Relish Decor

Welcome 2014!!!

2014-01-01T13:09:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited about 2014. Excited about the possibilities, changes, challenges and mainly about all of the happy memories that will be made. Speaking of challenges...... here's just one that I'm going to try to keep!!!!! What are some of your 2014 New Year Resolutions?????

Even if it's just a quick snapshot taken with my phone, I'm going to try to capture the small moments everyday. My baby is growing up so fast.....

Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas and Good-Bye 2013

2014-01-01T13:07:00.000-06:00

This year we didn't spend Christmas at home. Instead we went with family to the beautiful islands of Turks and Caicos. Being able to get away, slow down and make memories with family is such a gift.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!!

design for less....

2013-09-11T19:31:00.002-05:00

I have been eyeing an awesome bar cart from Crate and Barrel but with the almost $600 price tag I was having issues "pulling the trigger"!!!! But when I ran across this "design for less" version at Target, I was thrilled.

Target | C&B

See..... fabulous design does NOT have to be expensive.

Kicking the Soda (aka DR PEPPER) Habit

2013-06-02T12:58:00.001-05:00

I LOVE DR. PEPPER!!!!! But I started thinking..... if I don't want my child to drink soda, then why is it OK for me to drink it? Plus as I get older the pounds seem to start packing on my body and it makes it even harder and harder to lose the weight! So in an effort to gross myself out and quit my habit I started doing a little more intensive research on soda and here's what I found. I might have to print these off as a friendly reminder when I'm "jonesing" for a DP. If you drink sodas then I hope this will help you too. Warning: You may want to stay far away from me for the next 21 days ;-(
If this doesn't work for me I may have to resort to HYPNOSIS!!!! ;-)

16 Reasons To Stop Drinking Soda

These were reasons why we drink soda and here are 16 powerful reasons to give up soda drinking.
Do you know the extent to which drinking carbonated, caffeinated, sugared, or artificially sweetened beverages harms your body? Giving up soft drinks can be one of the best things you can do to improve your health.

1. Soda Is Useless.
First of all, there are no nutritionally beneficial components in soft drinks. Soft drinks mostly consist of filtered water and refined sugars. Yet the average American drinks about 57 gallons of soft drinks each year.

2. Weight Gain & Obesity

Many people either forget or don't realize how many extra calories they consume in what they drink. Drinking a single 330 ml can a day of sugary drinks translates to more than 1lb of weight gain every month. (a Route 44 Sonic drink has 37 ounces. 330ml = 11 ounces.... so I'm drinking at least almost FOUR times that - meaning I could be gaining 4lbs of weight a month!!!! Scary that some days I have TWO Route 44 Dr. Peppers!!!) Several scientific studies have provided experimental evidence that soft drinks are directly related to weight gain. The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong that researchers2 calculate that for each additional soda consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times. According to the results of high quality study3 reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages helped reduce body mass index in the heaviest teenagers.

3. Diabetes

This is a consequence of #2. Anything that promotes weight gain increases the risk of diabetes. Drinking soda not only contributes to making people fat, but it also stresses the body's ability to process sugar. Some scientists now suspect that the sweet stuff may help explain why the number of Americans with type 2 diabetes has tripled from 6.6 million in 1980 to 20.8 million today.
Rapidly absorbed carbohydrates like high fructose corn syrup put more strain on insulin-producing cells than other foods. When sugar enters the bloodstream quickly, the pancreas has to secrete large amounts of insulin for the body to process it. Some scientists believe that the unceasing demands that a soda habit places on the pancreas may ultimately leave it unable to keep up with the body's need for insulin. Also, insulin itself becomes less effective at processing sugar; both conditions contribute to the risk of developing diabetes. Interestingly, women who consumed a lot of fruit juice--which is high in natural fructose--were not at increased risk of diabetes, leading researchers to speculate that naturally occurring sugars may have different metabolic effects than added sugars. They also speculate that vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals in fruit juices may have a protective effect against weight gain and diabetes, counterbalancing the adverse effects of sugar.
Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study II, a trial tracking the health of more than 51,000 women. None of the participants had diabetes at the onset of the study in 1991. Over the following 8 years, 741 women were diagnosed with the disease. Researchers found that women who drank one or more sugary drinks a day gained more weight and were 83% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who imbibed less than once a month.

