Expectation vs Reality: Home Decor Edition

My CB2 plates came yesterday! YAY! The takeout box one is way smaller than I thought. Teeny tiny. This is why I should read descriptions more carefully. Oh well. More visual interest, right?

My breadbox came today! YAY! Except, wait ... the color is totally different. And there's damage the seller didn't mention, such as a GIANT CRACK in the bottom corner that makes the door fall off when you open it.

I am, in a word, displeased. In reading the seller's feedback, they make some nasty retorts to anyone who gives them negative feedback. Bleh. I don't know what to do.

Wall Art Plans

I haven't done much the past few days. Not much to blog about, anyway. Moved some furniture around to create some separation/flat space for a bar/sideboard in the dining room, shoved all the stuff that still needs to be unpacked in a corner, put some of my 90million books onto the empty DVD shelves until I get a real bookcase, stuff like that. I also got some supplies for my next art project.

I've been scouring for the perfect piece of artwork for above the bed. My bedding is cherry blossoms, which are a popular enough subject in artwork, but nothing was really right. It was too pink or too blue or too stylized or too prissy. My bedroom is mostly neutrals with pink accents. I didn't want to post this here because it's a terrible picture, but I want to illustrate. Man those iPhones may be smart but they take AWFUL pictures. Anyway, here's my bedroom:

See? So anyway, I started thinking ... I want something simple, right? And I can DO simple! All I want is a branch with some cherry blossoms, similar to the design on the bedspread and pillows. Then I found this tutorial on making 3D flowers out of Sculpey. In my head, it's so simple. Draw and paint a branch on canvas (wish I could just put it directly on the wall but it's a rental ...), make these flowers, find a way to affix them to the canvas, voila! Mixed media art. So today I got the canvas, the paint, brushes, and some Sculpey. We'll see what happens.

Beyond that, for the living room I am currently on the hunt for the perfect damask fabric in funky colors to put on stretcher frames for the living room. I used to be pretty good at stretching canvas in high school-- way better than I was at actually painting on it-- so hopefully it'll be a simple enough project.

You know, once I finally find the fabric.

I've also been collecting some plates to rip off emulate SB The Clueless Homeowner's plate collage. I got four during the big tax-free weekend sales at Crate & Barrel last weekend, and then two more on major clearance at CB2.

C&B finds. Couldn't find them on the website so I took a picture. Rest assured these are just laid out on my table. My spatial relation skills are far better than this picture implies!

CB2 plates, which will be here soon I hope! Takeout appetizer plate and Compliment salad plate

Well, guess I had more to talk about than I thought!

It's called compromise

Went to Harvard Square tonight for some cupcakes at Sweet and came home with this.

That's right in our entryway next to the front door. It's the only place I hadn't specifically planned anything for, so months ago when this painting was first spotted at Urban Outfitters, I suggested it might be a possible location for Mr. Whale. And now, here he is.

At least it has some teal in it, which ties in my teal/orange love?

Cohabitation=Compromise. Cohabitation=Compromise.

Yesterday's Haul, Non-Furniture Related

On top of the furniture from yesterday, I managed to drop a decent amount of cash on some other things. Namely, for organizing and decor.

August 13, 2010... by flannfry

Top:

DRÖNA box in teal (2) to go in the Expedit bookcase that will be moving to the dining room. I spent a long time debating the teal vs. the black and settled on the teal after trying both in the black-brown Expedit floor model. I'm trying to incorporate more color and decided to take the plunge. I like the way these look better than the glossy black drawer or door options for Expedit. They're also fantastically deep so I'll be able to stash a lot of stuff in them. Like, say, a set of plain white dishes, which I'm toying with picking up cheap because it'll go better with my new birdie linens ... Shhhhh. Don't tell anyone.

KASSETT boxes in orange, one set each of magazine and DVD size. These are to organize my massive collection of sentimental junk. Cards, pictures, play programs, letters, trinkets, old school papers, newspapers. Two rubbermaid totes, a shoe box, and a milk crate full. And it has no rhyme or reason. Particularly after packing for my most recent move. I shoved smaller stuff inside of a box that hadn't been opened since my first apartment in Hartford, way back in 2004. So now that I have majorly reduced storage/closet space, I'm making a commitment to organize and pare down.

