A New Chalkboard Story.

At the beginning of this Summer, I was strolling through Hobby Lobby and saw and fell in love with this chalkboard. It was on clearance for $40, 50% off the original $80 price tag. I walked away thinking I would love to have that chalkboard, but $40 was more than I wanted to spend. I kept thinking about it and seriously considered it. Then life got busy and I kind of forgot about it. Then one day on instagram I saw someone post about this same chalkboard and how they had just bought it for about $20. My heart started racing and I knew I had to go to Hobby Lobby first thing in the morning in hopes that they still had them. Not only did they still have them, but my store had them marked down to $16! I was so excited and rushed it to the front counter so fast, the ladies who worked there were laughing with me. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my new treasure home and hang it up where my old homemade-beaten down-falling off the wall- one was.
Why do I love my chalkboard so much, you may ask? A chalkboard is like the magazine version of books. I don't have much extra time to sit and read an entire book, but I can find a few minutes here and there to scan a magazine or read one short article at a time. Likewise, I love to art and craft, but I don't often have time to create a masterpiece or do big projects. Although I would love to pull out all my sketching and watercolor supplies more often, it just doesn't happen right now. But I do have a few minutes here and there to try my hand at some old fashioned hand writing or art on the chalkboard. And it's fun to change with the seasons and becomes part of the decor.
So there you have it. The story behind my new chalkboard and the reason why I love it so much. It's probably not a big deal to most people. But it's a little thing that brings me joy :)
~Rebecca

The Friday Four Roundup #8 {2014 Fall Fashion Edition} And some deals.

Welcome to the 2014 Fall Fashion Edition of my roundup, I hope you had a great week. Are you ready for fall? I am still in the getting ready stage. I wanted to decorate for fall this week now that Labor day is over. However, it is still beautiful sunny weather so I am soaking up every last bit of summer that I can. We have long winters here so I have learned to truly appreciate warm days. In the meantime, I can dream about my perfect fall wardrobe...

1. BASIC SWEATER. I'm loving the idea of a classic, soft, slightly oversized "slouchy" type white cable knit sweater. This one from H&M is pretty much perfect and I like the longer length in the back. Plus H&M is currently offering free shipping on a purchase of $50 or more through the 7th with code 2541.

2. JEANS. Any sweater would look fabulous paired with a great pair of skinnies. I prefer the dark wash on a pair like this, also from H&M. They have buy one pair get one 50% off right now.

3. ACCESSORIES. The obvious choice would be a scarf in warm autumn tones or perhaps a plaid. I don't like to wear something that keeps my neck warm when I'm already wearing a sweater with a high neck line though, so I think it would be fun to try something a little more unexpected like this necklace from Downeast Basics.

And of course you need a great bag. This one with a fun print is anything but boring and I love the brown for fall. 

4. BOOTS. Leather knee high or ankle are both great options. I've had my eye on this pair for quite some time. Right now Target has 20% off all their boots.

Click to view sources: 1 / 2 / 3 necklace, bag / 4

The Friday Four Roundup {2}

I can't believe it's Friday already and then we will be heading into the last week of July! Here are a couple things I've been enjoying this week:

1. My husband and I are cracking down on our carb, dairy, and sugar consumption. Every dinner this week has had very little or no carbs. I have already tried several new recipes, including tonight I made these two-ingredient pancakes; just eggs and bananas, they were amazing! I couldn't believe we were eating pancakes with NO flour! The recipe I followed is found {here}.

2. Speaking of food, one of my favorite stores for kitchen supplies, Williams-Sonoma is having 75% of all their clearance plus free shipping. You know what that means? Good deals on their Summer stuff AND everyone's getting ready to bring out the FALL stuff, my favorite! {yay!} I am in desperate need of some new kitchen towels and have been debating about getting a pack of their signature stripe ones, in the summer "clearance" colors, of course. I know they are pretty good quality. Anyone have experience with them?

3. I am enjoying using this little candle I picked up at Target last month. It is a light summer scent, not too strong and very lovely. You can see their entire line of Illume candles {here}.

4. And lastly, we are getting ready to do two days of Pioneer Days out here. Parades, rodeos, races, food, and lots of fun. This will actually be my first time attending here so I am excited to see what's on the schedule!

Have a fabulous weekend!

~Rebecca

I love Target. Now I love it even more. {Do you know about the Target Redcard?}

This post is dedicated to my awesome S-I-L, Karen who let me in on a little not-so-secret secret that had I been paying attention the last several years, I would have figured this out already and made my life a lot easier.
SO, have you heard about the Target Redcard? I'm sure you've seen it everywhere online or at the store, but do you KNOW about it? You can apply for a target debit or credit card. I prefer the debit so you don't have to open another credit card. You can apply in store or online. I did it online, printed an application and mailed it in. A couple weeks later, voila! I have a cute little Redcard in my hot little hand. It entitles you to an extra 5% off your purchases and free shipping, NO minimum order. Sa-weet! THAT's what I'm talking about.
Anyway. You should check it out :)
(I was in no way paid for this post, It's all my opinion, and I just love Target :) )

New Floppy Sun Hat {one dollar!}

After I fried my scalp from being in the sun all Memorial weekend, I realized I needed a hat to wear in the sun. I wanted something cute and trendy but didnt want to spend alot.
I saw one at H&M for $15, one at Target too, but knew I could get it cheaper.
Today when I walked into The Dollar Tree I just happened to spy this. At first I thought it was kid size or would look goofy but I tried it on and whaddya know?
A cute, trendy, floppy sun hat for one dollar!

