Using What You Have

Recently, I have been helping out some friends as they redo/remodel their home. The end results of just what they have planned are incredible! They painted their walls and their cabinets and added laminate floors and already their house is a different place! They asked me to come over and give them so advice and help put things up. Here are just a couple of the things that I did with what they had and not having to buy anything to do it. Our shopping trips will come up in a later blog :).

Drapes: They already had chocolate brown panels that were in really good condition, so I didn't see any need to buy more. However, they needed a splash of color. I had this really pretty green table cloth that I had traded for at my Bible study's last accessory swap, so I brought this over. With the help of some pins and precarious balancing on a gatorade cooler, I managed to turn the table cloth into a swag that covered the curtain rod and united the two pannels and the living room automatically had a pop of color.

Lamps: Lighting is always an issue in any home, and in my friends' bedroom, this was no exception. They had two bedside lamps that really were just two small and not very helpful for reading in bed or overall lighting. With good bedside lamps that have a little weight to them costing close to fifty dollars (unless you're really luck and find some in a thrift store that aren't from the 70's and still work), it seemed silly for my friends to buy new ones after having paid for the floors and especially since the lamps still worked. So, I took several nice looking books (leather or cloth bound) and made a neat stack on each end table and placed the lamps on top of the stack, automatically giving some height to the lamps and a little more weight to the end tables. This especially worked because the look also references my friends' love for reading.

Accessories: Sometimes it feels like you need new accessories to dress up your home, when really all it takes is just moving them from room to room. This was the case with my friends' home. They have some great accessories from travels and family members that they really had only one safe place for (with a three year old and a 7 month old, you get the picture) before they redid their home. However, with the clearing of the bookshelf in their room and the addition of an armoire to their room, they automatically had more safe places for their items. I simply moved some of their items that matched their bedroom to their room and arranged them on top and automatically, they items felt new and the room felt different.

Creative Plant Containers

This past weekend we finally got to work out in our yard and clean up and plant some. I love working outside and seeing the end result of my work! It's funny, but I always feel like I haven't done enough when I'm finished, and then I realize that I have already spend most of the day outside! I guess time really does fly when you're having fun! Anyways, I like to use your normal every day pots for my plants, but I also love to find unique ways to create pretty container gardens. For example, on my front porch I have this HUGE container that is stonewear that I plant an assortment of flowers and herbs in. That is my normal, run-in the mill container. But, behind it is my favorite part. Southern Living at Home has this gorgeous

Entertaining Stand and Bucket and it is meant for using at parties to serve drinks in (you get the idea; see below for a picture). Well, I love it with a fern in it! So, behind my run-in the mill container, I have this gorgeous stand with a fern in it and it creates the perfect entrance to my home. Talk about getting my money's worth out of this stand. Now I can use it for entertaining (I have another bucket that I bought on sale) or use it for decorating outside. I love double duty items!

Another fun and possibly free idea for your plants. If you have some fun, mismatched bowls that you love and you are not ready to get rid of, but really don't use, use them as mini-planters! I have a couple plants in some bowls from some old dishes we had and I love how the plants look in them. You can also use old mugs or even clear vases. This looks really cool because you can see the dirt and roots contained behind the glass and Ikea has vases for as cheap as $1.99. Have fun! Next blog will be about creative decorating for outdoors!

Easy Valentines Decorations

Ok, so it has been a while!!!! What can I say, I've been busy!!! Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays, and not because of the mushy, gushy reasons! I love it because I grew up in a well decorated house and my mom always made Valentines Day a beautiful, girlly day. To be honest, I often forgot about the having a "special someone" part of it. I just loved the colors and frills of Valentines day! I love the reds, pinks, whites, blacks, and purples, found in flowers, table settings, cards, and food! I just love it all! Of course, now that I have a special someone, it makes it even more meaningful to me! Here are just a couple of ideas that I have for Valentines Day, some that I have tried, and some that I have seen.



A Simple Smell Good Idea:

Love Coffee (or at least the smell of coffee)? Fill up a jar or hurricane with coffee beans (go ahead and splurge and pick your favorite smelling ones!) and add a candle in red or pink. You have an instant easy centerpiece that isn't overly mushy and smells good all the time! I leave mine out year long. And I just love the look of the dark brown beans with a nice shade of red or pink.



