10-Minute Fall Wreath

There are so many options right now for fall blooms. Richly colored flowers and life like foilage. The inspiration for this project were these leaves. They looked like weathered burlap. I just love them. They scream fall and never mind my lingering obsession with burlap.

I bought the leaves on sale at Michaels and grabbed this cute lil' flower on sale for $.79.  I was going for simple so besides the wreath, this was a quick shopping trip.

Came home, plugged in the hot glue gun and plopped down in my craft studio.  I left the plastic on the wreath because the material underneath makes a mess and I'm wrapping it anyway!

Wrapped the wreath, added the flowers and leaves and hung it on the mirror in my livingroom with a piece of jute. Took me 10 whole minutes and I love the simple but sweet outcome!

Cheap Shaves for Girls AND Boys

Shaving has never been a routine for me. I'm one of those people who is blessed with light colored hair on my legs and it grows slowly and very sparsely. Perhaps it's a curse of the Irish but I see it as good fortune. As I've gotten older and the hormones have started to go awry, it's gotten a little darker and a little harder to ignore. Unfortunately, with that has come sensitive skin, making shaving something I wish I could avoid. I love how freshly shaven legs feel. It's decadent and it's pretty, very feminine and it make me immediately want to have a pedicure. But shaving is also expensive ... if you want a really good razor, and there isn't anything like shaving your legs with a really good razor, you can easily drop $20 bucks for the experience.

Two years ago, I surprised my husband with the gift of The Dollar Shave Club. Three levels of razors for the male who enjoys must endure the act of shaving. Previously, my husband dropped some serious dollars on good blades. Seriously, these blades should come with a golden handle for as much as we have spent on them. The Dollar Shave Club promises cheap blades delivered to your door every month. A bonus is that it comes with a smutty little publication and other items you can add to your monthly shipment. Of the other items available, one immediately caught my eye: One Wipe Charlies. I knew this gift was going to be the biggest hit of the year because Casey is IN LOVE with those flushable butt wipes. Yep, he isn't afraid to admit it either. He is quite confident in his belief that a fresh bottom is an absolute necessity for him. Well imagine his surprise when those little wipes also delivered a refreshing tingle! Yep, that's right, butt wipes that leave a little tingle of menthol to your bum. I knew he'd be hooked.



Two years later, we have gifted The Dollar Shave Club to our son and my father-in-law. They all love it. As I suspected, the One Wipe Charlie wipes put an unfamiliar skip in my husband's step and a little sparkle in his eyes. The Dollar Shave Club has saved us a pretty penny and the blades are second to none. All the better is that you don't have to shop for them anymore. It's a no-brainer.

Oddly, I still struggle and my genius (don't tell him I ever said that) husband suggested I join for myself. Why didn't I think of that? Perhaps its the branding of the Dollar Shave Club ... it's geared toward men and although no one says that women can't join ... there is sort of an inferred NO GIRLS ALLOWED sign on all their marketing. A little disappointing and I must admit, as a girly girl, I would like a blingy handle or maybe just one of a pretty color, but I decided to snag my husband's handle, swipe a new blade and try it before I buy it.

I'm sold. Joining the Dollar Shave Club this month. Of course I will treat myself to the Executive blade because, well, I deserve only the best. It was really the greatest shave. Pair it with another "pour homme" shaving cream (my favorite: Avene Men's Shaving Foam) and it's an unforgettable experience. My legs weren't knicked and the shave was really smooth. If you haven't checked out the Dollar Shave Club, you shouldn't hesitate. The men in your life will love you for it and it definitely should be at the top of your things to gift. Do it ... http://www.dollarshaveclub.com.

Fitting In: Story of the "Used" Sofa

My livingroom has been begging for a sofa for some time. When my husband and I first bought our house, we envisioned this room as a "show" room where there would be no TV, it would always be clean and we'd congregate with our visitors. Several years later, life is busy and the basement where our family room should be still isn't completed so we added a tv to this "show room" and two big brown leather chairs. The thought behind this was that if there was something we wanted to watch together, we could do it here. We've done that and it's lovely; however, there still isn't a place for everyone to gather in our house and we have 2 teenagers and a college student that often have friends over. My husband really wasn't having the whole "sofa" idea but I want to really "live" in my house and I want it to be a comfy place for everyone who lives here and a cozy place for my visitors.

I'm really into repurposing and thrift stores and now, there is a part of me that wishes I had NEVER bought any brand new furniture. I wish I had thrifted everything because furniture today just isn't made the way it used to be and it's too pristine, too new and I just don't like that look anymore. I like the beautiful craftsmanship that my husband put into remodeling our house and I think it looks gorgeous with remnants of the past ... clawfoot tubs, distressed furniture, art of the past and just anything that has a story... I just love a mixture of the old and new and I'm still looking for a good word for this style of decor. Is there a word for it yet?

