In like a lion…out like a lion

With March coming and going in a blink of an eye, I admit that this month’s home goal of getting the hardwood floors refinished was not going to happen. What DID happen was getting 3 different contractors out to give quotes on the job. We’re still trying to determine which one we will go with, but one added bonus ‘decision’ that we didn’t expect to make was a choice of new wrought iron balusters!

Because they will have to basically take apart the stairs to sand, stain, and poly the treads and handrails it makes sense to go ahead and replace the existing white balusters. The difference in cost between new white balusters and wrought iron is pretty minimal, mostly because the existing ones are in pretty sorry shape and even re-painting would be more expensive in labor.

Balusters can get quite fancy (frou frou if you ask me), so I am looking at options that keep things pretty simple. Here are some of my favorites:

Houzz

Pinterest

Pinterest

Pinterest

With the stairs taking up a lot of presence in the ‘great room’, I think it will look really nice. Here’s a picture from closing day to remind you what we’re starting with. (And don’t worry, I have plans for that ugly light fixture!)

Georgia Aquarium: Fish

Here are a few more of my favorites from my trip to the GA Aquarium. If you missed my last share, go check out some frogs.

Showered!

Last weekend I spent a very interesting evening with some ladies to celebrate an upcoming wedding. I’ll just let the pictures do the talking, but between all of the sweets and wine, I am pretty sure I should have been admitted to the hospital the next day for sugar overconsumption!

Recent IKEA Finds

After last week’s trip to the aquarium, I figured I would head over to IKEA since I was downtown. Here’s what I picked up!

I was happy they had the famously coveted Fiddle Leaf Fig in stock, or as IKEA likes to call it FICUS LYRATA ($12.99). The one I got (and most of the selection at IKEA) were of itty bitty baby ones, not the huge ones you see in magazines. (Side note: should I be concerned that there are 2 stems in this pot? Am I going to have 2 trees growing out of the same pot in a few months? If I am forced to relocate one, I am positive I will kill both in the process.)

The plant pot is also new, the KARDEMUMMA ($19.99). Don’t fret, the interior is water-proof, or else it would not be sitting directly on the hardwoods.

I also got the HENRIKSDAL slipcovered chair, with the long white slipcover ($89.99). The picture on the IKEA website does not do this chair justice — it is actually pretty nice and substantial in person. The only thing that irks me is that I feel like the slipcover is a hair too short. I might have to address that eventually. I put this chair in my “office” which is the slowest evolving room of all time. The desk and everything in this room needs major work, but it will happen eventually.

I also got a few of the RITVA curtains in white, which I’ll share in another post once I get around to washing/ironing/hanging them (i.e. not until 2015). And of course you can never leave IKEA without a few RIBBA frames. And a cinnamon bun. 🙂

Georgia Aquarium: Frogs

Earlier this week I headed to the GA Aquarium. It had been a while since I had been there last, and free admission on your birthday was enough to entice me to go back. I obviously took a ton of photos. Here are some of my favorites from the frog exhibit. I’d say these were the easiest to photograph because, in general, they did not move (unlike fish!), and the glass in their habitats was not so thick that it would interfere with photo taking. Some of these guys were so gross!

Target Honeycomb Vase

After I picked up the Target honeycomb vase I referenced in my last post, it ended up fitting the best on the counter in the master bathroom. This bathroom gets such pretty late afternoon light, I had to take some photos.

No-Sew Table Skirt

This one took quite a bit more time than I had anticipated. Me and my iron became bffs during this project. I pretty much followed the same steps as this tutorial from Pawley Island Posh, if you’re going to try this for yourself. This spot has slowly evolved over time…and I haven’t really liked it a single step of the way…

And here it is today:

The solid fabric was an $8/yd clearance bin find at JoAnn’s. It’s some kind of jacquard that is pretty thick so it lies really nicely (I used most of the 3 yards I purchased). The “trim” is Premier Prints Towers in Onyx/Dark Grey/Natural (I bought 1 yard and have a bunch leftover).

While I think this is much better than the previous iterations, I still am going to look for some better accessories and maybe a new lamp. I think a large lantern like this, and a vase with some hydrangeas would add a lot (both from Target).

On to the next thing!