Awesome Deals

Did anybody else get this in their inbox?

Just click here to get your $5 mail-in rebate.  Not too shabby!

For my own well-being, it’s probably best if I never step foot into a HomeGoods again – all that place does is tempt me to spend money!!

These $12.99 ikat vases begged to hang out on my mantle:

These  lamps ($39.99 and $49.99) tried to woo me with their curves:

The $16.99 pineapples swore that they would be the perfect addition to any centerpiece in my dining room (and the ceramic ones are a great substitute for the pricier Z Gallerie version):

I just knew that a set of these festive urns would make a great display on our covered patio:

This cute little cake plate for $12.99 could be gussied up for any occasion by simply switching out the bow:

And the graphic shapes of the $2.99 solid plate and gorgeously patterned $3.99 plate would make an awesome statement for a holiday place setting:

These glossy black urns for $29.99 want to flank a console table in a snazzy entryway:

And this $29.99 chinoiserie table would make the perfect bar with the addition of a glass shelf at the bottom:

And everything about this shapely, ebony mirror (for just $19.99) screamed “Buy me!!”  Alas, I didn’t have a good place for it.  Sniff.

Like I said, a trip to HomeGoods can be dangerous.  Gotten anything great there lately?

I hope you’ll enjoy this new series called “Your Own Design{er}!”  With each installment of the YOD series, a fabulous designer room will be recreated (by yours truly) using a combination of DIY techniques and decor available online so that you can easily recreate these designer looks in your own home . . . and for a lot less!

For the first installment, I’m focusing on this flirty, feminine room that was first published in Ideal Home in July of 2008.  I was instantly drawn to the sassy pops of fuschia throughout the space that keep the design looking fresh and modern (instead of potentially prissy and country).

Here’s how you can recreate this look in your own living room in a jiffy (and without breaking the bank!) with a few DIY projects and lovely store-bought pieces:

1. white sofa: $799

2. floral rug: $113.99

3. white end table: $139;

4. DIY upholstered coffee table: less than $20 (MDF), less than $5 each (legs), $3.49/yard (hot pink fabric).  Have the MDF cut to size at the store, then use spray adhesive to attach a layer of foam to the top of the MDF.  Next, wrap batting and the hot pink fabric over the top of the batting/MDF and staple the layers underneath to secure.  Finally, use screws to attach the four legs to the underside of the MDF (after spraypainting them a glossy white).

5. DIY quatrefoil stencil: $25.  While the original design uses wallpaper, this quatrefoil stencil is a beautiful and budget-friendly alternative to wallpapering that will achieve a similar look.  I chose the quatrefoil pattern just because I love it and think it will be a chic update to the space, but you could alternatively use this stencil to stay a bit closer to the original design.  Use kelly green paint to stencil the pattern on the walls.

6. DIY drop cloth drapes: $19.97 (+ lining with hot pink fabric).  Talk about bang for your buck!  Just line these drop cloths with the hot pink fabric (also used on the ottoman) for a touch of understated sass.

7. pillows: $24.99 for 2 (green), $18.99 (hot pink), $29.49 for 2 (striped), $20 for 2 (floral).

8. white bookcase: $59.99 (white bookcase), $25 each (glass door, in white, in 15.75 x 38.62 size), $25 each (solid door, white).  To keep this bookcase affordable, I decided to go with a mix-and-match option from Ikea.

Total: less than $1,500

Have a designer room in mind that you’d like me to recreate?  Just shoot me an email or link to it in the Comments section (it must be in quotes to be visible) and I’ll add it to the list!

I was perusing the November issue of the Pottery Barn catalogue the other night when I paused to admire these gorgeous Moravian star lamps:

I’m a huge sucker for all the visual interest that these lamps provide, from the leaded details to that awesome geometric shape.  But at $79 for the small version (8.5 x 8.5 x 8.5″ h) and $99 for the larger size (13 x 13 x 13″ h), I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my seat at the price.  Bummer.

And then I remembered a beautiful lamp that I recommended in a design consult a few months back:

Bingo!!  This beauty from Lamps Plus is a dead ringer for the fancy Pottery Barn version, and at only $49.99 for a lamp that’s 11.5 x 11.5 x 11.5″ h it’s a total bargain!

Gotta love when you can get that look that you covet for a lot less.  Have you guys run across any great finds recently that you’d like to share?  Spill the beans!

P.S.  It looks like the PB version can also be hung, which is a plus over the Lamps Plus version which can only sit on a table.  Still, I think I’d rather save a little dough, and I’m willing to bet that a crafty DIY-er could fashion a hang-able version out of the Lamps Plus star!

There’s probably nothing more daunting than buying a piece of art.  I mean, what if you don’t like it in a few years?  What if you want to change your decor and all of a sudden that awesome piece of art clashes with everything?  What if you don’t want to make a huge investment?  What if you want a piece that’s original and totally unique, maybe even one-of-a-kind?  That kind of swag is out of the budget.  

Or is it?

Check out these gorgeous, unique pieces of art:

Are you swooning as much as I am?  (I know, my love of everything bold, colorful and abstract runs deep).  Well, hold on to your socks, ladies and gents, cause they’re about to be knocked off – most of this artwork is $20 or less.  I know, I kinda think they’re lying, too.

