Frugal Home Designs

Let There Be White

2011-11-22T10:22:00.001-08:00

The kitchen cabinets are all but done. I might do one more light coat. I still haven’t decided.

Let’s look at the before…

A LOT of orange wood. Let’s look at the after…

Much Better! A weird fact. I was looking through old pictures to find the before shot of the kitchen, I found it in a folder 1 year to the day from today—strange.

The cabinets look much better, but as usual, when you paint something it makes everything else around it look worse. It was a huge project I am glad to have off my to do list. I am at least one step closer. Still on my wish list: new counters, new light fixtures, new appliances, backsplash, and under cabinet lighting.

Cabinet Painting Weather Delay

2011-10-27T15:35:00.001-07:00

Well, October in Colorado has put a stop to my cabinet painting. We got about 7-8 inches of snow and way below freezing temps. YIKES

As far as the cabinets go, I have been able to finish painting the cabinet boxes inside. It took a long time—degrease, sand, prime, sand, paint, sand, paint again. I am pretty happy with the finish though. I had someone come over and install crown molding on the top of the cabinets. It makes them look much more custom-now just to paint it.

Before Crown

After Crown

I really hope it warms up soon. I can’t wait to be done. This is a LONG project.

All the doors and drawers have a first coat of paint (same amount of steps as inside). Wish me luck. Just when you think you have a SMALL kitchen….

(not all of the cabinets!)

My Big Girl Panties?

2011-10-18T09:43:00.001-07:00

So last week I read this post from Traci at Beneath My Heart. She decided to “put her big girl panties” on and get to painting her kitchen cabinets. She encouraged me to take the plunge too. I have had all the stuff to get them done for ONE YEAR!!! Time to get busy, but here I am this morning…

“WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING!!!”

Birthday Cake Pancakes

2011-10-06T16:22:00.001-07:00

My baby girl is turning 4 tomorrow. We are having her birthday party on Saturday, but I still want to make her actual birthday special. Leave it to Pinterest to give me a great idea. Birthday Cake Pancakes from How Sweet It Is—are you kidding me. I can’t wait to try them. I didn’t want to do a cake, we are doing one Saturday so this is perfect.

Photo from How Sweet It Is

Water Closet Makeover

2011-09-02T12:17:00.001-07:00

Well, I am happy to say that I have finished the update of the water closet. I forced myself to focus on only one project and it worked. I don’t know about you, but once I do get the project bug my mind goes crazy with ideas. For instance a walk to the garage to grab a tool turns into 20 minutes because I get sidetracked by all the other projects I want to do. But this time was different. Any time I felt myself going in that direction I gave my self a quick reminder, and bam back on track.

So here are the results. Of course styled terrible because that is not my strong suit. I can get the bones, but the rest is a real struggle.

This room is very hard to photograph. I am standing in the shower with my back against the wall. When I say it is small I mean, IT IS SMALL.

Also, the lack of natural light gives the color a weird look, but I don’t care. It look so much better.

So lets talk budget:

Paint-$10 ( I used sample size from Sherwin Williams. It says not to but I have before and so far so good so I went for it. If they don’t want you to use them why are they so big?)
Towel Hangers-$18
Caulk-$3

That is a total of $31

I will never stop being amazed at the trans formative power of paint.

I already had the trim (Habitat Resale) and cabinet (which I got last summer for $5 at a yard sale).

Lets compare

That isn’t not a true before. The true before had no trim and a cheap laminate standing cabinet thing. The floor still needs help, but that will have to be done later.

The paint on the top and bottom of the molding do look almost the same in the photo, but in person there is a nice difference.

The paint on the top of the molding is Sherwin Williams Chatroom 6171. It is a grey/green

For the bottom, I had Sherwin Williams lighten the Chatroom by 50%.

Too Tan!

2011-08-30T14:00:00.001-07:00

Well you may remember yesterday I mentioned my first attempt at a two tone wall and how I thought I liked it. As the night wore on it began to dawn on me that my bathroom resembled camo. The green was looking WAY green instead of gray/green and the geige was looking very TAN. Put them together and it looked like it was on its way hunting.

So today, I made another stop by Sherwin Williams and had them mix me up Chatroom 6171 (the grey color on top) at 50%. You can see in the picture below the difference.

It is a subtle difference, but it makes the room feel much better. It only took me about 45 minutes to re-paint, one benefit to having a small room.

Progress—Oh Ya BAby!

2011-08-29T17:28:00.001-07:00

I am making some progress over here. Trim and walls painted!

This is my first attempt at 2 tone wall. So far I think I like it. Now just to accessorize.

Water Closet Redo

2011-08-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my husband's support, AKA HARASSMENT, I have been inspired to make this house feel like our home again. I owe him a huge thank you. It was just the push I needed and man do I feel good.

First project up, master bathroom water closet, at least I think that is what you call it. The room is TINY and has a toilet and a shower. I started here because every time I went in there I got DEPRESSED!

I busted out the nail gun and miter box and man did it feel good. I am feeling giddy and excited. It is amazing how a project on the horizon feels.

(Now you see why it was depressing. )

My plan: add molding, paint walls, paint trim, and install cabinet above toilet. I already re-caulked the shower and toilet.

Here I go, wish me luck.

Built-In Bookshelf/Computer Desk

2011-02-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

If any of you live in a tri-level like me you know there is an awkward space in the lower level family room. See it down there, behind the dining area and by the sliding glass doors. I tried a lot of different things here and everything looked pretty bad. Not only did it look bad but it wasn’t very useful. I decided to give building some built-in bookshelves a try.

I think they turned out pretty well. As with any project, it isn’t perfect, but getting better every time.

To get started I went to Ana White’s Website and got some plans for a bookshelf. I adjusted the measurements to fit my needs and headed out to Home Depot. I have to give a huge thank you to Russ from HD he cut all of my lumber free of charge with a smile on his face! I even filled out the survey so maybe he could get some props. This is only a portion of the lumber—there was A LOT!!!

With some wood glue and my trusty nail gun I got them together pretty easy.

