What Ana Does

I discovered this cute little yellow and white desk in my random internet travels. Oh how I love yellow furniture. And it's metal, so it matches (kinda) my little yellow stools. So, yeah, I purchased it. The price was right and I'm a sucker for free shipping. Anyhow, it's here now and I've set it up in one of two spots I thought it'd be perfect for -- behind the sofa in the family room. We had a dark-wood console table back there, and it did a pretty good job of looking big and dark, but not much else. My idea was installing a desk with a direct line to the TV to make multi-tasking easier. For example, some evenings I have brainless tasks for work to do. Then I starting thing that maybe this table could be used to build a puzzle and the puzzlers can still feel part of the action instead of in another room in the house. Perhaps even a homework spot? And a sunny spot to work from home during the day. You get the drift. We'll see how the rest of the...

The Original Spot for Fabrics. A Mess Although I'm not at all focused on decorating our office, I was DONE digging for fabric in the corner cabinet. It was a dark spot and my little collection had outgrown it. So while searching for the dining room cabinet of my dreams -- that just doesn't exist, sigh -- I stumbled on this little yellow cabinet from Martha Stewart. I have always aspired to have a place where my pretty (and growing) fabric collection could be stored and displayed. This cabinet just happened to the be the perfect dimension for this corner of the office and the glass doors can be closed up while the pretty fabrics can still be seen. Sure, it's veneer and wobbles a little, but it's cute and I could probably cover the glass at some point with frosted contact paper or pretty decorative paper. Bonus! Yellow Cabinet Filled With Crafts and Games A place for all the lovely fabric, crafts and some games?! Oh be still my heart. I'm falling de...

Bobbi, my brother's crafty girlfriend, showed me how to make throw pillows with a little flap in the back last time she came to visit. Putting together the pillow this way saves you from the dreaded whip stitch at the end -- and makes it easy to toss the cover in the wash when the kids decide to eat snacks on them. She is brilliant. Bobbi Made This One Of course, I had to try the new technique for myself soon after. My Attempt. Lovely! I mentioned before that I got the salvage end of a yard of this ADORABLE fabric at the Loomcraft outlet and lobbied for a cheep price because it was dirty (as if it was dragged through the warehouse a few times.) She gave it to me for $3.50/yard! Makes the cutest pillow, no? I love learning new stuff!

I was walking through the Crate and Barrel today and fell in love. Yes, I've seen it in the catalog and was smitten, but nothing like seeing it in person. I sat in it and ... the world made sense again. Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine? Happy, yellow bench of my heart, I will watch for coupons and sales, and you will be mine.  Oh yes, you will be mine. Related posts: I always have more goals

I always like to read those "Other Uses" features in magazines. Real Simple does it so well. So here's my attempt at it. I've had this lamp forever. It's had a few different shades on it, the latest was beige, and since I'm banning beige from this house (it's all over the walls) it had to go. I bought a very YELLOW lampshade a few months ago, because that's my living room accent color. However, it's not meant to fit the lamp, so it sits crooked on the base. A Shade Askew I've been looking at it askance for months, formulating my fix. Is there a piece at the hardware store I can buy? Will leftover Play Dough do it? The solution I finally decided on ... TIN FOIL. Eureka! The Solution: Tin Foil In about five minutes, I shaped the tin foil around the base of the shade, where it meets the lamp and created a customized seat for it. The tin foil easily curled around the base and secured to the shade. The result: Hooray! A straight lamp...

I've been struggling with the idea of a coffee table for months now. I need two coffee tables. One that is sturdy, medium-sized and can be slightly destroyed for the family room. We can put popcorn and drinks on, jump off of (though, not encouraged) it and can be tipped over when the Giants lose. And one for the living room that has two levels and that I can feature books on and put my feet up on when reading on those comfy sofas. In both cases, I'd prefer something used and made of solid wood -- so I can paint, strip and/or restain it as needed in the future. I've been haunting craigslist and a few thrift and antique stores in my neighborhoods and have continued to come up empty. Lately, I've started to go through catalogs and tried to put my desire to buy used aside just to find the perfect solution. But it's mostly veneers -- unless I want to pay a small fortune. Veneers just don't last. Another concept I'm playing with in home decorating is reu...