laurendy

And, in all honesty, I didn't really make the decision on my own. . . my mom sorta did it for me - she called me on Saturday morning and told me it was on sale and that we were going to go look at it that afternoon. . . then she did something only a mother can get away with - she called back 15 minutes later and told me that we weren't going to go out to look that them because she had already had her friend pick up one for me. . .

So while I didn't actually have to make up my mind, I did have to open my wallet, and that has to count for something!

Friday Morning Fun

2012-01-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

Bought!

2012-01-24T14:30:00.001-05:00

I finally bought some of the Ikea OVÄNTAD vases I had been eye-balling for so long.

I end up with two of the small ones and one tall gray one - for a total of $7.95! Yeppers, I got myself a deal - the little ones are only $1.99 to begin with, but the tall one was on close-out at $1.99 as well!!

Oh, and if you did the math and can't figure out where the other $1.99 went - it fell out of my cart in the middle of parking lot. . . there may have been cursing. . .

I think they will go nicely with my gold Jonathan Adler vases.

More Elusive Than A Beavcoon

2012-01-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

So what could be more elusive than a creature with the head of a beaver and the rump of a raccoon you ask?

That answer: a sleek modern stylist RECLINER -

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would sing the praises of a recliner, but West Elm's new Sedgwick Recliner is sorta awesome. . . as in "holy crap, that's a recliner!! but it's not ugly!! how can that possible?!" awesome.

And yes, I made an iCarly reference. . .

Alternative Flooring Options

2012-01-23T10:30:00.002-05:00

Once again, I am having trouble making up my mind - this time it is in regards to my flooring. I have never liked the tile in my house. The faux marble tile in the bedrooms is pretty bad, but I can live with it a little longer, but the nasty plain off white 8 inch square tiles in the dining & living rooms has to go.

So long story short, I've currently have a living room with no flooring, and while I have a pretty good idea of what I want to put down, I just can't make it final. . . so I'm thinking of going with a quick and dirty temporary fix, you know, so I can have my room back.

I am considering the few options from Rustolium -

Epoxy Shield: Garage Floor Kit

Epoxy Shield: Concrete Floor Paint

Concrete Stain

Epoxy Shield: Basement Floor Coating

I'm thinking that the simple Concrete Floor paint is my easiest option, but knowing me, I'll change my mind by the weekend.

One Place, One Space: Urban Outfitters - Studio

2012-01-20T13:30:00.000-05:00

Cactus Geo Wall Art
Marquee Arrow Light
Wander Lust Wall Art
Mirror Mirror Vanity Table
Ava Tufted Sleeper Sofa
GiGi Nightstand
Madeline Chair
Pignose Hog 20 Portable Amp
Diamond Chenille Jacquard Pillow
Pleated Rose Pillow
Crewel Prism Pillow

Kitchen Cart?

2012-01-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

I don't recall if I mentioned it or not, but a while back my big beautiful floor to ceiling pantry cabinet bit the dust. It was second hand when I put it in, and well, we had to shove it over a few inches to do some electrical work, and the poor thing just couldn't take it.

So now I have a pretty long bit a wall space heading into my kitchen. And it need something. I considered putting a buffet there, but I would really rather have the space blend with my kitchen and not the dining room. . . My mom found the fellow below at a discount store for $300 -

I really like it, and I think it would blend with my kitchen nicely, but it costs a bit more than I'd like to spend. . . though, I think it might be worth saving my pennies for.

Yes Please

2012-01-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this chair from Room & Board, in love I tell you!

Shabby Apple Giveaway!

2012-01-16T13:00:00.001-05:00

I am super duper excited to announce a brand new giveaway brought to you by Shabby Apple - yes, that Shabby Apple, the online purveyor of beautiful women's dresses!

I have been a huge fan of Shabby Apple's for quite some time now, so when they offered to let me giveaway one of their dresses, I couldn't say no. So if you want a chance to win Shabby Apple's Bali Ha'i dress (pictured below) just keep reading for further details -

All you have to do to win the Bali Ha'i dress is head over to Shabby Apple's Facebook page and "like" them*, then come back here and leave me a comment on this post letting me know that you have (oh, and if you already like them on Facebook, just leave a comment letting me know that).

THE FINE PRINT

The giveaway is open until 10am, Tuesday, January 24th. The winner will be chosen at random and notified by noon that same day. The winner will have 48 hours to get back to me, or I'll have to choose a new winner. Oh, and as always, make she you leave your contact info in your comment so I can get ahold of you if you win!

*Please note that “liking” Shabby Apple on Facebook is an eligibility requirement for anyone entering this giveaway.

I'm Not Cool Enough

2012-01-12T10:00:00.001-05:00

I'm totally not cool enough for this wallpaper or duvet cover from Urban Outfitters, but I love them all the same.

Ikea Let Down

2012-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

The super cheap sofa bed thingie that I had been hoping would work for my craft/guest room turned out to be a dud in person.

Time to reconsider the Target option.

Fancy Food

2012-01-09T11:30:00.000-05:00

yum

I love food, I make no secret of it, but I'm not at all what you would call a foodie. I'm a Paula Deen kinda gal (and heck, sometimes even she gets a little too fancy for me).

This year I'm trying to expand my culinary tastes and helping with that goal is my friend Kelly (more on Kelly in a later post). This past Friday Kelly stormed my kitchen with salami, fresh vegetables, hummus, goat cheese, roasted red peppers and a bread maker. What followed was something totally outside my comfort zone, but completely wonderful.

I wish I had more pictures to share, but well, we sorta ate everything before we remembered our cameras.

Darn You West Elm

2012-01-06T14:00:00.001-05:00

Why'd ya have to go making me fall in love with another coffee table I can't afford!

Seriously, there has to be a limit to how much swooning over accent tables you are allowed to cause one girl. At least this one is a bit more affordable (I wish) at $349.