I added a back, removed the railing and installed them.

To make the shelves look a little more substantial and more finished I added 1 x 2 trim EVERYWHERE

Time to sand, caulk,paint, and stuff them full.

They are definitely not decorative built-ins, but I couldn’t be happier with the organization and space they have given us.

WINNERS! I Need Your Information

2011-02-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

I still haven't heard from the following 4 winners. Please email me your address ASAP so we can get the tape in the mail so you can get crackin’ on some projects.

Michelle said...

I love the stripe down the dresser.....so simple, yet so effective and cute!!

sharin said...

I usually have some leakage on textures too. But on smooth surfaces it's great. And I love how cleanly it comes off. It makes clean up go so much faster.

Leigh Ann said...

Great projects! I would love some of this tape! :)

cheryl said...

I tried a tape made especially for painting and did not get a clean crisp edge either. My walls are very lightly textured. I am wanting to do a 12 " light gray stripe in a bedroom. I am not sure if this was the brand of tape I used...maybe I should give it a try. Love your ideas.

Toothbrush Holder For A Small Space

2011-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

So our kid/guest bathroom is not very big and there is not a lot of counter space. I saw this idea somewhere (can’t remember) to use broom holders to hold toothbrushes. It looked perfect—off the counter and not in a cup that collects nasty “water”.

A few drywall anchors later and tada a wall mounted toothbrush holder for small spaces.

We have been using it for about 8 months and I still love it. See them tucked in the corner—perfect.

My one suggestion would be to buy toothbrushes with a wide handle.

WINNERS! WINNERS! WINNERS!

2011-02-01T07:19:00.001-08:00

Thank you everyone who entered to win the ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-Lock. Here are the winners.

Email me your address ASAP so we can get the tape in the mail so you can get crackin’ on some projects.

Korrie@RedHenHome said...

Can't wait to try this...wondering how it's cost compares to Frog Tape!

sayer13 said...

I need this....like yesterday. I've got a door frame that needs painting, now. Help.

Michelle said...

I love the stripe down the dresser.....so simple, yet so effective and cute!!

the cape on the corner said...

i love the fun stripe you put on that dresser, and i would love to try this stuff! we need to paint the trim in our bedroom, and i think that'd be the perfect test!

Chaney said...

We're in the process of buying a new home and I want to try Scotch Blue Painters tape with edge lock!

Tristie hearts Dax said...

nice job, Fawn. I would love to try this tape. Thanks for the giveaway and the ideas.

Kyra @ RACKS and Mooby said...

I've got a bathroom to paint - would love to try this tape! Thanks for the chance!

sharin said...

I usually have some leakage on textures too. But on smooth surfaces it's great. And I love how cleanly it comes off. It makes clean up go so much faster.

kayduh said...

I have lots of items on my to-paint list and this would come in handy!

The Thriving Thrifter said...

We have kitchen cupboards and a door frame to paint. We'd love to give this tape a try!

Annika said...

I have some perfect projects waiting for this tape!

Leigh Ann said...

Great projects! I would love some of this tape! :)

Dawn said...

Would love, love, love to win this tape - I have my fingers crossed. Thank you for all the inspirational photos above, that makes me want to play with tape even MORE!

cheryl said...

alissa said...

Thanks for the chance to win! I'm sure I could come up with a project to try it out on. Love how your dresser turned out.

Sheila B said...

I would like to win! We have some projects coming up this spring.

ScotchBlue Painters Tape With Edge-Lock Giveaway

2011-01-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to remind you to head over here and check out my review of ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-Lock. Leave a comment and you will be entered to win a free roll to try for yourself.

Also, check out the ScotchBlue Facebook page and Flickr for tips and ideas.

A winner will be picked on January 31st.

ScotchBlue Painters Tape With Edge-Lock Give Away

2011-01-29T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to remind you to head over here and check out my review of ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-Lock. Leave a comment and you will be entered to win a free roll to try for yourself.

Also, check out the ScotchBlue Facebook page and Flickr for tips and ideas.

A winner will be picked on January 31st.

ScotchBlue Painters Tape With Edge-Lock Give Away

2011-01-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to remind you to head over here and check out my review of ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-Lock. Leave a comment and you will be entered to win a free roll to try for yourself.

Also, check out the ScotchBlue Facebook page and Flickr for tips and ideas.

A winner will be picked on January 31st.

A Review and ScotchBlue Painters Tape With Edge-Lock Give Away

2011-01-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

The folks at ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-lock contacted me to see if I was interested in doing a review for them. Sure, I thought, why not.

I received a very nice package that looked like this. Although, being the bad blogger I am I forgot to take a picture so I borrowed this one from Hennessey House. A great blog by the way--check it out.

Once, I received my package I had to come up with some projects to use the ScotchBlue Painters Tape With Edge-lock on.

First up, I have this white dresser in my family room that holds crayons and coloring books. I decided to add a stripe. I got it all taped up and used some paint I had in the garage. This took no time at all.

The moment of truth. Time to remove the tape. You never know what to expect. Exactly how the lines are going to look. Take a look at this--perfect. No leakage.

Nice work ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-Lock. Here is the finished dresser. I think I want to age the stripe up a bit, but look at those straight lines!

My next project was to paint a wall mounted frame. This project was a little different--the painters tape was going to be applied to a textured wall.

I have to say after painting the frame and removing the tape--there was some leakage. ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-Lock didn't perform as well when applied to texture. Usually when painting on texture with a taped of section I "seal" the tape first like I did here, but for the review I wanted to see how it went without.

My third and final test for the ScotchBlue Painters Tape was to update the mat from a picture frame. In the picture below you will notice there is a thin pink line under the white mat. I wanted to change that. So I taped up the mats and painted.

Finished product--Scotchblue nailed it again perfectly straight lines.

Yes I realize that is a different picture in the frame. As I mentioned earlier, I am a bad blogger. I had two frames to do and messed up picture taking, but it was the same process for both and both came out great.

