Breaking West Elm Outlet News

May 17, 2012 erin

Did you know there was a clearance rack at the West Elm Outlet? Did you even know there was a West Elm outlet? Well for those of you fortunate enough to live in the suburbs (guffaw), an outlet mall may be lurking in an unpopulated wasteland near you. Lucky for us Austinites, we have only to drive down to San Marcos, which is actually really lovely and features rivers flowing with beer (byob). Winning.

So yesterday MIL, Ike, and I trekked down to the outlets in search of this rug for the dinette and these curtains for Ike's room, but I found none of the above. Still, I managed to score some goodies on the cheap. Check it out.

This giant papier mache impala head is usually $169, but I found it for $9.97 and could not resist. I was thinking about putting it in the baby nursery, but I don't know... maybe it's kind of demonic?

Does it look like I sacrifice goats and draw penatagrams in their blood on my pregnant belly?

Does this remind you of Damien the Omen or is it just me?

I also got a white mongolian lamb pillow for $9.97. I should probably use it to continue the dead animal trend in the baby room, right? Oh, and wouldn't it be funny to put glasses on top so that my infant son is convinced a muppet monster will attack him whilst sleeping?

Maybe not.

I did get a diaper bag for half price. That makes me a good mommy. The gold zippers make me AWESOME.

Perhaps even more important than prepararing for the impending birth of my child is that I found this $400 Moroccan wedding blanket for $19.97.

Yeah, buds. Now my bedroom is going to look just like this:

Or maybe this:

Or definitely like this:

Or perhaps I will hang it on the wall behind my tv.

Wall hanging or blanket???

Either way: winning.

Let me tell you what is not winning.

I have been obsessing about this gorgeous indigo/violet kilim rug forlikeever and they had it at the outlets.

Yay! There were even two of them

But both of them were covered in lint. COVERED. I've never seen something attract so much lint in my life. A lint brush doesn't even do that good a job of defurring your pets.

Do not buy this rug.

Sorry, West Elm.

I still love you.

And I really love your outlet store.

[Moroccan blankets here and here]

The Power of Paint Compels You

May 16, 2012 erin

I am possessed by the urge to paint EVERYTHING.

Ceilings.

Floors.

Woodwork.

Chairs.

Paintings.

Kitchen cabinets.

I've visited Benjamin Moore so frequently of late that Sanders is probably wondering if he should set up a cot for me.

Yesterday when I went to the high risk doc, I frantically interrogated him about the possibility of harming the baby from SO MUCH PAINTING. I mean, I use the fancy low VOC Aura paint, but still... there are nights I go to bed with paint in my hair. And under my nails. And who knows where else -- I can't see down there anymore.

He said not to worry one bit, to paint away.

So in case you were wondering, our little peanut probably will probably come out with only two eyes and sans vestigial tail.

Although extra parts could come in handy someday?

Gotta peruse some paint chips. See y'alluns later.

[House and Home, Mary MacDonald, Veranda, Jamie Meares, Laura Day, unknown kitchens all via pinterest]

Let's Talk About My Retina Scarring Kitchen Cabinets

May 15, 2012 erin

It's official. Today marks the third trimester of pregnancy and I have transformed overnight from cute, bouncy pregnant lady into shamu the whale -- beached and bleating out sad whale noises whilst flipping over and over in hopes of finding a comfortable side to lay on (hint: there isn't one). In other words I'm slowing down. So far we've painted most of the rooms -- and I've even painted one room twice (be gone, band aid office!) -- but at the very least we still have the baby nursery to paint and kitchen cabinets to tackle.

Ohhhh, the kitchen cabinets. Thanks a lot, you bossy bitches, for deluding me into thinking I can paint that crap. And I mean that in the nicest possible way :) :) :) Look! I am smiling! But seriously we are going to try to paint them in the next three to four weeks, before I totally wimp out and can only mail order window treatments and rugs and the like.

Ohmygod why... WHY! This kitchen was gutted about eight years ago, and while I don't expect it to look fresh as a daisy, I cannot for the love of jeebus understand why the homeowners installed custom honey oak cabinets. I do not hate wood cabinets -- darker or lighter would have been fine. But these are orange and wood grain striped like an angry tiger.

Here's a better view that shows the beautifully absent desk that Matt knocked out. My James Montish cerused oak hutch has since occupied the space, and it looks boss.

Now, let's talk about these cabinets. Some of you suggested a two tone look, with cream on top and taupey gray on bottom. That would be fine, but there is a floor to ceiling pantry wall that houses the fridge (taupey gray?) and a floor to ceiling double oven cabinet on the other side of the microwave. That one is attached to the upper cabinets, so not sure what to do about it if we go two tone.

You can see how that wall is configured in the MLS photo. My photos are more accurate colorwise.

Here's a shot of the counters. I think they read darker and a little warmer/yellower overall, but I wanted to make sure you could see all the different colors -- peachy rust, beige, taupe, medium and dark greens. The backsplash is sandy beige tile.

I would like for you to know I hate this kitchen so much that I've already priced out carrara marble counters ($55 sq/ft installed for 3cm slabs with eased edges), Ikea cabinets, and I'm plotting to run the living room wood floors into the kitchen and dinette...

Someday.

I cannot undertake a reno of that scale before baby comes. Not to mention that we just bought a new car and ye olde bank account needs a while to recover.

And so friends, it's up to us to make this kitchen livable for the next year or two. What color should I paint my cabinets?