9

finishing out the August Break with my lucky #9.

Citti

Well, you could definitely hear the crickets around this blog lately. A very busy few work weeks and the end-of-school-year madness for the kiddos have left me with little time for blogging lately. In my moments of spare time I have been spring cleaning (office - you'll not get the best of me!!) and dreaming of squeaky clean interiors that feel springy and fresh. 


We've had a particularly difficult time finding the right piece for our entryway...or lack of entryway. We don't really have one, the door just opens right up into our oddly-shaped living room. We've got a fireplace in the corner, a giant picture window in the front and the space doubles as our living and dining room. The fireplace and picture window aren't really much to complain about...they just make for an odd furniture arrangement. But back to the topic at hand. ENTRYWAY. The errant chair from our dining set and a table that is too big and gets slammed every time the door opens; well, it just ain't workin'. We've drawn up some plans for a piece we'd like to build. BUT. Instead I'll take one ticket to Sweden so I can pick this up from Zweed.

Does it get any better than a customizable, changeable, colorful and sleek piece like this? 

I'll also take that loft with the whitewashed floors and very sexy white/cork light fixture. Thank you very much.

I've been somewhat obsessed with this blue/yellow combo lately - especially after seeing the blue cabinet/yellow faucet combo. But I wouldn't think twice about this awesome grey number also...

[I also spy the unfold lamp that I've had my eye on.]

With an array of customized colors and configurations, I could find a use for one 

in every room. 

Sigh. The Swedes really got my number. 

What room gives you most decorating grief?

xo,

chelsea

trash collector

The saying goes that "one man's trash is another man's treasure". Looking around my home, I'd have to say that's true for me. With the exception of the couch that Carl purchased from IKEA and some other finds, most are craigslist, hand-me-down or sidewalk treasures. 


Here's a peek at some tossed out treasures having a second life in our home...

The neighbors put this out on trash day...mainly because of the broken glass, but it was also in need of a good sanding and some new stain and polyurethane. A little elbow grease, and a good excuse for Carl to buy some power tools, and now it's the perfect place to stash all our books, doodling pads and other pretties. [note to self to clean out the fireplace already...]

This dresser was a hot, brown mess when I saved it from the next dump run. The drawers are still a bit wobbly, but the new coat of white paint turned it from icky brown to our shiny new bar. 


Even our dining table was once destined for the landfill. Little did I know it was a Drexel Heritage Profile set that I saw online through a dealer for about $6500. I've been dying to re-upholster those chairs, but they've been on the back-burner forever. This summer. Pinky swear.

What found treasures are in your home?

xo,

chelsea

Fancy Friday - 3.25.2011

Happy Friday everyone! I, for one, am extremely happy it's Friday. Not for any particular reason other than I'm excited to relax and create this weekend. I'm not sure how most people are, but it takes me some time to get in my creative groove - but then once I'm there I feel like things really flow. Now I see why people in creative jobs come up with amazing things. Carl says the same is true for coding. You need the music right, the mood right, food at the ready and a solid chunk of time. In any case, I'm hoping to "find the zone" this weekend.






Here's some things I fancied this week...

Some great around-the-house uses for vodka, if you're not drinking it that is.

Peach and mint never seemed so good together. I've been obsessing ever since I saw this pairing.

I made this pretty garland today and I love the way it turned out. Simple but sweet.

Thank goodness for Google Translate! Now I can read Annaleena's Hem without dragging Carl in the room to translate. Her home is beautiful and chic and her DIYs are perfection.

This Pantone magnet DIY is fun and cheery. Perfect for spring's colorblocking madness.

A fun ode to brown-baggin' it for lunch.

Is anyone else as obsessed with Pinterest as I am? Find me here.

Besides my get-creative plans for this weekend, I'm also excited for Spring Cleaning! Is that weird - that I look forward to cleaning? It's calming for me and always makes me feel like it's easier to get through the week with an organized (if not full to the brim) home. Plus, spring is time for changing things up around the house and making things feel shiny and new!

What are you up to?

XO,

Chelsea

yearning for yarn

A lingering cold and some rather blustery days have me hunting for warm, knit goods.

source

I'm dying to learn how to knit an Aran throw

source

or perhaps a chevron throw in black and white

source

I'm loving the sideways chevron on this coffee cozy

source

knitting, felting and braiding - oh my!

source

This headwrap is gorgeous and even looks feasible to recreate!

source

I'm feeling very inspired to pick up my needles after a summer's departure from them!!

XO,

Chelsea

rug hunting

As we get more settled into our (not-so-new-anymore) abode, I'm finding myself craving a nice rug for the living room. I'm already envisioning cozy evenings curled up on the floor in front of the fireplace reading and watching movies on the projector. Only two - make that 3 problems with that equation - we only lit the fireplace once last winter (well, we moved in February), the projector is currently on the fritz, and there is no rug. Hey, its my daydream, no one said it needed to be rooted in reality!!

