After-Christmas Sales -- Online and In-Stores!

Got some gift cards in your stocking this year?  Or, even better, the gift that always fits and never goes out of style ~ some beautiful, crisp Christmas cash...that's now burning a hole in your pocket?  Well then, you're in luck!  Retail stores and sites are rolling out super savings starting today, so while they use extreme markdowns to get in a last-minute fourth quarter revenue boost, you can pick up some great bargains!

Check out the list below for online and in-store deals I've come across ~ be sure to check the websites themselves for exclusions and fine print!


Aerie ~ in-store and online
Up to 60% off

AllPosters.com ~ online only
75% off {and more!} on thousands of items, including artwork and apparel

American Eagle ~ in-store and online
All jeans on sale

Banana Republic ~ in-store and online
In-store ~ Take an additional 30% off already-reduced items, for savings of over 60% off original prices
Online ~ 30% off already-reduced items with code BRSALE30

Barnes & Noble ~ online and in-store
Various savings, including 50% off top books and calendars, up to 50% off toys, games and electronics and up to 75% off music

Bath & Body Works ~ online and in-store
Up to 75% off as part of the semi-annual "Hello Yellow!" sale; plus, $10 off any purchase of $40 or more {online code HELLOYELLOW or in-store code 5463}

CB2 {owned by Crate & Barrel} ~ online and in-store
Up to 50% off furniture, rugs, and home accessories {including Christmas items}

Children's Place ~ online and in-store {today only!}
Online ~ Up to 80% off {online prices reflect discount}
In-store ~ Up to 80% off when you use your 30% savings pass {if you have one}

Crate & Barrel ~ in-store and online
Up to 50% off furniture, rugs and home accessories {including Christmas items}

Express ~ in-store and online
Last day to use code 9544 to receive $90 off a $300 purchase, $60 off a $200, $30 off a $100, or $15 off a $60, plus free shipping off a purchase of $100 or more; also, up to 50% select items

Gap ~ in-store and online
In-store ~ extra 50% off sale items {today only!}
Online ~ extra 20% off sale items with code GAPSALE {today and tomorrow only!}

Godiva ~ online only
40% off select items

Groupon ~ online only
Up to 50% off Conde Nast Beauty and Fashion magazine subscriptions {including Allure, Glamour, Bon Appetit and Vogue}
Over 50% off the 75th Anniversary Edition of "The Joy of Cooking"

Mixbook ~online only
30% off off Thank You cards and New Years cards {use code CARDSAVE30}

Neiman Marcus ~ online and in-store
Up to 60% off already-reduced items

Juicy Couture ~ online only
Flash Sale!  Additional 50% off select sale items

Old Navy ~ in-store and online
In stores ~ up to 75% off
Online ~ up to 50% off and free shipping {over $50}

Sephora ~ online only
Extra 20% off sale items {code EXTRA}

Williams-Sonoma ~ online and in-store
Up to 50% off already-reduced sale items
One week only ~ White Sale!  20% off all regular-priced tabletop items, with code WHITESALE


xoxo
Bean

How to Set the Table -- Properly

Feel like impressing the fam at your holiday dinner?  Follow this guide from the November 29, 2011 issue of Family Circle to set your table the way it's supposed to be set {who knew?}. 

Charger, dinner plate and salad plate are stacked in the center of the place setting.  Dinner fork is placed directly to the left of the plates, and salad fork is to the left of that {on the napkin, if the napkin is not folded on top of plates}.  The knife is placed, sharp side facing in, directly to the right of your plates; the soup spoon {only if needed} is placed to the right of the knife.

The top left of your place setting is reserved for the bread plate, with a butter knife laid across it.  Directly above the plates, place your dessert spoon and dessert fork horizontally.  And finally ~ feeling thirsty?  Place the water glass, red wine goblet and white wine goblet in the upper right section of the place setting.  {Again ~ only if you are serving all three.  Extraneous glasses can be removed when you know what your guests are drinking}.


Bon appetit, darlings!

xoxo
Bean

Adorable Aprons!

Still looking for that perfect gift for your mom, sister, best friend ~ even daughter or niece?  Jessie Steele aprons make the perfect gift for the girl in your life who likes to cook, bake, hostess...or just look cute in the kitchen!