4. Weakened Bones And Risk Of Osteoporosis
Frequent consumption of soft drinks may also increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in people who drink soft drinks instead of calcium-rich milk. High soda consumption (particularly cola) in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones.
In the 1950s, children drank 3 cups of milk for every 1 cup of sugary drinks. Today that ratio is reversed: 3 cups of sugary drinks for every cup of milk. Tellingly, osteoporosis is a major health threat for 44 million Americans. Most experts now say that the real culprit is soda's displacement of milk in the diet, though some scientists believe that the acidity of colas may be weakening bones by promoting the loss of calcium.

5. Dental Caries And Erosion
Soda eats up and dissolves the tooth enamel. Researches say that soft drinks are responsible for doubling or tripling the incidence of tooth decay. The acidity can dissolve the mineral content of the enamel, making the teeth weaker, more sensitive, and more susceptible to decay. Soda's acidity makes it even worse for teeth than the solid sugar found in candy. Dental experts continue to urge that people drink less soda pop, especially between meals, to prevent tooth decay and dental erosion.

6. Kidney Damage

People who down sugary drinks don't feel as full as those who consume the same amount of calories in solid food. This theory was born out by researchers at Purdue University who, in 2000, gave 15 volunteers 450 calories a day of either soda or jelly beans for a month and then switched them for the next month, while monitoring their total calories. The candy eaters compensated for the extra calories by eating less food and maintained their weight; during the soda phase, the volunteers ate more and gained. There is good evidence that cola beverages can increase the risk of kidney problems, more so than non-cola sodas. Researches clearly demonstrated that large quantities of cola result in enhanced kidney stone formation. If you're wondering exactly how soft drinks cause kidney stones, it's because of their acidity and radical mineral imbalances. Your body must buffer the acidity of soft drinks with calcium from your own bones. As this calcium is eliminated through your urine, it slowly forms kidney stones. In a study published in the journal Epidemiology, the team compared the dietary habits of 465 people with chronic kidney disease and 467 healthy people. After controlling for various factors, the team found that drinking two or more colas a day (whether artificially sweetened or regular) was linked to a twofold risk of chronic kidney disease.

7. Increased Blood Pressure
Experts have reasons to believe that over consumption of fructose, particularly in the form of soft drinks, leads to an increase in blood pressure.

8. Likely To Cause Heartburn
Soft drink consumption is a strong predictor of heartburn.

9. Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor
Soft drink consumption is a significant risk factor for developing of metabolic syndrome, a combination of the symptoms such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

10. Harmful Effects On Liver
There is evidence that consumption of too many soft drinks puts you under increased risk for liver cirrhosis similar to what chronic alcoholics have.

11. Impaired Digestive System
Soda, no matter who makes it, is the most acidic beverage you can buy, with a pH of about 2.5, about the same as vinegar, but the sugar content disguises the acidity. To put that into perspective, consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7.

Interesting fact: A pH below 4 or above 10 will kill most fish and very few animals can tolerate waters with a pH below 3 or above 11. Why does that matter? Throughout the digestive system, that starts from the mouth and ends up at the anus only the stomach can resist an acidic environment up to pH 2.0. But before the acidity of soft drink reaches the stomach it passes through all the other organs involved in the digestive system thus causing an abnormal acidic environment. The linings of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus are highly sensitive to acids. The phosphoric acid present in soft drink competes with the hydrochloric acid of the stomach and affects its functions. When the stomach becomes ineffective, food remains undigested causing indigestion, gassiness or bloating (swelling of stomach).

12. Dehydration
Another problem with sodas is that they act as dehydrating diuretics. Both caffeine and sugar cause dehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes an increase in urine volume. High concentration of sugar is drawing off water because your kidneys try to expel the excess sugar out of the blood. When you drink a caffeinated soda to quench your thirst, you will actually become thirstier. note: I constantly say I'm "permanently dehydrated" and I constantly have to go to the restroom. This made no sense to me before because my bestie drinks a TON of water and doesn't have to hit the restroom as much as me.... GO FIGURE!!!

