Fun Random Things Worth Sharing

Several folks commented how great the garden stool I purchased recently looked in the guest room.  Thanks!  I do love it here, but I was mainly trying to find one for the screened in porch.

So, I'm thinking a second seat might be in order.  I tripped over these online at Ballard Designs and they are super expensive...$269 each!  Crazy pricing.

I think the vine design/color would look great here on the porch, but not at that price.  I'll watch to see if one appears in their outlet here in Atlanta.  Or, I just may buy a second white one sometime when I find it for the right price.  I doubt the green viney ones will go on sale low enough to tempt me.

In the meantime, I'm discovering these garden stools are making phantom, now-you-see-it, now-you-don't-appearances in all the great discount stores.   It seems to be a matter of luck if you happen to walk into the right store on the right day, or else you need a decorating angel watching over you like I apparently had on THIS day.

In the comments on yesterday's post, Lori said she spotted one a while back in Ross.  Penny found them in Big Lots one summer for just $30 each!  Wowza...that made my ears stand up!

Source

So, today I decided to run over to Old Time Pottery to see if they ever carry garden stools.  I mean with a name like Old Time Pottery, I thought there just might be a chance.  While I was cruising around the store checking out the dishes and looking for a new lamp for the porch, I came across this green vase/umbrella stand.  Ummm, now where have I seen that design?

I know!  It really made me think of this "Bubble" garden stool I had seen online at West Elm for $129.   If OTP carries this vase, maybe they will also carry the garden seat some time.  Right?

I located an employee while shopping  and he confirmed they do get in garden seats, but they never know when they will come in.  He also said when they get them in, they sell out immediately.  Gotta be fast to catch a phantom garden seat.

I snagged a few pics with my cell while shopping in Old Time Pottery.  I can't go spring shopping without you!  Check out these really cute trunks.  They would make a great coffee table for a beach or lake house.

Loved these beverage dispensers for summer parties.

Okay, as the title of this post implies, we're jumping in a different direction now.  I wanted to share these two lamps I saw while antiquing recently.  The prices were waaaay up there, but they would be pretty easy to make.    If you have any chipped cups/saucers/teapots/sugar bowls, or maybe some orphaned pieces you found for a song while thrifting, here's a fun way to use them.

This lamp was over $300!  You can make this!

Moving right along, I was stunned recently to discover we have a Home Decorators Collection store right here in Metro Atlanta.  Back when I was putting together my home office HERE, I drooled over the Martha Stewart line of craft furniture online at the HDC site.  I snapped these pics of the two pieces I had eyed for the office last year.  It also comes in a pretty white color.  Never thought I'd get to actually see them in person.  This table is a perfect base for...

...this wrapping paper organizer.  The nice person who helped me while I was shopping told me one customer bought this set to put in her laundry room so she could fold clothes on the top of it when she wasn't using it to wrap gifts or for crafting.  Cool, huh?  You would need a good size laundry room but I did love that idea.  Again, this furniture also comes in a pretty white color, not just the green you see here.

Several weeks ago I was reading Marian's blog post about decorating for Spring.  She posted this lovely vignette she had put together and I fell hard for the cute domed silver stands.  I looked everywhere online and after a good bit of Googling I found them.  Yikes!  They were $270 for the set, in all the online stores.  I loved them, but not that much. lol

I just about fell over when I spied the set in Home Decorators Collection for $199 AND they were having a sale...$50 off.  I paid $150 in the end for the set...still higher than I would like but way better than $270.

They are pretty big...great for displaying anything, including food since they are food safe.  You can still find them on the HDC site, HERE.  I alerted the BNOTP Facebook readers to them the day I found them, in case they wanted to order them before the sale ended that day.  I'm sure they will go back on sale again.

By the way, for those who have asked over the years about where to find Jean Claude, our French waiter who assisted us when we dined here for breakfast on a Tablescape Thursday...

HDC has his Chef brother in stock HERE.

I bought Jean Claude years ago at Home Depot Expo.  Did you know that Home Depot owns Home Decorators Collection?  I didn't know that until I visited the store.  They told me that Home Depot is going to be opening more brick and mortar Home Decorators stores.  The one I visited just opened last year.

Okay, time to wind this post up.  Har, har.   This wall of clocks in HDC caught my eye.

I kind of wondered how it would look if I did a display of various clocks on this wall behind my sitting area in my office.  Nahhh, I think I like it, as is.

See you tomorrow morning for Tablescape Thursday!