Craigslist Finds

Mid-Century Sofa, $75
 This needs some updating, but this is a great price for the shape and those awesome wood legs.

Red mid-century lamp, $100
Antique Library Card Cabinet, $300

Craigslist Finds

Mid-century High Boy, $250     Marble & Walnut coffee table, $250

Mid-century sofa, $195

Changes...

Well, I fell off the face of the earth. Here is what has been going on with me in the last 6 months.

1. We had a baby girl!!! Matilda "Tilly" Evelyn Irwin was born on June 18, 2013. 7 lbs, 12 oz, 22 inches long. She is adorable and has completely changed our life for the better. She is already so big, sweet and sassy.

2. I discovered project runway and cable TV.  On maternity leave I literally watched every episode of house hunters.

3. I completely changed my diet. I now am dairy, soy and gluten free thanks to my sweet little girl and some problems with eating:)

3. I've been trying my hand as Suzy homemaker: washing doing cloth diapers and making my own baby food. Turns out this is much simpler than I thought, but I still seem to easily not find the time or energy. No real reason. Some laziness and some obligations...like having a daughter.

3. Went back to work in August and jumped back into the exciting world of Cheree Berry Paper making awesome things.

and...

4. We are rehabbing a house! We are scheduled to move in about a month. More updates than you care for to come, so get ready.

So, basically, same old same old:) Thus my disappearance from the blogosphere. Hopefully that explains my absence. I hope to be back regularly sporadically with some posts soon.

Happy New Year!

Nursery Craigslist Finds

Great dresser, $30

Rocker, $120

Retro Rocker, $65

Dresser/changing table, $550 for the pair

a nursery for the newbie

It has been harder than I thought to land on a direction for the baby's nursery. I think part of it is that we are waiting to find out the sex of the baby. The other part is that I can't really decide on...well...anything. Ever. So, that complicates things a bit. But, despite my issues, the baby is coming in about 2 1/2 months, so there's that. Of course I can add some other touches once I know the gender. I cannot WAIT to meet him/her. Or "herm" as we have been calling it...but that kind of sounds short for "hermaphrodite," so we are trying to get rid of that term in our house. Anyways, here is where I am with the inspiration. Foxes, natural wood and textures, various animals and print randomness.

1. Feather mobile. I'm going to try a little DIY.
2. La Luna print
3. French Vintage Giraffe print
4. Antique Cuckoo clock (found antiquing for $20), similar one here.
5. White Jinny Lind Crib (loaned to me from my awesome sister-in-law)
6. Arrow fabric artwork
7. Owl Lamp
8. Changing Pad Cover (to make)
9. Crib Skirt (to make)
10. Adorable fox
11. Mid Century Dresser (to find on craigslist...on the to do list)
12. Trellis print Rug
13. Wicker Bin to hide ugly baby things
14. Mid Century Rocker (similar one found on craigslist for $150...score!)
15. Ombre Pillow
16. Beetle Pillow
17. Fox Fabric for crib sheet
18. Arrow Fabric for crib sheet or changing pad cover
19. Herringbone Fabric for crib sheet or changing pad cover

obligatory baby bump pics

There are some interesting things that come with pregnancy. Namely, everyone's fascination with your growing belly. I am going to be honest and say that I have actually been more self-conscious about this than I ever thought I would be. Jeremy thinks it is awesome and keeps asking me, "Isn't this fun? To see your belly?" Yes, it is fun and an amazing experience that I am so thankful to have. It doesn't get much better than this. But, at the same time it is like your belly has a mind of its own and just suddenly doubles in size in a week without your consent. How is that not cause for a little insecurity? Thankfully, everyone is very kind when you are pregnant and they always tell you that you look "beautiful, great, glowing, adorable" even when you feel bloated and odd. Unless you have an unfortunate experience with a stranger at Target.

So, without further ado, here are my low quality iphone 2nd trimester belly pics. As requested by my family and friends out of town. Enjoy.

  \

our summer house guest

We have been busy busy the last few months. So, apologies for the extreme lack of posting. We were contemplating putting our house on the market and were working away on our house project list. But now, we are just trying to get our house ready for a new summer house guest.

This June we will welcome a little baby Irwin and we couldn't be happier! We are so grateful for this opportunity to be parents and are humbled by the amazing gifts our God gives us, even when we don't deserve them. I can't believe I am now in my third trimester. Besides a couple of minor disgusting incidents of getting sick while driving, my pregnancy has been very smooth, for which I am thankful. I'm relishing in the energy I have now, although not getting very far on the nursery or other planning. Just daydreaming of this little one...

And remembering that my God loves to give good gifts to his imperfect children. I felt at times that God was not hearing our prayers. We grieved and waited and wondered. But, though we weren't always faithful through our suffering, God was faithful all along. And now we can rejoice.

"You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!"
Psalm 30: 11-12

Craigslist Finds

Mid-Century Couch, $850

Brown Mid-Century Chair, $150
Gold Mid-Century Chair, $225

Vintage Floral Chair, $60

Vintage Lounge Chair, $30

Vintage Craigslist Finds

Mid Century Sofa & Chair, $360

Two Mid Century Black Leather Chairs, $25

Vintage bar cart, $35

New Year, New Rugs!

I have been needing some rugs for quite some time, but why are all the good ones so darn expensive? Well, I (and you) are in luck because Rugs USA is running a huge New Year's sale and I was surprised what gems you could get for 65% off. Take a looksy at my favorites or see everything on sale here. Must order by Jan 7!

Radiant Xue Trellis, 5x8 for $157

Tuscan Morrocan, 5x7 for $172 

Lattice Trellis, 5x8 for $113

Natural Cowhide, $217

Persian Tower Trellis, 5x7 for $120

Nawra Trellis, 5x8 for $125

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.