A few weeks ago I had grand dreams of writing a post where I showed you my own dining table with several different Thanksgiving table decor ideas. Oh yeah, it was going to be great. "Look at the fancy metallic gourds." "Oh, and see how easily you can made a centerpiece with nothing but twigs, berries and duct tape?".
Uh huh...that didn't happen. Honestly though, what was I thinking? I'm not even hosting Thanksgiving at my house?!
Anyway...my lazyness has now resulted in the ultimate lazy move...I'm now showing you some great Martha Stewart ideas....hee hee. At least I'm honest, right?
Enjoy!






Thanksgiving Table Decor
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Posted by AnNicole@Our Suburban Cottage at 6:30 PM 11 Suburbanites Said
Labels: Holidays, Inspiration
Cheap & Easy Christmas Wreath (Sorry Pottery Barn)
Monday, November 16, 2009

I knew I could replicate (does that sound better than "blatantly copy"?) this wreath inexpensively.
Enter my faux pine wreath (bought on final clearance at Hobby Lobby last year...it was probably $2).
A whole bunch of ornaments (some I already owned, and some I purchased...for a total of $5).
A few wire ornament hooks to secure the ornaments to the wreath (I wound them around the pine branches).
And voila! My own, lovely, easy, cheap, festive, sparkly...did I mention cheap?...Christmas wreath.
Um...please ignore the leaves on my doormat :).
This post is partying over at Kimba's DIY day. Feel free to head over for more great DIY ideas. We're also partying down at Cindy's party at Cottage Instincts.
Posted by AnNicole@Our Suburban Cottage at 6:15 PM 65 Suburbanites Said
Labels: Cheap and Easy, DIY, Holidays
Giveaway Winner
Friday, November 13, 2009
I'm sorry for the delay in posting the winner of the $20 gift card to Little Ones. That Nyquil I took last night sent me into a coma before I could publish this post.
So, without further adieu, the winner is East Coast Suburbanite (the 40th entry). Congrats!
To those of you who didn't win (and I'm so sorry about that), you can still buy that adorable hat or bow or bib for your little one at Little Ones.
The Look For Less: Pottery Barn Toile Bedroom
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Bedding:
The Pottery Barn Matine Toile Duvet cover is $149.00 for a Queen, and standard shams are $29 each. That's not terrible, but let's look at other options.
This appears to be the same pattern to me. I found this on Ebay (here's the link). The 3 piece set is listed for $79.99.
Here's another option for you, sew. I know, it's a scary option, but I promise the sewing machine won't bite. And here's some incentive for you; this option gives you the freedom to create exactly what you want for CHEAP!
For example, here are two brown toile fabrics I found on Fabric.com.
To make a queen sized duvet cover you'd need about 5 yards of fabric, and a flat sheet (which you may already have). At the fabric prices listed above, you could have your own toile duvet for $35-$50.
Tired of me beating you over the head? It's okay...You don't have to sew if you don't want to. Really, I won't make you...I'm not going to come to your house to check up on you. Just giving you options here :-).
Sheer, Flowy Curtains/Something to Hang them On:
The lovely Pottery Barn curtains surrounding the bed are $25-$30 each.
These curtains at Ikea are $4.99...a PAIR! These curtains are $9.99 each at JC Penney (they come in white).
But what do you hang the curtains on if you don't have a canopy bed? How 'bout a ceiling mounted curtain rod? Like this one from JC Penney's?
Or, you could get super creative like this gal and build a wood frame on the ceiling and staple the curtains on the inside.
I would also scour Craigslist and fleamarkets for canopy beds that you could pick up for cheap.
Finally, Paint:
The paint color used in the Pottery Barn room is Benjamin Moore Kona (AF-165). It is really dark, though, so only go this dark if your room gets a ton of natural light. Also, I wouldn't recommend picking a paint color until you actually have your bedding since you want to make sure the browns match. I know...I'm being ultra helpful here :-).
So Let's Price Things Out:
The Pottery Barn Room: Bedding $207; Sheers (4) $100; Bed $1,299
Our Super Creative Option: Bedding $39-79; Sheers $10-40; Ceiling Mounts for Sheers $20-60
And...that's how I shop. That's how super-tight-income-little-'ol-me can afford to beautify my home. I hope this exercise gives you some hope that you can too.
Posted by AnNicole@Our Suburban Cottage at 7:00 PM 22 Suburbanites Said
Labels: Hunting and Gathering, The Look for Less
Giveaway!!!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I recently discovered the cutest online store, Little Ones. They carry adorable handmade goodies for babies and new moms, like:

And Darling Nursing Covers (oh how I wish they had these when I had a little one - instead I had to hide behind my 1990's plaid flannel blanket when I nursed...so00 not cute, and don't get me started on the maternity clothes I wore...1993/1994 were NOT a good years for maternity fashion). 
So, down to the nitty gritty Giveaway details. Little Ones has agreed to give a $20 Little Ones gift card (!) to one of you. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below...no hoops to jump through...just leave a comment. And, if you were hoping for a little hoop jumping you can be entered again if you do some sort of link on your blog to this giveaway and then come back and let me know you did that.
I'll randomly select the winner (it's waaaay too hard to choose on merit...I always want to give one to you, and you, and you, and you). I'll announce the winner on Friday. Good luck!
P.S. Make sure I can reach you somehow if you're the winner.




















