Have/Have Not

What I would’ve bought today if I had any money at all:

Umbra Horizon Photo Albums

Five of these gorgeous photo albums to put all our photos in. Getting them out of my childhood Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse albums and giving us the ability to print more of the backlog of photos stored on our computers.

Cool, money-free thing I did instead:

Japanese girl and a tree

I bought this tree more than a year ago when I was part of my first and only craft show. Since then, it’s been collecting dust at the top of my craft closet. Because I’m always so frustrated at not being able to see my jewelry, thus remembering what I have to wear, I decided to pull it down and actually use it. The little momiji doll was a gift from my sister. I love that little doll. Makes the whole thing look so much better.

Must. Have. Self-Control : Crate and Barrel Edition

Week of March 23th:

A weekly list of goodies that I’ve forced myself not to buy.
(You know, because I’m broke.)

Lulu Bedding
I swear, I think the Crate and Barrel stylists have taken a peek inside my head and are doing everything they can to wear down my self-control. See that bed? Yeah, remarkably similar to my own. And that night stand? What do you know, it just happens to be the one that I’ve been eyeing as well. And now comes the final punch in the gut (i.e. my empty wallet), the Lulu bed linen set. It’s like they know I want a grey and blue bedroom and now they’re just mocking me. Argh!

Sunflower Cake Pan
Okay, now how cute is this? Come on! A cake shaped like a sunflower? I think that one of my goals in life may turn out to be owning a cake pan for every season and occasion. But knowing my luck, I’d probably end up with half the cake stuck inside the flower pan and the other half tumbled onto the plate. But a girl can dream, right?

Chloe Platter & Plates
And the final blow coming this week from Crate and Barrel are these. This gorgeous set of plates and matching platter are right up there on trend for Spring 2009 with a bold floral motif. Just looking at these plates makes you feel warm and spring-like, don’t they? So lovely. I think I’d be too busy looking at them, though, to actually eat what I put on them. Ha!

All items in this post found via here.

Must. Have. Self-control.

Week of March 9th:

A weekly list of goodies that I’ve forced myself not to buy.
(You know, because I’m broke.)

Since I was forced to abandon my snowman Christmas coasters at the end of the season I’ve been searching for the perfect coasters to replace them for daily use — because nobody likes coffee rings — and I think I’ve found them. These are the sweetest, most amazing coasters ever. And the title of this post shouldn’t be “Must Have Self-Control” but rather, “I Gave In” because I plan on ordering these lovelies very soon.

Found via here.

Must. Have. Self-Control.

Week of February 23rd:

A weekly list of goodies that I’ve forced myself not to buy.
(You know, because I’m broke.)


Zara has colourful skinny jeans for less than $40?!? Man, I wish I was 3 inches taller!
Found via here.


Dude, this drying station has its own fan! So much better than hanging wet clothes over doors, chairs and any other surface. Less stretching too!
Available here. Found via here.

Finally, did you know that Saks Fifth Avenue offers free shipping to Canada?
I didn’t, but now I do. Trouble!

Must. Have. Self-Control.

Week of January 26th:

A weekly list of goodies that I’ve forced myself not to buy.
(You know, because I’m broke.)

So lovely! Even Dave thinks so. And Dave usually only tolerates my penchant for pink. That makes this little handmade beauty extra special. Still, must resist temptation!

Available here.


How awesome is this fern-leaf motif? And the added bonus is that it’s handmade from recycled materials!

Available here.

Must. Have. Self-Control.


Week of January 19th:

A weekly list of goodies that I’ve forced myself not to buy.
(You know, because I’m broke.)


Ever since I read Craft Boom’s review of the Artisan 800 I’ve been wanting to get my hands on the Artisan 700. It’s basically the 800′s kid brother. You know, without the fax functions that I don’t need.

Since I am attempting to save money at the moment I’m trying to put off its purchase for as long as possible, but my current printer is so lame that I’m bound to buckle under the pressure soon enough.

Available here.

See, this is the kind of gorgeous wrap dress that flatters every figure and can be worn a million ways. I am loving charcoal grey right now too. So cozy. And don’t even get me started on that shawl collar. Self-control. Self-control. Self-control.

Available here. Found via here.


Wow. So lovely and intricate. I can’t imagine how long it takes to weave the band of a ring like this. Quite the statement piece! Available here. Found via here.


The more I look at things, the more I understand my own style better. Lately, instead of just an “Oh, I like that” reaction, I’ve been thinking about why I like the things I do. What I’ve learned is that my style is simple+. The design can’t be too ornate or look like it’s trying too hard, but it can’t just be straightforward, plain-jane minimalism either. It’s gotta have something. Some flare.

And, wowza! See right here? This is a perfect example of the style I love. It’s simple, with clean lines but also has flourish enough to make it stand out from the crowd.

Available here. Found via here.

Must. Have. Self-Control.

Week of January 12th:

A weekly list of goodies that I’ve forced myself not to buy.
(You know, because I’m broke.)



So lovely. So perfect. So never gonna fit on my desk and way out of my price range, but still.

Available here. Found via here.

 

 

 

 

You know, for years I’ve shunned yellow gold, but I feel like this little lovely is definitely helping to make room for it again in my heart.
18k Yellow Gold Vermeil.
Available here. Found via here.

                                                                     

 

Okay, this I may have to buy. It’s like a little patch of grass to hold my pens and warm my cold winter days! Maybe I’ll get two: one for my pens, and one for my makeup.
Added to my shopping list.
Available here.


                                                                     

And for you children of the ’80s, there can be nothing awesomer than coasters of the original Final Fantasy characters.
Available here.