So, I took to the nets to gather some inspiration for the floors.

I've had my eye on this rug for quite some time. I especially fell in love when I saw the black/white goodness going on in this room.

But a certain man wasn't feeling it.

Perusing IKEA for some more inspiration, I came across this new lovely.

A flatwoven version in gray...

Or a plush one in blue...

And since I'm already , how about this

I'm loving the tribal meets chevron pattern in this one. 

Perhaps something a bit more bohemian is necessary to counteract the modern sofa

More inspiration found while persuing flickr

I think I'm in love with this entire room

What are you looking forward to this fall?

XO,

Chelsea

fancy friday

Its hard to believe that Labor Day is actually here already! It definitely feels as though summer has breezed in and out way too quickly this year. In my neck of the woods, summer was a mild affair. I think we were all hoping for some more heat, but the last few days have proved to be plenty warm once the morning fog burns off. I love Indian Summers and although everyone seems abuzz with talk of Fall, I'm still hoping for warm days spent basking in sunshine. 

I'm definitely pumped to work on lots of projects in the long weekend ahead. A little family time, some time in the great outdoors and going to see David Gray and Ray Lamontagne are topping my list! 

Here's a little roundup of what I fancied this week:

Dreaming of this peanut butter tart ever since I saw the post. Does anyone else obsess about certain foods? Recently a friend told me about some salted caramel ice cream and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I got some. 

This adorable idea for gifting money. So much more creative than an envelope. 

Drooling over Hilda's $4 thrift find. Her photography is also amazing. Check out her color vignettes. 

These beautiful key-print blouses from Snoozer Loser's F/W Collection. 

Playing this song over and over. And over. 

Here's to hoping you all have a fantastic loooong Labor Day weekend!

Do you have any traditional ways of saying goodbye to summer? 

XO,

Chelsea

a piece of furniture that's architecturally sound...

this ikea hack is seriously awesome. 

Based on a Power Plant by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, Jeff Carter of Chicago made this beauty using all IKEA materials. This is the first in a series of hybrid furniture-sculpture pieces he's making that are models of Gropius pieces around Chicago that are being demolished.

His feat is pretty amazing. I find it somewhat sad that pieces of historical value are being torn down, however, since this particular building is a power plant, I would hope that its to make way for something renewable in its place. Architecturally cool solar plants?

XO,

Chelsea

Happy National Waffle Day

That's right, folks, today in 1869, marks the day of the first US patent on the waffle iron.

I love waffles. They are amazing in their ability to be both crispy and soft at the same time. 

 (source)

Yes, this is an entire post dedicated to the deliciousness of waffles. 

 (source)

If I wasn't sitting at work, I'd be whipping up a batch of waffles right this minute to enjoy as an afternoon snack.

My waffle-maker is by far one of the favorite gifts I've received.

I life to put rainbow sprinkles in the mix because they melt into very fun tie-dye blobs. Although blueberries are pretty darn tasty too. 

How amazing does this chocolate-dipped waffle-pop look?

(source)

I foresee waffle-coffee-ice cream-nutella-sandwiches in my very near future. 

How about you?

Are you a waffle or a pancake person?

How do you like your waffles? Drizzled in syrup or spread with jam?

XO,

Chelsea

Wardrobe Wednesday - this rocks

I am very much in love with the raw rock vibe of these baubles. A little bit Flintstones, a little Pocahontas, but all the way sexy in a raw and natural way.

Fools gold studs

turquoise slab ring

Geoffrey Good's amazing Hex Agate Necklace

agate ring 

dara ettinger's amazing necklace

raw diamonds

I HEART Thursdays - Etsy Love

It has sure been a while since an I <3 Thursdays post. I have seriously missed doing these and I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of my blogging schedule. I'm also missing the Two Things Tuesdays and looking ahead at showing some DIY and craftiness. Sometimes I feel as though I should get a bit more directional on this blog. I love fashion, I love food, I love my kids, I love where I live, I love travel and I love decorating. That makes it pretty difficult to streamline into a blog...instead it reads more like a stream of consciousness of what's in my head at the moment. Of course it would be nice to be super directional and say this is a fashion blog or decorating blog or whatever. But then I tell myself, this is mine to do with it as I please.


There. That's my rant for the day. Lack of sleep has made me crazy. I can't wait for my honey to come home. I can't seem to get to sleep until well past midnight when he's away working. I have spent the last week spooning my iPad and streaming Arrested Development starting from the pilot. Top that with nightly visits from feverish little people and its all added up to some serious luggage under my eyes. Tonight I am vowing to get to bed early; or at least as soon as I've cleaned the house, met the girls for dinner, played softball and picked up my man from the airport. Whew!! A busy evening, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Life is worth living to the fullest.

That said...its on to the actual posting of my <3 picks for today.

I love Etsy. Who doesn't?

