Lucky Number Seven

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Celebrating seven years of Take A Bite today! From writing my first post in my sorority house dining room, to seven years later quarantined in my parent’s dining room. I’m not where I thought I’d be celebrating my 7th year blogging, but thankful to be healthy, with loved ones, and still getting to share what I love at takeabiteblog.com! A blog birthday isn’t complete without a serving of birthday toast. Thank you for reading, sharing and baking with me these past seven years!

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Bedroom Revamped

Just a few changes here and there, but I’m so happy with the mini revamp of my bedroom. It’s kind of wild how a new pillow can update things in just the right way. Okay. I’m officially 45 years old.

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Let’s refer back to my inspiration post for this revamp. I was in need of all new bedding after some weird staining from a facial oil I was using and looking to add a punch to break up all the white, cream and beige. I love a neutral look, but you’re only 26 and single once and can get away with pink velvet pillows, so we out here.

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You may remember, or read, that I wanted to paint my bed frame black. I even took to Instagram polls for your advice. While I appreciate the feedback, I decided to keep it white.

My friend Kristin and I went back in forth in DMs talking about how it needed to stay white, despite our love for a black bed - ha!

The swirls and curls on the headboard seem too whimsical to be painted a mod black. Something I want down the road, but I think that means buying a new frame all together. And we are taking baby steps over here.

Also standard = rectangle and euro = square when it comes to shams. Please excuse me —>

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Bed Frame
$19 Sheet Set
$23 Amazon Duvet (folded at end of bed, standard shams included)
Textured Coverlet
Piqué Euro Shams
Orange Velvet Pillow Covers
24x24 Down Inserts (always order a size large than your cover, these are heavy and really good quality)
Pink Velvet Lumbar Pillow Cover
12x24 Lumbar Pillow Insert (again, one size larger than the cover)
Gray Malin Print
Rug
Lamp (similar)

Annie

New End Tables

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Disclosure I give all credit to my mom on this one. She scouted these side tables in our friend’s garage sale and knew she could do something great with them. They were originally in a single guy’s bedroom, hence the masculine dark brown finish.

My mom loves a project and has been inspired by one of our favorite design studios and Dallas. They take dressers, end tables, desks, and then update them with a coat of lacquer paint in either white or a range of colors.

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I brought my mismatched white end tables from house to house to apartment over the past five years. They were from Home Goods and cute, very cute. But as my mom said, the symmetry of the new matching tables just “anchors” the room - LOL but true.

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We used Benjamin Moore high gloss lacquer in Ice Blue. The hardware was then brushed up and they came out perfect. See below for our inspiration! *Let me add that these were professionally painted. When it comes to lacquer I wouldn’t trust either of us.

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My living room:

End Tables - garage sale find, painted (similar: white and blue)
Lamps - originally from Home Goods (similar: spend and save)
Assouline Hamptons and Palm Beach books
Rug
Couch - old
Pillows - custom
Painting - by my dad!

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Okay mom, what’s next?

Annie

Bedroom Revamp Inspiration

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Since college I’ve had a similar look for my bedroom that has carried me from house, to house to another house to my now apartment. You can see my college home tour here and my current apartment tour here. With subtle changes here and there, I’ve stuck to all-white bedding, white furniture with pops of color in either pillows, a rug, or artwork.

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After mysterious staining to my West Elm bedding (that I loved), I decided the culprit was a face oil I was using. I had yellow stains all along the edge of my bedding from pulling it up to my face, it forced me to throw it away after only having it for about 2 years.

I’m currently in limbo using random hand-me-down bedding from my mom and sister. I’ve decided it’s time for a little bedroom revamp. I have looked for some non-white bedding options, but I can’t stray away. There’s just something about white fluffy bedding. I have however thrown out my face oil and have more confidence with my next round of white bedding.

I want to keep things girly, but more modern and less shabby chic. My plan is to paint my Ikea iron bed frame black, and to pull in vibrant velvet pillows to create a punch and to tie in my rug and butterfly artwork. Below are my inspirations. I have my eye on a coverlet like this with this basic duvet folded at the end of the bed. Then matching white shams and velvet pillows from here or here (H&M is my secret weapon when it comes to cheap home goods). More home ideas are pinned in my ‘homestyle’ board on Pinterest.

