Finding the diamonds in the rough!

Since the time I decided to revamp my house, I have been out and about looking for anything cool that will take the place of my old decor. Sometimes you have to look far and wide for these items :) Yard sales, thrift stores, etc...it is all open to possibility. Check out some of my finds!!

I found this awesome pair of metal 3d art work at the new Habitat for Humanity store in Washington. Will go perfect either in my dining room or at the top of the staircase. I did pay $10 for the pair, but I consider that a bargain for a focal point piece!

These 2 different, originally architectural pieces were found at a flea market in the same day and match the art perfectly!!

Nice old suitcase, found at a random yard sale.. may go in my Den with the beachy decor :)

Don't forget about this freebie from my friend Tonya. Had a tiny chip, or as I would say "blemish" on the back bottom. This will look awesome on my kitchen counter with something piled in it!!






So, what do you think of my finds :)

Book Review: Lilies in Moonlight, A Novel by Allison Pittman

Book Review: Lilies in Moonlight, A Novel by Allison Pittman

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

Book Review:

He'd lost his zest for life. She was just lost. Will they find the healing and love they long for?

After a roaring night on the town, fun-loving flapper Lilly Margolis, dazed and disoriented, twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of a wealthy family where the effects of the Great War--over for more than half a decade--are still endured. Inside the walls of the Burnside mansion, Cullen Burnside, a disillusioned and disfigured veteran, and his widowed mother, Betty Ruth, who daily slips a little further into dementia, lead a lonely existence...until Lilly. Whimsical, lighthearted, and beautiful., she rejuvenates their sad, disconnected lives and blossoms in the light of their attention.

But Lilly, like Cullen, is hiding from a painful past. And when Cullen insists on returning her to her faraway home, their budding attraction seems destined to die on the vine. The resulting road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery--but what will Cullen and Lilly find at journey's end?

My Review: Allison Pittman has just been added to my list of favorite authors! This book was impossible to put down. It all began with a gorgeous cover with an old car and a flapper enjoying the scenic route...so fresh and beautiful! Lilly Margolis is a free spirit, not afraid to speak her mind sort of person who I related to from the very beginning. While selling cosmetics, she meets up with Mrs. Burnside (Cullen's mother) who is very welcoming to Lilly. Lilly makes her way away from this family only to coincidently end up right back at their home a few chapters into the story. Fate! Both main characters (Cullen and Lilly) have a background that neither wants to confront, but through each other, find the way to face them. From chapter 1, all the way until the end, I was on the edge of my seat of the budding romance and wonderful story unfolding before me :)

He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny...

It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it!!

Don't I wish that my garage looked this neat!!!

I have been following a chore chart lately which hasn't left me a lot of time to blog. So much to do and so little time to do it in unfortunately. I have been giving myself 1 hour a day to work on cleaning out my 4 car garage. This garage is a mix of things; party goods, luggage, outgrown clothing/not yet grown into clothing, sports supplies, gifts, holiday and more! I have to admit, I made this mess and now I have to clean it up. It is getting there slowly, but surely.

I am making a promise to myself once this is clean;

I, Dede, do solemnly swear that once my garage is clean I will:

1. Put away all craft supplies immediately so those spare craft feathers don't fly up at me when the garage door opens giving me a fright that there may be a live bird flying around.

2. Get all outgrown clothing put away at once so when the next child potty trains, I actually have the training pants on hand at the time I need them and not when the child is due to wear actual underwear.

3. Never keep around those extra computer monitors. If I need one bad enough, I can find one on any one's curb on trash day.

4. Use the exercise equipment as more than just clothing racks....

5. Never buy another plastic jack-o-lantern trick or treat bucket as long as I live...what...do these things multiply?!!!!

Hoping to get back to you more often really soon! Happy cleaning :)

Book Review: Retail Therapy-Life Lessons Learned While Shopping

                          Book Review: Retail Therapy-Life Lessons Learned While Shopping




Book Summary:  New Shoes: $65; Designer Jeans: $84; Cute Purse: $75. Life Lessons Learned While Shopping: Priceless...In Retail Therapy, bestselling author Amanda Ford gives you the ultimate guide to life--through shopping! With shopping stories and advice, Amanda shows you that the way you shop is the way you live. Whether you would rather buy discount or vintage, Pumas or Prada, a peek at this book will give you a reason to make every purchase count.

My Review: Ever think that there can't possibly be any lessons learned from shopping? Think again! This book had me re-evaluating every purchase that I made and whether I seriously needed it at that time or not. Amanda Ford supplies her sense of humor to many of her own personal experiences about shopping. From her teenage years, til now alongside her husband...she will make you laugh as you realize just how unnecesarry that denim jean jacket actually is! The plus on this book...I only paid $1 for it!!! Great book whether on clearance or retail price!

Book Review: Money Secrets of the Amish

Book Review: Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing and Saving


I recently received from Booksneeze.com, a complimentary issue of: Money Secrets of the Amish in exchange for a review



Book Summary:

Take one thoroughly modern gal with a recessionary income problem, mix with the practices of a culture that has proved to be recession-proof, and what have you got? A financial planner in a straw hat.

When writer Lorilee Craker learned that the Amish are not just surviving but thriving in the economic downturn, she decided to find out why. What she found was about a dozen tried and true financial habits the Amish have employed for generations that will make your cash last longer and help you build wealth. Craker provides tips to...

-use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.
-rethink your gift giving.
-repurpose, recycle and reuse.
-eat like royalty for a peasant's pittance.

"Packed with practical, simple, and smart money saving ideas and teeming with great insight into the sensible Amish ways, Money Secrets of the Amish will entertain you with stories and retrain your brain to be the savvy money saver you always dreamed you could be."


My Review: This book was very intriguing. Packed with tips and the hysterical quips of Lorilee Craker, I couldn't wait to pick it up and then had a hard time putting it down. She incorportated her everyday life stories with things she learned from the Amish. She also included quotes from others about specific topics even leading you to many websites and blogs about saving. You learn how Lorilee, herself, has spent time with and listened to the ways the Amish save as she tries many of those ideas herself...doing well in some areas, but realizing how much she loves certain ways of her life that could not possibly be changed. She tells you how to save by using different methods of swapping/bartering. How the Amish try to recyle anything they possible can so they do not have to spend and are able to save for the things they truly need. The simplicity of a birthday gift involving no extravagence. The positives and negatives of buying bulk! All with a sense of humor. I am looking forward to finding other books by Ms. Craker...she is entertainment!

A Step Back in Time....

We made our trip to Schellsburg, PA this past week and let me just tell you, the joy of living in a house completely different than yours is unbelievable! Anyone who has been to our house knows that we are as contemporary as it gets; slanted roofs, broken dish fireplaces, sculptures, etc...What a smile I had on my face after stepping back in time at our vacation home for 3 days.

Built in 1890, Maxines (named for the original owner) was due to be torn down. My goodness...could you blame them?!!

In came Frank, a lover of all things country and antique, to save her from her ill fate. Check out the results!!

The inside was just as charming! This bed frame was original to the house :)

The original doors were preserved. So bright and cheery!!

Original furnace grates...what style!

Original unharmed wallpaper was kept in the newly built closets so you could see what once was.

Though two bathrooms were added to the house when it was bought, the outhouse still stands out back.

Have a seat ;)

Many updates were made in the house that was roaring and ready for our stay. New release dvd's, computer in the study, bin of toys for our little ones, stacks of brochures for site-seeing, toiletries, washer/dryer, spices and kitchenware...the list goes on and on!!

We can't wait for our next stay!!