Hello Monday

hello christmas tree.

 hello hot chocolate.

hello christmas decorations.

hello yummy candles.

hello movies and popcorn.

hello "new" computer.

goodbye thanksgiving.

it was fun.

hello winter.

 *~ Ina

A Few New Things

A couple of posts ago I hinted about about a little something we picked on our way back from Minneapolis. Quite a few people asked me about it at work and I was so ECSTATIC to find out I had a few readers/followers, I decided to torture them just a little bit longer. (In actuality, it took me a while to figure out exactly how and where these were going to be hung).

Zach spotted these old (and heavy!) wood doors tucked away in the corner of Painted Porch antique store and after walking through the place a couple of times to make sure we hadn't missed anything, he decided to "pop on it."

That's American Pickers talk for "buy it." :)

After a trip to Lowe's, a few hours of measuring, two trips to Home Depot, and remeasuring again just to be sure, we hung them on a large empty wall in our living room. They're painted black, and even though I wish they weren't painted, they still look pretty cool. Our plan is to put some pictures behind the glass to bring the doors to life.

So there you have it.

Oh, we have a few other additions too. For the longest time we could not figure out how to make our house a home. Slowly we've been finding things here and there and it feels great to make our own mark.

This wood trunk came from Found Things in the East Village. We mosied in there one Sunday afternoon and noticed this right away. Ginn & Co Publishers shipped school books in this box to Lowell Elementary School in Boone (there are markings on the sides and the lid).

That pretty much sealed the deal for me, since when I used to write for the Boone News years ago, I was on the Eduction beat, and visited Lowell Elementary almost weekly. I've been wanting a trunk like this for a long time and for now it houses blankets and pillows in our living room, but we also like the option of maybe even using it at the foot of the bed in our bedroom.

almost took out a window while we were in Found Things with this old amplifier. I was trying to turn it around when it knocked over a lamp, which in turn knocked over a coat rack, which then banged against the store window. 

Very loudly.
Embarrassingly loud.
Zach turned around and walked away.
I wished I was invisible.

The amplifier itself is original from the 1930s I think, but the base was made recently so it has something to stand on.

And while we're on the subject of new goodies, I've got one more thing.

We found these candle sticks at Goodwill this summer for $2 for the pair. 

They were black when I got them, but a can of red spray paint made them perfectly compliment the Keep Calm and Carry On framed piece we have hanging in the hallway.

I just thought I'd share the little touches that are slowly helping us make the house "our house."

All for now.

*~ Ina

My week in pictures

1. I randomly discovered the Porch Light in the East Village one day. The prettiest antique/gift store I have ever been in - I could live in there! From picture frames made of recycled barn doors, to jewelry made my local artists, this place is like Disneyland for me.

2. Quinoa with butternut squash, fresh cranberries and roasted walnuts. Sounds weird, but is so yummy! Anyone want the recipe? :)

3. Yes - my fall decorations are still scattered around the house. Our neighbors have their twinkle lights hung already but fall is too pretty of a season to skip through. So I'm milking it for all it's worth.

4. We're hosting Thanksgiving this year for the first time and we're even busting out the fancy china we received from Zach's grandma as a wedding present. There will be lots of cleaning, cooking, and decorating (did I mentioned cleaning?) going on next week. So excited!

All for now,

*~ Ina

Where does the time go?

The last few weeks have kept this girl pretty busy. Either that, or I've been really lazy.

Verdict's still out.

Since the days have gotten shorter and it's pitch black outside by 6 p.m., motivation escapes me as I turn on the fireplace, cozy up under a blanket and am lost in my latest obsession - The Big Bang Theory.

Doesn't help that we got Direct TV last week either...but let's not get into that.

So where has my time gone?

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to score some awesome tickets to the (sad) Iowa vs. Minnesota game in Minneapolis, and any excuse to visit my favorite sister-in-law is enough for me to pack up the car for a mini road trip!

Tailgating VIP style.

Perfect seats to a terrible game.

The tickets (outdoor box seats on the 50 yard line, did I mention?) came with a VIP parking pass right in front of the stadium.

A group of us tailgated and then made our way into the stadium. The box seats gave us access to a huge common area that included a fireplace, hot chocolate and lots of yummy food.

Me and Angie staying warm by the fireplace

The following day we stopped at the Original Pancake House for breakfast. I had the most delicious pumpkin pancakes EVER...

...and Zach had this:

Apple "pancakes."

For breakfast.

Yeah...

On our way home we stopped in Medford to check out this antique store I've been told is great.

Just a few things I spotted:

Funky magnets made out of tin cupcake pans.

Love this hanging cabinet.

We even took something home with us.

What was it?

More on that in an upcoming post, but let's just say we were glad we had the truck that day. :)

So that's what I've been up to.

(Well, that and quoting Sheldon.)

Lots of projects coming up.

Stay tuned.

*~ Ina