so i have been away for a while, it is true. part of this is due to travel; i was in portugal for a couple of weeks, home for a couple of weeks, bounced back out to florida, where i am now. my friends ray and pete had a BEAUTIFUL hippie wedding this past saturday, and i have another wedding coming up saturday (my sister's, for which i am both maid of honor and wedding planner/designer).
HOWEVS, i am coming home monday night, whereupon shit is getting serious. i'm starting my first cleanse that day, and i'm also starting the eight week cure. i have been a bit sporadic with updates to this blog at least partially because i've been a bit sporadic with updates to my home. but: i am committed. i have the money (due to a serendipitous combination of a fat tax return and the fact that the month of may has FIVE pay periods in it instead of four. XO!), and i have the time - because after all of this jetsetting i am chained to my desk until about december.
brimfield is also in may, and moveout day and all the free furniture that that entails, along with the knowledge that it is finally spring again and i'm no longer deeply depressed. i finally have the energy to tackle this. i'm out of step with the official apartment therapy cure, because i think i was in ireland when that one started.
so this blog is going to have to be where i detail my struggle and labor, post in desperation and triumph, and hope to get the encouragement and inspiration to keep going. big mountain to climb in my future, huh? but eight weeks from monday i will have a finished home. the goal, among other things? coffee table at last.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
animal dreams
so sporadic (for shame)! here are some snippets from my house, since apparently coherent thought on same fails me when it comes time to blog. a tableau of the ways in which animals creep in even though i can't have pets, followed by an introduction to my new entryway table.
sometimes you need a peace dove to hold your stirring spoon. that is all i'm saying. one of my cherished finds from sarasota bargain barn.
first elephant: one of my favorite teapots, and one of the only ones i kept when i consolidated my collection. this teapot was purchased in portugal last spring, and was first used when luis and i had our long bilateral peace talks. but i THINK i may have mixed up the two pots in my luggage, meaning the actual pot used in the process is now living with anna in asheville. this is probably okay.
the "backsplash" to my hutch - also known as a pair of ikea trays that unite senhor elephant and senhora peace dove pretty nicely!
who keeps your feet warm? because mine are protected by fabulouselephant monkey slippers. (editor's note: oops! elephants on the brain.) note in rest of image: fabulous shag rug, bright yellow leg of the couch i still need to sell, csail duffel bag waiting to be packed for gym tomorrow, water glass on the ground because i still don't have a coffee table.
final elephant; this guy holds quarters for laundry and i got him when i was in sarasota this past thanksgiving. currently he is running on nearly empty - time to buy another roll. also, does anyone know what sort of metal this is? i think it is tarnished and should be a gold-ish color if it were properly shined, but i don't know what products to use to clean it.
my two vases: the whale and the chickadee. currently empty because working all afternoon today means that i never made it to the grocery store - alas!
my new man: a scruffed up grunow teledial potentially dating from about 1937. it needs new knobs and some serious love to the peeling veneer top:
to say nothing of a new faceplate. from looking at pictures of old ones, they were VERY grand; a glass plated front and the gold foil obviously all in one piece. i may chip off the rest of the veneer on top and cover it with some pretty wallpaper?
it's going to be a resting place for, among other things, my first piece of milk glass (purchased in the same shopping trip), and a vase and a place to hold keys and organize stuff. since that was the only big thing i needed for my entryway, i'm in the mood to paint it a dark turquoise next weekend, start scouting for hooks, hang the asker pods i've been saving for its organization and get things into gear!
sometimes you need a peace dove to hold your stirring spoon. that is all i'm saying. one of my cherished finds from sarasota bargain barn.
first elephant: one of my favorite teapots, and one of the only ones i kept when i consolidated my collection. this teapot was purchased in portugal last spring, and was first used when luis and i had our long bilateral peace talks. but i THINK i may have mixed up the two pots in my luggage, meaning the actual pot used in the process is now living with anna in asheville. this is probably okay.
