A few (frugal) things...

1. Lovely Dishware
When I graduated from college and got my first "grown up" apartment, I purchased matching towels, matching sheets, matching dishware (all mostly from Target) in an attempt to feel mature and oh so sophisticated...heheeee......


The set of 4 dinner plates, salad plates and mugs I originally purchased seemed like more than enough for a single girl on the town and her takeout selection du jour.
Now that I live with my Love, AND we are trying to save money by eating at home more often, we need more dishes. I found these sweet and simple white dishes at Dollar Tree. We purchased 8 sets of dinner plates, salad bowls and mugs. Grand total--$24.00 plus tax.

 
2. Swagbucks

Swagbucks are an online "currency" you earn by doing things you are probably already doing: using a search engine, watching videos, shopping. You can also earn extra points for participating in surveys, taking advantage of online promotions or clipping and using coupons. Once you've earned enough points, you can go shopping through an extensive online store. 

I have been purchasing Amazon.com gift cards (450 swagbucks for a $5 card) to use on Christmas presents this year. WOOHOO!

http://www.swagbucks.com/

3. Goodreads  (Only book nerds need proceed)

Who doesn't love spending a rainy winter afternoon with a good book?

My favorite hobby has been much more fun since my discovery of Goodreads.

On this website, you can keep track the books you have read, loved reading, hated reading, hope to read and aspire to read. You can browse the history of what your friends have read, and search through a database of book reviews and  thousands book lists about every subject you can imagine. 

Raise your hand if you have ever kept a list of the books you read. I kept my running list in an old pea green notebook I snagged at a Goodwill store for $.50.

I'm about to get really nerdy here....

SERIOUSLY nerdy....

Using goodreads, you can actually track the number of books you have read and...ahem...the number of pages too...Ever think about that? 

I read 56 books last year. That's over 20,000 pages!

Oh this website is too much for this biblionerd to take!



Used book haul from recent trip to Powell's Books in Portland, OR

A few things...

1. Today I visited Waterfront Antique Mall  

in an effort to avoid the Black Friday mobs at the mall.

The antique mall is very eclectic. 

A friend of mine has attended their auctions and found some incredible deals.

I absolutely love vintage restaurant ware. 

I snagged this heavy duty restaurant ware plate from the YWCA for just a few bucks!

2. Design*Sponge Online published a book this fall.

I check the d*s website religiously for their latest postings about home decor, food and life.

The book is beautifully designed. It lives on our coffee table so I can drool on it whenever I see it.

Grace Bonney (the adorable gal in the picture) is one of the creators of the website, and her home is featured in the book.

  The design aesthetic is funky --much of the homes are designed with mid-century touches.

The book also has a large section of DIY projects for all skill levels and budgets. 

I want to make these hand towels!

And these place mats!

Toward the back of the book there is a wonderful illustrated "How To" section for all of those intimidating craft projects like rewiring a lamp or reupholstering a chair. 

  I keep seeing awesome craft projects like these but just never stop and take the time to try them out.  

 A New Year's resolution of the crafty sort, I pledge that I will complete (and post about) one new craft project per month in 2012!

3. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars. Leftover pumpkin puree is a great excuse for these delicious bars. Mr. Living Lovely on Little (Mr. LLL) pondered whether these bars were part of my plan for world domination.

No, they are not. I actually borrowed the recipe from Elizabeth LaBau of SugarHero.com.

My apologies for the not so pretty food photos. Man, taking pictures of food is HARD! Please refer to Elizabeth's gorgeous pictures--I promise you they didn't actually look like a chunk of sod!!

Daydreaming of spring...

Making the most my sunny day off, Cadence and I headed to Sky Nursery.

Note: Co-pilot poking her nose out of the rear window.

But first we had to stop at a friend's garage sale.

(By we I mean I.)

Picked up a HUGE vintage wooden frame for $5!

Craft project coming soon...

Sky Nursery is beautiful any time of year. They are dog friendly (if your dog is people-friendly), and their staff is incredibly well-informed about the ins and outs of gardening in the Pacific Northwest.

Visit their website for a $5 off coupon for every $25 purchase.

There is also a coupon in the most recent Chinook Book.

http://www.skynursery.com/doc/gifts_specials.htm#coupon

http://sea.chinookbook.net/

Ah, I can't wait for Spring!

I might have gone a little overboard on the seeds this year...

Fantasizing about large fresh salads, pumpkin pie and butternut squash soup forced me to load my basket with seed packet after seed packet.

How can I resist such names as

the exotic Dolce Vita basil,

the silly Pinokkio organic lettuce,

the seductive scarlet nantes heirloom carrots,

and the teenage boy of the cucumber world, the burpless muncher?

It wasn't my fault, honest.

Can my tiny urban backyard handle my visions of bounty?

For those of you interested in sustainable gardening and urban homesteading on a budget,

visit the fine folks of

http://backyardfarming.blogspot.com/.