Thrift Store Score!

So, my sister calls me up and says that she was looking for free boxes on Craigslist and that she ran across a listing for a thrift store that was going out of business and was GIVING everything away. Yeah, you read that right. Well, I was still putzing around the house and she gave me exactly 20 minutes to get ready… Do I need to tell you that I was showered, dressed, and ready when she got here?

Anyway, we drive to the Renton Highlands and it’s two store fronts away from a St. Vincent De Paul (which are my favorite thrift stores on earth) and one away from a smallish JoAnn Fabrics (my favorite fabric and craft store in earth) but I digress…

When we got there half the store had been cleared out but my sis was able to get two carts full of clothes for her and her three youngest kids, including enough name brand and designer jeans for my eleven year old niece to be able to render her recent mall purchase obsolete.

I was not doing as well… I scored a few pairs of shoes and two handfuls of CDs (including HS fave Bros., Recoil, Cesaria Evora, Underworld, 808state, Erasure, Tom Petty & The Heart breakers, The Verve, and Handel’s Messiah) but I wasn’t finding something that said TAKE ME HOME! Until…

This retails for $205 on Artaissance… and I got it for FREE!

I was wandering in the very back of the store and saw a print pinned up to the wall. It was from Artaissance. It said that it was Breakfast Treats II by Carolyn Biggio. It was absolutely gorgeous, vibrant, large (at least 2’x3′), and… FREE! So, I snagged it.

Then, I found this silver or pewter bowl-y thing with a hole in the center. It has Hotel Sorrento engraved into the outside surface. Maybe it was a dome to go over a plate and it’s missing a piece or something? I don’t know. I just think it’ll look good on my desk.

Pretty sure I’d found all that I was going to at the going out of business place, I stepped over to St. Vincent De Paul while my sister shopped for more stuff at the first place and found this:

Found at St. Vincent de Paul: a $5 lamp. You can’t beat that!

Isn’t it sweet? I couldn’t pass up the texture and color. I’m not sure where it will go yet as I kind of love the brown lamp (that still hasn’t been projected) on my desk but I’m thinking that it may end up on the desk at some point. We’ll see!

So, overall today ended up being kind of a good day for me on the thrifting front. I mean I spent five bucks! It doesn’t get much better than that… unless you count the time that I got a vintage Henredon sofa for $35. But that’s another story!

Until next time…

Totally Inspiring Room

A totally inspiring living room designed by Betsy Burnham as seen in the June 2012 issue of House Beautiful.

I finally got to a couple of design mags I’ve had floating around the house and the feature on Betsy Burnhah’s design for a house in Beverly Hills really caught my eye. I love the mix of color, texture, and pattern that permeates every room of this home. It’s got both traditional and modern appeal… and I like it! Check out pics of the entire house at Burnham Design.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Until next time…

Totally Inspiring Room



Not sure where I found this… surfing as usual. What do I like about it? The soft, feminine, comfortable vibe. Nice touches include: the pastel violet lamp on the nightstand, the old world settee, the oversized floral above the bed, and the sweet, drapey shade on the window. Yeah, soft and lovely. Definitely something to aspire to. Though if I’m honest, I know I’d have to throw some edge in there somewhere… like a high gloss dresser in dark olive green. Right now olive green and pale violey with gold accents is totally rocking my boat… but I digress!

Check you tomorrow, peoples, when I reveal my painted lamps (sans shades). Until then!

Autumn Lights

The inspiration piece: a print from Volume 25.

I apologize for the late post everyone but I worked today and, honestly, I had not prepared a post beforehand! So here is something that I’m quite proud of, that I’d like to share with you (in case you haven’t seen it): my second Etsy Treasury!

Photograph of Versailles by Amanda Kay Photography.

OK, OK. Maybe I shouldn’t be so excited… but I just discovered the amazing amount of fun that can be had putting a Treasury together. And this one is getting such an awesome response…

Gorgeous macro of (one of my favorites) a hydrangea by Chez Jolly.

Check out An Autumn Full of Light for yourself and let me know what you think!

Two more days til the weekend and some quality chair makeover time!

Totally Inspiring Rooms

The entry to Royce Pinkwater’s living room in New York. From House Beautiful September 2011 Splendid Sass.

The latest issue of House Beautiful had the most gorgeous apartment I’ve ever seen. I, quite literally, could see myself moving in and not changing one single thing in the place. From the moody entry to the airy minimalist bath, every room is perfect.

The living room. Lavender and feminine, yet unfussy details rule.

The view through the to the eat in kitchen.

The eat in kitchen’s dining area with mid century chairs and amazing herringbone floors.

The thing that strikes me most about the apartment, which is owned by Sotheby’s Royce Pinkwater, is how utterly liveable it all looks. Nothing is too precious or overdone, everywhere you look there is an inviting place to sit or look. I absolutely love it! This is definitely going into my idea file for use on my own digs!

You can see more of this gorgeous NYC apartment on Splendid Sass (HB doesn’t have it up yet).

On a personal note: the change in season has my allergies doing the tango on my sinuses but I’m doing better than yesterday. I’m getting back in the saddle and riding forward! Have a great Tuesday everyone. 🙂

Totally Inspiring Room

Another quick post from me today. This is the living room of Ochre and Canvas store owners Andrew Corrie and Harriet Maxwell MacDonald. I’m loving the grayed down, cool colors and the pale wood… and then little bits of Glam thrown in. Amazing.

I hope you’re having a great Monday! See you tomorrow. 🙂

Totally Inspiring Room (and Blog)

Last might I decided to go hunting for French style interiors that were primarily green… Yeah, that was a “good luck with that” kind of a search! I will definitely have to keep looking for French greens…

But while I was hunting around I found a blog called Plum Sienna written by Annie, who has an obsession with wallpaper, wall finishes, and aged elegance. Her blog is full of absolutely gorgeous finishing techniques for walls – plaster, lime, gilding,  lacquer… you name it, it’s probably there. The photos are gorgeous and she often gives you a really solid but simple overview of how these techniques work. Please check out her current and previous blogs (there are total gems on both sites): Plum Sienna and Rose & Lis.

Today’s inspiration room is from Plum Sienna and has the most exquisite color combination I’ve ever seen. I’m totally in love! The color of the artwork? Get out!

I hope your week is going well and Thursday finds you safe and sound (especially after all the tornado and storm warnings throughout the southeast).

Soft Touch

Its a soft, gray, rainy day here in Charlotte today. I was planning on putting these pics but the soft, muted colors seem especially appropriate given the melancholy Springs weather.

Here is a serving of rain washed colors for this not so sunny spring day:

Soft pinks, gray, and white dominate this set. (Sources: unknown, Domino, Elle Decor, unknown.)

Washed out bluish gray and Sterling rose lavenders create a moody ambience. (Sources: unknown, Domino, unknown, Champagne & Macarons blog.)

Soft gray-browns, white, and silver. (Sources: Mallory Morrison Photography, Greige blog, unknown, Elle Decoration Australia.)

Have a great Friday and a (hopefully) sunnier weekend!

Pastels

It is gloomy and rainy here. I guess that’s those spring showers everyone talks about. I think I understand now hy springtime is the time when everyone breaks out the pastels – it’s a cool way to transition back into color after winters soft neutrals. So, for this Monday – pastel inspiration. Hope you all have a great week!