I embarked on cleaning my antique Greek Flokati rug yesterday afternoon. I inherited it from my grandma freshman year after probably 20 years in smoke without a cleaning. However, I think it suffered worse it's four years in Blacksburg. Two puppy trainings, spilt beer, wine, stray hookah coals, and the last straw was a "house sitter" pissing and spilling tobacco dip all over it while I was out of town. The bottom was powdering and too many bottles of revolve were lost in the pile.
Sooooo, in preparation for the move I decided to try to clean it myself and make the final decision to keep or toss (because it started to really gross me out with it's dog like stench and gray color). After calling countless rug cleaners (who I was willing and prepared to pay $100s) and having no one know what's flokati is but still offer to "give er a try" I decided to ruin it myself. I sprawled her on my driveway and started by taking a leaf blower to try to get rid of a lot of the dust. Next was hosing her down completely and shaking about 1/2 a box of Borax (my new favorite cleaning agent) over every inch. Long story short, and yes it is long and took me a total of about 5 hours, we were able to house the 500 lb wet dog onto this makeshift drying rack where she is amazingly whiter than I ever thought possible. As long as the rain holds off Through the weekend she'll be glowing in the new tiny house! More pictures to come later!
So I finally found the ideal vintage one piece bathing suit that I have been searching for ever since I fell in love with cupcakes and stopped doing sit ups in the summer. I feel so sophisticated and slightly granny in it and I cannot wait to wear it in Australia. Unfortunately I don't think it's gonna happen seeing as we are visiting in their winter. Oh well, it still has a special spot in my suitcase.
What is it about finding awesome coupons that makes you feel like you're making money, even though you're probably spending money you wouldn't have? Whatever it is, it's heroin. Or at least what I would imagine a good shot of smack would feel like. Yes this is just household cleaners. Why am I so obsessed? 1. The packaging is beautiful and never looks shabby if you accidentally leave it out in a mad dash to cleanup for company. 2. The scents are to die for, and 100% toxic free so you don't get a headache sniffing them like I do. 3. I have a phobia of strong cleaning chemicals, even though I do love bleach. There's just something about the giant warning and caution labels on the back that make the packaging look super unattractive, and scary. Not to mention, when you have a dog like mine that gets into everything and thinks everything is edible, it's just plan dangerous to have anything toxic around the house.
Method (which can be found at Target) has been giving away coupons for their new laundry detergent. $2 off when you print it offline. I've already maxed out on the household 3. I love the tiny bottle, especially now that I have to tote (rather than lug) it to and from the laundromat. I've had to go the often "trendy" but oh-so-expensive eco-friendly laundry detergent route for quite some time now because my skin is so sensitive. Trust me, it's not cheap. Which is why I jumped on this deal. I just printed off my last coupon because this week, for earth day apparently, all the eco-friendly shiz is even cheaper at Target. Aka I'm planning on going tomorrow and getting my super cute bottle of laundry deterg. for a whopping $3. YOU CANNOT FIND DETERGENT CHEAPER!!
But that is not what this post is about. The even better deal my friends is if you go to their website and buy the "spring clean home kit" which is listed online for $24 (although if you bought each thing individually it would be $33). When you're ready to check out enter coupon code "methodheartsmoms" and your total will be $14!! This is a great way to clean out under your sink and start with all the basics for a super low price. Granted I already have all of these things, minus the shammy cloth and disposable wipes both of which I have never been able to justify the expense to buy until now. Oh, and you get a bottle of the laundry detergent in your kit. Duh.
I'm going to Paris for the weekend. In my mind. Living through these photos, listening to Edith Piaf, sitting at cafe tables in the spring air, eating macaroons.
I found this website though which allows you to rent vacation apartments all over the world. I wonder how easy it is to really do? I would so love to spend the summer in Montmartre...... (cue Amelie music)....
Hi, I'm Owsley. Mason says my lifestyle is just one step above that of a goldfish.
Hello, I'm miss pockets. As far as I'm concerned I'm queen of the universe. I'm beautiful and know it, so step off... Or else.
I'm Clifford. I belong to rob and Eileen. I have ADD and run from one window to another 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I occasionally fart and bark with this rapid movement. Everyone loves me though because I'm sweet and have one blue eye.
Look at the awesome GE electric heater I just got at the thrift store for only $9.98!
I turned it on when I got home and holy smokes (thankfully no smoke) this thing heats up fast! I'm a little skeptical on how safe it is since my parents have drilled it into my head for as long as I can remember that space heaters=house fires, but it is super vintage-fab and usefull! I'm so pleased and almost wish it we're 80 degrees outside. Almost.
I wanted this victorian bird cage too but at $198 and the knowledge that I'm moving into a smaller place it was not gonna happen.
On my way to Christiansburg yesterday to waste the entire beautiful day sulking away in the records room (basement) of the court house I suddenly missed my exit. That misses exit somehow landed me at the doorstep of bubblecake in Roanoke. Somehow... So i made a day of it and finally did everything I've always wanted to do in roanoke.
Like eat oodles of sugar which then gave me a headache.
