I have been pondering how to spruce up the first floor bathroom since before we even closed on the house, and I keep having some great ideas, but none have really resonated with me the way that I've wanted them to. I really wanted something relatively inexpensive in the budget department, but transformative. And everything I wanted to do in there was either too grandiose or not quite right... until recently. 

Inspiration finally hit when I saw a dark chevron pattern the other day (was it at a restaurant? I can't quite remember.) and I knew that is what I wanted! I've wanted to create a dark, moody bathroom (just take a look at my bathroom pinterest board!), and I always thought that it would eventually be the upstairs bathroom to be the dark one. But now my mind is completely changed! Dark bathroom downstairs, bright white bathroom upstairs, it's settled! So I played around a bit with the photoshops to fully visualize all of the elements together, and I think I'm pretty much there in terms of planning.

Let's consider the before, shall we?

This is pretty much the way it has looked since we moved in last year, khaki tan walls, mismatched chrome and bronze fixtures and a pedestal sink and matching toilet that are a bit too grecian in style for my taste but am however very thankful to have, versus the standard Home Depot cabinet sink that could have easily come with it instead! So they will do for now. We've since added this nice moroccan (?) hooked rug that we inherited, and I really like the warmth it gives the space, so I think we'll keep that. And the mirror, again, is not my favorite, but has a medicine cabinet behind it that would be a pain to replace, because of the unusual shape, so I think we'll keep that for now too. The medicine cabinet is the only storage space in the room! But please ignore the little wallpaper samples that have been taped up, as those were originally being considered along with a thousand other ideas, but are no longer in the running, haha! 

Okay, here is what I'm after:

1) the walls will be similar to these colors (which I found via a nice little tutorial from fromrentingtoremodeling.com), two warmer dark greys in a bold chevron pattern, like I spotted out in the world. Please ignore my haphazard photoshop job, I all I needed was to patch together the image so it fit into all the nooks and crannies, but it will look much better IRL, I promise. 

2) my parents recently offered to buy us a gift for our Birthdays, as they had not gotten around to that, and wanted it to be something for the house that we would not be able to get for ourselves right away. I knew immediately that I wanted a light fixture from Barn Light Electric, as I have been coveting them for ages. And it would be perfect to have it be for the first floor bathroom, so that my parents could see it every time they come over, and be reminded that they bought it for us! The light I chose was the Industrial Double Wire Guard pendant in black finish. Though we will be installing it horizontally on the wall, versus from the ceiling. 

3) I plan to spray finish the existing towel bar black to match, but am having a hard time deciding what to do with the remaining chrome fixtures. Do I leave them as is, or will that still be too mismatched and gaudy in comparison, or should I attempt a little extra elbow grease and take them out, spray them too, and reinstall them? Getting new fixtures is out of the question at the moment, but might be a possibility further down the line. There is also a standing chrome toilet paper holder, not pictured. Thoughts?

4) Then I'll swap out the old hand towels in lieu of some beautiful black and white Turkish hand towels that we picked up on our trip to Istanbul this summer! I'm excited to finally put them to good use, where everyone can get use out of them.

5) You can't see the ceiling in this picture, but I also want to install a beadboard ceiling with moulding around the edges, similar to the bathroom in this picture. It would be quick and easy to install, since the bathroom is so small. I think it would add just a bit more original charm to the space. I would love to also install it in the kitchen someday, though that will be a much larger undertaking!

What do you guys think? Any thoughts on the fixtures or have any additional advice that I should consider? 

I have been waiting a long and hard 11 months to get the light fixtures in the living / dining room changed out, as that is where we spend the majority of our time and therefore, find ourselves staring at the hideous builder's grade boob light fixtures most often in. We finally got around to it these past few days... Pro tip: installing things on the ceiling during a 110 degree heat wave is not fun! So sweaty and tired!! But it was worth it.

Exhibit A: Before! The dreaded (matching) boob lights!

Exhibit B: After! We've got two new reproduction ceiling medallions installed and two beautiful (unique) fixtures! (Sorry for the filtered iPhone photos y'all, its all I got!)

The medallions still have to be caulked, patched and touch-up painted (and we're missing just one of the bulbs in the chandelier? (I dont really know what happened there) But they are up and they look beautiful! Hooray!

EDIT: Now that the new fixtures are up, I am sort of feeling the urge to rearrange the dining room art wall. So soon, you say? Why yes, I only finished installing that about 6 mo ago, but I think a change in the art for Fall is an all-around good idea, no? A9Alex is going to kill me when he reads this! :D )

Here are a list of my favorite things on the MSP Craigslist right now. I wish I could afford to get all of them!

round Room & Board end table, $160  // For the Living Room.

round tulip-style table for the kitchen $150 // Though I'd prefer ahem... a white marble top.

beautiful teak wood patio set $375 // Though I'm not completely sold on those super bright red cusions. I would probably want to recover them in Black, Grey or Tan.

