Christmas Decor on a Budget

Low Cost Holiday Decorating Ideas

This is my first year in a new apartment.  I was so excited to finally create my very own Christmas decor from scratch!  I wanted to make my place feel festive, without spending a fortune.  So, I thought I'd show you how I made it a very Merry Christmas for my home and my wallet.  

This is the only item I did not buy this year.  I bought this adorable ten-inch tree and its trimmings in a craft store when I was 15.  It has been a part of my holidays ever since. 

This poinsettia garland from Dollar Tree was only $1, and adds a pretty touch to my front door.

I added 3 of these glittery snowflake window clings to each of the mirrors in my entryway. They proved difficult to photograph, but in person, they add a subtle holiday sparkle to the mirrors that are a regular fixture in my living room. I got the entire pack of 9 for just 89 cents at 89 Cents Direct.

This mosaic glass vase is also part of my everyday decor.  I added a touch of Christmas with these red velvet poinsettias from Dollar Tree.  

My sister collects nutcrackers.  She has all shapes and sizes.  This little guy is her newest addition. (Dollar Tree-$1)

I created this shiny centerpiece for my coffee table with a glass vase and ornaments from Dollar Tree.  It cost a total of $2 to make.  If you have extra glass vases or bowls and extra Christmas balls, this is also a great way to re-purpose items you already own!  

I plan to use this vase to store nail polish after the holidays are over.   

This 6ft artificial tree pre-lit with clear lights was only $35 at Family Dollar, but there was also an extra 25% off when I bought it, making my tree only about $27!  

The tree trim is almost exclusively from Dollar Tree.  I also got a pack of 6 disco ball style ornaments from 89 Cents Direct. 

This glittery gold filigree star tree-topper compliments my tree perfectly. Can you believe it? I found it at Dollar Tree for only $1 as well!   

I bought various packs of Christmas balls, 2 five-packs of glitter bows in red and gold, and four strings of poinsettia garland.  In total I spent about $15 on all the tree trimmings! (That includes topper and skirt.) 

My sister and I really wanted to add the trendy ribbon trim we have seen around.  I found this gold with poinsettia wire-trimmed ribbon for 50 cents a roll at Dollar Tree!  We used 2 rolls, and only spent $1!  

Dollar Tree was by far the best place I found for low priced ornaments.  While shopping for Christmas tree items, I visited Target, Kmart, and Walmart.  The prices were much higher than Dollar Tree for the same and similar items! This is true even with those large boxes of Christmas balls that they sell.  Because you are buying a lot, I expected them to be cheaper than the five and ten packs from Dollar Tree, but when you do the math, that is simply not the case. 

The only bad thing about shopping for Christmas decor at Dollar Tree is that there is less choice as far as color and styles.  I had a red and gold color scheme in mind for my tree, and luckily, they had many items in these very traditional colors.  If you were looking to do an unconventionally-colored tree, you might not find what you needed in Dollar Tree.  Also, I stuck to classic balls and ornaments that came five to fifteen per pack.  If you want the larger or more stand-out ornaments, or you have a very full tree, you will pay more.  

Even the tree skirt is from Dollar Tree!!!   

I bought this nutcracker for my sister for $2 at Walmart. 

My holiday decor definitely gives my modern-styled apartment Christmas spirit and a more homey feel.  And I'm proud of the fact that the price for all of it was around $50.  Now, I have more money to spend on Christmas gifts!  

Merry Christmas to all my readers who celebrate.  Have you bought any new Christmas decor this year? What trends and colors do prefer?  Do you go for bargains, DIY, or high-end Christmas style?   

Outfit: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Tomorrow, I had plans to see the Macy's light show (which is a holiday tradition here in Philly) and then head to the Christmas market at Love Park.  Unfortunately, the weather is supposed to be super cold and snowy, so we decided to hang in and bake some cookies instead.  This is what I'll be wearing.  I thought this outfit would be fitting for a cozy day at home with friends.  

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by artaslife featuring a striped shirt

So, what kind of holiday activities do you have going on?

Bargain Brag: H&M Jewelry Haul

While out Christmas shopping, I spotted some great jewelry deals at H&M.  They had lots of marked down items, and there were many for only $1!  I racked up on some cute jewelry for myself, as well as some that I plan to give as gifts to friends.  When I went to the register, I discovered the deal was even sweeter-THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 30% ON SALE ITEMS!  That made the dollar items I had found only 70 cents each.  I bought a total of 10 items and paid only $8.90. 

 All of these rings were only 70 cents each...I grabbed this drapey 2 finger ring, a set of 4 pearl rings, a set of 3 rings that includes a spiky ring, and a thick chain ring, all in gold tone.

I grabbed these two-toned feather earrings as a gift for my sister.

