Coffee Table Chic

Last week I became obsessed with searching for glass items in the blue/green family to group together on my coffee table.  I started looking up vintage candy dishes, moved on to vases, and have landed on candle holders.  My goal was to find interesting items to group together without going broke.  I also have to take my cats into consideration and therefore nixed any tall items, as I assume tall items have a higher chance of being knocked over and broken.  I have settled on my first three pieces and am hopeful that they will be a good starting point for a growing collection.  I am also on the hunt for the perfect affordable tray on which to place them.

Since this blog is getting less traffic than ever due to the fact that I am not linking to it on Facebook, this post is pretty much an announcement specifically to my mother, who poured over online photos of vintage glass with me last week.  Well, Mum, I scrapped that idea and have gone in a more cost-effective direction.  But the first item below has a candy-dish vibe, right?

Sweet Pumpkin Bowl Filled Candle from Pier 1

Peacock Mosaic LED Candle from Pier 1

Simpatico Hobnail Glass Candle in Spanish Lime from Nordstrom

Channeling Nana Luke

First order of business:  A HUGE thank you to USteve, who rescued me and my ginger kitty Weasley on Friday night by bringing us to the animal ER.  Weasley was quite ill and I was quite mentally ill, imagining his impending death.  Weasely is on the road to recovery thanks USteve's assistance and some prescription meds.

Second order of business:  Last week (before incurring a large emergency vet bill), I purchased this bag in kicky "poppy" pleather.  It is very pink.

Anne Klein Perfect Medium Tote

Today I am wearing a pink maxi dress that matches the bag to a startling degree and my pink toe nails are on display too.  I am not usually a pink person and I am definitely not usually a head-to-toe pink person.  When I walked out of my house today, I realized just how coordinated I was and I thought of my great-grandmother, Nana Luke, who loved the color pink.  We played a family trivia game years back in which each person wrote ten facts about him/herself on a sheet of paper.  The facts were read one at a time and when you thought you knew which person had submitted the facts, you wrote down the name and handed it into the moderator.  If you guessed right on the first fact, you would get 10 points, with the number of points decreasing for each additional fact.  Nana Luke included, "My favorite color is pink" in her list and the entire group passed in their guesses at once.

Nana Luke in pink-- a tougher shot to find than I would have guessed.

Third and final bit of business:  Today is my dad's birthday.  He asked that Ryan and I not get him birthday presents, and we failed to meet that request.  He asked that we not post about his birthday on Facebook, and again we let him down.  I am not home to send him through the hot oven, so I hope that any readers in Central Maine will take care of that.  Thanks a million!

Artsy Fartsy

Today Art.com is offering customers a discount of 40%.  The coupon code is:  MAP496

I have bought many framed prints from this site over the years.  Below are a few of my favorites that currently adorn the walls of my itty bitty home (and one that hangs in my office at work.)

My bedroom is decorated to remind me of Rehoboth Beach:

"Summer Memories" by Daniel Pollera

"Deck Chairs and Beach Umbrellas on the Beach, Jetties Beach, Nantucket"

This one is not available on Art.com 
"Rehoboth Beach Kite" by Aurelio Grisanty may be purchased through beachtownposters.com

Living Room:

"Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Bathroom:

Also not available on Art.com
"The Neighborhoods of Boston" is available on Etsy.com

Hallway:

Definitely not available on Art.com
Photograph of my father and uncles circa 1975.  A larger copy of this picture hung in my great-grandparents'/grandmother's house and I always coveted it.  Now I have my very own copy and it is glorious.

Kitchen:

Not available on Art.com
"Teacups" and "Teapots" by Laura Amiss were purchased on Etsy.com

Guest Bedroom:

"Apple Blossom Lane" by Monte Nagler
This print reminds me of Turner, Maine, where my great-grandparents and grandmother used to live.

Not available on Art.com
"Lilac Sunday" by Brady Harris

 Office:

"Tree with Red Leaves and Barn" by Mark Karrass

And one last print that Ryan has in his home and I wish I had a spot for in mine, because I really like it:

"MIT Sailing Team Practicing in Charles River" by Adam Jones

Obsessed

My mum had the brilliant idea to put EOS lip balm in everyone's stocking this past Christmas.  The little pink egg containing strawberry sorbet balm has been my obsession for nearly two months.  If EOS would consider infusing their lip balm with caffeine, I would stockpile those suckers.

