Full of Beans

  It turns out Big Deb, the Diva Desk is a bit of a gangsta because she stole dining table's bling.

Ah, well. You don't really know someone until you live with them for awhile.

 So dining table had to go find some more bling and fast. She was feeling a little

neckkid.

Thanks to Nate Berkus' suggestion to fill apothecaries and vases with random things around the house,

dining table got some bean love.

That's black eyed peas, black beans and coffee beans.

This was super cheap. I spent $2 for each vase and $3 for the beans. The coffee beans and candles I had on hand.

 Feeling content with Bean Bling.

Big Deb Dashes a Dining Room's Dreams

So we have this honking dining room that has been the bird room since we moved here in August 2009. (One of our birds recently found a new home. )) : ) 

I had been scouting Craigslist for a nice dining set for months until one day it occurred to me that I don't really want a dining room suite. No. I want an office/study.

So I began a new search. And lo and behold, I stumbled upon Big Deb the Diva of Desks!

My Daddy, husband and two sweet friends went to pick her up using Dad's truck and trailer.

Isn't she lovely? Don't you think she looks like her name should be Big Deb? What's that? You think it's weird to name furniture? I'm not going to tell her you said that.

I'm sad that the wall paper diminishes her beauty. I'm seeing deep greys and pale greys in this room...one day. The ceilings are like 20ft which is the same dilemma in my bedroom. The chances of  me doing the wallpaper removal and painting are slim. A scaffold would be nice but they are so expensive and renting doesn't work with my leisurely way of doing things. (( :

Wanna know how much I paid for Big Deb, the Diva Desk?

$300!!!

Now that is a Craigslist deal.

I found this vase at Hancock Fabrics on sale for $11.  I hated the color but saw the potential.

Here she is in all her 70% off glory.

 A coat of white paint

Followed by silver

Love it! I love how the silver made the details pop.

I so wish that I could show you where this vase will live but I'm adding it to my "bedroom collection" in the closet which sadly will have to wait to debut until I get the walls painted.

                                          That's all I have. Carry on!

Ross' Stores Rock!

The kids and I took a little trip today to the mall and to Ross'. Kirkland's had a sale on their storage boxes, $19.99 each, so I took two!

I promised myself that I was not going to take a picture of my new "mini living room" inside the bedroom until I was ready to address the  horrifying wallpaper but with these cute storage boxes turned coffee table, I just can't resist...so here goes...just look at the storage boxes okay? Promise???

I know. That wasn't fair. It's impossible not to see it. I don't think I've ever used the word "garish" before in my life but this wallpaper is G-A-R-I-S-H! It reminds me of beet salad....

Just dreadful...on a plate OR on a wall.

Back to the "coffee table"...this pic should be easier on the eyes...

Aren't they cute. I gave up my pantie drawer for this little living room when we moved out the dresser and moved in the couch-  I'd do it again and again. I love having the remote all to myself and I LOVE  that my schedule recordings on the DVR never get trumped by iCarly. 

Anyway for 40 bucks  I have a great place to set my coffee, The Word and a hiding place for all my crap!

Okay, this blog is proof I have A.D.D. On to the Ross finds..Check out these great candle holders...

I love the way they kind of mimic the backsplash and if you look at them closely, they kind of remind you of the hard candy that you used to find stuck together in grandma's candy dish. You know the kind--you work and pry to get it out only to realize it wasn't worth the effort.

Ahhh...the nostalgia....

 I found this groovy boat thing and while the kids played some dare game which involved spontaneous dance in the aisle and lounging on the outdoor

furniture, I found these gorgeous glass balls to snug inside.

It turns out that the kitchen table really needed a centerpiece and I won't bore you with all new pics just because I put a few balls on the table but trust me, it's really pretty and simple. I'm realizing that I really love pretty and simple which is such irony since I'm the Queen of Crap.

I've instructed the kids to point and scream at the top of their lungs like in that old movie, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" if they see any little curious hands anywhere near these beauties. Of course they've never heard of the movie but are looking forward to the 'scream and point' bit all the same.

Aren't they so pretty - albeit totally useless?

The boat was $4.99 and the balls $5 each.

 I love Ross'!!!

Bling Bling for da Mirror

I found this mirror at the Salvation Army for $8. It is very heavy. It's oak. I hate oak. I am in oak overload.
This house has
oak floors
oak cabinets
oak doors
oak windows
and oak crown moulding.
OAK.....

********BLECH!!!***********

And of course the mirror was oak.

Not why I bought it, trust me.

Also added some of those flat marbles from the floral section with liquid nails.

Oak no more... well at least for this $8 mirror. Husband does not understand why on earth I would change this mirror when it matched so perfectly. My eyes really almost got stuck like that.

My plans for my bedroom start here, with this inspiration. I plan to use silvers, grays, creams and pale light blues. I've decided to totally ignore all the obnoxious oak.
Oh, yes, remember that chair in the reflection of the mirror???    ( ;

Saturday Hauls

There are two unspoken occasions in a southern girl's life when it is socially acceptable to leave the house without makeup. The 1st would be a late night emergency room visit and the 2nd is

So I found some lovely little projects today. Adam has his heart set on a pirate theme for his room. I found this lovely chest at a "Tag Sale" which is in a nut shell, an over priced yard sale. I went as they were tearing down and got this chest for 1/2 off $5.

But wait, no....could it be that the horrid contact paper was put on for no apparent reason? Really?

Aahhh...yeah!

But wait there's more! Scored this for $1 right as the temperatures soared to a sticky 91 F. I've got some great fabric to cover the cushion and some stain to cover those boo boos. (Incidentally, I have a plan for that huge wire spool the chair is sitting on and no, I didn't get that at a yard sale. If only I could keep up with my ideas!)

Found this lovely chandelier which really needs to be taken down a notch with a can of dark paint..I'm thinking one of the girl's rooms.

Then this cute crate that I'm planning to jazz up to store books.

Then.... I found this lovely number that I was initially planning on covering but upon closer inspection, I realized that in order to do that I'm going to actually have to learn to sew...sew....SO much for that. Brainstorming for other options. Maybe a good cleaning and some bling, bling...it would make a perfect chair for the bathroom vanity.

Ohhhh...but speaking of vanity I need to post about my cute fingernail polish!