House Tour Part 3

Please forgive my lapses in posting. I am generally not home during the day in the week because I am usually pounding the pavement going to castings or work. Yes I could do it when I get home but by the time I make dinner and make sure Michaela has her homework done I am completely knackered! My Blogging day's are best saved for the weekend.

I am now introducing you to my living room and kitchen. They are both filled with trinkets I love or things that remind me of Canada. The Bus Scroll behind the couch was a birthday present from my friend she has heaps of them!! The stops Scarborough and Whitby were of course my main attraction since I am from Toronto. The mirror beside the couch was a steal literally! When I lived in a sublet in Chinatown. The sublet was given up and since the tenant was out of the country I inherited the mirror which he found on the street!!! I think I want to put a Canadian Flag above it but am still debating. My sewing lady was given to me when my friend was downsizing here apartment. I love it because it reminds me of my mother aunts and grandmother since they all are seamstresses. The chair I purchased at the City Opera Thrift store on 23rd street for a mere $25 I covered the seat cushion with part of an old sheet until I decide what fabric I want to use. The rug is a runner that my friend was going to throw out so once again Jakob was my champion and brought it to my house. I thought it would fit in my hallway but it was too wide so I moved the cowskin to my room and put the runner in the living room. I think it looks good.

My dining table my mother got me for Christmas since she knew I was lusting after it I of course painted it white. Two of the chairs are from Junk in Williamsburg and one was found on the street. My boyfriend hates them all because he's lugged them all to my house! I love JFK and Jakie hence the salt and pepper shakers, my friend gave them to me as a house warming gift because of course I was lusting after them when I visited her in her home town in South Jersey.

The Kitchen is filled with my milk glass collection my mini bar, and Good ole Abe. Well that is my home in a nutshell please follow me on my journey as I work to complete my it!

xShirley

Home Tour Part Two

This is my hallway which I am still working on I have a few ideas of how I would like it to look but need to get all the components ie: mirror or picture a low bookshelf or dresser and a chair. I have added my collection of black and white cross stitch to one wall and am still adding photos to the wall coming up the stairs. I just finish painting the base the trim and spindles coming up the stairs they were a puke brown it was terrible!!! I want to paint the railing high gloss black and the door at the bottom of the stairs bothers me to but not sure if I can do to much about it since I am renting. I will keep you posted with my ideas and when it's completed.

xShirley

House Tour Part One

Sorry for my delay in posting I have been really sick for the past week and a half grrrrr!
Here is the rest of my humble abode which is still a work in progress. First I will introduce you to my daughters room. It is pretty much done, I just have to paint the dresser and add a few shelves she loves collecting rings and sunglasses and is a typical teenage girl so I tried to add pops of color to her room with the Warhol prints and the Funny Face poster. The Chinese lanterns are from her birthday they were strung around the apartment and when I took them down they became tangled so I put them in her window. She also loves horses so we added some equestrian details to the mix. The carpet was a steal I got it for $5 and found it on Broadway and Canal two years ago. Of course I added one of my cross stitch pieces which is something she will cherish forever. Enjoy!

xShirley

Tall Dresser Ideas!

Here is a roundup of ideas I found for the tall dresser I want to put in my room I am torn between the mirror or the monochromatic look which I would do with my milk glass or maybe just apothecary glasses like the blue ones in the picture decisions decisions! What's a thrifty girl to do? I am also debating whether to put a bench at the end of my bed, although I do like the idea of the trunk and suitcase.

xShirley

Images via Apartment Dreams Good Bones Great Pieces and Lonny

Home Sweet Home!

So this is my humble abode and I am still doing some finishing touches but what needs the most work is my room......Shhhhh I have a secret I have not had a dresser for two and a half years yup! crazy I know. I am very picky and indecisive, my boyfriend loves the complete emptiness of my room which I did enjoy for a while but now I want my room to have a more pulled together look, of course still with some of the kitschiness I enjoy. I have a few idea's of how I would like my room to look, so now I am on the hunt for a tall skinny dresser.

