Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Yesterday was the Ethan Allen warehouse sale.  In past years the sale was located over an hour away from my home.  This year they moved the sale and it was less than twenty minutes away from where I live.  This allowed me to get there early and be the first person on the line.  After my son and daughter left for school, I jumped into my car and raced over to the sale.  I arrived at 8:10am yesterday morning.  I was so excited. I had my list in hand as to the items I was looking for (you can check out my list here).  Since the doors did not open until 10am, I had some time to speak with some of the sales people (and chat with other crazy excited people on line).  I showed one of the employees the photo of the dresser I wanted.  She not only went in to see if it was there, but she came back and told me it's exact location so that I would not miss out (it turns out it was the first item when you walked in the door).
As soon as the doors opened I walked directly to the dresser and bought it.

Here it is...the Ethan Allen Julian Chest.  

I bought it for almost $500 less than what they sell it for in the store!!
That bright red tag is the SOLD sign they slap on the piece once someone claims it.
That would be me!! (happy dance, happy dance)

I have wanted this dresser since the day they introduced it...over four years ago.  Each year I would look for it at the sale and each year it would not be there.  It is the type of piece that is so versatile.  It would work in a bedroom, in a hallway, in a living room.  Could I have bought the dresser over the past few years retail?  Sure...but what's the fun in that.  It wasn't something I needed...but it was definitely something I wanted.  I'm sure this dresser will make the rounds in my home spending time in all of the rooms.  I am so psyched to own it!!!!

My plan is to use it outside of my bedroom.  I would love to have the extra storage for off season clothes.  Unfortunately they didn't have the mirror I wanted yesterday (big sad face), so in the meantime (until that mirror shows up at the sale someday) I will figure something out to finish off this area.
As you can see, I need a few things now.

Last year I bought this gorgeous lamp at the sale.  Someone grabbed the second one last year, so I bought the one hoping that at the next sale I could find a mate for it.

Introducing my gorgeous lamp's mate.  After the salesgirl put the sold sticker on the Julian Chest, I ran up the escalator (yes, jumping two steps at a time) to check out the huge table of lamps.  As I walked down the aisle I scanned each and every lamp, and then there it was...my lamp!!

I grabbed it.

A $549.00 lamp for $274.00!!

That's 2 out of 3 items that I wanted coming home with me.

While I was on the second floor I saw this beautiful apothecary jar.  For $30 I grabbed it too.

Picture me walking through the store with the lamp in one hand and this jar in the other, all while looking to see if there was anything else I could score.  

I think the jar looks perfect in the living room (by the way, this toile chair was scored at the Ethan Allen warehouse sale about four years ago for less than half price).

All in all it was the best day.  The doors opened at 10am and I was back in my car, with all the items in my minivan,  by 10:25am.

If nothing else, I am extremely efficient!!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

I can't wait to hear what you think of my finds.

-Judy

It's Like Christmas For Me

Before I get to today's post, is anyone else having trouble with Blogger?  I am scheduling my posts as usual, however they are not posting in the scheduled mode.  Very frustrating.

Today is the Ethan Allen warehouse sale.  As this post airs, I will be standing in line waiting for the doors to open.  Technically the sale opens at 10am, however I will be one of the many crazy people there at 8am.  I have been waiting for the sale for months.  They usually hold the sale in October, but this year they are holding it in April.  It's really like Christmas for me.  It's the thrill of the hunt.

    Each year I go with a "list" of the things I would love to come home with.  Only one year was I actually successful in getting any of the items on my list.  

Here is my "want" list this year:

Of course, the first thing I want is this venetian style mirror.  If you remember, I almost bought it on Craigslist from a woman who lived across country from me.

Last year I bought this gorgeous lamp at the sale.
 I really wanted two, but someone else grabbed the other one.
Yeah...it's kinda nutty at the sale.

I could not get a clear photo of this dresser, but this has been on my "want" list for four years.
I have yet to see it at the sale.  I'm hoping this is the year.

I hope I have good news to report tomorrow.
Wish me luck!

-Judy

Swing into Spring - It's a Party - #61

Welcome to this week's Swing into Spring party.  

Each and every week the party grows and it is always filled with wonderful ideas and inspiration.

You are all so very talented.

Here are this week's features:

HOME DECOR:

  Our Pinteresting Family gives a wonderful tutorial on how to recover a plain lampshade with the fabric of your choice.  I happen to LOVE the fabric they used. 

 I must have a lampshade somewhere in the house I can do this to.

Thrifty Inspirations shares a wonderful tutorial on how to make no sew faux roman shades.

What an awesome project.

I just had to share this GORGEOUS armoire that French Country Cottage scored on Craigslist a while back.  She bought it as part of a set (with two mirrors, a six drawer dresser, two night stands and the armoire...all for only $400).  She shows this piece in detail if you pop over to check it out.

FURNITURE TRANSFORMATIONS:

This beautiful Mackenzie-Childs knockoff was created by Pandora's Box from an end table 

she bought for $5.  I am super impressed!!

Meg and Mums transformed a dresser into this masterpiece.
 Hope you will stop by her blog and check out all the details.

CRAFTY CREATIONS:

Adventures of a DIY Dork gives a great tutorial on how to create a custom memo board for a total cost of less than $11!  That's my kind of project.

Living Rich on Less shares a great tutorial on how to create your own custom camera strap cover.
The possibilities are endless!

WHAT'S FOR DINNER:

Joyful Homemaking shares an easy chicken pot pie recipe.
With only five ingredients, it's the perfect mid-week meal.

