Big Spender

Apparently Austin has moved into a subtropical zone, one where we receive three inches of rain in 30 minutes almost daily. It's been a relief for our drought ridden region, except I'm starting to wonder if the sun is ever going to return or if we're doomed to live in a mushroom forest until the end of time. Point is, I'm getting stuff done around here but I can't take pictures because it's pitch dark.

For starters, Ike got a new (craigslist) big boy bed that Matt is painting a creamy sooty black:

Just try to stop yourself from loving that cute bed.

Also my bedding came in from Overstock so the master bedroom is looking less crappy every day, if maybe a bit sleazy... I don't know. That's my next photography project so look for updates in the next few days if the rain will ever stop. This may be a little OTT, though:

Giant faux fur blanket I know you aren't for real, but I think I might could love you anyway... maybe.

Meanwhile, swing arm sconces and new pillows are in the works for the front room.

I took the plunge and sprang for a pair of these Kelly Wearstler/Lee Jofa pillows, and now I wish I'd also gotten a pomegranate velvet cover from the same seller:

Should I?

And hey, did you know that if you buy a pair of unshaded swing arm sconces at a thrift store, a cup harp is the proper lamp fitting to connect the sconce to a real (not Ikea or clip) shade?

It looks like this. Now you know.

Also the nursery is slowly inching towards completion. To that end, I sent this chair:

To be upholstered in this fabric:

Which I scored for $4/yd including tax and shipping. Shazam!

And finally I sucked it up and bought more wallpaper for the hallway and powder room. Maybe those rooms will get done before baby comes, maybe not. Last time I papered our hall myself, but this time I'm having someone else do it for a VERY reasonable price. I will give out his info after he's done... I ain't got time for poaching.

What does all this add up to? Poverty. I try really really really hard to buy vintage, to use local retailers and shop small business, but I still have the stain of filthy capitalism all over me right now.

When Ben gets the Amex statement he is going to insist on putting the kids to work as child models, or at least as diamond miners.

Can't say I'm opposed to a little mining (and hopefully smuggling). Child modeling is way creepier.

ps, that was intended to be funny.

Later, dudes. The doctor is about to poke her fingers in my special no no to see when the baby might come out...

I need two more weeks. Legs and fingers crossed!

Living Room Updates

Interior photography should be an olympic sport. There would be the sofa lifting component, the squatting competition, and the tensed muscles/breath holding element. Also, extremely pregnant ladies should automatically get a blue ribbon. I'm telling you this because I threw my back out whilst attempting a living room photo shoot, ostensibly to show off my new curtains.

Why would I choose the hardest room to shoot, praytell? I think we've already established that I am not always the most rational being. Ok, and I don't want to shoot the very nearly finished rooms until they're as close to done as possible, because I'm weird like that.

Meanwhile, the living room is never going to be done. It's huge, has a difficult layout, and is frequently inhabited by small people and their tiny but obnoxious plastic toys. Fixing this room will cost a zillion dollar billz -- largely spent on new seating, rugs, upholstery, built ins, and custom curtains. Oh, and I would also like a pile of money to swim in like Scrooge McDuck.

Just because.

Enough excuses. On with the show.

Hey, look at that -- I have new curtains.

They came from the West Elm outlet, $130 total for all four panels. They are silk. They are sheer. They are not overwhelming and I like that. I probably need to hang them higher but I'm not in any hurry to nag Ben into conquering that relatively piddly task.

Dear jeebus that chesterfield needs to get out of there... but it's so comfortable. Like sitting on your grandma's lap and listening to bedtime stories about the good old days, albeit with crumbs and jelly smeared all over your ass.

Here is the back end of the room that I never show because it's sorely under utilized and generally functions as a crap repository. You can see the unpainted hallway in the background... it's not papered because I may have miscalculated the amount of paper I need to cover the space. May = definitely.

Kind of embarrassing back wall. Someday the tv may go back here. Or not. Until then I am unwilling to invest more than a few bucks jazzing up this space. What do you think: New chair upholstery (it needs to be resprung anyway)? Or maybe paint the mirror? New lamps? Rug shakeup?

I don't know. Blank slate. I'm not planning to spend a lot of time worrying about it. I wish I could paint that wall a crazy color, but it would be weird with the other stuff going on around that space.

And there you have it. I just made myself totally depressed.

I am trying to remind myself that the room looks ever so much better than it did when we moved in less than a year ago:

Hahaahaaaaaaaaaaa.

In other news, Ike's room is totes cute but I might buy him a new bed... Also it is insanely dark in there until about 7:30, which is bedtime. Hence the lack of pictures that might make me feel better about myself.

Master bedroom is looking cozy but needs art and bedding. Hopefully these things will happen over the weekend.

Front room looking kinda awesome but needs pillows... I am eyeing these but so far have been too cheap to pull the trigger:

Baby nursery is finally coming along, but I now have an unopened roll of Thibaut's Cheetah wallpaper to sell:

I kept trying to make it work in there, but it felt like hammering a square peg into a round hole. Let me know if you want to buy it and I'll ship it to you.

And finally, all the onesies are washed and blankies are folded. So if Baby X decides to squirt out of ladytown any time soon I am "prepared."

As if.

Weekend Update

I do believe the weekend beat me 20 kinds of black and blue and now Monday is here to laugh in my face. On Saturday my baby boy turned THREE years old and I want to claw my eyes out just thinking about that. No more growing, kid. Also, no more birthday parties when I am 36 weeks pregnant and it's 800 degrees outside.

But he was pretty excited about the mountain of presents he got, so we'll call this one worth it.

The rest of the weekend we spent cleaning closets and preparing for the arrival of Number Two, who is growing so fast I frequently have to haul myself out of bed at 5am to eat more. Ugh.

Meanwhile, the house is shaping up (mostly). The front room is in danger of looking pretty good, so no pictures until I get a couple of finishing touches in there. I'll try to take a survey of some other rooms todayish.

The baby nursery may be an utter failure, though. Not enough wallpaper, not sure about upholstery, custom blinds are stupid expensive... too whipped to fully discuss right now.

Ike is back at summer camp today. Off to make the most of my remaining three hours of freedom!