In polka-dots, paisleys, florals, and more, there are a variety of styles and patterns to choose from.  Some are classic, some are sassy ~ but all are adorable!  They're one size fits all and for the most part are around $30.  Many are in the classic tie-at-the-waist, fit-and-flare style, but some {like the peacock print above} tie under the bust in an empire-waist. 

Some of the prints are available in children's sizes for around $20.  There is a "Sale" tab as well, and some aprons come with matching accessories like dishtowels and oven mitts {like the sailor-themed set below}.

Jessie Steele also offers salon aprons, pajamas, and robes, but they're mostly known for their cute hostess aprons, like the ones pictured here.  I bought myself the Cherry Cupcake apron at Anthropologie several years ago, and I got such a kick out seeing Charlotte wear it in one of the Sex and the City movies after the fact!

Super cute, right?  Hope you're finishing up your holiday shopping with ease!

xoxo
Bean

{photo credits:  all photos jessiesteele.com}

Easy Cleaning Tips You Never Knew About

I found this list on Shine from Yahoo! of cleaning tips, utilizing household items in ways you probably wouldn't have thought of.  Thought I'd pass it along!

Baby Oil as Chrome Polish
Forget keeping skin soft, baby oil also polishes chrome.  Apply a dab to a cotton cloth and use it to shine everything from faucets to hubcaps.  You'll end up with shiny, happy surfaces from a medicine-cabinet staple.  {Who actually owns chrome cleaner, anyway?}

Broom as Long Distance Duster
To dust crown moldings, place a microfiber rag over the broom's bristles and secure with a rubber band.  Then use the long handle to dust areas that your arms can't reach.  No more circus acts {starring you, on a rickety, wobbly stool}.

Rice as Coffee Grinder Cleaner
Mill a handful of grains in your grinder and the fine particles will absorb stale odors and clean out residual grounds and oil.  Discard the rice and wipe clean.

Toothpaste as CD Cleaner
To restore a damaged CD, apply a dot of non-gel formulat toothpaste to a cotton cloth and rub in a straight line from the center of the CD outward, covering any scratches.  Rinse off the toothpaste with water.

Masking Tape as Scuff Preventor
Keep baseboards free of skid marks when you vacuum.  Cover the edges of the vacuum head with masking tape so they won't leave dark smudges when you inevitably bump into the walls.  There will be no more black marks on your cleaning record.

Fork as Carpet Fluffer
Use the tines to gently fluff plush carpet fibers back to their original height, removing dents left by heavy furniture.  Now, that's a real fork lift.


xoxo
Bean

{photo credit:  shine.yahoo.com}

Shopping in San Diego!

Earlier this year, my husband and I took a trip out to sunny California to visit my best girl Kaydee and her fiance, and finally see her hometown.  {Kaydee and I met in college in Boston, and I never made it out to the west coast to see her side of the country until 10 years into our friendship!}.  Miss Kaydee hails from La Jolla, outside of San Diego, but earlier this year she was living in the Solana Beach area of San Diego.

During our week-long stay in southern California, we crammed a lot of activities in ~ touristy stuff in the L.A. area; trips to both Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park; horseback riding and an afternoon in Old Town San Diego; and of course a bit of shopping.  Kaydee brought us to a favorite store of hers in the the area called Leaping Lotus.  Located on Cedros Avenue {Solana Beach's Design District}, Leaping Lotus has a bit of everything ~ plenty of unique home decor; clothing; jewelry and hair accessories; holiday decorations; and more, from local, national, and global vendors and artists.  It is an amazingly unique space, and a great place to find the perfect gift!  Or, if you're like me ~ a great place to find stuff for yourself!  {Plus, it was my birthday ~ you are always allowed to buy yourself presents on your birthday}.  :)

The first item I saw that I knew I just had to get was this rustic-looking chalkboard.  In Italian it reads

Cucina

Buon Appetito, Bella Cucina

Buon Cibo, Buon Vino, Buoni Amici

{Translation:  Kitchen; Enjoy Your Meal, Beautiful Kitchen; Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends}

