Maintaining my Vanity

  So, a while back, a came across this little lovely on Craig's List for a mere $20:

It wasn't even in bad shape. The family was just cleaning out their little girl's room, and decided they didn't need it anymore. The mirror inside the flip-up top was damaged and discolored, but that was something I could work around, and certainly wasn't a deal-breaker for only 20 bones.

Like I said, this little guy (gal?) wasn't screaming "I NEED TO BE FIXED UP!!!!" but the current paint job just wasn't my style; it seemed to be a little frouffy for my taste (very technical term). The original coloring looked to be a DIY job; the white spray-painted coat was done very well and looked practically flawless, but the gold detailing was pretty sloppy in some places (no pictures - sorry!) and just gave the piece a very childish feel. Being a perfectionist, those gold details were screaming "messy Messy MESSY!" in addition to likening the piece to something that should be in Kate Middleton's foyer or dressing room. After finding this piece over at Centsational Girl, I was itching to grey-ify something of my own, and thought that the feminine lines of this piece would lend itself well to a more masculine and rainy-day color.

While the color I ended up picking is a bit more blue than I had originally intended (I'm a newbie at choosing paint colors that match what I want, despite the fact that I was a good student and taped up tons of different swatches to look at in different lights at different times of the day), I still like the juxtaposition of the baby bluish tones (read: boyish) on such a curvy piece (read: girlish). I had originally wanted to paint the inside of the flip-top a bright and complementary color, like coral, or a deep contrasting hue, like midnight blue, but ended up leaving that part alone for now. It just wasn't in the cards yet, as I wasn't sure of how to handle the damaged mirror, and I couldn't make a final decision regarding the color (I'm leaning more toward coral...). As it turns out, we're not even currently using the flip top at all, so it doesn't matter; it's very difficult not to put stuff on top of a flat surface...and once it's there, you can't open it anymore. Sigh. I wouldn't mind if it magically turned into a drawer, but maybe after our move, I'll start actually using the little guy as a vanity. Here's the little bugger in all it's (currently) finished glory!

 

The color I ended up going with is Valspar's "Rising Tide" color-matched to Olympic Premium No VOC latex paint. I just bought a little sample size for around $3.50, and it was more than enough for a single coat after a nice coat of Kilz primer. Interestingly, when I hold the color swatch up to the vanity, the color on the card does read a little more gray and less blue, but oh well! I'm still happy with the end result. We're currently using it as a little buffet-type-piece in our dining area, and it blends nicely under our wall collage, as we have a lot of photos or paintings that involve blues, from water, sky, and even backgrounds.

While I had originally planned on altering the color of the drawer pulls, I actually didn't think they were too bad once I was all finished. They look a little tarnished or well-worn, which I like better than pristine, so for now, they stay.  I'm thinkin' they'll look even better once I choose some fun fabric for drawer liners that picks up some of the goldish and cream tones. I got the idea from this image that I came across on Pinterest - been looking for something similar ever since!

So to save your fingers from scrolling back to the top (life's tough, I know), here is a comparison image of the before and after. I like the much more subtle single-tone color that hints to the detailing in the wood with shadows, rather than that cheap-looking gold acrylic paint that might call your attention to the details...but not in a good way.

Have any of you guys redone any interesting pieces lately? Do you have as much trouble choosing a paint color that actually looks the way you pictured it in your head when you're done? Found any steals on Craig's recently? Do tell!

Fabbie Finds

It's that magical time again: the Saturday you all love and look forward to so you can read a blog post! Woot. This week's fabbie finds are themed around food...the first 4 products I found seemed to have a culinary flair, so I made sure to find a 5th that fit into the trend.

Onward!

1. Shark Fin Ice Cubes
Perpetual Kid
$9.99

Are these not the funniest slash cutest things ever? The mold creates a nice big base that sits just deep enough in your beverage to be hidden, but also keep those fins upright and sinister looking. I think they would look particularly cute in a really big punch bowl or other large vessel with a lot of surface area so it looked like a giant feeding frenzy or something. You could get really graphic and float some raspberries or strawberries too for a gory effect...play some Jaws music...use some sort of hidden device to create a current so they looked like they were swimming...too much? Sorry.



