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.

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.

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!

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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).

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...

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...

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!!