October 27, 2010

Redecorating My Room...

And so continues our online window shopping. Today, we're browsing Pier 1 online!

I just moved. I have quite a bare pallet that I call my bedroom and bathroom. Pretty much all white. White down comforter in desperate need of a duvet, white sheets, white pillows, white towels...you get the picture. I need color in my life. I need it bad. In my online perusing today, I was being drawn to the combo of red and teal. Red has always been one of my favorite colors, but I've never paired it with teal before.

I've found some pretty great things that I would love for my new bedroom - most of which were on clearance! One thing you need to know about Pier 1 online though is that you can't make purchases online. You can check store availability and make an online shopping list that you can then print out and take to one of their locations.

Oh, and I so totally felt like I was on that show on HGTV "Design on a dime" because when I totalled everything up, my total was $995.75! Under $1000! Now, hang on, I'm not buying this stuff, I'm just getting an idea of what I'd like to decorate with. I'll use these as a guide when I'm out shopping for decor. I'll pick up an item here and there, or maybe even make some of the stuff myself, but please know that I don't have ten hund-o's to drop at this moment. Although there are a few things out of this group that I would like to eventually purchase.

Ok, moving on....

Stuff I already have:
1. Bed with dark wood headboard and footboard
2. Dark wood dresser
3. Dark wood trunk
4. Wicker nightstand

And then a ton of white stuff.

First up, furniture. I love this red ottoman. It's simple, it'll sit at the foot of my bed, it'll inevitably be a catch all for all my crap, but I think the color's great and so is the price. The color is Cinnabar and it's $199.95.














Next up, I love this wicker chair. I think it's modern enough to jazz up the room a bit, but is still cohesive enough with the rest of the furniture. It mimics the wicker in my nightstand, too. It's the Mombosa chair and it's $99.98.














I would toss this throw pillow on the wicker chair. It's the Peacock Circles Pillow and it's $23.96.
And maybe this one too. It's the Oblong Teal Print Pillow and it's $31.96.



Next up is bedding. I think I'll stick with my all white bedding, unless I find a cute, solid or textured duvet cover. For now, I want to just jazz it up with throw pillows. I like this one. It's the Embroidered Bird Pillow and it's $34.95. Gal darn, are throw pillows expensive or what?! Funny story about throw pillows...I once worked at a home decor store in my home town. I had neither the experience or the expertise to work at a home decorating store, but they liked me I guess, so I got the job. People. There was a whole WALL of throw pillows. I'm talking like thirty feet long and 20 feet high. It had little cubbie holes that we stuffed with pillows. Little old ladies would always, ALWAYS, choose the ones in the cubbies at the very tip top of the wall. I'd have to go get the ladder and yank out the pillow they wanted, only to have to put it back up again when they said, "Oh no honey, that's the wrong color." I finally got the bright idea on a slow day to color coordinate the pillow wall, putting the less desirable colors at the very top. I got employee of the month that month. Anyway...I like this one:
And is this one right here too crazy to throw behind the bird pillow? Maybe I could do the teal pillows behind the bird pillow on the bed and throw the Circle Button Pillow ($34.95) on the wicker chair and just eliminate the teal stripe pillow? Good grief, too much pillow talk going around here. Moving on.



Window and wall coverings. I'm not crazy about this aqua shade of Silk Panel ($55.96 each). I'd like it to be a little more tealish, but I think if I don't have it too close to other teal furnishings, it'll be okay. I could always try dying them???














I'm kind of in love with these wall hangings, although looking at it now, I'm not sure if the style quite fits and is cohesive with the rest of the room. Nevertheless, the colors are spot on and I love the dreamy nature of the prints. This is the Celestial Wall Art and the set is $129.99.















I would have this clocks babies. I love it. But do ya'll think it fits? It's a little rustic and western-y and that's not really the look I was going for. Your thoughts on this Salsa Clock that retails for $74.98, please?















These right here are placemats. But i'mma put 'em on my wall. That's right, ya heard? I think they're cute and you could easily glue or attach a picture hanger to the backs of them. They're light, they're wicker, they're whimsical and they're only $3.96 each. Ok, I just realized something. If we were going to play a game of "Which of these things is not like the other one?" with this stuff, I think it would have to be the dreamy, Celestial Wall Art. Everything else I've chosen seems to be more casual and rustic, while those are just pretty modern and ethereal. Oh well. I did love the colors in them, though. What do ya'll think?















Whenever I go shopping with my BFF, Jeannie, she'll pick up something that costs an arm and a leg and then I'll say, "We could so totally make that for like five bucks," and then we (I) never do. Well, Jeannie? "I could so totally make this." I have an old wooden four-pane window without the glass that Mark and I picked up out of someone's trash about 4 years ago. It has been with me through 3 moves and still just sits. Doing nothing. Being nothing. I'm spray painting that sucker teal and stringing wire, clothespins and pictures in it. It's new day just dawned. So booyah, Jeannie. This is what it'll look like only with the panes seperated. You could easily do this with any old picture frame! This one is from Pier 1 and'll run you $22.40.















I love lamp. Enough said. (Anchorman, anyone?) This red lamp is $19.98 and I'd probably get two!















I forgot to tell ya'll that I also have a white bookcase stacked to the brim with books. I think these planters would make pretty cute bookends! Potted Artificial Wheat Grass, $8. I need some potted artificial wheat grass in my life.














These are fun. And kitschy. And teal. And I like 'em. $24.88 and $29.88.














I love the wonky shape of this here thang. I'd probably stick some eucalyptus or some other kind fake filler in it, put it on the floor next to my door, and call it a day. Organic Chocolate Glass Vase $19.98.















