Well, Spring is in full-force here in Bucks County, with trees and flowers beginning to bloom like crazy (although this weekend we experienced a bit of a set-back with 50 degree-gasp!-rainy weather!) A great way to enjoy Spring, especially when the days are still a bit too cool to be outside, is by bringing the outdoors in. A nature walk with your kids, husband or on your own will provide you with loads of opportunities for adding some spring color to your homes. For me, it's not enough to just look at Spring through a window, I've got to get that stuff inside my house!

Probably my most favorite sight in spring are the millions of forsythias that bloom in all their mustardy-yellow glory. As soon as I saw buds on our forsythia, I cut a few branches, plunked them down in a vase and they immediately brought sunshine to my new white kitchen. {Sigh}

Remember my Garden Wall? I felt that my house was in dire need of greens last spring, and guess what? These little fellas are still going strong. Hooray for me!

Centsational Girl

Don't even get me started on all the things I dig in this picture. Let's just focus on those beautiful pink (don't quote me on this) peonies. Am I right on the flower, anyone? Whatever they are, they're lovely.

Source: brittanyanddylan.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest Ever thought about making your own terrarium? Not sure why, but these things are mega-popular right now. It could be that it's almost impossible to kill succulents, which is awesome for plant-killers like me.

I am in love with growing your own wheat grass. It sounds super easy to do, and is a really versatile spring decoration. I'm thinking I might give this a try this week! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blog Name Update We're making progress very slowly. So slowly, in fact, that it's been a torturous process for us. Thank you all for your support and suggestions for names. We so appreciate you taking the time to give us your thoughts! Since we are two extremely decisive girls, not being able to decide on a name has thrown us for a loop! All day long we call each other with new name ideas. We think we've narrowed it down to a few that we like, and now we need your help! Please vote on your favorite name (FYI- they're very similar to each other!), and if you're so inclined, leave us a note with why you voted for that one!

We've toyed around with a million variations, like: BC Design (for Bucks County), Designing Reality, East Coast Creative, just to name a few. Do any of them jump out at you? Argh! It's driving us crazy. Help a few girls out, will you?; )

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Again, thanks for all your help! Now, go outside and bring some of that glorious Spring inside!; )

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TIKI Brand® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
I'm a huge fan of outdoor living spaces, but you all know that working outside is not our forte. Last year, though, we added some much needed curb appeal by painting our front door and shutters to better fit our style, but this summer, our goal is to beautify the back yard, which is where we spend most of our time. Of course, i have big plans for our backyard. Who doesn't?! This will just be one of those things that will have to happen slowly over time, but a girl can dream, can't she? My backyard must-haves? Let's take a look: 1. Comfortable seating. I mean, come on. If I'm going to be spending lots of time outdoors with my kids or entertaining my friends, i want to have a nice cozy spot to sit and hang out.

Source

2. A secluded area that fits in with the natural surroundings. I'm a huge fan of seating areas that are snuggled under trees or is next to big planters in a hidden spot. That's not super easy to do, since we live in a neighborhood, but I think with the right plants, we could make this happen in some way.

Source 3. Great Ambiance. Man, i love me some outdoor lighting that sets the mood and creates an unforgettable atmosphere. Sadly, in the northeast where we live, we get lots of mosquitos at night that are attracted to lights. Booo. How can we light our space without attracting all those bugs?

Source Enter TIKI Brand lighting. This is one way I can immediately get to work on my backyard, create ambiance and keep the bugs away, even if I dont' have my dream space yet. The TIKI Brand Flame & Solar Torch is super simple to assemble and use. I was so impressed with how sturdy everything was…not like those old, plastic-y ones.The coolest thing about these torches is that they come with a small LED attachment that can be used when you're entertaining around a lot of people, especially kids. You don't have to worry about someone running into an open flame, which is a huge bonus in my book. The LED light turns on automatically at night and will last 8 hours after a full-day charge.

The other nice thing about the TIKI Brand Glowing Torch fuel is that it contains OFF! for protection from bugs. The worst thing about summer evenings is most definitely the bugs, and now I don't have to worry about that either.

Monica put her TIKI Brand Glowing Table Torch. on her table Monica and it is such a cool statement piece. It works much the same way in that it has a battery-powered LED light that illuminates the globe and the torch for a live flame. It looks super fun and modern and adds another interesting light feature to her outdoor space.

You can buy TIKI brand products at Walmart and Target for under $40. They definitely add a fun ambiance to any backyard space. Don't forget to follow TIKI Brand on Facebook for lots more ideas on creating the ultimate backyard expi

I am such a sucker for fairy-tale endings, especially real-life ones. I was not disappointed with the wedding of Prince William and Princess Catherine this weekend. Ahhh, such history and tradition, beautiful people and loads of money spent!

