My new love

Please excuse the crappy cell phone photo, but I just had to share my newest Craigslist find...

I love Craigslist.  In case you can't tell from the picture, it's a quarter-sawn oak, Mission-style secretary.  In near-perfect condition.  I'll take a better photo when I get my camera back from my mom, but be assured that it is gorgeous.  I love how antique furniture looks so at home in this house. Whenever I get a new piece, it fits right in like it's been here forever.

I couldn't find any pictures, but this corner used to house a little "linen cabinet" that we bought while still living in our rental hovel.  It was about a third as wide and only had one drawer.  I tried to use it to organize mail and paperwork, but it was just too small.  I was able to fit everything (except the things I threw away!) inside the new desk, and it's now neatly organized.  I ended up pitching about 30 pens, which I feel bad about, but we just had way too many.  I swear they multiply.  We had pens from politicians, from businesses, and God-alone-knows-where-else.  I saved about 5 decent ones and put them in a pottery cup on the top, then tucked 10 or so more in one of the interior drawers.  That is plenty and will probably last us the next 5 years.

Saturday is going to be an organizational extravaganza.  My mom is watching Ethan almost all day, so I'm going to go through the cupboards on the back porch and reorganize everything.  I'm hoping to do the same in the bathroom.  And the "office".  And the buffet in the dining room.  Since I'll have about 8 hrs, I'm should be able to make my way through just about the entire house.  I don't have to worry about cleaning, since I've managed to keep up with housework this week, just all the other little things that never seem to get done and then turn into big ordeals.  Thankfully, I've already taken care of the kitchen, our bedroom, Ethan's room, and the basement pantry.

Shayne watched an episode of "Hoarders" last night, and told me today that he's determined to go through the basement and get rid of his junk and organize what he is keeping.  I'm amazed.  I thought he'd hang onto that stuff forever.  Maybe I should arrange for monthly viewings of the show to keep him motivated!

Vintage-Modern love

A few months ago we walked into Target, and I fell in love...

This is the Crosley Solo "audiophile" radio.  It's only about 5 by 7", but has fantastic sound.  Although it only has one speaker, it will supposedly mimic surround sound.  Since Shayne got it for me for my birthday, I can say that it will absolutely fill a room with music, and the sound quality is excellent.  There's an auxillary switch for me to plug in my mp3 player or XM.  I occasionally had the radio on in the house before, but now I switch it on as soon as I come home at night and first thing in the morning.  If nothing else, classical Christmas music sounds gorgeous on this wonderful little contraption.  And, it looks pretty sitting on the bookcase; it doesn't look old, but it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb like a normal new radio would in a room full of vintage furniture.

I'm in love...  <3

Finally feels like home

Ever since we bought the house, I've wanted to decorate for Christmas.  The first year we put up a tree and some icicle lights outside.  Then we tore up the living room.  The next year we had the tree in the middle of our crack-house living room.  Last year I finally got my crap together and finished the woodwork.  So we got the tree up the less than a week before Christmas, even though there wasn't much furniture to speak of.

This year, it's 2 weeks before Christmas, and I have a Christmas tree, outside lights, and furniture.  And, the furniture isn't cheap, college dorm stuff either anymore.  YAY!  As I was walking through the room, I realized again how homey it looks now, especially compared to when we bought the house.  Remember??

In the past year, I've acquired the majority of the furniture: a mission style futon frame (which will eventually move to the office or basement family room), two matching victorian-ish bookshelves from my Aunt Virginia and Uncle Chuck, my gigantic arts and crafts bookcase with leaded glass doors, and my bargain basement mission-style rocker.  Tying it all together is the awesome rug that is reminiscent of the arts and crafts period, a leaded glass table lamp, and a leaded glass floor lamp.  And there's the mission style table that I got almost 2 years ago.  Considering how much I adore the room, I'm amazed at how little it cost to furnish it.  All told, the antiques were less than $1000, which proves you can find nice vintage furniture without paying a fortune.  Granted, collectors would probably laugh at my assortment of nameless pieces, but I'm so very happy with the way it's turned out.

It's still not quite done, but soon we'll be hanging pictures and replacing the last few bits of woodwork.  And note to self: find a nice mica lamp and move that damned Eiffel tower lamp somewhere else...

An Early Christmas Present

It needs a little help (doesn't everything in this house?), but it's in good condition as-is.  The original finish is long-gone, so I'll eventually refinish it.  The seat needs a little help, as one of the springs is out of place.  The twine that held it in position snapped.  But for $120, I really couldn't pass it up!

The bookcase arrives

Amazingly (if you know us, you'll understand why), the bookcase made it home without incident.  Not that I had anything to do with it...  Being pregnant and all, the doctor imposed a 25 lb lift restriction.  25 lbs is an absoloutely pathetically small amount, especially when I'm used to carrying big bags of dog food by myself, but there it is.  I've broken the restriction several times, but Shayne was dead-set against me helping with the bookcase. 

So I didn't.  Armed with our rusty old truck and his friend R, Shayne brought the bookcase home.

I looked much bigger in our living room than it had in the shop window.  It was also taller than I remembered.  The spot I had cleared for it didn't work out, but it fit in beautifully across from the sofa.  I was surpried to find that all 6 shelves were included, even though there had only been 5 when we bought it.  Paul had also given us a key that fit the locks.  And the bookcase is identical to the photo I found on an internet acution site, except that ours is in better shape.  Score!

Before we brought the bookcase home, I was habing doubts about it.  It's a lot of money to spend on a bookcase, and I was afraid it wouldn't be as nice as I thought it had been.  But if anything, it's better.  I feel almost like we stole it, and I'd have probably paid even more for it.  And, even better, it looks wonderful in our living room.  It adds some much-needed character and a bit of not-so-simple beauty.  The curves and leaded glass are a nice counterpoint to the strong mission lines of the rest of the furniture.  Here it is in its new home:

I wasn't planning on filling it immediately, but once it was in the house, it seemed it was just begging to be used.  So, within 15 minutes of its homecoming, I was unpacking books that had been languishing in a rubbermaid tote for nearly 3 years.  It's now full of books that I love, and seems much happer to be being used again (Yes, my furniture has feelings.  Doesn't yours?).

Someday in the future, I'd like to have it professionally refinished, even though the scratches in the finish are much lighter than I originally thought.  For now, though, I'm happy with it just the way it is.  It's the focal point of the living room, which continues to inspire me and remind me what we can accomplish when we get off our butts to do it!

Stairway progress photos

I thought I had posted these the other day, but evidently I forgot... For any interested parties, here are photos of the stairway as it stands right now.





It looks a bit nicer in the photos than in person, but progress has been made. A lot of it has been on the side of the spindles facing the wall and facing the other spindles. I'm so excited to be nearly finished. I'll definitely be working on it on my next days off.

Another thing I forgot to post about was my bargain lamp. I found it at a store than was going out of business, marked $49.99, reduced from $139.99. I offered the clerk $40, and she accepted. It might not stay in the living room, but it was a great deal!

And lastly, I ordered the rug. I received an e-mail saying we should have it in two to three weeks, which is good. By then, I should be finished sanding...