What girl doesn't love shoes?

Maybe it's because I work part-time in a shoe department, but I....love....shoes.

Too bad my budget doesn't love shoes as much as I do.

Good thing I only paid $3.95 after tax for these puppies:

My first pair of shoes that came with it's own shoe bag.

(Squeal!)

You can find these exact shoes at the retailer's website, http://ninashoes.com/falana-gold--14508. Unfortunately, the stone color is discontinued, hence the amazing deal I scored (which I got from Younkers).

They also have them available cheaper on the Younkers website, but again, stone was discontinued.

Okay, though it's fun sharing my awesome deals and finds, I do have a project to show you! I just need to clean the room.....

Maybe tomorrow or Sunday? Yeah, I'm thinking that's the plan.

See you then!

Really, Anthropologie?!

Are you really charging $198 for an old telephone?

I think I just saw one of these for $2 at Goodwill.

Other ridiculousness:

Please please please, tell me no one else would pay $2,100 for this easel.



Now, don't get me wrong, I love Anthropologie as much as the next gal, but sometimes they are just down right crazy.

Here's some not-so-crazy things I'm craving from Anthroplogie:

These unique magnifying sconces priced at $48.

It's not like anything else I've ever seen before.

Simple as that.

This mouse pad priced at only $12.

It's cute and clever.

It would make me giggle every time I saw it.

I've noticed that Anthropologie is a lot like Pottery Barn.

A lot of the stuff is things that you could find at a flea market. Everything is crazy high-priced. A closer look, however, will sometimes reveal quaint little finds, making the search worth it.



Handmade Jewelry



I know most my readers have a passion for antique and/or handmade.

Are you looking for a unique piece of jewelry?

Check out the things that my friend Beth makes:

These are just my favorites.

There are a lot more to see on any one of her sites.

You can find these on her web page, her etsy shop, or her Facebook page.

Can't afford to buy something now but love her work?

Just "fan" her on Facebook, so you can find her in the future!

Got your taxes back and looking for a way to spend it?

Support this local artist and old high school friend of mine by buying some beautiful handmade jewelry.

She has many items with a large range of prices!

Beth's goal is to get over 1000 fans on her Facebook profile, so even if you don't want to buy something, I would love for my readers to show her some support!

This is the new object of my affection:


100% of the proceeds from these cherry blossom earrings will go to the relief in Japan. These weren't on the Etsy website at the time of publication, but you can find it on her regular website http://www.bethmillner.bigcartel.com/product/100-goes-to-japan-cherry-blossom-earrings

What girl doesn't want awesome earrings plus donating to a good cause?
Once I get my taxes back, this will be one of my first purchases!

Kicking off Spring Break!

I'm finally on Spring Break!

I wish I was here....

....but I'm relaxing at Mi Casa for the week instead.

I'm going full speed ahead on my closet, and it WILL get done by Thursday (I have an inspector coming Thursday morning, and I want this place CLEAN.)

I ran into some minor delays the past few days:

1. Ran out of primer.

2. Bumped my head onto a wall with wet primer on it. 10 showers later...still have primer in my hair. Hey, at least I know it does it's job well, right?

3. Tried prying a board off the wall, and sunk the hammer into the drywall. In my defense, the nails used to nail this board into the wall mimicked the nails used when my saviour Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross.

These things were wicked big.

So the wall is patched, I still have primer in my hair, and that's about it.

I'm buying more primer tonight, so tomorrow morning, I'll get the walls done!

By tomorrow night, I'm hoping the flooring will be done.

Wednesday morning, I will work on the trim, and by the end of the day, the door will be cut and installed.

Anyways, I'm actually stopping in to show you a product that I just got online.

I had a coupon for $15 off at Express.

This fun little ditty is only $15.90

That's a perfume on one end and lipgloss on the other!

How cool is that?!

I only paid 90 cents + shipping & handling.

(The coupons were sent to me for my birthday. Thanks Express!)

The lipgloss consistency is excellent. Not too sticky. The color is amazing!

I'm picky about perfumes, and I must say, I really like this one!

It's a floral scent, and it's not "in your face" strong.

Just thought I'd share my discovery.

;)

Ruff Hewn

My obsession with Ruff Hewn started when I saw their awesome Fall decor line.



My pumpkin is white/cream. I like to put candies in this dish, or put a big chunk of floral foam in it and press in some flowers.

It makes an awesome display.

Then I saw these great leaf plates.

I had to have them.

Awesomely creamy white.

(sigh...)

Of course, I had to have chargers to go underneath those awesome plates.

Actually, you can see that I frequently use them in outdoor dining, as well.

Though, since I've since relocated these chargers indoors, I'm thinking about replacing my outdoor ones with these:

They are pretty inexpensive, and square, just like the outdoor dining table.

....but I'm getting off track, because these chargers are KN, not Ruff Hewn.

;)

Then my obsession started morphing.

I found this auto emergency kit.

