Item: Cozy felted wool slippers
Cost: A gift!

These are my favorite pair of slippers. They’re cute, comfy, and homemade. My sister-in-law made them as a Christmas gift for me. Here is a website that tells you how to make slippers from old wool sweaters. Read the rest of this entry »

Items: Fabric and canvas frame
Cost: Varies

Purchasing art for your home can be very expensive, but empty walls are simply too dull to live with. Today’s great design idea is so simple anyone can do it, and it isn’t very expenisve at all!

The idea is to find a piece of fabric that you like, something you might want to display. It can be colorful, artsy, simple…anything that will coordinate with your decor. Purchase a piece of it and a simple canvas frame from your local art store. Stretch the fabric over the frame and staple it to the back, just like the canvas. And voila, you have a beautiful piece of wall art to hang in that empty spot over your sofa!

Items: Bamboo clothes
Cost: under $25

I’m sure you can tell by now that I love anything bamboo. For one thing, it is one of our world’s most renewable resources, for another it’s simply a fascinating material! The first time I saw a pair of socks made with bamboo and aloe, I was intrigued and had to buy a pair (3 actually). It is some of the softest fabric you can imagine.

I still love the socks and I am most definitely interested in purchasing more organic clothing, especially bamboo. Organic clothing in general is not the cheapest clothing available. But I found a few decent deals online, and I’m sure there are more to be had. Do a google search and be sure to check any sale and clearance items. Read the rest of this entry »

Item: Brown and white duvet cover (shown below)
Cost: $20

My husband and I were gifted a down comforter from my brother and sister-in-law for our wedding. But we still needed a duvet cover when cold weather came knocking. I scoured the internet, but apparently I have expensive taste. The only duvet cover that I even liked was this Lawrence Home Fashions Elm Duvet Cover Set.

Even from Walmart, it was way out of our price range. Maybe someday, but certainly not this year… So, we kept looking. We went to TJ Maxx and found some affordable duvets, but they were far too…umm, bold, for my taste. Read the rest of this entry »

Item: Canvas flats
Cost: $14.99

These are the cutest spring/summer casual shoes I’ve seen yet this year. They’re called “Espadrilles”–a french word from the Catalan word for shoe. They’re typically canvas with a soft rubber sole. These are Mossimo Supply Co. brand and available at your local Target or here. I can’t wait to try a pair!

Items: pair of window benches from England, circa 1780
Cost: $75,000

These incredible window benches are definitely going in the look book. They are far too expensive for me to EVER own, but they are lovely. I found them at www.1stdibs.com, a site with some incredible pieces, but nothing in my price range. Read the rest of this entry »

Item: Carrying case
Cost: $1.00

I found this really cool retro-style carrying case in a little Mennonite thrift store in mid-Ohio called Save and Serve. The outside of the case is in great shape, although the inside needs to be re-lined. For the price, though, I just couldn’t pass it up. I can easily picture me traveling the world with my little retro case… Read the rest of this entry »