Fantastically Free!

Remember when I won a gift certificate to One Kings Lane, courtesy of a giveaway Erin hosted over at House of Turquoise?  {I do -- it was one of the most exciting things that happened to me this year!}

Well, ladies and gents, I've spent my OKL gift certificate and I want to show you the fantastically free items I got!

First up, a pretty wreath of dried hydrangea blooms, purple sinuata, white larkspur, natural phalaris, mint flower and fern, for our front door:

Rustic Romance: Jewel Collection 18" Wreath
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It was packaged well so it arrived in great shape, and up on our front door it went!  Since we live in an apartment building, our front door is metal and we're not permitted to drill through it.  So, I used a handy dandy removable Command hook, which is working perfectly!  The only minor hiccup is that I placed the hook too close to the peep hole in our door, so the wreath blocks our view of the hallway.  Ooopsie.  What can I say... it was late and I was tired.  It's not that big of a deal since we don't really get any strange(r) visitors, but one of these days I do plan to spend the 5 minutes it would take to reposition the hook.  ;)

The next item I ordered was this toilet paper holder:

Bath Boutique: Jumbo Tissue Cylinder
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Our master bathroom is pretty large, but there is a serious lack of storage space.  {Boooo.}  This functional but attractive paper holder is just the thing we needed!  It's large enough to hold extra big rolls, and it fits great in the nook between our porcelain throne and shower stall.  I don't think I need to explain the value of having toilet paper within easy reaching distance.  ;)  Who knew a paper holder could be pretty?!  Not I!

And last (but not least), I purchased this little bath tub caddy:

Bath Boutique: Spa Bathtub Caddy Gift
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Admittedly, I have yet to use the gorgeous jacuzzi bath tub in our home (although we've lived here for 9 months now!)... but when I finally do get to test it out, I now have a little caddy to store some bath goodies.  And, although I've also never read a book in the tub in my entire life, for some reason the book stand in the caddy called out to me.  What can I say, I'm weak.  ;)

So there you have it.... my three most recent fantastically free finds!  {Say that three times fast!}

What do you think of my finds?  Have you purchased anything from One Kings Lane yet?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!

P.S. -- If you're not yet a member of OKL, click here to sign up and get $15 off your first purchase!

Lovely Labels

I looooove address labels.  Shep might say that my love of labels boarders on addiction... I don't know if I'd agree with that characterization, but I definitely admit to having a quite large collection, especially for someone who doesn't even send snail mail all that often!  I can't help it, I have zero restraint when I see a cute design I like... something inside me gets giddy and I have to have them!

I can thank (and blame) my obsession with personalized address labels mostly on Vistaprint.  I'm not quite sure how they stay in business with such a pricing model, but Vistaprint often has "free" sales, which means many of the items on their website are free of charge; the customer must only pay for shipping.  In my opinion, the $2 postage charge for 140 address labels is well worth it considering the plethora of designs one can choose from, and the ease with which they can be customized.  After the very first time I ordered, I was smitten.

Here are some of my faves that I've created over the years:

The very first design I ordered!
Apparently after one gets engaged, one must buy labels.

I ordered these for our wedding save-the-date magnets!
Cue the music to "Memories" from Cats...

We used these the first time we sent joint
Christmas cards out.  Not very holiday-ish;
not sure what I was thinking (except blue).

Look familiar?  I needed them in blue
for our wedding invitations, of course!

If you guessed holiday cards you'd be right!
These are from December 2010,
when we were still in our first apt!  (sniff)

Our first labels with our new apt address on them.

These are the latest addition to my collection!
Aren't they so sweet?!  I'm in LOVE.

Speaking of love, that last label design happens to coordinate PERFECTLY with these postage stamps I have, which makes me doubly excited to send mail out!

2011 USPS Love Forever Stamp

Good thing I hoarded purchased a ton of these when they came out, because I just checked the website and it doesn't appear these are being sold any longer!

Well, there you have it -- my love for personalized address labels (and pretty postage stamps) is out in the open.  They say that admittance is the first step to recovery, but I don't want to recover!!!  My name is Nicole, I'm an address label collector, and I'm proud!!

Any other stamp, sticker or label collectors out there?  We collectors need to "stick" together, so tell me about what collections you have!  ;)



Note: I have not received any payment or other perks from Vistaprint for this post.  I just love their labels so much I had to share!

Free Shutterfly Photo Book

Free alert!!!  Through Wednesday, September 12, Shutterfly is offering YOU (and me!) a free* 8 x 8 photo book!

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Click here for more info and to order!  I've ordered a couple photo books from Shutterfly in the past: the interface is easy to use, the quality is pretty great given the price, and they're delivered quickly!  I definitely plan to utilize this end-of-summer offer.... hmm, maybe on a France vacation memory book!

*You'll be charged for shipping, but it's still a great deal considering these books are typically $29.99!

I'm not receiving any payment or other perk for referring this offer - I just wanted to share this great deal as a PSA to my trusty readers!  Enjoy!!