I love blog-surfing! Visiting my favorite blogs and discovering new links to other blogs! Seeing, reading, being inspired! There is so much "eye candy" and "inspiration" everywhere you look! I recently discovered PresentPast Collection. Heather hosted a bridal shower and invited her blog readers along for a virtual party! Pretty kewl! and what an amazing attention to every little detail! You gotta check it out...
One of the things that really caught my eye was that huge Eiffel Tower! Do you remember my post last month about me purchasing one? That is it! I have that exact same one! I've been waiting to finish up the organizing effort to do some decorating before I posted my final studio photographs, yet share some glimpses of my space along the way. Anyways, after seeing Heather's amazing attention to those small details with those amazing ribbons, I thought how perfect! That is the answer I've been waiting for!!!!
Add in suffering from cabin fever, a small list of items I "need", and you have the perfect reason to go shopping. Not that I need a reason, I'm just saying... So, Don and I ventured out in the COLD to make a trip to Home Goods and Michael's. I browsed and browsed for accents for my studio. I just feel it still "needs" something, so I my mind recently turned to adding a touch of color. Nothing over-bearing; just something warm, soft, yet subtle, and inviting. Just enough to accent --- but not hinder the charm of the old world feel, know what I mean? I think a globe would be perfect!!!
So, while in Home Goods, I pour over everything; imagining how each item would look within my studio. I find a new tea cup and saucer, a bag of yummy smelling potpourri, a large pot glazed green pot with a matching coaster in the right shade of green, along with a medium sized french-style garden urn. Perfect! the cup for some tea while relaxing and reading, potpourri for its wonderful scent, the pot for a potted plant --- the perfect touch for getting me into the studio every couple of days, if only to water it, {an added bonus is that it will soften the colors of all the slat wall} and the urn, well, decorative, yet could be functional! Maybe I'll put the potpourri within it along with my watercolor paint brushes.
Our next stop was Marshall's. In search of a table to use as an end stand beside my leather recliner. I found several that would have worked but decided to keep looking ; nothing was really speaking to me. So, it was an quick exit... stage right.
Next stop, Michael's... there I bought the frame I needed for the large poster size print. Remember, I had previously cut my own frames? Well, let's just say that I made a measuring mistake so that one will need to be cut down and used for one of the other two prints. As I was approaching the check out line, it hit me. I could use some silk flowers and ribbons to dress up my very own Eiffel Tower! So, I searched and finally choose three floral stems. One for texture and color, a pale, soft pink yarrow-looking stem, a vanilla and pink hollycock, and a vanilla with a subtle hint of green cabbage rose and about 5 spools of ribbon in the same color scheme. I hesitated on several other spools, much wider than what I already had in the cart but decided to see what I had on hand first. I found one in a sheer white with silver sparkles sprinkles about that I absolutely loved but wished it had been in an off-white, so I searched with no luck of finding it. This morning it hits me, DuH! I could have tea-stained it!!! I'll grab it next time.
On our way home, Don wanted to stop at a furniture store that is going out of business. So, we ventured in only to find that they were very over-priced! We did find an amazing coffee table with matching end stands that I would love to have for my living room, but we continued looking since we really were not planning on purchasing anything of that nature; except one end stand or a small side table for my studio. So, we get back in the truck and travel on down the road towards home, when Don spots an Big Lots with a Furniture store. He asks me if I'd like to stop and look; figuring I've got nothing to loose, we venture inside.
Once there, I find some small 6mm pearl beads in packages for 50 cents each. Into the cart several packages of them go. I'd recently been thinking of creating a throw for my recliner and decided I'd like to create a crazy quilt using satin, velvet, and a variety of other scraps. It will help me to stay with the old world traveler theme. With all the aged oak on the slat wall, I believe it will help to maintain that masculine feel, while some small accents like the lace and tea cup will add just a sprinkling or femininity thrown in. The seed beads will be reserved for that.
Next, I spotted some Battenburg style lace place mats that screamed, "Buy Me!" I had been waiting to purchase a few, along with some crocheted doilies, but only after I checked to see what I currently owned. At $2 a pop, how could I resist? I found another Laura Ashley quilted place mat in the perfect colors, vanilla and soft pink, into the cart those went.
Finally, we ventured back to furniture. Looking but not seeing anything that really grabs my attention for the studio end table, we browsed some more. What??? There is the same style coffee table and matching endstands we saw in the furniture store! I am not believing my eyes... Okay, the color of the metal isn't as dark and it doesn't have the ceramic tiles but those could easily be added... and it is a fraction of the other's price. Unbelievable! But remember, we're are not shopping for a coffee table and endstand set. But that doesn't stop me from making a mental notation!!!
I also founnd an under the cabinet light for $10 that would work in my showcase to replace the one that isn't working; but decided since they had quite a few of them and I'd spent so much already, I'd wait to purchase it at another time. A reason to go back, LOL!
So, just as we are heading to the checkout, I spot something. A resin wicker patio set.... hmmm, I thought. I never thought to consider a patio style table... when what to my wandering eyes appears... No, not Santa and his reindeer... but a beautiful wicker chair and a matching round end table!!! OMG! I cannot believe my luck. The color of the end table is the right shade of brown to work with the leather, the height of the table would definitely work, and hey! you can't beat that price tag at $35.00!!! I found it! The perfect table!!! .... in my mind's eye I could see an old library with this sitting in front of a window with its heavy sun-faded curtains and an inviting, comfy place to sit with a book and cup of tea. It was wonderful! Sort of the decor I am attempting to achieve... without some of the architectual details.
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