LUCKY 7 DESIGN: blog

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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK !!!!

Okay so no internet since Saturday kinda sucked to be honest with you! My feature on About.com went up Saturday and my sweet, wonderful, handsome husband (Big Daddy J) was on the laptop and knock the air card right out of it and BROKE IT!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, quick trip to TMobile to find out he didnt get insurance! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT? Then we ask price for new one to replace the air card...$100....or the new Hot Spot device that is $150! Are they freakin kidding! I could buy my 1 year old a whole summer wardrobe with $150 bucks.

So it's now Tuesday night, well technically is 12:58a.m. so it's really Wednesday and as of 10:00 p.m. Tuesday..... Im officially back in action. How you ask, I called up my fabulous cell carrier SPRINT and asked them to add the HotSpot package to my plan! I didnt have to leave my house! Love it...thank you Sprint and thank you to my tech Harley who was awesome helping me get set up. So nice when you find Nice, Helpful people on the other end of the phone...cause the person I started off with wasn't.

I love my Android phone and it's fabulous but I was going blind trying to read blogs, emails, posts from it 2x3 screen.

So I'll be burning the midnight oil to crank out some posts and so happy to be back with my peeps!

-MJ

Thursday, April 21, 2011

FRIDAY FINDS....I FOUND ME

So Im in a happy place right now here in blogland, Ive met some really cool chicks and I consider them friends. But Im also one to speak my mind and have to explain things and how I got to this place. Blogland is kinda like high school....you have your clicks and some people are very competitive and all that. I may not have 5,000 followers but the 189 I do have, Im proud they follow my blog because they're interested in what I say or show.

THIS IS ME..... the 39 year old, mama of 5! Yes 5...all mine, birthed them all naturally. This is how I start my day everyday...and my working uniform unless I have to run errands or someone is coming over.

This is my bed..I like pillows...Big Daddy not so much!

Just out of bed...no makeup (dont run..it's okay)

I wash my face and put on cocoa butter and thats it for the day....I blog at my dining room table so that I can see my 1 year old right in the living room playing and I can see the front window to look for my 4 yr olds school bus.

I spend my days blogging, doing product reviews,craigslisting, making jewelry for my new line, and trying to refinish furniture during nap time on my deck. ( I also try to eat and pee sometime in the day too) Oh and my nutritional choice throughout the day is Diet Pepsi (always)

I love to decorate...I love to create. I say that Im frequently inspired because Im always changing things around weekly if not daily. You will rarely be able to go back on a post and see the room the same way. I dont know what it is but I like being different. My husband knows to not be surprised anymore...he expects things to be moved when he comes home.

My porch always has pieces of furniture that Ive purchased from Craigslist or got for FREE either on CL or the side of the road. No shame in my game. One man's trash in my treasure!!!! I'm now known as The Junk Collector...lol

I promote some of my favorite bloggers, their blogs and their shops because I want to, not for any other reason. I also buy from my fellow bloggers who are Etsians as well....they're are more than enough consumers in the world. I try to have items in my shop that you dont see in other shops..again I like different!

I get inspiration for other people in the industry but not necessarily bloggers, shop owners, and people who take the time to write a note, drop you an email and really appreciate you, what you do and what you are trying to achieve.

I dont usually host giveaways on my blog because I dont want to force anyone to become my "follower". I have hosted 2 giveaways and 1 was a 2 week long party and I made alot of fellow blogging friends.

Im on a Mommy Blogging Team for Haddad Brands and so I do FB giveaways on there to give away Nike, Levi's & Jordan product.

I appeared on The Nate Show as a design dilemma guest...but hope one day to be able to share my creative ideas.

My husband appeared with me on the show and I love him for that, because it's so not his style. I wonder what people thought when they saw me. Then what went through their minds when they saw my husband.....the 6 ft, over 250lbs black man who made Nate look like a 10 year old. lol

It amazes me how people assume because of the color of my skin that it wouldn't be possible that Im married to a black man. Just last week while out, another customer was going off about a teacher and called her a ugly fat black bitch. It took everything in my power not to punch her, but instead I pray for people that ignorant.

I find it a little offensive that I post about a candlestick that I made from a can and get 25 comments, but I do a post on Autism (which my 4yr is diagnosed) and you can here crickets...few to no comments. Also no comments for the Nate appearance either. lol

I find it annoying that people will create an inaccurate image of themselves to impress bloggers or tell a tale of sorrow because they've heard that when you do that, sympathy will bring you more followers. Your cheating your reader that way.

I do this because I love to share my ideas.... my friends read it and they say it's the same as having a conversation with me. So that's all I need, I know that Im doing it right...whether it be 200 or 2000 followers. Whoever clicks that button is a friend.

So it's been 10 months that Ive been blogging and I now have 2 blogs (1 lifestyle/decorating - 1 fashion/kids, 2 Etsy shops (1 home/vintage, 1 jewelry) and a furniture refinishing business that Im launching publicly as well. In June of this year it will be 1 year and we will see if we can take it to the next level.

