I'm liking... Bedside Pendant Lighting

I noticed this bedside pendant light in the Feb. 2011 Canadian House & Home, and loved the look:

Then I spotted these ones in Rue (look at the pattern the light casts on the walls!):

Snooped around a little and found some more:



Hanging pendant lights by the bedside certainly adds some drama, don't you think?

Overstock Shopping

Does anyone else get caught up perusing the endless items at Overstock?  Here are some things that are tempting me...

Retro-classic White Accent Chairs (Set of 2) | Overstock.com
Retro Design Contemporary Accent Chair

or these...
Retro-classic White Accent Chairs (Set of 2) | Overstock.com
Panton Modern Sculpture Chairs (set of 4)

or these...
Retro-classic White Accent Chairs (Set of 2) | Overstock.com
Retro-classic White Accent Chair (set of 2)

Unfortunately, none of these items ships to Canada.  Blurg.

But don't worry... there are plenty of equally tempting items that will ship to Canada.  For example, check out the Home Lighting section:

I like this...
Retro-classic White Accent Chairs (Set of 2) | Overstock.com
Sputnik Chrome Chandelier Atom Fixture

Or maybe something a bit more glam...
Indoor 5-light Luxury Crystal Chandelier | Overstock.com
Indoor 5-Light Luxury Crystal Chandelier

I usually stick to browsing home decor items, but today I got sidetracked by Fashion Jewelry...
This necklace is apparently at a 'high sell-out risk'... of course that makes me want it more!
BCBGeneration Goldtone Clear Stone Multi-strand Necklace
BCBGeneration Goldtone Clear Stone Multi-strand Necklace

Also stopped by the Women's Shoes.
I want to try a pair of platform stilettos.  These are cute...
Anne Michelle by Journee Women's 'Kylie-01' Ruffled Platform Stilettos
Anne Michelle by Journee 'Kylie-01' Platform Stilettos

Guess what... Overstock is offering a 10% discount code if you'd like to do some shopping!

The discount code is: 121745


It's good for 10% off Overstock products (excluding movies, books, and electronics).  This discount code never expires, however, it can only be used once per email address.

All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.

What's New at Casa Carissa...

Did anyone notice the super cute round brass and glass table in my library???
I scored a great deal on kijiji... 3 tables (this one plus 2 matching side tables) for $25!



It was just what I was looking for!   When I told the guy who sold them to me that "... brass is back and he'd be sorry he let these suckers go," he just laughed awkwardly.  He didn't seem very stylish.  Whatever.

Library Re-Vamp

This is how my library / piano room looked by the end of the holiday season (messy, cluttered, ... ick):

Here's how it looks now!


Here's what I did:
  • Moved the shelves from the south wall to the east wall flanking each side of the piano.  The impact was HUGE!  When I had the shelves on the south wall, they blocked the doorway to the dining room, which cut off basically all of the natural light.  I was shocked at how bright and warm this room became when I opened it up again!  Plus I love seeing the glimpse of the dining room wallpaper.
  • Painted the backs of the shelves a warm grey (Benjamin Moore Chelsea Grey HC-168) ... I had some left from when I painted my family room!  I love how everything pops against the neutral grey backdrop.  (Don't know the wall color because it's been there since I moved in.)
  • Removed approximately half of the books and accessories from the shelves.
  • Kept the colors of the accessories to a minimum.  Mainly used white, and threw in some orangey-red because I was craving warmth.
  • Used a lot of symmetry on the shelves... I find symmetrical arrangements calming.
Some organizing tips:
  • Keep magazines in these inexpensive white boxes to cut down of visual clutter:

  • Same goes for kids coloring books, sticker books, etc:
  •  Crayons and markers are hidden in the white cardboard boxes:

  • Random crap special stuff that boys collect is hidden in large plastic bins 

I'm pretty thrilled with how this room turned out.  Especially considering that I didn't buy anything new, just shuffled things around and used storage items and paint that I already had.  Yay for me!

I had to work like a crazy woman all day on Friday so that I would be done on time to join in the Great Clean Out party over at Anne-Marie's blog, 10 Rooms!  You can head over 10 Rooms today to check out the other fabulous organizing projects...

100 Things: Part Two

This is a list of 100 Things that make me happy... more details here.

6.  holding little hands 
(and also the way my butt looks in this photo!)

7.  Mad Men
 via

8.  Gold 

9.  Knitting

10.  Jeggings
 via

Our week

I started the week out by accidentally washing a children's book. How would that ever happen, you might wonder? Well, Becks loves books so much that he cuddles up with them every night.

Apparently this one was wedged way down in the sheets, and I bundled it up with the laundry. Blurg. It was no match for my shiny red washing machine.

On the good side, Auntie Jodi (Jeff's sister) has been staying with us all week. That means fun fun fun for the boys. Like Tim Bits (donuts) on the way to school, and endless hockey games in the basement. She also surprised me with fresh flowers when I was complaining about the January blahs. We're spoiled.