It's Donut Time

2012-01-04T13:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not the only one who made out like a bandit at Christmas. Not only did Emmett & Elsie get a set of stairs (for getting into bed) and a window seat (for bird viewing) from me, but they both got the cutest new beds from my mom -

They're DONUTS! How cute/cool are they? And best of all, both Emmett & Elsie seem to love love love them.

Yes Please

2012-01-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

I am loving these badges from Best Made -

They totally bring me back to my Girl Scout days. My personal favorite is the "Be Optimistic" badge. It's just the thing I need to try to help turn myself into a glass half full kinda gal, instead of the Debbie Downer I normally am.

Friday Morning Fun

2011-12-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

via @ohjoystudio

Keeping It Casual

2011-12-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

December in South Florida means sleeveless dresses and sandals.

- dress (plan to buy)
- necklace
- bag
- sandals (own)

Santa Was Good To Me

2011-12-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Santa was again good to me this year (the plumbing fairy on the other hand was not, but more on that some other time). I had a wonderful Christmas with my family and plan on getting in as much family time as possible over the next week, so posting here will be a little light through the New Year.

I leave you today with one of my favorite gifts, this Methane Studios Cupcake print I had been lusting over for quite some time -

Now I just have to decide where this bad boy should live.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas Around My Home

2011-12-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

One Place, One Space: Z Gallerie - Study

2011-12-21T13:00:00.003-05:00

The last Z Gallerie One Place, One Space room I did was the living room of sophisticated lady. This time I'm tackling the study of a debonair gentleman.

He has salt & pepper hair and a hint of a beard. He drives a classic sports car that doesn't come across as a mid-life crisis purchase. He has an ex-wife or two and a string of younger women who would gladly become his third. He prefers a gibson to a martini, but can't turn down a good scotch. He is who James Bond wishes he could be.

- Wall Map
- Wall Clock
- Antler Hooks
- Desk
- Chair
- Desk Lamp
- Armillary Sphere
- Cabinet
- Martini Glasses
- Martini Shaker
- Jacks
- Bar Tray

Yeah, I just realized that I just described the guy from the Dos Equis commercials.

Wrapping Simple (And Cheap)

2011-12-21T11:30:00.000-05:00

I am a fan of a pretty package and find it super easy to get carried away with fancy bows and lots of frill at Christmas time, but when you have a ton of gifts to wrap, it can become majorly time consuming and expensive. So I save all the glitz and glam for ~~Toddlers & Tiaras~~ a few extra special gifts and then follow some very easy rules of wrapping for the rest.

What are those rules you ask? Keep it simple (and cheap). I do all my gift wrapping supply shopping at the Dollar Tree -

I pick up a few rolls of their printed kraft paper and a few rolls of grosgrain ribbon in Christmas-y colors and for under $6 I've got all my packages taken care of.

Here are a few of my wrapped gift ready for their bows -

I must note that the Do Not Open Until Dec. 25 paper actually came from a clearance bin at Staples for $.50 a roll (I can't resist a bargain).

Living Without Cable, an Update

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

It has been nearly 3 months before I first wrote about cutting the cable and I figured it was time for an update.

Things were going well, just like I had posted before, until Thanksgiving day. . .

I decided on Thanksgiving to move some things around, I moved my tv to another wall and with that went all my stations. . . well all except for CBS, but only if you sat up really straight on the sofa and didn't move (and I'm so not joking). So the next day I moved everything back to the where it had been, but it was too late, my tv had lost it's mojo.

Even though everything is back exactly where it was before I am only getting in CBS and sometimes NBC, MY33 hints that it might come in, but then NO SIGNAL and ION does the same.

Yeah, so I'm living with 1 working station. . . and it is driving me crazy.

I plan on switching the living room with the dining room come the new year, and I pray that antenna picks up more stations again once the switch-a-roo takes place. If it doesn't work, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. . . I have looked into getting very very very basic cable, I've looked into getting a dish. . . I think I will most likely try a amplified antenna before I move onto any sort of subscription servce.

So that's where I stand at the moment. I really really really don't want to get cable, but only getting 1 station just isn't cutting it.

Me Like-y

2011-12-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

This CB2 coffee table almost makes me give up lusting after the West Elm Y-Base coffee table, you know, the one with the ever changing price.

Faking the Collected Look

2011-12-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

A few months back a friend of mine found a beautiful (and huge) old craved door at a flea market that she is having made into a dining table.

To go with the table she decided she wanted a mixed match set of old farm house chairs, so we hit the thrift shops, the flea markets, the consignment shops, the antique shops and. . . well, came up empty handed. Turns out south Florida isn't crawling with vintage farm chairs (who would've guessed) and with the holidays looming before us it was time to try a different approach. . . Faking it. . .

So instead of searching for old farm house chairs, we starting looking for new chairs with that old farm house style.

We came up with two pretty affordable options:

Ikea -

KAUSTBY, INGOLF (with armrests), BALSER, IVAR
STEFAN, LANNI, BERTIL, INGOLF

Overstock.com -

Paloma, Windsor
Country Cottage, Mackenzie Casual Countryside

Both sets have pros and cons. With the Ikea set you can have 8 different chairs, but they aren't a "heavy" as you would like a farm house chair to be (not sure how to put that any better). With Overstock you end up with pairs of mixed matched chairs, but they nice a chunky and feel more like the real thing.

Which direction did my friend decide to go? Well, that will have to wait for another day, unfortunately the dining table has hit some snags and it now looks like the holiday dinner she is aiming for will be Easter.

Wreath Wall

2011-12-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

The total cost for all three wreaths on this wall was under $10. The first wreath I picked up at Home Goods after Christmas last year and was a whooping $2! The second wreath is was $1.25 from Target and the ornament was $.50 from Target as well (again, after Christmas sales). And the third wreath, well I made it for under $5.

Friday Morning Fun

2011-12-16T10:00:00.002-05:00

This has always been my favorite Christmas song -

Your Emmet Fix

2011-12-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm a little late posting this photo, but I had to share it anyway.

