I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! As for my weekend, it consisted of the usual Easter activities in addition to a little shopping with a friend, getting a much needed haircut, finishing up reading The Hunger Games (oh em gee!), and cooking a big dinner for the fam. All in all, it was a great relaxing weekend!

By the way, off the subject of today’s post but have you read The Hunger Games yet? I just finished last night and I downloaded Catching Fire faster than a a speeding bullet arrow. The only thing is that I now have an urge to learn how to use a bow and arrow and change Bentley’s name to Peeta. I don’t think he’ll mind. Okay, moving on…

During my weekend shopping excursion, we stopped by World Market. This isn’t a place I typically go in on a regular basis like Home Goods or Target – which is more like an every-other-day-basis! But I came across so many awesome pieces, that I’m definitely going to make it a point to stop in more often. That may prove to be a good or bad thing – depending on if you’re name is Greg. Ha! Lucky for Greg, I ended up bringing home only two things, but here are a few things that caught my eye:

The very first thing to grab my attention when we walked in were these dining chairs ($219.98 for 2). I love the simple rustic design with the combination of the nailhead detailing.

I’m not necessarily a “cupcake lover” but I really like this sign ($79.99). The colors are fun, it’s distressed, and big enough to make a statement. If any of you love cupcakes and have a place for this in your house, please buy it so I can live vicariously through you. Thanks.

I also like this Antiques sign (on sale for $39.99!). It actually gave me some inspiration for a project I have up my sleeve for down the road.

Speaking of projects, I’ve never sewn a thing in my life, but I imagine this shower curtain ($29.99) would make a few great throw pillows. The coral looks like a close match to the chair in my office so I ended up buying one for such a project down the road – now I just have to get the courage to sew!

As I’ve mentioned a few times lately – I’m currently obsessed with reclaimed wood furniture. So this Youkoso Coffee Table ($449) tucked away in the corner had me at hello. Even though it’s not technically “reclaimed wood” (I don’t think!), the rustic look with the huge rivetts are the best of both rustic and industrial styles.

Going a long with the whole rustic meets industrial vibe, I love their Aiden table collection ($289 for the coffee table, $289.99 for the console table, $259 for the etagere). By the way, you could make a great entertainment system with the console table, and a etagere on either side.

This loveseat ($449.99) is definitely one of those if-we-had-a-place-for items that would be in our house right now. Even though it’s clearly Victorian-inspired, the mix-matched buttons give it a whimsy/Anthropologie/modern look. And it’s called “Cute as a Button” – haha!

Ya’ll know how I love me some mercury glass. This salad serve set ($19.95) is surprisingly heavy and definitely worth the $19.95 price tag.

Aren’t these graphic tea towels fun? Coming in at just $9.98 for a set of 2, they’d be a great way to add some color to a kitchen. I particularly like the blue, green, and grellow one.

I was really impressed with their lighting section. Some of the fixtures are very Anthropolgie-esque but a fraction of the price – like this pendant for only $69.99. I love the blue peaking through the underside and I bet the inricate design makes a really cool shadow on the wall.

In the back of the store is a huge, glorified International food section. They have everything from Pocky to Vegemite (which I tried when I went Australia when I was 17. Not a fan!). We ended up picking up some hard-to-find shortbread cookies for Greg. He had them in Scotland and World Market is the first place we’ve been able to find them. He was a happy camper. They also had a big selection of nostalgic foods and drinks with cool vintage-inspired packaging. This section along with their large selection of baskets – it’s the perfect place to put together a gift basket.

Last night, Greg and I took time out for a much needed date night. After dinner at one of our fave restaurants, Greg arranged for a private screening of my all-time favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast (3D). Okay, so he didn’t really rent out the theater… though he totally acted like it for a few minutes, and I almost believed it for a second. Just for a second. Nevertheless, we were indeed the only ones in the house – which gave me the glorious freedom to sing along with every lyric and recite every line… just like any normal Disney-loving 26-year-old would do. Duh.

