still a fan...

I have declared my love for vintage fans before. on my way home from the gym this morning (yay me!) I stumbled on a whole neighborhood yard sale. and that's when I saw it... 

isn't she a beauty? solid design, cool swivels and, bonus, it works! 

It's a bit chipped but it adds to the character. I'm just going to clean it up and see how it looks. 

One of the coolest things about it is the switch on the fan's base. 

I am so excited I found it. Plus, it was only $20! (well $25, but I negotiated it down – woot! woot!)

What kind of cool garage sale treasures have you found?  

Be our guest: guest room updates

since the weather has been so nice, we've been focused on the outside of our house lately. But with a "if-you-build-it-they-will-come" mindset, I decided to tackle the guest room this week. It has a guest bed and dresser but that is it.

Not wanting our guests to have to read by candlelight or place their drinks on the ground, I decided that two night stands were in order. I looked for vintage options to repaint or repurpose but couldn't find anything I liked. So I went with dorm-room-chic Target night stands.

You know, the simple tabletop with four screw-in legs. 

That's my kind of assembly. It took me about 5 minutes for both tables. 

Simple. And an easy way to update the room. 

Next I want want to add two lamps, a throw to add some texture to the bed, decorative accessories,  hang photos and touch up the white painted dresser that got a little nicked in the move. 

But it's ready for guests right now. So come on down! 

best looking curtains in town...

I went to the store for office curtains... I came home with these instead. 

Can you blame me? Look at that color blocking!

What girl can resist blue, pink and purple all in one shoe? I'm in love. 

it's what's on the outside that counts....

alright, only when it comes to landscaping -- and that was Priority 1 around here this weekend. Now that he has a new mower, my husband is a man on a mission when it comes to the yard. So it seemed like the perfect time to tackle some landscaping plans. Our house has some existing landscaping from the previous owners, they actually did a great job in the front of the house. But the back and sides leave a little to be desired.

We live on a corner lot so when you're driving down our street, this is what you see. 

That's a whole lot of siding. Like a big wall of of beige slapping you in the face. 

Thankfully, we were fortunate enough to negotiate some money toward landscaping in our contract with the sellers. So it was time to get down to business. The landscaping company came out and we did a total walk-through the yard and what we wanted to do/can do with our budget. 

Item #1
The great wall

First up was breaking up that huge expanse of siding on the side of the house. Our landscaper felt that some of the plants in the front of our house were too big for their current placement, so we are moving them to the side. That will add height and color and those plants will be interspersed with some tall grasses and the lily bushes that are currently sprouting. 

Item #2

The back of the house and deck

The Mr. and I are going to tackle re-staining our deck so I will be sure to update you on the hilarity that ensues when we attempt that. I am just hoping we come away from it uninjured and with our marriage still intact. But currently we only have one knockout rose bush on the side of the deck. We want some privacy while we're back there, so the landscaper suggested a tree on the roadside of the deck, then repurposing the three rose bushes all around the deck to give them some breathing room. Some more bushes, grasses and small plants will fill in the holes and cover up the bottom of the deck, so you can't see underneath. We will also be getting some deck furniture in the coming weeks, so I'm on the lookout for that. 

Item #3

Privacy

When we were looking for a house, I was adamant about having privacy from the neighbors and therefore a yard with trees. Basically we ended up with the complete opposite of that and can see directly into our neighbors kitchen while they eat. Thankfully they are nice and wave to us. But when you sit on our deck, you can see all of our neighbors' backyards. 

So in that big hole right in the corner of the yard where our neighbor's fence is pointing, we are going to put in a berm of trees and shrubs. And just to the right and out of this particular shot will be another tree that will balance out the berm and define our yard a little more. 

So while we wait the two weeks for the plans and drawings to arrive, I have been dreaming about what our yard will look like and cruising the Internet for some inspirational landscaping pictures.

traditional landscape design

Love this porch. Beautiful, colorful flowers. It seems so inviting. 

traditional landscape design by kansas city architect RDM Architecture

I love how the landscaping creeps up the side of the house, this is how I want ours to eventually grow. 

traditional landscape design by san francisco landscape designer Verdance Fine Garden Design

The height differentials of the uniquely shaped shrubs adds tons of interest. 

