Head Over Heels Friday: Summer Stripes!

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely Head Over Heels for Summer Stripes!  Honestly, I can't get enough, I think every time I go shopping I am drawn to things that have stripes.  It is weird, but I love it!
 

Let's take a look at some of my favorite Striped finds!

1. Olin Rug: Crate and Barrel $19.99  2. Polyvore: Yellow Stripe Dress: $31.00  3. Lineage Bag: Francescas $44.00  4. Striped Dress: Express $49.90  5. Fedora: Forever 21 $10.80  6. Shampine Wedges: Aldo $75.00  7. Stripe Drink Dispenser: Pottery Barn $49.99  8. Stripe Maxi Dress: French Connection $56.00  9. Frill Stripe Bikini: Topshop $55.00  10. Yellow Stripe Wedges: Jessica Simpson Collection $59.00  11. Black and Tan Striped Outdoor Pillow: Target $26.00 for two  12. Red Striped Scarf: The Limited $28.00  13. Stripe Pocket Frock: American Apparel $41.00

(I'm hitting the mall this weekend to get #4 and #5!)

Oddly enough, when I got to work today on a lovely 'Casual Friday' I found that I had a striped twin!  My friend Betsy and I must have been thinking the exact same thing when we looked at our closets this morning.  Upon seeing each other we had a good laugh, then I made sure to get a picture of us- how appropriate and timely for this blog post?!?

Stripe dress + denim jacket + bright wedges = an easy, comfortable, and cute summer ensemble!

Betsy found some more gals at work rockin' the Summer Stripes with some neon!

HOT!

So, how about you?  Are you Head Over Heels for Summer Stripes???

Have a great weekend everyone!  I plan to get started on my stool tomorrow, thanks for helping me decide on option 1, 2, or 3.  You'll just have to wait and see which one I chose!

'Polishing' Fail and Stool Options

Someone was giving me an awful lot of trouble last night (and for once I'm not talking about naughty Sadie).  It was that vintage warehouse stool that I picked up from Bauer Brother's last week.  Grrr!

I loved all the suggestions you gals gave me in the comments (also the sweet messages that made me feel better about our home repair situation).  Ultimately your comments led me to a good plan for the lil' ol' stool.  Here's a little photoshop visual for what I was thinking:

A few of you said to leave it as is and just spiff up the seat and chair back.  I thought that might work, but I did decide that the legs had to be a different color, especially since the stool started to find a home in our kitchen/ dining area and those red hot legs were not very complimentary to the dark red paint on the walls.  So, I will be DIY updating the legs with Rustoleum's 'Gloss Gray Hammered Metal' (to keep the industrial feel) and will be leaving the seat and chair back as is in order to keep that vintage look (but with a little polishing).

With my plan in mind, I started sanding the stool legs to chip off loose paint and smooth out the metal surface so it would be ready to paint.

I then started to sand the seat in order to get it cleaned up. It was an odd surface to sand- it wasn't wood exactly, nor was it plastic.  Heck, it seemed kind of rubbery? Hmmm, Mystery Material Anyone? Sounds good, I'll take two!  I still don't quite know what material was I sanding. However, after exerting a little elbow grease while sanding away at the dirt, real grease and paint stains, it started to 'polish up' nicely......or so I thought.

After that I started to clean up the chair back a little bit.  I decided to get rid of the "warehouse" writing so it would look a bit fresher.  The chair back wasn't made of the same Mystery Material that the seat was made out of.  It was plain ol' paint and wood.

Then, I began to notice a problem...

My attempt at 'polishing' up the seat and chair back had completely altered their surface textures.  

Here is a 'before' photo:

And here is how they were looking after my sanding efforts:

 Boo...... Polishing FAIL!

I was really happy with the seat, but I think I killed the chair back.  I must have been sanding like a MANIAC!  I know I might just be super picky, but I'm not liking how the chair back looks like wood, and the seat looks like white painted plastic. 

So it looks like the seat and chair back are going to need a paint job also now.  Back to the idea board!

I started to look up a few totally new ideas, here's the rundown for what I am thinking:

1. Painting the legs and chair back one color (Gloss Gray Hammered Metal) and painting the seat an antique white?

 Or...

