on the hunt: affordable metal baskets

i have been on the hunt for some decent, affordable metal baskets for the bottom of gradys bathroom vanity for a few weeks now.

i really like these from restoration hardware, but i thought the price was a little steep (even on sale)

wisteria always has a great selection of metal baskets. i really liked this one, but i didnt want a liner, and they were also more than i wanted to spend:

i also like these from crate and barrel:

but, gheesh! i really did not want to spend $70-120 on two wire baskets....

i found these affordable baskets, which came as a set of three, and i almost ordered them, but they were a little bit smaller than what i needed:

there are usually some great, vintage options on etsy like this one, but i really want two that match, and it is very difficult to find a set.

yesterday, i was at target, and spotted these:

the size was perfect, i like the look of them, and they were on sale for $18 each! (plus, NO shipping costs!)

yes, please. i will take 2.

they just needed ONE little change----(i bet you can guess what it is!)

there, MUCH better!

here they are in their new home, already being put to use!

i still haven't painted the walls in the bathroom yet, but i am making some progress!

i wanted to have this bath finished by the end of the month, but i may need a few extra days.

*i have received several questions about this vanity in the last few weeks. 

it is called the LOGAN vanity from restoration hardware.

i bought it on clearance last fall for just under $400. they no longer have this exact vanity available, but there are some that are similar:

the "new" logan vanity (same wood, different configuration) on final sale right now for $359! 

(about what i paid for mine!)

pottery barn's classic single console has similar lines, and is available in 2 painted finishes.

park city weekend

we were supposed to be out of town all of last week.

however, when the delivery of our sod was backed up, we decided to change our plans and only spend the weekend (somewhere close) away. lucky for us, park city is only 45 minutes away, but feels like a different world from suburban salt lake city.

(a view looking up main street) 

we spent the weekend enjoying the beautiful pine trees, great ambience of a ski town in summer, and fresh (and almost chilly) mountain air, mixed with a dash of swimming, shopping, and some good eats--including s'mores by the (almost) campfire.

in case any of you were wondering, we stayed here, and found it to be very family friendly, with a great staff, nice pool/hot tubs, and a really great location.)

one of the newer stores on main street is a store called root'd. it caught my attention when i was on the other side of the street, and i just KNEW i had to go inside.

  i mean, c'mon! take a look at this chandelier! how could i NOT go in?

just take a look at some of the goodies i spotted inside...

uh. completely in love with these gilded wood sconces...

 ...and this updated mid century chair. (love  the touches of metal!)

and what about these lamps?

ack! crystals! these are so pretty i almost cried tears of joy!

are antlers a little "overdone"?

yeah, probably.

but i still love them. and always will.

i loved this arrangement over the bed:

this store had the perfect mix of rustic and luxe.

and the pops of color were unexpected and so, so pretty.

i LOVED this vignette...

and this one...

the texture on the pieces was really beautiful. so many natural elements that blended together so well...

these lamps were one of my favorite things in the store:

(and check out the rope wrapped table! that would be a great diy project.)

the pop of color inside this metal cabinet was perfect!

aren't these firewood holders fun?

and don't you like the way they painted the stone gold?

this would be a great solution for dealing with ugly brick or stone around a fireplace.

this mirror was so pretty. the edges and quatrefoil shape were wrapped in metal. it added such a nice contrast to the smooth black surface of the mirror.

i honestly had a hard time finding anything in the store i didn't like!

 for more info on this store, click here.

did you have a favorite thing?

$16 urn makeover

i love a good urn, filled with plants and flowers spilling out over the edges...
in fact, i have a whole pinterest board dedicated to window boxes and containers, with lovely pictures like this:

my urns have been sitting empty for several months now. i usually fill them around mothers day, but things have been so hectic that i never got around to it. i finally decided that i needed a spot of color in the front of my house. the first order of business? sprucing up the urns a bit.



these urns are made of resin, which a LOT of planters and urns are made from these days. this is a great material because it is lightweight, and can mimic the look of cast iron and ceramic very well. my pots are supposed to look like cast iron, but over the last few years, they have started to wear down and the finish is coming off in some places. i found the perfect paint to make to help restore that cast iron look to my urns: a semi flat black spray paint. (i used the cheapest one i could find.) total cost per urn? $1. the semi flat paint has a very subtle sheen and does a great job of mimicking cast iron.

to fill the pots, i bought some potting soil ($5 per urn/$10 total), and went to lowes to see what they had. i will be honest....the selection was pretty slim. not at all like is is in late may or early june. however, i did manage to find some lavender ($5 per pot), and some mixed petunias (a bargain at $6 per  pot, considering how large they are). i usually like to mix at least 4 different kinds of flowers in my urns, and mix in some herbs as well, but i figured this year i would go a little more simple and affordable. i usually budget at least $50 just for flowers, and then the potting soil is another $10-15.

and here are my urns!

all spruced up an brimming with flowers! and all for $16 per urn, including the soil!

its small things like this that make my day happy. that, and a great song played really loud on my car radio can make me darn right cheerful!

oh, and in other happy news, our sod was delivered early this week!

 to save some money, we laid it ourselves. it was dirty and tiring work, but certainly doable as a DIY project. the money that we saved helped us pay for our irrigation system. if you are on a tight budget and you are considering laying your own sod, i would say go for it!

 it is amazing what a difference having grass makes! we are currently watering the fool out of it, and pampering it. new sod is kinda like having a puppy. it needs to be watched, fed, watered, and you can't turn your back on it or it might do something naughty. in this case, DIE.

its feeling less like a construction site and more like a home every week!