Thanks Dad! A fantastic gift for me!

I got a surprise call from my dad at work the other day.  At first, I was a little worried as he rarely calls me, especially not in the middle of the day, at work, on my work number....

Thankfully, all was well and he actually wanted to know if I wanted this:

Oh sorry, not the gigantic mess in my garage... look PAST that.  The bf was suppossed to clean that just like he was suppossed to tear down the patio.... but I digress.

What I am talking about is that large tarped thing that kinda looks like a small tarped car.

It is actually a  10 x 8 garden shed.  I had mentioned we would be buying one next summer and when the box for this one arrived completely destroyed, Home Depot ( the company he delivers for), dad snatched it up for me!

The only catch is that it is obviously NOT in a box.  Plus, they cannot guarantee that all the parts are there.  But dad says that even if we have to purchase something for it, it will be a heck of a lot cheaper than anything we could buy.

I just took a look at the owners manual, and while it is not really the style we were looking for, we are definitely gonna see how it works for us next summer!

I mean, we fully intended to get started on assembling it, and then we finally got snow today.  :(

Hard to complain though since we usually get it around the middle of October.....

Unfortunately, it now means we definitely are NOT parking in the garage this winter!

What cheap or free items have you scored lately....

Garage Sale!

I've been super busy at work lately which is why I haven't been around.  I've mentioned before that I work for a homebuilder, and while we try to sell our showhomes fully furnished, sometimes the homeowner chooses to forgo the furniture.  Needless to say, we had a lot of stuff kicking around in our warehouse.

Since we needed the space, the boss decided to hold a litle garage sale to get rid everything.  I was appointed in charge, which I don't mind doing, so I have been up to my eyeballs in dust and random home goodies the last little while.

While the designer gave me a ton of brand new stuff to add to the sale, there is of course a lot of older stuff.  However, I was able to find a few diamonds in the rough.

The first thing we got was the cute little Ikea table for the porch that I showed you at Halloween:

I've really liked these silver floral art pieces for quite some time now so they were the next thing to come with me when our designer decided she was willing to part with them.  Cory's not the biggest fan but I don't care.  I have one hanging in the front entrance currently and while I am not entirely sure I love it, I think it's nice to get something new in there.

Next up were these candle holders that I've had my eye on for about a year.  I like their shabby chic-esque vibe.  Again, not entirely sure where they'll go, but I think they will definitely make their way to our deck next summer when we have people over.

This sweet vase was the perfect color, I just couldn't pass it up.  I think it would look best in a reall amazingly style bookcase.... if only I had one.  woop woop!

The largest piece we got was this Ikea bookcase.  I really love pieces with cubbies, but this one has a more "furniture" vibe than the usual expedit case which we also have.  I am thinking it will most likely go into our basement when we get that under way.

I have my eye on a few other pieces including a pair of silk toss cushions with feather inserts, some cute little blue pots, some great (in package) curtain panels and a gorgeous custom made mirror.

Depending on how things sell tomorrow, I might snag a few more things.  I will keep you posted on that AND for info on where things end up. 

The latest < ahref="http://restorationhardware.com">Restoration Hardware Gift Catalogue's (and Baby) arrived this week.  I was beyong excited at some of the stuff inside, and of course the sale prices.

Here's a few things I am pretty sure we'll be picking up:

These luxury plush throws are right up our allet.  We'll most likely be grabbing 'em in silver sage and ivory which will look even better when we get around to finding a new (grey) sofa.

I like this fur throw in lynx and also the arctic fox one as well.  But I'd have to see it in person as sometimes these faux fur ones loose too much fur or are itchy.

I really need me some flameless candles. I love the look of candlelight, but I go through a lot.  The one-time cost of these would definitely pay off.  Plus, these are indoor/outdoor which I am sooo excited about.  Now, I just need to find some great outdoor lanterns!

I want two of these.  One for Phoenix.  One for me.  Great for warmish fall days when you don't wanna wear a coat.

Phoenix definitely needs his own monogrammed bathrobe.  This is for sure on my wishlist for him.

