You Got A Big Butt, A Big Butt

Once again Big Lots comes to the rescue!  We had found a faux leather, pleather if you will, barrel chair for $99 at Big Lots.  I wasn't sold, but after thinking about it for a week or so, we had decided to purchase it since Mama Val will be in town soon for a 1 week visit and having just the one couch will probably not be very comfy for all of us.  We figured it could live temporarily in the livingroom until we found something we loved and then we could move it to the bedroom since we could make room for it in there.
So off to Big Lots we went to purchase the pleather barrel chair.  As we are walking towards the back near where the furniture is, I see some new items and instantly fall in love!  I quickly move towards it and see that it is also priced at $99 but looks no where near like a $99 chair!  I'm already in love with it from a distance but need to feel it, you know to make sure that it is true love!  I have a seat....and fall even more in love with it.  BF agrees that it should be ours and so I swipe it and move it towards the Beluga Sofa to make sure they work together....and they do!

Komet Chocolate Lounge Chair by Sitcom
Image found on amazon.com

Can you see why I am in love!!!  It's perfect!  It's round and it's gorgeous and it's retro inspired which is just what I was hoping for! and it fits my big butt with room to spare! and it was within our budget!
It seriously is a handsome piece that I have no regrets about, which I was thinking would have been the case if we had actually gotten the pleather barrel chair.

We're considering purchasing another one since it's so low profile and takes up very little room despite being wide enough to fit this girls backside!

Coco Chanel approves too!

Our place is coming together beautifully and better than anticipated!

....we don't have a La-Z-Boy!.....and Life is Good!

****UPDATE - I went and purchased a second one last night....I HAD TO!

Update: New Art For the Main Living Area

I knew I shouldn't have walked into Z. Gallerie...sigh...I digress...So I saw some framed wall art that I knew I'd be thinking about for the next 5 years if I didn't purchase it and it was affordable in the sense that I probably wouldn't find it for any cheaper all dinged up at Home Goods and the like....so I bought it....for $106 after tax....and I LOVE IT!!  And BF likes it too, so it's all good in the hood!

 It's a Vespa!  Here's the link to purchase your very own if you feel that you too need this Vespa hanging somewhere in your dwelling.  You're welcome!

As you can see, I moved an end table and lamp in there (originally from the bedroom), The living room needed an end table and that corner certainly needed some light, oh and I moved the Himilayan Salt Lamp that I picked up on Target's website onto that table as well.  I can't seem to find a link to the actual size that I purchased for $29.99, but if you're interested I've seen them in Whole Foods in the Health and Beauty section for around the same price.  It gives off such a nice amber glow, like the glow from a candle but without the flickering.

The place is really coming together nicely.  I feel it's finally starting to say "A happy, fun-loving artist on a budget lives here"

Too bad it doesn't say "A happy, fun-loving artist and her boyfriend who are on a budget live here"  I haven't found the right pieces to make that statement yet.

But I love him. and he loves me. and he is happy with the new framed wall art.  :) and that makes me happy!

The bedroom is starting to come together, but right now it's no where near ready to be photographed.  So here is a picture of the kitchen after being cleaned and ready for it's photo shoot.  Sorry for the darkness, it was night time.

Life is Good

Painting Pillows

My creativity has really been sparked this year, thankfully, as it is one of the things that I've written in my journal at the beginning of the year that I would like to use more frequently this year.  Ever since I put up those floating shelves in the dining room/sweat shop, I now have things within an arms reach.  Like those paint brushes...

...the only thing I have done with the paint brushes in the past 7 years is move them from one place to the next....6 times....I have moved 6 times in the past 7 years and the paint brushes have managed to stick around despite my love for purging items every-single-time I move.  I find that is the case with most of my CREATE stash.  I won't throw any of it away...(oh except for thousands of dollars worth of fabric that got ruined in the basement of one of my dwellings....sigh....I'm still having a hard time with that almost 6 years later...) but anyway....what was the reason I am here posting???.....oh, right, the paint brushes....so yeah, I haven't touched those things in 7 years!!!!  Well, I found some time to start a little project that coincides with wanting to add more color to my place AND the use of my creative abilities.

I was in Wal-Mart the other night and was inspired by the design on this throw pillow

so I snapped a picture of it with my trusty camera phone and headed to the craft section for some fabric paint.    I figured I'd use some of the table cloth I had purchased 2 years back at a Goodwill in Savannah as the cover fabric since it will coordinate with the table runner I recently made for the dining room table and this other pillow I recently made using the same table cloth and some leftovers from the Duff Dress.

