Nestperation

Heya Nesters! Today we will be using gratuitous bird references because this jar that I found at TJ Maxx was oh-so-empty and needed to be fixed. I needed a nest like one that I fell in love with in Joni and Erics Apartment Therapy House Tour.

DIY Project: Cedar Chest

Hey Nesters! I'm back with you today as a proud gal! Do you remember way-back-when Matt and I went to an estate sale and picked up this cedar chest?

It was in pretty rough shape but luckily, with a little elbow grease and fortitude, it has been revived!

Temporary Wedding Nest...?

I work for Priscilla of Boston, a bridal gown manufacturer, in a character-filled building that has been here probably since Paul Revere was trotting through Boston.

Just kidding! ...But the brick factory was probably built somewhere around the turn of the century.  Being that our company is one of the oldest {and still going strong} bridal gown retailers in the country, we have also been renting this monstrosity since the 1960's.  Yes, you read that right: renting. Through various owners and changes of hands, we have always had our name over the front door. 

Lay it out on the line... again...

Back in April, before I had even moved in, I was already planning where all my furniture would go. Remember I was testing out my lay outs in this post? Once the lugging of all my junk was finished, I ended up with a similar version of possibility number 4. 

DIY Project: Pillow Sham

Hey Nesters! A few of you may have seen my "tweet" that I made a very successful trip to the fabric store on Saturday. I was anxious to put at least one project into action!  I decided to tackle my currently bland couch by adding a new throw pillow. 

Click read on to see the step by step instructions after the jump!

Every Book Needs a Home....

Heya Nesters!  I'm sure you've seen my lovely Ikea Lerberg shelves lurking in the corners of my pictures.

{Yikes! Remember the move!?}

I got them for my last apartment thinking that they would give the same appeal as the Crate and Barrel Sloan Grey Leaning Bookcase since the shelves tapered and gave the illusion of a lean.

Yeah. Not so much.  They were also $20 each and when you're already at Ikea, how can you say no to that?

Curtain Call

If you didn't already know, curtains can really make or break a room. Whether it be a bedroom...

Or in a sitting area...

It can change the feel of it instantaneously.

Hey... Nice legs...

Hi Nesters!  I am excited to report that after some crazy-busy weekends as of late, I had this afternoon to do some work and finish up one of my projects! Remember, once upon a time I had showed you guys my office space?  Well, after closer look, I realized I was unhappy with my desk. 

Those with glass houses...

For a long time I was never one to like "knick-knacks" but in the recent past I have begun appreciating pieces that, when juxtaposed correctly, create a beautiful vignette. I had been eyeing the assortment of glass vases and bell jars at TJ Maxx for months and when I popped in this week, I had a mini debate with myself and then walked out $9.99 less rich and with a huge grin on my face.  Planning how it would be put to use.

Shades of White

Heya Nesters!  I decided to drop by my favorite discount retailer last evening: The Christmas Tree Shops.  Without having thought much about it before, the light dawned and I made a big difference to my living room.

The One: The Reveal

Yesterday, I picked up the newest addition to the homestead: the coffee table.  Unlike my creepy-Psycho-esque incident when I went to retrieve Buttercup from a Craigslist seller, this was a smooth {albeit heavy} day-lit pick up. Doesn't it look fabulous in my living room?

The One.

Hey Nesters! First, I want to thank you for your patience.   For what, Gina? you ask? For bearing with me on my perpetual hunt for a coffee table. And lucky for you guys... it's over! I have gone completely in the opposite direction than we discussed in this post and in this post.  Originally, I was talking wood boxy rectangles with storage and dark stains or paint and was in love with this Rhys Pottery Barn piece.

Home Sweet Home

Home. Sweet. Home.  

Eleven of us rented a house in rural Vermont this weekend {though having driven through it, I'm not entirely sure there are parts of Vermont that aren't rural} and had a blast. But let me tell you... it makes me realize how much I love coming back to my new home.  

Vermont Cheddar

Hey Nesters!  I'm sad to say I'm going to be missing you over the weekend. But wipe those tears from your eyes and pull yourself up by your bootstraps because I'll be back on Monday with all new goodies for you! 

On My Own

For those of you who have been reading this blog since day one, you know that this isn't only about decorating and DIY projects. It was about the struggle of living with roommates and finding a new place- alone.  Yes, it is okay to admit that on occasion {or more often than that in my case} you and your roommate(s) may see eye to eye. 

Break the Bread

While visiting the fam this weekend, Dad and I decided to get a little pastry at the new Le Pain Quotidien location on 85th and Madison on Saturday morning. 