Engagement photo on THE wedding program

Didn't you just love her Alexander McQueen dress? It {quietly} screamed"royalty".

I loved the lace detailing on the bodice that was timeless, but still looked modern.

One of my favorite elements were the huge trees Kate requested to have brought in to Westminster Abbey. She apparently loves the outdoors and wanted to bring that feeling indoors. With a $83,000 pricetag, why not?

What fairytale doesn't involve a 4-horsedrawn carriage?

Wasn't it ridiculous that the press made such a big deal out of their two public kisses?

I wish I could have changed into another fabulous dress for my reception. Welcome to the big leagues, Princess Catherine.
Just for kicks, we thought we'd share a few pictures from our days spent as a princess:

Kev and I were married almost 7 years ago, and it seems like just yesterday. I am thankful that my dress was very simple and timeless, however, I wish I had picked a dress that was a little more unique.

In my opinion my wedding day was perfect, and I really did love being the center of attention (my husband is rolling his eyes right about now). I wouldn't really change a thing (except that my wedding pics are not in digital form, so I had to scan these! Hence, the grainyness…)
Eric and I will be married 10 years in just a few months… (I hope you're saving for a Caribbean trip babe!) Now, when Jess mentioned posting some of our wedding pictures my simple response was,"NO!"… Let me explain… I LOVED my wedding day and I felt great the day of, however a few weeks later when we got the pictures back (which were taken by a faithful blog reader, that did a great job-especially in the pre-digital age) I was so bummed to see that my make-up lady had used a powder that reflected against the flash in every-single-picture. Months of tanning, all to look like the Bride of Chuckie in every picture. So, when I asked Eric today if he knew where our wedding pictures were, he actually said,"Do we even have wedding pictures anymore?" So, only because I'm a dedicated blogger, you're getting one picture…

Now, pictures and joking aside, I loved a few specific things about our wedding… It was in PA and I was from MA, but SO many family and friends made the trip to be there for us. I had the best wedding party ever and I love the people that were part of our special day. I will also never, ever forget our DJ and the funny stories that go along with her. And finally, I might change about 95% of my wedding because it's been 10 years and I didn't even know what my taste was like back then, but one thing I wouldn't change is marrying my very best friend. Cheesy, I know, but sometimes it's okay to be sap city when it comes to the amazing, handsome guy that's absolutely perfect for me.
So, did you watch the Big Event? Tell us what you thought!

Ok, we're back, as promised, with all the information about our Thanksgiving centerpiece and place card ideas! If you didn't see the segment today on the Channel 69 Sunrise morning show, you're in luck because you can watch it here!
First of all, I just have to say, that Monica and I love doing this show. It is so much fun, so laid back, and Eve Tannery is a total pro! Plus, she actually reads our blog so we know she's legitmately a fan (thanks, Eve!)

And of course, we had to include a goofy one…

I just have to mention one funny thing that happened this morning before our segments. Monica and I were setting up the table and Mo started to light the candles in some of our centerpieces. I wasn't sure if we were allowed to, so I caught Jaciel's (the other anchor) eye while Eve was doing her thing and mouthed"Can we light these?" He didn't hear what I asked, and said,"Do I like those? It looks so nice." We were cracking up thinking about what he must think of us asking if our table looked nice as he was giving the news. Maybe not so funny to you, but stinkin' hilarious to us that early.: ) Ok, now on to the good stuff:
Centerpieces The Gourd Vase We like to keep it simple, bring the outdoors in, and use things you can find around your house. This centerpiece meets all of those requirements, so I'm one happy camper!

I (Jessica) went to a local farmstore called Penn-Vermont Farms (which is fabulous by the way!) and picked up a bunch of different sized gourds. The gourd I used for the vase is a kershaw gourd, but you could also use a birdhouse gourd. You want to choose a gourd that is not top-heavy so it can hold the weight of the branches and leaves. Then, I drilled a small hole into the top.

I recommend making this centerpiece on the actual day of Thanksgiving because once you cut the branch, the leaves quickly die. Ask me how I know that. You could easily use berries or bare branches and this centerpiece would still look amazing. (Curious about my table runner? You can check out how I made that using a dropcloth here)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Candle Log

This centerpiece is so simple, but really pretty. Monica made this using a birch log, but any kind of wood will do. First measure the length of your tray (Mo picked this one up at Michael's!) so you can determine the length of the piece of wood. You'll want to leave a few inches on either end. Cut the sheet moss to the size of the bottom of the tray and lay it down lengthwise in the tray.

Place the candles on the log and mark where you want them to go.

Using a circle drill bit (this one is 1 1/2 inches), partially drill the holes until you have enough depth to place your votive candles.

