Birchbox Picks

For the holidays, I got a 6-month Birchbox subscription. 
Above are some of my favorite products so far. I have even bought a full size bottle of the Harvey Prince Sincerely perfume and the Cynthia Rowley liquid eye-liner.
I love getting new products each month and trying new things that I'd never get a chance to try normally.
I just got my February box and I can't wait to try the new products. I got some lip gloss, dry shampoo, cleanser, body lotion, and acne treatment.

 

 Do you subscribe to Birchbox? If not, it's a great gift (for yourself or others)!
Do you have any other subscription product service? I'd love to hear!
xo

Vintage Dining Room Chairs

 

Our dining room table is now a fully finished project! Last Xmas, J bought me a pine dining room table as a surprise gift (with thanks to some of our friends' and family's help). 

The man who built the table included 2 benches with it, but I wanted 4 chairs to go with the table. 

I saw various chairs that I loved, but they were either too expensive or we could only find 2. At thrift stores, it was rare to find 4 chairs together and typically they would only come with a table.

While at a flea market this weekend, I found these amazing old oak chairs (all 4 were in perfect condition) and thankfully they didn't belong to a table set. I got an amazing deal for all 4 chairs ($80 TOTAL) and I couldn't be happier!

 My favorite part about the chairs is that they are imperfectly perfect. Their spindles aren't all perfectly centered and the wood grain shows wear and tear. We also didn't have to stain them and the color matches our table's stain. All we had to do was wipe them down with some Murphy's Oil!

 We still have the extra bench for when we need more space or seating, but I love the country vintage feel the chairs add to our table.

Now it's just time for more meals with friends!

 

 It sure is nice to not have to scour craigslist anymore!

♥

What's your favorite thrift store/ flea market find recently?

Stubbs + Knobs

 

Three years ago, J + I inherited this beautiful hutch cabinet from his grandparents. 

Inheriting this piece was bittersweet since it was after the passing of Granddaddy. Not only is this hutch special, because it was in Nana + Granddaddy's home for his whole life, but also because J's great grandfather Stubbs (Granddaddy's father) built it! The craftsmanship is very sturdy and this piece is by far the heaviest [and favorite] thing in our home.

We have discussed refinishing the wood at some point and possibly the mirror since it is very old and cloudy, but we figured we'd start with a mini face lift by replacing the knobs.  The original knobs were black with circular grooves. 

We took a trip to Hobby Lobby and saw that their knobs were all 50% off (perfect timing) so we bought the 8 knobs needed for this project. We wanted to pick out some knobs that had an antique feel but we also wanted to brighten up the piece. We decided on these blue-green metal knobs and couldn't be happier with the final result!

Voila! 

It's so wonderful when a cheap and quick project completely changes the feel of a room. Although we didn't plan for it, the knobs even compliment the wall color perfectly!

 

♥

Bangle Beauties

I recently bought this awesome geo bangle set from Forever21 and figured this deal was too good to not share. This bangle set was only $6.80 and they also come in silver, if that's your preference. 

I just got them and cannot take them off!

 These bracelets would even go perfectly with this necklace (if you're bold enough to rock them together)!

♥

Antiquing Adventurers

We had some really good finds this weekend at local flea markets and shops in Madison. 

We got some great cups and this new burlap table runner with old keys stamped on it for our dining room hutch (see above) at J+K Fleas An'Tiques. 

Then we went to In High Cotton in downtown Madison. Initially J waited outside with Townes, but they actually allow dogs inside (a MAJOR perk of country stores)! 

Their store is so beautiful and their styling is great. I just enjoyed looking around at all of their great items - so many great things for gifting as well (especially with the holiday season coming up so soon)!

How cool is this lighting? It would look perfect above a big farmhouse dining room table! Definitely a DIY-inspiration!

 We ended up buying a bottle opener, handmade blackbird ornament, and a jaw harp for j. We love the bottle opener in the kitchen - it adds some more color and a vintage feel.

What are your favorite antique shops?

♥

weekend recap + flea market finds

hello monday - we meet again.

had a nice, peaceful weekend filled with ordering in thai food (curry tofu + veggies), lots of time spent watching the olympics, lunch at hankook taqueria (tempura fried sweet potatoes w/ aioli and tempura avocado tacos = so good), finally finished reading "eat, pray, love," pool day and cookout with the in-laws (dessert was the best strawberry shortcake)! i didn't go over my weekly points this weekend, but i definitely didn't eat as well as i normally do. at least these days i jump right back on the horse though!

yesterday morning,  my best friend and i went on a girls' shopping date to find items to furnish her new apartment. we found her some great nesting end tables and a few items for her walls. i had incredible luck as well (not that i needed anything) at unique treasures flea market. i got a doily for our dining room hutch, an amazing wool rug (3 x5) and an awesome wooden chair with shamrocks (which matches another chair that we have). i can't wait to reupholster the chair in some great fabric! i got everything for under $40 too!
i am so lucky to have such an incredible best friend and shopping buddy!

this week is going to be jam packed! i have a day trip to NJ tomorrow for work and then we have to get ready to leave for germany! i'm exhausted just thinking about this week!

hope your week is great!
♥

fitness + fashion

check out some of my favorite workout items!
 i love the bright colors and the shoes are so comfortable (i love asics)! make sure to invest in quality sports bras and shorts, because if you aren't comfortable then you won't workout as hard or long.

when i first started working out, i would just grab over-sized t-shirts, baggy shorts, and a sports bra; however, now i like to make sure that i feel good in my workout attire, because it helps keep me motivated!

helpful tip: i have found that the best places to buy workout clothes (that are quality, but don't break the bank) are marshall's and tj maxx. my local marshall's always has the best selection with top brands and styles.

what are your workout must-haves?

link

art flat

i am so excited! in less than a month, we will be in germany! for the first part of our trip, we have rented a flat in berlin through airbnb.com. it's a super cool website where you can rent rooms or full apartments/ houses for vacations through the private owners. we will be staying in the mitte district of berlin in a flat located near the berlin wall memorial. i love that the flat will give us some privacy and a chance to shop the local markets and cook in for some of our meals. we got a great deal and are paying close to what it would have cost to stay in a hostel with shared bathrooms!

i love the white walls and natural light. i think this will be the perfect place to retreat after long days spent exploring the city!

after we head to jocketa/ saxony (the german countryside) for the wedding, we'll come back to berlin for one night before catching our flight home. the hotel we have booked for the last night in germany is awesome (i'll share more about it later)!

now we just have to finalize all of the stuff we want to see while in berlin! good times!

♥

great magazine deal!

i got this deal emailed to me last week and figured i'd share the love! 

being vegetarian and a huge dwell fan, this is a great deal for both magazines.

if you're interested, go here to subscribe. 

you're welcome!

♥