Archive for July, 2011
Window Shopping: Home Goods (Holla)
A few months ago HomeGoods came a lot closer to home. Hence the celebratory “holla” in the title of this post. Yeah, I’m psyched. The closest location used to be in Short Pump (about twenty five minutes from our house) but a new one recently opened right in Chesterfield Towne Center (a mall that’s about eight minutes from our door). Score. So we thought it would be fun to run around with our camera and take some photos of whatever caught our eye (just like we occasionally do at Target, Ikea, and even the other HomeGoods location). Let’s go virtual shopping, shall we?
This cheerful turquoise bench ($150) caught my attention right away. Apparently Mr. Pony likes it too. Only in HomeGoods can you take a photo like this. Seriously, a giant iron horse checking out a garden bench? Check.
These little grellow ottomans ($80) were cute and functional thanks to the pop off tops. They’d look so good in an all neutral room in lieu of a coffee table to shake things up and add some color.
The ones that got away were these white bowls ($3 for the small salad/cereal ones and $8 for the bigger ones). I’m in love with the faceted gemstone-like shape. Should’ve gotten those. Darn.
The aisle marker that said “Library Decor” had us laughing. You know, since everyone needs faux books and a magnifying glass for their library.
I liked this sweet mauve velvet and linen-esque pillow ($35):
This gorgeous stripey velvet guy had me drooling too ($30):
I almost took this guy home with me ($24), but I kind of have a pillow problem so I vowed to give them a rest for a while. Sniffle.
But I did take this $22 planter home with me. There’s not much in the way of scale when it comes to this pic, but it’s a huuuuge metallic bronzy-brown planter with tons o’ texture thanks to the wavy sculptural shapes around the side. I’m smitten. Photos to come when I find a final resting place for him (I figure he can house magazines or even rolls of wrapping paper in a gift wrapping corner- or a plant, duh).
Then we had some fun with a giant watering can:
Here’s my favorite little shopping partner. Her “Eggy” (a yellow egg from Easter) kept her happy the whole time that John and I snapped away. Smooches to Grandma (aka: Nonna) for introducing Clara and Eggy. They’re a shopping match made in heaven.
Along with my metallic planter we also got two $19 Ralph Lauren pillows for our bedroom (our pillows were all flat and easily over 5 years old- time for new ones):
John didn’t have a little yellow egg to keep him company, but he did have a little too much fun in the pet aisle. Check out his wearable cat carrier and “I heart my cat” mug. The best things about the cat carrier was that the box’s tagline was: “no pet left behind.” For some reason that had me snort laughing. Update: I’ve since been enlightened that these carriers are for saving animals in emergencies, and now completely understand and endorse their function – we have not one but two doggie-carrier bags for Burger – safety first!).
This cheerful yellow lantern ($17) had me at hello. Up on a mantel, the top of a console, or an armoire it could definitely add some happy to any room.
John and I both fell hard for this industrial meets rustuc Hooker table. But even though it was marked down to $299 from $699, it was still too rich for our blood. But it’s gorgeous and so inspiring. Maybe someday we’ll master the whole welding thing and DIY something. Oh to dream…
This mirrored table ($70) was really similar to this $199 one from West Elm. So glam… and so hard to photograph.
This $49 lamp kind of reminded us of the metallic round-based ones that we have on our console table (from Marshall’s). We’re just suckers for clean white drum shades up top and some textured metal sheen down below:
This $29 botanical canvas was kind of fun and oversized. It could be great in a bathroom where you’d worry about prints or photographs getting all clammy and wrinkled.
This giant capiz mirror ($129) would be one of those room-making things when hung over a fireplace or above an entryway console table. Anything capiz = my jam. Seriously, I’d drool over a capiz bust of Screech from Saved By The Bell. Make it capiz and I’m in.
This $129 chair was cool. I could picture it pulled up to a desk instead of a stuffy office chair for a totally inviting little bill-paying and laptop-trolling zone.
This cool Moroccan-inspired black pouf was $80, and I could definitely see it in any sort of living space to add texture and a splash of the exotic. It might even look cool in a nursery. I know that seems weird, but it would add plush sophistication without posing any sort of hazard since it’s squishy and baby friendly. I can picture it pulled up to a charming clean-lined glider with a floofy white flokati rug. Mmm.
So there you have it, a quick little virtual shopping spree through HomeGoods. Have you guys seen anything there that you’re loving lately? Have you snagged new bed pillows or a jumbo planter that you plan to use indoors? Do you read faux books in your library with a posh magnifying glass? Come on, somebody tell me they do.
Psst- We weren’t paid or perked for this post, we just like HomeGoods. Like a lot.
(Slight) Porch Progress
Hope you guys all had an awesome holiday weekend. We had some fun with our family (more on that later in the week) and are still sort of building up the ol’ momentum again (after our big paneling project from last week) – but we did manage to squeeze in a tiny porch upgrade. See, when we were house hunting in the late fall of last year we snapped these two terrible shots of the porch:
Then on moving day we plopped down the wooden bench (from Home Depot a few years back) which used to live on our first house’s front porch… and that was the extent of the update. Blah.
Pretty bleak huh? It’s ok, you can yawn. We’re right there with you.
So we decided after more than a half a year of living here it was high time we brought all of our old planters out of the workshop/basement and actually used them again. Most insane part of the story: there was a hosta that was still alive and growing inside of a sealed tupperware bin in the sunless basement amongst all of our planters (we moved them by stacking them all into a large tupperware bin that we tossed into the basement in December and didn’t even open until last week). Mr. Hosta is pretty darn hardy, eh? Anyway we hosed down the old outdoor pillows and planters to shake off the cobwebs and dirt (btw, all of them are from Home Depot – although I painted those square planters a while back which used to be wood toned).
