:: window shopping

 

Just a few things I wouldn't mind bringing home from TarJay.

Well, I did come home with the clock for the "MAN CAVE"anyway,

and a few more goodies that I'll try to share with you later.

Now I have to go get my house presentable for the dog trainer 

and the crazy spotted dog who's coming home from doggie boot camp today.

We've missed her spots and her sweet kisses, now let's hope we can be trained to keep her on track.

I'm heading off to the coast tomorrow to visit my Granparents,

they're renewing they're vows after 60 years of marriage...isn't that sweet.

I'll check back in with you guys on Monday....Hope you have a great weekend.

Oh yeah, all the photos are from my iphone and you can

follow along with me on INSTAGRAM to see what other nonsense I shoot.

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

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:: back to life...

Back to life.....back to reality.....

{lyrics by En Vogue}

can you hear me singing it.

Well, not only am I singing it...I'm living it.

I had a super awesome time this weekend

at the Country Living Fair in Atlanta.
So much to see & so many creative women,
I wish I could have a place like that to go everyday.

Of course coming home sends me crashing into reality,
laundry, cleaning & the like...you know what it's like ladies.
My family did pretty well and several things were done,
but you know they just don't have the Mama touch.
Needless to say, I spent all of yesterday cleaning...
and playing around with some of my great finds.

Here are some pics of my Country Living Fair experience.

You may want to grab a coffee or tea,
I have lots to share.

First....a few pics of me and my girls.

My sweet & talented Mama aka Nana

{from whom I get all of my artistic talent & creativity}

Love you Mama, you're the best.

Then we have my beautiful & equally talented younger sister Tiffany.

Isn't she adorable.....Love you sweet sis ; ).

We had another member too....

I'm not quite sure how she escaped my lens

but I cannot leave her out she's my mother's lifelong best friend 

& my surrogate mother, aunt & friend Debbie....love you too lady.

Now that you have the players...

I'm gonna share some of the goods...

First stop was the Earth Angels tent.

Oh My goodness, what an amazing amount of creative goodness.

This led us to the first purchase of the day,

these beautiful hand sewn corsages/fascinators.

This is the one my sister picked which I absolutely adored,

that's the only thing about shopping with people who love 

the same things you do....they can beat you to the good stuff {ha ha}

I love mine also, it was just a little more subtle & soft.

Too funny, I just realized that they also match our personalities.

She is way more bold than I am...and that's what I love & admire about her.

Okay...can you say sidetracked...

back to the show...

I loved this sheep print, sorry don't remember which booth.

I thought this manni updo was just fabulous.

I love the chicken wire skirt stuffed with book pages.

My Lola is so getting a facelift soon...she WILL be covered in book pages.

We loved these upcycled tin flowers at SASSYTRASH.

She used old mini bunt pans & pie tins...genious.

I managed to pick up a couple of goodies from this booth,

you'll have to stay tuned to see what I do with them.

I know I've told you how much I love snowmen & women...

well these two take the cake, aren't they just amazing.

I love them so much, I wish I could have brought them home with me.

Of course in true creative style...I'm thinking of making my own.

Probably won't ever happen, but a girl can dream.

Well, that's it for me, 

I spent way more time looking & touching than taking photos,

so believe it or not this is all I have to share from the Country Living Fair 2011.

I cannot wait to go back next year, hopefully to Ohio this time.

How amazing is this chair.

LOVE <3

{peace, love & hugs}

Carrie

P.S. come back to see what goodies I purchased & how I'm using them : )

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:: retail therapy

Nothing like a little retail therapy to make me happy. 

All of these items were found in my local Marshall's. 

Can you tell I'm dreaming of vacation. 

I adore all the fun cheery patterns and colors of summer store displays.

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet Punky who turns the big 10 today. 

Now if time could just help me out a little and slow down....that's my babiest baby girl.

Hope you all have a wonderful 4th, not sure I'll be back until after the holiday....stay tuned.

Thanks for visiting me, I love having you here.

Take Care,

Carrie

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:: Chamomile Delovely

Well good evening my sweets. Just wanted to pop in to share what I've been working on today with you, and also offer you a little gift at the end of this post.

Obviously I've put on my interior designer hat today, and I've been working on an idea board for my client & friends kitchen redo. We have already made several purchases for the kitchen which I am very happy about. A new kitchen table from Pottery Barn that I adore and popped into my head as soon as I walked into the space as the perfect kitchen table. I like to mix up finishes dark and light, so we also picked up the perfect little distressed black telephone table which also gives us a great place to store cookbooks.

