Is your apartment messy? Do you want to spring clean but need a little inspiration? How does $3,000 sound to you? ForRent.com is on the hunt to find the Nation’s messiest apartment! (And I bet there is some stiff competition out there!)   Between now and April 23rd, “like” ForRent.com’s Facebook page at facebook.com/aptsforrent and upload a picture of your messy apartment under the contest tab.  Their panel of judges will then choose five finalists who have the messiest apartment.  At that point, the voting will be turned over to their Facebook friends! The public will decide from the five finalists who wins the grand prize of $3,000. (And four finalists will each win $500!)  The winners will be announced on or around April 30th. So, now is the time to show off that out-of-control mess, so you can turn it into cash.  To get you inspired, here’s one of my own messy rooms… It’s all clean

**This giveaway is closed.** I shared how much I like my Oreck Steam-It a few weeks ago and now it’s time for the giveaway! First of all, I want to clear up some things.  I received a few comments on my review post expressing concern about using a steam mop on hardwood floors.  My floors are nailed down and sealed.  (You can read my floor refinishing story if you want to understand the full extent of my DIY insanity!)  The Steam-It also has different heat settings, so I can set the mop to a lower setting when using it on the hardwoods.  I also have linoleum floors and it does an amazing job on those.  A steam mop is not recommended for use on most laminate floors and wood floors if they are aren’t sealed or are glued down.  There are so many uses for the Steam-It, though, that it’s a great

Today was a special day.  I attended the ASCP workshop in Leesburg, VA and got to meet Miss ASCP herself, Annie Sloan. Let me give you a bit of the back story.  Last year, around this time, I was introduced to Patty Seaman, one of the original ASCP stockists in the US.  At that time, there were only a few stockists in North America and they were just starting to get the word out about this amazing paint.  Well, I asked Patty if she would send me a sample of the paint, so I could give it a try.  She sent it.  I tried it.  I loved it.  I blogged about it.  And the rest is, as they say, history.  Despite the fact that I have been using and promoting the paint for a year, Annie and I have only e-mailed once or twice and we have never met.  I’ve

It’s time again for the Wuslu MMS Pick of the Month! You know the drill by now. I pick something cool. You can buy it on Wuslu AND you have the chance to win one for free! My pick for this month is this pretty willow basket with glass insert.  It’s sort of part vase, part lantern, part storage piece. I really like pieces that can be used in many different ways and this one fits the bill. And here’s a preview of the Wuslu deal of the day for tomorrow… It’s another multi-functional piece.  I used it for flatware, but it’s also great for holding craft supplies or even herbs or other small plants. If you’ve been around for a while, you know that the MMS pick of the month comes with a giveaway! There will be two winners for this giveaway. One will win the willow basket with

I have another wonderful giveaway for you this week.  Maybe you’ve heard of the very lovely and talented Lisa Leonard?  She made her mark as a jewelry designer… … and has since expanded into home decor…         …and special touches for weddings or other events.     I just love all of her stuff. Do you?  Would you like $75 to spend at Lisa’s online shop?  Lisa is graciously giving away TWO $50 credits to her online shop. Here’s how to enter… Simply leave a comment for one entry.  (Make sure you leave your e-mail address, so I can contact you if you win!) For a second entry, visit Lisa’s online shop and browse around.  Come back to this post and leave a second comment letting me know what you would spend the $75 credit on if you win. For a third entry, subscribe to Lisa’s newsletter and leave one last comment

I’ve still been taking things easy the past few days and it’s kinda been nice to have permission to be a couch potato.  I always feel like I need to be super productive all the time, so it’s been a real change of pace to lay in bed watching Netflix the better part of the day.  I did start getting some work done this week, though.  My editor and I went through over 400 pictures I submitted for the book and narrowed it down to the best ones.  It was a fun process, though, since it was the first time she saw the pictures with the text.  She kept saying, “Oooo.”, “I love that!” and, “Oh wow.”  It made me feel good.    I can’t wait to see the layout designs. I’ve also been getting my calender filled in, since I have quite a few things coming up just around the corner. I’m

I shared a couple of days ago that I had the privilege of being a small part of Matthew Mead’s Flea Market Finds book-a-zine.   In order to do that, I had to submit a picture of myself with one of my favorite finds.  I wanted to pose with my hobby horse, but after a few pictures holding it, it just wasn’t working.  A scale is much more representative of pieces I look for as a whole.  My peanut scale was too heavy, so I went with the deli scale.  This is actually a piece that found me more than I found it.  One of my pickers found it, knew I would love it and she was right. My parents were here for Christmas, so the day after all of the presents and festivities, my mom and I started on the shoot.  Obviously I couldn’t work the camera, since I needed

I just got my e-preview of the new Matthew Mead “book-a-zine”, Flea Market Finds.  I can’t wait to hold it in my hands and thumb through the pages.  The cover stole my heart right away and when you see it, you’ll know why.  Anyway, the interior is packed with great ideas, inexpensive makeovers, beautiful spaces, color inspiration and more. I’ve admired Matthew’s style for a long time and was honored when I was asked to be a part of the this issue.  You’ll see me sharing one of my favorite finds.  (Give you two guesses what it is…)  When the issue comes out I’ll share the story behind the picture of me in the issue.  It’s pretty funny.  The magazine will be available on Amazon in April and I’ll host a giveaway for one here in a couple of weeks. Keep an eye on the Holiday with Matthew Mead website