Mini Meyers Lemon Tree

I wandered into a nursery down the street from our home on my day off this week. It was during a lull time in my painting the wall grey where I needed to just wait and let it dry. So, I wandered on over to this little plant haven and ended up coming home with a mini Meyers lemon tree.

It's the small things in life that bring me such happiness. Like sitting next to the bay window and enjoying the bright sunshine on this little tree. The lady at the nursery said to keep the tree in full sun, and that it would thrive on my patio or in a bright space indoors. And in the winter, its a must to keep it in. I kind of just love how it adds some life to our dining room. Growing up in California with lemon and orange trees in my backyard, its also a reminder of where I come from. I cannot wait to see what size of fruit it produces! Happy weekend, friends!

Target Secrets

We all love bargains, right? I've talked about this in terms of thrifting, but Target can be the queen bee too. Finding that little red sticker that says now: $5.98, was: $29.99 just makes you want to run around the store and tell everyone that there is a deal being had at the end of aisle 7. It makes you want to stock up like a dooms day prepper because you might need those 6 lamp bases, 10 picture frames, and 8 pillows one day (clearance prices do something to your mind and make you think a little bonkers). Okay, so I don't stock up, but I can't lie about not thinking about it when I see the red clearance sticker.

So let me give you some advice. If you see something at Target that you like: WAIT. Honestly, more times than not, that same item will be marked down in a few weeks. Or a like item, that is a bit different, but still gets the job done. With buying a house, and having 400% more space than I've ever had in my entire life, I've been frequenting my Target a lot lately, in the same fashion as a thrift store. My eye is looking out for red signs sticking out from shelves in Home and I look on the back side of the aisles : that's where the clearance treasures are found, and I kid you not it can be a gold mine.

 Threshold lamp Base $7, Threshold side tables $20.

Another word of advice: If there is a crack or small damage, but it isn't that noticeable to you, or it really wouldn't bother you in the end when the home item is styled in your house, ask for a discount at checkout. Most recently, I found two clearance items, a glass lamp base and a Nate Berkus tray (both now in the guest bedroom), that had a chip and a crack. The lamp base chip is hidden when its standing upright on a table and the tray's crack is covered with mindfully placed decor on the tray. Both were already end of aisle clearance items, but because I pointed the damage out at checkout, I got an additional discount. So yes, ASK! You can always send it as a go back if you change your mind at checkout.

Four Threshold wooden frames, $2 - $5 each.

Media center $60, was $140.

Gold bowl on sale, discount at check out because of small scratch.

Sale on poufs (the best new word for fun ottomans), $30 off marked price.

Something else I've observed, Target markdowns are best found mid-week. I find the best clearance items the further away the day is from the weekend. And, it never hurts to ask for a price adjustment if you bought something earlier that is now an even greater mark down. I just did it yesterday with a few frames, and saved $10 (it all adds up, friends!).

Guest Bedroom | Before

When you have one week from the day you move in until your best friend comes to visit, motivation settles and you get the guest room organized. With a south facing window, this room gets such a pretty light in the mornings. Pretty light means bright and cheery. And with the mix of florals, yellows, and whites, it helps bring in that spring time feel, year round. I mean, that's like an ideal feat - spring all the time! Whites, woods, and gold are the palette right now. This room reminds me a lot of my mom, who is a huge yellow gal (her whole house is shades of yellow!), and that makes me happy. :)

I just put up the curtains a few weeks ago, since it had no furnishings at all. Our whole house came like that: nice new windows with polar opposite furnishings (or none at all). The blinds in the master look like a shark took a bite our of them. And the drapes down stairs might still be the original from when the house was built in 77'. Anywho. Guests don't really want to wake up to neighbors peering at them through their windows, typically, so white linen curtains for the win. They are from the Threshold line at Target and the clean crisp look is just what I want in the rooms upstairs. Especially the rooms with south facing windows. I'm a sucker for the morning glow they tend to make. I love this room. Even in its plain state, it has so much potential already.

