"Just Another" Giveaway

Okay, the title of this post makes it seem like this giveaway isn't special, but it is-- promise!

Suzanne from Just Another Hang Up is giving away one of her Etsy creations, this cute purple wristlet. See, the title was a play on words, people. I'm clever that way!


I'm not personally much of a wristlet carrier, especially since I got a fancy-pants purse for Christmas (thanks Josh!) but I thought if I won, I could use it as a makeup bag, a pencil/pen case, or something. The possibilities are endless!

Find the simple instructions for entering here and visit her Etsy here.

P.S. Suzanne sent me a tutorial to create the cutesy flowers she put on her wristlets. Wasn't that sweet of her? I haven't tried it yet, but plan on it. Thanks, Suzanne!

Some Guest Room Ponderings...

I posted a while ago about our guest bath and the ideas I have been tossing around. You know, somewhat coastal but not over the top. All in all, it is a fairly good looking room and has the things it needs: towels, hardware, soap dispenser, etc. Our guest bedroom on the other hand is... **crickets chirping**

I won't even show you the guest room right now. The bed has junk all over it, there are comic book boxes all over and a hodge podge of furniture. All the sudden a fire has been lit under my tail because I found out Josh's brother and his wife (the lovely Lauren) are coming to visit us so the boys can watch March Madness together. I have to do something to get this room into shape!
I have this Pier 1 bedding from when I lived in my apartment that I still love and it fits the bed in the room, so I want to use that as a starting point. I think I will take the semi-coastal vibe from the bathroom and lead it into this room as well.

I have to do this on the CHEAP though. I still have not found a job after graduation and I don't want to make Josh foot the bill. The little list-maker in me is going to work. Things I need before our guests arrive:

• Headboard
• Nightstands
• Lamps
• Dresser
• Wall paint
• Curtains
• Accessories

I'm not looking to complete the room. I just would like it to be at least functional and comfortable at this point. So far, I like this for inspiration:

It has an overall coastal vibe, but still has funky touches like an unexpected color choice, a floral pillow, and animal print throw.

If anyone has extremely thrifty ideas on how to quickly transform a room, I'm listening!

P.S. With that bedding I showed above, what paint color would you choose? I don't want it to be too matchy, and this striping (at least as a focal point for one wall) is what I am thinking so far.

The Lettered Cottage

* Edit (1/28/10)- Never mind on the stripes. They are beautiful but I remember that I'm not a big fan of pastels. I change my mind every five seconds anyway. :o)

House or Home?

I read Centsational Girl's blog everyday, and today was one of my favorite posts of hers yet. (Check it out here.)

Ideal Home

She talks about how we all drool over designer rooms in home decor magazines and yearn for that perfection but perfection and the concept of home doesn't really match up.

Home is where you put on your PJs even though it is only 6:00. Home is where your dog's stuffed animals are ripped limb from limb and their stuffing litters the carpet. Home is where there is always a dish in the sink and a Sonic cup on the bar. Not quite the pristine, sparkling scene that ends up in magazines. But it is home. Warm and cozy. And an ENDLESS MESS. :o) Are there any kindred perfectionist spirits out there who have as hard a time as I sometimes do accepting that?

Home is for moments like this:

And this:

Moments that fancy decor and spotlessness just can't make.

Procrastination

Has everyone taken their Christmas decor down?

I haven't.


I know, scold me, scold me. Tsk, tsk. The boxes that my Christmas decorations belong in are blocked off by a wall of crap in my garage. I can't easily get to them and it is friggin' cold in the garage to be rooting around in there. If you saw my garage, you would understand why I am in no hurry to fetch them. **Horror movie music plays as I picture the garage in disarray**


I know my Christmas tree and the stockings have to go (and should have a few days ago), but what about the rest? Everything will look so blank when I take it all down. My mantle decor will go back to being just a mirror on the wall. If I had the forethought, I would have decorated with winter being my focus, instead of Christmas -- that way I could have kept it up all season. I'll keep my entry decorations up, I think since it is just pine and snow, not ornaments. But the rest will sadly be gone soon... As soon as I get to the garage...

