Subject: Blast from the Past

Melissa -

Hi - I hope you had a great Thanksgiving/shopping weekend! My Ikea trip was almost a 100% success - they didn't have the spice racks in stock. That was actually one of the saddest things to me, because I had been so looking forward to using them in Suz's future reading nook, but maybe I will come about them another way. Plus, I'm not assembling the nook tomorrow, so there's still time.

In addition to bringing back my Ikea goods, I also snagged a few of my childhood favorites from my parents' attic. Suz is to the age where she's in to pretend play and is getting to the age where she is more independent, so everything I brought back is geared along those lines. Let me warn you: these pieces have been sitting in my parents' attic for the last 25-ish years (OMG, that is so depressing to realize), and who knows HOW old they were before then...all that to say, they're not in the best shape. But it's their potential I am most interested in. So, without further ado, some of my childhood relics...

Here is a baby cradle I see in Suz's future 'big girl' room for all her stuffed animals and baby dolls:

However, in its current state it looks like something from some scary doll hospital, so I will be painting it a bright, clean white (maybe a laquer-y finish?) and I thought about making a new mattress for it with the fabric from Suz's current crib skirt, since she won't be needing it for too much longer and it seems like a sweet way to recycle it.

Next up, this play highchair:

When I imagined this in my head, I couldn't decide whether I would paint it or not, but then seeing it in person confirmed it for me: I WILL be painting it. Some of the wood has gotten nicked over the years and the whole thing just seems dirty and depressing. If it had been in better shape I might have considered keeping it as-is, just because something about the kittens seems Sally Draper-ish* in a way, but now I am looking forward to giving it a new life with a fresh coat of paint. Plus, Baby Bobby may want to play with it, and the kittens and pink tray makes it even funnier for a boy to play with (and will make Mr. Lass cringe even more).

We have ordered this play kitchen for Suz for Christmas:

I am envisioning setting up the highchair next to the kitchen, so maybe my paint scheme will coordinate with the kitchen. I think I might do the whole thing white and then paint the tray a fun red, and then maybe do red polka dots where the kittens are now.

Lastly, I lived in this table & chairs growing up:

It actually has four chairs, but it was 50 degrees and windy today, so I only pulled one chair out of the garage to show you. This thing is in terrible shape, obviously, but I think it has a lot of potential as well. I think if given the choice I might not have chosen this exact set, but I think it will be cute once it has been painted. But I am getting stuck on what color to paint it. It will be going in the kitchen, near-ish my dining area, so I want it to coordinate with that to some degree, but not match out-right because I want it to still be kid-friendly. To remind you, here is my dining area presently:

I considered painting everything white, but then painting the table top a dark color, just to hide whatever dirt/crayon/jelly will end up on this thing. Maybe like a deep turquoise-y/green? But, just to give you a closer view of this set, check out the legs on the table and the chair:

They have a wave to them which I think is kind of interesting. Should I try to highlight that in some way? I am hesitant to do any kind of crazy color, just because I don't want it to look too Willy Wonka with the black and white tile floors. Thoughts?

I feel like I am an elf in Santa's workshop with all the painting I have been doing around here, trying to get projects finished up before the end of the year. It's an arbitrary deadline, but I want to see how much I can get done in the next month so I can focus on getting my house ready for the craziness to come in March!

Hope you have a great weekend!
Kara

*I know that Dorothy Draper is a real style, but I feel like Sally/Don/Betty Draper have also attained the status of having a style named for them too, right? I guess I use it as a way to reference back to the 1960s/Mad Men era in general.

Subject: The Picker Sisters

Have you seen this show??

I think it started last week, but I discovered it on OnDemand.  

Here's the synopsis...

Starring best friends and renowned interior designers Tracy Hutson and Tanya McQueen ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"), "Picker Sisters" reaffirms the classic saying “one person’s trash is another’s treasure” by following the design duo as they crisscross America in search of rare relics and materials to create stunning pieces for their Los Angeles home décor pop-up shop.

And here's just some of the awesome pickens':

Looking forward to the next episode!!  It make me want to go drive to North Georgia and hit up some junk yards!! 