Now, here are some items I am DREAMING about:

I'd love to be able to afford to spoil Phoenix with this gorgeous pedal plane for Christmas!

I dream of this fixture in my stairwell.... sigh!

and I would take one of these anywhere in the house.   You can bet that as soon as I have a bigger house, I am gonna try and get this somewhere!

Happy Halloween

We've never really done Halloween decorating around these parts.  I think it's mostly cause we don't have kids and also because Cory's just not a fan.  I think next year I am gonna step it up a bit cause I really like seeing other people's decor,  so I will be hitting up the clearance bins all over the place for sure this week.

Since I decided, pretty much last night that I wanted to do something, I didn't have time to buy anything.   So in working with what I had, this is the very basic set up we arranged:

I wish I had taken some better pictures earlier in the day....


Luckily, I knew that I wanted to get a reusable pumpkin, so I picked one up earlier this week at Walmart. I know, I know it kind of takes the fun out of the whole thing, but until we have some little ones to carve pumpkins, plugging this smiley guy in, suits us just fine.  Plus, he's nice and tall so I don't have to worry about finding a nice sized one to carve.

We're clearing out some of the old showhome furniture in our warehouse at work, I snagged this little cream Ikea table for $10 from work.  I knew it would come in handy for a ton of different things but since it matches the trim on our house, I knew the porch was a good spot for it.

My little scarecrow was a $2 buy from Dollarama last year.  I wrapped his hand around the doorbell and it looked pretty cute.  You can't really see, but he's holding onto a little oil rubbed bronze Princess House basket filled with fake pumpkins and gourds.

On the lower shelf, I put this great little lantern.  It's a Partylite lantern that came with interchangeable magnetic templates which I can change out based on the season.  This is the first time I've used this Autumnal template and I LOVE IT!!

Here's a closer view:

It actually put out quite a bit of light and added to that great spooky Halloween vibe.   I also unintentionally used some cranberry smelling candles inside so the porch smelled nice and pretty :)

It cetainly needs  a lot of work, but I think I have the bug for next year!

Family Visit Weekend

October is a busy month for my family.  With Thanksgiving and my birthday, there's usually a lot going on.  Unfortunately, my brother and his family weren't able to come down for the big dinner earlier this month, but they were able to join us this weekend instead.

Since it had been a while since everyone had seen them (since their move to Saskatchewan in August), my mom called up and let me know she'd be coming in as well.  Plus, my dad made it out today as well.

So, it was a pretty full house.  Especially with all the baby stuff they brought.  We did manage to grab a lot of photos of everyone with Phoenix (who turned 6 months earlier this week!!)

He has gotten soooo big and it's greast to see how he's learning.

FOUND: Blogger who took an unexpected (extended) absence

Ha!  For someone who had really high goals set for all she wanted to acheive this summer, I sure failed miserably.

Yes, I was dealing with sicknesses of both my parents :(  and putting some longer hours at the office :( :( but really, I was just concentrating on spending time with my family and trying to set a schedule around here.

It was a relatively unproductive summer, but I am happy with what we did do:

~ Finished the fence and laid sod in the backyard (as previously blogged about).  It took us forever to get our butts in gear, but seeing Finley do crazy laps in the yard makes ut all worthwhile!

Yup, that's it!  haha  whoops!

So, I guess it's time to get back on track and get things going around here.

First up, I mentioned http://prettylittlethingsforhome.blogspot.com/2011/07/vacation.html>here about how we really needed to get started on completing our master bedroom.  So that's where I have decided to start. 

This weekend, I took a leap of faith and decided to go and order the two sets of blinds we were missing for our master bedroom.  For the record, I ordered them over two years ago, before we even moved in and waited and waited for them.  Only to weeks later find out they were never coming - those sizes were discontinued(??) I was told....  I did a search the other day and found the blinds were still/once again(?) listed online.  So I am praying that they magically are available again and come next week, since the anticipated date is November 4th.  (fingers crossed for me).

(this photo shows one of the windows that needs blinds; the other is in the closet)

Up next, I am determined to finally complete our headboard.  The wood base will be moved into the basement this week and I just have to commit to a fabric, buy the foam and execute the plan!  I'm taking fabric suggestions.