13. High Caffeine Content
Another advantage of avoiding sodas is that you will avoid the unnecessary caffeine. Soda drinks are a major source of caffeine in the American diet. High doses of caffeine can cause irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbance, excessive urination, irregular heartbeat and other side effects.

14. Toxins - Aspartame
If you think diet soda is better think again. The poison in diet soda is an artificial sweetener aspartame. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. It is used because it's about 200 times sweeter than table sugar. Despite US FDA approval as a "safe" food additive, aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances added to foods. After you drink an aspartame-sweetened product, aspartame breaks down into its starting components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol (that further converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.). There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption.
Thank goodness I don't like diet soda (it tastes too sweet and even flat to me). This is the perfect reason NOT to drink diet drinks and just cut out sodas COLD TURKEY!!!

15. Possible Cell Damage Ability
A new health scare erupted over soft drinks recently amid evidence that they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative E211, known as sodium benzoate, found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA. Sodium benzoate occurs in small amounts naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mold in soft drinks.

16. There Are So Many Healthy Alternatives!

Soda replaces healthier drinks. By drinking soda, you cut the intake of fresh juices, milk, and even water and deprive yourself from essential vitamins and minerals.

Water. Water is the best drink in the world.
Tea. Any kind of tea - herbal, green or black - is rich in antioxidants, which were shown to protects the body form many health problems.
100% Juice. Fruit juice can be also useful for flavoring your water and teas.

Source

XO,

Happy Mother's Day

2013-05-12T19:33:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

To all of those mothers here on earth or up in heaven.... we love you and we thank you for all that you do.

Hoppy Easter

2013-03-30T21:50:00.004-05:00

Hoppy Easter!!!

Easter is Coming....

2013-03-25T20:29:00.003-05:00

Easter is less than a week away and here are a few things that are inspiring me.... enjoy!

Check out all of these and more on my Pinterest page: Spring Has Sprung

National Potato Chip Day

2013-03-14T14:22:00.003-05:00

It's National Potato Chip Day!!!!
I'm a salty/spicy girl. I will take a chip over a piece of chocolate or sweet treat ANY DAY!

So today I should be celebrating to the fullest but...... for Lent I decided to try to eat "clean" and stay clear of those processed foods with a few exceptions. I WILL NOT give up my alcohol or my ONE Dr. Pepper from Sonic a day. But evidently processed foods include chips! Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice? Well.... if you know me you also know that I could live on chips and salsa (or guac) with a margarita of course. I'm pretty sure that I have some Mexican in me somewhere in my lineage. I'd kill to have the gorgeous tanned skin and the big brown eyes... but no, I'm whiter than white with blonde hair (OK, I was blonde but it's now an ugly brown with grey that my sweet BFF turns blonde every 8 weeks or so) and blue eyes. I digress.... back to my chip obsession. The sweet BFF that I mentioned before found some chips for me that don't taste like cardboard and that I can eat during this 46 days of he&&!!!

May I introduce you to the FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD Brand of All Natural Chips.

Ingredients: Stone Ground Corn, High Oleic Sunflower Oil and/or Safflower Oil and/or Canola Oil, Brown Rice Flour, Flax Seeds, Cane Sugar, Oat Fiber, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Quinoa, Soy Flour, Sea Salt.

They are:
- All Natural
- GF: Certified Gluten Free
- Certified Vegan
- Low Sodium
- Certified Kosher
- Cholesterol Free
- No MSG
- No Trans Fat
- Good Source of Fiber
- No Artificial Colors, Flavors or Preservatives
- Excellent Source of Whole Grains

And they have other flavors:
- Olive
- Blue Corn
- Lime
- Sweet Potato
- Jalapeno
- and a TON more......

They also have a ton of recipes for dips on their website that I can't wait to try. http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/our-products/recipes/savory-recipes

In case you are wanting to buy some for yourself, my BFF got these from Costco. If you don't have access to Costco you can visit FOOD SHOULD TASTE GOOD at http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/ and purchase them online and have them delivered straight to your door. You can also check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

p.s. I was not paid for the opinions in this post ;-).... but they are REALLY good! And they can be a chip or a cracker!

