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Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Bargain-Hunting, Beauty and Browsing

Happy Tuesday everyone.  Hope you are all experiencing the same fabulous fall days we’ve had so many of here in Southern Ontario.  Some of us are closely monitoring the Fall Colour Reports here and will soon be heading out with our cameras to capture the beauty.  In the meantime,  I think we have time for a little shopping, don’t you?  A little post-Thanksgiving bargain-hunting, beauty and browsing.  Hmm that’s catchy.  I’m going back to change the title of this post.  Not telling what it was before!
First up bargain-hunting.  So I was checking out the IKEA website to see what might be on clearance from the summer season.  Everybody does that, right?  So I did find these shelves which I posted on my Facebook page.  They’re going on the shopping list.  And then I came across this awesome bargain.

 
Admittedly, it doesn’t make for a spectacular photograph.  This is the FLYN LILL curtain panel.  Ten feet by two feet of sheer fabric that doesn’t need the edges hemmed.  Is anyone else thinking table runner?  At Hallowe’en with black and orange and purple…at Christmas obviously…in the spring with yellow and white…  Or how about twisted with a length of burlap for a winter garland around your door, or your mantel, or as a tree skirt…  How much for this extremely versatile item you ask?  THREE DOLLARS.   If you have any event decorating in your future ever you must run and buy five of these while they are still in stock.

Next up a bit of beauty.  Do you ever flip to the page in fashion magazines where they list the makeup and hair products used on the cover model?  To me this is a reliable source of information on what the pros actually use, and who doesn’t want to be like a pro?  And when there is a clear, shimmery, touch of pink nail polish being used…it’s usually this one.

It’s Essie Mademoiselle.  Easy to apply and to wear, helps you look that little extra bit polished for, you know, Friday night at Jack Astor’s with the fam.  It’s what the pros use, so make your life easier and pick up a bottle at your drugstore.  Don’t be seduced by all the other shades of sheer shimmery pink.  Get the Mademoiselle.

Last up, a bit of browsing.  So once you’ve creeped the hair and makeup credits in the fashion magazines at the grocery store checkout, put it back, and this is the magazine you should actually buy.

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Style At Home Entertains.  This one’s a keeper.  Beautiful inspirational photography on every page.  Simple tips on shopping your house and using what you already own.  Right up my alley.  Elegant recipes as well as basic ones and tons of tips for seasonal decor and centrepieces.  I also love that they have separate sections for Holiday and Winter.  Because once the holidays are over there is still a lot of winter happening, but the Christmas decorations need to come down people.

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Flip through the whole magazine once, making note of items you already have, and items to keep an eye out for.  Both pantry and decor.  Then keep it with your cookbooks and you’ll never be at a loss when you need to entertain. 
Three things to step your life up a notch.  Sorry, no beautiful photography in this one, but it’ll be coming with the fall colours photos soon!
…personally, Andrea