What's the Bruhaha about Ruelala? FREE Account Credit for Signing Up!

That's right...Ruelala.com (THE destination for 2-day-only Boutiques, filled with the designers we love at private sale prices) will GIVE YOU $10 in your account to use toward your first purchase when you sign up and create an account. Yup. Who said there's no such thing as a free lunch? What are you waiting for? Follow this link to sign up - but hurry, the $10 account credit is only good through August 8th! You can thank me later. ;)

(Image courtesy of Ruelala.com)

Pottery Barn Giveaway Winner Announced!

And the Pottery Barn Storage & Display hardcover book goes to....

Entry #31 - Sarah L.!!!

A big thank you to all those who entered the giveaway and your great organizational comments and tips - they were all winners in my book :D

Congratulations to Sarah L. on winning the PB book - I hope you love it as much as I do. You will receive an email shortly with the news!!!

(Image courtesy Amazon.com)

I Did the 'Do!

I LOVE my new hairdo! Not do I only feel 10 pounds lighter (5 inches gone!), but it's much easier to style and will be faster in the mornings to get ready. Love it, love it, love it! Did I tell you how much I love it?

I was pretty apprehensive driving to the salon last night and thought the sudden downpour with 50 mph winds was a sign from above to NOT cut my hair, but I followed through with my commitment, put my trust in my stylist and made the change. I had met Wendi, my new stylist, once at our consultation but immediately liked her personality and warmth.

If you are looking for a top-notch stylist in the Fox Valley, I highly recommend Wendi at Salon Aura. She not only listened to my concerns and wishes, but hit the cut I wanted dead-on. This girl knows how to cut hair. Believe you me, I will be hanging on to this one as long as I can. I couldn't be happier! Thank you Wendi!!! Here are a few pics from (late) last night...

So, what do you think of the new cut? What is the most length you've had cut from your hair?

Don't forget to enter my :: P O T T E R Y | B A R N :: giveaway through Thursday 7/22 at 11:59 pm CST!!!

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow

As of Monday evening, I will bid farewell to my long ponytail and trade it in for a much shorter look for the remainder of summer. I've been debating about it for months and made the commitment when I was able to get into my favorite salon in the Valley. I'm rather excited about the new look but nervous about letting go of the pony. It's been so easy to just pull it back and not fuss with it at all. But it's time to say adieu and introduce you to the new 'do, Bob. If all fares well, I may post some new photos in the slideshow at the top. Keep your fingers crossed.

(Images courtesy various sources via the web)

GIVEAWAY day is here!

So did you guess the giveaway item from the previous hints? One winner will win their own copy of Pottery Barn's Storage & Display hardcover book (a $24.95 retail value) for their personal library!!!

After our multiple moves in a few short months, it forced us to become uber organized people (and I am over the top organized to begin with). We have gotten to the point of color coding our boxes per floor plan and labeling them very specifically so there is no confusion. We can only hope our next movers follow our technique. Long story for another day. *sigh* As they say, the best laid plans...anyway, once we got the boxes in the correct locations here, the fun part started. The unpacking, deciding what to keep, what to put out in the room and what to give away. New and different spaces need new and different strategies. No room is exactly the same, so it's like starting from scratch with a blank slate and all your belongings tend to take on a new feel. Pure excitement! Well, at least for me. So I am asking my readers to answer one question for me to be entered in this giveaway.

What is your all time favorite organizational tip?
It can be for a room, a house, a closet, a move...think about it and let me know by leaving me a comment.

One winner will receive a brand new hardcover copy of Pottery Barn's Storage & Display - Stylish Solutions for Organizing Your Home!
This book is absolutely fabulous - I have one in my home library I reference all the time!

To enter, please leave your best or favorite organizational tip along with your name (first name and last initial). Entries without a tip will be disqualified. You can enter once a day with a new organizational tip.

To earn an extra (optional) entry, become a follower in Google Friend Connect (lefthand column - click the Follow button) and leave me a comment that you did so.

Giveaway will run through 11:59 p.m. CST on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010. One winner will be selected from total comments at contest end via random.org and announced sometime on Friday, July 23rd. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents at this time only.

Thanks for participating and good luck!

(Image courtesy Amazon.com)

Cent-sible Substitutes

LIKE THIS?

(Jack Rogers - Palm Beach Navajo in Black/White - $96.00)


WHY NOT TRY THIS?

(Payless Shoes - Montego Bay Club Whip-Stitched Flat Sandal in Black/White - $7.00)

Cent-sible substitute savings = $89.00
Plus, what a bonus, order online at Payless.com and have your order shipped to a local store FOR FREE!

PS Sidenote :: A few years ago, I scored a pair of A. Giannetti black & white whip-stitch sandals IDENTICAL (style, stitching, coloring, heel, etc.) to the Jack Rogers brand at T.J. Maxx for under $30. It was still a $66 savings! Keep your eyes peeled for deals all around!

(Images courtesy of Jack Rogers and Payless)

Is it time for another GIVEAWAY?

Yes, it's about that time...I think I mentioned that regular posts would commence in early June after our big move. Well, it seems like my posts jumped from end of May to beginning of July - where, oh where, did June go? I'm still trying to figure it out.

Here are some hints to the upcoming giveaway early next week...it's a good one!
Be sure to come back and enter; you won't be disappointed.

Matilda Jane Girls Just Want to Have Fun

...and at 40% off (excluding the Platinum Collection) with $2 ground shipping on all orders, what are YOU waiting for? Visit Matilda Jane for this AWESOME sale that runs through July 21st!!! My daughter's closet has quite a bit of MJC, but I was able to find some more to add. Here's what I was able to score online today:

Gypsy Gretta Skirt


Victorian Lace Knee Socks

Bouquet Ruffle Pants


Happy Leggings

Their servers had some issues with capacity but the MJC team worked diligently to alleviate the problems and mid afternoon brought success with order confirmations for many of us.

What are some of the items on your MJC wishlist?

(Images courtesy of Matilda Jane Clothing)