Design and Décor

[Editor's Note: Author, blogger and new Austinite Georgia Pellegrini is a true Jill or all trades. She hunts, cooks and apparently also dabbles in woodworking and gardening. When Georgia spotted some planters she was smitten on at one of her favorite restaurants she immediately thought to herself: “I could make that”. And make that she did. Check out her full tutorial on building your own chic patio planter. - Jen]  Read more

My home has a front porch, a roof deck, a bedroom balcony, a back porch, and a patio to decorate. That is a lot of outdoor seating to maintain, and unfortunately budget restrictions haven't allowed me to utilize our outdoor space to its fullest. However, thanks to Pier 1 Imports, that is all about to change! Over the last five years, my back porch has just been an embarrassing storage area for junk. After 30 minutes of shopping at Pier 1, my back porch is now an adorable outdoor oasis!  Read more

There aren’t too many women I know who don’t love porches, patios, and decks. This time of year, outdoor living is at the tops of most of our lists, and furnishing an outdoor room can be fun and inspiring. It's a great place to kick off your shoes and hang out and enjoy the sunshine and maybe a breeze. It’s no secret that I love outdoor spaces, and creating an inviting exterior room is at the top of my wish list.  Read more

I was so excited when I was given the chance to spruce up my outdoor spaces with pieces from Pier 1's summer collection!Here is what my back patio and yard looked like before and here is what my backyard space looks like now, with beautiful products from Pier 1! I love it so much! Now I am ready to celebrate family gatherings (like Eli’s birthday and Memorial Day) in my new outdoor space! A few weeks ago, I had the chance to visit my local Pier 1 Imports store and was greeted by the wonderful employees.  Read more

Have you been to Pier 1 Imports lately? I'll admit I hadn't, so when I got this opportunity to do a review on their outdoor furniture and accessories to create an outdoor space, I was happy to see that they had so much to offer, in all different styles for many different tastes, and at great values for helping you achieve your perfect outdoor room. Come see what I picked out to create my perfect outdoor room!  Read more

[Editor's Note: There are some pretty chic wrapping papers available these days. Seems a shame to wrap a gift with some of these beauties only to watch it be torn to shreds and then thrown away. Enter Aunt Peaches and her bright ideas about home decorating with wrapping paper. She had a friend with a blank wall begging for a statement so a few trips to the fancy paper store and Ikea later they were ready to get their home decor on. The end result is nothing short of genius. My mind is turning a million miles a minute with thoughts of where I can display my collection of vintage wrapping paper. Not just wrapping paper - think pages from wall paper sample books or scrapbooking paper. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note:Who knew plastic elephants from the dollar bin could look so sophisticated with just a coat of red spray paint? Apparently Cassie over at Hi Sugarplum knew. These shiny red bookends look like something straight off the pages of a high end decorators catalog. What was once a cheap kitschy plastic toy was transformed into a fancy and functional piece of home décor eye candy. I can hardly wait to make my own set. Think I might go with dinosaurs or tigers. - Jen]  Read more

[Editor's Note: A while ago my seven-year-old brought home an essay she had written in second grade talking about her love for her bedroom. It brought back memories for me of all the time I spent in my room as a kid and especially as a teenager -- that was my space in which I felt safest, most "me." Giving a child some room to breathe in the family is important, but what do you do when you've got more kids than rooms? Tracy decided to give her oldest her own room, but she didn't have a budget to completely redecorate. Lend her your thoughts? -Rita]  Read more

[Editor's Note: This post covers all the hidden expenses of buying a home -- a must-read for anyone in the market for the first time. -Rita]  Read more