We had a really warm Halloween and I didn't want Emmett to over heat in his pumpkin costume. So I whipped him up this little cape and, TA DA, we have Super Emmett - faster than a speeding cat, able to leap on an ottoman in a single bound, here to randomly bark and growl at dogs 4 times his size. . .

I Made a Wreath (and you can, too)

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

As the post title states, I made a wreath (and you can too). I was totally inspired by this wreath made by Pickles, but hand felting all those balls and then sewing them together was just not in the cards for me. I wanted something easier, and a little more Muppet looking, if that makes any since.

You want to made yourself a wreath?

All you need -
- a wreath form of some sort
- a big bag of pom poms (I got mine for under $3 at Michael's with a coupon)
- a hot glue gun (with plenty of glue sticks)
and some time. . .

Simply hot glue the pom poms to the wreath form until you are happy with the coverage (be careful, I did burn my fingers with the glue gun a few times) and then hang that sucker on the wall -

Bam! You got yourself a wreath!

Lovely Package Exchange

2011-12-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

I have a huge shopping problem and when Christmas time comes around my "problem" becomes a full on addiction. Yes people, I am addicted to Christmas shopping. So when Danni of Oh, Hello Friend announced that she was bring back her Lovely Package Exchange this year I was all over it.

I was paired up with Jella from Honey My Heart. I had a wonderful time shopping for her (can't tell you what I got her, she hasn't received it yet) and I had an even better time gathering up my packaging supplies and putting together a lovely package -

I have a weakness for kraft paper (again, can't show how it was packaged instead the gift because she hasn't received it yet).

Here it is in the box, ready to ship -

My weaknesses also include crinkly packing paper strips.

The same day I shipped Jella's gift out I recieved mine in the mail -

I am such a sucker for glitter! I'm doing my best to wait until Christmas to open it.

Spotted

2011-12-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

I saw this guy in the Boca Raton Z Gallerie last Friday night, hanging out near my beloved deer heads. You can officially add another item to my Christmas List.

Mat Kearney & Me

2011-12-07T14:00:00.001-05:00

Mat Kearney at WRMF's 2011 No Snow Ball -

Even better, Mat Kearney and ME!! -

There may have been some swooning involved on my part. . .

Elsie

2011-12-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Roughly three years ago a crazy little kitten followed me home and, despite all my early efforts to run her off, she never left.

Wonderful Weekend

2011-12-05T14:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend I got to meet Mat Kearney. I love Mat Kearney. Ifyou don't know who Mat Kearney is, you should.

Here, let me introduce you -

I'll share some pictures later on, I got some pretty good shots at the show, I just have to go through them all.

Playing Santa

2011-12-02T11:00:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is watching kids open their gifts. There is something about the way a little face lights up that almost makes me wants to settle down and have of my own. . . okay, enough of that, back to making kids happy - my niece, Pigeon, is now at the point where she is starting to play pretend, she loves to "make dinner" for her dolls.

So what is a devoted aunt to do? Start searching playset kitchens, that's what. Pigeon needs her own space to "make dinner" and I get the extra thrill of being the one to give it to her. . . yeah, I'm all about being the favorite aunt and I'm not above bribery. Finding her the right playset kitchen has an added bonus of helping me out with gifts to come, I can always pick up some sort of play food or dish set for her birthday or Easter or whatever (I really love all the Melissa & Doug wooden food, just too cute).

As for my own kids, you know, of the cat and chihuahua variety. Elsie will be getting a nice new window seat, and as for Emmett, I'm leaning towards finally getting him a nice set of doggy stairs, so I don't always have to pick him up when he wants to lay on the bed. (And yes, Elsie's and Emmett's faces do light up when the get a gift, I swear).

Printable Christmas Bunting: from Me, to You

2011-12-02T10:30:00.001-05:00

I liked making the Give Thanks printable bunting so much that I had to make a Christmas version.

The Holly Jolly printable bunting is available in three colorways (see above) -

1. Mutli-Colored Christmas
2. Retro Aqua & Red Christmas
3. Classic Red & White Christmas

I haven't decided on which one I'll be hanging for self yet. I hope you enjoy!

PS. I'd love to see how you use the bunting, so please feel free you share - laurendy{at}live.com

Ornament Knock-Off - Well, Sorta, Kinda, DIYish

2011-12-01T12:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm pretty sure I just won an award for strangest post title ever, but I really wasn't sure what to call it.

Well, yesterday I said I had more on that weird quirky ornament from CB2, you know, the glass ball with toothpicks inside of it -

(it's currently on sale for $1.50!)

Well, I went and made my own. I didn't set out to do so, I was just sitting in my craft room with a box of empty glass ornaments when I realized that I had a sandwich bag full of fancy toothpicks in a drawer (they had fallen on the floor at one point so I couldn't use them from food, but being the hoarder that I am I shoved them in the drawer to save for a craft project). And then this happened -

The 12(ish) Ornaments of Christmas

2011-11-30T14:00:00.001-05:00

1. West Elm / 2. Urban Outfitters / 3. CB2 / 4. Z Gallerie

5. CB2 / 6. CB2 / 7. Urban Outfitters / 8. Crate & Barrel

9. Crate & Barrel / 10. Urban Outfitters / 11. Crate & Barrel / 12. CB2*

*there will be more on #12 a bit later on. . .

It's Going To Be A White Christmass {Tree}

2011-11-29T12:30:00.000-05:00

Now that I have some extra space I decided to go ahead and get myself a new Christmas tree this year (my old one was a 3.5 footer from my college apartment). Being the penny pincher that I am, I couldn't bring myself to buy one of the super lush trees I covet from Treetopia. What I did find was a nice white 6.5 footer with multicolored lights from Walmart for $39, can't beat that.

It doesn't have any ornaments on it yet, but it was super easy to put up and looks pretty good even without the ornaments. I promise to try to take some better pictures once it is all decorated.

