Virtual Shopping - Halloween Dinner Party

Montecito Arm Chair, Montecito Dining Table, Blood Energy Potion, Spider Web Runner, Assorted Red Glass Bottles, Red Reef Glass Serving Plate, Red Spiral Line Glassware, Glittered "Boo" Sign, Black Glitter Skull

Yes Please!

I'll take two!

So what that it's nearly $170, how can you say "no" to this super cute dachshund bowl from Jonathan Adler?

One Place, One Space: Den - CB2

A fun, funky and functional office! You can't beat that, now can you?

abacus - Abacus, $149
lubi graphite daybed - Graphite Daybed, $799
bubble office chair - Office Chair, $199
format desk accessories - Set of three stacking boxes, $30
array red bookcase - Red Bookcase, $189
helix desk - Desk, $249
helix wall mounted bookcase - Bookcase, $199
crane grellow desk lamp - Grellow Desk Lamp, $100
CB2 - lighting shopping and more from CB2, $199
CB2 - new decorate shopping and more from CB2, $119
metal trunks - Small Grey Trunk, $50

The Shopping List

There is some major changes coming to Casa de Laurendy in the not so distant future. There will be rooms switching functions and walls being painted and me freaking out. . . and at some point within the next 6 months I will be doing some big ticket shopping (okay, it is me we are talking about here, so I'll probably over think things and the rethink things and then worry about things and it will end up taking a year at least).

Here is a peek at my shopping list:

Along with the larger items listed I'm sure there will lots of additions and edits.

Stressed

(warning: this is one of those short stories that sorta turns into a long story)

Last week after I had planted all my new pepper plants I let a spot sprinkler run on them for a while to help them get settled into their new pots. So it was about 10pm when I went out to turn the sprinkler off. I don't have to leave the front porch to turn off the sprinkler, in fact I barely have to step out the door to do so, but I do have to turn my back on the driveway. As I turned back around to go inside, at the corner where my front porch meets the driveway, there was a massive, dirty pitbull just staring at me. I'm not sure I've ever moved as fast as I did getting through that front door.

So, of course, the next morning when it was time to take Emmett out to do his business I was terrified that the pit would still be out there. I didn't give Emmett an inch of slack on his leash, I made him pee on the tree closest to the door (he normally likes to mark the live oak down by the street).

For the next few days, I was hyper alert and jumped at every noise I heard. . . but by the time the weekend came along my worry had gone and Emmett was again enjoying all 15 feet of his leash.

All the fear and worry came rushing back in what seemed like the scariest 5 seconds of my life since bringing Emmett home from Savannah. . . Emmett and I were curled up on the sofa watching prime time tv when Emmett started doing his "I gotta pee" wiggle, so on went the leash and out the front door we went. I hadn't even closed the front door all the way when Emmett stopped dead in his tracks and all I could hear was this horrible deep growling coming from behind a tree about 10 feet away. The lighting on my street sucks, so with just my porch light on I couldn't see a darn thing, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I yanked Emmett back into the house before he even could even lift his leg. Thank goodness he wears a harness. I couldn't actually see the other dog, but I feel safe in assuming that it was the pit I saw last week, the growl was just so deep that I don't know what other kind of dog could have made it.

So I spent the rest of the evening peeking out the windows. Then I dreamt about wild animals over taking my yard trying to get at Emmett and Elsie. I woke up around 3, and couldn't get back to sleep. If a a large dog (especially one with the mouth the size of a pitbull) were to grab Emmett up there would be no Emmett anymore, and that thought terrifies me beyond belief. So when Emmett woke up around 5 am and was ready to go do his thing I wasn't really sure what to do. I pulled out my huge Mag flashlight and did a quick sweep of the yard and street, then I shoved my cell phone in one pocket, a can of mace in my other pocket and headed out the door with Emmett's leash in one hand (no slack) and my Mag in the other (two reasons for the Mag, light in the eyes might distract and it weighs about 5 or 6 pounds, so it could be used to protection if needed). Emmett was confused on why I made him pee right next to the porch, but I'd rather have a confused chihuahua than a . . . I don't even want to think about it. . .