Wrap the whole thing with a pretty ribbon, and voila! An easy, rustic centerpiece!

Fall Tray with Cut Log Pieces and Candles

I found a great oversized tray at ReStore, and could not wait to put it to good use! Monica had recently cut a bunch of birch logs for a project (more on that to come later!), so I used them to fill my tray. Use a chop saw to cut your log into 1-2 inch circles.

I surrounded the birch discs with a bed of yellow and red leaves and then placed 3 orange pillar candles in the center. You could easily do a more modern, less rustic, take on this by leaving out the leaves and adding white pillar candles for a sleek, cool look.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Place Cards Modern Name & Menu Napkin Rings

Monica made these using regular cardstock in two fall colors. Decide on the font you want to use, type it up in a word document, and then print it out. Layer the printed paper onto the opposite color paper and wrap around the napkin. Mo used extra fabric she had laying around to make a napkin and laid the utensils on it, followed by the place card. Finally, lay the whole thing onto the plate and you're done! Remember: you don't have to spend a million bucks to create a beautiful tablescape for Thanksgiving. Use what you have on hand!

Pair it with the candle log and you're table practically sets itself! (BTW- do you notice the name Mo used on the place card? Greyson. She secretly wished she had named one of her children that. Now the secrets out.: ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chalkboard Mason Jar Mugs & Tin Buckets

This is one that the kids will enjoy because it uses chalkboard paint. Let them write the names of your young guests on these mason jar mugs and place them around your kid table. They'll love being involved and will be thrilled they have their very own cup! Or for a more mature version, grab a few tin buckets and paint with chalkboard paint. Fill it with a few pinecones, or a few after-dinner treats.

Anyone can do this, and it adds instant fun to your table! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinecone Placecard Holders

Michael's has loads of scented pinecones for sale right now, but you could also take a nature walk and collect them yourselves for an even less expensive way to decorate. Enlist someone with some muscles, because cutting into a pinecone is no easy task! Use a hack saw to create a"slot" in the top of the pinecone and then slide your placecard right in. Mo used cardstock, but you could get a little fancier if you wanted because you saved a bundle by using pinecones!: )

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wood Slices Card Holder

Of all the placecard holders, this just might be my favorite. Take a couple of the wood slices you cut for your centerpiece, and create a slot in the wood using a hack saw or a sharp knife.

To make the placecards shown here, find two complimentary pieces of cardstock and scrapbook paper. Cut to size and layer them. Add a tiny clothespin for interest and write the name of your guest on the card. That's it! Use this with the fall tray centerpiece and you're able to maintain continuity of your design throughout the entire table.

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Gourd Placecard Holder

Ok, I saved the easiest for last. Make your placecard with cardstock and write the name of your guest on it. Punch a hole and tie it around the stem of your gourd. Easy peasy and adorable! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We hope you liked our table decor ideas for Thanksgiving- we had a blast coming up with them! We'll be making another appearance on the Channel 69 News Sunrise show in December and would love to hear what YOU would like to see us create or design! Leave us a comment with your thoughts.: )
T minus 16 days until Thanksgiving. Get decorating!

I hope you'll find time in your busy day to pop on over to Providence Ltd. Mona was kind enough to invite me over for a guest post on Christmas inspiration where she's doing a wonderful series every Tuesday and Thursday with our wonderful world of design bloggers for the month of December.

image via Country Living Magazine
You'll find inspiring ways to decorate with all natural, simple items found just outside your door! Be sure to leave a comment and tell us what you think, will you be using the great outdoors in your holiday scheme?
Thank you Mona for inviting me over! & Happy Holidays Everyone!

No, 1st dibs didn't make a new record selling anything, at least I don't think they did? Congratulate me, this is the first time I have ever made it through the entire new listings on 1st Dibs in one day. As anyone knows that's not an easy feat considering there are typically 18 pages of mouth watering, eye dropping, goodies galore to peruse! Such fabulous stuff and I can't afford a single thing! Then again my birthday is coming up in September and for those of you needing some gift ideas I've gone ahead and chosen a few morsels'''

offered by Alexander Westerhoff Here
These 17th century Baroque Marble Corbels would look perfect on either side of my fireplace and who doesn't love angels? But then again I'll need a nicer fireplace surround to go with the corbels so toss this in too please. Then again my ceilings will need to be raised but that's what a wish list is for huh?

offered by M. Naeve Here
Love stone fireplace surrounds and this 18th centry French job fills the bill, in fact maybe I should ask for two of these, the other would look amazing in a bathroom!

offered by Karla Katz Here Italian gilt Lantern
My entry hall fixture really needs some serious help and I thought this would be the perfect fix!