This great wooden storage unit! $200 // For the basement workroom area.

Set of two industrial light fixtures, $25 each // For the Master Bedroom.

Midcentury chrome desk lamp $40 // For the Master Bedroom or Guest Bedroom.

The perfect rustic wood bench, $50!! // For the Foyer!

Image c/o This Old House

It's the world I live in people. Ceiling Medallion world. It is a beautiful world, sure. But also a frustrating one. In which, I am swimming in options and sizes (thank god for the internet), but cant find one to match the authentic casual Victorian feel of our house that ALSO has an inner diameter of at least 4 1/2" to save my life. You see, I've collected these three modern globe ceiling fixtures to replace the ugly outdoor-looking ones that were installed in our house when it was flipped. And the canopies need at least 4 1/2" in the center to fit them into the ceiling medallion (which, This Old House recommends, should have an outer diameter of at least 18" to fit the scale of rooms over 140 sq ft with up to 10' ceilings). All I can find are inner diameters of 3 5/8" or there arent dimensions listed (internet fail). GUH.

I wish I could just blink my eyes and 6 perfect matching ceiling medallions would appear on my doorstep, instead of sifting through the internet for the thousandth time (my head hurts!)

Image from Architectural Depot

Okay... vent over. Other things sitting on my to do list that I am itching to get done asap?

+ Paint the guest room
+ Hang the 2013 calendar that Alex got me for Christmas!
+ Cut boards for missing shelves in several of our closets, paint boards, install
+ Buy a small touch up can of white for the trim, touch up scuffs and chips!
+ Cut wood for small upstairs bathroom shelf, paint, install
+ Take down all Christmas decorations and re-arrange living/dining room

Oh pinterest, you slay me! (know what else slays me right now? These amazing hydrangea bushes bursting into life at MCAD right now! Ughhh my goddd drooooool... So big and fluffy and conical shaped!) My right brain loves the simple way I can visually categorize every item into the proper section, for later viewing and shopping. (This is sounding eerily like a blog post I would have posted about 2 years ago...) But my left brain thinks I'm getting a little out of control. You see, the other day I felt inclined to make a whole new board just for... wait for it... light fixtures. And I stopped dead in my tracks. Are you seriously so obsessed with these physical objects that you need a whole board dedicated to their deliciously mid century minimal styling?!?  (The answer is yes, but that is a whole other affliction that I wont get into here.)

And who am I making this board for, really? I'd like to think that I'm making it only for myself. So that I can virtually bookmark something I may want to come back to when I actually have the keys to our house in my greasy little hands, and make a decision to purchase one (or two, or maybe eventually three). I guess I really dont care if other people decide they want to follow my boards or repin my pins, because that, my friends, is getting into dangerous territory. A territory that I am not prepared to enter. In fact, I would much rather have the option of making my pins private, and for my own use. BUT, I think that's really more because I am embarrassed at the sheer number of lighting fixtures I pin (or exterior paint color schemes, or variety entirely-white rooms, or etc). More embarrassed, I have to say, then the whole lingerie board I also keep. Nope, no shame there. :)

More to the point, I guess I ask you this... When is enough enough? (Is Victoria from sfgirlbybay's 76 boards enough?) Is this an obsession that I need to quit? Or is it merely a side-effect of jonesing for a house that you do not have yet for a whole 6 months of waiting? Is it a way of coping, or of day-dreaming the stress of it all away? Opinions? Should I begin to dissect and categorize my boards to my hearts' content? Opinions and advice would be appreciated.

PS: I've found a few new blogs (that may help to alleviate my house-induced stupor, and instead replace it with a food-obsessed one) called Bon Appétempt (amazing cook-it-yourself blog featuring the lovely Amelia. Has hilarious little videos made by her husband Matt) and bigBANG studio (which I have come across once or twice in the past, but never really delved whole-heartedly into. Think valuable life lessons about work, love and marriage, amidst yummy food recipes and lovely travel photos galore. I adore it.) Recently added to the blogroll (do people still call this thing the "blogroll"?), check em out!

Time for another round-up of things I want on Craigslist! Yay! What a treasure trove you always are, Craigslist...

The Coolest vintage steamer trunk I've ever seen! $95

A beautiful house plant, Mother in Law's Tonuge, I think?? (Sorry for the TERRIBLE PIC)

Fake house plants, more realistic for my black thumb, $10

I'm in love with this awful vintage 70's sofa! $400

OMG these mid century pendant lights! $50

A great pair of tall white bookshelves, none of that Ikea Junk, $160

Mid Century Etagere/Room Divider! $750

Great walnut veneer credenza! $350

Cute lil grey dresser/nightstand (wayyyyy overpriced at $450)

I kind of love these rattan chairs (bebes!!), $15 each

Does your partner annoy you? Joanna from Cup of Jo always asks her readers to weigh in on questions she poses. And this one really made me think. Because while I am totally head-over-heels in love with my partner, yes, there are still things that bug me about him. But she makes a good point (or rather, her husband Alex does) that annoyances are "part of the fabric of the relationship. They try to act like they're driving each other crazy but they really can't live with out each other. Annoyances aren't a deal killer. They're a natural part of a long, happy marriage."

