Seeking Furniture Help!

Hi everyone,

Mr. G and I have decided to (finally) purchase some new bedroom furniture! Right now we're mainly looking at dressers and chests, but we're also looking at full sets (to complete over time) if we like all the pieces. I'm not dying to have a matchy-matchy bedroom suite, but it would certainly be a lot easier to buy everything from one place, and Lord knows I don't have the time to shop everywhere under the sun. As of today, we have narrowed our options down to four. One is from IKEA (of course), two are from Ashley Furniture, and one is from HOM Furniture. Here are their links:

IKEA - HEMNES Collection (this is just the dresser; the rest of the collection is at the bottom)
Ashley - Diana Collection
Ashley - Shay Collection
HOM - French Quarters Collection 

The IKEA and Ashley suites are matched pretty close in price thanks to good discounts at Ashley, but the HOM suite is quite a bit more expensive, so we would probably only buy one piece at a time. I've seen all the sets in person with the exception of the Diana set by Ashley, and they all seem to be pretty durable (even the IKEA set) plus all the drawers open/close easily. They all seem like great options, but they're fairly different from one another, which is why I'm having a hard time deciding. Mr. G already has his favorite (the HOM set), but I'm not so sure. Here's my pro/con list for each:

French Quarter Collection (HOM):

• PRO- beautiful and dramatic
• PRO- best materials
• PRO- silver knobs
• PRO- gentleman's cabinet (Mr. G is obsessed, and it comes with a full-length mirror)
• PRO- 4 poster bed :)
• CON- no fabric headboard :( (still don't know which I'd rather have)
• CON- most expensive; will take longest to get everything
• CON- cherry-brown color (I prefer black or black-brown)
• CON- slightly old-fashioned

Diana Collection (Ashley):

• PRO- perfect color - dark espresso finish
• PRO- unique details on the mirror and the knobs
• PRO- modern and a little flashy
• PRO- taller with more drawers
• CON- shallower than others (16" deep)
• CON- smaller drawers
• CON- not a fan of the bed (no leather)
• CON- maybe too flashy? haven't seen in person

Shay Collection (Ashley):

• PRO- pure black color
• PRO- silver knobs
• PRO- cool detailing on the mirror
• PRO- sleek and simple; fairly modern
• CON- funky swirl design on the knobs
• CON- lacquer paint (chips easily)
• CON- not crazy about the bed

HEMNES Collection (IKEA):

• PRO- original favorite
• PRO- simple, sleek, modern
• PRO- perfect black-brown color; matches our current IKEA bed
• PRO- smaller, unattached mirror (especially if you buy the lamps on either side of it in the showroom :) )
• PRO- best use of space (20" deep)
• PRO- cheapest option
• CON- very plain
• CON- matching black-brown knobs (I prefer silver or something that stands out)
• CON- lightest weight; not the best materials (it is wood, though)
• CON- don't care for the bed at all
• CON- assembly required :/

As you can see, I'm pretty torn. I would LOVE to hear your opinions and advice, so please share!! I'm looking for a set that will last us quite a while (but not necessarily something I'll pass on to my grandchildren) as well as a look that's modern, sleek and comes in a pretty color. I can live with so-so knobs since they can be replaced, mirror size is not of utmost importance to me, and beds/nightstands are neither a deal-sealer nor a deal-breaker at this point.

Now pass along your wisdom! Thanks in advance for the input. :)

<3 Mrs. G

Parents' Visit & Curtain Ideas

Hi everyone,

So sorry for the delay in posts. My parents came to town this past weekend, and we had a fabulous time! We took them to the Mall of America and through Minneapolis and St. Paul - we even walked around the city's signature Walker Art Center, home of the famous spoon and cherry sculpture. We also ate REALLY well - we had Mexican on Cinco de Mayo (of course), amazing chicken and veggies by Mr. G's mom on Friday, steak and potatoes on Saturday, and a yummy turkey burger lunch on Mother's Day with fresh apples and grilled corn on the cob. SO good!

Also, as a housewarming gift to us, my parents have offered to pay for our much-needed window treatments. We did a lot of shopping over the weekend, but I still have a lot more to do. So far, we only got curtains for the kitchen, but we've priced a lot of things. I know the color scheme I want for all the windows, but from here it's picking the right curtain/shade. At first, I wanted all bamboo Roman shades, but now I think only the guest room will have them. In the living room, I have the challenge of finding something for a window and a large glass sliding door that are right next to each other. I'm thinking I want one white sheer curtain and one thicker grey curtain (preferably to cover the door), but I'm having trouble deciding what to get.

