It's good to give

Ever get sick of clothes, home furnishings, books and whatnot just cluttering up your house? Well, we totally do...probably every other month, we go through our house and closets just to see what we don't need or use anymore and make a huge Goodwill run. Not only do you get to rid your house of clutter, you also get to make donations that benefit those in need of job assistance, clothing and a better life. Plus, your donation is tax deductible, so keep your receipts.

We donated a bunch of books we have already read, clothes (my rule is if I haven't worn it in a year, I am not going to), some bookshelves we had, pillows and videos. I don't think we even have a VCR anymore. However, they will not accept items such as used underwear and bras, for pretty obvious reasons. So, if it is trash, just throw it away, don't waste their time. They go through every item donated to make sure is it safe, clean and working, so don't donate just anything, be discriminating and throw away what is really trash.

Cleaning out your home can give you a whole new outlook on life too. I find that when I go through old items that have just been hiding in the closet and I donate them, I fell good for donating to a worthy cause and all of a sudden the house feels bigger and lighter. It feels like a weight has been lifted and my house is even more clean and organized, which I love. Don't get me wrong, I am not a neat freak, but I do have certain places for certain things. I like being organized, it gives me a sense of control and makes everything easy to find. So, my advice to you is now that spring is upon us, purge purge purge. It will make you feel better, I promise!

Remodeling

Alex and I bought a small red brick house built in 1958. Suffice it to say, it needed some updating. Within the last 3 1/2 years, we have been slowly, but steadily remodeling our home. We have painted, landscaped, built a pergola for the patio and various other projects I can't even think of. Well, our next big project is the remodeling of the bathrooms. We have decided to re-tile both of them and create a larger shower in the master bath (not so much of a master, it is smaller than the other one). So, we went to look at tile and picked out some very neutral tile with some listels and accents to make it pop. We got the samples home and laid them out, but then realized that we picked out tile that would better suit a newer home.

Here is the tip for today: when remodeling your home, try to stay with the style of your home, but in totally modern ways. Confused? What I mean is basically pick out things that you like, but not something that is going to clash with the period or style of your home. For example, you wouldn't want decorate a very modern architectural home with country accents, it just wouldn't go. Feel free to experiment, though. Take home samples and lay them pout. Paint small patches of different colors on your walls and then pick your favorite. So, we are going to pick out new tile this week and keep in mind the style and time period of our home.

Great Site-Brocade Home

I was reading up on my pop culture the other day on http://www.popsugar.com/ and came across this beautiful home style website. http://www.brocadehome.com/ is one of the coolest sites I have come across. I love intricate fabrics and classic patterns in my furniture and furnishings, and Brocade really offers a lot of choices for this. French patterns and silk fabric are a few of my favorite things, but financially can be well out of my reach. This site offers many options for this kind of decorating and, in my opinion, is not over-the-top price wise. I also believe, though, that is there is something you really really love and have to have it in your home, save up for it. We can't all afford to have everything we want right when we want it. Saving is a great idea because some things really cannot be substituted for. Check it out for some great vintage inspired pieces at reasonable prices. The sale section is great and check back often because they are always adding to this area. And, for all of you parents out there, they have a children's section called Petit Boudoir with just wonderful bedroom accents for the little ones in your life.

Also, I have found that this site gives awesome ideas and inspirations for homes that can be both feminine, beautiful, but also comfortable for manly men in your life. I know that Alex doesn't like his house to be too frilly, so I do my best to balance out both feminine and masculine aspects. A great way to do this, I think, is to designate a room together that can be just his. Alex has an office in our house (also happens to be where his closet is) and I have completely let him decorate it however he wants. Although he had workout equipment and free weights in there, it is his room and he can do whatever he wants in there. It makes us both happy, and that is really what it is all about.

West Elm sale

West Elm is a store (mostly catalog) that is owned by Pottery Barn. However, it could not be more different. The style is very modern, but warm and cozy at the same time. They use a lot more bold colors and clean straight lines in their designs. I absolutely love the catalog and online store and wish they would open a store in out area.

Also, the price point is much more affordable than some items at PB. The furniture is very well priced and it is very good quality. It is definitely worth trying, and even better, they are having a sale online with items up to 60% off, awesome. So, visit http://www.westelm.com/ and see what they have to offer. If you have a taste for the modern, this is a great place to shop. If not, they do have items that can fit right in to any home decor.