2. Pen Cap Utensils
Dine Ink via ThinkGeek.com
$5.99

We've all been there. You're on the run, at work, at your sibling's soccer game, chillin' on the subway, lounging on the beach...and you open your bag to grab that yummy lunch you worked so hard to prepare. Mmmm, it's a chickpea, black bean, and edamame salad, some Moroccan couscous, and a little slice of home-made mocha ice-box cake. (What? I seriously pack lunches like this. Don't judge). You're starving and have been looking forward to this all day...that yummy vinaigrette...those little pearls of exotic deliciousness...that creamy-chocolaty-coffee-y awesomeness...You dig around in your bag for your fork, salivating at the thought of digging into your little feast. And to your horror, you realize you left that simple, yet necessary, utensil sitting on the kitchen counter that morning in your rush to get out the door. You stare at your lunch, tummy grumbling, cursing the fact that you packed NOTHING you can eat with your hands. Why oh why did you forget that fork? You could risk it, and tip the containers and attempt to dump the food into your mouth, losing half of it on the floor/ground and making a total idiot out of yourself while you're at it...or, you could reach for your trusty never-go-anywhere-without-them pen cap utensils! You pop one onto one of your ho-hum Bics, and it magically transforms into a transportation vessel, allowing food to travel from your container to your mouth. Life is good. Bon Appétit.


3. Pink Elephant Funnel
ModCloth
$7.99

What a cute, yet practical, kitchen gadget! This little creature puts the fun in functional, with a trunk used as a funnel spout. If you've ever tried to transfer liquids from large-mouthed bowls to itty-bitty-opening vessels, you know just how useful a kitchen funnel can be. Spare the grossness of contemplating using your DIY/around-the-house/nasty job funnel you keep in the garage (you know, the one you use when you change your oil? No?) and invest in this little bugger instead. Cuter, cleaner, and awesome...er.


4. Little Birdie Salt'n'Pepper Shakers
ModCloth
$15.99

Another ModCloth find, I just couldn't pass these little guys up (c'mon...they're birds. Enough said). I love how they're in two different poses, and snuggled on/into a little nest of sorts. These will always make a nice centerpiece on the table, regardless of whether it's set for dinner, or cleared from a meal and just sittin' and looking pretty. You can't ever go wrong with white (and as far as I'm concerned, it's difficult to go wrong with aviary accessories, although it is possible. I'm not THAT crazy).



5. Recycled Plastic Cutting Boards
Preserve
$14.99

If you're like me, you always feel bad when you have to toss those plastic containers that certain items come in, despite the fact that you've looked everywhere for an eco-friendly alternative in a number 1 or 2 plastic so that it can be recycled (my local recycling program only takes numbers 1 and 2. Boo). There are some food items that you just have to buy in number 5 plastic if you want them at all, such as yogurt, hummus, cottage cheese...and so many places won't recycle these containers. Behold! Preserve's Gimme 5 Program. You can read more about it here, but the long story short is that this program actually takes your number 5 plastic containers for free and recycles them into all sorts of products, such as cutting boards like the one featured above. Not only is this a great way to recycle, but these products are BPA free, dishwasher safe, and still 100% recyclable after years of use (just melt 'em and mold 'em again! It's like play-dough for big kids!) You can drop off your number 5 plastics at your local participating Whole Foods Markets (check here for a list of participating stores), or you can mail your plastics in (at this point, you have to pay for shipping, but Gimme 5 is working hard to create more drop-off locations. You can find more info here.) They even take your Brita filters! Plus, Preserve's products all seem to have great reviews; for example, the curve on this cutting board doubles as a handle and a retaining wall to help slide you hard-earned choppings into pots. Perfect!


Bonus! Revolver Hair Dryer
Nodaya
$40?

