list back at the beginning of the month, one of the items included was to work on a way to showcase some of Charlotte's artwork and family photos. Whatever I decided to do needed to meet a few requirements. It needed to be made in such a way that it'd be easy to swap out one item for the other whenever I saw fit. I know myself. And I know that if it requires taking down a frame to swap out a photo I'll have the same photos up years from now. I also knew that it needed to be cheap. I am a tightwad, after all. Here's what I came up with:

One of the casualties of our basement flood last year was Charlotte's crib. The wood pieces all got pitched, but I wisely saved the spring since it wasn't damaged at all. A leftover crib spring plus a scrap of wood and some screws was about as cheap as you can get (ie. completely free), and with the addition of a few binder/bullnose clips (to be replaced when I come up with something cuter), it's easy to change out pieces. Hanging it was super simple. I just screwed a small piece of wood horizontally to the studs, then removed two of the actual coils so I could send a screw through the resulting hole into the wood I'd screwed onto the wall. Clear as mud, right?! Yeah, I know. But I promise you, it couldn't be easier. Then I just clipped up some favorite photos and artwork.

I'm so stoked that the spring fit into this spot. It wedges just perfectly between the bathroom door and my bedroom door. Seriously, there's only about 1/4 of an inch to spare. And best of all, Charlotte's really excited about it. It's fuller than what is pictured here because she's already found other drawings and paintings that she wanted to add to the mix. Love that!

I've never been one to hang photos of my family everywhere. For one thing, I don't have many (well, I have lots - just not printed out). But mainly because it feels weird. I don't know why since I like it in other people's homes. But this bulletin board of sorts just feels right. I love being greeted by it every time I head up the stairs!

Sources: La La Love You print - Sparkle Power, Let the Sun Shine In print - Slide Sideways, pants hanger - Ikea, paintings - courtesy of Charlotte, super cute girl in the photos - courtesy of me :)

The Queen Mum

I was browsing Apartment Therapy a while back and came across this article that featured a color chart showing what the Queen's preferences in clothing were over the course of a year. The illustration struck me for a couple reasons. First, Mark is British and therefore loves just about anything with the Royal Family. Tins, mugs, tea towels... we've got it all. Second, I like color and loads of it. That's evident all over the house. So this particular piece seemed like the perfect marriage (haha, so punny) of my and Mark's predilections. I scoured the web for the largest size of it I could find, sized it up a bit more so that it'd fit a 12x18 sheet, and had it printed at Staples for just a few bucks. Into a frame I already had on hand it went, and we were left with the vignette you see below, which is atop a wardrobe in our bedroom.

Isn't it fun?! I love when a plan comes together and comes together cheaply. And I love getting items crossed off my to do list, even if it didn't happen until early September instead of August. Progess is progress, right?

Sources: Security Food Pail - Bellalulu Vintage, Fake Plant - Michael's, Corked Glass Jar - thrifted, Plaid Tins - Ikea, White Frame - Target


P.S. Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy birthday Mark!! I promise this artwork isn't your gift. ;)

I Need a Makeover!

Well, I don't need a makeover. My sunroom does. Ok, I could maybe use a makeover too. You know, a new wardrobe. Maybe a fresh cut and some color. But that's neither here nor there. The focus here is my sunroom and all it's hideousness. Have you seen it before? No? Well, that's because I've never really shared any photos of it on the blog because it's so awful. But Vintage Revivals is doing an Epic Room Makeover Giveaway, and if you want to win you have to display the fug. So, here goes:

Yeah, the photos speak for themselves, right?! Well, the labels help. :) The room used to be a carport, but at some point prior to us purchasing the house it was finished off into a three season room. I use that term loosely, because it's really too cold to use in winter and too hot to use in the summer. Guess I need to invest in an A/C for this space. There's a lot of potential here, but so much is working against it right now. Icky and worn carpeting. Wood paneling whose stripes, when combined with the stripes of the ceiling, can induce dizziness. Windows galore that make coming up with window coverings difficult. A stairwell that never gets used (yeah, that didn't make it in the picture, but it's near the rear door - the one with the pet door). A porch light placed sorta randomly on the only open wall. Need I go on?

But like I said, this space has so much potential. It's been my goal to turn it into an additional entertaining space since it's the path between the kitchen and the backyard, which means it gets tons of traffic whenever guests are over. So seating and fun decor are the main priority. But I also envision using it as a spare work space too. Our place is small so there's no one room that can be devoted to creating with Charlotte. Currently our dining table is her art space, but having to always pick up in order to eat can really stifle your creativity. I'd love to be able to leave the occasional project out until it can be worked on again.

