It's my Birthday and I'll Buy Chairs if I Want To!

Hope you are all enjoying a wonderful weekend! Today is especially wonderful for me because it's my birthday!!!

                                                                                Source: weheartit.com via Jamie on Pinterest

And what better way to celebrate your birthday than giving yourself a sweet new chair from craigslist?

No better way IMHO!

I got this beaut of the craig for only $70! The upholstery, while not my ideal, is cute enough and in good shape. I will be making the orange work for now. It's in a long line of upholstery projects so it will just have to wait!

In other exciting news my couch finally came yesterday!!!

I've been waiting on it for over two months. The only problem is the pillows along the back are not what I requested, poo. It's supposed to have only two long back pillows instead of a bunch of smaller ones. But I contacted them and I'm sure they'll fix it in a jiffy!

And what's even better is the whole thing is completely machine washable! That's right people! How awesome is that? The cushions are super soft and comfortable. The sofa is made by Best Slipcover company. They are great because everything is totally custom. 

You choose the body you like, choose from an array of fabrics, skirt/no skirt, cushion configuration, leg color and they make it right here in the US of A. 

And the good things just keep coming too! You've heard me go on and on about my favorite home store, located in Houston, called High Fashion Home. Well they had a contest and the winner gets a $200 gift card and I WON! My mom and I already have a plan to go down and shop. Hopefully I'll pick up the fabric for my wing chairs finally!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend lovers!

Quick Change Thursday

I'm going to start a new little series to document all the little changes that go on my home from week to week. No major projects just the little things that make me happy! I think we all do something like this quite frequently; redo a table top, a vignette, put up a new piece of art. And I love seeing all your little changes so hopefully you'll love mine too!

First up I finally figured out a fix for my dining room light! I was struggling with what to do for a while when this came to me...

Before...

After!

I had this large drum shade I got from my former showroom because it's a bit banged up. Luckily it was big enough to slip right over the existing fixture. With a little wire (don't look underneath too close!) it's a whole new fixture!

I think I'm going to add some trim to dress it up a little more. I also love that the drum directs light onto the table and the ceiling only, adds a little mood lighting!

Next I picked up this art from an antique store for $5.

The picture was pretty but the frame left a little to be desired. No problem!

I mixed together some gray and black until it was just the shade I wanted and tada! I like it much better now. When I took it apart I discovered the art is actually and illustration from a children's book mounted on faded black construction paper. I may change the matting at some point but it's fine for now.

What do you guys think? What can I do to dress up the shade to compliment the room? Have you made any changes to your home lately? Share!

Another Episode of: Things I Got From the Trash

Good evening and welcome to today's episode of...

Things I Got From the Trash!

(Queue intro music)

Now, you may think that finding treasures tossed aside on the curb is a decor porn myth from places like Brooklyn but I'm here to tell you, it does exist!

For example, in my little corner of suburbia, people cast aside treasures, well apparently, all the damn time! Fools, I tell ya, FOOLS!

Why just yesterday my neighbors placed this bench on their curb...

And I'm sure several other passerby blissfully ignored it until I happened to walk my dogs by and snatch it right up.

Now as many members of my audience know, this has a great deal of potential. For example it could be recovered in this awesomely delicious fabric I saw the other day...

Yes, dear audience, that's fucking sweet black fabric with shiny gold swirls and it's awesome.

Let's recap some of our previous episodes of things we found in the trash shall we? 

We shall...

This perfectly good plant which looks kickass in my new plant stand was our most recent find.

This beautiful old sewing machine table, perfect as a bedside table!

Another bedside table with awesome hardware.

Well that's all we have for today's episode. We hope you'll join us next time on...

Things I Got From the Trash!

(Queue theme music, camera slowly backs away while anchors chat about bullshit)

Latest Thrifts!

Last weekend at Canton was totally epic. If it hadn't been for the heat and my lack of funds I could have come home with a truckload full of awesome finds. I did manage to get several goodies though!

This fancy guy is from Danika's new shop.

Another mirror for my entryway.

These vintage scarves will get made into pillows. Only $1 each!

Large vintage chenille bedspread. The picture doesn't show that it has sparkly thread and the stripes are shiny. So pretty!

Plant stand that is now holding a plant I found IN THE TRASH! Seriously who throws out a perfectly good plant. I think its a Hibiscus. It's looking a little sad with all the heat we've had...

I found this huuuge geo map of East Texas for only $20. It looks like a piece of abstract art and I love that's it's a little worn around the edges. I'm helping a friend decorate his office and this is going to look perfect in there!

Another glass towel bar. Now I have three!

Super adorable switch plate for $1.

Have you had any good finds lately?!

The Mod Squad

My search for the perfect mid century coffee table has me jonesin for some more mid century in my life! I seem to love rooms with just a touch or two of it here and there. Really adds character and a bit of simplistic and classic elements to a room.

The bench by the window is amazing!

Pictures like this make me wish I had a landline so I could get a fabulous old phone. Would it be weird if I got one anyway and it wasn't connected to anything?

I also found this great tutorial to make an old coffee table into a bench.

This is the perfect project for all those inexpensive mid century coffee tables you come across!

Stay tuned for my latest thrifted finds tomorrow!

The New York Times considers Online Shelter Mags

Have you seen this article?

An article from the New York Times on the subject of all the new shelter mags was published yesterday. I'm not sure if I should be offended or not. You must read to see what you think...

In a way of course they have some good points. One being that most of the editors of these mags are mere bloggers with little to no experience in running an actual magazine. But to me, that's what is so great about it. With technology these days the world is indeed at your fingertips. Plus it's not say that these people don't work hard to make these magazines and put knowledge into every issue.

I'm a firm believer in working hard and learning the ropes for yourself. Quite frankly I couldn't give a damn if these people are self-taught, with no experience, and taking it day by day. I think that's part of what makes these magazines so accessible and appealing to readers like me. We all still pour through the pages of our beloved Elle Decor but for young people on a budget like myself, I sometimes have trouble relating. It sounds to me like there may be some bitter folks out there who want every lowly intern and assistant to "pay their dues" before seeing any type of success. i for one have to commend the creators of these online mags for pioneering something new and exciting.

I also think they made Michelle Adams the EIC of Lonny sound kind of bitter that other mags were following suit of Lonny. Now, I can't really know if the journalist emphasized this or what was actually said so I will take it with a grain of salt. Lonny is still the leader in the online mag industry for a reason and of course others will try to build on their success. They say to be copied is the best form of flattery...

What are your thoughts?

When Life Hands You Lemons, You Punch it in the Face

Well friends, I was dealt one of life's many blows last week. My company downsized and I was laid off. A lot has been going on in my brain since i heard the news. I decided not to dwell on the how and the why and try to think about what I REALLY want to do with my career.

The problem is I have no idea what I really want to do. I wish I had a clear goal in mind so I could focus every fiber of my being on making that happen.

Fortunately I can take a little time out and think things through and decide on what I really for my career. I don't think I want to go back to another typical "office" type job. I've been suffering from office burnout pretty much since my career began after college several years ago. I'm sure you of all people can relate to how hard the monotony can be to a creative minded person. I could never get used to the routine even when the work was interesting.

So I guess my request from all of you is for some brainstorming. What are my strengths? What are my options? Also to anyone who is working independently, how did you get your start? Please email me directly if you wish myflightsofwhimsy (at) gmail (dot) com.

I appreciate your support during this transitional but hopefully beneficial phase. I already know I will be blogging more, and that's never a bad thing!