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?

Tickled Pink: Girl's Room

While looking through a Pottery Barn kids catalog, my girls pointed out this room to me. (Like mother, like daugher!) So dreaming of my someday house, I was thinking of how I could incorporate more color into their room and make it flow with the rest of the house.I love the plae blue walls with the pink. Then when I saw this little girls room at granvillehouse.blogspot.com, I have been obsessed. I love all the bright fun colors. Kids' rooms should be fun. So using these two ideas as inspiration, I am starting to incorporate little splashes of stronger color in their room.

Since I can't paint the walls where we're at, I started with what I could paint. First, this adorable little children's table and chairs set I found at a garage sale for $8. It is solid pine but needing a little TLC. Me and the girls went to Walmart to pick out paint. They chose a fun, bright pink Watermelon.

I sanded and sprayed, dried, and sprayed lots more.

Then I went thrifting for frames. I found this cutie for $1....

This awesome vintage one, and another great big one I forgot to take a picture of before.

I added some scrapbook paper I had inspired by the blue and bird from the PBkids picture. Isn't that frame perfect?!

And here's the big one. This was inspired by the one at granvillehouse. I used some more adorable scrapbook paper that had all the colors I am looking for. Then I found a crown at the Graphic Fairy blog and whipped up a sign I have been wanting in their room.

And here are the finished projects! I was just tickled pink with how they turned out! I LOVE it!

Hope you have a Happy Easter Weekend!

~R

Quick Craft: Recycled Plastic Eggs

I took four extra large plastic Easter eggs....

#1 got some twine hot glued to it...

#2 got some moss hot glued to it...

#'s 3 & 4 got wrapped with pretty ribbon scraps and hot glued with leftover silk flowers...

Can you find the 2 "natural" eggs in my centerpiece?

And I printed up a little quote for the "faux" flower eggs to give as gifts. Here is the word block:

This Easter egg is hollow

like they found the tomb

because He has risen

for me and for you.

Matthew 28:6

Not a bad egg, eh?

I love recycling and making stuff with zero cost!

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!

Happy Easter Decor 2011

This time of year, these are like baskets of flip-flops at the beach: plenty of bunny ears for everyone!

Thrift store egg candles on my silver PB candlesticks. I need to add some moss around them.

A great garage sale find to match all my white dishes in the china hutch.

A Goodwill find: bag o' nests and twigs for $2.

The rabbit is another garage sale find. I love his vintage country look.

Make sure you go green and recycle all those plastic eggs! They make fun instrument shakers for kids, or glue to a wreath or topiary or just save for next year!

My PBkids look-alike baskets I got with my 40% off at JoAnn. The blue one I got at Target this year in the dollar spot. The best part that I was looking for was the fold down handles for easy stacking and storage.

Another cutie from Target (last year??) and a new tradition< leaving carrots for the Easter bunny!

Love these fresh flowers from an adoring husband :)

Love these vintage chickees!

My tile frame I change out every month.

Just had to take a pic of this pretty spring bird. He sits atop my wire plate holder in my kitchen.

Happy Easter Rebecca's Roundup style!

Spring Style: White and Brown

This year, I'm just loving the look of simple white and brown. White walls and textiles and accessories with the natural beauty of wood and script and age. I dream of having a big Pottery Barn sleigh bed or farmhouse bed with tons of comfy thick white linens with simple walls and lots of natural light.

What are you dreaming of this spring?