Weekend Steals & Deals

I hope you have some good weekend plans for this Labor Day holiday!  We'll be relaxing and hanging out with friends that we haven't seen in awhile, and we're really looking forward to that. 

A holiday weekend always translates to good retail sales.  If you're in the mood to shop, I found some great deals for you!

Halogen Sleeveless Tie Neck Top (Regular & Petite) $39.90, $69

The top I instagrammed on our meet-the-teacher night is on sale again! :) 

C Wonder Ponte Striped Peplum Top (50% off $54.99, $78)

I'm crazy for how a peplum top makes your waist look tiny.  And you can never have enough black and white striped tops. 

Halogen Studded Drape Back Tee (Regular & Petite) $34.80, $58

Studs baby! That detail takes this shirt easily from day to night. 

BP. 'Easy Grunge' Pattern Cardigan $28.80, $48 (also other colors)

I keep seeing this cardigan, but I already have this one and this one so I don't need another. 

Banana Republic Textured Crop Pullover (40% off $69.50)

This color, texture, and cut! 

Banana Republic Draped Jersey Top (40% off $49.50)

In love with this soft wrapped top. 

Halogen 'Love' Shoulder Zip Intarsia Sweater (regular and petite, other colors) $33.90, $68

And I always love everything with "love".

C. Wonder Cotton Giraffe Intarsia Sweater (30% off $88) 

Never tire of cute animal sweaters, especially when they're layered like the photo above.

I'm pretty much a girly girl and love wearing dresses, but don't have many skirts.  Here are some I'd happily add to my wardrobe: 

            

Halogen Print Pencil Skirt (Regular & Petite) $33.90, $69

            

Halogen Stretch Woven A-Line Skirt (Regular & Petite) $35.40, $59

Halogen Pleat Midi Skirt (Regular & Petite) $39.90, $79.  97 reviews, 4.5 stars

Banana Republic Quilted Faux-Leather Mini (take 40% off $89.50) (tall, petite, regular)

After adding this sweater/jacket to my closet, I'm realizing again how nice an outfit looks with a jacket.  The ones below are great for a more casual look. 

Olivia Moon Ruched Sleeve Jacket (Regular & Petite) $79.50 (7 colors)

Louise et Cie 'Vernonia' Open Toe Bootie $89.96, $149.95 (also in black), 49 reviews, 5 stars.  (It's also the bootie shown on the model with the Halogen Print Pencil Skirt above. ;) 

weekend steals & deals

ANN TAYLOR:  So Long Summer Sale, 50% off Select Full-Price Styles & All Sale Styles.  No code needed.  FREE shipping on $175 or more & $8.95 flat rate shipping.

ANN TAYLOR LOFT:  50% off New Fall Styles.  No code needed. 

BANANA REPUBLIC:  40% off your purchase & Earn Style Notes- $20 for every $50 you spend. Use code BRLABOR FREE shipping and FREE returns on orders over $50.  Ends 9/1.

BAUBLE BAR:  Jewelry styles starting at 50% off.  FREE shipping and easy returns. Ends 9/1.



C WONDER:  30% off full price items & additional 50% off final sale items.  FREE shipping on orders over $100.  

GAP:    Up to 40% off EVERYTHING, no exclusions.  Ends 9/1.  FREE shipping and FREE returns on orders over $50.



J CREW:  25% off select styles, plus additional 25% off final sale styles.  Use code ALMOSTFALL $5 flat-rate shipping and FREE shipping on orders of $150+



JOE'S JEANS:  30% off entire purchase (excluding sale and markdown items) & 30-50% off end of season sale, free bangle with purchase of $200 and more. Use code LABORDAY 



KENDRA SCOTT:  15% off Everything. Use code 2014LDW Ends 9/1.

LAND'S END: 30% off your order.  Use code PUMPKIN & pin 1606

NORDSTROM:  Clearance Sale! Always FREE shipping & FREE returns.

ZAPPOS:  Order before 1PM PST for FREE next business day shipping on all Clothing. 

have a great weekend!

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HomeGoods Happy $100 GIVEAWAY

One of my favorite retailers for home decor, HomeGoods, invited me to "Make Happiness Happen" for someone in my community with a $250 gift card to HomeGoods.  There were no restrictions and I could use the gift card to help in any way (some examples they shared were redecorating the living room of a firehouse, donating the gift card to a silent auction, decorate your spouse’s office, or the bedroom of one of your closest friends who needs some help).

