Tuesday, September 29, 2015

TARGET TUESDAY

 




Great Looking Pieces
 At Great Prices!

Target must have the best marketing team around.

They never cease to amaze me with their product lines and advertising.

As you already know their price points make it possible to purchase some really nice looking pieces at affordable prices.

I thought it would be fun to periodically show you all some of the pieces that I think are great looking at great prices.

Threshold™ Brass Task Lamp (includes CFL Bulb):

We all know that brass is huge in the design world and I thought this desk lamp has  great style and could fit in most homes easily and for  $56.99 you can’t beat the price!


Decorative Accent Piece Figurine - Gold : Target:

If you are looking for a fun decorative piece to add to a coffee table or on a bookcase shelf, this metal orb will look great at $15.99


Threshold Shower Curtain Gold Ikat:

For under $20 you can get this shower curtain. I am in love with this pattern and I think this would make a great looking tablecloth, just cut the grommet end off and hem it up. Never forget to look at shower curtains, sheets, and tablecloth for your needs in the fabric department.


This ottoman is perfect to cover with the Ikea sheepskin rug, unscrew top and staple the faux fur over the top and you have a custom ottoman for under $90. I just might do this myself,loving this!Nate Berkus™ Plaid Upholstered Ottoman:

I am in love with this little ottoman. I have recommended this to a friend for her home and told her to get a faux fur throw or the Ikea sheepskin rug and just staple gun it on top of the existing fabric to give some texture and a bit of gold in the room. For under $70 you can’t go wrong. I saw one that was so similar to this one for over $1,200. You do the math!!!
I was thinking something similar to this would be fun for the brown leather chair. This is too expensive, but I think with a faux fur throw and an ottoman or small table topped with foam this would be a totally easy DIY:


Do you need a nice looking end table?

If you need a nice accent table this would bring in some of your gold and a table like this can be used anywhere. Round Gold Accent Table with Marble Top:

Everyone can always use a small end table. This classic shape can go just about anywhere and for under $90 you will have a table that looks much more expensive with it’s gold legs and marble top.

With the holidays coming up just around the corner it might be a bit early for some, but if you want to get some fun things before the rush begins, now is the time to start planning.

Threshold™™ Metallic Wish Flour Sack Towel:

This is actually a flour sack tea towel, but I would totally use this as my Thanksgiving dinner napkins. At $3.99 they are more than affordable and could be the jumping off point for your Holiday table.
Threshold™ Copper Piecing Placemat:
How about a sharp looking placemat for under $5.00 each!?

If you really want to get into the spirit of the day you could go for these instead….
Threshold™ Thankful Placemat:


Threshold™ Starburst Reclaimed Mirror - Grey 28":


I fell in love with this mirror especially for the price below $50.


Threshold™ Greek Key Throw:
Can you beat this price for under $18 for a Greek key motif throw? I think not!!


UNLESS
YOU PREFER A LATTICE PATTERN
Threshold™ Lattice Throw:


I use to love to peruse the aisles of Target when my boys were in school. I don’t do that very much anymore but I sure do check them out online from time to time and I always find some stylish bargain. I hope this inspires you to do a little looking too!!
 
 

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

It Is Okay To Make A Decorating Mistake!!






Often times when we decorate a room, we are absolutely sure that an element we love will work in the room, but sometimes  it just doesn't work!

This recently happened to me while designing my family room.


WHEN IT IS “NOT” ALRIGHT

It is NOT alright to make a mistake, and not remedy the problem. 

Sometimes we can overlook the reality of the situation because we want the item so badly, and we won’t make the proper changes to the room.

Leaving a mistake in a room is a bad choice to make.


KILLING YOUR ROOM

 In my career I have often seen a homeowner who wants the newest color, or trend, and they will try their hardest to incorporate it into their existing design, and it just does not work, but by golly they are going to make it work if it kills them.  

It won’t kill them, but it most likely will kill the room that they were trying to make look better.


MY MISTAKE

I made such a mistake in my past when I was trying to make an addition to my family room in my previous home.

The room reads very fresh, crisp, and airy. I wanted to make a few changes for the summer season, and a sailboat seemed like the perfect addition.

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When I received the sail boat I was disappointed in the actual color of the sails.
 
In the images the sails read as an off white, but in reality they were a khaki, and in my room that really did not work.

The actual sail boat was rich looking, and beautifully crafted. It would look better in a very traditional setting with a warmer color scheme, but not in my room with it's Spring-like color scheme.

Trip To Los Angeles (23)
( I left the light linen shaded lamps on the console so you could see just how dark the sails are.) As you can see even the scale is off. We could have used the one that was closer to 5 ft than this 4ft. size.

