favorites & deals...

I am having a blast seeing all of your favorite things!

It's fun to see everyone's favorites outside of spray paint, crafting, and thrifting, but it's taking forever, because I'm checking so many things out as I read...."oooooh, does my library have that book?" or "please, please let them have those boots in my size", putting lipstick and nailpolish colors on my list to check out, or listening to your favorite music on Amazon previews. Plus, y'all are making me hungry!

Thank you to everyone that has linked up, and you can still join through this evening when I'll close up shop, since my spammers seem to especially love the weekends. I'll make it around to everyone though~

Another of my favorites is my readers!

Sally Y. from Montana sent me an email saying..."I know how much you love a good Old Navy deal and just thought I'd let you know I stopped in today and they were having their 50% off clearance price sale. I walked out of their with a bag packed full of great deals and Christmas gifts! My store said the sale went until next Wednesday. Hope you and the rest of your readers can snatch up some good deals too!"

Also, if you go to Old Navy Weekly, you can create your own band logo, print it off, and get 50% off of any single item in the store tomorrow~here's the one I got for 320 Sycamore: :)

Some of you recommended their jeans in your favorite things, and I desperately need a new pair, so I may be checking it out and it's so nice to get some good deals and maybe avoid the Black Friday madness!

Hang on to your hats...are you ready for some more deals??

There is a printable $5 off $20, $20 off of a $50 purchase, and and extra 25% on all furniture (including sale!) World Market coupons here that will be good through Nov 25.



Bath & Body Works is having their signature collection Buy 3, get 3 free, plus their Slatkin & Co. room sprays are $3 (which I know was also on lot of favorite things lists!), plus here is a $10 of $30 purchase , good through the weekend to use on top of it, making for some great, inexpensive gifts!

And last but not least, today is the same day last year that Hob Lob's fall went 90% off, and Michaels should be as well~I would call to verify. They want everything fall out of their stores, lol :)

Whew!

Have a great weekend~

Favorite Things Party!

Here are a few of my favorite things:

"Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect"
One of my all-time favorite Christmas books that helps bring the focus back where it's supposed to be~your whole family will love it.

Little Women Soundtrack
I listen to this soundtrack all year around. Thomas Newman is a musical genius: I love the whole thing~it is cozy, comfy, and beautiful. You can listen to a preview here.

Lindt Truffles=divine.
I especially love the white chocolate, but they are all delectable, rich, and smooth as silk.

Our Best Bites breadsticks.
My neighbors asked for one thing this year for their birthday. "I want you to bring me a batch of your breadsticks!"
Shhhh...they're not mine, but they don't have to know that, right? ;)

Target (Up and up) night time baby wash.
I dare you to bathe your kids with this and try not to kiss them afterward when they are in their snuggly pajamas.

Kids' personalized plastic name cups by John Hinde
Grandmas from both sides have found these in airport gift shops in all but one of my children's names (he got an airplane one) and we all have loved them. No more mountain of cups in the sink, or remembering whose is whose, and you can easily tell who didn't take their dishes to the sink after dinner :) I've since seen them at Toys R Us, or you can find them online in various places.

Spray Grip for spray paint cans

Joy first introduced me to this handy helper. It makes spray painting much more enjoyable and no more black spray paint finger! You can find them at Walmart or other big box stores for around $3:

My college roommate (Dani!) introduced Loreal Voluminous mascara to me and I've been using it since. Never found anything better, but waterproof is a must for me:

Wet & Wild 666 lip liner: I've been using this baby since high school! I've seen it featured in numerous magazines, most recently in Good Housekeeping: "This fabulous neutral works on everyone. And at 99 cents, it's a steal." —Maria Verel, makeup artist, New York City
I line my lips with it, put on some soft lips chapstick, and I'm good to go:

Bath & Body Works Winter home fragrance oil.
It smells like Christmas~there is no other way to describe it. People walk into my home during the holidays and instantly want to know what it is they smell and where I got it. I try to tell them that it's the natural smell of my home, but they don't buy it :) The stores around me are always sold out, but you can buy it online as well.

Chico's Silver Ox Cuff Watch
Oprah had this on her 2002 favorite things show, and I think it's the only thing I've ever been able to afford off of her list. I lost my first one and got another~it's a perfect, classic watch that can be worn with anything. I love it and love that Chico's still makes it. ($40)

One of my favorite Christmas albums~John Schmidt and his beautiful piano. You can listen to a preview on Amazon here:

And last, but certainly not least:

You know I wouldn't leave this out, right??

