Splurge vs Steal

It is no secret that I love to shop!  Here are a few splurge vs. steals I thought I would share.

Gingham has always been one of my favorite fabrics.  I remember digging through my grandmas fabric drawers and pulling out all the colored gingham and just looking at it  and then reorganizing it.  I guess I should have learned to sew...but organization has always been more my style.

I love this gray duvet cover from Ballard Designs.

Gwyneth Buffalo Check 

It is a splurge at $109 for a Full/Queen

Ikea carries a very very similar version.

Emmie Ruta Duvet 

A steal at the sale price of $29.99 for a Full/Queen

Emmie Ruta Duvet on sale now for 29.99 for a Full/Queen

Ikea

If Rich and I ever move back to a "house" where I will have the need for a dining room I would love to purchase some upholstered chairs.

These beauties are from  Restoration Hardware.

Bennett Parsons chair

These are a splurge at the starting price of $379.  The cost goes up depending on the fabric you choose.

This chair is from World Market and I actually prefer if over the one from Restoration Hardware.

Linen Tufted Zoey Chair

It is a steal at $249

Everyone is doing pendent lighting over their islands these days.  This is a cute option from Pottery Barn.

A splurge at $199 each!

A more budget friendly option would be this guy from Overstock.

Maisie Light

A steal at $79 each

Dish towels are a fun way to brighten up your kitchen and decorate for the seasons.

This is fun summery towel from Anthropology .

Fallen Quills

A big splurge for just a towel at $22.

Target carries this similar version.

Towel Feathers

A steal at $3.50 you can afford to by one for the sink and one for the oven!

There are so many home decor stores, discount stores such as HomeGoods, and online retailers you can always find the "look" for less!  Be patient, take time to enjoy the process of decorating, and of course the thrill of the hunt!

Closet Progress

We turned what used to be the "pink side" of the master bathroom into a closet for me.

The closet before... as a bathroom.

 

 

This is what it has looked like for the past 11 months.  It was pretty useless aside from the dresser.

We took a quick trip to IKEA with the intention of just getting two Billy bookcases. Once we got there I was overwhelmed by all the options of storage they have.  I ended up with the PAX frames which go all the way to the ceiling and are two inches deeper the the Billy bookcase would have been.  I also got the inserts that fit inside.

 

Here is the closet after...

 I placed a PAX frame with an insert on each side of the existing dresser.  For nowI left the dresser as is but would like to paint it a more neutral color when I run out of things to do.

I am so glad I got the inserts!  They are perfect for shoes, purses, and jewelry.

 

 

On the back side of each wall I have two hanging shelves for clothes.  I am sad to say that I still take up the other closet in our master bedroom but at least that is better then having clothes scattered in four closets through out the house...

So glad to finally be utilizing this space!

Count Down To Home Cooking...3

My blood pressure has been through the roof all day!

My amigos arrived and immediately started speaking in Spanish.  I waited patiently then finally had to ask what all the fuss was about.  They took one look at the pantry side and said they needed a third guy to help get the granite in place.  Okay, no problem, call for a third guy right?!?  Well they decided they would try to put in place themselves.  I was on pins and needles since this piece weighs around 344lbs!

They got it in with no problems!

These guys are good!

Here are a couple pictures(all my pictures lately are from the Iphone, sorry if they are blurry it is just so easy to take pictures this way).  I still have to get a faucet and handles for the cabinets.  I should have had these picked out along time ago but I am the worst at making decisions like these!

I am beyond thrilled with how the counters have turned out.  The whole process went really smooth!

More pictures to come!  Hopefully tomorrow we can get those holes in the wall covered up...

Weekend Happenings

 It has been a busy busy weekend to say the least.

We had so much fun at Bryan and Katie's barn wedding!  

I went to the granite place for the third time this week.  I am in love with this slab minus the couple of iron deposits it has.  The company is checking with their distributor in Atlanta so see how many other Arabesco slabs they have and if they have iron deposits as well.  

Rich continued assembly on the kitchen.  I helped with drawers!

We also had this little guy come by who was more then happy to help :)

I filled up my tank with less then $3 gas!

We had Sunday dinner at Papaw's house.

Memee cooked this amazing Caribbean chicken dish!   It was delish!

I went through some of my great grandmother's pictures.  She lived to be 105!

 One side of the kitchen is 75% complete!  Rich and the Phillips crew did such a great job getting everything installed just right!  So glad my family is so handy :)

The rest of my house looks like this...hopefully only one more week of cooking out of two rooms.

Count Down To Home Cooking...5

I had a great dinner with my friend Jessica tonight!  She made homemade pizza and we started planning her son's first birthday party!  

So YUMMY!  Jessica's meal has inspired my count down to be being able to cook for real in my kitchen.  I hope that I will only have four more posts about the kitchen with the 5th one being the first meal cooked in the new kitchen!

I had Rich put on two doors...I could not wait!

I picked out a new granite today.  It is called Arabesco and has a lot more white in it and looks clean and crisp with the cabinets.  I think it is the winner!

Since the cabinets arrived Rich has been doing all the assembling.  He is doing such a great job!

I have been supervising of course :)

I carry a cabinet every now and then in between staring at my new mantel! 

Weekend Happenings

 We had a busy weekend and the fun will continue this week!

I worked in the yard transplanting some veggies to a sunnier spot with hopes they will grow grow grow!

I sorted and stored Northern white beans.
For two people Rich and I have an outrageous food bill so in an effort to be frugal I bought dried beans instead of canned beans.

We enjoyed fireworks from the roof to celebrate the end of Riverbend.

Father's Day!

Christopher and Rich drew my Papaw's '40 Ford for a nice backdrop to our hot dog lunch.

 Dad about to chow down.

 

 Mom and Papaw

Christopher mixing up homemade ice cream.

Adding ice and salt

Waiting, waiting, waiting

So worth it!  Homemade peach ice cream!

Monday was a big day.  Papaw installed our beautiful mantel.  I am in love with it!  

It is so perfect....I could go on and on!  It is the icing on the cake for the fireplace make over, and the fact that papaw made it makes it so special! 

Our cabinets were also delivered Monday afternoon.  That doesn't look like a whole kitchen's worth of cabinets does it?!?   But everything is there, we just have to put it together.

Love my sink!

This is what Rich has assembled as of last night.  I can't judge it yet.  Nothing is secured to the walls, and the doors will go on last...But so far my only comment is, they are big.  I guess I was just getting used to having empty open space.

Rich is hard at work as I type and our goal is to have everything assembled by the weekend.