{Anyone interested.. before I list it?}

So... remember my {musical furniture: in progress} post awhile back? Well, I've come to the realization that this was simply an impulse buy due to its great deal. I have been moving this piece around ever since we purchased it just over a month ago and I just can't find a spot that it will adequately fit and that I can utilize it. So I'm selling it. I purchased it at Hearth & Home, a furniture consignment store. Only this was not a used consignment piece, this was brand new, made by a man that custom builds pieces and sells them in their store. 

 

It just needs a home with a special place it will fit and can be used well. It's a great red color and offers a lot of storage. The two side doors on the buffet open and there is a shelf inside, as well as a drawer. 

I paid $325. for both pieces, a steal of a deal! The things you see sitting on it in these pictures are the only usage it has had, therefore I am asking the same as I paid for it though it's slightly negotiable. Give me a call, send me an email or leave me a comment if you're interested. I'll be listing it on KSL classifieds by Monday.

p.s. if you know someone that might be interested, please pass on the word and tell them to visit my blog to see the photos. Thanks!

~sandee.

{be gritty.. be inspired... follow this blog}

C'mon, add yourself as a follower of this gritty little blog - you know you want too... it's right over there at the top of the sidebar! 

.. And leave some comments people... it's so much more fun to hear your input and ideas too. 

~sandee.

{I think I've found it!}

The bedding for the boys room makeover, that is... picture above is the material of the duvet and sham from this much liked site Design Public, I found from another blog that posted about this other really cool product that they offer. {I'll post about that separately}. 

On Design Public they had really cute sheets with the duvet set but they were orange and with the walls being orange I wanted something a little different, I found these green sheets on Walmart.com and they are only $19.99 a set verses $80.00+. I can live with that!!!

I'm thinking I like this quirky ceiling light fixture from Ikea too! Looks kinda space like, right???

Throw pillows and wall decals also from Design Public! I can't wait to order it all and see it put together in their room. 

This is the Blimp Space Light I've known I wanted to use in the room since the beginning. It's also from Ikea, the boys are not so patiently waiting for this one... they keep asking me everyday when I'm going to get it.

In painting the ceiling navy blue {for the outer space effect} its caused a lack of light in the room, which I already knew it would.. so I want a nice bright ceiling fixture that casts the light outward all over the room instead of down in one spot. I also want to add these wall lamps on the wall by the head of their beds for reading at night {and of course more ambience}. The fun Blimp Space light will be just for fun and then I'll probably add a cool track lighting fixture by a shelf or just add lighting to the shelf itself. 

Ooo, the thing that would just shoot right off the GRITTY scale is if I could somehow drill little holes throughout the ceiling and add little twinkle lights like stars. Think how fun it would be to make the design of one of the constellations, like the big or little dipper. Hmm.. I really need to think of a way to do that, this is going to clog my brainwaves for awhile.. I can just tell!

~sandee.

{2 magazines worth checking out}

{image via Small Magazine}

Oh my goodness... could a magazine be any grittier??? "Small" magazine is jam packed with ultra fantastic products -n- ideas and where you can find them! Just looking at the thing, sends me into a an eye candy high, the photography and illustrations in Small are magnificent! You can view it online.

The other magazine that I read about coming out is called "fresh HOME" and I can hardly wait... the press release says, "Fresh Home Magazine Launches Issue Aimed at Today's Budget-Conscious, Do-It-Yourself Enthusiasts."  Comes out Feb. 27th!!!

~sandee.

{sneek peek: boy's room makeover in progress}

Okay, so I FINALLY finished the paint job in the boy's new room.. and I thought I'd post a picture! I'm very pleased with the way it turned out, the orange is so vibrant and the navy blue stripe and ceiling were just the look I was going for. Keep in mind though, the room itself is STILL at a very incomplete stage. Now it's time to start looking for the bedding, accessories, lighting, curtains, and to decorate the place. In the meantime, they are still using their old airplanes bedding which is really bugging me because it so doesn't match... AND I'm not to sure about the color of the table that I got for them to build legos, do projects/homework on, now that it's in the newly painted room.. so I now possibly have myself yet ANOTHER project on my list of "to-do's" to change the color of their table. If I do end up wanting to change it, that will be the last thing I do. We'll see... 

The table I got for inside the corner to create that Pottery Barn type setup with the beds works quite perfectly though, so that put a smile on my face and the kids are totally loving it too!!! They think their new room ROCKS and it's not even near being finished yet. The whole set up will look much better once I get the bedding I want, with extra pillows and a bed skirt so you can't see the bottom frame of the bed. One step at a time though, right... 

I love these glass jars for storing things, aren't they gritty??? This is Marcus' rock collection, he keeps a little magnifying glass in it so he can look at all the crystals and variations in the different rocks. This is sitting as a center piece on their table for now. I still need to get a big set of shelves to display and store a lot of their stuff too.

 

.. And here is one of those two old schoolhouse chairs I was so fortunate to run across to accompany their table. LoVe them...