Enjoy!!!

Through a Rapist's Eyes - Facts on What They Look For & How to Stay Safe

2013-01-14T13:38:00.000-06:00

I have to give a HUGE shout out to a blog that I subscribe to, My Thirty Spot.

I love Erin's posts and couldn't resist sharing an informative recent post on:

Through a Rapist's Eyes - Facts On What They Look For & How To Stay Safe.

I love all my girlfriends out there and want you all to stay safe. Hopefully you will pass this information on to your friends, daughters, aunts, sisters, cousins, mothers and grandmothers.

I am a true believer that you can never have too much information on how to protect yourself.

XO,

Never boil another egg AGAIN!!!!!

2013-01-14T11:45:00.000-06:00

I found this idea from Pinterest..... go figure! I tried and and it's amazing!

I will NEVER boil eggs again!

For anyone that may not know, the BEST way to make "hardboiled" eggs is in the OVEN!

Place the eggs in a muffin tray so they do not move around, turn the oven to 325 degrees, pop in for about 25-30 minutes and remove! Not only are they tastier, but they also are much easier to peel and so much creamier!!!!

To see the step-by-step tutorial, go to the Alaska From Scratch website.

XO,

Emerald Green - 2013 color of the year

2013-01-12T14:13:00.002-06:00

Just announced.... emerald green is the 2013 color of the year.
This is one of my favorite colors (along with grey, navy blue and pink). Here are a few things that I've had my eye on.....

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

ready.set.goals.

2013-01-02T10:26:00.002-06:00

I'm told that if you write down your NY Resolutions you'll be more likely to keep them.

I'll try to look at them often to remind me and I'm writing them on here so you can keep me accountable. ;-) That's what friends are for, RIGHT?!?!?

2012 was an amazing year. On NYE we celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary.

I love you babe and I can't wait for another amazing year!

I love you to pieces!

XO,

Happy New Year!

2013-01-01T11:05:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone has a prosperous, healthy and happy 2013!!!!!

Stay tuned for some 2012 favorite moments, 2013 resolutions and a sneak peek of future posts!

XO,

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-25T20:52:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!
We have had a very merry and WHITE Christmas here. Sending you all our prayers and best wishes for this holiday season and for the New Year. Here are a few of our happy memories over the last few days.

Christmas Card

2012-12-06T10:18:00.002-06:00

Ok.... who's on the ball and already has their family Christmas Cards mailed out?

I got them out early this year and I'm so glad it's done. But I have to admit that the best part is receiving cards in the mail from all of our family and friends.

Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!

What does your Christmas Card look like?

Advent Calendar

2012-12-06T10:07:00.001-06:00

One of our family traditions is our Christmas Advent Calendar.
I made these 24 glittered metal tins and my child LOVES them. He has so much fun opening each tin every morning to find out what his goodie is for the day. I put small things in them like a small piece of candy, money, or if there's a larger item I want to give him then I put a small post-it sending him on a treasure hunt for the gift. It's not always an item that costs money..... some times it's something like going to the park, library or reading a book. Many of these things are about spending quality time together. It takes a little bit of planning but if you plan it around events that you are already wanting to do, it's pretty simple. Check out more of my Christmas favs on my Christmas Pinterest board.

Here's a list of some things that we've done in the past:
* trip to the library
* special treat after school (Sonic ice cream treat)
* go see Christmas lights
* buy gifts to a child-in-need
* decorate Christmas cookie with mom
* read Christmas book
* make s'mores
* brunch with Santa
* go shopping to pick out a special gift for your teacher
* go to the park
* special dinner with mom & dad
* gingerbread house decorating

Do you have any family traditions?

Beware: Rat Infestation

2012-10-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

I forgot to post the photos of my stairs {thanks Melissa}...... they have been infested with rats......

I purchased these YEARS ago at Michaels and they really hold up year after year. They are made from thick cardboard/cardstock and come with double-stick foam dots.

They are from Martha Stewart - Halloween Silhouettes line, see here.