I'm not sure if I am in love with it or if it looks like a kids craft project.  It's now sitting on one of the dining room chairs until I have enough pillows made to throw them on the couches making it all look like I meant to totally throw things off by combining bright/loud/colorful throw pillows to our 1990s navy, hunter,tan, burgundy plaid sofa and love seat set BF purchased from a garage sale for $50 that we are happily working with until we can afford some new couches in a color and fabric of our choice.  I am hoping that by doing this, your eye is drawn to the bright and colorful pillows and you don't even notice the couches...we'll see if it works.  It's not like anyone comes over really, and if they do, they are coming to see us, not our couches.  :)

So anyway, back to the painting project (sorry A.D.D much?)...here's what it looked like Sunday night:

I have a long way to go before it will be finished.  I've already added another band of dots in orange since snapping this low-quality camera phone picture. (Sorry, my Real camera is busted.....I can't justify purchasing another one at this point, we just got over Christmas!)


So, I'm already having fun and being creative in 2011, but I can't believe that January is almost over with already!!!!  YIKES!!!

Oh and on a Weight Watchers side note, I'm down 5 lbs!!!  W00t!

AND  I love BF more and more everyday, it's amazing how much we grow on a daily basis...It's great to grow together with someone, instead of growing apart.  :)

Life is great!

More Organizing...Office Nook

In dealing with my ADD it was recommended that I journal.  As of the new year, I've decided to journal more, errrr get started?  So after coming across a blog or two on journaling I've decided to use a journal that I already owned (but never used), write down whatever comes to my mind as the moment strikes, attach pictures and draw that inspire me, create shopping lists, to-do lists......whatever I want to put in my journal.  So far it has helped tremendously with being more organized!  We're only 17 days into the new year, but so far I have journaled 11 of those 17 days and 1 day from 2010 (Dec 31st, I used up 5 pages jotting down all of the things I wanted to start to accomplish in 2011!)

I've already crossed off many items from the several "to-do" lists (one other being hanging those shelves in the Dining Room/Sweat Shop

Which brings me to another one of those items......Organize the office and front entry hall shelves

The apartment came with a built in office nook which is great because that means we did not have to spend money on a piece of furniture, and when we move, we don't have to move a piece of furniture!

I will admit though that it was becoming a catch-all and with that comes an eye sore.

I can no longer take the clutter....it feels like everything in life is chaotic when my environment is cluttered....

So after hanging those Dining Room/Sweat Shop shelves, I was still on a roll. I got to tackling the Office shelves and the front entry way built in bookcase/shelves (picture of that to come soon).

I moved the books and board games to the larger built in bookcase/shelves in the front entry way and rearranged the other items.  I also condensed what was in that orange storage cube on the lower shelf into the Damask box from the top shelf.  I added a faux plant that was in the bedroom, yeah I got tired of Coco trying to eat it.  I actually really like the height that it adds to this space!

It's still a little cluttered and could use a burst of color, but SOOOO much better than it was.  I feel like I can breath when I look at the space now.

And because I know I enjoy a side by side before and after, here's one for you my wonderful reader(s).  :)

Now off to the 2nd job.  Hope everyone had a great MLK day!

Dining Room/Sweat Shop

When Brian first moved in, the dining room looked like this:

A blank slate.

The dining room has served dual purpose as a dining room and sweat shop since I moved in:

BTW - The round dining table is what I got from Wal-Mart when all of my friend's chipped in together for my birthday this year and got me an American Express Gift Card!  Thanks Kids, I love it!

We've been trying to make do with the space given in a one bedroom to be able to also have a space for me to Create.  As you can see above, it's functional to a point, yet aesthetically unappealing.  That wall to the left was really lacking and I had no place to put away some of the things that I would prefer to have within reach.

The other night, I caught the DIY bug and purchased a cordless drill which inspired me to go and hang some Wall Ledges that I picked up at Target on sale for $20 each.

Now it looks more like a room as well as serves as a functional way of decorating with things that I use regularly while sewing.  The thread display throws in so much color!

I love the updates to the space.  I feel like I can breath, and everything is within reach.

PS - the craft table folds up to a nice compact side table as well as houses the sewing machines and supplies when not in use!  Gotta love multi function!

PSS - Yes I am still posting pictures I took with my cell phone camera....the digital is out of commission for the moment.

Monday December 20, 2010

We finally got our Christmas Tree!!!  This is our first Christmas tree.  Last year we were out of town and so we didn't bother (plus we didn't technically live together) So this year I got to go shopping for some fun ornaments and Tree trimmings!  I went with a very fun, colorful and delicious theme

Colorful and Delicious!

