It's surprising how much excitement a table brings me.

It's funny because just the other day I was talking to my sewing guru, Mrs. Dent. We discussed the projects she was working on and the fabric I had just bought. And we laughed about the fact that I didn't have a sewing area.

My sewing machine stays stored in our office/guest room until I pull it out and place it on either our coffee table or dining table and work away at a make-shift station.

A couple weeks ago I saw this beautiful table at my favorite antique/resale store. I fell in love instantly. I mean, it has a 36" ruler carved into the wood! But one look at the price tag and I walked away. It's not that it was extraordinarily priced - it was, after all, a lovely table - it's just that I couldn't really justify the purchase.

For one thing, where would it go?

So I went home. And for the next three weeks I thought about that table and where it could go and how I would use it and how my sewing machine would love it.

Yesterday I decided that enough was enough. I had just received the store's monthly newsletter with a 10% off coupon. So I figured, I would call them and see if it was still there (things move so quickly in their store, I thought for sure it would be gone).

I left a message before work asking them about the table and then for the next 3 hours I got really anxious. I just knew that someone had snatched it up. When I got off there were no missed calls which in my mind immediately meant that it was gone.

But I drove by the shop anyway. Just to see. I walked in and was called over by the owner who was eating her lunch. I told her I called earlier and that I was sure it wasn't there but I just stopped by to check if it was...

"Oh it IS, dear!" She said. "A woman just walked out of here with measurements of it to see if it would work for what she needed. But I asked her if she wanted me to put it on hold for her and she said no that she would just come back at another time..."

"I'll take it." I jumped in quickly. "I've been thinking about that table for weeks!"

I managed to get that thing in my little Cavalier and off we went. I then spent the next 3 hours rearranging our bedroom so that I would have a place to put it.

I couldn't be happier with it. I can't wait to start sewing our new quilt.

Happy Friday!

thrifty finds

Except, it was antique-ing which, as we all know, is way more expensive than thrifting. When my in-laws came out a couple months ago, Lisa and I went to a few antique stores and ever since I've wanted to go back and explore. There is a huge antique community out here that I haven't noticed as much on the West Coast, probably because the East Coast has way more history than the West Coast and therefore more old stuff. I went to a few shops today looking for some type of trunk or chest that I could store blankets in since we have zero closet space. This proved difficult since, as previously stated, antique shops tend to be expensive. 

And then I found that beauty. He was residing in an old church turned antique store. He was hidden under tons of knick-knacks and stowed behind an old rocking horse. I fell in love. It's blue and distressed. It traveled the Cunard Line. It's huge. And it's just beautiful. Best part? A good $50-100 cheaper than other trunks/chests that I have found that were smaller. I was actually expecting to find an old wooden trunk, and there were some fabulous ones, but this steamer trunk has my heart. 

p.s. I am considering changing my name to match the initials of the original owner. Suggestions are welcome. 

fun with my ma-in-law

Since Dan and I had somewhat of a whirlwind romance I didn't get to know his family too well before we got married. Luckily, I got to spend some quality time with Lisa (coincidentally, our moms have the same first name) while Lisa and Scott were in town. We went antique-ing and had a great time. What's better than bonding over fantastic furniture and awesome old artifacts? Not much. And, to top it all off she got Dan and I some house warming gifts. We got that awesome picnic basket, the weather has been so great lately I've been dying to take a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers and lay out at the park by the pond, sounds perfect to me! We also got that sign with the different measuring utensils on it, it's in French (so I don't understand any of it) and so cute and fits right above our kitchen sink. Lisa found some awesome trinkets too -- including an adorable French tea pot with a hot air balloon on it.  We have so many antique shops here, I can't wait to go back! I also got that awesome cameo necklace. Bonding + great finds = wonderful day with my mother-in-law. 

I want

Being snowed in at home is good for two things: online shopping/browsing and napping. I just took a long nap with a terrible dream that I couldn't get out of and I woke up with my heart pounding and I felt like I would cry. However, all is better now -- the dream is not reality. But online shopping is oh so real. Not that I can buy anything right now because we still need to get me a car. All we want is a cheap clunker that I can drive around town for the next two years but it seems that is harder to come by than we thought. So this is my dream list right here -- only three things that I want really badly right now:

I desperately want a pair of rain boots. I love these Hunter boots in green but they are $125 new, ouch! The black pair  which I think look super sleek are Jeffrey Campbell and $80 -- not sure which I would prefer more, I like both for different reasons -- any opinions?

This camera makes me drool. Really any SLR makes me drool -- but after looking into a few I feel like I really like the Nikon D300. However its a wee bit expensive coming in at over $1000 which for a professional camera is not that bad but for a starving student and her 1st Lieutenant husband... it will have to wait. 

And last, I have wanted a cute trench coat for a while and this one is actually on sale -- London Fog at Macy's -- for $100. Again a little pricey but this is my snow-day-dream-list okay!? 

I think I am going to go bake some chocolate chip cookies and eat some for dinner. Because I am alone for the evening and that is what I want to do. :)