Loving Lonny

Ever since my beloved Domino Magazine folded (R.I.P), I have been looking for a great decorating magazine that was accessible for the everyday person. Well I think I may have found it, if only in a modified form.

Lonny Magazine is an online magazine and website with great decorating tips and tools. (Although now you can order a print copy too but it's $$$$) You can actually virtually flip through the pages of the magazine online or just browse around the site.

There will never be another Domino, but Lonny is a great substitute.

Goodbye old friend. :(

stand up...

part two of my weekend furniture revamp included the TV stand for our bedroom. The TV still isn't hooked up but at least the stand looks good now. It started out as your standard cherry finish from Target...

and now it's a nice glossy black.

I didn't paint the inside that is covered by the doors since it's usually full of sheets and pillow cases and rarely seen. And I didn't change the hardware since it was a simple brushed nickel that went with everything else. 

I really like the outcome, but now seeing the photos, I realize there are a few touch-ups I need to do on the doors. Overall, a great addition to the room and really pulls the whole thing together. 

It looks so good, I think it calls for an attempt to hook up the TV finally! 

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oh what a night...

Labor Day turned out to be quite a weekend for projects. In the coming week, you'll see a few things I have redone in the bedroom, bath and some new kitchen decor. I know I said I found my true love last post, but I really, truly found my true love two years ago and this weekend we embarked on our greatest project to date... we got engaged!!

I am lucky enough to have the sweetest, most caring boy in the world want to marry me. His proposal was thoughtful, sweet and amazing. I am on cloud nine.

Needless to say, the weekend got off to a great start. So on Sunday, I was inspired to take on some projects in our house I had been putting off. The bedroom is a mish-mosh of different colored wood furniture, so I wanted to give it a cohesive look. 

I took on the nightstand first. 

This $20 craigslist find has amazing detailing. I removed the hardware, sanded and got to priming. My new best friend Marcus at Home Depot tinted the primer to a grey for me to make it easier to paint black. Marcus saved me a ton of recoating time.

After a few coats of semi-gloss black and coat of spray lacquer to protect and give it shine, my nightstand has a new look. 

Excuse the lack of a bedskirt, the bedroom is a work in progress. 

The handles were a tarnished brass. I haven't gotten new hardware yet, so I took out the aluminum colored Krylon paint and gave them a few coats. Not the final look I want, but a good compromise for the moment. 

The nightstand and its companion piece (which you'll see later this week) really make the room feel more streamlined and less cluttered. 

A fresh new bedroom sanctuary - a great way to start off our engagement! 

Hope you all had a great weekend too. :)

when it's meant to be, it's meant to be...

let me take you back to last Friday's post and my wish list of items for Saturday's vintage market.

"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."

well, fate was on my side last Saturday because this is now in my possession:

isn't she a beauty? the unique shape. the color. the texture. 

the soft leather...

look at that loop detail. love. 

I can't get enough of it. It was meant to be mine. 

so I didn't find anything on my list but the purse. don't judge. you can't help where love finds you. :)

PS: I also found a really cute, vintage step ladder/step stool combo but it's in the midst of some heavy cleaning. it will be unveiled soon.