offered by William Laman Here
I just love this Swedish Baroque table it would go perfectly in the entry way as well, I need to find a mirror to go over it and oh yeah, I need a bigger entry hall!

offered by Lotus Gallery Here
This Empire silk velvet pillow is right up my alley, anyone who knows me knows how much I love anything orange! Throw in some metallic anything and I'm yours!

offered by Watkins Culver Here
I will always accept fabulous 18th century paintings with angels but when they come with an outstanding frame, Perfection!
To round things out I think I should pick a little something for the outdoors but then again these urns are stunning and might look great in my dining room.

offered by Rose Uniacke Here
I was utterly amazed to have noticed I made it thru all the new listings and then I looked at the time and wasn't to pleased with myself since I didn't get a single thing done today. But it was a nice rainy day here in New Hampshire and we haven't seen rain in two months so I think I'll count this as my celebration for the rain. What do you wish for on rainy days?

This post brought to you by Whitney Farms. All opinions, creative ideas, and the cute kid are 100% mine.

My oldest child is a lot like her grandmom. She loves all animals, being outdoors, and growing things. At any given time you'll find at least two Red Solo Cups filled with dirt and some kind of seed on my kitchen counter. This spring Kenzie started sectioning off a little area of one of our beds as her"garden." We decided that a kids garden was a great idea and let her run with it. Of course it got my DIY wheels turning, and I actually struggled with letting go and letting her"make it her own," but, in the end, I think she did a fabulous job and her garden is just how she wanted it. Here's a peek into Kenzie's Garden…

Greenhouse Starter Kit Her kit was an Easter present and all the plants are doing so well. We plan to transplant them in about two weeks. We've still been having some cold nights here in Bucks County. Painted Rocks What's a garden without some pretty rocks? Kenzie LOVES our dog Pennlyn, so this rock is for her! We used acrylic paints, but coated it with a spray sealant to keep the rain away. She tested it with the hose before this picture.

Garden Sign I wanted to make an awesome barnwood sign with a custom transfer etc… but my girl had other plans. Sometimes it's hard to let go and let her do her own thing, but she was quite pleased with her little yellow sign. I think it's pretty cute too. These little wood plaques are at Michaels for $0.99!

Paint Stick Fence This project was a little tricky because Lowes wasn't really into the idea of giving me 50 paint sticks. They did give me 30ish, so we decided to spread them out a bit more and make it work! I also bought two yard sticks. To make the fence, we just used a staple gun to connect them to the yard sticks.

Kenzie painted it black and then sprayed it with white spray paint to give it an"old fashioned" look, as she put it. I think for under $1.00 it's perfect for a kids garden! (I also think it would look adorable to have an ombre fence, by lightening each picket. Not that I butted in and suggested that to Kenz, of course not!: )

Paint Stick Labels Another really simple, but fun project with paint sticks. She and her BFF painted them during a sleepover this weekend, then used a sharpie to write the names. I sealed them with Valspar's clear spray sealant. I think they're so cute!

Plants Kenzie chose all of her own plants (I might have been tempted to make suggestions, but I kept them to myself). She has sunflowers, strawberries, a tomato plant, vinca (my personal favorite), lavender, and I'm pretty sure she planted a maple tree! We already have strawberries! (We had these plants from last year, so they got a head start)

We planted some vinca because it's the best flower ever! Really, it loves the heat, doesn't need to be watered hardly ever, and gets lots of flowers. This is perfect for kiddos because it doesn't require much, and will bloom all season long.

I'll be completely honest, I'm not the most organic person you'll ever meet (ask my good friend Steph!) But, I didn't want Kenz handling a bunch of chemicals and toxic stuff. I was thrilled to find out about Whitney Farms® organic plant food. Kenz asked what was so special about it, and I explained that it's basically plant food made from all healthy stuff from the earth. She was cool with that answer and I'm a happy mom because I know she'll be safe working in organic soil and still have some huge, healthy flowers soon!.

So, does your kiddo have a green thumb? Maybe it's time for you to start a kids' garden too! I hope Kenzie's projects have inspired you! She was pretty excited that she was getting"her own blog post" Ha! Oh, and the good folks at Whitney farms are giving you a $3.00 off coupon if you want to try it out for yourself! We can see who's flowers get bigger! If you have a second, let Kenzie know what you think of her garden in a comment! Thanks!

With the return of Spring comes the dreaded Spring Cleaning (at least, it's dreaded for me)! One of the most satisfying cleaning habits for me is window cleaning! There is nothing like a window that's smeared with dog drool, kids fingerprints, snow residue and all sorts of other things being cleaned to reveal the sunshine and the beautiful outdoors. Today, I'm sharing three tips from a professional window cleaner that will make cleaning windows so much easier and a whole lot more satisfying!