Truth be told, there's tons I'd like to do around my house and this room is just one of many tasks on the list. Right now, our priority is working with what we've got and saving our pennies to redo our kitchen. It's the epitome of dysfunctional and will take some real work, so everything else, this space included, is on the back burner. Without a little help I don't see the sunroom getting the attention it deserves for several years. If that even. So please, pretty pretty please, go check out the entries and vote for your favorite choice (mine). Make sure to pick someone who you think really could use the help (me). And a space that has the potential for an awesome transformation (this one). And if it'll sway you my way, imagine that I'm batting my eyelashes and pouting. And if that'll sway you away from me, know that that's not my style, so I'm totally not.

Pssst... I'm entry #126. Voting ends on Sept 14 and you can vote once per day per IP address. Go vote!

Artificial Plants {On the Hunt}

I've got a black thumb. Not grey. Not black with a tinge of green. Truely and utterly black. And yet I really, really like the look of plants in a home. They add great texture and do a lot to brighten up a space. I mean, take a look at some of these room photos I've keep in my files:

I've tried before and know that a plant in my home is bound to meet an untimely end. It's just inevitable. So I'm trying to find fake houseplants that will give me the look I want without the maintenance. Ikea has some great small ones, but nothing with the size shown in my inspiration photos. And while I don't mind ordering some online, it's hard to really judge quality without seeing them in person.

So do you have any sources? Any hidden spots where one can found good quality, artificial houseplants at an afforable price point? Oh, did I forget to add that part? Yeah, I don't want to spend a gazillion dollars.

August Goals

We're a week into the month of August, and aside from creating a new Nike campaign with my sister, I haven't accomplished much. The Olympics, while I love them, are really putting the kabash on my productivity. So I've decided I need a list of goals for the month. Not too many, because there is still a lot of the Games left to be played and I'll likely be glued to the tv for much of that time. But here's the should-be-doable list:

* Paint art for my bedroom. I know what I want to paint. I have the canvas. I probably even have the paint. I just need to get my act together and get it done. And since I can do it with Olympics coverage playing in the background (it'd be super appropriate actually - more on that later), there's really no excuse.

* Finish painting the chair for my bedroom. I started painting it several days back, but ran out of paint. So now I just need to pick up another can, do a better job prepping my painting space (I did it barefoot last time - not a great idea) and finish the job.

* Print some free art for my bedroom. Are you noticing a theme yet?! I've decided to focus on our bedroom. I just recently found a piece on Pinterest that I want to print and frame. I like my art to either be vintage or funny or both, and this piece will counter the kitschy big-eyed girl prints and needlepoints that I already have in the space.

* Reorganize my bedroom. A while back, when an antique mall in my area closed for good, I picked up a leggy cabinet for a steal at just $23. It's been in my bedroom for months now, completely unused. Which makes no sense at all since I have piles of out-of-season clothes, linens, etc sitting around the room. So now is the time to organize and find everything a permanent home.


Do you have a list of things to accomplish this month?

Head of the Bed

I haven't shown you much of my bedroom before, have I? There's a reason for that. Well, a couple actually. For one thing, the room is tiny. Like really tiny. About 12 x 15 to be exact. And that makes photographing it very difficult. But more importantly, it's been completely neglected since we moved in over 18 months ago. It got painted right away (had to cover up that horrible faux job it started with), and I made curtains (which I recently swapped out for something different), but aside from that it's been untouched and unaccessorized for the entire time. I haven't made much progress, but did finally tackled one item on that room's to do list the other day - getting a headboard up.

When I started my little project the view of the bed was just what you see above. The window basically functioned as a headboard and that worked just fine for me. The problem is what you can't see. We have baseboard heating and it's positioned right under the head of the bed. With pillows resting up against the wall the heat, and more importantly the A/C, was blocked completely. Something had to be done.

So I picked up a piece of wood from the As-Is section of Ikea for just $4. I'm not sure what it was meant for (a dresser maybe), but I liked the color and the size was right - it was a few inches wider than a queen mattress and about 15 or so inches high. That plus some spare pieces of wood and a heavy duty picture hanger was all I needed to create a headboard that would allow air to flow up behind the mattress and pillows.

I began by attaching 18 inch lengths of 2x4s to the studs. The idea was that rather than attaching the headboard directly to the wall, the 2x4s would create a gap between the headboard and the wall that would allow air to flow. And while the top 2x4 is the only one that was actually going to be attached to the headboard, I figured the bottom one would provide a bit of stability in that it wouldn't allow the headboard to angle toward the wall.

