Flaunt it Friday #242!

Hey there! It's the last Friday in January already... I can't believe it!

I guess that's a good excuse to party. :)

My 14 Favorite DIY Valentine's Day Decor Ideas

Hi there, lovely friends!

I heart Valentine's Day and I heart DIY and decorating so I thought I'd look for some fun decorating ideas that mix the two together. And guess what?! I found some awesome ideas and they include a lot of hearts.  Here are my 14 favorites in honor of February 14th.

Please click on the highlighted links above each picture to visit the original blog post.

I love pink and think these Ombre Yarn Letters by Sisters Suitcase blog are amazing.  She also has a very detailed tutorial if you want to make your own.

A glittery heart burlap banner is easy and inexpensive.  Happy Go Lucky Blog made this cute one and shares a tutorial. 

 Look at this fabulous sequin heart marquee sign by Sugar & Cloth.  It's not as hard to make as it looks, she starts with a pre-made heart marquee and adds the sequins... you can do it too!

I love using old Ball canning jars for flowers and whatnot around the house.  Paint them pink or red and you've got a cute Valentine's Day vase.  Check out these by Captain and the Gypsy Kid.

 

Beautiful knock-off Anthropologie XOXO pillow by City Farmhouse.... so darn cute!

I really love this black and white striped canvas with a button heart.  It is simple and cute and you can see a great tutorial over at Southern Lovely.

This might be a little bit harder to make but it is a beautiful Pottery Barn knock-off sign made by Remodelando La Casa.  

I love this simple Valentine twig heart art by Red Ted Art.

Check out this very simple and inexpensive Valentine Argyle Wreath by Mine for the Making.

This pretty heart string art by Green Wedding Shoes was made for a wedding reception but don't you think it would make a perfect Valentine's Day decoration?  I do!

This is the cutest little Valentine's canvas by Craftaholics Anonymous.

And then, there's the easy-peasy printable.  Print. Frame. Done.  This pair is super cute and she offers the printables free at Landeelu.com.

Easy DIY love letters by Diary of Dave's Wife make for a cute Valentine's mantel.

I am a total sucker for black and white stripes.  Here is a little bit different take on the DIY Valentine's Day canvas by Hey Lauren Renee.

I hope you got some Valentine's inspiration from all of these cute ideas.  You can see my Valentine's Day decor here.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Flaunt it Friday 241!

Hi friends!

Did you see my Valentine's Day Decor post? Check it out here...

TGIF!  Now, it's time to party!

Rustic Chic Valentine's Day Decor

 Hello there,  can you believe that January is more than halfway over and Valentine's Day will be coming right up?  Me neither!

Usually I don't go too crazy with Valentine's Day decor.  Since it feels like I just took all of my Christmas stuff down (finally!) and my house feels big and open without it.  I'm not much feeling like putting up more holiday decorations.  But, this year Mr. Chic made me some cute Valentine's Day decor so of course I had to use it.  Even with that, I still keep it pretty simple.

Mr. Chic made me this super cute wood heart out of some scrap wood.   I think it turned out awesome, he even chose the colors, he's that good ladies. ;)  We are planning on opening an Etsy shop in the near future so stay tuned!

His lovely wood heart inspired me to do a little vignette on my kitchen wine rack.

I also throw a little heart love on the mantel.

I got the little red felt hearts from the dollar store last year.  I wrapped it with some ribbon to make it more substantial.

 

One of my Dollar Tree heart chains broke, (can you believe it?  I paid a whole dollar for it last year! ;)  So, I ended up hanging half of it on my antlers.

 

And the other half I stuck under a really small cloche (or dome, whatever you want to call it).

This is kinda my little Valentine's corner...

I also took a few minutes to do a simple chalkboard.

Mr. Chic also made me this!  It is the cut out of the big heart plaque. 

 

I heart it.  

Get it??  "Heart" it?!  

Bahahahaha!  I couldn't resist!

You can see last year's Valentine's Day decor here.

 
Linking to Link Party Palooz 
& Home Stories A to Z

Magic Jack Review, my honest, unbiased opinion.