Most of you don't know this, but my hubs owns a company called Jackson Home Services that specializes in residential and commercial window cleaning. He cleaned windows professionally for 4 years before taking another job (darn that the economy tanked!), and now runs his window cleaning business on the weekends. He has generously offered to share his"insider" secrets with all of you, just so you don't dread the process any more.: )
Tip #1: Invest in a Squeegee.

Honestly, this one makes all the difference in a window with streaks and without streaks. You can find these at Lowes or Home Depot for cheap, and you won't regret it. My hubs does a tricky"S" move with his squeegee, but for your purposes, after getting the window wet, running the squeegee across the window from one side to the next will work.

Tip #2: Don't use Windex!

It's silly to spend all that money on window cleaning solutions when the pros just use an ounce of Joy Dish Soap (or any other dish soap, but my hubs prefers Joy) in a bucket half-full of warm water. Dip a towel/cloth in the water and wipe it all over the window and then use the squeegee to clean it off.
Tip #3: Use a Lint-free Cloth & Steel Wool to finish it off!

After using the squeegee, take the lint-free or microfiber cloth, and wipe around the corners and base of the windows to dry any remaining water. If you encounter a stubborn spot on the glass, like a paint splatter, screen residue etc, rub it with a piece of steel wool to remove. Make sure your window is wet when you do this! Don't worry, this won't damage or scratch your glass, but will easily remove the spot. Then, start over with the squeegee.
Tip #4: Hire a Professional to make your life REALLY easy! (Bonus tip from ME!: )) If you're in the Bucks, Montgomery or Chester county areas, consider hiring Jackson Home Services to completely eliminate the windown cleaning hassle. My hubs is super resposible, courteous, honest and polite. (And I'm not biased at all!) He does a great job, can give you references, and is offering 20% off for all RHBC readers. To schedule a cleaning, email Kevin Jackson at jacksonhomeservices@gmail.com with RHBC20 in the title.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

So let's just call a spade a spade… today's post is definitely less of a tutorial and more of a tool for inspiration. I can own the fact that this projectwas not hard at all. It's also not something a person would normally think of doing as a part of Christmas decor, and it turned out to be my favorite part (and Monicas!) of the entire room, so it's worth talking about, for sure. What the heck am I talking about?
Accent Tree Branch

I'm such a fan of bringing the outdoors in because it's beautiful, but also because it's FREE. As soon as I heard that we were swapping houses and that I was decorating Monica's living room, I knew immediately that I wanted to incorporate a branch above the mantle, that would draw the eye upwards since they have high ceilings. I also knew that a branch would coordinate beautifully with their earthy, stone fireplace. I had seen branches used as decor in several magazines as well as a few ideas floating around in blogland. I'll be honest- this was my wildcard project. It had the potential to turn out awesome, but it also could make Nate Berkus laugh at me.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Kayleigh on Pinterest

My original thought was to hang a branch from the ceiling (I knew that the few holes I put in the ceiling could easily be repaired when they decided to remove the branch) using fishing line and something like this:

But then, my husband found the perfect branch ever in the yard and I realized that I might be able to avoid making Monica's hubby Eric angry putting loads of holes in the ceiling. Could it be that this branch was the right height with the right arch at the right angle to complete my mantle? Honestly this was too good to be true in a crazy fast, 48-hour challenge.

Yes, that is actually the way the room looked most of the time. Can you even believe I could get anything done with all that mess? I seriously spent about 3/4 of my time wandering around looking for scissors. And here, Monica, had laid out all of her supplies all pretty and organized…

To each, his own, I guess.: ) Wait, what was I talking about again? Oh yes, the branch. After much debate, (should we cut the branch and hang it from the ceiling? Should we lean the branch on the mantle? Should I throw the branch in the fire and burn it?), we decided on keeping the branch. From then on the branch was treated like gold. If anyone got near it, I gave them the stink eye and told them to stay away from it. My hubs accidentally stepped on it, and you should have heard the way I yelled his name. It had our camera crew rolling on the floor laughing. It's not every day that the perfect branch comes along to complete a Christmas mantle. C'mon, you know how it is.

In a 48-hour challenge, you have to think and act quickly. Being in someone else's house and trying to find supplies that will help with your project is tricky, so we had to be resourceful and creative. My hubs found two rake mount/wall holder/things in the garage and we figured out that the two arms could bend around the branch. The bottom of the branch is resting on one of the rake thingys, and the other one is hugging the branch tight to hold it in place. Lucky for me, one of the offshoots of the branch could rest right on the mantle holding a good bit of the weight.