I can't wait to see how the whole yard turns out, so stay tuned and I'll keep you updated every step of the way! 

march madness...

I have been a bad blogger lately. With a work trip to Chicago and the unseasonably awesome weather we've been having, I haven't found the time to blog. But never fear, I have a couple of big projects in the works (hint: finishing up the office -- yay!)

But for now, I am jet-setting to LaLa Land to visit my sister. So, on that note, I will leave you with a shot of the beautiful tree blooming in our front yard. Can you believe it's only March?

made in the shade: new chevron lamp shades

To say my office makeover is going at a snail's pace would be and understatement. This is what it currently looks like.

Not much change from the last month or so. Same chair, same desk, same piles of papers and bills to be filed. But wait! There is one new addition.

A new chevron lampshade. Two to be exact, but the other hasn't been assembled yet. I saw them on clearance at Target for $14 and couldn't pass them up. They are a perfect complement to my office chair and add a little fun to my otherwise white and beige box of an office. 

The chevron stripes are a muted gold that work really well with the peacock blue and bronzy brown in my chair. I am not sure I am going to keep those lamp bases in the office though. The original intent was to get white drum shades and spray paint the bases gold, but that idea doesn't work with the new shade. So I am on the lookout for either lucite lamp bases or a really unique base, like an owl or some fun kitschy design that I can spray paint white. 

I am still on the hunt for some peacock blue velvet curtains and, of course, the ever-elusive white credenza. Once I find that credenza, I think the whole thing will come together rather quickly. This new  shade has breathed a little life back into the design, so I am full steam ahead to get this room completed in the next month.

Oy! I just put it out there into the blogosphere, so now I have to stick to my word. Let the credenza hunting begin!

soundtrack of my life...

right now, on continual repeat, I have two CDs going: El Camino by The Black Keys and Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars. What do these two have in common besides being by 2-piece bands with 3-word names? They are both terrific, soulful, rock albums.

The Black Keys are one of my favorite bands. My husband has been a long-time fan and two years ago we saw them play an after Lollapalooza show at a small bar/venue called the Metro in Chicago. We were front row and it was one of the coolest shows I have ever seen. Their sound is amazing. They don't put on a big spectacle, they are just two uber-talented guys from Akron, Ohio, who play guitar and drums, and just simply rock.

The Black Keys in Cincinnati. Source

Their music reminds me of a combination blues/70s/southern rock. It's smart, clean, and flawlessly executed. Their album Brothers is my favorite of the bunch but El Camino is a close second. In fact, I just saw them in concert on Friday night and they did not disappoint. Even in an arena, they stayed true to their simple style and whipped the crowd into a 90-minute frenzy of solid rock music.

The Civil Wars. Source

On the flip side of The Black Keys' traditional rock style are The Civil Wars. This duo, made up of Joy Williams and John Paul White (who looks like he could be brothers with Jack White), offers up a beautiful haunting sound. Generally, I hate when people use the word "haunting" when describing something that isn't actually haunted, but one listen to the rich blend of their voices and that is the only word that seems to fit. The music and lyrics ache with emotion and the soft melodies seem simple but draw out a complex set of emotions.

My first introduction to The Civil Wars was at this year's Grammy Awards when they played before and introduced Taylor Swift's performance. For my money, the roles should have been reversed. Their strength, sound and talent totally eclipse Taylor's breathy pop tunes. I could listen to them sing all day long, and most days I actually do. A folk/indie/country blend, Barton Hollow is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of all times. It even includes a slowed down, stripped down cover of I Want You Back by the Jackson Five that is almost unrecognizable but at the same time a loving tribute to the classic hit.

The Black Keys and The Civil Wars – two remarkable groups, two fantastic albums.