the "backsplash" to my hutch - also known as a pair of ikea trays that unite senhor elephant and senhora peace dove pretty nicely!
who keeps your feet warm? because mine are protected by fabulous
final elephant; this guy holds quarters for laundry and i got him when i was in sarasota this past thanksgiving. currently he is running on nearly empty - time to buy another roll. also, does anyone know what sort of metal this is? i think it is tarnished and should be a gold-ish color if it were properly shined, but i don't know what products to use to clean it.
my two vases: the whale and the chickadee. currently empty because working all afternoon today means that i never made it to the grocery store - alas!
my new man: a scruffed up grunow teledial potentially dating from about 1937. it needs new knobs and some serious love to the peeling veneer top:
to say nothing of a new faceplate. from looking at pictures of old ones, they were VERY grand; a glass plated front and the gold foil obviously all in one piece. i may chip off the rest of the veneer on top and cover it with some pretty wallpaper?
it's going to be a resting place for, among other things, my first piece of milk glass (purchased in the same shopping trip), and a vase and a place to hold keys and organize stuff. since that was the only big thing i needed for my entryway, i'm in the mood to paint it a dark turquoise next weekend, start scouting for hooks, hang the asker pods i've been saving for its organization and get things into gear!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
i've been away
for a while. but this doesn't mean my house is languishing! lots of exciting things in the pipeline; here is a quick teaser of a project i'm working on now - jewelry shadowboxes courtesy of design*sponge!
this is my jewelry. it has been living in a small magenta pencil case for far, far too long now, and while i am unlikely to wear earrings while my ears still have a chance to freeze outside, i really enjoy the style of everything i own, and it's much more cohesive than i thought it was. i left a lot of stuff i don't wear anymore in tampa when i moved, so that could be a part of it (although now that i have space to store it, it might be very nice to bring some back with me next time i visit). these will hang in rows of three over the dresser that i don't yet have. i want something simple and danish-esque, like
this
or this.
it needs to be relatively small (no more than 56 inches across or i won't be able to comfortably access my closet - even with the door removed), and i'm not mentally prepared to pay more than $50 or so for it. i'm keeping my eyes peeled; craigslist seems to be on the edge of a major upswing. for example:
this is being sold for $75. which is a monster deal. and it is a cool, petite 41 inches across. however, i don't have $75 right now, so i am not sure how i am going to avoid being the shady craigslist person who asks for price and dimensions and then doesn't respond to the email. perhaps i will email her back during the day wednesday (strategic, as wednesday might as well be friday as far as planning is concerned - is this how people plan dates?) and see if it is still available.
back to the jewelry for a second: a quick word to the wise when attempting this shadowbox project. you may rap on the clear front of the ikea bas shadowbox, and you may think "hmmm. it's pretty inconvenient that this plastic is built in as a part of the box and doesn't slide easily in and out. still, it should be pretty easy to give it a smart tap with a hammer and take the pieces out."
imagine your surprise, then, when the plastic turns out to be glass. (caution, is all i am saying.)
other house news is mainly all about getting more settled. i'm writing this on a break from intensively cleaning, and when i'm doing i'll go right back to the final stuff: cleaning mirrors and scrubbing sinks and bathtubs, wiping down desks and windowsills and countertops, sweeping and finally using this fancy wood mopper/polisher thing i got at target. (method, you warm the wee cockles of my heart.) i have been traveling a lot recently, it seems; thanksgiving in florida was followed by three weeks here, then a week in vermont; that was followed by three weeks here, then a week in dc for the inauguration.
i've been back for a little over a week, and it seems (not including a potential valentine's weekend in quebec city) that i'll be hanging around for a while this time. new news to be on the lookout for when my posting schedule stabilizes:
- complete rearrangement of bedroom (pieces sold, pieces bought, layout changed entirely)
- sectional soon to be no more! i have a new couch (and cozy kitchen chair) waiting in the wings at eliza's house across the hall. more on the why of that later
- desk chair on the auction block
- prowling for a new monster hutch
right now my home is like a boy in short pants. (nowhere is this illustrated more beautifully than the bathtub, which is an elegantly flat clawfoot tub with an internal liner, but no billowing, lovely, entirely decorative outer curtain.) i think the time of adolescence is drawing near, though; in the next few months, keep an eye out for its hems to start to reach towards the floor.
