A Tooth Extraction & Target Excitement

The past couple of days have been eventful to say the least. If you'd like the full story, keep reading. If not feel free to skip down a few paragraphs to the pretty pictures of all the new things I'm in love with at Target.

Friday night and Saturday I had some wisdom tooth induced pain. This is nothing new, they've been coming in for years. Every few months it hurts for a couple days, I take some ibuprofen and it goes away. Exactly what I did this time too. Except this time, it didn't work. By Sunday afternoon I was taking 2 ibuprofen every 2-3 hours just to make the pain bearable. Sunday night, we went to my in-law's for dinner and a round of Cranium - we had to end the game early because I was in excruciating pain. I deep-breathed as husband drove us to Target to get something more potent.

When we got home, I took my medicine, put on my pj's and curled up on the couch with husband and an ice pack. I started to notice a growing lump on my cheek and he confirmed that my face was swollen. By the time I went to bed it looked like I was hiding a golf ball in my cheek. I woke up Monday morning in less pain, but the entire left side of my face was numb and the swelling had gotten worse. My boss let me work from home and I promised her I'd call an oral surgeon.

Not even exaggerating. It was just that bad. (Excuse the runny mascara, I was still in bed. No shame.)

I was able to get an appointment for Monday afternoon to get my tooth extracted. I've never been in the hospital, never been put under, and I was seriously nervous. I was going to try to make do with Novocaine only, but when I got there, the doctor said my tooth was too infected (hence the extreme pain and swelling) and the Novocaine wouldn't work. We tried, and it didn't work. All of a sudden 3 assistants came in to get me put under. I felt like I was being rushed into the ER for a life or death situation. Scariest part of my day, by far! Soon I woke up in a bed in a little room and they brought husband in to see me. All the built up stress finally got to me and I cried because it just felt so good to have him with me after everything.

So now here I sit, unable to work because I'm unable to drive and I look like a mess. I'm too tired from the pain killers to do much of anything (i.e. home projects that I could photograph and write about on this blog), so I've been watching HGTV and looking at pretty things for the house online.

When husband and I went to Target to get a more potent OTC pain meds on Sunday night, despite the excruciating pain I was in, I just couldn't help but check out all the gorgeous new items in their Threshold Collection. I wasn't able to spend as much time as I would have liked, so last night, I spent a little time browsing their website. Here are my fourteen favorites:

Kitchen and Bath

1. Set of 4 Red Batik Kitchen Towels

2. White Honeycomb Vase

3. Metal Stool with Wood Top

4. Large Ikat Print Shower Curtain in Blue/Green (There's a Red/Gold one in stores that we're thinking about getting.)

5. 3 Tier Acacia Serving Tray

6. 16 Piece Bridgeport Gardens Dinnerware Set

7. Stoneware Serveware Collection

Living

8. Round Hammered Metal Accent Table
9. Brass Animals (I've already been given permission to purchase these when they hit the shelves!)
10. Decorative Pillow with Red Piping
11. Washed Wood Lamp Base
12. Green Stripe Lampshade
13. Yarn Wrapped Rhino
14. Oversized Ombre Oblong Pillow in Blue
*All images from Target's website.


I love that Target is finally catching up with the Ombre and Ikat trends, as well as the wood mixed with white or metal trend. They've always been pretty on target (pun intended) colorwise, so it's nice to see that they're made these designed elements truly affordable. The line doesn't officially launch until March 17, but I've seen a lot of, if not most, of these products on the shelves of my local Target already. If you want to see more, you can go to Target.com, search "Threshold" and filter by "newest". You can also check out their Lookbook for items that may not even been available on their website yet.

So who wants to go shopping? (After I look less chimpmunk-y of course...)

Hello Handsome

A few weeks ago I welcomed a new man into my home. Nope, not my husband. This handsome piece of wood:

So how did we meet? I actually picked him up off the street. A street that happened to be right next to one of my favorite salvage shop. I hate to give out my secret, but since they get new items in stock daily, I suppose I can tell you all that Hammond Salvage is a great place to find used and vintage anything. This place is stuffed full of furniture, accessories, jewelry, dishes, fabric, art and frames, lamps, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Back to my story. When I pulled up outside the store that evening, I immediately spotted a fantastic mid-century modern style dresser on the sidewalk outside. It looked sturdy and only had a few nicks and scratches. All of the drawers worked wonderfully, and it was exactly the size we needed. It didn't have a price tag though, so I figured it must be pricey. Similar dressers I found on Craigslist were $200-$300. For example:

$365 on Craigslist

$345 on Craigslist

$295 on Craigslist

Expecting my dresser to be priced that high, I moved on and worked my way through the rest of the store. I looked at other dressers, fabric for curtains, and lamps. I still couldn't get my mind off that dresser though. On my way out, I decided to ask the owner how much she wanted for it. Drumroll please? 

