Furniture Karma

Well, I went "curbing" again. I swear, my neighborhood is the furniture dumping 'hood. I know, I know - you are probably thinking "What is Artsy Fartsy going to do with all these projects?" And to be honest I have asked myself the same thing, but fortunately, I had beautiful weather last night and got a ton of my projects finished, with a few others being well on their way to being done.

So, what did I find this time? I found a bed. And not just any bed, but a bed that I had dreamed about long before I ever saw this one, but wasn't quite sure when I would have the time or the money to go hunt for it. The bed is a white, four poster full-sized bed. It has aged, and the white paint has chipped off - revealing sneaky peaks of yellowish cream paint, and then under that, the medium toned wood. It is shabby chic at its finest, and now it is mine. I have often thought that my Pottery Barn "Swedish Village" bedding didn't go with the guest bed that we had.

That bed (pictured below) is a beige iron, and is way more "bed and breakfast" than Swedish.

I thought that the perfect bed for my Swedish Village bedding would either be a white upholstered headboard, or a white shabby chic bed.

The bed I dragged home looks a lot like this, but much chipped-er.

Also, one of the finials is missing, but a cursory search on Google reveals that shopping for finials will be no problem...there are all kinds out there! I'm thinking something like the white feather finial (I know these are for curtains, but I think they can be repurposed!) from West Elm would be perfect.

After last night's session with the power washer, a scrub brush, and a couple of coats of clear coat, this bed is ready for my extra large family to come visit. I've already tracked down a mattress store that is selling mismatched sets for CHEAP, so hopefully, the bed will be set up this evening. Now, we have two guest bedrooms - so, all you friends out there, you now have absolutely no excuse not to come visit us!

The best part of the story about me finding this bed is that while I was walking down the street to go look at it (I had passed it on my way home from work), I saw our sweet neighbor who had sent over cookies earlier in the week. I hadn't met her yet (the Knight was home when she brought the cookies), and had been waiting on an appropriate time to go over and thank her. Anywho, she was working in her yard, and I stopped to say hello. The dear lady (named Dorselyne, btw) is in her late 60's/early 70's and is as spry as I am. She found out where I was heading and asked if she could come along. Of course! So, Dorselyne (love that name) and I walked down to the neighbor's trash heap, and after inspecting the bed (still has the frame, too), decide that it is well worth the effort of carrying to our house.

Thinking that she would just either follow me home or walk back to her house, I pick up the headboard and start marching home. At one point, I turn back and see Dorselyne carrying the foot board! Heavens to Betsy, I do not want this trash find to the be the death of my sweet old neighbor. So, I rush back to her and "suggest" that we carry the foot board together. Although to be quite honest, I think I was more winded than her! Anywho, she helped me carry the rest of the bed home, and then we visited for a while. Boy, I hope I am in as good of shape when I am her age. Cheers to Dorselyne!

Speaking of visits, I'm off to get ready for my family's visit to Memphis. Posting will probably be light (if any), but I wish you all a wonderful holiday weekend.

Happy 4th of July!

Surprise!

Mom called yesterday to say that the fam is coming to Memphis this weekend! My eldest brother, Daniel (23), has to work, but the other two siblings are gonna come with Mom and Dad.



I'm so glad that they are visiting so soon after we moved into the house. They haven't seen it yet, and I'm hoping I can wrangle them into helping me paint. :) The Knight's family lives so much closer than mine, and they get to be involved in our lives (and ours in theirs) so much more than my side of the family.

Although I am very excited, I am also a little tense about them coming. Our house is still full of boxes, dust, and prolific disarray. Since they won't get to come visit as much, I would love for the house to be perfect - with furniture painted, curtains sewn and hung, and walls painted, but frankly, I don't have the time or the energy it would take to get the house ready by tomorrow night (their planned arrival time).

I am very much looking forward to this visit, and so glad I have Friday off to spend the day with them. Hoping they'll want to do something touristy - like go to the Civil Rights Museum and eat lunch on South Main.

