One Man's Trash....

I don't make a habit of going through my neighbors trash, but I have been known to browse through the big stuff when it's put out on the curb.  To me, there's no shame in it (although I must admit I feel a little awkward doing it) and really it's free game when it gets put on the curb.  I see people drive through our neighborhood and others close by on trash day picking up all sorts of stuff from lawnmowers, strollers, patio umbrellas etc. I wonder how lucrative this type of picking is?....I remember when our neighbor across the street from us set out a two seat glider and a hot water heater one night.  I saw the glider (which was broken) and asked HH if he would go check it out.  He said it was repairable and brought it to our house.  By morning, everything including the hot water heater was gone before the trash came.  Since then, HH has repaired and sandblasted the glider and it's now ready for re-assembly.  I thought it would look good on our porch but felt weird putting it out there without telling our neighbors that it was theirs.  We have great neighbors and they were glad we took it so now I can put it out there without feeling weird.  There have been other things that I've gotten curbside and sometimes I wonder why somebody would throw certain things away.  As the saying goes, "one man's trash is another man's treasure".  So true.  Like yesterday, I'm driving home and there is a big pile of trash on the curb from a house in our neighborhood that just got sold.  As I drive by, I look and see a big pile of fur and think hmm.... that looks like a sheepskin rug. I get home and wait for the appliance repair guy who calls to reschedule and then decide to go back to the curb to check this out further.  After all, it's trash day and the big truck should be coming in less than an hour.  Upon pulling up to the pile, I confirm that it is indeed a sheepskin rug and proceed to open it up to see what "surprises" are on it.  Seriously, this rug is pristine and HUGE.... So, I throw it in my car and get home to inspect more closely. Here's what it looks like:

 

I'm thinking since this house was built in the 60's that perhaps this rug was in the house when it sold and the new owners didn't want it.  Anyway, this is a very lush rug and of course our new puppy Kona was going bananas over this.......But being the puppy she is, this rug will not be out anytime soon...Look how long that pile is?  This is a serious rug.

 

This is the best thing I've found curbside so far. Other items of note are window shutters, a match to a tall white mid-century urn lamp that I already have (that was weird in a good way) , a retro patio chair like the glider and several pieces of lawn equipment that HH picked up and repaired.  Have you found any treasures in someone else's trash?  I'd love to hear about any finds that you've scored.   Have a great day!

Nostalgic Advertising

Whenever I come across old advertisements or sheet music, I usually buy it.  I love the fonts and frames that were used and I also find the verbiage amusing.  Recently I bought a reprinted version of a 1908 Sears Catalog. This catalog had everything you could possibly imagine except for groceries.  Sears was really confident about the quality of their merchandise and wasn't afraid to say it.  I wonder why we don't hear manufacturers being this bold about the quality of their products today?  Could it be because we hardly manufacture anything here anymore?  I dare say so....Anyway, I thought I would share a few pages with you to not only get a good laugh at the pricing but also to appreciate some good ole fashioned advertising and the pride that comes with making things in America....  or making things in your own country for your own people for that matter.  Just saying.....

 

 

With trying to remodel 2 bathrooms, the price of this bathroom seems so crazy!   I love how they state this is the medium priced bathroom and that it's not a cheap, shoddy outfit.  Let's hope not for $33.90.  Ha!

 

 

Enough said.....  Have a great day.

Tile Progress Update...

 Wow, it's time for another weekend already.  Wahoo! The tile project from last weekend is all grouted and complete except for the baseboards and quarter rounds.  That will not be done until Sunday.  After it's all done, I'll take more pictures and share.  I love the way the floor turned out.  Once again, HH demonstrated his skills and did a great job.  The slate looks beautiful and I was able to find a grout color that I liked.   The grout color is called silver and it's from Lowes.  The thin grout line and the pattern of the slate really modernize the floor and I think it makes the bathroom look a thousand times better.  All that is left now is the counter top.  I'm pretty sure that I want to go with a carerra marble but I want to see a few options in solid surface before I decide.  I can't wait to get the counter top in this bathroom.  It will make all the difference.  In between grout shopping and grocery shopping, I stopped by to visit an antique dealer that I know and he had some beautiful gateleg tables for sale.  I was thinking about getting a gateleg table for the sitting area in front of the living room and he had table that I loved.  Gateleg tables are great because they are functional in very small areas when they are folded down like a console table, and then they transform into a small dining/game table when expanded.  I bought the table and put it in the sitting area between the bookcases.  I love the way the table fits in this space.  This is a great spot to play a game or you can move the chairs out and use it as a display table.  Here are some pictures from the week.  I hope you have a great weekend!

Tile Before

 

Tile During

 

Tile After

 

 

New Gateleg Table

 

 

 



What are you doing this weekend?

Happy Friday to you all!  If you're like me, you've probably got your weekend already planned out with things you have to accomplish and things you would like to accomplish. One of the things I would like to accomplish is replacing the tile in my daughter's bathroom.  I like to call their bathroom "gas station chic" because the floor reminds me of a bathroom in a gas station.  Super generic and slippery when it's wet so for now, I  have a big throw rug in there to hide the ugliness and prevent slips. So last week, I went to the Habitat for Humanity Restore and found these slate tiles.  They were in a brick pattern size 12" x 24" and they had just enough of the square footage that I need (75 sq.ft) so I bought them all for under $100. I think they will look great in the bathroom and the brick pattern will make the slate less rustic and more modern.  The demo should be easy and we will start tonight.  Hopefully we will be able to get it all done before the weekend is over.  Here's what the floor looks like now:)

And here's a picture of the slate tile we are using.   The color on the photo is not really an accurate depiction but you can get the idea anyway. 

  Hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Spring (Officially)!

Happy Spring!  I'm really enjoying all of the fresh new green that is appearing quickly before my eyes.  It's so inspirational to see everything take on a fresh new beginning. There is an optimism that comes with Spring and it energizes and motivates me.  What about you? Last week was Spring Break for my girls and a highlight for them was getting their haircut and styled.  Like me, my girls have a lot of thick hair which requires patience and maintenance.  Let me digress and give you a little background.  A few years ago, I took them to a cheap haircutting place where one of my daughters got a horrible haircut.  Mind you, this horrible haircut was done by the same stylist that did my other daughters hair just seconds before hers which turned out fine.  Now, I've been in the beauty industry on and off for many years (factoid: I'm a licensed aesthetician) and when someone is visibly not happy (i.e. crying and saying out loud that you should be fired), as a service provider you should do what you can to make them happy. That is to say, make an attempt.   I don't care if your client is 9 years old or 90 years old.  They are still your client.  Not only was the stylist completely unapologetic but she also proceeded to double charge us because they had thick hair.  Really? Hmmmmmmm...  So, using this as a teaching moment, I explained to my daughters that everyone gets a bad haircut at least once in their life and since there is no way to put the hair back on once it's been cut, you have to shine it on and find a way to move forward until it grows out.  Fast forward 2 years. She agreed to go to a new girl I found only after her sister got her haircut there first.  After seeing her sisters super straight (that's what we're into for the moment) and perfectly styled hair, she was in.  After her first visit, she finally realized how great it feels to get your hair done right and walk out loving it. So much so that it was requested I make the appointment this time early enough in the day so that they have time to "enjoy their hair" before the day is over.   After two hours, both girls emerged with beautiful straight hair and big smiles on their faces.  As pre-teen girls go (or girls of any age for that matter), this type of thing does wonders for the self-esteem and I enjoy seeing them feel good about the way they look.  The rest of the week was just as productive and fun with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a whole day of cleaning out the attic.  I know it's not sexy, but it feels so good to be organized and to donate the stuff you know you are not going to use. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of stuff in the attic that is not getting used (at least not now and not in this house) but to be able to see it and know where it is when I want it makes all the difference to me.   I also got to tackle another project that I wanted to finish.  Last year, I bought 5 sets of wood exterior shutters off of Craigslist. I actually only need 4 sets for the windows on the back of our house but since 5 came with it, one set is a spare. These needed to be sanded and painted and I wanted to get those done and hung up before the week ended.  Done.  HH sanded them down and I painted them and then he hung them up. Seemed a lot easier than I was anticipating and it looks so much better.   I even had some time to go to a few thrift stores and I found a beautiful sofa.  I'm going to slip cover this and have one long cushion made for the bottom instead of the two that came with it.  I'll let you know how that project comes along.    Hope you had a great week as well.  Here are some pictures from the week starting with the sofa.

This was really dirty and gross and had stains on it so it stayed in the garage.

 

 

Starting to deconstruct this.  I am looking at covering this with muslin first, then having a slip cover made for it.  The structure of this sofa is solid and heavy.  

 

 

Tatiana at the Rodeo.

Gabriella and Jason (HH) enjoying the Rodeo.

 

Here is an OK picture of the shutters.  It's been raining so I haven't been able to do a little touch up paint (from the install) but you get the idea.  They really add architectural detail and balance to this addition.  The color of these shutters is Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore.   

 

What about you?  Are you working on any projects around your home?  I'd love to hear about them.  Have a great week!  I'll be sharing the next little project with you in a few days.  Until then.....

Spring Break......1951

I bought this wonderful old scrapbook from someones trip back in 1951 and it inspired me to make a collage using pieces from the scrapbook and some other items that are mine.  How much fun these friends must have had traveling to beautiful places and then reliving their trip while making the beautiful scrapbook that I now have.  This soooo makes me want to travel.....Speaking of travel, we are all in the process of getting our passports in order (first passports for my daughters) and from there we will begin planning a family trip somewhere far away.  But for now, I am traveling vicariously through this wonderful scrapbook........

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Spring Break!

I Want That...

It's been a desire of mine to one day buy a vintage trailer and turn in into a chic little place on wheels.  I love to see the old Airstream's re-done and reconfigured and I also love the old Spartan trailers although I haven't seen quite as many of those out there.   Hmmmmmm...  Anyway, while looking around, I came across this converted Airstream for sale and thought it was fabulous.  It's a 1967 Airstream  26' Overlander that has been totally updated and rebuilt.  It's very modern and I love the touches that have been added to make this functional and beautiful.  This is part of the Architect Series Conversion package which includes a wine refrigerator, convection oven, stainless cook top and fireplace. Other options such as a washer dryer, dishwasher and ice maker can be added as well.  Here's the finished product.  But be warned, you'll want one too.....

If you're having trouble viewing the pictures, you can go to the article here.