A Few Great Finds!

Hey there mortgage mavens!

If you're like me and paying a mortgage (or saving for one) makes you more of a deal-seeker than ever before, you'll appreciate a couple of my most recent finds.

Here is the MINI COUCH I recently scored at a yard sale for $20. We really needed a small, sturdy, basic loveseat to fit into this space in our office, and this one is perfect. It's only a few years old and actually came from a real estate agent's office, so it's barely used and in pretty perfect condition. PLUS the cost went to the local Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF)!!! And Jack seems to really like it:

A few days earlier, I was browsing through Cost Plus Imports, which I've found is a goldmine for affordable, stylish glassware and kitchen items. I'm also coveting the majority of their Moroccan-style tables and chairs....but that's a seperate post and to-do list item.... What I did buy was this bamboo wind chime for $6 (sorry, the photo isn't the greatest).

When Ian (my husband) and I were in Maui for a friend's wedding, just weeks before we ourselves got hitched in 2007, we went on a phenomenal hike through a bamboo forest. My camera batteries had run out just as we hit the trail that afternoon, but I will never forget the calming, ruthmic sound of the bamboo knocking together as we wound our way up the mountain. This chime makes a similar sound when the breeze comes throug our bedroom window at night, and I love waking up to it.

In general, most of the things in our house that I love are like this -- either hand-me-downs, family relics, yard sale finds, or super cheap scores that remind me of a great moment in my life. And that's how I want my home to feel -- ecclectic, warm, comfy, and full of reminders of the great moments I've been lucky enough to experience in my life so far. :) :) :)

That's it for now, but as I mentioned in the last post I'm headed to Vancouver & Portland this weekend, so I'll let you know if I come home with any great finds from Nob Hill or beyond.....

Shanti