I'll be completely honest and tell you that I do not like pitbulls. They make me extremely uncomfortable, and it doesn't help that about 50% to 75% of the dogs in my neighborhood a pit or mixed with pit. One of my best friend has two of them and she will swear up and down that they are the sweetest dogs known to man and she it completely at ease when her 3 year old and 6 month old are climbing all over them. But you know who else generally claims that their pitbulls were the sweetest dogs in the world - the mother or aunt on the local news after their pitbull ripped off their husbands face, or worse, killed a child. . . but that's not what this post is about.

What this post is about is the fact that I am terrified to let my dog pee in my own yard all because someone either let their dog roam, didn't make sure their dog was secure in their yard, or, worse yet, abandoned a large scary dog in a residential neighbor hood.

(I warned you this would turn out to be a long story)

Ordered

So I finally bit the bullet and ordered my new shower curtain from Urban Outfitters and the one I choose is . . . drum roll please. . .

Yep, the fun one won! While I was trying to decide the price dropped even more on this one, down to $9.99, but what really pushed this one over into the win was this -

I just couldn't pass up the chihuahua sitting on top of the umbrella.

The Year of the Wreath

Okay, so I know that it is before Halloween and I'm totally skipping Thanksgiving, but I am so ready to start planning my Christmas decor . . . and I made a design decision, this year will be the Year of the Wreath! -

I am completely and utterly terrified of Elsie this year. . . last year she was still recovering from major surgery, so I had very little fear of her trashing all of my vintage and very breakable holiday decorations. . . this year she is a total terror, so I'm opting to put most of decor on the walls, hopefully limiting the Christmas decor carnage.

I've choosing to go with a wreath theme because wreaths are super easy to DIY and personalize. So look out for at least 5 wreath DIY tutorials between now and Christmas. It's gonna be wreath-tastic! (too much?)

I'm Okay With Tacky

I know I harp on all things "tacky" every now and then, but I firmly believe that a little tackiness is good for you. And my Florida State Semignomes are my favorite tacky guilty pleasure -

Please excuse the horrible cell phone picture. Now for full disclosure, this guys hide away in my bedroom behind somethings on my bookcase and only come out on game day, but was cuddling them proudly as the Noles crushed the Canes a few weeks back (which is why there are tons of soda cans behind them in the photo).

So, what's your favorite guilty pleasure item you have hidden in your house? Or am I the only one with secret stash of tacky?

Knock It Off: the Bertoia Side Chair

Knoll ® Bertoia Side Chair from All Modern, $481

Advanced Interior Designs from Modern Home and Office Furniture, $140

Legare Wire Side Chair by Alphaville Design, $130

Bertoia Style Wire Side Chair, $142

Nuevo Living Wireback Dining Chair from Nuevo Living Furniture, $170.10

Pure Heaven

I don't think there is a better way to spend a fall morning (in South Florida that means about 78 degrees) than wandering around my favorite nursery, Nu Turf of Pompano Beach. Seriously, this place is a hidden gem. From the road it looks like your typical garden center, and then you go out back and WHAMO -

There's trees, shrubs and flowers for as far as you can see. It's beyond beautiful and the staff is extremely helpful.

I ended up taking home 6 different types of pepper plants and some crazy flowers for the pot by my front door.

