So today we went to yard sales again and still we didn't find all the little dressers and shelves (for closets) that we needed. (You know, the stuff we see everywhere, even free on the street, when we don't need it.)

But see the above photo? Those are two vintage table runners I bought today--25 cents each-- which I just draped over the stick which is nailed along the window in our mud room. I removed the valence which had probably hung on that stick--I'm not kidding--at least 30 years. I just know it. I can recognize a 1970's valance and 30 years' worth of dirt when I see them. :)



And I confess... I bought more dishes, the last for awhile, I promise! These were just 25 cents each and blend well with all the others inside my hutches.


Also yesterday I found this shelf ($1). It was gold so I painted both it and the mirror above for our guest room when we got home.


And closer up:



And I am still playing with the curtains and table in our guest room, too. I keep making changes. Keep changing my mind. (The rug we bought new at Home Depot with a slashed-down price.)


The problem? Too many styles appeal to me. I love cottage and country and Tuscan and shabby chic and --

Of course, a house--a great house--is never really finished. But it certainly helps to know in which direction you are headed.

Yet this week I believe I made up my mind. I finally realized I'm going after a certain feeling. I want my house to look and feel like, well, uh, Blondie-And-Dagwood-Set-Up-Housekeeping-1930's Style-Inside-An-Ancient-Italian-Villa.

I'll let you know how that goes.


***

Oh, meant to say, too, that the dishes in my post, below, have a green border, not black. The photo was dark, I know... Tom had our old computer spread out all over our table (we're selling it) and that's where I prefer to take photos because of the lighting. Also, I'm not crazy about this tiny digital camera he bought while in Dallas... long story.