Whee! Shopping!

I went on a shopping spree.

First up: beaded fringe.  I ordered from CheepTrims for $2 or less per yard.  (Jo-Ann sells similar 1" trim for $7.49 per yard.  Retail markup is ridiculous!)  The prices were so good, I couldn't resist ordering several types of fringe... 50 yards total.  Guess who will be putting beaded fringe on everything.  :)

1-inch black beaded fringe

 2-inch purple beaded fringe

and I scored this black iridescent fringe for 65 cents per yard!

Because my walls are desperate for art, I ordered two prints of John William Waterhouse paintings.

"Vanity"

"The Crystal Ball"

Now that the holiday season is over, I braved the retail stores.  I found a cool wrought iron dog dish holder at Hobby Lobby for $15.  It's just the right size for my little Bean Sidhe.

And for myself, lots of goodies.  From Hobby Lobby, a box with lid for $7.  From Walgreens, 12 cinnamon votives for $2.50.  From HomeGoods, scented purple drawer liner for $3, a cup for holding makeup brushes for $4, six pairs of tights for $17 and a set of white 600 thread count sheets for $50.  From Bed, Bath and Beyond, Sparkling Cinnamon candles for $7 and $10 and a container of potpourri for $12.  I'm not really into Christmas potpourri, but I like the shape of the black metal container.  Not shown are a new memory foam pillow and mattress topper from Amazon which I've already put on my bed.  Mmmm... memory foam is so comfy.  And the reason I went to BB&B, a set of black 500 thread count sheets for $80.  Not a major bargain, but nice black sheets are VERY hard to find and my current set is faded.  By the way, if you have never slept on high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, don't do it!  You'll be ruined for life and forced to spend $50 or more on sheets lest you feel like you're sleeping on sandpaper.  :P

I haven't been in a Bed, Bath and Beyond in about four years, and I was surprised at how many silly "As Seen on TV" products they carry.  For instance, Pajama Jeans.  Seriously?  Pajama Jeans?  Am I the only one who thinks encouraging people to wear pajamas in public is a bad idea?

It's Been a Busy Two Years

In the tradition of end-of-the-year retrospectives, I remind myself of some of the work I have done on my house over the last two years. 

my house as it looked when I bought it - so very turquoise!

new windows, new door, new paint - a work in progress

the dining room as it looked the day I took possession of the house

the dining room in progress - what once was window is now door

living room on inspection day - luckily the furniture didn't come with the house

living room on closing day - I ripped out the soiled carpet from the entire house before moving in

living room in progress

living room on inspection day

living room on closing day - looks pretty big when it's empty

living room in progress

living room on closing day

living room in progress

hall on inspection day - complete with trail o' grime (ick!)

hall in progress - much nicer with hard floors

bedroom on inspection day - I thought the flesh tone walls were very creepy

bedroom in progress

bedroom on inspection day

bedroom in progress - still need a headboard

bedroom on inspection day

bedroom in progress - my favorite room so far

So much left to do!  Landscaping, kitchen remodel, bathroom renovation, molding, paint, new furniture... I have big plans for 2012 (and beyond).

Happy New Year! :-)