It was only $45! Sold! Well not exactly. Being the married woman that I am I had to text a picture to husband who was at work. Then convince him to go look at it even though it wasn't love at first sight. (What do you mean you don't want this fresh fella in our home!?) Then remind him that it was everything we ever wanted and more, and that we'll figure out a way to get it home. Then promise him I'd clean the shoe brushes and old man underwear out of the drawers before we brought it in the house. (I only wish I was kidding. I also wish I had a picture. Hilarious.) He reluctantly approved and this baby was ours.

My parents took my dad's truck to pick it up the next evening and we spent the next day cleaning it out (very thoroughly!) and stocking it full of our DVD's and Wii games. I love that it fits our space so perfectly, that the drawers seem to be make for DVD cases, that there's a special drawer with dividers that we can use for "junk drawer" type stuff, and that I can get under it with a vacuum  I love the gold detailing, and the waved drawers are growing on me. The TV viewing height is just right and I can still hang a couple pictures above it. We also found out that it's made of solid walnut. Bonus!

Shallow top drawer with compartments to organize "junk drawer" type stuff. The tag on the left told us it was Walnut.

Plenty of DVD Storage! (We'll eventually combine our movies. Marriage is a process!)

Needs new handles!

More drawers for DVD's behind the cabinet doors.

Built in shelves for Wii games and workout DVD... for now.

Gold accent on the bottom and space to clean underneath. Ignore the cords. We'll clean those up someday. 

There are a few touch ups that need to be made. Any suggestions on how to go about doing that without sanding and re-staining the whole thing?

It's Curtains For You

Or at least we hope. Can we end this curtain search once and for all!? We, yes husband came with, have visited at least 8-10 stores on line and 3 in person and still have not found a fabric we can live with. All we want is an ikat print in teal, green, blue, with a white - not cream - background, and a hint of burnt orange or red. Is that too much to ask for? Are we being too picky?

Okay, so maybe we are. Like I mention in this post about our top 20 home interior projects, I've never had curtains in the living room. We really do need them now. Not even for privacy (although it couldn't hurt to be able to pull some drapes over the window every once in a while), but because it will soften the overall look of the room and bring the tall ceilings in a little bit. We need them for the homey cozy factor. 

When we originally started to piece together our vision for the living room, we planned on it being teal, blue and green. Colors we both love. Then somehow, even though I've never liked it before, I fell in love with red. Maybe it has something to do with this gorgeous room from Our Fifth House:

Our Fifth House

Then we found this awesome print in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego while on our Honeymoon.

We knew it wouldn't go perfectly with our vision for a teal-ish living room potentially with red accents, but it was our favorite of the bunch and it still had some of the accent colors we were looking for. So now we're on the hunt for curtains that will go with that print and bring in all of the colors and style we love.

Since I'm not quite talented enough to design my own fabric, nor do we have the money for the 10-12 yards of this custom fabric that I'd need to sew them, we know we'll have to settle. So far we have 3 front runners.

Option #1: Crazy Zig Zags with Pink!

Waverly Panama Wave Desert Flower from Fabric.com

We like this option because it goes with our Honeymoon find the best. I'm just not sure if it might be a little too much to have on 4 windows in our main living area. There's a flowered pattern in this same color scheme but husband says it's too feminine.

Option #2: Too Tuscan?

Waverly Mayan Medallion Adobe from Fabric.com

We like this option because it has a lot of the color we like in it. Husband would probably be fine with it, but I think it may be a little too Tuscan and could complete with our Honeymoon print and the black and white rug we'll someday purchase.

Option #3: Keepin' It Classy

Braemore Tribal Find Ikat Chevron Aquamarine

This option is probably the safest. If we ever decide to change our accent color, we wouldn't need to change our curtains. It's also the fabric seen in the mood board for this room. So, I know it would still mesh well with our Honeymoon print. It's also about $15 cheaper for 12 yards than the other fabrics. (Every dollar counts!)

I guess the real dilemma here is whether we're committing to having our Honeymoon print featured in this room or if we'd rather showcase it somewhere else. What would you do?

OCD (Outta Control and Disorganized)

I have a tendency to be pretty OCD about some things. Not everything, just some things. For example, my jewelry has been laying in a giant tangled mass on my dresser for at least 3 years. I know out of courtesy I should clean it up so husband doesn't have to look at that mess in his room, but I just don't care to have a jewelry "system". On the other hand, it drives me absolutely crazy when things are left out on the coffee table, or when my schedule is thrown off unexpectedly.

