world market kendall velvet sofa review

Happy Monday after Thanksgiving friends! I hope you all had a great time eating lots of yummy food surrounded by loved ones! I basically ate a whole sweet potato pie on my own.....I mean I did share a piece or two, but oh my word was it ever so good! I'll be over here eating salad for the rest of the week. Ha!

Today I'm popping in to share a quick review and then I'm off to exercise (Lord knows I need it!) and to finish decking the halls. I shared our jewel toned Christmas tree on Saturday, and this week I'm planning to decorate the mantel and add a few more little touches of Christmas spirit here and there.

Anyhow, on to the review. Ever since I posted about buying the Kendall Velvet Sofa from World Market on Instagram I have fielded a ton of questions. It seems many of you have considered buying it but were a bit apprehensive. No doubt the reviews on World Market's site are a mixed bag, so I understand completely. I've only had this beauty in my home for about 6 weeks, but since so many of you have asked I'm sharing my thoughts. Maybe my review will help you decide whether the Kendall is the right sofa for you, but hopefully anyone considering a new sofa purchase will find a little insight here to help them make a confident decision.

1. So first of all I bought this sofa online, site unseen, and I don't regret it one single bit. Crazy town right?! I definitely don't advocate for buying a sofa without testing it out first. However, in my situation I knew exactly the look I wanted and the size I needed. I also knew that this wasn't going to be our main sofa. We use the Kendall as a second sofa - a "love seat" to our super comfy, super deep distressed leather sofa we snagged 9 years ago during a huge Restoration Hardware sale, and on top of that this room isn't really our main movie watching room. Yes, we watch The Black List and Homeland in this room, but when we're gathered together as a family for Star Wars marathons or Kentucky Basketball games we're watching the big TV in the upstairs "playroom" where we have a ginormous sectional that is perfect for lounging for hours. SO all that to say, I wasn't concerned all that much with comfortability, but more with the look, the size and the price. I didn't think twice about buying this sofa online without seeing it first (especially when it was on sale) because it fit my criteria perfectly. *When shopping for a sofa make a priority list of what you want. This will help you to narrow things down pretty quickly. *And measure, measure, measure to make absolutely certain the size will work in your room and will fit through any and all doorways to get into your space!

2. Let's talk about price. At $699.99 the Kendall Velvet Sofa is priced very competitively as compared to similar sofas out there. I'd say the price is a direct reflection of the fact that this isn't a super high quality sofa. Personally I'd say the quality of this sofa is probably two steps above Ikea and three steps below Pottery Barn. I'd say the way it's made is probably on par with what you'd find at a Pier 1 Imports. Does that help you all to understand what I'm saying about the quality? It's a great sofa for the price; there's absolutely no doubt about it, but it's priced at $699.99 because it can't compete with the quality of similar sofas that are priced three to four times higher. I'm 100% happy with my purchase because I wasn't expecting to get filet mignon at a ground beef price. For us it's perfect because this isn't a sofa that's going to see a lot of hard usage. My kids are older and my pets aren't allowed on the furniture. And I'm pretty pumped that I was able to snag this beauty at 15% off during a free shipping sale!

3. So how does it sit? Well, it's not the most comfy sofa I've ever sat on that's for sure. That being said, it's not uncomfortable. The two detached cushions are firm not cushy. Is cushy a word? You get what I'm saying right? This isn't a sofa you're going to sink into after a long day, but it's perfect for overflow seating. The velvet is super soft and the great thing is that the cushions are zippered. So you could have an upholsterer make more comfortable cushions.

4. What do I not like about this sofa? I'm not crazy about the way the two seat cushions fit. They don't fit in perfectly snug, so there's a little bit of a gap on the sides where the cushions meet the arms. I plop some throw pillows on, and I'm all good. The sofa comes with the feet detached, so the only assembling you do is to screw all the legs on, which is great. Except that the legs are packed in a zippered pouch on the underside of the sofa, so once they're on you see a little bit of that zippered pouch hanging down just a little bit. I think it's more noticable in my living room right now because I don't have a coffee table yet, but it's definitely something I'm not crazy about. Although my main complaints overall are the way the cushions fit and the firmness of the cushions. But since as I already mentioned I could easily replace the cushions for more comfortable ones later on down the road I''m pretty happy overall.