Okay, now it's your turn! Can't wait to see what you have on your list.

Remember~

*please no self promotion, or pushing things you would make money on. Share things you have tried and love, and that you would share with friends.

*link to your favorite things post, not your general blog address.

*link back to the party

*enjoy visiting, leave comments!



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Dollar Tree supplies online

Hi everyone~many of you have been saying your Dollar Trees are out of the supplies~just wanted to let you know you can get the hurricanes and the candlesticks online in cases of 6 or 12, but you have to pay a $5 handling fee per order, and either free shipment to a Dollar Tree, or pay extra to have it shipped to your home. I don't see the white candle online, but also remember that by the time you pay for handling, shipping, etc. you may be able to make it less expensive with supplies from Walmart, Hob Lob or Michaels with coupons, or better yet, you may have most of it around your house. Just wanted to let you know~ good luck! I'd love to see your finished products if you make one, send it my way~

I don't have any affiliation with the Dollar Tree, but I would love to meet anyone who goes in there and spends just one dollar. Can it be done?
Favorite Things Party tomorrow!

dollar store version of the WS glass hurricane

ETA: if you can't find these supplies in your store, see this post

When I opened an email from Williams Sonoma a few weeks ago and saw this glass hurricane, it took my breath away:

photo from Williams Sonoma

Isn't it gorgeous? I loved it.

So, of course it was on my mind. I wish I could empty my brain sometimes, but alas, it was smashed in there along with other useful tidbits of information that I want to remember later, like did you know you're only supposed to run cold water in your garbage disposal to make it last longer?

Anyway! Stay on track, Melissa...

I was picking up some Christmas goodies at the Dollar Tree, and look what I found in the candle/glassware aisle:

Do you see where this is going?

First, remove the tags.

Then, take the candlestick, put some hot glue around the top rim, and place the hurricane on top of it, looking down into the hurricane vase to be sure it's centered.

I love that the Dollar Tree has these hurricanes! Then, take your white skinny candle (next to the saints candles in the aisle), put some hot glue on that and stick it in the hurricane.

Then, go out and find some pretty leaves from a tree, or use fake ones. I chose to use brown, cuz that's what William used, and it's very Thanksgiving-ish
and let them fall gently between the candle and the hurricane

Trim your wicks down, light your candles,
and love that you spent only about 15 minutes, and $3 each, instead of WS $80 ones!

I'm not hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, but wouldn't these look lovely on your holiday table? Or as a hostess gift?
All of the supplies were at the Dollar Tree, but you could re-create it using supplies from Target, Walmart, Michaels, etc.
I noticed that Hob Lob had some glass candle holders that looked almost exactly like the Williams Sonoma bases, so for a few more dollars you could get closer to that look.

I can't wait to change out the leaves for red berries at Christmas, spring blossoms in the spring, or lemon leaves in the summer.

Just a reminder that "My Favorite Things" party is this Thursday!

I'd love to have you join~more info here

I'm linking up to DIY day at Kimba's:


Have a great day~

weekend treasures: November edition

I'm really not supposed to be stopping at yard sales on Saturday morning.
We're moving next month...
but I can't help it.
We've had beautiful weather here, so the sales are still going strong. I've had the willpower not to intentionally go yard-saling, but when I see that neon sign when I'm driving down the street, my heart jumps and my hands just automatically jerk the steering wheel in that direction. I can't help it!

But look what I found:
* a brand new Ralph Lauren scarf with the knit flag. ($1) It still has the tags on it. I really want to put that flag on a pillow...but that would mean I would have to sew. It may be just the thing that brings kitty out (my sewing machine..you may get to meet her one day!)

*a big, fat mason jar turned into a lamp ($1)~think of all the things this could be filled with!

* a like new pair of brown Skechers for my daughter ($3) (they kind of blend in with the trunk, so they're hard to see...

and

*Two HUGE framed and matted prints...not interested in the prints necessarily, but am stirring up some ideas for the frames. We don't even know where we'll be living for goodness sake, but these will be coming with us :) How could I leave them for $2 and $3??

I'm going to try to get to my dollar store Thanksgiving project during naptime today, so hopefully I'll have that to show you next.

Have a marvelous Monday~