Hello friends and Happy Sunday !   I do hope you are having a restful and relaxing weekend.  I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome a brand new sponsor of Centsational Girl™.   Noteworthy is an online stationery and gifts store with stylish selections for folded notes, flat notes, stickers, labels, business cards and luggage tags.  Noteworthy is also your online source for creating custom invitations and announcements for any special event !

These days, with the constant flow of emails and text messages, isn’t it so nice to receive a personalized handwritten note from a thoughtful friend or family member?  Personalized notes add that extra charming touch!  If you’d like to create your own elegant stationery with your name or monogram, please visit my newest sponsor !

Is someone in your life getting married, expecting a child, or planning a party ? Visit Noteworthy online stationery and gifts, featuring Sweet Pea Designs, to create a memorable invitation for your special occasion.

Here is just a very small sampling of what is available to customers of Noteworthy.

Folded Notes

Damask in Lime

Little Dots in pink & chocolate

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Yesterday, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and started my day in a funk.  No reason in particular, just all of those obligations that pile up on adults that we allow to get us down.  Funny, waking up in a funk is rare for me because I typically skip-to-my-lou downstairs to make some Peet’s and eagerly grab my ‘To Do’ list.

So yesterday, I went downstairs to make breakfast for my kindergartener.  As I gathered her homework in her backpack to send her off to school, I spotted something I had never seen before.  The first page of her ‘First Journal’:

Then I got misty.  What honesty, what confidence, what sincerity (and what a fabulous rose garden) expressed by a five year old on an ordinary piece of lined paper.

My mood instantly changed.  One thing I relish more than anything are the lessons learned from the most unexpected sources.

Then I remembered another humble piece of paper that came home with her on the first day of school.  It was a much recited piece written two decades ago, but still rings true.  Many of you moms have heard these words before, but they bear repeating.

All I Ever Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

by Robert Fulghum

“Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten.  Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.

These are the things I learned:  Share everything.  Play fair.  Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them.  Clean up your own mess.  Don’t take things that aren’t yours.  Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.  Wash your hands before you eat.  Flush.

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Many months ago while I was planning my own home office remodel, I wrote about how I was inspired by Tyra Banks’ office.  You’ve seen this image before, but here it is again. 

I adore everything about this office space, including the writer’s desk, the intense blue on the walls, the white cabinetry, bold print panels, and the  traditional accessories infused with modern color. 

This office was designed by 24 year old L.A. designer Kyle Schuneman.   Kyle wrote to me several months ago thanking me for the link and we’ve corresponded ever since.

Last month Kyle gave advice in Real Simple magazine in an article entitled  “Decorating with Brown”.  Personally, I think brown is a color many struggle with because it can quickly become dull. 

Not for Kyle.  Now this is how to decorate with brown !  You can read his other helpful tips in the Real Simple article right here. 

When I saw Kyle’s name mentioned as one of the twenty interior designers promoted on House Beautiful’s Next Wave List, I was extremely excited for him.  He has incredible talent and will no doubt be in the spotlight for many years to come. 

Kyle was kind enough to answer a few questions I posed to him.  Here’s our mini Q & A.

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I have a new best friend, and it is a can of paint. 

You’re surprised ?

My friends, I’m here to tell you about a can of semi-gloss that sets my heart awhirl.  It’s made by Pratt & Lambert and it’s called ‘Opulence Pearl’ (also available in silver and gold).  It can be tinted or used just as it is.  Valspar has a comparable product available at Lowes.  This version from Pratt & Lambert is a semi-translucent paint that gives just that subtle pearlescent finish that I adore.  Like a moth to a flame, any accessory that shines with a mother of pearly finish and I go gaga.   (Hence, the recent vintage case purchase.)

“Hello, my name is Kate and I’m addicted to shimmer finishes.”

I wanted to try it out on a few pieces before using it in a larger project.  Take a peek at these $5 dollar Goodwill finds transformed with two coats of white paint, and two coats of Opulence Pearl. 

Lamp, Before and After

Looky loo at this new pearly shine.  So puuuuurty.

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Many of you know that I am on my way to the Blissdom Conference starting next week in Nashville.  At first I hesitated to go, but after some prodding, I decided to hop on a plane from California to attend this much celebrated and talked about event.  Plus, I’ve never been to Nashville and I’ve always wanted to visit that city.  And I really want to meet some amazing bloggers that inspire me.

Naturally, networking is a big part of these large scale events, and blog/business cards are a necessity, so I set my sights on purchasing a stylish card holder.   When a girl goes to a conference, she deserves something pretty to hold her cards, am I right ?

At first I shopped around for some modern cases.  Take a peek at some of these beauties, then check out my vintage Etsy find at the end !

Zebra Print Crystal Case

Tiffany Blue Patent Leather from Tiffany & Co.

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