Here is a photo of the kitchen today...We still have some painting to do so the green is gonna go. Please forgive the quality of this photo also as I took it with my little point and shoot baby. The floors are in, and they look fantastic. Overall the kitchen looks nice, and changing out cabinetry and countertops weren't really the priority here, so we are going for strictly cosmetic changes. We want to get rid of the old bright brass fixtures and bring this kitchen up to date. I adore this Shayne table from Pottery Barn, and if I'm not mistaken it is still on sale. You can't see it in this photo but it has a basket underneath for linen storage or whatever else you might want to keep handy, so cute and perfect for this little nook.

Here's the view into the kitchen from the living room. As you can see she has simple white cabinets and a wood look laminate counter top which I actually think looks nice, and it's in good condition so that's a real budget saver. So I think with some simple updates like cabinet hardware, window treatments and new light fixtures we can give this kitchen a really pretty look and feel. I've made a few purchases here and there for this room as far as accessories go, but it still needs painting and we have to decide on window treatments and lighting etc. Soooo, we'll have to see what she thinks of my idea board and go from there.

I would also love to know what you think....

Okay, so I promised a little gift for you guys and hopefully it will be of some help to you if you are taking on your own projects and updates. 

Overstock has been kind enough to offer a 10% discount on a single purchase to all of my readers. I love Overstock, and you really can't beat their shipping costs....it makes it so easy to update a space & all from the comfort of your home. In fact several of the items I want to use in my clients space are from Overstock.

• Rug - Overstock
• Woven Blinds - Overstock
• Cabinet hardware - Overstock
• Pendant light - Pottery Barn
• Seagrass shades - Ballard Design
• Chandelier - Lowe's
• Fabric -  House Fabric

10% OFF DISCOUNT CODE : 121745 

{excludes movies, books & electronics & can only be used once per email address}

Free Shipping Code for Electronics : 202234

HAPPY SHOPPING!

:: peace, love & hugs ::

Carrie

All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.?

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:: Oh Yay Cyber Monday

Happy Monday my sweet peeps. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This is a super quick post for me because I'm off now to spend the day shopping & chillin' with my bestie to celebrate her birthday. Happy Birthday KooKoo, you're the BEST bestie ever. LOVE YOU.

Just wanted to take this opportunity to pass on some savings of my own in all of my little ol' shops. So pop on over and see if anything catches your eye as the perfect gift.

{ the vintage wren }.... { the artful apple }.... { lily & lulu }

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

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:: are you brave?

Not Me.

There's no way you'll find me out on Black Friday battling the crowds for the deals. I would much rather sit in my PJ's sipping a coffee and perusing the wonderful unique gifts on ETSY. So in honor of Black Friday, I thought I would share some photos of the lovely Black {and white} items I found on ETSY this morning....by the way I'm still in my PJ's, with bed head as I type....and I think you are so important that I haven't even had my morning coffee yet.

This is where you will find me today.....HOME.

{ says the tree }

My home is always on my mind...how about you?

{ The Little Chickadee }

I could really use this little lovely right now...my studio is freezing.

{ ixela }

These lovely bows would be perfect for holiday parties...don't you think?

{ Carrie n Ashley }

I think I could pair them with this adorable little clutch.

{ modernradar }

I wonder if I could get the hubs to wear these fun cuff links?

{ Urban Eye }

He might also like this cool piece of art....I know I do.

{ Black Baroque }

Maybe I should carry this little bag instead...

{ Southern Skirts }

Hmm, maybe I'll trade out neck bling for earrings.

{ sarathomas }

So, are you brave?  Were you out there in the crowds today, or were you like me and shopping from your computer?  

I love having the convenience of shopping in my PJ's.  Although sometimes you just can't beat a little retail therapy to get you in the Holiday gift giving spirit. Just not on BLACK Friday.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I sure did...it was one of the best ones yet.  Of course I had my few minutes of meltdown that is par for the course for me at least, my Mom and Sister just laugh at me thank goodness....cuz they know it's going to come at some point. I guess it's the price of {trying} to be perfect, and hosting a house full of people.  I wonder if Martha ever melts down before a big party.

:: peace :: love :: hugs ::

Carrie

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{ kid heaven }

My kids had the best weekend ever they both got to spend time doing something they love,  and they were both in  H E A V E N.

 

Saturday my sister and I took Miss "P" to an event to raise money for a blind horse farm.  Miss "P" couldn't have been happier, she new there was going to be a pony ride and there was no way she was going to let us miss it.  Lucky her, it ended up actually being a horse and not a pony.  She was in complete heaven....doesn't she look lovely perched atop that horse.

Sunday my little guy and his dad spent some boy time going to see the Carolina Panthers.  When their tickets fell through, they went ahead and drove to the game and bought tickets on the street. There was no way my little man was going to miss this game...he was so excited.  It's so fun to see your kids get so excited about something they love, and boy does he love his football.  He ended his perfect day at one of our favorite rib joints " Sticky Fingers ",  and he and his dad sent me these pics so I could drool over what I was missing out on.  I'm so happy they had such a great day of good father son bonding time, I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and children.

