Impatience is a Girl's Best Friend

I admit it. I am very impatient. I like everything now and I absolutely hate being patient and doing "things right the first time" because usually it turns into a very long, drawn-out, slow process. (In fact, this is why I keep project hopping and projects are "charmingly imperfect", because I get bored and then it's on to the next thing!) I am all about instant gratification.

The mid-century dresser I bought has been impatiently waiting for the day when it can become a true TV credenza. My grand vision included replacing my sofa and moving the credenza to the charcoal gallery wall. I was, like a good girl, going to wait until I sold the sofa and then bring up my leather sofa from downstairs until I found the right couch. But I'm still indecisive on selling the couch on Craigslist or waiting until I can do a garage sale, so until I get my guts up, I'm stuck with the couch.

And its HUGE. It's very comfortable, but it is far too huge to put anywhere else in the room but the one spot it is in. So, I did what any impatient decorator would do. I split it up.

By myself. Without waiting for my Papi to come help me move the heavy stuff, like the 42" TV and the old TV stand, the new dresser, and ... oh yeah, the sofa. See. I told you I was impatient.  Thinking about it now, I should really rename this blog to "Things you should never do."

The new layout is certainly temporary and made me more determined than ever to get rid of the hulking couch, but I like it. It makes me feel more like an adult--and while "cozy" it definitely lends a more open air to the room. I took a few (very bad) iPhone snapshots to show the new layout:

It's certainly not completed, and there are a few pieces in the room that aren't meant to stay (the sofa and the brown end table, for example, in the picture above) but it is one step closer to where I'd like to be.

I should also point out, I added another piece of artwork to my gallery wall:

Check out the print at the top left. It is Elizabeth Mayville's "Braid 2" print. Here is a closeup:

"Braid 2" by Elizabeth Mayville, Etsy

I love the print, and am so glad I bought it. It adds a pop of yellow and it totally reminds me of the days when I wore my hair long and braided and was very "bohemian." (Actually, one of my nicknames in college was "Bohemian Kelci.") I'm not sure my own braids ever looked this good, though.

So the gallery wall is getting there, though not quite done yet, I don't think. But it's good. And now, sitting on my sofa opposite the Gallery Wall, I get the pleasure of looking at all the prints.

What do you think? Anyone want to buy a great hulking (but comfy) sofa?!

My First Craigslist Encounter

I mentioned in a previous post that I was on the hunt for a mid-century credenza or dresser to use for a media console. I FINALLY found it when searching on Craigslist. It was more than I felt I could justify spending so I emailed the seller and asked if they were willing to reduce in price at all, and they were! We negotiated it down to a price that didn't make me choke (too much) and I set out on the journey to bring this baby home.

I say "journey" because this was my first Craigslist purchase. And I, being a very trusting soul, (and having seen the movie "The Craigslist Killer") believe everyone on Craigslist is a serial killer.  So it was with no small case of nerves that I reached out to the seller. The seller's email signature included a Facebook page name with a "Like us on Facebook!" So, naturally curious as to who the seller was, I logged onto Facebook and searched for them. What came up was.... quite scary. It was a page full of Anarchy-posts talking about guns, and images of rabid dogs and massive amounts of cussing.  It made me very nervous.

But in corresponding with the seller, she came across as a very nice and friendly lady. I did a quick Google search for her and a perfectly normal lady came up, with an Etsy page and completely normal job. Even knowing serial killers often appear to be "friendly next door neighbors", it didn't quite add up. And, to be honest, I really wanted this dresser. I  could see it retrofitted into a media console with the top two drawers flipping down for media component storage. And it's measurements were perfect for my smaller living room. So I continued to talk to the seller (who was currently out of town) and made plans to view the dresser.

In the course of the conversations we were having, I learned that the seller picked, and traveled all around Iowa searching for items for her customers. I was 98.76% sure I was looking at the wrong Facebook page and that the seller wasn't going to follow me home with a knife. I even went as far as texting her an image of a smaller credenza style that I was looking for and she said she would go on the hunt for one.  But just to be safe, I hauled my papi along for added protection.

The dresser was in fabulous shape, with just few battle scars, and I fell in love with it. And the seller turned out to be a perfectly normal lady and she even gave me a business card to the correct site (perfectly legit)! So we hauled it home. Isn't she beautiful? I can't wait to get my sofa sold so I can bring this room closer to completion!