Happy Halloween

Today is THE Day - Nate Berkus in Target

2012-10-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

{Disclaimer} I'm going to apologize right now for this lengthy post. I believe it's my longest post to date. That should tell you how passionate I am about this subject.

Let's start off this post by saying that I've been waiting for this day for months now {obviously because this is my second post about it. See launch announcement here}. And if you think you have heard enough about it, you should be my poor child and hubby.

Well..... finally, today is the day that the Nate Berkus home decor line is launched in Target stores and online. The Targets in my area open at 8am on Sunday mornings. I know this because I looked it up so I could be one of the first in line to see all of the new accessories (approximately 150), etc. that I've been "teased" about. So, I set my alarm at 7:30am, layered for comfort and set off to my local Target. I even passed by a Sonic, which if you know me, I NEVER pass a Sonic without my car automatically turning in for a Dr. Pepper. Anywho.... Once in Target, I grabbed a cart because I was going to OBVIOUSLY need a cart (or two) to hold all my goodies. I thought about getting a flat cart, but I thought that might be a little much ;-)

Here's where it gets WAY off track. Normally, my Target has a large aisle that has the latest and greatest from their "Featured Brands/Boutiques". This is my "go to" area of the store because it always has the must-haves. Instead of the typical awesome items, it had minimal items and they were all clearance only items. I was discouraged. I then went out hunting for my "pretend" hubby's (I mean Nate Berkus) beautiful things. I finally found them....they had them all spread out all over the store..... and only put it on small end caps.

Here are three pictures to show what I'm talking about. Sorry for the photo quality but I had to take these with my phone camera. I had fully expected to blog (brag) about all of my purchases AFTER I got home so I didn't think I needed to bring my big camera to Target. I didn't need to one more thing to burdened with because I thought I would be busy putting all my goodies in my basket instead of being bummed out!!!

Store 1 displays...... (this will make sense later)

Tiny end cap display of my "pretend" husband's amazing new accessories line.
I bought the only 2 large decorative urns in the bottom right. Early bird gets the "slim-pickins".

Bath accessories, towels, rugs, etc..... how can there be an empty spot
in the upper right hand corner????

NB bedding end cap. Better but still nothing like it should be.
If I were NB, I would be VERY disappointed in how
all these products were launched and displayed at Target.

So after about an hour at my local Target store, I decided to go to another store about 10 miles away to see if maybe they were on-the-ball and had their NB act together. Again, EPIC fail. The second store made the first store look like they had their act together. And that's not a compliment!

Store 2 displays

Second store, NB bedding display. Where is my "pretend" hubby's beautiful face?
Where is the sign that says here's Nate Berkus' awesome new line? Instead it has the Threshold sign.

Second display:
Again, no gorgeous face to be found! No sign.....

Here's a closer look at the second display.
I was seriously on the hunt here for my NB.
Still no signage... instead I found
only 2 picture frames mingled in with other clearance items.....
It's like finding "Where's Waldo"! Can you find the 2 frames?

This is like beating my head against a wall.
Again, no picture or sign...... Am I repeating myself or what?

Here's a large area in a heavy traffic are that would have been PERFECT
for most of the NB accessories. Again, a missed opportunity.

So I come home and decide to look on Target.com. Go here if you want to see the

Nate Berkus for Target Collection online.

Most of the items either tell me that they are "unavailable online" or available at my 2 stores, they are just not on the shelves nor can anyone find them in the back storage room.

This is not rocket science folks!!!!

But in case it is for you, here are a few of my suggestions for next time.

That is if there IS a next time:

1. Here's a genius idea, have the items available to buy in stores on the day of the launch

(October 21st - 8am). If that means you need to stock the items on the shelves the night before,

then that's what needs to happen. You do this for Black Friday...why not for a big launch like NB?

2. Have better displays that tell what the product line is. Not confuse the buyer or make them HUNT!

Ex: Nate Berkus cute face, or the bedding photo.

With all of that said...... I'm off to my 3rd and final store to see if they have what they said is "in stock" on their website. I might have to go in the back and get it myself!! That's how much I love me some Nate Berkus!

