and the list goes on...

this weekend is the most exciting weekend of the month - the Randolph Street Market is back! It's going to be a gorgeous day, so my cousin and I are getting there early because I have a lot of needs (and wants) for my house:

1. A nice smaller wooden cabinet with two drawers for our main bathroom. Currently we are using a "lovely" plastic two drawer container from Target to hold towels, TP and other random toiletries. The aesthetic isn't cutting it.

2. A bunch of frames. Unfortunately, my mantel had a bit of a meltdown last weekend. As soon as it was up, it was quickly down again -- but not by my doing. I shut the door to go our and grab coffee to celebrate my design victory and CRASH!! I just knew. The door rattled the picture which crashed into everything on the mantel, including two jars of the scented oil reed diffusers. And of course, one landed right on my BFs nice camel colored dress shoes. He was a trooper about it. I on the other hand had a meltdown - I was just do darn mad that it was ruined.

So anyway, I took it as a sign that the mantle wasn't meant to be, and have a new idea for framing some lovely family photos we have. Stay tuned...

3. Vases. I want to put a cool vintage vase in our bedroom on the dresser and fill it with branches. The room needs more design but nothing too girl, I'm hoping this does the trick.

4. Vintage drawer pulls. I am painting a nightstand and TV stand in the next week or two and need new knobs or pulls for the drawers and doors. Fingers crossed I can find something cool.

5. This FABULOUS purse I saw there last time. I believe in fate and if the vendor still has it, it is mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.


If you're in the Chicago area, hit up the Randolph Street Market -- it's fantastic -- and let me know what you find.

man oh man...tel

one of the challenges of living with someone is incorporating your pieces together. Our mantle has been a thorn in my side since we moved in in January. I'll be honest, most of the decor in the house is my style, but I am very conscious of using my boyfriend's things so it feels like his place too. One such item is his "Pubs of Iowa City" poster. I had it framed and put it on our mantle right after we moved in, but the whole looks was just kind of a hodge podge.

It had a lot of stuff on it with no real organization. So it just sat until I came up with an idea. Taunting me every time I came home. At a recent flea market, I found this adorable metal tool box. I didn't like the red so I stripped the paint. 

It unveiled what I hoped, a cool stainless finish. 

Then I headed to JoAnn Fabrics and found some decorative accents to put inside. 

 

Hanging the poster, removing the clutter, and placing some accents along the mantle gave it a cleaner more streamlined look and works better with the living room. 

The shoes are still a problem, I have been searching for a nice storage solution for them. If it was me, they would be in our respective closets, but my boyfriend likes having his shoes at the front door. Compromise, compromise. :) 

Since I want to share all my tips with you, there is one secret tool that helps every project run smoother, especially when you're staying in and working on a Friday night. And this time it was no different. Thank you magic tool...

i've got a feeling...

there are so many times you are searching for an item you have a clear vision of in your head but you just can't find it. Other times, you're looking for something else and stumble upon something that just speaks to you. At the flea market a few weeks ago, as we were on our way out, I spotted this swirly-twirly thing. Even though I had no need for it, I couldn't leave without it.

I just love everything about it. The swirls, the shape, the weight. 

I just imagine how great it would look on a coffee table or console. I just don't have a place for it ... yet. But someday it will have it's proper home. 

what was your must have piece? 

make it work...

sometimes a project just doesn't come together they way you envisioned it in your head. And when I started this blog, I promised to share the hits and the misses. My bathroom art project was a miss in my opinion. I really wanted it to work. I sat with it for a couple days, but it just didn't feel right. In theory, repurposing letters from old street signs to use as art sounded cool – unfortunately it just didn't come together.

So on to bigger and better things.

I found this cute tin basket at the flea market a couple of weeks ago. I thought it would be perfect to replace the 'near & dear' art. So I got out the rest of my Sunshine Yellow spray paint. 

I loved the look. Then I put it on the wall. 

Again I am not totally feeling it. I am thinking of removing the handle and mounting hardware on the back to hang it. I'm also not sure what to put in it. I sooooo didn't want to go the flowers route, mainly because I knew I would end up with fake flowers since putting real ones in a steamy bathroom is the equivalent of taking my $10 and dropping it in the 'commode' – as the kids say. 

And as much as I love a good fake flower, it just felt too 'Golden Girls' for my bathroom. 

I thought maybe I'd put hand towels in it. Nope, it looked dumb. Then I thought "GOOD LORD WOMAN" (DIY projects make me yell at myself in my head sometimes.) "Why are you trying to make yellow work so hard?"

And I think my head is right. Maybe trying to add another big splash of yellow just doesn't work in the space. Maybe the armoire is all I need and keep the rest black and white. Maybe a black basket with yellow flowers. Fake, of course. Now where's that can of spray paint...

I'd gladly accept any suggestions of what I could put in the basket. I really like it, I just can't figure out how to make it work. Hmmmm... what would Blanche do? :)

many thanks and things to come...

huge virtual hug to my girl T at www.fashion-butter.com for the shout out on her blog this morning. If you haven't checked out blog, she's got some serious style and all of her pics use her gorgeous village in Greece as a backdrop. FAB!


PROJECTS IN THE WORKS:
so real life has been really busy lately, so I'm sorry for the lack of blogging. But I have a few projects in the works for the weekend and will show off my results soon. One is a redo of a project that has been featured here and the other is a mantle redo. I still need a little inspiration for this project, so show me your favorite mantles on the web.

flea market finds...

I finally experienced the Kane County Flea Market and it did not disappoint. So many booths, so many great things. Because I'm quite Type A, I made a list of all the things I was looking for. Because I am also not quite Type A, I forgot it at home. So I had to try and remember what I needed. One thing I wanted was a basket for the bathroom that I could use to hold toilet paper. The bathroom is a major focus right now, so you'll be seeing a few more projects in the coming days.

I was so excited to get this project started that I forgot the before picture. But it was an antique white that was a little beat up. I decided on a glossy black and started spraying.

What I liked most about it was that it was two pieces. A cool basket that housed a metal bin. The only downside of the project was that I didn't measure the location that I wanted to put it. So I had to place it perpendicular to the wall. But I still think it works. 

Here's a closer look at the details of the box. 

Now my TP has a cozy little home and my bath is one step closer to order. HOORAY!!!! 

(I guess there is a little Type A in there. )