So in conclusion, ScotchBlue Painters Tape with Edge-lock worked great on surfaces without texture. I was able to place and re-place the same piece without the Edge-Lock being compromised and removal was a snap.

The people at ScotchBlue not only sent me Painters Tape with Edge-Lock to review, but they are offering 16 of my readers a free roll. All you have to do is leave a comment, it can be about anything, and you are entered to win.

Good luck. Winners will be chosen January 31st.

Check out the ScotchBlue Facebook page and Flickr for ideas and tips.

Top 10 or 2010

2011-01-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

Recently many blogs have listed their top 10 projects of 2010 and I love it so I am hoping on the list band wagon. Here we go in no particular order.

1. Board and Batten entryway. This made such a huge difference and I still love it.

2. Peg Board Jewelry Organizer

3. DIY Mantle/Fireplace Surround

4. Finding More Storage in Kitchen. Not very exciting, but very useful.

5. $20 DIY Book Display

6. Bud Vase Garland

7. Complete Bathroom Redo

8. New Dining Chairs With History

9. DIY Art Supply Shelf

10. Ugly Closet Door Makeover

I guess it was a pretty busy year. Here is to another one for 2011. Thanks for all of the visits, comments, and encouragement.

Zero Waste Home--Sunset Magazine

2011-01-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over and so begins the itch for organization and less stuff! I just received my newest Sunset Magazine and came across the story of the Johnsons', a family that is living with almost ZERO waste. Most trash days they have zero, zip, zilch I mean down to their biodegradable toothbrushes.

If you are itching to simplify this is definitely worth the read. They are very extreme, but also very inspirational.

Here is a shot of the closet. Every family member has a limited number of clothing items, Bea has 6 pairs of shoes, 7 tops, 7 pants, and 2 skirts. Doesn't sound like much, but lets be honest we all have closets full of clothes we don't wear so this is actually more realistic.

Ahh, and the playroom. This just makes my heart sing. There are four bins, if one of the kids wants something new it must fit into one of the bins. Again, lets be honest our kids have way more toys than they need or play with.

I loved what they had to say about gifts too. They encourage family and friends to give gifts of experience rather than things.

All images are from Sunset Magazine website.

Head over and check it out. It will get you inspired to lighten your load. I already made it through the kitchen today with a load off to the Goodwill.

Ratcheting ReadyWrench WINNER!!!

2010-12-14T05:14:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Black and Decker Ratcheting ReadyWrench is

Daisy from Daisy Head Maisy

Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks to Black and Decker for the opportunity.

What I'm Loving

2010-12-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

There are so many great Christmas ideas floating around Blogland. I thought I would share a few that caught my eye.

Crafty Sisters shared this awesome Peppermint Wreath. I love the bright red and white with the green. So whimsical and fun.

Photo Credit

How about some Faux Snowballs from the talented Susie Harris

Photo Credit

Sweet Something Design made a Christmas Tree Planter. I love how it looks. So much better than the boring, broken stand that I have.

On a side note, I was in Hobby Lobby yesterday to grab a few things for Christmas. I was SHOCKED to see they were putting Christmas away and getting out Spring!!! When I say shocked, I actually mean angry. The retailers are rushing us through holidays and I don't like it!!!

Ratcheting ReadyWrench Giveway

2010-12-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder to enter the give away to win a Ratcheting ReadyWrench. Follow the link and leave a comment--easy as that.

Ratcheting Readywrench Review and Giveaway

2010-12-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

I was very excited when a representative from Black & Decker contacted me on doing a review for the new RATCHETING READYWRENCH. There are 2 reasons why I was so excited: one, I haven't been able to find my ratchet handle that goes with my tool set and two, I recently did a huge project where it would have been SUPER helpful to have a ratcheting wrench.

I used the Ratcheting ReadyWrench for a couple of purposes. I had to tighten some training wheels and tighten a hand rail.

I found the Ratcheting ReadyWrench very helpful. Especially for someone like me who can't tell the size socket I need so I spend a lot of time guessing to find the right one. With 16 different size sockets I was able find the size I needed, and fast. The ReadyWrench made it very easy--just a little twist and I had a new size. I loved that.

The ratcheting action made tightening very simple and fast, I also loved that. It was effortless to change the ratchet direction. See the little arrows, a quick spin to one or the other and I was set.

All in all, I think the Ratcheting ReadyWrench is a great tool to add to the tool box. Let's review the pros and cons.

Pros:
1. 16 different size sockets in one place
2. Ratcheting action makes tightening/loosening a snap
3. EASY TO USE
4. Feels sturdy and strong

Cons: I only have one.
1. I think a way to lock the chosen socket size into position would be helpful. I had a small issue with the socket moving a little.

I appreciate Black and Decker giving me this opportunity and I am very excited to share the opportunity to own one of these with one of my readers! Not only did Black and Decker send me a Ratcheting ReadyWrench to review, but they are offering one to a Frugal Home Designs reader.

It is really easy to win one for yourself. Leave a comment on this post about a holiday toy Assembly nightmare. If you don't have one of those, tell me a DIY New Year's Resolution

Lets see those entries. Give away ends Monday December 13th at 10 am.

It is going to be great to not dig this thing out every time I need a wrench.

Black & Decker provided the Ratcheting ReadyWrench without cost for review.

The Wreath Is Done

2010-12-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

Wow, that was a lot of circles!

You may remember I put out a call to find a tutorial to make a wreath. After finding this tutorial here's what I have.

My wreath form was 14" and I used about 1 1/2 yard to cover it.

I really like it. By Christmas 2012 I should have all 3 wreaths done to pull off my inspiration picture--it takes A LOT of time to cut all the circles.

Since I only completed, and will only be completing one wreath this season, I had some space to fill above the mantle. I just pulled out an old window I had in the garage. It looks pretty good but it still needs a little something.

Get your felt and DVR ready and start cutting. It is worth it.

Pottery Barn Wood Block Votive Holder, You've Been Hacked

2010-12-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I was looking through old posts tonight and I came across this project I did as a contribution for Remodelaholic. Apparently I never posted it on my blog as well.