So again, {I think I'm a gluten for punishment} I take the big vehicle {ever the optimist} and drive to my THIRD Target store (in less that 4 hours). Hours later, I'm still feeling so bummed out. This event was supposed to be my pre-Black Friday event. For anyone who's a lover of home design (and Nate Berkus) you know that having his products in my local Target is GOLDEN!

Store 3 displays

Store 3: Great placement, good signage and stocked with loads more products.

This display and the one above are across the aisle from each other.
Again in a high traffic area and I found it right away.

So Store 3 was better but I still couldn't find ANY accessories! No lamps, no trays, no boxes, no Nate Berkus book, no figurines, no bowls, no rugs and no frames! REALLY!?!? You get the picture.

So after all of that work, I ended up with the 2 large decorative urns that I adore!!!!

After searching on Target.com for my 3 stores, I wanted to purchase all of the following but most cannot be purchased online and NONE of the following were at any of the 3 stores that I went to. Anyone else having this problem?!?!?!??

Nate Berkus Target Collection

I'm tired and mentally drained. It's early afternoon and I'm pretty certain too early for a glass of wine or a much deserved margarita!!!!! As a consolation prize I came home to my sweet Lola.
Even SHE looks exhausted from it all!

XO,

High Low

2012-10-18T09:26:00.002-05:00

I'm well aware that I have expensive taste. I don't know how I do it but I choose to see it as a "gift". My better-half sees it as a "curse". Even though I know how to pick out expensive things, I don't always want to spend that money. Here are a few things that I've had my eye on.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Now here are a few things that I've found (or made) with a much lower price tag! The twig mirror below I made using a mirror from Target and twigs from my yard. I LOVE IT and what I love even more is that it is almost $1400 CHEAPER than the version I lovingly copied!
Can I get a whoop whoop!

1 | 2 | 3

Look for a future post about how I made my {DIY} gold twig mirror!

October Birchbox

2012-10-15T14:47:00.002-05:00

I got my Birchbox in the mail this weekend and I was so excited.

The product that I was most excited about was the Kiehl's Rosa Arctica Eye Balm. I've always wanted to try the Kiehl line but thought it was a little pricey to "try". That's why I love the Birchbox philosophy. I'm also planning on trying the Jouer Lip Enhancer, Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum tomorrow all while eating my Luna LemonZest bar and lighting my Illume Red Cedar Candle.

Add some mexican food and a margarita with my family and I'd say it's a good day!

What's in your October Birchbox??!?!?

Halloween Decor

2012-10-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

It's only nine days into October and I finally have house decorated for Halloween.

So I feel like I'm so ahead of the game!!!!

How do you decorate for Halloween???

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Nate Berkus and Target

2012-10-02T13:04:00.004-05:00

Two of my favorite things.... Nate Berkus and Target!

Nate is launching his Home Collection at Target on Sunday, October 21st - so get there EARLY!
But don't get in my way - 'cuz I might just knock you over ;-)
See the video below for a sneak preview of some just some of the amazing items!

Target Debuts Exclusive Home Collection from Nate Berkus

Target^® today announced a new home collection with award-winning and renowned designer Nate Berkus. The Nate Berkus Collection, sold exclusively at Target, will debut in Target stores and at Target.com on Oct. 21, 2012. The new signature home collection will launch with items including bedding, bath, accessories, lighting, rugs and window treatments.

“Nate is celebrated for helping people create beautiful spaces that express their individuality,” said Stacia Andersen, senior vice president, merchandising, Target. “Target guests will be inspired by the Nate Berkus Collection, which captures his sophisticated design aesthetic in a stylish and affordable line.”

The Nate Berkus Collection at Target includes more than 150 home products with prices ranging from $5.99 to $149.99. The assortment includes stylish and relatable pieces that feel like they were collected over time and can be easily layered into existing décor.

How would you describe the style of your Target collection?

I don’t strike a chord with any one style. I love everything from Swedish antiques to midcentury modern to Milan design from the ’70s. I love crafts, basketry and metalwork. All these elements are incorporated in the line. I did design with a point of view using natural materials, knitting and textural finishes. I don’t want people to buy the entire collection. I want them to be able to buy pieces and layer them into their homes.

