I am actually finished with the Laundry Room

That is right.  One of the easiest projects in the house turned into one of the longest.  Basically, we just got lazy.  Here are a couple of befores on some things I used in the laundry room.

 This is an unattractive Goodwill find.

Here is a flea market find that I settled on since I couldn't get this beauty.

And here is the laundry room after... 

I painted the walls a soft grey.  

One of the only window sills safe from little fingers.

We ripped down the metal wire shelving and added these that Mr. Hughes originally made for baby hughes's  nursery.  But, we ended up going with some smaller ones from Pottery Barn Kids.  So, these were collecting dust in the garage.  

I put all our lightbulbs in a fish bowl that I found out by a dumpster 4 years ago.

Just a shot of a recent find, lined it with a grain sack and it is perfect!

 That little blue towel on the wall is hung on a vintage glass towel rod (something I obsess over) and it is covering up the water hookup for the washer.  Plus, it is great to wipe my hands on.

Here is where we used the Goodwill frame.  Mr. Hughes made me a a peg board.  Now I just need some cute tools.

I found a cool old jar and a scoop to put our laundry powder in.

This house doesn't have any medicine cabinets.  And, I really wanted all the medicine up and away from my little monster.  So, I cleaned up the nasty cabinet and taped off a cross (by me, I mean Mr Hughes) and sprayed frosted glass spray paint.  And, I am pretty pleased with it.

Here is another shot of my find from this past weekend (our weekend was fabulous, thanks for asking!)  It holds all our towels that we use for cleaning up major messes.

And, this has nothing to do with laundry rooms, but I am loving moss in these loaf pans... check out the design on the pan.

So, all in all, we bought paint, rug, ironing board cover, and the laundry powder jar.  Oh, and the new crate.  But, everything together was under $100, maybe even less.   Mr. Hughes also replaced the ugly light fixture with a cute one that we already had.... I will have to get a photo of that and add it later.

Everything else, we had around the house already.  So, it is finally, finally finished.  Now, I have a whole bunch of laundry to do, so bye for now!

A Little Bit of Randomness

Where in the world have I been?  I have sort of neglected my blog and my bloggy friends.  And, my house.  And, my etsy shop needs an update too. You see, I have been under the weather and hopefully I am on the mend.  Plus, it has been pretty darn pretty outside and well, baby hughes literally throws a fit to go outside to eat rocks, blow bubbles and chew on sticks.  Thank goodness he is down for a nap before we start round 2.  So, I hope to be a better blogger and a better etsier and a better housewife (well, we will see about that last one *wink*) this coming week.

Being outside so much makes me want to get started out there.  I really need to weed, but I constantly misplace my gloves.  So, I have to go get me a cute pair this year (shhhhh.... the real reason is: I am positive that there are spiders living in my gloves in the winter and so I never look too hard for them!)  And, we need a new springy doormat.  So, that is my goal this weekend- new gloves, new doormat.

We are still working on that laundry room.  Not hard mind you, it has been neglected as well.  Just needs some touch up paint and some fluffing.

We don't have a whole lot planned for this weekend... just your normal Easter stuff.  But, next weekend, we are going to the Bloomin Garden show.  I love this garden show!  They always have lots of booths with vintage garden stuff.  And, there is the annual killing of 2 gardenias. Each year, I buy 2 gardenias for inside the house.  And each year I ask the lady if they are hard to keep.  Each year she lies to me.  She is good too.  I honestly believe that this year will be different.  She should sell used cars, she would be a pro!  I adore gardenias, but they are suicidal.  I can't keep them in the house.  But, last year, I moved them outside and they took off!  Thank goodness I live in the South where I can enjoy them and their fragrance most of the summer.

  Also, at the garden show, they have live birds that are injured or otherwise can't make it in the wild.  And, every year so far they have had an owl.  Now, let me tell you something about baby hughes and owls.  He adores them!  Can't get enough.  You can hand him any book and tell him to find an owl and he will find it within 10 seconds.  I will go get him up from a nap and there will be a book open to a page with an owl on it.  He has a couple of stuffed owls (hootie hoot and mr. owl ,of course) and some owl t-shirts that I got off of etsy. He can't sleep without hootie hoot.  So, naturally, I love most anything that my monster loves.  I even ordered this from Anthropologie the other day:

Adorable huh?  I thought this would keep him from removing the kitchen towel from the front of the stove, where I like it.  No such luck, but he really likes the towel.  So, needless to say, I am really excited for him to see a real, live owl.  God help us if they don't bring an owl.... we have really been talking it up about them.  

