EVERYTHING BUT THE HOUSE AND ROOM DESIGN BOARD GIVEAWAY

I am excited to offer a giveaway from Everything But The House, 

one of my go to shopping sites for myself and for clients. 

I have bought quite a few things from Everything But The House, 

including this, this, these, these and these. 

Once you set up an account with EBTH, you can easily follow items you are interested in.

Here are a few things I am currently following. 

Here are a few of my favorites that that have sold recently. 

Now, for the fun part.  In addition to a $30 credit to Everything But The House, 

I am offering a free room design board, using an item you choose from Everything But the House. 

Here is an example of a master bedroom design I recently completed.

I donated a one hour consultation and a free room design board to a silent auction for a local charity.

After meeting with the homeowners and getting a sense of their style, needs and wants, 

this is what I came up with.

You can enter the giveaway here.....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OUT AND ABOUT

Lately my days have been filled with design work and PTO duties. 

All work and no play is makes for a long week. 

So I usually try to make time for lunch with a friend or a little window shopping.

A couple weeks ago, I got lucky and went to lunch two days in a row with two good friends. 

After lunch, we stopped in a a few of our favorite spots. 

Homegoods is always full of fun surprises. I only stop in there about once a month.

I love that their inventory is always fresh.

Another place I love to pop into from time to time is Tuesday Morning. 

You never know what you might find.  

On this particular day, the rug selection was great. 

My favorite place to window shop is High Street Market.
I love just about everything in the store.
They just expanded and now carry a nice selection of furniture upstairs.

 Do these look familiar?  

They are framed pages from this book.  

I have a few framed in my home. 

I bought the book at Quince and Quinn (another of my favorite window shopping spots).

These were $89 each at High Street Market. 

They had quite a few needlepoints to choose from.  I am a sucker for a good needlepoint.

Their pillow selection is amazing.  

Speaking from experience, if your kids wipe their dirty hands on your pillows, 

a $200 pillow is not a good idea. 

This table stopped me in my tracks.  

This burled wood quarter foil side table got my attention too. 

These restoration hardware looking metal and glass cabinets 

would make great display cases for a collection.

Clearly I had coffee tables on my radar that day. 

This brass number was my favorite.  Looks pretty indestructible too.  

A requirement for a coffee table in our home.

MY LATEST SHOPPING SECRET

Back in November of last year, 

I found out about this great new local outlet from Emily at Go Haus Go.  

Jenny from Evolution of Style and I were going to meet up and do some shopping.

Well, that pesky little appendix of mine had to removed and it kind of derailed our plans.

Once I was on the mend, I made several trips there.

Jenny and her husband also ventured down to the Cincinnati area to check it out.  

She posted about it here.

I have told several friends about this outlet it and we have all gotten some great deals there.

I feel like I'm hiding something from you guys and I need to come clean.

It's called Bargains and Buyouts.

There are two locations. 

7600 Colerain Avenue

Cincinnati, OH  45239

(I visit this location about twice a month)

2290 Dixie Highway

Hamilton, OH  45015

(I have been to this location once)

Here is my favorite Bargains and Buyouts find so far......

(the sofa, not the cute little puppy)

I had just gotten a bid to have this love seat reupholstered in a cream neutral fabric. 

But when I walked into Bargains and Buyouts and saw this beauty, I knew it was meant to be.

I should also mention, they love to Bargain at this outlet.  

Even if you don't ask for a lower price, the sweet gentlemen I normally deal with, will offer one.

I brought this sofa home for $400.

From what I have gathered, Bargains and Buyouts gets returned merchandise 

from online retailers such as Overstock.com. They then re-sell it. 

The tags were still on this sofa and there was not a mark on it. 

This sofa is so comfy.  

I grab my cup of tea and my laptop every morning once the kids leave for school and head to this spot.

I have picked up several other great items from Bargains and Buyouts.  

I'll snap a few pictures today and show you tomorrow. 

Warning, the location on Colerain Avenue seems a little creepy when you drive up.

There is a large sign visible from the street, 

but you have to drive around back to get into the warehouse.

Dress warmly, there is no heat.

The outlet in Hamilton is much larger, has heat and is very organized. 

That location is a bit of a hike for me.  Therefore, I've only shopped there once.

Ah, I feel much better now.  Like a weight has been lifted off me.

Happy Shopping friends!

NOW YOU SEE IT, NOW YOU DON'T

Last week I found an amazing campaign dresser on Craigslist.

I contacted the seller, made arrangements to go see it (along with my husband).

The seller was located about 15 minutes from my house.

When we got there, the dresser seemed to be in decent shape.

There were a few minor scratches and several of the brass pulls were missing.

I offered him $85 ($10 less than his asking price).

