Stella and Dot from Mix and Match Fashion

I’ve been following Tara over on Mix and Match Fashion for a while now. I find great inspiration for work outfits.

About a month ago I was lucky enough to win a pair of Stella & Dot earrings from Tara.

I had heard people talk about Stella & Dot jewelry before, but I was a little skeptical because I had never had a hands on experience. I wanted to see it in person, hold it in my hand, make my own judgement as to whether or not it was good quality.  So, winning this giveaway was perfect for me. I was able to try the jewelry without worrying about spending money on something I’d never wear.

The results… I love my new earrings. The quality is amazing in look and feel. You are definitely getting your money’s worth.

I won the Serenity Stone Drops in Green.

(Those who follow me on Instagram have already seen this gem.)

I love them so much I’m already planning my first purchase.

I’m thinking the Camilla Ring…

Or the Arrow Bangle…

What do you think? There are so many choices!

Thanks Tara for the introduction to Stella & Dot, and for the gorgeous earrings!

R.I.P Google Reader

I’ve been using Google Reader for about 3 years now. The best part is that it is associated with all your other Google identities, like e-mail and such. So access is easy.

I’m sure everyone has heard about Google Reader being discontinued on July 1st. I personally thought this meant that everything would remain the same until that date and then it just wouldn’t work anymore. I was wrong.

As of Wednesay, Reader was removed from the “More” drop-down when you’re in your Gmail… So, no more easy access…

I actually had to Google, “Google Reader,” to figure out how to access my blog feed (www.google.com/reader, you’re welcome). So, my assumption of ‘no change’ was inaccurate. Apparently there is some sort of phasing that Google has planned. It is probably called ‘Make it Harder and Harder to Access Until No One Uses It,’ just my guess.

This isn’t the end of the world. I knew change was coming. I just thought it would be 4 months from now. This new development just lit a fire under me to figure out what platform I’m going to start using next.

There are a lot of options out there. I did a lot of research and trials.  This included free platforms and not so free platforms. In the end my top two were two of the free options. They were the most similar to reader and thus, familiar feeling to me.

Feedly (Looks to be the obvious front runner for most.)

• Feedly takes the form of a browser add-on for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, and also an iOS and Android app.
  
• Feedly actually uses Google Reader as its backend. This means you can log into Feedly today and it will automatically have all of your Google Reader feeds set up and ready to go. They announced that they are partnering with Google to develop a program that will transition your reading experience from backed by Google Reader to something else once Reader is not available. They say that as long as you try their services prior to July 1st, everything should transfer seamlessly.
• If you’re like me and have a collection of unread blogs, Feedly makes the transition a little easier. Since it is linked with your Reader the unread blogs come in as unread. As you read them they are marked as read in your Reader as well. So you can actually make the transition as fast or slow as you want, both platforms will update simultaneously.
• You can manipulate the interface to be similar to Google Reader. You can have the same type of list and view full articles which is nice.
• There is an iPhone app.
• If you were a ‘Starred Items’ person in Google Reader so you could remember the location of posts you liked, these transfer directly into Feedly. They are called ‘Saved For Later’ in Feedly.

Screen shot using Chrome..

Bloglovin’

• You can connect through Facebook or create a log in on their website.
• Transferring your Google Reader blogs is very simple. Once imported the last weeks worth of blog posts will show up as unread.
• There is a nice alert feature (via Google Chrome browser extension, one-click install) to let you know when you have unread blog posts on your reading list.
• You can group blogs of similar content.
• You can’t just scroll through full articles within Bloglovin’. You actually have to click on the article and view it via the blog website with a nifty Bloglovin’ toolbar at the top. The toolbar allows you to jump from blog to blog or post to post easily. It also allows for easy sharing. At first I thought this was a draw back, I loved seeing full posts in Google Reader but I realize that traveling to the actual site is definitely a good thing… 1. You can experience everything by seeing the layout and 2. The blog gets more views.
• Your “Starred” items in Google Reader do not transfer in as “Liked” posts in Bloglovin’.
• I downloaded the iPhone app and it is very user friendly.

Screen shot using Chrome…

Screen shot of toolbar once you start reading blogs…

At the end of the day I don’t think any option can really be categorized as a replacement right now. My hopes is that once Google Reader isn’t available these companies will step up and start making improvements. So, picking the platform that has the options you enjoyed most about Google Reader and keeping your hopes high for improvements is my best suggestion for you.

