Antiquing and Squeaking

Last Saturday my mom, sister, and I decided to go antiquing! My little sister (you remember Bu) was reluctant to tag along, assuming that hours of looking at "old stuff" wouldn't be very entertaining. After only a couple of aisles however, I think mom and I had convinced her otherwise!

For my mom, each antique set off a dazed recollection of some childhood memory, so my sis and I soaked in all her history lessons as we jumped from booth to booth. Then... what started out as a giggle over whether or not we should purchase a 60's style hands-free hair dryer, soon snowballed into full on laughing hysteria...and we have no idea why! We were trying not to make a big loud scene which resulted in us making those sudden involuntary squeaking laughs (you know the type?). Our laughter may or may not have been provoked by one failed attempt to get a picture off of a wall, a spindle straight out of Sleeping Beauty, and a pair of perfect turquoise candlesticks that upon discovering were only $5 I slowly and silently picked up and walked off with.

I thought I would share a few of our treasures we purchased!

First up, we found this neat little tin keyhole thing. The tealish color was perfect for my breakfast nook.

Then, we came across this really cute dry-erase board. It could easily be DIY'd. Just frame a piece of burlap and you are done! Any type of glass is a dry-erase board ya'll!

When we got to the next booth, I couldn't resist snagging this cute little chalkboard to write different quotes/Bible verses on. Bonus! The booth's owner was trying to raise money to adopt a cute little girl from China. I was glad to know I could help in a small way.

Here are those infamous $5 candlesticks...

This find was sooo cool to me! A neat old jar filled with old wooden thread spools! How cute will this be in my sewing room!

It was teal. It was tiny. It was a working sewing machine.It was vintage. It was $15. It was MINE!

Here's a pic of me holding it just so you can see how cute and little it is. :)

This adorable pillow was too expensive to purchase, but we took a picture so we could attempt to DIY our own!

After a long hard day of treasure hunting, a stop at GiGi's cupcakes was essential. ;)

Amanda or Iris?

As I slowly begin to decorate my house I find I'm torn between two styles. These 2 styles can pretty much be summed up in the movie, The Holiday.  I love the cozy cottage feel of Iris's English countryside home, but I also love the chic modern feel of Amanda's LA mansion. They are both "Totally Brill!"
Just look at Iris's living room. Aren't those ceiling beams incredible?! I have a similar gridded ceiling in my house.

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

But then, Amanda's living room is gorgeous too with those clean neutral creams and accents of purple!

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

Don't you just love Iris's blue cabinets?! And that fireplace in the kitchen is to die! So cute!

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

But then again, how amazing is Amanda's kitchen with those lantern-like chandeliers. It's so clean-line and chic!

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

Iris's bed is almost an exact replica of my beloved childhood bed (that I still sleep in when I visit my parents).

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

But I just die for Amanda's upholstered headboard... and remember those remote control black out shades? I wouldn't mind having those!

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

Ok, stop right now. Tell me this is not the cutest bathroom you've ever seen.. maybe not the most practical for my hubs, but still...

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

Amanda's bathroom similarly has a free-standing tub, and "furniture-like" cabinets. Her's is much more spacious and hellooo balcony doors.

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Natalie on Pinterest

So, what do you think? Which is your favorite? I promise to post more of my house progress soon~ almost done with the breakfast nook!

Winterized

Too soon to wear shorts? Nope! Today I decided to winterize (hmm, that's actually a word) my summery lace shorts by pairing them with tights and boots. I then layered my favorite yellow Zara jacket over my trusty black ruffled tank. Voila! I just love it when I can figure out a way to borrow clothes from other seasons.:)







(Jacket: Zara, top: Express, Shorts: Express, Necklace: Forever 21, boots: Target)

Vest with the fur.

It was so tough leaving for work yesterday morning with my husband still warm, cozy, and fast asleep in bed while I braved the frigid 34 degree weather (hey, that's pretty cold to us here in Atlanta ;). He was off work work for MLK, but I unfortunately was not. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to bust out my new fur vest to lift my spirits and keep me somewhat cozy and warm. It not only did that, but it also made me feel almost as fab as Rachel Zoe. I may or may not have used the terms "bananas" and "cray cray" excessively yesterday..



(Vest: Zara, Top: Target, Pants: Old Navy, Boots: Target, Watch: Michael Kors)
What are you doing to stay warm these days?!

House Party

We decided to throw a little house warming party for New Years Eve. We invited a few of our best friends from out of town to come stay for the weekend and we had a great time. Here are a few snapshots of the party details~ maybe they'll inspire your next bash!

After putting up my Christmas decorations, I was left with an empty table, so I decided to utilize it as a little bar. I printed and cut out a simple banner using my favorite font- "never let go" which can be downloaded here. (Yes, I have a favorite font- call me a nerd ;). I taped it to some herringbone ribbon and pinned it to the wall.

I also printed out little name tags for the wine glasses using the same font and chevron background. I just punched holes in them and tied one to each glass with twine. I then arranged the glasses on a silver tray and used some Christmas garland for a little sparkle. The lamp on the right was a gift from my sister that helped illuminate the bar with a festive glow.

I used a glass parfait bowl as an ice bucket. And arranged some wine, sparkling cider, and Grand Marnier around that.

I typed up a little mimosa recipe and put it in a sparkly frame. Anything with sparkles is perfect for NYE.

I decided to make a little new year's resolutions station, so I rolled up some brown craft paper and tied it with some pom pom trim and added a few gold pens into a bowl so guests could write down (and remember) their goals for 2012.

I decided to go for a tapas-style menu so our guests could munch on little bites throughout the night as opposed to one huge meal. I kept it simple and did most of the prep work ahead of time so I could spend most of my time entertaining our friends.
I ordered truffle mac and cheese from our favorite local restaurant and then just reheated it and served it in fancy ramekins. (See, I told you I kept things simple!) Pasta is a great dish that will serve well (if not better) a day later.

So...we had a minor mishap just before the party. In all of our running around we had forgotten to start cooking the pulled pork! (The 6 hours slow cook crock pot pulled pork!!) I was disappointed that our guests didn't get to try the delicious recipe, but we quickly came up with plan B-- we ran to a local BBQ place and picked up some pork there. Problem solved! Whew!

To add something light (and non-carb related) to the menu, I decided to make some mini salad wedges. I just cut up a head of lettuce into bite size wedges and sprinkled with tomatoes, cheese, and bacon. I bought a delicious sesame ginger dressing for the side.

I also served loaded baked potato dip with waffle fries-- a recipe I found on Pinterest!! It's quick and easy to whip up and it tastes delicious!

We played games, watched football, played with sparklers, ate delicious food, and rung in the new year. In the end I think everyone enjoyed our party!