Since John had the hose out we even filled the bird feeder in the back. While joking that it looked like he was relieving himself. Yes, we’re tweens.
Then we ran over to Home Depot and grabbed a few potted plants/shrubs and plopped them into our already-owned pots that we (finally) set out on the porch. Here’s a coleous that we grabbed for $6. They always remind me of my mom because they’re one of her favorites too. We’re suckers for those high contrast leaves.
On the other side we have our already-owned little miracle (Mr. Hosta) and a feathery little $5 plant with purple flowers (don’t remember the name but it’s a shade-loving annual).
For either side of the door we got some hardy evergreen shrubs (can’t find the tag with the name on them- boo) that should only grow to be around three feet tall and 16″ wide (so we hope they can live in those planters for the long-haul). But if they get too big we’ll just transplant ‘em and try something else. Maybe even something seasonal like mums in the fall and brightly flowering annuals for the spring/summer.
It’s definitely not a dramatic overhaul but it’s a sweet little pick-me-up until we can get to the larger porch projects that we’d like to tackle down the road. Like removing the scalloped header above the porch, framing out the columns so they’re chunky and square, transplanting the too-large bushes that crowd the walkway…
… replacing the dinky porch light with an oversized lantern-like guy (and possibly getting another one wired on the other side of the door for symmetry), and of course painting that bland front door of ours – along with updating the hardware and possibly staining the concrete porch floor.
Oh and our old welcome mat from Target (which has to be at least a few years old now) still looks pretty good. Probably because we didn’t use the front door to get into our first house (we went through the sunroom) and we don’t use it at this house either (we go through the side door in the carport).
So although there’s a lot more on the porch agenda, we’re glad that we added a little life in the meantime. The whole planter rinse-down & plant run project took about two hours total. Now we just have to remember to water these guys (which should be 100% free thanks to our trusty rain barrel).
Of course when it comes to long term curb appeal plans, we’d love to be able to actually see the porch from the front of our driveway. Since right now the view is obscured by five million bushes and shrubs (even though I limbed up the ol’ magnolia a while back). Yes, “jungle-esque” is an appropriate adjective for our yard.
And of course we have big plans to turn the carport into an enclosed garage once we can pin down exactly what we want when it comes to doors and windows and all those still-to-be-decided details. Sigh. Someday. Has anyone else out there done any porch sprucing lately? Do you guys all use some other entrance than the front door to get into your house? Any other insane hosta stories of survival?
Psst- Clara painted us a masterpiece and we excitedly added it to our hallway frame wall. More on that over on BabyCenter. So proud of our little Picasso.
Fab Freebie: The (Not) Wedding Week
***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!***
Thanks to random.org’s very arbitrary matchmaking skills, our winner is… Lawren (whose favorite wedding moment was when her cousin’s pocketed dress stored tissues to hand the groom when he teared up during the vows). Congrats!
Hope everyone’s having an awesome Fourth of July. We’re enjoying some family time but wanted to drop in with this week’s giveaway, so here ya go. Thursday marks our 4th wedding anniversary, which typically would make this “Wedding Week” around here. But since there’s not much left of that dead horse to beat (we’ve already shared every last detail about our wedding, honeymoon, traditions, how we met, how we got engaged, and our favorite meaningful momentos), we’re gonna go light on the theme this time around. Don’t get me wrong, the last year has been awesome and we’re planning something sweet to celebrate the beginning of year five (nothing big, but we’ll share whatever we end up doing). Feel free to take a trip down memory lane by checking out a recap of our $4,000 DIY backyard ceremony or browsing old Wedding Week posts from the last three years if you’re feeling sentimental though.
And since this turned into sort of a “Not” Wedding Week, we figured it was the perfect time to do a giveaway with The Not Wedding. They’re a self-described “killer alternative to a bridal show” where you attend a mock ceremony, sit down dinner, and dance-filled reception all in the name of having fun and checking out vendors. Basically you get to experience music, food, cake (mmmm cake) and other wedding must haves in a real-ish wedding setting. This year’s “big day” is on July 21st and two tickets (which include dinner, drinks, and dessert) are up for grabs this week.
But knowing that not everyone can get to Georgia on two weeks notice, The Not Wedding is also hooking the winner up with a $150 gift card to their registry sponsor Bloomingdale’s. Plus, you’ll win a pearl bridal bracelet and hair flower fascinator (in white or ivory) from their accessory sponsor (Fine & Fleurie). Which adds up to over $300 of wedding-tastic swag. Or should I say not wedding-tastic swag? Hmm. Either way… score.
- PRIZE: Two tickets to The Not Wedding, a $150 Bloomingdales gift card, plus a bracelet & hair flower from Fine & Fleurie
- TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the words “NOT ME!” and…
- BONUS QUESTION: … tell us your favorite part about a wedding that was NOT yours. Did a particular family member have an especially touching ceremony? Did your best friend cry or laugh at your killer toast? Maybe your college friend simultaneously had you drooling over her location, dress, and decor? Or – be honest – is it just the time your work friend had an awesome open bar?
- GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Wednesday, July 6th at 8pm EST
- NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
- PRIZE SHIPS: Anywhere in the world!
- USUAL STUFF: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday as an update to this post. That’s right, come right back here on Thursday for the announcement of our winners. Good luck…
Note: We weren’t paid or perked to host this giveaway, we just like rewarding our lovely readers. See our Giveaway FAQs page for more info. Pics from The Not Wedding, Bloomingdales and Fine & Fleurie.
