Flaunt it Friday 117!

Hey there!

Did you see me over at one of my favorite design blogs today, the lovely Emily A.Clark?  I'm SO excited to be a part of her series... please go check it out.

Then, come back and party with me!!

Let's cut a rug...

Hello my lovely Chicsters!  How's it going?

Isn't it fun when you find an amazing sale and buy yourself an unexpected and big present?

No, I did not buy myself a new car with a big red bow on top although that would have been super-duper fun.

No, I did not buy myself a new sweater, although fun I don't consider it to be a "big" present... unless it was like a fancy-schmancy $500 cashmere sweater- but get real, you all know me well enough that I would never pay $500 for a sweater.
'
Anywho, my "big" self present was a new rug for our family room!  This is a "big" and exciting present to me... some of you might think I'm crazy for considering a rug to be a big, exciting present but hey, if you like decorating then you get it.

I hadn't planned on buying a new rug anytime soon because I needed a really big one (8x10) and those can get pretty pricey. I was trying to live with the one I had because although it was gross, it was only 3 years old and because I'm a good thrifty girl, I can't just throw out a 3 year old rug, 3 years old... it's practically new!  But how does somebody re-use a gross rug... make it into a faux fur coat?  I'm thinking not... better just keep it as a rug until I come up with a better plan.

Anyway, like I said earlier my other rug was getting pretty gross.  My gross rug was  frieze which is just a fancy word for shag.  It was cream colored which looked nice in the room initially- but man, did it show the dirt.

It really didn't look cream anymore except for under the coffee table where no one could see it.  I was trying to pass if off as light beige but I'm not sure I fooled anyone.  Especially because it was also really matted down and nasty looking even after being vacuumed.

The picture below shows the rug under the coffee table on the left, the high traffic area on the right.

O.M.G!!!

I told you it was gross but even I didn't realize it was that bad until I moved the table!  In my defense and so that you won't think I'm a filthy and disgusting person I think the lighting is making it look extra dirty/bad.  But still... Ewww!

That is super embarrassing but I'm keeping it real folks, if you look really close you can even see some crumbs.  Nice.

The above picture is not a very good picture but it's the only one I could find that really showed the rug.  (I was usually trying to hide it in my pictures.)  It doesn't look quite as terrible as that close up but it isn't exactly looking good either.

I told you I was trying to pass it off as light beige and I meant it.  Luckily all of my guests were too nice to say anything about my horribly gross rug, either that or they were extremely near sighted.

I'd been eyeing a new rug like the one pictured below from Ballard for quite a while but just wasn't ready to drop the fat cash on it to make it mine.

Photo via Ballard Designs

Then another blogger mentioned they found a 75% off rug sale online at Rugs USA (fyi, they did not pay me to write this post).  Of course I couldn't resist looking.  I found almost the exact same rug, but I think mine is actually thicker and nicer for 75% off!  I used a very small portion of my garage sale earnings and ordered it, I paid just over $100 for a huge 8x10 jute rug plus free shipping!

Since it was so cheap I was scared that the quality would be lacking or it would be really scratchy.  Scratchy rugs are bad news for little boys who like to drive cars/trains/trucks all over the floor.  I was pleasantly surprised that it was very soft and thick, especially for a natural fiber rug like this.  Even Mr. Chic said he really likes it instead of his usual "What? That's a new rug?"

It fills the space so much better than the old rug and the natural jute color really warms up the room.  I'm in love!

Have you bought yourself any "big presents" lately??

Linking: Savvy Southern Style, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Tatertots & Jello, Home Stories A to Z

Quick Trip and a Broken Camera

Hello there!

So, remember when I told you last week that with the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year school year I'm going to be getting back to a regular posting schedule?  I was (and still am) very excited to get some things going.

As I started to get my blogging groove on I needed to take some pictures.  My "good" camera (aka: old canon rebel) started giving me an error code when I tried to take pictures.

Annoying but I could live with it... unless I missed that one shot where both my boys are actually smiling and looking at that camera for a split second, then, I could not live with it.