A simple search of "hearts" turned up all sorts of crush worthy goodies

refashioned.etsy.com

 

 

 

 heavymetallaundry.etsy.com

 

 

 theolivebird.etsy.com 

 

 

  nubambu.etsy.com 

 

 

allencompanyinc.etsy.com

 

 lovecalifornia.etsy.com

 

 PrinceDesignUK.etsy.com

Now head on over and get yourself some Etsy Love!!

XO,

Chelsea

two things...a day late

So it appears I've been quite behind on my blogging and reading! My Google Reader shows 1000+ unread - yikes! A very busy last week and family in town has somewhat prevented me from being on top of the extraneous tasks in my life, but the upcoming 3-day weekend is all I need to get back in the groove!

Lately, I've been joining in Kassi's Two Things Tuesdays and decided that I'd stay on that...even if its a day late!

Right now, I'm absolutely loving having these peonies around the house. They are so huge and have a very faint sweet smell that I find intoxicating. They are literally about the size of dinner plates - just gorgeous!

Consider a strange thing to be loving, but I am so thrilled about this mortar and pestle I picked up yesterday. Carl and I have been discussing how badly we need one and I happened upon one at Sur La Table yesterday and couldn't help wrapping it up and bringing home to my sweetie. We've been pretty geeked out on cooking and kitchen gadgets, so this is the perfect thing to add to our almost perfectly outfitted kitchen.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far! 

What are you loving? 

Leave it in my comments, or grab the McLinky and link up!

XO,

Chelsea

back to reality with two things time

Getting back to the swing of things after vacation has definitely been a challenge for me! Just keeping my eyelids open past 9 proved to be quite difficult. My amazing weekend and Mother's Day breathed new life into me though and I'm happy to be back on schedule.

And I'm super excited to join in Kassi's two things Tuesday, yet again. If you haven't joined up - you definitely should. Kassi's blog is super cute and seeing everyone's two things always makes my day! Besides, its always good to show the things around your home a little love. Consider it their moment in the spotlight, their 15 minutes.

Things getting the star treatment today at my home:

Another awesome item that my super-stylish, late Uncle had. I think my dad has held onto this for quite a while, but somehow it made it to my house. I'm pretty sure he threatened to repo it last time he came over, so I better get all the lovin' of this one in pronto!

This super cool tea box has great handmade details that I love. I am especially enthralled with the antique key and mother of pearl adornments. The papered interior of each tea box is particularly cool also.

Also feeling some love today, my Andy Warhol Marilyn glasses. I have always been a huge Marilyn Monroe fan and I absolutely love pop art. Put the two together and I'm pretty smitten. Can't afford fancy, expensive Pop Art? Get the glasses.

I bought these babes when I had my first "real" place back in Santa Barbara. They've seen their fair share of libations and I never get tired of the colorful addition they provide. We keep them in a glass cabinet in the living room. They're just too fun to put away in a dark cabinet!

What two things are you loving today? Leave me a comment of link up below! Can't wait to check out what you are lovin' today. 

XO,

Chelsea

feeling the love - two things around my home

Do you find it hard to sleep when you are super excited about something? I am one of those people that gets so amped up about doing something that I have a hard time sitting still, sleeping or even having focused conversations! I squealed with glee last night as we climbed in bed after spending the evening packing. I am counting the hours until vacation time and I'm having a hard time even typing because I am so anxious!

The countdown clock on my toolbar says 18 hours 27 minutes and 50 seconds until I am on a plane to relaxation and fun with my honey!

I'm hoping to stay away from the computer and guessing that I probably won't have any access to the Internetz anyway, so I promise to take lots of pics and go post-happy upon my return!

Today, I'm once again joining Kassi in her lovin' of two things around the home. She has been settling into her awesome new house and its so fun to once again see what she's loving around her place! That candle of hers looks just as gorgeous as it smells! I have yet to buy any nice candles since we've moved, but I love the way that scents can transport you to somewhere else. Thanks for sharing Kassi!

Right now I am totally in love with my light-up globe.

I'd been wanting a globe for quite a while and when I found this one that lights up at one of my local thrifts, I was beyond thrilled! I hemmed and hawed about actually buying it because I wasn't sure I wanted to pay what they were asking. After setting it down and picking it up about 5 times, I finally just dropped the dough and brought it home. I'm glad I did because it is in really perfect condition and everyone has just loved it around the house so far. 

I'm in love with the glow it gives off. 

Its right outside our bedroom and serves as a sort of nightlight.

It makes me dream of exotic destinations yet to discover...

I'm also totally loving my old, weathered adirondacks.

The longer, warmer days have been giving us lots of excuses to linger outside. I can't wait for more bbq's, more gardening, more evenings watching the sun set on the American Riviera. A cushy, exotic-print pillow, a good book and a glass of wine - I'm set for lounging. 

What are you loving around your home today? 

Please share in the comments or link up to Kassi's blog and leave me a comment letting me know so I can check it out!

XO,

Chelsea