I’m currently using both. I started out leaning more towards Bloglovin’ but now I’m really liking Feedly. It might just be because it is very similar to Google Reader which makes it feel familiar. I plan to continue trying both so that I can discover all of the different features. I don’t want to miss out on something great just because I stick to something familiar. I’ll keep you posted on my thoughts. I’ll also let you know if I stumble upon another option out there.

If you decide to start using Bloglovin’ you can easy follow ‘my morning coffee’ by clicking here or using the “+” icon on the top right of my home screen.

Importing your blogs/subscriptions/feeds into Feedly and Bloglovin’

Importing your Google Reader blogs to Feedly is as simple as juts signing in.

Simple instructions for importing your Google Reader blogs into Bloglovin’…

1. Log into your Bloglovin’ account.

2. Click on ‘Account’ on the top right of your screen and a drop down will appear. Click on ‘Settings.’

3. Scroll to the bottom and under the ‘Other’ heading click on the ‘Import blogs’ button.

4. On the next screen you’ll have the option to import blogs from Google Reader. Click on this button.

5. The next screen seems a little redundant, maybe because I was already logged into my Google Reader. But, once again click on the button to ‘Import from Google Reader.’

6. Bloglovin will then import all of your blogs seamlessly. All of the posts from the last week will show up as unread for each blog.

Just  That  Easy

I’ll miss you Google Reader.

What are your thoughts? What have you tried? What did you like and dislike?

PS… I updated the list of blogs I follow. Viewing them in list form, there are way too many!

Design Sponge Gift Tags

Design Sponge, a blog I read, every year does a ‘Gift Tag Freebie’ around Christmas time. In order to save a little money this year I decided to try it. I just bought 8-1/2″ x 11″ sticky paper to print on. I downloaded the file, printed them, cut them out, and bam…

The gift tags I decided to go with were these:

But here is a link to their 2010 gift tags which I also think are pretty cool if you want a little more color:

Thank you Design Sponge! I think they look great!

Some New Additions

Did you notice all the awesome new pictures on my blog? If not, you are reading this in a reader and you need to go and check out the live site to see the #awesomeness. I have a new banner, a new author picture and tons of pictures on my About Mary Beth Page.

All of the pictures, including those in the banner are all courtesy of Stephanie Egan of Stephanie Egan Photography.

Another blog I read, that I haven’t mentioned yet, The Fortunate Plight, had a giveaway a while back and I was the lucky winner! I won a 2 hour photo shoot with Stephanie Egan. I decided to incorporate the two men in my life, Brian and Bauer. Stephanie was awesome, super sweet. She was really understanding when Bauer chose to jump all over her, give her kisses, and not listen to instructions.

Stephanie had our photos done in about two weeks. We got a sneak peek on facebook and her blog for our instant gratification which was awesome! I think they all turned out great, so check them out.

So, on to the banner. So that I don’t have to explain how I created the banner let my friend Steve and the behind the scene photo explain it all…

and here is the end result…

Awesome, right? Steve worked some major magic. You can check out more of Steve’s photos on his Flickr.

I’m making huge strides in the Project #2 department. I’ll start updating you tomorrow.

Entertainment Ready

I’m having some peeps over the Thursday after Thanksgiving and I need to get my house entertainment ready. The majority of the invitees have never seen my house, I don’t want to disappoint.

I moved into my current home at the beginning of June, that means by party time 6 months would have passed. To me, my home does not look like I’ve been decorating for 6 months, there is still plenty left to be done. To not overwhelm myself before the party I have create a short list of things I want to accomplish. Lets think of this as Project #2: Entertainment Ready. I’m sure if you came to my house right now your list would look completely different from mine, but here it is…

1. Find something to hang over the secretary in the dining room. I’m thinking a faux white resin animal (source) but I’m not completely certain. I’m open to suggestions. I’m hoping my Etsy gift card will come in handy here.

  

2. Start and complete a collage wall inspired by Young House Love on the wall in the dining room. My plan is to have it turn the corner, so  from door to door.

  

The next photo depicts the last three things on the list:

3. Curtains for the living room. Here is my inspiration (from Triangle Honeymoon):

4. Hang the ‘h’ up in the corner. I haven’t found the ‘m’ soul-mate yet, but I can always move it later if need be.

5. Replace that small simple lamp with the one I found at my Dad’s. The hard part is that I need to find the perfect lampshade. I’m eyeing something with this shape (source).

