i have no self control...

In my defense, its all for the new place and most of it was red tag for sale and nothing was over $15. I have also determined that the TJ Maxx on Whittier & Painter is the best TJ Maxx around.

Item 1: postage stamp planter. I have been lusting after something to do with stamps for a long time and this thing was just lovely. I am thinking it would look nice with an orchid or some other potted plant and stick it in the guestroom.

Item 2: white ceramic lemon. Must I explain this? Its a lemon. Its white. I think I might put it on top of a pile of cookbooks in the kitchen.

Item 3: l'hotel des royales tin. Matches perfectly with a previously purchased pail/wastebasket for the downstairs bathroom. As far as usage, not 100% positive on that but I know I will use it for something. I saw one of these with a bunch of rolled up yellow towels (see sample picture below) and it made me happy and maybe I'll do that.
Item 4: yellow scroll picture frame. Another one of those that's obvious why I bought it. It could go anywhere, though it will most likely go in the built in bookcase in the livingroom or over the mantle.
Item 5: ceramic artichoke. A thing of beauty. It would seem obvious that I would place this in the kitchen right? But actually I think it may find a home in the livingroom as a bookend. Ceramic artichokes are hot right now and they're usually expensive. This one was 12 bucks. SCORE!Item 6: wastebasket. For office. I like that it looks like a giant mint julep cup and I actually want a mint julep cup so I can put pencils and pens in there. The other thing I've been lusting after comes from Potterybarn. The store that would furnish my entire house if I had an unlimited budget. Anyway, the dang thing's on sale so I'm getting it tomorrow:

surf

I was showing my client (more about him and his place later) a certain folding table idea I'd seen awhile ago in the now defunct Blueprint Magazine about my favorite small space makeover in the history of the entire planet... Its not just that the way they made the TINY apartment feel larger and more practical, it was the way they decorated it with beautiful, simple pieces and great colors. Honestly, if I were to pick an image of a room that would describe the decorating style I wish to have, this would be it:Seeing those pictures made me go, hmm... I bet that color would look great in my new office and they actually sourced it. Made by Martha Stewart (surprise) for Valspar it is called "Surf".I LOVE thais mantel. Its so minimal yet perfectly accessorized and placed them so they would look JUST right. I especially like that extra BRIGHT log holder whatever thing at the bottom. I think I may do this for our livingroom. Grab one of them log holders and paint it bright yellow. That would POP baby, POP!Well one paint color decided on, few more to go.

it begins...

The first box... has towels for the guest bath, our duvet cover set, and a few sets of placemats.

But before I put everything away I found a photo of some lemons that I just had to print and frame. I love how it looks where I placed it and will probably place it over the stove in the new place as well. Makes me happy. I love lemons.

mom doesn't believe me

She thinks painting the future kitchen walls gray won't look good or will look too dark or something. She thinks I should go with something like a beige. I can't trust her, she used to think black and pink couches were hot (in her defense everyone around that time did).

I can understand my mom thinking it might be too dark or something but come on... I'm painting the kitchen cabinets WHITE and my dining table will be WHITE and the only few black things I have are my appliances. And the other color will be YELLOW so I think its safe to say painting the walls like the color in this picture won't make it that dark... especially since I have plans to have bright, light colors dominating the rest of the kitchen.

hotel fredrich

A guestroom should be like a hotel room. With just the basics for people to survive and a few charming things unique to hotels such as:
a luggage rack
a plastic bag for a laundry service
tiny soaps, shampoos, conditioners
a map or guidebook of the local area
an ice bucket and some plastic cups
a personal coffee maker
a gideon bible in the nightstand
hotel stationery

When we move I'll begin to accumulate this stuff and build a mini hotel room in our guestroom. Most is gonna be easy to get but I think the Gideon bible will be more of a challenge. Maybe I can visit the Gideons and just buy one. Or maybe thrift stores have them. I dunno.

So with that in mind, I have designed stationary for our "hotel" guestroom and printed it on pretty resume paper that I bought when I graduated Biola so I could print my resume and never needed to because to get my job I've never need a to send a resume or sit for an interview (I know, I'm so lucky).

