This Weekend... (Both of the Boys in My Life Were Sent to the ER....)

Weekend Part One

I spent the entire weekend (Friday afternoon - Sunday night) at my sisters house. I love hanging out at "Lake Frankie's Shankie's". We are always grilling out, hanging out, fishing, crafting, etc. My favorite part? The kids. I love hanging out with them- they're the cutest!!

Friday, I spent all morning "thrifting". I went out and about to find things I could breathe a second breath of life into. I'm pretty disappointed in most of the thrift stores I hit up- SO overpriced. I can't believe they charge so much for USED items. I can find better, brand new stuff at Homegoods or Ross for WAY cheaper!!! I was looking at $45 mirrors and up. Coffee tables for around $75 and up. I just wish there was a hole-in-the-wall thrift store around me that doesn't sell crap (or for so much!) I want to educate some people that are shopping there that they can get BRAND NEW stuff (even clothes) for way cheaper. I mean a nasty old tshirt was $6 and I just got 3 shirts from Old Navy for $6! Nuts. They need to reevaluate themselves. haha.

I found this, and YES, I KNOW-i already bought a coffee table last weekend- but i could NOT turn away from this coffee table!!!! It was so me. the geometric shapes and stuff. something about it was even so "tory burch" about it- obviously not in my house, but my FUTURE bigger house (???) haha, I would paint it a HIGH GLOSS Lacquer finish in WHITE.... It has true potential... trust me. 

What would i do without Heff??? 

I LOVE my mirror. I saw it from SO FAR away, and practically ran to it- I guess I was threatened by the man walking to the bathroom near it? You'll see, it may look nasty now, with it's K-Swiss stickers... but YOU'LL SEE!!!!

Saturday, we spent all morning at Estate Sales and yard sales. I scored a real Louis Vuitton speedy for $10 $8. Pretty pumped about cleaning it up and putting a new zipper in there! (For the 14th time- since everyone asks how i knew it was real- i was carrying my speedy and compared it... so it was pretty obvious, other than the $8 one being REALLY "vintage" aka old...)

$8...seriously?

How cute is this kid?

so excited to ride with Ordy Boy

Weekend Part Two

Saturday night, we were all doing our normal weekend evening: the boys were manning the grill while the girls did something "artsy fartsy" and all of a sudden we hear Bandit shrieking like his tail was caught in the door or something... Sher and I looked at each other but figured that's all it was- then we heard Ordy Boy scream (not like a girly scream, but a manly, "UGH!" more than a dainty, "Ah!"  (just to make sure you guys knew I wasn't dating a softie...haha)

Well- my little brother brought out the pole to go fishing when Bandit didn't even give him a chance to do anything- and BIT the line/hook. It wasn't anyone's fault... My brother didn't know Bandit had the propensity to chase after the hook like a fish- and Bandit... well, he's just an idiot sometimes. He got the hook good and stuck on his lip/gum and when Ordy Boy went to help him- he shook his head getting the OTHER hook in Ordy's hand! (imagine his index and thumb joined by the hook...)

It was a mess. a catastrophe of sorts. We were all running around like chickens with our heads cut off panicking about what to do. I'm an awful girlfriend. I was all over Bandit- whimpering when he'd whimper and want to throw up for him just looking at his new lip ring. Poor Ordy definitely had it bad, but I guess his "tough man" attitude of just sitting around directing me to get the hook out of bandit's lip made me look over his hand/pain/dilemma...

I will add pics of the ordeal at the end of the post, in case you have a weak stomach- stop reading. don't look at them!

After an hour of trying to get the hook out of both of the boys, we gave up. Ordy Boy went to the Emergency Room and had his finger numbed to get the hook out and Sunday afternoon Bandit went to Emergency Animal Care to get sedated to get his hook out. Such an ordeal!

When we got bandit back Sunday afternoon- he was pathetic. Running into walls, drooling uncontrollably, and had the worst depth perception. He kept plopping down and it sounded like 10 books hitting the floor since he's so heavy. (BTW, the vet put down his actual weight on the charts: 87.3 lbs... my baby isn't a baby anymore...)

poor wittle guy

close up of the damage

so. gross. (if ordy's mom is reading this- he's OK!! and was smiling the whole time. typical.)

being a manly man and yanking it out himself.

He didn't yank the other one out because if he pulled it through, the hook would've gotten stuck since it was so short and had a long ways to go through his finger. (in case you were wondering)...

ookkk, now that everyone's stomach is tight and queasy- I am off to bed! 

Random Thoughts...

