Archive for November, 2011

What to buy me for Christmas #4

November 20th, 2011

This is the fourth post of my ‘What to buy me for Christmas’ series. Please leave comments with any gift-finding questions.

Everyone should own a robe and while they vary drastically in price and style, they generally give the sentiment of luxury and relaxation – who on your list wouldn’t want that?  I own a couple robes and they each serve a different purpose. My big, cozy robe used to belong to my dad and it has fond memories woven through its 1980′s striped velour. I also have a light, cotton robe for summer, but I don’t have a nice, silky, feminine robe that has a sense of luxury and class. I stay at home with my kids and work out of my house, so lounge wear is an important part of my wardrobe. When I’m not going anywhere, it seems that this robe would  be a step up from my ugly pajamas or exercise clothes. It is made of vintage silk saris. Not only is it from recycled materials, each one is unique, bright colored and beautiful. I found it in a catalog called Acacia and while I’ve never ordered from them, they somehow got my address. Most of their stuff has an earthy, yoga, zen-vibe, but there are other styles mixed in. Another fun robe for a more elegant (and maybe dramatic) feel is this starlet robe from Soft Surroundings. Again- no clue where these random catalogs come from, but I’m trying to broaden your horizons here. If the prices of these robes seem too steep, there is always the option of pairing a backward Snuggie with a chic belt. Try to guess if I’m kidding.

And one of my best-kept shopping secrets…..whenever I order ANYTHING online, I check retail-me-not for coupons first.

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Kindergarten has happened. My life must now change.

November 15th, 2011

The whole transition from baby-rearing to school-aged humans is difficult for me. Most of the damage I did while they were younger will be forgotten, but now they will start remembering. And taking mental notes to tell a therapist in the future. All this to say that my son started kindergarten and we needed an easy way to stay organized so we didn’t forget anything in the morning rush. We have an odd wall in the hallway that was not being used to its full potential, so I decided to make it our school home-base.

I’ve been wanting to use reclaimed wood for years now and I decided to tackle it in this small space to see how it worked out. I grabbed some disgusting, rotting wood from my grandparent’s backyard and started sanding, spraying and cleaning. Once I was convinced that all the critters/rot/funk were gone, I started painting them to look like they were all from different buildings and signs. I dry-brushed them and spray painted a few stencils to create the effect. Since I am lazy, I decided it would be an abstract installation instead of a fully covered wall (so I wouldn’t have to cut or measure anything).

I had a collection of cool hooks and clips for a different project that didn’t happen, so they found a home on top of these boards. I randomly placed them so the kids could reach some and not others. I stole the clock from my family room (I was sick of looking at it in that spot anyway) and made it the final piece. The end product has enough room for jackets, hats, bags, helmets, keys, notes and important papers.  Even my umbrella and sunglasses found a happy spot to rest. Now I have less of an excuse to be late for school.

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What to buy me for Christmas #3

November 10th, 2011

In my quest to find interesting gifts that yours truly would love to own, I’ve come across a home decor item that I must rant about first. Ottomans, poufs, floor pillows, whatever you want to call them – are so versatile. They can be tucked under tables and benches for extra seating or just used to fill empty spaces in larger rooms. They can act as tables with trays on top, foot-rests, and temporary places to perch. Not only are they (usually) affordable, but they are a quick way to add color, depth and interest to your space.

That said, I want several of these knitted poufs. I’ve been eyeing the ones on CB2, trying to decide which color would work best for me. Then they had to go and add more colors and start making them at other stores (Cost Plus!) and now I’m really stumped. One of the reasons I like this particular pouf is because it works with nearly every decor style. Modern, eclectic, traditional – you name it, it works.

These two poufs differ by about $20 in price, so I’m curious if the difference in quality is noticeable. If you are interested in purchasing one, they have all of the colors in-store at Cost Plus, or if you spend $99 at CB2 you get free shipping.

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What to buy me for Christmas #2

November 7th, 2011

In case you missed my first post, I’m doing a series of gift ideas that I love. Next on my list is a perfume that I read about in some random fashion magazine. I’m not super into fragrances and when there are lengthy articles about the ‘top notes’, I move on. But this had a quick description of Fendi’s new smell being inspired by their vintage leather handbags and jasmine. Sold! I love the smell of leather and at the risk of making animal-lover enemies, I will never buy the fake stuff. My leather jackets, boots – even my sofa, are my favorite items because of how they age and wear and smell. That said, I tracked down a sample of the perfume – Fan Di Fendi and I love it. Fragrance is a very personal thing to buy and I advise only buying a perfume that is specifically requested or that can be returned. I learned the hard way last year…. sorry mom, the bottle was so pretty!

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The holidays are sneaking up on me

November 2nd, 2011

The first step of starting the holiday season off right is having an egg nog latte from Starbucks. Done. Now, I start pulling all of my scarves and gloves out of my closet to air out the ‘I’ve been crammed in a small space for too long’ smell. Next, I will start my shopping list. Often when I am looking for gift ideas for friends and family, I end up only finding things that I want. So, in honor of my new positive spin on the season – I’m gonna document all the things I want but truly don’t need – which is the definition of a gift, in my opinion. This will be the first of a series entitled ‘What to buy me for Christmas’. Please don’t feel obligated to buy these items for me (did that really need to be said?), just use them as inspiration to start your gift shopping – because if I happen to like something, maybe your loved ones will, too.

I really don’t want to set any parameters for this, so prices and topics will be all over the place. But if you want help finding a gift for a certain someone or need ideas in a certain price range, please leave a comment or message me. I receive an obscene amount of catalogs in the mail, as well as emails from every shopping site known to man. My goal is to show you cool, unexpected places to buy things, as well as giving you tips on how to use the gifts – whether for fashion or home or beauty or whatever.

And so my wishlist begins with these super cute mini chairs from Chiasso. Now, why on earth would someone want doll house-sized chairs? Well, because I can’t afford the real thing right now and don’t have the space for them anyway. This group of chairs includes the most iconic designs of the 1950′s-1970′s. I would put this set on a display shelf, or across a mantel. They could even be used for place card holders at your dining room table. They are a great way to show that you appreciate the designers of decades past without having to get a personal loan.

If you aren’t familiar with Chiasso, it’s a great source for funky, modern pieces in a mid to high price-point – depending on what you compare it to, of course. I have ordered a few pieces in the past and the quality seems good. Right now they are offering free shipping and have a ton of unique gifts.

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