Speaking of decorated, I need to find a tree skirt. . . I'm thinking of DIYing one, if I do, I'll be sure to share.

Your Emmett & Elsie Fix

2011-11-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

It's very rare to have Emmett and Elsie within three feet of one another, it is even more rare to have them within three feet of each out and not having them at each others throats.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

2011-11-28T10:45:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving dinner went off fairly seamlessly (our one wrinkle was that my cableless tv had trouble getting the Dolphins' game).

The table turned out nicely, the ham was super yummy and my weird fall color scheme actually worked out well.

The stress was a bit of a killer (I'm pretty sure I drank the entire bottle of wine pretty much by myself), but it was well worth it in the end.

Now I can cross off "host a holiday dinner" off my life list and never ever do it again.

Oh, and for those of you who downloaded and used my Give Thanks bunting printables and have any photos you'd like to share I would be forever grateful, you can email them to me at laurendy{at}live.com . . .

Gobble Gobble

2011-11-23T10:06:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving (a day early)! You might have noticed, I've taken the week off to prepare for my first time hosting the big dinner.

While I'm away here are a few recent postings that you may enjoy -

my napkin ring DIY

Thanksgiving bunting banner printables

Chronicles 2nd annual Happy Haulidays

the 2011 gift guides

Friday Morning Fun

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out from TGC on Vimeo.

I'm Not Cool Enough For. . .

2011-11-16T14:00:00.001-05:00

spotted in Gifted

this Cool Tiger in Sunglasses print from LuciusArt on Etsy (but I wish I was)

DVF Gold Leaf Wooden Napkin Ring Inspired DIY

2011-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

I spotted these Gold Leaf Wooden Napkin Rings from Diane Von Furstenberg a while ago and fell in love, but at $40 a set they are way out of my price range.

So, I did want any girl with a brand new craft room would do - I made my own!

And now you can too -

Supplies needed:

wooden napkin rings
sand paper or some sort of sanding tool (I used my Dremel)
wood stain
round foam stencil brush
gold paint
clear sealer or lacquer

I purchased four of these wooden napkin rings at my local craft store.

They were perfect for this project except for the ridge bands on the sides, you can find them online without the ridge, but at I couldn’t justify spending the shipping when I can pick the ridged one up in person for under $2.

Step 1 – Get to sanding! With my Dremel to took me commercial breaks for one episode of Big Bang Theory to sand off the ridges and shape the rings up a bit – fair warning though, at one point I got distracted and almost sanded through my finger nail. So be careful when you use power tools, no matter how small they are.

I didn’t completely smooth out the napkin rings because I wanted a sorta rustic-y look to them, but if you prefer smooth, be my guest.

(just sanded on the left, just stained on the right)

Step 2 – Stain! I layered two different stains I had on hand to get a color I was happy with.

Step 3 – Add some sparkle! I used a round foam stencil brush to dab on some metallic gold paint in a freeform shape. I found that using the foam brush gave the gold a more “gold leaf” feel than a regular paint brush did.

Step 4 – Make it shine! Use some sort of clear sealer (I used a brush on lacquer) and seal up your hard work.

Step 5 – Enjoy!

~ my version ready for Thanksgiving ~

Thanksgiving Bunting Banner Printable

2011-11-14T12:00:00.002-05:00

Seeing that I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year and I completely lack any Thanksgiving-ish decorations, I decided to get my Martha Stewart on and make some.

I'm aiming for a kinda rustic-y gilded look, which means lots of brown kraft paper and gold accessories, and I'm throwing in a little coralish pink and dark purple (you know, cause I'm kinda nuts). The highlight of my homespun decor is a big ol' bunting banner that reads "Give Thanks".

I loved it so much that I decided to share it with y'all! But seeing that not everyone is into pink Thanksgiving decor I changed to colors up for ya. The top banner is in fall color printed on parchment paper with an ivory ribbon and the bottom banner is black printed on tan cardstock. The banner I'm using is coralish pink printed on kraft paper, I haven't finished it yet, which is why it's not included in the above picture.

Here are the printables:
Fall Colors Bunting Banner
Black Bunting Banner

and if you are crazy like me -

Coralish Pink Bunting Banner

(the star in the middle is a nod at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which I've watched every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember)

My Christmas List

2011-11-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

I've been pretty good this year. So here are a few things on my Christmas wish list. . .

a Jo Totes camera bag (I'm not picky on which one)

a new strap for my camera (I like this one and this one, both from Etsy)

a leather Morocan poof (I've joined the bandwagon)

one or three deer heads (from Z Gallerie, West Elm, PBteen)

Thanks,

Laurendy

Favorite Shopping Spots & Sites

2011-11-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

When it comes to Christmas shopping nothing beats the thrill of the hunt. The rush of finding a great deal on the perfect gift for a loved one and walking out of a store with more bags than arms is beyond brilliant.

When it comes to in-store gift shopping I tend to stick to these four -

They tend to give you the most bang for your buck.

While I prefer shopping in-store, sometimes you have to turn to the net to find what you are looking for and in that case these six sites are my first stops -

Laurendy Home 2011 Gift Guide - For the Design Junkie

2011-11-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

Modern Vintage Style - ModCloth
Themis Trio Mobile - Curiosity Shoppe
Tin House Ornaments - Crate & Barrel
Graffiti Cocktail Shaker - CB2
Home Port Advantage Doormat - ModCloth
Totem Votive Set - MoMA Store
Ornament Chandelier - Crate & Barrel
Ceramic Cargo Containers - Curiosity Shoppe
Helveticards - CB2
Silver Polygon Stud Earrings - MoMA Store

Laurendy Home 2011 Gift Guide - For the Vintage Collector

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Dylan Sunglasses - Fred Flare
Western TV Tray - House8810
Victorian Hand Jewelry Holder - Plasticland
Freedom Ring - Fred Flare
Always Fawn My Mind Figurines - ModCloth
Turquoise Dot Earrings - Curiosity Shoppe
Fox Ring - Pier 1
Turquoise & Gold Bracelet with Charms - Pier 1

*these items are all vintage inspired, seeing that listing one of a kind vintage items would kinda defeat the point of a gift guide. . .