{image courtesy of http://www.thesweetkitchen.com/}

I Heart NY

Hey there Nesters! So, remember alllll the way back at the beginning of May you read this post about my brother, Joe, and my sister-in-law, Molly, making the leap over the river to live in the heart of Manhattan!  Well, they moved the exact same day I did back in Mid-May.  When I visited them this past weekend they let me take a few snapshots of their new nest and some of their new additions to their eclectic railroad apartment.

First things first: Molly and I had a conversation a while back about what to do for a kitchen table. And our thought process was chronicled in this post.  While they are still waiting to find the perfect legs for this table, these sawhorses and Ikea chairs really work with the soft, creamy yellow shabby chic door turned tabletop.

This Ikea island has already been put to good use.  Its loaded down with cookbooks and pots and pans. Did I mention Molly is a self taught chef?

The tight squeeze of a living room is made into a modern ethereal restful spot with branches flocking the TV and the ever famous birch tree wall mural.

And here is the view of the kitchen from the living room. {Who are those debonair men sitting at that kitchen table?} I love the cardboard rhino.  I'm very seriously considering getting one for myself.

And onto my brothers-in home office, where all of his illustration magic happens.  He loves the gallery wall look and I must admit ...his blows mine out of the water.

The bedroom has this combination antique and greenhouse feel.  Since this is the room that gets the most light at the front of the building, they keep most of their plants in here and it gives it a very lived-in, fresh feeling.

Molly mentioned that once settled in further, she would like to put a reading chair in this corner but I am loving this vintage sewing machine hunkering down right here.

Well there you have it! For having only been in the apartment for a few short weeks, they really have done a phenomenal job.  Don't you think? And I look forward to reporting on their progress and new exciting projects that they will share with us.  Do you have any new pics of your new apartment that you'd like to share with the fellow Nesters? Leave us all a comment or email me at temporarynest@gmial.com.

Lean Back, Lean Back

Hey Nesters!  Since moving into this new place, I'm newly spending much more time in my living room. Which explains why I have been so vehemently rehab'ing it and almost entirely ignoring my bedroom. But  one thing that keeps staring me in the face is this oh-so-blah blank wall in my bed room. 

Pretty horrific, huh? Ok, ok...  I can't lie to you guys, I actually house my laundry basket there.

Even worse, right? {Luckily it is possible to get a nicer hamper like this one that I am in love with. But that's step 2.}  I am the girlie girl that needs a full length mirror because I like shopping too much not to have fashion shows with myself in front of a full length mirror after a successful shopping trip.  Come on, you know you do it too and the warped five dollar mirror that came hanging on the back of my bedroom door just isn't cutting it.  I want to get an oversized leaning mirror.

I would kill for this Venetian Beaded Leaner from Restoration Hardware but its a smidge out of my budget.

This Rococo inspired piece is so ornate and lavish.  This is my dream living room.
{The zebra bench brings tears to my eyes.}

I love this little vignette so much.  It is an image of the bedroom from the blog from which I found my inspiration for this blog: Young House Love.  They have been featured on HGTV and The Nest to name a few. They are the cutest couple on the planet and they just had a precious little girl a few weeks ago!

So here I go on the hunt for a leaner! The first place I'm going to start is Home Goods, where I believe I'll have good luck.  Stay tuned to see how it works out.

Ms. Sedaris, I Like You

A bright and early "good morning" to all of you Nesters out there!  Last night, while chatting about home decor and entertaining and cooking, my sister-in-law pulled up a video clip of author, actress and comedian, Amy Sedaris on the Martha Stewart show.  Amy is best known for her role as Gerry Blanks on the Comedy Central series, Strangers With Candy.  She also penned a book titled I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence inspiring all those hostesses out there to show their guests the most-estes.  She's got some brilliant recipes and some hysterical anecdotes. I've had this book for years and I've loved every second of it.  Amy seems to get the best of Martha in this roaringly funny clip: a how-to on baking Lady Baltimore Cake. 

Enjoy the clip and who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to bake a cake after!  Funfetti, anyone?

Happy Sunday!

Being Shelfish

On Thursday we talked about closing the doors on all your toiletries and hiding them from the public. {Or at least the public that will be making their way into your bathroom.} But I know lots of people don't mind it a bit! If you can utilize some cute storage methods, why not show it off?  I mentioned in this post that I'd like to get this soap dispenser from Target.

I would hardly want to hide this looker away from any one's sight.  And so I've compiled a handsome little "slide show" of some awe inspiring bathrooms with some meticulously maintained open shelving... Enjoy!

