Black Friday Giveaway!

I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!  We did.  I made my first turkey and it was a success.  What a relief!

Happy Black Friday!  Let the holiday shopping begin!  Today I am so happy to be giving away a really fun piece of Stella & Dot jewelry.  This gorgeous Soiree Pearl Pave Bracelet would make a great addition to your holiday outfit or a fabulous gift to someone on your list!

To enter the giveaway: 1) Become a follower of Spark!, 2) check out Stella & Dot, and 3) leave a comment with your favorite item of jewelry! The winner will be chosen randomly, the giveaway will close on Wednesday at midnight and the winner will be announced on Thursday.

Oh, and while you are over at Stella & Dot, today is the last day of S&D’s Family and Friends event — 25% off any one piece of jewelry.  A great sale to kick-off the shopping season!

To get you started, here are some of my faves:

{Garden Party Chandelier Earrings, $54}

{Devi Bangles, $79}

{Avery Chains and Pearl Necklace, $69}

Thank you to Nena, a Stella & Dot stylist, for this fabulous giveaway!

Good luck and happy shopping!

P.S.  Don’t forget to enter Spark!’s ONE KINGS LANE GIVEAWAY, which ends on Sunday!

Giveaway Update!

 

 

I hope you all have entered the One Kings Lane giveaway! 

I have updated the post to make it clear that if you are ALREADY a member of OKL, please leave a comment on the post and you will be entered into the giveaway before the winner is chosen on Monday.  Sorry for the confusion! 

Good luck and happy early Thanksgiving to y’all!

Giveaway: $100 Shopping Spree to One Kings Lane!

To kick off the holidays in style, the generous ladies over at One Kings Lane have graciously offered a fabulous giveaway for Spark! readers — a $100 shopping spree to One Kings Lane!!!!!

OKL is a members-only online mecca for great deals on the world’s best decor, home essentials, travel accessories and gifts.  I love their philosophy: “As passionate fellow design enthusiasts, we see nothing glamorous or elegant about overspending on home décor.” 

You may remember that I posted about their amazing Kate Spade boutique a couple weeks ago.  Their boutiques change daily.  Check out what’s on sale right now:

{Graphic Image Wallets, $25}

 

{Abigails White Ceramic Candlestick, $39}

{Artenica Lamp}

 

{Mr. Boddington’s Studio Christmas Cards}

 

{The Crystal Connection Flourite Coasters}

To be entered in the giveaway, please become a follower of Spark! and CLICK HERE to sign up with OKL. 

**Update: If you are already a member of OKL, please leave a comment here to be entered for the giveaway.**

The giveaway ends at midnight on Sunday, November 29th.  OKL will randomly choose a winner on Monday! 

Imagine all of the great holiday gifts you could cross off your list with $100 from One Kings Lane.  Bon chance and happy holiday shopping! 

THANK YOU, ONE KINGS LANE!

 

Buy This, Not That — Rugs!

Welcome to the RUG edition of Buy This, Not That!  I found some good match-ups — three pairs of the exact same rug!  Enjoy!

LOVE THIS?

[Light Wheel Rug, Anthropologie, $298 (5' round)]

BUY THIS!

[Fair Isle Wool Rug, Garnet Hill, $178 (5' round)]

LOVE THIS?

[Celia Indoor/Outdoor Rug, Ballard Designs, $289 (for 5x8)]

BUY THIS!

Same. Exact. Rug. $50 Less!

 [Chains Indoor/Outdoor Rug, World Market, $239 (for 5x8)]

LOVE THIS?

[Spiral Vine Tufted Rug, Garnet Hill, $678 + $20 add'l shipping (for 5x8)]

BUY THIS!

Same. Exact. Rug. $64 less!

[Vine Tufted Wool Rug, Dash & Albert, $634 (for 5x8)]

LOVE THIS?

 

[Diamond Indoor/Outdoor Rug, Dash & Albert, $288 (for 6x9)]

BUY THIS!

[Diamond Jute Rug, West Elm, $129 (for 5x8)]

LOVE THIS?

[Vintage Box Hooked Rug, Sundance Catalog, $1,200 (for 8x10)]

BUY THIS!

Same. Exact. Rug. $155 less!

[Vintage Boxes Wool Hooked Rug, Dash & Albert, $1,045]

LOVE THIS?

[Striped Braided Indoor/Outdoor Rug, Ballard Designs, $299 (for 5x8)]

BUY THIS!

 

[Chic Indoor Outdoor Striped Rug, Shades of Light, $198 (for 5x7)]

HAPPY BARGAIN HUNTING!

Taking Care of Business — My Closet Makeover

**Disclaimer: What you are about to see is slightly graphic in nature and isn’t exactly “pretty,” but it is eye candy to me!**

One of my biggest gripes about our house is the absence of a pantry.  We have a lot of cabinet space, but regular cabinets do not lend themselves to efficient food storage and retrieval.

Across the hall from the kitchen is a first floor bedroom, which we are currently using as a play room.  Because the closet in there was, well, a mess, and taking up a lot of “dead space,” I decided to turn it into a makeshift pantry where I could keep extra food and kitchen appliances that I do not use everyday.

BEFORE….

AFTER….

I bought a set of industrial kitchen shelves from Lowes for $55 and went to town.  I should have staged the “after” a little better, but people, this is real life we are talking about (not life in a design mag!).

{Insert my BIG SMILE!}  I just can’t stop smiling!  My kitchen cabinets are finally organized and I only have my coffee maker on my counter (no extra food taking up counter space!).

