the Succulent (re)Plantation and Lotus Light

Because the random little succulent garden around the fountain looked messy and, more importantly, was a pain in the butt to water/mist, I replanted them into the 3 matching dishes that I had stumbled upon at a thrift shop a couple of weeks ago. Now I love the new little garden under the window that is easier to care for.  When the weather turns not-freezing, I'll take a park meander and collect some pebbles to dress up the pots.

Now for the lotus lights.  These little suckers were relatively inexpensive ($25ea) but make a huge impact on this wall without eating up any valuable floor space. I'm really excited about them.

And another little floor-space saver: I bought the corbels online for a couple of dollars each, spray painted them gold and attached them to the back of the bar.  I found while ordering spray paint online, it's cheaper to buy a six-pack than a couple of cans separately. So now I have a ton of gold spray paint.  Huzzah!  I've been gradually picking stuff to paint. Sammy's frame got a makeover as did the candlestick on the coffee table (you can see in the above photograph).

I am contemplating painting the coffee table base, the iron scroll work on the wicker chair and the lotus lamps.  What do you all think?  Should I go for it or leave the furniture and lights as are? 

Cheers!

Bookcase Drapery

Here's a project I did months ago but haven't yet posted. For several years, I'd fantasized about this inspiration photo :

And when I found these drapes at Ikea (mariam green $20), I was thrilled.  Though the ceilings aren't nearly so high and my book collection isn't as extensive, I think that my little room captures the spirit of my inspiration pretty well.

Here is a gratuitous photo of Toulouse guarding Carybdis.

And my new arrangement of greenery/mirror. (I redistributed the white mirror collage around the apartment and hung matching green drapes on the opposite wall but that's a post for the future.)
I'm awaiting a little fountain that I'll snuggle into the plants in this corner; it'll make a pretty place for my meditation and yoga.  Ignore the power strip under the window. It leads to the stringed lights and I haven't yet attached it to the bottom of the little table. When I post photos of my fountain oasis, it will be fixed.

Cheers!  Leave me a comment if you like it! 

Thrift Shop Find and a Sunroom Transformed

 I found this little iron table and chairs for $30 at a local shop. It was dusty with a green-grey antiqued finish but it was the perfect size for this little corner. Away with the conference table, 3 cans of glossy spray paint and an hour later, the sunroom begins to look like my fantasy of a garden solarium. 

I moved the pathos to over the table and fastened the branches with a couple of cup hooks.  I can't wait for it to stretch out and cascade down the walls.

Here's the before for reference:

Bathroom Dreaming

Anyway, back to my weekly projects: this past month, I've been focusing on the bathroom. I've always dreamed (hence the post title) of a spa tub with a tropical view. I know, I know.. Winter rental in Chicago? A tiny, 7x5ft room that I can't paint or make other major changes? I might as well shoot for a moon spa with a great view of the earth.  But I just finished this morning's goal of adding stones along the tub and am thrilled with the result.  They're not photographing well- I'm blaming my rinky-dink camera- so you'll have to trust my word on their awesomeness.

 I added the mirrors to make the room seem larger and to maximize light for the plants.  Fortunately, I'm extremely myopic without my glasses, so I only see a vague flesh-colored blob when I shower.

Here is my makeshift linen 'closet'.  Eventually, I'd like to get a square piece of marble for the top of the radiator. In the meantime, my dingiest towel goes on the bottom.  I like to use a sponge- rather than washcloths- so I thought the basket was a pretty way to display the extras.