Wifey Wednesday

We've had a few 70s/sunny kind of days and I've been inspired to spruce up for spring. Of course, my favorite way to do this is with my china.

You know I love mixing, matching and collecting china, so here's a little peak at some of my current mixes - you'll see that pretty much anything goes! 

Talavera (Mexico) and Herend (Hungary):

 My everyday is all white, so basically any of my favorite accent pieces can be easily mixed in for a different look. This time, I used my Twist Anna from Villeroy and Boch (coincidentally the same manufacturer as my everyday, Cellini). It is a pattern my mother collected for me while I was growing up. This is why I love an all-white base pattern. It's a nice clean palette to play with when you need a little change.

V&B and... V&B:

My all-time favorite pattern is Blue Willow (graciously borrowed from my Grandmother's museum-worthy collection). I have a few odds and ends from the collection so I have them scattered around our place. A few saucers make a nice statement on a side-table, and they look fab as wine coasters when we have company. Here, I've paired some saucers with a little teacup Mom collected for me as part of a dainty demitasse collection:

 Even my pinecones got a breath of fresh air. I added some rose sprigs from Hobby Lobby to transition them from winter to spring. I just couldn't put them away!

My main motivation for remixing my china was to use what we already have to make an impact. Take inventory at your house and then head to some of your favorite stores for inspiration and to see what new looks you love. You'll find that you can replicate a lot of them by re-working pieces hiding in your closet, or packed away in the cupboard.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Right Place, Right Time

I've you've ever shopped with me, then you probably know that I am pretty obsessed with finding bargains. Over the years, I've collected a nice little stash of marked-down merch.

Honestly, it happens the most frequently for me with purses. My best example is my black Miu Miu chevron purse with gold hardware:

I found it slightly damaged at Horchow finale, so it was seriously marked down and I snatched it up for a less than 1/10 of it's original price tag of $1,300 (on top of that, all sale items were an extra 20% off that weekend!). The best part is, I had it repaired back to its original state for about $6. A worthwhile investment, I'd say.

Just last weekend, I had similar luck at one of my other favorite stores, Marshalls. I scored a pair of black Theory cropped pants for $20. Read 'em and weep, that's t-w-e-n-t-y doll-hairs. Original price? $216. Black pants don't photograph too well, so just use your imagination on this one!

Prior awesome Marshalls purchases of mine include 2 pairs of 7forallmankind jeans (both under $80), and a gorgeous DVF luncheon dress (about $65... and nothing needing alterations, might I add, so we'll call that cash in the bank, too).

 It's weird to start going through your photos to find pictures of a particular garment... above, the pink/red DVF, and below, the 7's.

Even on housewares, I've found some steals. One I'm most proud of is the salad dishes/pasta bowls for our everyday china (V&B Cellini):

I found these on Craigslist listed at 6/$20. I obviously couldn't believe my eyes because they retail at $37 each under normal circumstances. I was skeptical, but as it turns out, the deal was legit. I met a liquidator (Hubby came with, just in case!) in town to make the trade. For just $40 I added an entire set of salad dishes (12) to our collection. If paying full retail, I would have spent more than $400!

You can see why bargains thrill me, I'm sure :)

So let this be a little recession encouragement (are we still in the 2009 recession?). It's all about watching and waiting, I've learned. I do a lot of shopping without buying. I'm willing to forfeit instant gratification, and during my wait, I study the market and rarely purchase until I'm sure I've exhausted every option. A labor of love, I'll call it. I've found that almost always, you really can find a better deal without compromising what you really like.