He agreed, we loaded the dresser up and went on our merry way.

Here is the dresser.....

I have been on the lookout for a campaign dresser for a while and I knew was ecstatic to 

have found one in reasonably good condition at a great price.

Fast forward about 12 hours.....

 I get an email from the seller telling me he had made a mistake.

He was selling the dresser on behalf of his friend who had moved away.

He thought she told him to list it for $95, when she had actually said $595.  

His friend was quite upset at him for his mistake .

He asked if I could show some compassion and give the dresser back.

He wanted to come pick it up, give me my money back and reimburse me for gas.

  He went on to say in his email that his friend had fallen on hard times 

and really needed the money from the sale of the dresser ($595 not $85).

 I thought about it for a bit.

Now granted, the dresser was mine.  

I had negotiated a price with the seller, paid him cash and brought it home with me. 

But somehow, I just didn't feel good about it.

Perhaps after I left with the dresser, 

he got an email from another buyer willing to pay more than the $95 asking price.

Maybe he thought it would be worth the hassle to come pick it up and resale it for more.

I thought to myself WWJD (What Would Jesus Do).

Well, given that Jesus was a talented carpenter, he probably would have built himself

a fabulous campaign dresser.

However, let's just say he was too busy performing miracles and spreading the good word, 

and ended up buying a dresser from a street peddler for a sweet price. 

Said street peddler, for whatever reason, then asked Jesus to give it back.

I am fairly certain Jesus would have given it back, no questions asked. 

In the end,  I gave the dresser back and got my money back plus a little extra for the trouble.

Our driveway is still covered in snow and ice 

so the dresser never even made it into the house. 

Good thing!  Had I brought it in, put it in place and styled it all up, 

I might not have let it go so easily. 

I have bought and sold quite a bit on Craigslist and this was my first unpleasant experience. 

Any Craigslist horror stories to share?

THE STORY OF THE ORANGE TABLE

 I was out and about with some friends last week (first week of school celebration) and we wondered into my favorite local consignment shop, Legacies, in Hyde Park. 

The best part about Legacies is this:

All proceeds from Legacies benefit the The Cancer Support Community, 

a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free emotional support, 

education and hope for people with cancer and their loved ones.

Way in the back, practically hiding, was this fabulous orange console.  

Its legs were a little squatty and the paint was chipped in a few places.

Not perfect, not a problem.  That's the way I like it.

My sweet friend helped me haul it up front, where I paid a whopping $25 for it and into my car it went.

I really had no idea where I was going to put it, but it wasn't exactly light.  

 OnceI got it into the mudroom, I decided to take a little break. 

I sat it down and thought, hey, maybe I should keep it right here.

And that's the story of how the orange table came to live in the mudroom.

I love how it brightens up the mudroom and it's such a great spot to drop things as I come in the door. 

It also makes a great spot to corral Willie's things. 

The squatty legs actually work in my favor here. The table fits perfectly underneath the window.

I never did show you this old metal army crate that I picked up at a junk store for $5 a while back.

My son stores his football gear in here during football season. 

A friend of mine stopped by and asked why the table was not centered under the window.

I did eventually move it down to the left some, but just didn't have it in me to retake the pictures. 

She was right, it looks better centered. You'll have to trust me on that one.

Here' a view of the new console from the kitchen. 

The perfect pop of color!

I love how most of the furniture in my home comes with its own story.

Have any furniture stories to share?

BRASS SOFA TABLE

Last week I came across the most perfect sofa table on Craigslist for a steal.  

After a little back and forth texting with the seller, it was mine for $30.  

It is exactly what this little bay window needed. 

The velvet love seat was so lonely siting there all by itself.  

It needed a something to ground it.

It was also quite the boring sight looking in from the outside. 

Not anymore!  Now my vintage thrift store lamps are proudly displayed on the brass sofa table.

Oh, and since this is Willee's favorite spot to hang out, 

the sofa table also acts as a buffer to help keep his slobber and nose prints off the window. 

I wasn't necessarily on the hunt for a sofa table.  

I was actually just searching "brass" on Craigslist. 

But when I came across this, I knew it was meant to be. 

Don't you love it when things work out that way?

My kids went back to school on Tuesday.  

I have a 1st grader, a 4th grader and a 6th grader.

Sending my daughter to middle school was bittersweet.

Her entire childhood flashed before my eyes as she was walked into the school.

It was a very emotional moment for me.

Fortunately, they all three have had a great first two days back.

I hope to get back to a regular routine of blogging. 

I have plenty to share.

Let me know if there is anything you're just dying for me to post about. 

THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS

This is how I started the conversation with my husband.....

Me: I have some good news and some bad news.

Husband: What's the good news?

