Wouldn’t it be nice to start next year with a bedroom makeover or $25,000 in cash? If your bedroom could use a mood change, or you need the scratch–and who doesn’t, then enter the Dream Come True Sweepstakes by the publisher of Home Magazine.

Besides the grand prize, there are several other prizes including the GE ®Front Loading Laundry pair, outdoor furniture from Lloyd®Flanders, a Weber® Smokey Joe Grill, and Helbros dress watches. Open to U.S. residents, Canadians, and other countries.

Sweepstakes ends January 30, 2009.  Bonus: For entering, you can purchase 17 issues of Woman’s Day bonus priced at $5.00 and Metropolitan Home 10 issues bonus priced at $5.00!

Although retailers are looking toward Fall, there is still a lot of summer left and for bargain hunters now is the time to pick-up summer bargains for now and next year. This is one of the times in the year that Markdown Mom shops heavily for seasonal bargains. Online, in-store, and special retailer events like Sidewalk Sale Days at your local mall and downtown areas as well, are opportunities to stretch your shopping dollar.

Steal: Target® has as great faux leather storage ottoman that last year retailed close to $100, so when they advertise this storage ottoman in brown or black as their “lowest price of the season” that’s the truth-steal priced at $59.00!

Steal: KMart® has their Soho® clogs [for those who want an inexpensive knock-off of Crocs], at 50% off, steal price $4.99. Plus for juniors check out the sale on Piper & Blue Graphic Tees at $9.99.

Steal: J.Crew has an extra 20% off their final sale. Use promo code: EXTRA 20, ends Friday, July 25,2008. Want a romantic look, check the Sadie silk faille dress, regular and petite sizes, in 5 lovely colors, reg.$295, now steal price $99-20%=$70 approx. Sale includes men, women, boys and girls apparel and accessories.

Steal: Burlington Coat Factory in-store is having a 60% off clearance sale. Selection of winter coats 50%-60% off. Summer skirts, graphic tees, reg. $20, steal priced at $6. Jeans 50% off.

Back-to-School is gearing up and MDM Chics found these steals to make your college flat the coolest, or hottest!

Steal: Summer Clearance at WalMart. For a high-end decorating 29″

stool, walmart has these saddle top stools in red (online & instore) and

white (instore only), walnut and blackfor $39.98-$45.55. This is reminiscent of the asian motif for little $$$.

Also, check at Target®’s 30″ black backless stool set of 2 for $99.99.

Steal: From The Container Store®. Students and Parents sign-up for 20% for instore events and promotions, by state–save on cool ideas like this mini-mantel bedpost shelf. No more knocking that cup of water and soaking your cell phone on the nightstand. Great for bunk-bed dorm configurations, $19.99 black only.

Now you can bring THE WORLD to your home decor, kitchen and wardrobe from one store!

Cost Plus World Market© with store locations throughout the West, Midwest, and South carries imports from Japan, Southeast Asia, Africa, Italy, England and more! The quantity, quality, and selection of products is simply amazing.

For all those bargain hunters who love Pier One© and TJ Maxx©, World Market© offers the best of both stores.

You’ll find home products such as furniture, lamps, rugs, bedding, towels, pictures, window dressings, dishes, glasses and other home decor perfect for an ethnic theme room.

You’ll also find candles, soaps, lotions, toiletries and other international fragrances to fill your home or give as a gift.

Specialty foods like large penné pasta; Italian and Mexican sauces; English jams, preserves and tea biscuits; Chinese rice candy and Australian licorice; tea, wine, imported water and other beverages make up four to five aisles. Plus a variety of herbs and spices any gourmand would delight in such as black volcanic and pink sea salt; truffle and shitake mushroom flakes–all available for that unique fine dining experience.

And for those fashionable gals who enjoy international fashion, World Market© has handbags, clothes and jewelry with Chinese, Japanese, Cambodian, and East Indian designs. In fact, MDM found several necklaces similar to those worn by Emily Deschanel’s character, Temperance Brennan, on the hit Fox television series Bones.

