not that my iphone isn't a perfectly professional camera...

Evane (the middle sister) has been in Texas for the summer and we've been working on a few photo shoots.  Nothing fancy, just good quality pictures of things I've done for future interior design relating job hunting.

I know she wants to edit these, but I was really excited to have a better shot of my living room than my iPhone camera, so here you are...

$25 Goodwill rug.  Coffee table made out of a stolen pallet from the outlet mall parking lot, a few cheap casters and a piece of plexi glass Lowe's cut to size for me.  The ultimate $350 Craigslist find, my vintage Chesterfield leather sofa.  My precious home-made bookshelves, full of all of my favorite books, art, and vintage trophies.  (This un-edited picture doesn't show it well, but the coral pillow matches the rug perfectly.  Thanks, Target!)

Ikea's ubiquitous $70 Expedit.  Vintage mirrors my Granny gave me.  Owl print from B. Lambert's Etsy shop; $8 people, art doesn't have to be expensive.  Lots of (mostly from thrift stores and Half Price) books.  $5 coffee filter/cupcake liner/thumbtack "flower" installation.  Vintage needle package art in Ikea frames.  (Post on those to come; they are some of my favorite artwork in the house)

I'm a big fan of these billy buttons (or Craspedia if you want to get technical) and they last forever!  This might be the laziest/cutest arrangement I've ever made: chop them off all the same height and throw in vintage water glass.

(Side note:  I found this picture when I was googling the Latin name for the flower.  Succulents and billy buttons in a wedding bouquet?  Sign me up.  Cutest wedding ever.)

Chris and Kelly's wedding, shot by Erin Hearts Court

It's not hard to style bookshelves.  Lots of books, placed horizontally and vertically, to give it interest.  Art (This particular piece is a page from a calender that I framed in my good ole' standby, the Ikea Ribba.)  Knick knacks; tchotchkes; things you find pretty.  Whatever you call them, they don't have to be expensive.  Every single thing in this shot came from a thrift store; I just pop in when I'm close to one and have a few minutes and just browse the "accessories" aisle.  When I find something I like that's priced right (read, only a few dollars) I buy it and throw it in my "When I need to decorate something" box.  That horse bookend was an ugly fake marble color, so I spray painted it high gloss white.  The wooden artist's model was $10 at Ikea.  The gold dinosaur was $.99 and is the best thing I ever placed anywhere.  (I wrote that sentence and all I can hear is Peter Griffin saying, "That's the smartest thing I've heard anyone say about anything."

I love my vintage trophies.  I also love paperbacks printed in the 60's. (The best cover design!)  I love these two things stacked up beside each other even better.

There you are.  My living room, hopefully a little prettier than you've seen it before.