This will be my last post here at Two Nuts in a Shell. I'm moving! :) You can now find me over at Hawthorn & Holly--you'll know you're in the right place because mine and Jason's mugs greet you at the top of the page! No worries, Two Nuts in a Shell will still be here; I'm not going to let the domain expire. I've linked up to all my old projects over at the new place, so you won't have to hunt them down. I hope you'll make the move with me and come check out the new digs!
October 28, 2010
October 19, 2010
While I'm away...
It seems like this blog goes through a veritable roller coaster when it comes to reader/writer interaction. I'll go weeks without hearing from any of you and then suddenly my blog is flooded with comments (which I totally love because it makes me feel relevant). I'm definitely not a "super blog" with thousands of readers and that has never bothered me. This blog is my hobby, not my career. I don't mind having less than 200 followers but I'm not ashamed to offer prizes and goodies to bulk up my numbers when I'm tired of being stuck in a certain bracket. I don't need advertisers, and if I suddenly need to to tell you about some amazing new find I can do it without worrying that I'm going to step on some one's toes.
But one thing I do want to do is hear more from you! Especially because I'm going to be moving to new digs soon! Blogger has some amazing new tools, gadgets and set-ups, and rather than try to implement them here and mess up all my pages, I've decided to start over and start fresh. Yes, I'll be horribly sad to say goodbye to "Two Nuts in a Shell," but I'm hoping the new site (name to be announced soon!) will mark a new chapter in my blogging life (and no, before everyone goes wild with speculation, it will not be a baby blog.)
So, after all that jabberwocky, while I'm on hiatus with my newly returned hubby ::swoon, giggle, and blush:: I'm leaving the floor open to your suggestions!
What would make you comment more?
Do you want polls listed on the blog?
What do want to see more of?
Should I start hosting link parties?
Would you like more opportunities to ask questions about us?
Should I incorporate video blogging?
Tell me whatcha thinkin'!
and please be kind. reading this blog is optional. suggestions to go jump in a ditch will be immediately ignored and deleted. :)
But one thing I do want to do is hear more from you! Especially because I'm going to be moving to new digs soon! Blogger has some amazing new tools, gadgets and set-ups, and rather than try to implement them here and mess up all my pages, I've decided to start over and start fresh. Yes, I'll be horribly sad to say goodbye to "Two Nuts in a Shell," but I'm hoping the new site (name to be announced soon!) will mark a new chapter in my blogging life (and no, before everyone goes wild with speculation, it will not be a baby blog.)
So, after all that jabberwocky, while I'm on hiatus with my newly returned hubby ::swoon, giggle, and blush:: I'm leaving the floor open to your suggestions!
Do you want polls listed on the blog?
What do want to see more of?
Should I start hosting link parties?
Would you like more opportunities to ask questions about us?
Should I incorporate video blogging?
Tell me whatcha thinkin'!
and please be kind. reading this blog is optional. suggestions to go jump in a ditch will be immediately ignored and deleted. :)
October 17, 2010
October 8, 2010
This season's table scape
For some reason, fall seems to be the only season that I can decorate my table completely (what does that say about my favorite season? fall it is!). I changed it up a little this year versus last year, which was really one of the first years I'd ever done a full table scape. Or even had a table. Well, that's not entirely true. Here's a shot of the $100 Wal-Mart table set we had back in the rarely seen North Carolina house. Fancy, huh??
Here's how it looked last year.
Muuuuuch more colorful and put together! And here it is this year.
The only thing I changed were some of the glasses and added some $2 places mats from Bed Bath & Beyond (subsequently where I got the pumpkin colored ones as well last year). Overall, I added it up and each place setting cost a whopping $12. The chargers were in a pack of 6 for $14 (from BB&B). The pumpkin place mats were $2, the napkins were $2, the napkin rings were $3 (all BB&B items). The glasses I picked up at IKEA for a whole $0.57 a piece (and I freaking wanna sky write how much I love them). The vintage place settings I ordered on eBay. I got almost 300 pieces for $20, effectively making them about $0.07 a piece! That's less than a dime folks!!
When I saw these laser cut leaf mats at BB&B I was hooked. Granted, they make me want to sing "O Canada!" but by adding that extra layer to the table, it instantly made it more colorful and fall-ish.
I wonder if I can make them work on top of some gold place mats for Christmas??
