I didn't ask for this, but I'll take it!

We have an involuntary bathroom remodel underway at our house. In the midst of this, we uncovered a pretty snazzy tile floor we are going to try to preserve. This is not a very good picture of it. It is that 50's baby blue. I have found my inspiration for the remodel:

I found this picture in a Google search, and I tried to find it again to credit it, but I can't find it.

I like how everything is white except the brightly printed curtain and the vintagey floor. (You can see just the corner of it.) Since I don't have a window in my bathroom, our brightly printed curtain will be the shower curtain, so I am currently searching for the perfect one. Ikea has a nice wall hung sink I want to check out. I just don't know where you get those nice pipes they have under it...

rock it

Continuing on with the chair theme, I found this painted rocking chair collection, also on Design Mom. I will steal it. Eventually. Really, this little blog of mine is more of a collection of things I eventually want to do...

have a seat

I have two favorite things to buy when it comes to home decor. Lamps and chairs. If I had actually bought every lamp I have seen and loved at the various and sundry thrift stores I frequent (both here and in ND), we would not be able to have any furniture. Except chairs. We would have a house full of reading nooks. I love chairs. Folding chairs, side chairs, armchairs, rocking chairs, the list goes on and on. Chairs are easy to makeover. (Unless you buy a wingback or something.) Check out two of my most recent chairformations.

I inherited a set of unusual dining room chairs from a generous donor. I currently only have room for two in my house, but I plan to one day have an actual dining room, or at least a larger eating area, and use them all. Not only are they incredibly stylish, they are also surprisingly comfortable. The original cushion was in terrible condition, as is generally the way with dining chair cushions.

I wanted to recover it with a bold botanical print. Maybe something a little Swedish looking. Then I thought about going graphic/nature inspired. In the end, I happened to find myself in the Wal Mart fabric section where I found a fabric that went perfectly with the other current fabrics in the room. And it is busy enough that you won't see the inevitable pizza stains.

I don't really think these pictures do the fabric justice. It looks a lot less 80's calico in person. You'll just have to drop in and check the chairs out. Or take my word for it.

So, I also grabbed this awesome white vinyl chair for my living room off of my neighbor's curb a few weeks ago.

It is in pretty good condition; she just needed to make room for a small table and chairs in her living room. There was some tearing along the sides of the vinyl, and I was going to ignore it.

One day, I was looking at the chair, and came up with the idea to recover just the damaged parts. Then I thought, maybe just all the sides. But how do I do this with a vinyl chair? I use a glue gun, of course. In the same trip to Wal Mart, I found this fantastic bird fabric that does not match anything in the room, but I love the fabric, and it looks great on the chair.

You can't even really see it.

What was I thinking when I took these pictures?

Suffice it to say, I have a feeling it will henceforth be known as "the bird chair."

a calling?

I originally posted this on my family blog, but as it is more relevant to decorating, I decided to repost it here.

You may know that I have a borderline obsession with kitsch. Also, I like Jesus. Those two things together work well for me. A few summers ago, we went to the homeland, and while there, I, of course, thrift shopped. Thrift shopping in NJ is a whole different animal than thrift shopping in Florida or North Dakota. Things there are so much... livelier. (Some might say tackier. I'm choosing diplomacy to their name-calling.) Anyway, I cleaned up. It was a tchotchke-lover's paradise. One of the treasures that has managed to dodge all my subsequent tchotchke editing extravaganzas (goodbye owl holy water wall font) is what was lovingly dubbed "the Jersey Jesus." (That would be the bottom right Jesus in the picture, naturally.) The Jersey Jesus started it all. It is in an ornate frame, and made of that weird grooved plastic that seems to move when you move. Very Jersey. The following summer, I found the North Dakota Jesus. (top right) It is that famous picture of Jesus having dinner with a bunch of his friends. (Because that is what you DO in North Dakota. That is why I like it there.) Of course, the picture is superimposed onto a mirror and put in a very rustic looking frame. North Dakota is nothing if not rustic. About three weeks ago, I found Gainesville Jesus. I was at the Goodwill on 34th, looking through the "art" when I found a fantastic paint-by-number of Jesus. I have been hoping for a paint-by-number Jesus at some point, I just did not know what kind of town would be a paint-by-number Jesus town. Apparently, it's Gainesville. And a collection is born.