2. Still painting the metals surfaces the metal paint color, then painting the seat and chair back a dark brown (similar to a dark walnut wood color)?

Lastly...

3. Paint the whole stool white?

 If I paint the whole thing white, I might have the beginnings of a fun little set of mismatched vintage stools because my other vintage stool will have a color-coordinating buddy!

Yuck!  I need a better picture of this cute little guy!

Well, I did say I wanted a project to work on, I certainly got my wish!  What do you think?  

Option 1, 2 or 3??? 

I Love Thrifting Day Recap!

I Love Thrifting Day in Minneapolis was awesome!  Did you go out and about for Thrifting Day in your city?

Here is our Thrifting group photo: Lauren from Our Big Fat Farm Wedding, Megan from Nomi Passenger, myself, and Angela from Uniquely Attainable.  In case you are wondering, we learned about the event a little too late to order our t-shirts.  Angela was able to get a t-shirt just in time so we carried it around (I guess it was our thrifting mascot)

We kicked off our thrifting at Bauer Brothers Architectural Salvage (aka my favorite thrifting location in the Twin Cities).  Lauren and Megan had never been here!  I was soooo excited to share my Bauer Brother's love with them.

As I have said before, Bauer Brother's warehouse is HUGE and you can find just about anything inside.  The four of us kept our eyes open for cool finds, but we also started to have a funny little adventure wandering around.

We got to a section that was just full of lockers that have been salvaged from old schools. 

Lauren then said, "Hey, we should climb inside, it is just like that old show on Nickelodeon!"

"You know, where they climb in the lockers and get slimmed!"  I thought it was hilarious, I totally watched that show!  Lauren and I seem to have the same childhood TV memories.

Our next little Bauer Brothers adventure was into the Basement.  If you can't tell from the photo, it was pretty creepy.  They didn't have the lights on but we were all curious if there was anything good down there.  Angela bravely led the way.  I thought we might never see her again, I was sure there was a monster or serial killer hiding down there- JK!.  But we found a light on in the corner of the basement and shimmied our way through.  Sadly, no good finds down there.

Adventures, lockers, and monsters aside, we did find some cool vintage styled thrift finds!  

Here is a pic of our Bauer Brother's thrifting goodies.  Megan got a small glass bottle, I picked up (what else) some burlap sacks, and Lauren got a vintage crate which may possibly be used at their wedding!

PS- Lauren and Jessie's wedding is only about 6 weeks away now!

Our next thrifting stop was the downtown Minneapolis Salvation Army.

I have to say, the basement section of this Salvation Army was AWESOME!  Nearly everything was brand new- nothing used here.  Everything came from local retailers, I almost felt like I was in a TJ Maxx or Marshalls.

I found some pretty nifty accessories for my outfit :)  Yeeee- Haawwww!

Sadly, since the deals there were so fantastic I seemed to forget that I was on photo duty :( I missed getting a photo of all of us and our carts filled with thrifty finds and goodies.  I still think Megan got the find of the day at Salvation Army- a super cute brand new summer styled handbag.  I challenged her to a duel for it I was pretty jealous of her find.

Whew!  After all that shopping we were pooped!  Megan suggested we stop over at Local D'lish to grab a snack and take a little break.

 Megan is friends with Ann, the owner of Local D'Lish (she's also a Northside resident).  Local D'Lish is an organic grocery store filled with lots of local treats and gifts.  Don't you love her vintage windows in her store front?  It was a really fun stop on our day.  I loved chatting with Ann and learning more about local businesses and women-owned businesses in the Twin Cities.  Made our day all the more special.

***Alright, onto the good part- So what did I come home with after Thrifting Day???***

Let's have a look...

You already got a preview of my burlap sacks from Bauer Brothers, but here is a closer look.  I got these for just $5.00!!!  Steal!  I can't wait to get started on a project with these (and you know I NEED a project right now).

Here is my Salvation Army score, everything was brand new - crazy right?  I got a neutral looking rug, skirt, cookie sheet (we really needed one), and a fun crossbody handbag for my laptop!

