A Few Happy {House} Things

Now that Mary Graham is here and our house doesn't feel as chaotic, I'm starting to feel like myself again.  We've been working to make our home feel more like us--Philip was even able to get some small things done during his paternity leave.  I've been thinking about different things I'd like to do, projects I'd like to eventually tackle.

Here are a few things that are making my sleep-deprived state a little more bearable…

1. We ordered this table to serve as an entry table of sorts in our living room.

The lighting is terrible in the photo, and the space needs lots of help (lamps, a pair of ottomans underneath, window treatments just to name a few things :), but I'm excited about the potential!  I rarely order things straight retail, so this was a treat, and I think it's going to be just right for the space.  I was originally inspired to go this route when I saw this picture in the December/January issue of House Beautiful.

I'll be sure to snap some better photos once things are looking a little more finished.  If anyone has any good sources for reasonably priced storage ottomans I'm all ears!  I'm hoping to scope out HomeGoods this weekend.

2.  I snagged some new Euro shams for our bed on major clearance.  I found them at Lands End of all places.  I've actually been really impressed with a lot of their home items.  I spent a good two days deliberating between two different styles, finally decided on one, then of course that one was sold out.  Go figure.  Hoping I love the second runner up I ended up going with!

This was my first choice:

And this was the style I ordered.  Can't beat $9.99 per sham!

3.  A new storage piece!

This guy was a Craigslist steal and while he's no antique, I thought the shape was interesting and I like his lines.  I think a paint job will go a long way.   I can't tell you how exciting it is to have a new place to house some of the junk stuff that's been in our garage.  Living in a small house is a fun challenge for me design-wise, but it definitely requires a certain level of planning and thoughtfulness with regards to how you use the space.  The room we use as a dining room is actually relatively large, so we've been trying to figure out how to maximize the space we have and make it work for us.  I'm looking forward to storing some of the kids' toys in here as well as some desk/office type items.