Category: Filing Cabinet

24 Merry Days of Giveaways

Last year, I took part in 24 Merry Days, and I’m thrilled to be doing it again! Each day in December, from now until Christmas, there will be one amazing giveaway from one of 24 bloggers. You can follow along on Facebook and check the 24 Merry Days site to see which blog is hosting a giveaway on which day, and you can expect fab prizes like a Public bike and a Madsen cargo bike, bags from Ellington and Loeffler Randall, a Smeg fridge, gift cards to places like West Elm, Anthropologie, The Land of Nod, and Lulu & Georgia, and loads more.

I’ll be hosting one of the giveaways next week, but the prize can’t be revealed until then (so be sure to check back)! Visit the 24 Merry Days site to find each participating blog and enter each day, or you can follow 24 Merry Days on Facebook to keep up. Happy merry days, and good luck!

A huge thank you goes out to Audrey for organizing all of the giveaways, and to Gloria for putting the website together.

December 1, 2014
Keeping Track of Sales (and a Giveaway!)

Sponsored by PoachIt.

I tend to shop for specific clothes only when I need them. A new coat because my old one has become threadbare, or more recently, a few nursing-friendly shirts in my current size. While I’m browsing for the best options, I invariably come across a few finds that I certainly don’t need, but that I do like a whole lot. I’ll often think ‘maybe I’ll pick this up if it goes on sale’ but then I forget to check up on it regularly. I’ve missed out on many an item that went on sale for a great price, but now I’m using PoachIt to keep track of things so that won’t happen again.

I’m not exactly jumping up to buy all the things! but I do like to be aware of when the stuff I’ve had my eye on goes on sale, and that info can help me decide what to purchase and when. The service works with over 5,000 stores (I’ve been using it on sites like J. Crew, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, and Madewell), and there’s a browser extension (like the ‘pin it’ button) that makes it easy to keep track of items. When the price drops on something you’ve tracked, PoachIt sends you an email, but you can also view your tracked items, follow favorite merchants, and find valid coupons via the website or app.

Besides clothing and things to wear, I’ve been keeping tabs on some of my wish list items for the house. I would love to grab any of these if the day comes that the price is right!

Now with the holiday season upon us, I’ve started using PoachIt for my home and for gift shopping too. I’m not a fan of hitting the Black Friday sales in person, but I do take advantage of the online sales that accompany it and Cyber Monday. Now it will be even easier to pick up the items on my list at a good price (and maybe treat myself to a little something when everything goes on sale again after the holidays).

Giveaway

One winner will win a $100 AMEX giftcard to shop for any item they want! Just go to PoachIt, sign up for an account, then comment back on this post with a link to the item you’d want to buy with the gift card if you won. (I’d probably go for that hat I’m tracking; I can never bring myself to buy a nice hat for myself.) One entry per person, and you must be a US resident and enter by midnight CST on December 1st. Good luck!

November 25, 2014
A Fall/Winter Holiday Table

This post is sponsored by Target.
Shop Home Décor for modern luxury made easy.

Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away, and then we’ll be looking forward to Christmas! To get in the spirit of the season, I set a festive fall/winter holiday table with items I already had on hand mixed in with some new finds from Target.

I wanted to work with gold and silver for most of the decor, but a red runner made a colorful base for everything else to play off of. I love the way the polka dot fabric napkins look with it!

I added candlesticks in two heights, and then picked up several sizes of silver frosted mason jars. I used the smallest jars to hold tealights as intended, but instead of putting candles in the others, I used the larger ones as flower vases.

The table was set with our everyday silverware and classic white plates. So many of us have those standards on hand, but they felt more special with gold chargers at each seat.

The centerpieces were fun to arrange. I think that white ‘flower’ is in the cabbage family. Plus berries! I always go for the berries this time of year.

All together, the mix of metallics and the candlelight feel perfect for special occasions. I’m looking forward to using the decorations throughout the year for other dinners and holidays, too!

November 10, 2014
New Lights, and New Favorites
This post is sponsored by Schoolhouse Electric.

