NUMBER 282

maybe i've mentioned this before, but andrew and i LOVE our home. since buying our little cottage in october of 2012, we've made a lot of progress in making it our cozy getaway in the city. if you've been following for a little while or if you know me [in real life] you know that i love a good deal. it's a constant battle: wanting our home to be picture perfect and not wanting to break the bank. decorating a home on a budget takes time. finding good quality pieces that look way more than their price tag takes time too. i've compiled a short list of recent [and future] budget buys for the home that i love and hope you will too!

curtains  |  if you visit our home, it’s no secret that we love ikea. what i love even more is that they have some traditional décor options that are very wallet-friendly! we have 2 sets of the lenda curtains [white and beige], and i love them both! the longer length is perfect for a high curtain rod and gives a sophisticated and finished look to any room.

pouf  | in the past 2 months, i've been working fervently on the 3rd bedroom & office. the black/white/gold color scheme is a little more modern than the rest of our home, but we [andrew included!] love it! for christmas, i included this morroccan pouf form on my wish list and, what do you know?, santa [my lovely in-laws] came through! for $38, you can buy the pouf online and the filler for an additional $15 at your local sewing shop… or if you’re me: use old towels/throw pillows, because i'm lazy like that. as much as i love a designer pouf, i'll take the $200+ discount!

mirrors  |  mixing contemporary with traditional is one of my favorite ways to keep our home’s style up-to-date. the gold sunburst mirrors at target would look great over a bed [horizontally] or in an entryway or hallway [vertically]. this may just be my next budget buy!

pillows  |  again, with the ikea purchases. i LOVE pillow covers. my taste has changed a lot in the past years, and i have a surplus of throw pillows that i don't love so much. these pillow covers are great [and budget friendly] because they’re durable, washable, and inexpensive. ikea for the win!

prints & furniture  |  never underestimate the value of craigslist, estate sales, and hand-me-downs. our house is full of furniture that, at one time, was left unwanted. usually all it needs is a coat of paint and a little love! several items were handmade and back to being as good as new – plus i love that these pieces add even more character in our little 1940’s home!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BUDGET BUY?
[FOR THE HOME]

NUMBER 197

i love a good bargain buy - the feeling that i'm getting something awesome for a low price, is seriously one of my favorite things. so again, i'm putting together some of my favorite beauty bargain buys as of late.

1 | suave keratin infusion dry shampoo ($4). i've tried each end of the spectrum on dry shampoo: first, testing the waters with the cheapo tre semme which left my hair powdery and clumpy. ain’t nobody got time for that. then my awesome hairdresser let me test the kenra dry shampoo, which just didn't have enough power for my thick mane and left me smelling too sweet. after seeing a review for the suave dry shampoo online, i had to hunt it down and give it a go, and i'm so glad i did. the smell is amazing - like that just left the salon, can't quit sniffing your hair, smell. AND it works - even for a gal like me who constantly has her hands in her hair - it's a flaw, i know. fyi: could only find this product at food lion.

2 | the nyc eyeliner pencil ($1) is probably the best known beauty buy out there. you can find these at your local drugstore, and for a dollar each, you can’t go wrong. i'm a gel eyeliner girl all the way, but pencil is perfect for those “gotta wear makeup, but not look made up” days. also, i always use pencil on my lower lashes – just smudged a bit.

3 | maybelline color sensational lipcolor ($5.50). recently, i’ve been testing the waters with red lipstick. i've NEVER been a lipstick girl, but i want to be! i love the look of a casual red lip, and this let me see if i liked it before i committed to a pricey brand. for longer wear, put on 1 coat, blot, pat lightly with loose powder, then apply a 2nd coat. or you could just wipe it off (like i've been known to do), realize that your lips are stained, and be stuck with red lips anyway. sidenote: minorly obsessed with tswift and her adorable self lately.

image via

4 | sally hansen hard as nails strengthener ($3). i change my nail polish pretty often, and i began to realize that my nails were actually drying out and splitting more than usual. i've been applying this goodness as my basecoat for some time now and have noticed less splitting and less chipping on my homemade manis! yay!

