Target

Our Target is a disaster right now.  So sad.  Now it's going to look like all the other Targets in the area, which is a shame.  Oh well. 

As I wandered around trying to find, well, pretty much anything, I ran across a clearance rack of pretties.  Too bad I'm so broke.  And don't decorate in pink, purple, and silver.

 

They're pillows.  They're flowers.  They're flowery pillows and they're beautiful and impractical!

With, of course, a pretty little ceramic flower to go with them, also impractical and sure to attract lots of dust and cat hair but I still love it.  I want to get it for my niece's room.  Rather, I want my sister to get it for my niece's room, ha ha.

And this just screams teenager, doesn't it?  I think it would great in the room I'm imagining for my niece, even if she has no plans for silver in there.

Sigh.

Pillow Update

  Those cute little pillows from a couple of days ago?  'member them?  They're sold already!  I didn't even get to list them!

I have lots more material to make more of them.  I just wish they matched something in my house so I could keep some, they're so darn pretty!

Coupla Projects

A couple of things I've done around the house.  First: my bench in the entryway.  The stripes are a little crooked; I'm not sure why?  I think for some reason it pulled a little oddly.

Once I added a pillow, which I made myself thankyouverymuch, it isn't as noticeable.

Then, one day I noticed just how bad the tops of my storage ottomans (ottomen?) were so I recovered those as well.  I know they'll have to be done again so I used a more country-style fabric.  I am not a fan of things country, but the color goes really well with my living room.  Plus, there is no way I'm getting rid of storage - they hold the kids' games!

Sewing Day

Today I decided to be productive.  Of course, it was after a depressing phone call that reminded me I have no money.  But hey, if it motivates me, then it can't be all bad, right?

First I fixed a bunch of things that needed fixing.  Sewed up holes and seams.  Woohoo.  Then, I altered a couple of pairs of pants for a friend, which I promised to do a few weeks ago.  Nice to have that out of the way. 

Since I was in a sewing mood, I decided to finally get around to making some pillows I've had planned for awhile.  I like to re-purpose material so I made them out of this really cool sheet I found at Goodwill one day.  Don't worry; I washed it in hot water as soon as I got it home.  Anyhow, I made 2 pillows, 14x14, and they are so cute!  I need to get more pillow forms and do some more.

Here they are:

 

And on the flip side:

I almost want to keep them!!  But, I won't.  I need to stock my Etsy store I'm setting up.

Pictures of things I like

I was going through some files on my computer and ran across some pictures of things I had saved when an online group was playing "post how you'd decorate your dream house".  Yes, we're bored women.  So what.  Anyhoo...

I love this chair.  I know it isn't girly and I am kind of girly, but I would so grab a throw and a book (or my iPhone and the Kindle app) and read...and nap.

Look at the detail on that baby!!  I love the fiddle-neck detail within the fiddle-neck detail.  Aaaaahhhh!!

And look at this table - does it remind you of a post from a few days ago?  Sigh.

 

I kinda sorta like this kitchen.  My own kitchen is ridiculous.  It has ugly white tile with ugly brown grout (hello, 1985!), not nearly enough cabinet space, you can't open the oven door and the fridge at the same time or you'll be either burned or chilled on your posterior.  Oh, and the bar with the stove in it?  It's at an odd angle.  Sort of like a 38 degree angle.   Really, I mean it, it's ODD.

I probably wouldn't paint this yellow, though, and the counters would be a little darker, but I love the details in this.  So pretty.  Oh!  Another kitchen!  This one is a little darker and probably closer to what I would have, you know, if I had money.  I think I would keep the bar stools from the first kitchen, though.

My bedroom is not huge.  My former bedroom was, and it had a walk-in closet.  It's the only thing I miss about that house.  But my current bedroom, meh.  Plus, it faces the driveway.  Tell me that's not a little unnerving! Now this, this is what I'm talking about.

 

Living rooms.  I am never happy with my living room.  It's big, but laid out a little weird.  There is no actual solid wall.  Isn't that odd?  I refuse to get rid of my antique upright grand piano (I keep thinking that some day I will actually learn to play), we have a monstrous sofa that seats 8 (remember, I do lots of entertaining), and the behemoth TV.  Oh, and my treadmill and sewing table.  See my problem?  That's neither here nor there.  This is the sort of living room I'd like to have.

