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Friday, July 31, 2009

~ Getting Over My Hobby Lobby Envy ~

I'm always reading about Hobby Lobby and all the great deals/finds there ~ with envy! We do not have Hobby Lobby here. We do have Michael's craft store and I wanted to share what I just picked up there today.















My total came to $43.44. Just about everything was on clearance or marked down. This is what I got:

5 rolls of ribbon at $1.00 a piece. I have no idea what I can do with it at the moment, but I liked the colors and design, and, well, it was $1.00 a roll. Nuff said.








Initial letters for my two nephews $.99 each.









  • Glue stick {in case I actually do something with all this stuff} $2.99


    The two books had a coupon - NO CHARGE









    Chunky puzzle {for nephew #2's birthday} $9.99

    One pound scrap pack of cardstock pieces {2.79}

    Crayola markers {for nephew #1's birthday} $3.99

    Crayola crayons {also for nephew #1's birthday} $4.49

    Tissue paper $2.99

    Two kraft gift bags {I'm thinking the glue stick figures in here somewhere} $2.98

    Suzy's Zoo stickers - birthday theme $2.79


    I feel like I got so much for just over $40.00!

    If you sign up at the Michael's website you can get coupons in your email; this week's was 40% off any regular priced item.

    Bonjour Fleurette Slippers Winner

    is Kath' - who the random number generator chose as the winner!





    Yay Kath'!! Hope you enjoy these pretty slippers! Makes going out to get the morning paper a little bit special.


    That concludes our weekly July giveaway. Check back for future giveaways; I plan on having at least one a month.

    Wednesday, July 29, 2009

    ~ Fun Fabulous Find For Free ~

    After having a typical Monday morning this past Monday, my day magically turned around when I found this:




    It was being thrown out! Can you believe it??? What were they thinking?


    Except for the paper being ripped on the back and a quick clean-up, this 30 x 42 blackboard is a great find! I'm just going to take the rest of the paper off the back, and try to see what's going on with the decorative molding, which appears to have shipping tape on it {I guess I should be glad it's not duct tape!}. The butterfly will probably have to go.








    To fully appreciate the value of finding this blackboard, destined for the trash heap, I went to one of my favorite websites and found this blackboard {an inch or two off in size, but the closest} with decorative frame from Ballard Designs, which is $229.00, plus extra shipping, for comparison.





    Now to keep it hidden from hubby so he doesn't ask me why I'm bringing stuff into the house while we're trying to get rid of stuff to downsize!

    Don't forget to enter our current giveaway ~ Bonjour Fleurette slippers! Ends this Thursday at midnight.

    Tuesday, July 28, 2009

    Blog Of The Week ~ Make Room For Living

    This week's featured blog is Make Room For Living. Bash is a blogger located in Kuwait. Part of her profile says, ". . . ..I have found a passion in Food Styling,tablesettings and entertainment! Lately I'm in love with everything Vintage and anything to do with Baking !!"


    So I shouldn't have been surprised when I visited her blog today and saw pictures of food that got my stomach growling! {Note to self: Do not look at blogs featuring food right before lunch!} Here's one of them:





    There is a variety to her blog posts that anyone will find of interest. This picture is from an organizing post:


    Head on over to Bash's blog and check out some of her posts ~ just do it after lunch!

    Don't forget to check out our current giveaway ~ A pair of Bonjour Fleurette slippers!

    Monday, July 27, 2009

    ~ Christmas in July Winner ~


    Congratulations to Anna {Baggypants} ~ the winner of the Santa figure giveaway!


    This Santa figure was offered up as a giveaway item by Nancy over at Coeur d'Alene. Thank you, Nancy! Click here for the original post which has links to Nancy.

    Don't forget to check out our new giveaway for this week! A pair of Bonjour Fleurette slippers! Some fancy footwork there to celebrate my 100th blog post!





    Sunday, July 26, 2009

    July Giveaway #4 ~ My 100th Post!

    This is my 100th post and how fitting that I can celebrate that milestone by offering a giveaway!

    This weeks giveaway is a pair of Bonjour Fleurette slippers "Pink Parfait"! {A value of $90.00} How girly-girl and pretty! They are a size: XL








    You can visit the Bonjour Fleurette website here to see all their other lovely items. Here is just a sampling:


    Sachets




    Natural Beauty



    Lolli Dots




    Eye masks


    To enter to win the "Pink Parfait" slippers you must:


    Subscribe to my blog, and

    Leave a comment on this post {make sure I have some way of contacting you}


    This giveaway will run through Thursday, July 30th, at midnight. I will announce the winner on Friday, July 31st. Open in the U.S. and Canada.