Shout Out!!!

OK, so this term may be totally old and not cool, but really I don't care. I really need to give props (ha ha) to the Crate & Barrel outlet store in Newsbury, New Jersey...especially Nancy. Here's the scoop: my mom and I were at the store here in Scottsdale registering for even more wedding gifts. I had an Amex gift card burning a hole in my pocket and I saw some really funky bedding that I remembered Alex loved. So, I went over to scan it and found out that it was on clearance, but here's the catch: all they had was my size duvet (hooray) and ONE standard sham. I bought them anyway because I know he loved them and for some reason, I love buying bedding. I thought I could make it work and I already had some great silk shams that I could spice it up with. I got home that night and was super excited to make my new bed. I put on the duvet and the one sham and made the bed (perfectly, of course). Something was just not right, it felt unbalanced. Again, I do not have to match everything, but I really couldn't make the one sham work, it was just weird. I called as many C&B stores as I possibly could and almost completely gave up when I saw the CONTACT US link on their website. I put in a desperate plea for them to help me find one more Andrea Paisley Standard Sham so I could complete my bed. Not even 12 hours later, I had a call and an email from C&B customer service saying that they found me a sham at the outlet store in New Jersey. I was so crazy excited I called right away, spoke with Nancy and begged her to just take my credit card and send it to me. A few days later, I got a package, threw on my new sham and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Balanced had been restored in the Wells/Ross house and all was well. The universe was happy again and I had a reason to live (I exaggerate of course). Just yesterday, I also got a thank you card from Nancy, the very benevolent sales associate at C&B New Jersey thanking me for my purchase. I come from a customer service background and I can really say that this is going above and beyond. Way to go Crate & Barrel, it is now even further confirmed that I will be a customer for life!!! Our bed looks beautiful and romantic and colorful and I could not be happi

SALES

Well, for some reason, Macy's is having a great sale tomorrow, for one day only. Everything is up to 50% off and then anything on clearance is an additional 25% off. I don't know about you, but I love deals like this. Also, right now is a great time to go shopping. It is the ending of one season and the beginning of the next making sales super prevalent and great bargains easy to find. If, for some reason, you don't have stores close to you, go online. When you shop online you can get even better deals sometimes with web-busters and additional discounts. Don't worry, your information will be safe. I have shopped online for years, never having any problems with my identity. Just make sure that you are shopping at a reputable place like anything with a big name like Macy's or Nordstrom. If you have never heard of or seen a site, but want to shop on it, contact them and ask what their security policy is, you can never be too careful. Phoenix is the #1 city in the US for identity theft, so I make sure to do this every time I shop somewhere new.

A little tip, stores will most likely offer you another great discount on top of what you have already received if you open a credit card. Sometimes this can be great, but what I find is that people end up buying more than what they can actually afford and then getting hit with a 25% or more interest rate from the store. If I ever do this, I make sure that I just buy what I was going to in the first place and get the extra discount and then pay the card off right away. Good credit never hurts you, but missing or making late payments can kill your credit score. So buyer beware and be a savvy shopper, don't take the bait just because they are willing to give it out, be responsible.

Satin Smooth

My mom and I were at Crate & Barrel last week, registering for even more wedding gifts. We were downstairs in the furniture section when out of the corner of my eye, I saw the coolest crazy bedding and I loved it. BUT, all they had was a queen Duvet (perfect) and one sham?!? SO, after calling all over the country, I finally found one at an outlet store in New Jersey. It is on it's way, and I am excited.

But, I got home and put the duvet on and make my bed and loved it, but realized that I needed some new sheets that match. Besides, I think we only have 2 or 3 sets of sheets and we switch them out every week on laundry day. The ivory ones we have match fine, but I wanted more contrast, so I hopped online to http://www.overstock.com/ (one of my favorite online outlets) and began searching for chocolate brown sheets. Suffice it to say, there were plenty of sets varying in price from $24.99 to $150 for the entire set. Why not just get the cheapest set? Well, they only had a 150 thread count. For those of you who don't know what thread count is, it is the number of cotton threads woven into one square inch of fabric. The higher the count, the softer the sheet and better the quality of linens. They last longer with frequent washings and they hold their color better. So, we ended up with 600 thread count sheets for $43.99, a pretty good deal considering in any major department store these would have cost over $100.

