Hilar!!

Jenna just turned me on to Catalog Living and Im seriously laughing out loud! It is a satire on the funny still lifes that make up home catalogs like Pottery Barn and Ethan Allen. It is hilarious! Please visit this site! You won't be sorry!

"While Gary and Elaine were in the kitchen getting popcorn, the brave yellow sweater attempted its escape."

 

Pure Bliss!

Yes! It is true, I am in a pure bliss state right now. Even though I am at work, Riann broke her hand, and I'm totally stressed out about my $6 Halloween Happy Hour this weekend, I feel completely serene and blissful. I have a fun filled weekend ahead, it is my mom's 50th birthday, my crazy aunts are in town, and a few other surprises for my mom along the way! ( I cannot reveal right now incase she reads this!) It is going to be so much fun and so eventful! I cannot wait!

So in honor of me feeling extra blissful right now I wanted to highlight one of my favorite catalogs I hoard in the mail. Bliss Living Home

They have the most luxurious bedding, bath, and home furnishings that I have ever seen. I don't even exactly know how I came across this company. (No they are not paying me to say this, though I wish they were!)  Once I saw this catalog in my mailbox, I was drunk with love and I was hooked. It is just enough for me to look at the pictures of this catalog for inspiration and awe. (Disclaimer: I have never actually bought anything, so don't hold me responsible if you do and you end up hating them I can only recommend how peaceful, inspired, and blissful the catalog makes me feel.)

First off this stuff is way, way, way far out of my price range and budget but I just love to look at how dramatic it all is.

I wish I had the guts to do this Kahuna comforter in my bedroom. I love how it almost hurts your eyes to look at it because it is so vivid.

I love these Wings Pillows. So cute and luscious! I am now trying to figure out how I can DIY this idea. If you have suggestions, let me know!

I love Koi fish and I love copper, so I'm in total love with this Koi on Copper print! It would be perfect over my fireplace.

This Oliver Sheet Set is exactly what I am looking for in my bedroom redo:

A little bit modern, but simple. Silver and white. I love them. Since my little **hint*hint** worked last time, I thought I would give it a try again. So **hint*hint** these would be a perfect Christmas gift this year for me! Heck, they are even on SALE!

My sister lives in Vancouver and it is my favorite place on this earth so this Canada Passport Pillow made my heart skip a beat.

The Canada Passport Pillow looks so perfect on this Amelie Green Duvet!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month so they also have these amazing products for Breast Cancer Awareness!

Like this Osaka Pillow! I love the frilly flower details next to the smooth silver silk.

Even better that they donate a portion of the proceeds to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

"We GIVE 20% of proceeds from orders placed on products featured in this event to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, you RECEIVE free shipping. Simply enter the code SUSANGKOMEN during the checkout process to participate and to support breast cancer awareness."

So look, buy, and drool over these photos and I hope in some way I gave you a lil' bit-o-bliss today.

Up ahead are my $6 Halloween Happy Hour, Carmel Apple Salad, and Blood Orange Sangria! Stay tuned and have a great weekend! (I know I will!!)

Feature!

I'm so happy to announce that I was featured today on Better After!

Well not me personally but my ugly oil pipe fence before and beautiful new fence after!! Check it out!


Better After is an awesome blog that doesn't beat around the bush. It cuts right to the before and after photos of different projects! Love it!
 
Thanks again Better After for my feature!!! I added one of your buttons to my blog so my readers can easily check you out too!

Light Bright, Light Brite!

My friend Jen and her husband Wayne had a question about putting a light fixture in her dining room. I'm no professional but I love to help on house things whenever I can!

Here is her email:
"I wanted your opinion. We are desperately in need of a light fixture for our dining space. Besides the fact that the existing light is U.G.L.Y., if we get that San Antonio job, we'll need to sell the house and a chandelier/pendant/whatever will help a lot with staging. The problem is, I need it to be fairly inexpensive and I can't find anything that Wayne and I both agree on. He wants something simple, cheap and able to go very bright - I want something a little funky but neutral enough that it will appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers. Any ideas?? (Our fridge is stainless steel but the fixture in the family room is oil rubbed bronze. So a silvery finish OR a rubbed bronze finish will work.) Our dining room table is 4 1/2 ft in diameter, if that helps size-wise.

