Thursday, March 24, 2011

Pier 1 Spring spruce up

This post brought to you by Pier 1. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have to send Pier 1 a HUGE thank you!

We have had a hectic week, horrible weather and just a lot of craziness. And as I am sure most of you can relate, a little retail therapy can go a long way! Specially when it means taking an evening to enjoy shopping on your own (seriously, that has become the biggest treat I can imagine. 2 year olds in stores with glass are a bad combo). It is now officially Spring, but I am still facing drifts of snow and colder than normal temps up here in the great white north. So thinking about outdoor entertaining was a nice diversion, even if it requires a temporary interior location.

While I may be known to stick primarily with favorite shades of white and grey, my frustration with being surrounded by both the colors weather-wise had me walking on the wild side. And I can already picture everything moved out to my favorite secluded corner of the yard.

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I started planning my attack by establishing what I already had. I picked up a set of chandeliers last summer for the front door and thought it would be a whimsical touch to such a basic patio set (which we bought for $25 at an auction this winter, a cheap, yet inconvenient time to buy outdoor furniture). The rugs are all $2.99 steals from Ikea that normally reside in Wren's room and the back door.

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Thanks to a LOT of inspiration from Pier 1, it now feels like the perfect place to enjoy my eggs benny on a sunny morning!

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The first thing to go in my basket were these adorable, reversible seat cushions, which are a must on wood seating in my opinion!

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The details are so fun and would keep any space, indoor or outdoor, from feeling stuffy!

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The second item was an immediate love-affair-item. Literally. The cracking glaze and aged patina had me falling head over heels, and it really is the perfect sentiment and addition to any table for two.

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Further proof that clearance aisles aren't overrated were these adorable napkins ($2.48!) and napkin rings ($1.18)

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I am not usually one for dining linens but I can totally see myself getting tons of use out of these, even if they just sit pretty on the oven or dishwasher handle.

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If you've ever dined at a wood table you know how worrisome it can be to set your glass on top, so I grabbed a capiz placemat to do double duty as eye candy and level resting spot for drinks.

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Another nature-inspired addition was a woven basket to either cart cutlery or keep bread warm. The size of this one was perfect for what I was looking for.

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While these guys might have been the last to enter my cart, they are probably my favorite. Every time I look at them I can't help but smile and hope I catch a glimpse of some magical creature resting underneath (or perhaps a caterpillar smoking opium on top... but that's a whole other issue).

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They are currently residing on my new office side-table, an up-turned metal crate with an antique serving tray top. It is a surprisingly functional item and is the only table that seems to fit in both style and size for what I need so it will be staying inside...

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A clothes line of book pages (that admittedly isn't all that weather proof) and a sprinkling of moss complete the tableau. It will probably be a good 6 to 8 months before I will see my lawn at the rate this winter and now spring is shaping up, but it did my soul some good just to play with the idea of heading outdoors. And to spend an evening shopping didn't hurt either...

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If you are in the Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando or New York areas be sure to check out the Pier 1 Tweetups for more fun ideas on outdoor entertaining.

And if your soul could use a little retail therapy as well be sure to check out these fabulous blogs for your chance to win one of 4 $500 Pier 1 gift cards. See here for full contest rules .

eighteen25

cocokelly

little green notebook

The Nester

Good luck everyone and THANK YOU Pier 1!!

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20 comments:

Sandra said...

Gorgeous as always! We had temps in the 70's for a fleeting moment. Alas, currently, I am sitting with my teeny space heater warming my toes.

{oc cottage} said...

WOW!!!!! Extreme fabulousness!!!

m ^..^

mrsvioletleigh said...

What happened to the pictures?

mrsvioletleigh said...

What happened to the pictures? I cannot view them.....it said they were deleted. I am so looking forward to seeing this post!

Anonymous said...

The photos have all disappeared! Hoping this is temporary ...

Sara Jayne
on the corner of W & Somewhat
wandsomewhat.wordpress.com

Victoria said...

Bummer, I can't see any of the images! It says deleted by Photobucket on my end but from the first 2 comments it sounds like it was a lovely post!

Unknown said...

SORRY friends! Me and my computer are not friendly tonight, but I think we have it figured out now~

THANKS!

O.C. said...

Fantastic pics. Nicely done.

The enchanted home said...

WOW such gorgeous pictures!!!! I am most impressed, the settings are dreamy and movie set perfect. Really stunning and love the artistry in your picture taking...just beautiful!

Little Lovables said...

I absolutely love it. One of the most charming touches is one of the simplest... the haphazard rugs... love it!

Lorrie said...

Aaaah, these photos make me relax and think of summery pleasures. Hope the snow disappears SOON.

Jen said...

so pretty! i love the book pages hanging about-- very nostalgic.

Anonymous said...

i LOVE the napkins, sadly our pier 1 does not have them. i would love to have just one and frame it, I've been looking for something like that for my kitchen redo for ages! =(

The Painted Parlor said...

I thought I was looking at a magazine, literally, until I started to read your blog, haha! You're very talented at pulling pieces together to make it look perfect!

Carol-Anne said...

What part of Canada are you in? Why have I never noticed that you are Candian???

Love everything from Pier One, although I sometimes find them too pricey. They do have some gorgeous outdoor cushions this year!

gillar girl said...

Holly you are a styling genius!! Love every last detail.

Courtney @ reckless-glamour.com said...

Looks fab Holly! All you're missing is a pitcher of Margarita's!

Courtney @ reckless-glamour.com said...

Looks awesome Holly! All you're missing is a pitcher of Margarita's!

SuburbanMom said...

Love the seat cushions.

Brandy said...

This will sound crazy but I am kinda jealous of y'alls weather...I live in Texas and last week it was in the mid-80s, which might sound great. But that's not a good sign since it's still March! That can only mean this summer is going to be hot as H-E-double hockey sticks!
I love that you went ahead and added some Spring to your indoors...it looks great and the pops of color are an unexpected surprise...great job!

 
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