Hooked on... before and afters!

Don't you just love a good makeover? I just love a good "before and after." Such a sense of accomplishment and completion.

Here's some inspiring rooms that turned out just oh so good!

Home Office Makeover


after:


(courtesy of Cottage Living)

Living Room Makeover
before:


after:

(courtesy of Real Simple)

and lastly, just love this one...

Entry Hall
before:


after:


(Courtesy of House Beautiful)

One common theme in all of these (that I just realized) is the use of blue... I wouldn't consider myself a "blue" person. But I guess I am... seeing that my living room is painted blue (could have been my first clue!). I love that little blue vase in the office makeover and the very subtle blues and greys in the rug. The blue in the second makeover is a little more "in your face" - but seems very invigorating to me. Plus, notice the red splashes... which I do love! And the blue in the last room, the entry, just says "ahhhhh... relax, you are home."

Join Hooked on Houses to see what others in blogland are hooked on these days!

Fashion Friday... TOMS Inspiration!

Just 'cuz I'm lovin' on TOMS lately, and because I have been out of town for the past couple of days (no time to post!)... I thought I would feature TOMS for Fashion Friday again... this time a bunch of TOMS lovin' from polyvore!


A.I.S.L.- hello lisa - by ♫~A.I.S.L.~♫{taking requests} on Polyvore.com


130: Failure's No Success - by platinumblonde on Polyvore.com


River Hills, Manhattan Prep [RP] - by Pied+Piper on Polyvore.com


wanderer and seeker - by micheley on Polyvore.com


Untitled - by xfashionxgeekx on Polyvore.com

Give TOMS for Valentine's Day

are your valentine's day plans coming together yet?

I don't have anything too planned out yet... likely some fun stuff for the kids like heart shaped cakes and heart shaped pizza... there will probably also be oodles of candy and other sweet stuff involved. But like I have mentioned before - I just love Valentine's day. Who can resist all the sweet pink and red and hearts and love. Even years that I was never in a relationship, before my husband and kids came along, I still just loved this holiday.

I think movies and popcorn with these cozy clothes would be just perfect.


hearts. - by Jill GG on Polyvore.com

all of these items can be found at oldnavy.com

...if you can believe it... cheap chic!

How are your plans coming for Valentine's day?

rainbow inspiration...

Another Thursday, another rainbow. I just love this little exercise in color. Our world is so full of it, but sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the black and white - or worse - in between of it. Don't you think?


find a rainbow... - by Jill GG on Polyvore.com

If you know me, you know that I have a love for bangle bracelets... big, small, heavy, light, expense or cheap. I've got 'em. In fact a few of them in the above montage I personally own and love. And you got to see a couple of them here too... that's just a fraction of all of them!

Where are you finding your rainbows these days?

just in case you were wondering...

[via absolutely beautiful things]

...really, i mean it, you do.

what's rockin' wednesday.

What's rockin' me today:

This quote. So true...

These delicate and fresh prints in honor of my favorite holiday (valentine's!) found via Creature Comforts! Oh how fun they would be in my ever evolving blue and red living room.


This inspiration board... seriously? It's perfect (if an inspiration board can even BE perfect... although they are like questions I suppose... never a bad one if you put thought into it).

And the Twisted Sister Halter by Free People - just imagining warm sun on my fashionable little shoulders... ahhhhhh.


What's rockin' you?

somebody needs to buy these...

so i don't. Hunter boots at GILT!!! (without the, ahem, guilt).

tray stands

I just love how old fashioned and unoriginal, yet inspired tray stands are. Brings me back to the days we (my bro and I) would beg our parents to eat dinner on the tray stands at the living room couch so we could watch tv while eating. Simple, silly days.

Any who... I am obsessed with books lately and this tray... and this picture.

This one has such a classic yet modern look to it. And the yellow. I think it is here to stay - at least for a while.


*The History of Love by Nicole Krauss was nuts. I loved it SO much - read it in three days.
**I just started Twilight like not even four days ago and I am almost finished.
***Somebody stop me. I have no life.

i'm feeling...

...uninspired and unoriginal. bummer, huh?

Would you care for some re-runs since you are here and everything? Just so this wasn't a waste of your time? Well, okay then.

This set on polyvore was ridic popular... over 52 thousand views, WHAT?!?! It's just jeans and a tee and a sweater. Oh yeah, and a drop dead gorgeous handbag.


