flea market finds

Remember growing up? Remember the way your mom decorated her house? My mom always had "themes". The kitchen was "Give us this day our daily bread." and the dining room was apples. When I was young I picked magnolias for the theme of my kitchen. I love the shape, smell, and colors involved in magnolia trees. In the last couple of years I've realized that I'm not a "themey" person. I didn't know that. I'm not a "rubber duck" bath person {maybe whales, but that's more of an obsession than a theme :)}. I've realized that different people make their homes beautiful in different ways, and my way is simply by filling it with things that I love. Things that bring a story or a smile.

Here are some of those things that have recently been added to the Nowak household.

Gah! Toys! Yay for future Nowak babies!

I had to get that out. Yes, I am already buying things for the non-existant children I plan to have. Yes, I do have a plastic bin full of kids stuff in top of the coat closest. You know, an American girl doll, some cupcake gloves, a wooden whale... Now, add to that some awesome fisher price toys and some quality wooden stuff. :) Oh, and that train makes the most legit sound when you push its smoke stack down. Imagine a loud and clear, "Choo choo choo, chugga chugga choo choo, chugga chugga choo choo." With bells for the railroad crossing going up and everything. All the goodies on that chair were bought from Goodwill Bins for $0.59 a pound= Super cheap.

Oh, that chair? :) Just a zig zag, super comfy wingback that we picked up for $25. No big deal. Only amazing.

But, we had to move the orange mid-century chair that was there. It got relocated into the Dining Room, where we created a little reading area by moving our small bookshelf with it. I need a piece of art to go above the mouse cage, but mom said she got me a picture for my birthday, so I'm waiting with the hope of using it to fill that space.

I'm going to tear those shelves down and hang up our giganormous maps any day now. That table cloth is a $3 flea market find.

Ok, I know it's probably hard for you to keep track of where things in our house are, but that chair/bookshelf are now where my desk used to be. And so... you guessed it. The desk has also migrated. It now resides in the living room.

Right next to the front door, where the bookshelf with the mouse cage used to be. Oh, did you notice my new vintage fan? It was a flea market find. I talked him down to $25 {since the ones I've been looking at online are that much or more + shipping}. I love it and its vintage cage. Wanna see a close up? Ok, if you insist. :)

That cook book is from the Lovelesss Cafe and it's chocked full of delicious looking desserts! I'm making the first one tonight; Wish me luck!

I also got a candelabra {$3}, a new bed cover {$27}, four glasses {$2 total}, pearls from Matthew, and a nesting doll from my Uncle Jeff and his wife Rebecca.

That's a brief rundown of my birthday purchases. Our apartment just keeps getting more homey. :)