Stay tuned!

Enjoying it!

Guess I took the summer off...

We didn't do much inside the house, if at all. But we sure got a lot done outside.

The fence is finally finished and we have grass!
It's still a blank slate, but that leaves me all summer to plan out exactly what I want out here (and save some money for everything...). Thank goodness I finish paying off my suv next august!

Here's hoping your summer was a blast. I have a ton of blog reading and obviously posting to catch up on, so you'll see me around these parts soon.

For now, we're enjoying the last of the nice days and playing outside while our carpets are cleaned in preparation for being cooped up all winter.
Enjoy the day!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Weekend Wrap up!

Whew! What a weekend! It was jam packed and productive, but I honestly feel like I didn't even have one.

Friday evening we had a little Date Night and went to dinner and a movie. Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Good but sad.

Saturday, in addition to cleaning, we got started on the fence! Yes, you heard that correctly. Those fence posts (at least 1 side of them) that we put in months ago, finally have something attached to them! I'll be taking photos tonight to share with you tomorrow as Cory has one more tiny thing to do on that side today before we finish. I'm uber excited, and it's starting to look like a real backyard now... You know, except without a yard, and just dirt. ;)

We hit up a bonfire at a friends' house Saturday as well. Sunday was full of more building, free lunch at Rockford (thanks to a golf tournament prize) and a delicious dinner was had last night at <a href="http://themeltingpot.com">The Melting Pot</a> . It was our first visit and we left Sooooo stuffed! Thank goodness though for a gift card we had, as it was pretty pricey (didn't realize my drinks were $18 a piece- yikes!)

Got a great surprise today too. A co-worker brought in 4 books of coupons! Great to hear how helpful my friends and family are being.
What'd YOU do this weekend?
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Barcelona Blowout!

Just a quick note, if you're a fan of the iconic Barcelona chair (but aren't too hung up on a reproduction), the Interior Designer at work just mentioned that London Drugs has them on super sale for $199 which INCLUDES the ottoman!

She's seen them there for 399 before, but never this low! Go quick, at that price I'm sure they won't last!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Bangles!

Two weekend ago, I bought a bunch of new jewelery. The dress I wore to the wedding had gold in it, and I didn't own any gold pieces except the earrings I bought in January to go with it.

I wanted something fun and a little chunky. I lucked out and found a package of about 10 bangles. They're all different and gold. With two also being the perfect blue to go with my dress. There are some bamboo looking ones, one with animal print looking cut outs, a nailhead looking one, etc. At $15 it was a little more than I wanted to spend, but they've been working their way into my wardrobe a ton lately so they're cost per wear seems to be paying off!

I never thought I was a gold person, since my cool toned skin looks best with cool colors but I was surprised to see how often the gold is more applicable for certain outfits.

Just goes to show you, sometimes it's nice to throw a little unexpected accessory in your cart to add a little WOW to your wardrobe!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

A little bit of Savings

Sorry no posts the last two weks.  We had a wedding last weekend to attend and then I had a ridiculously busy week this one, getting ready for our Golf Tournament at work, which was yesterday.

It turned out great and we raised so much money for charity.  I am beyond excited.  Plus, I received a gift card for The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant which I am excited to try!!!

Anyways, I have the afternoon off, so just running around doing some errands, napping and getting things ready for Cory to get off work so we can head out to the lake.   But I wanted to share another coupining story with you, since that's all I've been up to lately.

Here's this afternoon's loot:

Johnson's Bathtime Essentials Gift Set  - $20.99 - Manufacturer's Replacement Product Coupon = FREE!

Crest toothpaste - $2.49 - $0.75 off Websaver coupon =$1.74

Satin Care Shavegel - $3.49 - $1.00 off Websaver coupon = $2.49

Total= $4.23 before taxes!!

Quick note: SDM also had Purex laundry detergent on sale for $2.99 last Sunday and Monday only.  Unfortunately, my store was sold out when I went in.  I asked about a raincheck and they gave me one, even though I later found out they aren't suppossed to do them for the special buy prices....