I noticed a pattern after several trips to Target, Kohl's and Walmart....Snowflakes!  Even the tree topper!

Snowflake Topper

I purchased the tree topper, stocking holders, ornaments and a votive holder all at separate times....they are all snowflakes!  Which I guess was a sub-conscious thing.  I finally feel free to be me, the 'real' Christa...unique and unlike anyone else...just like a snowflake!  :)

Look even these Ornament tea light holders have snowflakes on them

Ornament Tea Light Lanterns

Our home finally (less than one week before Christmas Day) looks festive!
Yesterday, BF picked out the tree and brought it home while I was working....at first I wasn't so thrilled with it's egg-like shape, this is definitely the tree I would have talked him out of had I been there, but then decided that if that was the one he liked, and went and purchased with his own money, I would enjoy it...just as he is enjoying all of the Girlie ornaments and decorations that I chose.  Do you think a straight man would have ever chosen bows and candies and purple squiggles?

Shiny Balls, Bows, Candies & Squiggles

Let's not forget the lights....I asked him what he thought about stringing blue lights on the tree (Blue being his fav color)...of course he said yes, then I asked about purple...he nodded and that was the end of the convo.....days later (yesterday) after turning on some Christmas music and putting the Christmas tree in it's stand, I had him plug in the lights so that we could string them on the tree....he looked at me and said "What happened to the blue lights?"...I had made the executive decision to go with the purple lights, but upon plugging them in, it turns out that purple lights shine PINK!  :)  I'm not complaining....and neither did he.  After the egg tree was decorated he stepped back and said "It looks really good" with a smile on his face which totally made my heart smile.  We kissed next to our first prefectly imperfect tree!

Candies & Sparkles, Snowflakes & Squiggles, Shiny Balls & Bows...That's what our Christmas tree is made of!

This tree was definitely decorated by the 15 year old girl that lives within me.

C <3 B

I look forward to a lifetime of happy compromise.  :)  Life is great!

Things n Stuff

So just as life is an ever evolving process, so is decorating our apartment on a budget.  I recently came into some cash and anytime that happens, I prefer to spend some of it on the apartment to make it homier.  A lot of the things I own(ed) come with the energy of past relationships and so I am trying to replace those things so as to have all new (or new to us) things surrounding us, instead of looking around at the same things I've looked at for 10 plus years.  Several months back I held a garage sale in order to get rid of some of these things.  I figured I'd use the "found" cash to replace things such as decorations and dinnerware and glasses as well as cutlery, etc.

Over the weekend a girlfriend and I headed out to Ikea for some retail therapy.  I went in armed with a shopping list because I knew that if I didn't have some sort of a plan, I would lose track of what I originally intended on going there for and spending WAAAAY more than I wanted and walking out with none of the things I went in for.  Hello A.D.D. brain....does not mix well with the madness and over-stimulation that is Ikea!  Which reminds me, before I left for the day BF said to me in a serious tone "If you do not come back with a new loveseat, IKEA!"  he's too funny and I love his sense of humor!

Thanks to this blog post by Jen over at iheartorganizing, i was inspired to use one of her organizing ideas for our office/desk area.

 Just as Jen did, I used the Bygel Rail, along with the Bygel s-hooks, and the 3 of the Asker containers.  Grand total for this unique and adorable way of keeping things organized and easily accessible?  $21.68

And then it turned into an idea for the kitchen.....I needed SOMETHING above the stove and I wanted it to serve dual purpose of function and fashion....
TahDah!

I used 2 more of the Bygel Rails, along with some more of the Bygel s-hooks, 4 of the Fargrik Coffee Mugs, and the Bygel Wire Basket with a 4-pack of Rajtan Spice Jars that I filled with my own spices and herbs.  I love the look and functionality!  Oh and this project's grand total was $12.75! plus the cost of the spices which I already had on hand.

My apologies for the picture quality being all 2004.  These are from my ancient hand-me-down cell phone camera.  If I remember to do it, I'll take better pictures with my digital camera and update this post, as these pictures do this no justice and you can't really see how those mugs pop against the boring neutral paint color.

From the shopping trip with a girlfriend on a Saturday afternoon in Hotlanta, to the hanging of these new and exciting (to me) organizers, this was an overall fun way to spend money, update, organize and decorate our apartment!  Not to mention it took me all of 15 minutes to measure and install all three of these bad boys!

Next organizing project (I hope) will be the storage closet.....it looks like a bomb went off in there!  I'll take a before shot...only if you promise not to judge.



Hope all is well in your world, and if it's not...keep your chin up!  Things will get better if you keep a positive mind frame.


Love n hugs n kisses!