In other news, my replacement furniture arrived yesterday! The UPS man set the new armchair and table boxes on our front porch, and me trying to lug a 80 pound box (not exaggerating here, either) through the front door in my work clothes and heels was definitely a sight to be seen. Keep your fingers crossed that they aren't damaged/defective!

The FIND of all finds!

Our initial frenzy of working round the clock on the house has settled down to a constant hum, and the Knight and I are slowly starting to resume our regular activities, like eating, doing laundry, and most importantly, working out. Although I'm sure unpacking and moving in burns calories, I hadn't truly "worked out" since before the move. Believe me, my thighs were starting to notice.

Fortunately, our neighborhood was made for long walks and jogs. Every street has sidewalks, and the trees that line the streets are HUGE and provide great shade on hot afternoon runs. I really love our new neighborhood - we are close to two really good public schools, a nice little park, and tons of beautiful eye-candy houses to lust over and mimic. People literally walk their children to school here, and in the afternoon and in the evening, everyone comes out and works in the yard, walks their dogs, and rides their bikes. Its a very Jim Dear & Darling type neighborhood (well, not quite as affluent, nor New England-ish, but very tree-lined), and we are so lucky to be there.

Anywho, last night I went for my first neighborhood run, and on my way back I saw the most beautiful treasure waiting for me on the curb in front of a beautiful stately home. Its pale creaminess glowed in the moonlight, and I knew we were destined to be together. I ran as fast as I could, all the way home, and busted through the front door.

"You have too" gasp, gasp "come now" gasp, gasp, gasp "I've found the" gasp "perfect" gasp "thing for us" collapse on the floor.

The Knight looked up from the TV, stared at me quizzically, grabbed his keys to the Le Sabre (pronounced Le Saybruh in our family - a car that big and granny-like gets its own special pronunciation), and we headed down the road.

"What exactly are you taking me to see?"

"You'll find out in a minute. But I promise you, it is the FIND of all finds!"

"Whatever."

"Ooh, ooh, there it is, slow down!"

"That? That's it?" "That thing on the curb?'

"Yes, yes! Isn't it beautiful? We have been talking about buying one, and here it is...waiting for us! And to think they were going to just throw it away."

"Does it work?"

"I think so. I tested it when I ran by it."

"You are so crazy. Okay, well help me lift it."

After much groaning, huffing, puffing, and one Artsy Fartsy scraped knee, we finally got it in the car, and drove back home.

How we got it in the house and in my craft room, I'll never know, but it's there, all oiled up and ready to serve our family.

What is the FIND of all finds, you ask? It's a little something that looks a lot like this:



Isn't it beautiful? I know, I know - its probably silly to get so excited about finding a filing cabinet on the side of the road, but we have been needing to get one. And those things brand new are not cheap. Office Depot's range from $100 - $200 for the kind we found. And the only ones I've seen on Craiglist are either way too big, black, or extraordinarily rusty.

Now, I can store all of our VIP (very important paperwork) in one place, rather than finding J. Crew bags all over the house holding various and sundry receipts, manuals, and files (for some reason J. Crew bags are perfect for this task).

Aren't you proud? Now, that's what I call dumpster diving, Artsy Fartsy style!

On the hunt...

for "We've Moved" announcements. Want something modern/hip that isn't terribly expensive (preferably under 75 cents per announcement - we have a big list!). I like this card from Tiny Prints, but at $1.25 per card, plus 42 cents per stamp, that would cost us almost $100!

Any suggestions?

Thou shalt not covet...

But sometimes, I just can't help it!

Here are several luscious finds that are, well, frankly, for the birds.

This pillow ($28)

and print ($13) from Joom would go perfectly in my guest bedroom.

(bedding I have right now)

This Gocco print ($12) from bridbird is so pretty. Apparently, I am still on the green thing. It is a little small, but I can see it on an inspiration wall with several other pieces or tucked in a sneaky corner of the room over a little reading desk or vanity.