Next up I attached one half of the picture hanger to the top 2x4. It came with screws and a tiny level, so this part of the process was pretty simple. But it was then that it occurred to me that the picture hanger was adding some extra depth to the top 2x4 that the other didn't have. So out came another piece of spare wood that I attached to the bottom 2x4 to make them even again. After that, it was as easy as screwing the other half of the picture hanger to the headboard and putting it up. The halves of the picture hanger slide into one another and can be adjusted side to side to ensure it's positioned correctly. Any fool can do it (ahem, me).

I'm super happy with the result! I think the wood tone brings a nice warmth that the space was lacking before, and I definitely can't complain about the cost. About $20 or so ($15 for the picture hanger and $4 for the Ikea remnant). Not to mention, it does exactly what I need it to do - let's the air flow up the wall. My nights have been noticeably cooler!

On a side note, I used another of those picture hangers to hang a giant chalkboard (it's 5 feet wide) in my dining room. And we've gotten new dining room chairs (ask and ye shall receive), and done a little rearranging in the living room. Definitely a lot of movement around our house!!

So, what have you been up to? Any great cheap fixes you've made lately?


P.S. Happy, happy, happy, happy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Caleb!! And Keira too!

Dining Chairs {On the Hunt}

Our dining room chairs (well, really my sister's dining room chairs if you want to get technical) have officially bit the dust. Quite literally. Mark sat in one a few weeks ago and the legs broke right off. They weren't expensive (those Target bentwood chairs that were all the rage a few years back - bought on clearance), but I didn't expect them to break apart quite so soon. C'est la vie, I guess. So now I'm scouring stores and Craigslist to see if I can find replacements. The problem is I really don't know what I want. Shocking, I know. <---- Note the sarcasm.

I could go for something similar to those featured in the above photo, which has long been the general inspiration for the space. The problem is, no matter what the store name is, that kind of design is not within reach pricewise. Please, click the link and check out that ridiculousness. ... Now fan yourself after that shock, and let's get back to business. Amazon has knock-offs that are far better priced, but still more than I'd be willing to spend. Besides, the style just doesn't see very me. Nor very child-friendly. So, moving on...

Another option is what I always planned to get at some point - a classic Eiffel shell chair. While the ones in the photo are probably the real deal, you can find tons of fake options on ebay with wire legs like those in the inspiration image or wood legs. Given that the price on the links is for a pair, and shipping is free, these could be within the budget if I save a bit. But I'm waffling about whether or not white plastic is the direction I want to go. They just seem to take up a lot of space visually and the room is already pretty small.

The last option, and probably the cheapest, would be to find something on Craigslist and paint them. I know I definitely don't want wood-tone chairs (there's enough of that with the table and hardwood floors), and would probably just revert to white, but a color like red might be an option. I like the spindles on these, but Craigslist can be super hit or miss. That coupled with working daytime hours, and therefore missing out on a lot of the good stuff just because of timing of picking things up, means that I might be searching for a while. And I don't necessarily have a while.

Hmmm... decisions, decisions. So, what say you? Which direction should I go? One of the three above or something totally different? White or a color? Craigslist or store-bought? Heck, why don't you just pick them out for me. Just let me know what you find. ;)

Goodbye Boob Light

Charlotte spent the night at my sister's on Friday (thanks Mandy!). Mark and I decided to spend much of our childless time planning what needed to be done around the house. And shopping for supplies for a couple projects. High on the to do list was to replace the boob light in our upstairs landing area.


You're familiar with them right? Round, boring and look just like a boob when viewed from the right angle (once you've seen it, you can't unsee it). While they function just fine, they're totally lacking in style and I've made it a mission to rid this house of them. In less than an hour's time I accomplished that mission. Yeah, we're that good. And we only had one of them to contend with. Hehe. Don't fear though, we have plenty of other ugly light fixtures to tackle down the line. But, I digress... after we returned from the store Mark made quick work of removing the old fixture, so we could replace it with this little beauty.


Kidding, kidding. Well, sorta. This $10 fixture is probably uglier than the boob light, if that's possible. But it was a means to an end. You see, we Mark installed the fixture itself and left off the shade. That left us with a downward facing bulb socket that we could attach this copper tiered shade to. It's a favorite amongst bloggers and I anxiously awaited it to go back in stock at Urban Outfitters so I could grab one. I love it's beat up uniqueness!

