Obsessed with Decorating

So...for the past few years I have been telling myself to lay low on decorating. "Wait til we move". "Wait til the kids are bigger"....there really are so many reasons to wait that I decided to knock it off. Why should I wait? Do we wait because we will be moving from this home? I have to tell you, as eager as I am to settle in our "forever home", I really have no idea where that final destination will be, and I will likely be 40 by then. Do I wait til kids are gone? That puts me at age 54 (I didn't do the math, but that has got to be close).
For years I have been keeping a "look book" of ideas in a binder. things I tear from magazines and such. I am now currently obsessed with www.pinterest.com, which is basically a web based look book.
I just decided the other day that I am no longer waiting. I don't want to be in my late 40's or 50's before I have my house the way I like it. I am doing it. I will just make sure that all of my favorite items are able to be moved along with us to the next house...and toted along until we do find our "forever home".

In the spirit of "getting on with it"...I made 4 purchases.
... and also made a big painting decision in the past week and a half. Here is a photo of the first purchase:



I haven't fully devised a plan for this...right now we have it under the TV. BUT, I love this trunk. Every time I look at it I smile.
Any brilliant ideas are more than welcomed.

The next purchase was this:



This was a kind of funny purchase. I found it on craigslist for $50, and I got beside myself. I think my words were "This is a steal". I was soooo excited until I actually saw it. Imagine my disappointment to see that my antique grandfather clock was really a "looks antique" 5 ft clock! Not such a steal. However, I am not good at saying No...so I bought it. The kids actually LOVE it and hide things in its drawer...so I am sure I will come up with something clever for it. Again, any ideas are welcomed.

Then I found a HUGE gold frame at Hobby Lobby for $15 (80% off because of a chip on the side I had to look for. My plan is something like this:



But I haven't decided where I want it or what photos I want in it. So far, I am between putting it in my dining area with lots of photos I have taken of various flowers and plants. The other idea is to put it in our "re-purposed" dining area which is now an office/play area, and fill it with Daddy photos. I have a great black and white of him wining a race when he weighed about 60 lbs. I also thought this would be a "fancy way" to display some of his medals and such. Let me know your thoughts and any other suggestions you may have.



And, this arrives next weekend:



I DID get a steal on a 80 year old piano in good condition...but moving it is more complicated than I had at first considered. So, it is currently still at its previous owners home. I actually have a plan to add molding and paint this piano. Most likely a turquoise color, but maybe baby blue or mustard color.

This is the inspiration behind my insanity:



AND, Next weekend I also finally plan to paint my china cabinet. Most of you know that I received my great grandmother's china cabinet in middle school. It was in my bedroom as a girl and has traveled with me to college and each other little place along the way. It is old. It is damaged. I have known I should do something to it for some time, but have been reluctant until I found the right idea. I finally did. I plan to paint it this color:



this is NOT my cabinet, just a "look" idea for the color. I also want to do a fabric floral backing like this:



pretty and feminine, right? As a china cabinet should be. I think this is a beautiful way to do this true antique justice. I like the English cottage feel to it. I am very excited about my idea since my mother agrees this is a perfect solution (we don't usually agree on matters of decorating, haha). I spent this weekend getting the wood into shape for its rehab. I will make sure to post photos as things come together.

Still looking for a wing back chair and a REAL grandfather clock, if anyone knows of any available.