Speaking of Auntie Jodi... she is about to embark on a huge adventure.  She's moving to Africa on SUNDAY!!!  She has been given the amazing opportunity to work on an international development project in Tanzania.  She'll be working with local people to develop agricultural programs that use new irrigation systems.  I admire Jodi's adventurous spirit, and her willingness to take risks and pursue her dream.

You can read all about it in her blog:  
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So the week has been kind of bittersweet.  Jodi has lived down the street from us for the last 3 years, and I can't quite imagine what it'll be like when she is half-way around the world from us!  I love watching the boys play with Jodi... they have so much fun with her, and they are going to miss her big time.

At the same time, I'm excited to hear all about her journey.  I have a feeling it will be one heck of an adventure!

Look What Arrived Last Night!


My Mom & Dad's amazing Thomas O'Brien Hicks pendants!  I only wish this fabulous pendent was in my own house!!! (The lighting is weird in the photo because I took it at night... but I was so excited that I had to post it anyways!)

We've been struggling with what pendents to use since the reno started.  The first try was a very sparkly crystally one, but it competed with their vintage brass chandelier.  But these... perfection!  Can't wait to take some more shots to post!

Another Cure for the January Blah's

Apparently I'm not the only one with a case of the blah's!  I've noticed a few posts on the topic around blogland.  In honor of that, another item that always cheers me up... Eiffel chairs.  I always thought I wanted 4 white ones, but there are so many fun color choices, that I might just change my mind.  So cheerful and fun!





via 1 2 3 4  

Cure for the January Blah's

Does anyone else feel like this right now???  Blah.  That's the best way to describe it.  Not depressed, not tired, just blah.  It's super cold out.  It's the middle of January.  It's Monday.

So.... wallpaper to the rescue!!!  Probably my favorite topic.  Cheers me up every time!

These are all from Trine Andersen of ferm LIVING.  ferm LIVING has an inspiring collection of wallpapers, including an amazing kids collection (I'll save that one for another day!!!)  Here's a sampling:





all photos from ferm LIVING

You can check out the ferm LIVING blog for even more inspiration.

Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to everyone for entering my giveaway!  The winner of the 2011 Calendar by Pixelimpress is:



Cynthia was one of my first followers!  
She is also a very talented photographer... check out some of her work here.

Cynthia... I'll email you details on how to get your calendar!

Guess What's Coming to Canada...


Word is out today...
"Target (NYSE:TGT) said Thursday it will spend $1.83 billion to buy up the leasehold interests in up to 220 Zellers stores from the storied Hudson's Bay Company in its first expansion outside of the United States"

Yippee!!!  I am super excited.  Target is always a mandatory stop when I visit anywhere in the US.  Such great deals, and a different selection of things than our big box stores in Canada.

Can't get over-excited yet, though... stores apparently won't open until 2013.

Pinnin'

OK.  Let's talk about Pinterest.  I realize that this will be old news for a lot of you.  Pinterest is a 'social catalog.' You can collect images from around the web, and pin them to your own boards, which are then shared.

I have known about Pinterest for a while, and have browsed around people's boards.  It looked like a convenient way to keep track of images, so finally, I took the time to sign up.

I was all excited, and ready to start Pinning... but what the WHAT... they make you WAIT!!!  When you sign up, they thank you very kindly for your interest, and then put you on a waiting list!  Seriously. 

Of course that made me want to start pinning right now!  (If someone tells me that you can't have something, I obviously want it much more, right?)  So I've been checking my inbox several times a day.  And at last, I'm in the loop!  I got my official 'invite'... the first line of the email is 'You're in!'  Kind of funny, but who cares... I'm in!

You can find my boards here.  Here are some pics from my favorite board so far (Chevron):  




Giveaway Day!

As I mentioned on Friday, I'm super thrilled to have reached 100 followers! As a way to thank you for reading my blog, I'm doing a giveaway!

I decided that the timing was perfect for giving a fabulous 2011 calendar. So I went to easy  etsy (hahaha... autocorrect is hilarious) and searched 'chevron + calendar' and I found this desktop calendar from pixelimpress:
2011 pixelimpress desktop calendar

Isn't it just perfect? My favorite design is the April one, of course! I love that the calendar comes with it's own little stand for your desk.

pixelimpress has a lot of other great items to check out.  Wouldn't it be cool to have personalized calling cards?
calling card design fee

To enter the giveaway for the 2011 pixelimpress desktop calendar:
1.  You must be a follower of this blog (the whole point of the giveaway is to thank my followers, after all!)  Leave a comment to let me know.
2.  Tweet it for an extra entry, and let me know by commenting
I'll make the draw and announce the winner on Friday!  Happy Monday everyone!

- I'm blogging from my iPad! Posted using BlogPress.