5 | i use the up & up makeup cleansing towelettes ($6?) every night before i wash my face. even though i use my clarisonic every night too, completely removing my makeup first really really helps keep my skin clear. no need to splurge on a fancy brand - these gals will get the job done!

see my other bargain beauty buy post here.

what’s your favorite beauty buy on a budget?

number 172

if you know me IRL, you know that although i do like nice things, if it's inexpensive AND nice, then i LOVE it! i'm all about a good deal! i'm not afraid of eBay or craigslist, and find myself on both sites at least once a day, just perusing and making a mental wish list. am i the only one?

this birthday, i opted for a recent craigslist find as a birthday gift and was more than pleased with my decision.

forgive the cell-phone picture and shag carpet. this is my new china cabinet – purchased from a lovely lady in kannapolis for $100. it’s in perfect condition, and i can't wait to fill it with my pretty pretty fine china that's been packed away since we moved to charlotte last year! i already have its perfect place picked out in the new house!

on several occasions when friends/family say "i'm looking for *this piece of furniture*" my immediate response is "check craigslist!". i've had some really good luck on craigslist since moving to charlotte - both buying and selling! bigger market – better stuff? anyway, i have yet to have a bad experience, so i wanted to share a few tips which, i think, have contributed to my success.

now, in a year, i might have a garage full of diy’s that never were, but don’t shy away from a great buy just because it’s not the right color, doesn’t have good knobs, or has broken glass. there are a TON of furniture painting tutorials out there for us beginners. buy some new knobs at anthro and replace that old broken glass, and you’ve got a piece that not only looks as good as new: it looks custom and expensive!

never will i ever buy from the “dealer” on craigslist. i feel like even searching that section is a huge waste of time. even when i'm searching the "by owner" section, i look for listings that are low on the symbols – NOT like: ***********NEW GREAT OFFER ~~~~ GET IT WHILE IT LASTS**********. yeah…not gonna happen, buddy.

i think i overlooked this little option for years before discovering it last week:
i’m not going to consider a listing unless it has a picture. maybe i'm missing out on something awesome by doing that, but cmon...can you really expect to sell your "beautiful one-of-a-kind camo gun cabinet" without a picture? believe me, "show images" and it'll save you a boatload of time.

the worse they can say is “no thanks”. say you’re in love with a kitchen table, but it’s listed for $50 more than you’d rather spend. email the seller and ask if they’ll take your price! if they say no, check back a little later. chances are, if that table hasn’t sold yet, they’ll take your offer just to get it out of the house!

you’re looking for a gorgeous campaign dresser for under $300? story of my life! an rss feed will show your listings in google reader or your rss feed of choice. so you can check the listings as frequently as you want, with these exact search parameters. just perform your search:

then click the orange RSS button at the VERY bottom right corner of the page to set up your feed. ()

 

and lastly, be safe. although i've had several good experiences with craigslist, there are some creepers out there. be sure to take your husband/boyfriend/really strong gal-pal with you on your trip to pick up your new-to-you awesome find!

 

did i completely miss your awesome craigslist tip?
fill a gal in!

number 114

hi y’all! it must be nice to be “friday” – everyone’s so happy when you come around and they look forward to seeing you all week! the week has flown by – i guess being busy will do that to you! i've been wanting to fill y’all in on some great beauty buys that i love. without further ado, here’s my friday five.


1  |  it’s no secret, i was cursed with bad, oily, acne prone skin. i have a hard time finding a moisturizer that doesn’t make my forehead look like a shiny….something and irritate my skin. behold the alba even advance daily cream. i accidentally grabbed a pic of the night cream. fyi, it looks really similar. this stuff smells really good and is silky smooth.

2  |  false eyelashes have always been a favorite of my girlfriends and myself. my favorites are the ardell 110 black. anytime a special occasion arrives, or maybe even a fun night out, it’s time for some falsies. i've only recently gotten decent at putting them on without poking my eye out – quite the accomplishment, eh?

3  |  the opi rapidry topcoat. i've sung its praises before – y’all this stuff is amazing. $11 might be a little steep, but use an ulta coupon and go get it today. not only will it leave you without sheet marks (i always get the urge to paint my nails before bed), it will make your mani last daayyys longer than anything before.

4  |  my nightly skincare routine is not complete without the almay moisturizing eye makeup remover pads. simply washing my face will not do – i'll always have specs of mascara in my eyeball, or raccooned around my eyes. these little pads get all the gunk right off. it does leave a little bit of oily "moisturizing” residue that i usually just wipe off with tp. cheap and good!

5  |  a few months ago i won a giveaway from glamour magazine and scored 6 zoya nail polishes and to my surprise, it came with zoya’s awesome polish remover, remove+. before i used this, i really didn’t think there was a difference in polish removers. it’s a 3 in 1 solution that removes, conditions, and even cleans the nail before applying your next polish selection. and it actually smells good! it even comes in the handy pump that you see in the salon, which really makes me feel like a pro!

i'm linking up with alex and lauren today for their own “friday five” and “high five for friday”.











p.s. everyone go over to alex’s blog and give her a hard time – she left for the bahamas today, and i'm so jealous – as i'm sure you are now, too!

happy weekend!