My husband and I both have Italian roots, and I loved the rustic style of this piece. For some reason the surface of this chalkboard was a bit strange when I got it ~ regular chalk wouldn't work at all, and chalk pens wrote fine but the words and markings would still show up on the board pretty clearly after I'd wiped it clean.  Last week I grabbed a small bottle of chalkboard paint at Michaels {99 cents, and it can transform just about any surface into a chalkboard ~ a great idea, especially when you have kids, is to paint a square of chalkboard paint on the wall in the kitchen, their playroom or their bedroom for family messages or for art-time}.  I painted a few coats over the surface, so hopefully that problem is fixed.

I also bought these small framed cupcake paintings, which are now hanging over my stove.  I am sort of known as the-girl-who-is-always-baking among my family and friends {last year I single-handedly did the baking for Thanksgiving ~ I think I cranked out something like seven or nine desserts}.  Plus, who doesn't love a cupcake?  These pieces were too perfect!

Well, this isn't the greatest picture-of-a-picture, but I wanted to show you this piece I got at Leaping Lotus too.  It's painted directly on the wooden canvas {no frame}, and I hung it next to my vanity table.  Before you get too impressed with the fact that I have a "vanity table" ~ it's in my kitchen, and I put it there because it was that or stand up in the living room putting on makeup every day.  Ah, apartment life :).  Anyway, I loved the pseudo-glam vibe of the chandelier on this piece, which is countered with the perfectly-imperfect nicks and grooves in the wooden base.

So with my four wall-hangings, plus some sparkly hair pins, Chips Ahoy-flavored lip balm {why not?}, and a strand of paper-thin, fragile, glittery butterflies for my butterly-lovin' mama {similar to the ones in the picture Kaydee took, below, except in a strand that hangs from the ceiling}, my shopping trip to Leaping Lotus was complete.

I know I have some California girls who follow this blog ~ whether you live in or visit the San Diego area, I would definitely recommend a trip to Leaping Lotus.  You could probably find a gift for just about every female in your life, and at any price range too.  If nothing else, stop in to admire the hanging butterfly display section {it was upstairs when I was there} ~ so sparkly and pretty, it's guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

xoxo

Bean

Coming Up for the Holidays...

Woohoo!  It's November, darlings ~ the official kick-off to my favorite time of the year!  This month is all about pretty leaves, cooling weather, cozy sweaters, and utilizing apples and pumpkins any which way we can ~ culminating, of course, with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner!  December will bring fires in the fireplace and wreaths on the door, decorating trees or putting up the menorah, more baking {so much baking!}, and the best music and movies of the year!

To me, the holiday season really is the most wonderful time of the year.  I love each and every second of it, and none of it {the endless cooking, the shopping and budgeting, the crazy family get-togethers} really stresses me out.

I am so, so excited for all the things I have to share with you over the next two months!  I can't wait to share my first annual 12 Days of Christmas {Treats} list with you ~ I'll probably start those posts in December or after Thanksgiving.  {And I'm sure I'll be sharing way more than 12 recipes for goodies with you between now and New Years ~ I just like the ring of the 12 Days title, and those will probably be more Christmas-specific}.

I am also looking forward to chatting with you about all the fantastic holiday movies we'll be watching and the songs we'll be listening to.  I'm pulling together fun seasonal craft and decorating ideas that will be fun and festive, too!

The season is officially upon us, dolls ~ you can choose to embrace it or choose to avoid it or choose to just stress the whole way through.  I am going to choose to enjoy every second of it!

{Holiday} Cheers!

xoxo
Bean

{photo credits: tasteofhome.com;  countryliving.com; closetliving.com; melavilaalarilla.blogspot.com; marthastewart.com; sheknows.com}

Design Inspiration: Celebrity Nurseries

Just because we don't all have celebrity-sized bank accounts doesn't mean we can't have homes that look like a million bucks.  I routinely tear out pictures of rooms I like from magazines to save in an inspiration binder for when I actually have a house.  {Well, in theory I save them in a binder ~ in reality, I save them in a pile somewhere, and I have a binder still in the Target bag from when I bought it}.  Sometimes the pictures I save feature celeb homes, and sometimes they're just pictures I come across in a Women's Day-type magazine.  The pictures may feature a piece of furniture I adore, a color scheme I'd like to copy, or a whole room set-up that I could draw inspiration from.  I like to think about how I'd design every room in my future house, but one of my favorite groups of pictures to save are the baby nurseries.