Me:  We have a new love seat!

Husband: Yes, I know, it's in the garage, right?

Me: Ready for the bad news?

Husband: Sure.

Me: We have another new love seat!

Husband: Silence.....

You might remember that I just bought this love seat a couple of months ago. 

It is still sitting in the garage, awaiting its fate. 

In the meantime, I found this beauty at an estate sale.

I fell in love with the coral/salmon velvet fabric and the simple lines.

It came from a beautiful old estate in Cincinnati and is in perfect condition.

I'm sure I'll be getting a call from TLC to appear on Hoarders any day now.

The love seat that used to sit here, now awaits its fate in the basement.

My upholsterer stopped by yesterday to take a look at the love seat in the garage

to give me an estimate to reupholster it.  

I'll either invest in having it reupholstered and use it in "The Nook" 

or I'll leave it as is and sell it on Craigslist. 

What can I say, I love love seats!

Spill it, what are you hoarding?

YOU BOUGHT WHAT?

I made a quick stop in one of the local Goodwills last week 

and this vintage love seat immediately caught my eye. 

I circled it a couple of times trying to decide if it should be my next project.

I was on the fence, until another customer started hovering. 

That's all I needed to push me over the edge!

I grabbed the tag and sprinted to the cash register. 

This little gem was all mine for the low price of $45.

I texted a picture of it to my good friend, Lisa.  

She happened to be shopping with her sister and shared the picture with her. 

Her sister was a bit horrified and probably gagged a little.

Lisa and I go way back, and fortunately, 

she has faith in me and has been a witness to a few of my thrifting transformations.

She quickly assured her doubting sister that, this too, would turn out okay.

I have no idea what I will have it reupholstered in, 

but I loved the lines and I have been on the lookout for a new love seat for a while now.

I found this love seat on Etsy for $450.

The style is almost identical.

I am always drawn to a single cushion look on sofas and loves seats.  

I am planning to have my upholsterer make one long seat cushion.

Now I just need to decide where to put it. 

I have a few ideas up my sleeve. 

Again, so sorry my posts have been few and far between lately.

I have tons of posts planned in my head, but finding the time to sit down

and make them happen is proving to be difficult. 

My kids and work have been keeping my very busy the last couple of weeks.

Funny, I thought I would never be as busy as I was with a newborn, a two year old and a four year old.

I was wrong! 

HERE TO STAY

You may recall when this temporary trunk lived in our office for all of 48 hours. 

After getting a taste of what it was like to have a coffee table in there,

I was determined to find a replacement.

Mission accomplished on Sunday at the Burlington Antique Show.

I like to refer to the little beauty as my treasure chest.  

For some reason, my family likes to refer to my treasures as trash. 

Ha, the nerve of them.

Treasure chest or trash, I wasn't passing this one up. 

The show is over at 3:00 p.m. and I couldn't make it out there until 1:15 p.m.

Now, the professional antique hunters arrive at 5:00 a.m, yes, in the dark.

I like to wait until the dealers are just about to pack it all up and call it a day.

Much better deals to be had. 

For instance, the price on this "Treasure Chest" was $60.  

I simply asked how low he would go and we quickly agreed on $40.

SOLD to the lady in boots and a scarf (it was 75 degrees) 

and a five year old tagging along touching everything in sight.

I was half expecting to find a treasure in there.

No such luck!

It makes the perfect spot to kick up your feet and relax at the end of the day. 

Found any treasures lately?

CHAIR MAKEOVER

Remember this plan from back in the summer?  

It is finally coming together.  

The family has moved into their brand new home and the decorating has begun. 

I was on the hunt for a comfy chair to add some seating to their new family room.

I found the perfect chair at a local on-line estate sale.

I bought it sight unseen.  

I was so excited when I picked it up.  It is a very well made chair.

The fabric on it was not bad, but not quite what we were looking for. 

I picked up some of the gorgeous navy and white herringbone fabric for the makeover. 

The navy and white floral is for the window treatments.

I love the way it turned out. 

My client has not seen it in person yet.  

I picked it up yesterday from the upholsterer and I brought it in my house to snap some pictures.

I love the subtle herringbone pattern.

We decided to leave the skirt off.  It gives it a more updated look.

It is currently residing in the corner of my living room. 

I kind of like the idea of having a chair in the corner.  

This one is a little large for the space, but I may be on the hunt for something now. 

It will be making a move to our storage room tomorrow.  

I just don't trust my kids not to mess it up!!

I am excited to hand it over to my client. I know she's going to love it too. 

Hopefully I will have some shots of the room to show you soon.

And in case you haven't heard, the Reds lost last week. 

So while we won't be celebrating a win, I still have plans to have a little party.

I promise to keep you posted.