    Friday, July 24, 2009

    Dressing Rooms



    One of the things I'm going to miss when we move is the open closet area/sitting room off our master bedroom and bathroom. The only thing I never got to add was a little chandelier, but since my husband had to use the space too, well - you can imagine how that went over. So, I added my own special lamp to my vanity ~ a girly girl affair {with a feather trim around the lamp shade pictured above on my vanity table}.



    Organization is key in a dressing room or large closet area. The bench in this purple one {above} looks like a necessity with all those shoes to try on! Sometimes I wish I had a bench it takes me so long to decide on what I'm in the mood to wear I get tired of standing.

    Photo courtesy In Style

    Miley Cyrus' dressing room is absolutely what I would expect to see {as far as decoration} in a teen's room. I love the big mirror and chair. Fun for trying on different outfits with your girlfriends!

    In contrast, Kelly Ripa's dressing room is more subdued and serene looking. It also looks very well organized with the cabinets, drawers and containers.


    Kelly Ripa's dressing room
    Photo courtesy of Woman's Day

    Marcia Cross' dressing room has just enough Hollywood glam without going over the top. I love her color scheme and the mix of light and dark with the mirrored surfaces. I don't know that I would come out of the trailer if it was me!

    Marcia Cross' dressing room/trailer
    Photo courtesy of Traditional Home

    Here is another shot of Marcia's dressing trailer.


    Do you have a dressing room? If you do, what did you put in that you couldn't live without now?
    Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway ~ here! Ends Saturday at midnight!

    Thursday, July 23, 2009

    Hampton Designer Showhouse ~ 2009

    Every year there is a Designer Showhouse in the Hamptons. Sometimes the rooms are just gorgeous and other times you have to scratch your head and wonder, "what the hell were they thinking!?!". Either way, I love looking at the pictures to see what the designers and decorators have done. This is just a small sampling, Newsday has about 61 pictures of this house, so if you want to see more, click on the link.

    So what if you can't afford the $9 million asking price! There are so many things going on in this house, that you could copy on a budget, it's not even funny!

    Here is this year's house:



    Vignette in a bedroom


    Table setting

    Table setting


    Bedroom


    Home Office


    Gazebo


    Bedroom

    Bedroom (vignette above is here)


    Bathroom

    Bedroom ~ I think that zebra head on the wall is horrible. Could you imagine waking up and that's the first thing you see {especially in relation to how the bed is laid out in this room}.


    Bedroom

    Bedroom {I love the reflection in this mirror}


    Butlers Pantry {Showing off some wallpaper that we've all been talking about coming back into our lives}.


    Den


    Den

    Dining Room
    All photos courtesy of Newsday

    Wednesday, July 22, 2009

    Kathy's Tower ~ A Folly

    Photo courtesy of shedstyle.com { folly owner Kathy Fries}


    I love that word folly ~ I wish I could use it in everyday conversations. It's just a fun word to say. The photo above is called "Kathy's Tower" and I couldn't resist putting it in a post.


    A folly is a building constructed strictly as a decoration, having none of the usual purposes of housing or sheltering associated with a conventional structure {according to Wikipedia}.


    I love how you can just see the staircase to access it. With all those windows, and the french doors, you can probably see all around. I especially love the detail given to the different architectural elements ~ the railing, the roof, the cupola, the peaks on each corner and over the door.


    What a lovely little getaway to read, nap, dream.

    Monday, July 20, 2009

    Blog Of The Week ~ Coeur d'Alene & A Giveaway

    Our Blog Of The Week belongs to Nancy, who is the blogger behind Coeur d'Alene and you can also find her at http://www.coeurdalenegifts.com/. As if that wasn't enough, she is also a boutique member at Make Mine Pink!



    This week's Blog Of The Week is special because it also incorporates July Giveaway #3! How exciting is that!

    Nancy shares her interests, goings on in her gift shop and giveaways on her blog ~ just to name a few things. Her website carries many lovely items from a set of peachy pink file folders in assorted florals and stripes to handbags and totes to figurines. I believe there is something for everyone at Nancy's site!