Just for fun, check out these birdie hooks ($14) and this Birds of Paris scarf ($24) from urban outfitters.

Okay, enough with the birds. This village print ($20) from Ubiki perfectly matches the color scheme I have planned for my office (cornflower blue, celadon green, and true pink).

On to lighting. The Knight and I have several mismatched bargain lamps that I have picked up along the way. Now that we have moved into the house, everything we previously owned suddenly looks . . . shabby. So, in addition to a gazillion other things costing a gazillion dollars, I am on the hunt for fabulous, functional, and beautiful lighting.

One thing our house doesn't need is overhead lighting. Thankfully, the previous owners picked out gorgeous rubbed bronze/wrought iron metal fixtures for the entire house (one of the only good things they did). We like them, are keeping them, and don't need any overhead fixtures. Of course, that means that I am finding all kinds of tasty overhead lighting that I absolutely do not need, but wish I did.

For instance, I have been eyeing this pendant lamp ($249) for several months now. Call me crazy, but I can just see matching ones hanging over bedside tables on either side of the bed. Love.

Speaking of lighting that I have been drooling over, this gawgeous chandelier ($1750) goes with absolutely nothing in my house, but I need it. If only I was a rich, rich woman...I could put this in my master bathroom/boudoir and just live there. Forever.

Okay, that's all for now. I know I need to do a clothing coveting post, but lately I have had the hardest time shopping on the internet. Although I did find this breezy little number when perusing urban outfitters, and I'm wondering if it would be the perfect housewarming gift for my new closet. :)

In other news, our furniture arrived last night! Yippee! I was like a kid in a candy shop - opening all the boxes and oohing and aahing over everything. Unfortunately, after I spent 45 minutes putting the legs on the table, I flipped it over to find that there was a big nick out of the side of the table. It looked like it had been dropped! So, I called West Elm, and they are going to send us a new table and come pick the other one up.

Then I started putting together the chairs...also an incredibly long task. After putting all 4 side chairs together, I started working on the first armchair. As I was putting on the last leg, I noticed a big crack in the wood where screws go it. So, had to call West Elm ah-gehn, and they are going to send a new one asap.

I feel that they should award me with a new rug or vase to compensate for all my time and the pain and suffering I endured when I discovered that my new and expensive furniture was damaged. Maybe I'll try that angle. Sound lawyerly, enough?

The other stuff looks awesome though, and assuming we can get pieces that aren't cracked or dinged, I am really going to love them. I took some pictures to share, but I really want to wait and show you the final product...so, you might have to wait a few days. I know, I am so mean!

I'll tell you this - owning a house is exhausting work. I have fallen into bed each night completely pooped, and my legs are so tired by the end of the day, they actually ache. But in a satisfying "I got a lot done" way, so its okay!

kisses,

Who knew?

That living in Memphis meant lightning speed West Elm furniture delivery? I ordered the furniture on Tuesday, got a shipping notification yesterday, and when I tracked the package this morning, I saw this:

Type:
Package

Status:
In Transit

Scheduled Delivery:
06/26/2008

Shipped To:
MEMPHIS, TN, US

Shipped/Billed On:
06/25/2008

Service:
3 DAY SELECT

Weight:
8.20 Lbs
To view additional tracking information, please log in to My UPS.

Package Progress

MEMPHIS,TN, US
06/26/2008
7:53 A.M.
OUT FOR DELIVERY

06/26/2008
12:35 A.M.
ARRIVAL SCAN

06/26/2008
12:23 A.M.
DEPARTURE SCAN
MEMPHIS,TN, US

06/25/2008
1:36 P.M.
ARRIVAL SCAN

06/25/2008
12:02 P.M.
AGENT PICKUP; IN TRANSIT TO UPS FACILITY

06/25/2008
12:02 P.M.
DEPARTURE SCAN

06/25/2008
12:01 P.M.
ORIGIN SCAN

I guess I should have remembered that I have been to the PB/WS warehouse sales here in Memphis, but it didn't even cross my mind that having the warehouse for that conglomerate located in Memphis would translate in super fast shipping. This is very bad news for my checkbook. Very bad news, indeed.

