St. Patty's Day Inspiration

St.Pattys day is just a few weeks away and it looks like everyone is "getting their green on" just in time! You can hop on over to Irish Italian Blessing's St.Pattys Day par-tay and check out all her festivities. She's got it going on!!! ....Giveaways, recipes, crafts, AND FREE printables...you name it, she's got!!!




Below is more inspiration that's sure to get your juices flowing:


First off check out this totally ADORABLE picture frame from Blooming Homestead's blog.

And this cake!YUM-O!

Don't cha just {LOVE} this mantel from Hoosier Homade's place?!?!

.....and get a load of these nail designs. What a perfect way to seal the deal on your St.Pattys day outfit!

Then of course my all time favorite....LUCKY CHARMS! This is a great idea for your kids and husband. Heck, even I would love to have some Lucky Charms on St. Pattys day morning!!!! :)

Don't forget St.Pattys day is right around the corner on Saturday, March 17th, so be a good little leprechaun and hop on over to visit Irish Italian Blessing and get YOUR green on!!! (so you don't get pinched)!


-Jennifer

Special WUSLU Delivery for me and a wreath to top it off!

Today the weather in KC was awesome, to say the least! The temp today was around 65 and it was sunny with a clear sky. Of course with weather like that I started feeling Spring fever, so I had to break out my supplies and start working on changing out the dull winter decor with Spring accessories. The first thing I wanted to tackle was the wreath on the front door. Its the first thing I see when I pull up to the house after a long day at work so I want it to be a wreath that is eye catching yet inviting and fun with yellows and greens, so here's what I came up with, using what I already had-grapevine wreath, floral stems, and burlap wired ribbon. (LOVE burlap ribbon)

I wrapped the burlap ribbon around the wreath then tucked the ends inside some of the twigs so I didn't have to hot glue. I like changing this wreath out a lot so I didn't want to glue anything to it. Then I added the floral stems and tied a bow at the bottom. I thought it looked a little plain so I decided to add some random polka dots to the ribbon. For the polka dots I put some Old World acrylic paint in yellow on a paper plate then took the eraser side of a pencil and dabbed on the paint in random polka dots. Until I got the desired affect I was looking for. I really like the final product considering it was a NO-BUDGET/LOW BUDGET project.

Now, for the big finale.......my very FIRST WUSLU order has arrived! I ordered the wood and metal lantern and I absolutely LOVE it!!! For now I have it sitting on our fireplace hearth next to my tall candlesticks, but I hope to incorporate it into my spring decor later this week.

And for those of you who have yet to discover WUSLU, it is an online daily-deal shop that emails out a new daily deal every day. The deals include all sorts of home decor items that range from baskets to pillows, to subway art to mirrors, you name it!!! You can copy and paste this address into your browser to find the WUSLU website- http://wuslu.com/email/Todays-deal-large-new.jpg Enjoy! Jennifer

Restore ROCKS!

For those of you who already know about Habitat Restore just raise your hands and shout (woot woot!) for those of you unfamiliar with Habitat Restore, you can thank me later for introducing you! LOL :) Habit Restore is Habitat for Humanity's outlet basically which means they sell donated goods from contractors and the general public at a fraction of the retail price. What does that mean for us DIYers and crafters? That means WE get to buy doors, crown moulding, door knobs, tile, rugs/carpet, paint, you name it-at a major discount. Some of the materials are new and overstock, some are used, and some are antique in nature. When you walk into their store you get a feeling like you've gone to DIY heaven! LOL Below are some pics of materials I purchased to use in my upcoming projects.

Here is a bin full of spindles and I couldn't resist them so I bought two for my project! They had wood and iron spindles and I bought two wood and one iron.

Here is a pic of a lot of chairs for sale. They lowered the price to $10 so the chairs are dirt cheap which makes them the perfect candidates for a redo!

Need a lamp shade? They gotcha covered! Look at the stack of lampshades...and at $2.50?! I am still considering going back to get one.

And of course they have a section for lighting. There was such a good selection of lighting and it was going fast! They also carry cabinets, cabinet doors, cabinet hardware, countertops, and this time they had a load of upholstered head boards that appeared to be from a hotel liquidation. So if you are in the market for DIY/craft supplies, I encourage you to give the Habitat Restore a looking. All of your money that you spend goes back into the operation of Habitat for Humanity so you are not only helping others but you are also getting a great deal for yourself too......which in turn sparks your creativity....right?!?! :) -Jennifer

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!

That's French for "let the good times roll". You'll see this a lot in New Orleans throughout the year but definately during Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is today, Tuesday, February 21st. This day is also known as Fat Tuesday and its the day before Ash Wednesday and Lent. Here's a fun fact: The first Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans was held on February 24th 1857, and has been a tradition ever since! If you have ever been to New Orleans you know what an exciting place it is and I can only imagine how crazy it can be during this time of the year. I was very fortunate to have visited New Orleans and the French Quarter in 2004, before Hurricane Katrina devasted the enter Gulf Coast. In celebration of Mardi Gras, I thought I would share with you some festive pictures: Enjoy mes amis!...and LESSEZ LE BON TEMPS ROULEZ!!!! -Jennifer A festive wreath decked out with beads and a fleur de lis:

Source: blog.mardigrasoutlet.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

King Cake cupcakes...adorable and yummy!:

Source: bakingbites.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

The famous Bignets (hopefully from Cafe du Monde):

Source: ourbestbites.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Hurricane drinks from none other than Pat Obriens (to wash down all that jumbalaya)

Source: nolaimports.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: favoritepaintcolors.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Love this color pallet. Its very cottage/beachy. Would love to do this board and batten in my house somewhere.