Baby nurseries of the rich and famous can range from over-the-top and opulent to simple and serene.  Most of them have at least a few elements you could duplicate in your own house.


Elegant
Luxe fabrics, grown-up worthy color palates, and decadent details

The nursery where Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's twins lay their little heads is actually not as extravagant as I would have expected from the diva, although I'm sure she selected the finest fabrics and furniture that money can buy.  Save for the chandelier and the almost life-sized giraffe, the room is actually kind of understated {by Mariah Carey standards, anyway} ~ creamy neutrals, sage greens, and baby pinks complete the whole color scheme.

Rascal Flatts singer Jay DeMarcus and wife Allison also decorated their daughter's nursery in beautiful neutrals ~ creams, tans, golds, and pinky-beiges.  Although the two crystal chandeliers and what appear to be crushed velvet golden-hued drapes might be a bit over-the-top, I do love the intricate, vintage-y carvings on baby Madeline's crib.

Unique
Anything goes ~ whimsical themes, bright colors, and special touches that no one else has

Back in 2008, Christina Aguilera took an eclectic approach to decorating baby Max's room ~ video game-style mural on the wall, lots of teddy bears, and an enormous "Man in the Moon" fixture {which was actually featured on stage during her tour the year before}.  Most of us can't ~ or won't ~ get our hands on a 10-foot scowling moon for baby's room, but the darling round white crib is definitely worth considering.

When Manny Ramirez played for the Red Sox, he decked out his son's room in their Boston condo with {what else} full-on baseball decor.  A hand-painted mural of Fenway Park under the lights ~ complete with a scoreboard, cheering fans in the stands, a twinkling dark blue sky, and the famous Citgo sign ~ covered the walls and ceiling.  A baseball-themed boys' room?  Perfect!

Traditional
Soft colors, comfortable furniture, child-friendly decor

Marcia Cross's twin daughters' nursery has a spa-like vibe to it, doesn't it?  Dusty purple walls + clean white furniture and detailing = a calming environment to bond in with your baby {with comfortable matching armchairs to slump in during those 3 a.m. feedings and all night scream-a-thons}.

The nursery Jessica Alba pulled together for new baby Haven is bright and breezy, with sporadic pops of color {note the multi-colored staggered picture frames and bright-blue bookshelves}.  With a sturdy woven area rug and decor that isn't too matchy-matchy, baby Haven's room could easily belong to any kid in the neighborhood.

The last two pictures show Brooke Burke's shabby chic nursery for daughter Heaven Rain.  A classic pink-and-white palette, wood-beamed ceiling, plush daybed for mom to rest in and Heaven to grow into, and plenty of country-chic details make this simple design scheme simply fabulous.
 

My Favorite
 A little bit of this and a little bit of that become a stunning, personalized space

As if Ali Landry, former beauty queen, wasn't perfect enough ~ she also created an amazing, enviable room for her baby girl Estela.  The room featured is actually Estela's playroom, but the plush, pretty decor could easily be used in a nursery.  Using pinks and yellows, stripes and florals, Ali makes the room flow by keeping everything in the same color family.  Overstuffed armchairs and comfy-looking pillows make the space inviting, and personal touches {framed original Barbie sketches; baby dresses worn by Ali and Estela hanging on the wall} personalize it.  Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

And there you have it ~ a range of nurseries for the Hollywood set that run the gamut from completely classic to out-of-this-world.  While you and I may or may not be able to afford the exact furniture, linens, and interior designers that the stars can, with some creativity and resourcefulness, you can create the room of your dreams!  Pull inspiration from everywhere around you to create color palettes, themes and personal touches that make the room yours.

xoxo
Bean

{photo credits:  momfinds.com; people.com; hookedonhouses.net; boston.com; people.com; people.com; qualitybath.com; newarrivalsinc.com; people.com; people.com}