A Simple Pretty Idea:

I love flowers, but I cannot rationalize always paying for them. I love the recent look of flowers added to water. So, instead of buying a fresh bouquet (which you can always do, but the flowers don't last as long) buy a simple bunch of fake flowers from your local craft store. Pick just one color (monochromatic looks really good for this) in a shade of pink, red, or white. I picked out carnations that look kind of like peonies. Fill up a hurricane or vase (I have a tulip shaped one) with water and then take the flower heads off of the stems and dunk them down in the water. It really does look like real flowers! Now you have a simple flower arrangement that doesn't take a lot or cost a lot.




A Crafty Idea:


I saw this in Good Housekeeping and loved it!

Buy some simple white pillar candles and some colored (red or pink for Valentines) beeswax (find it in a local craft store). Cut out hearts or letters in the beeswax and press onto the candles. Use different heights of candles and spell out words like "I Love You" or Be Mine" with them Candles. Arrange them on a plate and you have an instant Valentines Day candle garden. Have fun!

A couple of other ideas:

Now if you really want to go all out Valentines Day, try some or all of these ideas:

• Put a red table cloth on the table
• Add a pretty runner in a sparkly color (mine's gold)
• Add glass heart shaped votive holders (I found some at Target in their dollar section)
  
• Add sequin hearts in red or pink
• Add candy hearts

The last two ideas are more whimsical, which is one of the things I LOVE about Valentines Day, but don't feel like you have to do the more whimsical unless you really want to. Just pick the ideas you like and have fun! That's the fun thing about Valentines Day....it is a day meant to be fun and share your love with the people around you.

Happy Valentines Day!

Attractive Container Gardens

I had a lot of projects this weekend. One was to paint my newly acquired baker's rack (at a yard sale for $8) with outdoor paint. The reason is I want to creative an attractive herb and vegetable garden. I like to have fresh herbs and vegetables, but I really don't feel like dealing with the yard work that would be involved (I prefer to just deal with flowers and bushes in beds). So, I have made it a goal to set up an herb and vegetable container garden. But, ever wanting to have an attractive home, I wanted an attractive spot for these plantings. So, I found a baker's rack (similar to the one pictured) at a yard sale for $8 (the guy was asking $10, so I asked if he would take a lower price. Just an example that it never hurts to ask for lower!). But, two of the shelves were wood and over all it wasn't ready to be put outside and exposed to the elements. So, I bought a can of Rustoleum black textured spray paint (to give the appearance of black wrought iron) and a pint of black outdoor paint for the shelves. I sanded down the shelves to give them a little texture and provide a surface for the paint to stick to. I then painted the baker's rack (note: it took the entire can I bought and half of a can that I had had from a previous project) and painted the shelves. It took two coats for the shelves.

So, now I have an attractive place on my deck for my future container plantings. I just have to go buy some attractive pots and plants! You can also use the various hooks on the rack for tools and necessities for the yard. This is a simple project for little buck but big attractive bang, especially if you would like to grow your own plants and are tired of paying outrageous prices for herbs and vegetables. This is an easy way to keep your outdoors attractive but practical!

Southern Living At Home...Wonderful Products

So, I am super excited about some news! I am going to be a Southern Living at Home consultant! I am so excited about all of these beautiful products that are both beautiful and functional! There are so many wonderful items in it and you can always get them for great deals! For example, the customer special for this month included a beautiful glass tray that you could buy for $20 with a $30 purchase of another equally beautiful product. Southern Living at Home also sells gorgeous hurricanes in different sizes and shapes that can be used for holding candles, decorative balls, flowers, etc. A great idea I learned today was to take coffee beans and put them in a glass container with a candle and use it for decoration! So, if you are in the triad area of North Carolina, send me a message and I can set you up with a great party and the opportunity for free, wonderful products!

Baskets!