Upstairs Guest Bedroom Tour:

  

And to end this post, the most lady-like photo of Shelby:

Mid-Century Cane Back Chair

The other day, on a whim, I stopped in my local Goodwill. I have an exciting decorating project coming up, so I've had this urge to thrift during my free time. The trick to thrifting is frequency. It's always hit or miss, but when you do it frequent enough, you gain a keen eye and increase your chances of stumbling upon gold. And sometimes, all you do it walk in and walk right out, so it really isn't too much of a time suck. But when you walk in and its a good day, oh man. Its so worth it. This on a whim day, it was a gold diggers paradise. I was only in the store for five minutes, and left with six items.  Quality vintage items. When I thrift, I always head to the furniture section first, and then scan the art next. If those two areas don't steal my attention, I might wander down the aisles, but usually its the bigger items, the ones that can be repurposed or a diamond in the rough, for a dirt cheap price: that's what I'm looking for. Finding furniture and art for a steal are my favorite items to find. And this on a whim stop, the first thing I laid eyes on was this mid-century cane back chair.

After cleaning off the dirt, its basically in perfect condition. The curve of the back! The details on the legs! When I first stumbled upon the chair I wanted to rip off the cushion and replace it. But now after taking it out of the thrift store environment--the chair shines in a different light. The cushion is a velvety soft pink, and really isn't that bad even if I decided to wait on redoing the chair. I've never reupholstered before, believe it or not. The cushion on this chair looks simple enough to remove and redo, so I am thinking it may be the perfect first reupholster job that I do. Originally I planned to paint the wood white, but after cleaning it up, I really like the natural wood. Its nearly perfect with no scratches, and the cane back has no snags or holes or anything. Seriously, thrifted gold. I spent $18 on this bad-jackson, and found the same chair on eBay and others like it for $150 and then some. Mid century finds are hard to come by because of how popular they've become in that modern vintage design thats flooding Pinterest right now. So, yes, I feel like a lucky thrifter!

Exposed Bulbs

I've had light fixtures on the mind, and of course the simple and do it myself options are the most appealing when I look at prices and style. But right now, West Elm is having a lighting sale, so I illuminated my morning with some browsing. Yet, still, my favorite looks even when browsing West Elm's sale are the simple and bare bulbs mixed with metallic cords. The simple just draws me in! If it looks like it could have been around in the 1920's, or on the set of Downton Abbey in the maids quarters, I will probably like it. 

I am a huge fan of mixing the elements, especially when it comes to light fixtures. What about you? Seeing as my decorating style is a bit more matte, its nice to have a copper pop in a light fixture, when I dream of future light fixtures in my future home full of simple vintage-modern styling. 

The great thing is, there are so many do it yourself ways to get this look from the most basic to adding in up cycled wiring and branches even (like HERE, HERE and HERE) or you can just hop on with West Elm's Lighting Sale and stock up for future projects (top photo HERE, copper cord HERE).

Gold Gifting // Round Up

I definitely grew a gold crush a long time ago. I think it began for me in the aisles of antique shops. More of a muted, brushed, or rusty gold, but gold none-the-less. It's just so timeless. And this time of year, the metallic hue just seems so fitting -- for home decor, personal style, and festive gifts. So I bring to you just a few of my favorites from around the web, after checking out a few sales going on today. I definitely have that lamp on my wish list. I'm needing better lighting for late night writing at our new desk, and I'm a fan of the industrial look. (It's really quite pretty in nickel and hunter green too).

The Diamond Whisp Bracelet // 31 Bits. The beads are made from recycled paper, can you believe it? This company is so great. Women in Uganda are given business opportunity through 31 bits. You can learn more about it here.

Vintage Oversize Watch // Le Mer Collections. Don't you just love this feminine combo of aqua and gold?

Laqueur Tray // West Elm. My cousins gifted this tray to me on my birthday. It is so much larger than I would have thought, and the gold is slightly muted compared to the photograph. It is where letters and papers collect on my desk.