I'm so so thankful for Ordy. I worked him to death this weekend. Bring this couch here. Take that couch there. Hang this. Take it down. Hang it back. Spray paint this. Screw in this. Nail that... you get the point. I was coming up with all these design ideas, and he was the one that had to execute them. **NOT FAIR**. I wish I could do half the things he can do- but realistically, I know it would take me a LOT longer and I would risk doing it wrong. So, it's easier just to make ask him. The poor guy had the longest work day Friday, and I called him on his lunch break to tell him my weekend plans (after he texted me that morning all he wants to do is "relax and enjoy a quiet friday evening together") whoops. there goes that idea... I begged, and pleaded, for him to help me out before Tuesday (girl's night) and begged some more. He didn't disappoint. He left work, went home in friday traffic, grabbed his trailer and headed over to haul some furniture. He's the best. I'm the worst. I appreciate him so much. I robbed him of another Friday evening, but I tried justifying it saying I only do it twice a year... but to him, I'm always redecorating... ahhh. if it's not one room, it's another I guess! 

out with the old... (if anyone wants these i'm selling them-let me know, great condition)

My little helper

the new additions to the crazy madness i call home

i. love. ordy boy. 

Uh-Oh... Bit By the Redecorating Bug...AGAIN.

I know, I know... I really need to stop and focus my energy on other things... like school perhaps? But I can't help it. Enough is enough. I caved. I realized I hate how I spend 95% of my time upstairs. I'm NEVER downstairs! The 5% I am downstairs it's to use the kitchen- not the living room. Well, that got me thinking, what makes my living room so unlivable?? I've always known I reject my downstairs, but it was confirmed by a friend who didn't want to watch a movie here because it was "uncozy". *GASP* Uncozy has always been a bad, bad, bad word growing up in my "cozy" household... It was used to describe New York alleys, and freezing floors with no socks on... how could a Parast have an uncozy living room??? I immediately started brain storming uncozy features:

1. Large, white marble tile flooring. I HATE carpet. I vowed to never have carpet because of the filth that gets trapped in them and we fail to see. So, I have white marble floors and as open as it makes the place, I don't know if the trade off for being uncozy was worth it... I bought a big brown rug to add warmth but it seems like that's not enough
2. Modern furniture. I have 2 really nice couches that were given to me by my sister and her husband a few years back that I know weren't cheap and I LOVE them, but they're just so uninviting (to anyone other than Bandit). Bandit isn't allowed on them because they're so nice, but I know his hair doesn't just float to the top... he obviously sneaks on when I'm away. I wonder if I need a darker brown...
3. The color scheme: chocolate and brown. I know this color scheme was/is huge and I just went with it. But now I'm so over it and am debating to just sell everything and start fresh, or work with everything. I have a baby blue wall that I recently painted about 2 months ago, and the accent wall on the fireplace is brown... so I wonder how impractical changing would be... 
4. The layout. I can't do much with the door/stairs/fireplace/laundry room doors... so I'm limited to seating arrangements and tv. I just decided my 32" tv was way too small for the living room and too random on a side wall, so I sold it today to get a bigger one to place on my mantle. The 32" looked awkward on the big shelf so I'm looking to get something that would be a better match. I'm not big on tv (NEVER watch anything) but I hate that a lot of my friends are and I can't offer them comfortable entertainment. So, for all the friends that have come over and voiced their opinions, I'm listening :)

So those are some things to consider. I'm trying SO hard not to act spontaneously and do the whole make over tonight... I asked Ordy Boy to bring his drill just in case hahaha. 

Here are the only pictures (please excuse the graininess- phone pics!!!) I have of my living room, but they are from when I first moved in. So the rug is different (the new one is brown with baby blue and beige leaf pattern) and a few other stuff. I swapped the brown recliner with the bookshelf from the picture so that's different. 

I really wish I had half the guts as most designers do to experiment with color (in places other than my office haha). I realized, I'm single (not married) now and it would be BEST to get to do whatever I want before I have a husband to run ideas by!!! I mean, now is the time to get away with a pink throw pillow (NEVER thought I'd hear myself say that, but for design purposes and nail polish- I can manage pink...) but that's just an example. Just saying, while I'm young and "free" I should experiment! Before I have to go into "neutral" world hahaha. I mean what husband would allow my adorable, chic rose pillows?? (It adds such a soft touch to the masculine chair!!)  I might as well get all my "glamorous" out of my system... haha

Another "staple" that I love (that I'd like to work around) is my amazing beige mirror. 

So far, I have beige "modern" couches, a brown leather recliner, a glass "modern" coffee table, a beige studded mirror, and brown damask drapes + rug that I spent more money than I'd like to ditch so soon. I guess I need to accept the living room and just do small changes to make me happy (different tv over mantle, rearrange...) or do what I always do and go drastic. Ha, I honestly don't have time to even be thinking about this right now, I can't believe I'm even blogging instead of reading... I know one person who's going to yell at me for this! 

In a dream world, I would love this (I'm still researching):

and this for my dining room:

Any suggestions/ideas? I know I am blessed to know design savvy friends... am I wasting time? To be honest, I'm probably going to do something, and it is more than likely GOING to be drastic... so might as well shoot me suggestions/pictures/etc! I'd love to see any ideas that I've missed!