Christmas Decor 2014

It's interesting how every year around Thanksgiving, I think about all the time I have before Christmas. Then I take a nap after Thanksgiving dinner, and when I wake up, it's suddenly December 19th. I swear this happens to me every year. And I'm left scrambling for last-minute gifts, last-minute holiday party prep, and (hopefully) last-minute cookie baking. I need more time!

I'm a holiday addict though. So naturally, I'm making it impossible to not feel Christmas-y at every moment this month. The halls are decked, my house smells like a pine forest, and there's more Christmas music jamming in this place than a department store on Black Friday. We're hosting this year (my parents and grandparents are trekking down from Indiana next week), and this will be the first year for us to share our festiveness (is that a word?) with everyone on Christmas morning.

So for everyone not rolling into town next week, here's a look at our holiday-laden double shotgun. 'Tis the season for an obligatory Christmas home tour, after all. Hope you're gettin' your eggnog on (or milk punch) and enjoying the holidays as much as I am!

Thrifty Thursday & the one that got away

As any of you Craigslist-ers, yard sale-ers, and thrift-ers out there know, this hunt can be hit-or-miss.  I can search Craigslist for a month to no avail, then BAM!  This happens.

I had a "bam" moment recently that I feel inclined to tell you about.  I've been searching for a dresser for the dining room (you know, a buffet, or whatever), and suddenly one afternoon I came across this:

That's right.  This.  Magnificent Mid Century Modern beauty.  For 50 bucks.  The stars had aligned,   the clouds opened up and a beam of light shown down on me sitting in front of my computer screen.  And I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing, too.  I almost pulled a finger muscle hitting the "reply" button so fast.

Then I realized the beam of light had actually been shining on some other lucky a-hole.  Someone had beat me to it.  I wanted to cry.  Like a young, spoiled child.

But don't think I didn't get back up on that horse.  Like a gambling addiction at one of those quarter pusher machines, I became obsessed.  Furiously searching Craigslist, I decided this unfortunate situation would NOT happen again!  (stomping foot and shooting fist into the air).

On the bright side, I did manage to rake in a handful of other bargains that are attempting, unsuccessfully, to fill the void left by my dresser (yes, mine).

Exhibit A.  Hello, little cabinet.  I nabbed this guy for $40- probably more than I should have spent looking back, but I was rebounding, people.

He's a little worse for the wear, so a paint job is in order.

I plan to put him where the little grey cabinet is under the window in this picture.  Then the dresser will go under the chalkboard.

I also snagged this sweet quilt at a neighbor's moving sale.  I bought 6 dresses and 2 pairs of earrings from her for $8 (because when you're as freakishly small as I am and you find anything remotely cute at a good price that fits, you buy that ish).  She tossed in the quilt.  Fo' free.  Whoop whoop!

The last addition is this ginormous beast of a trunk.  It had seen better days when I bought it.  A couple of boards were loose, and the trim on the lid was coming off.  But as mentioned, it's gargantuan.  And only 20 bucks.

A little hole-drilling and nailing got this baby into workable shape.  I've been considering a paint job, but I'm kinda digging the beat up, rustic look.  At any rate, it holds a ton of blankets, which until now were kept in giant crates in the office.  Also, don't mind that crater coming from beneath the window.  The glories of old-home-ownership.

I did spot this great MCM sofa as well, not long after the dresser catastrophe.  A bargain at $90, and new upholstery would make it a beaut.  It didn't really "get away".  I actually emailed the person selling it, had plans to reupholster it myself (oh yea, and learn how to reupholster a couch, because that's also important), and was figuring out a way to haul the thing back to our house.  Then my brain came out of hibernation, smacked me in the face, and asked me why in the heck I would buy a couch.  I freaking love our fantastic Chesterfield.  And I no longer have an extra 3000 square feet of space to just... fill.  Poo.

So what about you?  Any celebration-worthy finds recently?

How It's Looking- A living/dining room update

Did everyone have a fabulous fourth of July?!  I still can't believe it's mid-year already.  We spent our day biking (at the crack of dawn when it's still possible to breathe outside), "swimming" (AKA bobbing around in a pool without actually exerting any energy), eating/drinking with pals, and enjoying fireworks and the extended hours of Crescent City Park on the Mississippi.  Don't worry, I won't be sharing photos of various fireworks.  But I will share this:

Aaaanyway, it's time for another house update.  I think the last time I photographed the main part of the house was at Christmas.  Also, we've been sliding small updates in, not mentioning them, and pretending like no one will notice.

