Fat Rock!
Yes, its true! I’m engaged! Tony proposed to me last night. It was so unexpected, and so sweet. We do not yet have an exact date, but are considering late August in 2010. I told myself not to get too excited, and to hold off on the planning, but that really isn’t going to happen. I have already been writing down ideas and scouring the blog world. We are considering a black and white color scheme, with either dark teal or red accents. I would also love to do a vintage touch (doesn’t that sound like us!?). I, of course, will continue to blog on our home and decor ideas and projects, but there might be some random wedding ideas here too! Fill me in on any ideas! Here is a picture of the ring.
Its a vintage square diamond turned on an angle. Pictures don't do it justice- its gorgeous!
Quirky
We had a busy night last night and didn’t finish ANY of the projects we had planned. So, in the meantime, I thought I would share with you some quirky little things that we are currently loving. Enjoy!
This pillow by Brandon Dunlap is just adorable! http://shanalogic.com/item.php?item_id=1931&manufacturer_id=156
We would love to keep our guests' drinks cold with these bone ice cubes. http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/a34b/?cpg=froogle
Cocktail chemistry set. Guests will be amused! http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cocktail-chemistry-set
Vintage fancy framed mirrors. These look so pretty in every home. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/set-of-3-antiqued-vintage-style-mirrors
Frilly vintage frames. Especially in teal. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/bouquet-of-flowers-oval-picture-frame-aqua-by-growing-veip
Jewelry made from random items. This is made from two vintage bottle caps. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/etsy-47bonanza-vintage-soda-pop-bottle-cap-pendant-necklace
Antique bottles. Plain or fancy, they are so pretty. This one is an old ink well. http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cobalt-blue-ink-well-vintage-bottle
Well, there’s a mish-mash of all the random (and quirky) things that are on our minds lately. Hope you are inspired. Or, at least amused.
I’m Thrifty
I’m usually kind of a name brand junkie. Not proud of it, but I can admit it. I do give in to cute vintage finds, but I rarely find clothing at a thrift store. But, I was feeling creative last night when I stopped at the Salvation Army for the little glasses. I was just creative enough to see the potential in a long, red, vintage jacket. I snatched it up for three dollars and ended up loving it! So, here you go, I just had to share!
Go ahead, be honest. But, I think its cute!
eHow To The Rescue
My grandmother gave me a tiny cast iron skillet the other day. I know that these pans are much sought after, but have never owned one. Although this one is just a baby she said you could use it for an egg or just to hang on the wall. So, I was going to do both. But, the skillet has some rust problems. I know that you can removed rust from other metals using steel wool, but how to remove it from cast iron? I looked it up on eHow. I haven’t tried it yet, but they do have instrucitons for rust removal:
The Little Things
We have two new little additions to our bedroom. First, Tony’s mom passed along a red glass from his great grandmother. The heirloom has been in their family for many years and she wanted us to have it. The beautiful glass has found a new home in our bedroom on the vanity. The second is some old marquee letters from a vintage highway sign. We found a T and a J, and hung them on the wall in the entry to the bedroom. Its the little things that really give personality to a space.
The photo doesn't do it justice, but the glass is a ruby red.
They look a little lonely, so they might not stay exactly like this for long, but I do think they are cute.
On An Organizing Spree
After being so impressed with my organizational skills with the jewelry in the medicine cabinet, I decided not to stop there. I moved onto the closet next. Mostly we were already pretty organized in there, but rearranging a few things helped free up some space. I also hung a hook on one of the walls inside the closet to hang a few extra long necklaces from my costume jewelry collection. Things seem so handy and visible now. Here’s a peak inside the space of our home that everyone is afraid to share:
This is a view of the closet as a whole. The shelving was already installed when we moved in, so we are using it as-is. It is helpful, but we do not have "sides," just "areas." A little confusing at first, but now it works.
We hang belts, scarves, and ties on the low bar, along with a few of my shorter shirts. My giant shoe rack fits in the corner.
This is the hook of necklaces that I hung along a side wall of the closet. This is so helpful!
Here is a close-up of the hook I used. It is actually a hook that fits over a door, so one end is flat, which I use to hold multiple necklaces. The other end is curved, but I twisted it with pliers to hang agianst a wall. So simple I even did it myself.
Organized Jewelry
Last night I decided that I had had enough digging around for jewelry in the mornings. Or, even worse, just not wearing my fun jewelry because it was too hard to find. So, I organized the vintage medicine cabinet we have hung above our dresser in the bedroom. I took a few old little shot glasses and dishes and a short candle holder and arranged some of my favorite costume jewelry. Now everything is visible and arranged neatly. And, the inside of the cabinet looks so pretty!
Here is the outside of the medicine cabinet. I know you have seen this before, but this is a good angle of the chandelier crystal I used as a pull.
This is the inside of the cabinet all neatly organized and pretty.
Close up of the jars. I love that little one with the skull on it.
FYI: I found these little jars and glasses at the local Salvation Army for about 25cents.
Chair Love
I love chairs. Tony says that I have a strange chair obsession. Its true. I would collect chairs if space would provide. I have even thought about hanging them on walls like art in order to accomodate my passion. But, for now I will post about the chairs I am drooling over. This is my latest love (since I finally aquired my Plycraft lounge and ottoman;)
Here is a vintage Barcelona chair and ottoman:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pdxinteriors.com/profile/hawthorne/leather-chair-with-ottoman.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pdxinteriors.com/profile/vintage-hawthorne.php&h=263&w=350&sz=27&tbnid=EKUbLTi-5iDUFM::&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvintage%2Bbarcelona%2Bchair%2Bpicture&hl=en&usg=__2thZF7Qzm1c2X5FleLbCACv3w6U=&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=1
I Feel A Project Coming On
I ran accross this oh-so-cute project this morning on the Curbly website.
Even though this DIY serving tray isn’t my idea, I had to link you all with it. I am most definitely going to make this my next project in the waiting. I have been looking at trays and also thinking about how to make one. But, with my love of all things black and white and my love of all things DIY, this is the winner. Check out the full how-to and more photos here: http://www.curbly.com/DIY-Maven/posts/5902-How-to-Turn-an-Old-Cupboard-Door-into-a-Serving-Tray
Thank you for the idea DIY Maven!
A Stumper
We have a question for any of you creative minds out there. Our dog bowl and food situation is currently in need of fixing. I am one of those hiders. Everything should have a place and be kept out of site. So, this is, of course, driving me nuts.
Currently, there is a gap between our refrigerator and our stove. The landlord would like to someday add another cupboard in between, which I can’t argue with because it would also give us more counter space (always good). But, for the time being, we are using the gap as a space for a mat and the dog’s food and water bowls. This I don’t mind too much; the bowls are out of the way and accessible. The real problem is what to do with the food bag. We have a little drawer specifically for the dog, which holds his bones, treats, and brushes, etc. We were buying small bags of food that would fit in the drawer, but they are a waste of money. Now that we have upgraded to the large bag, we do not know where to keep it.
Not so funny story: I thought I would smartly store it behind the door to the basement steps. Then last night it came crashing down, and what sounded like loud rain was the entire giant bag of dog food pouring down the stairs!
Here is the current situation:
Does anyone out there have a better looking solution? I can’t wait to get the ugliness hidden! 🙂
Romeo says hi and thanks for any help!
Make Mine Eclectic 