Here are the curtains I got for the kitchen (from IKEA, of course):

IKEA Birgit curtains

I'm very excited about these! I think they will look great next to my colorful tiles. :) Speaking of which, I finally found something to hang my tiles on! They are black plate hangers I got from Bed Bath and Beyond, and they're perfect! I have a lot of black accents in my kitchen anyway, plus now I don't have to attach anything to the tiles or worry about them falling off shelves... Success!

I was also hoping to get my shades from IKEA, but they only make one size, and they're too small even with two panels. :( I do love their shades, though, and they have amazing prices. Here are a couple of my favorites:

IKEA Anno Stra curtain

IKEA Anno Ljuv curtain

In place of IKEA shades, I think I have decided on some from Home Depot to put in our guest bedroom. 

The bamboo will go nicely with my green comforter from Urban Outfitters.

Urban Outfitters is actually one of my favorite places to look for decor inspiration. The only downside is that their stuff is usually expensive and not always practical. Nevertheless, I am in love with their curtains, and maybe some will show up in our house after all. Here are my favorites by Urban that will serve as my inspiration, if nothing else:

Urban Outfitters Drawstring Ruched Balloon Shade

Urban Outfitters Flounce Ruffle Stripe Curtain

In place of the balloon shade from Urban, I found this great balloon shade at Target that seems to be more sheer, which I would prefer, and the plus side is I don't have to mess with drawstrings. I also love this gray scroll curtain from Target to cover the sliding glass door. 

So many choices! I never thought it would be this hard to pick out curtains... If you have any suggestions, let me know!

I'll post pics of everything once I hang them up, and I'll also post the recipes soon for the desserts I made for our family gathering on Friday - dulce de leche cupcakes and berry custard pie. :)

<3 Mrs. G

DIY: Talavera Tiles

As promised, here are photos of the Mexican-inspired tiles I painted for my kitchen:

I think they turned out pretty well! The red/orange one is my favorite - I love all the fun details. All of these were inspired by tiles I've seen somewhere - one was based on my mini-tile I got in Mexico, two were based on Mexican jewelry I saw on Etsy, and one was actually based on one of my ceramic sugar canisters, which also turned out to have talavera designs. Funny thing is, they were Mr. G's before we got married! I love when things work out like that. :)

The only direction I can give on making these is to measure your perimeter designs and your center to make sure everything is symmetrical. From there, I just free-handed it. My advice is to be creative, have fun with it, and don't be afraid to make mistakes! Paint is actually very forgiving, so it's not as bad as it seems. Plus, perfection is boring. ;) As for supplies, I bought the tiles from Home Depot (they are real floor tiles!), and the paint/brushes from Michael's. I used acrylic paint, and I was happy with how it turned out, but you can also buy ceramic paint, which may have been a better idea in retrospect.

In other news, we are getting the house ready for this weekend, because my parents are coming to visit! Thankfully, we are pretty much unpacked now - I just have to make sure everything is good to go and try to get some more crafts done! I still don't know how I'm going to hang up these tiles (or if they'll even hang), and I have set a goal of finishing one more DIY project before this weekend. I think I can manage that, since I'm only working two days this week.

Also, speaking of DIY, Mr. G and I made the mistake of attempting to cut our dog's hair ourselves yesterday... We have an adult lab/collie with long, bushy hair. Bathing her is a task in itself (and requires extensive clean-up), but cutting her hair was one big struggle. We took her out to the garage, used Mr. G's cutting shears (yep, I cut his hair!), and went to town. The shears didn't work well, though, so we eventually we just started hacking off her hair with scissors, and while she definitely has shorter hair now, she looks like she just survived some form of medieval torture. Ok, so maybe it's not that bad, but it is pretty funny; I keep finding random long hairs sticking out of nowhere. So, I get the honor of taking her into Petco in the morning to get it fixed, and I can't wait to see the faces of the grooming staff when we walk in. This is one DIY project I don't think I'll repeat.

How are you guys celebrating Mother's Day?? Got any good dessert recipes for me to borrow? :)

<3 Mrs. G

Crafting my Nest

Hello all!