The only place I can actually find one of these puppies for sale is on some Asian website I can't understand (there are some in Etsy shops, but they are all sold). According to Google Chrome's translation of the website, this bad boy retails for around $40, but I'm not exactly sure how accurate that translation and conversion is. However, if I can find one of these guys, I'll be totally down to purchase it as a splurge. I'm not a gun fanatic by any means (quite the opposite actually), but I just think this product is so clever and cute (the Tiffany blue color is particularly appealing to me...the juxtaposition of the shape and color are so ironic!) Just think of all the witticisms you could say if you owned one of these...you could blow your 'do out...pull the trigger on those split ends...you get my drift. Plus, if a certain male figure in your life has longer locks, the blue version of this little gadget just might be manly enough to encourage some masculine dryer-time. However, I would totally not recommend traveling with this bad boy if your trip involves a plane; if you thought security was a pain when they wanted to take a look at your regular hair dryer, imagine the scene when this little guy goes through the X-ray machine. Not pretty. Unless you arrive for your flight about 10 hours early and are looking to kill some time (no pun intended). In that case, go for it. It's your trip.

What about you guys? Find anything awesome this week? Think of any other witticisms to go along with this blowdryer? Have a local recycling program that actually takes number 5 plastic (jealous!!)? Leave a comment and chat!


*Note: All images via the linked webpage for the featured item.
**Double Note: I was not paid or perked by any of these sellers or companies (pft, I wish they knew who I was--hah!). I just found these items myself and thought I would share them!

Be Vehwee Quiet...I'm Hunting fow Apawtments

So I figured if apartment hunting was taking over my life and preventing me from doing projects that I would otherwise blog about, I should blog about this instead. So this post is about the method my boyfriend and I came up with to find a new pad.

My boyfriend and I decided to move to Richmond since it will be a mid-ish point for his job and my upcoming internship. Neither of us has really lived in a city per se, and we thought that, being a city, there would be oodles of apartments to be had in a neighborhood that was safe and not undergraduate (VCU students are EVERYWHERE) or roach-infested. So. Not. So.

At first, we turned to Craig's List, who had served me well in the past. However, perusing The List quickly became annoying for a few reasons. Reason 1: the filters it uses. We needed at least a 2 bedroom, but there was no way to search for 2+ (we certainly wouldn't mind having another room if it was in our budget). Additionally, being very unfamiliar with Richmond, the main streets, and all the neighborhood names, we soon became tired of Google mapping everything separately.

Cue: PadMapper

 

Now, I had never heard of PadMapper until very recently. Now that I'm using it, I do remember my sister mentioning it a while back, but at that time, it was too early to start scouting (sorry, Sis). However, now that I've "discovered" it, I will never EVER go back to Craig's. Here's why.

PadMapper reminds me of Kayak.com. It searches different popular apartment listing sites (which you can customize), and pulls up all of your possible apartment matches on a Google Map. The customization capabilities are super duper awesome; you can put a high and a low on SO many different filters: rent, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, how old the posting is, pets that are allowed, sublets, if there is a picture in the ad, etc. Being a very visual person, I LOVE the Google map that gets pulled up. And if you create an account (it's free and super fast), you can favorite different places to save for another time (the pins turn green). PLUS, when you click on a pin, you can click a link that takes you to the original ad, allows you to do Google Street View right within the window (creepy, but also awesome), and it even creates a "walk score" for you, taking into account how close different places of interest are, like coffee shops, laundry mats, bars, restaurants, gyms, and grocery stores. It's GREAT.

Once we found PadMapper, it suddenly became a lot easier to to find apartments that looked promising, and we needed to come up with a system to make appointments that didn't overlap, and allowed us enough time to get from point A to point B. We came up with a very basic schedule type thing with 30-minute time slots. After the first day where we overbooked ourselves, we decided to allot 1 hour per showing (regardless of whether or not the same agent showed us multiple apartments). This has worked out pretty well for the most part, though 1 hour 15 minutes is sometimes necessary if the apartments are really far from one another. I just write out the times on the left hand side of a piece of scrap after we decide when the first and last appointments are going to be for that day. Then, as we make appointments via e-mail or phone, we fill in the address, name of the agent, and their phone number. It looks like this as it starts to get filled in (blurred out for privacy - don't want any stalkers because I have SO many people that read my blog):

Once the list is finalized (some things get canceled if the apartment is rented before we can see it, or we need to move things around), I type up an itinerary for the full day that we take in a portfolio when we make the trip.

