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Oh Dier! I Broke My Home Spending Hiatus

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, on purchases made after following an affiliate link. See my full disclosure here.

September 20, 2012 By Jackie

Confession: After 14 days, I slipped up and broke my self imposed home spending hiatus.

The hubby and I went to NorthernGrade on Saturday…the only 100% American-made pop up shop for men.  Harmless right?  You may recall when we went to SnowGrade (the winter popup men’s shop) and I came home with a set of containers and a pair of geese statues. Well, this time I was sure I could resist temptation, as most of the sellers would have men’s goods, like belts and shoes.

Then it happened.  I spotted the “shut the front door” sign and realized Oh Dier was in the house.  I have sort of been stalking them online for ages.  After hearing me exclaim, “Oh Dier!”, my two and a half year old started repeating “Oh Dier, Oh Dier, Oh Dier” and all I could think was oh dear, here goes the home spending hiatus.

Oh Dier NorthernGrade

Oh Dier NorthernGrade
Let me show you what I bought and then we can analyze how badly I slipped up.

I walked away with the hello sign I have coveted forever.  I have featured it in not one, but two mood boards for my living room.  It first made an appearance in the living room mood board and then in an accessories mood board for the same room.  This was the first time I saw it in person and I was still in love.

Oh Dier Hello Wood Sign

I also grabbed this Let’s Get Lost sign.  The font, the color…I could not resist.  Humor me for a moment and pop on over to the playroom mood board and tell me how awesome it is for that room.

Oh Dier Let's Get Lost sign
Okay, time to analyze.  Yes, I broke my home spending hiatus.  Yes, I have been giving all of you advice on how to avoid unnecessary home spending.  In my defense, although I violated the rules of the home spending hiatus, I think my purchase was justified.  I may have dismissed the tip about avoiding limited sales.  Well, that is exactly what a popup shop is.  Honestly though, I did not feel any pressure to buy on the spot just because it was a two day popup shop.  I have loved Oh Dier’s wooden signs for a while and knew I could have ordered these signs anytime.

On the flip side, I think I also followed one of my tips for avoiding unnecessary home spending.  I suggested keeping things on a wish list which you review periodically.  Only the things that remain on the list for a long time should be the things you purchase for your home.  I consider my mood boards wish lists of sorts and that hello sign had permanent residency on my wish list.

The other factor in my buy decision, was getting to meet the sellers.  William and Katie were super sweet.  NorthernGrade is an amazing event to get introduced to new brands and meet the owners of some of the coolest American-made businesses.  Purchasing these signs was a show of my support to one of these businesses.

Enough analyzing and lamenting over my home spending transgression.  Let’s move on and look at how great these signs are in my home.

The hello sign has already found it’s spot in the living room.  It is the perfect piece to fill the empty wall space in the built-ins.  The welcoming hello is the perfect sign for this room, because this is the main area our guests gather.  What better way to say sit down and stay a while than a sweet hello sign?

hello wood sign

If we zoom out just a bit, you can see how fun and happy the hello sign looks with the gallery wall near by.

family photo gallery wall

The Let’s Get Lost print will eventually move to the playroom when it is ready.  For now the color is perfect in the living room, so I added it to the mantle.  It adds a nice layer in front of the DIY canvas art.

Just for fun, here is a wider shot of the gallery wall, built-in, and mantel.  They feel complete now.


Back on the horse.  Just because I slipped up, does not mean I have to give up.  I am determined to get back on track and finish out my home spending hiatus.  So, I re-pledge to avoid all home spending through the end of September.

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Comments

  1. mandy @ this girl's life says

    September 20, 2012 at 7:28 am

    Love both of them! I’ve had their “hello” sign pinned for awhile also and it looks so cute in that nook! Definitely a worthy reason to break your spending freeze. :)

    • Jackie says

      September 20, 2012 at 4:40 pm

      Mandy,
      Hopefully you can plan to bring a hello sign home someday. It really is adorable. I love having things in my home that make me smile every time I walk by :)

  2. Noel M says

    September 20, 2012 at 8:59 am

    I adore both – You had a very rational reason for your slip, and if you get back on the horse for the rest of the month you’ll just be ahead of the game when you unfreeze because you had two permanent items on your list crossed off. :)

    • Jackie says

      September 20, 2012 at 4:39 pm

      Thanks Noel. I have made it 5 more days already :). Spent the day today shopping my own home to create a new gallery wall in my bedroom.

  3. Misty says

    September 20, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    LOVE that you are so much like your readers who would have justified that purchase just as you did. Keeps it real. BTW, when/where is the next Pop up shop in MN? Are you on a email list to let you know when they come? I have wanted to go to one for so long!

    • Jackie says

      September 20, 2012 at 4:37 pm

      Misty,
      The next one will be this winter. Follow the link to the NorthernGrade site to get more info. They call the winter one SnowGrade, but it is produced by the same folks. These are geared towards men, but have some decor items and are super fun. We got some great coffee, too. I would love to research and find out if there are other pop-up markets in the Twin Cities.

      • Misty says

        September 22, 2012 at 7:05 pm

        Thx for the info. The Hubs is all for it!

  4. Karen says

    September 20, 2012 at 8:21 pm

    Worth it! I’m on a personal stuff hiatus. No new shoes. No mascara. No picking up a cute pair of earrings from Anthropologie because my job is driving me nuts. Thank god it’s the 20th.

  5. William says

    September 21, 2012 at 5:21 pm

    What a great post! Thanks so much for taking the time and sharing our experience and Oh Dier with your readership.

    Love the styling in the photos too!

    • Jackie says

      September 21, 2012 at 5:37 pm

      Thanks William! Happy to have some Oh Dier goods in our home :)

  6. Melissa says

    June 19, 2013 at 10:44 am

    Love! Where do you get all you great pottery and bottles?

    • Jackie says

      June 19, 2013 at 12:00 pm

      Melissa, All the vases and bowl on the counter are from Z Gallerie (about 7 years ago). They are still one of my top sources for large vases!

      • Melissa says

        June 19, 2013 at 1:16 pm

        Thank you. Will have to check them out!

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