A Great Discount Shopping Site for the Whole Family

So by now we're all familiar with Groupon, right?  Groupon offers daily deals, via email and their website, and if a predetermined number of people want to buy the deal, they all get to purchase said deal at a fantastic price.  Do you use some of the other "daily deal" websites, though?  There are a ton of "invitation-only" sites that offer hugely discounted deals daily, like Groupon ~ but unlike Groupon, you aren't depending on a group of strangers to want to buy the same deal before you can purchase it too.  With these sites, if a deal is up, it's yours to purchase ~ and they offer anything from women's and men's clothing and accessories to travel packages around the world.  My favorite of these 'discount' sites is Rue La La.

Signing up for a Rue La La account is free, and once you sign up you have access to all their ever-changing deals and discounts.  Every deal has an expiration date {it's usually a few days}, and when you're signed in on the site you can preview what deals are on deck for the next few days {so you know when to sign back in and buy something fab, natch!}.  Rue La La sets up their deals in "boutiques" ~ for example, a Calvin Klein boutique or a Pottery Barn boutique {neither of which are listed right now ~ just an example}.  Instead of offering a particular style of pants, or a certain lamp or end table, for sale, there are a number of items in each boutique to choose from.  Their boutiques showcase big-name designers; as such, sometimes the deals are still a bit pricey.  A lot of times, though, they're absolute steals!  {Affordable Christmas shopping for the whole family, anyone?  I think yes!}

Want some examples of what Rue La La has to offer?  No problem!  Here we go...


Women
From top:  Gemma Grey Python silk top for $49.90 {reg $135}; Hype "Lyn" jade dot print silk blouse for $59.90 {reg $132}; Casadei heels {on left ~ Satin Peep-Toe Pump for $329.90, reg $850}

 Men
From top:  Briggs & Riley "Verb" expandable rolling case for $159.90 {reg $329}; Cullen Black wool-cashmere crewneck sweater for $69.90 {reg $175}; Peter Millar Alpine vest for $49.90 {reg $149.50}.

Living
From top: Canvas to Art custom sepia canvas for $49.90 - $119.90 {reg $74 - $205}; Company C "Fairfield" duvet and sham for $39.90 - $119.90 (reg $80 - $425}; Vera Wang "Love Knots" wine glass for $19.90 {reg $42.50}; Bartholomew Park Winery 3-bottle mixed set for $69.90 {reg $108}.

Travel
Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa 3-night or 7-night packages for one or two people for $1,799 - $8,949 {reg $2,785 - $12,230}

Kids
LittleMissMatched pink and purple mod trench for $39.90 {reg $72}; Pickles "Mac" 3-piece dinner set for $19.90 {reg $34.99}

Whew!  And those were just some of the deals available right this minute on Rue La La.  Remember, new deals pop up daily and they're only available for a limited time, so the merchandise may be completely different when you get a chance to look them up.  As you can see though, they have a wide range of products available, in a very wide price range. 

Interested in checking out Rue La La or signing up?  Click here!


Have fun browsing, girls!

xoxo
Bean

{photo credits:  all ruelala.com}

New Calphalon Waffle Maker

New at Williams-Sonoma ~ Calphalon's Classic Round Waffle Maker!  With a MSRP of $100.00, Williams-Sonoma has it listed at $69.95!  Click here to check it out.  From the website:

Bake waffles to perfection with Calphalon’s high-tech, simple-to-use waffler. Simply pour in batter, choose your desired level of doneness and let the waffler work its magic. No need to peek – the indicator light lets you know when your crispy-tender treats are ready.

 Just in time for those cozy holiday breakfasts!  Yum!

xoxo
Bean

Pumpkin Painting!

I was inspired by an October Family Circle magazine cover to create a fun and festive Halloween centerpiece for my kitchen table.  As you know, I don't have kids yet, but I do enjoy being creative and decorating according to a theme.  This magazine cover showed a twist on traditional pumpkin decorating ~ painting instead of carving.  In less than an hour and a half {start to finish}, and for less than $20 {including materials that I can use again}, I created my own unique decor.  So if you're looking to skip the pumpkin-carving mess and do a little something different this year, read on.

