Hellooo Spring!
This is the second year I’ve lived in my little condo condo and now that the weather is getting warmer I’m once again itching for changes in my home decor! Justin helped me accomplish a lot of projects around the house this past weekend… thank you love if you’re reading this. 
Over a year ago I spotted this huge hunk of an octagonal mirror at one of my favorite thrift stores. It was hanging high up in an open warehouse building with no visible price tag. Two very kind elderly gentlemen helped me pull the mirror down and over to the retail counter, where the store attendant priced it on the spot for a mere $15. Cha-ching! Music to my ears!
This thing is HEAVY. The frame is real wood, the mirror surface itself is lightly spotted with age. Initially I had intended to paint it a bright color but with all of my modern furnishings I think the natural wood finish is a nice contrast.
For months my beloved mirror sat untouched, propped against the fireplace. The heavy weight was a concern so I asked for Justin’s help. I bought two long, heavy duty screws and Justin brought over his power tools. And now, it is finally in its proper place. I am ecstatic with the final result!
Another completed project was painting this plastic skull. It went from this:
… to a satin-finish black. My styling here isn’t the best, so I think this will have to be moved to a better suited location. (Perhaps the bedroom, where I have a more masculine feel to the room.) I’m glad this is finished though, I hated the gross ‘authentic’ brown and yellow look.
My Bear Warrior art print by Ruben Ireland is now mounted in the bedroom:
The framed print on the floor is called “Uprisings” by Kozyndan. I bought it when I was in college at the Giant Robot store in Los Angeles.
This print is a play on Hokusai’s ”Great Wave off Kanagawa,” where the ocean wave is comprised of hundreds of bunnies:
I also posted this new bathroom find on Instagram (ID: elleandish), a $6 plush bathroom rug from Ross:
Its hard to tell in the photos but the pattern is comprised of 5 alternating shades of grey. It reminded me of something that Anthropologie would sell, and I loved the muted colors so I snatched it up immediately.
The same day that we mounted the vintage mirror, we assembled this adorable potting bench from Cost Plus. I used a 10% off coupon in the mail during a sale and it ended up being ~$100 after taxes.
If you’ve followed my blog for a while now you’d know that I love succulent gardening. This potting bench will really help with new plant arrangements; but the main reason why I bought this was because I can use it as a prep table or tiny serving buffet in the future. Once Justin moves in with his grill, I’m thinking barbecuing, drinks, hookah and grilling on a summer night! 
What’s next on the DIY and decor agenda? I have these two little buddies to paint:
I spent $3 each on the dinosaurs on Ebay, and less than $2 per acrylic paint. I’m thinking I’ll have to ‘prime’ them with white paint first. Fresh mint green and a bright neon yellow are the choices (for now.)
Speaking of colors, I bought these little binder clips (at least a year ago now) at Ichiban Kan in Japantown in San Francisco, and I finally unboxed them and brought them out. I love the colors! So very spring, don’t you think? Ever since I was little I’ve always loved bright colors. Even though I love spaces with white, grey, woodgrain and other neutrals I can’t get away from brights. Even in the artwork that I buy I notice that I tend towards bright geometric shapes and cartoons (e.g. vinyl toys, Takashi Murakami-esque characters). Does that seem ‘kiddy?’ I told Justin about my issue but he told me that there was nothing wrong with it… and that it was just my taste and what I naturally gravitate to. I really wish I had more grown-up taste sometimes, but ah well.
My next big painting project is this gorgeous bamboo framed mirror:
I bought it for $30 at Goodwill about 3 months ago, and its another heavy find. It was fate! I have been looking for a mirror like this for AGES. Some craigslist and Ebay sellers find these and price them SO incredibly high so this is a gem. The mottled gold finish isn’t really my my thing, so this baby’s getting some paint! The spray paint, “Hacienda tile,” is the closest red-orange I could find at the hardware store. I was inspired by two separate Lonny Magazine spreads (here and here, on Pinterest) to paint it orange. I already have my antique bamboo office chair (as shown in the mirror’s reflection) painted black, so I wanted to change it up a bit with a nice pop of color.
And where is it going, you may ask? It’s going to be my new vanity mirror. I first posted my vanity space here… it’s not too exciting and its a bit cluttered with makeup and jewelry at the moment. I’m hoping the red-orange paint will complement my DIY bedroom paintings (you can see part of it in the mirror reflection.)
I’ve updated my home decor flickr with these new photos… feel free to ask me any questions about sources if you’d like.
♥ E&I
Have a good weekend.
