Speaking of Sectionals

Now that we are semi recovered from our Craig-ervention, it’s time to make some big decisions.  It’s Sofa time! For a long time I have been obsessed with finding a sofa that included a chaise on one end.  When I lounge, I want to looooouuunge. My only other requirement is that the fabric be chenille, or another pattern/texture.  I am aware that microfiber is rumored to be a great, low-maintenance option that is easy to clean and maintain.  But doesn’t anyone else notice that every time you touch it, it leaves a lasting impression?  I don’t want booty prints all over my couch just because the fabric got rubbed the wrong way.  Heehee.

Microfiber Love?

 

source

There were two contenders a while back, but me being so budget conscious, by the time I got over my fear of making such a big purchase (you can see where I got over that here) the styles were no longer offered.  Guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

Earlier this year I happened upon that awesome looking, GIANT chenille sectional at Haverty’s and ever since have been waiting on it to go on sale.  Waiting…and waiting…still waiting.  Someone else got tired of waiting, and found a pretty comparable looking one at Macy’s of all places.  Simple structure, no slouchy cushions, not microfiber, and did I mention HUGE. Guess what went on sale for Mother’s Day…the Devon!

Toughest choice has been picking the color, though it helps that there are only two options.

Devon Sectional

Which do you think we will choose?  Which would YOU choose?

Champagne & Couture

I feel as though bridal bliss is all around me, and it gives you kind of a giddy feeling.  So many parties to attend, so many outfits to coordinate and oh, so many details to think of! As it happens, not only is LS getting married soon (yay!), but a couple of her friends are as well. I am ALWAYS in the mood to help brainstorm ideas for party themes, and couldn’t wait to ‘help’. Bombard her with ideas So this ‘classy bride’ didn’t want a typical wild-night-out kind of party, so we came up with the idea of Couture & Champagne Party.

There are a lot of great ideas out there for champagne cocktails and mixers, so we based the whole party scheme off the color…and added black for contrast. Plus, there are some really great vintage champagne posters out there, and wouldn’t they make a great addition to your dining area after the party!

Having trouble picturing it all…let’s go to a creative mood board with some quick details.

Couture and Champagne with Dessert

Simple solutions for decorations can make a great impact.  Think of blowing up bunches of gold and white balloons, then hang them straight down from the corners of the room and they will look like champagne bubbles floating to the ceiling.  Food can look bubbly delicious if skewer and placed in a tall vase.

Finger Foods and Fruit

A Champagne bar is a great easy way to add fun, letting guests create their own cocktails with a little help from 2 part recipes, and it’s a mix and mingle.

 

Champagne a little Fruity

Champagne a little Sweet

Champagne a little Naughty

 

 

 

 

Frame them up in basic black, and you’re on your way to a classy cocktail party.

 

 

 

 

I can’t wait to see how the party turned out, and hope that LS sends me fabulous pictures of their grand celebration.

 

Chin Chin!

Swap The Laundry Over

It’s hard to believe that one of the smallest rooms in the house still isn’t finished, but it’s true.  I did manage to get the desk top upstairs and in place. I wanted to make sure it actually fit. After staring at my fabric cover in purple, green and grey floral I decided it was too many colors.  Small room, stick with a simple color palette.

Folding Station Top

So I found a different upholstery fabric at Hancock on sale and bought just enough to cover the top.  Not sure if I explained before that my easy solution was to use the trusty staple-gun to simply attached the fabric on each side.

Fabric Option #2

However, if I take a little bit longer to hem the edges, and attach with pieces of velcro, I will have the ability to remove the cover and wash it.  Plus, I’m hoping it will be less wear on the table top, should it need to find a new home.

Get to Hemming

Look Ma, I’m using my Bernina!

Need a Craig-ervention?