this is my jewelry. it has been living in a small magenta pencil case for far, far too long now, and while i am unlikely to wear earrings while my ears still have a chance to freeze outside, i really enjoy the style of everything i own, and it's much more cohesive than i thought it was. i left a lot of stuff i don't wear anymore in tampa when i moved, so that could be a part of it (although now that i have space to store it, it might be very nice to bring some back with me next time i visit). these will hang in rows of three over the dresser that i don't yet have. i want something simple and danish-esque, like
this
or this.
it needs to be relatively small (no more than 56 inches across or i won't be able to comfortably access my closet - even with the door removed), and i'm not mentally prepared to pay more than $50 or so for it. i'm keeping my eyes peeled; craigslist seems to be on the edge of a major upswing. for example:
this is being sold for $75. which is a monster deal. and it is a cool, petite 41 inches across. however, i don't have $75 right now, so i am not sure how i am going to avoid being the shady craigslist person who asks for price and dimensions and then doesn't respond to the email. perhaps i will email her back during the day wednesday (strategic, as wednesday might as well be friday as far as planning is concerned - is this how people plan dates?) and see if it is still available.
back to the jewelry for a second: a quick word to the wise when attempting this shadowbox project. you may rap on the clear front of the ikea bas shadowbox, and you may think "hmmm. it's pretty inconvenient that this plastic is built in as a part of the box and doesn't slide easily in and out. still, it should be pretty easy to give it a smart tap with a hammer and take the pieces out."
imagine your surprise, then, when the plastic turns out to be glass. (caution, is all i am saying.)
other house news is mainly all about getting more settled. i'm writing this on a break from intensively cleaning, and when i'm doing i'll go right back to the final stuff: cleaning mirrors and scrubbing sinks and bathtubs, wiping down desks and windowsills and countertops, sweeping and finally using this fancy wood mopper/polisher thing i got at target. (method, you warm the wee cockles of my heart.) i have been traveling a lot recently, it seems; thanksgiving in florida was followed by three weeks here, then a week in vermont; that was followed by three weeks here, then a week in dc for the inauguration.
i've been back for a little over a week, and it seems (not including a potential valentine's weekend in quebec city) that i'll be hanging around for a while this time. new news to be on the lookout for when my posting schedule stabilizes:
- complete rearrangement of bedroom (pieces sold, pieces bought, layout changed entirely)
- sectional soon to be no more! i have a new couch (and cozy kitchen chair) waiting in the wings at eliza's house across the hall. more on the why of that later
- desk chair on the auction block
- prowling for a new monster hutch
right now my home is like a boy in short pants. (nowhere is this illustrated more beautifully than the bathtub, which is an elegantly flat clawfoot tub with an internal liner, but no billowing, lovely, entirely decorative outer curtain.) i think the time of adolescence is drawing near, though; in the next few months, keep an eye out for its hems to start to reach towards the floor.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
44
i'm in dc for the inaugural! i have been seeing some very inspiring interiors and stores, walking around and absorbing the feel of a city that is in a lot of ways both older and younger, wilder and more staid than boston, and buying lots of small things for the home. updates in the next two weeks.
i'm doing exciting things to my bedroom this month, and hopefully i'll have exciting things to show by the end. i wanted a dresser that someone else bought out from under me (the story of my life on chop chop), but i have faith that i'll find one happier and better, and soon.
i'm doing exciting things to my bedroom this month, and hopefully i'll have exciting things to show by the end. i wanted a dresser that someone else bought out from under me (the story of my life on chop chop), but i have faith that i'll find one happier and better, and soon.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
oh, goodness
so: my house is a mess.
