Thankful For...A Good Deal

A recent, and much needed trip to Pottery Barn left me inspired. What caught my eye in the store were all of the beautiful centerpieces. With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, I thought it was a perfect time to add a festive centerpiece to my table. My inspiration were these two in particular. Although the ideas were more Christmas related, I thought something similar would look just as cool for Thanksgiving.

So I headed to a few places...

I found an assortment of pumpkins and squash at the grocery store for about $10.

I found inexpensive white candles in varying sizes at Michaels. I also purchased some vase fillers (coffee and other beans) for a total of $20.

Finally, I found an assortment of glass vases from Ross. I also added a few more from my own collection. The total for three vases was $20.

Ok, so the total was $50 and that may seem like a lot. But I think of it as an investment. The vases, filler and candles will be reused for my Christmas centerpiece (so stay tuned). So if you think about it, I really only spent $10 for the pumpkins and squash that will last until I can start decorating for Christmas, which I am pretty excited about!

The only thing I can think of adding is a runner in a neutral color. But for now I am happy with it.

Unemployed and Expanding My "Want" List

I want this lamp...just maybe in a different color. I love both colors, the greenish blue and the orange, but neither will match anything in my house. I found them at Home Goods-love the store-for only $39.99!!! Maybe I can find a way to make the greenish blue work, but it is such a hard color to match.

Billy Mays Here!!!

It's a belated Halloween post, but I had to share my boyfriend's costume because it's home related. Previous endorser of some awesome home related products is Billy Mays! Some great products I recommend are Mighty Putty, OXICLEAN, Orange Glo and my favorite, the Hercules Hook. So here is a picture of Billy Mays and then a picture of my boyfriend on Halloween. He was so excited to dress up and use some of Billy's favorite products!

DIY Therapy

Nothing can put me in a better mood quite like doing a DIY project. I was a little bored and sad one day and I just needed to paint! I had a small can of sample paint I got from Home Depot a few months ago in an effort to get the ball rolling on painting the condo. However, my boyfriend and I agreed that we wouldn't paint until I got a job. I felt bad not putting the paint to good use, especially since it matched my duvet cover perfectly. So I roamed my room, looking for something easy to paint. And this is what I found...

A greenish leaf lamp. The lamp was serving its purpose by providing light, but definitely not providing any eye appeal. What a perfect thing to paint!

I used a cheapo paint brush, that I also had lying around, to cover the lamp with three coats of paint. And less than 24 hours later, the lamp returned to my room looking 100% better!

It's a little hard to see the true color, which is a light blue grey. The color is Rhino by Behr.

Is DIY used as therapy for anyone else??? I felt so much better-and more accomplished after this little project.

My First Visitor

I spent half the day last Friday preparing for my sister to see my new place for the first time. I definitely did not want to disappoint since I had spent weeks talking it up. I mopped, I dusted, I disinfected...And finally, I put the finishing touches on her room. I made the pull out couch into a comfy bed with a down comforter and plenty of pillows (even one with a picture of us on it-how cute). In a basket on the bedside table, I put a beach towel, bath towel, wash clothes and some toiletries as if she were staying in a hotel. She loved the extra touches that made her feel like a special guest, because she was-my first overnight visitor! Thanks for visiting sister!

And everything was taken from my stock at home. The basket was lying around. I took the towels from my abundant towel collection. I have a case of hotel toiletries that I collect from hotel stays that are perfect for traveling or giving to overnight guests. Depending on where you live, you can add things like a beach towel, sunscreen or Solarcaine-like I did since we live near the beach. I even gave her the red bath towel because I know she loves the color. The ideas are inexpensive, but thoughtful and really go a long way in making your guests feel special and prepared for the weekend activities.

So, in case this post hasn't made it clear, I like to pamper my guests-so please come visit!!!

So Cheap, I Practically Stole Them

I generally don't like to tease myself by going places when I don't have money, but it's hard to pass up a garage sale when it's on your street! I walked down the street last Saturday with our dog, and stumbled upon a garage sale-ok, I knew there was one on our street so I went looking for it! I had no money on me, but just thought I would look. The guy who was having the sale was moving and getting rid of a few plants. I asked how much the larger plants in pots where and he said...$1. I thought it was too good to be true, considering the plant was probably between $5-$20 (my wide range is due to my lack of buying plants) and the pots were probably worth $20. He was also throwing in plant stands. Obviously this was a steal. So I said I would be back and rushed home to break open my piggy bank, literally, it broke :( I walked back, looking like a kid in a candy store, with a plastic bag full of quarters-no joke! But who cares because I scored 5 plants, 5 pots and 3 plant stands for....a whopping $3.50. Totally worth it. Now let's hope I can keep them alive!

