Come on in! New Updates on My Apartment

Remember when I told you one of my New Year's Resolutions was to invite you into my home more and get all the projects and ideas I have, done? Well, here is my first dose of my weekend projects, aka shopping, updates on the home front.

First, this was the first month in a while that I have missed the Alameda Antique Fair. You know, I always have a good time there (check out this post and this post for past trips). With the Super Bowl, and having people over, I didn't want to rush myself and be exhausted by the time friends came over. BUT, I DID go to a white elephant sale on Saturday and snagged a couple of cute little kitchen bric-a-brac pieces. I picked out three mismatched brass taper candle holders for $2. A mini (and the cutest) cutting board you ever did see for .50 cents. And a white ceramic thang for a $1. Prices weren't as cheap as garage sales, but they were cheaper than the Antique Fair, and it was for charity, and I had so much fun! They had EVERYTHING.

I also got this lovely Queen Anne style table at the sale. I've been looking for a wood piece with a lot of veining and texture in it. Obviously, I was dreaming of finding something Milo Baughman-burl wood-esque. This piece quiets my quest for that piece for the time being. I love the woodwork and it almost is burl wood-esque. Don't you think? I wanted it to work in the entryway, but secretly knew it was going to be too big. I bought it anyway because I thought it was a good price for such a lovely antique. I decided to put the t.v. on it for now. I had the t.v. on a black little dresser, and bringing in the lighter wood really brightened up the living room and I think it looks SOOOO much better. The picture is a bad one. You can't really see the wood in all of it's entirety. And I threw that basket under there until I can figure out what to do with those God damn wires!!! Hate. Wires. 

Here you can see the wood grain a little better. It really is gorgeous. 

Speaking of the black dresser...Yup, moved her to the entryway. I think the switch is so much better. It actually fits in this super tiny space and I like the black against the navy walls. All the books on the dresser, besides the Big Book of Chic, I found at the white elephant sale, as well. Some of the best advice I've ever got, was to buy big coffee table books or books with pretty covers, new or vintage, at thrift stores. I got 7 books for the price of one new one. It's a much cheaper and faster way to fill your home with books for a more collected-over-time feel. Oh, and the West Elm rug, I have it under there to get a feel for what the runner, that is coming in the mail, is going to look like. Because, no, I would never place a rug like that. And, because, unfortunately, West Elm doesn't sell runners in the store...what the hell is that about West Elm? 

Last, but not least, I hung up some art on the walls Sunday morning. There's always that awkward stage when you're collecting for a gallery wall, obviously, don't have all the artwork you want and there are holes where art should be and things just don't look perfect. But, you have to start somewhere. And I figured they look better on the wall, than on the floor. My spacing is a little weird, like I said it's a work in progress. I didn't do it perfect because we're planning to paint the living room an almost-white-gray in a couple of weeks. SO, everything is coming down anyway. The two top pieces are from the Alameda Antique Fair, remember the ones I was talking about? The feather drawing is BEAUTIFUL up close. The details are incredible. (My first original art by a listed artist. Point for me!)

I did make sure to keep the art along the same top horizon line. It's just one of the many ways to make an art wall look more uniform, especially if you have a mixture of frames and colors. The only piece that is not on the horizon line is the piece all the way to the left, centering the sofa. I chose to drop it a little lower because I want to hang some horns over it! :) 

So, there you have it! My weekend updates! You sure can get a lot done in a weekend. Phew, I'm proud of myself. Now, there are no excuses to get out and do a little hunting, rearranging, and updating! Thanks for reading and I hope you like the little sneak peeks into my home! There are plenty more updates coming! With some before and after shots, as well. 

All pictures are via my Instagram. If you don't follow me, please do!! @AFabChallenge