5. What do I love about this sofa? I'm pretty obsessed with the color. Midnight Blue is what they call the color I got, but this sofa also comes in teal, mushroom and fog. I'd say midnight blue is a fancy way of saying dusty blue. It's a muted shade of blue, not too dark and not too light. It's so lovely paired with our distressed brown leather sofa. And the velvet is so soft and beautiful! I also love the size and the low back. In my space I didn't want anything too tall in front of the windows, which is why I chose to go with a sofa instead of two chairs. I like that the low back doesn't block any of the light coming in to the room. I also like that this sofa is on the smaller side coming in at 77.5 inches wide, so it works well as a love seat in our space and could easily be moved into another room later on down the road. You'd have to measure to be sure but the size would work at the foot of most king sized beds. I also love that the legs screw in place, so if I want to paint them another color or even replace them down the road it would be a really easy project.

So those are my thoughts on the Kendall. In a nutshell I think she's a beauty for the price, but I wouldn't want her to be my main sofa. She's great as a supporting actress or she'd shine brightly in a movie made for Lifetime or the Hallmark channel, i.e. if you have a sitting room or formal living room that doesn't see a ton of usage she'd be perfect. Though I do think if the cushions were replaced for comfier ones that would definitely be a game changer and she just might be an oscar winner at that point. I have no idea why on Earth I've gone cuckoo for movie references but let's just roll with it, okay? Feel free to ask away in the comments section and if you have the Kendall in your home I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!

This is not a sponsored post. Affiliate links were used, but opinions and thoughts are 100% genuine.

Info on the curtain panels found here.

Irish consumers continue to save rather than spend

Lending to Irish households fell again in October, as deposits rose sharply, showing that despite the nascent recovery, Irish consumers are continuing to save, rather than borrow, according to a Central Bank survey.

Lending to consumers fell by 2.5 per cent on an annual basis, as consumers repaid more than they borrowed. During the month, loan repayments exceeded drawdowns by €253 million, as mortgage lending fell by €138 million, down by 2.4 per cent on an annual basis, and loans for other purposes fell by €115 million, down 3 per cent year on year.

While Alan McQuaid, economist with Merrion Capital, noted that an underlying problem is “ as much about the lack of demand for credit as it is about the supply of credit”, he also said “ the real issue is the price of credit”.

“Even with record low Eurozone interest rates, small businesses are reporting that the cost of servicing loans here in Ireland has risen quite sharply, which is unsustainable in the long-run. As a result, individuals and firms are now disposing of assets and clearing their borrowings,” he said.

Deposits rose again during the month, up by €3.9 billion to €178 billion, driven by a sharp growth in household deposits.

These rose by €1.1 billion during the month, marking the largest month-on-month increase in this category since December 2008. Deposits grew by 2.6 per cent, on an annual basis, with consumers opting for overnight deposits over their fixed term alternative, with such deposits falling by €5.3 billion in October.

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An Owl Themed Christmas Tree with At Home!

This post brought to you by At Home. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Lovely Crafty Home.

Ya’ll probably know by now that I love themed Christmas Trees! This year on my visit to At Home I was inspired by some fun ornaments I found.

This year, I’m doing a snowy owl themed tree! I’ll be reusing a lot of ornaments I already have as well (thanks to my love for all things woodland/lodgey) plus my awesome new finds from At Home Christmas Decor. After I put the lights up, I flock the tree (see recipe and method here). The flocking is pretty delicate, so it’s best to wait until you’ve done most of the man-handling of the tree. If you prefer an artificial tree, At Home has some great ones – including pre-flocked ones!! Their Tree for Me lot has over 100 varieties, so flocked or not – you’re pretty much guaranteed to find one you love at a great price.

Once the lights and the flocking were done, I added my cotton ball garland (made last year) and some burlap garland. Can you have too much garland? Methinks not. Then up go the ornaments

I like to see the tree itself, so I don’t overfill with ornaments. Plus, I have cats, so I’d just be asking for trouble. As it is, they pretty much live on the tree skirt all season. It is made of fur, so I guess I can’t blame them

What’s your theme this year? Do you change it every year or keep the same one?

Hoot!

And here are some night time shots!

Cyber Monday Deals (when retail therapy is needed..)

I’m sitting here on my laptop by the cozy lights of our Christmas tree with red eyes and a stack of tissues.  My oldest daughter (11 years old) is heading to 6th grade camp tomorrow.  She will be gone through Friday and aside from leaving her with my parents for quick couple getaways, this is […]

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Favorite Christmas Decor!