I got these skin and nail tattoos that feature small black outline shapes. I really like these!

I also go this set of three bracelets that I think will make a nice stocking stuffer.

 I got these 3 necklaces.  A pretty one with rhinestone hearts, an eagle necklace, and one with rivets.

 Marked at $3, the eagle necklace was my most expensive pick.  After the discount, it came to an extravagant $1.90! haha.  I really wanted one of these when they were so trendy last year!  I like the modest size (and price) of this one.  Athough the huge ones were infinitely cooler, this one is a lot more wearable for me. 

So, have you snagged any good deals while Christmas shopping? What is on your jewelry wishlist this holiday season?

Winning is Beautiful!

How I win free beauty products in giveaways and sweepstakes.

Last week, I saw a package for me on my living room table.  That was nothing unusual.  I'm always requesting samples, so I'm always getting some sort of package. I became curious when I saw it was from Mary Kay, though.  The envelope felt like it contained actual makeup, not a sample, and I didn't remember requesting anything from them... 

When I opened the package, there was a pretty bronze cream shadow and a brush.  I had won a weekly sweepstakes from Project Runway and Mary Kay!  How exciting!

This is nowhere near my first win, however.  Last year, I got into requesting product samples after I happened to randomly see a Yahoo News article about free samples that sparked my interest.  The type of people who request samples often enjoy the hobbies of couponing and "sweeping" (or entering sweepstakes), as well.  As I began to read blogs about free samples, I also saw many sweepstakes and giveaways mentioned.  So, I thought, it didn't hurt to enter.  Slowly, I became a bit of a "sweeper" myself.

Although my friends and family make fun of me for it, I really enjoy samples, sweepstakes, and coupons!  I totally understand how, to my friends, they may seem like comical hobbies better suited for a stay-at-home mom with OCD.   But I see it differently.  I have plenty of nonconstructive online pursuits (like Facebook stalking, obsessive online shopping, random Youtube tangents, and so on. I'm sure I'm not alone...) But the thing that differentiates sampling and sweeping is that they are actually productive "time wasters."  I send my name and address out into cyberspace and often get something I didn't have before in return.  All types of nice things show up in my mailbox for free.  How cool is that?

That's why I thought I'd share the love and show you guys some of the things I've won over the past year, as well as give you some sweepstakes pointers.

This is a Dove prize pack I won last year in their daily holiday sweepstakes.  It contained Dove body wash, a nice bath pillow, aromatherapy oil and eye mask, and yummy French Vanilla tea. 

I won this Milani lipstick from a Facebook giveaway. 

I won these full-sized Vaseline products from a "She Finds" sweeps. 

I won these energy bars from a Facebook sweepstakes. (They were really good, btw!)

I got this full-sized Nivea lip butter from a giveaway on Nivea's Facebook page. 

I won Aussie deep conditioner from Allure Magazine.

I snagged a full size Suave Moroccan Infusion Shampoo in a Suave giveaway.   

I was the winner of a Palmer's weekly sweepstakes.  

And just this weekend, I got this email message:

Here are my tips on how you can win: 

1. Find sweepstakes and giveaways.  There are many ways to do this.  Connect with companies you like on whatever social media sites you regularly use.  Many giveaways and sweeps work through Facebook entries.  There are also a substantial amount you can find on Twitter, Instagram, etc.  If you like a company on Facebook, you will be able to see when they post promotions.  There are also tons of blogs and webpages made just for contest, sweepstakes, and giveaway information.  My favorite sites for finding sweepstakes are http://contests.about.com/ and Samplestuff.com's Facebook page " Free Samples And Freebies"

2. Enter the contests that you really want to win.  Since there are so many contests out there, it makes sense to focus just on ones that you actually would like to win.  What good is it to get something useless, even if it's free?  Not only that, but it is selfish, as you are taking a prize from someone out there who really wanted it.  I always think, "Would I actually use this thing?" before submitting my information. I try to only enter sweepstakes that offer something I am either dying to have, or at the very least, could be useful/fun in my daily life.

3. Increase your odds.  First, if you enter tons of sweeps, statistically you are bound to win some!  So the more you enter, the better your chances.  There are also some other simple considerations to boost your odds.  Sweeps that are for lesser known companies, less valuable items, or nitch products will likely have fewer entrants, making it easier for you to win.  Sweeps with restrictions (state/age/gender etc) also will have better odds than those with none.  Check the entry rules about how often you can enter, too.  Some allow daily or weekly entry, others are one time only. Enter each as much as possible to boost your chances.  Any contest that requires you to do something extra or creative (upload a photo, write a paragraph and so on..) will likely have fewer entrants than those that just require a form.  The more prizes given, the more likely you are to win.  With the Mary Kay sweeps I just won, they chose 5,000 winners weekly.  Those are much better odds than just 1 winner a week.  The shorter the entry period, the better the odds.  So, those quick day-long Facebook giveaways are pretty easy to win.  Many of the items I won are from this type of sweepstakes!