This worked out perfect as my Purex coupon/sample had not arrived yet. 
It came in this week $3.00 off, so I am looking forward to picking up my FREE bottles when they are in!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

HomeSense Love!

I was in HomeSense the other day and found myself constantly whipping out my camera phone!  I actually texted Cory some photos with the words "I love these, so hard!"  In fact, there was a million things in the store that had me wishing I didn't have a vacation and a backyard and fence in my budget already.

There were a ton of things in the store that I thought would be perfect in our house.  Everything had that perfect vintagey-french look I love, combined with a slightly rustic, well worn, industrial Restoration Hardware vibe that we both love.

Here are a few things that had me swooning and declaring aloud my desire to save my pennies:

These gorgeous grey beauties were the first thing I saw when I walked in the store!  There were six of them.  Exactly what I want.  Loved the fabric - perfect linen!  Love the button tufting.  Love the nailhead detail.  Plus, they were super comfy!!

When I sent them to Cory, he loved them as well.  We decided that maybe these would be great in our space if we switched out our table to something white. Perhaps, a simple white lacquer Parsons table?

They also had them in a neutral linen and pretty white.  Which would look good with our current table.

swoon....

I immediately thought of Cory and our eventual basement when I saw this table.  It's exactly the kind of thing he's typically drawn to.  Surprisingly enough, I've also become enamored with the style as well.  Plus, I bet it's about 10 times cheaper here than RH!

There was a ton of amazing artwork.  Unfortunately, that's where my stupid phone died.  I did manage to snag one pic though.

I thought this great birch print would look great in our house.  Infact, I just about bought a couple pieces before realizing it would be smarter to save my giftcard and a few more to eventually get something awesome like a whole set of chairs!

What have you found at HomeSense lately?

FAH-REE!

Since getting into Couponing pretty crazily last week, I am happy to say I've scored a bunch of amazing deals lately.  In addition to getting some great prices with coupons, I also managed to score some free items, simply by paiying attention to my bill!

One thing I found out last week was that I really need to pay attention to the prices of items I'm purchasing.  Two items on my bill the other day were scanned incorrectly!  That error on Walmart's part got me some free juice AND some Skinny cow fudge bars!

It also got me thinking about how many times, I had purchased something because of the low price, only to feel confused and shocked when my total bill was quite a bit more than I expected.  I never, ever double checked it though!!

Guess who's changed the way she shops?  I'm now carting a notebook with me to the grocery store and writing down my prices and verifying them when they scan.  I'm thinking this little act is gonna save me a ton of money....

Bedroom Artwork Re-vamp

Earlier this week, I mentioned that one of the things I wanted to get done this week was rectify this disaster on my bedroom wall:

Yikes!

The rest of the art in the room is black and white, so I wanted to keep it the same but I also knew I wanted to do something a little more "personal".

So I found one of my absolute favorite photos of Cory and I.

and used Picasa to make it Black and white.

Then off to Walmart I went to have this baby printed into an 11x14.  They didn't have a 12x12 option they way I was printing (I've learned my lesson now and will most likely re-print down the line).

 I simply popped off the backing and using a fresh piece of scothc tape, adjusted the scrapbook paper.

The re-positioned the photo and attached it to the backing with even more scotch tape (yeah, we're fancy like that over here!)

Then, just like that, pop the backing back on, and hang back up on the wall!

Admittedly, I want to get a better quality copy of the photo so that the resolution of the print is better when I print it.  I will also print the photo to the proper size so it fits entirely behind the mat.

But for now, it's 100% times better than what we had before.  Remember:

And the much improved After:

Don't you agree?

Currently Loving: Mason Jar Stamp

I had a weird dream the other day about using a Mason Jar stamp in a craft project.  I'd seen some really great projects that this soon to be momma has been creating.  I'm loving their simple beauty!!

Once my office is back up and running, I'll be snatching one of these up for myself, to work on

re-stocking my slowly depleting card stash.

But, if you're not so crafty, you might want to visit Kerri's etsy shop and snag some of these cuties for yourself!