Chronicle Books' 2nd Annual Happy Hauliday

2011-11-09T15:30:00.003-05:00

~please excuse this little break in gift guide postings~

I was super excited when I saw the email in my inbox from Chronicle Books saying that they were holding their Happy Hauliday Giveaway again this year. (read last year's post)

"This year, we're not only giving away up to $500 worth of Chronicle books to one lucky blogger and one commenter on the winning blog post—we're also asking the winning blogger to choose one charity to receive up to $500 of books from us. It's just our way of spreading holiday cheer and sharing the gift of reading."

So that means if I win, one of you wins. So take a look at my book list below and leave a comment on which book you think you be your favorite and we'll both cross our fingers!

The Big Book of Appetizers
World of Geekcraft
Tour America
Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts
The Little Book of Screenprinting
The Cheese Tasting Party Kit
The A-Z of Visual Ideas
So, You Want to Be Canadian
Ready, Set, Novel!
Quick & Easy Mexican Cooking
Paper + Craft
No Plot? No Problem!
Living Out Loud
Let's Bring Back
Ice Creams & Sorbets
Fiesta Latina
Fast Breads
Everything Is Going to Be OK
Dinner Parties
D.I.Y. Delicious
Cath Kidston Jam Jar Kit
Cake Simple
Bubbly on Your Budget
Blue Ribbon USA
Beard
Airstream
Paint by Number

Laurendy Home 2011 Gift Guide - For the Creative Types

2011-11-09T14:00:00.002-05:00

Ninja Action Kit - Paper Source
Indie Craft - Plasticland
One Line A Day Journal - Pottery Barn

Banksy Note Card Box - MoMA Store
Watercolor Postcards - Anthropologie
Liberty of Londen Book of Home Sewing - Plasticland

Postcard Sketchbook - MoMA Store
Masking Tapes - CB2
Ukulele Kit - Curiosity Shoppe

Laurendy Home 2011 Holiday Gift Guide - For the Foodie Friend

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Paula Deen Signature Porcelain Soup & Stew Kit - Food Network Shop
Owl Messuring Cups - West Elm
Truffle Hot Chocolate - Patina
"Home Made" Cookie Stamp - Fred Flare
Long Handled Tasting Spoons - Curiosity Shoppe
Laguiole Cheese Knife Set - Anthropologie
Sugar Baby - Mod Cloth
Homemade Cookie Jar - Crate & Barrel
Lasagna Edge Pan - Food Network Shop

Laurendy Home 2011 Holiday Gift Guide - For the Animal Lover

2011-11-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

Branch Brigade Mug - Mod Cloth
Cute Critter Ornaments - Plasticland
Avante Aviary Porcelain Decor - Plasticland
Felt Parakeet Brooch Set - MoMA Store
Boo, The Life of the World's Cutest Dog - Mod Cloth
Jonathan Adler Dog Collar in Chevron - Pop Deluxe

Laurendy Home 2011 Holiday Gift Guide - For the Kiddos

2011-11-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery - The Food Network Store
Well-Behaved Weasel - Anthropologie
Crystal Crayons - Kikkerland

Olive the Owl - Patina
Lucha Thumb Wrestlers - CB2
Jusr Being Audrey - Anthropologie

Balancing Blocks - The Curiosity Shoppe
Owl Coin Bank - Z Gallerie
Plush Triangle "Stuf" Toy - MoMA Store

Laurendy Home 2011 Holiday Gift Guide - For the Gadget Fiend

2011-11-07T14:00:00.000-05:00

Sprocket Rocket Camera - MoMA Store
Pintacuda Wind Up - Kikkerland
Solar Owl Desk Pet - Pier 1

Vertical Vinyl Turntable - Fred Flare
Rainbowmaker Double - Kikkerland
Bistro Electric Juicer - Crate & Barrel

MP3 Alarm Clock Docking Station - Crate & Barrel
Baroque Noir Candlestick Lighter - Plasticland

Laurendy Home 2011 Holiday Gift Guide - For the Fellows

2011-11-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

Step On Up Corkscrew - Mod Cloth
Stressknuckles - Fred Flare
Moose Head Phone Stand - Patina

Metal Easel Adjustable Floating Frame - West Elm
White Papier-Mâché Wildebeest - West Elm
Decision Maker - Kikkerland

Antler Wall Hook - Z Gallerie
The Mustache Grower's Guide - Fred Flare
Fisticup - Fred Flare

2011 Holiday Gift Guides

2011-11-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

It's that time again - for Laurendy Home's third annual Holiday Gift Guide series. This year we have 8 guides for you -

For the Fellows
For the Gadget Fiend
For the Kiddos
For the Animal Lover
For the Foodie Friend
For the Creative Type
For the Vintage Collector
For the Design Junkie

The guide will be followed by my own personal Christmas list (you know, just in case my friends are reading) and a list of all my favorite shopping sites.

It's going to be a packed week, I hope you like it.

Friday Morning Fun

2011-11-04T08:44:00.002-04:00

In honor of Rick Springfield perfoming at Mizner Park tonight (with opening act Jack Wagner) I give you -

Color Color

2011-11-03T14:30:00.000-04:00

I have finally found the prefect shade of gray for my dining area -

Martha Stewart's Sharkey Gray

I've over thought and talked myself out of at least three other shades of gray. Well, this time, I'm not letting that happen, I'm going to Home Depot tonight and buying a gallon or two and getting to work. I am, I swear it. . . okay people, I need you all to hold me to it. . . if I start to waver go ahead and yell at me.

Thanksgiving Planning

2011-11-02T12:30:00.003-04:00

This year I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I've always considered hosting a major holiday dinner the benchmark for which one becomes a "real" adult (though I'm sure my mother will stick around and pretty much clean my kitchen after dinner).

