Friday Finds

You know you got the email... but did you click through to check out the deals?

Holy smokes, Pottery Barn is having a sale and momma wants to go shopping.

How about $500 (about 1/3 of the price!) off this guy?

I really need to make that happen. This one's been on my list for awhile. Do you think baby boy would be mad if I exchanged his new crib for a rustic wooden console table?

I think this little pendant and his $60 off price tag need to jump in my online cart.

Pretty pretty.

 

$100 off this incredible rattan chair. Would look fabulous behind my home office desk....

Or how about $100 bucks off of some of their classic rugs? You know I'm a big fan of PB rugs, I've got two of them in my own house!

Oh, look. They already monogrammed one of their adorable fringed napkins for me.

Don't even get me started on all of their dining room tables and sofas that are on sale. Yum.

I've used this fabric in an e-design before... this roman shade is so cute and funky. And $50 off. Hey oh.

60% off of this mirror, people. Need I say more?

I'm not affiliated with Pottery Barn (unless they want to send me any of these items for free, which, of course, I'll gladly take with a big fat smile on my face), I just thought I'd let you know there are some great finds in their current sale!

Go forth and shop, friends! And have a great weekend : )

Switching It Up with Switch Plates

Hi friends! Happy Saturday. Looking to make a quick but inexpensive change in a room in your house? I've got just the idea for you. Head on over here to learn more!

Friday Finds

 Now that I'm hooked up with a new sewing machine, I'm even more obsessed with all things fabric. I literally spent an hour and a half in JoAnn's the other day, drooling over everything from their home decor fabrics to their sweet little nursery prints. 

This week (through tomorrow!), JoAnn's is having their Daffodil Dash sale. They've got some great deals on not only fabric, but all kinds of fun craft projects and home decor wares. Plus, if you find something you love that's not on sale, there's a 50% off coupon available if you sign up for their mailers! I'm sure you can find it floating around on their website, too.

I overzealously picked up about $40 too much fabric for my very first sewing project. As you can see, it's going to be a project for little man. How sweet is that fabric?! I can't wait to get started this weekend. 

What's on my agenda for the weekend, besides sewing? (wow, sounds like a thrilling weekend when you put it that way, ha!) I'm biting the bullet and finally shopping for maternity clothes, having a date night with David, hanging out with my sister and hopefully working on my very first vlog! Keep sending those questions on over if you've got them.

What deals and steals have you found out in the world this week?! What's on your agenda this weekend? Fill me in, peeps!

Oh and just because it's pretty... had to share this Instagram pic I snapped of our first pink peony bloom in the yard from earlier this week. I love spring!

Guess Who Bought A New Sewing Machine?!

After the excitement of this post, I was all jazzed up about sewing last week (and Britney Spears, obviously) and decided to pull the trigger and purchase a sewing machine.

In terms of researching which machine to buy, I started off Googling phrases like "how to buy your first sewing machine" and "best sewing machines for beginners." Unfortunately, a lot of the articles I found went into detail about how you, as a buyer, should prioritize which parts and features of the machine were more important to you, make a list and go from there. Um, what if you don't know the parts of a sewing machine? Yes, hello, Mr. Sewing Machine Salesman. I would like a machine that has a super fancy, automated push-button bobbin. Clearly I don't even know what a bobbin is. 

Then I found this awesome "how to pick a sewing machine" quiz over on JoAnn's website. Again, I was a little unclear which features I needed in a sewing machine, but this tool definitely helped me narrow down machines based upon certain general wants and price range. 

Next, I took the list JoAnn's gave me and started searching the machines on Amazon. Why Amazon? First of all, I had a $100 gift card to Amazon that's been burning a hole in my pocket since Christmas. Secondly, I always find that Amazon gives the best real-life reviews. So off to the review/comments section I went! You can actually sort your search results by "average customer review," which makes this process easier.

After comparing a few brands, features and user-compatibility reviews (I want a beginner's machine, people! That's for sure.), I finally found a clear winner. Nestled in the top three customer reviewed sewing machines was one of my JoAnn's picks- the Brother CS6000i Sew Advanced Sew Affordable machine. It had all the bells and whistles I was looking for (I think... I still am not sure what I am looking for in a sewing machine!), it was highly reviewed ("this machine is so easy to use!") and was listed for $50 cheaper on Amazon than it was over on JoAnn's website. Oh and I really like the pun on words in the name of the machine... "sew" affordable... those Brother jokesters crack me up.

 

But enough with the jibber jabber, let's check out the goods that arrived on my front porch earlier this week! Like Christmas in April, baby.

Oooooh, ahhhh. She's a beaut.

All of the awesome stitches I'll learn how to do one day.

 

Money shot. That's a foot. And a bobbin. Maybe.

 

Clearly, I need a bit more help than just the manual. So I also purchased this fun book (again, after reading reviews about user friendliness and helpfulness): Sew Everything Workshop. It's pretty much a Sewing 101 book, which is exactly what I need. It's a great binder format with lots of pictures (yes, I judge "how to" books by the number of pictures included with the text!) and even includes ten patterns for fun projects down the road.

So far, I've mastered learned read the first few chapters about the parts of a sewing machine.

You'd be proud... I'm making myself learn these basics before I even turn the machine on! Sadly, not one stitch has been made on the new machine (who, by the way, needs a name... any suggestions?) but that will hopefully change by this weekend when I have a chance to finish reading the intro chapters in the book and the manual itself. I'm doing this the right way, people!

So there you have it, the beginnings of my world of sewing! I'll certainly keep you guys posted about my projects and reviews of the machine I bought... once I turn it on ; )

Psst! You guys rock and have been giving me some great questions 

for my very first vlog... thank you! Keep 'em coming!