I love baskets! They are so useful and are great for storage and still attractive! I have baskets all over my house and I use them for multiple purposes. Maybe one of these will solve your home organization problem.
Basket #1: This basket is in my living room and is a low basket with a handle. I keep our dog's, Lola, toys in this basket. She is able to get all of her toys out easily on her own, but it also relegates her toys into one spot and she knows where to go to get them. Attractive and useful.
Basket #2 and 3: These are both in my living room as well. One is a wire basket (from Southern Living at Home) and I keep nice magazines and a photo album in this one for display. The other is buy our love seat and just holds regular magazines. Again, an attractive solution when you have several magazines or books in a room that you want in one spot.
Basket #4: This one is also in the living room, but is a tall narrow basket and I keep this one buy the piano and hold my piano books in it. They look attractive in there and it keeps all of them in one spot for me.
Basket #5: This was in my bedroom. It actually has some sentimental value because we bought it on one of our trips. This basket holds yarn that I am using to make a blanket, but the yarn balls are in the color of our bedroom. You could use a nice basket to hold colorful, decorative balls or balls of yarn.
Basket #6: This is actually in my pantry and holds baking goods. It's attractive and keeps all of those loose items in one spot and in easy reach for me. It also looks good!
Basket #7: This one is in our master bath, which is on the smaller side and short on storage. The basket is circular and we keep our bath towels rolled up and in it. They look good and attractive in that and they are in easy reach!
Basket #8: This one is in our bedroom and it is by my husband's dresser and side of the bed. I put it there to give him a spot to keep extra magazines and books that he hasn't finished with, providing him with one place to keep it all, rather than scattering them all over the room.

I haven't done this because I don't have a place for it, but I have also seen people use large baskets for their shoes by the front door, which is a great spot when you have little ones!

Hope this gave you a few easy and attractive ideas for storage for your own home!

Re-purposing Household Items

I love to take items from around my home and see how many different ways that I can use them. The picture above is from our first apartment and if you notice the candle garden on the left, the base is actually a bamboo plate that I found on sale at Kohl's. I then bought sand and put the candles on it. That bathroom was a beach theme and this look worked and came out very inexpensive. Currently, I have that plate and the candles with river rocks arranged on it.
Another item that can be used for more than just its purpose is a mirror. I love mirrors because they reflect light and add an interesting element to a room. I like to prop them on shelves at different levels, behind lamps, candles, etc. I also love to use a good mirror as a tray for decoration or for food service. It makes for an interesting display, especially if you have a group of collectibles that you would like to display but they look cluttered on their own. Display them on a mirror and it automatically unifies it.
Another great item to re-purpose is a wall sconce. I love to use these for their original design, but if I have a pretty or unique one, I also like to use them for decoration in a unique way. For example, I was given a pair of "Sassy" wall sconces (Southern Living at Home) for birthday one year. I am using one as a shelf for a display in my kitchen, but I have the other one turned over on its flat side and I am using it for sheer decoration. As a side note, if you are not familiar with Southern Living at Home, their items are great for using for multiple purposes. Check out my consultant's site if you would like to see more and tell her you read about it on here. The site is www.southernlivingathome.com/amiep. You will love what you see.
Anyways, another item that is great for multiple purposes is a glass hurricane. Normally, these are used for candles, but you can put fruit in them, stones, sea shells, arrange beads around them, or even include a small vase with flowers inside it! I have even seen these used as decorative extra toilet paper roll holders.
One more item that I love to use for different purposes is decorative cups and vases. I like to use cups (typically glass or ceramic) that have an interesting pattern or shape for holding pens, make up brushes, toothbrushes, my husband's razor, or tubes of beauty supplies. I recently found a bathroom glass that had some chips on it at TJ Maxx that had a pattern that matched my bathroom for around 50 cents. I bought it and it is currently holding my makeup brushes and eyeliners.
So, look around your house and get creative and see what you have that could be used for different purposes and even save you money from having to go out and buy something!

Ikea, the perfect place for INEXPENSIVE and NEW furniture!

