Cool Clocks

From UrbanOutfitter's, this classic comes in three colors - black, orange and turquoise. Take your pic of bright, fun spring colors to outfit your own decor or stick with the basic black. It's online only for a steal at $24, plus you can even shop for clothes and fun stuff to entertain.

Check out the cool clock above - it attaches to the wall on the side, so you have two views. It's a definite splurge at CB2 for $80 bucks but worth it if you only have one clock in your small space.

PSH

The Entertainment Center

Enjoy organization with this DVD storage set. It's $60 bucks, but totally worth it for the sanity of all who search for that missing DVD (I'm currently looking for The Mexican with Brad Pitt, anyone seen it?). Plus, you can finally get rid of those thick DVD cases that take up room and force you to buy more DVD racks that take up precious wall space. For the most part, you can drop off those cases at your local recycling centers but sometimes they don't take them. In that case you have another option! You can recycle those by mailing them to this place:

Plastic Recycling, Inc.

2015 S. Pennsylvania
Indianapolis, IN 46225

Phone: (317)780-6100

Above is the entertainment console that we need to corral all of our stuff. With a PS2 & a PS3 along with a DVD player, tuner, wireless headphones and countless other television gadgets, they can all be thrown in one place. I love the doors - close off what you don't need and put the items that you use every day in the middle. In fact, I think I might even be able to find a place for the 4 remotes and controllers! Love it! This one is dark wood, but Ikea has a fabulous set of options and many more styles to choose from.

In fact, I might have a hard time of doing this, but I might even try convincing Beemer Man that we need to get shelf speakers instead of the big tall ones that are sitting by the television now. They're ugly. They just don't look good. Bose makes shelf speakers that are full of volume - one pair is about $160 at Best Buy, (search at www.bestbuy.com for Bose Speakers) so for that much money, you get speakers on your shelf, more floor space and enough sanity to actually enjoy looking at speakers!

Happy DVD organizing!

PSH

I Don't Have a Balcony

And I've decided that now I'm glad I don't have a balcony because it would've been on the North side of the building! Completely wrong place for growing tomatoes!

With our old South facing apartment in Saint Paul, Minnesota we used to store stuff on the balcony. Tires, a grill, chairs, pretty much anything and everything that we could keep outside in the Minnesota cold. Even beer every once in awhile. I just wish that I would've been creative enough to get rid of more stuff (ok, get rid of my husband's stuff) and to have a cute little balcony escape!

Keep your feet free from deck nails and toe stubs with this wooden indoor/outdoor rug from West Elm. Even if you're only living in an apartment for a year - this will become a handy mat for your future deck or patio.

Wooden indoor/outdoor rug -
2' x 3' $49.00
2.5' x 7' $159.00
3' x 5' $129.00
5' x 8' $299.00
8' x 8' $549.00
8' x 10' $599.00

Dining Set - $799

On the cheaper side of life:

Overstock.com has amazingly great deals this time of year if you're looking to re-do your outdoor teeny, tiny space! The set above is $229 with of course, the O's $2.95 shipping. I say paying for the shipping is going to be the worst part, unless of course you're at Home Depot and happen upon a cheap plastic set...

From a renter's experience I can say simply one thing, don't ever nail anything into the siding, you can't cover it up with toothpaste! Also, don't get a birdbath or a bird feeder unless you want to be walking around in do-do and powerwashing your deck. Instead, take from your small home what you already have - vases filled with glass beads, seasonal accents or grilling accessories that you can't exactly find a perfect place to store! You can even get the planters that hug the deck railing and fill with your favorite herbs, sweet peas and other fun plants for the summer months.

Happy balcony decorating! And don't forget to go to Tuesday Morning and Marshalls, you never know what they might have! Sometimes you find the neatest things at the oddest times.

PSH

Etsy Find: Jen Morris

English photographer Jen Morris will make your heart happy. Bright colors, flowers and organic photography will bring a spring brightness to your home that we've been waiting for since October!

Oh, It's a Jen Morris Original!!!

She has a January/February sale going on - 2 for 1... Check it out, I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised. She's also a fellow nestie - username is jenmorris.

Etsy is a great place to find art, crochet and even food. There's a variety of artists and media - they even have a vintage section where you can find so much stuff! Most items are priced pretty fairly, plus buying from artists directly is one of the best things you can do to support artists and their creativity.

Have fun browsing! ***It's a little addicting***

PSH

10 Links to Great Online Shopping

1. Relish
www.shoprelish.com
"Relish is more than a brand.
It is a lifestyle, a mentality, a philosophy.
It is the idea that everyday objects should be beautiful, functional and affordable.
It is the zone between individuality and mass production.
It is a carefully curated collection of emerging designers from around the globe that inspire, elevate and touch our senses."

2. Jayson Home & Garden
http://www.jaysonhomeandgarden.com
With their rare finds in vintage glam and their awesome accessories and lighting, this store provides way more than your average Home & Garden store. They also do custom windows!

3. Layla Grace
http://www.laylagrayce.com
Perfect for girly girls - the wonderful lavish pinks and purple and frills and lace. The second love of my life... right after my Beemer Man smelling like racecars and motor oil...

4. FinnStyle
www.finnstyle.com
A finnish girl in my right, I cannot deny the loveable prints and patterns of Marimekko. Also stocked with more than just one finnish designer, you'll see that even in the far north we still like to have color and happiness in our lives. (I personally have an umbrella - the perfect pick-me-up on a rainy south-central Indiana day)

5. All Modern
www.allmodern.com
Modern furniture and accessories. I can't describe the high volume of moderness sold here.

6. West Elm
www.westelm.com
Cheap, but not too cheap. Stylish and yet doesn't go out of date. This is one of my favorite websites to browse when there's some down time... Lovely!

7. Jamali Garden Dot Com
http://www.jamaligarden.com
Yep, you got it. Gardening. I have a green thumb, my dear Beemer Man kills everything he touches. I'm not so sure what to do about that but put my foot in my mouth and make my dead plants decorative.

8. Home Decorators
http://www.homedecorators.com/
Yes. Literally, home decorators dot com. They have everything from the bathroom sink to mailboxes. You'll be able to get a *few* fabulous deals, although I tend to google online coupons when I know I'm buying something...

9. Gaiam
www.gaiam.com
The green living experts. You can find organic cotton sheets to tampons to curtains to compost bins for the kitchen. I know, I know, I'm more green than I am anything else. But you'll save a few trees if you order online. This is where I find some of the best gifts too.

10. Branch Home
http://www.branchhome.com
sustainable design for living. Another tree hugger website that makes you feel great about yourself after ordering something. I absolutely love this place too!

PSH