Thursday, October 28, 2010

Coffee Table Love and Confusion

This week I found two coffee tables that I absolutely adore. The first:

I saw in Elle Decor and love the look of. I've been thinking for awhile that something just a little industrial with maybe metal legs for a little sparkle and a reclaimed wood top for warm would really go well with all the different looks my living room goes through during the year. This one from 610 Home looks like it hits all those marks! However, they don't sell online, and as they are located in Geneva, IL, the likelihood of my acquiring it is very very low. Nonetheless, the idea remains- slightly industrial, green glam.
But I have to wonder if I love it and have been wanting it because it's so very in right now, or is it actually right for us? I can't quite tell...

Then just yesterday I found this second one, from Wisteria:

Which I LUURRRVE! (Pardon me while I try to drool and speak simultaneously...)
Talk about sparkly! I love the metal, I love the Indian style etching:


I love the detail on the legs, the vague campaign styling implied by the cross supports at the bottom... love love love!
BUT, is it too decorative? I always have a lot going on style-wise in the the living room, and I'd been thinking that rough wood and metal would sort of ground it all, keep it from getting too froufy... would this do the opposite? Would it push it all right over the frou-frou top? And if it did, would that be bad?... I don't know!
And the price on this is so very good- I seriously thought when I first saw the picture it would be at least twice as much- that it makes it a real possibility that I could own it... whereas I still haven't found a table in the other style at a price I would pay, which leaves me contemplating making something myself, which could be disastrous!
What to do?
What would you do??

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Labeling the Trash

Ok, not really the trash, but the recycling. Since my parents and Hubby's parents come and stay with us periodically, and we have very helpful friends, all who try to clean up after themselves, I was pretty often finding trash and recycling all mixed in together.
So:


I took some gold vinyl letters (the kind you use on a mailbox) leftover from a project from our wedding (being a crazy pack-rat pays off!) and labeled the recycling bins. And VOILA! No more mix ups!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Back from Istanbul!


Hey Everyone!
We've just returned from a wonderful 11 day trip to Istanbul. I'm still a bit jet-lagged (meaning disorganized), so I'll sort through my 500-odd photos in the next couple of days and get a post up!
Here are a couple of shots for now that sort of epitomize the new/old juxstaposition all over Istanbul that is part of what makes it such a wonderful place!

Click on them to see them full size to get the full effect!