 

Synopsis and all photos courtesy of Lifetime TV.

Subject: TJ Maxx Drooling

Melissa -

Living in a small town definitely has its drawbacks (only two Targets, one Michael's, no Home Goods!), but for some reason the furniture at the TJ Maxx is surprisingly good. I don't know if you have decided on dining room chairs to go with your new table (when you get it), but I fell in love with these:



I especially love the nail head trim as well as the fabric - it was almost like a linen. It just seemed really sophisticated, but the nail head made it feel more rustic and less formal. Plus it looks comfortable, which is so important if you want your guests to be comfortable and sit awhile. The price was great too - $149.99 each.

Of course, there were only two available, but I'm sure with the entire metropolis of Atlanta at your disposal, you could track down enough!

So have you noticed a trend with my posts this week? While I'm gone, I'm emptying out my phone of pictures I meant to send you!

Xoxo,

Kara

Subject: Craigslist Side Table Makeover

Melissa -

I was going through some old pictures and realized I never sent these to you: I found a side table on Craiglist and painted it, so now it's good as new!

Here are the before and after:

I have always wanted a table like this, with the slanted shelf on the bottom. Originally thought I would use it to hold magazines, but they do not fit/won't stand up and cookbooks are too big. So now I have a few books on there - including on of Suz's. Miraculously, she really only takes her book off the shelf...most of the time!

This table was painted around the same time as my new kitchen table - you can kind of see it to the right when I was priming the big table. The orange is Ember Glow by Sherwin-Williams. I put a few coats of the same wipe-on polyurtherane as I used on the kitchen table, just to project it from everyday wear and tear.

It's in the corner of the kitchen, just inside of a doorway that was empty and needed something. This is the perfect size - anything too big would have looked out of place. Yay for Craigslist!

Subject: Living Room Update

Melissa -

Hi friend! I hope you had a fabulous weekend with all your girlfriends and had a great 4th as well. As you read this, I am at the beach...not submerging my hand in any water! Just as I promised, I would love your input on my living room.

To bring you up to speed, I ordered a rug from Overstock and not only was it a total steal (the rub + shipping was all less than $200), I am totally in love with how it looks:

The drawback: Ina the Cat is also in love with the way it looks...and feels in her claws. So if anyone wants a cat...

I kid, I kid. But seriously. I am going to skin that cat if she ruins this rug. It is hooked, which I think she really enjoys for wrapping her claws around. I know that sometimes ordering from Overstock can be hit-or-miss with the quality and accuracy of the description of the item, but I was really pleased with my purchase. The best part is that I didn't need to get a rug pad because it was soft underneath (I guess because it's a hooked rug?). I really love how the background is black because I feel like it ties in with the black & white tile in the kitchen, but I didn't really think through how it would show every little piece of lint or cat fur. Oh well. The other rug probably hid things too well and hence I did not vacuum enough :)

(Side note: I loved the rug suggestion you sent me in your story board, but it was in more jewel tones and I needed something more primary color-ish. I would love to see that rug used in someone's house though...)

So now that the rug is in place, I feel even more confident with moving forward with blue ticking stripe drapes, so just imagine they are in the room, even though I still need to buy the fabric, sew them and install curtain rods...oh, and buy curtain rods too. The blue in the rug is really nice and I think the ticking stripe will be perfect, plus the rug also gives a nod to the blue leather chair that I cannot stand but Mr. Lass insists we will keep forever.

Prior to acquiring the new TV stand, we had a big armoire thing and then a ladder bookshelf sat next to it and it worked okay. But now that the new TV stand is smaller and shorter, I think the bookshelf looks silly on the wall, so I am ready to get something different. Here is the space as it certainly is, with the new TV stand (staying) and the ladder bookshelf (going):

At the moment I love the idea of putting a bench there because it will round out the seating in the room and give the appearance that the room is not centered around the television (although we all know it's true!). Plus it would provide me an opportunity to inject some color in that area - I'm considering painting the bench green.