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I love the rust and pink pillows from my main inspiration picture, but I’m also always tied to navy. I’ve also been having a moment with dark forest and emerald green. This shade is pulling me in. Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

Also now that I’ve posted this out in the interwebs I’m digitally being held accountable to actually make changes to my bedroom. Stay tuned. Hopefully a completed bedroom revamp post will come soon.

Annie

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6 Money Saving Tips

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Update November 2020: This post was written in November of 2019. It’s crazy to read this and see how almost all of these tips haven’t translated to the current state we are in due to the global pandemic. Most people are still working from home, working out in their living room, grocery store samples are now obsolete, events have gone virtual or to distanced outdoor spaces, and many restaurants and bars are still closed.

Despite the significant change in our everyday lives, I’ve still managed to get a little swirly with my spending and I’m in major need of a “No Spend November.” With the always expensive holiday season looming, it’s time to reign it in. Scroll to tip #6 for how I plan to approach spending this month. This means being thriftier on how much I spend on groceries to make meals at home, ordering a hot water and bringing a tea bag with me if I meet friends for coffee (any coffee shop with give you hot water for free), zero retail purchases on myself (blessed to have my Rent the Runway membership comped this month!!), and only spending on shopping if it’s for gifts for others.

Note* I do have a trip to California planned in a couple of weeks. I will be spending on food and drinks there, but going to attempt to not go overboard while still enjoying myself!


  1. Make coffee at home or at the office. This pops up on about every list, but it’s for good reason. Coffee shops jack up the price on even a single bag of tea. If you crave a latte or matcha, spend a little money on the front end buy buying a milk frother and/or fancy kinds of milk or flavorings to save money on the back end.

  2. Work a few shifts at your favorite workout studio. Studio fitness is expensive, there is no good way around it. Most studios have front desk positions or I know some yoga studios that allow you to clean the room in exchange for free classes. I’ve taken on two (very) early morning shifts at my favorite pilates studio. I work before my day with my full-time job starts, I get to work out for free and bonus, get paid some extra cash!

  3. Samples. Ha, I can’t believe I’m writing this but it is one of my pro tips. I’m a sucker for free samples. They are one of my ultimate guilty pleasures. Sometimes when hunger strikes in the afternoon and I need a little snack, I make a round at Eatzi’s, Central Market or Whole Foods for a few free samples. I then walk out of the store with a look on my face like “darn, you didn’t have what I needed,” and leave without purchasing anything. This isn’t the most morally correct advice, but I spend enough money at grocery stores, I feel fine about swiping some few samples here and there.

  4. Attend free events. If you live in a big city there are free events happening everywhere you turn. Especially this time of year. Christmas lights will be going up soon and you can’t put a price on driving around looking at lights (for free!!). Bonus if you make hot chocolate at home to take with you instead of spending $6 at Starbucks. Check with your local Lululemon, Athleta or Outdoor Voices and see if they are putting on free workout classes. Or check your city guides/websites for a list of events. In Dallas, I stalk Dallasites 101’s Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter to get info on fun and free events going on around me! And bonus, often when you attend these kinds of free events, they are typically handing out other freebies or swag of sorts!

  5. Drink at home. Ordering drinks at dinner automatically doubles or triples your tab. Try inviting friends over for a glass of Two Buck Chuck at your house before then head to dinner out. I also got in a habit of ordering a Topo Chico while on Whole30. Since you can’t drink on W30, I would eat out and still want a little something with my meal. Ordering sparkling water still has a cost attached to it, but it’s much cheaper than a cocktail.

  6. Join me in No Spend November. I need accountability, so I’m asking you to join me in a no spending month. NSP excludes groceries, a few meals out (aiming for only 3 a week), and holiday shopping for others. I have officially deleted the Amazon app off my phone (my kryptonite), I’m not allowing any retail purchases to be spent on myself, and trying to limit my eating/drinking out to only a few times a week. Will you join me?

Do you have any budget saving tips? Any and all are welcome, let me know!

Annie