Mark isn't in love yet, but he'll come around. Now I have to work on convincing him that we should paint over the chalkboard wall we have in the kitchen and instead paint the landing in black chalkboard paint. Crazy, right?! Yup, that's me. And once the rest of the hall is spruced up, I'll make sure to share a wider angle of the space with you.

Good Health

I've noticed a pattern in the past year and a half that we've owned this house. Others (ie. my mother) may have noticed this too. I can't finish a room. As many ideas as I have about what to fix up here, what to DIY there, I haven't truly finished anything. The living room is close, but I'm still struggling with what to hang over the couch. Charlotte's room has a clear plan, but I've yet to make her drapes or hang art on the walls. And here I am, moving on to another room. Ah well...

This time we're on to the bathroom. The only full bath in the house. Yeah, Charlotte's teenage years may kill us all. The space is snug, but has lots of great light thanks to the ceiling skylight. Everything is in pretty good shape, just not what I'd have picked. The tile, which fully encloses the shower and goes halfway up the other walls, is cream colored. I'm pretty sure it was a mottled cream before, but was painted over to be a solid cream tone at some point. I know this because the paint is peeling on the built-in soap dish. Weird, right?! So in the near future I'll be working to get the paint from the soap dish off completely and then sealing everything to prevent future peeling. We'll see how well that goes.

In the interim (and by that I mean until I finally get around to the paint removing/sealing project) I'm shopping. It's what I do. :) I already snagged a clearanced shower curtain and bathmat and have some other ideas planned. My favorite purchase thus far is in the art category. Check it out:


Pardon the less than stellar quality of the photos. Taking pictures of pictures isn't easy. But aren't they adorable?! These Good Health Pictures are from 1965 and are meant for educational use. There are 12 in total, so I've got 7 other adorable options, but the ones pictures above make the most sense for a bathroom. Now I just have to decide how to hang them. Do I laminate them and just tack them to the wall? Put them in frames? White? Wood? A metal tone? Is 5 pictures ok, or should I add in a 6th to even things out? Decisions, decisions.

P.S. If you want a set of your own, I found another Etsy listing. It's going for less than what I paid. Hmmfph.

Too Short Slipcover Solution

Like tons of people out there, especially bloggers it seems, I have some Ikea furniture. I'm not a big fan of all the store's stuff, but I do love my Ektorp Jennylund chair. You just can't go wrong with a comfy armchair and its slipcover that can be washed at a moment's notice. Especially with an afforable $200 price tag. I do have one complaint though...


It's a little hard to see in this photo (taken just after we first painted), but the slipcover is so darn short. Ugh. That floodpants length really ruins the look of an otherwise nice piece of furniture. It's irked my nerves enough that I decided I needed to do something about that 2 or so inches of empty air. Wanna see my solution?


Do you see what I did? Need me to go in for a closer look?


I snagged some white pom pom ball fringe (from this Etsy seller) and added it to the bottom hem of the slipcover, going all the way around. I love the result! You really don't see the gap any longer, and it's such a fun addition. And since it only took about 1/2 hour from start to finish - taking the cover off, sewing the trim on (I didn't even pin) and putting the cover back on - and cost less than $7 including shipping, I'm left asking myself why I didn't do it sooner. I'm ready to add pom pom trim to just about everything now!!

Have you found any quick and easy solutions lately?

Shopping Success

My mom, sister and I were pretty bummed to find out that our favorite antique mall in the area is closing its doors. Today is their last day open actually. :( While it can be really hit or miss in terms of finding good deals there (lots of vendors way overprice their items), with the closing came tons of sales. I spent about $115 and walked away with loads of goodies. Here's one of my favorites:


It's a Heywood Wakefield children's chair that I spent about $20 on - not too bad when they list for at least twice that, plus shipping, on Etsy. I love the beat up wood and that the bright red legs pick up the stripe of the same color in the crate bookcase I made last summer. And Charlotte loves it too! I'd contemplated hanging it on the wall in my laundry room for a bit of extra storage (sorta like this), but I'm fearful Charlotte would scale my washing machine trying to get to it! So the living room is its official home.


I also got a leggy old china cabinet (for about $23!!), a game from Mark's childhood, an old door, a few knick knacks and a huge dollhouse for Charlotte's birthday. It's ginormous - about 4 1/2 feet high from floor to peak - has some awesome 80s styling and is sized just right for Barbies. I'd always planned to transform her cube bookcase into a dollhouse, but at just $10 (yup, you read that right) I couldn't pass it up. Now I'm scouring the interwebs and my mom's basement for Barbie furniture. Hopefully I find good deals on them too!