Bargain Binge..

What a weekend! Since this could get lengthy, I'll just dive right in!!
Friday morning was spent lying in bed, recuperating from my crazy week/sickness. Friday afternoon, my mom and brother came down to visit and spend the night. My mom and I ran errands, went browsing through thrift stores and flea malls and ended up at Ming's for dinner and lots of conversation. I love getting to gossip with Mom!
Saturday morning, we left home at 6 AM to go yard saling! (Yes, I know 'saling' is not a word/verb, but I type how I speak---keepin' it real)
I hit the jackpot!
I guess I should preface by saying I have a huge crush on J. Audubon prints and scientific illustrations used as wall art. I don't know when this started or why. Mom and I ended up at a yard sale held by the people who own Auburn Art. Guess what I found in their huge stack of prints.....

These two Audubon prints were marked $15 each.....I paid $1 for both!

These vintage botanical prints were marked $10-$18 each...I got all 9 for $4.50! I'm going to make a 3x3 grid with them.

I also got these vintage victorian style prints for $0.50 each! I don't know where I'm going to put them yet, but I thought they were beautiful. One has a watermark on it, but I think it's more of an enhancement that way.

Later, we went to an estate sale. (On a side note, I feel guilty when i shop at an estate sale, because usually it's after someone dies or moves to a nursing home. I don't know why...sometimes it just bothers me. I guess the bargain hunter in me overtakes that side and I persevere in my shopping!)
ANYWAY, I got an ottoman to go with my chair and half. Don't worry, I'm planning on recovering it. It's hideous now.

I'm excited about recovering it! I know...it's sad that excites me. It must mean I'm getting old.
Before you question the next item, let me go ahead and throw out the disclaimer:
I am NOT pregnant.
But my mom and I saw this adorable vintage wooden highchair, and the saleslady at the estate sale was trying to talk us into it. We were doing good until we heard it had belonged to the (assumingly deceased) woman's granddaughter, who happened to be my age. But the clincher came when she said the chair was half price.

I got the ottoman AND the highchair for $25! Eventually, I'll refinish the highchair, but for now, it can stay in the garage. It was just too good to pass up.
After yard saling, we went to another antique mall and a few thrift stores. I found these totally 80s clutches for $0.50. Love them!

I really think I was born in the wrong era...or maybe I just have an appreciation for everything old. I guess that's why I married Jamey!

I spent Saturday night and all day Sunday with friends. I LOVED my weekend. Unfortunately, it was back to reality today with an 8 AM class!

Stressed, Sleepy & Sick

Sorry I've been on hiatus since Monday, but this week has been busy (mega-understatement). Monday night I started getting a scratchy throat, which blossomed into a horrible cough by yesterday. This morning my ears felt like they were going to explode. Today on my way home, I stopped by the doctor's office...only to find out I have fluid in both ears and bronchitis. Great! Just.my.luck.
Somehow in the midst of all the coughing, I've taken two finals, finished all my group work, and completed my shareholders report presentation. Whew!..what a week.

Wednesday morning, my group and I presented our annual shareholders report/meeting. I actually got to dress up (business formal) and wear my new black heels! I feel like such a lady in them!

I paired them with my cameo pendant that I thrifted in Atlanta on my last playdate with Alli. I heart cameos. Can you believe it was only $3.95??!!

I would have taken a photo of myself, but I don't have a full length mirror. I know..you ask who doesn't have a full length mirror. But I never go to Walmart anymore, so I never put a mirror on my shopping list. Walmart is not on my good list right now. Seriously haven't been there in MONTHS!
So anyway, my week has left me stressed, sleep deprived and sick with bronchitis. But all I can say is thank heavens it's OVER...until Monday.

Just another manic Monday..

Today Ash and my father-in-law, Larry...aka LarrBear, came over to help Jamey install our new invisible fence. The puppies are tired (and so are we) of being confined to the laundry room, and can't wait to have room to roam. I think Buddy would be an outside dog if we would let him. Some days, I'd love to grant him that wish. He S-H-E-D-S! Big time!!
Most days he can be found gazing out the windows. He watches birds, squirrels, Bentley (the neighbor's dog) and Rascal (his friend from a couple of blocks away). Today was no exception.

Even Tibby was in on the action. Can you believe he's already 5 months old??

I was staying in the cool house while the boys worked in the hot yard. I was supposed to be studying, but just couldn't keep my mind on it. So I snapped pictures through the window. They weren't working, just "smackin' on their lips with their hands on their hips", as Jamey says.

While they worked, I made dinner. We had grilled bratwursts with sauteed onions and peppers, and a Key Lime pound cake (from Kroger) for dessert. It was DElish!