{**Click on each picture for sources!  Affiliate links used.} So I’m exhausted!  Had a fun day doing a little Black Friday shopping with the girls!  I only lasted a few hours because I’m recovering from Bronchitis.  Yuck.  Not fun to be coughing non-stop during a holiday!  But I’ve also been able to rest a lot […]

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A Jewel Toned Tree, 12 Bloggers of Christmas with Balsam Hill + a Giveaway

The first Christmas in a new home is such a special one. There really is something magical about holiday decorating that seems to make a house automatically feel like a home. Once I figured out where I wanted to put our Christmas tree I knew exactly how I wanted to decorate it. Christmas is such a fun time to play with colors you don't usually use in your home. This year I decided to give our tree a jewel toned holiday look, and I incorporated some beautiful amethyst colored ornaments, a color I really love but rarely use in my home. I've yet to do much else besides the tree, but I'm loving how cozy just the tree made our living room feel!

plaid dress, black mary janes (similar)

I was so honored to be included in Balsam Hill's 12 bloggers of Christmas, where they invited each of us to deck out one of their beautiful trees and offer some really great prizes and discounts to our readers. I chose the Black Spruce tree with white lights in a 6 1/2 ft height, and I love how realistic the branches look! This is without a doubt the most real looking fake tree I've ever had!

The branches are nice and strong, so they don't droop down when you hang heavy ornaments on them. This Black Spruce tree also boasts two different branch styles which gives it a great full look.

As great as this tree looks I have to admit what I personally love most was how easy it was to assemble. Three pieces that easily connect together with a strong tree stand, and it comes with a pair of light weight gloves to make fluffing the branches simple, hassle free and easy on your hands. I am all about keeping the holiday decorating easy breeze-y!

I used a mix of jewel toned classic looking ornaments mixed with the cream colored giant pom poms I made last year and a few other glittery gold embellishments like the pretty butterflies which are actually napkin rings my momma gifted me years ago. In lieu of a traditional tree skirt I opted to put the tree base in a large cream colored cable knit basket.

plaid dress, black mary janes (similar)

Now that our tree is up, I'm excited to decorate our mantel and the rest of the house!

If you're interested in bringing a Balsam Hill tree into your home this Christmas you can use code 12BOURFIK2015 for $25 off a purchase of $200 or more, expires 1/31/2016. Codes are one-time use per person and can't be combined with other coupons or sales.

Also be sure to enter the Balsam Hill 12 Prize Giveaway (of more than $2000 total!) for your chance to win one of 12 prizes! Prizes include: 10 $100 gift cards, 1 $300 gift card, and 1 $750 gift card specifically toward a Balsam Hill tree of winner's choice. More giveaway details found at Balsam Hill. Good Luck!

And last but not least, for more Christmas tree decor inspiration check out how the 11 other bloggers decked out their Balsam Hill trees! They're all absolutely gorgeous! You won't want to miss a single one. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the tour! Happy Saturday!

Home Stories A to Z, Hunted Interior, Bliss at Home, Refresh Restyle, Just A Girl and Her Blog, Dukes and Duchesses, The Idea Room, Fox Hollow Cottage, Tidbits and Twine, My Creative Days, Domestically Speaking

*Thanks to Balsam Hill for sponsoring this post and including me with this great group of bloggers! As always thoughts and opinions are 100% genuine.

Neil’s gateau splits the opinion of Great Irish Bake Off judges

Last week was international week on the Great Irish Bake Off and while MyHome.ie’s Neil Reid advanced to the next stage, his Black Forest Gateau divided opinion amongst the judges.

Below are his thoughts on the week’s events.

Neil’s Black Forrest Gateau

After a solid third for my Swiss Roll and good feedback for my Chocolate Selection box it was on to International Week. Our task was to bake a cake from a country of our choice. Having spent a good bit of time in Germany and it being my birthday cake of choice it was a no-brainer for me to go with a Black Forrest Gateaux.

I’ve said it before that this is Bake Off so a traditional Black Forrest wasn’t going to cut it. I designed what I thought would be a great modern twist on this 70’s classic. A rich heavy chocolate sponge, white chocolate and Kirsch mouse and a dark chocolate and Kirsch Ganache would give the flavours and contrasting textures I wanted. This was all fine in practice, as my MyHome.ie and Irish Times colleagues will attest to, as it disappeared quite quickly.

I tried to push the boat out on the show but wasted a little time cleaning when I should have been working on that chocolate collar so it was a touch messy in the end. Over all I was happy with what I presented albeit not perfect. That sponge was not dry Ms Higgins… it was exactly as it was supposed to be J. The correct way to get the wooden effect on the chocolate is to use a special wood graining tool which I now own (little bit late now eh?).