Obviously, there are other ways of doing this, but we were in a hurry and were trying to make the least amount of repair work for them (aren't we sweet?). However, this method is still holding! To finish it off, I hung three ornaments I made (more on those to come!) on the end of the branch for a touch of Christmas whimsy.

All in all, this was a cheap and easy project that makes such a huge impact. I am totally in love, and have been looking for a place to hang a branch in my home ever since.
Would you ever hang a tree in your living room or am I the only crazy one?; )

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to our newest sponsor, Red Letter Words! If you haven't already heard of Red Letter Words, what rock have you been hiding under? Dee creates beautiful pieces of art that incorporate either verses of Scripture or favorite travel spots in a subway panel style. They are so modern in design, but offer a vintage touch with the"erased chalkboard" effect she uses. And not only that, she offers custom designs as well! My personal favorite for the Christmas season is this:

O Holy Night Cafe Mount Print
and this is pretty cute too:

Santa's Reindeer Art Print
Hurry! You still have time to buy several of these as gifts for everyone you know. Use the code MERRY15 for 15% off your order. (Offer exludes custom prints and the print of the month) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, time for Round 2, and let's just say we're back and better than ever. Well, not us, but the contestants. Their knockoff projects are killer this week!

We can tell that they really want to win the awesome prizes from our fabulous sponsors this week! Let's just recap what they are, shall we?

1. $100 Gift Card to Royal Design Studio .
RDS is our go-to source for all of our stencil projects and our run on CWTS last year was where we were first introduced to them!

2. A pair of $120 Robert Allen pillows from Chic Decor Pillows
These pillows are hand-made and absolutely gorgeous. We're sorta jealous that we don't get them.

3. Project featured by HomeTalk , which, come on, is kind of a big deal.

These are pretty fabulous prizes, but let's not forget that one contestant and their star partner will win the Grand Prize at the end of these four weeks! Woohoo!

$500 from Homes.Com
$500 Gift Card to HomeGoods
Project featured by HomeTalk

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We are so impressed with how these ladies took these famous, really pricey items and put their own spin on them to make them unique and fabulous. Let's get this party started!

1. Anthro-inspired Wall Lamp

When I heard this week was knock-off week I knew immediately what I wanted to do. See, I've been seeing this lamp I wanted in the Anthropologie catalog. It makes my heart happy but…my budget doesn't allow for it. Well, could you afford $2800.00 for a lamp? I know, right?!? Ridiculous! So, I took it upon myself to figure out how to make this lamp accessible to mere peons. Or simply those that have a budget.

Granted, I had to change things up a bit. I used pipes more than wooden spindles. And Rub n Buff to achieve some of the finishes. I also wasn't about to do the whole thing in copper piping (have you seen the cost of copper pipes?) so I sprayed pvc pipe with copper paint and Rub n Buffed it to get a nice shiny look. All in all, I have to say that this ridiculously expensive lamp just got beat. Oh yeah Anthro…you hear me??…you are charging too much!

I'll agree that mine isn't exactly the same as Anthro's. True. But, let's see mine is…about 3% of the cost of their's. Okay, I'll make do with not exactly! Truthfully, I love this lamp. It's so quirky, fun, stylish, and feels like an art piece! I'm so glad this contest pushed me to create it, I'm in love with it!

2. Restoration Hardware-inspired Lighted Sign

When I think of knock off, I think copy cat (in a good way). I think of anything duplicated to the T, but is much less expensive. For this round, I chose not to duplicate, but rather I was inspired by this Restoration Hardware arrow and created something a little different. I'll tell ya… with the basic process, you can create just about anything you can imagine. A state, a letter, a number, a symbol, a phrase. It's totally up to you.

Perfect for outdoors.

Perfect for indoors.

3. Schumacher Zimba-inspired Drapes, Anthro-inspired bench and Cornice

I love designer fabric and furniture, but the high prices make it hard to justify (especially when I change my mind frequently!) I like to get a high end look at a fraction of the price by putting a little, time, effort, and creative thinking to work!

I've been obsessing over Schumacher Zimba fabric forever, it is absolute perfection for draperies! But, at about $100 a yard (that means about $300 just for ONE panel), it is definitely not in the budget. By creating my own stencil and buying pre-made white draperies from Ikea, I was able to get two panels for about $25!!

Ever since seeing one doubling as a window seat, I have been dying to build an upholstered bench ottoman. Inspired by Anthropologie's bench ottoman that costs $1,700, I built this ottoman for under $100. I cut costs by using an inexpensive comforter in lieu of foam, upholstry webbing as a top support, and a drapery panel for fabric. It's perfect for extra seating or a place to rest your feet.