Easter Decor 2012 {part 2}

Welcome back!
Moving on through the living room is my awesome Pottery Barn mantle shelf that I got at a garage sale for 5 bucks!!! I've had this for 2 years and I finally got to hang it. I had originally bought it to go in baby boy's room, but now that I have no fireplace = no mantle, we hung our own! This I just threw together with the decorations. I wish I had a cute boxwood garland or something but I just threw up the rest of my Goodwill nests instead and we'll call it good. I poured a bunch of pale colored plastic eggs I had on hand into one of my glass hurricanes and finally quickly painted my PB look-alike terra cotta bunny which I blogged about earlier this week. The little chickies are vintage and were passed down to me.
Moving onto the kitchen is my china hutch. I have a plate for each holiday that I display. And here is also my deal of the month with my Pottery Barn Kids Easter glitter garland that just came in the mail - $3.75 total including shipping and tax! Go get yourself one if there's any left! I really wanted to make one myself (it would be so easy but time consuming with tracing shapes, cutting, glittering and sewing) but since I just moved and had no time and it was so cheap, I went ahead and bought that one thing this year.
That's the Easter Decor tour! I hope you enjoyed it and more importantly, enjoy your Easter holiday.
- Rebecca

After Christmas Sales: how to make your dollar s t r e t c h

My sweet mother in law gave me a $10 Kohl's cash and off I went! "Cash" in hand and $10 budget in mind, I decided I wanted to get stuff for the kids this time. I found a girls shirt for $5.39 at 70% off. Then I let the 2 oldest pick an ornament each for next year's tree. One for $2.39 and one for $1.49 also at 70% off. I then quickly scanned the jewelry section on the way to the checkout and found a set of earrings for $1.20 at 90% off in case I had any Kohl's cash remaining. My total before the earrings came to $9.27, after the earrings I owed a whopping 51 cents!
When my mother in law gave me the Kohl's cash, she said "Sorry it's just $10." I said, are you kidding?! I'm famous for what I can find for $10!
Thanks for playing the Kohl's Cash Game with me today :)

My 2011 Spring Style & setting a Spring/Summer Table

The Spring Lineup: strawberries, lavender, sage, boxwood and hydrangea - my favorite flower.

I love terra cotta pots and how they get better with age. I also love hearty plants, I (ahem) do better with the heartier ones such as lavender, sage and boxwood, the type of plants that can grow in the desert even in between long periods of drought (or someone remembering to water them!) The strawberries made it from last year. These are a Mother's Day gift from my hubby.

I just love this Willow Tree figurine and had to add it for all things Spring : "New Life." It is a part of my living room Spring decorating.
Now to the fun stuff. Went to a fantastic neighborhood garage sale on Saturday and found everything on my wish list! SO FUN!!!! Among my wishes were topiaries. Found these for $1 each. AAAHHHHH!!!
I decided to grace the piano forte with them. I love symmetry. It reminds me of the landscapes in Paris.

Love.

And here is the Spring hutch decor. I am just lovin' the arrangement. Another thing on my wish list- this is totally random!- a decorative pineapple. See it on the right hand side? It was a GOOD Saturday :)
ALSO, this fantastic yellow fabric I got for 25 cents! Couldnt decide whether to make it into napkins or save it, for now I just decided to iron it and lay it on the table = pretty. It is already hemmed on 3 of the 4 sides. It must have been a curtain or something in its past life. Score!

Everything else I already had, just "shopped" the house.





This arrangement is a great example of my style and how I shop. You will find everything in my home is 99% gift, hand me down, garage sale, clearance or ebay for cheap, cheap, cheap.

Rundown: Vinyl-lettered tile and frame: gift. Apothecary jar: garage sale $3. Lemons: goodwill $3. Vintage French enamel building number plaque: gift. Ivy and styrofoam balls: Michael's w/ 40% coupon, I cant remember how much, we'll say $5. Moss: dollar tree $1. Wood letter: Kohl's $2.75. Basket: gift. Topiary: goodwill $3. Pot: pottery barn clearance $7. (and that's expensive for me!) Rooster: gift. (and he is our "pet rooster" we call him Rocky :). Pineapple: garage sale $1. So that's a total of $26. But it was bought over the last 8 years and most of it has been used and moved around other parts of the house a million times. The apothecary jar alone still has the original price tag from HomeGoods for $25!

What is your Spring Style? And have you set your table for anything fun lately?