Since then, I've been stuck here:

I have my last exam in Strategic Management tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!

I got 'em!

Two tickets to Kings of Leon are now held by yours truly (and the hubby)! I've been trying for months to find somewhere they were playing that was remotely within driving distance, but to no avail. The closest was Orlando :( I must have checked the Ticketmaster site 100 times, and tonight they magically appeared!
I can't tell exactly how excited Jamey is, but I'm ecstatic. I think I've worn holes in that poor CD. Now, I get to see them LIVE!
So...
Friday, October 9 I'll be headin' to Atlanta to see my boys!

Mom's Menu

I'm heading out to a group meeting (Yes, on a SUNDAY!), but I wanted to make a quick post about a site called Mom's Menu. It's a great resource for quick weeknight meals, meal planning, cooking tips and even cookbook reviews! I frequent this site, and thought some of you might like it as well.

P.S. - I love to get new recipes or hear about great cookbooks you may use. So, please shoot me an email or comment!

Mi Amor <3

I think this sums up my quintessential summer afternoon. The outfit, accessories and picnic are all classic, but they're my own personal take on it. I really want some tortoise shell wayfarer style sunglasses, but would rather have the gorgeous Longchamp bag. It was a limited edition one, and I can't seem to find it on their website; however, I don't think it's really practical because the straps are hand and not shoulder straps. :(
The only thing missing is my sweet hubby!

My weekend so far...

I woke up at 8:30 this morning and cleaned my house. FINALLY! I put it off all day yesterday, and with a last minute change of plans, it was a priority.
About 9:30 Grams and Papa came! I love it when I get to see them. Grams fitted my new dress to me. I have to wear it for my presentation on Wednesday, so it was kind of last minute. (I LOVE my new heels.)
After they left at about 10:45, and while Jamey was still sawing logs sleeping, I made BREAKFAST! People, you gotta understand. I don't cook breakfast. Ever.
We never get up and cook on any day of the week, so it was a treat for us both. I made bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. We even had juice AND milk. Wow...I don't know what got into me. We actually ate IN the kitchen, too, instead of our usual spots on the couch. Fancy shmancy.
We decided to head to my in-laws to swim and beat the heat. After shaving my legs, putting on my swimsuit, and packing my bag of clothes...Jamey said his parents were leaving for a baseball tournament, so there was no point in going.
BUMMER!
So instead, we went to Home Depot so Jamey could get this:


Since he got that, I settled for this:


Now, he's cutting grass and I'm sitting on the couch making idea boards.
We live such an eventful life. Ha!

Where I dream of dreaming....

I have found a new hobby as of late. I LOVE building/creating my own idea boards/rooms. Most of these are ridiculously out of my price range, but a girl can dream, right? I really enjoy making them. I have, for quite some time now, been dreaming of a pale pink bedroom. But seeing as how I share my bedroom with my husband, it's a no go. So, if i could have my way, this would be my bedroom. I even put a schnauzer in there, but I guess I should have put two, one for both Lola and Tibbs.

I would put a nightstand with lamp and clock on each side of the bed in front of each window. I love the soft baby pink contrasted with the black. I love the crested style decal about the bed. Obviously, it wouldn't be Smith, but I loved it nonetheless. The more pillows, the better. Other than the bedding, my favorite detail would be the pink and cream striped chair. Unfortunately, this room has a price tag of about $4000. Schnauzer not included.
For info on anything pictured above, simply click the photo to see a list of items.

I had a long morning!

This morning I had two exams, and I was exhausted when I got home. After some catnapping and pure laziness, I decided to haul my lazy self to the flea market. For once, I didn't buy a single thing! I took my camera with me to take pictures of any items I might want to store in my decor folder for the house. Yes, I keep a file on my desktop of everything I find online and in stores that I like/love. Then when it comes down to decision time I have plenty of options. So, I'm on the lookout for a metal/gold/brass bamboo end table. Unfortunately, the closest I could find at the flea market was a coffee table. I WISH I had a place for it, though. And at only $47, it's a steal!
Maybe I can figure something out.


I also found this mirror. (Please note my current obsession with mirrors. Don't know why!) I thought it was pretty and feminine. No wooden/harsh frames. I think it was only like $40ish. Not bad!


Ash,
Doug might want to add these to his collection. I thought you would get a kick out it :) I love how they all have their hands on their hips!

My Saturday in Review!

Bear with me...this is a long one!
I had an awesome day Saturday! Jamey's friend Dee was coming to town, so I was going to make myself scarce so they could have some boys' time (i.e. playing video games). So, I decided to go home and visit my Dad for an early Father's Day and to give him his B'day gifts. I had also been telling my Grams about this chair and a half that I got from my sister-in-law (for Free!) that needed to be recovered.

