Halloween Home 2012

Now that you've seen the "centerpiece" room of our home - THE HALLOWEEN DINING ROOM, here is the rest of our home this halloween..



Entry - got Mr.Pumpkin at a Garage sale for 25 cents!

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The rattan pumpkins were from Smith and Hawken line from TARGET on clearance last year as well as the black web lanterns (from the Dollar bin). The rug was the one that used to sit in our old library/office. It's an outdoor rug bought from Menards at  less $50. Rubber mat is from Crate and Barrel.

Now on to the inside of our home this Halloween...

Coffee table Vignette



Side table Halloween Vignette

The Coffeetable book is from my Fashion Designer book collection - it's ALEXANDER MCQUEEN's "Savage Beauty", I think it's perfect for this holiday since Alexander Mcqueen loves skulls and goth and really raw types of design. I also added the gold pumpkin that I got from TJ Maxx & moved one of my brass dears from the entry table. On my side table I used 2 of my Penguin Horror classics - "Dracula" and "Dorian Gray" along with my Missoni for TARGET vase and pumpkin from Walgreens bought years ago. :-)

Our Halloween window fromt he outside

Halloween window from Inside

Of course these, you've probably seen when I showed my dining room.

Entry full of goodies

All set for the big night!

I decided to place my goodies this year on the entry table (which makes sense actually, since trick or treaters will not enter all the way to my dinnig room) and added 2 plastic cauldrons at the bottom for extra candies and stuff.

A mice-full of stairs



Love these from Martha - made some extra ones of my own by tracing the originals
on black cardboard paper



Of course, heading off to the basement, you'll see our furry friends too!

There you have it! We are all set come Halloween. My son is ready with his costume and I'm ready with mine too!

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!!!



Linking back to My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia & Carolyn's Homework





It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas .. Target and Neiman Marcus Collaboration!!!!

OMG! It is gonna be a very happy Christmas for design/fashion lovers like me, like us!

On December 1st (mark it on your calendar NOW!), Target is launching 24 designer brands from Neiman Marcus in their stores!

Take a look at these big names...

Tory Burch Lunch Box and thermos anyone? Me, me!



Want to look uber cool? Why not carry BRIAN ATWOOD accessories?!

Need something to wear to a Holiday party? Hmm, I'll just get a ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ, LELA ROSE or PROENZA SCHOULER  piece!
Image courtesy of onehundredorbust.com

Looking for a gift for you little fashionista? Why not an original MARCHESA!!

How about DVF for your cool mom or auntie?!

How about some CAROLINA HERRERA pieces for your office mate or for your own office?

Of course, for the pet lover, an OSCAR DELA RENTA perhaps?

Can't leave your man out, original ALZUCARRA for your bar and home

One of my faves for me, PHILIP CRANGI pieces for my home

Dessert anyone? Served on my original TRACY REESE plates! :-)

There is so much to choose from, and there's a right gift for anyone on your list. If you want to see the entire collection, check it out here.

Like I mentioned,there's a total of 24 designers involved in this project and to top it all, TARGET and Neiman Marcus will donate $1 million dollars to the Council of  Fashion Designers  America to celebrate this partnership and affirm their support for American Designers!

So, anyone waiting outside TARGET ala Black Friday come December 1st?! Count me in! By the way, these items will also be available at Neiman Marcus, and their online sites as well!!!!

Thank you also to Bianca for giving me a heads-up on this!! Check out her blog A Fabulous Challenge!

Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

"Goodwill" Hunting

I am a true-blue thrift store regular. I know you know this because I give every little detail of where I get stuff for my home and that includes a lot of stuff from the thrift store.

When we were starting out in the states, the thrift store was the place to go for people like me who was on a very tight budget. Nowadays, though our life is a lot better than before, I still would come back again and again for great bargains and one-of-a-kind finds at my local Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. - any store with the words, "Thrift", "resale", "used", I'm there.

When you go in a thrift store, you don't expect things to be beautifully displayed or even cleaned well. You have to see the potential of a piece first...

Here are a few examples of my latest finds...

1) Caning Frames

Not much to look at now..

but for $3, I saw it's potential..

With a coat of spray paint...

Who can tell it was thrift now?! :-)

Yup, some of the stuff in the store may need a little buffing or even spraying, but in then end, if it's got good bones, it will look great.


