Corner Dilemma

Have I mentioned that we live in a teeny, tiny place? Well, we do. I have tried to maximize every empty space and corner of our apartment to get the most bang for our buck. One of the tricky spaces that I have struggled with lately is the kitchen. The kitchen itself is very narrow (galley style) and we don't have much room to even move around. Today I came across the perfect table to put in the corner. The space is awkward and has closet doors that open to a utility "room". Unfortunately, the hot water heater and pipes take up the entire space leaving the closet completely unusable for us in terms of storage so we never need to open the doors.

This antique game table was small enough to tuck away in this previously unusable space. I already had the chair and now it has turned into a cozy place to catch up on emails and drink my coffee in the morning. 

It also has adorable details like this cute lion head drawer pull. I love it!

My apologies for the poor quality photos. I wanted to get the photos up ASAP and just snapped a few with my phone. 

Corner dilemma solved! 

Friday Catch Up

Today marked four years since I have been with my fiance. He is such a wonderful man and has always supported all of my endeavors, no matter how quirky or mundane. We celebrated our anniversary by going to a very popular restaurant in town and then to Barnes and Noble afterwards. Since tonight was a special evening, I busted out my absolute favorite pair of shoes that my mom purchased for me years ago while in Europe. I only wear them on special occasions because I want them to last forever.

My pretties. 

I was also gifted with a book that I have been wanting for a very long time. My fiance flipped through it and mumbled something about how you could basically get the same information from a catalog. I've read about half of it and so far find the book to be an insightful read that makes you think about how and why you decorate a space. If I may, here is one of my favorite quotes from the book thus far:

"Good decoration solves problems elegantly"- Deborah Needleman.

So true! Especially when you have a teeny tiny apartment and each room needs to serve multiple purposes. 

In addition to being a fun read, the book is also filled with beautiful watercolor pictures that could even be framed if you so wish. I would highly recommend the book!

Happy Friday and enjoy some time with your loved ones!

Favorite Vintage Finds

Hello all. My sincere apologies for leaving you hanging after my last post. I have been very busy this past week with meetings and my practicum, but I promise to post photos soon of my home tour. In the meantime, I'm leaving you with a few of my favorite thrift finds over the last few months. 

Lately, I have become obsessed with brass. This brass hanger is absolutely perfect for my bags, scarves, and purse. I also LOVE the blue and white striped bag shown. It was an estate sale find and found the little gold bow to add some contrast. I think it's an adorable tote!

Isn't he cute?

My brass hippo friend. 

 I only found the one brass bookend (pictured here), though I think it stands alone quite well. If you notice there's a brass egret crane hiding in the back too. I wasn't kidding about my brass obsession. I'll have to do a whole separate post on my brass finds!

I am also a collector of vintage coral. This piece is incredibly fragile and one of my absolute favorites. 

This is my other favorite vintage coral piece. 

I couldn't believe that I found this c.1940's luggage at a thrift store! I've seen some neat ways of displaying vintage luggage lately that I plan to share with you as well. 

This picture just doesn't door this cute ginger jar any justice. It is my absolute favorite find ever. I love chinoiserie and will post on all my chinoiserie finds as well. 

What are your favorite vintage finds? I'd love to hear!

No Bar Cart? No Problem!

Have you all fallen in love with the bar cart look too? There is something just so glamorous about a bar cart. I have yet to come across a  cart that is both elegant and cheap budget friendly. I'm definitely keeping my eyes peeled on those estate sale websites! In the meantime, I have made a "bar area" on top of my bookshelf. It might be slightly odd that I have a bar area above books about child development, but hey when you live in a 683 sq. ft. apartment the top of a bookshelf is prime real estate. What do you think? Those gold pinstripe tumbler glasses are just too cute and were only $1.99 for all four.

Brings to mind a little Parisian elegance, no? 

The fiance and I were planning to go to a Cubs game this weekend but have had to change plans. Maybe instead I'll photograph my apartment for you and share on Monday. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Greetings

Hello, everyone! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Allie and I am currently a graduate student in Chicago. Graduate school can be very stressful at times and I am firm believer in finding an outlet for relieving stress. I know that I am not alone in finding decor and styling a creative and fun outlet! 

As a student I have limited funds to create the looks that I have fallen in lust with over Pinterest and my favorite blogs. Personally, I thrive on the challenge to define high-end looks in my home on a small budget.  I hope that you will follow me as I search for the cheekiest items to define my living space. Chic looks and not cheap looks will be the motto of this blog! 

See you tomorrow! 


Love,
Allie

Goodwill finds make for pretty tray table styling