Rearranged
The cluttered corner of the living room just wasn’t working, so this morning (we are both home again due to awful weather) we moved the old Coke crate to the entryway of the bedroom. This took care of two problems at once. The marquee letters we had hanging in the doorway were looking a little lonely as well. We were happily surprised by just how much tiny changes can help a space out!
The space isn't completely finished, but it does already look a lot less cluttered.
The Coke crate could still use a few odds and ends, but this is a great improvement. All in good time!
I am so glad my fiance is understanding with me when I want to move shelves three times before its right! And, thankful that he is willing to do all the work, even on his day off! 🙂
Vintage Cool
We have been searching for a solution to our overflowing silverware drawer lately. A jar or canister seemed like the perfect solution to hold some of the larger utensils. But, finding the perfect one was the difficult part. We tried to be open minded, but wanted to stick with something vintage and fun. Then, it hit me. We were at our favorite little retro shop in Moline, IL, Fred And Ethel’s. We saw the cutest little solution. A retro ice bucket! It is a little short and wide, but so adorable. So, we took it, and here it is in it’s new home!
The colors don't really match our black and white and red theme, but it was too funky to pass up!
Check out Fred And Ethel’s website here: http://www.fredandethels.com
Rain Lamp
After some research I quickly learned that the lamp I recieved from my grandparents (posted the other day) is called a Rain Lamp. The lamp uses mineral oil and was invented by Darrell H. Johnson. Once I figured out what exactly the lamp did, how to clean it, and what to put in it, I started in on the daunting task of cleaning the mess.
The lamp had sat for years and years in my grandparents’ garage. They got sick of it in their house, but couldn’t completely part with it. Being sticky with oil, the lamp collected a thick layer of dirt and grass being in a garage for so long. So…
I started by wiping the entire lamp off with a wet cloth. It cleaned the dirt, but nothing really removed the grease. I used a small amount of soap next. I also used both wet and dry Q-tips to reach the statue indside. Overall, the cleaning alone took a few hours.
But, after putting some elbow grease into the project, it was ready to hang! We finished hanging the lamp last night. The lamp looks good in the space, but everything else in that area is starting to look a bit cluttered. I will have to do some moving there. But, check out the lamp!
If you have any suggestions on rearranging so it isn’t so cluttered over there, just let me know!
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.
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!
Make Mine Eclectic 