Even though it only a dinner for 4 (my mom, dad, sister & me) I've got a lot of work to do to get ready. My house is a mess and I'm not sure the work that needs to be done will be done in time, but I'm willing to make my family eat in the middle of a construction zone.

I've already started putting together a menu, the star will be the Josh Besh ham recipe featured in last month's Country Living (I couldn't find a copy of the recipe online). Yeah, we're going crazy this year, no turkey. We've done the turkeyless thing before, so it's not a huge departure for my family, but this will be the first time that I am in charge of the main dish. The side dishes are a little more up in the air.

I want this dinner to be perfect, well, at least as perfect as it can be in a house with no flooring. . . yeah, I've kinda forgot to mention a few things here and there. . . I'll be scouring the interweb and my ever growing stack of magazines for inspiration. If anyone has any tips or tricks or articles or posts or whatever, please share! I need all the help I can get.

The Scariest Thing Ever. . .

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T09:28:00.001-04:00

To Do

2011-10-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

Weekend To Do List:

yard work (lots of it)- was rained out

repaint ceiling in living room

~~buy paint for ceiling in living room~~

~~finish Halloween paper chain (and hang it up, already)~~

~~make lots and lots of spaghetti sauce and freeze it~~

rearrange some furniture

~~work on side project~~>

go to my nephew's baseball game - was rained out

~~hit the farmers market~~

If I manage to get at least three things crossed off my list I will be a happy girl.

Friday Morning Fun

2011-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Side Project

2011-10-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a little side project with a friend, and it totally involves these two super cute (in my humble opinion) versions of us -

While we're working out all the bugs my postings here might be a bit on the lighter side, but don't worry, I have no plans to go anywhere.

Bought

2011-10-26T15:30:00.000-04:00

It goes with nothing I own, but it was just so darn cute I couldn't pass it up! (and the $12.95 price tag hurt either)

Spotted

2011-10-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I spotted the sofa I posted about last week in a local Target store -

I had sorta half dismissed this sofa as an option for the guest / craft room because I thought I couldn't see it in person and worried about the quality / comfy level. I had pretty much ruled out ever buying a piece of furniture online after I was that sad excuse for a sofa at Urban Outfitters a few years back.

So I was super surprised and super pleased when I spotted this sofa in-store and found it not to suck at all. (I think I have just won an award for "Most Awkward Sentence Ever") The sofa is super firm, there was no bunching of the fabric and seemed pretty darn sturdy. While it's not on sale for $199 anymore, you still can't beat the $229 regular price (though I hate the tan color, I would still go with the gray).

Friday Morning Fun

2011-10-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

My iPod loves me this morning! It gave me the best mix on the ride to work this morning, and now I'm sharing it with you!

Sofa Steal!

2011-10-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

I never really thought about Target when it comes to sofas, so when I saw this puppy in this weeks circular I was a bit shocked -

A modern, clean lined, convertible sofa for $199?! Crazy!

Now, I have no clue if the thing is comfy or how sturdy it is, but for the price it's worth a look or two.

Lovely Little Distraction

2011-10-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed that I've been a bit distracted lately, and there's been good reason. . .

Meet my newest niece, Lil -

Yeah, she's sorta perfect. She is the little pink bundle I planned the baby shower for this summer. Her two older brothers were both "mommy & daddy only" babies, so the fact that she is content letting me hold her, feed her and generally love on her is super exciting.

Oh, and if you follow me on Twitter you may know that I'll have another new niece or nephew in the spring!

Spotted

2011-10-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

I spotted this Kartell Victoria Ghost Chair knock-off at my local TJMaxx for $130, not bad compared to the $280 for the real deal at AllModern.com.

(I got my knock-off Eames shell chair at the same TJMaxx for $70 a few years back)

One Place, One Space: CB2 - Dining Room

2011-10-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

This modern, fun and colorful dining room could work for a young single jet setter (I can't believe I just used the term jet setter, lord forgive me), a young family or some super hip retirees, pretty much anyone looking for a bit of color.

Wire Sculptures
Firefly Pendant Lamp
Dylan Dining Table
Cuatro Carbon Dining Set
Jackie O Poster
Fleet Chartreuse Chair
Saga Credenza

Pretty Pretty

2011-10-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Work (and life in general) has been kicking my butt lately. I've been in need of some cheerfulness and mindlessly window shopping for silly pretty things makes me happy.
So when I got the email from AllModern.com that all the Vitra stuff was on sale, I had to browse.

They make me smile (especially the Eames House Bird).

Let There Be Light

2011-10-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

I've been looking for a new light for the living room for a while, but if you've read this blog for a while now, you'll know I'm not so good at making a decision. I really liked some of the lights from Lamps Plus, but since I couldn't actually see them in person I decided to go the Lowes / Home Depot route. And seeing that my local HD totally sucks in the lighting department, Lowes it was. There were 4 or 5 lights that I actually liked, but in the end, this is the one that ended up in my cart -

Had I not gone to the store and saw it in person this light wouldn't have even been on my list of maybes. It's got the right mix of neutral and funky to make me happy, and with 3 60watt bulbs it gives off plenty light to fill the living room.

Yes Please!

2011-10-11T10:30:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love this "Aluminum Num" Serving Dish Set from House 8810. I'm hoping to host Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year and I'm hopping this set is there to help.

Friday Morning Fun

2011-10-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

I wore this CD out when I was in high school. . . I'm not kidding, I had to buy a second copy.

Virtual Shopping: Think Pink

2011-10-06T10:30:00.001-04:00

October is breast cancer awareness month, so we're going pink!

Clock / Hot Pink Chair / Floral-ish Pillow / Stool / Mug

Lamp / LOVE / Folding Chair / Pillow / Mixer

Being self-aware is your best way to catch breast cancer early - check out the Susan G. Komen website and learn more.

