The Thrill of the Hunt

I am an avid bargain hunter. As a lower-middle class kid, I was forced to do most of my back-to-school clothes shopping at thrift stores, which I loathed. Soon, I developed an eye for funky, vintage pieces and created my own, unique "look." Eventually, I learned to enjoy shopping at thrift stores and came to love the hunt for fabulous finds at bargain prices.

Today, I still love the hunt. I have more money than my family did then, but I'm certainly not rich. With a professor husband and me in publishing (not too terribly well-paid careers), I'm always on the lookout for a good deal. And now that we're beginning to spend thousands of dollars on trying to start a family, my hunting skills are in even higher demand.

So, on the chance that there may be some other bargain hunters out there, I've decided to start what will hopefully become a semi-regular post topic: The Thrill of the Hunt. With these posts, I'll share my latest killer bargain finds.

This week I found this cute little Moroccan Plant Stand from Collections Etc. It reminds me of the Moroccan Tables at Garnet Hill. The Garnet Hill tables cost $128, which isn't too bad, and they're probably made with higher quality materials. But if you're on a tight budget, the Collections Etc. table might be more your speed since it will only put you out by $14.99! Ah, I love a good bargain.
Happy Hunting!

Yellow

The ever-fabulous Maryam at My Marrakesh recently posted this wonderful Moroccan inspired rug by Bev Hisey. Such a great find, Maryam! If I had my druthers, I'd get this rug and pair it with either one of these lamps from Inside Avenue: the aptly named Hollywood Regency Lamp (which is also available in black with black shade or in white with white shade) or the Versaille Lamp in black and white.

And speaking of great lamps, Inside Avenue has a ton of 'em! A few of my favorites: the Florentine, the Mayfair, and the Zanzibar.

Alhambra Lantern

I found this Moroccan inspired Alhambra Lantern by Currey & Company at Inside Avenue. I absolutely love it! (More beautiful things from Inside Avenue to be posted sometime soon.)

Ring in the Spring

Okay, so I know it's not officially spring yet, but today in California, we had a gorgeous, spring-like day, so I am itching to get my spring on! It's time to start planning for those outdoor dinner parties and backyard barbecues. In addition to the Mad Mats that I posted previously, I'm eyeing these really cool Moroccan-inspired melamine dishes from Home Infatuation. Love these colors and patterns, and I think they'd look great with a Mad Mat.

I want them all!

AND... even though I have no place to put this (since I have a covered deck), I really want this bright, hand-painted paisley patio umbrella (also from Home Infatuation). Now, off to find the perfect outdoor, non-glass glassware!

Light Up My Life

Okay, so I just discovered the Home Port today (as you can see from the post immediately preceding this one), and I am so happy I've found them! They have some really beautiful items at really reasonable prices!

These recycled sheet metal lanterns are blowing my mind! And these dainty Venetian votives remind me of the Graham+Graham Moroccan tea lights I recently spotted at Athena Says.

Daydreaming in the Digital Age

I love surfing the web. And since I've grown tired of all the super catty celebrity blogs (except Go Fug Yourself and Gallery of the Absurd, which are genius), my new obsession is what I refer to as "design blogs," blogs which showcase fabulous design, whether it be fashion, ephemera and stationery, textiles, interior design, or whatever. I can't get enough of them! They bring together two of my favorite pastimes: web surfing and daydreaming about beautiful things I hope to own one day. My two current favorites are My Marrakesh and Athena Says. I love almost everything I've seen on their sites so far.

Anyhoo, since I spend so much time surfing...and reading other people's blogs, my wonderful husband, James, has been suggesting for some time that I start my own blog. And so I am. I have my doubts about whether anyone will ever want to read it, but I figure it will be something fun for me to do -- and at least a bit more productive than just surfing. Now I'll be surfing, posting images, and writing! At least a little bit. So, to begin, here's just a few broad categories of things that I find beautiful:


Folk Art

I am drawn to folk art from all over the world, but particularly from Eastern Europe (must be the Hungarian blood), Turkey, Morocco, and India. I am constantly looking for pieces with a folk-art flare.

Art Nouveau

I love all things Art Nouveau. The sensual curves, the focus on natural beauty. Even the most mundane things (like the letter holder at left) become beautiful objets d'art.

Interior Design

I love interior design. I can't tell you how many waking hours I spend daydreaming about how I'd remodel and decorate my house if I could afford it. I could window shop (online, on the street, or in the pages of home decor magazines and catalogs) all day long. My tastes are, I think, at once quirky and refined. Maybe not. I'm certainly no expert. But I know what I like.

Till next time,
Darlene