World Market© prices are very affordable. Bamboo door dressings, for example, sell for $19 and necklaces sell between $9-$16. If that wasn’t exciting enough, World Market© is having a 50% OFF SALE in-store and online.

Shop online or find a World Market store near you!

Slipcovers are a great boon to interior design.  They not only serve to protect your furniture and thus save on costly upholstery bills, but are a quick inexpensive way to change your home decor.  However, they can be very expensive to buy, a wingback chair slipcover can run you at least $100 and a slipcover for a sectional into the $1,000’s.  Just putting a throw over your furniture ends up with it slipping and sliding and not staying put, even with ready-made they have a tendency to not stay put that makes for constant readjustment.

Markdown Mom has an inexpensive way to make a better fitting slipcover, no sewing, and with little time involved.  First of all, consider the fabric that you want for your slipcover and it’s purpose.  If you have pets and want to protect against scratching in addition to being able to remove fur from the fabric easily, consider canvas or another very tight weave durable material. 

1.  To make any slipcover or piece of cloth conform to your chair, loveseat, sofa, or sectional visit your local home improvement center.  Long pieces of drywall edge beading are easily cut to fit your needs and are very pliable. 

2.  Cut pieces to fit between the back and seat cushions of your furniture, and along a padded arm and the seat cushion.  This will tuck the material into the seat, back, and side and will keep the slipcover in place regardless of who sits on the furniture piece.   Use a snippers for cutting vinyl and metal for the best results.  This V-shaped, beaded plastic strip costs under $3 a strip and will be sufficient for one sofa depending upon the size. 

3.  Cut the back piece first, and then the side arm pieces–which can be smaller than the actual side length.  Put the cloth on your furniture and tuck the “V” shape into the couch.

4.  To make an easy fit for the side and back, buy some self-sticking velcro®–again, at the home improvement center and finger miter the corners of your sofa or chair back and sides, tucking in the fabric.  Pin and do the same to the other side of the sofa until you have the back sufficiently tight.  Do the same process for the sides.  Industrial strength velcro comes in black or white, and you can get other colors to match your fabric in the sewing notions center of a fabric or craft store.

5.  Remove the pins and replace with velcro by creating a strip to be attached to the inside part of the fold and adding it’s corresponding loop strip to the back of the sofa in the same location.  Do the same for the sides creating a hospital bed corner.    

Easy, quick, and cost-effective.  Want to make it spill resistant?  Spray it with silicone.  For fabric amounts refer to upholstery yardage for your furniture item and add a few yards to it, just in case–plus you can make pillows out of any leftover material. 

A number of years ago‘, MDMs friend, Georgeanne, introduced her to this fabric warehouse located in an industrial park in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Park. SR Harris is owned by a father and son team, Sid and Scott Harris, and for those of us who are bowled over by fine fabrics and terrific deals, pack a lunch and plan to stay the day. Scott goes to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York several times a year to add new inventory to the warehouse’s extensive selections. From Italian fleece, fine silks, designer color leather hides, upholstery and drapery material, camel hair and cashmere, Pendleton wool, Italian mohair, wool Sairee w/glitter, down pillows, beadling, and all the trimmings here is a necessary stop for decorators, quilters, fabric artists, haute couture designers, crafters, and home sewers. Most list prices are discounted at the checkout by 50%! You can find designer fabrics from Ralph Lauren, Jones of New York, DNKY, and others. Tips:

• Be sure to find out your final price before cutting or having the fabric cut. Once it’s cut, it’s yours.
• Discounted fabric is exempt from further reductions.
• Leather goods are sold by the piece, not by the yard.
• Go to the online site for coupons and arrival of new fabrics.