A Cheap Date

I have been sticking to my plan of spending as little money as possible, and I have to say I am really proud-and surprised. It has been rough not being able to go to the gym (or leave the house for fear of spending money!), but my bf and I have managed to keep up with some exercise. The other night we went on a 10 mile bike ride along the beach. Yes, it was to have a drink, but it was happy hour-so that was cheap. On the way back we spent about an hour searching the beach for seashells and found a tide pool that was full of cute little crabs and other sea life. So we brought a few seashells home. I was contemplating how to display them as they soaked in a solution of 50%, 50% water (I did some research).

When they were clean, I decided to plop them into our fish, Moses' tank. Because we live so close to the beach now, I thought he should be able to enjoy the sights too! So far he is loving his beach themed tank. I wonder if I could add sand?

I thought I would share this beach find. This piece of seaweed is huge-and exactly why I do NOT like swimming in the ocean. Imagine one of these things wrapping around your leg!!!

Climbing the last hill to our house on our bikes, we stopped to look at the beautiful sunset. It was a fun little date night-and oh so cheap. I think we will do it more often!

From Fun to Fun-ctional

I still absolutely love my huge coffee table from Z Gallerie. Everyone who comes over comments on just how cool it is. There is just one problem. I am so protective of it that I don't like things to rest on it. But isn't that what a coffee table is for?!? So I went on a search for a solution to this problem. At first a thought adding a glass top would allow the table to be fully functional. However, after calling a few glass companies, I discovered that it would cost around $150 to cut a piece of glass this big. So I went for a more affordable solution. And the table went from something that looked fun...

to an actual functional table. I purchased this huge round serving tray from Pier 1. Now it provides so much function for the table. I can put candles, keys, phones, remotes, drinks and appetizers on the tray without feeling nervous about ruining the table! And unlike the glass top, I don't have to worry about cleaning fingerprints all the time. I am so happy. The round tray mimics the pattern in the textured table. And the color of the wood matches perfectly with the reddish brown leather couches. Problem solved!!!

Oh Spray Paint, How I Love Thee

What do you do when you have an abundance of black frames, but wish they were white?

-Go to Home Depot
-Buy two cans of Rustoleum White Semi Gloss spray paint
-Clean all frames, take out glass and pictures and set aside
-Put cardboard on floor outside to protect the ground and place frames on cardboard
-Spray paint evenly over all frames until they are white
-Let dry for a few hours in a ventilated area
-Lay out frames on floor inside to find a pattern to place on the wall
-Hang 'em up
-Sit back and admire your wall of frames

Instead of spending $$$ on all new white frames, for just under $8 I was able to get 11 new white frames and have a little fun with a DIY project. Cheap and easy and pretty. Thank you spray paint!

Trick or Cheap

Being jobless=being moneyless. So this year's Halloween decorating budget=$0. Thankfully I had a few things lying around-as in a few bags of cobwebs and plastic spiders and one skull candle. It's not much, but it still looks like Halloween at my place. Anymore cheap decorating ideas-send 'em my way!

Room With A View

After a ton of unpacking and organizing and cleaning and doing it all over again, I can finally get back to blogging. Although there hasn't been a lot of down time, I make sure to take some time to check out my view everyday. So I just wanted to share. This should make some people jealous and want to come see this view for themselves (hint, hint).

Penny Pinchin'

Today is my last day of work. I feel such a mix of emotions. I am excited to move and start a new life in a new place, but I am also scared to leave the only area I have ever really known. I am sad to leave my family and friends and the employees I have worked with for the past two years. Here's a scary thought, my last paycheck comes today. Tomorrow I will wake up with no job and no more money coming my way. So I am also anxious to move so that I can continue my job search. I am stressed because I have never moved this far. I am just feeling every emotion possible right now! I started thinking about ways to save money while I search for jobs, and why not share with everyone, because we all know how the economy is right now...