I also got a few (non-thrift day) items at Local D'Lish including pasta, salsa, and goat cheese (YUM).  I know that is a weird group of items, but we got to sample them already (not all in the same meal of course).  Everything was delicious!  Loved our pasta dinner and Alex approved of the salsa- he is picky about spicy stuff and this salsa was hot enough for him and almost too hot for me :)

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better Saturday :)  It was so much fun connecting with my friends from the blog world that are as crazy about thriftin' and junkin' as I am! We must do it again ladies!

Were you out for I Love Thrifting Day?  What did you score???

Head Over Heels: Uniquely Attainable's Home Decor Store On Wheels!

Have you ever wanted to open your own home decor store?  I know I have daydreamed about it before.... What about you?

Well, I recently found out about a gal that did start her own home decor store, and it is a one of a kind!  Why?  It is a school bus turned home decor store!  What!?!   We all know food trucks/ vans have invaded cities all over, but a home decor store on wheels?  Crazy pants!  But good crazy pants :)  I was Head Over Heels for this idea and just had to go check out this school bus turned home decor store called Uniquely Attainable.

The brains behind this bus-tacular idea is Angela White.  When I went to go see and shop the bus I had a chance to chat with her.
Angela said she has always loved home decor and felt like she had to put her creativity into business!  She purchased a school bus, gave it a nice makeover, and got her bus driver's license.  Then she began stocking the bus with repurposed, restored, reclaimed, resale, and homemade items.

 Her goal is to sell unique items at attainable prices!  I love it!

Let's take a little peek at some of the merchandise....

For more you will have to just swing by and see it for yourself if you are in the Twin Cities.  You can check her website, Facebook, or Twitter page to find out where she is set up each day. 

Follow that bus!!!

What did you think?  Isn't it a fun DIY- spirited idea for a store? 

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I will be out and about for I LoveThrifting Day tomorrow (Saturday, July 9th).  Check the link to see who is participating in a city near you!  If you are in the Twin Cities and would like to join me and a few other local bloggers here's our plan:

10:00am Bauer Brothers - 2432 North 2nd Street Minneapolis, MN

11:30am Salvation Army Thrift Store - 900 North 4th Street. Minneapolis, MN

1:00pm Arc's Value Village - 6528 Penn Avenue South, Richfield, MN

Hope to see more Thrifters there! Hammers and High Fives!!!  My heels are ready to go!
Thrifters Unite!

A Vintage Warehouse Stool In Need of Some TLC... and a Confession

I was enjoying some free time wandering through Bauer Brother's Architectural Salvage yesterday and found this guy:

This little stool seemed to say to me "hey, I am rustic, chippy, industrial, and a bit vintage- Carla you can take me home and give me the Hammers and High Heels treatment and make me look cute!"

For just $10 I decided I was up for the challenge knowing this stool has the bones to turn into something really stylish.  But it sure is going to take some work!

The chair back had 'warehouse' written on it.  Call me Captain Obvious, but I assume this was used in a warehouse at some point.

I am pumped to get working on this warehouse stool and turn it from trash to a treasure!

And now, I have a confession to make... 
 I don't really have a need for a stool, or even a place to put it in our house, I am just DYING to do some DIY work on something!!!

Why? Because we can't work on anything in our house right now- and it's driving me BONKERS!

Since the upstairs of our house is still a big ol' fat mess with a hole in it and water damage from the tornado, we can't work on anything we want or need to. The only rooms we had planned to do some redo's/ DIY on are all upstairs (like the Master Bedroom redo I really wanted to get started on in May).

Our bedroom is still in 'Before' condition- when I was hoping to be closer to an 'After' 
It has been almost 7 weeks now, or 47 days to be exact- yes I am COUNTING days now.  I apologize if you are sick of hearing me complain about it, but I can't seem to help it at this point in time.  (Insert super sad face).  I am getting less and less optimistic as the days go by.

We have no idea when it will get fixed- and that totally stinks. I used to fill my time thinking up fun home decor and DIY ideas.  Now, the daydreaming has been replaced constant thoughts and worries about so many things related to the tornado damage (and I feel like it just gets worse as time goes by).  Worries like...

