Category: Current House

Etsy Favs: July

Published on by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Time for another round of Etsy favs!  I’m busy helping my sister with alittle project, so let’s get down to business.

Phone chargers can be ugly.  If you leave yours out in the open, check out this discreet iPhone charger from Rich Neeley Designs.

I imagine a few of these Hanging Test Tube Vases by Pigeon Toe Ceramics along a wall or in front of a small window.

Keep these Twig Crayons from What’s New on the Mantle out for kids (and adults!) to play with.

Hardware is jewelry for furniture and cabinets.  And these Gemstone Rock Knobs by The Hob Knobery sure do sparkle.

What’s your sign?  Show it off with one of these Zodiac Necklaces by It Must be Nice to be a Bird.

Me Longings has so many fantastic pillows, including this Indigo and Beige Hand Printed Pillow.  I’d be fine having one of each in my house.

Along with the nautical navy, I think this Cotton Nautical Rope Mat from Karen’s Rope Work would be a fun bath mat for our main bathroom.

What’s new on your favorite list?  Which of these items floats your boat?

Blue Bench Pillows

Published on by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Before heading out to Minnesota, I made a stop at Joann’s just to see if there was anything I should know about.  Luckily, our Joann is liquidating their stock because they’re moving stores soon.  So, I stocked up.  Because hoarding fabric is fine, but hoarding cheap fabric is even better, right?  I got a few quilting weight fabrics, a mustard yellow vinyl, a few zippers, and a fun blue geometric print. 

Because the blue was the heaviest, I decided to use it for outdoor pillows.  Ten or so minutes later, following this method, I had two new pillows for our bench. 

Along with the blue, I bought a tangerine floral print, but I’m concerned about using the quilting fabric outside.  The original pillows are still there. 

Certainly, it’s a small change, but I’m liking the new color.  I’m still hoping to add a contrasting color, like orange. 

What’s your favorite orange fabric?  Or your favorite patterned fabric?  Do you lean toward geometric patterns or floral prints?

Throwing in the Towel

Published on by Our Humble Abode22 Comments

Because I’m OCD, I’ve always purchased items in sets. Dinnerware? I need 12. Sheets? Gotta have the fitted, flat, and pillowcases. I was no different with towels. I had to have 2 washcloths, two hand towels, and two bath towels for each color. Well, I’ve decided it’s not worth it. We rarely use wash cloths. And certain colors of towels we use more often. Getting the main bathroom functional has made me rethink my old ways. I’ve been craving more color and pattern, so I’ve switched methods. Rather than buying a complete set of something, and not using all of it, I’m going to buy what I use and like. Not limiting myself to a set.

What spurred this revalation? Pretty towels at TJ Maxx. While the hand towels are pretty, I don’t want to pay $7 or more per towel for a matching set. So, I bought one hand towel. I brought it home and happily hung it in the bathroom.

And then I realized, I kind of bought two towels. You see, when flipped over, more of the white is exposed, making it look different.

A few days later, while browsing through World Market, I spotted a gray and coral floral towel. Perfect color combo, so I brought one home. The front has more gray than coral.

But the back has more pizzaz, and flashing the colorful coral made me smile.

When in Minnesota, I do as the Minnesotans do; shop at Target. For some reason, Minnesota Targets have slightly different stock. I couldn’t help throwing a gray and coral towel in the cart along with a fun yellow pillow to toss on the couch.

20120717-110310.jpg

So excited to see what the new towels look like in the bathroom. Still haven’t found nice navy towels.
What’s your towel policy? Do you prefer matching sets? Or single fun towels for an eclectic look?

Ikea’s Greatest Hits

Published on by Our Humble Abode11 Comments

And now for a little surprise.  They boys and I are in Minnesota!  We made an impromptu road trip east to spend time with my family.  If you follow us on Facebook, you’ve seen glimpses of our vacation, including a day at the lake spent hunting down tiny shells, a visit to a petting zoo, and a ride in a fire truck.

Of course, we have our must stop places, including Ikea.  I figured, “Why not share some of my favorite finds because I can’t take ’em all home with me?”  So, that’s what I’m doing.  But I forgot my real camera. Instead, I have crappy iPhone pictures to share, but you get the idea.

Glossy gray finish + long, sleek shape = perfect desk/sofa table.

For 30 bucks, I loved the industrial shape and finish of this pendant.  But I don’t know why the clips are brass?

Metal chairs like these or these could work well indoors or out.  Add a pillow to the arm-chair for small-scale living room seating or pull a few up to a dining table.

Of course Ikea is a great place to find bold, affordable rugs.  I couldn’t find a link to this striped rug, but for $15, it could add drama to a kitchen, hall, or bathroom.

Speaking of bathroom rugs, I seriously considered taking this one home with me.  After debating with myself, I decided to leave it behind because I didn’t want too much pattern competition in the bathroom.

I guess I’ve been on a stripe kick lately, because I these towels caught my eye.  At fifteen bucks each, I couldn’t bring myself to add it to the cart.

I need throw blankets like I need a hole in my head, but the colors of this are great.

However, I couldn’t resist getting a yard of fabric.  The one I got is in the picture.  Any guesses which one?

These woven planters are cute and versatile.  Use as a planter, on a desk top to corral pens, in a bathroom for soaps or towels, in a kitchen to hold utensils.  Whatever tickles your pickle.

For the main bathroom, I’d like to find or make a cute clothes hamper.  Though this planter was too wide for our small linen closet, I think it could work well in another space.

Love the design of this rug, but I don’t have much pink in our house…

Now that we’ve got a new house with plenty of ugly light fixtures, I had a new appreciation for lighting.  Especially this one with a simple shape.

And this large fabric shade.

So many good, new things lately.  And those were the ones I didn’t buy!  What’s your favorite recent Ikea purchase?  Do you have a favorite Ikea department?  Maybe you’ve hacked an Ikea piece?  Share your favorites!

Primele Rubber Stamp

Published on by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

Back in May, I shared my Etsy favs, including a rubber stamp from Primele.  Really, everything in the shop is adorable, but the calligraphy captured my attention.  Which is why I had to make one mine.  Happily, Patricia at Primele agreed to send me a stamp to try out.  Specifically, this stamp.  Well, the stamp came in the mail a few weeks ago, and it did not disappoint.  I’m a sucker for cute packaging, and this was my first impression. 

Helllllloooooooo, adorable!  Vincent thought the crinkle paper was a blast, and the stamp care page is a nice thought.

A cute red handle means I can leave it out for daily use. 

Of course, if it doesn’t look good, it’s not worth anything, right?  So I put it to the test. 

To my surprise, it stamped so evenly and looks fantastic.  I’m sure you understand that I had to blur out our address for safety purposes, but you get an idea of what it looks like.  Mixing the hand calligraphy and the simple text is a great balance of pretty and practical.  Even better, this stamp is perfect for quickly adding our return address to regular bills.

I’m so excited to save time while adding a cute touch to all our mail. 

Bill paying has never been more fun, or cute.  As an added bonus, Primele has lovely business cards.  In fact, the pretty coral backing made its way into a frame.  Look closely and you’ll see it on the shelf above the fabric covered box.

Such a great coincidence, no?  Once we trim out the bathroom door, I plan to hang the frame to see as people walk out the door.  Is it strange to thank someone while leaving a bathroom?  Don’t know what I’m thanking them for…  Anyway, not only did I get a totally useful and pretty stamp, I got a mini piece of art in the process.  Double points! 

What do you do to make mailing things easier and possibly more fun?  Do you use a fun stamp?  Maybe you’re looking for a cute stamp to use?