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?