I have loads of ideas running through my head and am hoping to find everything I want to incorporate into their room and for good deals. Right now the bedding is giving me a bit of a headache, because I've only found two sets that I would really consider and one doesn't come with all the pieces, and they are both much more pricey than I would like. My search goes on.. if I absolutely can't find anything else than I guess I'll just have to delay my instant gratification and save for them. Arrgghhh.... 

~sandee.

{House Beautiful: 101 Makeover Ideas}

There are so many things about the room above that intrigue & excite me, minus the two wooden heads atop the piano, I think they might even scare me at night. Anywho~ I'm always on the look out for ideas.. pieces of inspiration... rooms filled with splendid amounts of grittiness... and I've found some in the new 2009 list of House Beautiful: 101 Makeover Ideas! 

{I've always had a thing for window seats... I think I need to add one, how 'bout you?}

Idea #55

"Make a window seat for a favorite window. Build a plywood box and paint it. Add a cushion and pillows, and you'll have a new spot to furl up and read House Beautiful." -Michael Richman

{I especially like the idea of submitting a personal photo for this idea}

Idea #36

"Photo murals are back. Coloredgevisual.com or duggal.com have a great selection, or you can submit your own photos and they will scale it according to your wall. Do an entrance foyer, the end wall of a long, dreary hallway, or the ceiling of a tiny powder room, just for fun." -Christopher Coleman

{Anyone who knows me, also knows.. rearranging furniture & decor is one of my favorite ways of creating a fresh, new feeling within the spaces of my home}

Idea #48

"What's the best view in your room? Rearrange your furniture in such a way that you can enjoy it. Sometimes that just means pulling a chair out of a dark corner and moving it next to a window. Suddenly, it's your favorite place to sit and relax." -Carl D'Aquino

{LoVed this photo because I'm in the process of looking for great new pillows for my family room at the moment and this particular one would fit in so well}

Idea #51

"I've always collected textiles, and you can make a fast, easy change with bedding, towels, and table linens to creat a different mood. Switch things out seasonally, or for a special event, or whenever you want to play around with a certain color or pattern." -Thomas O'Brien

{Does anyone know if these cast a warm glowing type of light or are they like those ugly new "cold-blue tinted" Christmas lights??? I'm all over ambience lighting everywhere & anywhere I can add it... but I don't really want it to look like the lighting in a morgue}. 

Idea #11

"Buy a bunch of those battery-operated LED Everywhere lights for only $8.99 each. They're like little hockey pucks, with adhesive on the back. Put them under a console table, on top of a bookcase, or use them to backlight some interesting object on a shelf." -Libby Cameron

What ideas out of the "101" have you planning your next makeover? Do share...

~sandee.

p.s. if anyone knows how to get rid of this annoying underline accompanying my text under the last picture on my post, please tell. I've gotten rid of it by accident sometimes...

{free backgrounds anyone???}

I'm totally and completely hooked on Aqua Poppy Designs free blog backgrounds!!! Finally, another option other than Cutest Blog on the Block, that lets you add the same way.. that is, without loosing any of your page elements and not having to edit any html. Don't get me wrong, I still heart Cutest Blog on the Block too, it's just fun to have some other options at hand with a different flare of style, ya know!!! 

I've been on the lookout for quite a while now and was so happy when I linked from my neighbors blog to her sister-in-laws blog who had left a comment about my {all things gritty} blog. She had a blog-o-licious background from none other than Aqua Poppy Designs. Of course I clicked right on over, ever so hoping that it would lead to another "free background" source.. since I was SO in love with hers AND more importantly that you'd be able to easily add them, etc...  Don't waste another minute.. check it out now, you'll be hooked too! 

Looking forward to seeing all your blog-o-licious facelifts in the near future.~

{so, so excited for Valentines Day!}

I can hardly wait for tomorrow... Don't you just love Valentines Day? A day dedicated specifically towards expressing your LoVe for the ones you dearly heart!!! I don't know about you... but I get all gritty about traditions & I'm always looking for more fun and cute ideas of things to make a celebration more exciting, magical, memorable, etc... this year I've found a few more to make our Valentines Day extra special!~ 

"Hoo" wouldn't love these little owl paper plates I picked up at Target to serve this super yummy heart-y breakfast on in the morning! {breakfast idea came from the Feb. issue of Martha Stewart Living}.

{images via Bakerella}

I'm so, so excited to make these new mouthwatering treats I found over at the famous Bakerella for our after dinner desserts too!!! 

... and I'll probably even try a few of these kisses with my one & only true LoVe... should make for a perfect ending to a very heart-ful Valentines Day...

From my house to yours, Happy Valentines Day too!!!

~sandee.

{a most lovely sight} - complete..

The birds continue their visits regularly, and I find myself taking the time to watch for their return...  I managed to have my camera waiting and ready since they are so quick to land and fly away to the next tree or branch.~ It's amazing how just sitting quietly and bird-watching can be so relaxing & therapeutic. It's fun to see their variations in color, they really are beautiful! The thought crossed my mind as I was sitting back quietly and taking in the beauty of nature, all the lovely things taking place {sometimes right outside our windows} that we simply do not see because we are busy inside our homes and running around from dawn 'til dusk... 

