Table Tableau

Something monumental happened on Monday night.  We bought a dining set!

Dining-Table-in-Room

Now, I realize this might not seem like a big deal.  But for us, it really is.  Because this is the first time we’ve had an actual table in our formal dining room.  For Thanksgiving, we used folding tables and cheap Target chairs.

2013-Thanksgiving-Table-Setting-Overall

Before that, we had a small, round thrifted table with a glass top.

Thrifted-Glass-Topped-Dining-Table-in-Dining-Room-Too-Small

And hey, we bought furniture!  That rarely happens.

Dining-Table-from-Living-Window

Ben found this set on Craigslist for less than half of the retail price.

Dining-Table-from-Kitchen

We talked about building a table, but it was never a priority.  And we can’t agree on chairs to save our lives.  This West Elm table was my front-runner.

If you like that table, too, check out Yellow Brick Home’s similar DIY table.  While the Mission style isn’t what I had in mind, I’m surprised at how much I like it in our house.

Dining-Table-from-Window

And the size is perfect.  Plenty or room to walk around, even with a tree in the corner.  With the two extra leaves in, we could seat 8 people very comfortable.  The warm wood is a really nice finish and is easy to clean.  Unlike the glass top that always had fingerprints.

Dining-Table-Top

There are four normal chairs and two leather upholstered captain’s chairs.

Dining-Table-Chair-and-TAble

My first impression was to reupholster the seats.  But when the chairs are tucked in, the seats read more neutral than green.  This is the most accurate picture of the color:

Dining-Table-Leather-Chair-Detail

One chair even has a slightly noticeable leather brand.  Which Ben loves because you can easily tell they’re real leather.

Dining-Table-Chair-Brand

While these rooms are far from finished, every step is progress.

Dining-Table-and-Living-Room-from-Stairs

Craig, can you get me the prefect couch?  Do you have a hard time pulling the trigger on furniture, too?

Basket Weaving

Remember that thrifted sewing caddy I found last month?

Thrifted-Sewing-Caddy

I found the perfect use for it- to store newspaper for fire starting.  But first, it needed a makeover.

Newspaper-Basket-Before

I started by measuring the outsides.

Newspaper-Basket-Bottom-Before

And taking pictures to remember how everything looked if I got stuck.

Newspaper-Basket-Top-Before

Then I sewed a liner and cut strips of left over gray felt to weave together.  My strips are three inches wide.

Woven-Newspaper-Basket-Felt

I probably should have pinned them in place and marked everything to take it off and sew.  But I am sick and that seemed like such a hassle, so I hand stitched along the top.

Woven-Newspaper-Basket-by-Wood-Box

The rest stayed in place well, so I just lightly stitched in the corners.  Once I had the pieces woven together, I decided I liked the matching inside, so I skipped the liner I had made.  It works really well for paper storage by the wood box.

Woven-Newspaper-Basket-Inside

Right now, the wood box looks kind of like a bookshelf because Ben filled it with scrap lumber.

Woven-Newspaper-Basket-and-Wood-Nook

Not sure it’s my favorite look, but I don’t have to walk outside to get fire wood.  And now we don’t have an ugly stack of paper on top.  That’s what really counts, right?

Woven-Newspaper-Basket-by-Wood-Box-from-Side

Now I feel justified in hoarding thrifty treasures, because I found a use and home for this guy.  Have you revamped thrift store scores recently?  Or made a woven…something?

Thrift Shop Booty

A few weeks ago, I popped in Goodwill to see if they had anything I needed.  I spotted this wicker queen headboard for $15.00.  I was on the fence about it, and we have only one queen bed.  But, I bought it anyway because I wanted to see it in place.

That place is the guest room.  And I didn’t love it.  Perhaps if I had painted it a fun color, but not with all the visual clutter on the shelves.  Handy Sammy didn’t like it either, so I returned it for store credit.

Wicker-Headboard-in-Guest-Room

But I did keep a wooden bull statue Ev picked out.

Wood-Bull-Statue-in-Guest-Room

And a wooden bison Christmas ornament for 79 cents.  I just cut the looped string off and nailed it in my mini gallery wall.

Bison-Ornament-Turned-Mini-Art

And then there’s this beauty.  Five bucks, but I didn’t get it.  I asked Ben and he said we didn’t need another lone chair, especially one so involved.

Five-Dollar-Upholstered-Chair

I did come home with a chair.  This brown vinyl rolling chair is perfect for my desk.  Super comfy and in perfect condition for only $3.99!

Vintage-Rolling-Desk-Chair

My first impression (at the store) was to paint it à la Little Green Notebook.  Now that I see it in the space, I’m second guessing it.  Sure, it would be super fun, but I kind of like the almost leather look.  Not with the current orange oak cabinets, but those won’t stay forever.  To paint, or not to paint?  What would you do?

What’s the Deal?

If you’ve read here for a little while, you know I’m cheap.  What can I say, a good deal gets my blood pumping and heart racing.  Which means I don’t have to exercise, right?!  Okay, that’s extreme, but the thrill of the hunt or stumbling upon a diamond in the rough makes me happy.  Whether it’s a thrifted piece, like this cutie brown vinyl foot stool on casters:

Thrifted-Brown-Vinyl-Ottoman

He didn’t have a price, so I asked.  Survey says?  Five bucks.  Sold to the crazy furniture hoarding woman.  And this fall-ish wood and fabric sewing tote basket.

Thrifted-Sewing-Caddy

I plan to swap the fabric out to put it to use as a magazine rack.

Thrifted-Sewing-Caddy-Top

Of course buying new can be just as exciting.  Like this $4.48 table and $5.98 ottoman from Target.  At twenty bucks they were a good deal.  Knowing I didn’t need them, I waited for clearance.

Target-Clearance-Table-and-Ottoman

None of these items have found their permanent home…yet, but it’s only a matter of time.  The Target table might work outside.  Perhaps the square ottoman in the entry as a small, light weight place to perch while putting on or taking off shoes.  Who knows at this point.  I do know these were too good to pass by.  And eventually they’ll work somewhere.  What is your favorite recent deal?

Thrifty Finds and Mini Tools

For the past few weeks, we’ve been prepping V for kindergarten.  He started today.  So crazy!  Between our prep, we made a few stops to thrift stores and a garage sale.  At said garage sale, I found a cane arm-chair with decent upholstery for 8 bucks.  Had to get it.

Cane-Chair-from-Front

I’m really hoping to find another similar chair to make a pair for the living room.  Until then, this lady is in our bedroom, hanging out next to the little cane ottoman.

Cane-Chair-from-Side

I also found these cute wicker and glass cups.  (Notice my new obsession?!)  Two bucks for the set of four!  And V picked out the brass apple that is also a bell.

Goodwill-Cups-and-Brass-Apple-Bell

Last week, Emily Henderson shared a picture of a mini tool set.  And I fell in love with it.  Had to have a mini gold something.

At Hobby Lobby, we always have to stop to look at the doll house stuff.  Not only for me, the boys love it, too.  I wanted to get a mini office or kitchen supply set, but didn’t see anything I liked.  But the boys found a…mini tool set.  So that’s what we got.  A quick coat of gold spray paint and my tools look nearly identical to Emily’s set.

Mini-Tool-Kit-Spray-Painting

Unfortunately the boys lost the little scissors, but I’ve got four cute gold tools mounted to a painted scrap of MDF.

Mini-Tool-Set

And admire it while working at my desk, along with my tiny silhouettes and mini sea shells.

Mini-Tool-Kit-on-Wall

Are you becoming a wicker hoarder?  Perhaps a miniature collector?  What’s your decor soft spot?