Cheap Treats: Patio Project

I saw this ad for West Elm and literally gasped:

It is exactly what I envision for our future patio. The color palette, the contemporary design, the punchy green plant; I love it all!

However, we currently live in an apartment and we plan on buying our first home in a year or two. Therefore, I don't want to invest a lot of money in a 2-chair patio set when we will most likely buy a bigger one in a few years. So, I need to make due with what we have...which isn't much.

Currently, our balcony consists of two faded camping chairs {one blue, one red} and a black, plastic bowl filled with nearly-dead herbs. Chic, no?

Alaina totally inspired me when she shared her gorgeous deck makeover.

Seriously, how fabulous are those chairs? And she bought them for $6 a piece! *jealous*

I'd love to get a punchy rug like that, but it's just not in the budget. For now, I'll add my favorite color, turquoise, by way of citronella candles. They're certainly not as pretty, but I'm a big fan of the $5 price tag {and the fact that they keep nasty little bugs away!}.

What I can afford to purchase are some new chairs, flowers, planters, candles, and possible a few other outdoor decor items. Oh, and I'm also going to try this crazy idea I heard called "actually taking care of my plants". My goal is to spend less than $100 for the complete makeover. Here's the breakdown:

3 Planters {IKEA}: $35
2 Chairs {Home Depot}: $20
Table {already have}: free
Citronella Candle: $5
Flowers: $25


Total Cost: $85


Oooh, I'm $15 under budget. Maybe I can convince the hubs to let me go $10 over budget so I can buy that fabulous rug?! ;)

How are you sprucing up your outdoor spaces for the new season?


Any suggestions on where to snag some fabulous {and thrifty} outdoor home decor?

Almost...

The weekend is so close, I can taste it!

In keeping with the "Oh-my-gosh-I'm-exhausted-how-many-days-'til-the-weekend?" theme, here are seven sure-fire ways to brighten my day:

Watching a really good chick flick {SATC, Desperate Housewives, etc.}

Losing myself in decorating magazines

photo taken after receiving a slew of fabulous magazines in the mail on the same day

{surprise bouquet of flowers was a gift from the hubs to congratulate me on my new job}

Praying for someone other than myself

via

Reading, reading, and reading some more

Watching a feel-good movie

Who the heck made up this mysterious "Disney Vault"?!

How dare they keep Alice in Wonderland hidden from me for so long?!

One day, I am going to find this vault and steal all of the DVDs!

Finding funny jokes/cartoons online

Hanging out with this guy. 

Whether we're playing card games, watching "Friends", or singing old camp songs at the top of our lungs  ~ it's all perfection!

What are your "go-to" methods for lifting your spirits?

Is it Friday Yet?

It's only Tuesday and it's already been a very stressful week at work. I wish I could just spend the rest of the week curled up on this window seat with a glass of sweet tea and a good book:

*sigh*

Any suggestions for some good stress relievers?

Wishing you all a fun and relaxing week!

Etsy Love: Peachy Keen

Lately, I have really been loving the color peach. It's the perfect Spring color and it can be found in a variety of options: clothes, accessories, and even home decor. Here are some of my favorite finds on etsy that showcase the pretty shade:

lizhutnick

gloilocksandbody

ModDiva

hersheyismybaby

upintheairsomewhere

replicca

urbandesign

What color have you been craving lately?

CSN Chic

CSN is a company that owns over 200 stores, selling a variety of items, from wall sconces to novelty rugs.

I am sure you have heard of at least a few of their stores, such as LuxeByCSN and AllModern. These stores are known for their unique designs and high-quality products.

The DIY Showoff, 33 Shades of Green, Flea Market Trixie, and The Frugalicious Mommy are just a few of the fabulous bloggers who have hosted giveaways for CSN items and gift certificates. The positive feedback they have received is a testament to the true quality of these products.

So, when the CSN Promotions Team contacted me about reviewing one of their incredible products, I was only too happy to participate!

