Let's Pretend it is Fall

For those of you who are enduring, enjoying cold and snow already, I salute you. I do not know how to handle an actual change of seasons, as I have lived my entire life in places devoid of them. Well, in SC we have deer, turkey, dove, duck.  My Sistah adds football, but that is more of a religion.

However, I am a holiday mom.  Even if the palm trees are still green & we are all wearing flip-flops, I try to give my girls lots of festive memories. This year, we went to a corn maze, two different Halloween carnivals, trunk-or-treat at the church and THEN trick-or-treats with a ton of friends.

Working in retail for 8 years, this is the point at which I used to immediately switch over to Christmas.  At Target, we stayed over night on Halloween to switch the entire store over to fa la la la la fabulous. Last year my family came to visit from SC for Thanksgiving. We switched from Summer straight to Christmas as soon as supper was off the table -- gotta burn off that fried turkey somehow.

Enter my new friend (and business partner) Miss Honey I'm Home. She LOVES fall. Coming from Minnesota, she is familiar with all the seasons -- apparently there are four.  She also designs front porch installations for general curb appeal or special occasions.  My front porch needed some love to say the least. It needed her vision. It also helped that inspiration struck her about the same time Fall decor went 80% off at Hobby Lobby. That is what I am talking about!

Nothing says Halloween like white pumpkins,glitter t-shirts, tutu skirts and cowgirl boots.

I bought these orange chairs from Home Depot because I thought they scream "Summer Fun." Luckily for me, they also scream "Happy Halloween." Now I am hoping to soften them up a bit and let them suggest "Give Thanks." Don't worry, they have nothing to say about Christmas -- they will be heading to the garage.

via HomeDepot.com

My creepy/classy Halloween feather wreath is perfectly me. Unfortunately, it let us know just how dark my entryway is. From the street, you couldn't see it at all.  Even changing over to this bright orange berry number didn't brighten it up. Hunky Husband to the rescue with a dusk to dawn spotlight that we could point directly at all this fake fall fun.

The wreaths at Hobby Lobby started at $129 -- I am not that girl. Even at 80% off, we could do better.  I got two garlands for $10 (started at $49) and a $5.99 base grape vine wreath.  (Do not tell my Sainted Mother that I bought a grape vine wreath in a store).  One garland broke down into these big sprigs that went right onto the wreath.  The other I broke down into smaller pieces to add to the pumpkin tower.

The Butlers via Pinterest

This is the pin that started me on white pumpkins in the first place. The top two came from Michael's 50% off sale at the beginning of the the season. The bottom one came from Target 50% off after Halloween. Even with the discounts, $24 is a lot for me to spend, but I plan on using them every Halloween and Thanksgiving for the rest of my life.

-So, I've that going for me.

That created a problem when I went to build the tower.  I didn't want to damage the pumpkins with pins or hot glue.  I need to use them for Halloween next year and I do not think HH would give me the space in his man land garage to store this piece whole. I poked a few strategic holes in the bottom of the little one and removed the stem from the big one. I used wood BBQ skewers to secure the top two in place -- all small holes & a cookie to anyone who can find them next year.

I hope you are having fun getting your place all tarted up for the holidays. I'm hoping to get some good before & after shots of an upcoming staging job for you next time.

Whether you are getting ready for the holidays or your open house, you can stretch those curb appeal dollars to make your place more Visit Ready.

just bec



I'll be linking up at these linky parties:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine get your craft on @ today's creative blog tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   tuesday time out @ reason to skip the housework  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  whatever goes wednesday @ someday crafts show & share @ southern lovely wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection   hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple    share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor   flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

TuTus for Tomboy Princesses

My girlies are full on Disney Princess junkies. They each have their own favorite princess. They will tear up the dollar section at Target whenever they see something pink.  However, they are also going to climb and run and jump and scratch and spit.  Then, they will spill something yummy all over whatever Princess gear they are wearing.  

On our family trip to Disney, we finally booked the character dinner in Cinderella's castle. Baby Girlie is old enough to enjoy & remember it. Big Girlie is in that last five minutes of Princess before she starts chasing boys and hating family vacations. Perfect timing for overpriced chicken nuggets and hugs from Belle, Ariel, Aurora & Cinderella! It was totally worth it -- the adult food is amazing and the personal attention from the cast members was incredible.

