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?