Spring is in the air!!!!

Just a shout out to everyone about the upcoming Spring'tacular Link Party Parade at DebbieDoos in March. Come check out all the new spring decorating! I can't wait to see whats in store for everyone!

Shabby Chic Love

My love for shabby chic is strong this week so I am letting out my inner shabby chic princess today by sharing some gorgeous pics I found recently off of Shabby Chic Mania's site.  They gave me the urge to make all things pink, yellow, and white! Just look at these beautiful peonies! GORGEOUS! 

Then of course there is this beautiful bedroom I found. Just makes me want to jump into the bed and take a nap! The sparkling white and cream linens look oh so comfy AND cute! :)

Last but definitely not the least of what I want to show you, is this shabby chic bathroom. So practical but yet sophisticated-ly shabby chic. I love chandeliers in the bathroom...they add so much character! 

I hope as Spring approaches you can incorporate some of the shabby chic elements into your home...esp if you love them as much as I do! 

TGIF my friends! 

Jennifer

Today I wanted to share with you one of my true loves....no, not chocolate, although that is a good guess LOL ...but antique/heirloom bowls. About 5 years ago I discovered beautiful antique bowls and I've been in love with them ever since! They intrigue me because I wonder who originally bought the bowl and what they used it for. I can imagine a scene from something like Little House on the Prarie and a lady in a long colonial dress mixing dough in the bowls or serving fresh fruit to her friends and family. After I bought a couple I decided to get a bowl rack to display my collection and I'm glad I did. I love it and I get compliments on it all the time. Here's a picture of my bowl rack displaying a hodge podge of bowls in all different colors and textures, and a few close ups of various bowls.

As I began collecting the bowls I quickly learned how expensive they can be. Real antique ones sell for hundreds of dollars, which is why I started buying replicas. I get the same look as the real antique ones for a fraction of the price. I discovered that Athome America has a really nice variety of bowls (no they did not pay me to say that), and their prices are just right. You can find their website at www.athome.com

This is a pic of the next bowl I plan to purchase from Athome America. I've been eyeballing it for a while now and would like to use it this summer for Memorial day thru the 4th of July. Its a perfect summer piece with the stars and all. I love it!

I use the bowls in the kitchen to serve food but I also use them to display potpourri, rose hips and cinnamon sticks in the fall, and I have even added them to my Christmas displays as a holder for pinecones, ornaments, and other things. Even a good holder/display for buttons or in a kids room to hold hair accessories or crayons. They are durable and one of my favorite things.

Thanks for stopping by...have a wonderful weekend!

Jenn

Saturday be-you-tiful YOU!

Hello all!
Its been a while since I last posted. With working so much over the holidays AND being sick in January I watched my blog die, which led me to my NY resolution to spend more time and attention on my blog this year, so you will definately start to hear from me a lot more in 2012!

Today I'd like to show you a few beauty items that I can not live without.  For those of you who do not know me let me inform you on a little secret...I am a product junkie! With that being said it was not easy for me to pick out only three items that I love since, lets be honest, I love them ALL! :) So, after giving it some thought and discipline, I made myself come up with the top three (and I'm not endorsed what so ever by any of these products) so here goes:

#1-Halo Illuminating Color Protector-
For those of us who hilight or color our hair this is a life saver! It is high gloss rinse that you apply to your hair mid way thru your color cycle to make your color last longer. It rejuvenates your color by adding a glossy shine to your hair and in the end saves you money since it extends the life of your color.

#2-Loreal Hydra Perfect Loose Powder-
Powder is a tricky beast. Some of us love it and others of us hate it. I for one love it but I have combination skin that is more oily in the summer and dry as heck in the winter so I have learned that I have to change out certain products as the weather changes-powder being one of them. In the winter I love to use this powder because it sets my make up VERY nicely without caking or drying me up. You end up with a velvety smooth finish to your face. KID you not folks..love this stuff!

#3-Aveda Beautifying Composition- (GRAND FINALE)
Oh yes! This baby ROCKS! When I was first introduced to it I thought who would slather oil all over their face....yes I was skeptical. Then, wouldn't you know it, I had a facial one day at an Aveda salon and to my suprise they used this oil all over my face! I thought oh no! Oil...on my face? That could only end with clogged pores and sludge all over my face, right? WRONG!!!!  This oil is amazing! It is made up of all plant based oils so there is NO PETROLEUM in it. All natural folks and your skin absorbs it without leaving ANY residue or traces behind and it laves your skin not only moisturized but nuturished. Its like a V8 for your skin! SERIOUSLY! And the best part is you can add drops of this to your bath water for all over loveliness or put it in your hair. This is a MUST HAVE in my weekly routine. (I use it about once or twice a week before putting on my makeup). Let it fully be absorbed before applying make up.

Ok so there's my top three products. If you have not tried any of them I encourage you to give them a try and if you DO use any of them please let me know what you think. I'm always open for suggestions and comments myself as I love discovering new things!

Have a beautiful Saturday!
-Jenn