A word on Egyptian Cotton: this is very high quality cotton grown in the very rich Nile River Valley in Egypt. The fertile ground provides a really rich crop and then is woven into luxurious fabric. 100% EC sheets are super expensive, so if you see a "cheap" set of EC sheets, make sure you read the label. Just because they say Egyptian Cotton, does not mean they are 100%, it could be a blend, which is fine, but don't pay for 100% when you only get a blend.

To sum it up, the higher thread count, the better, but anything over 1000 is kind of ridiculous and unnecessary. And, read the label to EC sheets, you do not want to get taken for a ride and pay too much for semi-luxe sheets.

Doggie Couture

Alex and I have two dogs: Beans, our three-year-old black and tan mini-dachshund and Rocks, the rather newly adopted year and a half year old Rhodesian Ridgeback/lab mix. Strange combo, we know. Alex bought Beans for me almost three years ago as a Christmas present and we adopted Rocks when he was six months old from an animal shelter. They are very sweet and, really, they are our children since we don't have any yet. Beans was my first dog ever, and when we got her, she was so cute and small that I really wanted to buy her all kinds of cute things. And buy, I did. She has a rain coat, a pink fur coat, a tee-shirt from a very famous restaurant on Martha's Vineyard, The Black Dog (my family is from Massachusetts), fancy collars and the cutest dog bowl I have ever seen. Now, you might think that almost $80 is a lot to spend on a dog bowl (which it is), but it is literally one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

This brings me to my topic: pet home fashion. Just because you have pets, doesn't mean that your house has to look like it. There are all kinds of cute and inexpensive alternatives to many pet items. You can get animal beds to match any decor and you can even color coordinate their dishes to your home's decor. Also, Ballard Designs has some wonderful pet food containers that are very appealing to the eye. You can hide your pet's food in something very attractive. Also, they have super cute bowls with harlequin designs in an actual stand so they don't make a huge mess on the floor.

There are so many items, I couldn't even list them here. But, I truly believe that you can have the best of all worlds and have pets, but keep your house from looking like a shelter. Pets like your couch, but their hair makes you nuts? How about putting an old blanket out and only letting them lay on when you give them permission? It is a little more work, but probably worth saving your couch. And, seriously, some pet items are so cute...you will have to buy them. Just take a look at the bowl up top, and yes, Beans does have this :)

Get A Job

Want new furniture from those fancy stores like Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn, but the price tags make your heart stop beating? Well, there is a simple answer if you have the time. Apply for a part time job. I know (from personal experience) that at PB, starting day 1, you get a 40% discount on full price items and 20% off of sale items. Not a bad deal if you ask me, especially if you have furniture in your mind. Crate & Barrel offers their associates 30% from day one and after 5 years of employment or management, you receive 40%. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting you take advantage and only work for one day and then quit after you buy everything. Being a former PB employee, I can tell you that there is nothing more irritating than training someone just to have them quit right away. Also, I could never do this to two of my favorite places.

I think after the wedding planning and everything is over, I might go back to part time. Why not, I don't have any kids yet and all I have after work is time right now. I love the idea of a discount as well. Plus, they are usually flexible with you if you set your expectations right up front. Don't commit to more than you can handle, though, because you can get overwhelmed easily. It is also greta for stay at home parents who may not want a really serious full-time job, but woul dlike to get out of the house and possibly buy some really great stuff.

Who doesn't love a good deal?

I get such a rush when I find a great bargain on anything from clothes, home furnishings, makeup, dog food, WHATEVER!!! So, you may ask yourself how do I find such great deals? Well, I find a lot of home furnishings and furniture at model home sales. I just so happen to work for a homebuilder here in AZ and I am privy to this information. However, if you do not you can always do a simple Google search for model home sales in your area. You can usually find really unique custom pieces of furniture and great deals on small things like pictures and accessories. One word of caution, though: really inspect the items before you purchase them. Designers are famous for super gluing things together to make them sit just perfectly. Also, everything is a final sale, so no returns are allowed.