She told me about these two fabric stores in Eclectic that I HAD to visit! So we made a half-day trip out of it!
I got up at 7:30 Saturday morning and headed to Alex City to pick up Mom and Grams. We drove to Eclectic (in the pouring rain) to Strickland's Textiles.

This place is really nice, neat and organized. They carry a lot of Waverly and Magnolia fabrics. Which are nice fabrics, but can get expensive when you're on a super tight budget. Of course I was indecisive about everything!! I found a few things, but decided to wait to jump at anything until I had visited Strickland's Cloth Barn, which is directly across the street. (Strange, I know!)
Let me just say, this place is somewhat hazardous. At one point, I think we were just praying the walls didn't collapse around us and bury us in the sea of fabric. These people have been hoarding holding on to this fabric since about 1970. There were bolts upon bolts of fabric. There was no neat shelving. It was all free-standing and propped against each other. From the walls, it was probably eight bolts thick. No kidding!


(Notice the foot wide walking path)
You have to dig to find anything, but I think that may be the fun of it. Since they obviously have no overhead, the fabric is CHEAP! I found drapery fabric, fabric for my toss pillows AND fabric to recover my chair. The best part.......it was all $5.98 a yard!!

Stupid me didn't take photos of the actual fabric that I bought, except for that little bit of striped fabric that Grams is holding. (I left it at Grams.) However I did snap all of these great shots to give you an idea of what we dug through.


When we got back to town, Mom and I went to lunch at El Rancho Grande. I haven't been there in years, and honestly, I don't think I've been missing too much. It was fun to spend time with Mom though and catch up on all of our gossip.
We stopped at my grandparents to visit for a while then headed over to Longleaf Antique Mall to search for ottomans, pillows, etc.

I love antique/flea malls, but this is seriously one of the better ones that I have been to. I think I even like it better than Angel's here in Opelika.
Unfortunately I didn't find an ottoman, but Mom did find me these awesome butterfly prints. I LOVE them! They were only $4 each!


Afterwards, I headed back to Auburn for dinner with the boys. We grilled hot dogs and played Rock Band til 3 am. I was exhausted, but I had an awesome day!!

Saturday Adventures Preview

The weekend has come and gone, and yet another week of summer classes begins. I'll admit it folks, I'm pooped! My mental ability is dwindling.
Saturday went something like this...up at 7:30, drove home, fabric shopping, lunch date with Mom, junkin' and antiquing, dinner at home with the boys (Ash, Dee & Jamey), bed at 3am.
Today was my ridiculously lazy Sunday.
Now it's late. I'm (somehow) exhausted, and I have a weekend update on the way. Unfortunately, I'm too sleepy to finish and upload all the pictures from my trip home Saturday. I will, however, leave you with a little sneak preview:

That pretty lady hiding from the camera would be my mama!

Goodnight!

Mirror Mirror On the Wall...

A few weeks ago I went to a few yard sales around Auburn to search for trinkets and treasures for my new reading nook/office area. I found this awesome mirror and luckily, the lady was willing to bargain. I got it for only $5! It's really big and REALLY heavy! For now, it's hanging in the living room until I find a permanent spot.

Look closely.. you can see Hubby sleeping on the couch. (Part of his nightly routine)

Chocolate Mug Cake

Most people think it's weird, but I am NOT a chocolate fan. There are, however, a few exceptions like chocolate ice cream or white chocolate pretzels.
Anyway, I received an email today from Teresa with a simple recipe I thought you all might enjoy!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave Safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

2 Adults. 1 Week. 30,000 Dollars.

Poseidon Undersea Resort

For information on how to make donations to The Raylan H. White Dream Vacation Fund, please email Mrs. White at raylanwhite@gmail.com.

'Sites' for sore eyes

Here's a list of fun sites to drool over window shop:

Kate's Paperie
They have super cute journals and notecards. Excellent spot to find gifts!

The Container Store
This site motivates me to organize my entire life. I intend on shopping here (or in the Atlanta store) for my new office!

What I Wore
I love this girl's vintage look. She provides photos of her daily wardrobe, and where she got each piece. Very helpful if you are in a style rut :)

Home Sweet Home
I have this on my google reader. I view at least 30-50 new photos daily. This site is super inspirational, if not just plain fun to look at! I don't love every single photo, but find beauty in most :)

Etsy
If you've never visited it...you're seriously missing out!

Got any cool sites? Anything 'artsy fartsy'? Any cool home, clothing or recipe sites? Please, please send them my way/ comment!