Today's Outfit Casual - by Jill GG on Polyvore.com

But then, wait a minute, this one got almost 3x that. Seriously?

But of all of them, I think this one of mine is my favorite. It's just super "me."

How do you get out of your creative/writing ruts?

housekeeping...

argh... just so you know, my feed is not "feeding" properly... so if I am not in your bloglines or your google reader - check out the site! Sorry about this!

ps, does anyone know how I can fix it? I've tried quite a few things... to no avail.

See ya around!

i have a small addiction forming...

...and it is for, of all things, reusable grocery or "shopping" bags... I just can't get enough of them!

Envirosax from Red Envelope


Eco Techno Tote from Target




Cindy Kirk I'm Not Plastic from Piperlime



Are you using them these days... if so, DO DISH, what are your favs?

giving that gives back.

Some of you may know that I am completely obsessed with TOMS shoes... I just love the idea of one for one. What a difference it would make in this world if more retailers did this! Buy a box of cereal... we'll send a box of cereal to the inner city? Buy a tube of toothpaste... we'll send another one to the women's shelter? Buy a new mattress... we'll send one to someone whose home was taken in a hurricane? Just think of the possibilities!

TOMS shoes donates ONE PAIR OF SHOES for every pair that you buy! It gives me the chills I love it so much... check out their adorable styles and order some for your girlfriends, your kids or your hubby with free shipping before the big LOVE fest this February 14, 2009. It makes me smile thinking about it!




Click the link above to start shopping now!

I know how great a new pair of shoes feels... I can only imagine how the recipients of these shoes feel.

(di)stressed anyone?

I don't know about you, but I have been absolutely DROOLING over the hip distressed jeans that are hitting the mainstream these days... some examples:


distressed jeans... - by Jill GG on Polyvore.com

With some of these retailing for upwards of $200 - one must ask themselves: Is it a good idea to buy jeans that are already half-way or more through their life cycle? This is a total "good life for less" moment... check out the tutorial on distressing jeans yourself!!! Courtesy of free people.

ps. i love those "people"
pps. i am heading to my closet this moment to find a spare pair... stay tuned!

Meal Planning Monday!

Another installment of what we are eating this week...

Monday: Tortilla Soup from Everday... doesn't this look so easy!?!? I may add some chicken and avocado to beef it up a bit.

Tuesday: Spaghetti, I'm gone for the night, so perfect meal for dad and kids...

Wednesday: Turkey Tenderloin & Veggie - the Jenny-O tenderloins are on sale and they are so good! You should try if you never have!

Thursday: Mac-n-Cheese from Real Simple... this looks SO amazing... and low(er) fat with a boost of "hidden" veggies!

Friday: Pizza - as always... I am making my own crust for this now and homemade crust is just so amazing - and easy! I love it!

For a ton of other menus... visit Org Junkie!

ps. if you haven't tried my chicken noodle soup from last week - DO it - it was so amazing I still can't stop thinking about it! I did put extra in the freezer for later though!

final product...

As quick follow up to yesterday's post, here is the final product of my wine-bottle-bangle-holder-thingy. I really like the way it turned out... I am going to try and find some other unique wine bottles (then drink the wine of course!) then repeat the process...

This would also be a great project for a wine bottle that you don't want to cover the label on, if there is one you have saved from trip or a special occasion. Another thought I had was to fill the bottle with some pebbles or decorative pieces of glass for a decorative filler.

fun with labels and empty wine bottles...

...intrigued?

So I am sure you all know I am working on my closet... I needed some more organizational items for my accessories. I found this idea here... and then went one step further by making a little label to put over the original label... you know, for a little daily dose of "feel good."



Here are the labels I made... I worked these up on the computer and printed them on full sheet labels. Then cut them to size and slapped them on the 'ol bottle. SO easy! Right now I have rubber bands securing the label (just to be safe!) I'll post final pics soon!


If you can find a nifty use for these labels too - feel free to swipe them from me! If you do, leave me a comment and let me know what fun idea you came up with! They would also be fun for stickers or tags on packages - but knowing you internet people, you could find even better uses! Have fun...

Fashion Friday... Toy Watch!