I popped into Salvation Army on Saturday morning a few months back and there IT was .... the sofa that I was determined to find.

My husband would say it was too big but it was the microfiber that I wanted, it was in great condition but looked a little "lived in" and the color was perfect. I snapped a few pictures with my phone and sent them off to him. I could tell he wasn't thrilled but I think he knew I really wasn't giving up on this. He went back and forth and then finally conceded that if I liked it, I could just to buy it. A funny thing happens when you get to excited in one of these thrift stores ... everyone notices and then everyone wants what you have discovered. I took the tag off of it (which is the way you claim the piece) and as long as you don't leave the store without paying for it, it's yours. Well, two women stood by the couch the entire time I browsed the store so they could claim it if I left without paying. Another woman stalked me all through the store and kept asking me in broken english "you buy?" It is also funny how you become so territorial once you've claimed it but before you've paid for it. Two men, who seemed to be patiently waiting for their wives who had taken too long browsing, sat down on the couch. I eyed them up and down as I waited in the cashier's line as if to say "get off, that's mine."

I always plan to take on these projects myself but inevitably I need my dear husband's help. My daughter and I (and the nice guy from Salvation Army) loaded the sofa into the back of my husband's truck. The couch was bigger than I thought ... I was sure he was going to kill me. I got the straps out of the truck and got them around the sofa and couldn't figure out how to tighten them ... damn! I called him on the phone and sweetly requested his help to which he happily obliged. We got the sofa home and in the house. I give him kudos because he didn't roll his eyes, sigh or even complain and he has no idea how happy that made me. Ah, the secret to a happy wife.

I arranged it and although I too would probably agree it was a little big, it was perfect. It brought the cozy to the room that I was hoping for and now we could really congregate with guests. I threw a few accent pillows on it and it has already brought us hours of comfort and enjoyment. What do you think?

Well, fast forward several months and much to my husband's chagrin, I've rearranged the furniture. The couch has indeed brought the comfort and coziness that I had hoped. My husband loves to lay on it and watch TV. The kids gather there with friends and I think, while we are gone, the dogs lounge shamelessly on it. It's such a great couch. Unfortunately it is in my nature to get bored. I do love this couch and if another offer had not been made to me, I wouldn't be parting with it but I've been offered something that I am really excited about. It will challenge my decor but I'm always up for that challenge so I am looking for a new home with a new story and a new purpose for this couch. Any takers?

Mother's Room in the Workplace

My beloved employee, Melissa is expecting in June. We were working on a new employee orientation project at work which prompted the need for photographs of various areas of our office. In our building we have a Mother's Room which to my horror I discovered they were calling "The Lacation Room." The room was located in a private room in our building's fitness center. I asked Melissa to snap a few pictures so we could use them in our orientation presentation. So she snapped these pictures and upon opening them, this is what I saw:

Are you thinking what I am thinking? If you are, you are thinking that is horrific that this is what we call a Mother's Room. It's basically a closet that needs some cleaning and some love. Mothers who are breastfeeding their babies who have transitioned back to work after maternity leave are using this room as a private space to express their milk several times a day. It's fine that it's small, after all, all you are doing is expressing milk but there is nothing in this room that says relax or be comfortable. Where's the comfortable chair? Where's the love?

I knew I'd be alone in the belief that this had to be fixed and I wasn't completely wrong so I knew I had to do this on the cheap if I was going to do it. Our building Facility Director graciously offered to order paint and paint the room. He even let me choose the color!

We chose two shades of blue to give the room some slight dimension. I decided we would go with a shabby chic sort of decor and started to thrift various things that could go into the room. I found some cute pictures of moms and daughters on the internet and snagged them and then printed them at Costco in black and white and put them into some cheap frames. I also did some cute graphic sayings and put those into some thrifted frames. I scored a mantle shelf for $4 and a coat hook originally from Pottery Barn (with the original $70 price tag on it) for $3. We gave the room a new name, Salon "M." We're saying that its a cute take on Mother's Room but everyone knows it's Salon Melissa .. ha! ha!

Bought this beautiful and very comfortable rocking chair on Craigslist for $20, didn't like the drab green color (or the stains) so took a bottle of RIT dye and dyed the fabric ... very pleased with the results, by the way!

Here is a picture of the before and after. We had a ton of fun and were successful in transforming it. Would love to hear your thoughts!

A Decluttering Project: 40 Bags In 40 Days

Wonder where I've been? I'm crazy busy with projects! projects! projects! Soon, I will have a great deal to share with all of you. I wanted to share my newest obsession .... decluttering. Cleaning out. Getting rid of.