Jeff and I went to the Ikea store in Charlotte on Tuesday and it was the most fun I have ever had in a furniture store! If you have an Ikea within driving distance of you, you have to go! It's like a theme park for designers/decorators. And the best part, they are reasonably priced! If you are looking for new furniture but still don't want to spend a lot of money, this is the place to go. When you go in, you start off with getting a "shopping list"and head up stairs. The shopping list is a piece of paper that you write down the things you like on it as you go through their show room, which is arranged as living spaces. On a side note, one really neat thing was that they had different full houses set up with square footage listed, so you would walk through these and see a bedroom, bathroom, living space, and kitchen and how you can shop for your space. Very cool. Anyways, so you walk through and everything is priced and on the ticket is listed where you will find the item on the warehouse floor and if there are different locations to create the look that they have made. The way they are able to sell their products for such a great price is that you do the shopping by yourself, you get the pieces that you like, and you have to put them together when you get home, even your couch! They come in fairly flat boxes and you assemble it all, from pictures and frames to beds and TV cabinets. I loved it and had so much fun going through the showroom and warehouse. The showroom is upstairs and the warehouse is downstairs. The cool thing to is that you aren't limited. If you find a print that you like, you don't have to put it in the frame that they had it in, you can choose your own!
Another really neat thing about Ikea is that they carry everything, not just furniture. You can buy kitchen and bath cabinets, you can buy counters, you can buy appliances, you can even buy the kitchen sink! And all for very reasonable prices. I also liked how they had people available to help you out, but they weren't hanging over you every where you went.
Overall, this was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to go back. I have my eye on a very nice china cabinet that I just need to make sure will fit and work for me. Check them out online if you don't have one nearby at www.ikea.com. You can design your rooms, design your new kitchen, and shop for what you want online. Enjoy!

Refacing/Updating

I know it has been a few days. I have been doing many creative things around my home and coming up with new ideas. Today, I'm talking about how to update and reface different pieces in your home to give your room a mini "face lift" and change up your environment in simple ways.
First of all, a mirror and sconces. If you look in the picture above at the mirror and sconces above the couch, they were not matching when we bought them. The mirror I bought at a yard sale for $5. If was originally silver. The sconces were black and gold (they were my mom's that she didn't want anymore). I taped the mirror part with painting tape and plastic to protect the mirror and spray painted the mirror and sconces completely black (spray paint $3). Then I took a cheap 1/2 inch paint brush ($2) and a small can of cranberry red paint ($3). I dipped the brush in the paint and then blotted it on some paper towels and then "dry brushed" the paint onto the sconces and mirror in quick strokes (not trying to cover every part, just high lighting parts). Then, after each stroke, I took a paper towel and wiped the paint off, leaving just a hint of the red on the paint. Then I allowed them to dry and hung them over our couch. Walahh! Three pieces that were bought at different points and not made to go together now look custom and made for each other!



One more idea for the day. If you have a night stand that is kind of boring or doesn't seem to flow with the rest of your furniture, a great way to update it inexpensively is to, you guessed it, paint it! I prefer black because it is versatile and has a high end feel. That and I think every room needs a little bit of black in it. When Jeff and I got married, he had an unfinished night stand that for the first year we lived with the natural wood. But, when we moved again, Jeff painted it black and it automatically looks updated and stylish with our black and white and red bedroom. All it took was some sandpaper to rough up the wood, a can of black paint ($5), and a paint brush ($3), and we have a new piece of furniture without breaking the bank. If you have an afternoon and some time to spare your night stand, or other piece of furniture, this is a great way to update your furniture.

Curtains, Curtains, Curtains

Sometimes, curtains can be the most problematic part of designing your room and house. You want something that is functional, but, if you're like me, you also want it to flow with the design of a room. Today, I'm going to share some tips and tricks that I have used in designing curtains for my rooms.
First of all, I HATE sewing!!! My mom is really good at it and has made some incredibly beautiful window hangings in the past. But, I'm just not good at it, so I want to be able to make beautiful window hangings without sewing. The above picture is of the bay window in our bedroom. I did not sew any of that!!!! Here's what I did (it's really simple and inexpensive!). I checked the clearance section of cloth material at Wal-Mart in the craft section. I found this beautiful black sheer fabric for only a $1 a yard. I don't recall exactly how many yards it was, but I believe it was around 15. So, about $15. Then, I bought some inexpensive cafe rods, which can be found in the window hangings sections of any store that carries window hangings. They were $3 for the smaller ones and $5 for the big one. Then, with the help of my very gifted mother (warning, this does take two sets of hands), I steamed the material and we hung it up in the way that you see in the picture, swagging it over the now hung cafe rods. Tadaa! We used pins to pin folds in place and help anchor the sheer material to the wall. At the bottom of the material, we tied large knots to give it the ballooning effect. Very simple, and with a little ingenuity, very inexpensive ($23).


