Category: At Home

On the Lookout

I had a dream that all of my silver eagle glasses (given to me by my grandparents) had been broken. Woke up distressed, but realized that aside from the one that Mosey broke a few months ago (glass cleanup + sticky lemonade cleanup is the worst) and the one I discovered last week with a giant crack in it, they are still A-OK. But I adore the design. My parents have some with an “L” on them they said I could have but transporting glassware from CA to KS is tricky business.

A couple of months ago I saw some similar ones at the local thrift shop (I think they had an “M” on them). When Mo had his fateful run-in with the bedside table I rushed over to the store to snatch them up but they’d been purchased, obviously by someone with a keen eye for style like myself.

That said, please be on the lookout for glasses like this, with a thick silver band around the top:

If you see any, pick them up for me and I will pay you back ca$h money!! They usually have a letter monogrammed on them (mine are the only I’ve seen with an eagle). I don’t care what the letter is–I think it would be fun to have a mishmash of monograms. Please help me build my collection!

Free Pillow!

Last night a new decorative pillow made its debut in our house–it only took a year!

Here’s the story: we went to the Kansas City river market in, like, April of 2010 (or some absurdly distant time like that) and bought this 15 lb bag of basmati rice from an African grocery shop. It took us this long to finish the bag.

DIY steps:

  1. Use 15 lbs of rice
  2. Remove plastic bag from inside burlap one
  3. Cut off handles from the top of the bag
  4. Insert one sad, faded, depressed looking pillow from my freshman year of college
  5. Sip top closed
  6. Enjoy new decorative item!

She’s baaaaaaack!

So, confession time. I was looking at today’s stats and was perplexed as to why today didn’t get as many views (compared to other days when I actually make posts). Then it dawned on me–I got the post all prepped to publish on my lunch break but had to rush away before actually publishing. Wa wa waaaaa.

The danish modern sofa I got from my grandma has made her way back home from the couch doctor upholsterer!  (Evidently, the couch is a she).

Now we have some REAL before and afters to talk about here. Lately I feel like everything I have to offer is “before, before, before.” The ball has begun to roll and now I can begin some afters. Well, at least, something I can call “in progress.”

I don’t know if you recall the “before,” but I sure do:

And now, with new foam, new binding (underneath the cusions) and new fabric… a whole new couch!

Here’s the GREAT part. The custom cushions I was thinking about ordering online (I fiiiinally got the fabric samples the day before we left for Texas last month–they didn’t “wow” me AT ALL) were going to run me over $300, and that’s without factoring in shipping and handling. I have no idea how much S&H would have been. Anyway, in Dallas we grabbed some GREAT dark gray microsuede(?) on clearance. The couch was going to require 6 yards to cover but since the fabric was a remnant, there were only 5 for sale. We did some quick brainstorming and decided to cover the back side of the back cushions in a different fabric for an interesting look! Anyway, we got all the fabric for less than $50, and the reupholstery (including labor, new foam, and new binding) only ran us $140! Can you believe this work of art is ours for less than $200?? I can’t either.

Here you can kind of see the texture of the fabric.

We’ve decided to keep the blue couch around for now. Unlike the light brown chairs (that Mosey camouflages into when sitting on them) the blue couch is suitable for napping and can sit 3 if people want to get cozy. More seating! With the two mid-century chairs (you can see one peeking in on the right side of the photo) completing the rectangle, the room can now easily seat 7-10!

I’m in love. With a living room. Once I fix the curtains (cut them up the middle to turn one into two) the light will be able to pour in!! I can’t wait. Well evidently I can because I’m procrastinating on the curtain project…