Custom cornices can be very pricey especially when topping a large window. For this window, I wanted a 95" length which can cost over $850. I built this cornice using 1x12 and 1x6 to create the frame and a long tablecloth for fabric for under $25.

These three diy projects transformed this window area and cost me only $150. The time and effort was definitely worth it over paying over $3,000 for all of the originals! 4. Faux Chair Slipcover

It looks like a chair, but kinda like a slipcover too…
Well, that's because it's a chair covered by a slipcover! Who knew this chair had such high ambitions? I did, that's who!

I saw this faux chair cover on this Danish website and I knew these covers would be perfect for my house. I drew a template and took it to a copy center to have it enlarged. Then I cut it out and appliqued each individual piece to a plain chair cover to create a faux chair on a slipcover.

It's a fun easy project that takes an afternoon. And now all my other chairs are a little jealous!
I had fun making that plate wall, too. Just plates and a few vinyl birds. I think they're perfect with my"fancy, new" chairs!

5. Anthro-inspired Ikat Console

ANTHROPOLOGIE. I LOVE this store. I love the colors, the design, the textures, the ambiance, and inspiration that I always find there. When I saw this gorgeous ikat hand painted console, I knew it was the perfect piece of inspiration for my CWTS Knock off. (and at $1698--it's a great piece to knock off; )

Using a cabinet base from IKEA and an ikat stencil from Olive Leaf Stencils, I recreated the console, choosing a similar color palette, with some color adjustments to fit my own house and decor scheme.

They say"imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Well, Anthro, you most certainly have mine. In honor of my love for this store, I styled the console using some Anthropologie treasures, in addition to some old wooden spools & candles, books and beautiful orange tulips. 6. Anthro-Inspired Sharpie Plate Art

Woo… week 2! After the crazy, hectic, eating-cereal-for-dinner kind of week last week was I was hoping for a"knockoff" project I could knockout quickly. Apparently, I don't know how to do that. I chose to knockoff Lost Arcadia By Molly Hatch sold by Anthropologie for $7,500! Since that's about $7,450 over my budget, I decided to see if it could be done on the cheap.

It's basically 30 plates hung together with a painted scene going across all the plates. At $7,500, that's $250 per plate. Luckily Dollar Tree sells white plates for a buck. And, since I was pretty sure painting freehand on the plates wasn't going to look all that great, I used a Sharpie and a projector. All you have to do is trace… easy.

I chose to trace a botanical print on my plates since I felt it looked a little more modern, but tried to keep the style and overall feel the same–very loose and all black and white. The plates are hung using Command Strips. At 5 feet wide and 6 feet tall, it makes quite the impact on the wall, not the bank account.

7. Horchow-inspired Mirrors

So, here we are at round 2 (Did you see all of the awesome projects in round 1?). This week's theme is Knock-Off, which I love. I'm cheap frugal, and just can't spend the money that some of the big name websites want for their stuff. Plus, I'm sure my husband would think I'm certifiably insane if I bought a $300 vase or $100 throw pillow. But just because I'm designing on a budget doesn't mean that I can't have nice things, right?

I saw these mirrors over at Horchow, and loved them. I'm one of those ladies that thinks that you can never have enough mirrors in your house. Mirrors to make your room look bigger. Mirrors to reflect light and brighten up your space. Mirrors to make sure you don't have food in your teeth. The more, the merrier. But $1095 shipped? Yikes. No thank you. But looking at them, I figured I could make them.
A quick stop at Hobby Lobby for the wooden plates and big mirror, a not so quick stop by Home Depot for the rope and other supplies, and a call and stop by the local mirror place for the smaller mirror size that I couldn't find pre-cut anywhere. Then it was time to go home to paint, sand and assemble.

I did have to get creative with the black caps that Horchow has on the ends of their ropes. My solution? PVC end caps, simply spray painted black. Some black BBQ & Stove spray paint on the metal (which is holding nicely as long as you don't bang around the metal) and voila! Drill a hole in the PVC, hot glue the hooks and rope, and BOOM.

Slightly smaller, slightly lighter in color, but perfectly me.
8. West Elm-inspired Wood Tile Dresser
It didn't take long for me to figure out what I wanted to do for this week's challenge. I've been lusting after this wood-tiled dresser from West Elm for months and months, but at a whopping $900, it just wasn't going to happen. So, this challenge gave me the perfect excuse to try and re-create it on my own! And I think it turned out pretty awesome.

I found this gorgeous antique dresser at a local flea market and knew it would be the perfect piece for this project. It's not quite as modern as the original, but it has some nice clean lines and wooden casters, which make me a little weak in the knees. With a fresh coat of paint, some DIY-ed hardware, and a whole bunch of whitewashed, hand-cut wood tiles it looks pretty dang close to the original.