I am going to try to link this to: Between Naps on the porch, http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2011/06/4th-of-july-table-setting-welcome-to.html

I LOVE: a few good deals on fashion and beauty

Deal #1: How to get department store items for {practically} free. Do you ever get a Kohl's, JC Penny's, or other card/coupon in the mail for $10 off any purchase? If so, USE THEM! Go to the store with the goal in mind that your budget is $10! It may sound impossible, but you'd be surprised. It's like a treasure hunt of sorts. Know that you'll basically be going for small sale items or clearance racks only. Be creative and keep an open mind. Sometimes you'll walk away with 2 or 3 fun small items like a wooden letter, 4 oz. candle, and a canister of vinyl wall lettering (I once did at Kohl's!) Other times, you might not find anything fun, but get something that otherwise you need and it's more fun getting for free than spending money on (like a trash can, or kid's socks like I also did at Kohl's). My go-to fun item if you can't find anything else, is the clearance jewelry. Lots of fun stuff there.

Last week I got a JC Penny $10 off any $10 minimum purchase. TIP: at JC Penny you have to spend at least $10 before tax so I try to find something a little over $10. I got lucky and found a shirt in the JR's clearance section.

60 % off $26.oo for $10.40. Perfect.

After the coupon, I walked away after paying forty three cents! Woo-hoo!

Deal #2: drug-store/inexpensive brand cosmetics. Some cheap makeup is a good deal. Some of it isn't. I am a MAC fan, and after using the good stuff, you see the difference.

I have been wearing eyeliner every day probably since the age of 15 or 16. Just last year I was given a MAC cream eyeliner they call Fluidline. It is SO. great. It goes on easy and stays on all day. I am convinced it might just be the best.

While at Target recently, I saw that the e.l.f. brand (which stands for eyes lips face if you didn't know) has a new cream liner. So for $3, I thought I'd try it. And I was pleasantly surprised! It goes on good, it is softer than MAC so spreads a little thin sometimes so I have to apply thicker but overall, it does a pretty good job, especially for three bucks.

If you'd like to try it, I suggest ditching the brush it comes with, and with your 40% off coupon at Michael's or JoAnn, go to the painting section and buy a Loew-Cornell 797F-1 brush. It is a thin, flat, straight cut brush that does the trick beautifully and easily. TIP: a great way to apply makeup without having to spend a fortune on cosmetic brushes is to use paint brushes. Many are made with natural fibers and are good quality and much cheaper. There are tutorials and more information on websites like Classy Cosmetics (see my blog list) or on youtube.

Don't judge me. I decided to bite the bullet and post these self pics despite my premature wrinkles, dark under eye circles and sun damage. Yikes!

Deal #3: Great cheap jewelry {if you can't get it for free with a $10 off coupon!}. Have you heard of Forever21? It is a super trendy store at relatively cheap prices and {can} be lots of fun. However, be warned: if you are a mom like me, it can be absolutely horrifying going into that store. lol! I suggest going on a weekday morning when most of the youth {should} be in school and not with all your kids. And I'm really just talking about the accessories, here. They have stylish, fun jewelry and a very good variety, for cheap. One of my favorite necklaces came from their dollar section. That's right. Sometimes they have great stuff for ONE DOLLAR each.

I have been looking for something special to wear for a certain important occasion coming up. I was bummed to see they didnt have a dollar section right now. However, I found this fancy schmancy for a total including tax of three dollars and three cents. Not bad. And wow, does it make a statement! TIP: if you are shy about statement jewelry, there are lots that have faux diamonds or pearls, or gold or silver, or clear crystals or beads, that are neutral and can go with lots of things and will serve you for years to come. Or if not, you dont have to stress about it, 'cause you got it for a GOOD DEAL!

What good deals have you gotten lately?

Fun Deal and cheap Mother's Day gift

I just got a cute photo card for $1 (shipping) for a mother's day gift. Go to Shutterfly to get yours!

I Love Getting "Tangled" up in a Good Deal

Save $5 Mail-In Rebate

You can receive a $5 rebate check* by mail when you purchase Tangled on Blu-Ray™ or DVD PLUS and any two (2) packages of Success® Rice.

For complete details, click to downloadthe official mail-in rebate form and follow the instructions. Offer valid, and purchases must be made, between March 16, 2011 and June 30, 2011. All requests must be postmarked by July 30, 2011. * Limit one (1) rebate per household. Please allow six to eight weeks for the check to arrive.

This was in the Sunday coupons with a coupon for another $1 off the rice. The cheapest price I have seen for the dvd is $14.96 at Walmart. Next cheapest is Target for $15.99 for the dvd.

At Walmart, the rice is $2.08/box. With 2 boxes of rice, the dvd, $1 off coupon and tax, the total comes to $19.35. Then with the $5 rebate, it's like getting the rice for free and the dvd for just under $11.

I have an extra coupon, if you want it, let me know. Blog readers will get free shipping and coupon! ha ha

Have you seen any better deals? Have you gotten any good deals lately?