Weekend Restoration

Meet the victim of my new project.

As you might know, I have been itching to finish my project room. (The less imaginative might call it my closet) I've been postponing because I have been waiting for the right desk to come my way. Aka, a free, good looking desk. It's not as easy as one would think to find the perfect project desk. I was ready to custom make one but wood is so expensive. It's lucky I waited because this weekend I found the perfect table hiding in my parents' garage. They scored it from a client who was moving and no longer wanted it. I was happy to take it off their hands.

Of course, it had to be chopped in two. I'll use the large side as my desk,while the other side will sit against the opposite wall and serve as a matching shelf.

This project took about ten minutes and literally consisted of two steps--measure and cut. The last step will be mounting the desk against my closet wall...and maybe adding a little paint.

I'm sure I got my restoration creativity from my dad because he was about to chop the legs shorter and use it to raise the washer and dryer. Luckily, I also got my generosity from him because he let me have the table instead. It would have been a shame to see these little dowels go to waste.

A Color Fest

We pulled the trigger on the turquoise wall. A turquoise wall would have never happened two years ago. It's not that I would have ever had a problem with painting a wall turquoise but Ben has been fighting for his rights to a bachelor pad since day one. You know, the kind absent of any color.

And look at him now... You should have seen me 3 years ago trying to convince Ben to be a risk taker and register for some vibrant dishes or a funky duvet cover. He cringed when I broke the news to him that one day our whole house would be full of color.

I soon realized that my current method was like the shock you go through each morning when you turn on the lights after a long, dark night...so I decided to take a new approach.

It started with a few orange mugs, next a colorful quilt, an accent chair, some candles...Next thing you know, I've got him smiling about painting a TURQUOISE wall. Can you imagine me being so sneaky?

Little did he know that I had been slowly conditioning him over the last two years.

NOW, You might even catch him saying, "We need some more Rachel in this room."
Translation: "This room needs more color."

Color Obsession

Looks like THIS wall is getting an upgrade. Can you guess what color? You can find it in the China Town photo. Wish me luck!

Never Say Never

This was probably the best halloween ever. I threw a couples halloween party on our rooftop. The decor was Halloween magic. We socialized, ate Halloween treats and watched a Halloween movie. Saturday consisted of frisbee golf and ANOTHER Halloween party.

To say the least, we had an awesome Halloween weekend and it was topped off with a costume party at work...Guess who! Yes I had to take advantage of my short hair and dress up as Justin Bieber. Can you resist this?? That's right, Michelle, our executive assistant, and I were Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. What a good looking pair. I hate to brag but I'm pretty sure the entire office caught the Bieber Fever this Halloween

A Fun Filled Weekend

My brother came into town and stayed with us Friday through Saturday and we had an AWESOME weekend with him! We took him to dinner at our favorite restaurant, took him on his first trolley ride, watched a talented one man band perform on the street and watched a movie on the roof! How's that for entertainment?

Saturday was exceptional as well because the rest of my family came to visit. We played golf in Golden Gate Park and then toured these mosaic steps which are phenomenal. The weekend couldn't have been much better!

iPhone

I did it. I gave in to the convenience of a smart phone. I am ashamed to say that I spent all day on it sending random emails and discovering apps. I did manage to produce something today though...this lovely picture. Happy weekend!

Apartment Living

I think it's about time to give a virtual tour of the finished half of my apartment!

Ben and I have had so much fun putting together our place, especially since we will be settling down her for a number of years (opposed to our past apartments where we knew we were going to move not much later).
and here is our living room.
Since I don't like to decorate around a TV, we don't have one. More room for some lovely artwork. I have a special clock coming my way to hang over the buffet. It used to be in my grandma Tygerson's house. It will be nice to have something hanging that reminds me of her and all those Polaroids she took of us under it.
There's a little more to do with this angle of the room-1. Make some pillows 2. Paint an accent wall!
I hope you enjoyed the tour. There's more to be done on my bedroom, kitchen and closet...or should I say work room...those will have to be revealed another day! Have a great weekend!