Now, sometimes, you will find exactly what you are looking for in already made curtains that you just have to piece together and hang. You will have to pay a little bit more, but it could save you time and stress. Great places to check are Wal-Mart (who just started carrying Better Homes and Gardens products), Target (if you're willing to spend a little extra for some quality), or Bed, Bath and Beyond (use their 20% off coupon!). The ones in the above picture are in my kitchen and were exactly what I had been searching for. I found these at Wal-Mart (they're from the Better Homes and Garden collection). I had to buy the three pieces and then I bought $1.88 curtain rods and hung them as you see in the picture. I used some ribbon that I had to tie the two outside ones as you see to give them a little bit more interest. These are a great option for those of you who are willing to spend a little bit extra and want something simple. It took me about 5 minutes to get them hung. If you want to find a good deal, check the endcaps at Target and the clearance sections at Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and you may just find what you were looking for for a lower price! In fact, if you notice the table cloth in the picture, that was a curtain that I found on clearance at Target! I didn't have anywhere to hang it when we moved to our house and I just loved the design of it and it works as our kitchen table cloth! So, don't let the intended purpose of a curtain limit you from using it in a different way! Just be creative.


Which leads me to my last curtain idea for you. This I saw in a Southern Living magazine. Sometimes you are going to have the oddly shaped window that you would have to pay a designer to make curtains for you. The one over my sink is like that. It's too small for any of the premade curtains in stores, but it looks over my neighbor's yard and I wanted a little privacy. So, I bought a very inexpensive wooden cafe rod ($1.88), white linen napkins that were on sale ($4 total), and curtain rings with clips on them ($3.88). I then hung the rod about half way up the window, clipped the napkins to the curtain rings, hung the rings on the rod, and hung the rod up! Max time :$5 minutes. Max money: $10. Much better than paying a designer. And, the fun part is, I can change the napkins out for different colors if I want to.

That's it for curtains for today. If you have any ideas that you would like to share, I still have more windows that need curtains. Please feel free to post it on here!

Buying New Inexpensively

So sometimes you can't find what you want for your home in a thrift store or a yard sale. Here's how I have managed to furnish my home with new items without breaking the bank. The rug in the above picture is from Sam's Club and is a wool 8 by 10 area rug. Brand new it is $300. Try rationalizing to my husband to spend $300 on something you're going to walk on! Anyways, I found this rug in Sam's in their clearance section. The problem? It was a display piece and had "dirt" on it. I've yet to find the dirt! The price? $150!!!! If you know about wool rugs, you know that that is a deal. So my suggestion for big pieces like this that you've fallen in love with in stores, ask the store manager when that piece in the display will be placed on sale and if they could give you a call when it is available.
Another of my favorite stores is Target. I love their decorating/design pieces, but usually, I don't want to pay the price. I've made it a habit to check the ends of the aisles (called "endcaps") at the beginning of each week for items that I have seen on display. I will usually find them for a fraction of the price! The picture below is of a fake twig and berry decoration that I found at Target on an end cap that was originally $25 and I paid $7 for it! I've found other great items like this for fractions of the price!
Other great stores to check is Ross's or TJ Maxx or Homegoods. All of these carry high quality goods for a fraction of the price!

So, my suggestion to you is that if you have seen items in stores that you love and you are willing to wait for, wait until they go on sale, ask the management when they will be on sale, and check back each week. You'll find great deals on brand new items without having to break the bank.

Coming soon, our inexpensive bathroom makeover that brightened it up and made a small bath look bigger!

Creating a Stylish Information Center

The above picture is what I did with a few of my glass vases as mentioned in yesterday's blog. I arranged them on an inexpensive mirror ($5 at an antique store) with some hankies and a little silver box.




