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In my mad web shopping search for a honeycomb pendant, I happened upon this amazing beehive cross section that I am really considering finding some wall space for:



For $34 each, they are priced right and make quite a statement in a grouping. Afraid, however, they might get awfully dusty and/or become a repository for lego men and stray dinosaurs if they are hung within reach of my 3 year old

They are Nate Berkus collection from Target, pronounced Tar-jay (soft J), though you knew that already. Here is what else is currently in limbo from the Nate Berkus collection in my Target virtual shopping cart:

$24.98
Something very perfect about this lamp, feels a little sexy, a little dangerous, a little panther-esque

$19.98
This oxblood color feels very sophisticated, very mature, a bit risque. It would be insane on a deep navy or all black wall
$6.98
Now this is nothing but a tchotke, but I just adore the little gold detail and the mix of black and brown


$9.08
Is this an oversized wingnut? Don't care. Love it.

$17.48
Shut up. Just shut up! Fantastic





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Apparently the honeycomb pattern made a design splash a few years ago, right before chevron became the pattern of the hour, but somehow I missed it, or it didn't quite grab me at the, but now I am mad for a honeycomb pendant light after seeing these interiors:






Yes! Such a fan of bold lighting! But now that I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon, it seems I may be too late

This one happens to be sold out, but with a $3k price tag, sadly it was ever an option anyway:
This awesome look-alike was offered by Ballard designs at one point for a mere $119, or so I am tantalized to believe by expired web links. Seems to be discontinued, sigh.



This one is available for $1032, gorgeous, but cha-ching. Still a tad too pricey for this frugalista

And then I found these (squeal!) from Urban outfitters for $64 bones


You have to buy a cord kit as well ($12.99 world market), and I'm slightly worried about them looking a little too DIY, but I snooped the interwebz a little and found these random bloggers (Hello! Like your stuff) who did a pretty bang up job of making their fancy knock-off's look pretty chic, so with this as inspiration, I think I will order a pair of these for the downstairs bathroom. Feeling a slight buzzzzzzzz (pun intended)




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We recently aquired some new couches thanks to Craigslist, Ikea Karlstad collection (when I say it like that it makes them sound fancy-ish) These couches were chosen specifically for the fact that they have interchangeable/washable slipcovers, which sounds as sexy as a minivan. Practicality is essential at this point in our lives with two kids, a dog, and lets face it, a mom who might have a proclivity for eating chips and salsa on the couch during Project Runway marathons. But, fortunately, the nice Swedes over at Ikea have married practicality with good design in the Karsltad, which is exactly what the good people at Ikea seem to be known for. This is what we are going for:


Isunda grey being the color we liked the best, and this configuration of sofa + semi-sectional would be the best fit for our living room

Craigslist, being what it is, didn't deliver exactly what we were looking for, but came pretty close. Here is what we are working with:

A little early for Christmas, but at least we look festive. Both couches came in under $300 from two different sellers, and both are in stellar condition. The covers will cost us an additional $300-something, but all-in-all we are way ahead.
Also, to my surprise and delight, just found out about Bemz.  It's Ikea hackers  for people who don't want their shit to look homemade. They expand your slipcover options almost into infinity. I am currently coveting these in varying degrees:

 
They are pricier and perhaps a little too flamboyant for Mike to ever agree to, but it still makes me very happy to think I have such a myriad of slipcover choices

One (wo)man's trash....

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My friend Lindsay recently bought a fantastic ranch house on a huge lot out in Loxahatchee, and I finally got a chance to mosey on over and check it out. She got a real steal, 3 bedrooms with a dedicated man cave, her own pond, and a screened lanai. The absolute coolest part about her house though is that she lives only a few blocks from Lion Country Safari which is a drive-through tourist trap-y zoo-safari. At night, she can sit outside and listen to the lions roaring. How amazing is that? I just want to pitch a billowy white tent in their yard and come over in khaki with a British accent.
The second coolest thing about their house is (was) this smoky grey chandelier in the dining room. "Love it" I sighed during the house tour, "hate it" Lindsey laughed, and then at the exact moment I was asking quite bluntly if I could have it, she was asking me if I wanted it. I knew I loved her, but this just solidified it. I felt like getting her one of those heart necklaces that says BFF and splits in half, is that too corny for two 30 year olds?
I didn't have a spot in mind for the chandelier, just knew I wanted it, and was giddy when Lindsey called and said she had finally replaced the "eyesore" and that I should come and pick it up. I had been working on a design scheme for the downstairs hallway, and the thought fluttered through my mind, dare I put a chandelier in an otherwise nondescript hallway?  I knew Mike would discourage the idea so I didn't get too attached to it. Then an opportunity presented itself where I knew I had some leverage. With football starting, Mike was basically putty in my hands. He wanted to drink beer and watch the game on Sundays, ignoring all husband/father duties, and I was happy to oblige as long as he did everything and anything I wanted on Saturdays. It's an arrangement that has, for the most part, worked out pretty good for us. So I presented the chandelier-in-the-hallway idea, and with very little resistance and unexpected speed he hung it up (and then requested to go to a friends house on Monday to watch the game, I knew there was something extra in it for him).

Here is the hallway in the middle-ish of the project:


The downstairs bathroom is straight ahead (waiting patiently for it's turn on the remodel)

And here is the hallway as it looks today:


The chandelier adds such drama to an otherwise boring passthrough, I am simply in love. 


Just a shiny bauble that makes me smile


Framed in the hallway are instagram photos of the family in two separate posters, punctuated by my first frame-worthy attempt at type-face art


The opposite side is a chalkboard-painted wall framed out in crown molding. Here it is, still clean and sweet as a virgin:


And one last look at Lindsey's trash turned into my treasure:



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Last I left you, our living room was still the pit of despair,

 

Mike worked really hard and really noisily re-framing the joists or re-joisting the frame or something like that. It was hard to hear exactly what he was doing over the sound of the skillsaw and nailgun





And now, finally, something resembling a floor!  $300 bucks or so, and a lot of sweat equity later, problem solved


It is now in a presentable state, not fit quite yet for pictures as it is currently the home for wayward furniture and unmatched chairs, but livable all the same.

The room was full on PINE when we bought the house, If you'll remember, this is day 1:

Orange-y, country cabin pine. I had pangs of guilt about painting it. I'm much more about "making it work" so I wanted to make it work, I really did, which is just as much about challenging myself as a (self proclaimed) designer and keeping the integrity and character of a house as it is about pure laziness. In the end, it is a big dark room, and just needed to be painted


We tried to keep the ceiling, thought it would look good if we just did the walls and had this big wood peaked ceiling, a defining moment in the room. A merging of classic and au courant. 







But it did not look good. At all. It looked silly and weird and made a very big room look as short and squat as a hobbit. Back up on the ladders


I'm not sure why I am adding this extremely unflattering picture of myself except to prove (to whom, I'm unsure) that here I am, past 10pm, 1 month postpartum, on a ladder, about to paint the ceiling of our new house. Dedication, I tell you, sacrifice, selflessness. Also perhaps sleep deprived delirium and maybe an oxytocin high


And here it is, painted a cool grey neutral, with a new sturdy subfloor, a blank canvas of possibilities


No regrets