Ok, I just had to share.  Back to our regularly scheduled pretty stuff tomorrow.  :)

Fave Holiday Card

After much deliberation, we finally chose our Christmas photo and card.  They are ordered!  (Maybe I will get them out before December 22nd this year?  Probably not.)  

Anyway, below was my fave photo card of the season, but it didn’t make the cut because the card didn’t work with our photo, and Mr. Spark! wasn’t particularly fond of it. 

I think it’s affordably FABULOUS!

{Chinois Holiday Card, Tiny Prints, $1.34-$1.84 each
(depending on the size of the order)}

 

Fresh Dining Room Inspiration

I received a comment from a girlfriend after my “That is Sooooo 2000s” post in response to my assertion that red dining rooms will immediately date a room back to the early 2000s.  She just moved and loved her previous red dining room.  So, she asked for some new dining room inspiration.

And, it got me thinking.  There are two camps for dining rooms — neutral or bold.  Some people like the neutral dining room because the “beige” palate does not interfere with the appetite (think eating Thanksgiving in a TEAL dining room).  Others like a bold dining room because it makes a dramatic statement in a more formal room that is not used every day.

Neutral

As far as neutral dining rooms are concerned, I am really loving white on white dining rooms these days.

I know it’s trendy right now, but I have always enjoyed the color gray, and think it looks elegant and sophisticated, without being stuffy, in a dining room.

BOLD

How do you feel about a green dining room?  I would never have guessed that I liked it either!  We moved into a house with an emerald green dining room and I have grown to love it!  We get so many compliments too.  What do you think?

And if you want to go really bold, give graphic wallpaper a try.  I love this look and wish that I could commit to it in my own house!

I hope you have been inspired!  Which look is your favorite?

{Images Courtesy of: 1. Country Living, 2. Bee Hive Studio, 3. Furniture Store Blog, 4. Flickr, 5. Decor Pad, 6. Cote de Texas, 7. Martha Stewart, 8. Decor Pad, 9. Decor Pad, 10. My Home Ideas, 12. Peacock Feathers, 13. Alkemie, 14. Urban Sardines, 15. Odi Et Amo}

 

Orla Kiely Bags at Gilt Fuse

Orla Kiely’s fabulous bags are at Gilt Fuse until November 19th at a steep discount!  Click HERE to check it out.  If you need an invitation, leave me a comment with your email address and I will send you one. 

HAPPY SHOPPING!

 

Nailhead Curtains? Yes Please.

Have you seen these beauties from West Elm?

 

Yes, they are Nailhead Linen Panels. 

And they come in flax and slate with antiqued-nickel nailhead trim.  Price ranges from $59 – $89 and free shipping.  If you are crafty, you could DIY, but why would you at those prices? 

P.S. Dear West Elm, please make these in white or ivory so that I may hang them in my family room.  Thanks a mill, Miz spark!

Perfect Prezzies: 39 Days Until Christmas!

Wait, what??  39 days until Christmas??  How did that happen?? 

Welcome to the third installment of Perfect Prezzies (click here for the first edition or second edition).  I hope you find some affordable and fabulous inspiration for everyone on your holiday list!

For the Entertainer

I have given these chic and eclectic cocktail/appetizer/dessert plates as gifts in previous years, and received great feedback.  You can never have too many beautiful accent plates!  Aren’t they gorgeous?

{Boho Holiday Dessert Plates, Acacia Catalog, $54}

For Him

As I have said before, I think that men are the toughest to buy for!  I love this vintage, retro, black, steel-cased clock.  It has a great masculine look that would complement any nightstand, desk or bureau.  The description says: “It even has an old-fashioned, rise-and-shine alarm bell.”  Charming! 

{Time-tested Clock, Sundance Catalog, $38}

Speaking of retro, I really like this leather, vintage-looking dopp kit.  Men are always in need of an updated travel case and this one is masculine, sturdy, durable and affordable. 

{Redmond Shave Kit, Fossil, $60}

For the Gardener

I love to give little pint-sized bonsais!  Bonsais are interesting, pretty low maintenance and they last forever.  Plus, this Gardenia Bonsai flowers a few times a year and who wouldn’t want their house perfumed with the scent of fresh gardenias?  (Also, Red Envelope is very customer-service oriented — I sent a few jade bonsais to family members a few years ago, and they all came in great condition, except for my grandmother’s which arrived partially frozen.  RE returned it for a fresh plant the next day.) 

{Gardenia Bonsai, Red Envelope, $49.95}

For Her

I just added this sparkler to MY LIST!  Isn’t it so delicate and feminine?  And only $42?  Yes please.  It would look great tied close to your neck with a little black dress, or tied long and worn over a turtleneck or high-necked dress. 

{Bougainvillea Necklace, Anthropologie, $42}

Check out this marketing genius — who wouldn’t love to receive the 5 very best products from Bliss Spa in a cute little package? 

{Best of Bliss Set 2009, Bliss, $45}

For Kids

In our family, my sister and I got new matching nightgowns each Christmas Eve.  I still love the idea of receiving new, warm, wintery (and maybe kinda matching!) night clothes for Christmas.  Check out these options:

{Girls Plaid Sleep Set, Gap Kids, $29.50}

{Boys Plaid Sleep Set, Gap Kids, $29.50}

{Dreamy Nightgown, Hanna Anderrson, on sale for $28.80}

{Unisex Organic Cotton Long Johns, Hanna Andersson, on sale for $33.60}

HAPPY HOLIDAY SHOPPING!