So as you probably know by now, I just moved into a new home in the fabulous state of Minnesota. If you read my last post, you also know that it's my first house (yay!) and... it needs some work. I can't do anything about the big stuff right now, but I can use what's left of my birthday money to decorate the place. However, after buying bar stools and an area rug, my decorating budget has diminished significantly, so I'm left with no other option - I must craft.

Let me be the first to say that I am not a crafty girl. I can follow instructions as well as the next person, but that by no means makes me a natural talent. You don't even want to know how long it took me to make the escort cards for my wedding, and while they were cute, they definitely weren't professional quality. So, crafting isn't exactly my thing, but I'll do it when it saves me money, satisfies my creative urges, and fills up my expansive wall space (thank you, vaulted ceilings).

First of all, here is the wonderfully inexpensive area rug I bought from IKEA that serves as my "inspiration" for the living room:



Have I mentioned that I love IKEA? Because I do. I also plan on getting my window treatments and light fixtures from there, as well as eventually our new bedroom furniture. Basically, I want my house to look like an IKEA catalog. But who doesn't?

At our old place, the color scheme for the living room was black and brown with accents of red. Not a fan,  but you work with what you've got. Now that we have a new couch and a new rug, though, I'm going for a more sophisticated look with a touch of whimsy - that is, if my DIY projects work out; otherwise it may be whimsy with a side of trashy. The color scheme I'm planning is neutrals with splashes of blue and green. I want it to feel romantic and relaxed while still being clean and modern. If that makes no sense, just bear with me.



Here are my (anticipated) DIY projects for the living room, as well as the websites that inspired them:



Book Page Wreath





Mossy Monogram



Pillow Covers - found this one on Etsy, but Martha Stewart will help me make mine

I plan on hanging the wreath above our fireplace (yes, we have a fireplace!) with a pretty ribbon, the moss-covered letters above our couch - also with pretty ribbon - and the pillows will obviously go on the couch. Martha will be proud.

The other room that I am focusing on is the kitchen. I was inspired by these little Mexican tiles I brought back from our honeymoon, and I've decided to make them the focal point of my kitchen. My project is to find four large, white tiles and paint them in different colors and patterns evocative of Mexican talavera tiles. I'll hang them or put them on display shelves next to my table. I would also like to find a pretty mirror to go with them and eventually install a fun light fixture. I saw a beautiful rustic window-turned-mirror today at T.J. Maxx that would be perfect, so I'm hoping it will still be there when I have enough money to buy it... It's a little unusual, so nobody was really fighting over it.

Here are some other random decor items I love:




Borrby lantern from IKEA

 


Ikat chair from Urban Outfitters



 


Maskros lamp from IKEA




Vintage tile-inspired wall art from Etsy

  

If you have any ideas to add, or suggestions as to where to find some of the craft materials for cheap, please comment! I would love some input. In the meantime, I hope I've inspired you to make some fabulous decor of your own. ;) I'll report back on how everything turned out, and I'll post pics - good or bad.

Happy decorating!

<3 Mrs. G

Hello, Minne-snow-ta!

Hey guys!

Back by "popular demand" (ie: family, friends, and mom's co-workers), I have decided on a new venture of internet ramblings inspired by my very recent move to the arctic tundra (ie: Minnesota). For those of you who followed my previous blog, New England Newlywed, please forgive me for the lack of posts... I realized a little too late that devoting a blog entirely to cooking was not only too one-dimensional for me, but also pretty boring. I can assure you, though, that I still love cooking as well as trying new recipes, and some of that will definitely make its way into this blog. But seeing as recipe writing is laborious and generally unexciting, I think I can safely say that this is not Julie & Julia.

So, to catch you all up on the lives of Mr. and Mrs. G, here is a brief recap of the past 6 months:

Connecticut is lame, so we moved.

Now that you're all caught up, let me tell you a little about why and how we came to live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. For those of you who don't know, Minnesota is Mr. G's homeland. And if you know him, you know that he thinks Minnesota is God's gift to the world, and he has been ready to move back as soon as he left a year and a half ago. I am from Nashville originally, but I visited Mr. G often in MN when he lived here, and while I didn't quite think it was heaven on earth, I did really like the place. I knew we would probably come to live here eventually since he felt so strongly about it, but I never though it would happen only 6 months after I moved to CT. But while I was here in January, I realized I didn't want to go back home, and I felt a sudden and strong desire to live here. It was as if God knocked me over the head, and I knew I could make the decision to change our lives and make my husband the happiest man in the world. At that point, I realized what I had to do - admit to Mr. G that he was right. He predicted I wouldn't like CT, and I stubbornly tried to, but I just didn't. It never felt like home.