 2) Wall Decor

Nice right? 

Again, for $3 - it's a steal even with some scratches

Now hanging proudly in our hallway

Some don't need fixing up at all, just a bit of cleaning and viola, you have a beautiful piece for your home!

3) Milk glass & green glass

This is only a small chunk of my hoard.. ;-)

Going Green

If your a collector like me, finding these antique pieces are abundant in thrift stores. They are also way cheaper than in antique malls.

4) Whimsical Objects

Super cutee :-)

Sometimes you find things there that you never knew you wanted, like these super cute shakers, when I saw them "kissing" on a shelf, I just had to have them! :-) Cheap thrills that is worth much more than $2.50!

6) Norman Rockwell cups

Just prety

Emily Henderson said it right really, if you find a piece you like, and are willing to pay even more than what it's priced for, then you should get it. I paid $4 for all four cups and I would have paid much more if need be. Lucky me, I was at a thrift store. :-)

The other good thing about shopping thrift is that most of these stores are true charity institutions whose proceeds go to a certain charity - so in a way, you are helping yourself as well as others too!

There you have it, some of my recent acquisitions from the good ol' thrift stores.  Next time, I'll show you my finds from Antique malls around the area.

Happy Shopping!!!!

 

Linking back to Young House Love

Halloween-izing a lamp

You  guys saw my Dining room already and you probably noticed the lamp too.

Well, this is how it really looks like without its costume...

Pretty classy...



..to pretty scary

For Halloween, I had to make it match my room right?

All I did was added these 2 Halloween placemats I bought years ago (on clearance at Target), wrapped it around the base and put my spider cut outs on the shade by just tucking them into the folds - no tape needed!

Placemat did the trick



Now it can "part-ey" with the rest of the space! ha!

Easy to do and even better, easier to remove!

Have a Boo-tiful week!

Linking back to Carolyn's Homework, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Glitter, Glue & Paint


Halloween Dining Room 2012

Ok, here it is, our Dining room in all it's "scary" details for 2012!



My "tamed" version of Halloween :-)

Of course, my Crows and Creatures Centerpiece!
To find out more CLICK HERE..

Cobwebs on my wall art

My Inlaid lamps gets a Halloween appropriate upgrade

Windows need to be dressed up too!



View from outside

Like anyone with kids at home, I try to avoid any gore in our home during halloween. I usually put creepy stuff that kids can tolerate - actually stuff that I can tolerate. :-)

Have a Boo-tiful day!

Linking back to Serenity Now, Throwback Thursday - Glitter, Glue & Paint

Designer Spotlight : KENNETH COBONPUE

I have been a fan of  this guy for a while now...

Ever since I discovered this man's genius talent in furniture design, I was even more in awe when I found out he was a fellow FILIPINO like me!

source

His design aesthetic is modern, edgy using natural elements found in the Philippines. TIME Magazine has even called him  "rattans first virtuoso"! (Rattan - superficially similar to bamboo but is actually a palm)

Take a look at some examples of this man's talent -   amazing furnitures that are mostly good for indoors and outdoors!

One of my faves the LA LUNA Chairs

Gorgeous bloom Chairs

Console Table I am coveting- from the MANOLO Series

Believe me, this is an ottoman - The DREAMCATCHER

Perhaps one of his most famous work yet - a bed Angelina and Brad has in their abode, the VOYAGE bed

The Hagia Outdoor Collection

Hive lighting from Kenneth Cobonpue collection for hive

And would you not want to lounge in something like this?!

Papillon Lounge chair & ottoman

He also very versatile, not limiting his talents to furniture design. Just like these examples...

CROKKIS series of vase. Made entirely by metal wires that bent and welded to resemble freehand sketches in space. The result is sketches look-alike vase.

Lucky rich doggie lying down on a Voyage bed

The ECLIPSE - a modernized Pedicab ( a common rickshaw/tricycle found in the Philippines)

Although Kenneth is based in CEBU, Philippines, his clientele is more global rather than local. He has provided furnitures for several hotel restaurants  & homes all over the world, and his  roster of clients range from royalties to Hollywood celebrities.

And I'm sure, after this glimpse of his amazing talent, you know why, I hope and wish someday to have an original Kenneth Cobonpue work in my home .

Have a Beautiful Day!