  

So there you have it, 5 things to do before November 29th. For those of you that stuck it out during Project #1 (thank you!) rest assured that Project #2 will go a lot faster due to my deadline. Tomorrow we’ll have ‘Friday Favorites’ per usual but Monday morning be ready to get some work done. Is everyone clear on the mission?

Some New Bling!

Let me connect the dots..

I read Erin’s blog, Richmond Thrifter. Her blog has awesome ideas and awesome finds. If only I lived closer and could snag some of the items she passes over. Erin also has her own jewelry shop where she sells Charles Emerson Designs. There are some cool pieces with price tags that are easy on the eyes.

To promote her blog and store she did a giveaway on Sadie + Stella. The item featured was the Sun Burst Necklace.

Your’s truly was the winner! I’m so excited to pair this with all my holiday outfits to add some festive bling.

Due to this giveaway I was introduced to Lindsay on Sadie + Stella. Lindsay provides some awesome inspiration everyday. She was gracious enough to give the blog a shout out when she announced the giveaway winner (Thank you!).  She also got mad brownie points when she confirmed I wasn’t crazy for putting blue velvet chairs in my dinning room. She had a whole post about velvet that included  a chair pretty similar to mine.

PS.. I added both of these blogs to the blogs I follow page.

PSS… My Young House Love book still hasn’t come yet! The book came out forever ago and everyone is talking about it and I’m feeling a little left out. Would you please just come already!

New Layla Grayce Earrings!

I entered a giveaway a few weeks back that I found on a blog I follow, A Piece of Toast. It was a style standoff sponsored by Layla Grayce where everyone was invited to vote on which contestant they thought styled the Gorjana G Ring Gold Earrings the best. Obvi I voted for Sally from A Piece of Toast.

Long story short.. I won!

They came in the mail on Friday and I literally wore and loved them all weekend. They are the perfect size and weight. I’m going to wear them all fall! You can purchase them for only $36. I strongly advise it!

I follow the Layla Grayce blog as well. They just posted a Design You Dream Living Room Challenge for a prize, go check it out.

PS.. not sure if you guys have hopped on the ikat train or not.. but there is an awesome sale going on over at One Kings Lane. They are also having a Pinterest Challenge currently.

PSS.. If you love Etsy make sure to enter the Etsy Gift Card Giveaway posted yesterday! Deadline is Thursday at 8am!

Things I Did Today

Other than work there are a lot of things I accomplished today..

1. Spent some time at the vet’s office because Bauer’s foot is still not functional. Nothing conclusive. We have an appointment at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital tomorrow with an Orthopedic Surgeon. Hopefully we’ll figure out what the issue is!

2. I instagramed a photo of my Michael Kors Watch. Tara from Mix and Match Fashion reported on her blog that if you instagram a picture of how you like to wear your MK watch with #MKTimeless you will be entered to win one of their Paris Limited Edition Runway Watches. I’m among the 8,000 that have entered thus far. Needless to say I’m not holding my breath. (Follow me on instagram if you aren’t already, @mymorningcoffeeblog.)

3. I favorited this amazing blue whale from TheVintageBirds on Etsy. Should I get this little guy for my bathroom shelves? (Check out my other Etsy favorites here.)

4. B and I listed two new things in out Etsy store, The Union Jill. We listed this awesome gazelle and an equally awesome faux bamboo teapot.

5. I lusted over an amazing deal found over on The Budget Babe (another blog I follow). “Deal du Jour: J. Crew Pave Link Bracelet Look for Less at ILY Couture”. Yep, only $49.99  over at ILY Couture with coupon code SPARKLE until October 13th. Umm… I WANT THIS! Best part, $2 of each purchase goes to St. Jude’s Hospital.

6. The new J.Crew Factory online store opened today. Make sure to check it out. I created a list of three staples that I must have (and can’t believe I don’t already own) and sent them over to my mom as potential birthday presents! (Links here, here, and here.)

What did you guys do today?

Craigslist Fiend

I love furniture. It makes or breaks a room, a house even. It can be a little pricey. One day when I earn those big bucks, furniture is close to the top of my list, behind traveling the world and paying for my kid’s college. That being said, I need to find another career, being an engineer is not going to get me to the top of the food chain, not even close. Can I just dream about being Emily Henderson and buying all the furniture I want?

