I Want To Live A Pottery Barn Summer.....

When I look at Glamour or Self Magazines, I feel inadequate about my body, skin, hair, wardrobe, etc.  But to a certain extent, I can make noticeable changes in my life with regards to healthy eating, exercise, attitude and thrift stores.  LOL  But when I look at a Pottery Barn catalog, I feel completely helpless!  The only way I could ever live the Pottery Barn life is if I win the lottery.

Perusing the latest summer catalog, I absolutely wanted to jump into the pages and live that life.  It never ceases to amaze me how, year after year, season after season, holiday after holiday, they can come up with so many items which just resonate in my soul.

I decided to share some of my favorite "swoon worthy" items from their latest collection.  Hello Summer!

SHARK!  Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the kitchen, I am in love with this shark drink holder.  He looks so ominous and spectacular!  You could use him to hold drinks, shots, bowls of chilled salads, fruit, etc.  OMG I need him to swim into my house NOW!  C*H*O*M*P!

I'd like to be... under the sea... with an octopus drink dispenser ... in the shade.  How fantastic is this?  And this could also be used for Halloween too with some questionable purple drink inside.  Little Mermaid movie night.  Love it!

Doesn't this look heavenly?  I can just hear the splash of the water and feel the sun on my skin.  This raft is also pretty nifty and navy blue is my favorite color.  I just love this picture!

I LOVE whales and I love orange juice and lemonade.  Alas, this whale juicer is a must get!  How can I ever use a regular juicer again?  LOL

These barracuda snack plates are SWEET.   Why put olives and tid bits on a regular round plate when you can carry around this bad boy during your next summer soiree?  Unfortunately, I am not sure I could purchase these only because of the barracuda scene in Disney's Finding Nemo.  And we all know how that turned out - how could you Mr. Barracuda?

NOT NICE Mr. Barracuda.  You ate Nemo's mother and all of his siblings.  No table setting for you!

Sailboat place card holders?  Really?  Like these couldn't be more adorable.  "Honey can you please run down to the beach and get some shells so I can use them for place cards?  Thank you.  Um... yeah that is never happening in my life.  At my house we just look at each other and say - "You sit there!"  LOL  But I could totally use these for food descriptors or little messages.

A sailboat fruit bowl - this is adorable!  I would even name the boat like SS Antioxidants or SS Fruitcase!  I am sure the fruit tastes so much better in a sailing vessel rather than a plain old round bow. And I am not even kidding.

I am not normally a melamine (aka plastic) plate person.  I understand the whole unbreakable thing and they just scream summer but I would really prefer ceramic.  BUT - that being said - I would totally make an exception for these little beauties.  Nothing screams AMERICA like, well.... AMERICA.   Although I am guessing these may not be huge sellers in Alaska & Hawaii - just a thought!  ;-)

And these recycled glass chandeliers?  SO pretty.  I can't even!   And the price.  Um... no.  Just no.

So those are just a few thoughts on the Pottery Barn Summer 2015 collection.  So many adorable things which inspire me to go thrifting and hacking.

 I did buy the whale serving tray last year and the boat salt and pepper cellar which I absolutely love.  I found them on clearance in September so that made me VERY happy.   And I am going to totally keep an eye open for anything and everything featured in this post.  I may not live the Pottery Barn life but I can most definitely enjoy a glass of lemonade made by a whale.  Happy Summer!

I was chosen for the BetterAfter Mystery Thrift Off!

Wow!   I can't believe it is May already!  I should totally be ashamed of myself as my last blog post was in March!  Yikes - that is not good.  Tennis season is in full swing and I am busy coaching and stringing racquets and all things associated with the Spring sports season.  I have also been working on my guest room and that is another reveal post that is coming up shortly after I put up the crown molding.  Then that room is DONE!  What a great feeling!  I love how it is turning out too.

Anyhoo - if you read my blog regularly, you know I am a huge fan of the blog BETTERAFTER!  It is like a daily ritual for me to visit and see the latest makeover.  It is like I wake up, eat breakfast, brush my teeth and then... go and visit Lindsey at BetterAfter.net to see what incredible makeover is being freatured today!   I have been extremely fortunate and honored that she has posted four of my makeovers on her site.  First, it was my faux carriage garage doors HERE, then it was my faux granite countertops HERE, then it was my backyard shed HERE, and my Christmas sleigh HERE.  If you haven't ever visited this site, I'm warning you now, make sure you have ample time and enough beverages to keep you properly hydrated because you once you go in, it may be hours before you come out!  Seriously, not even kidding!  If you need a good laugh out loud moment, read her post on her new bookcases.  It is like snort laughing funny! HERE!

So, in February, Lindsey - the very talented and hilarious author of BetterAfter announced a crazy new idea she had.  She partnered with Goodwill Industries to announce a new contest called #TheMysteryThriftOff!  She was going to go to Goodwill thrift stores and find items which she would send out to those lucky enough to be selected via an entry questionnaire submitted to her blog.  Well, of course I entered immediately!

Lo and behold, a few weeks later, I receive an email that I WAS CHOSEN.  I was one of only 12 people and I couldn't be more excited.  I totally felt like Charlie when he finds the Golden Ticket except there was no Wonka Bar with which to celebrate.  Bummer.  This was such an intriguing idea and I was super excited to see both the crazy items she chose and the transformations her followers created.  And to know now that I was going to be given the opportunity to participate in the first annual GREAT  MYSTERY THRIFT OFF, well, it is just very cool.

So each day I earerly awaited my mystery delivery.  And then it finally arrived!  The box was a little worse for wear but there it was!  The box!  Sitting on my front step in all of it's General Splendour. Hmmm....what could be inside!  Drumroll please...... TADA!

This is my item that I need to make over.  I guess it could be described at a macrame wall hanging but all I keep thinking of is the hilarious scene in When Harry Met Sally with the Roy Rogers Wagon Wheel Coffee Table.  So I do call this my Roy Rogers macrame wall art thing item.  It is about 13" around and accentuated with pine cone petals.  And enough glue to choke a small pony.

And it is signed by a BB Slater?  Could the artist - this macrame genius - be a beloved relative of "Slater" from Saved By The Bell?  Nah!  

Initially, I came up with some crazy ideas such as an organic hipster hubcap... dope, right?  LOL

Since I received it the day before the Kentucky Derby, I thought maybe if I added some flowers, I could have a one of a kind fascinator hat in case I road tripped to Kentucky....

Then I thought of a frisbee or one of those Native American dream catcher things with the feathers....

But as a devout Catholic,  I'm not quite sure how that works with the Indian Gods.   I'm sure my Mom wouldn't be too thrilled with that - even watching down on me from Heaven.  So ok, no dream catcher.  It isn't worth it to upset my Mom.  Or Jesus.  :-)  Lol!

Then my peonies are coming up and they always flop over!  Grrr.  Well, did you know they make a peony ring?  (Insert your own joke HERE).  No really!  It looks like this:

It keeps your peony from being floppy coz no one likes a ... Oh Nevermind!  So I gave that a shot:  

So that is where I stand right now.  I've thrown around a few ideas and I think I have finally arrived at a plan.  The rules of the contest are that I can't reveal my final makeover here at General Splendour until it appears on the blog BetterAfter.net.  The deadline for the finished project is May 23rd and they will be reaveled in June!  And at the rate I'm going, that will be about the time for my next blog entry.   Seriously.  LOL


And the final reveal is HERE!