-Damages to our house, and if it sitting there still is going to cause more damage (water damage = mold)?

-Our insurance company, are they really trying to help us or save their own money?

-Is my cell phone ringer on and by my side in case insurance or the contractor calls?

 -Could Rocco and Sadie run away when they are outside because our fence is still broken?

-Will my house still have a hole in it when winter starts?
- How much more money out of pocket is this going to cost?

-Whenever a storm rolls through, will our tarp covering our house fly away?

 -Will Alex and I have to fix or repaint things ourselves?

-Our garage has no tarp, is that going to grow mold and deteriorate?

-Will they find more damage once the house starts getting fixed?
-Are all of my coworkers annoyed with me because all I talk about is the house damage?

-Will our house look/ feel the same once it is fixed?

-Are our neighbors having these problems too?  Are they feeling as worried as I am?

A bummer for Alex and I, anytime he asks me what I am thinking about I rattle off a question about our house, insurance, or the contractor.  It has made for very boring and depressing conversations for 47 days now.

Alright, so there was my confession.  Maybe putting all my worries out there will help me stop thinking about it so much.  And hey, maybe after spilling my guts here on the blog I will finally get resolution from our insurance and the house will get fixed.  Then this post will seem kind of funny- hmmm, I hope!

Thanks for listening, sometimes just venting helps :) 

If you have ideas for my stool redo let me know (and keep my mind off the house damage, hehe!).  Should I go totally industrial looking?  Or shabby?  Add a cushion?  What do you think?
-Or- 
I'd love advice/ words of wisdom from others that have gone through a similar situation with severe home damages.
Comment away! Pretty Please!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Hello and happy Fourth of July everybody!
I'm so excited for today!  We are headed to a Twins game and then we will be grilling, eating lots of food, having some drinks, and watching fireworks tonight! 

I will also be on fire extinguisher duty, somebody really likes fireworks (I won't say who exactly)...

This person especially likes the ones from Wisconsin, you know, the kind they don't sell here in Minnesota. He and his father are even now proud members of Phantom Fireworks. Hmmm...

I shouldn't say more. Let's just say we will be having our own fireworks show tonight as well.

Be happy, be safe (don't lose any fingers), and make memories today with family and friends!  Happy Fourth of July!

Head Over Heels: A Nostalgic Fourth of July

There's just something about the Fourth of July that brings forth all sorts of nostalgic feelings for me. 

 I grew up in the somewhat smaller city of Grandville, Michigan.  Every Fourth of July was nearly as exciting as Christmas for me and I even recall counting down the days leading up to the 4th when I was really young.  The city had a HUGE parade at the beginning of the day followed by a carnival filled with arts, crafts, food, a basketball tournament, and ending with a fireworks display that lit up the summer sky.  I would spend the day with family and childhood friends.  It was really a one of a kind experience.  I've never seen any other town have such an amazing day long celebration that brought everyone together.  As every Fourth of July comes and goes, I catch myself wondering what is going on in good ol' Grandville Michigan.  I hope I get to show Alex what it is like someday (since I think he is sick of hearing about it each year).

The Fourth of July probably feels special to different people for different reasons, but I would guess most of us think about all things that feel very patriotic and traditional.  I am totally Head Over Heels for the simple traditions that Independence Day brings.

Here's to true American 4th of July style.  

~ cue America, The Beautiful by Ray Charles (the Sandlot anyone?)~

Photo credits (left to right): Country Living, Green Wedding Shoes, Chippy Shabby, This Next, If Zombies Were Supermodels, Country Living, We Heart It, Imperfectly Beautiful, Country Living

-  Do you feel a bit nostalgic when the 4th of July comes around?  

-  Did/ does your hometown do anything special to celebrate?

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Alex's parents will be coming to visit us this weekend for the 4th.  Sadly we still have an un-repaired Guest Room (due to the tornado on May 22), but I am really looking forward to the comfort of having parents here.  I still feel a bit sad about the tornado (and the fact that nothing has been fixed, ahem insurance) and parents still have a special way of making you feel better :)  Can't wait to see them!