Thought I would share.

Have a great night.

**********Original post from Remodelaholic**************

Hello Everyone, it is Fawn again excited to be here on Remodelaholic. This month I have a Pottery Barn hack for you. I noticed the Wood Block Votive Holder in my new Pottery Barn catalog and thought it would be awesome out on the patio table. It seemed like a pretty easy thing to make. Turns out it was so let's get started.

Here's what you will need:
4 x4 cut to length (I found mine for 51 Cents in the hull bin at Home Depot)
Drill with a spade/flat bit
Sand paper
Stain
Legs

First, you need to find the center of your 4 x4 (remember the actual measurement isn't 4"). You will notice in the picture below that I measured and marked the center. I did this on both ends they used a straight edge to connect the dots.

It is a little hard to see, but there is a light pencil line right down the center.

Next you have to determine where you want the votive/tea light hole to begin and mark that off. I wanted there to be about an inch and a half on each end. I measured and drew a straight line with my speed square.

Here is quick preview to illustrate.

Now on to drilling the holes. I used a 1 1/2" spade drill bit.

You will notice in the picture below the spade bit has a point in the middle. I lined that up with the center line I drew in the first step.

I am a pretty visual person so this is how I went about spacing out my tea lights. I put my first one lined up with my line I measured for my "edge" then measured one inch-ish from the tea light.

I knew I wanted that one inch mark to be the edge of my next tea light so I lined up the drill and went to town. Notice the edge of the drill is at the one inch measurement mark.

Then repeat

Until you are finished.

Time to sand. I used 80 grit first then 220 grit to make it nice and soft. After sanding remove all of the dust.

I used Minwax Dark Walnut stain. I have found a lint free rag is the best tool for applying stain. Also, do your self a favor and invest in some rubber gloves--I learned this they hard way.

I had some knobs that I got at the Goodwill for 49 cents.

They happen to be flat on the bottom so a little dollop of Gorilla Glue later and this lady has legs. Perfect for the patio table, now it goes right over the "bump" for the umbrella opening.

Now I realize those aren't actual votives. Let me explain. I found some votives that would be perfect for super cheap, but it turns out that they don't make 2" spade bits and I didn't want to have to buy new tools. If you want to use votives larger than 1 1/2 inch you will need a forstner bit. I didn't want to spend the $20+ so I just switched to tea lights.

My whole project cost $2.50--not bad.

Come on over to Frugal Home Designs to see what else I have been up to.

New Dining Chairs With History

2010-11-19T10:08:00.000-08:00

I know I have discussed my love for Craigslist before, and like any real love he came through for me again.

A while ago I re-did my dining chairs. They looked pretty good, but they had one huge problem--the seat was upholstered. Now generally that wouldn't be a problem. The seat would be nice and comfy. The problem arises when you have a 3 and 4 year-old eating on them every meal, everyday. The upholstery gets DESTROYED!! It got so bad it was embarrassing for people for me to have people sit on them.

On top of the disgusting seat, I wasn't crazy about the actual design. One night at my friend's house I noticed her chairs. I loved the color and the design, one problem, the chairs were from Crate and Barrel and at $179 a piece they were WAY out of my price range. Here is the chair that is similar to my friends. Gorgeous.

Off to Craigslist I went. It didn't take long and for $10 a piece I had 4 of these chairs.

Now they didn't start off like that. Here is the before.

I absolutely love the lines of these chairs, but I think my favorite part is the history they came with. These babies were the library chairs at CU Boulder for a long time. They have stuff written on the bottom by the maker of the chair and even came with some gum stuck to the bottom. I can just picture the students in the library...takes me back. Some of those scratches were initials. Another cool thing, they have a shelf for books underneath (cool now, not cool when you are sanding them)

To date, this is my number one Craigslist find. I also think it is my number one element in my house. I just love them.

I couldn't be happier with the stain color too. I have tried A LOT of stain colors trying to get something this dark. I went to get sandpaper to sand these guys and I thought I would stroll through the stain aisle "just in case". I came across one dented up can of Zinsser Bulls Eye Wood Stain in Kona on clearance for $2.97. It worked perfect, now I want to redo a couple of my tables with it.

I have to say for about $60 with chairs and materials I couldn't be happier and the best part, they wipe clean after every meal!

Wreath Tutorial Found

2010-11-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

I put out a call to my readers on how to make these wreaths, and boy did you all respond with some great links.

Michelle from Our Miracle sent me the link to Better Homes and Garden with the EXACT picture and a how to.

Apparently the wreath is made from carnations. Even the fake ones would be more than I want to pay to make three wreaths.

That being said, I was really excited when an email arrived in my inbox from Carol (let me know if you have a blog it wasn't linked in your email). It was a link to Spilled Again, she didn't actually make the wreaths, but her site lead me to Domestic Fluff.

Here is Domestic Fluff's version

Gorgeous, perfect, and cheap.

These wreaths are made from little circles of felt. It just so happens felt is on sale 30% off at Joanns this week. Project time!

I recieved a lot of links for coffee filter wreaths. Here is The Nesters version.

Beautiful, but I wasn't sure how to get the filters red.

How Can I Make These Wreaths

2010-11-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know of a tutorial to make a wreath similar to the ones in the picture?

I know I saw one somewhere, but I can't remember where. Also, I can't recall where I got this picture. I saved it a long time ago so if you recognize it let me know so I can give some credit

Don't you just love that mantle?

Thanks for the help.

Add Texture To A Monochromatic Room

2010-11-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

I think I have finally settled into a color palette--if you can call it color at all--brown, white and tan. I have tried to deviate and mix it up, but I always end up going back to one of my palette colors. It does leave me wanting something a little more though.

After all my blog and magazine reading the main tip I have come away with for a monochromatic color scheme is to add a lot of texture and a few pops of color. I decided it was time to give "texture" a try.

I started small, my throw pillows. I wanted something "fall-y". I have to tell you I was super uncomfortable picking this fabric, but I forced myself to do it.

I'm really glad I did. I loved that it was fall-like with the orange and brown, but also had blue.