On previous visits we had seen lots of little girls in the long (polyester) princess costumes. My girls would not wear those hot little numbers to Princesses on Ice, much less Central Florida in June. I wanted something just as cute and trademarked, but way more comfortable.

Solution: T-shirts & TUTU skirts!!!!

I scouted through a few of the million tutu tutorials. For the tulle, we went with Rapunzel's hair, Belle's dress, Snow White's skirt yellow. The bike shorts from Gymboree determined the length.

While waiting for the tulle to go on sale at Hobby Lobby (when roll ribbon is on sale), I found IdeaRibbon.com, a wholesale company that is even cheaper than any craft box store's coupon or sale price.  They have much longer rolls (300' long instead of 100') -- I made all three skirts with one roll.

this is my highly technical way to measure the strips quickly for two different size skirts.  from the edge of the table to the first line of painter's tape - little girlie skirt.  from the edge of the table to the second line of painter's tape - big girlie skirts. repeat 40-50 times per skirt or till you run out of tule.
sorry about the excellent shot of my hooters and fat roll -- that is what I get for giving hunky husband the camera.

I liked the look of slip knots because we were using yellow and needed the coverage over the elastic band.  I was also worried that double knots would poke them in the back while riding rides.  There is no way to ask a child that or test it without putting the idea in their head that it is uncomfortable. I still hate that email telling me there is no good place in my mouth for my tongue.


So, the slip knots are prettier, but not as secure. I refused to spend my day in the Magic Kingdom fussing over them. Necessity is the mother of invention. So, we pulled in a whole roll of tiny yellow ribbon. One tight knot at the base of the slip knot was enough to secure it, but too tiny to feel. They held up great from Its A Small World, to the spinning tea cups, all the way to dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.


The t-shirts were the standard little girl shirts with cap sleeves, $3.47 on the table displays at Wal-Mart. We added iron-ons of our favorite princesses. These are from UltimateTransfers on Ebay.  She was so fast in shipping them and even replaced one that was damaged in our broken mailbox.  I just love great customer service from cyberspace!


I've spent so much time trolling thrifty Disney sites, I just figured everyone would be decked out in matching t-shirts created on Silhouette and homemade over-the-top hair bows. Apparently, the Pinterest revolution is strong, but some people really do just wear regular clothes to the park. We got lots of looks, several complements, a couple of "where did you get those?", and (my favorite) two moms saying, "I'll make you one when we get home!"

Cinderella asked my Middle Girlie, "Is that your Fairy Godmother?" 
"That's just my Mom."  
"Well, she gets you out of all kinds of trouble and I know she made you that dress!" 
BEST COMPLIMENT EVER!!

bibbidi bobbidi boo,
just bec

i sometimes link up at these great parties:


before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Spring Black Friday

home depot.com

Personal note first, my computer completely locked up on Monday night -- just before time to link up to all the fun parties.  First, Hunky Husband and I spent a while blaming each other.  Then, I spent a couple of days trying to fix it myself.  I ended up having to take it in to the Geek Squad and it will be with them for at least another week.  The entire week I walked around feeling like a part of me was gone, maybe not a limb, but at least an important finger.

Thanks to my Daddy, I now have a new laptop to work on.  Yes, I am a grown woman  with a checkbook and children, but I still call my father "Daddy" and he still gives me wonderful presents.  The last time he came to visit, I spent a little too much time in the office. With only one computer in the house, I also cut into my Girlies' Barbie.com time. Both offenses will be addressed with his most recent kind gift.

My Sistah is coming to town this weekend and I still have some major work to do before this place looks anywhere close to visit ready. So, no major projects to share.

This weekend Home Depot calls Spring Black Friday.  They are running some super deals.  We finally broke down and bought a new grill. Our old one didn't make the move and it has been tough going 8 months without one.  My grill pan needs a break.

As you can see, I have no advertising on my site, so I am not being paid to endorse them. However, Hunky Husband is one of those friendly experts in an orange apron.  They have been working hard all week to get ready.  So, I do hope you go visit him or your local Home Depot.  Where ever you shop, enjoy your weekend, the spring weather and making your place more visit ready.

just bec

this deal is so sick, I thought it was a typo

Girlies circled this one twice

Home buyers love the look of stainless. This is a great time to upgrade.

cheers!