I also frequent my favorite stores like TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Home Goods and even Ross. Don't expect to find exactly what you are looking for the first time you go because they have different stuff all of the time and sometimes it is literally the luck of the draw. The great thing about these kinds of stores, though is that you can get extras from catalogs at really discounted prices. On of my favorite catalogues of all time is Ballard Designs and almost every time I go to Home Goods, I find somwthing from there. The stuff in these stores is not used, it is brand new, but department stores may have had extra inventory and sold it to these stores at a discount, so you totally benefit. But, you kind of have to be willing to do some searching, most of the time these are not always organized and tidy. You also have to be willing to go back multiple times and not give up. You never know what you might find.

I also want to give some much deserved phrases to one of my favs of all time, Target. You have really up'ed the anty and have produced some wonderful pieces and collections of furnishings that can make any home look fabulous. The price points are fabulous and you can really achieve almost any look you are goign for from modern to country because of the diverse collections and limitless options. You can buy new a new kitchen table, deodorant, milk and DVD's all in the same place, what a concept! Bravo Target and keep the good stuff coming!

Deep Breath

Well, my cousin (and maid of honor), mother and one of my bridesmaids were all here over the last week and staying at my house. We were busy, busy, busy going to the spa, having my wedding shower, shopping, eating and of course the bachelorette party on Saturday night. With all of these goings-on I have been a bit of a slacker, but I am back.

Having all of this company also made me think of something I have never really though of. You know when you go to someone's house and they have an Aero-Bed for you to sleep on? Well, we implemented this little self inflating beauty because we only have one guest bed in our house. We blew it up and threw some sheets and blankets on it and we were good to go. Only, one thing really bothered me: it wasn't pretty and nothing matched. Don't get me wrong, I am not matchy-matchy or anything, but I really appreciate nice linens and a beautiful presentation. After all, your bed is where you should be the most relaxed and serene, and I think how the bed looks and feels play major roles in this.

This is what I am going to do next time: I am going to designate a pretty set of sheets and shams just for the Aero-Bed so this person feels just as welcome as the person in the actual guest room. I will make it just like I would make a regular bed with fluffy down pillows, a large down comforter, plenty of pillows and of course throw pillows and a quilt. Why should this bed be any different?

Alex and I have a lot of guests and they always sleep in the guest room. I really try to go the extra mile to make sure they are comfortable and happy. Here is a tip: go to Target and buy some small sample essential necessities such as an extra toothbrush, mouthwash and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and small bar of soap. Place all of these things in a cute basket or bag on a fresh pile of towels (bath, hand and face cloth) on the guest bed all ready for your guests just in case they forgot anything. This is a nice extra that you may only find in a hotel and who doesn't love staying in a nice hotel with great toiletries?

Bringing the Outside In

I love to use natural and organic things when I decorate. I love natural stone in kitchens and bathrooms and floors. Wood floors are beautiful an dgive homes a very classic feeling. Who wouldn't wnat wood floors in their home? Although, these are not cheap. A much more cost effective and durable option is laminate. Pergo makes a wonderful laminate floor that can stand up to pets, kids, and furniture.

Anyway, back to bringing the outside in. One of the easiest ways to do this, of course, is house plants. Large potted plants, such as indoor palms and ficus trees add color, life and they help purify the oxygen inside your home by synthesizing CO2. Use wonderful large pots made of pottery, metal or even stone. Using natural elements go along with the theme as well. A little tip, when planting an indoor plant, make sure that there are no hole is the bottom of the pot (for obvious reasons). All you have to do to ensure proper drainage and avoid over-watering, place some broken pottery or stones in the botton of the pot before planting. This helps the drainage and helps avoid over-watering.

We are in the process of renovating our 1958 red brick house in South Scottsdale and we are trying our hardest to keep very organic. We are putting in real bamboo floors, concrete countertops (instead of granite) and we already have a bunch of plants. We love the outdoors and these elements make you feel close to nature as wrell as being beautiful accents to your home. Also, this is one of the newest trends in decorating making your house value and appeal increase across the board and appeals to the majority of buyers.

Be creative with your choices, but bring samples iwht you when you are shopping for appliances and cabinets so you can make sure that it all flows and is cohesive.