In the past, I've tried to be a little more OCD about my office and my life management (Is that a thing?), but I never had the energy toward getting things under control once and for all. Since I was single, it was no big deal. Now that I'm married, there are dual incomes, a joint checking account, bills to pay that are new to me, a new banking system, insurance information, a future to plan for, and someone to communicate this all to. I should mention, since I'm pretty good with money, and like taking care of finances, I am the current designated banker in the family. Husband still needs to know what's up, so it's time to get it together.

I mentioned in my Top 20 post that one of the projects I want to tackle this year is organizing our files and paperwork. Within that big goal are many smaller goals to simplify everyday living. I hate for it so sounds so regimented, but I need some procedures and systems in place so I'm not constantly thinking about how much money is left in the checking account, if the bills got paid on time, and why I can't find that post it note I just had in my hand two seconds ago in the pile of papers on the desk. It makes my brain hurt.

Since I heart lists, here's a (bulleted!) list of problems I'd like to solve in the office:

• Mail ends up in a massive pile on the desk, coffee table, dining table, front porch floor, etc.
• I'm thinking some kind inbox bins and a recycling bin just for paper. I'm also hoping to invest in a shredder at some point. Going paperless will ultimately help, but that brings me to my next problem...

• Important emails get lost in my inbox.
• I use Gmail because, let's face it, Google is pretty amazing. Google is so amazing that they've set up an inbox sorting system within Gmail. I just need to figure it out. And I may need to unsubscribe to several newsletters I never read. That would probably help too.

• Cash ends up in a big ol' wad in my purse.
• We're reverting to the envelope system to curtail some of our frivolous spending. That means I'll need to carry cash or a checkbook to the grocery store, out on dates, and places like medical offices and the car shop. I've seen some nifty envelope system wallets, but they're pretty pricey. I'm hoping to make my own. 

• There's a six inch tall pile of paperwork and a filing box wasting space in the shelving unit. 
• I was going to set up my files, then I got engaged and realized it'd be pointless since I'd have to incorporate all of husband's paperwork soon anyway. So there the pile sits. I need to get on that.

• It's a pain in the butt to get into the closet.
• Between two litter boxes (my kitty likes to have options), a mirror that has yet to be hung, and a door that opens toward the closet, the little space there is to stand and open the closet door has become the Bermuda Triangle. You're lucky if you get out alive. In my dream world there's kitty litter boxes built into a bench inside the closet which is painted or wallpapered something fantastic. Maybe. Someday.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to make all of my OCD office dreams come true? I'd love to hear 'em. Also, you can make suggestions via Pinterest now too. Tag @Megan Monroe Makeshift if you'd like me to check something out. 

Living Room Inspiration Part 2 (aka - My First Mood Board!)

As part of my living room inspiration post, I wanted to include a mood board of the pieces that are inspiring our living room. For this being my first time creating a mood board, I'd say it was a fairly successful endeavor!

1. A glam emerald chandelier: Eric Hoglund for Amsterdam Modern

2. Cozy flokati pillow: Target

3. Pretty rustic pillow with a Mexican vibe: Target

4. Fun velour and ribbon pillow: Ikea

5. World most amazing couch: Ikea

6. Sleek Mid-Century TV console: Picture from Polyvore, we'll find one locally.

7. Sadly discontinued black and white rug: Ikea

8. Nahuatl artwork we picked up in San Diego

9. Ikat chevron curtain panels: Fabric.com

10. Happy orange table lamp: One Kings Lane (I need to stop falling in love with discontinued items!)

11. Fantastic industrial modern coffee table: Etsy

Paint color: Behr's Sandstone Cove (Background)

Husband gives his stamp of approval and I love it too. Unfortunately, many of these pieces are discontinued, no longer for sale, unavailable, or out of our budget. We may need to DIY a few things to get the overall look we're going for. I'm looking forward the the challenge!

Copycat Couscous Salad

While honeymooning in San Diego, we went to the upscale, open air, Fashion Valley Mall. Better than the Mac store or the world's (seemingly) largest Forever 21, was the food court. I should preface. I typically dislike the mall and especially the overpriced processed garbage that they serve in the food court. So to my surprise, there were a ton of delicious healthy options in the mall food court here. I guess they care more about that kind of thing in California than the Midwest?

Husband got Panda Express, I ate from a modern Mediterranean place called Cafe Socrates. I ordered the cous cous salad, and it was so delicious! I've been craving it since I got home from vacation. I found their website and a menu with the description of the dish. Basically it's Feta, olives, garbanzo beans, golden raisins, sun dried tomatoes, and red bell pepper served with couscous. Using the food processor we got as a wedding gift, I set out to recreate this yummy dish.