Really, if I'm being honest, I like my version just a little bit better.; -) 9. Anthro-inspired Duvet When I first saw the Corin Duvet from Anthropologie, I fell in love with its details. Hand stitching, gathered fabric, pure gorgeousness. But it also came with a price tag that was way out of my league.

I wanted this look for our room but didn't want to spend $400 (and I didn't want to sew anything) so I bought a white duvet cover and a bottle of puffy paint. PUFFY PAINT?! Yes, I said puffy paint.

I used a picture of the original and a steady hand to paint the details onto my duvet.

But don't worry, the look is nothing like those cheesy tee shirts you used to make!; )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's time to vote! You guys have a ridiculously hard job- we don't envy you a bit! You can only vote one time, but you can vote for your favorite 3 projects. In order to vote, please LIKE EC2 on Facebook. Thanks!


Thanks for voting! Check back tomorrow to see Monica's Knockoff that saved her over $1500! Did you miss the Round 1 projects? You can see them all here. Want to know the results of Round 1? Click here!

During the Winter, plants and pots sits in the garage workshop, but when Spring arrives they move out in the sun.  The owners have designed the plant table themselves and it's a perfect working place.

The old garage has been renovated with Cement floor and ceiling tree balks. I love the colour of the tree!

Most of the furniture has been found at flee markets and auctions, and the working tables, as mentioned, the owners made themselves.

The plane bench cost just about nothing at an auction and the garden tools was bought used in Sweden.

The doors, with original numbers still intact, come from an old drying room.

Outdoor kitchen. What a dream a hot summer! This mobile kitchen is self made and just so smart and pretty.

T he Limelight hydrangea that we planted on the dining patio this past spring are in full bloom.

After having worked all last summer on building the dining patio ( go here and here ), it was truly wonderful to begin this summer with the sole task of setting up the table and chairs.

The vigorous growth of the Limelight over the past few months has really added a nice texture to the dining patio.

Aren't the Limelight blossoms sweet?

We are still working on finishing the dining room. Between enjoying our recent company, Hubby's work obligations, and the sheer lack of hours in the day, there's still some painting to do and a few odds and ends to pull together.
As a result, we've been enjoying the dining patio more than ever. We never tire of eating outdoors on these beautiful warm summer days.
Mmmm....don't you just love summer.
UPDATE: new table and chairs here.

I'm so happy to introduce you to Robin Harisis. She was roomates with my older sister at Messiah College, so I sort of know her by association. She is the founder of Room Service Personal Organizing, LLC and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Faithful Organizers. Robin believes that everyone can learn to be organized and she finds satisfaction in teaching organizational skills to others. In the summer of 2010, Robin became a Certified Family Manager Coach. Family Manager Coaches help families learn to work together to achieve organizing goals and live more fulfilling lives by modeling proven business practices. Robin lives in Ontario, New York with her husband, her son and daughter, and two crazy dogs. She enjoys the outdoors, reading, gardening, and of course, organizing. You better believe that I had ulterior motives when I asked her to be a guest blogger- I need these organizing tips more than anyone!
Top Three Organizing Tips

Define a Starting Point
The question that is most often asked of me is “Where do I start an organizing project?” Sometimes the project is so overwhelming or habitual it is hard to define a true starting point. I equate it to asking a child to pick up his toys in a room scattered with his belongings. Most of the time, the child will stand there, staring at the mess, arms at his side, still as can be. The child cannot do what he is asked because it is too overwhelming. He cannot identify a starting point.

We can be just like the child when we are staring at an organizing project. Here are some ways to help define a starting point:

• Deal with the project that would make the most meaningful change in the shortest amount of time

• Set up a bill payment system as the first step to a paper management system
• Organize the foyer or entryway as a start to organizing your home
• Cup your hands around your eyes and pan the room. This limits your view of the project, allowing you to see it in smaller portions and giving the project some definition. Choose a section and begin your project.
• Determine a main or final goal for your organizing project. Break the project into steps working backward from your goal. This will not only help you find a starting point, but will give you a plan to follow until your project is complete.

Sort and Label According to You

• Sort like with like

• If a pile of seemly random objects were dumped on a table in front of a group of people, each person might sort them differently. One person may sort by color, another by shape, and yet another by use. Each way is correct, showing the difference in how people view “like with like.” Sort your items according to what like with like means to you
• Label according to you

• Labeling can be straight-forward. For example, a box of Christmas decorations are labeled “Christmas.” However, there are times creative labels can be helpful in classifying items. “Financial Documents” may not mean anything to you, rendering the papers hard to find. But when the same papers are labeled in a file called “Papers that make me money,” they are located in a snap. Label items according to what makes sense to you and forgo the traditional titles, if need be.