Thursday, April 29, 2010

Before/After TV Stand

We've been looking casually for a new TV stand for awhile now. I wanted something to replace the black plastic/glass shelved thing that everyone seems to have owned at one time or another.
Then, when Adelaide got mobile and was drawn to the Xbox like a moth to a flame; then we really had to do something.
By the way:
Why is it that of all the mid-century crap that floats around ebay and craigslist, you type in "credenza" or "sideboard" and suddenly everything is automatically several hundred dollars? What is that?
And why are all the decent looking and baby-proofable pieces are also at least four or five hundred? (at least all the ones I liked!)
It's a conspiracy I swear. The only place that has decent things at reasonable prices seems to be IKEA and I hate to rely on IKEA so heavily.
So, Eric and I found this little guy at one of the little antique-y stores around here:

It was too tall, wobbly, and kind of dingy and gross, but not bad at all for < $100. So we took it and two afternoons later, this is what we're left with:


Not bad right? So we can keep things in the bottom that A. can play with, and electronics can stay in the top part. I'm pleased with it. I'm not crazy about the chalkboard doors, I wanted to cover them in a fun fabric like one of these:








fabric_item

fabric_item





fabric_item

all via spoonflower: here, here, and here

But, Eric likes the chalkboard so whatever. It's growing on me I guess.
What do you think?

Sunday, April 25, 2010

More Polyvore Fun!

Have you discovered polyvore yet? It's so fun!
Now that we have lovely grass in the front yard and our house looks less abandoned, I want for it to look sunny and happy and welcoming with lots of fragrant flowers and plants for the birds and butterflies.
I really love this image:

Dutch Door Paint Kit
via Remodelista

I decided awhile back that I would be painting our exterior with Benjamin Moore's Iron Mountain, which is like the perfect charcoal, and several hours later I finished with this:




I don't know why it's so small... the purpose of my post shouldn't be smaller than my inspiration photo but whatever, I don't know how to fix it.

What do you think?

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Polyvore Fun:

Last night I stayed up until almost midnight putting together an inspiration board for our impending kitchen remodel.
I composed our budget, but part of that is designing right? Right.
So this is what I came up with:


What do you think?
I know it's pretty basic, but I really just wanted to see how all of the basic elements will work together.
And the actual wall color is a little lighter than that, it looks dark on my screen.


P.S. That stove is a pipe dream. I have fantasies about selling my car and using the money to buy La CornuFe.... That wouldn't be so crazy right?

The icebreaker, and Craft= FAIL!

Hello!
And welcome back! Huh? You've been here all along? Oh... maybe it was just me then.
Where have I been you ask? Here, around, wherever.
Being holed up in the house with baby all week with rain last week should have inspired blogging, I know but I was busy with other things. Like making things, and starting to make things, or trying to make things and failing horribly.
I had the brilliant idea to make a play iPhone for Adelaide since she loves how mine tastes so much, so I really wanted to sew one for her.
Well until this gets cleared out:

even sitting down at my sewing machine is out of the question.
So I decided to crochet! Now, I've never really crocheted anything except a giant circle, so this project might have been out of my league. However, I tore apart an old hat earlier in the week and ended up with a length of black yarn, and had found some dark gray lying around so I thought it was meant to be!
With no pattern, and no clear idea of what I was doing, this is what I came up with:


I worked for hours and as I finished, turned to Eric mournfully and said, "This looks like Adelaide made it!" which he thought was hilarious. Me, not so much... it was 1am. And I had been working on this sad lump of old fraying yarn and felt since dinner time.
I was heartbroken, wanting to make something awesome and fun for my baby, so she could have her very own phone to drool on and all I gave her was a choking hazard.
So, I decided (in the light of the next morning) that I shouldn't take myself too seriously, my precious gift is for a 6 month old who doesn't care if she's playing with a Tiffany necklace or a clump of dirt so long as she can put it in her mouth. (I reinforced some of the "apps" and tacked down some of the yarn before I gave it to her of course.) And the decision to share my pitiful failure was made.

I am working on other things that I hope will be more successful. Like this:


And these:


I've also been slaving away outdoors trying to turn our overgrown rat's nest of weeds and ivy into some semblance of a yard where we can all play in.
This is what I have so far:


We have a thriving vegetable patch, berries, a flower bed that spans the length of the house, and grass in the front yard! GRASS! This time last year, all we had was a dead tree, lots of ivy, and weeds. Oh, and rose bushes that are doing much better this year.
Soon we will have grass in the back yard as well, and more trees. I have oh so many ideas and plans for the yard but most of them may have to wait until the dust of other renovations projects have settled.
Now you will excuse me while I go pull my child out of the dog's kennel.