it don't matter if it's black or white

Finally made it to Ikea last week for...well, I don't even remember now what my purpose for going was.  I stayed there for two hours, making sure I covered all my bases and yet, I still regret not purchasing a few things as soon as I left the parking lot.  Halfway through the store, I remembered to take pictures.  Here are a few.

These black and white rugs are awesome.  Still trying to see if there's a place for them in our house to justify buying them.

Eventually, I want to get rid of the orb-like hallway light fixtures that we have and replace them with one of these.

If we didn't already have a clock in our kitchen, this would SO be mine!

So what did I go home with?

Lots of pillows!  I think I'm going for a black and white transformation in the house!  I just couldn't resist these patterns!  I also bought some picture frames and shelves for baby's nursery.  And speaking of baby, do you see him in this picture?  He was a real trooper and only woke up when I was checking out.

some murder, pjs, and hunting

This weekend....

I went to my very first Murder Mystery Party.  It sure was different and a lot of fun.  I got to play

Cha-Cha Merengue, "the beautiful and intriguing ballroom dance instructor who never stops dancing!"  I got really into it, and I guess it paid off because I won a bottle of wine! (don't mind the fat cheeks!)

We forced Bailey into her Christmas pajamas to show off to our guests this weekend.  I guess you could say she wasn't too thrilled about it.  But doesn't she look cute?!  I'm not being biased (maybe a little). 

This is just me being silly while I was taking pictures of our decorations for a future post.

On Saturday, we went house hunting with my brother-in-law and his wife.  We're so happy that Paul will have some family close by.  And they're having their baby boy next April so we'll have a baby to play with.  Whoohoo! 

We stopped by a show home, and I couldn't help but take pictures.  Of course I forgot my phone in the car, so I had to borrow Paul's.  Here are a few that I shot.

I love the dark brown kitchen cabinets against the light colored granite countertops.  This is what I'd like for our kitchen, if and when we ever get around to painting the cabinets.  Love the white subway tiles on the backsplash as well.

The breakfast nook was dressed up in these bright yellow curtains.  They really make a difference.  And I love that rug from West Elm (seen in the first picture). 

The living room was just as cheerful, with the bright yellow accents.  Grays and yellows are pretty popular these days, especially with weddings.  And a sunburst mirror, like the one above the fireplace, is on my list of future DIY projects!

They kept it simple in the master bedroom.  I'm thinking about gray walls in our bedroom, so this was a great example.  I love the three windows with the white floor-to-ceiling curtains, and a seating area right in front of it. 

I thought this was a simple DIY project that I could maybe replicate with square frames and patterned scrapbook paper.

I wish I took more pictures, but I didn't want to be creepy.  Show homes are such a good inspiration.  I'd love to stage one someday.  How fun would that be, to decorate a home, and not have to use your own money!  ONE DAY - hey, a girl can dream!

And that's my weekend for you.  How was yours?

jerry's finds

My former coworker found this for me:

He knew I was looking for a bench to put outside by the front door and this was just right.  Paul thinks that it might be a fire hazard though with it being right next to the outlets.  I think I'll keep it there for now, at least through Halloween so I can put my carved pumpkins on top.  It would also look great in our entryway.  Just add some pillows and a few baskets underneath, and it should be good to go.  I may give it a bright coat of paint, but I actually like how the dents and wood grains give it character.  

When I picked up the bench, I was drawn to these and decided to get them too.

The smaller one fits right inside the larger one.  I wanted to use them as sort of a side table by our couch since we didn't have one there.  So far, I like!  

turtle power

My awesome sister [insert link here when she starts her own blog-ahem] bought me these, just because, and it's not even my birthday!  I used to collect all things turtles, and yes, we actually owned pet turtles until they were eaten by rats (true story).  She knew I wanted a blue and orange theme for our formal living and dining, so she thought these were perfect.  Apparently they were on sale, so I didn't feel too bad.  All I need now is either a buffet table, side tables, or a dresser to put these on.  I love the vibrant colors, gold details and the pretty stripes on the back.  Another reason why they're cool - they're all Michaelangelos - my fav ninja turtle!  Now I'm craving some pizza! 

Thanks Teen!

miss paisley

Every time I go to World Market, I always come out with SOMETHING.  I had a $10 off any $30 purchase coupon so I thought I'd take advantage of it.  I was really going to just buy this glass jar that I had in mind, but I walked around the whole store juuust in case I needed anything else =)

I really like the coffee table for our formal living room.  It's on wheels so we can easily move it if we need to.  There's a matching buffet/console table too.

I'd like to put a bench in our entryway.  I've been eying this one for a while now.  It's actually on sale for $179.99, down from $229.99, but I can't seem to get myself to buy it just yet.  Here are other benches that I love, also from World Market:

I'd be so happy with any one of these three!  I guess I'll have to put it on my wish list. 

 

For the formal living room, I'm looking for couches that are more stream lined and not as bulky as the ones we have in our family room.  I've always wanted a sectional, but it may not be practical for a formal living since no one's really going to lounge around that area as often.  But I would LOVE a sectional one day!  

And this beaut caught my eye as I was passing by the dining room section:

Isn't she lovely?  I named her Miss Paisley.  She's my new inspiration for the formal living and dining rooms.  Our walls are already painted blue, and I wanted orange to be the accent color, so when I saw this, I was in love!  I bought A (singular) napkin so I can carry it around with me when we're ready to decorate.  If I knew how to sew, I would have bought more napkins and turned them into pillow cases.  Ideas!!!!!!

This is the top of a jewelry box but I loved the colors on it.  Cute for a baby girl's room:

So I did end up buying that glass jar.  I used it to put my sea shells in, since they were all cramped in a smaller jar.  

Along with that, I bought a cute measuring tape to put in my purse (for when we go furniture shopping), a white shell shaped plate, and two pairs of earrings.  Yet another successful trip at World Market (I really shouldn't go anywhere on my lunch break)!