Category Archives: Getting Creative

Weekend Wins: Decorating with Craigslist

10th February 2013

It’s been a little over two weeks since I moved into a new apartment and this little place is finally starting to look like a home. Over the past few weeks, I have also become Craigslist stalking obsessed: the good news, after Saturday we are now 33% there. I hope.

Our new apartment view. Not too shabby.

Our new dining room space is slightly smaller and a little more size challenged than our last place. This means when we moved we said goodbye to the table and chairs we had borrowed for the past few years. This also means we have spent the last two weeks eating dinner off of the coffee table.

The unofficial Craigslist app

Back to the Craigslist stalking. Let me tell you, if you think this is as easy as a “find a super cheap, yet super adorable and also not from a crazy person’s house” kind of trick, you are sorely mistaken. But that’s half of the fun.

I kept the searching simple: “table” with photos, under $100, in the Atlanta area. The unofficial Craigslist app also worked wonders. The app allows you to save favorites, see photos and keep checks on which ads you have already browsed, all which came in extremely handy as I’ve been trying to check this thing at least once a day.

After several failed attempts at possible matches {I’m telling you, you have to watch this thing like a HAWK. We are talking less than an HOUR in some circumstances for things to get swooped up}, I lucked out, seeing an ad early Saturday morning for a small pedestal table which just might work. A phone call and a measuring tape later and I was on my way to pick this little guy up. For $15 dollars. Score.

The new $15 baby space table

Unfortunately, the chairs that came along with this guy {yes, the ad was for one table and TWO chairs for $15. That’s why the stalking is worth it} were not quite as cute and they found a new home at Good Will on the way home.

Which leads me to the 33%. We now have a table, no chairs. Decorating happens in baby steps right? I have a few choices in mind already, but I’m quite in a bind and at a loss on which direction to head.

Two chairs or four? K and I are small people, yes, we have guests, but two chairs just might make the space feel bigger and not over crowded. And that’s what we can pull up extra chairs for.

I’ve always had a crush on these guys. Not so sure we can pull them off. Source

Tall or short? I’m thinking tall chairs might help the space look bigger if we stick to the two chair plan, plus I can likely reuse these babies as end chairs when I have a larger dining room in the future.

Another front runner + long term relationship-ability. Source

Print or solid? I love a good print and anything with lots of color. Still undecided here.

Too much? Not enough? Give a girl some advice. Source.

So check one for Criagslist. I’ll keep up the stalking in hopes that the powers are still with me and I find another great deal, or at least something I can easily paint and recover. Or I might just become impatient and click the purchase button one of these guys.

Clealy I’m undecided. Help, suggestions, votes in the comments are all very welcome. Here’s to making an apartment in the city a home.

Current Inspirations: New Apartment Decor

24th January 2013

I still haven’t quite actually moved into my new home sweet home, but that doesn’t mean a girl can’t dream, right? In preparation for a clean new palate, there are a few things I already have in mind:

1. Our new kitchen nook is a little smaller than our current area (I’m still on the hunt for a Craigslist table) but in brightening up the space, I’d love to get my hands on this Pinterest-inspired project made of stained paint sticks over a lamp shade.

2. I’ve had the couches in our living room since college and although they were an awesome investment at the time, I don’t have quite the same amount of love for them today. A new sofa is definitely out of the budget, so I’m looking forward to adding some color to the room with some new pillows. While looking across the web for fabric, I came across fabric.com (seriously? I didn’t think to just try that URL?) and the options are endless. I’ve filled up a whole board with some of my favorites.

{Keep an eye out for a full details post as I just learned how to use my sewing machine (that I’ve had for 10+ years) this week and I can’t wait to break it in.}

3. Hardwood floors call for a big rug. I’m pushing the purchase button on this guy as soon as it’s back on sale. I stumbled across Rugs USA after reading a post from a coworker’s blog, Buckhead Betty on a Budget, about her recent living room redesign and had to check it out. The prices and selection are unbeatable.

4. I’m in LOVE with these mercury glass lamps from Pottery Barn. Unfortunately they are another piece my bank account might not love. I’m looking forward to doing some DIY with a lamp I have that is looking for a re-do and some Kyrlon Looking Glass spray paint.

What are your move-in-ready decor musts?

Southern Living Decorating Charm

21st December 2012

Image via the Southern Living Idea House Website

Since graduating college, I have taken on a love-hate relationship with home decorating. On the love spectrum, there is nothing I love more than finding the right little wooden box to store magazines or the perfect trinket to fill a shelf. However, on the hate side, it seems my post college tastes and my post college bank account have yet to catch up to each other.

Thank goodness for Pinterest and its never ending supply of DIY solutions for a gal on a budget.

So when a good friend shared tickets to visit Southern Living’s annual idea house, the wannabe decorator in me jumped on the opportunity. Each year, Southern Living Magazine selects a home and stages it from top to bottom {Talk about dream living spaces} giving guests inspiration and shopping tips from top to bottom. This year’s home is conveniently located in the picturesque town of Senoia, Georgia, just a little over an hour south of Atlanta. I’ll let you read all about the house itself with Southern Living here.

Even though I am unfortunately not writing this from the comfort of my own restored 1900’s farmhouse, there were quite a few fantastic ideas I can’t wait to tackle myself – on a 24-something’s budget and timeline.

Curtains are such a simple way to brighten up a room and add a splash of elegance, no matter how small the space. I toyed with the idea of creating my own out of burlap for quite some time before settling on this pair I created with a painter’s drop cloth and some stenciling, but I have fallen in love all over again with this pair at the front of the home. The little details of rope as a tie back are just perfect. And with sites like this one, this is a cheap weekend project I’m adding back to the list.

Little trinkets and collections are one of my favorite ways to add character without a single, expensive piece. These vintage trophies are fantastic. Target had a similar collection recently, while I also love the idea of a collection of old bottles {which I also have a soft spot for} or even a collection of ceramics.

Pillows, pillows, pillows. Who wouldn’t want to fall asleep on this porch-side daybed? While my dreams of a southern porch are still on hold, there are plenty of easy pillow tutorials out there, or you are always only a shopping trip away from finds at TJ Max, or my personal favorite, World Market.

So there you have it, I’ve fallen in love and will be adding ‘move to the country’ back to my bucket list. However, in the meantime while I’m living in the real world, these little projects will have to keep me occupied. What projects have you completed to make your house {or in my case, apartment} feel more like a grown up home?

{PS, interested in visiting the 2012 Southern Living Idea House yourself? Check out the full remodel and order tickets here and be on the lookout for the 2013 home soon}.