Sunday, February 27, 2011

Uses of Shutters, Just Not on a Window


For a really long time now I have wanted to grab some cool shutters sitting out on the edge of a road with a sign that says FREE. I'm not totally sure what is with my attraction to them, but I feel that they could have so many different uses. First off you could paint them a million different colors to match any decor. Second, they work for a plethora of items such as pictures, jewelry, and calendars.



If you don't see any sitting on the side of the road with a sign that says 'FREE' these ones are stained a light wood color and cost $30. Also, for all of you who don't want to do the color/staining work yourself. Unfortunately, it says you should only order them if you live in Southern California, which I don't.




I love the idea of using the shutters as a jewelry 'box.' I think that it might be my favorite use of the shutter. I don't love the one with the mesh over it from Etsy, but I do really like the idea of putting the hooks on the side to hang other things. I would much rather put my earrings around the shutters like what they do for the teal one.


The one above is from Candy Calamity blogspot. She gives you some directions as to how to make them. I thought that hers turned out really well. All of this is inspiring me to make my own over the summer, when I'm not so busy with school and work.


They also make a great display for a store!








Using a shutter as an organizer in your kitchen or craft room is also a great idea. They give off such a cozy feeling and you can stuff so many different invitations and notecards in them. Along the same lines as an organizer you could find cute papers and pictures to put together a collage that will turn the shutter into a beautiful piece of art!


Looking for a cute way to store the magazine that you get in the mail every month? Hang them on a shutter! (Image from Miyspirit on Flickr)





Add the perfect country or beachy feel to your bedroom by using shutters as your headboard.

Below are the rest of the adorable ways that you can throw shutters into your home!










Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Back in Action with a GIVEAWAY!

Alright readers (the few of you that there are), I'm sure that you felt like I have left you all in the dust the past few weeks, but I haven't forgotten about you. I'm not even going to sit here and explain to you my pity story. What I am going to do is say that I am coming back with a BANG, which really just means a GIVEAWAY. Yes, I am bribing you to keep reading my blog and hoping that new readers will jump on. Anyway, I'd love to share with you some modern dining room furniture and other home furnishings that I have stumbled upon recently!


Something about those orange chairs caught my eye right away. They look perfect for a summer lunch on patio somewhere warm and sunny.


Not only do they come in orange, but black too! Just incase you're not ready for the story pop of color. Right now these chairs are only $180 each. Check them out here with all their different finish options!




These Gus Modern square stools are $400 each, but I absolutely love how versatile they are. Not only do they come in 5 different color/finish options, but they could also be used as both a stool and a night stand. I think my favorite part is that on a regular day you could have them placed randomly throughout your home with different things placed on them, but when you are having company you could clear them off quick and move them into one room for some extra seating!


These dishes would look great with some colorful place mats or napkins! They are the Dansk Tronada Noche Collection. The simplicity of the lines grabbed my attention and the continuousness of the circles kept my attention. 


This colorful Missoni Home Nap System is gorgeous. It seems perfect for a single lady or a few single ladies living together in a NYC apartment! Who wouldn't want to invite their friends over to hang out on this adorable couch. It would also work in a teenage girl's bedroom. For $3,625 you could have the best hangout space.


To continue expressing my love for elephants I wanted to show you all this bright and fun throw pillow by Koko Company (who has the funnest website). It's a little pricey at $96, but I would probably splurge because of the elephant.




These inspirational pillows are by Inhabit and cost about $60. Taking a little cat nap on a pillow with all these optimistic sayings could only mean for a sound sleep, right? Throw them on a chair or bed with a bunch of other pillows and they will look amazing. You can never have too many pillows!


Glassware is always a great way to add some decoration to the room. Fill them with flowers, marbles, or candles for some color. Orrefors Drop Collection is looks very solid and I love the asymmetrical and angle design.


I am not a huge fan on the room that is reflecting in this mirror, but I love the idea of the puzzle piece mirror. A mirror will do wonders to your room. They are a quick way to make everything look bigger and if they are reflecting a well-decorated room they will be even prettier. Plus, it's only $40! In that case, I might have to grab one for myself.


People always need a lot of storage in their house and every set of drawers looks so similar. Except for this unique drawer set by notNeutral with 10 drawers that are staggered perfectly. The little pops of color are also a great way to change up a set of drawers.  Also, it comes in other colors than that baby blue so you aren't stuck with just that option. (You could just paint a couple of your own drawers instead of dropping the $3,000 on this exact drawer set, however, you would loose the staggered effect.)


Lastly, a bookcase. Every home/apartment needs a bookcase. Throughout your life you accumulate so many books, photo albums, and knick-knacks that all need a fantastic piece of furniture to be displayed on. I had the hardest time choosing which bookcase I like the most on allmodern.com so I would recommend that you to go on the site and look for yourself. Finally, I chose this staggered bookshelf. The fact that it looks like it was thrown together and might possibly fall over was my favorite part about it. This one comes in black and is made by Nexxt and only cost $200!



Okay folks, here's the part you have probably all been waiting for..
If you didn't notice, all of the items that I have shared with you today can be bought on allmodern.com which is part of the CSN Stores group. My giveaway is a $20 gift code to their stores!
To enter:
1. Follow my blog
2. Comment on this post letting me know your favorite item on this post
3. Leave your e-mail in the comment as well!

Thanks for reading and participating.
GOOD LUCK!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Meet the Hilfigers

Whenever anyone sees the classic red, white, and blue flag they automatically think of Tommy Hilfiger. Originally the brand was known for making it's consumers their advertisements. In other words, they would plaster the Tommy Hilfiger name and logo on all of their clothing. In the 90's this was a huge fad and people loved to be walking advertisements, but this isn't the case anymore. I can't say this for sure, but I would assume that Tommy Hilfiger has been struggling the past few years. Phillips-Van Heusen recently purchased the Tommy brand and has been trying to reposition them. Their new position is much more preppy. Their clothing and accessories are beginning to look more and more like Ralph Lauren every day. Personally, I am really glad that someone is saving the Tommy Hilfiger name and company because I feel that they have a lot to offer.

I was having a hard time finding photos on the internet and I sure don't own any clothing with TOMMY written across it, but I'm sure with these few photos you will get what I mean by 'walking advertisement.'






Anyway, the whole reason that I wanted to share with you the Tommy story is this new advertisement. I think that it is very personable. Also, the name of it 'Meet the Hilfigers' makes you realize that they are new and different as well as draw you in. This is the perfect ad for a company that is trying to reposition themselves. Way to go Phillips-Van Heusen marketing team!