Our house has reached it’s boiling point…it’s busting out at the seams…we are addicted to craigslist! I know I’m not alone out there, scouring the daily posts, amazed at some of the smokin’ deals people are posting.  But after this weekend I have come to the realization that you CAN have too much of a good thing.  After living in a furniture-free house for the first year, I think it’s gotten a little out of hand…

 

Backyard Yard-Sale

 

We moved all the furniture that has got to go, to the backyard because the living room couldn’t take any more.  I’ve been told we are a pair of…well, a hoarder and an enabler.  I’ll admit I can’t argue, so I’ll have to improve. New house rule…get rid of what you want to replace BEFORE you buy something to replace it.  In theory it sounds good…then you find these:

 

Club Chairs

I am seriously addicted to tufting.  Okay, new rule starts NOW!

 

Architectural Influence

At this point it should come as no surprise that I am still working on the layout of my office.  Slowly, yet surely adding pieces that are useful and look nice.  I hear it said over, and over again, in small spaces you must carefully consider the size and functionality of each piece.  A large number of small pieces can make a tiny space feel cluttered, just as too many accessories can overwhelm the space. I realize many people are in love with the Anthropologie style, but for me there can be too much of a good thing.  My work space needs some organization and order.

Anthropologie Catalogue

Despite the urge to balance the size of furniture and accessories on a tiny scale, resist the need to run out to IKEA and buy tiny furniture.  I really do like IKEA for their accessories and decor, but the furniture is definitely not comfortable for people my height. My office has been a challenge because I want the room to still feel spacious, but need to incorporate functional spaces: desk/computer area, drafting area, sitting area, and storage space.

 

So far in this 11 x 13 space I have the desk and lounge chair, but I have still been looking for a drafting table to fill up the space.  In my lofty visions, I envisioned something beautiful, and architectural that I could actually use on a daily basis.  With my ‘unlimited’ dreamy budget I say the RH 1920′s French Drafting Table.

RH - French Drafting Table

Simple, yet beautiful piece that appears to be adjustable and in real, working order.  Tilts to five angles, held with a cast-brass pin that integrates metal with the aged wood.  The trestle base is stained a darker, tobacco color, and to me this makes the piece look salvaged from multiple sources, surviving the tests of time.  But alas, my real budget cannot accommodate the $995 tag.

RH - Drafting Table (Back)

 

I swear, after the Buster chairs, I knew never in my life would I own anything else from RH.  Enter CraigsList.  What was meant to be a surprise has been slightly revealed.  On a gardening trip to Lowe’s this weekend, I was informed we would be making a stop to pick up something just posted…eyes were rolled.  We already have too much furniture, our living room is busting at the seams! Then this was loaded into the back of the truck…

 

CL Drafting Table

 

Wha?!?!?

Even if it’s loaded into the office as-is, it’s more than perfect. But maybe a little cleaning, a little staining, and this gem will be even better!

Yay!

Baby Festival Success

I posted some inspiration I used in planning my first Baby Shower, and with a huge turnout it was a fabulous time.  Little Baby C arrived a couple of weeks before the party (yay!) so the best party was getting to meet the teeny, tiny guest of honor.  I told you I was a wee bit concerned about having to transport most of the decoration in my suitcase, and there were only 2 casualties for the entire bag. My lovely co-host brought all the games and there were some quite hilarious ones.  My favorite involved predicting what features Baby C would gather from each parent, and each team started with two portraits of mom and pop, sliced up in pieces.  A flip of a coin determined who the feature (forehead, eyes, nose, mouth and chin) would be inherited from.  The end results were a bit horrific, but ultimately pretty hilarious. The entry table featured a memory photo mat for all the guests to sign, and also baby’s first book to inscribe as well.

Guest Table

If you’ll notice the Eiffel Tower in the corner, I think that was one of my favorite finds! I found quite a few wrought iron towers, but was afraid it would take up so much room, be really heavy and possibly get bent in the flight.  Back in the kids craft section at Michael’s was a collection of 3-D wood puzzles, and they had the Tower! It came in 3 sheets of wood, and all you had to do was pop the pieces out, assemble and paint!  It traveled so easily because it was flat, a little bit of glue here and there and some black, matte spray paint and it looked just like the wrought irons ones.  Best part was that they were only $2.40 each with my coupon!

Side Buffet

Tower #2 helped accent the buffet holding all the plates, napkins and dishware for the brunch.  Most of the animal figures I picked out at Ross for between $5-$8 each.  The large pictures frames were from Michael’s, and showcased the great printable cards from Hostess with the Mostess.