I grabbed six mini pumpkins {three orange and three white} at Whole Foods at 75 cents each.  {I hear the price of pumpkins is high this year ~ I haven't bought pumpkins in several years, so I don't know this for a fact...but $4.50 for six little pumpkins sounds good to me!}  Mini pumpkins aren't edible but do last a long time before starting to rot, so you could display these for the full month of October without worry.  I debated grabbing a sugar pumpkin as well to have one larger {but not too large} pumpkin to paint too, but ended up just going with the minis.  You could paint any size pumpkin though.

I got four containers of all-purpose acrylic paint at Michael's, where they were on sale for 50 cents each {I got black, white, orange, and silver sparkle}.  I didn't have any small paintbrushes at home so I also purchased a value package of brushes for $6.99 {if only I'd had one of their frequent 40% off one item coupons!}, knowing that I'll be able to use these time and again for other craft projects.


I knew that I would want to display the pumpkins on top of dark, drapey fabric on my table.  I swung by Ocean State Job Lot {for those who don't live in the area ~ Ocean State is a bargain store that sells past-season, overstock, discontinued, and irregular products.  It is not pretty or fancy, but it does serve a purpose}.  I found a four-pack of chocolate brown cloth napkins for $2.00, which is perfect ~ I can use them to decorate for Thanksgiving too!

Drawing inspiration from both the Family Circle magazine and from my own little imagination, I painted the pumpkins in different ways ~ some got stripes painted along the vertical grooves in the pumpkins; some got polka-dots; one got the word "Boo!" scrawled across it; and two were painted black.  I covered one black-painted pumpkin with little white flecks, and the other I used a key to scratch lines into to reveal the white pumpkin color underneath.

{After paint dries, gently scratch lines with a key for a cool effect}

After letting the pumpkins dry {which did not take long}, I set up my table display.  I covered the table with a plain gray tablecloth and laid a Pottery Barn Kids Halloween table runner across it {a gift from my mother-in-law years ago}.  I stacked  two empty plastic food-storage containers upside down in the center of the table {to allow my display to have different levels}.

Then I draped one of the cloth napkins on top of the containers, bunching it up in different areas until I liked the way it looked.

Last but not least, I put the pumpkins into place, added two skeleton-decorated votive holders, and voila!  A quick and easy Halloween centerpiece.

Happy painting, dolls!

xoxo

Bean

A Cheap and Easy Scented Candle Alternative

I've heard of this home-fragrance trick for years, but had never tried it out ~ simmer cinnamon sticks in water on the stove top to make your whole house smell good.  The other day while passing through the produce section of the supermarket, I spotted a package of cinnamon sticks out of the corner of my eye and grabbed it on a whim.  For a few dollars and the chance to make my apartment smell like holiday baking, why not?

Tonight while washing dishes and cleaning up, I figured I might as well try it out.  I put a shallow amount of tap water in a small saucepan and tossed in two cinnamon sticks, turning the burner on medium.  Once it achieved a good boil, I turned the flame down to low, and waited.

Now, my nose is a bit stuffed up due to seasonal allergies, but lo and behold, less than ten minutes later I could definitely detect the scent of cinnamon wafting across the kitchen.  And did it smell good!  After about 20 minutes or so, I added a bit more water to the pan {I assume if the water boils all the way down, you'll end up getting a charred-cinnamon smell, which doesn't seem nearly as appealing}.  Although cinnamon has a decidedly spicy taste,  it was giving off an intense sweet aroma ~ almost a bit too sweet.  I shook some powdered nutmeg and cloves, which have much earthier scents, into the pan ~ and a dash of ginger just for good measure.  The house smelled like Thanksgiving baking in no time!

I am a devout scented-candle burner, and I probably will never give that up.  I just love my apartment to smell fresh and welcoming, and I change scents with the seasons.  But it is nice to now have an inexpensive, easy, and unique alternative to make my house smell delicious!  Any other ideas for scenting the house this way?  Perhaps a few drops of vanilla extract or lemon extract in a pot of water?  I'll test it out another day!

xoxo

Bean

{photo credit: apartmenttherapy.com}