Essie Good as Gold // Target. An affordable but fun little gift idea: nail polish ;)

Monogram Mug // Anthropologie. Who doesn't like a gold monogrammed mug?

Knitted Ear Band // Anthropologie. I really like the thickness of this head band. I own it myself, and the hints of gold are really subtle and pretty. Its perfect if needing a bit of sparkle when still trying to keep warm.

Metallic Print Glassware Set // West Elm.

Copper Cook's Tools // West Elm.

Olive You // Lindsay Letters Print. What a cute print this is, and would be perfect over a bar cart or hanging in the kitchen.

Industrial Task Table Lamp // West Elm. My dream lamp right now. And we know how nickel ages--beautifully.

Gold Knit Print iPad Case // West Elm.

Saw Horse Desk | Part One of Two

This post is more show than tell, more camera savvy than instruction savvy, and more spacious than cramped. And I promise, dimensions, materials needed, and the play by play for this spacious beauty of a desk to be written about soon (just in case you want to spend a weekend busting this one out, like we did). For now, I'm just going to post this quick so I can look at the photos again and feel so proud that we made it.

Details

nightstand // flea market find   watercolor // antique shop   butterfly coaster // thrifted  

 phrenology head // prop from my dad   gold bowl // Target   red hardback book // thrifted   

   orchid // sprouts farmer's market   spools // vintage   shell // Sayulita coast

It is all in the details. Bright light, books, botanical styling, and other vintage odds and ends are what make this corner in our guest room so cheery. You know what I love about this little space? Most everything is thrifted, from the flea, antique, or was my grandma's (who most likely thrifted it herself). It's just so me. The cups hold remnants of paper, buttons, and sewing thread as this space doubles as our craft room ( an office...and movie viewing area..and Shelby's play zone...) The nightstand is one of my favorite finds ever from the Rosebowl Flea (which is this next weekend if you live near Los Angeles!)--isn't it a pretty shade of seafoam?

You don't want to miss West End Salvage

Would you believe me if I told you that each of the four floors inside this brick building are filled to the brim with antiques and salvaged vintage pieces? Hanging from the ceilings, stacked along the walls, crammed so full that if you blink you may miss something? And would you believe me if I told you that this building, standing in downtown Des Moines, can pretty much hold its own against L.A. flea markets? I know, this is big talk. And you know I wouldn't compare just anything to Pasadena's Rose Bowl Flea Market (oh, how I miss it!), but West End Salvage in Iowa is amazing. Amazing. (No wonder they had their own HGTV show!) 

Luckily, my iPhone got some snippets of the place--and only snippets because I really was quite busy ooh-ing and aaah-ing with my sister-in-law Morgan that I took minimal photographs (although, a random passerby may beg to differ, as my minimal photo taking may be considered a maximum to some in situations like this).

So, if you still don't believe my lofty claims about this amazing store, let's treasure hunt, shall we?

E A T | d.i.y.

Have you ever come across something on Pinterest that you absolutely cannot get out of your mind? Like the world will not continue unless you make it, bake it, cook it, or what have you? I had one of those moments. This photo was it. And how simple the project--painted letters E A & T--and that's it! So I set out to Hobby Lobby, and eight dollars later, was able to let the world continue--because I had my own E A T letters. (Clean white subway tiled kitchen, to come at a later date).

You will need: Cardboard or wooden letters. Acrylic paint (my specific hue was citron). Paintbrush. Drop Cloth/Paper. How to: Spread out your drop cloth, or brown paper bag. Squirt out your paint. Paint your letters, allowing time to dry between painting every side. Que maravilla!

Matt liked to point out that after we "eat" we can more the E after the T and it will say A T E. I love this little simple project! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we DIY--for the feeling of giddiness and joy after standing back and looking at your little creation :)

It is Tuesday, so come back later for my Love Yourself Link Up post! Also, be sure to stop by on July 4th for a treat (HINT: It is three times the DIY!) Lastly, happy birthday Mom! 

Pinterest photo via