I just CAN NOT believe that it is Friday again already! But you won't catch me complaining! Who doesn't love Friday?!?! In this installment of Fashion Friday (where every Friday I make an ensemble from one of the items I highlighted this week on the 'ol blog)... I chose to go with the Toy Watch. Which I have nothing but pure love for. Oh, and also the pair of $19.50 patent flats I got from Old Navy. Because if lovin' $19.50 patent flats from Old Navy is wrong... I don't want to be right! I got these little sweeties in the mail today and they are adorable! Cuter than in the pic even! Without further ado... Fashion Friday folks:


toy watch love. - by Jill GG on Polyvore.com

Don't forget... if you are interested in joining Gilt - here is your personal invitation!

Hooked On... Mirrors!

I have been so inspired by mirrors as a design feature lately... not just an accessory - but actually integrated into the design of a room.

This mirrored wall in an office is to die for! Talk about opening the space up! I love how they put a "frame" around it that completely fit the scale of the room and the mirror. With the lights hanging low over the desk the mirror flawlessly falls into the backdrop of the room. Just gorgeous!

[photo: House Beautiful]

And this example of layered mirrors has an intriguing modern yet vintage feel to it. I love the contrast of the swirls and twirls of the top mirror over the utilitarian square mirror.

[photo: House Beautiful]

But in my opinion, the mirrored backsplash in the kitchen takes the cake. It opens up what can typically be a cluttered area of any kitchen (under the upper cabinets) and effortlessly adds light. Mirrored backsplashes would work in virtually any kitchen if you so desired and are particularly well suited for small kitchens or those that lack natural light.

And how gorgeous are those dark grey/slate cabinets! Yum!

I am brainstorming ideas on how to integrate mirrors into my own home in a more creative way... of course as those ideas come to fruition, you'll have a front seat!

For more Hooked On goodness... stop by Hooked on Houses!

did i mention i needed a dash of red?

Seriously, what would I do without you spectacular internet people?

I do believe I mentioned I needed a another splash of color. And thanks to Completely Coastal I have my inspiration!

thursdays are for rainbows...

Last week I had such a blast making a bright little rainbow on a cold, snowy day that I thought I would make it a weekly tradition. In the spirit of being frivolous and fun... here's a slew of flowers, arranged just to brighten your day. (of course I had to sneak one handbag in there!)


rainbows... by Jill GG


Want to play along? Create your own rainbow and then leave me a comment with the link!

i cheated... well, not really, maybe just a little.

So I am on this spending freeze which is both an exercise in contentment (one I need to practice repeatedly) and another in boosting the 'ole pocketbook after the spending frenzy that was Christmas.

But here lies a technicality... I got a gift card for GAP for Christmas that was just burning a hole in my pocket... so I picked up a couple of things. The good news is that the world is on sale right now! The bad news is that it felt like cheating. Not "spending" is also about not "acquiring" - not giving in to the thrill that comes with shopping bags and big boxes being delivered to our doors by UPS.

I'm only human I guess. In the spirit of "getting over it" - wanna see what I got!?!?


Women: Flutter-sleeve T - true black knit





Women: Pintucked top - menswear blue





Women: Button-back twill dress - plymouth rock





Women: Women's Faux-Patent Ballet Flats - Black




All of this for only $75 (well... $75 and 76 cents... which I threw in...). I know there are a lot of others in blog-land on a spending freeze too - how's it going?

a reminder...

"If one advances confidently in the direction of
his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he
has imagined, he will meet with a success
unexpected in common hours."
- H.D. Thoreau

a year a week and a day.

It's a blog-iversary!!! That's right... apparently I blew right by the exact date! But today is one year + one week + one day.

Here is my first post... a nice simple entrance, don't you think? And for the most part it still sums up my intentions here. To live a full life, to shop (oh, yes, to shop!), and to be the person of my dreams.

So thank you. Thank you for joining me everyday. Thank you for reading. Thank you for helping me be the person of my dreams.

toy watch @ gilt

I am a gigantic fan of Toy Watch... I am a gigantic fan of watches in general. Lately I am digging a bold overstated watch - think a petite woman's arm with a big strong masculine watch. I love the unexpectedness of it.

Gilt never disappoints on selections and value. Head on over to check out the Toy Watch selection TODAY!!! What a great Valentines gift for you or your loved one...

Shown: Unisex Black Dial, $138 (from $275)