Starting today, I am going to be cleaning out, getting rid of and de-crapifying. I can't wait to see how much I'll accomplish in 40 days! Here's the plan: bring one bag for trash and one bag for things to donate. Set a timer for 15 minutes and get to work on the room/area specified for that day. It won't seem so overwhelming and you won't be tempted to put it off if you know you only have to do it for 15 minutes. If an area requires more than 15 minutes, plan several days to go back at the end to revisit.

Today, there are so many ways that you can get rid of things you don't need or want. Remember that your trash could be someone else's treasure. On Facebook there is a surge of virtual garage sale groups for those who are local to your area. You can always drop things off at Goodwill, Salvation Army or any other thrift shop or charity of your choice. Many battered women's shelters accept donations of clothing and household items. You can post an ad on Craiglist, put it out on the curb and first come, first serve. Lastly, if you aren't able to transport your donations you can call organizations like Salvation Army, Amvets, The Brown Elephant or The White Elephant to arrange for pick up.

So, who wants to make the commitment to spring clean and get organized in 40 days? If you'd like to use my planning tool, I've included a free printable that I used to accomplish this great task! You can download and customize yours here.

Wrinkles.....don't make me smile!

So why am I writing about them? Good question! I'm at a loss, ladies. I am 45 so I expect to see some hints of aging and I do. I'm not niave to think that my age won't show at some point. I have the grey hair which I faithfully color and I have some fine lines. I worry about the turkey neck that seems to be genetically prevalent in my family and to be honest, it scares the crap out of me so I try to moisturize often and do chin strengthening exercises for as long as I can before I consider moving to a climate where I can wear turtle necks year round. I'm really starting to see the signs in my eyes, the dryness, the fine lines, the puffiness and the dark circles and did I mention the puffiness? Ugh. I'm at a loss. I read something the other day that said I should use Preparation H to ease the swelling and it's been on my "to-do" list for a week now to stop at the drug store to get some.

I was going to use a picture of myself to illustrate my struggles but after taking them I decided no one really deserves to see that on a Monday morning so I used a picture of the very beautiful Eva Mendes. She has the dark circles and puffy eyes I struggle with. And, just like Eva, the bags are worse under one of my eyes making my whole face look sort of uneven. Granted, Eva is pretty beautiful and Ryan Gosling doesn't seem to mind them but they also don't look so pretty either. There ARE better pictures of her if we are being honest (but I feel better about myself having found this one of her). So, I I came across this article this morning that warns against using that and tells you what to stop that is causing these dark circles and puffy eyes.

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/eyes/ss/slideshow-banish-the-bags-under-your-eyes

It's WebMD so I am going to choose to believe that these could be real culprits to the pains I speak of. I sleep adequately, I take my make up off before bed, I don't smoke, I really don't hit the alcohol that hard so I ask those of you who are embracing all of these lifestyle practices, does it work? What do you do to ward off the dark circles and puffiness? WebMD advises against using Preparation H. Does anyone have an eye cream that they swear by? Enlighten me here, please!

Finding Inspiration In Your Decorating

For some, decorating style comes easy and for others they know what they like but they have to find their inspiration in other places. When you love styles like Pottery Barn, West Elm or Anthropologie, it's easy to pop open their catalogs or hit their websites and find styles you like and try to replicate them. I still do that very often. For instance, I've always LOVED quilts but the look of them reminded me of Little House on the Prarie or and old lady's home, which I didn't aspire to emulate. I've had a quilt on my bed now for about 2 years and my husband and I cannot part with it. It's a solid color quilt but as I've really fallen in love with farm house decor, I am seeing the appeal and the style in quilts of all patterns and styles and enjoying the way they can shape the decor of a room.

I found a new site called Dot & Bo and they feature all different decorating styles ... the urban dweller, bohemian, urban cowboy, you name it, they have it. I am a person that loves to mix old with new. I like a craftsman style home with retro farmhouse accents and a little modern thrown in. I like to mix them and create my own kind of style. My bathroom is a great example of this. I have half beadboard walls, a modern stone tile floor, eclectic lighting and a clawfoot tub. In addition, I have an ultra modern shower stall with a floor to ceiling glass door. I adore my bathroom. I am getting ready to refresh it by painting it a bold gray modern color.

In thumbing through the Dot & Bo catalog, I came across a brightly painted hot pink Buddah ...... very similar to the one I found a few weeks ago at Salvation Army for $2.99 and re-painted a bright aqua to match my living room (although I think mine was much cuter). Remember him? They are selling something similar on their site for $36.99! My Buddah re-do instantly became more rewarding!

My point? Don't try to re-create the catalogs. Find your style and own it. You might surprise yourself how hip your ideas and style really are and you might find someone emulating you!