Bus 27

My family came for a visit a little while ago. Just thought I would share a picture of us preparing to board the 27 (the bus I took to and from Anthropologie) I had to give them the full experience which included the diverse ride to Market Street through the Tenderloin. I could write a small novel of my moments with the bus 27 folks.

Short Story 1: First Day on the Bus

As the crowd shuffles onto the bus, I notice a sweet little old lady. She's carrying a bag and doing her best to fend for herself. As she steps onto the bus, a loud man with his oxygen tank weasels his way in front of her as he demands,

"Wait your turn now, wait your turn."

The little old lady shrinks into a small opening in the line. One personal assault was not enough for the tenderloin folks.

The bus continues to fill with people while another bus rider, who is sitting in the disabled/senior section, yells,

"Your bag is touching me! Move it away from me!"

(Since when do claustrophobic people ride bus?) The little old lady glances at me and we exchange startled looks as she sweeps her bag up and into herself. I try to keep a straight face as to not clue in the other riders of my inexperience of riding the 27. It seems as though it's survival of the fittest.

The bus continues to flood with people. I don't think it is possible for anymore to fit! Soon enough the bus driver shuts his doors and the bus is ready to take off...Wait, what's that beeping? Why isn't the bus moving? I knew there were far too many people on board. We are like sardines and the man with the oxygen tank is breathing down my neck.

"There's too many people!"

the bus driver exclaims as the riders left on the street bang on the doors. And the crowd goes wild! "What's going on?! Let's go! Your bag is touching me! Move!"

Should I abandon ship? Is there going to be a riot? Oh no, it's the typical day on the 27.

Work Work Work Room

Within the last week I started a new job+moved into my apartment. I'm racing to get everything set up before I sink into the lull of getting used to stuff lying around. Do you know what I mean? I'm talking about that framed picture that sits propped up against the wall for months because at some point you just got used to it sitting in the same place. What would look unusual to a guest is simply normal for you. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it is probably happening to you right now. I've been there and I'm not doing again.


I have 2 boxes to empty, 6 pictures to hang +1 mirror and a closet to organize before I can begin building my work station. I basically need to fit this into the second half of my closet.

Unpacking the Beast

It's 6am and boxes seem to be around every corner. We had an unpacking marathon for the last 2 days. Surprisingly, I don't feel the need to crawl back into bed. I am starting a new job on Wednesday so I am determined to get my apartment in working order before then...wait is that tomorrow?? Oh boy.
Also need to find a number of new lamp shades...I have one that is ready to retire and this one is too darn small.
Time for breakfast.

Moving Day

We are moving into our new place today! My internet has been down which is why I haven't posted much in the last while. Hopefully we will have internet up and running soon so I can show you the new apartment!

Attention SF Dog Owners

Dear San Francisco Dog Owners or maybe all dog owners,

It has come to my attention that most of you pick up your dog droppings. This is great! The human species has accomplished the first step of living civilized in a world of pets. This is not my concern. My concern is that half of you dispose of the bag somewhere OTHER than the trash...? I'm so glad that you have taken the effort to use a bag while walking your dog but I believe you have forgotten the last step. The most important step. Stop me if I'm wrong, but the bag is supposed to be disposed of in a trash; not on the sidewalk, not on the beach, and not in someones yard. I would like to remind you, the community would much rather have nature take its course in decomposing the remains your dog left behind rather than leaving it bottled up in a plastic bag where it will remain forever. Next time, I'm leaving it on your porch.