The line will have a long life. I’ll be able to constantly refresh it. I don’t want to totally overhaul every season. The whole is focused on accessories and objects. I see every horizontal surface as an opportunity. A lot is drawn from pieces in my home that I’ve been collecting over the last 25 years. There’s a lacquer tortoise shell like one that’s hanging on my wall.

“I created this collection for Target with my philosophy that homes should evoke a feeling, not a theme,” said Berkus. “There is something for everyone in this line, so I’m thrilled to offer Target guests’ patterns, colors and objects that represent what I love most for the home.”

The collection includes pieces such as a chevron patterned duvet, ikat-link towels, herringbone window panels, braided jute rugs and a metal lamp. The decorative accessories include lacquered tortoise shells, ceramic urns, hammered metal bowls in gold, a fabric covered tray, toss pillows with stud accents and decorative objects with snakeskin finishes.

Birchbox - September

2012-09-23T15:32:00.002-05:00

I have been on the waiting list for Birchbox for MONTHS and now I am finally a member.
If you feel like you've been under a rock (like I feel alot of the time) and don't know what Birchbox is.... then welcome to the club.

Birchbox is the best way to discover new grooming, beauty and lifestyle products. Sample top products from high-end brands, get expert advice, buy new favorites and earn points with every purchase. They hand-pick beauty and lifestyle samples based on your profile and then deliver them to your door for $10/month. + Birchboxes Ship Free!

If you are anything like me, you like to try LOTS of different things. I'm guilty of looking through my latest magazine and tearing out the photo of the item(s) and then spend time going from store to store to find them. Then I risk having them look horrible on me. Plus it's such a pain to return them OR you can do what I normally do which is keep it and waste the money. And I'm not interested in going to a beauty store to sample items that hundreds if not thousands of people have sampled. THAT'S JUST GROSS!!!

Birchbox is perfect for me because it's $10 total every month and a cute little box arrives in my mailbox with samples (and sometimes full-sized products) that I can try and see if I like. Usually there are 4-5 products in each box, which makes each sample $2 or less. That's a steal in my opinion. If I don't like the sample, I can pass it on to my girlfriends or their daughters. But when I DO find a product I like - I am a fan-for-life!!! And NO, I'm not getting paid for this blog entry. ENOUGH TALKING ALREADY...... Here's what came in this month's Birchbox box.
Drum roll please.....

Here are all the goodies!

1 | 2 | 3| 4 |5

Also included: Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur scent, Madewell coupon and Fall Look Book

I can't wait to try all of these products, to watch the videos and check out the Birchbox blog.

To watch their video -> click here.

To join -> click here and tell them I sent you.

Marbled Paper

2012-09-04T15:47:00.002-05:00

Marbled Paper = Instant Art

I came across some amazing marbled paper from Paper Mojo that I loved and wanted to frame it to make an instant piece of art. The movement and color ranges in these papers are amazing and work well with any decor. My piece was 2' x 3' and only cost $5.75. I couldn't beat that price!!!! I would even consider using this as wrapping paper or lining a bookshelf with it but a word of caution......they are very thin! Here's my process of framing my gorgeous marbled paper.

Paper Mojo Pirouette Marbled Paper in Turquoise Apricot Raspberry

Add a Target poster frame on clearance

VERSION 1: Paper in Target clearance poster frame.
Originally, I taped off the corners of the frame and painted them in a gold leaf.
And didn't use a mat.
This look was fine but I thought I could do better.

Final Product, version 2: I liked the original metal on the frame but I'm really into gold/brass.
So I decided to remove the plexi-glass and I spray painted the frame. And I also added a crisp,
white mat. I love the final version.

Another view of the final version.

Final look. I hung the art above the desk in my studio.

Go make something beautiful!

Birthday Week

2012-08-26T13:50:00.004-05:00

Birthdays are really not my thing.... never have been. But.... I do like goodies. Here are a few things that I'm loving right now.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Francesca Q Bag

Classic Aviator Sunglasses

Sam Edelman Miller Striped Sandal

Beautiful pencil holder for the office. This inspires me to go hunting for the perfect branch.

I'll definitely be making this for our family.

ENJOY & Happy Birthday to all those Virgos out there.