I Bought Things

Remember what I said last week about being patient? Turns out, I'm terrible at being patient. Surprise!

On a whim, Jonathan and I went to the Long Beach Antique Market this past Sunday, thinking maybe we'd find some mid-century furniture, specifically: round kitchen table with four chairs and/or a large round coffee table.

We got up at 6:30AM and headed out shortly after. This antique market happens once per month (3rd Sunday) and takes up 20 full acres of a parking lot adjacent to the Veteran's Memorial Stadium. If I didn't go there knowing exactly what I wanted, I might have had an aneurysm from over-stimulation.

Oh, and, you know, egregious humidity and heat might have been a factor, too. It was easily in the mid-90's by 10AM, and it didn't help that I was speed walking through the market in search of what I knew must be there: the perfect dining set. (Remember: I'm a grown up now.)

In addition to loads of furniture, there was, well, everything else you could imagine. Here, I took some pictures.









It was a blast looking around at everything. Even though I was on strict orders (from myself) not to buy anything unless it was what I was searching for specifically, it made me eager to go back again next month, and then maybe every month after that. Some things (like the original wood/metal/light art) were well beyond my price range, while other things were practically being given away. Whatever vintage or antique sort of item you might be searching for, chances are, you could find it here.

These pictures are the tip of the market iceberg. I'm excited to go back and explore some more, when it's about 20 degrees cooler.

So, while we didn't find a coffee table like we'd hoped, we certainly didn't come home empty-handed. Impatient though I may be, I think it might have paid off this time.



Because I'm in love. I saw it, and I knew we'd found the right set. It's a teak table and chairs, with a sleek mid-century modern aesthetic. It's in need of some serious lovin' (degreasing, sanding, staining, re-upholstery, etc.), which is where a few designated weekends with Shane will come in very handy.

It wasn't cheap; it came to $400, after originally being told $500, but I gave him the ol' "Hmm, interesting," and then turned to Jon: "Do I really want the table too, honey?" In all honesty, though, it was a steal. I've been looking for a table and chairs just like or comparable to this for about nine months now, and a single refinished set of 4 chairs could easily run $750 on its own! With another $100 of elbow grease and DIY care, we'll have this baby sparkling!

I'm thinking... herringbone fabric on the seats, maybe?



Yes. We're really, really happy with this purchase despite the unplanned-for attack on my bank account.

Oh, and speaking of purchases! Look what arrived in the mail yesterday...



If the table and chairs didn't send me closer to bankruptcy, this sure did the trick!

Bankruptcy never looked or felt so good!



What we have here are technically two items, not just one. The first is a cushy, 8'x11' non-skid rug pad. It is an absolute necessity on my super-slick laminate floors.

Next, is the pièce de résistance: an 8'6"x11'6" Moroccan style trellis rug made of 100% wool. I found this beauty (and the rug pad) on Overstock.com and I could not be happier.

I started looking for an enormous rug as soon as we moved in. We identified within a few hours that a rug was going to be our first major purchase after the bookcases. Aside from hating how big and drab the room looked without something to ground it (literally), functionally we needed one. Ennis and Fry were sliding around like idiots, and it just wasn't practical to have so much open, slippery floor.

This one stood out immediately, and the price was right, too: only $453.99 for an enormous, thick, wool rug. After thinking about it for a few days, I went back and saw that it was an additional 15% off due to a promotional back-to-school sale. I bought it immediately, for the cool price of $372.70 (just over $81 off). Again: a steal, especially for the quality.

It kind of speaks for itself.

Please excuse the dog/cat fur blanketing our chaise. We keep it real around here.

Jon was a trooper and trusted my instincts on this one.

The challenge was to find something that could match our steel blue couch, orange lounger, and green/brown/orange recliner all at once without bringing more orange into the mix. (We're officially oranged-out. No offense, Fry.) It couldn't be very dark, either, because we wanted to add more light to the ground, not force the light to the gargantuan ceilings. I also hoped to get a pattern, but not one that would conflict visually with my beloved recliner.

It also needed to be cushy. Luckily, I had two helpers who were more than happy to test its cushiness out for me. An Ennis v. Fry wrestling match was underway within 10 minutes of the rug being put down.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled that they're thrilled.

And Fry is thrilled that it's almost lunchtime.

* All images property of The Sleepy Peach