Happy First Day of Spring!

It feels like spring here.  It was nice and warm today and it's supposed to be the same tomorrow!  Despite the weather I'm planning on buckling down and getting the sewing machine out to work on some pillows for the living room.  Maybe I'll have something to show off tomorrow.  All I have today is this pretty little $5 bouquet of tulips from Trader Joe's. 

Vintage Suitcase and Organic Burritos

Part II of my Saturday involved a trip to a thrift store and Kroger.  I haven't been thrifting in a long time because it is such a hassle to get a baby out of the car and into the stroller for what may turn out to be a quick look around the store to discover that they have nothing.  Since the thrift store we went to is so close to our house and they have some stuff with potential in the window, I decided to make a stop. 

I found a vintage suitcase for $9!  I'd been looking for one (or some) and the ones that I've seen have been way too expensive.

Hopefully I can find some more that are just as cheap.  I want to stack them underneath a console table, but first I have to sell a bookcase, buy a cheap console table and more suitcases....so it'll probably be a while before I get to use this blue beauty.

My next find was a wooden cheese plate to put under a glass dome that I already owned.  It cost a whopping $2 and it's the perfect size.

My fake little Ikea plant looks at home under there.

After tax I spent about $12 and I'll definitely be checking back on a regular basis.

When we were done at the thrift store it was off to Kroger to get a few things that Trader Joe's didn't have when we made our weekly trip.  Kroger's doing one of their mega events so I was able to get quite a few things for about $17.  With store deals and coupons I saved 53%!

I forgot to put the giant bunch of bananas I bought on the counter.

Lately we've been trying to buy organic, especially fruits, veggies and animal products, but I still use Kroger when they have great deals on things that don't need to be organic.  I use the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists to know which items I should buy organic and which ones I shouldn't. 

Kroger also has a pretty wide selection of organic items, and there are usually some deals to be found even if they are not listed in the weekly ad.  This week I found PJ's organic burritos for $2.  That may seem like a lot, but when you consider that there is organic chicken in there, $2 is a steal. 

$17 on groceries and $12 on stuff for house.  Good Saturday!

Cupcakes and Pork Chops

Doesn't sound like a great combination does it?  Well, both of those items made our Saturday very exciting.

First, the three of us set out this morning to use this baby.

I need some khaki pants badly.  They are a necessary evil for a teacher, but I didn't find anything.  My husband and I left Gap and Banana Republic empty handed and decided we could use a little pick-me-up so we proceeded to what I think is the best cupcake shop in Raleigh (possibly the world?).

We discovered Gigi's a couple months ago and we are hooked.  The cupcakes are so good.  The shop is actually a franchise with 36 locations.  I feel kind of guilty for turning my back on Raleigh's locally owned, The Cupcake Shoppe (whose store is way cuter than Gigi's), but Gigi's cupcakes just taste so much better.  They have such unique flavors that vary daily.  My husband got a red velvet cupcake and I got a Kentucky bourbon pie cupcake.

How cute is that little white chocolate heart?

Now, on to the pork chops...we've been looking for a place to buy locally raised meat that actually comes from a farm (not a stockyard) with no hormones or antibiotics.  My husband and I have decided that we will no longer purchase cheap meat.  We decided that we'd rather pay a higher price for meat and eat less of it than run the risk of exposing our son to e.coli, salmonella, hormones, and antibiotics, all of which aren't present in free-range, real farm-raised meat.

We are so glad that the Raleigh Farmer's Market is about five minutes away from where we live.  We made a stop on the way home and found The Well's Pork and Beef shop. 

 

Yay!

    Ok!

Yum!

I'm actually not eating meat right now in an effort to lose the baby weight that I'm still carrying around, but when we cook the pork chops that we bought I might have to have a little taste. 

After we got home and Little Man took a nap, we headed back out to do a little grocery and thrift store shopping.  I found some great things that I'll post about tomorrow.  I think I'll title that one "Vintage Suitcase and Organic Burritos."

13 Months of Photos

Our Nikon DSLR is probably definitely one of the best purchases we've ever made.  It was a good chunk of change, but it's been worth every penny.  I'll probably do a post all about it in the future, but for now I just had to post a little cuteness.  

The photo above is from an impromptu photo session I did with the little man this afternoon.  The sun was so beautiful and it was so warm I had to try and get some pictures, even though it was dinner time and we had skipped his regular afternoon nap.  I couldn't get him to smile at the camera, but considering the mood he was in I think we did OK.

I will be forever thankful for the amount of decent pictures we have of Little Man that we otherwise wouldn't have if we had a point and shoot camera.

None of them is spectacular or particularly creative, but here are some pictures I've taken throughout the year.  There's one from each month of Little Man's life.

Sunburst and Quatrefoil Mirrors at Target

 Look what Target has!

 Stupid me didn't get the price on this one (I'm thinking $34.99?)...or the size (it's not very big) and it's not available online. Doh.

The sunburst mirror is out of stock online but you can click here for the measurements.  I'm pretty sure it was $24.99.