Dresser!!

Few weeks ago I saw a freaking beautiful night stand by Broccade Home. They make home stuff that is beautious and expensivus, we are talking $599.00 for this lil' thing:

Well we went to Goodwill today and found a dresser that looked a crapload like it (except the knobs) and was only $20!Yes, earlier I said we would not buy anything for the new place until we moved but a bargain like this you snatch before the other people checking it out do.

I am thinking I'm gonna place it by the entrance and have it hold our keys and wallet and stamps and stuff like that.

top ten

The top ten things I am looking forward to when we move:

10) A fountain
9) Being able to have painted walls
8) Having a park within walking distance
7) Getting a dog who will be named Lebowski
6) Having stairs so Gadget can run up and down and lose some kitty fat
5) Having a garage where I can easily and safely unload my kits from work and load them back in
4) Having an actual office where I can work at a desk and not the dining room table
3) My clothes will ONLY have clothes not misc things that we can't fit anywhere else in our apartment
2) Being able to have people spend the night in their own little room
1) Being able to walk to Fresh & Easy

pro bono

A co-worker is going to send me picks of his new studio and then I'll be virtually decorating it for him. I guess we'll call him my first "client" and my work "pro bono".

As I wandered somewhere, possibly Target, I thought of what my client was like and I came up with a bicoastal theme. East meets west. He was bred in New York and now lives, works, & plays by the beach.

Not much else has popped into me noggin except these two posters to hang side by side somewhere in his livingroom:

freeze and purge

Matthew and I are on a kick. We're trying to eat all the food in our cupboards, get rid of all the stuff we don't want, and not spend any money on anything but food until we move so we can save that money to buy things for the new place. If it means I get a ghost chair... I'll wait.

because matt went to a hardcore show

I was left to wander alone so I did what any normal girl would do and went to see if the Pier 1 in Brea had those glass carafes since they're on sale. They did not. So I went to Michael's in the same shopping center and bought some acrylic paint and I went home and painted some frames. I can see women making the mistake of thinking it would look good on a wall. It will NOT look good on a wall, it will look okay on little things, maybe even a side table but its just too bright. So here's what the frames look like now:I put that priceless print in the frame and looks like 10,000 times better than the other frame. Then I made up some print with a picture of a ghost chair and added the clever "friendly ghost" thing in there and the two of them make a cute pair.

Then I painted some crappy boxes I had and they will look very nice in my new office.

BEFORE:
AFTER:

my future office/guestroom

I am a girl. I like pretty things that are shiny and fancy and blue. And like many girls I dream of an office with turquoise walls and a parsons desk.

This is what I'd like my office to look like and what I will be working on making happen when we move (oh yes, we're moving, that condo is going to be our fab new rental):
BREAKDOWN
First thing is the parsons desk, I know its not much but its the most classic thing and seems like everyone has it because its simple, its got two drawers, and its white and you won't get sick of it. Then its the ghost chair, no explanation needed, and an aluminum wastebasket from anywhere. Desktop: this lamp or a shiny one I'll no doubt find at Marshalls or something, a ribbon bulletin board I already own, a shiny note holder, and a steady supply of water in a carafe. I'm a fan of these shelves and I'd put some stuff up there that I have plus a shiny tape dispenser and these beautiful boxes or I'd make a cheaper version myself and of course we'd need some drapes... That monster cabinet is already ours and has storage for a printer and has a hanging file cabinet, but on top, I'd put a cute little tea set and an appropriate print. Lounging/Reading/Guesting: This sleeper sofa though white (which frightens me) would be good in case you need another bed and the ottoman would be in use when you are kicking it working. Add a toss pillow, a floor lamp, a little side table you got yourself a seating area and a place for guests to throw their stuff on. Above it I'd add some sort of wall art starting with this one I already own and finally over head either an expensive beautiful chandelier or a cheaper version equally interesting.

I can already tell its going to be my favorite room in the place or at least my favorite room to dream about...