ImageKind and 20 x 200 are sites which operate under many of the same principles as Etsy – namely, these sites allow artists to sell their art directly to you.  This way, you get some pretty awesome art from up-and-coming artists for an absolute steal.  Now you can switch up your artwork with the season or your mood, or take a risk on a piece of art that you wouldn’t normally buy, without worrying about breaking the bank!!

Know of any other great sites where you can find affordable artwork from new artists?  Spill the beans!

Images courtesy of  ImageKind and 20 x 200.  These sites were originally found here.

Hey guys!!  Have you heard about the National Paint Giveaway over at Glidden?

Yup, it’s as great as it sounds.  All you have to do is fill in your mailing info and bingo – your free quart of gorgeous paint (in an eggshell finish) in the color of your choosing is on its way!!!  Here’s what I’ll soon by playing around with:

This is the perfect opportunity to try out that fun and funky color that you’ve always been too hesitant to buy!  I’m planning on using my free quart to snazz up a few areas in my craft room . . . 

What’s your favorite color, and how are you planning on using it?

Images courtesy of Glidden.  And thanks to Christy for bringing this awesome freebie to my attention!

Yep, it’s true love, the kind that lives forever.  I mean, just look – can you blame me for falling head over heels for this sucker?

He’s got it all.  Fun colors?  Check.  Lively stripes?  Check.  Ridiculously affordable?  Double check. 

I made him mine for a grand total of 36 bucks (including shipping!!) from Dash & Albert.  What a score!!  This little rug is now bringing a much-needed dose of personality and life to our newly remodeled kitchen.  I love how the earthy colors of the rug play off the cream and chocolate tones in our granite (and looks pretty great with the mossy green backsplash – sorry no picture!), and will work equally well in the summer and winter.  And no more puddles from drippy dishes on our hardwood floors . . . ah, life is good.

I’m also digging those cute little magenta cone flowers by the sink – they’re from our backyard, and I’m constantly (and pleasantly surprised) by the fun flowers that I find popping up back there.  Kudos to the former homeowner!

But I digress – back to the rug!  If we ever want to switch things up, our snazzy rug would look great in our entryway by the front door for a little splash of color.  Recognize that fab oversized glass vase?

Found any awesome deals lately that just made your day?  Got any advice on where I can find a rug that’s just as cute (and hopefully as affordable) for our living room?  Spill the beans!

For the full line of Dash & Albert’s gorgeous and totally affordable rugs, click here.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have an extra thousand bucks lying around?  Yeah, I think so too.  I’m thinking that I would buy an amazing rug for the den, maybe some fab material for new curtains in my laundry room and craft room . . . oh well, maybe I’ll win the lotto.  It could happen, right?

Or, maybe I’ll win Sherwin-Williams’ awesome giveaway!!  That’s right, Sherwin-Williams is giving away $1,000 and a consultation with your very own interior designer.  Swoon.  Too fab for words.

Go ahead and click here for a chance to win this great prize.  And while you’re at it, fill us in on what you would you do with 1,000 smackers to spend on your home!

I’ve been doing the happy dance since Saturday over this ridiculously gorgeous vase that I got at Hobby Lobby:

I have been lusting after huge floor vases for quite some time, so my heart totally skipped a beat when I saw this little (um, big) guy.  The jumbo beauty in the back is not only fabulous, but it was a fabulous deal – I got it for a mere $30, half off the original price!!  Not too shabby for my first trip to Hobby Lobby, right?  

Yes, you read that right – I’m probably the last person on the planet to finally make it to Hobby Lobby.  But now that I’ve been there, I’m totally hooked.  Practically EVERYTHING was 50% off.  Even these green little cuties:

Too darn cute for words, I tell ya.  And they almost look good enough to eat.

Does Hobby Lobby always have such great sales?  What’s your best find from that awesome store?  Is there anybody else out there who has yet to make the trek to a Hobby Lobby?  If so, run there as fast as you can!!  I’ll probably see you there next weekend.

We live in an older home (40 years old, to be exact) with equally old windows – so it can get pretty cold in here in the winter time.  And you see, we have wood floors in our bedroom that we absolutely love, but they can give you quite a shock first thing in the morning when your bare feet hit those cold floors.  If you’ve checked out our home tour then you know that our bedroom looks like this:

It was with memories of hardwood floors and freezing feet that the hubby and I hit up our local Home Depot with a mission – finding an area rug for our bedroom.  We had an idea of what we wanted – something neutral that would go with our colorful duvet cover that we currently have on our bed, as well as our navy and cream quilt that sometimes makes an appearance and replaces the duvet.  We definitely needed an 8 x 10 rug so that there would be enough rug to stick out from under three sides of our king-sized bed, and we wanted the new rug to be cozy – no more cold tootsies for us!!

And then we found it.  Perfection.  A cream-colored frieze rug that was just begging to go home with us:

Ain’t she a beauty?  And a bargain to boot!  (Although now we’re gnashing our teeth because it’s gone on sale!)  We somehow managed to shove this ginormous rug into my car, took it home and finagled that rug under the bed as fast as we could.  And let me tell you, lifting that bed is no joke!  Here’s our awesome new rug, looking all cozy in our bedroom:

I love it!  This rug has tons of texture and is super soft, so it feels great underfoot.  And I love the way it breaks up all the wood in the room, but doesn’t steal the show away from the bed.  And no more cold feet for us!

What’s the first thing your feet hit in the morning?  Carpet?  Wood?  Tile?  Rug on carpet?  Do tell!