Hi there,

Well, if you looked at the title of this post you know I am going to review a Magic Jack.  But, I want you to know that I was NOT paid and I was NOT given the Magic Jack Plus to do this review. This is NOT a sponsored post.  I just wanted to share my experiences with the magic jack plus because whenever I tell someone I use the magic jack they always ask me a ton of questions.  I also love to save money and share a good deal with friends. 

I have saved over $500 per year by using a magic jack plus.  That's a hefty yearly savings in my book.  It's been 3 years now so that is a whopping $1500!  Maybe you are interested in one too?

First, let me just tell you that there is nothing magical about the magic jack.  It does not pull a rabbit out of a hat, saw a pretty woman in a box in half, or make itself disappear.  That was my first disappointment with the "Magic" jack plus.

Ok, sorry, I couldn't help myself.

But seriously.  I bought a magic jack because I was sick and tired of my phone bill going up.  I had bundled cable, internet, and phone when we moved several years ago.  It was cheap!!!  $99 a month (plus taxes,fees)  for all three services,   What a deal!

Until it expires, then the price just keeps going up.  And up. And up again.

So why didn't I just quit using a landline and use my cell phone like so many folks are doing these days?

There are a variety of reasons I need a landline...

1.  My cell phone coverage at my home is sketchy at best.  Lots of dropped calls and cut-out calls.  What is a cut-out call you ask?  It's when you're talking on the phone and you have to say "Sorry, can you repeat that please, my phone cut out again." and again and again...

2.  I have young kids.  As a mom, there is that fear that I will need to call 911 for some kind of emergency and my cell phone won't work, or the battery is dead, or I can't find it because I left it in the car or one of my boys hid it under a couch cushion.  When in an emergency situation with your child and you are most likely panicking or freaking out you want and need your phone to work NOW.  The landline is my back-up.  Or in my case, my cell phone is my back-up.

3.  I talk on the phone a lot.  As a stay-home/work-from home mom I'm home a lot and get quite a few phone calls.  I'm really cool and popular so people want to call me.  Hahaha just kidding, wanted to make sure you were still with me but I really do talk on the phone quite a bit. ;)

4.  Could I ever have enough cell minutes?  At the time I bought the magic jack I did not have unlimited minutes and my minutes were split with my hubby.  This could be a costly problem if your only phone is your cell, we all know when you go over your minutes you have to pay one million dollars and give the cell company your first born.  Now that I have unlimited minutes it's not an issue but numbers 1-3 above still are.

When I bought the magic jack I was paying roughly $45 for my phone service through my cable provider.  I started checking for other options.  I could've gone with the phone company in my area but it wasn't any cheaper in the long run.  They had the same scheme, sucker you in with a cheap  introductory rate which would hike after 6 months.  Wasn't gonna do that again.

I bought the magic jack plus when it was relatively new in 2012 for $90, (it is now only $39 or less!)  The original magic jack was $39 at the time but had less options. I was very skeptical of it and annoyed that it was almost $100 bucks but at that price I knew it would pay for itself in less than 3 months if it worked.

I bought the Magic Jack Plus because it allows you to make calls through your internet service.  It does not need to be hooked up to a computer like the original magic jack, only to your router/modem.  You then plug in your phone to the magic jack plus.  But how do you have more than one "landline" phone in your home if the phones have to be plugged into the magic jack?

We use these:  Panasonic KX-TG7875S Link2Cell Bluetooth Enabled Phone with Answering Machine & 5 Cordless Handsets


All you need to do is plug the base into the magic jack and then the extra handsets can work anywhere else in your home.  The handset bases will only need to be plugged into an electrical outlet, no phone jack.  Pretty slick!

Since buying our Magic Jack Plus the company has come up with a new product called the Magic Jack Go.

The Magic Jack Plus and Go really aren't very different.  It appears that the only difference is the Go has a free "magicApp" (sounds exciting!, insert eye roll here) that allows you to forward your home magic jack go phone to your smart phone.  The only other differences I could find were price (Go is more expensive but gives you 12 months of "free" service the first year while plus gives you 6 months "free" service the first year. (this may have changed by the time you are reading this)

After 3 years of use in my home, here is my list of Magic Jack pros and cons.  I have listed for both Magic Jack Plus and Magic Jack Go because they are essentially the same thing, the Go supports a phone app which seems to be the only real difference.