Copycat Couscous Salad

Ingredients:
3/4 C. Whole grain couscous
1 Medium red bell pepper
2 TBSP Sun dried tomatoes (about 3)
3 Large pitted whole Kalmata olives
3-4 basil leaves (I used 1 TBSP dried basil)
2 TBSP Golden raisins (You can use regular raisins too)
1 C. Low sodium garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 C. Feta cheese crumbles
1 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Directions:
1. Prepare couscous as directed. (My package said to boil 1 C. water, add couscous, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. I did not add salt or butter.)

2. While couscous is cooking, cut bell pepper into quarters and add to food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds

3. Add sun dried tomatoes, olives, basil leaves, raisins, garbanzo beans, and Feta and pulse for another 30 seconds.

4. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Mix lightly with spoon.
5. Microwave veggie mix for 1 minute to warm. Add to couscous.
6. Serve immediately.

(4 servings)
Calories: 268   Fat: 7g   Protein: 11g   Carbs: 41g   Sodium: 345g   Fiber: 7g   Sugar: 16g

I had a a couple triangles of whole wheat pita bread and a tablespoon of hummus with mine just like they served it at the restaurant. My total meal came in at 323 calories. The protein and fiber kept me full all afternoon and the carbs were great for my afternoon run. The best part is, it reminds me of one of my favorite meals from our honeymoon!

Living Room Inspiration

After the whirlwind of our wedding and honeymoon, we were excited to relax a little and get back to normal life. Instead, we bought and assembled a couch. Truth be told, I'm glad we did it. The house is already feeling a little less like mine and more ours. It's amazing how much a new couch can change up your routine. Now, when I get home from work, I sprawl out in my corner of the couch and read or catch up on TV. When husband gets home from work he's lounging in his corner watching a movie. When we had just the three-seater sofa and two small arm chairs, we were always fighting over who got the good seat and who got to put their feet up. No one ever sat in the arm chairs unless we had company. It looked nice, and functioned well enough for a single girl, but for a married couple, it was a complete waste of space.

Since the living room is our main living area, and especially now that we have a new couch, the living room is our top redecorating priority. I mentioned before that husband and I have very different decorating styles. He understands that decorating is my thing, and is giving me a little more leeway when it comes to making design decisions. Still, it's my responsibility to give him the warm, comfortable, collected look that he loves. With that in mind, I/we have collected several pictures of inspiration rooms.

Extreme Home Makeover

We both love this living room from Extreme Home Makeover. There's such a sense of 'home' here. The colors are fresh and inviting, the contrast of light and dark is spot on, and the couch looks super comfy.

La Dolce Vita, Originally from Lonny

What drew us to this room was the wall color. It was a warm neutral without being grey, beige, brown, yellow, or pink. Our wall color is fairly similar. We also like the collected feel the the artwork creates. We'd rather see this with a different accent color, maybe teal or green instead of pink.

Found on Houzz

This room is one of my personal favorites. Husband says he's okay with it. I love the black and white rug mixed with so many other colors and textures. It looks rich. I also LOVE the brass and glass table. I'm currently trying to convince husband to let me have one in our living room.

Found at Small Shop, Originally Martine Chaisson for Lonny

It really surprised me when husband said he like this room. I thought it was going to be too neutral for his tastes. But he liked the couch (apparently a good couch is important to him?) and the dark wood floors, with the crisp white mouldings. We both liked the wall color and I obviously loved the chandelier.

Young House Love

When we first found our couch at ikea, we did some Googling to see what it would look like in a room in the color we liked. We stumbled upon Young House Love and I've been hooked ever since. Seriously, John and Sherry are amazing. If you haven't checked out their blog, you need to. Anyways, we both loved this room when we saw it. We're trying to warm up the house a bit so we didn't want grey walls, but we loved the couch (duh), the rug (but maybe black and white instead), the art, and the fun pops of color in the pillows and the art.

To recap, we'll be looking to put together a room that:

• Feels homey, fresh, and inviting
• Has warm neutral walls
• Looks 'collected'
• Combines lots of texture
• Has good balance and contrast of light and dark
• Has bright pops of color against a mostly neutral palate.
• Feels both masculine and feminine
• Combines white, wood, and metal (Not pictured, but it something that we both like)

I'm learning teaching myself to put together mood boards. I think the one I made is pretty awesome for my first one. Check back later this week for the finished product!

Also, if you really enjoyed my inspiration pictures and would like to see more, you can follow me on Pinterest here.