Ok. So maybe not that soon. :oP

Our Christmas

Our first Christmas as a married couple was busy, busy, busy!

Josh had to go to his office for a few days before we went to his parents' house, so we stayed in the luxurious Peabody hotel! Their tree was gorgeous and about two stories tall.


When Josh was at the office I hung around the hotel. What is so special about the Peabody is their duckies. They stay in a posh pond somewhere in the hotel and at 11:00 AM they walk to the elevator and come down to the lobby where they march to music on a red carpet, leading them to the lobby fountain where they will bathe all day. CUTE. Then they march back to their quarters at five-ish.

We headed to his childhood home for early Christmas and had a good time. He comes from a family of wonderful cooks and my too-tight jeans show for it. **pout** We woke up early to look in our stockings and open our presents!

I didn't grow up with boys around, so I'm not used to all this rough-housing. I do however enjoy taking pictures of them, looking as homoerotic as possible. Mwahahaha....

A highlight was when my sister-in-law received the pink Snuggie she had been wishing for. I told her that her sex life as she knows it is now over. Her response: That's why the back is open. **shudder**

Please take notice of her husband to the right, already inching away from her.

When we got back home to have Christmas Eve with my family, an unexpected blizzard came in! (Blizzard, Texas, what?!) We made it to my grandma's for lunch but were not able to have Christmas Eve dinner with my parents like normal because of road conditions. Josh and I still had a fun night though! We kidnapped baby-sat our neighbors dog, A. Czar, and he and Millie had a fantastic time.
It was a peaceful Christmas Eve. I did some cleaning, played in the snow...

Enjoyed some snow ice cream (I went a little overboard with the sugar though).

Christmas morning! I don't like mornings, but I can do it for presents. We both ended up getting each other the movie "Up" as a stocking stuffer. Oops.

As usual my husband spoiled me. I love my necklace! It's gaudy and reminds me of something that came out of a pirate's treasure chest!

And he loved his sweater vest, of course.

And we spoiled our puppy. We gave her a chew bone about as big as she is and a stuffed animal that looks like her husky friend. I think I interrupted a private moment here:

Then off to my parents' house for our Christmas lunch! I convinced my mom this year that it would be awesome if she got a white Christmas tree. And by convince I mean simply saying, "Hey, your ornaments would look super cute on a white tree." I didn't have to twist her arm.

Josh and I looked on as the family opened presents. There is no telling what made our faces do this:
One of my favorite gifts was my Anthropologie apron!

Crazy-eyed sis got Beatles Rockband...

And somehow Christmas day deteriorated into, well, this:

I would tell the story, but I think I'll just let you come up with your own for it.

On that note, hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Happy New Year as well!

Linked up to Funky Junk Interiors Christmas Story Party.

Millie wishes you all a merry Christmas!

Deck the Halls!

Okay, okay. So I promised I would post my Christmas decoration pictures and I've put it off repeatedly. For the life of me, I've tried so hard to take good pictures around here, but the natural light through the windows is just not enough for my digital camera. It looks a lot better here in person, but without further ado, I show you my Christmas decorations!


My peacock Christmas tree! Last year I got the tree skirt and blue mesh at Hobby Lobby. This year I added the green ribbon and the feather sprays next to the tree topper. Here are some of my favorite ornaments...





Then there's my mantle....



Sparkling ornaments in apothecary jars....


Glittering candlesticks....

And my stocking that match the tree skirt...


And this year I tried something out in the little display nook in the foyer. I put some stems from Hobby Lobby that had feathers, pine branches, and other glittery things with some gold beaded ting in a vase of faux snow...

And that's about it this year. I made an ornament wreath, but it didn't turn out so well. I think it's because I used a bunch of different sizes and it made arranging them really complicated. I am still contemplating dismantling it, but we'll see!

Linked up to Funky Junk Interiors, Nesting Place, and Thrifty Decor Chick's Christmas posts.