My eyes are peeled.

'Tis the time for holiday deals, and lucky for us in a couple of short weeks the deals with be even sweeter. Every year around this time, pm and I get really excited about the prospect of buying new furniture for a very reduced price. Unfortunately, every year the prospects remain unattainable. We just don't have the livable space for a new couch, a dining room table...etc., etc.

This doesn't mean that we don't still look. Because we do, and we will.

In fact, sometimes I like to flip through the Crate & Barrel catalogue (among others) and dream about the things that would be nice to have even if we'll never have them. I used to play that same game as a kid. You page through a catalogue and have to choose your favorite thing on each page.

Anyway....I think we need to get married again. This way we can add all the things we didn't add to our registry the first time. For our first nuptials we had to ask for boring things (towels, plates, glasses, sheets... etc) because we did not have anything. Everything we owned fit into my Honda Civic, which included mostly clothes and one floor lamp. Now that we have all the things we need, I'd like to ask for all the things we want. First we need to get some more square footage. :)

cinco de mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo ya'll. My sincere apologies for not posting something sooner. Let's just say the last week has been a whirlwind. I've been in and out, and out of town. Good thing pm is picking up on the posts as well. :) I am not seeing a calm in the storm at all the rest of this week, but it's all good things.

In fact, it will always be good things. This is one thing I have come to realize as I have progressed on my life journey: It is more important to write about and remember the good times. I do not like looking back through my journals of my teenage angst years (P.S. I didn't really have any by the way, I just like how it sounds). I tended to only write about the times when I was stressed out or upset. Those are not the times I want to remember; this is why these journals have been discarded. I want to remember the good times. Those are the times I want to be able to share with friends and family. I am a true believer, just as Anne Frank said, "All people are good at heart." And, if that is the case -- let's remember it! Positive thinking. This blog is all about the positive, the good and the creative. I fully intend to keep it that way. (I will admit, there may be some slip-ups along the way. I will, however, do my best to remain upbeat. :))

Enough of that rant. It's Cinco de Mayo, and while my day was hardly a celebration complete with 'ritas, it was an exciting and very productive day. Now I have 'ritas and sitting on my parents' patio on the mind. I guess my archived photo of martini glasses and my favorite homegoods store (hint: it's where we got the killer deal on pillowcases) will have to do. Bottoms up!

Recipe for the best margaritas ever:

(I'd like to agree that those who have tried it out would concur.)

+ 1 can limeade mix (frozen)

+ 1 can beer (light, not specialty)

+ splash of orange juice

+ tequila (fill limeade can almost to the top)

+ ice

+salt

No need to put it in the blender. Serve it over lots of ice. I also recommend drinking plenty of water with this recipe. It's a strong one. :)

design on a dollar

Welcome to our living room and to my corner of the sofa. It's from here that I do a lot of my writing, brainstorming, and relaxing. Now that I have shared that, I just had to share one of our recent digs (a la home decor variety).

For the most part and admittedly against all stereotypes of the female gender, I do not enjoy shopping. While there are plenty of things that I want, I can almost always come up with a reason as to why I do not need to buy them. It is because of this that I often prefer to avoid shopping all together. My name should be featured in the definition of buyers' remorse, as I often have it before I even step foot into a store.

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. I love thrifting and knowing that I got a great deal. I also enjoy shopping for other people and for homewares. (By homewares I mostly mean nic-nacs and design pieces). I also enjoy shoe shopping - even if it just means I try them on.

Now this is where the photo of our living room and my love for (1) good deals and (2) homewares come into play. Those snazzy pillowcases you see are a new addition to the room. In our monthly sweep through of the Crate and Barrel Outlet last week I found these gems. I have been determined to find pillowcases for some time now and was ecstatic when I stumbled upon these and their 98% off price tag. (Yes, I said 98%. Normally priced at nearly $100, I got these for $1 each. Talk about thrifty!).

For as much as PM (and certainly other men) loves The Big Lebowski (there goes another stereotype), I'd have to say these pillowcases are to me what the Dude's rug was for him. They really tie the room together.

That is my edition of design on a dollar. How do you think we did?