Mom Time on a Dime

As the saying goes, "Sometimes, its the little things that make a big difference".... or is it "Sometimes, its the little things that can make you go bat-sh*t crazy insane"??

For me, it's probably the latter.

Ever since we moved in last May, we have had to deal with one of the world's ugliest and LOUDEST mailboxes ever...

See it? Up there, to the left of the (what-we-think-at-one-point-in-time-was-the-front-door-but-is-now-just-a-huge) window?

Here's a better close up shot.

*Our address has been blurred to protect the guilty*

Yes, that dirty, icky, awful, tacky, bull-nose ring contraption is our mailbox.  I wish I would have taken a video of how loud it is when it opens, but just think of the sound of nails on a chalk board, mixed with the melody of a fork/knife slipping on a plate, and accompanied by screws and bolts in a blender, and THAT is pretty much the noise.

So I bet you can guess my excitement when I jumped up and down with my fist in the air found this AWESOME new mailbox from my Pottery Barn Outlet shopping trip last week.

It may not be outlet prices, but you can still buy them from Pottery Barn.com as seen HERE

The kicker? It was on CLEARANCE! Pottery Barn price: $49.00... Outlet price: $16.97... Clearance Price: $8.47!!! Whaa-whaa?!?!

I put it under my arm like a football and made a bee-line for the checkout like someone was about to try and tackle me if they saw how awesome of a score this mailbox was.

Update: I made a safe checkout (no one even tried tackling me... sad face... for ONCE I want to be involved in a shopping brawl like in the movies... then come home victorious, with a black eye, and brag to Chris while mounting my treasure on the mantle like the trophy I'm sure it is... ... ... sigh, someday...someday)

The only thing that I had to change on this awesome mailbox was the color.  Normally I would leave it that oiled-rubbed bronze-y color, but since our shutters, roof, and the address plaque that my mom got for us when we moved in were all black, I thought it would look best if they all matched.

Enter, my good friend, spray paint...
Oddly enough, Home Depot doesn't sell metallic spray paint in black (unless you want it textured, which I think is gross) so my H.D. paint buddy Mack hooked me up with a can of black in a satin finish... (and by "hooked me up", I mean he suggested I give it a try and then had me pay for it... no free rides over here)
 Giving it a couple light coats, I was pleasantly surprised that the metallic aspect of the mailbox was actually glimmering through...

Here you can see the contrast of the before/after...

don't worry, I gave the inside a spray down too :-)

As I spray painted with light-even coats, my wonderful, good-looking, hunky husband took down the old mailbox and put it in a pile for Goodwill.... can I get an "AMEN!"?!?! Hallelujah!
Chris was also doing something else far less important than what I consider a life or death ordeal, so I gave my little mailbox a pep talk and let him soak in his future surroundings until Chris was ready to put him up.
 A couple screws and some leveling later, he was in!!
 **disclaimer, I know my husband looks like he's about to go to a Monster Truck rally/sleepover with his torn shirt/torn sweatpants combo.... but I would like to point out a couple things: 1. He never dresses like this during the week (I have a very large bill from Nordstroms to prove it) 2. The dude has some VERY muscular good-lookin' arms and if he wants to show them off to the world me during the weekends, I guess it's ok. 3. He's breaking in that retro AZ Diamondbacks hat for when we go see my boys play at Wrigley Field this July.  I'm a HUGE supporter of Dallas teams so I'm THRILLED that he's joying my excitement to see one of my Zona teams.

Anyway, here's the new and improved view of the mailbox.
 And a close up...
So for $8.47 and $2.49 for a can of spray, we have a very sexy looking new mailbox!

Do you guys like it? Where is your mailbox at your house? Up near your door or down by your driveway? Props to our mailman for walking to each door everyday!

-Samm

Especially while shopping... at an outlet... with a Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware.

It's deadly.
I wish I was over exaggerating, but I'm like Lindsay Lohan in a jewelry shop... I just want to start putting things in my purse ... (except I pay for them).

I had to go down to San Antonio for a work meeting and during the SIX hour drive from Dallas to SA, I-35 goes right through the best outlet mall in Texas (maybe in the United States... maybe the WORLD... yea, best outlets in the WORLD!) so I would have to be insane NOT to stop, right? Right?

At least that's what I told Chris...