On a mostly unrelated note, I just came across an article about 311, The Dude's all-time favorite band.  (See his August 2012 post about 311.)  He has been to a bazillion of their concerts, even flying around the country to see them perform.  Apparently they have a new album coming out on 311 Day (March 11.)  I wouldn't know who they were if not for The Dude, but thanks to his influence, I do very much enjoy several of their most mainstream songs.

"Amber"

"Rub a Dub"

"All Mixed Up"

Room With A View

Several months ago I moved into an office with a large window.  After eleven years of toiling away under fluorescent lights,  I now have sunlight!  The upgrade inspired me to decorate this office more than I have decorated any previous work space.  Here are a few of the items that have transformed my off white box of an office into an off white box with a little character.

1)  Yankee Candle Home Sweet Home Premium Reed Diffuser
I'm incorporating all the senses, folks.  Visitors frequently remark about the lovely scent of my office.  Yesterday I was told, "It smells amazing in here. . . like chai tea."  I had eaten a big bowl of B&M baked beans for lunch.  You do the math.  (I had actually eaten a Smart Ones meal but it contained stanky broccoli, so the reed diffuser is still pretty impressive.)

2)  My work jams-- movie scores.  Since college, I have only listened to instrumental music while working.  A few favorites are John Williams' E.T. score, James Horner's Legends of the Fall score, and Danny Elfman's Edward Scissorhands score.

3)  Sickly bamboo shoots in two vases.  Inherited from my predecessor.

4)  Two small elephant figurines, one that belonged to my great-grandfather and one that was a gift from my boss, and a small moose figurine from my mum.

5)  Friday Night Lights magnet from my friend K.  Because Coach Taylor and the Dillon Panthers are the best.

6)  Dozens of photos of my friends and family.  A large framed collage, two small collages of every single family member's face, a personalized wall calendar, and various other snapshots. 

7)  A lovely framed photo of Buttermilk Falls from my friend L, who lives in Ithaca.

8)  Garth Williams illustrations from Charlotte's Web.  Because I love the book, the illustrations, and the author's connection to Maine.

9)  Barbara Cooney illustration from Miss Rumphius.  The author/illustrator was another Mainer.  Miss Rumphius is a super cool red haired lady who makes the world a more beautiful place with her trusty cat by her side.  What's not to like?

10)  "Trees with Red Leaves and Barn" print.  The colors in this large framed print are spectacular and I appreciate the New England-y vibe.

11) Canvas of my cats courtesy of my 2013 Secret Santa/Mum and her special helper/my photographer cousin M.

Coming soon:  A couple of air plants to hang in my window. 

Deals, Glorious Deals

Since I've taken a brief year-long hiatus from the blog, I can't remember if I've mentioned that my mum calls the master bathroom in my parents' house her "office."  Her office features a fabulous soaker tub in which she frequently takes phone calls.  So when I saw the "Bathtub Mesh Catchall" at Pottery Barn, I immediately thought of her.  A few weeks later, I found a twin item at Kirkland's.

Feast your eyes on this deal:
Pottery Barn Bathtub Mesh Catchall, $39
Kirkland's Metal Bathtub Basket, $16.99


I came across a similar bargain when I discovered the Mendocino Coffee Table at Walmart.  I had been eying Pottery Barn's Tanner Coffee Table for nearly a year, but the price was a serious obstacle.  I thought a glass table would take up less visual space in a small room and liked the look of the frame since I have some rubbed bronze accessories (curtain rods, lamps) in my living room.  For a quarter of the price I now have a place to rest my beverages and a new surface for my cats to mark with paw prints.

Pottery Barn Tanner Rectangular Coffee Table, $399 (plus a $40 delivery surcharge)

Walmart Mendocino Coffee Table, $99 (with free delivery)

And for my third deal (because I must work in threes thanks to as-yet-undiagnosed OCD), I am contemplating some DIY.  I have the dresser that belonged to my great-grandmother Hoho (not a blog alias-- the actual name we all called her).  It is chipped and scratched and could use some touching up.  I am hoping to muster the motivation to refinish it to somewhat resemble Boston Interior's Brewster Dresser, which sells for $799.95.  I am concerned about destroying a functional piece of furniture if I actually do attempt this project, but it sure would be nifty if I could pull it off.