Whoa, this post went a little random.  I hope to get it together this week and show you a laundry room update and share some vintage goodness.

Have a very wonderful Easter!

Lagging from Spring Forward

Every year, this whole Spring Forward kicks my butt for about a week.  This year was no exception.  So, that is why I have been away from the blog world for a week.  And, baby hughes is cutting at least 5 teeth. That and I have been lucky enough to see my sister 2 weeks in a row.  The weekend before last, she came here to go see Remember Me and get pedis.  And, this last Friday, Mr. Hughes decided at the last minute that we should drive to Cookeville (where I am from) to see my mom and sister and do a little vintage treasure hunting.  Bless him!  It is what I needed.  A beautiful sunny day with most of my favorite people.  Oddly enough, we both had cameras. but took very few photos.  I will have to do a home town tour one of these days.  As much as I complain about it, I truly do have fond memories of where I grew up and hope that we can find a place that baby hughes can feel warm and fuzzy about too.  Speaking of him,

here he is examining a water meter.  We have big hopes for him!  So, the Hughes familia started out in downtown Cookeville... did I mention this was a surprise trip?  There is nothing that Nana loves more than some baby hughes time and luckily it was her day off.  We met Nana and the Margarita Sisters and Aunt Ashley at an antique store where baby hughes was happily passed around while me and Mr. Hughes shopped. I saw an idea that I have never come across before:

 Can you tell what the shelves are made of?  They are toilet tank lids on brackets.  At first I was like "where in the world did they find these ironstone shelves and why haven't I seen them before?" Pretty cool, huh?  I found alot of treasures there, I need to take some photos of my lovelies this week.

Then, we headed for Mexican at our favorite place.  Strangely enough, no one had a margarita, not even the so called Margarita Sisters.  Very odd.  But, there was lots of laughing at the other end of the table... I felt left out.  Next time, someone else is going to cut up the baby's quesadilla and make sure he doesn't jump out of the high chair so I can hear what is going on!!  And, order momma a margarita!

After lunch, we went to a few more antique stores with Aunt Ashley and got some ice cream.  Did I mention that she owns a Baskin Robbins?  Well, not really, but that is what I told baby hughes.  Can you even imagine who his favorite person is?

Then we went to the final store of the day.  Mr. Hughes finds this gorgeous ironstone tureen and says, "I think you need this."  Well, who am I to argue with that?  So I ask how much... 58.99 with 15% off.  That is more than I normally pay for my habit, but it was pretty and I wanted to put flowers in it.  We started making a pile of a few things, each of us going back and forth.  Well, I was paying while Mr. and baby hughes were outside and she gave me the total.... $165 something.  WHAT?  What had Mr. Hughes put up there?  So I asked her to read it back to me.  She started with the tureen... $148.99.... I went out and asked him... "did you really mean to get that.... um NO...."  So sadly (very sadly) I went back and told her that he must not have seen the 1 and that we wouldn't be getting it.  Oh I was sad. And, I think the lady was a little peeved.  So, I loaded up the stuff we did get and I was on the way out when the gentleman that owned the store stopped me... would I still like it if if actually WAS 58.99 with 15% off... um, yeah!  Mine all mine!

Turns out the dealer was in the store and he went up and asked her.  She said that she definitely hadn't put the 1 there.  She and the owner seemed to imply that a 95 year old woman who was also a dealer there was sabotaging the other dealers by marking up their prices.  Can you imagine?  Mr. Hughes thinks it was the cashier since he really did not notice the 1, but I like the idea of a 95 year old woman being a little sneaky like!  I can't wait to find some plants for it.  I love it!

In other Vintage Junky news, we are seriously putting the finishing touches on the laundry room.  It really isn't my fault... I have been distracted 2 weekends in a row by my sister and Robert Pattinson (in very different ways though *wink*)  Oh, and, here is my newest obsession:

Saw one in Cookeville and decided that I truly need a vintage Volvo. Okay, hope to have the laundry room and additional treasures photographed by the end of this week... rain go away!

