craigslist: mid century finds

Pair of blue mid century chairs, $300

Mid Century Dresser, $495

Craigslist finds: Mid-Century

Mid Century Buffet, $200

Mid-Century Chair and Ottoman, $100

Mid-Century Couch, $750

Mid-Century Leather Chair, $60

Change is good

So, we have been changing some things around the house these days. Why all of the productivity, you ask? Well, we have been meaning to do these projects forever. And, for once, we have some sort of motivation: putting our house on the market in the spring! So, we thought it wise to start now on the good intention list (long as it may be).

First off, painting our front door. I have been wanting to do this since we moved in five years ago. Our front door is adorable and it has never reached its full potential in a dull, dark red that blends right into our brick. It needs to shine! I have always wanted a yellow front door. But, I wasn't sure if I would like it with red brick. And, there weren't a lot of yellow door pictures with red brick on pinterest that I liked. I had also considered kelly green, a mint green and cobalt blue. But I just kept coming back to yellow. It is so happy and not so crazy that it would deter potential home buyers.

Picking the color was another story. You want to pick something that goes with your brick, but has a nice contrast. And, you want to go bright, but not crazy bright. It was stressful. At first I thought it was a bit too bright for me and considered going more gold for the next coat. I'm so glad I didn't. Once all was said and done, we absolutely love it.

We used Benjamin Moore Yellow Brick Road (349). It was a great sunny yellow: not too bright but not too marigold.

Who cares if our next door neighbor keeps commenting on how bright and bold it is in a way that definitely communicates that they don't like fun. I'm ok with that. We do like fun. And hopefully the person who buys our house will, too!

Rule number 1: You should take your before picture on a gloomy day and your after picture on a nice sunny day. Not vice versa like I did. But, I'm a rule breaker. And, it still looks happier than before and I couldn't wait to share. More photos to come!

P.S! We got new hardware for our door and a new lamp. See, we have been productive.

Next up: More attractive house numbers and repainting our front two rooms in gray. Don't even get me started on how hard that color decision is...

Mr. Boddington is my hero

Mr. Boddington's new studio in West Manhattan is charming, quirky and simply AWESOME.  The colors. The patterns. The antiques. I wish that blue couch was in my living room. And that bench. And that wallpaper.

Drool over even more photos here.

persistence is a virtue

Dumpster diving is ok, right? I mean, I am cool with it if you are. I am especially ok with it if there is no actual "climbing into a dumpster." And, if my husband does the dirty work. And, if what you are diving for is worth it. Exhibit A: the beaut above.

We found this gem at Half & Half in Clayton. Jeremy and I go to Half & Half a lot. I mean, maybe too much. We once went there two meals in a row and were embarrassed when we had the same waiter. We decided to just fess up and get it all out there instead of having the awkwardness with our bearded friend. He was totally cool with it and we now feel free to frequent as much as we like. We also love their Mexican evening facade Media Noche. Please go. You won't be sorry. Hipsters, Margaritas and table-side guac. Together at last.

Anyways, Jeremy has frequent breakfast meetings there and saw this rustic gem by the dumpster one day. We had seen the piece inside before and loved it. Lonely and abandoned, the dresser looked like it was clearly going to be tossed. But, Jeremy being the stand-up citizen that he is, wanted to make sure he wasn't being shady. He went inside and asked the owners if he could have the piece. They said unfortunately one of the owners was going to take it home that day. Disappointed, Jeremy sulked out of the restaurant. But, persistence/annoyance pays off. Jeremy went back the next day for another meeting (that's right...he goes there two days in a row). It was still there. And it had POURED down rain the night before. The piece was soaked with tears of abandonment. So, Jeremy asked again. Are you sure that dresser is going to be taken? They said, "It's all yours."

Victory! He made his friend pack it in his truck and deliver to our house. He let it dry in the sun before bringing inside. Nothing beats free, awesome furniture. Just think, what if this piece ended up in the dumpster? It is now one of my favorite things in our house. And it has a story. Just one of the many things I love about old furniture.

Gray & Brown

I'm loving this look right now. Natural woods, worn leather mixed with neutral gray and black.

source here and here

source here and here

source here and here

If Anthropologie was affordable...

Craigslist Headboard, $50
Spray paint a bold color to get the look of the Lydia bed.

Anthropologie Lydia Bed, $2,598

Craigslist side table, $20
Anthropologie Hilja Nightstand, $998

 2 Danish Lounge Chairs, $100
Reupholster the cushions in a Suzani fabric.

Anthropologie Inge Chair, $1,898

When in Rome...

Well, we have reached the last stop on our trip: Rome. This also marks the first time on our trip that we didn't need a jacket, so that is something to celebrate!! We stayed in the historic center of Rome and walked miles every day exploring the sites of the city.

Pantheon

Making a wish at the Trevi Fountain (and throwing coins at make out couples)

The Old Bear restaurant

St. Peters on Liberation Day

Colosseum

The Roman Forum

These next few pictures need some explanation. Jeremy really wanted to visit the catacombs, so we looked up how to get there. Instead of taking a bus or taxi to the outskirts of town, we decided to take the metro to the closest stop and walk through a park to get there. It sounded like a great idea on a beautiful day...

It started off great. We saw sheep grazing in a pasture.

And beautiful yellow fields.

But, after walking for over an hour, we hadn't seen any signs of civilization. And, our iphone mislead us to a road that was not there. So, desperate to ensure that our trek was not in vain, we cut across an overgrown field that probably had snakes in it. Two hours later, we made it...hot and sweaty with grass all over us.

We barely made the last tour of the day and despite the pains to get there, we really enjoyed it.

And, we rewarded our off-roading efforts with some gelato.

Spanish Steps

And, that's our trip! We feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to travel abroad together. We will never forget it.

Rome Highlights:
1. Piazza Fontanella Borghese Antiquarian Market: great antique Italian prints
2. The Old Bear Restaurant: fettucini with truffle sauce and pumpkin lasagna
3. Gelato, gelato, gelato


Rome Lowlights:
1. Poor navigation skills on the way to the Catacombes
2. The "rose pushers" on the Spanish steps
3. The Sistene Chapel: it is a toss-up between this and the Mona Lisa for artwork most ruined by tourists.

Craigslist Finds: Some Goodies

Card Catalog, $250 • A great price for a large statement piece

Vintage metal stools, $35 each • great for a kitchen bar

Vintage Mini Bar, $185

Vintage Drafting Table, $100

Table Set, $300

Vintage chair and ottoman, $100 • I might just have to snag this one