Penny Pinchin' list:

1. Goodbye gym. I won't be signing up for a gym membership until I have a steady cash flow. This will save me $20-$50/mo. I plan on running to and on the beach, learning how to surf (maybe) and riding my bike everywhere I can. I have stairs in my new place so I might run up and down those too. The Internet is a great place to learn how to develop exercise routines that cost $0, so I plan on taking advantage of that information.

2. Make lists. Creating a list of needs and wants can save $$$$. This is actually similar to a diet. Many people suggest keeping a food log so you are held accountable for what you eat. It really is a way for people to see the good and the bad of what they do. So why not try the same thing for buying. I will make a list of wants versus needs. If I buy something it will be classified in one of the groups. This way I can see what I am buying that is useful and what I am wasting my money on. It will make me more conscious, and hopefully help me spend less!

3. Buy in bulk. Not only can I eliminate multiple trips to the store each week, but this method will help save a little gas too. I plan on taking full advantage of Costco for things like toilet paper, meats, bread, fruits and veggies. Since our groceries will be split in half, hopefully we will not waste anything that is perishable also.

4. Downgrade cable. I am sure going to miss my DVR, but until I get a job, I can live without it. It may also encourage me to get off the couch and get some exercise, which really is just an added bonus to saving money. And for those of you living without cable, I raise a glass to you, but I can't eliminate it completely. I need to stay in the loop.

5. Cancel subscriptions. This one doesn't apply to me, but I thought I would add it for others. Considering all of the information that is readily available on the Internet, why would you even need to buy a magazine?

6. Garage sale. I plan on having a garage sale once I settle. I know I have clothes, shoes, purses and home decor that I never use. Packing it up has actually made me discover how much I have. A garage sale is a great way to get some quick cash.

7. Dine in. Eating in can save a lot of money. You don't have to tip anyone for your food (minus giving yourself a pat on the back) and you don't have to pay for gas. I already do this a lot, and will continue to do so. It will be a little more difficult living in a new area and wanting to try new restaurants, however the positive is that I can polish my cooking skills/learn how to cook something other than tacos, taco salads and nachos.

8. Stay away from stores. Unless it is impossible for me to live without something (food, water, etc) I will not visit a store. If you are like me and go shopping just to "look," your going to buy something, don't lie to yourself. I really believe this theory that when you are looking for a specific something, you can never find it, but when you are not looking for something in particular, you find so many things that you want. I have to eliminate this completely. I'll save money, gas and prolong the life of my credit cards. Also, making lists for what you need helps you stay on track when you do need to visit a store.

I know I am missing a ton of things that would be helpful in saving. Feel free to add some of your own tips. And please keep your fingers crossed as my job search continues!

Come on Baby, "Light" My Fire

I'm here to share this great deal that really did light my fire. I am in LOVE with this Rectangle Hanging Capiz Pendant from West Elm, but the $89.99 price tag (on sale from $129), is just not working with my budget. So one day I did a little research and found another beauty that was made just for someone with a wallet my size!

This White Capiz Hanging Pendant beauty is from Cost Plus World Market. From past posts, I guess you can tell I found quite a few things I liked from there. I know it's not an exact match, but at $55.99 it will definitely do the trick.

So which one do you like better? Would you splurge for the West Elm version, or are you a bargain shopper like me? I need splurge stories people!

Honest Scrap Award

Thanks Heather, for passing along the "Honest Scrap" Award. I am so excited. The rules are to pass along the award to 7 bloggers who I think are honest in their blogging and then write 10 honest things about myself. Well, since I am new to blogging, I have only chosen 5 (6 if I could send it back to Heather, but she has already shared 10 honest things about herself on her post).

So here are 10 honest things about me:

1) I could eat Mexican food everyday.

2) I'm moving over 400 miles away from my family and friends and I am scared to death!

3) I hate talking on the phone, which explains the amount of texts I send each day.

4) If I could do college all over again, I would major in Interior Design.

5) I spend most of my money decorating my apartment (after paying rent and bills).

6) I have a goldfish, "Moses", who I won at the fair two years ago (hope he survives the move).

7) I could watch HGTV all day, everyday.

8) I actually enjoy cleaning.

9) I 'm afraid of the ocean, but I love the beach.

10) If I become a cat lady, I would be perfectly content.

Here are the 5 bloggers. I absolutely love checking out these blogs and find so much inspiration from you all. Thanks!!!


