The Magazine Of Our Life, A Work In Progress.

For a moment I was inspired to share this space on the blog.  Even as it's leaps from being finished - maybe at some point I will get around to having that mudcloth actually upholstered onto those chairs - and bounds from an editorial, I am quite happy with the direction it's heading, and it shines it's best when full of life.  The magazine of our life I suppose.  So when my friend and favorite photog Angie was in town, she took these photos for me.

And yet I never pushed publish.  Not being able to let go that it's a work in progress I guess.  And wondering what I really had to offer you all, it sat in my drafts.  In the spirit of inspiring others and myself, as life is always a work in progress, and when it's even less relevant two months past, I'm publishing it.  Go figure.

Most of the pieces in the space, as with the rest of my home, have been slowly gathered over time and have a story behind them.  Like the chairs that were treasures discovered on the side of the road, complete with newspapers wrapped around them circa 1925.  Disclaimer:  that are now too rickety with my energetic boys to use so they have been reassigned to side tables in the guest room.

Or the hutch that I commissioned my husband to create because I couldn't find what I wanted for the price I wanted.  And by create I mean I found two separate antique cabinets and had him build a platform to attach the two.  I then spent one black Friday pre-kids, painting and distressing, not shopping.  Then we moved and somehow didn't think to NOT put tape all over the front.  Hello tape strips.  Yet more patina.   It even has a secret false ceiling.

Or our antique dining room table, that I bought on a whim when 8 months pregnant and clearly making wise decisions.  Then spent the next year covering it with a table cloth, partly because I felt so guilty about the money I spent, partly because I needed half of it for a changing table.  Now it's a focal point of our home.  And every sliver it so lovingly gives is a reminder that, man I should get it waxed at some point.

So obviously it takes a long time for any space in my house to come together.  But look how far we've come!  This was our dining room when we bought our home...

I would say the dining room is the closest to "complete."  or at least I am very happy with it at the moment...

The latest dining room updates were spurred by these sconces.  I have always loved the chandelier that I found at a salvage yard years ago when we were remodeling our dining room.  But I love it even more with the updated ever so slightly modern, yet nod to historical, hand-painted STRIPED beauties.

The final touches adding custom frames, designed and built by us, in our shop.  Crazy and amazing.  Amazing and crazy.  That's something I never thought.  The cluster of 3 priceless water colors my boys painted for different Mothers' Days.  No brainer to frame in silk wrapped mats, ornate gold frames, and filets.  That's the inner beaded gold part.  Yah, I didn't know that either until Queen Anne Frame & Gift.

The other frame is one of our favorite quotes from Through The Looking Glass, above which I plan to hang the vintage ship's clock I recently scored.  We have no working clocks in this room.  So I can't decide if I should try to get this wind up clock fixed or just hang it.  It sort of weighs a ton.  It's a major commitment to hang it on the plaster wall.  But it's amazing.  And Alice's ship was The Wonder.  So I'm committed.  Much to my husbands chagrin.

You can find my stools at Target (currently on sale, yippee!), a few cans of spray paint later.  Voila.  I love this addition to my dining room, where there used to be a kiddie table, now my kids, or guests, can sit at the counter and chat with me while I prep.  Time flies.

That part about my mud cloth chairs not actually being upholstered, there they are.  I like to think I will get around to it someday, my husband believes otherwise.   Maybe I'll put this on my New Year's resolution list.  You know - cuz then it will totally happen.

You can find my chandelier glass shades here, chandelier is vintage.
My table runner was made here.
Mud cloth came from here.
Bar stools here.
All my frames here.
Light switch plates and french door hardware all from here.

Thanks for checking out my work in progress.

Happy Monday.

best,

Kirsty