Here's how it looked last year.
Muuuuuch more colorful and put together! And here it is this year.
The only thing I changed were some of the glasses and added some $2 places mats from Bed Bath & Beyond (subsequently where I got the pumpkin colored ones as well last year). Overall, I added it up and each place setting cost a whopping $12. The chargers were in a pack of 6 for $14 (from BB&B). The pumpkin place mats were $2, the napkins were $2, the napkin rings were $3 (all BB&B items). The glasses I picked up at IKEA for a whole $0.57 a piece (and I freaking wanna sky write how much I love them). The vintage place settings I ordered on eBay. I got almost 300 pieces for $20, effectively making them about $0.07 a piece! That's less than a dime folks!!
When I saw these laser cut leaf mats at BB&B I was hooked. Granted, they make me want to sing "O Canada!" but by adding that extra layer to the table, it instantly made it more colorful and fall-ish.
I wonder if I can make them work on top of some gold place mats for Christmas??
October 6, 2010
Buffets and 'brellas
For a while now I've been wanting something like a buffet for our dinning room. Most military houses have a small breakfast bar (the one we have now is fairly shallow--not even deep enough to pull stools up to), but I wanted something more adequate for decorating and serving on the rare occasion that we have large groups over, like last Thanksgiving. Having all the food up on the bar and everyone scrambling around each other's chairs wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind when I was planning our fancy meal! ;) We've decided not to host Thanksgiving this year--it's most likely the last time all my dad's girls will be in the country together (one of my sisters plans on moving to England with her boyfriend after her last year of school). But I digress. Back to the buffet.
One of the great things about having a day job again is having money for larger projects. I'm not fooling myself--if I can find a buffet for $150 I will be very happy! I'd like something like one of these. Chunky legs and spindles, no boxy shapes like the ones you find in Target and Wal-Mart these days.
I plan on putting it on the same wall that our shelves hang on, but I don't want it to be too deep since that's right near our entryway.
Just by chance, I also happened to come across this photo on The Inspired Room (I'm hooked on the 31 Days series every one's doing), which is from House Beautiful. And I was immediately struck with inspiration!
I have a bunch of these galvanized tin buckets froma cracked out obsessive shopping spree earlier this summer. I picked up two from Michael's, one of which is on our wall unit downstairs...
...and another which is serving as a toilet paper holder in the guest bathroom.
(sorry, there's no good way to photograph anything that sits next to the porcelain god.)
But I have one more, a larger one (right), that I picked up for only $5 at an antique warehouse (it was about the only thing I could afford in there and I was more than happy to take it off their overpriced hands).
I'm thinking that next to my hopefully-soon-to-be-acquired-buffet, filled with a few umbrellas, it will finally find its rightful place in our home! Now my only decision is black or white umbrellas. Against my white walls, black would definitely pop. But next to a black buffet would it be too much? Hmm...
One of the great things about having a day job again is having money for larger projects. I'm not fooling myself--if I can find a buffet for $150 I will be very happy! I'd like something like one of these. Chunky legs and spindles, no boxy shapes like the ones you find in Target and Wal-Mart these days.
I plan on putting it on the same wall that our shelves hang on, but I don't want it to be too deep since that's right near our entryway.
Just by chance, I also happened to come across this photo on The Inspired Room (I'm hooked on the 31 Days series every one's doing), which is from House Beautiful. And I was immediately struck with inspiration!
I have a bunch of these galvanized tin buckets from
...and another which is serving as a toilet paper holder in the guest bathroom.
(sorry, there's no good way to photograph anything that sits next to the porcelain god.)
But I have one more, a larger one (right), that I picked up for only $5 at an antique warehouse (it was about the only thing I could afford in there and I was more than happy to take it off their overpriced hands).
I'm thinking that next to my hopefully-soon-to-be-acquired-buffet, filled with a few umbrellas, it will finally find its rightful place in our home! Now my only decision is black or white umbrellas. Against my white walls, black would definitely pop. But next to a black buffet would it be too much? Hmm...
October 4, 2010
Jason's homecoming: the official outfits
Yes, you read that correctly, I did say outfits. First, lets start with the ones you chose.
