Williams Sonoma Home

I was in the W&S Home store yesterday and was loving these items below. I love browsing the store for ideas and inspiration; however, it's very expensive.

Colorful china: Haviland Collection

Very elegant!

The Haviland Tambour Collection:

Loving this luxurious pattern:

Bernardaud Etoiles Collection (even the name is luxurious!)

Of course, I love this bar cart...it's mirrored!

Super expensive at $1,450!

I love these sconces, as well as the bird art.

Light khaki & ivory zebra striped rug:

I don't necessarily like these vases, but I love the idea of using 2 vases as bookends:

Williams Sonoma Home

Curb Appeal: Door Mats

I am a big fan of door mats that greet you before you get into your house. I think door mats are inviting no matter what they look like- classic black, monogrammed, floral, stripes, etc. The first mat I bought was at Ross for $3.99 looking like this:

I liked the classic black on our front step (a style I had grown accustomed to- credits to my mom!). Plus, I purchased mine for 5x less than my mom did at a local flower shop! :) Then, I discovered a floral one at Pier 1 I liked. So, I moved the black one to our side door, which we use often to grill, take out the trash & recycling, etc. I figured that one would hold up well there and it has exceeded my expectations. I bought this mat when we bought our house in March '09 so it is extremely durable. 

The Pier 1 mat I replaced at the front door. I liked the pop of red at the door! On sale now at Pier 1 for $14. The "Estrella" mat:

 Before:

After:

So, the "Estrella" doormat was moved to the back patio below our sliding doors. Are you following me still? :) It may soon have to be replaced since it's fading, but I may pick up the same at Pier 1 on sale. 

Last Christmas I bought a festive "welcome" mat with poinsettias on it for our front door at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $8. I was still using it all spring and summer while looking for a new mat. The poinsettias looked like flowers, and at this point you really could not tell they are holiday flowers.

And, yes, I was being picky shopping for a new doormat. I had grown accustomed to the "welcome" on the mat and wanted to find a pretty one. I looked at a ton of stores, including Pier 1, and wasn't having much luck till I was at Lowe's yesterday and came across this one that I bought for $11:

This has gladly replaced the poinsettia doormat, which was placed in the trash this morning. I hope BBB brings it back in stock for the holidays- it was definitely a favorite!

If you are shopping for a new doormat, or haven't purchased this item at all yet and you are now inspired to go out and buy one, here are a few of my favorites (with & without the "welcome"):

Crate & Barrel "Benton" $30:

 Pottery Barn "Rooster" $29:

Love the red border & turquoise rooster! 

Although, I'm not a huge fan of rooster kitchens, I like this rooster doormat!

 Pottery Barn "Monogram" $59:

Williams Sonoma "Fleur-de-lys" $50:

Similar to my $3.99 one!

Pier 1 "Floral" $17:

Lowe's "Paysage" $15:

Perfect for fall!

 Walmart "Eldorado" $13:

 Here are a few other places to try for doormats:

Bed, Bath, and Beyond (don't forget the coupon!)

Discount Home Stores, such as:

Ross

TJ Maxx

Marshalls

Homegoods

Happy Shopping!

New Obsession: Candle Wall Sconces

I love the look of wall candle holder sconces. The more dramatic, the better. While browsing in my favorite antique store this past week on vacation (although, I was a bit disappointed on the lack of home items this visit) I came across these sconces and love the big impact they make, as well as the mirrored look:

At Ross I came across these very inexpensive ones ($7 each) and you can always spray paint to give them the color you want.

Here are 2 options from JC Penney. The 1st are similar to the ones found at Ross. They are small and I would hang both together, as pictured below.

 I like the squared shape of these:

I really love these mirrored ones from West Elm ($39 each). These are definitely dramatic enough that they can be placed alone. One could be place on either side of a buffet or hutch or hang underneath each other instead of side by side. 

Increasing Curb Appeal: Mailboxes

Since we've moved into our new house (back in March '09) we've been using a brown basket as our mailbox. We've gotten compliments on the look of the basket by our front door, and I do like it; however, not so much when it has rained and the mail is soaking wet. I also think a mailbox increases the curb appeal. I have no idea what the prior owners used because we did not have a mailbox nor an address plate. We bought an address plate from Home Depot, which we love. We have yet to find a mailbox at Home Depot or Lowe's that we like. Plus, we need a sturdy enough one that can be drilled into our stone front.

