Etsom·ni·a (/etˈsämnēə/), noun, 1. a sleep disorder caused by obsessive Etsy browsing. 2. The surprising arrival of weird handmade merchandise ordered when one is only half conscious. (True story.) 3. An excuse for me to be an obnoxious, snarky New Yorker once per week.

After 1.5 years of planning and big checks and permit applications and not-very-patient waiting, our outdoor work is finally starting! We’ve been without usable outdoor space for a number of years, so I’m extra excited to get to the decorating stage! We have decided that we want a statement dining table. The rest of the decor will be fairly modest, but we want some table drama to set the tone. Once I started looking, I had to resist plenty of adorable-yet-impractical things, but I also found some wonderful inspirations and only a few nightmares.

Our extra challenge is this: we’re right on the water, so that knocks out anything that isn’t thoroughly sealed. Wood is risky, and metal needs lots of maintenance to keep away the rust, so we’ll probably end up with something more saltwater hardy, but at this stage, I’m entertaining all options.

For more Etsy fun, check out all my weekly Etsomnia™ posts!