we are having a massive snowstorm in boston and i picked this weekend as the time when i was going to start getting shit together. i salvaged shelves from the trash and i had high hopes of painting them and putting them in my closet, prompting the massive reorganization that is necessary to keep said closet from permanently becoming what it currently embodies (boxes piled on open boxes, a leaning tower of disorganization).
it took me three days to get the shelves painted: setbacks, chaos, nearly exploded pilot flames due to inadvisable indoor use of spray paint. i finished them by hand. i tried to put them in the closet. they don't fit. i tried to take off first one corner support, and then a second, for reattachment once the shelves were firmly in the closet. it's not working. so with scraped, swollen fingers, boxes strewn all over my house, along with paint dust and paint chips and a half disassembled set of shelves that i am now (guess what?) almost certainly going to put back in the trash, i am conceding momentary defeat.
i'm sure i'll come back from it. this is just a particularly low point (right? right?) and with an area rug (read: baby) on the way for christmas, my living room has to turn into something i love sooner than later.
but i hate this room sometimes. my sectional sofa, which i championed and reupholstered at great personal expense (both time and cash monies), is simply too big. it doesn't fit. my great sofa love is the anson, from room and board:
what's a girl to do? i don't have $1700 just kicking around, burning a hole in my pocket (though if i did, i might have a much nicer apartment).
so here i am at the end of december, six months into this project. broke, messy, pathetic, with a half finished sofa that i am already needing to sell off (in fact, i also need to sell the armoire - and possibly also the illest bookcase ever). they just don't work. and i feel like a design idiot.
of the eleven pieces of furniture in my house, two were trash salvages, one is still at the stata center (because i have no money to work on it, no clear idea of what to do with it and no clue where i'll put it when it's done). two are definitely being sold, and two more are in states of deliberation. (the two that are being deliberated over will be sorely in need of repainting and reupholstery if they're going to stay.) one was a gift (and i suppose my bed was also a gift, from my mom). the two salvage pieces are sort of taking up space, and all my grand ideas seem to be absolute crap right this second.
i own:
1) a kitchen island, courtesy of eliza (my awesome neighbor across the hall) and her mother in watertown
2) a scoop chair, salvaged from the trash, that needs to be reupholstered and could also stand to be lifted about ten inches off the ground so it's a comfortable place to sit
3) a vintage victorian settee, languishing in the lair of the infrastructure group
4) a three piece french provincial sectional sofa, which is beautiful and absolutely wrong for the room, and into which i've poured nearly $500 at this point - and i haven't even covered the staples
5) an ikea skruvsta chair in orange, which needs to be reupholstered and then probably sold in exchange for a desk chair with a smaller profile
6) a mid century modern desk, which i heart
7) a vintage bookcase that is cute, but painted the wrong color for the room as it's currently being understood
8) a set of shelves plucked from the trash that is even now half assembled and sticking out of my closet
9) a tall platform bed to which i retreat when times get hard (i am thinking about it right now)
10) a full length mirror that is very cute
11) a danish modern armoire that is handmade, exceptionally well crafted, and also too short and too small to be of any real use to me aside from creating disorder, and which i've swapped for a hanging sweater bag and some cloth drawers. i need to sell the armoire. i need to sell what feels like everything.
i was smart to acquire:
- my full length mirror
- my bed
- my ten dollar kent coffey desk (that was a genius move that is one of the few redeeming choices i've made)
i was stupid to do: nearly everything else, up to and including painting my walls blue, my couch trim yellow, and purchasing a great deal of furniture before i was physically in the space.
i need a design overhaul - and now I CAN'T AFFORD IT, because of the obscene amount of money i've already poured into items for this house that i may never recoup. i am broke and paying off credit card debt and living inside my means, but just barely. and i kind of hate my apartment. so what do i really have to show for all of this? not much. all i can really do is go back to craigslist to look for a couch and hope everything will just shut down or turn off soon. i'm tempted to sell this couch and go back to sitting on my desk chair or bed until i'm absolutely certain something is right. i can't do this again.