Our "mailbox." I use a bag clip to hold outgoing mail- very convenient (except when it's raining):

 Address plate:

So besides looking at Home Depot and Lowe's I've also searched eBay hoping we could find a nice, sturdy, less expensive mailbox because if you don't know, they can be expensive (I'm talking about over a $100). I've also thought about building one as my father-in-law had, and even asked my husband if he could try, but he's not one to build things...Plus, the more I browse online the more I'm liking the fancy ones- the ones that really up the curb appeal and the ones that would match our address plate.

After Googling residential mailboxes I have found a few that I am loving despite the $100+ price tag. It's a forever purchase- it's not something we will need to replace. I'm thinking it's a good investment. Plus, I can finally cross it off my "House To Do List!"

Whitehall Mailbox $135 (& free shipping):

 Since we already have the address plate the front would be blank. I like the option though!

eBay is a great place to look for household items, including mailboxes. I found the Whitehall Mailbox above on eBay for the same price plus free shipping. 

This mailbox is $110 on MailboxixChange and on eBay you can Buy It Now for $71.50 plus $19 for shipping, totaling $90.50 (saving yourself $20).

It's not as fancy as the one above, but it's sturdy (what I'm looking for) and it has a non-locking option, too. 

I also like this one. It has the convenient magazine holder I like and it comes in a variety of colors. Even better, it's only $57 plus free shipping! Definitely a contender. 

Horizon Wall Mount Mailbox:

Although, this one is a heavier (12 lbs vs. just 5 lbs above). A little more expensive at $97, also with free shipping, and in a variety of colors.

I think these are all final contenders. I will give you a future update on the one that wins!

Decorating in Small Spaces

I am loving this post on House Beautiful's website, called "A Small One Bedroom Apartment Made Big." I have a few friends living in 1 bedroom apartments and I thought of them when I saw this article. Looking at the photos I was also inspired by the decorating. I love that the designer still used bold paint colors (on the walls & floors!) for a small apartment and it really brightens the space. Read the article to learn more about this space and how the designer started with a "white box."

I love this shade of purple and the mirror fits perfectly in the narrow space. 

 The chandelier makes a statement in this room! Plus, the bare windows let in lots of natural light.

I love how the pictures are hanging vertically on another narrow wall. Also, the tiny yellow chair adds a fun pop of color. You can also use the chair to stack magazines, books, or hold a basket with mail, etc.

The bookshelf not only holds books and accessories, but also the TV. The black is a fun contrast to the purple and looks very luxurious.

I'm not a big fan of the all green cabinets, but it's an example that kitchen cabinets can be another place to add color, especially in a small space.

A luscious ottoman that also serves as storage for towels & linens. Benches can also be used for storage, either leather or wood with a cushion for extra seating, too.

 Squeezing in extra storage in the laundry closet:

Closet Organization, and loving the red!

 Love this elegant bedroom with the wallpaper and luxurious headboard!

 House Beautiful

Skinny Margarita Mix

While shopping at Bed, Bath, & Beyond I came across this Skinny Margarita Mix for $10 (and $8 with a 20% coupon).They also had a Skinny Cosmopolitan Mix. I love mixed drinks, but they can often be high in calories, and especially during the summer I'd love to try something low-cal!

 It reminded me of Bethanny Frenkel's Skinny Margarita, which I haven't tried yet, and I'm not sure how much more expensive it would be.

I had previously done a post on Margaritas for Cinco de Mayo and margarita glasses that you can read here.

One of my favorite summer drinks- on the rocks and with salt. Very refreshing! Enjoy!

Pier 1 Pillow Obsession

I am obsessed with these plush velvet pillows from Pier 1 and they are now 20% off of their $20 price tag. They are the softest, most luscious pillows at a fantastic price! I bought 2 turquoise ones for our TV room for our chocolate brown couch. I was inspired by the Color Splash Miami episode that I had mentioned here. Both my husband and I loved them after laying on them and we went to buy 2 more for our front TV room. I bought dark purple to match our blue/purple color theme. They add a pop of color to our beige couch. I also like the turquoise pillows in this room, but didn't want to buy 4 of the same color. Plus, we can swap the pillows for a quick change to each room. And, since they are solid colors we can add another pillow or two in any pattern or print.

The pillows also come in brown, red, bright blue, lime green and orange. 2 pillows cost $33 and they are definitely worth it! Here are our new luscious pillows in each room:

Our great room (where I usually watch TV). I love the turquoise with the chocolate brown couch and white curtains!

 Our Front Room (where my husband usually watches TV). Love our color combo of blues and purples, and our zebra rug. For more about this room, check out this post, and an updated post here.

 Yes, we still have to replace these outdated blinds with curtains!