Next, I forced my self to pick a couple of fabrics that went with it, and had TEXTURE. It is hard to tell from the picture, but there is brown and ivory mixed in there. Again, I was uncomfortable with my choices, but I made myself do it. I chose an ivory faux fur and a brown ruched that in the right light looks orange/bronze.

Here is the white guy on one of my new yard sale chairs that I LOVE. I love the "fur" with the leather.

The shot of the living room with the pillows (could have been fluffed and primped a little but o well ).

Now, just to find an affordable luscious rug and change the art above the couch!

Barn Furniture Blog has great some great tips for a monochromatic scheme.

What I've Been Working On

2010-10-28T05:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peek at my newest project. Things are coming along well. Just need to prime, paint and poly! I get to try my new Earlex paint sprayer so hopefully it won't take as long as it sounds!

Craigseasy-Craigslist just got better!

2010-09-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Craigseasy? If not, and you LOVE Craigslist then you must.

I was scrolling through my Google Reader and saw this post about Craigseasy on Chic Little House.

In a nutshell, enter your search info on Craigslist then hit your Craigseasy link. Your results will show up, but WITH THE PICTURES. It is so great. No more clicking on links just to see what the item looks like and then clicking back to search results. Now you can see the picture and know if your interested--WITHOUT ALL THE CLICKING.

Go the the Craigseasy site and follow the simple directions and get Craigslisting!! O yeah one more thing--it is free!

Speaking of Craigslist. My latest find is awesome. The makeover is done, now just to blog about it.

$2 Bathroom Shelf

2010-08-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggy friends. It has been a LONG time since I have posted. As a matter of fact, it has been a long time since I have done any kind of project at all. Finally, the inspiration has returned and I have been completing a few things around the house.

I redid my bathroom some time ago, but needed something above the toilet. I had originally intended to use some floating Pottery Barn shelves but they seemed way too wide.

Here is my solution, sorry about the huge bright spot it is the sun blaring through the sky light.

I was at Goodwill (shocker) and I saw this wooden shelf for $2. I thought it would work for something.

Low and behold, a little spray paint and shopping the house and it seems to work pretty well.

The q-tips and cotton balls are in lantern thingys I purchased last year at the Target dollar spot and the soap is in an apothecary jar I purchased at the Goodwill for $1.

That wooden beauty reaching for the sun (there is a skylight right above her), she's from Costa Rica, a gift from my older brother. She looks so pretty in here.

Not a huge project, but it feels great to be doing projects again.

What about you, did you have the Summertime Inspiration Blockage?

Fence Display Box

2010-06-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

I shared this project at Remodelaholic last month.

*******************

My fence by my garden was BORING! I was trying to think of something to put on them then came across this great idea in This Old House magazine. Reclaimed lumber boxes for pot display sounded perfect.

I planned on making these for a while but needed the lumber. I couldn't have been happier when I was away for a girls weekend with my friend and it happened to be BIG TRASH DAY in Glenwood Springs. We scored some awesome stuff, and the lumber for my boxes.

Just in case you have a really boring fence and you need something to spice it up, here is a tutorial just for you.

Step One: Cut Lumber. Decide how big you want your boxes and cut the lumber. I used my handy dandy skilsaw.

Step Two: Pre-Drill holes for assembly. Take two sides and drill 4 holes, 2 on each end. You will see in the picture below. To determine where to drill my holes, I measured the width of the side it will be attached to and drilled in the middle.That sounds a little confusing, but you can see my light pen marks that illustrate the width of the side I will be attaching to.

Step Three: Assemble. To assemble all my sides together I used screws. Make sure your screws are long enough to go through your lumber and deep enough into the other side you are screwing into. I used 3" screws.

You will see in the picture below I used my speed square to make sure my sides were at a 90 degree angle.

Here is a view from the top after the box is assembled.

Step Four: Attach cleat for fixing to the fence. To hang the box on the fence you have to make a cleat. The cleat is a piece of wood inside the box that is used to screw to the fence.

Measure the interior of your box and cut a piece of lumber to that length. I had a 1x2 laying around in the garage so that is what I used.

Now it is time to attach the cleat to your box. Pre-drill the hole on the side (by your other screws) and attach. There will be two holes, one on each side.

Attach cleat to box. Here is a picture of the cleat in the box. You can see the pre-drilled hole on the top.

Screw together.

Step Five: Attach to Fence. Now you are ready to attach to your fence. You are going to have to pre-drill the cleat, but I found it easier to take the box to the fence and decide where it will be placed, then pre-drill that way you don't pre-drill where there is a space between planks on your fence. Depending on your lumber width you may need a shorter screw for this step that way it doesn't go through your cleat and through your fence.

I made three boxes. I wish I would have made the squares a little bigger, but they still work well and I figure I will just put sweet potato vine in those because it is a trailing plant and doesn't need room vertically.

The possibilities are endless with these and they make my fence look a little more interesting. Unfortunately, we had a snow storm 2 days in a row and it hurt the flowers a little. I am hoping they will spring back. I did have to replace the sweet potato vine.

Here is the view from my deck. I think it looks pretty good. Yes the fence needs to be restained, but at least they don't look boring. I also planted a clematis in the corner and I am hoping it will creep along the corner sections of the fence.

Stop my blog Frugal Home Designs and let me know what you think. While your there take a look around.

Keep Your Kids Skills Up This Summer

2010-05-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

This post isn't home related at all, but I just wanted to pass along this awesome site that a neighbor shared with me. She got it off the bottom of one of her son's worksheets from school.

TLSBOOKS.com

It is a site full of free printable worksheets for kids preschool through 5th grade. It is amazing the amount of worksheets available, and they are broken down by grade and skill.

My son is going to start preschool in the fall and is thirsting for knowledge. I decided I would start the kids a homework notebook. We are doing a couple of worksheets a day and they love it.

Check it out it is worth it.

Come see me at Remodelaholic

2010-05-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

I returned from a girls weekend with my car looking like this (much to my husbands chagrin). Actually this is only the back, the backseats were stuffed too. We found some amazing treasures.