4. Always check your email.  I didn't get any message about winning the Mary Kay sweepstakes, but usually, with even the smallest giveaways, they inform you that you won and ask you to verify your address within a certain time frame.  If you fail to respond you can lose your prize.  Over the summer, I was travelling in Guatemala, and due to spotty computer access, I did not check my email often.  I won a lip and cheek color set from Lucky Magazine worth over a hundred dollars, but I didn't respond to the email soon enough.  Unfortunately, I lost out on my most valuable prize so far.  Not cool!  Also, many times the notification email is sent from an individual employee, and can look quite unofficial, so check your email regularly and carefully.  

5. Think like a winner.  I totally believe in visualization and positive thinking.  If you feel like you are going to win, you probably will.

Finally, and most importantly: 

6. Don't give up!!! Keep entering.  It takes time for sweepstakes to close, for the companies to choose names and contact winners.  Chances are you will forget you even entered by the time you hear you won! Give it time, and keep going.  If you are persistent you will surely win.  

I wish you the best of luck!    

So, do you enter giveaways and contests?  Have you ever won any?  Please feel free to share your own winning tips in the comments.

Bargain Brag: Free Makeup with Coupons

Hi everyone.  Today I just wanted to tell you about how I often score free makeup by using coupons.

I recently got all of these items for free at Dollar Tree.  I got Rimmel Glam Eyes HD shadow in two colors: English Rose and Black Cab, and Wet N Wild Mega Protein Mascara.  

I have been using coupons for the past year, and I have come to believe that it is 100% worth the time and effort to shop with coupons.  I get deals like this all the time!  If you want a more in-depth look at how I score free and cheap cosmetics and beauty products check out my previous post on couponing here.

In this case, I had various coupons for different drug-store brand cosmetics.  Most cosmetic coupons are usually for a dollar off of one product.  When I saw the Rimmel shadows for just a dollar at Dollar Tree, I was able to match them to a dollar off any Rimmel eye product coupon I had.  I had multiples of that coupon, so, I was able to score both shadows for nothing!

Same with the Wet N Wild mascara.  Wet N Wild often offers dollar off coupons, which I find curious, since their products have such low prices to begin with.  I have gotten free nail polish from them in the past at CVS, but finding this mascara at Dollar Tree was an even better value since it usually costs $2 or $3 in drug stores.  Thanks to my couponing, this entire shopping spree was free!    

The Rimmel Black Cab palette features shimmery silver/gray/black shadow.  I just read two articles in the November issue of Spanish Cosmopolitan about makeup looks using these shades. 

The English Rose Palette features peachy-pinks/tan/brown.  These colors are very much my style, so I know I will get a lot of use from this shadow set.  Generally, I have become very snobbish lately with makeup.  I tend to stick to my MAC and Naked palette and steer clear of buying drug store brands.  But for free, it doesn't hurt to add a little variety to my makeup bag!

I also got this Mega Protein Mascara by Wet N Wild.  I was a little wary about buying such cheap mascara.  I think the last time I tried Wet N Wild mascara was in my junior high days! However, since the mascara was free, I gave it a shot, and I was very surprised by how nice this product is!  It goes on smooth and without clumps. In fact, it is nothing like the dry and clumpy Wet N Wild mascara I remember from the past.  The effect is not very dramatic though.  The look it gives is rather natural, but I would definitely wear this on days that I want a no-fuss fresh-faced look.    

So, have you found anything cool at the dollar store lately? Do you ever use coupons on makeup?

New In: Chanel-Inspired

I am a huge fan of Chanel and I can't wait for the day that I can afford a classic 2.55 bag.  For now, though, that's just a dream.  Unfortunately, the only Chanel items in my current budget are cosmetics!  Still, a girl can dream...

That's why I am always delighted to find Chanel-inspired pieces within my price range.  Here are my two latest finds: 

I found this awesome white with black logo hoody at Forever 21 for only $19.80.

 It reads: 

"Label Junkie

Rich 
Famous

Paris" 

with iconic double CC's in rhinestones in the middle

This top is a hot item, it seems.  There were 3 on display while I was shopping and all of them were sold by the time I left the store! 

I love it and can't wait to wear it!

  

I also found this small quilted flap bag on Ebay for only $19.99 with free shipping from China.  The quality of this bag is decent for the price and I love the size and style.  

The gold chain strap is long enough to wear cross body.  

So, have you bought any designer-inspired pieces lately?  What designers would you love to own?