    This week is special to Nancy and the other Make Mine Pink boutique members as it is Christmas in July! I've already registered and I'm looking forward to visiting Nancy's boutique as well as some of the other member's shops. This is a fun event to give you a bit of a head start on your holiday shopping.



    Nancy has graciously offered this "Fly Away Tiny Sleigh" {a $59.00 value} from the Heartwood Creek collection by Jim Shore as this week's giveaway. This figure is 12.5" x 8.5". With all of its bits of hand carving this 3 dimensional scene gracefully escapes the City below. The back of the cape is deep red with small green checks forming a series of diamonds. The cane is tightly clasped in his hand. Nancy carries the whole line over at her gift shop.

    To enter visit Nancy's website {the link is above} and sign up for her "New Mailing List", then come back let me know you did that and also let me know something in her boutique that you like.



    You can earn additional entries if you tweet about it on Twitter and/or promote the giveaway on your blog {either sidebar or post}. Just come back, let me know each in a separate comment, and leave a link to where it can be seen. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on this. Open to U.S. & Canada entries. Giveaway ends on Saturday, July 25, 2009, at midnight.

    Friday, July 17, 2009

    Winner of July Giveaway # 2 Is . . .

    Ah, Friday! {sigh} The best day of the week in my book. It's also the day I post the winner of my second July Giveaway!




    True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 5 Powered by RANDOM.ORG


    I tried to copy/paste the actual box and all, but this is what came up {which I guess is what is really important since it is the number of the comment that won}.



    This week's winner is:
    Michele Dugar


    Congratulations Michele! As soon as I get your mailing address, I will get your prize packed up and on its way!

    I hope you will come around next week. I am very excited about the giveaway planned, which will be tied into my Blog Of The Week feature. The entry rules will be just a little bit more difficult for that one, but I think you can all handle it! : )

    Thursday, July 16, 2009

    {Summer Dreaming} ~ Home Office Possibilities

    Summer is for dreaming, right? I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like to put into a home office once we down-size. Odds are it will be a basement office, which I'd like to keep separate and apart from the rest of the family area.




    I wasn't able to find a good depiction of the color (a chartreuse, lime green type of color) I would put on the walls, but it is a toss up between "Lively Yellow" {which isn't yellow} or "Frolic" from Sherwin Williams ~ colors that when I saw them I thought "fresh", "happy", "bright", and I think that would be appropriate for an office located in a basement. {Although, I would probably choose the same color if it was located on the main floor.}


    Home Office Possibilities


    I put together the above idea board of what I'd like in my office. I have two bookcases that I will be taking over from my son's bedroom that have 3 drawers where the cabinet is located on the bookcase shown. The bookcase pictured is from Ballard Design. I would be painting these bookcases black with my intention being to have a harlequin pattern painted on the front of the drawers {like the chest pictured above from the Craftynest blog}. These bookcases would help keep me organized using all my lovely organizers, just like these:




    Didn't think of it until I was putting this together, but I could also do the same on the filing cabinet {from Home Decorators Collection} and bring the pattern over to the other side of the room. Oh yes, I have the layout pictured in my mind as well! Over the filing cabinet I would hang my educational and membership certificates.

    I'd love a chandelier like this one {found at belle maison blog}:




    Floating in the room {in front of the filing cabinet} would be my desk; a simple writing desk with an open base, which will help visually keep the room looking open. The desk pictured on my board is also from Home Decorators Collection and is very much like one I saw on the Ballard site, except that it's about $700.00 cheaper.

    A framed bulletin board, like the Ballard Design bulletin boards shown {but which I can get cheaper at Home Goods}, hanging on the wall to the side of the desk for all my inspirational and important pieces of paper. On the opposite wall I'd like to have some kind of art or pictures bringing in the pink I love so much, but which will be more subdued. This isn't a Barbie office, after all! I thought I could do this by using fabric or pretty papers framed. Although, I might just find something through one of the Etsy shops I keep discovering!

    Of course, I want my chair so I can look through my design magazines and stay on top of current trends:


    The overall picture shown is basically the look I want my home office to have to it. The picture showing the whole office lay-out is from Ballard Design, and I would have to say they pretty much have the look I want to achieve, except I'll be doing it on a Home Good's budget!


    What do you think? Did your home office turn out like you dreamed? I'd love to see some others' home offices, if you'd care to share a link to your blog post.