it's coming along...

so i tried to attempt an inspiration board for our living room. this is pretty much exactly what it looks like... but some things are a bit different. one thing i have learned from this fun project is that good things really do come to those who wait.

for example... who knew that ottomans were SO expensive!? geez louise. i had been looking everywhere. and i do mean everywhere. and then one day i walked into a thrift shop and there she was. a camel leather ottoman with a beautiful engraved design on the top. the store was having a half off sale so... my total? $2. and that sure beats the $65+ that i was finding everywhere.

second miracle... the green chair. i am obsessed with kelly green right now. i have been searching for the perfect green chair for about 3 months. i found a few online that fit what i was looking for and i really really liked them. however i didn't like the price. with all the deals that both grant and i pride ourselves on (any "thrifters" and bargain shoppers out there know what i mean) i couldn't stand to name all the prices we've paid for items in our living room and then look at an armchair in the corner with a cloud above it and $430+ in that cloud. and maybe down the road i could justify that (probably not) if we were doing something custom, but not in this case. ANYWAY so i was laying in bed last night checking my craigslist app (what i do every night... part of my nightly routine) and all of the sudden up pops a green wingback chair. i really think my heart skipped a beat. especially when i saw that the price was $60. we bought it earlier today for $50 and let's just say i'm one happy camper. again... good things come to those who wait. looking for an armchair is all i've done for what seems like a decade but it totally paid off.

third blessing... reclaimed wood. if we, as in grant and i, were a type of wood... we wood be reclaimed wood. we're obsessed! we've been planning forever for grant to make a barnwood (farmhouse) table. finding this sacred wood for a good deal? nearly impossible. it is truly a prized possession. we found (via craigslist) wood that was almost $1.50 cheaper a board than the average price we kept seeing. the wood is now in the garage just waiting to become a beautiful table.

in the beginning, trying to decorate seemed overwhelming. but now it has become such a treasure hunt and i think it's so much fun. i've tried to live by jonathan adler's ten commandments and things are looking good so far. he knows how to keep things fun.

since the room is not entirely done, there are still some things we're looking for. top on the list is a floor lamp. any suggestions for places to look? we'd prefer something industrial and so most stores carry nothing like that. i do love the pottery barn tripod lamps but the $$$? yucky. and by the way, i will admit that some things really are worth spending money on.

there are these certain chairs... that will soon be arriving... that were quite the pretty penny. took us two months to actually make the decision :) but hopefully they will be in our family forever, including their heirloom quality. any guesses on which chairs? here are some hints... they are all over the internet (unfortunately), they are as versatile as they come, they stack, indoor and outdoor....