Filled Flower Pot

I've been wondering for a long time what to put into my hanging flower pot from Ikea. Well, it finally hit me when we decided to put my sewing table back in its original corner. A friend of mine made some flower centerpieces for my (post baby shower) baby celebration in July. After the party ended, I collected the flowers and stuffed them into one paper vase. The bouquet has been sitting in its original paper vase since I brought it home. The current problem is that its top-heavy. It keeps falling over. Also, I cannot keep it within reach of the monkey, or he will destroy it. I had it atop the printer paper storage, but found that it was inconvenient. In my house, space is a commodity, to say the least. So, I realized that I could put it in the hanging flower pot, and it would solve the problem of where to put it and what to put in the pot. On a side (and mostly unrelated) note, we put the sewing desk back in the corner next to the couch. Then we relocated the makeshift storage unit to the dead space behind the door. It seems like a better fit for the space, anyway. I can once again use my sewing machine. I know this picture shows the area as messy, but I already have projects that need to be done. Again, clutter issues. Here is the before picture, but after we got our new table. I actually got to sew something this morning , too! I have a booklet from Babyville Boutique that describes how to make soakers for cloth diapers. It includes how to make a prefold diaper. So, even though it didn't turn out right, I was able to use my machine. Yeah! The monkey seemed very interested. Anyhoo, sewing's a good thing considering its been 5+ months since I was last able to do it. Truthfully, the machine was buried under stuff, again. Like I said, I have clutter issues.

Thrifty Azure Seat

I saw this the other day while driving by a small no name thrift store on Brookhurst. When I drove by on the way home today, it was still there. To my delight, it was only $5. So now the monkey has a real chair to sit in when he eats meals. Yeah, thrifting!

Almost stealing from the thrift store, again?!

Finally, Storage!

The cart...

In my kitchen, space, especially counter space, is a hot commodity. We have been using what we have since we moved in, but we were realizing that it just wasn't cuttin' the mustard around here. Until this moment, it was a very '80, hand-me-down microwave cart turned sideways. We stored our pots and pans on it since there isn't enough cupboard space (or even oven space, for that matter) to store them. They could be taken out of the cart, but only if you shoved it all the way over to one side and maneuvered them very carefully; not so safe if the oven was being used. Quite inconvenient, too boot! The height was obvoiously wrong, too. and since the width was much narrower than the space, things constantly fell behind or underneath, such that it was a pain in the behind to roll the cart out to get them.
While I would like to say the cart has moved on to another household, I can't. More on that later.

The island...

Enter, Goodwill. Of course I found it at Goodwill! It seems to be my favorite place to be (or one of them, at least). I typically go there to waste time when Ben is home and can stay with Monkey Z. Such was the case today. I have been keeping my eye out for a kitchen island via Craigslist for a while. I don't like dragging out the cart just to get at the pots and pans, so I wanted something that had open sides given how we have to put it in the kitchen. Lo and behold! I found exactly that at the Garden Grove Goodwill.
Sidebar: I've noticed certain locations of thrift stores are better for certain things. Some are better for clothes (Savers and ARC organize by size); others are better for furniture (Goodwill has Target stuff and floor space).

Dirty Ikea kitchen island @ Goodwill, Garden Grove

So there it was all sad looking and dirty. A random, misplaced picture frame adorned the top of it. I eyeballed it for size and decided that I would keep shopping, just to get my shop out, then come back to it. Once I did, I borrowed the tape measure from the store and sent the dimensions to B-chan who, at the suggestion of purchasing it with a 25% off coupon, approved. The price, as it was, was only $40, and there's no tax, as Goodwill is Non-profit.
I paid for the island and sent B-chan to pick it up, not realizing that I probably could have done it myself. An hour and a half, eleven Clorox wipes, a removed knife block, and one very hot (a little cranky) husband later, my new kitchen island graces the space between my stove and counter. *Smile* I am quite pleased with myself. I remain bargain shopping queen!

The relocation...

 Back to that very '80s microwave cart... Well, I have moved it into our bedroom next to my sewing desk... Until Baby Yeh #3 comes along. Now I just have to figure out how to hide what's on the cart! Um, yeah.

 

At the very least, it has a fakey, brown, wood color that is similar to the sewing desk...