Stay tuned for a review of {in my opinion} one of the most sought-after products on blogspot!

Any ideas on what that particular item may be?

Have you purchased or won something from CSN stores? If so, I'd love to hear your feedback!

Pillow Talk: Part 2

hmm... "Pillow Talk: Part One" was somewhat of a flop. Everyone was so dazzled by the Twinkle Living ZigZag pillow {which, I'll admit, it is beyond incredible} that no suggestions were made regarding my pillow cover dilemma!

Just to clear a few things up:

We will be purchasing gray slipcovers as well as new, smaller throw pillows {like the zigzag pillow}.

I absolutely LOVE the Twinkle Living pillow. It's just not in our budget right now {*sniff sniff*}.


Does anyone have any recommendations on how to fit 24" pillows into either 20" or 26" pillow covers? If not: Any ideas where I can find gray, 24" pillow covers for $25 or less?

Moving right along...

As I mentioned earlier, to complement our "new" gray pillows, we'd like to add one pillow to each end of the couch  in our living room {2 pillows total}.

I am a huge fan of neutrals {gray and white are my absolute favs} and we currently have a very monochromatic living room {cream, white, beige, grey, black...you get the idea}. So, we need to all some COLOR to the space. As I mentioned earlier in the week, here is what our oatmeal-colored sofa resembles:

What color/patterned pillows would go with the aforementioned color scheme for $25 or less? I am not very fond of red and my husband despises orange, but we looove all shades of turquoise and any other punchy colors. All patterns are fine except for flowers {our home is a "no-frills" zone}.

Here are a few options {those not specified are from Target}:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

{etsy}

9

10

CSN {hehe, had to throw that one in there ~ my all-time fav!}

So, which pillow(s) do you think would look best in our Living Room? If none of these will do, feel free to share other ideas! We are definitely open to suggestions.

Pillow Talk: Part One

The husband and I are in the process of sprucing up our monochromatic living room. We have ecru-colored walls {we live in an apartment and don't plan on painting}, an oatmeal-colored sofa and chair, and a creamy beige rug. We'd like to use throw pillows to inject a little color {stay tuned for Part Two), but first, we'd like to add my favorite color to the mix. So, are are going to add cushion covers to the pillows we currently have. Here is what our sofa looks like {just to give you an idea of the color/shape}:

We have 2 large {24"} suede/linen pillows from West Elm by each arm of the sofa:

I like brown, but I love gray, so I would like to purchase gray pillow covers for them. IKEA has these to offer:

felicia

sanela

Unfortunately, the "felicia" cover is only 20" and the "sanela" cover is 26". Any ideas on how to make either size fit our 24" pillows? If not, feel free to share where we can find some 24" gray pillow covers.

{...}

Speaking of pillows, be sure to stop by the DIY showoff for your chance to win up to $80 at CSN Stores! If I win, I am definitely going to buy the pillow I've been dreaming of for the past 4 months:

Twinkle Living ZigZag Pillow in "Seafoam"

This giveaway ends March 13th!

Spring Sales

Oh how I love J.Crew. Their Spring Sales are right up my alley! Here are some of my favorite items on sale now:

cotton gauze petal cardigan

lux shimmer viel ballet flats

embroidered spray art tee

cropped ruffle cardigan

fishnet tights

solid twist-front bandeau tank swimsuit

cotton tuxedo ruffle sweater

perfect long sleeve v-neck tee

twisted chiffon cardi

tissue ruffle tank

Clearly, I love: ruffles, chiffon, and shades of white and aqua.

What spring sales have you had your eye on?

Hello again :)

I'm back! Thanks so much for your patience, thoughts, and prayers. The time away was well-spent. I feel refreshed, energized, and focused.

Stay tuned for a slew of posts on gardening, fashion, home decor, and a fabulous giveaway. I hope you have a great weekend and that you are able to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Oh, and I'm not sure how I gained 3 new followers while I was away for 2 weeks, but thank you for adding me to your reading lists, new friends! :)