Snap out of it MB, let us talk about the present. Currently I try to find awesome furniture for my space on the cheap, usually using craigslist. This means used furniture that sometimes has a few defects and isn’t perfect, I view this as character. I try to stick with the 50+ year old furniture. I love thinking about all the stories the furniture could tell, that is, if the pieces could talk. I suffer from thinking of inanimate objects as people, please forgive me. This explains why I name my cars and become so attached to them. (I’m not the only one; Orlando from Hommemaker shares his suffering here.)

Back to the purpose of my post, I recently bought a new piece of furniture for my dining room. I had been looking for something with character that could store my kitchen overflow and keep the room bright. It is competing with an amazing yellow 1950’s diner table, so it needs to hold its own.  My walls are white and grey, so I needed something as close to white as possible so that it wouldn’t stand out and scream, “I am cream!” I searched long and hard. This included a lot of waiting for the perfect piece and the perfect price. I originally was looking for a vintage sideboard kind of like this from Etsy’s cbensten,

or this from Etsy’s paintedcottages.

But then I found this beauty.

The fact that this picture is taken in my dining room means it is no surprise that I bought it. (Please disregard my lack of decorating in the dining room, that is on the list of future projects.) I fell in love with the queen anne legs and the glass front. There is storage on each side of the door which means you can also hide some unsightly stuff. When I went to check out this piece I was the weirdo that borrowed one of the seller’s big red wine glasses to make sure it fit.

I have basic woodworking skills enough to restore simple furniture and I can paint a solid color on anything, but when it comes to a distressed polished look, not my cup of tea. Nick, the seller, was very enlightening when it comes to painting techniques. Painting at this level is definitely a science, a science that I hope to learn one day soon. He spent a half hour going through the process in detail, and I couldn’t get enough! When he was done I didn’t have the heart to talk him down on the price (which was a first). I could see the love and care he put into it and I almost wanted to overpay him (not really). I knew that paying his full asking price was still a steal for this piece. Nick has a blog of his own; you can check it out here.

Just like Etsy, Craigslist comes full circle; you buy some and you sell some.

This little guy was just posted by yours truly today, check it out here. It is a piece that held my TV and components at my old house. It is a little small at my new house and it screams, “I am cream!” It has a great teak top on it that just needs a little love.

You guys also craigslist feens? Found anything good lately?

PS.. If you went and checked out Emily Henderson’s One Kings Lane sale last week you saw brass antelope bookends that were identical to mine. $125! Crazy! (yea, I have the app on my dying cell phone.)

PSS.. Emily Henderson’s store is going to be an online store. She reveals this here. So, no amazing road trip in my future after all.

PTripleS… My darling Lucy sold that I mentioned here. She was amazing! I hope she is loved by her new owner.

Nautical Splurge

When I started Project #1: Beautification of Bathroom Shelves (here) I didn’t share with you my $100 budget. I knew that baskets were a little on the expensive side and I wanted my shelves to have some character. Sometimes character has a large price tag, so $100 was my bar.

I’ve already bought baskets for $36.32 (here, cheaper than I expected). My purchase today made staying within my budget almost impossible unless I obtain everything else for free. I might have cheap tendencies, but that probably isn’t going to happen.

So what did I buy?

AWESOME, right?

When I saw it on Etsy, I fell in love. Not with the price, but with the awesomeness it is going to bring to my bathroom! I bought it from a shop called Estate Eclectic. You can see more pictures of my new mirror here. That link doesn’t divulge how much I paid for it (but if you know how to see that once items are sold on Etsy, please fill me in!).

I actually discovered this beauty Tuesday night. By Wednesday at 2pm I realized I wasn’t going to be able to stop thinking about it. So what did I do? Moved some of my shopping budget for next month into this month’s budget and hit PROCEED TO CHECK OUT. I’m currently still not regretting it, so I know it was meant to be. I’m sure I’ll love it even more when I have it hanging in my bathroom (any every other bathroom I own until the day I die).

Since I shared some expenses, let me share some income too: The perfect (but not working) brass clock  I shared here found a loving home, and someone also purchased the antelopes I introduced you to here. Its just a big Etsy circle, some in and some out.

PS.. Design Sponge, another blog I follow, highlighted some great bookends yesterday and the antelopes made the cut! Go check it out here.

PSS.. I wish I got that much for my antelope bookends!