I am all over the place

Do you knit? I really should learn.

I found this on Etsy a while back and thought it was cute. (I bookmarked the page in case I ever do decide to learn to knit. I am ambitious like that).  

Much more fun than a baby blanket.



In other randomness:


Have you ever been on the Sproost website?

They have this little quiz where you look at pictures and rate the look and they tell you what decorating "style" you have.


I took the quiz about 10 times (they have a bunch of different pictures) and I got different results each and every time. Maybe the design test is actually a psychological quiz in disguise--  now I have officially been diagnosed with some sort of  multiple personality disorder:

My results:

Rustic Revival?  Okay that sounds good-- not sure what that means exactly. Is that like Pottery Barn or what?

Hollywood Couture? ooh la la. Maybe someday.

Traditional Country? A little boring, but I do like.

French Eclectic? Oui. Oui..

I don't know how many styles are out there?? I guess I can appreciate pretty much any design style except maybe a really modern sparse look. That just makes the hoarder in me depressed.

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I am thinking of walking over to the elementary school to go vote now. One of the perks of living in a small town is that there is never a line to vote or to renew your license : )

The Apple of my Island

 Happy 10/10/10 y'all.

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We slept in Saturday morning because we had been down to Denver on Friday night and we did not get home until after 1am (which is pretty much unheard of around here).  After breakfast we decided to take the dogs for a walk on the golf course which has finally closed for the winter.  The golf course becomes our default snowshoe route, sledding hill and general dog walking spot all winter long. Love it. Anyway it was cold and, get this, snowing on Saturday. Ugh.

Contrary to our street be designated a "circle" it is actually a semi-circle and just around the curve, our neighbor was having a garage sale right across from the golf course. They weren't having much luck due the fact that it was cold and ya know, snowing. Matt and I were the only customers.

We take a quick look around and then . . . .

I spotted it.

There it was.

I have been searching craigslist for almost two years now.

When I do find something similar, the sellers want $300 for it. Uh, I don't think so.

What is it?

This John Boos million pound maple island.

I have wanted one of these honking islands since high school. My friend Jennifer's mom had the same island in her kitchen and I LOVED it more than words.  I graduated from high school in 1986. Hello. That is a long time to wait for a giant chunk of wood.


Guess how much the neighbors wanted for it? 

$50.  I almost peed.  But still,  I could not resist bargaining (it was a garage sale after all) and offered them $40.

SOLD!

It was in pretty sad shape and we spent another $20 on sand paper and the better part of the day fixing her up, but now she is PERFECT.  (In my excitement I forgot to take BEFORE pics).

OK, check it out. I took pictures from every possible angle to show you just how darn perfect it is in my kitchen.

(we took the knife holder off because I have a magnetic holder for knives already)

The real deal peeps.

Matt is going to lower the light two feet so it will be hanging at just the right height over my island (you know I like to keep the man busy).

I am in Love. Doesn't it look like it was custom made for my kitchen?

I am convinced that ANYTHING you want you can  find for next to nothing if you go to enough thrift stores and garage sales.  What I love about this particular find is that we weren't even going to a garage sale, we just ran right into it.


PS:

I have mentioned before about how Matt and I have a garage sale list of things we are hoping to find someday. 


For the last year in addition to that island and a million other things,  I have been on the lookout for something like this bucket to use as a trash can in my bathroom (oh and yes, I am 100% serious).

You would think that there would be thousands of old buckets like this out there, but I have yet to find one.

Oh well. One of these days. 

Today I will just sit here and be happy about my awesome island.

Lack of Design Star

Summertime =  awesome.
Television =  awesome.
Summertime Television ≠ awesome.


Have you been watching Design Star on HGTV or am I the only one?   After six episodes of this crap, I officially demand that HGTV give me my own design show or make me president of the the network. One or the other.

I have no clue where HGTV dredged up these designers nor do I know who comes up with the challenges, but the combo is all one pathetic  mess.

This week's challenge was to design a high-end apartment for a Trump condo development located in New Jersey. The designers had to incorporate a piece of their selected NYC souvenirs (broadway, taxicab, statute of liberty, etc.) into the design. The contestants were divided into two teams. The guest undertaker judge was Donald Trump, Jr. Let's face it-- The only thing that Donald Jr. needs to be judging is embalming fluid. He is gross.

Vern and DTJ

Let start with the losers.

