decorating a rental update, part 1

So I thought I'd share some of the more recent updates to our lovely rental. I posted my first efforts at decorating this place here. Before we begin with the updates, let me just say though that our little place is very difficult to photograph because of its small size and poor lighting. Its ok lighting for living in but for photographs its horrible! We have now been here for 6 months! Its crazy to think how quickly time has gone by and yet in a few ways it feels we have been here even longer than that. Our lease on this place was a 6 month lease and will now switch over to month 2 month. I remember thinking 6 months was so far away and wondering if we would make it here in Oregon away from family and at a new job. It still feels a little uncertain at times (just because of the challenges with R's work) but I really hope it works out for the long term (ask me that in April 2013 or shoot even February!!). I'm not sure about an entire winter/spring here due to the rain and gloom but I sure hope to it goes well and if needed we can escape to CA for some breaks where the sun still shines in the winter!! As for this little gem of a rental we originally planned to stay here 1-2 years. I can't imagine myself wanting to move in another 6 months and honestly this place can really fulfill our needs for a long time to come at the rate our family is isn't growing.

I picked up this little wicker nightstand at a local secondhand vintage shop called The Mercantile in Springfield, OR. This place has great prices!! I intended it to be for G's room but we have yet to get him into a twin bed, still on the floor on his crib mattress. I'm waiting for the right bed to come along. I might move it into his room eventually and once I find two nightstands I love for our bedroom. I also picked up the covered wagon picture for $1.75. I loved it because of our mormon pioneer heritage and how it represents it without being too obvious. It feels more abstract and I love that the background is black instead of white. I have yet to get a different frame, waiting to see where it actually ends up. Its here for now.

I have been searching Craigslist for a used wicker peacock chair. I almost bought a basic one used online for $90. I decided to wait and then a neighbor around the corner was having a yard sale. Well, let me say that they are horders, no doubt. This time it was to my advantage. There has been an ever growing pile on their drive way they keep covered with tarps and sometimes I drive by and their garage door is open and that garage is literally stuffed full from floor to ceiling with junk. A week before the sale I saw this chair pop up outside their front door. I just had this feeling!! Well, a few days later Ryan comes home from work and he tells me that they have moved the chair out closer to the road and indeed it appears they are having a yard sale. He insists we go look at it and I couldn't refuse. It was mine for $20 and Ryan scored a new George Foreman grill for $10 (he was pretty happy!). It had some "smell" to it. You know it probably comes with age and horders not being the most cleanly. So, I decided to take my chances regardless and gamble on the $20. I spent the next two nights scrubbing and spraying that sucker with a bleach water solution. I did the process twice and let it dry in the sun between each attempt. I think it definitely made a big improvement and was MUCH more clean. It is now residing in our bedroom. What a good gamble! I wanted it for the living room but it won't fit right now unless I sell the leather arm chair which I would may do in a heartbeat!

Sorry for the crumby iPhone photos. I am lazy these days and don't use my DSLR. The lighting is horrible in our bedroom (actually our entire house) too so that makes photos challenging. I am really into the bohemian vibe and so I'm trying to make that happen in our bedroom by layering lots of things. I have used square vases and thrift store finds to corral all of my jewelry and accessories. I am trying to work with a lot of what I already have and we'll see how that goes. My next addition to the room is going to be a DIY upholstered headboard. I'm just trying to figure out the textiles for the rest of the room so it will be a cohesive look. I'm thinking something with blues and purples.

Check back on Friday for part two of the rental updates!

What about you guys? Are you a thrift and secondhand store shopper? What are your recent finds?