It’s tough seeing your cake pulled apart by the judges but there was very little of it left once the rest of us got to it. Between my Black Forrest and my attempt at a Pineapple Upside Down cake it was enough to get me through to week 6 and one step away from a Semi Final place.

It was sad to see another big personality go from the tent this week. I’m sure we’ll bump into Sandra again at her market stall in Sylvesters in Malahide. And to Cathy our overdue (IMHO) Star Baker well done

Here’s my Black Forrest recipe

Black Forest Gateaux

Sponge:

340 grams Unsalted Butter

340 grams Castor Sugar

50 grams Cocoa Powder

285 Self Raising Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

6 Eggs

4 tbsp whole Milk

2 450gr Tins of Dark pitted Cherries in syrup

White Chocolate and Kirsch Mousse:

10g leaf gelatine

300gr white chocolate

500gr cream

3 egg yokes (40gr)

60gr kirsch liquer

10gr castor sugar

125ml whole milk

Kirsch Ganache:

50 gr Unsalted Butter

500gr Dark chocolate (60-70% is fine)

450gr cream

110gr Kirsch

3 gr salt

50 gr liquid glucose

Chocolate Bark:

200gr dark chocolate

100gr milk chocolate

MISC: 1 Vanilla Pods, 250ml cream

Method:

Kirsch Mousse:

Soak Gelatine in cold water

Melt white chocolate in bain marie

Whip cream with kirsch to soft peaks

Whisk yokes and sugar together…. now concentrate…. take a breath

Heat milk in saucepan to 60deg

Slowly pour (While whisking) into the yoke mix

Return to pan and heat to 70deg – DO NOT LEAVE ALONE

Pour the mixture into the chocolate and combine

Fold in the cream and pour into 2 8 inch round tins as evenly as possible.

Sponge:

Mix all ingredients together in mixer bar milk… add at the end

Oven: 180Deg

Grease and Line 4, 8inch round cake tins

Bake for 20-25 mins

Once completely cooled cut and level cakes for assembly

Kirsch Ganche:

Put butter and chocolate to melt in bain maire

Heat cream glucose and kirsch to 85Deg.

Add the heated cream mix to the melted chocolate and leave to cool for 30-45 mins

Chocolate bark:

Pour melted white chocolate onto acetate and scrape into bark

Let set for 15 mins

Pour melted dark chocolate over it and spread with palette knife

Assembly:

1. Start with Sponge Layer – brush Kirsch over it.
2. Place White Chocolate mousse onto it
3. Place 2^nd Sponge Layer on next and brush Kirsch onto it
4. Place set Ganache onto next layer
5. Place 3^rd Sponge layer on next and brush Kirsch onto it
6. Pipe Cream on top layer (Make sure cream is well whipped to hold shape)
7. Place dark cherries on top and place used vanilla pods into each to look like stems
8. Place Chocolate collar around cake and leave to set – Carefully remove acetate.
9. Eat

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My favorite things! (2015)

Happy Thanksgiving friends!  I hope you are all enjoying a relaxing day with loved ones.  I’ve rounded up my favorite things from 2015 to help with Christmas gift giving! Several of these are things I’ve mentioned on my blog before, but there are also a few new things I haven’t shared yet.  These are my […]

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87% success rate at final Allsop Online Auction of the year

The final Allsop Online Auction of 2015 took place on Wednesday with bidding opening at 8am and closing just before 3pm. A success rate of 87% was recorded with 45 out of 52 properties sold at a total sales value of €3,850,000. This represents average sales at 34% over the reserve price.

The total sales across all four Allsop Online Auctions in 2015 amounts to over €23m with 193 properties sold.

The first lot of the day set the tone for the auction with enthusiastic bidding for a two bedroom apartment in Clondalkin which sold after 29 bids for €140,000. Following that, 9 more lots sold one after the other at an average of 34% over the reserve price.

For each auction we have noted an increase in the number of registered bidders and interested parties and this auction proved no exception. We recorded the highest number of registered bidders at 308, a 23% increase on the October auction. The property with the most bids was Lot 17 – a semi-detached three bedroom house in Drogheda which sold for €160,000 after 55 bids from 6 bidders. The property with the most viewers and bidders was Lot 33 – a ground floor two bedroom apartment in Carlow which had 55 registered viewers, 12 bidders and sold for double its reserve at €66,000 following 36 bids.