Virtual Shopping: Halloween Fun

Scary Shower Curtain
Unstretched Bone & Skull Canvas
"Enter at Your Own Risk" Wall Sign

Glitter Pumpkin Decor

Dick and Jane and Vampires

One Place, One Space: Living Room - West Elm

Zigzag Rug

Coffee Table

Upholstered Slipper Chair

Pure White Ceramic Vase Collection

Henry Sofa

John-Paul Philippé Framed Bird Sketch

Rustic Block Side Table

Triangle-Base Table Lamp

Updating My Bathroom

My bathroom is in need of an update. A very cheap update. . . So pretty much, it just needs a new coat of paint and a new shower curtain. I've decided on gray for the walls (it's hard to find something that goes well with the pink/peach 1950's wall tiles). Now all I need to figure out is the shower curtain, I've narrowed the field down to the two below -

Roma Bloom Shower Curtain, $15
Cats and Dogs Shower Curtain, $15

Now the question is, do I go with "fancy" or "fun? Please weight in with your opinions, I have to make my mind up shortly, seeing that both shower curtain choices are on clearance.

Why the Why?

Sorry for the lame post title, I'm lacking creativity this morning. . . so what's with all the "Why?" posts this week? Well, I was purging. . .

I kept a folder full of why images, that way I could always pull one out when I was having a blogging block. . . but that folder just stared at me and tempting me with an easy post. . . so like Lil'Wayne I had to purge all my written material (or in my case, saved up images) in order to be creative again.

I'm not saying that there may not be any more "Why?" posts in the future, I'm just saying that they may become few and far between. . .

I bet you never thought you'd see a Lil'Wayne reference here.

Livin' High On The Chicken. . .

One of my former neighbors were raising chickens in their backyard. The chickens would get out of the yard almost daily and there would be a hen parade wandering down the street. Eventually someone would chase them back into their own yard. It was comical the first few times it happened, but after a while it became a bit annoying to have avoid hitting a chicken with your car on the way to work in the morning.

Maybe if they had a coop like the one below those chickens would have had less of a reason to leave their yard.

found via Grassroots Modern

It's the Nogg, isn't it beautiful?!

Why?

For some reason I find this door knocker even creeper than that weird demon skull one. . .

- - - posted as part of the Work Week Full of "Why?" - - -

Why?

"Wow, that's a big bass salt and pepper set you got yourself there. . ."

- - - posted as part of the Work Week Full of "Why?" - - -

Why?

Would you like a little death with your salt and pepper?

- - - posted as part of the Work Week Full of "Why?" - - -

One Place, One Space: Bedroom - Anthropologie

Copper Clad Dresser, $1,698
Copper Clad Nightstand, $698
Haberdasher's Collar Candle, Eton, $26
Italian Campaign Canopy Bed, $1,250
Collected Memories Mirror, $698
Rosette Bedding, $48
Solar Flares Pillow, White, $98
Rock Crystal Lamp, $2,200
Room Décor - At Home, $188
Swatch Book Curtain, $148
Calandria Armchair, Longshore, $1,598
Falling Leaves Sheet Set , $268

Why?

Ride'em gnome-boy!

- - - posted as part of the Work Week Full of "Why?" - - -

Why?

Funny, I don't find this "cute fairy welcome sign" (really, that's what it's called) all that welcoming. . .

- - - posted as part of the Work Week Full of "Why?" - - -

Why?

I'm not sure what is worse - the plunger on the pig's head, that the pig is holding its nose, or the fact that the pig isn't wearing any pants. . .

- - - posted as part of the Work Week Full of "Why?" - - -

Why?

Umm. . . I've got nothing. . .

- - - NOTE - - -

I've decided to do a Work Week Full of "Why?", just because

Knock It Off: the Le Corbusie LC4

the real deal from DWR $2970.00 - $3685.00

The Le Corbusie LC4 is one of the most iconic lounge chairs in modern history (okay, so I like to state my opinion as fast - deal with it, it's my blog) and it is also one of the most knocked off pieces of mid-century furniture I've ever seen!

