adorn it

Your home, that is. It seems that whenever Bryan deploys, I busy myself with making my house prettier. I guess I feel that if I fancy her up a bit, make her more comfy-cozy, that those feelings will spread to the other areas of my life. Deployments, after all, are very discomforting, quite gloomy, seemingly endless chunks of time. I find the busier I keep myself, the better off I am. My mind wanders into dark crevasses less often. Here are some projects from the last go-round...



My vintage bottle cap table that my dad helped me make.



My cobblestone patio that I built with my own little hands. And, the pergola that, although I didn't build it with my own little hands... I designed it for some contractors to build. That is an old photo from when it was built in the winter of 2008. The star jasmine has since grown up the supports. And, a lovely dining area and fire pit make themselves at home atop the cobblestone. It's like an outdoor living room... we spend a lot of time out there in the summers. I'll have to update with current pictures soon.

Anyway... it also helps that my in-laws are coming to visit next weekend before the hubs departs... that's always a kick in the pants to get your home looking its most dapper. A sister-in-law and her 3 children that have never been to my home. A brother-in-law that hasn't either (but, in reality, probably couldn't care less what these digs look like). Why do I feel some unnerving need to impress in the home decor department?

It all started with an old military pull-out drawer filing cabinet (more like the size of a dining room buffet, though) that I found at my favorite antique restoration place back in early spring. If you're in the Raleigh/Durham are of North Carolina, a trip to Revival Antiques is a must! In addition to their brick and mortar store, they also have a pretty impressive weekly booth at the Raleigh Flea Market at the fairgrounds. I've bought a couple of their pieces, and they are amazing (not to mention VERY reasonably priced). When I saw that file cabinet, I knew it would fit perfectly in our dining room. If you've ever been to our home, you know that we are rather short on storage. So, whenever I find a new piece of furniture... LOTS of storage is a must! And unusual. I don't like available-at-every-big-box-store pieces of furniture. Or, at least I don't like my furniture to look that way.

We were stupid not to buy that filing table when we saw it. Of course, when I called this week, it was long gone. Revival told me they had a couple of similar things that I might like, but with less storage. Hmmm... After much consideration, we decided not to use a whole tank of gas to drive to Raleigh for something that might or might not suit my fancy. Instead, we would run our errands (which included a trip to Pier 1 for some new, more durable place mats. That's where I discovered this...



Originally a $500 piece of furniture, it was on sale for $350. Plus, they gave me an extra 20% off because they are discontinuing it, and all they had left was the floor model. You never would have guessed it to be a floor model... not one thing wrong with it. Score! Plus, I had a $100 gift card for Pier 1 that I had been hanging onto forever, burning a hole in my pocket.

And, with all the money I saved (we had planned on paying about $800 for that piece at Revival), I was able to pick up some other fun extras for the house! Urban Outfitters has these great marquee letters for atop my new buffet...



And, before anyone says anything (like my husband did)... "H" for Hanks... not "H" for Holly. I'm not THAT vain.

Some pretty curtain tie-backs (also from Urban Outfitters) for my dining room so my curtains don't get smashed behind the buffet...



A cute little thought bubble chalkboard from Red Velvet Art.



I missed out on the bigger version they offered several months back, and was kicking myself. I'm so glad they came out with this new one... even if it is smaller! It won't go in the dining room with the rest of the stuff. But, I'm sure it will find its own special little nook.

So will this clock we also got at Pier 1...



I love how a lot of their new stuff is so unusual looking. Most of it, you would never guess was bought from a chain store.

Getting everything organized and hung the way I want it should keep me busy for a while. If not, I can always purchase some of this wallpaper that I have been milling over in my head...



It's available here. At UK pricing. The problem (other than the exchange rate)? I am terrified of the process involved in actually hanging it. And, if you saw all the cabinetry obstacles on my kitchen wall, you would be too. I might just have to get some professional quotes. We shall see.

I'll share pictures of everything once it has found its place in our home. In the meantime... do you have any great internet finds for home decor? Changing up what's inside these walls is a passion of mine, and I love to find intriguing pieces to add. So, if you've got 'em... do share! I hope you enjoyed my shares, and found your own inspiration for changing up your scenery!