Spending Binge!

After all the hemming and hawing and threatening and waffling I've been doing recently, I finally bought something that cost more than $2 at the thrift store -- a new rug. Well, a really-old-but-new-to-me-rug. Mostly this happened because Karly is buying a new rug. In my infinite kindness and generosity, I started "helping" her look at rugs, which actually entailed very little other than selfishly hoarding rugs in my Ebay bid basket. After enduring a day of no sleep cranky toddler, I became fed up with whining in general (mine included) and I pulled the trigger. This all occurred while riding home with an overly full stomach after a very delicious gumbo dinner, so it is possible my brain was destroyed by an overabundance of impatience, salt and sassafrass, but I don't think so. Let's check out the goods.

Oh, I really really hope I like it! You never know with these crazy Ebay rugs, and this one is antique with some funky abrash issues:

Plus I really hope the color is ok. The listing says it's rust, which should jibe with this painting:

But if that rug is actually salmon, I am skrewed. I also hope the fancy new-old rug will be ok with our couch, because if it's not then I will just have to buy another couch.

I'm also also thinking about switching our marble coffee table out for this Pace table that I bought 8 million years ago (you can read all about that crazy saga here), but I'm worried the chrome will make all the brass look weird... I guess I'll just have to buy new lamps, too.

And this, my friends, is how I will end up living a life of poverty. Damn, you decorating domino effect.

Secret Lover

Confession: another website has been stealing me away, but I'm stopping by our special happy place for a few minutes today, just to say that I still love you. Don't be mad, baby. Let's have a three way.

It's my new interior photography website! I'm still tweaking it (and will probably never stop tweaking it), but erinerinerin.com is finally up and running. Did you just say that is the most amazing site name ever? You can thank gin and Karly for that one.

Click on that link right now and tell me what you think. Lazy people, feast your eyes on picturez:

Dudes I am tired x infinity, plus I'm leaving on a jet plane early tomorrow to see my baby sister graduate from college this weekend (yay!), so I'm going to cut on out of here.

I'll try to stop by tomorrow, but if I don't make it have a supercallfragelisticexbealladocious weekend!

I'm Riding the Thrift Train to Flossytown

Last week I flipped the thrift switch, and now I'm an unstoppable bargain buying machine. Vintage ikat and paisley tablecloths, overgrown 70's floral needlepoints, a crazy musical cakeplate, and 5000 ceramic pieces later, I show no signs of slowing down -- which is handy since Round Top is tomorrow. (Will Karly buy another coffee table, or won't she? Tune in next week to find out...) My latest find has left me with a bit of buyer's remorse, not unlike the time I bought this.

Let's see what y'all think of my latest purchase:

A vintage Milo Baughman brass based barrel chair in lipstick red. Homegirl still has her Thayer Coggin manufacturer labels intact. And she swivels and rocks. Tease.

But what the hell am I going to do with this thing? Although I love the color -- despite pledging my allegiance to the black and white stars and stripes forever -- the upholstery has seen better days and probably needs to be redone. And wouldn't it look amazing in this?

But since this fabric is $150/yd, I'm thinking no. Dammit.

Of course what I really wish I could do is upholster it in a vintage Jack Lenor Larsen fabric.

Did I say I was afraid of color? Well, If someone gave me a bolt of Larsen fabric, I wouldn't bat a lash -- I swear I would redecorate my entire house around one of his crazy psychedelic prints.

But back to the real world, and the most pressing question: do I keep this chair for which I have no available space and no real need, this chair which needs a $400-500 upholstery job, or do I sell it and make a little cash for... more thrift purchases (duh).

Sleepy eyes sure likes it.

In fact, since I brought little miss hot stuff home, Ike and the cat have fought for space on her bountiful seat -- sometimes to deleterious effect. Ike and the chair are a little worse for wear. The cat, however, is doing just fine.

Keep or sell, people? Help me out.