thrifty.

pretty much everything in this photo was either thrifted, given to me, or purchased on sale/clearance/very cheaply. sometimes i like to recall things like this when i look in the mirror after getting dressed... but now i'm doing it with my home decor?

case in point:

the green chairs were purchased from a lady who was selling her mother's house, and had the most amazing furniture. it looked like nobody had ever even sat in them. i think i paid $50 for both? oh, and i was in high school.

the end tables were given to me by a friend moving out of town. we may or may not have to give the set back... i'm hoping for not. i've really gotten attached to these.

thrifted: white vase, gold tray and the wooden box

free: frame around nephew's photo (spray painted black), the green vase was a gift, the b/w screenprint was from college, and the large canvas with our wedding party - a gift from our photographer.

everything else was purchased rather cheaply: pillows on clearance from hobby lobby, likewise with the frame around the screenprint, and the ipod dock/speakers was a going out of business purchase from linens 'n' things.

why am i telling you this? i have absolutely no idea. i thought it would be fun to go through this little vignette and remember where i got everything. and it just goes to show, you don't have to spend much at all when decorating your home.

and speaking of the little gold tray... it's my newest acquisition from the acb. it's a bit smaller than the trays i normally find, and i really love the patina.

i just love trays. you can plop one down on any surface... and it makes whatever you put in it seem organized. i tried not to put much in this one. the stamped surface was what made me pick it up in the first place.

i really love thrifting... and while i never spend much money, it's the stuff that gets piled up and clutters my home. while i do treasure a few pieces, i've been able to get rid (aka donate/sell) of pieces i don't feel go with our style anymore.

inspiration: type in the home

this is one amazing living room. style/swoon

the rest of the house is pretty sweet too.

couch recovered in used billboard vinyl. readymade

magazine monogram artwork. young house love

they have a great tutorial on this (and extensive how-to section)

graphic monogram pillowcases. can you say diy? design*sponge

this was actually from a before & after (the headboard)

but i saved this image for the pillowcases...

homegoods stylescope.

fun little quiz i took at the HomeGoods website (found the link on d*s). i'm sure the results would change, though, everytime i took it. i find that i like all sorts of things that don't always match. but that's the fun of decorating, right? now, if only we had a homegoods store nearby...

more type.

you have to have dish towels, right? so why shouldn't they be pretty and have type all over them? i'm really starting to think that i might could make something similar with my gocco printer... i do have some black and white fabric ink... really loving the numbers/symbols one!

h&m products, found on poppytalk

wallpaper.

i've never really cared that much for wallpaper until recently. we have some dated vinyl (white so it blends in) in our front entry and guest bathroom (we've already torn it down from our master bath) and let me just tell you, texturing walls sucks!

it's kind of sad that the first part you see of the inside of our home has been one of the most neglected. we haven't painted it, nor hung art or photos there. the bookshelf isn't organized and is probably dusty... and really just needs to be replaced.

since the entry hall connects (and can be seen from) the living room, i'm really wanting to tear down the existing wallpaper and put up something fresh. i've done a little searching, and have found some very nice selections from graham&brown. these are my favorites... there are so many beautiful ones to choose from! 

we're also planning on painting the living room a different color. while i do love the peachy color it currently is, sometimes i really just want something a little more calm and relaxing. we're thinking a light bluish-gray would look nice with all the white trim and still go with our furniture. 

will update if and when we finally get around to selecting some and ordering it... and of course post some photos of the before & after...

stacking type.

i know most of you have probably already sighed over this image from design*sponge, but i just had to share it here as well. most graphic designers fall in love with type at some point in their schooling/career, and find ways to incorporate it in their world outside of the computer. this is a very lovely example from the studio of mike perry and anna wolf. (btw, they have a lovely home as well!) this image makes me dream of piling type up on our fireplace to create a 3d word jumble or devoting an entire wall to painting random letters from a printout of the entire helvetica family.

or just look at this gorgeous space from somethingshidinginhere. love love love the western type blown-up huge and painted in a lighter shade. i would love to do this in our entry way, with a huge "hello!". maybe when we find out that we'll be staying in lubbock a little longer, i can convince doug to let do some more extravagant things to our home. 

pillow talk.

silkscreened pillow by joom

now that we have a new couch... i've been wanting to make some pretty pillows to go on it and tie in some of the other colors of our living room, without looking to match-y. while i have some fabric i could work with... i don't have anything quite as pretty and fresh as these pillows i found on etsy recently... i'm really looking for something fresh and clean - with lots of white in it. i really wanted a white couch... but with a black dog, i just don't know how well that would go over. but, i love our new one, and i'm ready to accessorize a little more now that we have something a little more permanent.

in other exciting news, i'm getting a gocco printer!!! found someone on etsy that wanted to get rid of hers, so i'm waiting patiently for it to arrive in the mail. maybe i could gocco some pillows...

leafy pillow by countrylane

polka dots pillow by robinseggpink

screenprinted pillow by skinnylaminx

redecorating?

thanks grace (at d*s), for posting this awesome website, modgreenpod. they have gorgeous fabrics, and this nifty little interactive room decorator. here's me playing with it above and below. you can even decorate the cat. now, if only i could convince someone to let me reupholster our furniture with this sweet fabric. especially since the wallpaper would certainly be out of the question... 

new vintage.

loving this upcycled clock from andfurthermore that i found today on one of my favorite blogs, modish. made from vintage plastic lace doilies, wood, acrylic paint, and a clock kit... how beautiful is that? so simple, but graphic. would love to hang this one in my green kitchen... or pretty much anywhere i don't already have a retroesque clock.