Since we started viewing so many apartments (about 10 per trip to Richmond...yeah, we're picky), we needed to come up with a system to keep track of which apartment being which, what we liked about it, what didn't work, etc. We came up with a ratings and check-list form that we customized to things that are important to us for each room. Some things are rated (counter space in the kitchen, for example), and other things are just a check box system (for instance, whether or not there is a washer/dryer that comes with the apartment). We made some adjustments after the first day (it was far too detailed and it was taking us too long to fill it out), so we streamlined it to suit what we needed it for, and then incorporated space at the bottom to make notes about unique things that caught our eye (whether good or bad).

So far this system has been working pretty well. We learned the hard way that we max out at around 8 or 9 apartment showings per day (day 1 was a total crank-fest at around 14 apartments. Not good). We also learned that you should call and confirm your showing that that morning, (time slot, where to meet the person, and the quoted rent in addition to what it includes). Otherwise, you show up and wait only to find out the apartment has already been rented, the agent is sick and no one took over her showings, etc. Always a bummer, especially since it's about 95 degrees outside, and you've driven all over creation for nothing. It became a necessity for us to confirm rent quotes because we ended up being quoted one thing the week before on the phone, and then we'd show up at the apartment, and all of a sudden the rent was $200 more, which they wouldn't tell us until the end of the appointment. This became a major annoyance for us; not only was it a huge waste of our time because the apartment would suddenly be out of our range and we wasted the time slot, but we would fall in love with a place only to find out we couldn't afford it. Not cool. This seemed to be a trick used by multiple property management companies, so we just started double checking every single one.

It was interesting to see the different reactions we'd get from different people when we'd show up with our clipboards and ratings scales. Some people thought it was a great idea, others obviously privately deemed us insane. But the system works for us, especially since my boyfriend and I each rate the apartment on our own and compare later, so we get to make unbiased reviews, for the most part.

So far, we are still apartmentless. We're both pretty picky regarding very different things (my boyfriend is much more concerned about location and ceiling height for his easel, I'm much more concerned about feeling safe and at home inside the apartment, which usually means sunny windows, somewhat updated appliances, and enough space to not feel like I'm trapped in a closet). So far...no dice. We've been pretty disappointed to find out that our budget places us at the low end of where undergraduates tend to live, which isn't really where young professionals in their mid 20s see themselves. Hopefully this Wednesday will be the winner!

How about you guys? Any advice on apartment hunting? Have any "system" you employ? Think we're crazy for designing and using a rating system? Live in Richmond yourself and have some words of wisdom? Do share!

*Note: All images are mine, EXCEPT for the PadMapper image via here.
**Double Note: I was not paid or perked by any of these sites or companies (pft, I wish they knew who I was--hah!). I just found these sites myself and thought I would share them!

 

Fabbie Finds

 Another week has flown by! Yikes! Sorry for only a single blog post. Apartment hunting has taken over my life. But at least it's a holiday weekend! I don't have any major plans for the 4th, but seeing as how Colonial Williamsburg is in my backyard, I think some local resources might just take care of all the planning for me! Kudos to little work with a major payoff. Heh.

Anyway, it's time for another round of fabbie finds. It's a colorful week for the most part!


1. Floral Napkins
Charlotte Handmade's Etsy Shop
$24

How pretty are these? This set of 8 napkins is so sweet; the colors are soft enough for any season, by perky enough to help brighten any day. I love the little hints of gray mixed in - it gives these guys a nice modern twist while still allowing them to be feminine and traditional. Plus, if 8 is too many, Charlotte Handmade also sells in sets of 4 so you can mix and match, or just go with a half order!


2. Reusable Tote Bag
Envirosax
$8.95

I actually own 2 of these bags and use them religiously. They're light, strong as an ox, and fold up into teeny tiny little roll-ups. Plus, they're deceptively HUGE when open. I can almost always fit all my groceries for a week into a single bag, and I never worry about them ripping; I've lugged around some seriously heavy loads before with absolutely no issue (the website states a weight capacity of 44 lbs. I don't think too many people carry 50 lbs worth of anything in a single bag anyway). They come in SO many different colors, and you can even buy coordinating sets that all slide into a handy little pouch. The color above is "Bag 1" from the Oasis line, but there are all sorts of colors, patterns, and motifs to suit anything you could possibly want - even an organic line!


