Reviews from a Cottage Industry

The best part of waking up...

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Folgers.

The best part of waking up….

We all know the end of that catchy phrase, right? In fact, I don't think I can actually say that phrase without softly singing it..."is Folgers in your cup." The really funny part about the jingle is the entire, all-consuming feeling...emotion...memory...attachment...it evokes for me.

.....You see, I don't drink coffee. I never have liked the taste of it, (unless it's in ice cream, or cheesecake, or...well, you get the picture.) no matter how many ways I tried (sugar and cream, caramel frappuccino, low-fat, no-fat, full-of-fat...) Nope.

And yet...

Aaah....The aroma that that phrase conjures up.

Oh, that yummy-complete-comfort-food aroma. One whiff of that rich scent wafting through the air brings back (in an instant) memories of when I was young and life was happy and secure and safe. Forget the frou-frou gourmet coffee kiosks. To this day, when I smell coffee, I see in my mind's eye, my mother, opening Folgers Coffee. The delicious fragrance escaping from the newly opened can, filling the kitchen, and my heart, with the warm fuzzy aroma of happiness.

And I smile.

*The folks at Folgers are having a jingle contest, and the coolest part of all is that not only will the best jingle win, but you could win by simply voting! Yup, you can vote every day, now through 11:59 a.m. ET April 25^th for the best semi-finalist submissions. You could win the Grand Prize of $10,000 or a great daily prize  just for voting! (Five $100 grocery store gift cards each day will be given out!) Make sure to visit the BlogHer Round up page, and keep coming back to increase your chances to win.

After you cast your vote, make sure to come back here and leave a comment for who you voted for. (I'd love to see if we pick the same jingle winner here as the one that wins on the Folgers site!)

(Oh! And you can text folgersjingle to 67463 to receive daily voting reminders via text message.*)

 

It's ALL about making a good impression.

Mmm hmmm, simple as that. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, as they say, and that is what made me so excited to add my house numbers to my front door....but what about those of you that don't have a Silhouete machine to create your own letters?

Well, enter Mary Zimmer, and her fabulous business, "A Great Impression". Not only will Mary fill your order from her vast collection of phrases and quotations (in a color, size and font you'll love!) but she can do custom things as well. Things like my address on my door, the Pantry sign pictured at the top of this post, or completely custom creations like this...

My personal newest idea is to have the words "The Loo"  (with a cute scroll-y doo-dad like on the pantry door shown up top) on my half bathroom that faces my dining room. (People always seem to assume the closed door is a coat closet, and this would clear things up as well as add a little smile to everyone's faces....)

I have to tell you that I actually spent well over an hour studying her site, and my mind was spinning with ideas for places to add a quote, a word, or whatever, all around my Barbie Condo.Check out her wonderful site here.

 

HomeGoods Gift Card Winners!

..........and the winners are...(drumroll, please!)

Jan (No blog, Bohemian Classic style)

Kimberly Moody (No blog, another Bohemian Classic style)

Jilly (from "My Outside Voice" blog,  Elegant Classic Style)

Ciera (no blog, Country Classic style)

(All four winners have been notified by email...thanks everyone for taking the quiz! I'll have another giveaway coming up soon!

A HomeGoods Readers challenge, and a Style Scope Quiz!

Before the holidays arrived, HomeGoods contacted me about sharing something pretty fabulous with you. You see, HomeGoods recently partnered with Deborah Needleman (founding editor of domino magazine) to create the HomeGoods StyleScope quiz. The quiz is a simple (and free!), interactive tool that provides a customized style (like Bohemian Classic, Earthy Modern or Dramatic Eclectic) as well as tips to put that style to use.

 My daughter took the quiz, (She came up Bohemian Classic, and I came up Country Classic) and then, we set about revamping the cottage she and her husband share here in the Pacific Northwest. (Her score revealed she has a Bohemian Classic bent to her style.) Here is the living room "Before" (She had just ordered a new sofa, which arrived just in time for the "After" photos)
...and "After"....

We hit HomeGoods and ended up spending a bit less than $250 on accessories; little things that make a big difference in a room. Things like the ottoman we used as a coffee table, pictured in front of the sofa in the second photo above. (Don't you just love that piece?!) What an impact. It warmed up the entire feeling of the room, in an unexpected way.

The mirror collection on the wall in the top photo is full of HomeGoods accessories as well. (I love the selection of vintage style mirrors they carry! Oh! And another option for a unique collection on a wall would be wall clocks!) It is mind boggling just how far your money can go at HomeGoods when you know what style you're looking for, and work within a specific color scheme.

Whether it's a seasonal accessory, or something to fill that stubborn empty corner in your bedroom, you will find it at HomeGoods, that's for sure. If you're wondering if there might be a HomeGoods near you, check out their website.

Now, here's the really exciting part! My friends at HomeGoods have been so kind as to send me four $50 gift cards to give away to my readers, and so, here is what I am thinking. I'd love to now what your style comes up as after taking the Style Scope Quiz, so...take the quiz, and come back and post what  your style came up as in the comment area of this post. (Click here to take the quiz)

Then, next Tuesday, I will draw four names and announce the winners from the comments received on this page of my blog or on my main page. (Please enter only once)  I'm excited to know what style is the most prevalent!