First stop, Pottery Barn:

Where I found a box with THIS taped on the side:
 Chris and I have a slight obsession with Edison Bulbs (like in our laundry room) so I instantly started drooling when I saw this beauty... and the kicker? The PRICE! $42.97!!!  The EXACT same light is still on Pottery Barn's website for $149!

As seen HERE

I also found this cool shelf unit for $20...
 Got it...

And this hanging chandelier-ish thing for $14.97...
 But sadly passed on it since I didn't know EXACTLY where it would go (and I'm trying REALLY hard to only buy things we have a NEED for... not just a "want")

Pottery Barn outlet also shared a store with Williams Sonoma outlet and I saw Chris's and my bench that we registered for our wedding...
 It was $1,200 at the store ($699 at the outlet) but basically we registered for it in case any of our relatives we shopping for us online (drunk) and thought a $1,200 bench was a good idea...

Spoiler alert: we didn't get it...

I also saw this great storage bench for $175 (and $25 for the cushion)...
 But since our budget doesn't really have room for a $200 bench for the foot of our bed, I had to pass...

This one I saw for Chris...
A $3,200 (marked down to $1,599) bar.... VERY pretty for Chris's (someday) Man Cave... don't worry honey... I'm sure you will get one (once we move houses, have kids, send the kids off to college, move again, retire, and then move me into a senior care center.... pretty much right around the corner)

I also got an awesome new mailbox for $8 and (of course) forgot to take a picture of it... (I promise there will be an update on the mailbox situation soon.)

After leaving Pottery Barn, I headed over to Restoration Hardware.
Now, I KNOW Restoration Hardware is WAY out of my "garage sale" budget specially when it comes to $3,600 "outlet" $2,499 couches
 and chairs...



 High wing back chairs in burlap linen with nail head detail...
....
....
drool....
...
And to my amazement, they were TOTALLY affordable! (Marked down from $899 to $149 a chair?!!! I would be LOSING money if I didn't buy them!) I dont know if the tag was mismarked or what, but I seriously grabbed two of the tags and ran to check out like the building was on fire.

I told them I would come pick up the chairs tomorrow (since I didn't want my vendor to get in my car for the meeting and there be two gigantic chairs in the trunk) and I would be coming back through San Marcos anyway. 

After my meeting (which went VERY well) I pulled around to the back of the Restoration Hardware outlet...
 5 minutes later, my car looked like this....
 ...insert obnoxious high-pitched screaming here...

A couple things about this experience...
1. Outlet malls are glorious
2. Restoration Hardware is awesome
3. I am completely capable of loving inadament objects... aka these chairs... major love-crush

I don't want to spoil the fun surprise about where the chairs are in the house just yet, but here's a little picture tease of some big things we have coming...

(this giveaway is now closed... from random.org, the lucky winner is...

 #46!... Thank you Miss Christina Duggan for "liking" the Ramsign facebook page!
 I will contact you directly to get your Ramsign out to you ASAP! Enjoy! And thanks again to everyone who entered!)

Ok, show of hands.... who likes free stuff?
...Who likes pretty stuff?
...Who likes practical stuff?
...Who likes practical, pretty, FREE stuff?
...Who wants me to get to the point? (...this is where my husband usually raises his hand...)

Well, today you are in luck because I am hosting my first-ever FREE giveaway sponsored by Ramsign - Classic Enamel Design!
(pauses for shock and aww)
 Yea, they are an AWESOME company that makes hand crafted porcelain address signs that I think are just gorgeous!

I highly recommend that you check out their website: Ramsign.com and their facebook page to check out all their colors and designs!

Personally, Im kinda obsessed with their hunter green/white "Arrowhead" style...
My favorite thing about their signs is that they can be used for more than just house addresses!... Important date... favorite jersey number...number of loved ones in your family... they are practically ART!

And now you can have one for your home for FREE!!!  This would also make an AWESOME Mother's Day gift (the giveaway runs through Sunday **hint**hint**)



Good luck everyone! I will contact the winner Monday!

P.S- Sorry I've been a little M.I.A... Chris and I took a little break after all the work we've been doing on the deck and my job has really been cranking... but dont worry, we have some AWESOME new changes coming up!... Including a story about how I scored two of these breathtaking wingbacks for 85% off!!
I'm still giddy about this find... More coming soon!!
(pssss... I just posted about my awesome score HERE!)

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