Some of the key elements of my room I love, is my chandelier there are no words for the love I feel for her yes she's a she! I found her all alone in the back of a dusty thrift store on the lower east side she had a rival her name was Tiffany, Tiffany Lamp. Of course I was not interested in Tiffany I loved Chandelier at first sight. Ever since I read somewhere that chandeliers are like grown up disco balls it was put on my lust list. Back to my story, when I went up to the front to ask about Chandelier (I thought she would be pricey) the lady told me she was a mere $25 dollars! I was beside myself, with shaky hands I went to the back and lovingly picked her up and now here she is paired with an original detail ceiling medallion.

I have two looks for my dresser that I am considering and I want to place it where the luggage is right now and no my clothes are not in there they are in my closet all of them! I know I have wall space actually allot of wall space directly in front of me but I am currently using it as a movie screen for my projector. I love it! Michaela and I had a movie marathon yesterday with popcorn I make on the stove. Yum!

My other pieces I wont go into so much of a love story. The cork lamp was a find from housing works in Tribeca and was inspired by Jessica Randals feature in Domino as you can see I am still working on it don't want to replace the shade because I love the texture and debating wether to paint it all white....Thoughts anyone??? my other lamp was purchaed for $10 because the wireing didn't work, which I had fixed by Michaela's (my daughter) grandfather.

The artwork is a piece from my daughter and the other I saw the quote on a blog of course I can't remember the name of the blog. I painted a canvas chalk board paint and voila it is now above my bed my boyfriend is Germany so he likes it. I may cross stitch it someday we'll see!

That is the introduction to one of the rooms in my home.

xShirley

P.S. I hate that the box spring is showing must be rectified.

Lusty Wench!

When I was in high school every year my best friend and I would create our lust list. Generally they were for summer or fall fashion today my lust list has grown exponetially!! Now I have a lust list for decorating, books, fashion, food and anything else that may catch my fancy. Today I am going to share some of the things on my lust list because trust me everything would be way to much in one post.

I have been lusting after the Hermes blanket I feel it would make a wonderful chic addition to my home and of course something wonderfully decadent to snuggle under especially this winter.

I was in Urban Outfitters the other day and I came across the book The Elements of Personal Style it is defiantly a page turner filled with amazing photos of fashion ikon's and their homes which I love to see.....its probably the little voyeur in me.

I have been secretly lusting after a pair of red jeans. I think it is partly my homage to Michael Jackson and because I have envisioned myself matching it with a black equipment sheer blouse tucked in of course and Christian Louboutin's Pigalle 120 patent pump. Sigh!!!

I heart food and on my food lust list I absolutely love making pizza. My boyfriend and I make it and it is so yummy. Our favorite topping's are caramelized onions and artichoke hearts. Yum!!! It is really fun to make because it's a team effort. He rolls out the dough I caramelize the onions and sometimes my daughter will help put the sauce and toppings on. Plus it's so cheap to make, one trip to Trader Joe's and you have your dough sauce and toppings for $10 tops of course depending on what you want on your pizza the price may vary but still affordable none the less!!!

xShirley

Images via Lonny Amazon Zara Martha Stewart

A bit of a Catch up!!!

I have to say I have not been a regular blogger and this is something I will be working on this year!! I have been working on my bathroom and if you remember from my past post I was creating a collage of artwork to display on my wall to complement the sea foam green tile trim. Well my collection has grown and I am quite pleased with the outcome. Most of the pieces were found at a flea market in LA when I went there for my birthday.....which I have to say was a wonderful trip with my boyfriend even though he was none to pleased to lug the pictures around and back to New York. Oopsy!!

I had a wonderful Christmas with my daughter and friends and before Jakob left for Germany we got a tree and trimmed it. I love the fact that I paid only $30 for my tree....gotta love the neighbourhoods on the verge of gentrification!!

xShirley