I think this is super cute, and it mimicks the blue bird in my blue bird pillow. Cuteness to the max. This is $10.36















I like these. $5.98-$11.18.














And finally, I like this simple rug to center everything and pull the room together. Great price on this large rug: $79.98.
Well that completes the home furnishings portion of this post. I'd love to hear ya'lls opinions!

October 26, 2010

These are a few of my favorite things

I'm starting a new series on this here blog. I know, I know, there are series (seri? What's the plural of series?) that I haven't finished yet (i.e. Stuff I blow my money on, Thoughtful Thursdays etc.) but I'm starting a new one. Because I can.

I want to show you a few of my favorite things. I love online window shopping and sometimes, that leads me to target.com, other times my click clicking lands me on more obscure sites, some of which you may have never heard of. You can use these suggestions for your own benefit, or use them as gift ideas for the holidays! (OR, you can read these posts and realize exactly how much of my day is wasted. It's up to you.)
Today's picks come from http://www.cb2.com/. CB2 is a subsidiary of Crate & Barrell, only with more modern, simple stuff and better prices.

Here are my picks:

First things first: Barware. I am in love with the shape of these glasses.

And who doesn't like a good beer tub? I especially like this one. It'll add a dash of class to your Natty Lights on ice. 

Grape Kool-aid has never looked better displayed in this slick pitcher.  

You better not serve no chitlin's and gravy on these modern dishes! 

Give this as a hostess gift with a bottle of wine! This could be a really inexpensive gift! 

Give the gift of fresh flowers in this sturdy, shapely vase. 

I think this fixture would look great in a kitchen or bathroom.  

If you're running low on the cash flow for a wedding gift, why not get the bride and groom a set of these?! I think they're so classy! They'll never know how inexpensive they were! (Unless they read this blog. Which is doubtful.)


















Yeah, these are just pretty great.  

How cute would these be for a stocking stuffer for that jazzy gal in your family? Or a favor from a bachelorette party?! Fun! 

These are fun and could be strung with twine on a porch, in a tree, in a dining room, or with a mouse, in a box, with a fox, in a car, on a train, in the dark, in the rain... 

These would look great displayed in a child's room with an animal theme. I love the soft colors and minimalistic (who am I?) prints. 

Go check out http://www.cb2.com/ and see all of the other wonderful stuff they have!


The difference between him and me

What I had for dinner last night:

Tuna Steak with Asian Spice Seasoning
Garlic Sautéed Green Beans
Spinach Salad with homemade Soy Ginger Vingarette
Sauvignon Blanc

What he had for dinner last night:

Two Turkey Dogs
Brussel Sprouts

An intervention may need to be staged.

Him:












Me:


Him & Me:

I love him even though his breath smells like brussel sprouts.

October 14, 2010

Looking For...

Subject Line: Old Fruit
Posted In: "Looking For" Category

I am looking for some old plastic fruit that you don't want anymore.......you know, bananas, apples, oranges, grapes..........just old stuff you're gonna end up throwing away........the dustier the better.....it doesn't even have to be in good shape...


I've looked at the dollar stores but no luck.....free is great but I'm willing to pay a fair price.

I was surfing the company intranet today and caught sight of this rare (yeah, I'm being sarcastic when I use that word) post on the employee bulletin board.

The response I really wanted to post: "I think your mom's got some old dusty melons she'd probably sell you at a fair price." But I didn't. Because that's wrong. And mean. But please know that I really wanted to.

The End.

October 5, 2010

Dear Donuts:


I have loved you for quite some time. Years, in fact. Decades if we’re being precise. At times, you have played quite an important role in my life. I have many, many tender memories in which you are included. I remember fondly the first of your holes, which I inserted into my small, five year old mouth. It was warm. And your glaze flaked off, into my small hands. And your small hole filled my small mouth completely - the warm, yeasty flesh gushing out to my chubby childhood cheeks. It was love at first bite. You were made by the funny ladies at Golden Donut in my hometown who were missing teeth and wore funny white nets on their heads. They were nice. They sometimes gave me one of you to snack on while my daddy got the order filled. I knew these ladies took great care in making you perfect for me. They were my Donut Heroines.

Pretty soon, I graduated to your full size. Your holes were a thing of my past, my childhood. Your full size was much more satisfying to me as I grew into adolescence. Sprinkles were involved. When sprinkles fell off your top, I would gently lick my index finger and tap it at the loose sprinkles. None of you was wasted. Then you presented yourself to me with chocolate on top and my affinity for you grew into a full-blown obsession.

Right around the time of the great “Chocolate On Top Awakening”, my brother got a job at a place that made you. He would come home, his clothes fragrant with your doughy perfume and I knew there could be no greater job in the world. I would visit him after school and steal any of you that were leftover or misshapen. I would silently ache with anger when my brother would let his buddies in at closing time to raid the leftover bin. They didn’t deserve you. They didn’t appreciate you like I did.

As I have grown and matured, my obsession with you has not diminished one bit. Over the years, I have discovered you in various forms – cake, blueberry cake, old fashioned, chocolate cake with chocolate glaze, coconut, powdered, strawberry frosted, maple frosted…I have even tried the Chinese version of you. I fell more and more in love with each squishy bite.

But I think the time has come in my life where I need to say a gentle goodbye to you. For too long, have your enticing aromas and sweet, sugary bites crippled my desires of being thin. For too long have I given in to the echelon of pleasure I reach when I bite into your flesh. For too long have the side effects of this pleasure shown on my hips. I have to say goodbye. Please try to understand, donuts. It’s not you, it’s me. I may revisit you one day, but for now, I cannot be tempted by your intoxicating deliciousness.

Please remember me fondly, as that’s how I will remember you.

With all my love,

PeyPey