After such a great experience with Overstock with my rug, I decided to start my bench search there too and found this one that I really like:

The dimensions of it are right for the space and I really love the back. I could put a few pillows on it and some artwork above (more on that later this week). But the only dilemma I'm facing at this point: what to do with the cable box/DVD player? Right now the cable box is on the bookshelf and the DVD player is on the ground - not really a sustainable option. Right now I'm considering using an L-bracket and somehow mounting a little shelf under the bench to hold those two things, but we'll see. I don't know how hard that would be.

Let me know your thoughts/suggestions. The most ideal option would be if we could alter the TV stand in some way and make one of the drawers have a hinged opening and then drill a hole in the back for the cords, but while that seems like a good idea, it also seems like one of those projects could go horribly, horribly wrong and then ruin the whole piece.

Xoxo,
Kara

Subject: Living Room Curtains, Part 1

To my lovely friend Peach,

Okay, so now that we've covered your dining room, it's time to talk about my living room. Specifically: curtains. I thought I knew what I wanted and I was just saving up all my spare change to splurge on all the materials I would need to make exactly what I want (because why buy something off-the-shelf when you can go through the trouble/agony/frustration of attempting to DIY something?). The only problem with waiting - new things catch your eye. So then you start wondering if you should go a completely different direction and you start to doubt your already-made decision. (Which, in some ways, I'm grateful that I don't have the resources to do everything I want exactly when I want to do it...I would have made some really wrong decisions - or, worse decisions. But in waiting, you are able to really think something through and it takes into account your constantly evolving tastes to ensure you land on something you will love for a long time. Mostly though, I get frustrated when I can't do what I want when I want to do it!)

So, before we begin, perhaps I should take you on a tour of the living room. It is the first room you come into from the front door - there is no foyer or anything, just a little side entry table that I have showed you in the past when I have various things to improve the lamp situation there. This room then opens into the kitchen, which has black & white tile (the living room is hardwood) and it was formerly green, but now the same khaki-ish/beige color as the living room (Dunmore Cream by Benjamin Moore).

There isn't much furniture-wise in the living room, because it isn't a huge room, and there is a fireplace in one corner. We used to have a big armoire thing in corner opposite the fireplace to hold the television, but we replaced it back a few months ago courtesy of my mother-in-law. Next to the television is a ladder bookshelf that is on its way out, but I'm not sure yet what I will replace it with (a wider ladder bookshelf or a new piece altogether?).

There is a leather couch that is similar to yours in that it isn't formal at all gets better with more wear and age. There is also a coffee table (the Rhys table from Pottery Barn) and then a blue leather recliner that we inherited from Mr. Lass's parents and that I loathe, but that Mr. Lass has sworn we will never get rid of because it is so comfortable. Ahh! I curse that chair every time I want to incorporate a turquoise or inky blue into the living room, but then feel like I can't once I remember the blue chair. Behind the couch is the entry table I mentioned earlier and next to that is a chair I found at an estate sale and covered in a fun color and painted the wood black. There is also a rug under the couch. Here you go:

As for artwork, there is a painting above the fireplace that I loooove and do not plan on moving. It is flanked by blue plates to play up the blue pottery in the painting. Above the entry table is a pasture scene that I have always admired from my MIL's house and one day she brought it over and gave it to us. The last picture is located between the front door and the big picture window and has sentimental value to our family.

The only other colors in the room come from the throw pillows, pictured on the couch above, but I'm ready to switch those out, so don't really take those into account.

Okay, so now that you're familiar with everything in the room...tomorrow we'll talk curtains!

Can't wait,
Kara

Re: Re: My New Dining Table

Hi! I hope you had a great weekend...we did! It was our sixth wedding anniversary, so we went away for the weekend (sans Suz) and stayed in Sandestin, which was really gorgeous and so relaxing. We ate at some amazing places and just enjoyed the sun and sand...plus lots of people-watching from behind the cover of my dark sunglasses. So all my thoughts and suggestions are coming from the mind of someone who is totally refreshed and rested, which will hopefully make them really useful!