Hop on over to Remodelaholic to see what I came up with for my roadside lumber. I think the hubby even likes it.

Closet Door Makeover-I need your help

2010-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

You may have seen this makeover at Remodelaholic. I thought I would share it here too mainly because I need a little advice.

See those really white doors below, I thought they needed a little something. What I came up with is terrible so I am asking for ideas on how I should make the wall paper more noticeable with a little depth so you can see the texture.
I tried glazing them and they looked horrendous!

I tried paint the wallpaper blue. Still looking pretty bad.

Let me know if you have any brilliant ideas. I would greatly appreciate it.

****Original Post From Remodelaholic Below****
This was the sight greeting me every morning and night.

Isn't that a nightmare! Not only is the vanity IN OUR BEDROOM, but look at those closet doors. I am not sure at what point in building it became a great idea to put the sink/mirror/closet right in the bedroom, but I know it was happening in the 90's.

Several months ago I scored some paintable vinyl wall paper at Lowes for $3.62 for a whole roll.

At the time I didn't know what I wanted to do with it, but one morning it hit me--CHANGE THE CLOSET DOORS!

There are a lot of steps to this project so I thought it might be easier for me to list the steps and then explain the steps.

1. Remove closet doors
2. Sand and wipe with deglosser
3. Prime
4. Put wall paper on
5. Install trim
6. Caulk trim
7. Hang doors back up
8. Paint

1. REMOVE THE CLOSET DOORS The doors are on a track with a wheel that rolls. You can lift them off the the track, but I always have a hard time with that so I chose to unscrew the hardware from the back of the door. This is the best shot I could get of the hardware on the door. You can see there are 2 screws that I simply unscrewed.

2. Sand Doors. I took the doors out to the garage and took my Mouse Sander to them. After I sanded them and wiped them down. I took an extra step and used Klean-Strip Liquid Sander Deglosser to make sure the paint and wallpaper would stick.

3. Prime Doors I used Glidden Gripper Primer, I only primed around the outer edges.

4. Put Wallpaper On. For this step I followed the directions on the wallpaper, but it was basically wet, fold, relax. The hardest part about this step is determining where you want the wallpaper on your door. For me I knew I wanted it to be centered on the door. I already knew what the margin would be on the sides because the width of the wallpaper. I used the same distance on the top and bottom that was a given on the side.

I used my speed square to draw straight lines and make a corner at my designated measurements. When I put the wallpaper on I lined it up in all four corners to keep it straight and level. I know that sounds confusing, but here is picture to help explain.

Can you see where I drew the arrow--that corner is where I lined the wallpaper up. I measured a corner like that on all four sides.

5. Install Trim. I got my trim at Home Depot in the Veranda department. One word of caution is make sure the profile of your trim isn't too high--the doors have to be able to slide past each other.

To cut the trim I used my miter saw.

To get started with your trim you are going to need a 45 degree angle so I just cut of enough of my trim piece to give me the angle

Measure the length of the wallpaper, then transfer that measurement to your trim. ALWAYS MEASURE THE SHORT SIDE or INSIDE MEASUREMENT on the trim.

Here is my first piece. You can see what I mean by the inside measurement.

Do this for all sides. I would recommend getting a scrap and practicing just to get the hang of it. Make sure you use a level to get the trim level and plumb (vertically level). Here is my assistant demonstrating how to measure for plumb.

I used my nailgun and liquid nails to attach the trim. I think it would have been easier to do with two people. I had a hard time holding the trim, measuring for level and plumb and using the nailgun. So I would recommend help with this stage. My assistant couldn't hold the level still enough to get a measurement.

6. Caulk Trim. Now that you have the trim on it is time to caulk it to give a seamless look. I caulked the inside and outside edges and the corner angels.
Cut the tip of the caulk to 1/8th inch and run a thin bead along the trim where it is attached to the door. Then with a wet rag smooth out the bead of caulk.

Here are the before caulk and after caulk close up. You can see how it changes the look.

7. Hang Doors Back Up. I had the hubby come and help with this step. He held the doors up while I screwed the screws back in. I found the easiest way to do this was to put the hardware back on the door and lightly tighten the screws then put it in back on the track and tighten all the way. You do have to be in the closet in the dark to do this. I used my book light clipped on a shelf to light my way.

8. Paint Wallpaper and Doors. I used a semi-gloss paint and a paintbrush. If you are going to paint your wallpaper a different color than your trim, I would recommend painting it before you put your trim on. Then you don't have to worry about cutting in.

AAHHH So much better. I don't know if I will leave the insert white or not. It might need a little something to make the texture pop, but for now I like it.

You can see a peek of the dresser that needs some love and the trim I still have left to paint, but for know--look at those doors.

A side by side comparison

Come vist my blog Frugal Home Designs to see what other fun DIY projects I have been up to.

Jewelry Organizer Gets Some Love

2010-05-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

Grace's jewelry organizer had a big week last week. It was featured on some really awesome, inspiring blogs. Take a look.

I am honored to be included on U Create. It is such a wonderful blog with loads of amazing ideas.

Next up, the marvelous blog Be Different...Act Normal. This blog is a great resource to find inspiration.

And lastly, a new blog to me, You Can Do It, They Can Help. This looks like a great blog full of ideas.

Free Table Makeover

2010-05-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I came across an older gentleman (via Craigslist-told you I love it) that was giving away a bunch of free stuff. I posted about the retro chair goes modern makeover here and now it was time for the free table I scored.

I think it is some kind of game table because the top swivels--too cool. Needless to say it was pretty beat up and needed some love. The table was in the free pile with its legs laying next to it, but one quick look told me it would be an easy fix so I loaded it up.

Here she is after some sanding, staining, poly, and spray paint. As you can tell I am in a two-tone phase right now. I love the combo of the white and wood.

Here is how she looked after I got her legs on before the makeover started.

Pretty rough, but she cleaned up great.

