Archive for 2010

Thrifty!

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Oh my.

I just checked and the last time I went thrifting was in May – and come on that didn’t even really count. I mean I went to one estate sale and one thrift store on the way home which is pretty much like not going at all, you know, like dog years are to human years – two months not thrifting is like two years to me. Damn you crazy day job schedule!

On the way home from a botched trip of fun I made The Boy stop at my favorite Salvation Army in hopes of beating some traffic. I blame him. He found this painting of Captain Seaman or whatnot and pointed it out to me. Even though a moratorium was placed on buying any new art, I just couldn’t resist.

Look at that wee little child molester mustache and the lazy eye. Classic.

In order to show off Captain Cool Guy’s installation here is a sneaky peek at how the master bedroom is shaping up. The new dresser is chillaxing, waiting for an oily rub down and the bed is in some desperate need of attention. Still have a lot to do, but hopefully it turns out all right.

Anyone have a source for a perfect light gray duvet? That is super affordable and awesomely simple. Speaking of, why are bed linens so fugly and expensive!?

Craigslist

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

I picked up a vintage Danish dresser off a lady out in the desert. It was weird. Craigslist is weird sometimes.

I drove a good two hours after work in about 120 degree heat to get to her place in Indio. When I got out to her dismal place the piece was WAY MORE damaged than her posting or pictures alluded to. Chips, missing veneer, scratches, water damaged – pretty much the gamut of shit that can go wrong with furniture. Originally I had talked her down to $100 via email when it was clear that the listing had been languishing on CL for some time, but when I arrived and saw what kind of shape the dresser was in I was like I will give you forty bucks and you should thank me.

We argued. She gave me a sob story about her divorce after 30 years and her ten kids. I sweated in the UNBEARABLE heat. She talked me up, I talked her down and finally we arrived at  a price under a $100 but over $40. Pretty much I didn’t want to have wasted my time driving all the way out there.

I’m going to fix it up as much as I can and have it live in the master bedroom. Since we got rid of almost everything in there at the big sale this is one of the first steps for the big redecoration of the master bedroom – yet again.

Hopefully by the end of summer we can pull it together. I’ve got some projects brewing…

House Visit

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

My friend Maya recently left the West Coast (like a traitor!) to live on the East Coast with her brilliant husband and new puppy Mika. For the past few months they have been fixing up their first home out in the wilderness of the New York coast – seriously – it’s like in the woods only a minute or so from the ocean. I’m so jealous…delicious cooling and refreshing ocean…

They just moved in a few weeks ago and are starting to settle in. Maya sent me some pics of the house from her iphone so that I could see some progress – which is a bad idea when I have a whole website dedicated to house crap.

My dream Bumling light! In brass no less…

The house is not completely finished and like us they still have a bunch of DIY projects to go, but I’m thinking this is a fucking amazing start. Knowing Maya I’m positive that she will keep futzing with things so I am preserving this moment digitally since I can’t be out there to see it in the flesh.

I can’t wait to come out and spend some time futzing around on the East Coast and I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to photograph the crap out of the house and share all the changes as they settle in and fix up even more of the place.

Maya. I swear. Soon. (When work isn’t so crazy)

Sorry about putting your house on the internet.