Okay, so I am with you on loving the Grand Baluster Dining Table. The legs are gorgeous, but I completely agree with you - how impractical! Not only would you need to sharpen your tweezers, but it seems like it would be hard to keep clean too...would sauces or wine soak into the wood? Yikes and no thanks. Of the other two options, I really like the Flatiron Dining Table, which surprises me because I have always loved a farmhouse table with simple lines. But I really like the Flatiron Table. Maybe it's the combination of the wood where you can really see the grain and then the metal legs - it's an unexpected mix. You get the warmth of the wood but the industrial-ness of the legs. Plus, the legs on the other table just seemed really heavy to me. And with the Flatiron Table you could always pull up extra chairs for people to sit on the corners if you needed it, because there are no legs right on the corner for people to band their knees against!

So if you were to go with the Flatiron Table, you could go sooo many directions with the seating. I would be completely overwhelmed, so I'm glad it's you and not me making the decision! I'm just going to give you all my input (and a lot of pictures & links!) to hopefully get your design juices flowing!

I guess first you need to decide how formal you want to go. Also - how and if you want to incorporate color? Do you want to have the chairs nuetral but then upholster them in a colorful fabric? Do you want the chairs completely nuetral, and then bring in color with your linens and dishes? BTW - I love your dining room decor. The framed plates are such an amazing idea! Sorry for not responding sooner!

Here are a few photos I snapped from my Idea Notebook, all from Better Homes & Gardens.

I love how all these chairs are different (including the fabric), but they're unified by the stain:

I have also seen it where someone takes all different types of wooden chairs and paints them the same color to unify them, even though they're all different shapes and sizes. That's more of an informal, eclectic look, so I'm not sure that's what you're going for in here. In this room, I really like the mix of the yellow and green. And I love the frameless mirrors on the wall. It's actually given me an idea for something to do above my bed, so just keep this picture in mind for the future!

These chairs all match and are somewhat formal, but the tie on the cushion gives them some interest and are supposed to look like ribbons on ballet slippers:

These chairs are just really unique and I bet would be comfortable for a long family dinner (something to consider!). They remind me of those purses that are made out of seatbelt straps:

These chairs offer great texture, in my opinion. Plus you could swap out the cushions pretty cheaply if you wanted something different:

Speaking of texture, I really love a good woven chair. Here is one from Ikea that is a total steal at $79:

Here it is in action on the third season of Sarah's House (aka My Obession...did you see where Sarah's Cottage has started on HGTV??? Love it.):

I think it's a chair that could go really casual or dressy, depending on its surroundings, and Sarah made it work perfectly in her more formal dining room.

Another route you could go is to do some kind of bench or settee on one side, just to break up all the chairs a little bit. I love this example from Little Green Notebook:

For your table, you would need something longer, so a bench of some kind might be more economical, but I really love this idea. Or, you could keep a simple bench (almost like a picnic table bench) against a long wall in your dining room that seats more people than the number of chairs you have on one side, so when you have a crowd you could swtich out the chairs for the bench on that side. Just a suggestion.

Then there is the option of doing different chairs for the heads of the table. Sometimes I think this looks too grand and formal, but I found this example at BHG's website and I really love the way it looks:

Or you could do something kind of mod and retro with these Herman Miller chairs, also courtesy of BHG online:


I like how the table is really traditional and farmhouse-y, but the chairs are so not. It's an interesting combination that is sort of appealing.

I feel like at some point in one of our conversations (actual conversations, not just virtual) you talked about doing upholstered chairs, so I could be missing the mark altogether here. But wasn't this fun? I love looking at pictures of other people's houses, even if I'm not actually going to use any of those ideas!

I can't wait to see what you decide!

Xoxo,

Kara

Subject: My New Dining Table

Melissa -

This post has been a long time coming! I first told you about my dining table here, when I asked you to go pick it up for me. Yes, I search Craigslists in other cities where I have friends/family in the hopes that if I find something, they can get it for me and then I can figure out a way to retrieve it. So, the table is originally from Atlanta. Then my cousin, who lives in Charleston, told me she was going to the SEC basketball tournament in Atlanta and agreed to get the table from you, Peach, and take it back to Charleston. I was hoping that her mom (my aunt) would be able to bring it back down when she came, but it would not fit in her car. So then, about a month later, my uncle drove up there in a big SUV for my cousin's son's 1st birthday party (my second cousin, I think?), and he brought it back for me. It was quite a production getting it down here, but it was so worth it once you see the finished product and now it has earned the name "tri-state table!"