Reason 212 Why I love Craigslist

2010-05-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

I have wanted a concrete birdbath FOREVER but they are pricey. So the other day when I was cruising Craigslist free section, I saw an ad for a birdbath, or so I thought. I immediately sent an email expressing interest. I got an email back stating the ad was for a birdhouse, but she actually had a birdbath too. A little convincing the hubby to take a trip with me and I now have a concrete birdbath and a huge birdhouse that is going to be really cute after a makeover.

Isn't she cute. I added a couple of plants, Vinca and Plantain Lily.

Now I think it might be my favorite little spot in our yard.

I love Craigslist.

Have You Seen This Transformation

2010-05-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

I was strolling through my Google Reader when I saw Remodelaholic's post. My jaw hit the floor. Look at this transformation at Walnut and Ivory.

I can't believe it is the same space. It is stunning. If you want to see more close up shots hop over and take a look at Walnut and Ivory.

Her other rooms are awesome too. Both of the above images came from the Walnut and Ivory site.

New Goodwill Desk

2010-05-05T07:51:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I know my posting has been pretty infrequent. Now that my kids are no longer napping I am finding it hard to find the time to do projects let alone post about them.

I finally was able to finish my steal of a desk I got at the Goodwill. I bought it on 50% off day for $7.

It was time for a little makeover. So comes Spring so comes my need for color. See what happened last spring.I jumped on the turquoise bandwagon. A can of Kylon Bahama Sea and now we have this.

Here is how she started. I thought about removing the "bamboo" trim, but as previously mentioned project time is limited so I decided to keep it and it has actually grown on me.

I guess this is the only before picture I took, but you get the picture--it was yellow.

I also loved the hardware, perfectly aged.

It has been great to have more surface workspace and some drawers.

Giveaway Winner

2010-05-02T07:42:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay. We had some computer issues around these parts. After having more RAM installed we are back up and running.

Without further ado, the winner is Amanda from LOOKING GLASS JEWELS. Send me a quick email Amanda.

By the way Amanda has an Etsy store with really cute jewelry.

Thank you everyone for entering.

Toolbox Planter

2010-04-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

I have had this old toolbox for a while now. I got it from my friends Dad, who I would call the ultimate junker. I mean he can find some awesome "junk"!

Actually, this was in HIS junk pile as in he didn't even want it because it pales in comparison to his other finds. So I gladly scooped it up, like normal, not knowing what I would use it for.

Then inspiration struck.

Here she is before some plants. Look at all that aged yumminess!!!

I needed something for the middle runway between our yard and the neighbors. See where the arrow is pointing. I wanted something neutral and low because in the rock bed behind the toolbox planter I have boxwoods, Goblin Gaillardia, and Meadow Sage Caradonna. I planted them last year, and I am happy to report they all came back! It is my first perennial garden so I am pretty excited. They don't look like much now, but they will.

There we go, isn't she a cutie now.

On a sad note, we had snow on Sunday and those pretty purple guys in the background didn't make it. I am annoyed because I had carried this baby into the house for a few nights to protect them, but I had no idea it was going to snow. So I will have to replace them, but all in all I love the toolbox planter.

I plan to add some type of groundcover around the toolbox so it looks a little more at home.

Tip: Makesure whatever you use for a planter has drainage. According to my Goolge searches this is the most important thing for container gardens.

Don't for get to enter my CSNStores.com Giveway.

Take Your Kid To Work Day

2010-04-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

This post isn't DIY related, but I just had to share this cute picture.

Last week was take your kids to work day. Here is my crew heading out bright and early to enjoy coffee and hot cocoa on their way to work.

The kids had a great time, and by the end of the day the hubby was exhausted!

Don't forget to enter my CSNStores.com Giveway

CSN Store Giveaway

2010-04-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

I am one of the lucky bloggers that have been contacted by CSN Stores, a company that has over 200 online stores where you can find tv stands, furniture, toys, home decor, and so much more, to do a give-a-way for my readers.

You may or may not have heard of CSNStores.com by now, if not, go there. They have everything you can think of, and they received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Do you need an apothecary jar for your cotton balls? Look at this cutie. I would love it for my bathroom.

How about a dog bowl for traveling? This would be perfect for Frank (our dog) to take to the dog park or Grandma Ginny's.

An educational toy for the kids, yep they have that too.

The give-a-way is for a $20 gift certificate. You can use it to purchase anything from their website. The stuff I have shown above is $20, but if you find something you like that is over $20 just apply your gift certificate towards the balance.

If I could win, I might put it towards these:

For my entry. So pretty and affordable at $121

or this for my deck

To enter the giveawy leave a comment on this post about what you would do if you had $20 to spend at CSNstores.com

Mention the giveaway on your blog and get another entry. Just leave another comment letting me know you did.

The giveaway will be open until Friday night.

Readers Inspired

2010-04-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone,

I just wanted to share a few readers who have used my tutorial for the DIY Book Display. I know I get tons of inspiration from blogs and it feels really great to know I have inspired someone else.

First up, Kristin, right now she has a family blog, but she has a DIY one ready to go as soon as she gets time. I love that she chose to go bright orange.

Shayna, from Texas Monkey, I love the white against the bright pink wall. So pretty.

Jess from Craftiness Is Not an Option went for subtle and beautiful.

Melanie from The Old White Cottage, loved the idea but didn't have time to build the shelves so she purchased them from Ikea--still looks awesome. If you have time check out Melanie's yard and "shed"-they are so beautiful.

All the way from France, Marianne put them in her nursery, which by the way is gorgeous. Marianne's blog A Brand New Baby is full of great projects .

Ugly Closet Doors

2010-04-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

Do you have builder grade ugly closet doors like these?

Want to see what I did to mine? Come check out my first monthly contribution at Remodelaholic. While you are there look around, there is some awesome stuff.

Coffee Table Makeover

2010-04-19T07:58:00.001-07:00

I have wanted a pedestal coffee table for a long time. I have been scouring Craigslist, and then finally I found one for $20. I think the only reason it was left, it was listed as a center table, not a coffee table.