There are three existing lights in the hallway: the one that you can see below, hanging down (which is cute and has a round glass shade), and two others that don’t match. Now that the hall construction is complete and the walls have been painted, I want all three lights to be identical for continuity. I was looking for flush mount fixtures in brass to match the metal finishes throughout the Victorian, in a small scale, and in a classic style. I wanted something that looked good, but nothing that was too much of an in-your-face statement piece (hallways are utilitarian spaces — they don’t exactly need chandeliers!). I’ve been a fan of Schoolhouse Electric’s fixtures for ages, so when they offered to provide lighting, I chose three Newberry 4″ pendant fixtures in brass and these white glass shades. They arrived a couple of days ago, and they’re going to look fantastic.

(Oof, that belly. Almost done!)

We’re rewiring the house soon and getting rid of the old BX, along with any hidden knob and tube that’s still active (oh, the joys of old houses!), so we’ll have new fixtures installed then. We’re also having all of the switches on the first and second floors changed out for new push-button switches at the same time. There are a few original ones left in the house, and I love them! I’m so excited that all of the switches are going to match.

OK, and I have to share the new collection that Schoolhouse Electric just released this week. We’d been emailing back and forth about the lights, and they gave me a sneak peek at everything… and whoa. Way more exciting than finishing up a hallway! First of all, this bedroom is perfection. You know I love a good Jenny Lind bed, and a good floral.

My favorites from the new line are below. I want to put a room together around all of these pieces! Can’t you just see it? So awesome when a collection leaves you feeling inspired.
September 18, 2014
Renegade Craft Fair, Chicago 2014

Renegade Craft Fair took place in Chicago again the weekend before last. I think I first had a booth in the show for my stationery shop back in 2006, and it was a huge part of my business for years. Even after no longer exhibiting, Brandon and I have been back just about every year (we bring the kids with), and its interesting to see how it has changed and grown. Here are some of my favorites from the 2014 Chicago show!

• Wire art and prints by Tammy Smith

• Awesome cards by The Detroit Card Co.

• Handmade paper flowers by Moon Flora

• Wooden toys by A Summer Afternoon

• Brass and crystal jewelry by Lindsay Lewis

• Sweet little bowls by Toast Ceramics

• Cute wooden art by Jodi Lynn Doodles

• Plush monsters by Mr. Sogs Creatures

• New paintings by Dolan Geiman

• Colorful felt faux-taxidermy by Horrible Adorables

• Bizarre collage mash-ups by Unusual Cards

• Geometric brass jewelry by Son of a Sailor

• Customizable shoes by Mohop

• Pillows and tea towels by Yao Cheng

• Lovely prints by The Bungaloo

• Dioramas by Red Belly

September 15, 2014
Up to the Highest Heights

Sponsored by Kiwi Crate.

We do plenty of open-ended art projects around here. “Here are some watercolors; let’s paint!” Or “I brought home a big package of pipe cleaners. What should we make?” But the kids, Eleanor especially, really like having a project with step-by-step instructions to follow. I think they feel good about having made something themselves by following directions, so they love kits.

I was given the opportunity to test out Kiwi Crate, a monthly subscription service, and I let E choose which craft we should try. They have different themes each month, like gardening, dinosaurs, and space, and Eleanor picked Fun with Flight because she wanted to make kites. Once she knew I’d ordered it, she asked “is it here yet?” every day until it arrived.

Each kit comes with all of the materials you need to make two or three projects (depending on which theme you choose), along with Kiwi Crate’s explore! magazine. Their monthly subscriptions start at $16.95/month with free shipping, and they also sell supplies like pipe cleaners, felt, and pom-poms, or party favors like capes, wands, and wings.

After finishing up her first kite, she and August both made rockets that launch with a rubber band. Kiwi Crate offers a “no fight” option with extra materials, so E and A were each able to make a happy-face kite and a grumpy one, and two different rockets. The both got the bonus paper flyers that were included and their own copies of the explore! magazine, too.

Kiwi Crate is offering a discount for my readers right now. Join their Time Traveler Series with projects to fall back in time! The promotional code excludes sibling add-ons, but you can save 25% on your first month subscription with code LOVELY25.

So cute. I love a good craft project that comes to my door, with all the guess-work and supply-shopping taken care of. And the kids loved making everything!

August 26, 2014