Luckily I was armed with a togo mug so I could load up on free coffee allllll day long at every starbucks I saw. And I mean every. I never drink starbucks black coffee but when its free, it's free. Of course I played it off like I was so surprised at everyone I went to: "how much do I owe you? Oh it's free? No way! Thanks!" ;) The point of the day apparently is to show starbucks dedication to the environment. I wonder if that was still the point when I used the drive through...
Either way, I strolled market street, picked up some herbs, ate world famous hot dogs, went to the art museum (not everything I'd been waiting and hoping for by the way), and drove/got lost going home the scenic route to admire all the springness.
So I'm pretty sure we've decided on a place to live next year: a bright blue house. It's conveniently only two blocks from where we live right now (two blocks closer to downtown/main street), has a fenced in yard for the dogs, and is ridiculously cheap and charming. It's a downstairs "apartment" of the overall house. The upstairs has been vacant for a while, and according to the landlord (and my own opinion after looking at the practically gutted loft-esque second story) it will remain as such for a little while longer. Anyways, it took me a whole 24 hours to think it over because as the title of this entry suggests, it's a miniature house. It's only 800 square feet and has hardly any closets, unless you count the so-called second bedroom (which in my opinion is the intended closet for the master bedroom). Alas, I could have spent all day thinking about how much we'll be able to save (and how much we now get to spend on cable!) as well as how practical it is, however, I choose to spend all day at work on apartment therapy looking at tiny house after tiny house of adorable coziness that I so badly want to be a part of. If you don't know about this site you may as well be living in a white walled cell. They have this awesome contest going on right now though that's all about tiny houses. People send in pictures of their quaint little abodes which are arranged into categories on the site based on square footage. The link I've included is houses in the size range I will soon be moving into. So go take a look! Drool! And love whatever tiny place you may be in right now!
Random desktop accumulation from the week as well as some birthday photo booth lovin' and holgas I finally got developed. Music for the week is the Police. Nothing like some Sting to jump into spring. I'm thinking lazy dinners grilling out with margaritas after a burnt day at the river. Windows open, music blasting through the house. Mmmhmmm.
Sooooo I'm currently obsessed with searching for a place to live starting August. And I'm really regretting my once seemingly genius idea to leave la current abode. Everything I find is shittay and expensive and just downright small. Small I'm fine with, I can chic it up to be "cozy," but let's be honest... I have a shit ton of furniture (all of which I want to take with me).
However, in true Julianne fashion, despite NOT having a place to live, I have yet to surrender my constant imaginary decorating schemes. Some may say this is a skill: good preparation, exercising my creativity, organization, etc.; I however know what the ultimate result always is: wasted time and money. Regardless, what has developed is a severe case of collecting. I have the sudden desire to start collecting all sorts of things. It has always been a harebrained scheme of mine to collect all-white pieces of dishware from various locations, at various times, to build a complete miss-matched set (luckily this is still in the planning stage because I don't trust myself to move said various pieces of dishware while keeping them in good, although vintage, condition).
What has started to take shape however is my obsession with vintage books, including the new Penguin Classics. I would have bought all of them already except that I can't bring myself to buy the ones I already own (in a much less attractive format mind you), as well as they are, quite frankly, a bitch to find. Of course Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie have a few here and there, if you want to cut your arm off and pay in pure blood. I can usually find EVERYTHING cheaper online. These however are proving to be a bit challenging... I think my best bet is a Canadian site (due to the exchange rate), but even the exchange rate today sucks. (Remember when Canada was affordable??). So I will be checking the currency on a daily basis until those beautiful books become mine.
Until then.... to achieve my dream library (which will be made of books obviously way too good looking to actually read), I may consider this site. Which is the best idea in the world. They actually sell books by the foot! Why didn't I think of that? Probably because I figured it was way too superficial a thought, to have books just as decoration. But I LOVE it, just as I love the readers digest condensed books by the foot which have sweet patterned covers such as:
as well as:
Well anyways... I'm over this post. Too much writing, not enough pictures. But I'm still loving these books. You can even order the books by the foot in a specific color combination, say you want a whole book shelf of green books: you got it!
So everyone who reads this blog, all 2 of you, should join Jetsetter. It's "invitation" only, so you should feel very special I am sharing this with you. Oh and anything you may buy gives me $25 towards my own trip. And seeing how I am the the poor one of all my friends I think that's only fair. But really, you can book super sweet hotels ridiculously cheap. I've been stalking them for Australia and New Zealand deals. No luck, yet.
So I can't really think of anything to say about the pictures I randomly collect on my desktop throughout the week but then again it's my blog so I don't really have to explain. Maybe I'll start doing this every Monday, as a way of "cleansing" my desktop, which is this smokin' hot picture of Miss Bridgitte Bardot. And here is some music to go with your Monday, which if it's anything like mine (after an allnight catch up session with the real housewives of NYC) you will be exhausted and ready for summer. The Robert Earl Keen Jr song is in hopes that I will going to see him Thursday at the newly renovated Jefferson theater in Charlottesville on Thursday...
