Inspirational Closets

I would really love to have a beautiful closet.  My current one is not the worst closet I've ever had but it is not beautiful or inspirational.  But the lighting is definitely the worst, a persnickety fluorescent ceiling fixture.  Sometime it comes on when the switch is flipped but most times not.
As a teenager I loved getting dressed for the day and would obsess about never wearing the same thing twice in a month (I kept a calendar to keep track).  Yes, a bit dramatic and incredibly self absorbed, but fun!  These days I find myself throwing on whatever is clean and not terribly in need of an iron.  But lucky me!  My mom was cleaning out her closet and gifted me some fabulous clothing and shoes. Sadly, there is no room for them until I start throwing stuff out.

So, I've been looking for some inspiration on line to get me started and found some! 

ERINN VALENCICH'S Closet as seen on House Beautiful.com

Clutter Control Freak blog

Real Simple magazine

From the Desk of Annie: The All Things Interior Design

From the Desk of Annie: All Things Interior Design

I saw a lot of "celebrity" closets which were interesting but not really inspirational for a normal size wardrobe and closet.  I just stuck to the smaller versions of rooms I liked.  It appears that I really like chandeliers and wallpaper in a closet.  Fun!

Awesome Coupons You Can Get!

I had some fun this week shopping with 2 fabulous coupons.  The first was $10 off a $10 purchase from JCPenney's.  This coupon is sent to you once a month after you sign up for the JCP Rewards program.  I was able to get a pair of sandals that light up for Katherine and a birthday gift for my husband and paid just a little over $5.

I also received a $15 off a $15 purchase from Lane Bryant.  If you shop at this store regularly then you already know that I was heading straight for the clearance items.  Lane Bryant is a store that sells expensive clothing size 14 and up.  However, they have some really nice accessories for everyone.  I picked up a cute ruffled cardigan on clearance and a pair of trouser socks for .54 cents!  I believe you must go to the store and ask to be on their mailing list.  This coupon is not monthly but comes around pretty often.

Coupon Workshop

Last night I went to a Southern Savers "Extreme Coupon Workshop". We had to drive an hour north of here and it was $10 at the door but it was worth it! I learned all kinds of things that I didn't even know to ask about or look up. Here's a list of just some of the things I learned:

1. Extreme couponing done well will save you 60% off your usual bill. 
2. Wal-Mart is not a couponer's friend. Yes, they have low prices but we want "rock bottom" prices.
3. Publix is THE best place to get those rock bottom prices. They want you to use their coupons and shop their store.
3. The house brand is 2x the price of a name brand item that is on sale.
4. Publix has awesome rain checks. If an item is not on the shelf ask for a raincheck and ask for a large item limit. You will be able to use it until the limit has been reached, not neccesarily all in one transaction.

I learned more about CVS'ing as well but I have some practice to do before I can share!

Last Week's Thrifted Finds

I did go to some yard sales Saturday morning but I didn't buy a lot.  I was lucky to find a costume dress for Katherine and a beautiful navy church dress.  The boots were $1, I couldn't pass that up.  Two pairs of pj's for Charlie and a vintage Christmas tablecloth for myself, it was also only $1.

Mom and I went to a consignment sale that was 50% off on Monday.  That was fun!  I found some good stuff at really good prices.

Fall Tablescape

I was lucky to be given the job of decorating for a small church event.  My mercury glass collection is pretty so I was sure I was going to be using it.  At first I was thinking of pairing it with hot pink then Mom suggested to go with a Fall theme.
After redoing the porch I was inspired and knew I had some Fall decorations that would look great.  In my search for a tablecloth I came across a brown damask one that I had forgotten about.  What luck!
I needed more than what I had at home so I shopped Mom's house for some stuff.  She always has great things, including the battery operated candles.  They added a nice soft flicker to all the glass.

I was also in charge of the dessert.  My favorite thing for a crowd is a cupcake.  No messy cutting of cake!  I found a recipe on Annies-Eats.  It called for making your cake from scratch and to use the classic buttercream icing recipe but I used my own recipe and a cake mix.  I really liked her idea of the apples and the impressive look of the final cupcake. 
If you want a taste of Fall you'll love this one also from Family Fun, "Mini Pumpkin Tarts".  The recipe called for a can of pumpkin but our Publix didn't have any so I used canned sweet potato.  This turned out great!  They are on the top tier in this photo.

These "acorns" were so much fun to build.  I found this idea also on Family Fun.  They are just donut holes topped with chocolate icing and rolled in toffee.  The stems are pretzels.  They turned out super cute!  Now the taste isn't near as good as they look but who cares!

Front Porch Facelift

Our front porch was looking worn and ragged from a long very hot summer.  My poor hanging baskets have become "leggy" and rather unattractive and the wreath I had to have several months ago, I'm tired of looking at.  It's time for a seasonal change.

I don't remember what I had on the door last year but I pulled two sad looking wreaths stuffed away in the attic.  Here's one of them.

I spent some time combining the two and it looks so much better. 

         

I gathered some of my second hand finds and whipped up a new look.  This is the first time I've been able to do that without having to buy anything.

I'm ready for some fall weather to come now.

Good Finds This Weekend

We had the BEST weather this weekend.  I spent several hours outside at yard sales and decorating the front porch.  While I was busy the kids played "eat the lizard".  Katherine would hold up the lizard she caught and demand Charlie eat it.  He would open his mouth and really try to.

Today I came home with just a couple of things from some yard sales:

-the baby deer  1.50

-box of autumn fruit and berries   .50

-suspenders   .25

-bag of vintage tinsel   .25

I bought the clothes from a consignment sale that was 75% off today.  I bought 12 items for $15.00!  I'm not sure how long the fawn will get to stay.  Chuck doesn't like him and Charlie is currently afraid of him.

BOO!

Off on Winged Shoes

I saw an idea on Etsy a few weeks ago and loved it.  A pair of wings for some tennis shoes.  But I couldn't find it again to buy them!  So I made a pair from a vinyl bag that I bought for $.25.

I used my eyelet setter for scrap booking to make the holes, that worked really well.  I added stitching by hand since the fabric wouldn't feed through my sewing machine. 

They're not near as pretty as the original idea but Katherine's loving them!

Costume Ideas

I've already been hunting for Halloween costumes.  I prefer homemade costumes or something unusual.  Which is why I like to start fairly early so I have plenty of time to search for stuff and to create. Martha Stewart is always a good source for something good.  I've really enjoyed her last two Halloween magazines.  Here are a couple of good ones:

Owls are super hot this year, I was tempted by these two costumes:

And you might remember last year's peacock costume was inspired by the children's catalog, Chasing Fireflies.  This year I really liked the "Medusa".  We're going to purchase the headpiece but come up with the rest on our own. 

As for Charlie, I'm thinking just the classic Dracula would be good.  But I really want this adorable gnome costume (I LOVE HIM) I found last year but I know that the beard would never make it.  Maybe I should go for it anyway.

A gnome and Medusa, I guess we're really not going for a cohesive family look.

The Answer to a Serious Question

Okay I went back to Sonic and had a small talk with an assistant manager.  She verified that tips are welcome as a nice gesture but employees are certainly not to ask for them.  Tips are also given at the drive-thru as well.  As for the refills?  Yes, Sonic does give free refills.
My thoughts on Sonic after all this drama:
I'd rather eat better food for the same price at our local Mexican restaurants who also have free refills and work just as hard or harder for their tips.  No time to sit?  I'll go to any other drive-thru.