Monday, March 31, 2008
Apples and Oranges
After church on Sunday, we decided to hit Allston to hit up a few of the stores in Allston. Jerome loves the comic book and music stores while I like the thrift stores. We had just come from visiting one of my old roomies when I figured I'd take a quick detour and peek into Urban Renewals. I wasn't really looking to buy anything but figured it would give us a reason to walk a little further and enjoy the air. As we were leaving the store, we saw the fruit set bagged and sitting on a table in the furniture section. No way could I pass that up!
It's a vintage set but in great condition. It took me a little while to polish all the different pieces with all the ridges and grooves, but it looks so cute now! I've been trying to find info on the manufacturer, Rosas, but have come up with nothing. I'm guessing the company's gone now. Either way, I found other similar pieces going for $15-20 PER FRUIT PIECE! I paid $6.28 for the whole thing!
Gotta love thrift stores :)
Friday, March 28, 2008
Red Tag Sale
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thrifty Thursday: Big City Feel
This is a unique, gorgeous vanity with a black glass top. You don't see furniture like this anymore. If you're in New York, grab this up ASAP!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Reduce, Reuse, Freecylce
Freecycle.org is a non-profit movement made up of various networks. Once you choose your group (I chose Boston, MA), you're directed to a Yahoo!Groups page to register. From there, you can browse through your network's listings.
While I applaud Freecycle's aim of saving our landfills, I'm not a fan of the online structure. The biggest drawback for me is the lack of pictures. Photos of the item up for grabs are not included with the post. Instead you have to email the member who posted the item and request pics.
If you've ever browsed Craigslist, you've probably run into a few listings where the item sounded great from the title but was anything but when you looked at the pictures. On Freecycle, you may not realize the item's a dud until after you've played email-tag with the owner. Frustrating if you ask me.
Another downfall is the way the listings are setup. Items are posted as messages on the group page. For simplicity's sake, Freecycle asks that when leaving a post, you begin the title either with OFFERED, WANTED, TAKEN, or RECEIVED. The problem is, there's no filter that divides the messages between these catagories; the WANTED postings are right there with the OFFERED postings.
For now, I'll keep using Craigslist's free section when looking for a no-cost way to add to my furniture collection, but I'll definitely keep Freecylce on my radar.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Store Review: Hamilton Hardware
Once again, another weekend went by where I didn't do anything around the house. I was going to re-hang my livingroom shelves with new brackets but wasn't in the mood for patching old holes and drilling new ones. Finishing the mirrored faux fireplace in the dining room was also on the list but everytime I go to the hardware store, I forget to pickup the glass cutter. There's trim to be painted and numbers to be stenciled on the hallway barcodes. But, of course, none of that tedius work appealed to me either, so I sat on the couch watching mindless TV instead!
I did manage to do one productive thing. Saturday, Jerome and I finally made the trip around the corner to Hamilton Hardware. It's literally about four blocks from our apartment, but in the eight months we've been here, my legs have never felt like walking that far!
Hamilton's is a small, mom and pop store. The layout is simple so you're not running around for hours trying to find a #8 screw. Even with the store's small size, they manage to have a pretty good selection of the basics you'd need for any home DIY project. If you're looking for something large-scale, Home Depot or Lowe's might be your best bet, though the guys at Hamilton will special order what you need if they don't carry it. Case in point: the table saw they offered to have shipped in for me!
If you're looking to add color to your place, they sell California Paint. It's not my favorite brand, but give it a couple of coats and you're all set.
While we were having a key made and purchasing a refill pack of Swiffer pads, a lively group of people came in. They appeared to be the family of the gentlemen behind the counter. Hugs and hellos went all around. It was cute and made me wish all places were family-run by nice people with great, PERSONAL customer service. In an effort to help out the little guy, I'm definitley going to give Hamilton Hardware my business. I'm also on the lookout for other locally owned shops to frequent.
Tonight I'm going to Ikea.
Hamilton Hardware
259 Bowdoin Street
Dorchester, MA 02122
(617) 825-7340
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thrifty Thursday (On a Friday!)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Gone Fishin'...
Aside from goldfish, the tanks are also perfect for any other kind of decor you'd like to showcase. Perhaps you'd like a serene rock garden displayed or a you could turn it into a terrarium with small lizards. Who knows, the sky's the limit!
AquaOne
Aquariuss
Italbrass
Monday, March 17, 2008
Online Updates
Friday, March 14, 2008
It all goes back to mom!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Thrifty Thursday: The Best (and Biggest) Things are Free
This awesome bar is FREE! How can you go wrong with that? Now, I know that most Boston apartments can't accomodate a huge piece like this, but if you have the space, why not! The bar is being "donated" by the Garment District. The only catch is that you have to pick up and move the heavy bar yourself. While you're there, don't forget to check out their funky retro clothing rooms upstairs!
Bamboo Side Chairs (TWO): $40
Cute side chairs perfect for a small apartment sitting area. They're cute as is, but could be even funkier if you gave them a paint treatment in a bold color to match your living space. They come as a set of two making them ideal for a little bistro table or work space.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sale!
Clockwise from left to right:
Carved Wood Vessles, $29-$49, Pottery Barn; Softaly Leather Loveseat, $399.88, Walmart; Hudson Room Divider, $99, Target; Wood Candles, $8.99-$19.99, Pottery Barn
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Finger Cramps
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Thrifty Thursday: Dashes of Funk
Looking to add a little funk to your apartment? Check out this chair going for $30 on craigslist. You can easily remove the chair cushion and seat back to update the existing fabric with something new and fun. Looking for a little more pizzaz? Paint the chair a fun color to coordinate with your room and add a bright burst of color.
1970's Bedroom Set: $275
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Youz*d Reads: Decorating Junk Market Style
Decorating Junk Market Style
By Sue Whitney and Ki Nassauer
$13.57 - Amazon.com
I found a great new book just perfect for Youz*d. Decorating Junk Market Style is full of ideas on ways to turn random items into great pieces. There are wonderful things you'd NEVER dream of, like a candle tray out of a drawer front, a roller skate vase, and a towel rack made from a playpen! Talk about trash to treasure! There are several projects I can't wait to try! In addition to this great book, Amazon has a host of other books on flea market and junk decorating. They come up with some ingenious things...some of the stuff they do is incredible!
Aside from their book, don't forget to check out the Junk Market website where you can buy Junk apparel and find nifty "junk" gifts.
Youz*d News
In case you're wondering why I haven't posted a blog in a few days it's because I was sick...not fun! Lucky for me, the extra time I spent on the couch wasn't all a waste! In going through the first steps of drafting up my business plan, I started thinking about what I REALLY want Youz*d to be and what I REALLY love about interior design. During Law and Order commercial breaks, I was able to come up with a great new direction for Youz*d. I don't want to reveal anything yet, but believe me, Youz*d is getting a revamp!
Not only will Youz*d be "going green" (refurbish, reuse, repurpose!), I'll also be changing my focus, redoing the website (isn't it great to have web designer friends!) and possibly - gasp! - changing the name of Youz*d!!
The final plans won't take full effect until this fall but believe me, it'll be worth it! Perhaps Youz*d will show up in a neighborhood near you!