These are a few of my favorite things!

I thought I'd do one more quick post tonight, since I can't seem to keep my mind on studying....
I love it when people tell me about products/stores/restaurants that they have tried/visited. (Kind of like how I won't buy anything online without thoroughly reading the customer reviews.) There's nothing like a good testimonial to sell me on a product. So, I thought I'd do posts every once in a while to share some of my favorite things.
If you have some favorite things you would like to share, please comment!

I love this shampoo, and yes, it really does thicken your hair! On the down side, it can be kind of pricey :(
Biosilk Thickening Shampoo


This one of my newest purchases. It's a Belkin CushTop. I hate it when my laptop gets hot and starts to burn my lap, or when I get a crick in my neck from staring down into my lap during my three hour online window-shopping sprees. It comes in a few different colors, and can be purchased at Target. (Although I ordered mine from eBay. Yay for free shipping!)

The bag I have been searching for!!

I have been searching for a light brown messenger style bag. Nothing has really tickled my fancy until this.......
I L-O-V-E this bag!


(from ModCloth)

My daily obstacle course

I'm really annoyed with all the construction going on outside of the Lowder building. The roadways are all torn apart near the crosswalks, so they've rerouted the pedestrian traffic through the grass to cross the street at a different point. This is fine, except that to get to the grass you have to catapult yourself over the chain that normally prevents people from walking on the grass. So, skirts are out.


If you make it across the street without getting clobbered by a Tiger Transit bus (because there is no painted crosswalk), then you have to climb a steep gravel hill that they have laid down as a walkway. This, too, would be fine except for the fact that they stopped the gravel pathway half way to the sidewalk, causing you to walk through red dirt. If you've been anywhere in Alabama in the past two weeks, you know it's rained cats and dogs at least every other day. So that red dirt path has now become a sloppy mud pit.

Did I mention that parking is now nonexistent along the front side of the lot because the construction workers park their giant backhoes there?
I'VE HAD ENOUGH!

Auburn,
I pay you approximately $3000 a semester to attend classes. Is it too much to ask to take down a chain so that I don't have to hurdle it every morning? Is it too much to ask to continue your pathetic excuse for a gravel path twenty more feet to the sidewalk, so that I dont' have to walk through a mud bath every time I enter Lowder? I appreciate your inconsideration.
Thanks!

Sloppy Joe Casserole

When I'm looking for a 'Quick Fix' meal for dinner, I like one pot/dish type of meals. So here's one that's quick, easy and super light on your wallet.

Sloppy Joe Casserole
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can Sloppy Joe sauce
1 can Pillsbury biscuits (10 ct)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
Brown beef in a skillet. Drain and add can of Sloppy Joe sauce. Simmer on medium heat for about 5-7 min. Pour into casserole dish cover with a layer of cheddar cheese. Top off with biscuits. Bake at 450 for about 11-13 minutes, or until biscuits turn golden brown.


It's easy shmeasy!!

Cookbooks

So, these are also among my more recent purchases. If you don't own a Williams-Sonoma cookbook, you should. They are worth the splurge!

Fantastic Find

I've realized that for some strange reason, I've started to collect an assortment of birds around the house. My favorite necklace even has a bird on it. I don't know where this recent obsession came from. More than anything, I like birds that have a vintage look.

On a recent daytrip spent scouring antique malls, I found this little number.

He (or she, maybe) was sitting on a top shelf, and I barely saw him. I quickly grabbed it and checked the price tag. I was ecstatic....handwritten on the little white tag, I saw my most favorite number, 1. Yes, he was only $1.00.
Most people probably think he's just some old ugly glass bird, but I'm in love with him. In my book, he's a Fantastic Find!

Surprise Santa

Two Christmases ago, I sent my grandmother a greeting card. She loved the card, so she kept it.
Let me preface this by saying that my grandmother is a seamstress. She has worked out of her home for over thirty years sewing garments from scratch and doing alterations. She has remodeled her house and always finds time to do little crafty projects. A couple of years ago, she decided to take an art class...and out of nowhere we began to see her amazing talent. Apparently she had been holding out on us. She has been in, placed and won several art shows in the Lake Martin area. For my birthday, she gave me this amazing painting of the Lake Martin shoreline to go over my living room mantle.

At my brother's birthday lunch, she surprised me with another painting. She painted the Christmas card!

She is so sweet, thoughtful and amazingly talented! Thanks, Grams! I can't wait til Christmas, so I can hang this over the mantle!

(Click on the above picture and read the letter to Santa. She even left room at the bottom to add our kids' names one day.I love it!)