Ikea tables and herb gardens

Collin has been home exactly 9 days and what a lovely 9 days it has been! I was lucky enough not to have to work a lot and be able to spend some time with him. We went out to dinner, a movie and the park and have just been relaxing and enjoying the days together. We've also been out with some friends and went to the nearby drive-in movie theater which was fun too. It has finally started to warm up outside with a few thunder storms here and there, but it has been nice to peel back our blinds and leave the windows open all day. I'm still working on some of the projects that I started with when Collin first left for his training which is just mostly reorganizing things around our apartment. I finally finished the hutch I bought from the local DI store (goodwill) just waiting on the cute knobs from etsy to top it off before I post the finished result. In the meantime I did find an antique floor mirrow which I have finished painting, just need to put it back together and found perhaps some future projects including this sisal rope table made from a plain black ikea table which I have sitting very plain and black in my living room.

and another idea from Ikea Hackers (my new favorite website) made from a lack coffee table, which I also have sitting looking very black in my livingroom.

and because it is finally starting to feel like summer outside, I really want to start an herb garden. I've never done it before and I really have no clue on how to start or even take care of a garden but I want to learn how. This is my parent's new garden they just finished not too long ago....

which I obvoiusly cannot replicate due to lack of knowledge (or skill) and the fact that we live in a apartment and not a house...BUT our apartment complex does have a cute little patio and outdoor area so I wanted to make our own portable garden bed. Shelstring, one of the blogs I follow, made her own little potters bench for her garden out of an old nursery changing table. Hers is probably a little too big to replicate for the small portable garden we are looking for and way too ambitious for me, but still such a cute idea! I want to find something smaller and use the same kinda idea to make it work for us. Mmm.... oregano, parsley and my favorite, cilantro, are on the menu this summer! If you have any garden tips, please do share!

and just because I'm exctied for these little babies to arrive, here are the knobs I ordered!