Goody, Goody Blog Swap!

You might recall that I hosted a Goody Swap recently and I thought I would share what I got from my partner, Sonya Hamilton over at Beyond the Screen Door blog.

First or last, I have to share this item all on its own.  This fabulous bit of bling that I need to find a place to put that is worthy of its fabulousness!  I just hung it off a part of my kitchen light so you could get a sense of its magnificence!

Sonya also included this great trim, which I am actually thinking “Christmas” as a use!  I already have some decorations that have these colors, and I have a couple of ideas to make something using it.

I also got this great smelling sachet of Raspberry Lemonade {which is my favorite drink when we eat out}.  Some pink heart gems and a couple of nests with eggs.

Here it is all together.  Even Sonya’s notecard was great ~ I think she made it!  I love all the pink and green together.

Thank you so much, Sonya, for such great goodies!

If you were a part of this swap and you’ve done a post about it, please let me know in the comments and I will link you up here in my post so that everyone can visit from one central location.

If you missed out on this or would like to get involved in a super easy swap {especially for a first time swapper}, I am planning a cocktail napkin swap for the beginning of November.  Details coming soon!

Sonya from Beyond the Screen Door

Debbie from Love the Decor

Pam at Late to the Party

Patti from Pandora’s Box

Sherry from Blessings From Our Nest

 

Fabulous Lighting I’m Loving

After a more in-depth look at the Stonegate Designs website {previous post here}, I am so loving this lighting!   This has really sparked lots of ideas for me for where you could use this lighting!   There is a simplicity about it, yet it is enough to grab my attention.

All photos from Stonegate Designs

 

They’ve got pendants, semi-flush ceiling mount, table lamps, floor lamps, sconces ~ you could coordinate all your lighting!  What a fun website to look through and, if nothing else, you’ll get some great inspiration. 

Blog Design Giveaway Winner

I’m away for the weekend, but I wanted to make sure I scheduled this to post today.  The lucky winner of the blog design giveaway offered by Jennie from The Posh Palm is . .

{and I can’t believe it and was going to rerun the random number generator, but I have never done that before and don’t plan on starting now}, 

my sister, Jeanine, from One Cheap B*tch

#22, as chosen by Random.org!   {This link should take you to the result.  I can’t get the image to show up here}.

Congratulations, Jeanine!  I will send your email to Jennie once I’m home and then you two can take it from there.

Restoration Hardware ~ The Colorless Collection {Or Living In A Sepia Toned World}

 

Let me start off by saying there is nothing wrong with it.  Flipping through my new Restoration Hardware catalog for their Fall Collection, I can’t help but feel that burlap and linen have taken over our lives.  Something that started with a lovely grain sack or French graphic pillow has drained the color from any of the settings shown in this catalog.

 Spots of brown show up in mostly leather furniture and in some wood pieces, but otherwise every chair, every couch, every bedding item, every picture, every mirror, every bit of lighting looks bland to me.   As I said, there is nothing wrong with it.  It is the perfect collection for those who prefer a monochromatic color scheme, or for those who will buy the large pieces in this tone and then bring their own color in with art, pillows, throws, flowers.

I am underwhelmed by this latest offering from RH and while there is nothing wrong with it, it’s not for me.  Each item on its own is lovely and beautiful and something I might purchase for my home, but it is not going into a room that looks like a sepia picture or a constant cloudy day. 

I actually was excited to see some greenery in the picture below.  What are your thoughts on this new Restoration Hardware collection?  Do you think living in a whole house decorated this way might be depressing?  Would you use these pieces as a base and bring in some color?

All photos from Restoration Hardware.

A Light Bulb Moment

I came across this great lighting accessory that I just had to share!  These are shades that clip onto recessed and can lighting fixtures.  They are made by a company called Stonegate Designs and they have a listing of retailers who carry their products on their website. 

I don’t think I can get this picture any bigger without distorting it, so you might want to visit the website if you want a better look.

I am trying to find out from the company if “can” lighting means track lighting.  If so, I plan on purchasing a couple of these to try out on my own track lighting and review here on my blog.  I also have recessed lighting, but I’m more interested in updating our existing track lighting in the kitchen and great room without totally redoing it. 