Take a moment to sit quietly & observe what's happening around you... more than likely, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the beauty that awaits you...

~sandee.

{a most lovely sight}

Yesterday I woke up to wintery blizzard out, after getting all the kids off to school I had to quickly make two lunches, then get ready to go. I had signed up to be a driver for my daughter's field trip. While bathing in the tub I noticed some movement outside the blinds when I peeked out I saw {a most lovely sight}... the tree just outside the window was literally filled with little baby birds. It took my breath away - I wished so much at that very moment that I could've captured what I was seeing in a photo, but instead I was in a hurry, soaking wet & naked.. Had I been so lucky to take a picture, I surely would've framed it.~ I'm keeping my eye out for the little birdies to come back...  

{this is the tree they visited, only there wasn't as much snow.. just a thin line upon the branches and at least a dozen baby birds scattered through out}.

~sandee.

{update: moving boys to a different room}

Okay.. the orange paint is finally finished!!! It took longer than I'd hoped because we had so many other things going on this week and I needed my man to help me tape off the line for the navy stripe along the top of the wall. I can't wait to post pictures of it, but I want to wait until I finish painting the top of the wall/ceiling navy and get a few things moved into place. I'm sure there will be numerous updates because I won't be able to acquire everything I want for their room all at once. Speaking of everything I want for their room... I found some more rooms of inspiration through one of my favorite catalogs Land of Nod. Notice the orange & blue together throughout, LoVe it! I'm really liking this solar system bedding a lot... I'm thinking it would possibly be a better choice for the boys, it doesn't seem as juvenile as the one I first saw at Company Kids, although it's really cute & would work too.

Aren't these pieces of vintage wall art so nostalgic and gritty to say the least.. I'm pretty sure I might have incorporate these into the decor of the room.-

{musical furniture: in progress}

I found another thrifty - chic piece of furniture at another great place while searching the KSL classifieds. I've actually found quite a few pieces I was looking for here, {pieces for one of my daughter's rooms and the boy's room that I'm working on right now}. This red hutch was such a good deal that I just couldn't pass it up, but I've been playing musical furniture trying to decide what spot to put it in... it's been in three different places already and now it's by the front door, I think I might leave it here, but ya never know at the rate I move furniture around! 

-Obviously it still hasn't taken on full residency or purpose in this spot yet, hence the lack of decor on it, maybe I'll do an update once it all comes together. 

~Sandee.

{I'm in LoVe with my bLaCk DeSk}

I have been stumbling across lots of my favorite things lately... I LoVe thrifty - chic furniture, furniture that was once someone else's and is now a most treasured find for me! Furniture like this is often made very well and has a lot of character and vintage touches which I crave. 

While searching on KSL classifieds {an addiction I have} I found some items that I just loved by this girl who finds great pieces of furniture and refinishes/reupholsters them. She will also refinish something you found or may already have as well. She is so talented and does such a good job. You must visit her blog if you are on the look out for that special piece or even if you're not, a little eye candy doesn't hurt right... 

~sandee.

{for the LoVe of StArs & LiGhtInG}

Aren't these little star night lights just so delightful... LoVe them!!! I am a huge fan of lighting for ambience and coziness and didn't have the built-in under cabinet lighting in my kitchen, so when I first saw this star night light in my sister's house I knew I had found my solution... Now I have 4 of these gritty little things plugged in along the wall under my cabinets in my kitchen. Oh how I love them.~ {you can snatch yourself a few at your local Target}. 

{-a little secret}: on the wall is a faux back splash I painted on using a video case to trace out the brick/tiles, leaving a space between them all for what looks like a grout line. I just used craft paint in 4 colors and sponged them on to create the depth & look of a tile. Very cheap alternative to the real thing and looks pretty good too!

~sandee.

{top of the project priority list}

Moving the boys to a different room: 

• some may remember my post on my personal blog this time last year about my thoughts of switching the boys room and trying to figure out a way to create this fabulous space saving bed set-up without buying it for the astronomical Pottery Barn price. WELL... I think I might have figured something out!!! {mine won't include the great storage underneath, at least for now.. but the basic set-up is better than nothin'}. I'll post pictures as soon as I get it all put together in the room, but first I'm...
• repainting: I was going to do a tan color but then decided to go with more color {does that surprise anybody}, then I was going to do a green with a navy blue stripe on the top continuing onto the ceiling {like space} but then I didn't like the green so I've officially decided on ORANGE and we are all LOVING it so far. It has me wondering why I've never done an orange room in my house as of yet... It will still have the navy blue stripe & ceiling. Inspiration for painting the room this way came from this bedding & this gritty light that I plan on incorporating into the room.
• so fortunate: I was also WAY excited to get two of those OLD SCHOOLHOUSE CHAIRS from the photo below. There is a lovely blog I follow daily and about a month ago she posted that she had bought six of these chairs at a furniture consignment store and found that she only needed four. She said to email her if you were interested in the other two. I ended up being the first to email her and the BEST part of the whole thing is that she gave them to me for FREE!!! Now I was able to mark off finding two unique chairs for the other table I'd found for them to sit at and build legos, do projects, etc... 

~sandee.