I know I'm not normally preachy, but breast cancer has hit all sides of my family hard and their has been almost as many victims as there has been survivors.

Local Love: Feverish Ice Cream

2011-10-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, so Feverish Ice Cream isn't so much a local spot, as it is mobile carts, but they are local and I do love them.

photo borrowed from FeverishMiami's Flickr stream

I've seen the Feverish carts around at a ton of local events, but I've always just eaten or on my way to lunch, so you know, had some other excuse not to pick up one of their gourmet popsicles, but this past weekend I ran out of excuses. I had one of their Chocolate Banana Sea Salt pops and I fell in love. I hate, hate, hate when people say "omg", but OMG! it was beyond yummy. I also had a bite of my friend's Peanut Butter & Jelly pop and another friend's Pineapple - SO GOOD!

If you are at an event in South Florida and you spot one the the Feverish Ice Cream carts you better buy yourself a popsicle, they are more then worth their $3ish price tag.

808th Post Giveaway!

2011-10-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

*** Giveaway Is Now Closed ***

I never thought that this blog would last this long, heck, I never thought anyone would ever actually read this blog! I am thankful every day for the outlet it has given me and the people I would have never known without it.

In honor of making it this far, I've got a little giveaway for you. One lucky commenter will win a box filled with 8 prizes. Prizes include -

EDIT: I've gone ahead and spilled what some of the other sur-prizes are:

A handcrafted leather necklace, a copy of It's Not Easy Being Green book, a choice of 11 by 14 print from Biscuit & Sissy, 2 giant balloons (you choose the colors), a tote bag, some super cute cupcake papers and 2 other surprises!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment to this post (make sure you
leave a way for me to get in touch with you) telling me what you'd like to
see more of, less of, well, pretty much anything (I'm not picky).
You can get a second entry by following me on Twitter, just come back and
leave a second comment saying "I'm following", it you are already a follower
just go ahead and leave the same comment. The giveaway is open 'til Friday, October 7th. A winner will be chosen at random by October 10th, they will be contacted
by email, if the winner does not respond within 72 hours and new winner will be
chosen and so on and so forth.

Fine print: This giveaway is sponsored by me, myself and I. All prizes have been purchased or made by me. ~~Open to US and Canada residents only~~ Now open to anyone anywhere, except maybe the space station.

Bonus Room Update - Layout Questions

2011-10-04T15:00:00.000-04:00

So I got the room painted the weekend before last and then this past weekend I shoved my desk / table in there and set my sewing machine up so I could work on my niece's Halloween costume -

Elsie is very happy with the table's current location under the window but I'm not so sure it is going to stay there. The plan is to use the little table as my craft table / desk and add one of the vintage wooden lockers my mom picked up and most likely this super cheap sofa bed (if you can even call it that) from Ikea -

Please excuse world's worst example of photoshop editing

Now that I have a pretty good idea of what is going in the room, I have to figure out where to put it. I would like to keep one of the white walls free to use a back drop for photography. I've come up with a few possibilities (note that the sketches are not to scale) -

Figure A makes the most since, but I would really like my desk on the wall with the window (bottom of the sketch). Maybe I could use the short wall next to the closet as backdrop. I don't know. . . Maybe I should just get the furniture in there and start moving it around. . . what do you think?

Friday Mid-Day Fun

2011-09-30T12:30:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to enter the 808 Giveaway! If you follow me on Twitter I'll be giving some hints on the mystery prizes are. . .

One Place, One Space: West Elm - Bedroom

2011-09-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

This time around we're hitting up West Elm for a little rustic glam -

Dresser

Feather Prints

Bed

Pendent

Paint

Floating Mirror

Vanity

Mercury Glass Votive Holder

Basket

Metal & Glass Candle Holder

Porcelain Votive Holders

Side Table

Mercury Glass Hurricane Candle Holder

Dark Pottery

Unscented Candle

Lantern Candle

Silver Pillow

Green Pillow

Gold Pillow

Bedding

Yes Please

2011-09-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love me some David Bromstad and I love, love, love that you can buy some of his prints for your home. I was getting a little tired of waiting for HGTV to call and tell me that he'd be making over my home, this is the next best thing.

Cutting the Cable

2011-09-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

One of the recent changes made here at casa de Laurendy was the decision to go without cable tv. Without a roommate to spilt the costs, paying nearly $100 a month to watch tv seemed a bit silly. So with the purchase of a RCA flat panel antenna, my cable free experiment began.

It has only been two weeks since I cut the cable, and thus far I've only had two problems: 1) no matter how many scans I do, I can't get ABC - the antenna finds the station, I just can't get the signal. 2) my mother has a DVR deleting problem - there are a few shows I really wanted to watch on ABC and cable (mostly TLC and HGTV shows) that my mom was going to record for me. . . she did record them. . . then she forgot why she recorded them and deleted them when she was cleaning up her DVR. . .

So we'll give it another try this week and hope she doesn't delete Modern Family before I get to see it.

Update

2011-09-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

Well, Elsie is majorly enjoying all the extra space -

As for paint, I went with Pink Flamingo on the window wall and White on White on the rest of the walls -

I was a little afraid that the pink wall would reflect off all the white walls making the whole room seem pink, but thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case.

The next step is to move some furniture in, I at least need to get my sewing machine set up by this coming weekend so I can work on my niece's Halloween costume.

I haven't been the best blogger as of late. If you follow me on Twitter you know I've been swamped at work and on top of that I've gone and injured myself, not once, but twice (my shoulder and my knee), fun times. Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the promised giveaway, check back here later for post 808.

Decorating with Glee: Finn's Room

2011-09-22T14:00:00.000-04:00

Screen shots found via GleeImages.com

Wallpaper - Cath Kidston
Posters - here & here
Bedding - Target
Chair - Crate & Barrel
Trophies - Etsy
Bed - Land of Nod

Dresser - Pottery Barn Kids
Drums - Amazon
Lamp - Ikea (base), LampsPlus (shade)

Bonus Room!