Vintage Comfy Green Chair

This is my first Mardis Gras season living here on the Gulf Coast. Wow! This is the longest Tuesday ever, because it started three weeks ago.  There have been parades and festivals and street parties and gumbo and about a million moon pies.  Lucky for me and my (BFF who became my) client Tiane, there are also Antique store sales. 

I've been going to Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday parties and she mentioned that her booth at Cotton City Antiques would be having some deep discounts over the weekend.  My address may say FL, but anyone who has been to Pensacola knows this is really LA -- Lower Alabama.  So, Tiane, Baby Girlie and I set out for a fun day of junque shopping.  True, we passed 14 other antique stores along the way, but we were women on a mission.

via coastal charm

All was well until we got to Mobile and the tunnel into town was closed because of the parade. Thank God for GPS. I had not been to Mobile, well, I had been through it on the interstate, but that is not at all the same thing.  We were charmed by the beautiful historic homes on the way in to the shop.  Most of them were decorated in purple, green & yellow.  Some of them were having lovely yard parties before/after the parade.  Note to self: make friends with yard party throwing type sweeties in Mobile historic district. 

We were also charmed by Coastal Charm Interiors -- hers is the first booth on the left when you enter. She has all the coastal, industrial, chippy, perfectly imperfect stuff I just love.  We went around the huge space about 4 times.  I only had to call Baby by her first and second name about 4,000 times.  The ladies there were so kind and helpful and we SCORED!

of course this will all fit in the back of my Explorer

Tiane is planning a bar to go in her family room.  That room is right off the main living room and opens to the deck & pool. We found a gorgeous, old, lit, curio cabinet with beveled, leaded glass sides & doors. It will mount nicely on the wall with a couple of french cleats.  I can't wait to see her glassware sparkling in there.

Then we found 3 adorable bar stools.  Baby made sure that they spin - check.  They have a silver rail around the bottom for a foot rest.  The legs have a bamboo detail that is going to be so precious when we paint them out.  I promise I'll have pictures soon, we'll do a whole post about sanding, painting & installation.

I had a bit of a rush crush on this vintage green chair.  However, it was right by the front door. Apparently, I am the girl on "Say Yes to the Dress" who wants to try on more dresses.  But even after the forth lap, this chair was still dark and dreamy and comfy and ... well.. perfect.  It was also 50% off.  Now Mardis Gras is officially my favorite holiday. Bring on the king cake!

When I got it home I realized that it perfectly matches some Asian inspired pottery pieces I already had. Dontcha just love when that happens? 

Please enjoy your Fat Tuesday and your shopping days that don't even need a holiday.  I hope you find the perfect piece to make your place more visit ready.

just bec

Medicine Minders

Every day in America is better than the day before.  There are smart people coming up with cool ways to make our lives better.  Some pharmacists got together with a tribe of geeks and created my favorite app -- Walgreens Mobile. It is no angry birds, but for a mom with 3 girlies on different daily meds, it rocks!

It has a store finder and even shows you this week's ad.  My favorite part is that you can scan the barcode on labels of your prescription. You order a refill in two seconds without having to bother those poor overworked pharmacists. Every major pharmacy has their own version.  The geeks shall inherit the Earth!

Once, I set up automatic refills, but we don't always run out of the meds by the end of the month. Then again, sometimes I run out of money before I run out of month. So, I try to do refills on paydays instead of set dates.  The scan function is perfect for this.


Except for, some of my girlies have meds that do not keep the label on them (inhalers, nose spray, lotions, creams. yes, we are a hot mess).  Most of the prescriptions have multiple refills, which saves me the hassle of calling the doctor, if I have the Rx number.  This is also true for mail order prescriptions.  Their automatic refill calling function is Rx number based and a total pain if you do not have it. So, I pull the label off of the original box before it gets thrown out (after the first five few times of forgetting).


The new phone book came with a huge advertisement magnet on the front. I do not need a new dentist, but free magnet paper is always appreciated.  I peeled their sticker off the front and have enough to do this project and another one. 