 

I love built-ins.  And texture.  I LOVE texture!!

The Local Fabric Store

We have only a few options for fabric in my city.  We don't have any of the big name stores here so I'm stuck with places like WalMart (not the best selection) and a quilt store.  Since I don't quilt, their fabrics are usually too kitschy for my taste.

That leaves us with Rainbow Fabrics on Main Street, Turlock, CA.  This store is now in it's 3rd location on Main Street, which is also the biggest.  For the old-timers, it's in what used to be the Mercantile.  Yes, we're talking over 20 years ago.  I'm getting old, I know.

At first, I didn't like Rainbow.  The staff wasn't very nice, unless one spoke Spanish. I speak a spattering of Spanish, but I wasn't going to waste it in the fabric store and just vowed not to go there anymore.  One day, out of desperation, I went into their second location (they had moved by this time).  The store was super cramped, but I discovered that their selection of laces was incredible!  They still spoke Spanish, but now there were new owners and they were so super nice and friendly.  They only spoke Spanish to each other and didn't act as if they hadn't a clue what I was saying.

I let on to the fact that I knew a little Spanish (poquito, in fact).  I continued to go there for my trimmings and yes, some fabrics, too.

I noticed the other day that they had moved again.  I know that this particular store is much bigger and I looked forward to stopping in.  I got the chance yesterday.

It's huge!  I was so excited!!  It was like trim heaven!!!  Of course, I headed straight for the remnants table, which was a huge mess and everything was unmarked, but hey, that's the price you pay for cheap, right?  I found two lace remnants that I really liked.


This white eyelet lace is beautiful.  There's about 2 yards of it and I got it for $2.  Yes, TWO DOLLARS!!  In a regular store it would be about $12 a yard.  I totally want to use it as a skirt hem.

 

This is a beautiful chocolate brown trim.  I can totally picture it at the waist of a dress or a top that has a wrap-around look to it.  It would also make beautiful straps on a summer dress.  Ah, the possibilities!  Again, nearly 2 yards and only $2.  I know where I'm spending all my "extra" money!

Beverly's

Beverly's used to be a fabric store.  Now, you can find a little bit of fabric still tucked in the back of the store, at high prices, natch, but it's there.  First, though, you have to walk through what looks like a small-scale furniture store.  They even have beds now!!  It's crazy.  Anyhow, I did find a few things that caught my eye.

Look at this adorable cafe set!!  It has roses for the girls and it's metal for the men.  I wouldn't want this outside unless it was in the shade, it would get hot!  I told Mike I could have seen us using this in our first itty-bitty apartment and he agreed.

 

A hot pink ottoman with storage?  Yes, please!!  This was really pink and super shiny vinyl.  My daughter would love it.

This was at least 3 feet wide.  So cool.  I would totally use it for my coffee table, but unfortunately, it has no storage.  Oh, and I have no money, ha ha.

Next, I went to the mall to use some gift cards at Macy's for undergarments.  While at the mall, I always have to stop at this little furniture store called Vintage Furniture.  It's not old furniture, so it's kind of misleading, but it's in the Vintage Faire Mall, hence the name.  I found a couple of things there that I liked also.

This TV stand.  We have a gigantic TV that my brother and his wife gave me when they moved into their apartment and it didn't fit.  We're talking a 52 incher.  Currently it is sitting on my fireplace hearth because that's the only place big enough for it.  This would hold it, plus the DVD player, plus the Wii, the Xbox 360, and the PS3.  Yes, we're gamers.  How could you tell?

I need this.  Really need it.  Sadly, I haven't made any extra money since I said I was broke two minutes ago.  Our house is laid out, oh how should I say it?, oddly.  The dining room is an awkward space.  I entertain a lot and need seating for a lot of people.  Our table seats 8, but is a large, heavy, pedestal-based, oak oblong creature.  This is lovely, bar height, and still seats 8!  It would open the room so much!!

Hopefully we can get out of our financial rut and I can make some of this come to fruition.  Dream on, Tammy, dream on.

Since I love pretty things...

Since I love pretty things, I've decided to simply keep a sort of log of them on here.  It will probably be mostly pictures of things I run across, but it may have some of my own stuff, too.  To start:

My own stuff!!!!!!  Alicia's bedroom walls.