Happy Heart Day

1.  We have been pet-sitting a very cute chocolate Lab named Jager.  He lets me put headbands on him, and then sits really still while I take pictures with my phone.

2.  Jager has canine diabetes.  He also has cataracts in both eyes that need to be removed.  Not removing them will result in blindness.  He's already having sight problems, and it is very sad.  I'm currently brainstorming ideas to help our dear friend raise money to help pay for the necessary surgery.

3.  With Jager staying at our house, it's like a regular veterinary clinic every morning.  Insulin shot? Check! Puncture wound flush? Check! Antibiotics? Check!

4.  Oso is doing a little better.  He went to the vet again on Friday because he has developed a rather hard lump below his bite wounds and the larger puncture wound isn't healing.  The vet thinks the lump could be a blood clot or scar tissue (I'm hoping it's the latter).  For now, we are flushing his wound twice a day with a syringe and giving him more antibiotics to fight off infection (see item 3).

5.  Our new coffee table should ship next week!  I AM SO EXCITED.

6.  It's best to paint pegboard using primer + spray paint- trust me, it results in better, more even coverage.  I'm hoping to get something like this up in my craft room this week:

Martha Stewart | Found via Chelsey B on Pinterest

Tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening in, with my wonderful husband, some good food, a nice drink, and perhaps a movie or two.  Or maybe just an episode of Walking Dead.

Hope you are able to spend some time with the ones you love today!

Happy Heart Day

Odds & Ends

1. Last week was really rough. And stressful. I'm hoping this week will be better. Please, please, please?!?
2. My Oso bear was attacked by our neighbor's Boxer. There were a few moments when I thought he was dead. He was on the other side of our fence, in our neighbor's yard, and there was nothing I could do for him, except yell. It was the scariest thing ever. Thank GOD he is O.K. and recovering.
3. Yes, my dogs are my babies.
4. I purchased two matching Mersman side tables on craigslist two weeks ago.  One will have a new home in our living room.  The other may go upstairs in our spare bedroom.  As much as I hate painting wood, I will probably paint them a high gloss white or black. I think.

my new-to-me end tables via Thou Shall Craigslist

Similar side table with a fresh coat of paint:

via Sand & Sisal

5.  I think I'm just going to stick with the west elm coffee table. Once it arrives, I'll make a final decision on how I should refinish the end tables.
6. I'm working on a few sewing/crafting projects, but, unfortunately, I won't be able to share until they go out to their recipients :)

Happy Monday!  I hope you all have a wonderful, stress-free week!

Odds & Ends

A Table for Coffee {round 2}

industrial coffee table (again) | west elm

Dimensions: 48" x 24" Good: Pretty much what I'm looking for Bad: the price, 16" height- our current coffee table has ~20" height.  I would ideally like somewhere in between.

What this boils down to is 1) spending $$ and 2) purchasing something that looks relatively easy to make.  Now, a table top, I cannot build, but I think my (second) favorite store, Ikea, may be able to help if I go this route:

Lagan countertop | Ikea

Dimensions: 49 5/8" x 25 5/8" x 1 1/8"  Good:  Beech, solid wood; dimensions; price Bad: not currently available, unknown when they will be available, $$$$ to ship.

Numerar countertop | Ikea

Dimensions: 49 5/8" x 25 5/8" x 1 1/2"  Good:  (See above)  Bad: (See above)

As for table legs, I ordered some of these for my ikea expedit cabinet (which was an ultimate fail.... particle board does not play nice with drills and screws).  I would love them on a coffee table too:

Hairpin Legs

In total, I would spend less money going this route (if I wait until the table tops are in stock again).  But part of me is saying, just purchase something... NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DIY-ED.  First world problems, I know.

A Table for Coffee {round 2}

A Table for Coffee

For a while now, we have been wanting to upgrade the coffee/end tables in our living room to better fit our updated sofa.  This is what our living room (kind of) looks like now:

I fell in love with this coffee table, and I went to look at it West Elm.  (I may have even purchased it because it was on sale and on back order.)

industrial coffee table | west elm

And now I'm having second thoughts (to cancel or not to cancel my order...).  X thinks we need end tables that match the coffee table, which I'm not so sure about, but it has led me to continue the seemingly endless search for a table.  I'm looking for something structurally light (in appearance, if that makes sense).  I think anything too bulky will make our room look tiny again, which I'm really trying to avoid.  I'm also obsessed with mixing wood and metal elements.  OBSESSED.

Here are some other options that I came up with:

pia coffee table | crate and barrel

I love that this table looks almost invisible in this room.  However, X nixed this one because of the glass. Sad face that my anti-glass views have rubbed off on him.

hammary "intrepid" cocktail table | wayfair

I like the color combination of this table, but I'm not sure how I feel about the marble top. Yes it looks like wood, but will it look cheesy?  Is it just as durable?

tfg "wabash" cocktail table | wayfair

tfg martini coffee table | wayfair

I think this might be my favorite.  Not sure how I feel about the shape though- I think a rectangular/square table may fit the space better.

rand natural steel cocktail table | room & board

riverside "logan" cocktail table | wayfair

There is a fine line here between rustic and modern.  This one leans more on rustic I think, but I like the dark wood + dark metal combo.  And actually, the more I look at it, the more I don't like it.  Blah.

So that's it.  Some of these are out of my price range, and I really would like real wood, not veneer.  I also prefer bronze/dark steel.  I have looked on almost every furniture site under the sun, but can't seem to find something *just* right.  Any further insight or suggestions are appreciated!

A Table for Coffee

One photo, Everyday

I'm participating in a photo challenge that involves taking a picture everyday in 2012.  So far, all of mine are from my crappy iphone.  Hopefully, I'll be a little more motivated to take pictures with my nice camera and upload them (it's so much easier just to take a quick picture with my phone, but the quality is lacking).  I'm also wondering how many of my pictures over the year will be of 1) coffee 2) food (omg I love food) and 3) the dogs.  I know some of you are also participating in this too... but if you haven't yet, go here to check it out :)

Oh, and a very belated Happy New Year!!!

One photo, Everyday