Monday, March 31, 2014

Back Home from Florida...a quick peek at my "souvenirs"!

Hello!  It seems so long since I've actually sat at this computer. 
 McG and I spent a lovely eight days in sunny Florida and just returned home yesterday.

I've spent the better part of today, catching up on emails and skimming through 897 blog posts on Bloglovin'!! 
 Wow some of you have been very busy!!

I'm just popping in between loads of laundry and cooking dinner to share
 some of my "souvenirs" from the trip.

I love to collect shells at the beach, but this trip we didn't make it to the coast...
we stayed in sunny Orlando the whole time.  
We have found a hotel that we like and we are creatures of habit and go back to what we know is good. 
 In case you are wondering, it's The Rosen Inn International
 - very affordably priced and within walking distance to many great restaurants.

We spent our week lounging by the pool and this year we had gorgeous weather.
  We had a couple of cool mornings and we used them to shop! 
 McG loves the Bass Pro store so I make sure to factor in a trip there.

We had some friends meet us up there this time too, so I had a shopping partner for IKEA, Marshall's, Kirklands and Ross's!! 
 I LOVED that McG was kept occupied and didn't follow me around keeping an eye on my spending as he usually does...LOL!

I made a great find at Target - this great 7 x 10 rug for only $99!


I am going to put it in the living room and move the rug that is already there to the dining area.
I will be sure and show you once I've got the room back together!

I also found this great butterfly collage at IKEA.


It's going to be part of a gallery wall that I am planning for in the upstairs hallway.
  Butterflies are the symbol of transplant and
 these have special meaning to me as a stem cell transplant survivor.


This canvas I purchased at Kirkland's. 
 It made it's way into the upstairs main bathroom.



I also bought two of these oval frames for some antique bird drawings
 I purchased last summer in Muskegon Michigan.  





The next two plates I purchased at Marshall's for $3.00 each.
They, too, are going to be part of the gallery wall.






These tin buckets I found at Marshall's on clearance for $5/each.
They are over a foot tall and about ten inches around.  
Not sure where they are going yet, but at that price I wasn't leaving them there.
  They might get put on the patio this summer with candles inside,
 or they might end up on the mantel in the basement family room...
I guess I will let you know when I decide.



These little "souvenirs" have sparked my creative juices and I have plans to do some
sprucing up for spring around here very soon.
We were lucky to arrive home to sun and temperatures in the mid 50's yesterday and today.
I was sad to leave the sunshine and the 80 degree weather behind...
Hopefully the spring weather will be here to stay...
If not I can dream about going back there again next year.
McG has agreed we should stay for two weeks next year!!

Cheryl

P.S. - In case you are wondering how I got all these goodies home with me to Canada...we drive to Florida every year since McG doesn't like to fly!!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

How to Make Quick/Cheap Art!

I am always on the lookout for quick and cheap ways to decorate our home.

I have been loving the look of black and white art and wanted to add some to my office. 
 But again, I want to do this on no budget!
 I have a print that used to hang in my son's room.  I purchased it a few years back at the local Home Sense store for just over $20.
 I love the look of a gallery wall and would love to work on one in this room.

I also had a frame that I had purchased a while back at the local Value Village. 
 I paid $3 for it and it had a Trisha Romance book page in it when I bought it.
  The frame is a grey washed colour with white and blue-grey mats.

I searched The Graphics Fairy site to find some inspiration and I wasn't disappointed!
If you have never been to this site, you need to go.  It offers great FREE printables!
If you can't find anything you like there, there are many sites like this one out there.

While searching on that site, Sloan our cat happened to walk by...so I thought why not search Black Cats and see what I come up with. 
 He is my baby after all and I thought that would be a great way to bring him into my office in a different way. Art that has meaning to you can bring great happiness to your home. 

I have tried taking pictures of him, but because you can only really see his eyes
 (his nose is black too!), it's hard to get a really great photo of him.
  Except if you get one with his tongue hanging out!! 
 I LOVE this one!





But I found one that looks just like him...that is if he were a cartoon!
  Just like Sloan, you can only see the eyes - a perfect likeness of my fur-baby!


I printed it out and coloured in the eyes lightly with green and yellow coloured pencils.

Then I put it in my thrifted frame.




...and now it's hanging on the wall in my office area.  
The perfect start to my gallery wall!




Sorry for the bad picture...the lighting in this room is not the best and it's a grey and snowy day here today.  The reflection of the window isn't helping either.

Stay tuned for further developments on this gallery wall!!
I'm sure it will include other cheap art projects!

Cheryl

Linking up @"




Monday, March 10, 2014

A Quick Trip to the Dollar Store...My Beauty Haul!

I made a quick stop at my local Dollarama store today
...before I popped into the grocery store next door.
I was actually looking for something spring-y for my front door...

Instead...

I found some great beauty deals and I thought I would share them with you!

These are great brands that would have cost me much more if I would have bought them anywhere else...


Nicole by OPI nail polish in GOT STYLE? - a brownish burgundy.

L'Oreal eyeshadow pallet #506 Rose Fields (this one is a repeat buy for me - I just LOVE it!)

L'Oreal eyeshadow pallet #106 Desert Sunrise, similar to the #506 but less rosy and more brown.

Maybelline New York lipstick #830 in Plum Shine.

Great bargains for brand name cosmetics!
And a great way to polish up my style without paying big money!


Have you found any great beauty buys lately??  I'd love to hear from you!

Saturday, March 01, 2014

House Lovin'

Last week I took on some deep cleaning in the living and dining room.  You know the kind...where you move all the furniture into the middle of the room and clean behind it...and you clear off all the surfaces and dust and then edit what goes back and where...

We had some company in town last week due to a family wedding.
Nothing like a little motivation to get things going!!
 I LOVE having company and enjoy entertaining in our home.  

I took some pictures once I was finished...'cause you know those rooms just wouldn't be the same once the weekend was over!!  And the sun was shining in so gloriously I couldn't resist!

I thought I'd share today and maybe even start a weekly series that would help motivate me to keep things nice and tidy around here.





I created this new vignette on the dining room table...using a mirror I bought at the local thrift shop for $2.  The accessories I had in other spots in the room before. 
I like to change things up and move things around.
My Christmas Cactus is still blooming!
 (This is really helping to get me through all the winter that still resides outside our windows!)



This next spot became a favourite of mine the last couple of afternoons...
a great spot to read and nap!






Putzing, cleaning and changing things up...my idea of a great day!

Cheryl

Linking up @