Candle Set Switcheroo

I did a little switcheroo in our family room this weekend.  On our coffee table/ottoman, we usually display this candle tray with 3 flameless candles surrounded by decorative rocks.

The candleholder is cute, but I wanted to change it around a bit.  I decided to replace the decorative rocks with small sea shells.

I bought a bag of pretty shells from the Christmas Tree Shops for just $1.  I think they look very cute in this candle tray.  The shells brighten up the tray and add another beachy element to my family room.

I love this fresh look.  Do you decorate with rocks or shells?

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Walmart Summer Sale PSA

You all know that I love a good bargain, so I can't resist sharing a sale PSA.  My Walmart is having a major clearance sale on all of their summer colorful Mainstays and HomeTrends dining products.  Everything was marked down to 50 cents or $1!

I snagged a great beverage dispenser with a spout for $1.  As you can see from the picture below, I couldn't wait to make iced tea in it!  I also bought two bpa-free aluminum water bottles for $1 each.  Another steal were the green, blue, and teal sets of 4 reusable plates I got for just 50 cents per pack!  They are a little thin, but for 50 cents for a pack of four they're a total bargain for outdoor dining.

Lastly, I also bought a colorful large plastic bowl.  It would be great for a fruit salad and other bbq salads (although I'm not sure it's dishwasher safe), but I think it would also look super cute used as an outdoor planter centerpiece.  I think I'll save it until next spring, drill a little hole in the bottom, plant some flowers or herbs, and use it as a centerpiece on my patio table.



I love end of summer clearance sales!  Walmart also had a ton of other outdoor dining products on mega discount, so its worth checking out.  By the way, I'm not being sponsored in any way for this post, I just can't resist sharing a great deal!  Have you found any other great end of summer sales?

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Oh The Gardens You'll Grow!

You may remember that a few months ago I went garage sale crazy and loaded up every inch of my car with free garage sale goodies.  Amongst all the great stuff I snagged, was a large potted plant.  Here it is stuffed in the back of my car:

Once freed from my trunk, the plant found a new home on my backyard patio.  I've affectionately dubbed it my Dr. Seuss plant because of its wacky branches and leaves that remind me of the Grinch.



The plant was happily living on the patio until a fateful backyard barbecue when a game of catch went awry and one of the plant stems was broken off with a football.  To make the best of the situation, I took the broken stem and placed in a glass of water.
 


After a couple of weeks, the broken stem started to grow roots.  The roots were also kind of Dr. Seuss like and little bit creepy looking if you ask m, but they also meant that it was time to replant.



I planted the formerly broken branch in a cute white planter I bought at Walmart last year and now I have a second Dr. Seuss plant!  This one sits on a table in my family room and brings some more life into the room.



Most perennial plants can be propagated by cutting off a stem or leaf and placing it in water or potting soil.  I totally recommend it as a way to grow a new plant from an existing one and a great way to get a free new plant!  Just make sure to research the proper propagation technique for your type of plant.  Have you tried propagating your plants?

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Ikea 2011 Catalog!

THE IKEA CATALOG IS HERE!



Yes, I’m a bit excited.  I may have actually squealed with joy when I saw it in the mail.  And maybe I even let my dinner go cold, despite being hungry, so I could carefully pour over every page.  And maybe I was tempted to jump in my car and drive to Ikea.  Maybe.



Like always, this year’s Ikea catalog is full of a ton of wonderful decorating goodies.  Here are just a few of the very awesome Ikea items I’m loving and restraining myself from driving to the store this minute and buying:

Slom Jar with Lid – $2.99

Kivik Chaise - $379

Snartig Vase – 79 cents!

Alarm Clock – 99 cents!

Neglinge Candlestick & Tealight Holder – 49 cents!

Leende Carafe - $9.99

Trygg Serving Bowl - $3.99

Tindra Scented Candle - $1.99

365+ Jar with Lid - $2.99

Drommar Muffin Baking Cups – 99 cents for 65

Gislev Rug - $19.99

Do you love Ikea too?  Did you spot any must-haves in this year's catalog?

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Baby Robin Nest

For some unexplainable reason, a bird decided to build a nest in the little hibiscus tree that’s in my backyard.  The same hibiscus tree that is on my patio, next to the sliding glass door where our four legged ferocious (from their perspective) doggy runs out, and near a noisy air conditioner.  These birds must have had an awful realtor.

Regardless, two Robins built a beautiful nest.  And about a week after I spotted the nest, a beautiful blue egg was deposited:

And the next day, there was a second beautiful blue egg:

For two weeks I wondered how a bird could fit inside such a tiny egg.  This weekend, the Robins finally hatched and I discovered the tiny little babies that were inside of these eggs:

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen day old baby birds before.  They are both adorably cute and adorably ugly!

They have paper thin skin and only tiny puffs of feathers so far.  I can’t wait to watch these birdies grow up! 

Have you had any wildlife run-ins in your backyards?

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Jersey Shore: Weekend Snapshots

For people who actually live in the New Jersey, the Jersey Shore is less about this:

And more about this:

I must admit I do love the Jersey Shore show, but I prefer the sand, sun, and ocean of the calm Jersey Shore beaches even more!

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