I took the "good" camera to our last little hurrah of the summer, a quick weekend trip to Chicago with the boys.  We went to Navy Pier the first day and Mr. Chic planned it so we would be on the Pier during the Blue Angels practice run for the Chicago Air and Water Show (he is an aviation fanatic).

We have seen the Blue Angels several times and I am always amazed by the skill of the pilots and the agility and raw power of the jets.  Seeing them on the Pier was a whole new experience.

They were very low, very loud and screaming fast...

Yes, they were much lower than the 15 story ferris wheel on the Pier.

It was awesome.

And crazy.

Anyway, I lugged my heavy "good" camera in my purse to the Pier only to have it not work at all!  In fact, it jammed when my boys were both looking and smiling at the camera!  

Darn you "good" camera!!  You will now be known as "piece of crap" camera... take that!

The photo below was taken with my point and shoot.  Even after adjusting the lighting in a photoshop type program this photo is a little dark and my Rebel would've taken care of that.

So, I had to use the point and shoot for all my Chicago pics, at least I had it with me but kind of a bummer for someone who loves photography.

When I got home I was super honored and excited that the fabulous Emily A. Clark had contacted me to be part of an upcoming post where she is featuring some design bloggers.

Of course I said yes, but wait, I don't have a "good" camera!  Doesn't that figure?!  What am I going to do, here's my big chance to be on one of my most favorite design bloggers websites and I don't even have a camera!  Ahhhhh!

Ok, not really that big of deal, just means I have to get a new "good" camera, pronto!  I was actually super excited to be getting one.  The "piece of crap" camera was a really, really old Rebel.  In fact it was one of the first digital Rebel models to ever be made and I purchased it inexpensively and used about 5 or 6 years ago.  I definitely got my money out of it.

My new camera is on the way so I'll be able to get my blogging groove on very soon, and even make the appearance on Emily A. Clark.  Stay tuned...

Flaunt it Friday 116!

Hey there!  Can you believe only one more week of August left?!  Where has this summer gone?  I'm bummed that it's coming to an end but super excited to start some Fall decorating.  I am just downright sick of my summer mantle.

Don't forget, I'm still offering a Fall advertising special of $10 for 30 days, advertise your blog/small business or etsy shop!  Sign up by September 1 to receive this special rate.

Anywho, it's time for my party!

Yee Haw!

(I felt like being a little bit country today... not usually a Yee Haw kind of girl) :)

$10 Ad Fall Special- Limited Time!

Hello to you!  My favorite season is right around the corner... Fall!  To celebrate the start of my favorite season I am running a quick little ad special... only $10 (normally $15) to advertise your business/blog/etsy shop right here in my beautiful sidebar.  $10 gets you 30 days of 125x125 (up to 150x150) of space.   Get this price for up to 3 months if you pay in full!

SOURCE

Fall is the season where my blogging pace picks back up.  I love to decorate for fall and will be busting out pumpkins all season long.  Hope you'll join me!

Sale ends soon so message me, pronto!

Flaunt it Friday 115!

Hey you party animals.  This is the last Friday before school starts around here.  Part of me is screaming "NOOOOOooo!!!"  The other part of me is singing "It's the most wonderful time of the yeearrrrrr..."

With the start of the school year I'll be able to blog a little bit more regularly.  I'm sure you've all been really missing me... or not.  Maybe you haven't noticed that I've been a total blogging deadbeat this summer.  But even though I was a total slacker I never missed a party so that's pretty awesome, right?

Ok, well... I hope you're excited to start seeing more of me around here, I'm excited to see you and get back in the swing things, and for pumpkins.  (Fall is coming!!!)

Time to party!!

My Living Room Tour

Hello friendly friends.

How ya doin'?

I have been trying to show you my living room for about 2 years.

2 Years!?  Say what?!?

Yeah, 2 years.