So, my question to you is, what kind of Jesus will your town produce? When I come to visit, I will be on a mission to find Jesus, so if you can't answer the call, I'll answer if for you.

Lucy's gift to Schroeder

I was reading through Design Mom one day recently, when I came upon this piano she painted green:

Now, many of you know that my current house cannot hold a piano, but don't think I won't file this away for future use. I would not necessarily paint it green. I like the idea of mustard yellow, actually. Or hot pink. Or turquoise. It all depends on what room it's in. And it would have to be a color I really like, as I probably won't paint it more than once. Even though I can't fit it in my house, if anyone local sees a free or cheap piano (a smaller scale one like this) anywhere, let me know! Accommodations could be made... we'll just eat dinner outside every night. We are almost to the time of year where that is a reasonable compromise.

Also, I have really been wanting to paint our interior doors black. What do you think?

Roundhouse

I saw this post on Apartment Therapy. It would be so fun to live in a house like this!

makeover time!

I totally want to do these bunkalows in the boys bedroom.

coffee talk

Our coffee maker is not working so well anymore, so yesterday I was hunting around for a new one online. As per usual for me, it takes me forever to find something I really like. I would like to buy a quality one, one that will last more than 4 years, but it seems on one makes that kind anymore. According to the reviews, anyway. If you have ever read product reviews, then you know what a black hole that is. For every seven people who love the product, there is the one guy from Topeka or somewhere who insists that if you buy the product, you are a complete fool, and you might as well just shred your money, stuff it in plastic easter eggs, and mail it to the Philippines because that would be a better use of that $70 you are wanting to plunk down on this overpriced, overrated, hipster coffee maker. I love to read these reviews, they are a window into people's psyches. I find them entertaining and usually absurd. Never really helpful.

I also want one that is not ugly. No one really makes those either. Here is the one I found. It is pricey, and it got awful reviews. I want it nonetheless. It is by Mr. Coffee. It is brown! I love it.

This one it a little more reasonably priced, and stylish, but no where near as cute as the Mr. Coffee one. I'm kind of over the whole stainless steel thing, though.

I could always go vintage. (Ebay wouldn't let me steal the picture.)

As usual, there are too many choices. Welcome to America...

cornered

I really like this slideshow from Real Simple about turning a corner of one of your rooms into a reading nook or game corner or dressing area. I liked it because they used just a few things people probably already have lying around or can easily find at a yard sale.

give me liberty...

I went to Target today and found this!

They have clothes, too. Somebody pinch me!

I love this.

gorgeous!

and all from a simple ikea kids table

easy being green

A little elbow grease, some spray paint, and a lot of cursing turned the rusty old wall sconces (there are 2) from my dining area into these:

I painted the inside with chrome spray paint. You like it, don't you.

Total cost: $3

rug fashion

So, it's been a while. I get it. Moving on...

I have a rug wishlist.

I would love this hopscotch rug from cb2 in Ceci's room:

They had it in an entry, but I think it would be a great kids room rug without being tacky and over the top children's decor. I found this flower one at Pier 1 for my kitchen:

So cute. The colors and style are perfect, and it is on sale! What I really need is a rug for my living room, and I want it before the big St. Patty's Day party this weekend, but of course I am not able to find anything I like. Well, that is in my price range. I mean, at cb2 there's this:

Or this one at Anthropologie:

And just in case I am feeling a little snarky, there is always this Trompe L'oeil shag floor mat at Urban Outfitters:

But, I will probably end up just getting one at Target.

Stay tuned tomorrow to find out what I did with this nasty old lamp...