Hey, a girl's got to be safe, right?

Then, I saw that they make some of the most comfortable clothes!

Mine is a beige/light brown color.

Actually, I have a great pair of sneaker, too. It's not listed on the website, and I know it's discontinued.

My latest find:

This awesome baking dish.

Now, I have a glass 13x9 dish...but it's nothing in comparison to this one!

And my special four-cheese lasagna looks amazing in it!

Now, I'm definitely not telling you to go out and buy all this stuff! I found most of this stuff at the end of the seasons, so I scored them on Yellow Dot.

I just know that a lot of my followers' hearts skip a beat when they see cottage/country-style.

Plus, I wanted to show you my obsession.

=D

Well....that.....and Fossil jewelry....but I won't even get started on that!

***Though Younkers does pay me (you know...since I work there...), my opinions are solely my own. They do not pay me to advertise or say nice things. Trust me...I would let you know if I think a brand sucks. (cough) Bella Cucina (cough). ***

The Lettered Cottage Knock-off

I love The Lettered Cottage.

I wish I could afford her design consulting, because I am totally, completely in love her her style.

I especially love this picture of her house:

Okay, you're noticing that awesome white-washed farmhouse table, the rich hardwood floors, the spacious open cabinets, the lovely sisal rug....etc...etc...etc...

I noticed the bell.

What?!

Right there:

Ummm...okay...why did I gravitate towards the bell?

A few months back, I bought a bell similar to this one at Hobby Lobby:

Except it had a fleur de lis on the back, not a tractor.

I tried hanging it outside.

(My mom actually had a real vintage cast iron bell hanging on the back door in which she would call us in the house for supper. It was pretty neat. She sold that bell a while ago, so that's why I bought the cheap $5 one at Hobby Lobby.)

While screwing it into the siding, the fleur de lis pattern busted off.

All I had left were the two screws.

When I saw that picture of Layla's room (The Lettered Cottage), I knew that I wanted the bell inside.

But since the screws go inwards towards the bell, it seemed impossible to mount it to the wall.

I knew that, somehow, I has to get the head of the screw to stick in the wall. Luckily, I just put up that board and batten, and wood generally holds things better than drywall.

So I found a drill bit the same size as the head of the screw and drilled a small hole in the wall only about 1/8 inch deep.

I always keep a handy tube a Mighty Putty in a drawer for such occasions.

I ripped off a piece and kneaded it until it was white.

I stuck a very small piece in the hole, tapped the head of the screw in with a hammer, then wrapped a little more Mighty Putty around the rest.

Then lightly sanded the area, touched up the paints, and twisted the bell into place.

I love fun, little touches like that around my house.

Tell me about something fun that you have in your house!

Concrete Bench

My mom rocks.

My mom is awesome.

My mom is gorgeous/talented/strong/handy/smart/insert adjective here.

My mom is my best friend.

She never lets me down....actually...she always pulls through for me.

I bring this up, because my mom scored this for me, for free!

Okay, this picture would look a lot better if I had pulled all the rampant weeds, pulled the mulch over the concrete footings, etc. but I was so excited to show you!

And no...that's not one of those cute little decorative garden benches! That's a full sized (heavier than heck) bench!

You can't find a concrete bench like this for less than $400!

We have finally stepped over "the threshold" for weather here in the U.P.  I really can't get a whole lot of building done any more, unfortunately. The days are usually in the low to mid 60s. Not great for painting.

:(

BUT...I want to show you what I'm envisioning for this cute bench.

Perhaps a cute arbor like this surrounding the bench:

Except it would also have a back panel on it. I love the white architecture!

And maybe I would plant some nice climbing roses to sprawl all over it!

Wouldn't that be lovely?

Did I mention yet that my mom rocks?

Anyways, if you love The Lettered Cottage, you'll love what I've got "cooking" for you coming up soon!

Woah, Nellie!

Nellie.

That's the name of my favorite auctioneer.

I don't go garage sale shopping often.

Too much driving.

Rarely anything worth buying.

(Okay, unless your trying to find kids' clothes.)

I'm a vintage/antique freak. I learned this obsession from my mom. She hoards anything old and loved.

That's why I love auctions so much. I've been going to them since I can remember.

I'm addicted.

I have even asked hours off of work just to attend "good" auctions.

The thrill of out-bidding someone....the feeling when you "win"....the mind games you play....I love every second of it.

I share this story with you, because I'm ridiculously excited about the "prize" I walked away with today.

Oh, vintage Marquette, Michigan milk crate. I loved you since the second I saw you.

You can keep your $159, Restoration Hardware...

...and you can keep your $59, Pottery Barn.

It's going to look awesome on my bookshelves.

Though, I do love that Joni from Old Centennial Farm made hers into a planter.

Sooo....I have two restoration projects that I am currently working on. You are going to love them! Okay...well, one's kind of cool, the other will be jaw-dropping amazing!

On a completely related note, I hate paint stripper....

...just saying.