My apartment is in desperate need of a style lift. I’ve lived there for over 4 years, and it still looks like I just moved in. I think the fanciest thing that I’ve done is hang gorgeous purple curtains in the living room and buy some gray/purple/burgundy pillows for my couch. I have always been in a state of transition in that apartment and that has been the sole reason for my lack of decoration. I always feel like I’m about to move or I want to move, so why turn my house into a home?

While I haven’t quite found a place that makes me feel like Tiffany’s*, I think that I’m finally going to try and pull my place together before the spring gets here. That means coming up with a color palette for each room, creating a list of furniture to purchase (a dining room table tops this list), and finally breaking out the paint. When I first moved in, I bought two gallons of paint (deep red and a sienna) to add some warmth to my stark white walls. But, four years later, those gallons are in the closet along with shelves, candles, picture frames, and various other decor pieces that have brought more flair to my closet than my walls.

Well, thanks to the Lavish Giving gift certificate that I won a couple a months ago, I’ve found some vases that I must add to my bedroom. I like the earth tones/turquoise palette for my bedroom, so I am ordering the vases below in turquoise and brown.

Aren’t they great? Aside from being the 2010 color of the year, turquoise is a favorite color of mine because it reminds me of the lake on a sunny day or the ocean. *sigh* I’m looking forward to installing a shelf in the room and adding these guys. I won’t post any before pictures of my apartment but as things start coming together, I will definitely sprinkle some after pics on the site.

NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY! *throws confetti*

I am giving away a $50 gift certificate to Lavish Giving! Lavish Giving has a great selection of gifts, stationary, and, of course, home decor. Even better is the fact that a portion of your total is contributed to a charity of your choice. I plan on donating to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (no surprise there)!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is respond in the comments to the question below.

“What’s your favorite way to give your home a quick style lift? Adding pillows? Buying candles? Etc?”

I’m looking forward to reading some of your tips because I’m really need to pull this together asaptually!!! I will randomly select the winner tomorrow at 3p, so make sure that your comment is up before then. Oh, and it sounds simple, but don’t forget to include your email and/or Twitter handle. Good luck, guys!

-kb

*In “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Holly says that when she finds a place that makes her feel like Tiffany’s (calm and secure), then maybe she’d buy some furniture for her apartment. One of my favorite lines in the whole movie because I understand her COMPLETELY!

Last month, I entered a drawing on The Bright Side Project, and won two gift certificates for LavishGiving.com. I learned about Lavish Giving awhile ago, so I was superexcited about my prize! Lavish Giving sells some amazing items, such as decorative pillows, stylish leather planners, candles, and more. It’s a perfect site to visit if you’re looking to step up your gift-giving game. Additionally, they donate 10% of your purchase to the charity of your choice! How about that?

Today, I checked out the site to look for a gift for myself, particularly for my poor, non-decorated apartment. I was completely amazed with the selection, but I was struck by some beautifully designed glass plates. The “Plates with Purpose” are handcrafted and each design benefits one of six charities. The “Forget-Me-Not” design to the right benefits the Alzheimer’s Association. Other charities include Habitat for Humanity, Special Advocates, and hospice, food bank, and AIDS organizations. The cool thing is that those donations are in addition to the donation that you give just for shopping the site!

To check out the full collection, head on over to LavishGiving.com.

-kb

I had every intention of creating a holiday gift guide of charitable gifts, but since charity is so vogue right now, I’m more than happy to share some of the lists already floating around the internet. Britt Bravo (HaveFunDoGood.Blogspot.com) has compiled a list of 20 links to charitable gift guides on sites such as MarieClaire.com, Oprah.com, and Forbes.com (to say the least). Check out the list here, and see below for some of my favorite picks!

La Collection Lollipop Gloss and Nail Set, $35

Benefits Lollipop Network, an organization which brings current movies to hospitalized children

At First Braille Jewelry

Sales benefit the promotion of Braille literacy within the blind and visually-impaired communities

Peace Basket, $38

Women in Darfur create these baskets to support themselves and their families

MAC Viva Glam Lip Palette, $23

100% of proceeds benefit the MAC AIDS Fund

-kb

In recognition of World AIDS Day, Stella McCartney teamed with GAP to design this super cute tee for women and baby girls. Fifty percent of the proceeds from shirt sales will benefit The Global Fund. As you know, Gap is a partner in Project (RED) and even donated 1% of store sales yesterday to the Global Fund. The shirt ($28 for women, $18 for baby girls 0-2 years) is available at stores nationwide.

-kb