So, today's blog is just continuing ideas from around my house and this one is about how to create a convenient phone/information center that is attractive and useful. First of all, let's start with a place. Mine is in my kitchen, which is where the line for the phone is fed. It's most convenient there anyways. My suggestion is to place yours where your phone/charger/answering machine/etc. are located. The piece of furniture that I used was actually my old desk from growing up. This desk was bought at an unfinished furniture store and was painted white. By the way, unfinished furniture stores are a great place to buy wood pieces to then either paint or stain yourself, especially if you have the time to do it. Then you get to design your furniture and you're not paying someone else to do what you could have done yourself. You can also find very inexpensive desks at yard sales and thrift stores. Back to the information center. Inside the desk is where I keep my calendar, Bible, notebooks, sticky notes, loose change, basically anything that you need to grab heading out the door, writing down important dates, or taking a phone call. Now, my desk also works double duty as my table linen storage. On top of the desk is my phone and answering machine. The red holder next to it is where I keep coupons and menus from local stores and restaurants. Again, all convenient to reach as needed. I also have a cup with pens, pencils, and scissors easily reachable at a moment's notice. The notice board above is an easy do it yourself project. All you need is an empty frame (you can find these for really cheap at thrift stores or yard sales, 50 cents to $5), cork board sheets (this can be bought at any craft store for around $5-$6), some ribbon (again, check a craft section in your local store), wood glue or hot glue gun, and push pins (mine match the ribbon on my board). Cut the cork board sheet to fit a little bit bigger than the inside of your frame and put glue along the backside of the frame and fit the cork onto the glue. After this has dried, cut the ribbon to fit in diagonal strips across the board and lay it criss-crossing on the cork board (important, make sure the ribbon goes all the way to the frame on both ends. Use the push pins (I used flat headed push pins for this part) to hold the ribbon in place where the ribbon touches the frame and anywhere the ribbon criss-crosses. Then, cut the ribbon in strips long enough to border the inside of the frame and use the pushpins to secure the ribbon around the border. Tadah! You know have your own stylish cork board to place important business cards, invitations, and phone numbers and all for about $10-$20 depending on what you had already). Simply hang it above your information desk. Hope this helps you establish your own convenient place for all of your important contact and calendar information. Feel free to let me know of your own ideas or of any questions!

Second Hand Furniture and Paint

So, this is my first post. I'm excited about this because I want to share my ideas about decorating my home and hopefully get some new ideas from others! My husband and I are both teachers, so money for decorating and furniture is always tight. Thankfully, I grew up in a home where my mom was always changing things in her home and changing them frugally (the key word!). Some of the secrets I learned from her was Goodwill and paint. Let me explain. When you go to Goodwill, it can be a bit overwhelming. There is so much to look at, especially if it is a Goodwill that has received great donations. So, when I go to a Goodwill, I have a pattern. First, I look at shoes (I'm a shoe addict, but more on that another time), then I go to housewares. This is the fun part when you are decorating. I always find something new for my home. The trick is to look at it with an open mind. That chair that is covered in the wrong material can easily be recovered by you with the right material, a little glue, and a staple gun. Or the chair that is in the wrong color can easily be changed to the right color with a can of inexpensive paint or spray paint from Wal-Mart, or even Home Depot, who are now selling wall paint samples in small cans for $3.88. You just have to choose what color! Two of the pieces in my living room (see picture for love seat and rocker on either side of fire place) now are wicker that my mom had bought a long time ago and painted brown. Basically, you buy a $5 chair from Goodwill and a $4 can of paint and you have a new piece of furniture for less than $10! It just takes a little vision and know how.
If you want to start smaller and you're unsure of painting furniture yet, a great idea that I took from Good Housekeeping was to take those clear vases that you have probably collected over the years (or you can buy them anywhere from 50 cents to $5 at your local thrift store) and paint them! I did this recently with flat, white, enamel spray paint and have a new, fun decoration made with mainly vases that I had been given over the years. It cost me less than $10 ( I bought a few more vases with interesting shapes) and now I have a brand new set of vases that have created an interesting decor in my guest room. Hope this helps to open up some new doors for decorating in your home!!!! I love paint and changing a piece of furniture in this fun and inexpensive way!