This is the best that three designers shopping in NYC could come up with? No artwork-- and what is that arrangement on the table? I have seen home-stagers in Oklahoma come up with better designs.

Then there was the bedroom.

Look at the linens. No only do they look sparse, do the "designers" not know how to make a bed properly? Oh and never mind the fact that they thought it would be a good idea to get rid of the box springs. WTF???  Don't even get me started on the curtains that are not seen.

On to the bathroom,

REALLY??????  This reminds me of Chase's  college dorm bathroom.


The winners were not much better.  The designer who won overall, was given accolades for his deconstruction of the I heart NY bag.

This little silver pillow made him the big winner?

This shiz is starting to get on my nerves.

While we are on the shiz subject, let's judge the judges shall we?

First up, Candance Olson.

She reminds me of some sort of goofy chicken, though I must say that her designs (on DIVINE DESIGN) are awesome.  On her show, it is pretty apparent that she wants to jump the bones of her electrician, Chico, and that makes me uncomfortable.

Candance in a nutshell:  she has a troubling hair situation and a very odd personality. Maybe she is just being Canadian. I have no idea??? I only know one Canadian so I don't really have a great frame of reference.

Next, let's talk about Genevive Gorder
.

 HGTV has totally sucked the personality out of this former TLC star. She was super fun on trading spaces, now she is just blah. Even her hair has lost its oomph.

Speaking of former TLC stars, let's talk Vern Yip. 

Though he has always struck me as an arrogant twit, he has just gotten downright crabby on HGTV. He always seems like he is annoyed by having to waste his precious time being a judge.

Oh well Vern, you should be annoyed. The designers suck.

I am not saying I have a Photographic Memory (I am just sayin')

I was at the good old FIRC a few months ago and they had a pile of magazines for free. One magazine was Metropolitan Home May 2009. The homes featured were pretty much amazing and the polar opposite of my "rustic" home.

While perusing the magazine, I came upon this picture of a bathroom that belonged to the featured architects/homeowners' sons.

source: Metropolitan Home

For some reason the picture sent a chill through my body. I had no idea why. I just stared at it for a while but couldn't figure out why I had that reaction to the photograph.

Flash forward to yesterday. I am sitting on my porch looking through the magazine again and when I came across the picture, it hit me. I know where I had seen the bathroom before.

Do you remember the movie THE SHINING? Holy crap. Remember this scene?

Uncanny right? That movie was made in 1980.

Apparently, turning to horror movies for bathroom design inspiration is common. While searching google images to find the Shining bathroom, I found this picture.

Link to source.

I especially like the added blood-red paint detail.

I love it so much I am going to see if Matt will let me remodel our bathroom.

Another article in Metropolitan Home May 2009 featured a stunning Boston home owned by these two ladies.

source: Metropolitan Home

Notice anything weird? No, I am not referring to the fact that they are two chicks.  I am talking about (that in my opinion) they look like clones.

Damn I am hot! I need to find my clone so I can marry her.

Well what do I know? All white people pretty much look alike to me. Except for Matt. I can usually pick him out in a crowd. Well, unless I have had a few cocktails and then I might end up walking up to any random blue-eyed guy between the age of 30-60 and demanding that he buy me chicken wings and a chardonnay. Not that that has ever happened. I am just saying it could.

Marathon Junking / Possible Clinincal Diagnosis

I know it has been a while since I have posted about my thrift store treasures. But that does not mean I haven't been accumulating more junk to torture the person who has to clear out my house when I kick the bucket.  Do you ever go to estate sales and think to yourself  what in the world was this lady thinking-- I can't believe all this junk!  Well, I am doing my future estate sale shoppers a favor by documenting exactly what this twisted little head was thinking.  

Here we go. In no particular order, crap I have collected int the past two weeks. All of this stuff was either from the ARC (Denver) of the FIRC (Summit County) or a garage sale.

Matt wants to move this door as part of a remodel of this room, etc., and so I had left the 70's globe fixture in place for 6 years. I know lights are cheap, but I kept thinking we were going to rip out this space so what is the point? Anywho, when I found this light for $4,  I made the investment. Not perfect --but a heck of a lot better (sorry no before pic).

Moving right along,

I thought this little plate would look cute (and the right scale) to sit next to Matt's kid boots.

Jumbo S/P shakers and white pan. The lid doesn't fit quite right. What do you expect for $1.99?