For instance, we painted the dining room and kitchen, as well as all the trim near the crown molding.  Did anyone notice the walls suddenly weren't yellow anymore in this post?  I think it helps tone down the "everything around me is yellow" factor.  The cream cabinets, yellow ceiling, yellow walls, and yellow trimming between the molding was making me pine for something blue-toned in my life.

Yes, the ceiling is still yellow.  Uggggghhhhhhhhh.  Sorry.  Every time I think about painting a ceiling it makes me groan for extended periods and feel like I might vomit.  It may be a while before we tackle that beast.

We've got a few new pieces of art hanging out in the living room these days.  The two larger pieces are mixed watercolor and ink by Geza Brunow- his stuff is awesome.  Check out his "Kings" pieces.  They make me smile so much!

Then we balanced out the fancy schmancy art with some pieces that are more tolerable to the Arvin budget.  The top piece we acquired for $2 (!!!) from a guy who lives nearby and doodles little pen on paper pieces like this all the time.  The bottom right is a postcard-style advertisement for the Tennessee Williams Festival we picked up at a performance of Night of the Iguana at a warehouse in the Marigny.

Here's the 2-buck doodle a little closer:

Remember when I mentioned how bright the 60W bulb seemed in this fixture I pieced together?  I switched it out for a 40W.  It was a good move.  I also love the shape.  Ooh lala!

I've gotten into the habit of picking up flowers every week, and it's fantastic.  Flowers make me happy.  So do ice cream, chocolate, and cake.  Keep that in mind, friends.  My birthday is nearing.

You may have noticed (above) the little cabinet to the left of the window.  It was a Craigslist find we snagged for $50 a few weeks ago.  Plans are to paint it.  More on that soon.

So what have you been up to?  Any home-updates on the to do list?

I DIYed a light fixture and didn't electrocute myself!

Come basque in the glory of successful wiring with me, my friends.  Perhaps you think connecting a white and black wire into the proper places on a lamp is child's play, but to me, it feels like I missed my calling at becoming an electrician.  I want to wire and rewire ALL the lamps!

Anywho, it all started when Will and I were complaining to each other about how dark one corner of the living room is.  We have lamps in 2 corners, the TV in a 3rd, and then there's the corner dark enough to be a make-out corner at a middle school dance.  And because I don't want anything shady (pun) going on around here, I set out on a light search.

The space isn't big enough for a table and lamp, and a floor lamp would be awkward, so I knew it would have to mount to the wall.  I've always drooled over these fantastic light fixtures that only people much wealthier than I can buy:

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Being willing to spend much less money on a light fixture than these require, I started considering a DIY option.  I'd seen a lot of basic single light cords, like this one from IKEA, so I knew there had to be a way to rig something up.  I didn't like the simplistic look of everything I found on the internet though.  I was hoping for something more... vintage.

Then, the wonderful Michael at Inspired by Charm wrote this post with some extremely helpful info about where to buy separate light sockets and cords.  Clearly he picked up on my stuck-in-a-DIY-situation brain waves.  I ordered the antique bronze cloth covered lamp cord and the antique brass lamp socket on eBay, then found a wall mount pulley for $14.50 on eBay as well.

Everything came in the mail a few days later looking a little like this:

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Saturday morning while Will was running around the neighborhood being fit, I sat with coffee and bonbons (ok, maybe just coffee) and started wiring the cord to the light socket.  I Googled some videos that showed me where to put the hot and neutral wires (so as not to electrocute myself or burn down the house), and had the thing together in about 20 minutes.  I will not be held responsible for anyone who electrocutes/shocks themselves or burns their house down... thus, I won't be demonstrating how the wiring is done.

Next, I took off the wheel of the pulley, thread the cord through, and put it back together.  

To keep the cord in place (so the light won't sink lower and lower from the pulley after it's hanging), I used a bit of fishing wire to tie it to the base of the pulley.

I screwed in one of the 60 watt old-school lightbulbs that are all the rage these days, then the last step was mounting it to the wall.  Boom.

It's quite nice having more light in the living room at night.  Plus those vintage bulbs give off such warm light, it makes everything feel cozier.

After using it a lot, I'm considering getting a 40 watt bulb instead, so it doesn't burn my retinas when I stare adoringly at it.  We'll see.

What do y'all think?  Anyone else on the hunt for new lighting these days?