Design & Dime

Hello all! Been busy with our new puppy Zoe, trying to get her to "go" outside instead of on my carpet. All I can say is thank goodness for SpotShot! I spent most of yesterday either trying to Zoe to go outside and posting new items Bonanzle. I think I got about 6 or 7 items listed and have a lot more to go. I probably spend to much time researching the items but I have to say I really enjoy it and I want to make sure that I provide as much info and history on an item as possible. While I am trying to keep my booth on Bonanzle focused on vintage/antique decor and table setting items like the silver trays, flatware, collectables, plate and such I did list 2 new kids items from Pottery Barn and Bombay Kids. Lately on eBay which I tend to use for my kids items, even though I have been doing auctions starting at .99 I have not been much action and many of my auction either have no bids or they sell for just .99. Disappointing to say the least.

Now to more exciting things! My home is decorated and furnished in a more traditional Tuscan/Old World style so with a lot of the furnishings and cabinets being dark I like to use crystal and glass to lighten things up. To be honest I love "blingy" looking things...things that catch your eye and sparkle. My master bath is not huge and is sort of a galley style with one wall being double sinks with a built-in vanity on one side of the bathroom and on the other side is the toilet room, a large bathtub with a large block glass window above it and then a built-in shower. With the dark cabinets and the tile we used and then the granite on the countertops which is a beige with black and brown in it, I knew that for towels and drapes I wanted to pick out the chocolate brown from the granite and cabinets. So to lighten up the smaller area and really reflect the sunlight to pours in from the block glass and reflects in the mirrors across from the window over the sinks and vanity I really wanted to use glass accessories. To save money and because I could not find at the time pure glass accessories that didn't have chrome or silver on them(my fixtures are oil rubbed bronze) I ended using glass/crystal bowls, covered candy dishes, tall glass jars that I picked up from Ross and TJ Maxx. Most ran about $5 to $12 and I use them to hold my cotton balls, q-tips, and my facial cosmetics on the vanities. Then on my tub deck which is pretty large I used a tall glass apothrocary jar that I got for maybe $10 and filled it with bath salts that I got there as well and then a pedestal bowl that I had gotten as a gift and filled it with sponges and bath oils. I also filled another bowl(another gift) with different tan and ivory soaps that I had gotten from hotel stays. Can you say free? I also got a tall glass candle stand that I put a large embossed candle on...probably spent another $10 total on that. I love it, they sparkle in the sun, provide more room to store items that traditional bathroom accessories and were probably half the price then those you find at bath stores. I'll have to take a picture to show you, looks really nice and expensive and spent very little money. I see pictures of bathroom in those home magazines using jars filled with bath salts, sponges, soaps and you know that they probably got the jars at some expensive home store. Have you seen what Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware charge? I did the same for a lot less. I bet if I did it again I could spend even less! Little did I know that a lot of thrift stores carry tons of vases, bowls and jars for as little as a dollar or two. They even have really nice heavy glass and crystal items for less then Ross or TJ Maxx. I have seen beautiful crystal decanters that would be wonderful to fill with bath salts and display in your bathroom for very little money.

Wow, I feel the need to go to Goodwill! Has anyone else bought glass or crystal items cheap and used them in your bathroom as display or useful items? Let me know!