Some Very Exciting News

I have some wonderful news.  It is something that has been in the works for awhile, but I didn't want to say anything until we were positive it was going to happen.  Well, it happened.  I almost feel a little guilty telling you.  You see, this is a Mr. Hughes thing.  Let me give you a little background on my wonderful hubby.

To say that Mr. Hughes is creative is an understatement.  He is, after all, a graphic/ web designer (he does blogs too!)  But, he also paints and builds things and basically helps me make my visions a reality.  He is a wonderful photographer and a great writer too.  Ladies, I lucked out, truly I did.  Marrying him is still hands down, the best decision I ever made.  He is who I go antiquing with... he actually takes longer than I do digging and what not.  When I go by myself, it just feels off.  He likes to upcycle things... take unwanted items and make them useful and pretty again.  Well, a few months ago someone saw his terrarium and then contacted him. This someone was from Country Living.  So they decided to put his design in the magazine.  Now, I haven't received our copy yet, but I searched for it on the website and here it is:

Photo and directions found here

He sent them one put together and then one for them to assemble while taking photos.  I, of course, have the original in our dining room.  I am so proud and a little jealous *wink*

If you would like to check out what my other half is up to, you can follow him at the upcycler.  Leave him a note to say that his fabulous wife sent you and tell him to buy me that house... he will know what you are talking about.

Oh, and I believe I need to announce the winner of my Bloggiversary Giveaway... it is Alicia @ Rae Rae Sisters.  So, Miss Alicia, send me an email at michelle@vintagejunky.com and I will send the pillow and pitcher to their new home... take good care of that pitcher!

If you want to check out two other wonderful giveaways, visit Anne at Fiona and Twig and Kasey at Lola B's.  Let's see if my giveaway luck extends to these two!

Imaginary Rooms- Dining

A few weeks ago, we went to the Flea Market in Nashville.  I didn't find as many treasures as I would have liked to, I am sure I will once the weather warms up and the all the vendors come back.  I did take a photo of something so lovely that I decided to design yet another imaginary room around it.  Perhaps you remember my guest room?  Well, I really couldn't justify buying this,

 

 

because I need a pair for my imaginary dining room (are you drooling yet... I mean, get out!  How fabulous is this sconce?!?  I should have just bought it, display and all and propped it up somewhere in our house.)

Alas, I did not, but I started imagining away....

 

Theses sconces would hang on either side of a mantle like this

 

f

 

found Here

Now, this beauty would have a coat of a white paint over it and be fitted with a vintage mirror, spotty and chippy please.  And what would a mantle like this be without a whole mess of mercury glass on it:

found Here

 

This isn't part of my personal collection, but Martha, if you are reading, I would happily take it off your hands.  Less for your maids to dust. 

 And, if it doesn't all fit on the mantel, I can just fill up this little built in

 found Here

 

While we are talking about mantles and such, I just would like to remind you the essentials of the space....the bones, if you will.  It has original hardwood floors, most likely set in a herringbone pattern in this particular room.  And wainscoting.  Now, above the wainscoting, it is the color of my dining room now

 

 a photo from Christmas via me!

 

 Ralph Lauren Sunwashed Blue.  I made an executive decision a little while ago that from this point on, our dining room will always be this color.  

 

And, I really like our table too, so we will keep it... Mr. Hughes will be so happy that I saved him money.

But, if we were to change chairs and such, I would go with one of these looks:

found Here

 

Love these chairs... I am actually in real life having some lumbar pillows made for our dining room chairs.  That lantern isn't bad either.

 

found Here

 

These chairs are great too... I would either do them in a bold grey pattern or simple white linen.

Speaking of white linen, I think we HAVE to have some smocked curtains in white linen

 

found Here

 

The table would be on top of this

 

found Here

 

 We also have this rug in our real life dining room, so we may just need to size up.

 

And so we come back to the crystals that started all this lusting and madness, but this time on a vintage Italian chandelier

 

found Here 

I would probably keep my painting of Audrey that Mr. Hughes painted in here or near the entrance to this room... oh yeah, the entrance is covered by pocket doors... with a transom over it.  A real, working transom. 

Okay, I probably need to stop here before I cash out my 401K and start buying all of these things... Mr. Hughes wouldn't like that one bit.

Oh, and I wanted to remind you guys that there is still time to enter my Bloggiversary giveaway.  I will draw and announce the winner on Thursday.