3. Facebook Stamps
ThinkGeek.com
$12.99

I don't even remember how I found these, but I think they're hilarious. Quite honestly, I'm not a fan of the Dislike button (does that even exist?), but the Like button is hysterical. I'm not really sure when you'd actually use these, but where there's a will, there's a way. Maybe if I were a high school teacher, I would totally employ these bad boys on graded work...well, at least the Like one, anyway. I'm not THAT mean.


4. Squirrel Tape Dispenser
Japanese Gift Market
$14.00

 

I also don't remember how I found this little guy, but is he not the cutest tape dispenser you've ever seen? I admit, I have a thing for squirrels (how can you go wrong with fuzzy wuzzy fur and HUGE eyes?), but regardless, this little bugger is still pretty endearing. He's so much better than a boring black sand-weighted dispenser. I just wish he dispensed from the front...at least your desk visitors can look at his sweet little face.


5. Google Notifier
Google
Free (yes, free!)

 When I first got my Mac, I was all about MacMail. However, not wanting to pony up and pay for a MobileMe account, MacMail suddenly became annoying when I had more than one device that I used to access my e-mail. While I loved Gmail, I was sad I couldn't have a desktop notifier to let me know when I had new messages, which was one of my favorite aspects of MacMail. Behold! Google Notifier! This little guy IS a desktop notification system that not only tells me when I have new messages; it also says how many I have, and even shows little blurbs from each one (sender, subject, and first 10 words or so) without me ever needing to leave my desktop. Now all my e-mail is accessed directly within Gmail, meaning it's the same on every computer. But I don't have to leave my desktop to do the basics (you need to open your browser to read full e-mails and compose, but that's just fine with me). I love it mucho, and installation was easy-peasy!


BONUS! Peacock iPhone Case
Society6
$35

Holy WOW is this not the most amazing iPhone case you've ever seen? Society6 has TONS of super cool designs for all sorts of tastes, but I just loved the colors on this one. (Plus...it's a bird. And I have a thing for birds). In addition to iPhone cases, Society6 also offers stretched canvases, art prints, and skins for laptops and iPads in their designs, in case you love the decor but don't own an iPhone. You can search within tons of different categories, from nature to typography, and even browse for certain artists (this design is by Valentina Ramos). Talk about some sweet tech or wall upgrades!

Ok, that sums it up for this week! What about you guys? Found any amazing products lately that you think I should feature? Are you as obsessed with this peacock as I am? Do you have any woodland creatures on your desktop? Spill it!

*Note: All images via the linked webpage for the featured item EXCEPT for the Google Notifier image via here.
**Double Note: I was not paid or perked by any of these sellers or companies (pft, I wish they knew who I was--hah!). I just found these items myself and thought I would share them!

Let's Talk About Pinterest

Ok. I admit it. I have a serious problem and it rhymes with "lint arrest." Pinterest has taken over my life. It's a sickness, I tell you...but a good one...if that's possible.

As an undergraduate, Facebook used to dominate my life. Not so now. Pinterest is my new (obsessive) bread'n'butter. I can pin for hours at a time, no problem whatsoever (except that I might have to take the occasional potty break).

 

So what is Pinterest? Pinterest is a free site where you can organize images visually. If you're familiar with the concept of a Mood Board, it's similar to that, only you can have multiple boards all going on at once that can store information about images for you. When I started Pinning, it was to document and hold onto images of furniture redos that I thought were particularly awesome or doable, in addition to bedroom images since I was in the process of making my own headboard. Then I started keeping tabs on crafty ideas that looked promising. Then I started keeping track of entryways that I liked since I was refinishing a gate-leg table for my entryway...and it just kept going on an on. I now have 15 boards that I pin items to practically every. single. day.