Almost 80% of the properties for sale at this online auction were vacant, offering great buy-to-let and owner occupier investment opportunities. Perhaps a good indicator of the need for properties, particularly in urban locations, due to the shortage of houses and apartments currently on the rental market.

Property highlights include a second floor two bedroom apartment in Ballinteer which sold for €235,000; and there was exciting bidding for a two bedroom apartment in Douglas which saw 8 bidders compete for over 2.5 hours and after 35 bids the property sold for €170,000; and more frantic bidding took place for an end of terrace three bedroom house in Castletroy which had 6 bidders and sold for €115,000 after 45 bids.

Other properties which proved very popular included two interconnecting industrial units in Rathnew which sold for €205,000 following 13 bids; a detached three bedroom house in Kildare town which sold for €207,000 after 20 bids; and a duplex two bedroom apartment in Lahinch which sold for double its reserve at €83,000 following 27 bids from 7 bidders.

Ellen Prenderville, Online Auctions, Allsop commented: “We are delighted with the success of our fourth online auction, the increase in bidders and the success rate achieved shows the appetite for online buying from investors and home owners alike. The engagement from both local and international investors has continued with the ease of the process enabling bidders to compete with one another no matter where they are based.”

Click here to view the online auction results.

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Over 260 lots to go under the hammer in Allsop’s final auction of 2015

Allsop will hold their final auction of 2015 on Wednesday December 9^th at the RDS in Dublin.

The auction features over 260 commercial and residential properties with total reserves of €45m. Five of the properties for sale are in excess of

€1 million, four of which are commercial properties.

The catalogue is an exciting one with substantial investment opportunities for both commercial and residential buyers. The offering includes many income-producing properties but also a large selection of vacant houses and apartments suitable for owner-occupiers and buy-to-let investors.

Commenting on the catalogue, Robert Hoban, Commercial Director & Auctioneer, said: “As we approach the end of another year, we can look back on an eventful, but encouraging, 12 months for the property market. The new lending rules are in place for residential owner occupiers and are now well established and understood. The commercial investment market has witnessed a continued level of healthy activity.

“The rental market continues to seek a release valve to relieve some of the upward pressure on prices. As more vacant residential properties come to the market, such as in this latest catalogue, demand should be further met by supply. Over 260 properties will feature in our December auction, many of which are suitable for immediate occupation. Additionally, the approaching year-end signals an opportunity for funds to secure investments within the 2015 financial year.”

There are 203 residential properties with reserves totalling €28m and they include multi-unit properties, apartments and houses.

Multi-units properties feature strongly in this auction headlined by a portfolio of 16 townhouses to be offered collectively as one lot in Sligo, reserve range €1.3m-€1.5m.

Other highlights include five Pre-63 houses in Dublin. These include a mid-terrace three storey over basement residential building on Upper Rathmines Road providing nine residential units, reserve range €790k-€870k; two mid-terrace period buildings providing 10 residential units in each property in Glasthule, reserve €740k per property; and two properties on Sherrard Street, one offering 12 residential units, reserve range €650k-€750k and the other with nine residential units, reserve of €575k.

At this auction there are over 120 vacant houses and apartments for sale nationally, many of which are located in urban areas. These properties offer attractive buy-to-let investment opportunities and are particularly timely given the current rental crisis and scarcity of housing in city locations.

So far in 2015, Allsop have sold over 450 vacant houses and apartments.

More than 50 houses and apartments being offered are located in Dublin in attractive locations such as Ballsbridge, South Circular Road, Glasnevin, Shankill and Rathfarnham. Highlights include a mid-terrace four bedroom house in Glasnevin, reserve range €480k-€520k; an end of terrace four bedroom house on South Circular Road, reserve €325k; 2 houses in Foxes Grove, Shankill – a detached three bedroom in Shankill, reserve €300k and a three bed semi-detached house, reserve €280k; and a two bedroom terrace in Rathfarnham, reserve €230k .

The Dublin apartment highlights include three tenanted one bedroom apartments on Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge, all reserved at €225k per apartment; a two bedroom apartment in The Cubes, Sandyford, reserve €250k; and a duplex two bedroom apartment in Castleknock, reserve €210k.

The scenic coastal town of Malahide boasts eight properties at this auction, including a four bedroom semi-detached house in Gainsborough Avenue, reserve €420k-€460k; a three bedroom house, reserve €415k; and 6 apartments including a penthouse three bedroom, reserve €320k, all in the exclusive gated development at Robswall just off the Coast Road.