Just apply the Rx label to the magnet and post it on the side of the fridge. Now, I can scan away whenever Middle Girlie runs out of puffs.  This is also great for the business cards of service people who have not made a magnet for you.  I get a little mad every time I go to use the house phone and it doesn't have my whole phone book in it.  Then I remember it is my fault for still having a dumb landline. Well, somebody has to get all those lovely calls from desperate politicians.

right next to my fancy storage solution for box tops

Like I have said before, this is a rental.  Thus, the white fridge that holds magnets.  My stainless french door fridge is in the garage, breaking my heart every time I walk by it.  If you have your shiny in the kitchen, you know it doesn't hold magnets.  At our old house, I saved the labels by posting them to scrapbook paper scraps or heavy card stock junk mail and stuck them on our pin board. 

My big girlie has a medicine that has to be filled on a specific day.  That barcode goes right on the mom calender -- next to Hunky Husband's work schedule and the supper plans.  I am a color coding/visual girl -- it works great for me. Hope it helps you. 

Keep in mind, this is a real life solution.  If you are staging your home, please clean all the magnets, reminders,calenders & fingerprints off your  fridge.  It will make a world of difference during your showing.

just bec

linking this idea up:

100 ideas under $100  @ beyond the picket fence  hooking up with hoh  @ house of hepworths thrify thursday  @ tales from bloggeritaville manic monday  @ serendipity and spice just something i whipped up  @ the girl creative mad skills party  @ mad in crafts show me what you got  @ our delightful home tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tuesday's treasures  @ my uncommon slice of suburbia tutorials & tips @ home stories a2z take a look tuesday  @ sugar bee crafts one project at a time  @ a bowl full of lemons show and tell  @ blue cricket design need inspiration? wild wednesday  @ chatty chics sugar & spice  @ 733 a creative blog flaunt it friday  @ chic on a shoestring serenity saturday  @ serenity you wayward weekend  @ wayward girls crafts free for all fridays  @ five days five ways pinworthy projects  @ just us four  anything goes linky  @ bacon time with the hungry hungry hypo pity party @ thirty handmade days

Cheap Pillows

There is no need to come up with any sneaky, sweet way to say it. Cheap pillows are awesome. 

Sarah Richardson
via HGTV

When you are staging your home, pillows add accent color and an extra dose of comfort to any room (well, limited use in the kitchen & bathrooms, but Sarah even makes that work sometimes.)  You can go into any design/decor/gifty store and find gorgeous pillows to compliment your look.  Joss & Main and other online retailers send photos and deals to your email. According to your taste and budget, there are a bazillion options out there for pillows.  They also love to make them out of valuable, gorgeous, pricey, delicate fabrics, then charge A LOT for them. In Heaven, the pillows made by angels should not cost $450.

Anastasia Pillow in Caramel   $220.00   $84.95
via Joss & Main

I love to make & buy cheap pillows.  Here's why:

• a new pillow can freshen up an old look or an old couch for pennies.
• walls and (expensive) furniture can be neutral & timeless because the fun & color is in the ($10) pillow.
• the less you spend, the more pillows you can make.
• its good to show Hunky Husband just how much I am saving.
• there are so many pretty textiles around to inspire -- most of them just don't know how much they want to be pillows.
• it is fun to try something I have never tried before.
• the sewing for most pillows includes mostly straight lines.
• you do not feel guilty replacing a pillow that costs less than $10 -- so change for seasons, holidays, mood, day of the week, you get the idea.
• my destructive, dirty, energetic girlies sometimes destroy pillows. The loss of a $180 pillow might inspire me to make up new curse words.  The loss of a cheap pillow, just starts the fun of coming up with a new one.
• a couple of cheap pillows can break up a Bed-in-a-Bag set. It keeps it from being too matchy-matchy and creates a custom look.

Here's a a tour of cheap pillows I currently have in my home. 

Are there any Tar-jay fans in the room? When my big girl was getting her first big girl room, we used a bright pallet and Gerber daisies.  Issac Mizrahi for Target was all the rage and it suited her perfectly. She has a personality you can see from space. 

