Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Modern Warfare

What do you do when your house heater is as old as Larry King and turning it on seems akin to a game of Russian Roulette? I kid you not, even Uncle Kitty is a bit nippy in here. Until that glorious day when we dive deep into our pockets for a new centralized heating apparatus, I'm bonded to a fleece blanket throughout the entire winter (and no, it's not a snuggie). 

Besides daydreaming of safe heat, I cannot wait until our Family Room is ready for use. This past weekend we purchased our wannabe Jane Bi-Sectional sofa in, dare I say, off-white. This means it will be a no food, no drink zone.  Knowing me, I'm sure I'd somehow stone skip tomato sauce on it from the kitchen; I'll betcha five dollars.

We still have a few other minor details to take care of, for example, replacing the ceiling fan.



Have you seen anything so repulsive to the naked eye? 

The door that leads to the backyard is also an eye soar BUT perhaps salvageable.




In a perfect world with money trees blooming by the minute, I'd replace the incumbent with a pair of french doors or better yet, tear it all down for a Nanawall.

Ok, ok, so the door screams 1970's...but something about the detailing screams 'I could be awesome.'



A pop of color could do the trick. I can see it wearing a fuchsia or caramelized orange. Am I crazy??  Chris thinks so and wants to replace it ASAP. I on the other hand think it's crazy to play Call of Duty until 4am but, whose to judge?

Friday, November 20, 2009

Tree-iage

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas isn't too far behind (seriously, where did 2009 go??). KOST officially kicked off their 24/7 holiday tunes today and my office is in winter glee! (apologies to my co-workers).

Last year Chris and I had a very Charlie Brown Christmas; funds were looooow and our holiday gift list was as little as one of Santa's helpers. We also had a much heated debate over the Christmas tree...real vs fake. I won with a real potted Christmas tree...which I allegedly killed soon after. This year I bit the bullet...we're going plastic.  A few weeks ago we inherited a 3yr-old 7ft (fake) tree equipped with built-in lights which will probably last us a good decade or so. At least I have decorations to curb my pine appetite, right?  I have a blank tree canvas to adorn. Perhaps I'll snag a couple of these CB2 dangles to embellish the fakeness out of the tree.















Not sure which decorative avenue to take. Monochromatic theme? A miss match collage of shine and sparkle? Whatever it is, I just hope this little guy makes the cut. 





Monday, November 16, 2009

Family Room: Before and After

It has been two months since I first posted and introduced the Family Room Project and boy oh boy does it feel great to say we're (almost) done. The fact of the matter is, the foundation of the room is prepared for the furnishings. After many distractions and trips to the Home Depot, I can safely roll around in the Family Room with grace and style. 

:: Before ::
The oddly shaped room, atrocious linoleum floor, dreary off-white walls and the gold bulbous wicker/wood ceiling fan.

Entrance
 


To the left...



To the right...



And from behind


The square pattern on the wall was our toughest challenge yet. We made some poor paint choices such as Behr's "Squirrel" which looked like day-old guacamole (sorry Chris) and promptly painted over it.

Our carpet was installed over the weekend and because we chose a pattern design, the process was a lengthy one.  

Drumroll...

:: After ::




 

  

  

 

Now comes the expensive part...

Friday, November 13, 2009

Frugal Friday: Target

I love Target to the bone. It's my one-stop-shop for all things household and it shows. There is, however, one department where I've been a bit skeptical about making purchases... furniture. When it comes to furniture, I'm a touch and feel kind of gal; I've got certain expectations when it comes to quality and durability. Sure, you'll see a few sample furniture items displayed in-store but if I can't try, I won't buy (eat your heart out "the late Johnny Cochran")...that is until I saw these quads on their website. I think my "try before you buy" rule might have an exception!



$89.99




$99.99


$90.30

Your gluteus maximus won't be so thrilled after a while, but you know what they say... beauty hurts.

TGIF!!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Wealthy Wednesday: Jane Bi-Sectional

Wealthy Wednesday is back. ^_^

Now that our square pattern wall is pretty much done (pictures up soon) and the carpet is on its way, it's time to couch shop! 

Pictured below is the Gus Modern Jane Bi-Sectional. We've been eying a wannabe-look-alike sectional at a local mom & pop store for months now; it's only half the price of good ole' Gus.

Now that's a yummy button-tuck piece. This exquisite sectional's price varies from $2,900-$3,250.

Below is a snapshot of our soon to be fake Jane.





Besides the cheaper price, another great thing about our wannabe is the hundreds of fabric swatches (some currently resting on the button tuck's back in the picture) to choose from! Although I would love a white couch in the family room, I must factor in the extensive use and abuse it will have for many years to come.

To bad we can't go with something futuristic, like this plate-backed sofa, complete with two bubble yum inspired pillows, by Nipa Doshi.




Nah.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Square Dance


Weekend+pandora+ruler+tape+ladder+paint = square dance

::Goal::


::Dancing::


 
::Taping::


  
::Painting::


 
::Excitement::

The tape adhesive sucked all the moisture out of my fingertips but it was worth it. Two more paint colors to go before the carpet moves in!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Mouse Trap!

So...we were a little MIA this week. Life, work, and everything in between has been pretty hectic lately. My chronic hurting eyes have been acting up again and the medicated drops pretty much suck. Chris has been a trooper today; he is tapping off all the squares in the Family Room on his day off/Forza III all-day-gaming day. Hopefully we'll be ready for some painting this Sunday!! 

Until then, I'd like to share a little story. This one's a doozy. In case I've already lost your interest, here's the conclusion.



The picture above has not been altered nor photoshopped; its the real deal. When Chris and I first moved in together back in September of 2007, apparently Chris' cat, Jimmy, (but really its his parents cat) missed him and left a nice gift on his car during our once-a-week-free-and-delicious-homemade-dinner-at-his-parents-house visit. 



I guess you can say Jimmy missed Chris and his ruffian "affection."  I know what you're thinking... Where's the blood? No trace nor evidence of the tragedy. Only a few ants running blindly around the carcass. Clearly, this was a Dexter-ish move. 

TGIF!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A Soapy Situation

A good TSP scrub down and the beginnings of the the square pattern took place in the Family Room this past Sunday. We knew the square drawings were going to be a major pain in the butt! Alignments, center points, congruent measurements; eek, I'm ready to pull my hair out!! 

You see, geometry and I met briefly in high school- my teacher developed a serious case of mononucleosis and I spent most of my Sophomore year with an aloof math sub and did nothing but play with the TI83 calculators. If the outcome of the wall isn't what we expected, I'm settling for wallpaper print or a coat of cover-up paint; whatever lets me sleep at night. 

When I'm not elbow deep in TSP, I enjoy perusing the infinite Esty shops (who doesn't!). I came across some peculiar treats...



Kind of tempting to eat, wouldn't you say? Too bad they are vegan soaps. Yup, cleansing agents. Talk about a trigger happy moment. I can safely say I've never had to endure the punishment of soap in the mouth. On the other hand, a fellow 1st grade peer gave the entire classroom a front row performance of the disciplinary act. Private school at its best.





 


These bad boys are available via Esty profile DirtyAssSoaps.





Talk about a great holiday gag, I mean, gift. ^_^