Another auction highlight includes Ardnavaha House in Ballinascarthy, West Cork – a detached five bedroom period house with a block of 15 apartments and an outdoor swimming pool, reserve €500k.

The commercial catalogue totals 68 commercial assets at reserves of approximately €16m. The catalogue is headlined by the sale of a high yielding multi-unit retail investment at Meakstown Shopping Centre, Finglas, reserve €2m-€2.4m.

Leisure investments also feature prominently and include, 17 Main Street, Swords – let to the well-known Masterson’s Steakhouse, reserve range €1.2m – €1.3m. In Ballincollig, a prominent public house let to ‘Sam’s Bar’ is being offered together with a first floor restaurant and ground floor retail unit, reserve range €950k – €1.050k

In the industrial sector, a regional retail warehouse portfolio, known as “The Texas Portfolio” is being offered in individual lots, including a 1,363 sq. m supermarket situated on Austin Friar Street, Mullingar, reserve range €750k-€850k; and a 3,285 sq. m warehouse in Carlow, reserve range €385k – €465k.

An end of terrace Georgian building on Leeson Street, which was sold at the July auction, is now back on the market with a reserve range of €1.5m-€1.65m.  This property offers office accommodation and a pied-à-terre on the third floor.

For further details visit www.allsop.ie

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Our Christmas Tree

We have a bit of a tree decorating tradition at our house.  For starters we never make it past mid November.  We try.  But the kids and I just get too excited and can’t wait.  So I guess we don’t try too hard.  :)  We all change into our pj’s (usually Christmas pj’s from the […]

The post Our Christmas Tree appeared first on The Sunny Side Up Blog.

living room curtain panels

Finishing up the bookcase painting project really motivated me to keep going in our living room........well that and the fact that we have friends coming to stay with us for Thanksgiving and family coming for Christmas. There really is nothing like having company over to get your booty moving in your home. Am I right?!

I painted the walls last week, and over the weekend I hung curtain panels.

I fell in love with this fabric I stumbled upon at Hobby Lobby. I love the large scale pattern and gorgeous texture. It's so hard to capture the beauty of this fabric in a photograph. The jute applique is just too good for words.

While I've yet to learn how to use a sewing machine, my hot glue gun is still getting the job done quite nicely.......and super quickly I might add. This decorator fabric is a nice heavy weight cotton and totally opaque, so there was no need to line the curtain panels. All I did was measure, cut, fold in and iron the seams. Then I "sew glued" them. Boom. Done. I could have used no sew hemming tape as well, but I've found that hot glue is more effective for a no sew window treatment when you're using a heavier fabric. And it's definitely faster. Plus, just by looking you'd never be able to tell the difference.

With very little effort the curtain panels have made such a huge impact on this space. The room is still quite a ways from the finish line, but the curtain panels are one of those details that has really pushed this room forward. Slowly but surely this room is coming together.....................................one step at a time. A snail's pace is better than no pace right? That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

Government’s property tax freeze may be illegal, insist accountants

A Government plan to freeze the property tax may not be legal.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan suggested last month the rate could be fixed at 2013 levels until the year 2019.

But according to yesterday’s Irish Examiner, accountants believe the move could face a legal challenge similar to that mounted in the 1980s over the old property tax.

Director of Chartered Accountants Ireland Brian Keegan said using property valuations from May 2013 for the next four years will cause problems when house prices go up.

He also warned that we could see homes marketed as pre-2013 to keep down tax payments.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan signalled last month that property valuations from May 2013 will be used for an extended period to calculate annual property tax bills, before being replaced by a new property tax in 2019, at the earliest.

But Mr Keegan said all sorts of anomalies will likely arise, including new housing developments attracting higher tax valuations than neighbouring long-established properties.

Such anomalies raise the risk of a homeowner mounting a constitutional challenge, he said.

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Deadline for Local Property Tax payments approaching

The pay and file season for Local Property Tax 2016 will start soon.

The key date upon which an individual’s liability for property tax is determined has already passed, being November 1.

If you owned a residential property at that date, and do not qualify for one of the exemptions available, then you will have already become liable for the charge.

Where a person wishes to take a phased payment option such as direct debit; deduction at source from your salary or pension; or regular cash payments through a payment service provider (An Post, Payzone, Paypoint etc), you need to tell the Revenue Commissioners by this Wednesday (November 25).

If you are paying in full with a single payment by debit/credit card or cheque, payment must be made by January 7, 2016, at the latest.

