Sunday, March 28, 2010

News on the homefront

So many things are going on here at our house and in our lives.

I've been slowly but certainly adding items up in the shop, including this adorable little metal badge from Captain Tim's Ivory Stamp Club.


We're still awaiting final word from the bank, but things with the house seem to finally be coming together. Everything was a bit more complicated than originally appeared and there was actually more than one bank to deal with. We keep hoping that everything could be resolved before spring break so we could have the time off to work on cleaning the new house and preparing to move in, we've still got a week left - so, fingers crossed.

We're meeting with our floor guy on Tuesday so he can let us know how much it will be to refinish the wood floors and how long it will take. It's hard, but I'm holding off on getting super excited because we all know how things can change at the last minute.

Well, that's about it from us, at least for now. Hopefully soon I'll have happy news to share about the house.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Freebies, Coupons and Making Money: Point Programs

For quite a while I've used online point programs to get fun things for free. So I've decided to share a few at a time so you can too, it doesn't take much time and I get things like photo prints, magazine subscriptions, and other things free quite often.

Before I get started here's my #1 Tip: I use a separate email address for all the point programs I do, namely so I only look at the emails when I want to and I don't have to wade through so many just to get to my personal emails.

Point Programs
  • How to Use: Find points on coke products and packaging

  • What You Can Get: there are plenty of rewards to choose from, but I use most of my points on photo credits from snapfish and magazine subscriptions that I wouldn't treat myself to otherwise.

  • Where to Find Codes: there is really only one place to find codes - on coke packaging and under coke product bottle caps. While Richard and I don't drink soda all that often it's pretty easy to ask friends who do to save the codes. I know plenty of people who drink lots of coke but don't use the rewards program. So if you're not a soda drinker - don't write it off, just ask around! One of my old roommates would go so far as to take the caps from the recycling bin at her work for me (I made sure to get some prizes for her too!)

  • My experience: Over the few years I've used this program I've managed to get at least ten rewards each year including yearly subscriptions to Vanity Fair and Readymade, as well as photobooks and prints from Snapfish.


Swag Bucks
Search & Win
  • How to Use: Sign up. Use the site to search the internet. Get swagbucks. Trade them in for items or gift cards. If you shop online you're also able to use their website as a portal to online stores and receive points for the money you were planning to spend anyway. You also get points for referring friends, so if you decide to join you should use my referral link above to help me out!

  • What You Can Get: Apple, Target and Amazon gift cards, ipods and electronics, clothes and even office supplies too.

  • Where to Find Codes: there are Swagcodes that pop up from time to time on the SwagBlog and the Twitter account, I don't lurk all day hoping to get a code (as they are generally only good for a few hours) but have been lucky a few times to have the right timing when I did glance at the site.

  • My experience: Just today, only two weeks after signing up I had earned 450 swagbucks which I exchanged for a $5 Amazon gift card. The gift cards can be stacked so I plan to earn a few more before making an Amazon purchase so I can get a couple things from my wish list for only the price of shipping.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Fun little lady up in the shop!


Another one of the Campus Cuties has made it up into the shop today and will be followed closely behind by some other fun vintage finds!

I quite love the Campus Cuties by Louis Marx myself and have a couple occupying various nooks in the house and have given a few as gifts to friends. You can't beat some vintage tschokie therapy on Monday morning!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Drawing Inspiration

It's drastically difficult for me to not find inspiration every where I turn, and the internet is certainly no exception. The truth is, I've been going through my oh-so-many bookmarks to clean house and remember what's been inspiring me and realized inspiration is so much more fun when shared - so have at it!

One of my favorite websites is DesignSponge for just about everything. The sneak peaks they provide into different homes provide decorating inspiration, and I really love their before and after features and instructions on various projects cause I'm a diy girl at heart. On of my favorites is the mini-garden from an altoids tin.


Dollar Store Hacks is a cute little blog, even though it seems a one time project that hasn't be updated since. It's a great little reminder of how we can all be ready makers. Below rulers become place mats, and make me want to make some out of mismatched wood rulers.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Art Lovelies: Anna

I may say this often, but it's true that my family is full of some awesome and creative people. One of those is my cousin Anna. She always has those creative vibes rolling off of her and she is involved in such a variety of artistic pursuits. She's almost done with her college degree at SCAD and has been cranking out some really awesome dioramas - like the one below - for her classes, and I'm just hoping I can make another trip down to Savannah before she graduates.


In addition to being a great illustrator, a phenomenal writer (with an reoccurring internship at Scholastic), and all around awesome gal she plays in a band by the name of General Oglethorpe and the Panhandlers. I'll readily admit to being biased, but I think they rock, and this photo of them by Zulmarie takes the cake. You can listen to four of their songs on their myspace right now, and they'll be recording more this spring so expect more soon!


As far as Anna and I go we're about a year apart in age and as children went through quite the love/hate/love relationship before we arrived at the friendship we have today. She's featured in most of the photos I have of myself and my sister in matching outfits.