probably my biggest passion

my laptop hasn't been working because the charger won't hold a charge. when are they going to make better chargers for laptops? it's been a bit frustrating. trudy and i took a trip to utah for a little bit and just got home. so i guess it's been nice because it sort of forces me to get things done. i brought back some goodies from utah and thought i might as well share some of my favorite finds around the house. or at least some that are in our front room area.

first off is this little trash can. i found it at an estate sale along with the painting below. i re-painted the little stump legs gold and my plan for the base is to add my monogram. it's going in my bathroom with some needlework art that is in the same color family. i only wish my monogram was a little cooler. ya know? i always loved the way "brittany barnes" sounded but two b's in a monogram? not as fun. either way i do love the classy feel of monograms. especially paired with the cute border that is already on the trash can.

i've really been into original art lately. and now i notice it everywhere. i love to draw and paint too and i found myself having the urge to paint something all the time. always late at night. for me, the colors used in a painting are the biggest thing. which is why this one stood out. i love color. i don't know why people are afraid of it either. it brings so much joy, happiness and just freshness to a room. this persian rug was found at an antique mall right by our house. it's kind of a long story that i don't feel like explaining but it basically fell into our hands. most definitely meant to be. it's hard to see how beautiful it is but the colors are amazing and the pattern is just what i had dreamed about. i love that red and navy are the main colors but when i had daydreamed about the perfect persian rug, having orange in it was a non negotiable for me. 

i had been in love with letterpress drawers for a long time. i knew it would be a perfect way to display my rock collection. so when i came across this one at an estate sale last year, i was thrilled. it's hard to see how beautiful all the rocks are unless i take an up close picture of every one. the bigger rock on the ground is so gorgeous. it has sparkles everywhere. i picked up the vintage yard sticks in all different places and the spool i found at an antique mall. the locker bin's (wire baskets) were also found at an antique mall and they are one of my favorite finds. the number's on the front are the best part.this gorgeous chair is a very recent find. i just brought it back from utah last week. i paid $50 for it and i felt that was more than fair considering that everything is original. in my experience it's pretty rare to find furniture with cane detailing that isn't broken or ripped somewhere. infact that is always what i look for whenever i find any piece with cane detailing because i have NO idea how i would replace it. so not only was that in perfect shape but the blue/purple velvet fabric on this chair is so vibrant it's as if nobody ever sat in it. someone suggested that i paint the chair part white and i don't think i will because the camel color in the wood looks so pretty against this color. chairs are kind of my weakness... but according to debra needleman... you can't really have too many.this is also a pretty recent addition. i found her at the coolest indoor flea market and fell in love instantly. i'm pretty sure egyptian ink is what the artist used. i still need to take everything apart and clean it, you can still see the sticker on the bottom. also the butterfly is somewhat off center because the man who sold it to me was trying to show me more about it's history and all around value under the back and things got a little shaken up. i really love it though. when i spotted it, my heart kind of felt all warm and fuzzy... as if it was just waiting for me. ;)saving the best for last. this is the other thing that i just brought back from utah. and the picture just doesn't do justice. i bought it from a couple who had moved from california. they left a beautiful home and extremely successful business to help their son out in utah. they could only bring a few things and chose this mirror as one of them. it's hard to tell in the picture but the size of this estate mirror is outrageous. it weighs SOO much and it's basically as big as me. this truly is something that could cost  hundreds of dollars, not just because of it's size but also because of how old it is. i'm not sure i will find a place for it in this rental home, but i knew that $60 was a steal and that i would never regret buying it. it's just breathtaking.and finally the mother of them all. a blue campaign dresser that became mine only 4 days ago. i found it on craigslist here in albuquerque and it's amazing. the woman said it's original brown color wasn't cutting it for her so she painted it blue because "blue is just pretty!". i don't know if we will keep it blue forever but for now.... i'm not even going to think about changing it. all the hardware is original and it too weighs SOOOO much. i thought we could switch it out for the dresser in our room in hopes to break up the monotony of our bedroom set that i've spoken about before. however we found that it was just way too low and not practical for that. i was kind of disappointed until grant pointed out a place in the entry way that ended up being perfect perfect perfect. i think the biggest secret to finding beautiful things is to always be looking. my eyes are constantly peeled no matter where i am. that and if you have a smart phone and don't have the craigslist (and ksl for utahn's) app then you are dumb. you just can't expect to find what you are looking for unless you are really looking for it! :)