  Built-ins' are always a phenomenal use of space.  And how about that wicker ottoman? I'll take two!

 If this breathtaking claw-foot tub leaves you wanting more, maybe the tiered shelving stacked with plush towels will make you want to go for a dip in the tub.

I love that this bathroom has double duty open shelves. The wicker baskets are a brilliant solution for allowing the appearance of open shelving and uniformity without restricting your toiletry purchasing to one container color.  {Not to mention that vintage mirror is swoon-worthy!}

I wonder if you could find an apothecary/dentistry cabinet like this on Craigslist or eBay on the cheap... because I might need one.

This jam-packed gorgeous armior of goodies is perfectly arranged and color coded.  I wish my house could look like that all the time... but let's be real here, Nesters... this was super well staged.  But that won't stop me from having dreams about it tonight!

A slightly more modern take on the open shelving concept. I love the combo of rolled and folded towels.

Ah yes, back to the shabby chic that I tend towards to often... Can't you imagine that soap dispenser on this simple glass shelf?

And now, heaven for a golden hearted girl like myself....  It's cottage-y.... It's beachy... It's luxurious ...And its yellow. This mantel-esque storage is the perfect home for your bath salts and bubbles, just in perfect arms' reach from the tub.  The mirrored element makes its less obtrusively white in the all-mustard-all-the-time commode. Brilliant!

Well I hope you enjoyed our little trip down Open-Shelving Lane today Nesters! We'll just have to wait and see what I end up going with... Seeing all these beaut's has made me second guess the closed-door subject!

As always, stay tuned for more!

Bathroom Bonanza

When you step into my bathroom, its like a time warp to the 1970s.

Ok ok, this isn't actually my bathroom... but its pretty groovy, right?

This is my bathroom.

It's really tiny but enough for just me.  This picture is making it look pretty darn good actually. But if you look a little closer, you'll see the bathtub is beige but the toilet is white, the vanity is somewhere in between {physically and color-wise} with a faux marble top. The tile on the walls are white with beige freckles and don't forget about that lovely beige border. But wait! There's more! The tile on the floor is beige 1/2"x 1/2" tiles {much like the currently popular mosaic tile} with the occasional brown tile thrown in.  Neato!

What's more problematic than the bland color scheme, is the storage. That medicine cabinet holds a good portion of nail polishes and vitamins and all the other first aide gear and cleaning supplies and things that aren't used daily are housed under the sink. But I have a slew of hair goo and lotions and all that good stuff that gets all of us girlie girls gussied every day... that is the only box that I still have not unpacked yet. So I've been thinking about how to utilize the space in my tiny little commode and get a space where once and for all, my doodads can find a home.

I really like the openness these two but I am a girl that likes things out of sight.  Having things that aren't meant to be seen, being seen is one of my pet peeves. No one needs to know how many leave-in conditioners I have in order to keep my locks luxurious! That means as much as I want glass doors on this cabinet it doesn't exactly lend itself to hiding things.  Let's take a look at a few styles that are little more demure.

 If my bathroom weren't so small and drowning in the color brown, I would probably have a dark wood cabinet.  Being that that is not the case, I will stick with white.  The simplicity of the last "space saver" with the small X elements at the top really is the the best combination that I've come across.  Another nice attribute of this one is that there are 4 legs with space between them. This removes the weighty feel of the solid sided pieces, which again is important when your bathroom is a wee one! {ha ha, "wee"}  Luckily, this one is a steal from Overstock! 

What do you guys think? Do you like open shelving? Or are you like me and want to hide all your goodies?

VEGAS, BABY VEGAS!

As we speak, Matt, his brother and a few buddies are heading out to sunny Las Vegas this weekend for a Bachelor party.

And I knew I was going to miss him, but now that he's actually on his way... I don't know what to do with myself!  My better half is 3,000 miles away!  So, as an homage to the Strip: Take a gander at a few awesome Vegas rentals....

Retro little reading nook overlooking the action! Notice the wet bar within arms reach?  Gin Martini anyone? 

The Barbie Suit! Those white ostrich plumes make me weepy....  Where's my pink Cadillac?!?

Can't you just see the Rat Pack sitting around this private bar in this mid-century inspired suite? 

King Louis XIV could find himself at home in this regal retreat....

There you have it Nesters.  If you've got the big bucks to blow at the craps tables, maybe instead save some of that dough and spend a night at one of these luxurious hotel rooms.  Once you've lived to tell the tale, swing by Temporary Nest and tell us all about it!