These little spice jars still had the original spices in them. So gross. Especially since these jars look like they are from the 1960's. One of the spices was MSG (eeww.).  I cleaned them out and made little labels. I already have a lot of my spices in these tin jars on the fridge. 

I found some copper pots for next to nothing. After selling his snowboard shop in 2000, Matt has had quite a few different (and diverse) careers. One was an antique store manager. I know from those days that copper can be quite pricey.  He schooled me on the difference between Turkish and French copper when I got home.

All right .  This next trio has me questioning if maybe I am losing it.  I thought adding these antique car pictures and little German plaque would give my bathroom an old pub look. I don't know, maybe too much?

And here are some things I bought for my porch makeover.

We had this exact bicentennial candle when I was a kid.  It was 50 cents and the hummingbird candle holder was $2.  Note the shutters I made from old bi-fold doors. I think they came out cute.

This next  little vase prompted Matt to say the porch looked a "little Marrakesh." Too much time at the antique store I think : )

I have decided to go a little patriotic out on the porch (see the reflection of the flag).  I am trying to prove I am a good American in case the CIA is keeping a file on me after Chase probably got me on the no fly list.

I got this rocker for $15 and all the little cushions between $1-3.

Once again, ignore the porch as I am starting the paint scraping this afternoon.

Wait, don't leave! There is only one more. Holy moly! Yes, I know I am out of hand. I think of it as more of a hobby, rather than a "condition."

I bought this turtle for $4. I love him. I think he is going to enjoy his new residence near the birds.

Here is a closeup shot of turtle.

YOU HAVE REACHED THE END!

Oh shoot, wait! There is this.

Today is the first day of summer.  Yeah!

I am linking to Southern Hospitality Thrift Party.
And to 

Debbie Doos garage salen'.

Thrifty Doodle Dandy

Since I am unable to train for the Ironman 2010 like I had planned (thanks to an ankle injury sustained while walking), I thought I would have time to get in a quick post today. 

I was at the Goodwill a few months ago (don't act so surprised) and I found this really neat unopened "Mail a Flag to a Friend" kit. It looks like it may have been something that sold in the  1960's. I have been waiting for the appropriate time to open it up and see how it looks. Matt put it together for the Memorial weekend. It was a nice sized cloth flag with pole, etc. I paid $3.99 for it. How is that for a good American value?

I know. I know. Our Aspens still are without leaves.  We are working on it.  At least it did not snow.

Anyway, it all came in this little box that had a mailing section (not pictured) where you could sent it to a friend.   I thought it was pretty neat.

Pre-ankle injury I was working on loosely copying this look from the cover of the June issue of Country Living.  I have some old bi-fold doors that I plan on using to make the shutters.

I have already been thrifting and digging out paint cans.  I can't wait to get it finished.  It's gonna be cute ya'll.

Hope you had a great weekend!

Linking to Rhoda's  Thrifty Treasures.

WATCH ME JIG!

Crap.  I totally wanted to show off my rockin new floors because I like to show off.  However I have been trapped in that part of  "The Shining" where it just keeps snowing and snowing and the sun refuses to show itself and my hair is greasy and Matt may or may not want to come after me with an axe.  I  cannot get a decent picture with my $88 Wal-Mart camera with no sunshine people.  Redrum indeed!

I guess I will just find something else to show you.  My law school friend Chris once told me this hilarious story about her cousin who (when they were kids) took Irish jig lessons. When they would get together said cousin would make everyone sit down and she would bellow out the command "WATCH ME JIG!! WATCH ME JIG!!" She would pinch you if you did not comply. It has become a common phrase in my house and when I am being an attention whore (rarely happens)  Matt just looks at me and says quietly "watch me jig."

So anyway, you all will now watch me jig!

Since I just started blogging, I have a whole backlog of  thrifty treasures I scavanged (is that a word?) in the past.

I bought this at the ARC for $7

I wanted to store wine in here, but it is a little too short.

 I bought this sled turned shelf at a garage sale. I cant remember how much I paid  Maybe $25?? These sell at local antique stores for $200 plus. Horse shoes were 40 cents each at the FIRC.

These were Matt's boots from when he was little. He has the whole set-- chaps and all.  Sooo cute.

  I have a little message board in my living room. It usally has something random on it. My 8 year old niece left me this message the other day. I told you she is funny. WTF??

Have a great weekend. Do a jig would ya,  but no pinching.

Oh and I am not the only thrifty show in town, check out other frugalicous rock stars here and  here.