2011-09-19T11:30:00.001-04:00

(click the pic for a larger view)

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my roommate was moving out and as of this past weekend I have another room to full with stuff! Like my bedroom, this room is roughly 10ft by 11ft, but there is a little alcove where the door is, so there is more wall space. At the moment I'm sorta overwelmed by all the extra space and I'm fighting the urge just shove all the I'm-not-sure-where-it-goes stuff in and closing the door.

What I would like to use the room for is a guest room / office / craft room. . . and I'm not 100% sure how to go about that. So I'm taking it one step at a time, and step 1 is to get rid of that purple paint, ASAP (the photo about doesn't really capture just how purple the room really is).

Right now I'm thinking one wall in Glidden's Pink Flamingo and the other walls in Glidden's White on White. . . what do you think? I am totally open to other color suggestions.

Friday Afternoon Fun

2011-09-16T13:30:00.001-04:00

I don't know if I'll ever get married, but if I do, I want this to be the song I have my first dance to.

Yes Please

2011-09-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

One Place, One Space: Ikea - Little Boy's Room

2011-09-14T14:30:00.001-04:00

NORDDAL Bunk Bed
KULLA Ceiling Lamp
LILLABO Toy Vehicles
LILLABO 20-piece Train Set
LILLABO Play Mat
GOSIG BULLDOG
KRITTER Children's Table
KRITTER Children's Chairs
TVÅBLAD Duvet Cover and Pillowcase
TAJMA Wall Clock
SOLMYRA Picture (phone)
SOLMYRA Picture (cow)
TRONDHEIM Dresser

P.S. The 8ooth Post Giveaway is turning into the 808th Giveaway, giving myself a little more time to get it together.

Friday Morning Fun

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

Celebr8ing 800 Posts

2011-09-08T15:00:00.001-04:00

Woohoo, we've made it to 800 posts. I honestly never thought I would hit this mark. To celebr8 (I couldn't help myself), I've got some lists of 8 for you.

8 home items I think everyone should have from 8 of my favorite stores:

1. Clean simple dinnerware, by keeping it simple you will never worry about being out of style - Crate & Barrel

2. Storage baskets, a person can never have enough storage baskets, seriously - Cost Plus World Market

3. A bit of whimsy for the wall, something a bit fun for the wall is never a bad thing (in moderation) - ZGallerie

4. Succulents, real or fake, I love 'em - Pier1

5. Sheep skin rug, again, real or fake, you can use them in tons of different ways and places - Ikea

6. Something surprising in the kitchen, a brightly colored serving dish can spice up those classic, clean, simple plates of yours for a dinner party or a holiday meal - West Elm

7. Simple glass bud vases, they go with everything, and you never know when someone will bring you flowers - CB2

8. Something with sparkle, who doesn't love a little sparkle? - Pottery Barn

The 8 most read Laurendy Home posts:

1. Decorating With Glee: Rachel's Room (part 2)
2. The Light Bulb Chic Look
3. Decorating with Glee: Rachel's Room
4. One Place, One Space: ZGallerie - Living Room
5. Knock It Off: Eames Shell Chair
6. Costco Couches
7. Possible Baby Shower Mood Board: Garden Party
8. Decorating With Glee: Kurt's Room

Guess people actually liked my Decorating with Glee posts, might have to bring that back once season 3 starts.

8 of my favorite go-to home design blogs (in no particular order):

1. Making It Lovely
2. Door Sixteen
3. The Brick House
4. Design Sponge
5. Black White Yellow
6. Young House Love
7. Just Over The River
8. Holyoke Home

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the previously mentioned giveaway. I'm still working on it, I promise. So stay tuned!

Friday Morning Fun

2011-09-02T08:30:00.001-04:00

This song shuffled through my iPod this morning and it put a huge smile on my face.

Also, this is my 799th post here on Laurendy Home! Holy cow! So I'm going to put together some sort of giveaway for my 800th post (you know me, any excuse to go shopping).

So stop back by next week for details.

One Place, One Space: ZGallerie - Living Room

2011-09-01T10:30:00.001-04:00

I put this OP/OS mood board together with a kind of certain person in mind. She's a sorta crazy gray haired woman who lives with her three lap dogs in a highrise condo on the ocean. Her closet is full of caftans, espadrilles, and Louis Vuitton. She's been everywhere, knows everyone, and has done everything.

Lantern

Side Table

Side Chair

Pillow, Pillow

Wall Panel

Sofa

Coffee Table

Urn

Bird Cage

Candle Stand

Loving. . .

2011-08-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

I am totally digging on this coffee table from West Elm. It really isn't my style and wouldn't work in my place, but that doesn't mean it still doesn't rock.

World's Longest Yard Sale

2011-08-29T15:00:00.001-04:00

My mom, aunt and I attended the 127 Sale (a.k.a the World's Longest Yard Sale) at the beginning of August. It's been something we've been wanting to do for years. In the 4 official days of the sale we only managed to cover Tennessee, we found out later that some areas had been open and selling for weeks beforehand, and some closed up early.

This was the scariest little "general store" I have ever been in (the outside wasn't bad, it was the rotting inside that made it so scary), but it was 100 degrees and they had ice cream, so I braved it.

The Vegas Steakhouse & Bar in Crossville, TN, food here was super yummy - and a plus, Cari from HGTV's Cash & Cari was having dinner just a few tables away.

Tinnnnnnnnnnnnn Roof, Rusted (I couldn't help myself)

They wanted $20 a piece for these guys! Crazy, I know.

I wanted this bike sooooooooo bad - couldn't you picture Emmett riding around in the basket on the back, but it was too big to drag home.

This was the 5th HGTV camera crew to hit this one vender - which happened to be the only shabby chic booth I saw on the entire trip.

_______________________________

I didn't find nearly as many treasures as I thought I would - in fact I spent under $100 (not including lodging and food, of course). We had a good time, and I'm glad we did it, but I don't think do it again.