Dub. Tee. Eff. ???

Normally I'm all like "Ikea, I totally heart you, let's make out." I still am, but I was a little vexed when I saw this:

Flower plate for coffee table- $40. Yowza. I don't think I want it that bad.
So I meander over to Target and find this:


Hello Half-the-Price. $19.99.

Sorry Ikea.

Sack it to me, baby!

I am in love.

Sorry JEGS, but you are going to have to start sharing my affections.

You know those re-usable bags that you can get at Targer or Giant or whathaveyou? You know those bags, the ones that make you think to yourself "I should be a good person and buy one of those, but gosh darn it, they are ugly!" I sacrificed style to 'go green' and let me tell you, those bags are not only ugly but they are a pain in the butt. I was always forgetting them and they aren't exactly the easiest to carry around while shopping.

Well no more, my friends.

Say hello to Envirosax.

The Youngsters over at This Young House highlighted these adorable little bags during a give-away. Sadly I didn't win, however the company did offer a 10% discount for two days to readers of TYH. I totally partook in that. Wouldn't you?? Look at these sassy little earth-savers:

 

Hold up. You've got a little drool coming from your mouth.

No.. other side.

Ok, now you're kosh.

Anyway, do you love them? Cause I do.

I picked the "Candy" series because... well, because it was purple, who are we kidding? I'm like a moth to flame when it comes to purple.

When the package arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday (just in time for shopping day on Wednesday!) I squealed and clapped my hands. I was so excited to get them, and they were totally worth the wait.

When you pick 5 bags you get a complimentary pouch. I've left 4 of the bags in the pouch and it fits perfectly in my Jeep's console:

This way I can never forget them at home!

The fifth one is snuggled in my bag, just in case of an emergency:

Doesn't it look so at home curled up next to my day planner?

When rolled up they are about the size of a cell phone, but when you unsnap them they are HUUUGE! Here are the bags on my kitchen table:

 

I really should have taken a picture to show all the stuff in the bags, but I didn't think to. But I was able to fit two weeks worth of groceries in 4 bags. And the fourth bag was only half full!

They may seem a little pricey to some (about $8.50 per bag- $40 for a set of 5) but when you think of how long you could use them, they are worth it. Plus, you are doing your part to save the environment, and looking totally adorable while doing it. Duhh, no brainer!

Always & Forever,

ME

D.O.A.

Hail Storm: 1. Zinnias: 0.

Fabulous June

I won't lie, June was a rough month. I have been crazy stressed out as well as super busy. But that doesn't mean there aren't some fabulous things about the month of June!

1. The Return of ErinDoyle
Ok, so it wasn't really the return of Erin, but she did come visit from Atlanta during the first week of June. And on that Saturday she was surprise baby shower. She is popping out her first little munchkin in October and I am so super excited for her!!

2. Tiger Lilies

Tigerlilies are my all time favorite flowers. You've probably seem them on the side of the road or around your neighbors mailboxes. They bloom in the middle of June and to me it is the offical beginning of the summer when I see them sprouting on the side of the road!

3. The Hangover

Funniest movie I have seen in a long time. I cannot wait to go to OBX chocked full of quotes.

Am I missing a tooth?

4. Jon and Kate +8

I am such a sucker for this show. I know it technically premiered in May, but I'm adding it to my June post because I didn't get to start watching it till June (i heart on demand). I fell in love with this show in the second season. I loved watching the day to day tasks with a family of 8. I thought it was amazing how well organized everything was! I bowed down to Kate, Queen of Organization. By Season 4 I was totally over the show, as you could tell Jon was. Watching them going on trips and then home to their multi-million dollar mansion got old really quick. They weren't a humble family anymore- they were super stars. Now it's a guilty pleasure as I watch Kates fall from grace. You have to admit, she is kind of a bitch. And really, what is with that hair??? JK+8 Jon - 9

4. Birthdays and Anniversaries

June is a month chocked full of birthdays and anniversaries in my family. My birthday was on the 13th, Mommacitas on the 7 and Daddy-O's on the 18. My brother Tim and his wife Bryn celebrated their 2nd year of wedded bliss (and about to celebrate their second bundle of joy too!) as well as Erin has 3 years under her belt on the 24th and my friend Whitehall tied the knot two years ago today. And although it's not a wedding anniversary, JEGs and I celebrated 8 years together- but who knows.. maybe there will be a wedding in our future soon!
So there you have it, another month gone by. See ya next year, June!