Things that Alex does that annoy me:
-He is such a smarty-pants. He always has to explain things to me in a very calculated, scientific, smarty-pants way. When I dont understand the language he's speaking, I end up getting even more frustrated.
-His reluctance to try new things (which he has been getting better and better about in the last few years, but very slowly). He always wants to go back to his favorite restaurants, and go on the same vacations over again, and do things the way he's always done them. I hate doing things the same way twice, even watching movies for a second time! There are just too many things/places I havent gone yet to think about going back again!

Things that I do that annoy Alex:
-In general, I am very good at spelling and grammar. But the one that I never say right is "borrow, and lend." Somehow I manage to always say "Emma borrowed me this book," instead of "Emma lent me this book." (Did I say that right?)
-I watch bad tv. He cant stand being in the same room with me when Im watching Gossip Girl, Charmed, Law and Order or any crime show. He can be half-listening and still find fault with the plot or the legitimacy of the show. He hates them.

Also, I totally stumbled upon one of THE BEST twin cities guides! All thanks to Design*Sponge! It is written from the point of view of an actual local, instead of sounding like every other city guide out there (aside from The City Scout, of course!!!), regurgitated over and over again from soul-less internet articles and best-of lists. It is seriously amazing and comprehensive, you should check it out.

Design*Sponge ALSO did a little home tour yesterday of Sarah & Greg's Los Angeles apartment, whom I had a chance to meet up with while visiting Miss Katie back in March. It was so great to see your amazing apartment Sarah & Greg, Katie & Scott talk about it all the time! (Go check it out, I especially love that vintage couch and chair set!)

TRAVELING... I have that itch again! I know, I just went to CA, but it was such a short visit! I was browsing Airbnb yesterday, and I found this adorable little flat in Istanbul for only $14/night (THOSE VIEWS OMG)! I think I might have to make that happen. UGHGhGhGHHHHHhhhh.

PESTO. It is taking over my life! We've had a few weeks of our CSA delivered now, and all we seem to be getting these first few weeks is spinach, arugula, swiss chard, salad greens and more salad greens! When we cant quite finish them at the end of the week, I've been throwing them all into the food processor with some walnuts, garlic, olive oil and S+P to make a quick pesto. But NOW I have too much pesto... a few small jars of it in my fridge. But I found out last night that I can just scoop it with some crunchy french bread and some spreadable goat cheese and it is to die for. BEST THING EVER.

What's up with you guys? I feel like we havent caught up in awhile.

You may have heard about this amazing design project Nicole Meyer has taken upon herself, the Branding 10,000 Lakes Project. She makes beautiful, simple logos for one Minnesota Lake a day. And since I can't get the cabin on the lake out of my head now that summer has rolled around, I thought I would share some of my favorites! (although, she hasnt gotten to Birch Lake yet. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for it!)











They are honestly all so beautiful Nicole! Keep up the great work!

It's time for another episode of "WHATS COOL ON CRAIGSLIST THIS WEEK." I'm your host, and welcome back to whats recently become a regular installment, apparently! Forewarning people, prepare to drool. (And ps: I've been building this post for awhile, so I am sure some of these are long gone already, in classic craigslist style).

Eames Lounge knock-off, complete with ottoman $350!

60's Highboy Dresser $325 (a set of two)!

The Most Giant Mirror I have Ever Seen! $200

White Herman Miller round table, $175

Great Navy and Cream striped Mid Century Sofa, $475

Ikea NORDEN Dining Table, $300

This awesome rustic outdoor dining set! $165

That's all for now folks. But yours truly, the self-professed craigslist skimmer, will be back very soon... I am sure.

UM Have you guys seen this yet?? Go to the sartorial twist immediately. It is endlessly entertaining (and quite inspiring, I might add!).

I am just loving the "My Better Half" Series going on over at Amanda Jane Jones' blog. Sweet so sweet, oh my god!

My pinterest has been filling up with major house inspiration. Like, for real... I've pinned everything from spatulas to doors to floors to couches and lamps with complete abandon. And I suppose it's no secret that Alex and I have been looking at houses, which has only added fuel to the fire. But let me tell you that it has been both stressful and exhilarating! It's so fun to imagine and pick out your dream house, but also scary to think you might never find it, or might be out-bid! Houses are going like hot cakes in this market.

Hopefully, we'll have some exciting news on that front soon, but for now let's just do some house ogling, shall we? In the style of SFgirlbybay's "In my dreams, I live here" posts, here are some of my favorite recent house inspirations. An ode to the house of my dreams, and to hoping it comes true! (Cross your fingers for us everyone, we need everything we can get!!)

(All sources can be found via my Pinterest)