So now that I have the sofa situation figured out, it's time to move onto the coffee table. I have this deep desire to build it myself. After all, that's why I wanted to live on my own, to have furniture the way I wanted it an to get the experience of building things. Since college I've had this strong craving to make something of my own.
I'm thinking my apartment may be a but heavily skewed to the mid-century modern look, when really I'm a combination of mid-century modern, modern, rustic and industrial. I'm thinking the uber modern dining room chairs I have picked out will help along with the introduction of the perfect coffee table. So I've been contemplating reclaimed barn wood with hairpin legs, to give a nod to the rustic/industrial/mid-century modern in me. Similar to these:
With one piece of gorgeous reclaimed wood?
Image from Kriselkeeper via Remodelista
Or lovely planks?
Image from Sit and Read
Or with a cubby for bonus storage... I'm leaning this way, I think. But I need to figure out the construction.
Image from here.
And there are a
plethora of other beautiful little ladies out there as well.
So getting excited about this reclaimed wood thing, I ordered samples from
Elmood Reclaimed Timber in Smithville, MO and they're absolutely gorgeous. I mean I was expecting like a 1x1x1 sample or something like that. But these are
substantial. After placing an online order, where I could specify what I was interested in, they sent me a delightful and personal confirmation e-mail. A few days later a fun package came with a plank-sized brochure and the samples. It's all beautifully prepared, a beautiful experience, and although pricey, you can bet I'll be giving them my business because of the time (and money) they've already invested in my patronage.
Antique Heart Pine-Rustic plank & Black Walnut-Country Select slab samples
I'm also thinking I need to make something lovely out of these samples and give them a new life as well. Candle holder? Napkin holder? Necklace? (Does anyone have a belt sander that I could use?) It will be something fun for sure!
And not to throw all that out the window, but I do need something modern in my space. So these
nesting coffee tables in white from Ikea keep popping into my head. Thoughts? Are they too modern? Would they look foreign in the space? I'm also updating my throw pillows to be much more modern... is that enough?
This is what I will be thinking of during my many miles in the country on RAGBRAI. This and pie.
Image by CapellaKID
Image via Amy Atlas Events
I paired the veggies with SkinnyTaste’s Creamy Cilantro Dressing. I highly recommend this recipe. I got tons of compliments on the dip (and the presentation) and can't wait to use it as dressing for salads. Instead of using buttermilk, I made a buttermilk substitute with 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 cup milk and letting rest for 5 minutes. SkinnyTaste focuses on favorite dishes, made skinny, often supplying the Weight Watchers points as well, this recipe is 0 points! A perfect snack for the entire day!
Alex Osborn is creditied as the Father of Brainstorming and this thought resonated with me while we were discussing brainstorming in one of my classes. It's a good reminder to strive to create something everyday.
At 11:00 today is our next ATC trade at work, the theme is gardening. So I made these little seed packets with handmade potato stamps. It was kind of tricky carving images out of potatoes, at one point I got frustrated and ate the rest of my supplies (in the form of delicious steak fries). But I'm quite pleased with how they turned out and can't wait to see what others did with gardening!
With all the crafting I've been doing to get ready for the holidays, it leaves me longing for a studio space of my own. I've collected several inspirational photos along the way, so when the time comes for me to have my very own studio space, I'll have a place to start. Here's my favorite images from the collection:
Look at all the yarn and ribbon and how it's so beautifully displayed, a constant reminder of what's already in your collection. And what a clever (and cheap) way to house all your pencils and markers on the plastic cup pegboard!
Another wonderful collection of supplies. I could finally show off my glitter collection in a more permanent way.
I love the amount of workspace the two tables would provide. Sigh!
So dreamy...
There seems to be a theme to what I'm drawn to: lots of organization and storage space, showing off supplies and images as inspiration, as well as light blue/aqua accents. One of these days!
This quote was brought up in my class last night... hard hearing optimists are usually wrong, but it has a happy ending!