Magic Jack Plus and Go Pros:

• *CHEAP!  You really can not beat the price for a landline. I pay $30 a YEAR plus an additional $10 to keep my phone number (was paying $540 a year to cable company)
• *You can keep your own phone number. (yearly $10 fee) 
• *Reliable service, as long as your internet is running you're good to go. 
• *Low Maintenance, about 4-6 times a year I have to reset my magic jack plus by unplugging it and plugging it back in.  No big deal.
• *Easy to Install, plug it into the wall, then into your router/modem, then plug your phone cord into the magic jack plus.
• *You can take it with you and use it anywhere you have internet service, (I have never done this).
• *Free local & long distance calling to the U.S. and Canada, low international rates, free voicemail, free caller ID, free call forwarding, free call waiting, free 411
• *Magic Jack GO allows you to forward calls to your smart phone

Magic Jack Plus Cons:

• *No caller ID on call waiting
• *Call waiting beeps 5 long times before the magic jack answering voicemail picks up.  This is extremely annoying as it seems to go on forever if you don't want to answer the other line or on a business call.
• *Sometimes when I make an outgoing call the phone cuts out the moment the person I'm calling picks up so I don't hear them say "hello".  This causes an awkward pause on my end followed by them saying a confused "hello??" again or me saying "hello??"  It doesn't do it very often and I've learned to listen for it so it has become less awkward.  In the days of choppy cell phone calls it is almost expected that this happens every once in a while so I can live with it.
• *You have to pay the extra $10 every year to keep your old phone number.  When I signed up I thought it was a one time fee but maybe I overlooked it in the fine print, it's still worth it.

I have heard mixed reviews about their customer support but, I have never called them so I don't feel I can give an opinion. I think it's a good thing that I've never needed to call them in the three years I've been using my magic jack.

So, I would highly recommend the Magic Jack to anyone wanting to keep a landline and save their hard-earned cash.  Of course it is not perfect and has some quirks every once in a while but so did my landline.

Amazon has great prices on Magic Jacks, click on the picture to see a price list:

Magic Jack Plus

Magic Jack Go

Please feel free to add your experiences with Magic Jack products or ask questions in the comments below.







*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links but I was NOT paid or given a free product to review or use this product.  All opinions are mine.  See my full disclosure under "Advertising & Disclosure" above.

Flaunt it Friday #240!

Hello there, how's it goin'? Whaddaya think of my new blog design? I am still working out a few kinks, moving some stuff around and need to add a few things (like my Pinterest, Facebook, email, Instagram, Twitter, etc., follow buttons) but so far I really like it. Hopefully by next week I'll have it all finished.

Are you ready to party??

 Me too.

Flaunt it Friday 239!

Hello there, how is 2015 treating you?

This week my kids "went back to school" after having a lovely Christmas break.

Here's how it went.

Monday: Teacher's Institute Day, no school.
Tuesday: School!!
Wednesday: No School, too cold. BRRRRRR!
Thursday: No School, too cold. BRRRRRRR!
Friday: School!! Still too cold.  BRRRRRRRR!

 It was a very strange and cold week. Today feels like Monday even though it's Friday. We are still freezing, it's 3 degrees but the windchill makes it feel like -13. I think it is freezing my brain, I totally forgot it was Friday so I'm posting a little late, but at least it's still Friday.

Let's party!

Flaunt it Friday #238!

Hello and Happy New Year!

With the kids off school and the hubster home from work I have lost track of the days.  Totally thought today was Friday so listing my party an entire day late... Oops!  Sorry about that.  School starts this week so hopefully I'll be back on a more normal schedule.  

I'm also starting a blog makeover so if you come by and it looks like a mess hopefully it will only be temporary.

So.... have you started taking down the Christmas decor yet?  Isn't that such a bummer?  Same thing every year, love putting it up, hate taking it down.  I am going to start tomorrow (I think?), maybe I'll get Mr.Chic to help that way.

Ok, let's party! 