I still would love to incorporate a sailboat somewhere in my new home and will be on the lookout for the right one. That is why it is important to study your mistake so you can remedy the problem the next go around.


Study Your Mistake
By studying the right, and wrong of an element you can make a better choice the next time around. If you ignore what you are learning from the mistake, chances are you will repeat it again.

Trip To Los Angeles (22)

Study the scale, color and texture that the element brought to the space as well as the feeling it gave the room.

Write down what you need in the room that this particular element did not give you.

What I learned from my mistake:
  • The ship is just too heavy for the room.
  • I realize the scale is also off, it needs a larger piece.
  • The colors need to be light, and airy.
  • Maybe something a bit more whimsical for my style would work better.
  • The textures were nice, the rough texture of the sails vs. the smoothness of the hull of the boat. So I should vary my textures in this area.

LESSON
So remember even designers make mistakes, but they are not afraid  to admit it, and they have no problem eliminating the mistake. Nothing is worth ruining the look of a room in your home!!

   
 
 

Sunday, September 20, 2015

What Happens When I Read Your Comments!

   


   
Sunday is a good day to think about things in life, don't you think?!

Today I was thinking about blogging and how it has changed since the arrival of Pinterest.

In some ways the changes are great, and in other ways, not so much!!

One of the ways I think it has changed, and not for the better, is the lack of communication between bloggers, and their readers.


I know I have found myself not reading as many blogs, and commenting less, and less. On my own blog I see fewer comments than ever before.

Comments are a bloggers life-blood, it is one of the things that keep us writing. We need to know that our audience is out there, and that they are enjoying our efforts.



This all came to mind today when I was visiting Joni at Cote de Texas. She always does such a thorough job on her research, and always gives us such insight on the subjects she is writing about.

I realized I had not visited her wonderful blog for awhile. I also had not left a comment for a long time. I truly felt a bit guilty so today I left a comment telling her how much I appreciated the time and effort she put into the post she wrote.


I looked back at some of my old blog post, and I found a post about non-bloggers commenting. I would like to share that with you all today, if you don't mind.....




.........Sometimes we just need to talk about blogging. You know the ins and outs of this mysterious and wondrous place we call blogland.



While visiting with a couple of my friends a few weeks ago a discussion about blogging came up. One of my friends has a blog, and the other loves to read blogs.

Little did we know there would be many questions that would come up from time to time that there just would not be any answers that made any sense. We all agreed.


 There was one question that came up that did have an answer……  
“Is it alright for a non-blog author to make a comment on a blog?”

Let’s face it, we were all readers before we were writers of blogs. I think we all became captivated about what we were seeing and reading in blogland, and that prompted our own desires to become blog authors.



My answer was, “Of course!” After all, comments are like food to blog authors. Without comments it is hard to have enough energy to come up with what it takes to write a blog.

At first I was a bit surprised at the question, but then I had to think back when I first discovered blogs.
 I remember thinking that I did not have the right to have an opinion since I was not part of this new found group of people called, “BLOGGERS!” 
 It all seemed so special and wondrous to me.

I honestly felt that I should just keep my opinion to myself, after all they were the one’s that were putting all the work into writing the blog, I was just sort of a voyeur looking in on their world, unbeknownst to them. 

I could quietly enjoy looking on, and  I could have an opinion, and no one would ever know. It just seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.


As time passed, and I read more, and more blogs I realized that maybe, just maybe my comment, or opinion would be valued by the author. Still unsure I was hesitant to comment.

Once I finally felt as if it was alright, and the only reason I felt it was alright is because I discovered that other non-blog authors were leaving comments. 
 I finally started leaving comments, and making my presence known to the blog author, and fellow readers. 


A wonderful thing happened!! I actually developed some amazing friendships with like-minded people. Now this is something that is missing when commenting does not occur.

Eventually, as you all know I started writing this blog. I am now on the other side hoping that my readers will feel comfortable here, comfortable enough with me and what I am writing about to leave a comment to let me know they were HERE!! 




Whether you are a reader, or you are a blog author, “WE!” need, and want your opinions, and comments.

You, the readers are  what keeps me writing! Without you, and your feed back this journey would pretty much be meaningless. 




I for one have had so many wonderful experiences here, in blogland because of you wonderful readers.

So, I am here to tell you. Yes!! by all means, please leave a comment whether you have a blog or not!!



Readers are what gives me the energy, the want-to, the desire to keep writing.
If you feel you need permission, please feel as if you have been given permission………

I so appreciate all of you that take the time to not only read, but to let me know how you feel about what I am presenting here on my blog.


I actually find it a bit hard to express how much it means to me.
Just know this……. As long as you are reading and commenting I will be writing.

I can only hope that you are still……..



“Enjoying the Process” Of:

Following along with me in blogland,