This is a room that's been pretty much finished (except for some tweaking) for quite awhile.  I just have had a lot of trouble getting a good picture of it.  It is somewhat of a narrow room and it's hard to get a really good shot of it.  I need a wide angle lens but until I get one, you're going to have to look at these shots and realize that that the whole room doesn't quite fit.

What are you waiting for... come on in!

This first shot is a small part of the view you see from the front door.  Most of the room is missing in this shot but just pretend like it isn't.

Flaunt it Friday 114!

Hi friends!  Another week of summer has flown by and it's already time to party again!  Hooray for the weekend!  Can't wait to see what you guys link up...

Making a Family Binder... Yes, you need one.

Hey there, friends!  I feel like I've been a little bit MIA lately and I miss you guys!!  Summer is just a busy time that's not really that busy.  It's busy like take the boys to the pool/library/baseball/swimming lessons/park/slip-n-slide in the backyard, lounge in your jammies all day type busy... not the other not as much fun kind of busy.

Since school is fast approaching it's the perfect time to get yourself organized before the bazillion  school papers start rolling in.  Last year I made big progress organizing bills,school papers and paper clutter, HERE's how I did it.  I have been meaning to make a family binder since then but just wasn't sure where to start.

Thankfully I found Magic by Marcy on Etsy!  I've teamed up with Marcy from Magic by Marcy to finally organize a family binder.  She supplied me with this lovely set of customized printables to get me started.

Click here to find this set in Marcy's Etsy shop

I don't know about you but it's much more fun to organize if it looks cute and these printables are super cute!

Like I said, I've been meaning to make a family binder for quite some time and just never could figure out how to set it up.  Scribbling down things on notebook paper and sticking it in a folder just wasn't really what I had in mind so then I just stopped doing it.

Marcy hooked me up with this set and made it so easy for me to be organized and look good at the same time.  All I needed was a printer and a binder.

I ran to Target and picked up a white 1 inch binder to serve as my awesome new family binder.  I left it on the counter and came back to this...

One of my kiddos decided to cut off the plastic cover (because he thought it was the packaging) and make himself a "Drawing Journal".  We had a lesson about asking before cutting and I had to go back to Target to get another binder.

Next time around I picked up a teal binder to add to the "cuteness" factor.

Teal is much cuter, don'tcha think?

There are all sorts of cute organizational forms.  The most useful one for me being the account log-in page which gives you a place to put all of the passwords for all of those darned online accounts.  You have more than you think...

Blog, Email(s), Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Photobucket, Inlinkz, Linky, Banks, Credit Cards, Paypal, Ebay, Kids school accounts, etc... I could go on and on.

I used to keep my passwords in my datebook, but I'd find that I'd never transfer them after the new year started and I'd buy a new datebook so I'd be scrambling to find the old datebook with the old passwords to that one random account I haven't used in 6 months.  Now, I try to do my calender online but I really don't want to keep my passwords online for fear that I get hacked or someone steals my laptop.  Kind of a bad idea.

Now I keep them all in my accounts log-in page.  I also have a place for birthdays/anniversaries, paint colors, info for babysitters, emergency info, car maintenance, monthly expenses and a few others.  I'm sure as time goes on I will think of other things that need to go in here.

One of the best things about the family binder is that now Mr. Chic and I both have easy access to important information.  Since I am a stay home mom I am the one usually taking care of these types of records.  Now, if Mr. Chic has a question about when was the last time we got the oil changed I don't have to give him a long drawn out explanation of what drawer it is shoved in on what colored paper under the phone book.

Yeah for organization!!

Please check out Magic by Marcy for these and other cute printables!

click here to visit

Disclosure:  I was given a free family binder printable set by Marcy in exchange for an honest review of the printables.  All opinions are 100% mine!

Check out all of my organizational posts:

Flaunt it Friday 113!

Hey there!  It's Flaunt it Friday lucky 113!  I hope you had more luck than me getting some projects completed this week.  Mine are going in slow motion at this time of the year with my boys home, but I don't mind.  Soon enough school will be back in and we'll all be back to the grind.

Time to link up!!