Accessoires pour les rideaux de salon

Accessoires pour les rideaux de salon

Les rideaux sont la meilleure façon de cacher les défauts des portes et des fenêtres, mais ils ont aussi une capacité de donner le look spacieux ou petit. Si votre salon est énorme et large, les rideaux de couleurs vives peuvent rendre le salon chaleureux et petit. Et pour un petit salon, les rideaux de tons clairs font le rythme. Il peut rendre la salle spacieuse, aussi ils peuvent donner de la hauteur à la salle, placer le bandeau près du plafond et laisser rideaux pendent vers le sol. Mais sans tringles à rideaux, tout est incomplet.

Rideaux pour salon

Accessoires pour les rideaux de salon

Tringles à rideaux, lambrequins magnifiquement sculptés, les cantonnières etc font le look de rideau plus luxueux et royal. Ils ajoutent de la profondeur à la salle de séjour. Tringles à rideaux sont fabriqués à partir de différents matériaux comme de l'airain d'aluminium, fonte, fibres, plastique, acier, bois et fer forgé.

Accessoires salon

Rideaux de salon

Décor de salon

Conception salon avec des télévisions modernes

Conception salon avec des télévisions modernes

Tout le monde adorerait avoir un nouveau téléviseur LCD dans leur salon . Mis à part le divertissement, le téléviseur peut être un bon point focal dans la décoration de votre salon.

Aujourd'hui, nous présenterons 10 conceptions de salon avec des télévisions modernes qui peuvent être une source d'inspiration dont vous pouvons afficher les beaux téléviseurs LCD. Vous verrez les téléviseurs étant placés au-dessus d'un manteau, dans le milieu de la bibliothèque ... Voir les inspirations ci-dessous.

1. Décoration salon

Décoration salon

Les panneaux blancs sont fabriqués à partir de panneaux acryliques tandis que la matière noire brillante stratifiés fait vraiment ressortir la beauté de ce salon. L'utilisation de la palette de couleurs classiques noir et blanc a fait beaucoup de différence.

2. Salon

Salon

Flanqué de deux bibliothèques, ce coin cheminée rivalise pour attirer l'attention d'une télévision à écran plat. Mais parce qu'il se situe sur un piédestal et défend un beau panneau en miroir, c'est un gagnant à chaque fois.

3. Décor de salon

Décor de salon

Nous pouvons voir que les propriétaires ont décidé d'y placer l'écran de télévision dessus de la cheminée. Il a été encastré au mur pour qu'il vient clairement mélanger avec la conception du mur. La couleur régulière du téléviseur complète bien la palette de couleurs de la salle de séjour.

4. Idée déco salon

Idée déco salon

Ce salon contemporain semble vraiment masculin en raison des couleurs sombres  - du bois sombre pour la console de télévision, la couleur des sièges et la table basse, même les rideaux semble sombre; mais bien sûr, ils complètent tous les murs, le plafond et le plancher.

5. Meubles de salon

Meubles de salon

L'avènement des écrans plats a suscité les tables et armoires des médias en console. Cette mesure peut libérer l'espace. 

6. Salon design

Salon design

Dans ce salon, nous voyons comment le téléviseur a été intelligemment couvert quand il n'est pas en cours d'utilisation. Et lors d'événements, vous pouvez toujours laisser le couvert TV pendant que vous ajoutiez des décorations sur le manteau.

7. Décoration salle de séjour

Décoration salle de séjour

Mettre en place votre téléviseur au dessus d'une console peut être la chose la plus simple à faire, mais en raison des grands revêtements muraux dans cet espace, nous pouvons certainement dire que c'était bien pensé.

8. Murs de salon

Murs de salon

Une chambre familiale fonctionnelle chaleureuse et invitante avec une unité de mur personnalisé conçu pour le support de plasma motorisé et le stéréo et haut-parleurs intégrés. La zone de stockage a été conçu pour les DVD et les jeux vidéo et l'équipement. L'unité murale personnalisée en chêne italien flotte avec un cadre chromé et l'éclairage LED ci-dessus et ci-dessous.

9. Salon moderne

Salon moderne

Si vous avez une télévision, il faut le monter au mur comme celui dans la photo. 

10. Salon contemporain

Salon contemporain

Cette salle multimédia est plein de technologie. Sa haute technologie, son design est simple, son décor est impressionnant et il n'est pas l'étroit.

Source: 15 Modern Day Living Room TV Ideas