The night was rounded off with a trip to Target. Yes, Greg knows the way to my heart. Actually, I just needed to pick up some vitamins and hairspray. But along the way, I came across some fun, blog-worthy Target finds and here they are…

First off, my weakness: storage containers. They had all of these in three other colors (pink, teal, and black), but the green really caught my eye. It’s so fresh and Springy. When things are organized, yeah, I’m a happy camper. But when things are organized AND pretty, I’m downright emotional about it. True story.

I particularly loved this little guy ($14.99). You can’t have too many lidded boxes. And who doesn’t love a good zig zag pattern? These would be great to store extra dog toys or even out-of-season sweaters on the top shelf of the closet.

Let me start off by saying… It’s about time for someone besides Anthropologie have cute dishtowels. These are by Dwell Studio and were on clearance (at only $8.91 for three towels)! The yellow set is actually the same design as the bedding we have in the guest room. They also had matching pot holders for $3 a piece.

On the other side of the aisle were some Target brand kitchen towels. I thought these were really cute too and a little more on the modern side. The other ones were more like “dishtowels”, these were more like flour sack material (thin cotton). Come to think of it, either of these kitchen towels would make a great pillow… Hmm.

We’ve been keeping our eye out for curtains for the dining room for a while now. During my search, I saw these on the Target website (here) and seeing them in person makes me love them more. The only thing I’m concerned about it that the texture is a little too like the fabric on our dining room chairs. On the other hand, we’ve been thinking about switching those out anyway – but that’s an entirely different blog post way down the road. But I just love these panels! They are only $21.24 each (for the 54″x84″ panel) – a lot cheaper than what you’d find at other stores – yet, they are heavy and have a nice, rich gray color.

These storage ottomans ($59.99) would be perfect for extra seating in a living room set up. I wish like everything they came in other colors because I’ve been looking for some like these for my office. Throughout the house, we’re trying to steer clear of beige and leaning more towards grays and charcoals – so they wouldn’t really work in our space. So if these came in charcoal, two of them would be in my hot little hands at this moment.

Speaking of grays and charcoals, they did have these ottomans ($49.99) on the other side of the aisle. While I’m totally digging the color, I wish they doubled as storage. But sadly, they don’t so it’s not quite what I’m looking for.

I love, love, love these storage baskets ($39.99 a piece)! The chunky chalkboard labels had me at hello. I just wish I had a place to use them. They are rather large, so I don’t think I have a place to use them at the moment. They’d be great in a play room for toy storage. So, if you have kids, go pick up a few of these in my honor, ha!

Spring is in the air and it shows on the accessory aisles of Target. They are filled with bright green, white, and teal accents like this picture frame ($11.99) and decorative finials ($14.99). I really like this shade of blue – it’s kind of like a marriage of teal and cobalt.

These giant chess pieces ($12.99) caught Greg’s eye. He’s one of those I-like-playing-chess-against-myself type people. Me on the other hand, I don’t even know how to play.

I’m a sucker for trays. Put anything on a tray, even the remote controls for the tv, and they just automatically look and feel extra special. Now that I’m looking back at this photo, I think I might go back and pick up the one on the far left. It was only $12.99 and it came in a navy/cobalt-ish blue that I really liked. I’m not sure what I’d use it for, but like I said… sucker.

I really like the leather / nailhead action going on on this pillow ($22.99). The design reminded me of the one we used for the contact paper window project a while back.

Everyone needs a set of outdoor dishes. At least that’s what I told myself when I saw these. I think the chevron plates ($1.99 each) would be super cute mixed with some solid color bowls and cups. It would make for a fun and festive outdoor party – which we are planning on having as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer. Score.

Across from the outdoor dishes was the grocery section. Now… we’re cookie people. Nine times out of ten, you’ll find cookie dough in our fridge. But on the other hand, these days we’re all about eating healthy and “whole” as possible. Which is why we had to try the new Simply chocolate chip cookie dough from Pilsbury. They have no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or high fructose corn syrup. Should be… interesting. So in the cart they went. And yes, also in my cart were two matching pot holders mentioned above.

And if those fail…

…we always have a backup. So much for being healthy, right? 