Brunch Table and Buffet

The blue and white stripe table runner was from Hancock fabric, in their clearance upholstery fabric.  I didn’t even hem it, just ironed a crisp edge that was folded under to hide the cuts. Notice the collection of butterflies along the wall? I happened upon them at IKEA, and they stick to the walls without leaving marks! There were 3 sheets in the package for only $4.99, so I stared on one side of the window, and went up and over the doorway to the kitchen.

Buffet Table

They were too adorable!

Butterfly Wall

The drink station hosted soda, water, juice and champagne.  I think I really lucked out to find a sparkling drink that feature a baby foot print on its label.  I’ll take 6 please! Again, I used signs from HWTM and found coordinating frames ($3.99 for 2) and paintable easels ($0.99 each) from IKEA.

Drink Station

Other Accessories

In the kitchen were two tables, each with an animal figure, bebe-frames print and yellow-vase ($7.99 each) filled with bright, purple feathers. Hanging above those were yellow and purple, tissue butterflies from Hobby Lobby, in 3 different sizes.  The biggest was 18″ across with wings, and one pack of 3 was $4.20 with you guesses it a coupon! As for the feathers, you can find many sites on-line that sell Ostrich feathers, but I happen to have a Hobby Lobby that always stocks the 13″-15″ in many colors.  I waited until they were running a 50% off floral week to get them at $1.50 each.  The counter island in the kitchen had 3 small red vases ($2.99 each), holding 3 brilliant, blue feathers, like the one you see on the favor table and the drink station.

Favor Table

The favor boxes were actually from the wedding section at Michael’s, and again using my coupons, I got 2 packages of 20 for $2.60 each. The boxes were about 2.5″ square, and I printed a small picture of Baby C to add to each as a surprise in the back.  The treat included Jelly Beans and Tropical Tootsie-Rolls. I stuck the picture facing out, in the back, filled it with treats, and tied each one with bright ribbons and a favor tag.

I tried to include as many of the links to the products and ideas as possible, but feel free to ask about anything else I might have missed.   Hope you had fun checking out the party, because I sure had fun pulling it together…more please!

Dreams Really Do Come True

This post isn’t really going to give you any tips, instead it’s about inspiration. And that patience is a virtue…and not just for Job I swear it has been at least 2 years since I spotted my first Buster chair in the Restoration Hardware catalog.  I’m pretty sure I ripped the page out immediately, and have it stashed in my nightstand table with all of the others items I have coveted, but couldn’t afford.  I’m a sucker for anything tufted, and this beautiful wing-back leather chair with nail-head trim is totally dream worthy.  But, alas, spending $3,500 on a chair isn’t even an option for me…I couldn’t begin to justify it.  I have watched it lovingly through the catalogs, throughout the seasons….and then gasp I could no longer find it on their website.  Eeeek! Not that I would have been convinced to buy it on-line, but I still wanted to look at the pictures. A quick web search later and I learned that RH had replaced my lovelies with their new Churchill Chair.

 

RH Leather Churchill Chair

 

It’s okay, I guess…just not the same.  I guess the universe knew it too, because over the weekend we happened to take a quick trip to the outlet malls, in particular RH and Pottery Barn.  You’ll never guess what they had! I still can hardly believe it myself…2, yes TWO, nutmeg leather buster chairs at 40% below clearance price.  Be still my beating heart.

 

RH Leather Buster Chair

 

Mind you, this was still not an easy purchase for me to pull the trigger on.  I had to think about it a lot while wandering around PB.  In the end, I just couldn’t picture my life with out it…I mean, them. And still, no buyer’s remorse!

 

My Buster Chairs

 

You’ll be happy to know that these are ‘real people’ size chairs too.  Meaning that I, being 6′ tall, can relax comfortably and the cushion actually reaches the back of my knees.  Not an easy feat! Now we need to get rid of some of our CL furniture to make room, and get the right configuration with the Haverty’s sectional I have been keeping my eye on. Fingers crossed for a sale!

 

Chastain Sectional

 

One last look, just for kicks and giggles.

 

Soon to be my Home

~Welcome home Buster~