Click Here to See Markdown Mom’s Slide Show of SR Harris→

Many items today that are made of brass come with a sealant, so that polishing is a thing of the past. On sealed brass with a lacquered finish, simply wipe with a clean, damp cloth. However antique brass is another story. If you do not want to keep the patina that comes with age, then you must use elbow grease and polish the brass. Anyone who has polished brass the old way knows that it’s a hit and miss to find an effective polisher, but one polish to do the trick is right in your kitchen cupboard. Catsup or Ketchup, no matter how you spell it, will clean, brighten, and polish antique brass. Use a soft cloth to apply the ketchup, followed by a damp cloth to remove the residue, and then a dry cloth to buff and remove any remaining liquid. Handy, economical, and eco-friendly, what more could you ask for?

A design focal point in almost any room in recent years has been a large wall clock. Clocks of this size can anchor a room for very little money. MDM found this mission style, 24″ cutout design, with roman numerals in rustic tones, reg. $79.99–not a bad price, but at $29.99, it’s a steal! At JCPenney’s®

But Hurry Time Is Running Out To Get This Steal!

The mark-up for furniture has traditionally been 100%; however, if you don’t need your entire house or apartment done at once, then your best bet is to shop around for deals. It use to be that the seasonal turnovers and bargains were limited to twice a year, February and August. However, in recent years, a number of dedicated furniture stores are enticing customers with zero percent interest rates for a specified time (that keeps increasing adjusting for downturns in the economy), free electronics or furniture accessories such as lamps, etc. These offers usually have a minimum purchase requirement and may not always apply to clearance or warehouse/garage sale items. t’s only a bargain if you can afford it, remember if you miss a payment or carry a balance owed, you may have to pay interest for the entire time you have had the item(s), which can amount to a close-end credit rate of up to a whopping 25% or more.

Having said that however, there are areas in a store that can offer some of the best bargains especially if you are looking for a single furniture piece or accessories. You can get accessories for up to 75% off in the sections of the store marked “Clearance.” These areas are usually found in the back of the store or can be found even on a loading/storage dock area. The store that MDM went to had a “clearance area” that had multiple closeouts especially in mattresses, chairs, rugs, and accessories. A very large red contemporary Rossolo sculpture that would fit well with a modern or Asian decor was originally $199, sale priced $46.00. This piece was purchasedfor MDM’s daughters apartment.

In the Warehouse Sale section, MDM found larger pieces of furniture such as sofas, an armoire, a kitchen island, etc. If the tag in these areas are not at least 50% off, don’t be afraid to ask for a better price. On one piece another $100 was taken off the sale priced. On larger pieces be sure to check to see if there is free delivery, sometimes that is an extra cost, but one MDM feels is always negotiable.

Wal*Mart is taking the lead from Target and going couture for the budget-minded. Fashion designer Norma Kamali in the 1970’s was one of the new designers at the forefront of wearable art with her elaborate appliques, mixed textures, and bejeweled additions to apparel.

Innovations such as the sleeping bag coat and “parachute” clothing, made from real silk parachutes, landed her designs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art along with Diana Vreeland in 1978 as part of their permanent collection. Ms. Kamali has moved the fashion world into the technology age by her use of video in the presentation and promotion of fashion and the video catalog. In recent years she has been overseeing her boutique in Manhattan, and collaborating with EverLast and Spiegel. An accomplished artist in all aspects of design including home interiors, fragrances, and accessories, Ms. Kamali will be bringing her talents to budget-minded Americans that WalMart with its’ mass production and distribution cater to this Fall.

This is a win, win for all bargain hunters looking for quality and elegance at an affordable price. Be sure to make Wal*Mart one of your first shopping stops this Fall especially for Back-To-School!

Whether you inherit vintage linens or they are your personal sale "finds," they not only represent the workmanship of a bygone era, but can be incorporated beautifully within any design concept.  Even those pieces that are not in pristine condition can be rehabilitated and used for unique looks. 