On our way out, I spotted what I affectionately call, “the Giada section”. Okay, so, confession: I’m a total Giada De Laurentis fan girl. I love watching her shows on the Food Network, collecting her recipes, and I’m obsessed with her line at Target. I have the bamboo spoons, the hand-held strainer, the colander, the butter warmer (which, btw, is actually super handy)… and my collection keeps on growing. Every time I go past this section, I have to pick up something. This time around, we picked up a bottle of extra virgin olive oil. Since Giada loves her olive oil, I’m anxious to try it out and see how it compares to “regular” EVOO.

When it was all said and done, the conclusion of our date night ended with purchasing two pot holders, two packages of cookie dough, Giada EVOO, and some outdoor plates. Oh, and the hairspray and vitamins I originally went in for. That’s how Target trips go, it’s impossible to stick to your list.

How about you? Any good Target finds lately? Or good date night stories?

Once in a while, Ash and I like to take random drives around the back roads of the Richmond area. Virginia is filled with so many interesting historical landmarks, battlefields, museums, and parks that you’re bound to find something that piques your interest no matter what direction you end up heading. Even though Ashley and I have lived in this neck of the woods for most of our lives (well, all of hers; most of mine), we still haven’t seen all of the attractions our area has to offer. So, it’s a lot of fun to take a drive every now and then just to see what we come up with.

Recently, while on one of our drives, we stumbled upon McLawhorn’s Red Barn Antiques. It’s right in the middle of a fork in the road, and looks like it’s been there forever. As it turns out, it was once a very popular general store, Borkey’s Store, back in the early 1900′s. The history alone makes this an interesting stop.

The items sitting outside gave us a preview of what we would find in the store. Everything out here was from an era where furniture was made from solid wood. I don’t think you could find a single scrap of particle board anywhere near this place.

Oh–Did I mention the reason all the furniture is sitting outside is because the inside is so packed with awesome stuff from bygone eras that we wouldn’t have had a place to walk otherwise? Yeah. This place is going to take several trips to even scratch the surface.

There are three huge aisles, lined with tons of great items – so packed you could barely walk through them. The left side of the store is stocked with tons of kitchen-oriented antiques and records.

While this part of the shop also has some kitchen items, it’s home to my favorite section: books. You can see a few of them peeking out of the bottom-right corner here.

I’m a big fan of solid wood, dark-stained desks. The detail work is simple and clean, but it adds that extra touch that makes this desk look special.

You’d think this was just a cool conversation piece in the middle of the store. Nope. It’s a real, honest-to-goodness, working(!) drink fridge from which the antique shop staff hands out free Cokes to its customers.

Ash and I have a fascination with antique trunks, so these certainly caught our eyes. They were a little out of our price range for the day (coming in around $250 a piece), but I hope someone gives these a good home. They’re truly amazing in person.

We found this small chest of drawers sitting outside and Ashley immediately fell in love. She said it would be perfect for the foyer.

It was very solid and had a little wear and tear but that could be fixed. Coming in at $75, it was worth a try. So we packed it up in Ashley’s parent’s SUV and took it home.

I have to admit, I was a tad skeptical whether or not it would be a good fit for the foyer. I trust Ashley’s “style judgment” most of the time, but for some reason, I just couldn’t see it. I guess it’s a “guy thing”. When we got it in the house, I had a change of heart. We couldn’t have picked a more perfect piece for the foyer. Like how I say “we” now that it looks good? haha…

For now, we’re going to hold off on painting it. Even though the worn paint looks pretty cool, we’re not sure this shade of green is quite right for our house. In some lighting, it looks a little dull and heavy so it could use a little brightening up. I don’t know about Ash, but if we do decide to paint it down the road, I’d love to find a way to emulate the “worn” look.

As for what’s going to go on, in, and above… Ash said she envisions a large mirror (like this one she found on Pinterest) and maybe a lamp to bounce some light around. We plan on sprucing up the inside of the drawers as well with some graphic wallpaper turned drawer liner. Once that’s done, we’ll probably use it to store miscellaneous items like extra candles and maybe a drawer for Bentley’s leash and his sweater collection… he’ll think he’s spoiled – even more than he already is!

So that’s the rundown on our latest find for the house! Have you had any cool finds lately? Share them with us by leaving a comment…