Happy workspace

We decided recently to freshen up our office. It had become a bit cluttered and messy, and just wasn't a place we looked forward to using. So I did a super edit! Anything that wasn't serving a purpose or that simply felt busy/distracting/clutter-y, I found a new home for. I also plan to have a long shelf added in the closet for easy access to papers and such that require immediate attention, and this way they won't stack up on my desk! And I got the husband one of these cool boxes from Container Store for his desk, so that when he's done working for the day, he can stow any papers and notes inside and have an instantly cleared off desk. And he uses it! Bonus. I mentioned wanting to create a little collection above my desk here, and this is how it turned out. We rigged the two-photo hinged frame to hang vertically and think it's really fun this way. A couple of similar but not matchy frames keep it fresh. And the mossy piece of 'art' was a little project we completed a few years ago (husband couldn't believe I'd never used a hot glue gun :) Unusual? Sure... but you know us, we're all about green (you may recall seeing it here at our old house). Now we love working in here and instantly feel more sane organized. Got to take advantage of that organizational energy when inspiration strikes! Hope your workspace is happy, too :)

Treasure hunting

We finally made it out to our favorite antiques gallery with baby...and it only took nine months! Nonetheless, we made it- that's what counts, right? We had some specific items in mind for an upcoming project, but it's always fun to browse, too. Here are some of the things that caught our eye (brace yourselves for a lot of galvi! :)

First up (above) is this vintage nesting box displayed as functional wall storage. Love for a  mudroom or entry. Totally unique piece.

Also this great old olive bucket. Love the shape of the holes and as well as the handles which provide a little contrast.

Rustic pendant lights. Lots of possibilities...

This made us smile: A lamp made from an old water tank. The price tag made us smile, too: $878!!

Set of four cool white retro chairs. Love these as dining chairs or even just one as a casual desk chair. Great for outside, too.

I was instantly drawn to this tote of vintage bulbs. The display felt beautiful and scupltural to me. And interesting!

Giant 3x5 galvi panel. We'd use it like a piece of art. Though it weighs about 60 pounds!

Rad old windmill tail. Really wanted to grab this but just don't have a place for it.  Probably gone by now, but at least I have this picture...

After lots of perusing, our little guy fell asleep on Dad, while the gallery staff oohed and ahhed over the darling sleeping baby (he is pretty darling, sleeping or awake :) Afterwards we stopped by the waterfront near the Space Needle to soak up some sun and enjoy the fountain. It was a fun day - and definitely a milestone for us as parents since it wasn't so many months ago in our newborn fog that we were entirely convinced we'd never make it back to this place again.

Clock love

We've been on the lookout for a great wall clock for a little while now, but without much luck. The more modern styles for some reason tend to feel a little tacky to me, and a couple of the more classic ones we already own are feeling not quite modern enough. What I really want is something vintage-looking with a modern feel. Well, I discovered this today. I am still trying to figure out how it's 7" in depth! And at 22" wide, it's definitely a statement piece. I'd love it if it were a bit smaller (that goes for the price, too :)  But it otherwise fits the bill perfectly, right down to the printing on the face.