Edit/Update: Just heard back from the company that they do not work on track lighting ~ only recessed lighting fixtures.  Bummer.

Love this idea!

Fussing With My Florals

Usually when the seasons change, I like to change out my floral arrangements.  I am due for a new one for my dining room table, and as I had these two pots that my daughter had given me for Mother’s Day, I decided to use them.

I went to Michaels and bought duplicates of each floral stem, as well as different sizes.

 

Some moss to cover the styrofoam bases.

I approached this project one pot at a time and, after cutting the styrofoam to fit inside one of the pots, I started adding florals.   I realized something as I thought I was done.  I never buy enough to make a really full arrangement!  All the florals I bought for two arrangements were good for one!  

So I started to add the second grouping of florals to the pot that I was working on.  And I have to say that I liked it better! 

I think that from now on, when I am buying florals to put together my own arrangement, I will get what I think I need, then go back down the aisle and get another handful.   This will give me the fuller arrangements that are not only what I like, but that look better.  No wonder I am always fussing with my florals!

So if you find that you are not happy with the arrangements you put together yourself, maybe you just need to put a few more floral stems in.  Maybe you are short-changing your arrangements like I was.  Give it a try and see if you change your mind.

Don’t forget to enter my current giveaway for a blog design here.   Giveaway ends Friday, August 27th!

Blog Design Giveaway

**This Giveaway has ended.**

Happy Monday!  I thought a giveaway might help make it easier to get going on your Monday morning.  Along with making some changes to your home for Fall, maybe you want to make some changes to your blog for Fall.   What if you could win a new blog design?

Jennie Brown at The Posh Palm has graciously offered a blog design {$100.00 value} to one lucky winner!   Here are a few examples from her website.  To see more, please visit Jennie’s portfolio page at The Posh Palm.

Aren’t they pretty?  I love how you can have a blog designed to reflect you, your hobbies, your profession ~ just about anything!

To enter this giveaway, leave me a comment telling me how you get through or tolerate your Monday.  For additional entries you can also:

• Mention this giveaway on Twitter, come back and leave me a separate comment that you’ve done so with a link;
• Do a blog post on this giveaway, come back and leave me a separate comment that you’ve done so with a link;

Giveaway will end on Friday, August 27, 2010, and winner will be chosen via random.org.  You do not have to have a blog to enter, but you must leave me an email address to contact you at if you win.  Winner will have 48 hours to confirm or another winner will be chosen.

**This Giveaway has ended.**

Color ~ It Used To Be So Easy

Do you remember when you were a kid and you got a new box of crayons?  I used to just open the box ~ whether it was a small box or that really big box that had it’s own sharpener in the back ~ and just look at all the colors.  

I liked to make sure none of the tips were broken and then I’d lift a color out {not all the way, because sometimes it was hard to get them back in their spot} to read the name of it.

Do you remember how you had no problem picking yellow for the hair, green for a shirt, blue for pants, pink for a hair bow?   Maybe your polka dotted picture had purple and green; or your elephant was Salmon or Outrageous Orange.

Somewhere along the line, someone might have said to you, “Why did you pick those colors?  They don’t go together!”.  Somewhere along the line, you believed them; and somewhere along the line, you fell back on beige or tan, black and white, or some other neutral color.  Somewhere along the line, you became afraid of color! 

I suggest you break out of that color fear and get back to your childhood crayon roots.  Challenge yourself and, as a baby step, go out and buy a decorative pillow or throw in a color that catches your eye, but that you are afraid to use.  Buy it!  Bring it home.  Put it in your favorite sitting area.  Color with it.

I look forward to buying that first coloring book and box of crayons for my granddaughter when the time comes.  And I won’t say to her, “Why are you using those colors?  They don’t go together!”. 

~ Giveaway Winner ~

The winner of the lunch tote giveaway is . . .

Tracy from Ms. Bake-It!

Congratulations, Tracy!   Please email me with your mailing address to kathyp{at}creativehomeexpressions{dot}com and I’ll get it right out to you!