If you are paying by single direct debit, Revenue must also be informed by January 7, 2016; in that case Revenue will allow the maximum delay, taking payment on March 21 , 2016.

For those persons who have previously opted to pay LPT by direct debit or deduction from pay/pension or social welfare payment, Revenue will not be writing to these property owners, nor is there a requirement for these property owners to contact Revenue, because their existing payment method will automatically roll over for 2016.

Among the more common exemptions from LPT is in the case of new and previously unused residential properties purchased from a builder or a property developer between 01/01/2013 and 31/10/2016.

An exemption is also available in the case of principal private residences bought in the year 2013, as well as houses located in so-called “ghost estates” which have been specifically identified by the relevant local authority.

Despite the initial protest campaign, the LPT system has been hugely successful, even by Revenue’s own high standards, with a state compliance rate of 97% for 2013, 2014 and 2015, with receipts in 2014 of €497 million, derived from 1.85 million properties.

Undoubtedly, the success of the scheme relates to the wide range of payment options, but also to Revenue’s efficient administration of the tax.

Co Laois had the highest rate of compliance for 2015, at 99.8%, whilst Donegal had the lowest level of compliance, still an impressive 91.3%.

Although the compliance rates are consistently high from year to year, it seems that the compliance is becoming more of a forced affair over recent years.

Mandatory deduction at source for LPT has been increasing steadily, applying to 31,600 properties for the 2013 LPT, rising to 52,300 properties for the 2014 LPT, and higher still at 65,000 for the 2015 LPT.

For farmers, Revenue can facilitate the deduction of the tax from a farmer’s Single Payment Scheme, their Area Based Payment for Disadvantaged Areas, agri-environment payments such as REPS, AEOS, and in certain cases from a farmer’s afforestation scheme premia.

Persons can also choose to have the LPT taken from their wages, private pension or social welfare payments.

Taxpayer looking to newly avail of this option should contact Revenue’s LPT helpline at 1890-200255.

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simple holiday decorating with candles & a giveaway

I light a scented candle or two every night around the holidays. I just love the ambiance they create in a home not to mention how great they smell. There is just something about a candle burning while you're snuggled up with your family on the sofa that screams, "It's Christmas!". While I've yet to bust out all of my holiday decor, a simple poinsettia and a single jar candle on the side table in my living room is already making my home feel cozy for the season.

As much as I love candles, especially jar candles that you don't have to worry about wax drippings, I don't love paying a high price for them. But I'm also really picky about any labeling on a jar candle. I want my candles to smell great, but I also want them to blend in with my home decor rather than sticking out like a soar thumb. I discovered my perfect candle trifecta one day while shopping at none other than…..the grocery store. What sold me on Air Wick candles is that the labels are "easy peel". There is absolutely no sticky residue that takes hours to remove. The labels peel off the front and back effortlessly. So that all I'm left with is a great smelling candle that blends in seamlessly with my decor and didn't cost me a small fortune.

Lately I've been really partial to the Spiced Apple Crumble fragrance as it makes my house smell like I've been playing Betty Crocker in the kitchen, and that's never a bad thing in my opinion. However, the green one, Emerald Woodland is perfect for this fake tree girl as it brings in a nice winter greenery aroma.

I wasn't kidding about the easy peeling. It's like magic, and I just had to show you. ;)

Thanks to the generous folks at Air Wick one of you lucky winners will be bringing home some yummy holiday fragrances to your own home. As they are offering to give away not one, but two, of both of their holiday fragrances. One winner will receive 2 Spiced Apple Crumble and 2 Emerald Woodland scented jar candles. To enter this giveaway just leave a comment letting me how you like to incorporate candles in your holiday decorating. This giveaway will be open until Friday. Good Luck!

Here's to having homes that smell like holiday spirit!

*This post was sponsored by Air Wick, but as always, thoughts and opinions are 100% genuine.

Organized Coffee Cabinet

Happy Thanksgiving Week! I just returned home from a week away and I feel like I am being thrown full force into the hustle that is hosting Thanksgiving dinner and then prepping for Christmas activities.

While my first priority at this point in the game would be to start planning our turkey menu and prepping our guest room, I happened to open my favorite and most used cabinet in the kitchen and let out a huge gasp...

If the image above was what I had seen in that moment, I would have been dancing in delight. The before was more like this....

Please tell me you still love me.

