Ideas & Inspiration

There are two things I love about the Internet age we live in now. First, is that you can find anything...and I mean anything...on the Web. Just look at your search history, and you'll see the randomness of information you are seeking.  My most recent searches include "number one song the week I was born" to "corner bookshelf" to "goody two shoes," and that's just the beginning of the odds and ends of information you can find online. My second favorite things about the Internet is that you can share all of this with just about anyone. Sometimes this seem a little invasive and scary, but, in the end, it affords us with this vast smorgasbord of information that we can access almost instantaneously from almost anywhere in the world. And, for me, that is awesome and exciting.

What's even better is the amount of great ideas that I get from the Web.  I no longer have to subscribe to a bunch of magazines or be an insider in a certain industry to get information about said industry. All I have to do is go online, type in a few words, and, BAM, it's right there in front of me. 

Houzz

Case in point, home decorating. I always enjoyed browsing through my mom's Better Homes & Gardens or Country Living magazines, getting ideas on how to decorate my home. I also enjoyed (and still do) watching HGTV for new trends, styles, and unique ways of decorating.  But, with the dawn of the Internet and mobile apps, which make browsing this vast network of information even more accessible, we've got sites like Houzz and Pinterest offering tons of ideas from all sorts of people and professionals that you can access and keep track of in your own personal virtual scrapbook.

Pinterest

I can't get enough of these sites/apps. They are fantastic, and I've gotten so many cool and unique ideas from them. I could seriously spend a day browsing through both the Pinterest community of images and Houzz's large collection of home decorating and remodeling photos. And, then there are the blogs!  You can find a blog for whatever interests you, and get tons of information and ideas about those interests. I have a small but growing list of blogs that I try to frequent when time permits. You can check out some of them on the right side bar of this blog.

Now that I've shared a couple of my favorite go-to websites for ideas and inspirations, tell me what sites you like to visit to get inspired.

Cheers,
Teekay

Change is Good

It's been coming. Change. I'm not a big fan of change, but sometimes it is needed and sometimes it is necessary. For the past five years, I've dutifully scoured the web for great fashions at affordable prices and presented them to fellow Bargain Chic followers. It has been fun, it has been informative, and it has been sometimes exhaustive. I've also expanded the original intent of the blog to not just include comparable designer looks for less, but great deals I've found on the web. From wedding dresses to home furnishings, I've run the gamut of bargain chic finds.

But, now, I've grown a little weary of my blog. I want to write about things other than fashion -- about things that interest me, that are being talked about at the water-cooler, on the news, and in my life. This requires me to be more than just a bargain fashion reporter, but someone who tells stories, mulls over issues-of-the-day, and comments on what makes me and others tick. I still want to share my fashion obsessions, my take on award show gowns, and places on the web where you can find amazing deals and steals, but those will be in addition to everything else that's important to me.

So, in the coming months, I'll be transitioning to a new platform. I'm hoping to change the look and logo of Bargain Chic, and I am hoping to come up with a new, snazzy name that will encompass everything this blog will be about.  I hope you will continue to follow me, enjoy what I have to say, and comment on it. A blog cannot sustain on posts alone -- I need your input, your insights, and your encouragement to keep this small but fun blog going.

If you have any suggestions on names, or comments on the upcoming changes, feel free to leave a comment or two.

Here's to a new and exciting year ahead for Bargain Chic and for all my friends and family!

Love,
TeeKay

Searching for the Perfect Chariot

Sorry for my lack of activity lately, and for the more than usual sporadic postings. I'm in the midst of a graduate literature class that has me writing for the pleasure of getting an A rather than for the pleasure of entertaining my small but loyal followers. I thought I would put together something I had been working on, but kept putting off posting because... well...when I have some free time, I'm usually watching old episodes of Ally McBeal or 30 Rock on my Netflix.  I digress...

Because I've been spending every night and weekend stuck to my home office chair, typing away at my computer trying to come up with something prolific to write about The Waste Land or Hemingway, I started thinking it might be time to get a new office chair. Something cute and comfy came to mind, but what's out there is mostly boring, black, leather monstrosities that cost an arm and a leg. I get it -- you spend most of your day sitting in these things -- but that doesn't mean what you sit in can't be chic and affordable.

So, starting with my inspiration, here are my bargain chic alternative for the humble office chair.

Inspiration Piece

Horchow, Cooper Office Chair, $1099

Bargain Chic Options

 Clockwise: Walmart, Padded Microsuede Executive Chair, $139; Office Max, Odessa II Task Chair, $89.99; Target, Feature Mesh Task Chair, $169.99; HomeDecorators, Craftsman Leather Swivel Desk Chair, $289.