Double psst! Today you can also find me over at the blog of my favorite globe-traveler, Aspiring Kennedy, sharing my choice for where in the world I would choose to wake up. Any guesses? Find out my answer (and those of some other amazing bloggers!) right here.

Field Trip: Ikea

Hello hello! Are we all stuffed and happy from Easter bunny basket loot?! I hope y'all had a great weekend with your friends and family. I know we did! I cooked up some "bunny butt" cupcakes that I found on Pinterest... and have since eaten about half the batch. Too cute to resist.

On Friday, I was lucky enough to have the day off. So after lunching with a hot date (David!), I headed over to spend the afternoon at Ikea. Ah, love that place.

I snapped a few iPhone pics of some of my favorite new (or at least new to me!) items they had. You know me, have to share the good deals with my blog friends!

I'm eyeing this dresser for baby boy's nursery as a changing table. I need to do some research about how large the surface area should be for a changing pad (feel free to weigh in!), but it seemed like this would be a good fit. Anyone have a dresser from Ikea that they like?

This daybed is perfection! Would be so cute in a kids room or small guest bedroom space.

 

Absolutely loved the shape of this side table. So fun! It only came in black, but could easily be painted white or a fun color with my laminate furniture painting tutorial.

 

A few more cute side tables. Ikea is really stepping up their game with their traditional styles!

 

Love this shelving unit. I need to find a wall for one in my house....

 

Pretty white + glass side table.

 

I'm head over heels for this glass cabinet bookshelf. It comes in yellow and green... and is to die for. So cute!

 

Loved these linen covered storage boxes even more when I found the gingham print inside!

 

Can't get enough of their inventive solutions for small spaces, like this dish area.

 

Just in time for spring, they've got some great outdoor furniture.

 

While it's certainly a new piece of Ikea furniture, they really did a good job with this "weathered, antique" console. I really like the look of it!

 

I love this dining set. I really just want a few of those chairs but they're not sold separately!

 

I think our little man needs a swing in his room, don't you? So cool!

 

They had lots of fun serving trays to choose from.

 

 

As you guys know (because they inhabit my bedroom, kitchen and dining room!) Ikea's flat weave rug selection is my favorite. These little guys would be so cute in a kids room and were so cheap! Can't beat it.

A cute spring time throw.

 

Colorful pillows... I could see a few of these on my back porch this summer!

 

I love their pillow cases as well.

 

So what did I walk away with? I stocked up on several of their $7 down feather pillow inserts, which are always great to have. I also grabbed one of these fun spring tablecloths. Once I set up a spring table I'll be sure to share. 

And, finally, I stocked up on a few fun goodies for baby boy's room! So exciting : ) I have a bunch of projects to complete in there before I start sharing, but here's a sneak peek.

Oooooh, ahhhhhh. 

So tell me, do you love Ikea as much as this girl?

PS. Ikea didn't ask me to write about my trip... I just kind of love them and decided to share on my own. No affiliation whatsoever! Except I love their meatballs. Send me free meatballs, Ikea!

My 2012 Planner

Ever since I can remember, I've used a planner. Back in middle school and high school, we called them agenda books. In college, my planner was chock full with party study dates, classes and homework. Even in law school, I kept all my school information organized in a planner. 

These days, I've upgraded to Outlook on my computer to calendar all of my work appointments, hearings and meetings. But I still like to keep my personal information written down the old-fashioned way. Enter Erin Condren. This year I received an Erin Condren planner in my stocking and wow, am I impressed.

You can customize the cover of your planner with your name, your color choice and even photos. I got this exact same chevron cover except in a bold, punchy red. I love it!

The beginning of the planner has all of the awesome spots for special dates, monthly at-a-glance calendars, note taking etc.  It's an easy way to get a good big picture idea of your month.

 The design of the planner is absolutely perfect for me. I love that it has a "morning," "day" and "night" section so that I can organize my to-do lists and appointments throughout the day. Perfection!

This bad boy even has stickers... it's easy to mark and remember important events this way!

Oh and don't forget the pocket + zipper pouch in the back of the planner to hold your random assortment of items... coupons, stamps, pictures... it all fits!

My only complaint is that the planner is a little hefty in size + weight. But if you're unlike me and don't obsessively carry your planner with you everywhere you go, that might not be a problem. Oh and I absolutely love the little tabs marking each month, but mine have already gotten completely bent and ruined. Again, probably my fault for carrying the planner everywhere I go (what if you need to know when your next dentist appointment is while you're out a bar? I mean, seriously). Needless to say, those are small potatoes. I will definitely be ordering a 2013 planner from them as well. I love it!

So there you have it, my 2012 planner from Erin Condren. Check out all of their calendars here and the rest of the products in the shop!

*Pssst! I have no affiliation with Erin Condren. I simply adore their product and thought I'd share!

Friday Find

I saw these adorable flats in a recent issue of Marie Claire and knew they had to be mine. All of my favorite neutral colors? Love. Casual but sophisticated? Perfect. Cute pointy toe? Check. And here's the big surprise- guess where they're from? Payless! No joke. And these sweet little colorblock flats are even on sale right now for a cheapola $24.99. Can't beat it, right?

Just a warning- I'd order at least a half size smaller than you'd normally wear. I had to return my first pair because they were too big. Also, there are not many sizes available on the website, but check your local stores too!

Have you found any good deals lately?

West Elm

Dear spring line at West Elm,

You nailed it.

Love, Michelle

And apparently this piece isn't brand-spanking new, but it just now got on my radar. I'm. in. love.

  

It's so maj. I think it would find a nice spot in my bedroom, oui?

Have you checked out West Elm's new goods yet?


Pssst! Come check out my winter uniform over on Nuha's adorable blog, Habibi!