Love,
me

Table Restoration Project

Ben and I spent Saturday afternoon working on my table since we finally decided how we wanted to fix it up.
We love the worn look of this table but the top is hardly appetizing. We talked about doing many different things but in the end decided to simply strip the top of the table and leave the old charm of the rest.BEFORE:
Supplies for paint stripping: Paint stripper-I like the paste and I like the strong stuff-you know, the kind that says poisonous on the front. Thick, chemical resistant gloves are a MUST. In fact, buy a couple pair because the first pair started to bubble and burn through even though they were supposed to be chemical resistant. Steel wool for rubbing the paste around. Masking tape for protecting anything you don't want to remove paint from. Plastic Shovel-like scraper for scraping off paint. The citrus shield is to protect unfinished wood if you odn't plan on re-painting it.
Step 1: Tape any edges you need to protect from the stripper.
Step2: pour paste onto surface and spread around with your scraper tool and steel wool and wait a couple minutes. (working on smaller spaces keeps the paste from drying up to quickly if you are working in the sun. I would say 2x2 feet is a workable amount of space.)

Step 3: The paint will start to weaken and can then be scraped off with scraper tool and also rubbed off with the steel wool. (the scraper gets most of the paint and the steel wool gets the last of it as you rub. I also used the steel wool on the edges around the table)

Tip: Make sure to scrape and rub with the grain. While you can't tell while you are working, you will once the wood is cleaned off.
Last step is to sand the surface to refine the feel of the wood. You can do this by hand or mechanically! If you are not planning on re-painting the wood, rub on some finishing wax and you're good to go!
AFTER:
I love how clean and simple the table looks now. I'm so excited to put it in my apartment!

I think I will eventually make some cushions for the chairs to add a little color and personal style but until then, here it is!

Disclaimer: Make sure to be careful with the stripping chemicals! They are incredibly strong and can really burn you if you leave them on your skin for even a minute. Also, make sure you have proper ventilation or you'll probably pass out.

A Home for my Peacock

This peacock has been haunting my thrifting. It has been weeks and I haven't been able to find a frame for it. I was starting to think I never would...until last saturday. Somehow, the garage sale angel was with me.On my way home from Home Depot, I saw many garage sale signs along the street. Each one screamed,

"Maybe they have THE frame!"

Surprisingly I refrained from stopping at any since I needed to have some time to work on my table. There happened to be a garage sale across the street which didn't look promising but I stopped by anyway. It only took a minute for me to zone in on this mirror. I had found it! Out of all the garage sales and all the searching...what are the chances I would find this treasure across from my own house?

This mirror was so cheap, my eyes almost popped out of my head when the girl told me the price...$15...I literally felt like I was robbing someone. What a steal. Not to mention the fact that I ran this thing home before anyone could change their mind.
Only another week until this beauty is hanging in my new apartment.

Apparel Temptation

This weekend a friend and I stopped by a store called Buffalo Exchange after doing some estate sale hopping. We didn't find much at our estate sales but I did find something unexpected elsewhere...

I have been drooling over this dress for a few weeks now. It's from Anthropologie and of course it's $90 after being marked down from a much higher price. I had been looking at it for too long and was about to give in to my apparel temptation.
UNTIL....coincidentally, I found a dress incredibly similar to this one at Buffalo Exchange- a store where people can bring their old clothes and sell them for cash. Everything is second hand and some things are actually vintage. It has great prices and quality clothing. While this dress isn't the one from Anthro, I love it even more. It's vintage and totally glamorous...Oh and did I mention cheap? Yes, I bought this dress for $15.

You can't tell from the picture but the bottom of the dress has two layers of lace. They give the dress a twenties feel. I also adore the scalloped hem and sleeves. Thank you, Buffalo Exchange and Elise for making me try this little number on.

Estate Sales

Estate sales are a great place to find some vintage pieces. They are typically advertised on Craigslist and often a lot better than garage sales because they aren't full of peoples' unwanted junk. A lot of times an estate sale is meant to liquidate nearly everything sellable from the home because someone has passed away or is moving. Here are a few things that interested me at my first one...
I thought this little handkerchief was precious. My guess is that it was a wedding gift given to the couple many years ago and it was kept throughout their marriage. Love this gold mirror selling for $175 Interesting little chair $45 old wooden hutch- can't remember how much but fun!