The best $5 I spent last weekend...

Was on this j. crew skirt I found at goodwill. It's super cute, is in perfect condition, and was exactly my size. Score!

And because my husband was so sweet to photograph me in my new purchase, here are some other random shots he took...

And yes, since I'm sure you were going to ask, that is the bougainvillea corsage listed in my etsy shop that I'm wearing:)

Giveaway!

I'm so excited to announce my first giveaway here on Design Actually! To celebrate the opening of my new etsy shop, Fancify, I will be giving away {one} of the following Fancy Bands:

You may choose either the {Sorbet} with an adult-sized band:

Or the {Cotton Candy} with a baby/child sized band:

So how do you enter? It's easy...just head over to my facebook page and become a fan, then come back here & leave me a comment saying which fancy band you would like if you win. ***You will receive an extra entry if you are a follower of this blog*** If you're already a follower, leave another comment saying you're a follower too. If not, become a follower & leave another comment. Easy peasy!

This contest will end on Sunday {the 4th} at 9 pm, and the winner will be announced first thing Monday morning. Good luck!

***This giveaway is now closed***

*fancify

Weekend Highlights

{in no particular order}

1. toenails painted peacock blue + sparkles

2. made my favorite new healthy dessert, peanut butter cups from this amazing book

3. opened my new etsy shop, Fancify

Could anything be more precious than this little angel modeling one of my new Fancy Bands? I think not. So yes, I now have 3 etsy shops, but I felt it was time to move my statement jewelry & accessories to their own home instead of being mixed in with the vintage stuff on junktrunk. I will be adding more to Fancify throughout the week...headbands for adults & kids alike, flower pins, and necklaces so be sure to check it out. I'm thinking a giveaway will be in order to kick off the new shop, stay tuned mid-week for details!

*photo credit touchoflovephotography.blogspot.com

Junk trunk

It's Thursday, estate sale day, which makes this my favorite day of the week. I've been scoring some excellent treasures lately, which makes me all the more excited to see what I'll find this week. I just added some new necklaces & flower pins to my etsy shop, junktrunk. I've been incorporating some of my vintage jewelry finds into the new pieces for a truly one of a kind look. Here's a sample of some of the new things...

View the other items in my shop here.

Kitchen Redo

I've been meaning to post some photos of my kitchen since we re-did the lighting a few months ago but had been waiting until I found a photo of what it looked like when we first moved in so it would be a bit more dramatic. Well I finally found a 'before' shot this weekend, so here it is with the gorgeous (gag) oak cabinets, fluorescent light fixture (not shown, but it was centered on the ceiling), and totally mismatched window treatment:

And here it is now:

We spruced the kitchen up on a pretty tight budget because we don't plan on staying in this house for too long and didn't want to make a big investment, but clearly some things needed to change to make this more livable. We painted the walls a neutral shade, painted the cabinets white, added some cabinet hardware, took down all window treatments (we have block walls in the backyard), got a new faucet, and most importantly, took down the the fluorescent fixture and added some recessed lights and a pendant over the dining table.

Of course there are things I would love to change (like the appliances & formica) but overall I am very happy with how it turned out!

Organization

Over Christmas I did some organizing in my studio/workspace. I have tons of fabric, craft items, and books and I needed to get it all organized so that I could actually get some work done in there. I wanted to be frugal about it, so I bought all of my plastic storage at Target while everything was on sale over the holidays. I decided to go with clear boxes because it was important that I be able to see everything and know which box I need to grab for my various projects. I wish I had some 'before' shots to share, but I can't seem to find any, but trust me...it was bad.

My husband built this desk for me a few years ago, it definitely helps to keep me organized...

Lots of fabric & shipping supplies...

Misc. crafty goodness...

I decided to put this paper tablecloth (from Ikea) underneath the plexiglass top which adds a nice dose of pattern to the room...

I'm very happy with the end result, it's so much easier to find things now and the room is much more functional. Do you have any organizing projects going on right now?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Here's a glimpse at some of my holiday decor...

My version of the Eddie Ross wreath

I love my white tree...

I have a little thing for these mirror trees it seems...

I bought these at Target a few years ago:

And I found the one below at the Dollar Tree this year! I couldn't believe it, it's definitely not the same quality as my Target ones, but you can hardly tell the difference looks wise. RUN, do not walk to your local store to get a few for yourself. (Just don't go to mine because I cleared them out, I think I bought 7 total!)

Happy Monday

I hit some great estate sales over the weekend which inspired me to update my shop with some new items. Here are just a few:

owl pendant

vera neumann scarf

ribbon brooch

I've also added a couple of fun stockings to my other shop:

I'll be adding more in the days to come, but I wanted to get a few up on my site because the Christmas season is fast approaching. Sorry for all of the shameless self promotion today, hope your weekend was nice and productive, too!

Etsy Love

Did I mention that I have two etsy shops? Like many interior designers, I have many creative interests. I love sewing, crafting, painting, needlepoint, and whatever else strikes my fancy at the moment. When I was younger and people would ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up, I always said that I wanted to make "stuff" and sell it. Well I guess I'm living the dream folks!

At L Studio, I sell handmade diaper bags, purses & baby accessories:

Cameron Bag

Lila Bag

Momma Carry All Bag

Cameron Bag

Diaper Tote Wristlet

Birdie Bib

I also have a love for bold, retro floral designs & cutesy figurines (mostly owls). At my other shop called junktrunk, I sell vintage decor items that I find while shopping antique shops, garage sales & estate sales. I love the thrill of the hunt, but don't always have a place in my home for what I find, so that's why I created this shop:

There is much more to see in my shops, so check 'em out! I also do custom orders for the diaper bags, purses, & accessories. There is a link to both L Studio and junktrunk on my sidebar for your convenience!