The shams that went with the set were prolly my favorite part. There was no way I was going to pay retail for a little girl bed.  I'm not sure how much it was at the time, but a new set, in the package is currently on ebay buy it now for $249. 

6 yrs old NOIP via ebay

6 yrs old -- used, loved & washed -- ovah & ovah

So, I went two aisles over and bought four dinner napkins with the same flowers.  The smaller size fit better on the twin bed anyway.  MeMe sewed them up in 2005 and they are still working great -- now in middle girlie's room.  Using napkins has the added benefit of making them.. wait for it... machine washable...  legendary!

Speaking of napkins. One of the last times MeMe came to visit, we realized that I needed a pop of color in the living room.  I moved a wicker chair in from the guest room and she helped knock out a new pillow.  We used 2 of a 4 pack of napkins that I got from Marshalls for $6.99.  The pillow form was an ugly old pillow that was in the donate pile.  Cheap. Cute. Love it.

Do you ever make up a fabric that you think should exist?  I was dragging my sistah around town looking for a pink damask (that we never found), but we found this great, green pineapple print.  I was getting ready to move to Florida, but that is all I knew.  Once I decided on these accent pillows for the couch, that quickly lead to place mats and dinner napkins and kitchen towels. Fun, happy green. 

We actually picked the couch to go with these pillows.
 Do not try this home. We are trained professionals on a closed course.

So, bec, what makes these cheap pillows? Well, the couch is one place you really need durability, but upholstery grade fabric can be pricey. 
The good thing about upholstery fabric is that it is so wide.  Magic MeMe figured out how to get three large euro shaped pillows out of one yard!
The good thing about this one, it was on sale $12.99/yard.
The happy accident about this one, it is outdoor fabric.  It is built to withstand wind and rain -- bring on the kool-aid.
The stuffing for each one is the insides of a king-sized pillow from Ralph's discount store.  They are easy to fluff & wash.  The bed pillow stuffing is so much more comfy than any pillow form and cheaper than the same amount of fiber fill. 
The sample pillows made up at the fabric store were smaller, harder and $75 EACH!

Sometimes I actually just buy cheap pillows. The shams on our master bed were collected on three separate trips to Tuesday Morning.  The pillows on our guest bed were all clearance at Target. 

We have dust allergies at our house, so our bed pillows get washed quite a bit.  When they can't take it anymore, they get rotated into shams or find their way into other projects. This bolster started out life as the fitted in a sheet set that has been split like the loaves and fishes.  The pillow cases are now shams in my little girlies' room.  The flat sheet made a curtain.  The fitted made this body pillow that kept Baby from rolling out of her first big girl bed.  Now that she is so big, it turned a low window sill in the play room into a comfy reading/playing spot.

My favorite trick is to buy ugly things in discount stores that I plan on covering or painting anyway. This brightly striped pillow is a very full seat cushion size.  The fabric is bright and it is missing one button. Because no one wanted it, it was marked down to $1.98 at SteinMart. I have covered it with white duct fabric and no one would ever know.  I could have never bought a pillow form or stuffing for that price.


We don't let any fabric escape around here. or stuffing. or crying babies who need hugs. or little girlies who need vanilla ice cream.  Look at all the possibilities around you. If you mess up, its a few bucks or leftover curtain fabric.  If you succeed you have made your home a little more visit ready.

just bec

i have spent so much time this week figuring out the linky of it all, i don't have much written (or the laundry done).  i better get to crafting, thrifting & staging or i won't have anything to link to.

hookin up with hoh @  house of hepworths link party thursday @  somewhat simple  thrifty thursday @  bloggeritaville wallet friendly wednesday @  bargain shopping paradise from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch just something i whipped up @  the girl creative mad skills party @  mad in craft homemade projects @  tip junkie tutorials& tips @  homestories a 2 z nifty thrifty tuesday @  coastal charm  take a look tuesday @  sugar bee crafts one project at a time @  a bowl full of lemons tuesdays treasures @   my uncommon slice of suburbia show me what you got @ our delightful home tuesday to do @  the blackberry vine show & tell wednesday @  blue cricket design sugar & spice @  733 a creative blog need inspiration? wild wednesday @  chatty chics

VaVoom Value Furniture: Nadeau like Playdough

On the top - a selection of metal storage
from Restoration Hardware for $149-169.
On the bottom - similar options from Nadeau for $69.