Always & Forever,

ME

Buffet Rehab

You all remember my Bone Of Contention, right?

I originally wanted the Cabria Buffet from Crate & Barrel, but let's be honest, I don't have an extra $700 to throw around. I was willing to spend $150 (before supplies) and maybe to $200 if I found something I loved. Then, I found this little gem on Craigslist:


A pine cabinet with really good bones and loads of potentional. Last Saturday JEGs and I drove to Depford, NJ and I picked this up from a nice family who was moving to Florida and didn't want to move the furniture with them.

The price?

$60.

Hell to the yeah.

We loaded it up and headed back to PA.

Work Day One (aka Monday) JEGs and I sanded it down.

Originally I wanted something about 36 inches tall and this was only 29.5 inches, so JEGs and I took off the old legs and added new ones from Lowes.

old legs vs new legs

you've got new legs Lt. Dan!

After we attatched the legs we started staining. I decided on Minwax's Aegean because I wanted it to really stand on its own and not blend in with the other woods that were in the great room.

after a couple coats of stain...

those empty kitty litter boxes were perfect for us to put the shelves on while they dried

I bought new hardware for the drawer and doors. I picked out Targets Double Beaded Knob for the drawer and the 3" Pull for the two doors:

We headed over to Ikea and picked up two of the LACK shelves. At $19.99 they were a total steal, and we found one in the "As Is" department that had a scrape on the top, but was otherwise fine for $5.99. I was so elated that I was practically like the woman in the commercial screaming "START THE CAR!"

Anyway, the final product:

We went with the darker shelves and then I popped some freshness in with white frames and accessories. I just love the way it flows with the rest of the Great Room:

The final cost breakdown:

Buffet: $60

Stain and supplies: $31.27

Hardware: $33.18

Shelves: $27.53

Total Cost: $151.98

about $2 more then I was going to spend on just the furniture.

I. am. the bomb.

It took a week of sweat, tears, bug bites and a lot of hemming and hawing about the stain, but I am soooo happy with the way it came out. Also, many thanks to Joey and Connie for letting us hijack their garage for a week.

Always & Forever,

ME

CoverGirl you fail me again. When will a girl ever learn?

My girl Carly over at Three O'Clock Coffee tested a new beauty product and we decided to post about it on our blogs. So, without further ado, I give you my first guest-blogger, Madam C:


Hello all Lizzie in Progress readers! WAIT! I should start by addressing all the men in the audience: if you are from the male variety (and do not wear make up), this article does not concern you. In the mean time, feel free to peruse, my blog, 3 o’clock Coffee (http://threepmcoffee.blogspot.com/).

Now ladies, have you ever dreamed of the perfect lipstick/gloss. Something that goes on easily, wears all day, and doesn’t have any taste? Something that will gently accentuate those luscious lips of yours? Personally I am not the best lipstick wearer. I usually start out strong: lip liner (the same shade as the lipstick!!), lipstick, and finally top it off with a nice shot of gloss to keep it smooth. But I can never remember to reapply. Also, I had to limit my lip enhancement material to NONE in the summer due to my convertible. I know, I know, Amy is probably crying blasphemy about now but seriously; I can’t rock lipstick or gloss with my hair flying about.

And that’s when I saw it. It was like a mirage, an answer to my prayers. CoverGirl Lipstain claimed:

“…give lips a beautiful, lightweight flush of color that won't come off, lasting for hours without the heavy look or feel of an ordinary lipstick…”

I thought this product would be perfect for me, especially when I roll with the roof down in my car. I stopped at the local Rite Aid, and purchased a tube of Everbloom Bliss (#400).

It was anything but “bliss.”

First let me start with the positives of the product:

• The Color - Reviews on the CoverGirl website state that the color “none of which resembled the colors advertised” or “color was harsh” or “It is NOT a "flush" of color.” This I disagree with. I really like the color that I purchased and thought it was true to the label and bottle.