So, here it is before:

It is a solid oak table that I got for $100, which felt like a great price considering the guy said he hardly ever used it and it was in really great shape. It came with a leaf, which I planned to keep in it so all six of my dining chairs would fit around it. It actually measures slightly bigger than the table I had before, which was nice to for having people over - I could always add more chairs since there were no corners to contend with.

The only problem with keeping the leaf in is you can see in the picture above that the trim on the leaf doesn't match the rest of the table. When I originally got the table, the leaf had no trim and I didn't like the way it looked. So I went to Home Depot and had them cut me two pieces of 12-inch-long oak that was the same height as the existing trim around the table. Thankfully, the trim is plain so I didn't have to try and match it up with a piece that had grooves on it or anything. I was also pretty proud of myself because I went to The Depot all by myself and picked out the wood and had it cut. I paid about $3 for both pieces, which felt like a steal. I used L-brackets and screws (which I also picked out myself) to attach the new pieces to the leaf:

Once I had all that done, I got to the business of re-finishing. First I used Liquid Sandpaper to take the finish off the table to ensure the paint would then stick. I like Liquid Sandpaper because it's quicker than using actual sandpaper, plus it combines the step of cleaning the piece while sanding it. I applied it using a piece of an old T-shirt and wore gloves when working with it, which is so important. Liquid Sandpaper is available in the sandpaper section at most hardware stores and looks like this:

After the sanding step, I then primed it. I used Behr Premium Primer & Sealer because that's what I had on hand. I didn't have long stretches of time to work on this project, so the primer dried for about 24 hours before I started painting. I think it's important to wait an ample amount of time between each step - read the directions on your product - but sometimes I get impatient and rush things. So it was good that I had a finite amount of time each day to work on this project.

After priming, I then applied my paint. I used white trim paint that I also had on hand. For furniture, I always use latex paint and I think a semi-gloss finish is just right, so that's what I used. I applied 3-4 coats of paint, waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next. My dad advised me that oak is a thick wood and the grains of wood can sometimes bleed through the paint, so I was determined to put on as many coats as were necessary. Plus, I knew this piece would be heavily used, so I wanted to make sure it had plenty of coats for that reason as well.

Once I had my coats of paint, I then I applied a protective layer of polyurethane. There is a relatively new product called Wipe-On Poly by Minwax that is awesome and that I used on this project. You just wipe on the polyurethane with a rag (and gloves!). It comes in a glossy or satin finishes and the container looks like this:

For this project, I used the satin finish. Once the first coat has dried, you sand it with a fine-grain sandpaper, wipe it down and then apply another coat. Originally I was only going to do two coats on the top, but then I realized that people's feet would probably kick the pedestal and potentially chip it, so I applied two coats of the poly there too.

So after all that was done, I moved the table into the kitchen and put it together and voila! all done:

I love how it looks, with the wall color and the chair fabric and the tile. It is seriously such an improvement. Here is a picture of the dining area before, when it was green:

And here is the whole area now:

I looooooove it. I think the whole look is so much more refined and has so much more focus - like I actually had a plan beforehand and thought it all through! There are more details from this dining area to show you, but I'm exhausted from telling you about this table, so I will save it for another day!

Toodles,

Kara

Subject: Checking In

Hall-ooooo!

So we are, like, less than 24 hours away from someone else's big day. Actually, we're less than 12 if you're on British time, which I have been (mentally) all week. (Do you think I'll be jet-lagged on Saturday when it's all over?) I am dy-ing. I love all the pomp and pageantry and especially love how all those Brits, with the traditional stiff-upper-lip, turn out to line the streets for someone else's wedding! I just really appreciate that. Mostly, though I'm so excited for my dinner party!