For example, damaged chenille bedspreads are great sources of fabric for slipcovers, lampshades, bedroom and decorative pillows, and more.  Crochet edges can be taken from old, damaged pillow cases and sheets and reused as embellishments on today’s sheets, pillowcases, sheets, and apparel.  The options are boundless for recycling.  Plus, many linens only require treating stains from age.  There are several items you can use for removing yellow age spots on linens. 

A new one found by MDM is from JunkMarket, an online American junk club, is the Star Spangled Sampler & Company  Vintage Textile Soak, for $19.95 sold in set of 2.  This product  helps remove yellow and brown age spots from vintage quilts and textiles of all kinds.

Another one that MDM has used is the delicate OxiClean ®  Baby Stain Soaker, 3.5 lb. tub msrp $9.99,  and new Baby Stain Remover, 22 oz. bottle, msrp $4.99.

As with any products, MDM recommends you first test fabric in an inconspicuous area for color fastness.

Markdown Mom has written about the new LED battery-operated candles that are so great since they offer both "mood" lighting and safety.  Now, you can also save even more $$$ by getting rechargeable LED candles in a range of prices.  One of the more reasonably priced configurations for these candles are made by CanDelight and can be found at Cook-N-Dine.   Get a set of 6 tea light with frosted votives, charger, and adapter for $39.99+sh.

These candles offer 12 hours of light on a single charge and are safe for indoor and outdoor use. Think of the many uses for this ambient light from outdoor parties, a luxurious bath, holiday lighting, or a romantic evening. Sigh-h-h….

There are some hot picks out in the internet wilderness this weekend.  Markdown Mom found these bargains for your view and selection:

Lands’ End is having its’ Overstocks Blowout Sale.  MDM found a limited selection of baby items, such as onesies, reg. $7.50/blowout price $3.99, playsuit reg.$16.50/ blowout price $8.99.  Buys for the entire family, but quantities are limited.

Giaim® has an outlet sale with wonderful organic bed linens among other items.  Here’s one that a terrific green value on celery/natural reversible duvet, fl/qn or king, reg. $79.00-$109, outlet sale $23.99-$32.99.  Also shams reg.$49.00, outlet sale $13.99 and pillowcases.  Check out to be green and save those greenbacks!

Britax is known as a leader in the car seat industry  and has been sited by the Wall  Street Journal for the side impact safety of its infant car seats and strollers.  Rarely discounted, however from February 24-March 2nd, you can save up to 20% off car seats, strollers, and more from Amazon.

Can’t get to the Bazaar in Morocco?  Then be sure to get to the one at Target.  All kinds of exotic items for home décor at fabulous savings, but better hurry!  Target® will end its instore limited edition Global Bazaar home decor today, Feb 18th.  In-store savings of 50% off!  

Can’t get to the store, go online clearance  and  select Global Bazaar.   Imports sale priced from India, South America, and Asia, including ceramics, paintings, pottery, rugs and more!  

 If you have a small entryway or room one way to have extra space as Markdown Mom has suggested previously is to go up.  By installing shelves and wall bookcases, you can get extra storage.  Here are 5 additional tips that  work as design solutions for a small space. 

1. By filling a small space with a lot of art work, you will make it feel larger. 
2. Mirrors.  Additionally, you can increase this visual enlargement with the strategic placement of mirrors including a mirror on mirror. 
3. The choice of paint,  like black or espresso brown–or even a dark red,  can fool the eye making the walls recede and focus a viewer’s attention on the art work or other pieces of interest.
4. Consider the use of a heavy curtain/drape to separate spaces.  Closed, they create a cozy envelope and open, they increase the flow through a house or apartment without taking up space like most doors will except for pocket doors.
5. Pay particular attention to the lighting of a small space.  Sconces provide wonderful ambiant lighting without eating up entry table space.  Markdown Mom even found wireless sconces at Target ® , instore and online, that makes this design element possible even for renters, and without a costly electrical installation bill.