"Ode to Joy" was my final pick! Both dresses are beautiful and very well made, but as you may (or may not) be able to tell, "Soda Fountain In Grape" (left) hung on my top half sort of awkwardly. It just made me look very boxy. So it was returned to the swell folks at ModCloth (who I am still not being paid or compensated to endorse).
But, after aaaalllll that: I just found out the other day that there's a high chance that the boys will be coming home in the evening! >>palm. forehead.<< As soon as Jason said "night time ETA," I had a flash back to August when I was still job hunting (and had an interview at Sephora). I wandered into Banana Republic because even thoughI couldn't afford anything I wasn't in a buying mood, I just always love being in their stores. Until I saw these: dark wash boot cut jeans.
My inner spender starting screaming, Let me out, let me out! But their $79.50 price tag made me stop and think: did I want new jeans? Or did I want to pay the Internet bill this month? Since at no point did my blog black out in August, I think you know what I chose. Back on the rack they went. {insert whimper and sniffle here}
Fast forward to yesterday. Now with the evening arrival of my husband, I asked my mom and if could swing by BR while we were out and about sinceI could finally afford those jeans I was in a very buying mood. Imagine my delight when they were marked down to $49.50! So, here's the new homecoming outfit.
(i know it's bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, but you have to appreciate how cute the whole thing is.)
Outfit Details
Jeans - Banana Republic
Top - Nordstroms
Boots - some random little shoe place in North Carolina
Trench - Target
Umbrella - Burberry (Smartbargains.com)
Gloves & scarf - Target
I'm telling you people, after standing around at three a.m. in the middle of March (and with the crazy freak weather we're having here), we are going prepared! Hot chocolate, Irish coffee, hot cider, blankets, pillows, board games--you'd think we were preparing for a natural disaster (or a really crazy and cold tailgate)! Today I plan to do my grocery shopping since I'm off (and order the tiramisu!) and start preparing for--what's looking to be--a slew of house guests in the days leading up to the arrival.
But everyone has been informed that when Jason arrives, they all get an eviction notice. Hehe...
- Grocery Shopping
-Have duvet dry cleaned
- Make chocolate covered strawberries
-Purchase mirror for bedroom
- Mop, sweep, & vacuum like crazy
- Paint other foot stool
-Find cold weather alternative for homecoming outfit
-Hit up Tuesday Morning & Dollar Tree for some cheap fall decor
(see my fall decorating bonanza parts one, two, and three here).
"Ode to Joy" was my final pick! Both dresses are beautiful and very well made, but as you may (or may not) be able to tell, "Soda Fountain In Grape" (left) hung on my top half sort of awkwardly. It just made me look very boxy. So it was returned to the swell folks at ModCloth (who I am still not being paid or compensated to endorse).
But, after aaaalllll that: I just found out the other day that there's a high chance that the boys will be coming home in the evening! >>palm. forehead.<< As soon as Jason said "night time ETA," I had a flash back to August when I was still job hunting (and had an interview at Sephora). I wandered into Banana Republic because even though
My inner spender starting screaming, Let me out, let me out! But their $79.50 price tag made me stop and think: did I want new jeans? Or did I want to pay the Internet bill this month? Since at no point did my blog black out in August, I think you know what I chose. Back on the rack they went. {insert whimper and sniffle here}
Fast forward to yesterday. Now with the evening arrival of my husband, I asked my mom and if could swing by BR while we were out and about since
(i know it's bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, but you have to appreciate how cute the whole thing is.)
Outfit Details
Jeans - Banana Republic
Top - Nordstroms
Boots - some random little shoe place in North Carolina
Trench - Target
Umbrella - Burberry (Smartbargains.com)
Gloves & scarf - Target
I'm telling you people, after standing around at three a.m. in the middle of March (and with the crazy freak weather we're having here), we are going prepared! Hot chocolate, Irish coffee, hot cider, blankets, pillows, board games--you'd think we were preparing for a natural disaster (or a really crazy and cold tailgate)! Today I plan to do my grocery shopping since I'm off (and order the tiramisu!) and start preparing for--what's looking to be--a slew of house guests in the days leading up to the arrival.
But everyone has been informed that when Jason arrives, they all get an eviction notice. Hehe...
- Grocery Shopping
-
- Make chocolate covered strawberries
-
- Mop, sweep, & vacuum like crazy
- Paint other foot stool
-
-
(see my fall decorating bonanza parts one, two, and three here).
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