That is it. There was only one.

Yet, there are so many things wrong with this product:

• The Applicator – It is like a felt tip pen. It goes on smoothly yet it seems to dry out as you are applying it to your lips. WTF?
• The Taste – OK so now you lippies have been officially stained and the first thing you notice is the harsh chemical taste. For me it is almost like a burning sensation on the tip of my tongue. Yuck!
• The Sustainability – I am calling shenanigans on CoverGirl. Shenanigans I say! There is no staining involved. It goes on and looks great for about ½ hour, that is, if you don’t lick your lips (but why would you, it tastes like crap). There are no staining qualities about this product. And heaven forbid you try to put a gloss over it to give it a nice sheen, it will just take the stain off completely.

So in the end, save your $8+ dollars and don’t buy this product. There are no staining qualities in this product. All in all Lipstain is a wonderful concept, but a poorly executed concept.

Thanks for reading Ladies. And good luck in your quest for the perfect lipstick/gloss!

Your Daily Barista
of 3 o’clock Coffee
http://threepmcoffee.blogspot.com/

Adventures in Gardening... and Spray Paint.

It all started with this pot...


Seems innocent enough, right? Oooo no no no. My mother gave me this pot because she had killed whatever was in it originally. I thought it was pretty and planned on tranplanting my bamboo into it. But then I realized my patio needed some work so I decided to stop over at my neighborhood Lowes (still lovin the Metroplex) and check out their variety of flora.

Here comes the part where I have no idea what I'm talking about.

As much as I would love to say I'm the next Martha Stewart, I really don't know much about gardening, and it is about to become totally evident. As soon as I got there I saw these beautiful yellow flowers. How beautiful would it look with the yellow and the green of the flowers agains the blue of the pot! I am amazing! I want it to look full and beautiful so I'll grab two, no make it three just in case. WOOOO!
This would be a good time to mention that this pot that Mommacita had graciously given me was about 9 inches wide. These flowers that I bought (that I decided were azaleas- they were not- there were zinnias) were easily 7-8 inches wide. Nooo way was I fitting more then one in that pot. Oh yeah, and I didn't have any potting soil. Or a spade. Good job chief.

Now that I have a small jungle of zinnia and no place to put them, I went to the Wal-mart by my office later that day. I got some potting soil and I picked up a larger pot thinking I could get two flowers in there, and one in the original pot.

When I got home I realized I could fit all three in one pot, and the original blue bot was still empty. As you can tell, size and space mean nothing to me in the visual sense.

that's all three azaleas, I mean zinnias in one Wal-mart sized pot.

Enter, stage left, the My Little Pony trashcan:

A friend of mine bought this for me as a practical joke a couple years back and for some unknown reason I have kept it. At this point I have so many pots and not enough flowers, why not add one more pot, eh?? So I had JEGs hammer a bunch of holes for drainage in the the bottom and I began my first spray painting experience.

I picked a blue spray paint (as soon as I remember the actual name and brand I will edit this) and covered the whole can with two coats:

Then I got some stickers from my scrapbooking supplies and spelled FLOWERS across the front:

Then I spray painted the whole can white (again, I'll edit this when I remember the name and brand):

When it dried, I tooke the stickers off and voila!:

Adeu childhood equestrians, hello... um... spray painted can. Hm.

This is not exactly what I thought it was going to look like. What the hell, I'll plant flowers in it anyway. So I did. After a few hours I realized I didn't like the look of it so I went over it with another coat of white paint, and was a little more pleased with the outcome.

and yes, I did spray paint a leaf. 'Cause I'm awesome like that.

While I was out today I grabbed some smaller, um, white flowers (pansies maybe? I don't know) and put them in the big pot with one of the zinnias, and took the other two zinnias and put them in the original blue pot and my new flower can. I added my free rug from Craigslist and here is the patio:

Not exactly out of the pages of Homes & Gardens, but I'm getting there. And I've got a list of other things I want to try to spray paint too (that means you, rug ;)

Always & Forever,

ME