The photo above was taken with my cell phone to begin the planning process. This is something I started to do recently and I have found it to be quite helpful. I study the photo and I think about what I can do without, how I want the space to ultimately function, plan out storage ideas and item placement. I also take the photo with me while shopping for any storage items I may need and use a nearby notebook or the notepad on my phone to keep track of any measurements and ideas.

We have been slowing organizing our kitchen, one cabinet and drawer at a time. This has allowed me to really reduce the number of items we need and think about how we utilize our kitchen on a daily basis. So far we have purged quite a bit during our cabinet clean-outs, and there were also quite a few items on the chopping block in this cabinet as well. I also had a couple of things that were waiting to be added to this cabinet, so it was really necessary to let some things go to make room for a the new pieces.

Living in a location that is cold 50% of the year (and knowing that I feel cold 100% of the year), means that we find ourselves drinking a lot of coffee, cocoa and tea (morning, noon and night). We also eat a lot of soup and warm cereal. Because we love hot beverages and meals, my coffee mug collection tends to keep biggering and biggering and biggering. I have to learn to "just say no" to this addiction... and this clean out was a huge wake-up call to just how many mugs I had acquired over the past few years (there were a few more in a nearby cabinet as well - yikes). And not only do we enjoy drinking a variety of warm drinks, we also love to serve up a fancy coffee or cocoa to our guests as well. It was definitely time to figure this cabinet out, and before hosting our family this week.

My first step was to remove everything, wipe down the shelves and sort through the mess. I moved all of the water bottles to the lunch cabinet and the individual drawers in our coat closet. I held a small farewell party for the darling coffee mugs that didn't make the final cut, and finally found a home for those random cinnamon sticks.

When I traveled to NYC back in September, I fell in love with some over-sized, handmade mugs. They were painted and full of character and best of all, could act as soup bowls, oatmeal bowls or hot beverage mugs. I purchased six so that we had enough for our entire family to use at once, and they were the first item on my list to figure out how to store. I went to our utility room and found some large cup hooks which we were able to screw into the bottom side of a shelf after a little measuring and pre-drilling action.

The hooks allow me to easily grab from any of the mugs without them being piled on top of one another. Because stacking the mugs can also create a cracking/breaking risk, these hooks were the perfect solution for my favorite NYC souvenir.

Because I look at this cabinet multiple times per day, including first thing in the morning, I really wanted it to be special. However, I didn't want to do anything permanent, so I found some thin mat board (courtesy of my photography supply stash) which I painted a deep navy color.

Our shelves push quite tight to the back of the cabinet, so I sliced each piece of the mat down to size and popped them in-between the shelves.

Now it was ready for all of the goodies, I just love the contrast of the deep navy and white:

We already had some of these canisters from Target to hold ground coffee beans, chocolate chips, whole coffee beans, and a variety of cocoa, you just couldn't see them before behind the cluttered piles. They stack nice and neat and now it is much easier to see the contents. The creamer and sugar pot are on a tray that can easily be brought to the dining table or my desk.

This shelf also holds our milk frother, travel mugs and special syrup.

At the moment, the only machine we utilize is a Nespresso. I love espresso drinks, however, I don't love the daily cost so we have made the switch to French pressed coffee for our morning brew. The middle shelf holds both of our French presses (one was being used while photographing this post) and our bean grinder. The large mugs hang right within reach for daily use.

The top shelf holds the remainder of my smaller mugs, which work best for tea. The covered tin stores our tea while the shelf riser offers a place for our kettle to live right where it belongs. It also created a place for me to keep a few of my favorite mugs for iced coffee.

Down below I added a small tray (made using the same method as I did for our remote caddy) to provide a bit of height and to corral the remainder of our coffee station items. The canister holds my Nespresso pods while the glass holds my coffee spoons. The vase of flowers discretely hides the machine cord.

I am guessing not everyone utilizes an entire cabinet for warm meals and beverages, but this is probably the "hottest" cabinet in our kitchen. And it feels so good to have such a dynamic before and after with just some de-cluttering and purging, a little paint and some smart storage.

Now we are ready to host our Thanksgiving guests! Oh yeah... I still have that menu to create and shop for, and the guest room to clean... #priorities Anyone else doing any last minute organizing before guests arrive?

Only a couple more cabinets and drawers to go and our kitchen will be in tip-top organized shape. You can catch up on all of our completed kitchen organization below:

Organized Pantry	"Essential" Drawer	Under the Kitchen Sink
DIY Drawer Dividers	Spice Cabinet	Organized Corner Cabinet