I chose to put the gift card to good use by decorating the reception area/lobby of my son's school.  It's a wonderful environment for learning and community, but honestly, the lobby needed some help.  It's funny how these things organically happen, because one day after drop-off, I was in the lobby with some faculty and one of the men mentioned that he didn't really like how the lobby looked.  I had been wanting to approach the school with this idea, and the opportunity fell into my lap on that morning.  We made sure to confirm with the principal that she was on board with the mini revamp, and happily, she was!



I started with replacing an industrial grey rug with a colorful chevron 'Dina' rug from Joss & Main.  I had to make sure it could withstand heavy traffic, not show dirt easily, and was safe for high heels.  I think it fits the bill.  I know it's bright, but I figure it works for a cheerful school lobby.  HomeGoods has rugs too, and I fell in love with some for my home! but they didn't have the size and colors I needed for the school.

Then, armed with my $250 HomeGoods gift card, I shopped my local store for some decor items to tie in with the rug. The reception area is a smallish, rectangular room with two arm chairs, but that's about it. We'll keep the chairs and add the HomeGoods items below:  a half-moon side table, two Chinoiserie vases, and a bright yellow garden stool.  Yellow and blue are our school colors, so I wanted to add them in a creative way.  The orchid will add life and hopefully be easy to maintain.  

I'm so excited for install day soon!  Thank you HomeGoods for helping make our school lobby a happier place!  And now it's your turn to win a $100 gift card to HomeGoods. 

* GIVEAWAY *

HomeGoods is giving away a $100 gift card to one reader to spread some happiness in your community.  Enter below!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wardrobe Wednesday

I came across this navy blue suede bootie and it's one of those things imusthaveimmediately so, naturally, I wanted to share it with you! It comes in other colors, but the blue is so cool.  

Sole Society Tallie Suede Tassel Bootie 

Another bootie I really like is the steel grey Splendid Lakota Bootie.  It also comes in a unique cranberry or brown. 

I'm also a fan of the perforated shoe, especially this Sole Society Sidney Bootie in fennel. 

Of course, I still recommend my Franco Sarto Linden and the Louise et Cie Vernonia Open Toe booties I bought during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale.  

If you want to wear booties, but have trouble figuring out how to pull off the look well, Babble has a great article with photos of 10 ways to year your ankle boots this fall. 

Are you a fan of booties?  What's your favorite way to wear them? 

DIY Wooden Box Makeover with Duct Tape

Last week, I showed you a project where I painted a wooden box with a geometric pattern.  But, before I painted that large box, I made over two smaller wooden boxes with duct tape (Duck Tape brand).  The bright, shiny colors of the tape appealed to me and they come in lots of different patterns now.  I went with a bold red and hot pink combo for the first one. 

To achieve this look, just wrap the tape around the box and the lid, pressing as you go to ensure no air bubbles.  The lid on the smallest box was the perfect size for two small pieces of the hot pink tape to fit perfectly without overlapping.  And the red tape fit the box perfectly with just one wrap around.  I think I wrapped twice so the color really pops.

To, remove the excess red tape, I used a cutting tool.  Be careful! 

For the medium sized box, I wrapped the pretty aqua tape around and painted the lid with craft paint. To make the lid shiny, I sprayed it with Clear Coat Enamel.  I was going to leave the middle part exposed for a natural look, but then I felt it looked too unfinished. 

I found a piece of washi tape in the perfect size for no overlap, then wrapped it twice (layering the pattern in the same place) so the color would stand out.  Of course, I had to unscrew the lock and then add it back on.  

On the inside, I lined the box with decorative scrapbook paper, and adhered the paper to the box with adhesive spray.  I just measured the sizes I needed and cut it with a paper cutter for super straight lines.  

I tried to line up the chevron pattern too.  

Easy, fun, quick projects that brighten up this already colorful bookcase in my office.

I bought a wooden kleenex box to play with next.  ;)  This tape project reminds me of the tray I made with a shoebox lid and snakeskin tape! 

I'll be back tomorrow with a $100 GIVEAWAY to one of my favorite decor stores, HomeGoods!

Faux Marble Console Makeover

What an accomplished weekend!  We managed to attend a PTO happy hour, two kiddos' birthday parties, clean the house (including laundry!), rearranged James' bedroom (switched up the bed and dresser), and finally hung the four family photos that have been sitting against our bedroom wall for months now!  That one felt really good.  

Another project that took less than 10 minutes was transforming our entryway console table.  Check out the difference a little bit of marble contact paper made!  

This console table was one of the furniture pieces that moved from our old townhouse to our new home over four years ago.  I've struggled with how to make it fit our new space, never really loving it here, but not wanting the money spent to go to waste.  It was too small to function as a buffet table in the dining room (although it sat there for about two years) and felt dark and heavy in our entryway.  Some readers have asked where we got it and it was from Pottery Barn, but they no longer carry it.  I have seen a very similar version on Overstock.