I can't believe I forgot to record the most important thing about those mirrors: the price.  Oh well, It's been one of those days.  I had a student point out that I had missed a belt loop and I skipped a button on my shirt today.  

Let's just look at some pretty rooms, OK?

via decorpad

via decorpad

via decorpad

p.s.  There's a bigger quatrefoil mirror at Lowe's for $64.99!

Land's End for The Home

I had no idea that Land's End has a home line until I stumbled upon it yesterday.  Their home line is classically American and casual just like their clothes.   Some of the items are pricey, while some of them are a steal.  Here's a mix of my favorites. 

1.  200-count Geo Print Percale Sheets:  clearance for 12.97-19.97
2.  Ellison Plum Jar Lamp:  $129 (yikes)
3.  Paisley Throw Rug:  $39.50-$99.50
4.  Nautical Canvas Pillow Cover:  clearance 15.99
5.  Boating Stripe Pillow Cover:  clearance 14.97
6.  Herringbone Ikat Pillow Cover:  $39.50
7.  Chunky Knit Pillow Cover:  clearance 16.97
8.  Geometric Pattern Rug:  $39.50-$99.50 (Oh, how I wish I had a place to put that rug!)

No Sew, Lined Drapery Panels

My curtains are done and hung!

Here's the rundown of what it cost me:
6 yds. of fabric, $7/yard:  $42
2 Wal-Mart sheets, $4/sheet:  $8
2 rolls of Heat n Bond, $2.50/roll:  $5
                                  Supplies: $57
                                               -$35 (cash from old curtains sold on Craigslist)
                                      Total:  $20

$10 for each fully lined, 104 inch, floor to molding panel!  

These certainly aren't the most inexpensive curtains ever made.  I'd guess that they're actually pretty expensive DIY curtains because of the cost of the fabric.  I could have spent less, but that fabric (which looks more blue in person) was so perfect it was worth it, especially since I was able to sell my old curtains.

Here's what I did:

1.  Trim the sheet so that there is about three inches less sheet on three sides.

The picture below is the top of the curtain.  I left more at the top to create a pocket for a curtain rod.

2.  With the adhesive side down and paper liner up, iron on the Heat n Bond so that half is on the liner and half is on the drapery fabric.  Do this on the left, right and bottom of the panel.  Then peel the paper liner back.

 3.  Beginning with the bottom of the panel,  fold the curtain fabric twice.  The rough edge should not show and the adhesive should be covered so that when it's ironed, it will bond the hem.  Repeat with the other two sides.

4.  (I didn't get a picture of this! Oops)  Fold the top of the panel twice to cover up the rough edge (like the picture above, except it shouldn't be touching the lining) and iron on the Heat n Bond so that half is on the folded over fabric and half is on the back of the curtain fabric.  Peel off the paper liner and fold the top of the panel down so there is about three inches between where the top of the curtain will be and the part that you just hemmed.  This should create a pocket for the curtain rod.  Iron the fabric so that the Heat n Bond adheres.

Sorry if that last step was confusing!  Here's a picture of what it should look like:

I'm so glad to have these curtains finished.  Step one of re-coloring my living room:  done and done! 

Just a little footnote...this stuff is the bomb.  I ended up using exactly one roll for each panel.

Back to:

My Weekend

I got so much done this weekend.  I finished my curtains and got them hung,  I installed book rails in my son's room and I sent a car load of stuff to The Salvation Army.  Good weekend.  I'll have a whole post on my curtains tomorrow...until then here's a little sneak peak.  Look at how high they are!  Right up against the molding!

Inspiration: Interiors from Parenthood

Parenthood is one my new favorite shows.  Well, I guess it's not so new.  It's in its second season, but I don't think it's gained the popularity it deserves yet.  One of the things that makes it a favorite is all of the beautiful interiors (designed by Julieann Getman) of the different houses the in which the show takes place.  They're each so different, well put together, and believable as real, lived-in spaces.  There are three main houses and each of them fits its fictional family so well.

I thought I'd post a few inspiring pictures from the show before the weekend starts since I've already laid out my plans for the next two days.

p.s. Sorry if these have already made the rounds in the blog world and this is old news. 

I picked one picture from each house.  I'll start with my favorite.  I love the color scheme.

via casasugar.com

 This living room looks so cozy.

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In all its modern glory:

via casasugar.com

One Thing In, One Thing Out

We don't have much room to store unnecessary stuff at our house, so when something comes in I try to get an item that we already own out.  Judging by the state of one of our junk drawers, you could guess that I'm not very good at sticking to my own little policy. 

Today, however, was different.  I followed my own rule and the olive green drapes that were in our living room have found a new home thanks to Craigslist. 

They will not sit in a closet for years taking up space while I wait for them to be useful again.  Plus, the cash I got for the drapes pretty much covers the cost of the new ones.  Woo hoo!

This weekend I plan on taking care of our many junk drawers (and closets) to make up for a couple years of not following the "one in, one out" rule.  Wish me luck.