Rule #3

So, the Valentine's holiday is over, but the romance doesn't have to be. One of the most important things about the atmosphere of any home is its lighting. Candles supply light and romance. The soft glow and flickering flame offer warmth and set the mood for love. Haven't you ever noticed that there always candles on the center of an elegnatly set dinner table? That is because their glow is mesmerizing.

I have a few rules about candles, but they can certainly be broken to suit your own personal taste. Personally, I am not a huge fan of scented candles, but every once in a while I do appreciate a delicate scent. My favorite scented candle is a lemon citrus scented pot from Anthropologie (one of my favorite stores). I lit it in the kitchen when we were having some issues with the garbage disposal. It was light and airy, but also very effective. So, I guess my rule with scented candles would have to be keep the scent delicate. Candles that are too strong can be offensive and overpowering. Also, this is very important, never ever have scented candles around a meal. Our sense of taste greatly relies upon our sense of smell and we do not want the taste of our food and the smell of the candle to muddle and cause some very unfortunate flavors.

I love small glass jars filled with candles (glass votives) because they are completely re-usable and also you can get them unscented. My mom is especially allergic to almost anything scented, so these are a must-have in her house. When the inner candle burns down, just put in a votive and you are all good to go.

I love to light candles for any occassion, it is very relaxing and romantic, but also gives you just the right amount of light. Here is a small tip...ever burn down a galss candle to the point it can't be used, but there is wax residue in the glass? Well, all you have to do is put it in the freezer for a little bit. The cold makes the wax contract and you can take it out, bang the bottom of the glass and out comes the wax. Just add a votive and use again.

I smell love...

Since today is Valentine's Day, I have decided to take a break from the rules and talk about one of my favorite things: fresh flowers. No matter where you live, what kind of job you have, whether you live in an apartment or house, fresh cut flowers in a vase always add beauty to your decor. One of the best things about flowers, there are so many different kinds that you can coordinate wiht any type of home decor. For instance, if you live in a swanky high end left in New York, calla lillies are always beautiful and have simple clean lines. Or, if you live in a sweet shabby chic bungalow in North Carolina, peonies add frilly and beautiful elegance. Of course, there are always the classics that go with anything: roses. Red roses are my favorite, of course, because they mean passionate love and my favorite color is also red (you find it all over my house, but in small doses, it is very bold).

Also, even if you have very simple flowers, you can spice them up by using a funky vase with tons of color, or a different shaped vase like a square. I love flowers cut very short and arranged very tightly in a square vase, it is so chic without being super modern. I am also a super hiuge fan of bringing natural items into your home as decor, and honestly, what is more natural than flowers?

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day and enjoy some fresh cut flowers every day, holiday or not.

Rule #2

Decorating with odd numbers. This is really more of a guideline than a rule. What it basically means is that when you arrange decorating objects (picture frames, "objects," candles, etc.) you want to display them in odd numbers, preferably 3 or 5. Even numbers tend to make things look too perfect and planned, but the odd numbers give more of an unplanned and almost "accidental perfection" idea. Also, with these odd number of items, put the largest object on the left, next smallest a little to the right and the smallest somewhere on the left so that it is pleasing to the eye from left to right. This will appear balanced and well-placed. Don't just line things up in a row from smallest to largest or vice versa.

Just a tip, if you are hanging pictures in an odd number configuartion on the wall, trace your frames onto paper, cut out the shapes and tape onto wall in the possible confirgurations. This will keep you from putting many many holes in the wall (and in my case, keeps me from driving Alex crazy hanging things up and taking them down again). Also, you can kind of play with different ideas without causing permanent damage. ENJOY!

Decorating 101

Hi everyone. I am not a professional, although sometimes I wish I were. This is just something I am passionate about and would like to share some of the things I have learned, find things I don't know yet, share my ideas and of course, find new ideas from you. I am just going to start out this blog with a few notes/rules I have learned by decorating my own home and helping friends with theirs.

Rule #1
Never be afraid to use color, it can always be repaired. I prefer to paint with neutral colors and then add dashes of color with furniture and accessories such as pillows or pictures. A simple framed poster can add so much umph to a rather dreary or boring wall. So, don't be afraid to use any kind of color that makes you feel at home, that after all is the most important thing. And what is the worst that could happen?