I'm always looking for new and unique desserts.  Mostly Foods and Crafts
shared her recipe for coconut cake topped with toasted coconut.

If you were featured, please grab an "I've Been Featured" button (you can now find my buttons by clicking on the buttons tab right under my header).  Now let's get started with this week's party.  I can't wait to see what you have been up to.  Link up anything you have been working on...home decor, sewing, crafts, organizing, baking, recipes etc.   I will keep this link open through Friday.

<a border="0" href="http://www.diybydesign.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw62ZdrKpNmaJdWF0-T8fM7RV9-cuZSxfrIWZ_j8O996HWzXChosS5wOVixR0OXFygAvhfK7VB34IUIgHiT38YyF7GxGTfXiPhdmuMMlhadOaxv_VUL8kw37m08BRwJqtn31mvleXUpzi/s128/18542134351.jpg" /></a>

A few rules:

1.  Please become a follower (if you already follow me on Google, I would love for you to follow me on Linky Followers as well).  

2.  Please grab my party button above and display it either on your sidebar or somewhere in your post.  This way word can spread about the party.  The more people at the party, the more fun we will have.

3.  Please enter the link to your actual post, not just a link to your main blog page.

4. Please visit others who have linked up.   Everyone works hard on their projects and blogs...let's show each other some love by visiting each other.  Let's have some fun and hopefully make a few new friends along the way.

Ok...Let's Party

-Judy

Quick and Simple Seat Cushion

My kids were home all last week and we did some cleaning up of the playroom.   I took a chest that was in the kids playroom and moved it to the end of my son's bed.  It gave more room in the playroom and it was a nice addition to my son's room.  However, I needed to change out the cushion in order for it to work with my son's room decor.

I'm still debating whether or not I want to darken the chest, but for now I'll keep it the lighter color.

The cushion was super easy to recover.  I bought the red ticking stripe fabric at JoAnn's.  I opted to make a quick and easy cover, rather than creating custom cording, using a zipper, and making a box cushion (it was late on Saturday night when I started this project while my husband and son were at the Rangers playoff game).  

This method was as simple as wrapping a present.  

That's exactly what I did.  First I sewed lengthwise, with right sides together, to form a casing and then slipped the cushion, wrapped in batting into the casing.  Then I just folded the edges under and used fabric glue to adhere the ends.  

That was it.  It now gives my son an extra place to sit in his room, plus the storage in the chest.

Gotta love the simple projects.

Don't forget to stop back tonight for my Swing into Spring party.

The party opens at 8pm EST.  Hope to see you then.

-Judy

Crochet Edged Graphic

Hope you all had a great weekend.  I was in JoAnn's fabric store this past weekend and while wandering through the aisles, I came across some yarn in a beautiful color (you know this is one of my favorite colors).  Of course it needed to come home with me.  I knew that I wanted to create something using the yarn.  I decided to combine a great French graphic and crochet to create this little piece of art:

Here's how I did it...

I started with a graphic from the Graphics Fairy and printed out a 5x7 copy onto card stock.

I cut out the graphic and then glued it onto another piece of card stock
(I used the scrap left after I cut out the 5x7 image) just for added stability.

Then I punched holes every inch or so all around the edge.

I slip stitched into the first hole and then stitched 4 single crochet and then slip stitched into the next hole and continued all the way around the paper.  

Once I got all the way around and back to the beginning I stitched 5 double crochet into the first stitch then skipped a stitch and then stitched 1 single crochet and then repeated all the way around.

In less than twenty minutes I had this adorable graphic in it's own crocheted frame.

I added it to my living room table to complete my vignette.

I love the color of this yarn.  I have plenty of it left, so I will have to come up with a few more projects.  

Can't wait to hear what you think of this one.
I always love and appreciate your comments.

-Judy

Spinach and Cheese Pie

I saw this recipe a few weeks ago while reading People magazine.  

I made it this week and it was a huge hit.  

I knew I needed to share it with all of you.

I started by taking a pie crust (I use the pillsbury ready made pie crust) and placed it in a pie pan and baked it for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the pie crust was baking I cook fresh baby spinach in 2 tablespoons of butter until wilted.

I placed the spinach aside, and took 2 more tablespoons of butter and sauteed a small onion I had chopped finely until the onion was soft.  Once the spinach was a bit cooled, I chopped it up as well.

Then I placed the onion and the spinach in the cooked pie crust.

Meanwhile in a bowl I combined two heaping cups of shredded cheddar cheese, two eggs plus two yolks, 2/3 cup of heavy cream, 1 tsp of ground mustard and salt and pepper.  

I poured that mixture over the spinach and onions.  I then baked it for thirty minutes at 450 degrees.

I let it sit for about five minutes before cutting it.

So delicious!!

RECIPE:
9 in tart pan lined with pie dough
9 oz baby spinach
4 tbsp butter
1 onion finely chopped
2 heaping cups grated cheddar cheese
2 whole eggs plus 2 yolks
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place lined tart pan in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.

2. Gently cook spinach with half the butter, until wilted.  Drain and chop finely.  Heat rest of butter and cook onions until soft.  Spread spinach and onion over bottom of pie crust.

3. Mix eggs, yolks, cream, dry mustard salt and pepper until combined.  Pour over spinach and onion and return to oven for 20-25 minutes until top is golden.  Turn off heat and leave in oven for 5 minutes.  Serve.

Hope you get a chance to try making this.

Have a great weekend.

-Judy