I'm looking forward to/dreading the trips down memory lane I'll be making over the next week or so. I love mementos and old letters, obviously, otherwise why would I keep them? But some of them are hard to read, or bring back the kind of bittersweet memories that can be hard to take. I do also intend to take a very strict hand with myself. If I can't identify the item within a few seconds, it's going. I'm cursed with a photographic memory so I doubt I'll be able to toss many of those. I'm also going to try my best to whittle down my massive greeting card collection, taking a really hard look at what I've saved. Things like cards signed with just a first name that I can't identify. Undated Christmas cards with no personal inscription, particularly ones that I receive every year. We'll see how that goes.

Anyway, on to more fun stuff!

Middle:

SUPERFIN vase in pink for my bedroom dresser. I picked it up on impulse and I really like it in there. There is a LOT of neutral in that bedroom so I want to play up the pink a bit with little touches like this. I'm also on the lookout for a pink ceramic soap/lotion pump to put my lotion in and put on my dresser. Something more elegant than just a plastic Bath & Body Works squeeze bottle.

Bottom:

SALONG vases in turquoise. Another (sort-of) impulse purchase. I knew I was on the lookout for teal/blue/turquoise glass to put in the dining room area and these three really jumped out at me to group together.

Ikea can be entirely hit or miss with decor items. Some things can be had for a song (the vases I bought today) and some other items I look at the price and think "Really, Ikea? That seems more like a Bed Bath & Beyond or a Target price ..." Ah, the pursuit of a bargain.

Bedroom ... not complete. Sigh.

Went to Ikea today and this was gonna be it. Dressers, nightstands, and done. The bedding was selected and had arrived. It just needed those last bits of furniture.

But, yesterday I mentioned offhand what a pain in the neck the footboard on the bed is when it comes to making it neatly. So as we navigated the showroom today, we paused in the bed section. And looked. And yup. Getting a new bed. Not right away. But now I won't feel like the room is "done" until we have the new bed.

Beginning to wonder if it'll ever be done.

Speaking of awesome bedrooms, I am in LOVE with this sleeping cubby bedroom over on Apartment Therapy. (via NinjaPenguin) As a kid, I LOVED enclosed spaces. I was happy to play in a closet or under a table or in a box. Hell, just this week I couldn't resist climbing in the giant box my Macy's order came in.

Bedroom nearly complete!

My pal Ali turned me on to Kaboodle tonight and I already made my first style board! It illustrates my bedroom decor, which will be completed with a trip to Ikea today or tomorrow. So excited!

Bedroom by flannfry

I Love Fishs Eddy

A long, long time ago, when my best friend was a student at NYU and becoming very much enamored of the city, I was browsing the internet for Christmas gift ideas when I happened upon Fishs Eddy and their infamous 212 Skyline pattern. With the excitement that comes with knowing you've found an AWESOME gift, I quickly purchased her a few pieces. After that, I started visiting the site every few months, then six months, then once a year or so, checking out their newest items.

Well, now that I'm in cheap, fun decorating accessories mode, I'm back and I'm in love with everything.
These simple, striking orange carnival coasters would be ADORABLE in my living room! And only $3.95 for 12!

I just love the sorbet stripes on these Rainbow Dishtowels, at $12.95 for three!

Despite my overabundance of bowls (seriously, 5 Fiestaware bowls, 4 from a set of Martha Stewart Everyday, 2 melamine, and one from a third set of dishes ... I'm pretty well covered), I love these cheery vintage-y floral bowls. But ooh, what's that? They also come in storage bowls?

So if you're looking for a quirky housewarming gift or something cheap and superneat to spruce up your own space, give Fishs Eddy a shot.

Is It Bigger Than a Breadbox?

In cleaning out my fridge and cabinets, the haphazard pile of rolls and bread got me missing the ubiquitous deep bread drawer with the sliding lid. With a fleeting thought of a counter top bread box in my head, I hopped into the magical Google machine to see what I could scare up. I didn't expect much. A breadbox is so ... country kitsch or industrial steel and my kitchen is bright and fiesta-y.

Wouldn't you know that THIS was the first result? I didn't even really WANT a breadbox.

The internet is a dangerous place, people.