Mrs. G's mom suggested that we write down all the things that God did to make it possible for us to move, so that's exactly what I'm going to do, and then some. I've made 3 lists - everything that went right, everything that went wrong, and an intro to Minnesota culture. Let's start with the good stuff.

Everything that went right:

• The renters living in Mr. G's house (which he owned previously) decided to move out right as we started discussing the possibility of moving. They left about a month ago, and now we are living in our first house. :)
• Mr. G's company allowed him to keep his job and work from home in MN, so we didn't have to worry about both of us finding work out here.
• In addition, they gave him a major promotion AND a raise... Crazy, right?? Especially in this economy! We needed the extra money for the move as well as to cover expenses while I search for a job, so that was a completely unexpected but very helpful blessing.
• I got more interviews before even moving to MN than I ever got while living in CT. I've had 2 so far, and I have 2 more lined up.
• Our car insurance is less than half the cost out here, and our expenses as a whole are reduced significantly.
• We got a very large tax return that we used to help fund the move as well as buy our dream couch. :)

Everything that went wrong:

• When we started moving into the house, we realized that the renters didn't leave it in as good of shape as we had anticipated. In addition, I realized that there was more work to be done than I had planned for.
• We were supposed to pick up our couch the day we moved in; we planned it that way because we had the moving truck and thus wouldn't have to pay to have it delivered. However, when Mr. G called the store, they said someone broke ours and that we would have to wait a week for the replacement to come in. They never called to tell us, so of course we didn't bring our couch from CT. We have been sitting on the air mattress in the living room.
• Comcast installed a faulty cable box, so we returned it for a new one. That one didn't work either. So for a couple days we had no TV to watch from the air mattress.
• We also haven't had wireless internet since our router hasn't come in yet. This means that we are going over on our data plans this month because I've been using 3G on my phone to keep from going stir crazy, and Mr. G's brother used his phone to play games the entire drive out here.
• Our precious dog, Molly, was perfect the whole road trip, but as soon as she got here, she started acting CRAZY. She has always been a mild-mannered, well-behaved dog, but this move has messed with her head. She now humps anything and everything, and she even got a little aggressive with a friend's dog. I swear she has gender confusion.
• Our friend's dog (Kenzie) also has a ton of energy, which she harnessed to run full-speed at our screen door leading to the porch. We now have a lovely Kenzie-shaped hole there. In return, Molly decided she would scratch up their screen door, so I guess we're even now.
• We locked ourselves out our second night in the house. We had replaced the lock on the door, but I didn't realize you could open it while it was still locked... Oops. Thankfully, Mr. G is skilled at breaking and entering...
• We got an inch of snow already. :( Hopefully the weather will improve soon!

Minnesota Culture 101:

• There is nothing better than a Minnesota accent. It's a hilarious blend of Norwegian and Canadian with long o's and flat a's. Plus, there are the awesome colloquialisms: "ohhh man," "you betcha!" and my personal favorite: "uff da."
• Since pretty much everyone out here is of Scandinavian origin, they are pretty much all blonde and fair-skinned. This is the opposite of Connecticut, where Mr. G and I were lonely Anglo-Saxons in a sea of Italians.
• There are also quite a few large families out here, especially in the rural areas. Mr. G actually hails from a family of 9 including his parents. A neighboring family is somewhere in the teens.
• Homeschooling is more common here, or at least more than I've seen. Mr. G was homeschooled for most of his education, as were all his siblings. Most of his friends were homeschooled, too. I never knew a single person growing up who was homeschooled. But then again, maybe that's because I met everyone at school...
• Much like the South, people tend to marry young out here. I've also seen a lot of short engagements, which is interesting to me. Although mine wasn't exactly long, but that was mostly due to Mr. G's urging!
• Last but not least, all the women out here are pregnant. Seriously. There must be something in the water.
• These are all very large generalizations, of course, but are all based on my observations as an "outsider," though I guess I'm one of them now! I've been polishing my accent...

Well, I think that just about sums it up for now. You can anticipate forthcoming posts about decor, crafts, and job hunting, all of which consume my life right now. Plus maybe a few recipes from CT that I was particularly proud of. :)

Goodnight!

<3 Mrs. G