As a little game, this is what I have made:

I used pictures of Royal brides and grooms and my guests will have to match which princess goes with which prince (or toad, as the case is sometimes). I've decided on a table scheme (my new alternative to 'table scape') and the menu is going to be scrumptious. So, yeah - I'm just ready to get it all under way. I've decided that it's so much fun to turn ordinary things into events, because it makes them seem fun and exciting, even if you're not the person involved. Plus, it's just a great excuse to throw a party! I just Suz were a little older and then I would totally take advantage of these.

Okay, so next week I promise to write a ton more. I have to show you pictures from Suz's party (sorry for stringing you along for so many weeks!) and I've completed a few projects as well that I need to show you.

Just to get you excited, here are the 'before' shots:

Yikes, right? The 'after' photos will show you the transformation.

Also this week, I decided to spruce up my entry lamp. (You remember my new lamp, right?) Here it is before:

Not bad, but kind of ho-hum. After a quick trip to the craft store and some grosgrain ribbon and double-sided tape, here is the after:

Not a huge transformation. But still, I think it looks more polished and 'done.'

See you back here next week...hope you have a smashing weekend, dah-ling!

Cheerio,

Kara

Subject: Priming!

Melissa -

Your dinner looked gorgeous. Well, the table-scape anyway! I can't wait to hear all about it. The weather here has been amazing - it looks incredible there, based on your picture.

Here is what I have been up to:

And I apologize for the terrible picture quality! I snapped this picture on my phone and didn't notice how bad the quality was until loading it up to show you. Anyway, I have been priming! My kitchen table arrived to me this past weekend (after its very long journey across three states!), you can see my little side table towards the back on the right and then my Craigslist mirror on the left. (And yes, that is Ina the Cat perched on the mirror!)

I have the table and leaf mounted on paint cans. I think that makes it easier to paint when it's not sitting on the ground or resting on another table. I'm able to get the undersides of the edges painted at the same time I am painting the top, without having to flip it over. I used a craft sponge for the small spaces and the mirror's frame, and then a mini roller pad thing that is the same material as those big, poofy rollers, but smaller. I am officially obsessed with them.

Anyway, just wanted to share with you my in-between stage. Can't wait to show you all the 'after' shots!

Yay,
Kara

P.S. This week I am planning to share with you about my exciting dinner party coming up!

Subject: Antiquing Part 4

So today is the last day of the antique showcase...promise! And today it's more furniture. Trust me, I've saved the best for last. To start things off, I kind of fell in love with this chair: I kind of even like the fabric, in the right room. It had a faded quality to it that made the orange and turquoise and red seem less loud and overwhelming. Plus I think it's an interesting choice to have the chair, ottoman and throw pillow all the same color. This would be a great corner chair in a bedroom, where the walls and bedding are all neutral, and this piece is the "wow" factor. Otherwise it might seem too busy. The chair and ottoman are obviously two separate pieces, but look how the ottoman is slanted just-so so you could treat the two pieces as one big lounge chair. A cream crocheted blanket thrown over one arm would soften the busy pattern some too. Here is another ottoman, this time with a couch:

These are both new pieces - not antiques. This shop just started carrying new furniture with fabrics you can customize. I didn't look at it much, but the samples they had seemed nice and well-made. Even though both these pieces were new, they still had some great details on them that I really loved. First, the casters on the couch:

The proportion between the leg and the caster seems a little off, but at the same time really works too. And I really enjoyed the legs on the ottoman: The actual detail seems modern, but having the detail at all makes the piece feel older and more approachable. To me, modern pieces are intimidating, but I could see something like this in my house. I guess it would depend on the fabric you chose too. Moving on... This couch is obviously not new. I really liked the lines of it and it was really long, which is kind of nice: I kind of liked the green velvet with the dark would, but I'm sure painting the wood would also look really crisp with a great damask. I am a sucker for damask! And I meant to show you this a few days ago, but I love these bell jars:

I'm not sure what I would display under the ones in my house, but I love them. I especially love it when they're different heights.

Phew. I feel like I've just been shopping, showing you all these pictures!

Hope you enjoyed.

Kara