Little Upgrades: New Entryway

Mr. 3 and I moved from a one bedroom apartment with parquet floor throughout to a completely carpeted two bedroom apartment. Which we also meant we went from wandering around in whatever shoes we pleased to checking them at the door.  After stumbling around holding onto the wall for balance while trying to put our shoes on, we decided to get a bench. We needed something that was narrow enough to fit in the hallway with enough room to spare to walk, long enough for the two of us to sit on at the same time (uh hello, not waiting my turn to put on shoes while trying to get to work), and the price needed to be right.  I didn't want to spend tons of money on something that won't be in a future forever home.  In case you are wondering what a forever bench for a forever home looks like and costs (at least in my head), here are some examples:

$1,199
One Kings Lane

$799
One Kings Lane

$2,085
Sorensen Leather Bench
Restoration Hardware

$485-$685
Tufted Bench
Restoration Hardware

Obviously, these examples might fit 2 of the 3 things I was looking for, but they clearly missed the boat on the cost factor.  After much searching at two Habitat for Humanity stores, perusing on the internet, and checking at TJ Maxx and Marshall's I finally found one that will work....good enough.  But first! The dramatic before:

Blah.

And now the after!  I hung two mirrors above the bench and added a huge pumpkin as a nod to the fall season.

Cynthia Rowley Bench

Fabric Close Up

Mr. 3 and I can both sit on it at the same time and it doesn't block our hallway too much.  The fabric goes well with the other colors we have in the apartment and it's definitely much more welcoming.  However, the best part was the price.  I found it at Home Goods for $80!!!!  This was by far one of the better prices I found during my search.  Habitat had no selection and the other discount stores weren't much better.  Home Goods had a much bigger selection ranging from $40 for a very simple, plain white wooden bench to a flaming red velvet upholstered number for $300.  Storage benches were probably $100-$130 and anything that looked more like my forever benches was probably $200-$500.  I had capped myself at the $150 mark, but I decided I would be just as satisfied with this $80 bench as some of the other more expensive.  I don't think this piece of furniture will be with us for the long haul, but if I get 2-3 years use out of it, I will be really happy!

Entryway Upgrade Costs:

Bench: $80

Mirrors: $0 (Wedding gift from my mother-in-law, shout out to Mr. 3's Mom!)

Pumpkin: $10 (Which we got in September and should last us through Thanksgiving according to the farmer that sold it to us.)

TOTAL: $90

I may try to stick something seasonal in the pumpkin spot as holidays come and go.  Perhaps a poinsettia in December?

What do you think?  It's got to be better than the far less welcoming blah photo above!

Ohio

I am on my way to Ohio to see J's family for a week. Although I will most likely return as a human popsicle, I am looking forward to visiting with his mom and aunts and maybe hitting up a few thrift stores. Also, there are wonderful apple donuts waiting for me in the frozen tundra :) My MIT roommate grew up in the Midwest with apple donuts so she was amused by how excited this Florida girl is to get her hands on a few (or 10). Melinda will keep y'all entertained with lots of updates on her patio project!

Thrift Store Finds

I really enjoyed reading Emily Henderson's post where she trolls craigslist in various cities and writes about some of the cool things she finds, and was inspired to do something similar. You already know my love for thrift store furniture (here and here). I often find things that are (or have the potential to be) awesome, but are just not right for me. My sisters and mom always talk about opening a shop where we sell our updated thrift store finds, but until that happens I will use Posh Purpose as my outlet.

This past weekend, my town had a Craft Festival downtown which is also where Habitat is located. Of course, I had to pop in. I bought a few Christmas gifts, to be revealed after they are opened, but here are a few things that also caught my eye.

Side table for $35, but I would probably offer $25 first. It is in pretty good shape, but does need to be refinished. The shape of the legs is just so cool. The only unfortunate part is that those four drawers are actually just one giant drawer. It lost a bit of coolness for me when I opened it up. However, the drawer is dovetailed - something you should always look for when thrifting furniture.

Awesome valet chair for $15. It looks handmade and could definitely use some work. The material on the back is in great condition, though, if not a bit dingy - nothing a bit of paint can't fix. I wanted to buy it so badly, but J was hovering over me. The back has a single rack to hang things, and it is probably the only bad part about the chair. However, I would just wrap it in a bit of suede ribbon and call it a day. Let me reiterate: I really really want to buy this valet chair.

Here is an interesting piece of artwork for $10 but I bet they would take $5. I would not use it for my own personal style, but I could definitely see it working in a nautical themed kids bathroom or playroom. The shimmery sails make it less masculine and you could definitely build out a frame for the wood base to add a bit more character and ground the whole look. I would put J to work building the frame with some molding stained darker to match the boat. He would be so thrilled :)

Aldi Pumpkin

My sister Kimberlee is an expert at saving money, as I have mentioned before. She encouraged me to shop at Aldi for my groceries since they are often much cheaper than Publix, and even Walmart. Kim always tells people to try Aldi three times before passing judgement because it is a very different shopping experience. You have to bring your own bags (or buy some reusable bags there) and don't forget your quarter for the shopping cart! You get the quarter back when you return the cart. Aldi isn't pretty inside and there definitely are no fancy pictures, however the food quality is often great.

In light of Autumn and Florida's first "cold snap" of the season (it is currently 80 degrees, but the past few days were in the mid to high 70s) I want to tell you about Aldi canned pumpkin. First of all - it is pure pumpkin puree. No added anything. And the flavor is definitely intense. I honestly can't find a reason to buy canned pumpkin anywhere else, considering one 15 oz can costs 89 cents. Yes, 89 cents! Just for comparison, here is a picture I snapped at Walmart. $1.68 for 15 ounces of Libby's pumpkin puree. 

That's right, Walmart is way more expensive - well 79 cents more expensive, anyway. But those 79 cents add up fast when you are baking your pies and breads. If you have an Aldi nearby, I definitely recommend you try it, and the canned pumpkin, out.

If you want to read more about Posh Purpose's take on store brand products, click here

Habitat Strikes Again

I went into Habitat for Humanity at the beginning of this week to search for gift ideas. My siblings and I are giving each other $5 gifts for Christmas - the rule is handmade or used, not new. It is a lot of fun to get creative about how to make thrift store stuff work for so many different people (Each couple is buying 6 gifts!). I bought a $2 gift item, but also discovered a new piece of furniture I just had to have. But I resisted!

Until yesterday... I went back with J, hoping it would still be there. We had a minor moment of panic when we didn't immediately see it, but good news is that nobody had bought it yet. Let me introduce you to my $15 end table/nightstand:

Please excuse the poor lighting and ugly flooring. Habitat is not known for their lovely decor. The entire thing needs to be sanded down and restored, but the drawers are so unique and the hardware is awesome. And you can't beat $!5. I am so excited to get started! Of course, I still have to finish the chairs and this weird thing:

$10!

I am also working on a wreath with glitter and magnolia pods. J said I need to finish at least one of my current projects before I can buy any more Habitat furniture. He just doesn't get it :)