Baxton Studio Adjustable Leather Chaise Lounge for $381.58

The Adjustable Black Leather Chaise Lounge from Overstock for $368.99

The Regency Shop's Version for $345.00

The Madra Lounger for $1425.00

Famous Furniture's Version for $699.00

Lexington Modern's Version for $599.00

The Evinco Design Verion for $599.00

The Lasair Lounge ULTRA for $998.00

The Madrid Lounger for $1360.80
Zuo Modern's Verion for $858.00

Local Events

This upcoming Saturday is 2010's Fall Granny's Attic held at Emma Lou Olson Civic Center here in Pompano Beach. Granny's Attic happens only twice a year and is one of my favorite places to pick up vintage pieces on the cheap.

And Saturday, October 30th marks the return of the Pompano Beach Green Market for it's eighth season! Last season I ended up working most Saturdays and only got to attend as many as I would have liked. The Pompano Beach Green Market will be held every Saturday through April 30, 2011.

So if you happen to be in the north Broward area come on out and do some shopping.

click here for more upcoming Pompano Beach events

Yes Please

Z Gallerie, what are you trying to do to me?! I want these bucks! I wants these bucks, BAD! I want these bucks, NOW!

Flor Lovin

I am totally in love with this new pattern from Flor -

"Designed by renowned textile artist Liora Manne and handmade using her
famed Lamontage technique. These couture FLOR squares have a unique felt
construction that offers sophisticated texture, layering, and depth reminiscent
of fine hand-made papers. Offered in three colors, the pattern on each square is
slightly different from the next."

Something To Think About. . .

There was some plaster work done on the house, so now I have one corner in the back that is painted with white primer. . .

Thing is. . . I think I might like the white look. . . yeah, I know - white - CRAZY, right? I am so not a white painted house kinda girl, and white actually wouldn't work on my house now (I'll show you why later), but maybe some other light/pale color could work - say gray?

Darn primer putting thoughts into my head - one thing is for sure, I'm keeping my hot pink door. . . that is unless I paint it purple.

Why?

This lovely door knocker says "Welcome to my home, I'll be offering up your children to feed my demon god before dinner"

And no, this knocker isn't sold as a "Halloween item", it is meant for everyday use. . .

Fort Christmas

This isn't something I would normally post here, but it's my blog, and I can post what I wanna - so please enjoy!

Foto School

I mentioned last week that I was participating in the latest session of Souvenir Foto School, well, this past weekend marked the end of the session. I am very proud to have stuck with and completed this session of the class - let me tell you, a photo a day (with a theme) is no easy task!

You can check to full size photos over at my here at my Flickr set.

One Place, One Space: Dining Room - Z Gallerie

Z Gallerie Dining Room by LaurendyHome on Polyvore.com

A funky, modern and whimsical twist on a dining room all from Z Gallerie

Cabinets

Copenhagen Dining Table

Elements Dinnerware

Pranificaion

Dining Chairs

Cheese Board Dome

Molten Glassware - set of 6

Loft Chandelier

Marquette Taper Holders

Okay, I don't know what took me so long to jump on the Polyvore bandwagon, but lord and I glad I finally did! As you can see from the title of this post, Clare's One Place, One Space is the winning entry in my latest contest/giveaway! So Clare, please drop me an email at laurendy[at]live[dot]com with your contact info and I'll get your box of surprise goodies off to you ASAP!

slight delay

I'm running a bit behind today, so today's post is being pushed until tomorrow :(

More CSN Awesomeness

CSN Stores is no stranger here at Laurendy Home, besides from offering everything thing from upholstered dining chairs to diaper bags at their 200+ online stores, they've sponsored two pretty awesome giveaways right here on this blog.

This time around CSN as let me in on some of the awesomeness and offered me a chance to review some of their products. I couldn't turn that down!

If you haven't checked out any of CSN's stores yet, what's stopping you? My personal favorite is AllModern.com. . .

The Final Two

A little while ago I asked for some help on choosing a name for a new series here at Laurendy Home, and Clare and Cathy came to my aid. Now it is down to a choice between One Place, One Space and One and Done. I really like them both, so I am going to think on it some more and the winner will be announced this coming Sunday, along with the first post of the series.