• house stuff!,  I'm an idiot,  shopping,  the dogs,  Thriftstore Thursday

    Meet Beatrice and Bugly

    Bugly and Beatrice

    Bugly Beatrice

    I have chairs now. They’re not exactly what I was going for but they’re growing on me. We’ve named them Beatrice and Bugly. Beatrice is the gold one on the right. I wanted to name them Ugly and Fugly but Bug thinks the golden chair is rather pretty and princess-like and deserves a better name than Fugly. So we compromised and came up with Beatrice and Bugly. Hopefully Bugly doesn’t turn out to be an omen for creepy crawly bed bugs that you all have so graciously warned me about in the comments. Eeeeee…. I’m totally creeeped out.

    I’m pretty sure they are clean though. They smell like a combination of dry cleaner and moth balls and I’ve inspected them deeply and see no sign of bugs or dirt. But I guess time will tell. My Uncle who happens to be a pest control operator is visiting so I’ll ask him to check them out too.

    new pin!

    I really like the lines of the top part of the chairs. I love the velvet and the colors. I feel like I’m on a tv show from the late sixties. But I hate the bottom part of the chairs. They’re rocking chairs! Which I do not like at all. They swivel around in circles and are always pointing the wrong way when I walk into the room. I think they secretly are plotting against me when I’m not around.

    the dogs don't like the new chairs

    I thought maybe I could detach the bottom ruffle and the circular rocking parts and then attach some spindly wooden legs that would look much cooler. However, upon closer inspection I found that the rocker is totally incorporated into the chair structure and taking it apart would seriously compromise their stability. So rocking I am stuck with. Though I do have to admit that my guests who have sat in them so far approve. They are quite fun to swivel around in so you can converse with anyone in any part of the room.

    And the best part? The dogs do not like them. So far there have been no dogs sitting on chairs. I think that’s great.

    I’m not 100% on them though and since they only cost $12 and $17 respectively, I might take them back to the thrift store if something better comes along. We’re also talking about making an outdoor living room where my carport is so they might work out there for a summertime thing. I don’t know. I figure I’m just renting them for a flat rate of $29 and I can return them whenever I like.

    it's a drablecloth!

    But for now they’re kinda fun. I even bought a mumu for fifty cents at a garage sale to get in the spirit. It so groovy and unflattering. I’m sure it would look super cute on me if I was seventeen though. Maybe I should make it back into a tablecloth. Or I could just keep it around for those crazy days when you don’t care what you look like because it’s ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE DEGREES IN THE SHADE! I’m so not looking forward to those days.

    lounging in my new sitting room

    For now I can just wear it when nobody is looking and pretend I’m living in the good old days back before I was born.

    my parisian bedroom

    Were you wondering where I put my old white chair? It was quite a conundrum at first. I went from having no chairs to suddenly having too many chairs. I tried to fit them all in my living room and while it was great for conversation, it really got on my nerves that everything was so crowded. I didn’t realize what a neurotic freak I was until I found myself up at night stressing out about having too many chairs in my living room.

    The next day I moved everything around in a manic blur and ended up with the white chair in my Parisian bedroom. I can’t believe it fit. It is actually kind of nice there. Holly thinks I put it there just for her.

    fugly

    Addendum:

    Now that I’m looking at Bugly in photos, I’m not loving him so much. What do you say? Hot or NOT. I’m thinking most of you are thinking I’ve lost my mind in some kind of seventies haze. He really does look better in real life and that crocheted blanket actually is so clashy it’s cool, in my mind.

  • house stuff!,  shopping,  Thriftstore Thursday

    Living Room Quandary

    mixing things UP with new pillow covers

    I’ve always wanted to have that kind of home where friends felt completely comfortable to drop by without even calling first. I know it’s silly and I’ll probably regret those words someday but I always thought that would be really cool. When I worked in an office I had that kind of office. People would drop by so often I sometimes had trouble getting my work done. But I loved it. I guess I’m just a social creature by nature. It’s not such a bad thing.

    I even love to daydream about having a bed and breakfast someday. I know it would be a lot of work to cook and clean for guests all the time but I’d love to have a long country table where people sat around for hours telling stories and sharing.

    It would be so fun to set up a website to get guests to come and then when they did come, I’d send them off with muffins and and informational handouts on where all the local adventures could be had. I might not be up to running an Inn in the long run. I hear it’s terrible work but I do want to have that long country table where friends can just drop by for an hour or two to sit and chat. I think I might even paint a sign someday that says “Sit and Chat.” I like that better than Keep Calm and Carry On.

    sitting room quandry

    Well, I do have a cozy welcoming home now. I even have a small table that people can sit and drink coffee or wine at comfortably. I have had several friends drop by to chat but guess what? I have no seating!!! I have one old chair that the dog sits in constantly and it is covered in dog hair no matter how many times I wash the cover. I have a bunch of wooden chairs but they’re just not comfortable. I’m constantly apologizing for the lack of seating.

    7days, Day 5: "jumping into the shot"

    This is a 7days shot but it does sort of capture the musical chairs game we play to see who gets the one comfortable chair in the house. I need to get some new seating. Please, please, please don’t think this is me begging for the internet to give me money so I can go buy more furniture. No way. You guys have already embarrassed me with your generosity. I’m more just asking for ideas. What could I put in this corner to make it more sit-able?

    a couch I considered

    I visited the local thrift stores for ideas yesterday and spied this couch. It had good bones and I considered reuphostering it (in orange!) but it was 80 bucks and I just didn’t feel like spending that much money on something I wasn’t sure about. It did have a hideaway bed though which would be kind of nice.

    UPside down

    So what should I do with that space? I’ve got my heart set on two low-set avocado green chairs in pleather but they have not been popping up in thrift stores like I would like them too. There was one once and it was only $40 but I passed on it and now I’m rueing the day. Why oh why didn’t I buy that green chair?!! It was only $40!!! Chairs are never that cheap! And it was pleather which is perfect for dogs who like to sit on chairs!

    Another time there was a garage sale just down the street from me and they had this giant round coffee table with a big “FREE” sign on it and I stupidly drove by that thing for three days. I kill myself sometimes with my shopping regrets. But I guess that’s part of being responsible. Some things you just have to pass on. I bet you guys have some good stories about things you’ve passed on and wished you’d bought later.