Thanks for all your help!! :)"

Here are Jen's photos of her dining room and current dining room light fixture. (The matching light fixture farther in the back of the photo has since been replaced with an oil rubbed bronze fan and light.)

 I'm all too familiar with this light, I have one in my house too...

So I scoured lighting fixtures and found some really great, inexpensive pieces online. Some places that I didn't expect would have some like Wal-Mart and Ikea, did have some good and stylish options! So I put together a mood board of light fixtures I found.

(Photo and Light Sources: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, and #7)

So to break it down: Jen asked for a lil' funky but neutral. Wayne wanted function over form. I really hope I "set the mood" for them. Well umm, not in that way, but with finding a light fixture.

Jen said that her favorite was #2 and that was my favorite too. It was found on ebay of all things. So I think I inspired her to do some looking on her own and she found one at Overstock.com!

I think it will be perfect for her dining room!

(photo source: Overstock)

Jen, I can't wait to see the after pictures after you get it hung!! It is perfect! Thanks for letting me help you! It was fun!! Please check out Jen's blog: Call Me Crazy! You will die laughing/crying/ and relating!

Blogger Inspirations!

I cannot get over this obsession I have with amazing blogs and awesome websites!

For the past week I have been closely examining and loving everything I've seen on Kevin And Amanda. (Wait, that sounded weird.)

Kevin and Amanda are website geniuses, (also highly trained in website design and html.) They have several tutorials for jazzin' up your blog or scrapbook with a ton of free fonts for your very own blog embellishing enjoyment! (I had to stop myself short of adding entire blog text postings! Even though I very much wanted to, I figured it may load too slow for y'all, and if you are like me, I have no patience.)

Also to make you and everyone in the Continental United States aware of their posting from today.  It is quite possibly the most amazing peanut butter chocolate cake I have ever seen! I am literally drooling over it. I hope the cake tastes as good as the photos look! I'm talking mini peanut butter cups, people! I'll will, or someone in my family will, *hint-hint* try that recipe very soon (possibly for my own birthday next week, I'll add one more *hint* here). We'll report back to you if the pictures were doing this chocolate, peanut-buttery, slice-o-pure Heaven, justice!

Check them out right now! Tell 'em Swiss Avenue sent ya!

Dear Blog World, hold on to your britches because here I come! Love, Swiss Avenue

My obsession has led me to this point. I am going blind from reading the blogs that I so dearly love. I have a sore neck and back from intently studying the before and after photos from Young House Love, the great flea market finds from The Lettered Cottage, the plain as day common sense on 2000 Dollar Wedding, and the hilarious commentary on The Broke Ass Bride, just to name a few.

These blogs amuse me, inspire me, make my day happy, and give me a 25,000 watt jolt of creative energy. I had to give credit where credit is due and include the names of those INSPIRATIONAL blogs that gave me the kick in the blogger butt that I needed. That blogger butt kick was felt with so much force that I am now writing this blog.

In my ridiculous, obsessive, and (dare I say that devils word?) "hoarder" head, I believe that this blog will give me that creative outlet needed in my day to day life. Here you will read about real life event planning; for friends, family members, and people I barely know! I am willing to throw a party for anyone to celebrate anything! I am the ultimate evite queen and love to create invitations, evites, themes, and decor for parties, showers, tailgating, and just about anything that you can call a "gatherin’."


But my obsessions don’t stop there. I'm just getting started! I also search flea markets, antique stores, estate sales, and ebay for one of a kind (inexpensive) antiques and collectibles (aka junk) that I can get my hands on. My head spins and my knees go weak when I see Depression Glass goblets marked for only $1.00 each?! Oh my, I'll take 10!!!
(Insert devil's word here: hoarder.)