I dream of one day living in South Carolina (hopefully meeting my blogging buddies who live there) and having my own little shop. Raise my children to be well-rounded people who love and respect EVERYONE and to teach them that it's never to late to live your dream. I will drive around in my old pick up truck collecting more treasures to share with everyone.

SO ON THIS FRIDAY......I FOUND ME!

Hate it or love it the underdog's on top
And I'm gonna shine homie until my heart stop

Go head' envy me
I'm an MVP
And I ain't goin nowhere so you can get to know me

- 50 cent & The Game lyrics

Monday, January 24, 2011

YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY......IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOO!

Okay so at this very moment 39 years ago I was born in a town near the Hudson River! Yep peeps its my party and I 'll cry if I want to..... you would cry too if you knew what I knew!

Just kidding I'm in a silly mood...it's after 2:00 a.m, the kids and Big Daddy J are all fast asleep and I'm searching the internet. LOL I'm not at all disappointed turning 39 knowing the next step is the Big 40. I'm comfortable in my own shoes but this year I'm gonna shake things up a bit.

With my glass of Diet Pepsi and my cell phone Im having my own little party. I've had a bit of insomnia lately so my laptop winds me down for bed. Searching for new clothes, shoes for myself and my post-baby body. lol Checking out new bloggy buddies and doing some blog stalking!

Just want to say that this will be an amazing here for me. The power of positive thinking and visualization! But most of all prayer.....I believe he has a plan and I will pay more attention to the signs this year.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.....I know that I will do my best to enjoy it too!

NOT ENOUGH STORAGE..... REALLY?????

Okay peeps....so today's post was supposed to be of my Valentine inspired mantle but apparently I don't have anymore storage left on my account (???) I guess I use alot of pictures in my posts.

Sorry for the delay....I have purchased more so I will post as soon as I have access.

Has anyone else had this happen before since you all have been doing this much longer?

HAPPY MONDAY !!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

MY NAME IS MELANIE.....IM A HOME GOODS SHOP-A-HOLIC

I've been a fan of Home Goods for years but I've realized that it's a serious issue. Looking around my home I see that it is comprised of items either from Home Goods or Craigslist. Hey Im not complaining at all, now my husband on the other hand. lol

Last week I had to get out of the house after the horrible blizzard and being trapped for over a week. I went to Home Goods and posted about how I felt so much better after my little getaway and how it was just the medicine this mama needed. Can something as simple as walking through a well stocked store bring such joy even if I walk out spending under $40.00?

The answer is YES...YES...YES!

In 2002 when I worked for Lowe's, I remember taking my lunch break and I would walk 3 big stores down (quiet a hike) and just browse the aisles. Of course I never left empty handed. I can always find inspiration in something as small as it may be. I see napkins (only 2.....hey I'll make cafe curtains). This is how my mind works. Footnote to this is that I would then go back to work grab a Diet Pepsi and chips from vending machines but work happily the rest of the day.

Never thought it was a big deal until last week when I was so relaxed and browsed and searched and came home with my little treasures. Which of course I posted and then got some great comments. So am I a shop-a-holic if I have to go to a store and shop to feel joy!

I'd rather say that Im frequently inspired. LOL (it sounds good though doesnt it) I use it all the time when my husband tells me that I change my mind too much. He gets confused when he comes home and Ive rearranged the furniture again. And I just tell him no love its just that I get frequently inspired, but see it's exciting to come home to a newly decorated house all the time. He just laughs.

So this year I have decided that I will continue to share my Home Goods finds whether they are regular price or Clearance (my favorite) with you. I will also then do a follow up post and show you how the item was used . Because you can show someone a whole tabletop worth of great accessories but unless you can give them unique ways of using them then its just boring! It will be my Home Goods Shop-a-holic series!

While working on this post I looked around the house to photograph my many items that are from Home Goods and how I have used them. Wow its alot...lol This year Im taking on major redesigns in this house so some of them might change but even better to show you the versatility of their stuff and my imagination.

I hope you all will enjoy this new style of blogging from me, its more natural to me as a retail merchandiser and it full-fills my love of continually trying new ways to use items.

Here we go............

My iron Home Goods cross $ 9.99

Home Goods candlesticks from Portugal $7 ea. Clearance

Animal crackle finish letter J (Clearance)

My print framed in fabulous HG frame $12.99

Home Goods shelf originally cherry finish but I painted it black $17.00 Clearance

My gorgeous Angel she was $49.99 and I paid it gladly

The apothecary jars are HG too vary from $5 - 10

Crackle finish letter J $3.50 (woohoo) project for this coming soon!

Tall tea light holder (gotten broken over Christmas so Ive relocated it to kitchen and pieced it back together (can bare to throw it away)

Home Goods shelf $9.99

Everything on the tabletop is Home Goods..actually blue candstick is Marshalls but same parent company so it's all in the family! All items were less than $15, dont remember exactly but was perfect for our seaside bathroom