Craigslist Crawl: Card Catalogue!

I have always had a soft spot for old library card catalogues - something about the tiny drawers just seems so purposeful. Unfortunately (for me) the rest of the world has caught on to the romance of these pieces, and the prices are going through the roof. Stupid old supply and demand!

In one of my regular Craigslist crawls, I actually found a unit for a very respectable price, but I thought "I have too much furniture as it is... where would I even put this?... what would I put inside of it?..." and all the usual methods of talking yourself out of something you really REALLY want. Then, almost by destiny, I stumbled onto this article on Apartment Therapy. Clearly, the universe was trying to tell me something.

A few days later I drove to a remote Public Storage unit in Gardena, and came home with this little beauty...

The graininess of that Craigslist pic doesn't even show the years of dirt, tape, pen markings, and scratches that couldn't mar the potential of this gorgeous piece. I took it straight home and got to work with some Scott's Liquid Gold (which is really a miracle product) and Goo Gone. I couldn't believe how the much the wood glowed, when I was done!

I also added some simple legs from Lowes, and stained them to match the color of the cabinet.

This is totally my new favorite piece (aren't' they all, though?). And yes, I did use it to organize my life, and take back my kitchen junk drawer (which had actually expanded to two junk drawers!).

Now I have a place for every thing, and a thing for every place. Just the way I like it!

Kitchen Update: Cabinets and Counters

Drywall and plaster patching are pretty much finished (except for the ceiling), but today was super exciting because we actually got to hang some cabinets! These things have been collecting dust in the garage for months, and I finally got to see them in my soon-to-be-gorgeous kitchen. Anyone who has ever renovated a kitchen knows what a monumental moment this is. 

Beyond just being excited, we had to jump the gun a little on installation, because the countertop guys are coming tomorrow to measure things. Speaking of countertops, want a sneak preview of what I picked? OF COURSE YOU DO!

After much research and debate, I finally went with Carrera marble for the counters. And I am so glad I did - isn't it gorgeous?! I went to Planet Stone, deep in the valley, for wholesale prices. Of course I've yet to see the final quote, but whatever it is, it'll be worth it. Just looking at those two pictures side-by-side gives me goosebumps. 

Kitchen renos are so fun!

More Desk Organization!

You can't say I didn't warn you! My boss was going to get rid of his Ikea Mackis desktop drawer unit thingy, so of course I snapped it up. This time I left it with the natural finish, and I quite like it.



It's a nice contrast to the white unit, and looks a little less formal. Plus, not painting the inside makes the drawers open a lot more easily!