Noel

I am on record as a Christmas fanatic, so the fact that I wait until after Halloween to go full-on-Christmas bonkers is a feat.  Purchasing some retro Halloween decorations this year helped me to make it through October without putting up my tree.  Today I am listening to Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack and recommending Crabtree and Evelyn's Noel products, which just became available again this week.  My friend and college roommate Jamie introduced me to this scent over a decade ago and I absolutely love it.  I usually go for the home fragrance oil, but they also carry a candle and spray.  Give these products a whirl; they won't disappoint. 

3 More Under $30

CB2, an offshoot of Crate and Barrel, offers a Hanging Glass Terrarium for $6.95.  My mum gave me one last summer and put an air plant in it with some sand and shells.  The air plant is easy to keep alive, to my great relief, and I really like the look of the hanging glass terrarium.  The glass and shape are very delicate and they look lovely grouped together on the CB2 site.

The Dude bought me these Sea-Life Ceramic Tiles from Pottery Barn last Christmas.  They are no longer available, but Ballard Designs has Leaf Plaques on sale for $17.99 that are similar.  I like the clean and simple look of the plaques.

I realize that many readers have switched over to Kindles and Nooks, but for those who, like me, prefer to read actual books composed of paper and ink, this Song of Ice and Fire, Books 1-4 set is a good deal at $21.03.  I finished the third book this week and have not been disappointed in the quality of the series yet.  So far I have my grandmother and father reading them as well.  I hope to convince a few more family members to start these, so we can get the old Harry Potter/Twilight/Hunger Games book club going again.

3 Under $30

I intended to list some of my favorite things available for $20 or less, but one of the items I wanted to include has become more expensive due to its popularity.

I'll start with that big ticket item, Electronic Catch Phrase, which hovers around the $30 price range.  I am proud to say that my family got in on the ground floor of this phenomenon.  ("Phenomenon" may be overstating things-- maybe "trend" is more appropriate.)  My family is big on playing games and this one doesn't disappoint.  I added this to my Amazon.com wish list about five years ago when I saw a review for it.  My parents bought it for my birthday, which coincided with our family week at the lake, and we played it every night on vacation.  At that point in time the game was somewhat unknown, so I gifted it to various friends and family members.  As a result, there is now a good chance that wherever I am, there is a Catch Phrase device ready to be utilized.  My uncle also bought me the musical version of Catch Phrase, where you get double points for singing.  This is a convenient game because it requires no setup and the only instructions are not to give a rhyming clue or spelling clue to get your teammate(s) to guess the word or phrase.  It moves very quickly and involves the entire group so no one is left to get bored waiting for his or her turn.  Catch Phrase has been featured on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" and Neil Patrick Harris is now starring in commercials for it.  Unfortunately the popularity of the game has resulted in the price doubling in the past five years. If only I had bought dozens and dozens when it was only $15.

Butch and Harold Sticker Picture Frames are selling for $19.95.  I bought these a few years ago for my office and I liked them so much that I then purchased sets for various cousins to zazz up their dorm rooms.  When I moved to a different department two years ago, I pealed these babies right off the wall and stuck them up in my new office.  Here is my approximate view.  (I've added a few more since taking this picture.)

The Vera Bradley Zip ID Case costs $12 and is available in an assortment of patterns.  My cousin got one of these last year and as soon as I saw hers I had to have my own.  It is cute, super convenient, and best of all, affordable. 

New Car

Since I was 16 years old I've wanted a BMW.  I never saw one in Central Maine, but when I took family trips to MASS to visit Trish's family they were all over the place.  My parents scooped one a few years back and it was amazing when they let me drive it.  Over the last 3 years I haven't gone more than 2 days without looking at cars online.  The dream started at 16 and now 14 years later I'm the owner of a Pre-Owned Certified 2010 328i xDrive BMW.  I can now die a happy man.  This car is absolutely beautiful. 

Best part is I talked (read as harassed)  my salesman into giving me a BMW tshirt and BMW hat, which they generally only give to people buying brand new BMWs.  BOOM!

Apple me, bro

Scooped the iPhone 4S today and jumped into the land of Apple products.  Many folks are probably wondering why I didn't buy the iPhone 5.  The 5 is obviously more expensive, could have potential defects not found yet, but most importantly, the iPhone 5 has a new charger.  I have a ton of Apple chargers as well as a nice Apple dock for my Sound System, so I later the new 9 pin versus 30 pin.  The 8 megapixel camera is pretty amazing.  Huge step up from my Blackberry's 3.2 MP camera.  Siri is very cool - was able to text Herself today without even typing anything in.  Love it. 

Here is a comparison between the 5 and 4S.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-iphone-5-vs-iphone-4s-spec-showdown/