rat-ta-tat-tan...

Since finding these fabulous side tables at a garage sale, I've been obsessed with rattan. 

It's no longer reserved for 70s outdoor furniture, rattan is being used in all sorts of cool ways. I love how it can be juxtaposed with all different kinds of materials to add texture and interest to a room. Light-colored rattan looks great with heavy, dark wood. Intricately designed rattan can punch up a minimalist design. Unexpected items made out of rattan can also be real eye-catchers. Here are some of my favorite rattan items that I've pinned recently...

Via

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And this number from Anthropologie is like a fairy tale bed. How cute would it look in a little girls room? Although I might be worried they would poke their eye out. 

Are you loving rattan as much as I am? 

the sound of silence: sorry for the absence...

things have been a little nutty around here lately, sorry for the silence. After my whirlwind trip to Chicago for work, it was my birthday!! The 10th anniversary of my 27th birthday. Good times. But I did receive some super cool gifts. I'm always getting on my husband about "thoughtful" gifts (he prefers me making a list so he doesn't mess it up.) Well, after this year, I know that he is a superior gift giver, so he just threw a big bucket of water on his "list-making" requests.

He ventured out to my favorite antique mall and picked up some gems: 

A vintage Coca-Cola crate. My mind is spinning with possibilities. 

Look at the metal edge detailing. 

Next I got baby blue vintage fan. It matches perfectly with my office wall color (which you can't tell from this photo). 

And a bonus, it's a GE fan (where my husband works).

And the wild card...

Mr. Chicken. 

Ryan wasn't sure if I'd like him but he adds the perfect quirky touch to our kitchen. He might get spray painted down the road but for right now, he's holding court front and center in all of his maroon glory. 

I couldn't believe these gifts when I opened them. A+ effort from the hubby!

That night we went to my parents for dinner and they surprised me with something I've been wanting for a while now...

a Keurig! It's a single serve machine which is perfect because I am the only coffee drinker in the house. Now I'm not wasting coffee making a pot every morning. I am obsessed and want to try every flavor I can get my hands on. Dunkin Donuts, I'm talking to you. I better see Pumpkin K-Cups in the fall! 

It was a fabulous birthday. My husband even took me to dinner at the same restaurant where we had our rehearsal dinner. They even printed up a special menu for me: 

After being gone for almost a week, it was nice to relax, spend time together and enjoy the beautiful riverfront view. Gifts or no gifts, I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in my life as a embark on another fabulous year!  

Family room update: coffee table time...

Slowly but surely we're transitioning our family room from green to neutrals with splashes of blue. Per usual, the mantel is giving me fits, but I just updated the coffee table with a simple vignette that I love.

 I was a little worried about the wood on wood but it blends nicely and makes the display warm but unassuming. Just sort of comfortable, like it's always been there. And it keeps my OCD in check because everything is contained an in place. 

The three blue mason jars were a gift from my mother-in-law at Christmas. 

One is filled with candy and another with playing cards.

A few more finishing touches and I'll be ready to share the final room design with you. Stay tuned...

my weekend: a treasure hunting experience...

This weekend I decided to check out a local antique mall. I'd heard a lot about it but hadn't had a chance to make it there yet. It's called Duck Creek Antique Mall and if you live anywhere in the vicinity of Cincinnati, you MUST visit.

This place is massive. Two floors of booths. But it's not a flea market. It is quality stuff. I swear I could have lived in some of the booths. I spent over an hour and a half in there just browsing around, getting ideas. Here are some of my finds: 

This is one of the booths I could have called home. Super mod, cool mix of wood and leather with just the right gold/brass accents. Loved it! Especially those lamps. 

I have a dream that our front living room is going to have a cool lounge-y vibe from the Rat pack era. So of course that means a gold bar cart. This one was so cool because it had a handle to push the cart around and individual glass holders. A little brass cleaner and it would be good as new. 

I kept coming back to look at this piece. I NEED it for my office. Gold. Sunburst. Birds. Love. 

I was also obsessed with this vintage Ethan Allen credenza. This picture doesn't do it justice, but it was about 7 feet long and curved. All the doors folded up when you opened them. So cool. If only I had an extra $750 to spend.  

This lamp was a hot mess but in a weird way I loved it. A coat of spray paint in a bold color and that shade could be pretty hip. 

These lamps may have been the most hideous/intriguing thing I've ever seen. They looked like two pirate hats set upon a large branch with daisies jutting out of them. BIZARRE. Here's another look:

You just can't look away, can you? 

 I was super excited to see this! Remember the $12 magazine rack I refurbished over the summer?  This puppy was $60 and almost exactly the same thing. Except this one had an ash tray attached to the top. Practical for the 70s. 

The remaining pictures brought me to a realization: I have an infatuation with magazine racks. Maybe it's the OCD organizer in me. Or maybe it's just the great shapes these things come in, but I took more than my fair share of photos of magazine racks. For your viewing pleasure:

It was such a great place and I will definitely be going back there soon. And this time to make some purchases!