Now, Now, the weekend involved some fun time for Mama too.  After the horse ride on Saturday, My sis and I got to get out and do a little shopping.  Mama was in dire need of some fall and winter attire, so we went to my favorite place to shop... Anthropologie... never has there been a more perfect place to shop for clothing, and home. I love going there to see their displays... they are absolutely the most creative, and now I want to recreate the cardboard tree stumps they had on display somewhere in my home... don't know where, but they were sooo cool looking.

I didn't walk away from this little expedition to Anthro empty handed... { not that I ever can really }I found two great fall/winter pieces to add to my wardrobe, a lovely lightweight sweater and a super soft knit jacket that will see much wear this winter I'm sure.  Since the budget was pretty much blown at this point... it was off to Old Navy for some layering pieces.  You really can't beat their prices on their super soft basic long sleeve henleys and tees,  and their winter coats and jackets were on sale 50% off, I found a great casual coat for $29 bucks.  We both racked up there, and I blew the rest of my budget....but at least now I have a winter wardrobe.

Woo Hoo for Mama Wren... I won't be cold this winter.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well.

:: peace & love ::

Carrie

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{ mr. jablonsky }

Friends and fellow bloggers,

I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Jablonsky.

Mr. Jablonsky teaches science at Filbert High School.

"Mr. J" is a fan of  T.V. dinners, rabbit ears, and Welcome Back Kotter.

On Saturdays he likes to lounge in his Lazy Boy wearing his favorite gym shorts 

and striped athletic socks, while eating peanuts and catching up on his science journals.

When he's not lounging, he puts on his super hip track suit and heads out to do some shopping.

 Mr. Jablonsky LOVES to shop for hip new stuff for his bachelor pad

....Cuz he knooows how the ladies like a swanky pad.

His unique sense of style often sends him to no other than Tiff & Biff's, 

for the latest in super swanky goods for his digs.

Rumor has it that he may also have a little crush on Tiff,

but shhh don't tell Biff....you don't even wanna see what would happen if he found out.

You GO Mr. Jablonsky.

You too......go on and check out Tiff & Biff vintage,

they really are good people { and they are both kinda cute },

 tell them { the vintage wren } sent you.

Holla!

P. S.  "Mr. J" has also been known on occasion to frequent  { the vintage wren },

but I don't think he has a crush on Ms. Wren cuz she's Tiff's sister....and that would just be wrong.

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{ cabin fever }

Aaaagh, enough already. Snow and rain yuck. I've been in this house since Friday, and now I'm starting to go a little crazy. The kids have been having a blast with their friends over every second, and I just can't seem to get anything done. I don't know why having everyone in the house messes me up so much, but my routine is kaput. I've gotten very spoiled having the house to myself all day. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids, but having a house full can put a strain on anyone, even if they are great kids.

A little snow, a chai tea latte, and some solitude that's all I need.

I just want to get out, go to Target, or a great Thrift shop have a Starbuck's and walk around looking at all the things I want but don't need.

That's another thing, I'm on a new budget. Yuck, budgets stink too. Okay, I sound like a total spoiled brat, and I guess I am in the fact that I've forgotten how to say no to myself. I want something I buy it,

but I'm looking around on etsy, and there they were. I knew I didn't really need two new "vintage" skirts and a sweater, nevermind that I spent only 26 dollars, because that was 26 too much. Usually, not always, but usually. I actually got reprimanded last night for buying some new clothes, well, they weren't new new, they were vintage, but new to me. I knew I shouldn't have gotten them, What's wrong with me??? I really have a problem. 

Am I...... could I be...... (dun dun dun)

a shopaholic?

it's burning a hole right through to my leg - OUCH!. Oh no, that's it! If I have any money at all in my pocket, 

Am I alone in this?  

not always things I need necessarily, but things nonetheless. I have a need to buy things, to look at things,  

Soooo, I'm going to make a commitment to go on a spend { for me } freeze, starting today. I'm going to use this blog to help keep me on track. I'm going to TRY, and buy nothing new for myself for the rest of this month. { I'm expecting a new pair of earrings from etsy, ordered yesterday, but after that, that's it .....seriously. } 

I'm making it a month because I'm trying to do this in baby steps. I know that come spring I'll fall apart, because that's when travel season hits. { and a girl has to have new vacation clothes }

This will make Papa so happy, so send me all of your strength and well wishes so I can make him and myself proud. I Can Do this. I can. no really I can.

xoxo from rehab - Carrie

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