If you're one of those people that drags and drops images into folders that are milling about your desktop, STOP. PLEASE. Pinterest is SO for you, my friend. It's like the difference between a power sander and sanding by hand. Or a knife and a food processor. Or scissors and a paper cutter...you get my drift. Saving images directly to you computer is slow and doesn't store any info for you about where that image came from. It's time-consuming, only accessible from that one computer, and involves zero connectivity with other peoples' ideas and interests. Lame.

The thing that I really like SO much about Pinterest is that by clicking on the image that you pinned to your board (or on an image that someone else pinned to their board), your browser automatically takes you to the webpage from where the item was pinned. This is ridiculously handy for DIY-type things; you pin the image of the final result, and if you click on the image, you'll be taken right to the tutorial on how it was done. Same for images you pinned for yummy recipes. Or items you drooled over in online stores. It's pathetically handy. It's also nice if you're cool enough to get one of your own images pinned, so that people can track the item to the original location/owner.

So in the beginning, Pinterest was a way to organize. It has since come to be a form of entertainment. How is this so? The answer is that you can browse within categories.

People have already pinned hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of images onto boards. These are all floating about waiting for you to discover them and pin them yourself, in addition to you adding more images from other external websites. I have found SO many ideas for crafts, cards, furniture makeovers, room arrangements, color schemes...even great quotes, just from clicking around on Pinterest. If you're a person who is easily visually pleased, I can pretty much guarantee that browsing on Pinterest will becomes a form of pathetically enjoyable pleasure. People tend to pin images that are aesthetically pleasing to begin with, so even if you don't find items for actual physical potential use, they are usually quite pretty to look at, if for nothing else. (However, this is coming from a person who likes to walk around Target or TJ MAXX for hours at a time just to look at colors, packaging, shapes, and textures. On the other hand, I know for a fact that I'm not the only person out there who does this, so...judge with caution).

So how does Pinterest work? You can sign in via your Facebook or Twitter accounts (which also makes it easy to publish your pins to these places too, if you'd like. Ahh, social networking technology...). In the beginning, you get to go through the steps to add a "Pin It" button up onto your browser bar.

At first, I was all, "Ugh...really? I have to add this stupid button?" But now, I am SO happy it's there, because...well...it's there. When I'm on a website and I come across an image that I think, "Oh MAN, that centerpiece is amazing!" all I have to do is click my "Pin It" button, and poof! I can pin the item to any board of my choosing, or even create a new board right from the new window. Then I can add a little blurb about the image, like why I chose it or where it came from ("Holy crap, these flowers in that shaped vase = swoon"), and just like that, the image is saved to my board, and I can return to look at it any time I want. It's that easy. You can even "follow" other peoples' boards if you know someone or find that they pin items that you really like.

My only complaint about the big-P right now is that sometimes it gets waaayyyy ssssllllooooooowww. Especially at night...when I get into bed...and snuggle into my comforter with my laptop in tow to Pin for a while to "wind down." (What? You read a book. I pin. We both stare at stuff for a while and enjoy it. Same difference.) Apparantly, this is what everyone and their mom likes to do too, because nighttime is when I notice this the most. I'm guessing it's starting to gain massive popularity, and therefore, heavy traffic = slow going. Considering there is a little blurb on the left sidebar about improving Pinterest via hiring, I'm guessing the Pin Peeps are aware of the issue and are looking to expand.

I would so totally work for these guys if I could be remotely useful...which I wouldn't be. I'd just stare at pretty pictures all day.

Anywho, that sums up my love for Pinterest. I'm totally, definitely, over-the-top, 100% obsessed.

What about all of you guys? Anyone else out there as wrapped up in Pinning as I am? Found another site you're sucked into for hours at a time? Think Pinterest is an "L.7. Weeeeenieeeee?" (Sandlot reference...sorry). Praise and rant below!


*Note: All images are mine, but are of the Pinterest website. All original owners of the smaller thumbnails within the pinboard image can be found by accessing my Pinboards.
**Double Note: Pinterest did not pay or perk me to rave about their website (although, maybe they should...I could totally be their official spokes person). I just honestly like their site, and wanted to share!