1) Young House Love

2) Bower Power

3) Making It Lovely

4) Freckles Chick

5) Mike And McGee

Chalk it Up Over a Glass of Wine

Literally. There will be plenty to talk about when it comes to using these glasses at your next party. What a fun way to personalize your glass for the night instead of using wine glass charms-especially when there are more glasses than charms for your guests! (Does that sound like the start of a sales pitch, maybe. Does World Market want to hire me, well they should.) The only problem I anticipate is chalk everywhere. Chalk is messy, but I could possibly get past that.

Although I managed to snap a picture of these babies, I forgot to make note of the price and I couldn't find them on the Cost Plus World Market website. Has anyone seen these before, even at another store?

From the Windows to the...

...sofas and bathrooms(???) A recent trip to Cost Plus World Market had me drooling. Let me explain. First, I love patterns. Second, I truly appreciate any and all things organized. And third, I love green.

Exhibit 1: Patterned curtains (for the windows, and the walls...)

Exhibit 2: Patterned, colorful pillows neatly organized on wall shelving (that's like, triple bonus!)

Exhibit 3: Lots of green, neatly organized towels.

I was (still am) completely in love with what I saw. It was torture walking the aisles and seeing so much I wanted, but taking home so little. However the things I did snag are quite wonderful too :) I'll share later!

It Never Hurts to Ask

If you are in the same boat as me and are moving in the near future, take advantage of the state of the economy. I had to rent a truck and chose Uhaul. The price of the 10 foot truck was $205 for 3 days and 500 miles, and I thought that was a pretty good deal. But wait, it gets better. I decided to take a chance and ask if there were any discounts available.

Convo:
Me: I was wondering if you had any discounts going on right now, like 15% or so.
Uhaul: I don't see a 15% discount, but I can give you a 30% discount if you make the reservation right now.
Me: Ok. That sounds good.
In my head: Yes. Yes! YES!

So that would be $143.50 instead of $205! That's so great. I am so happy with Uhaul (and myself) right now. I just hope everything else for the move goes smoothly. Lesson learned: It never hurts to ask!

Chair Repair

It all started with the stefan chair from IKEA. I have had this chair since I went to college. Although I don't have an office or even a desk anymore, I wanted to use it in my apartment. So I decided to "repair the chair." I headed to Home Depot for sandpaper and paint. Three coats of a very green paint and a few pillows later, I placed the chair in my apartment as a decorative object. Eventually I will use it as an desk chair again.

I have so much paint left over, that I painted soup cans to use them as vases. What other projects can I create with this lefover paint?

The Everlasting Flower

I feel like I write about flowers a lot, but I think they are such a great way to add personality, texture and color to a room. The pink flower below is a carnation, a.k.a the everlasting flower. When I got my oil changed at Big-O Tires more than two weeks ago, they gave me this flower. For two weeks it has been on my desk at work. Two weeks!!! I think that's pretty exciting.

9 Lives

Cats are not the only things that have 9 lives. I have found that home decor can last just as long. When I was living at home, before college, I had bought a set of two white wall frames. One had three slots for pictures and the other had one slot and then a mirror. When I moved to college, the frames went with me and underwent many picture changes throughout the years, from high school graduation to college parties to college graduation. When I moved into my current apartment, the frames were spray painted black to match my new room decor. And then I decided that when I move again, I will take them. Although I am not sure if they will go back to their original white color, I already made a few changes. Their new home will be in the dining room or kitchen. I have already given them a new look to math their new home. I took a few pictures in Napa this year and wanted to frame them. So I went to Walmart and printed a few pictures and placed them in the frames. I also thought that a mirror wouldn't be as necessary in the kitchen, so I bought a pack of cork board (4 pieces) at Walmart for around $5 and transformed the frame.

And now the mirror is being given another life as well. It is currently in my bathroom with a white flower candle on top. I haven't decided if it will stay. Perhaps a collection of perfume bottles or jewelry would be more fitting, but for now it works. There are a number of reasons that giving your items multiple lives is great. First, it saves a lot of money. I actually gained a new item, the mirror, added new artwork to my home, and added another purpose to the frame, which now serves to hold a picture and the cork board can be used to post things on. And the total cost was under $8! Also, little changes are always fun when you get a bit bored of your current decor. And most important for me is the stress that getting rid of things causes me. I have trouble letting go. And I almost forgot, it was quick and easy. These changes took all of 5 minutes.

And now a bit more texture has been added to the room!

So, do you have anything in your house, besides a cat, that is in it's 9th life?