I can't wait for the set to arrive!

Hallelujah!

So, after all my worrying, stressing, and cuticle picking, the sellers finally came through with the money around 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

From that point on, it was a whirlwind. The Knight picked his parents up at the airport, and as soon as I got home from work, we zoomed over to the new house so they could have a tour. We broke out the champagne, and the Knight's dad said a prayer for us, our future, and the house. His prayer was so sweet that, by the time he was finished, all four of us had tears in our eyes.

Later that night, the Knight's sister (Maggie) and her family arrived, and the 8 of us, plus two more cousins and a spouse all had a wonderful feast at Central BBQ. It was a wonderful evening...the Knight and I were still on a high from finally knowing that the house was ours, and it was so great to have all the family in our neck of the woods for a change. Perfect BBQ afterglow.

Saturday morning, and the Knight and I sleep through the alarm (perhaps too much champagne?), and run around completely disoriented for a few minutes. He was supposed to go pick up the truck and the fridge, and I was supposed to take Betty to Midtown so Jess(ica) could watch her. Everyone was set to arrive soon, and parts of the apartment still were a little unpacked. Finally, we got our bearings and headed off in separate directions. All of the people who had offered to help started showing up and things just started falling into place. The rest of the day is a hazy whirlwind, but suffice it to say, we got everything moved from our apartment to the house in two trips, the apartment is now completely empty (and clean - thanks to the Knight's mom and Maggie), and all of the appliances we bought from people on Craigslist arrived as promised and in working order.

Ended the day with a family meal at a local Mexican restaurant. We were all pretty grubby, but no one seemed to mind. I guess we were all so tickled that we were done moving, and could enjoy the rest of the day just being together. Fell asleep that night in our new, spacious bedroom. I was completely exhausted and thrilled with the day. So much love and fun in one day...and to think, some people hate moving. :)

Sunday morning, everyone congregated at our house (isn't that fun to say?), and we headed to church. The Knight and I think that we may have finally found a church we are interested in committing to...it took us too long, but so glad we may have finally found a place. This church is a former Church of Christ church that is now truly nondenominational. The preacher is a guy who is just a few years older than me and actually went to my college. At first, I had a hard time listening to someone preach on a regular basis who is just a smidge older than me, but once I got past his age, I felt that his message each week was so relevant and inspiring. Plus, this church has an incredible "young marrieds/singles" group, and they have just included us in such a kind, easy, no weirdness way. Finding a church and making good friends at that church is something that I have been praying for for a while, and this place just kind of fell into our lap.

Anywho, we ate out for lunch (hello! need to unpack the kitchen) and then the Knight's mom suggested that she and I go look at breakfast room furniture. Needless to say, I was easily persuaded, and found even more tantalizing options for our breakfast room. How will I ever make a decision?

At the end of the day, everyone left, and for the first time the Knight and I were all alone in our new home. We tidied up the yard, unpacked the kitchen, and soaked in what we hope to be the first of many lazy Sunday evenings at our new house.

It is amazing how fast we went from here (making the offer), to here (closing),

to here (home ownership)! We did it!

In other news, I have finally made a decision on the breakfast room furniture. The total package is pricier than what I was initially considering, but after seeing some of the options I blogged about in person, I decided they weren't for me. Some were too small. Others were cheap looking. My final decision? The west elm expandable table with 6 circle cutout chairs - 2 in the armchair style and 4 in the side chair style. I also ordered the cushions in the flax/linen color.


I think the set will fit nicely in the breakfast room, and still allow "flow" to the other rooms in the house. Delivery is supposed to be in 5 business days....it can't come fast enough!

Well, back to unpacking!