we are having a massive snowstorm in boston and i picked this weekend as the time when i was going to start getting shit together. i salvaged shelves from the trash and i had high hopes of painting them and putting them in my closet, prompting the massive reorganization that is necessary to keep said closet from permanently becoming what it currently embodies (boxes piled on open boxes, a leaning tower of disorganization).
it took me three days to get the shelves painted: setbacks, chaos, nearly exploded pilot flames due to inadvisable indoor use of spray paint. i finished them by hand. i tried to put them in the closet. they don't fit. i tried to take off first one corner support, and then a second, for reattachment once the shelves were firmly in the closet. it's not working. so with scraped, swollen fingers, boxes strewn all over my house, along with paint dust and paint chips and a half disassembled set of shelves that i am now (guess what?) almost certainly going to put back in the trash, i am conceding momentary defeat.
i'm sure i'll come back from it. this is just a particularly low point (right? right?) and with an area rug (read: baby) on the way for christmas, my living room has to turn into something i love sooner than later.
but i hate this room sometimes. my sectional sofa, which i championed and reupholstered at great personal expense (both time and cash monies), is simply too big. it doesn't fit. my great sofa love is the anson, from room and board:
what's a girl to do? i don't have $1700 just kicking around, burning a hole in my pocket (though if i did, i might have a much nicer apartment).
so here i am at the end of december, six months into this project. broke, messy, pathetic, with a half finished sofa that i am already needing to sell off (in fact, i also need to sell the armoire - and possibly also the illest bookcase ever). they just don't work. and i feel like a design idiot.
of the eleven pieces of furniture in my house, two were trash salvages, one is still at the stata center (because i have no money to work on it, no clear idea of what to do with it and no clue where i'll put it when it's done). two are definitely being sold, and two more are in states of deliberation. (the two that are being deliberated over will be sorely in need of repainting and reupholstery if they're going to stay.) one was a gift (and i suppose my bed was also a gift, from my mom). the two salvage pieces are sort of taking up space, and all my grand ideas seem to be absolute crap right this second.
i own:
1) a kitchen island, courtesy of eliza (my awesome neighbor across the hall) and her mother in watertown
2) a scoop chair, salvaged from the trash, that needs to be reupholstered and could also stand to be lifted about ten inches off the ground so it's a comfortable place to sit
3) a vintage victorian settee, languishing in the lair of the infrastructure group
4) a three piece french provincial sectional sofa, which is beautiful and absolutely wrong for the room, and into which i've poured nearly $500 at this point - and i haven't even covered the staples
5) an ikea skruvsta chair in orange, which needs to be reupholstered and then probably sold in exchange for a desk chair with a smaller profile
6) a mid century modern desk, which i heart
7) a vintage bookcase that is cute, but painted the wrong color for the room as it's currently being understood
8) a set of shelves plucked from the trash that is even now half assembled and sticking out of my closet
9) a tall platform bed to which i retreat when times get hard (i am thinking about it right now)
10) a full length mirror that is very cute
11) a danish modern armoire that is handmade, exceptionally well crafted, and also too short and too small to be of any real use to me aside from creating disorder, and which i've swapped for a hanging sweater bag and some cloth drawers. i need to sell the armoire. i need to sell what feels like everything.
i was smart to acquire:
- my full length mirror
- my bed
- my ten dollar kent coffey desk (that was a genius move that is one of the few redeeming choices i've made)
i was stupid to do: nearly everything else, up to and including painting my walls blue, my couch trim yellow, and purchasing a great deal of furniture before i was physically in the space.
i need a design overhaul - and now I CAN'T AFFORD IT, because of the obscene amount of money i've already poured into items for this house that i may never recoup. i am broke and paying off credit card debt and living inside my means, but just barely. and i kind of hate my apartment. so what do i really have to show for all of this? not much. all i can really do is go back to craigslist to look for a couch and hope everything will just shut down or turn off soon. i'm tempted to sell this couch and go back to sitting on my desk chair or bed until i'm absolutely certain something is right. i can't do this again.
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