It occurred to me a few weeks ago that I could cover the top of our table with marble contact paper, which would brighten the piece  and coordinate with the marble counters in our wet bar and kitchen.  Remembering Courtney say at the Haven blog conference that the marble contact paper comes in probably too large a roll for one person to use, I immediately texted her to see if I could buy a small piece from her.  She wrote back asking for the measurements I needed (the paper only comes in 18 inches wide- just enough for my console table- phew!) and sent me a piece- at no charge I might add.  Isn't that so sweet of her?!  She's a good friend!  

I was surprised how easily the paper adhered to the table.  It's sticky, but not so much that you can't lift it back up if you need to smooth it out.  I started at one side, making sure to leave enough overhang to tuck under the sides and front, then kept pressing as I rolled it out to ensure no air bubbles got trapped.  

At the corners, I just cut the paper right at the edge to make a smooth corner and tucked a tiny piece underneath.

Then, it was time to layer in accessories.  On top, I put a glass vase from Homegoods with faux branches.  Books, two faux boxwoods, and a woven basket decorate the shelves.  

I made sure to put a few books with white spines to add to the white in the marble contact paper. Those boxwoods are from Steinmart and I spray painted the brown vases white.

Thanks for the paper Court!  I like our entryway so much better now! 

_______________

On Honey We're Healthy:  I confess how much weight I've gained since my bikini competition and share the macro-nutrient breakdown for my competition meals. 

Weekend Steals & Deals

Happy Friday friends!  I feel so much lighter heading into this weekend with my office closet cleaned out and 3 years' worth of my son's artwork properly organized and preserved.  I'll be ordering my first Artkive book this weekend and will let you know how it turns out.  Also, although I haven't posted lately on Honey We're Healthy, I have been working out again consistently and it feels great!  I've been keeping track of my workouts everyday and plan to start sharing them next week.  

As for the fashion finds this weekend, I received the cardigan and sweater/jacket I mentioned last week and they are keepers!

Frenchi Lace Pattern Long Cardigan ($54)

The lacey cardigan is lightweight and just long enough without being too long.  It covers the tush, so you could wear it with leggings and boots.  I'm wearing XS.

Caslon Cotton Knit Jacket ($35.40)

I'm so happy with this sweater jacket- I can already tell it's one of those things I'll wear 'til it wears out!  I'm in an XS here too. 

NYDJ Clarissa Fitted Stretch Ankle Jeans ($51.98, $104) 11 colors (regular and petite)

I was so thrilled when I tried on these colored ankle jeans and they fit perfectly!  I went ahead and ordered other colors too because it's so hard for me to find jeans that fit and don't need to be altered.  I'm 0P in this brand.  And I'm not the only one who loves these jeans- they got 4 stars from 205 reviewers.  Look at the cute sticker I found inside. :)

Ann Taylor Loft is having a sale on jeans this weekend- $20 off regular priced jeans.  

Ann Taylor Loft Boyfriend Jeans in Vast Blue Wash ($20 off $79.50) (regular, petite, and tall)

Ann Taylor Loft Curvy Skinny Jeans in Scale Blue Wash ($20 off $69.50) (regular, petite, and tall)

Ann Taylor Loft Curvy Skinny Jeans in Iron Grey Wash (($20 off $69.50) (regular, petite, and tall)

Grey- must have!

weekend steals & deals

ANN TAYLOR:  50% off Select Full-Price Styles & All Sale Styles.  No code needed.  FREE shipping on $175 or more & $8.95 flat rate shipping.

ANN TAYLOR LOFT:  $20 off all Full-Priced Jeans.  No code needed. Extra 40% off Sale Styles.  

BANANA REPUBLIC:  40% off your purchase ONLINE only.  Use code BRGET40 FREE shipping and FREE returns on orders over $50.  Ends 8/24.

BAUBLE BAR: 15% off for first-time orders.  FREE shipping and easy returns. 

GAP:    30% off or 40% off for card members.  Use code AUGUST.  Cardmembers use code 40STYLE. Ends 8/24.  FREE shipping and FREE returns on orders over $50.

LAND'S END: 30% off 1 Regular Priced Item.  30% off Kids' & School Uniforms  Use code SAVINGTIME & pin 1480 

NORDSTROM:  Always FREE shipping & FREE returns.

ZAPPOS:  Order before 1PM PST for FREE next business day shipping on all Clothing. 

have a great weekend!

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