Almost everyone loves a great deal (some snooty patooties like to brag how much they pay, but not any of my friends.) 



Stagers by our very nature, HAVE to find good deals.  We need a table that looks super fancy, but my client needs the price to be super tiny.  Inventory items have to be sturdy enough to move from house to house and still look great.  We want to spend the least while making the most impact.  I do check Craig's list and Goodwill, but I have a favorite place that you may not have heard of.  You may have driven by and never guessed at the treasures within.



This is my love letter to Nadeau, furniture with a soul. It is the perfect furniture store for me.  It is one of the reasons I wanted to become a stager. They have so many pieces I love, but my house can never hold them all.  Now, I can help others pick out some to go in their house and then add a dozen couple to my inventory.

all the treasures piled up, this
one is for my sistah (shhh)
via facebook

There are only in 17cities, but I had no idea they were so rare.  We had 3 at one time in Charleston, so I thought they were all over. 

Everyone loves IKEA and I love the sleek look and great prices -- no one loves the wordless directions and that crazy little screwdriver thingy. It is a giant, well lit box filled with treasures and they babysit your short people. As close as that is to perfect, Nadau is a completely different kind of wonderful. It feels like a crazy furniture dream exploded into a warehouse space.  There are dressers stacked on top of one another, chairs on top of tables, screens peeking out from behind consoles.  There are distressed pieces next to deeply carved next to brightly painted next to Asian inspired next to primitive.  It is a wonderland for those of us who love to dig and explore.

bed, dining, dresser, orange shelf with green pigs department
BUT THE BED IS ONLY $535!

The prices are unbelievable on everything.  It would allow your designer to pick the perfect piece for your fabulous 3rd country estate and then mark it up a gazillion percent.  Since I only have one servantless house, I go digging for my own perfect piece and drag it home in my F-250. 

Pottery Barn version

My first piece was our beautiful farm table. I had been lusting in my heart over the Pottery Barn version. I had shown this collection (over $3000 on sale plus shipping) to Hunky Husband several (thousand) times.  On a whim, I ended up cruising through Nadeau and saw the exact same table for $400.  It is not the exact same though, because this table was made of solid Plantation grown Mahogany, the PB version has a MDF top with veneer. 

Southern Living shoot $465 Nadeau version

Big girlie doing homework at ours

Hunky Husband was not happy to be summoned to a furniture store.  His mood improved exponentially when he saw the price/value/beauty of the table.  Let's be honest he really only cared about the price. He was so overwhelmed with relief that he had dodged the "if you love me you'll buy this Pottery Barn table" bullet. He picked out two bookcases and an end table to fill the adjoining Living Room. The total purchase was still less than the PB table alone.

Some of my Friends may or may not have used that same trick once they heard this story. I take no responsibility if you do the same.

The bookcases are in my office now holding the revolving collection of treasures when they are not on the table at a party or in someone else's house.  The end table is the nightstand in my little girlie's room.

Value aside, I just love Nadeau furniture.  My huge TV cabinet is one of my favorite pieces of furniture ever. You don't hear women say that very often. It looks as if a classically trained furniture maker fell off a ship and landed alone on a deserted island. It is the kind of furniture he would make -- traditional lines, rough hewn, hand rubbed, imperfectly perfect with 2 tons of character.

Each store location has different availability of items and they get different shipments all the time. In case you're wondering, I have never worked for them and did not receive any payment for this post. Besides my credit card slips, they do not know I exist.  The important thing is, now you know they exist. You even know how to pronounce it.

 So, good luck & happy hunting.  You'll find something to make your home more visit ready. 

just bec

adding this post to a great linky party at HOUSE OF HEPWORTHS. Hundreds of links for you to check out with projects, recepies & ideas.

my dream TV console for the bedroom, On the left, Z Gallerie's Planters Buffet for $999. On the right, Nadeau's nearly identical buffet $676.
Both are made from sheesham hardwood.

great for staging that awkward hallway/doorway space, but I'll prolly paint it out
via facebook

where else are you going to find shelves made of ox carts?
via facebook