Of course it needed a little makeover, but it was just the shape and size I wanted. Here she is with some stain and paint. This might be one of my favorite makeovers yet. I was having a hard time getting a good after picture but here you go.

Here she is before

The after picture doesn't seem to be giving a good capture of the stain color. I used dark walnut and ebony. I wanted it a little darker, but this was one of the nightmare projects previously mentioned so I decided to leave well enough alone.

Here is what I did.

I decided to go with a stained wood top because I have a lot of white. I wanted something to break it up. Since I was staining, I removed all of the previous finish.

Make sure to clean off ALL DUST before staining. I used my compressor, microfiber cloth, and tack cloth to get it good and dust free.

Notice how the wood grain is going 4 different directions. This definitely made staining more challenging because you have to go in the direction of the wood grain.

Next I applied my first coat of stain.

Then panicked because it looked the exact color of the before picture. This is where things got a little sticky--literally. On the back of the stain can it says add more coats for a richer color so that is what I did. It ended up looking a beautiful color, but it was very tacky. I headed to google to see what I should do. Remove the stain with mineral spirits and start again so that is what I did. It was pretty amazing actually. It wiped right off. It hadn't soaked in at all--even after 24 hours of drying. The staining cycle continued for a few days. After the top was a color I could live with I turned my attention to the base.

I forgot pictures of this step, but I just spray painted the base. First I wiped with a deglosser, then primed, then painted.

After the base was done, I added a layer of fast drying satin poly to the top. I only did one coat because I used a Polyshade to stain so it already had a layer of protection.

All in all, I am happy with the transformation. I do wish the top could be a little darker, but I wasn't willing to take the chance of having to clean and re-stain again.

A couple more shots of the finished project.

Winner

2010-04-19T06:10:00.001-07:00

The winner of the My Favorite DIY prize is... Amber from It's Greener Over Here

Amber, send me an email.

She entered her amazing vintage chair makeover. Take a look at the after. Isn't it pretty.

Thank you to everyone who entered. It was great to see all of the great projects. If I have not been by for a visit yet, I am on my way.

Ceiling Medallion Bed Canopy-Project Fail

2010-04-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is one of the projects that took my mojo last week. I would consider it an almost fail, but I thought I would post it anyway. Maybe someone can get inspired and turn it into a spectacular project.

I saw this BHG Inspiration on Centsational Girl. I thought it was lovely.

I went to check out ceiling medallions and they were more than I wanted to pay. I started thinking if I just had a big plastic round thing, then I remembered I did. I bought a couple last year at the Goodwill for 50 cents. It looked like a tray a caterer would use.

Perfect, or so I thought.

I added some textured scrapbook paper.

Then I primed and painted the whole thing pink. After I was done I thought, why not add some crystals to the middle to make it a little more fancy. I had all crystals and beads from my Mom, may as well put them to use. That black thing you see is one of the screws I used to put it up. I was going to paint them pink, but after I got it up and didn't like it I didn't bother. I am going to take it down.

I used my glue gun to attach the tulle to my "medallion". I burnt the crap out of my fingers!

And for the grand finale.....

Not great, right.

Let me tell you where I went wrong. My "medallion" doesn't lay flat against the ceiling which is something I didn't notice until I had it all the way up. The texture on the scrapbook paper isn't noticeable, and my tulle placement was off. Also I kind of forgot the whole, this is going in a 2 year old's room having it spread out and pretty isn't going to work.

I am going to have to take it down and rework it, or scrap the whole idea. I haven't decided what my plan is yet.

Well hopefully this project fail will be an inspiration to someone and they can take the idea and run with it.

On another note, there is still time to join the My Favorite DIY party, and I will be out of town this weekend so I will be returning emails, etc. on Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend.

There is still time to party, come join me.

2010-04-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to remind anyone who hasn't joined My Favorite DIY party there is still time. One lucky entrant will win a free 1 year subscription to DIY Magazine.

Dishing It at Serenity Now

2010-04-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Amanda at Serenity Now is hosting a monthly party called Dishing It in an attempt to build relationships in the blog world. I am not going to lie, I was a little hesitant to join. Not because I didn't think it was a great idea, but because it isn't a project related post so it pushes me out of my comfort zone, but I decided what the heck, on with the party.

The questions...

1. How long have you been blogging?

I have had my own blog since January of 2010, but I have been BLURFFING (blog surfing) for a while now. I was and am addicted to seeing great ideas.

2. Why did you start blogging?

I wanted a place to keep track of what inspires me, and maybe be able to inspire someone else.

3. Tell me about your blog's title. Why did you choose it?

I am very cheap, I mean Frugal, everything I work on is for my Home, and my projects have something to do with Design.

4. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

I love all the awesome projects I see out there in blogland. Also, it is nice to get affirmation on projects I work on. As a stay-at-home mom it feels nice to be appreciated or acknowledged for something other than a good lunch or clean clothes, which I know are also important and wonderful, but I love that my other skills are being recognized. Blogging challenges my creativity and forces me to finish projects!

5. If you had to choose one famous person to become your blog's next devoted reader, who would you pick?

This is a hard question for me--I love to keep up on my celebrity gossip, and I always wish I could get a glimpse into their real life. If I have to pick one I would say Reece Witherspoon. She seems smart, funny, and sensible. Now if the question was who you want to meet or spend time with, I am leaning towards Angelina Jolie. I would love to know if she is as crazy as she seems in the tabloids.

6. What's the funniest comment you've ever received on a blog post?

I actually haven't received any funny ones yet. They have all been very nice and supportive.

Just a reminder I am hosting a MY FAVORITE DIY party with a chance to win a 1- year subscription to DIY Magazine.

Let's Party and Give-a-Way

2010-04-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a week where every project you have tried has been a failure? Well, that is my last week. Therefore, I don't have any projects to show and I am super frustrated. Nothing makes me feel better than seeing a bunch of awesome projects. Maybe it will spark my mojo.

Here is my idea, show me your FAVORITE DIY PROJECT. It can be anything, just make sure it is your favorite.

If you enter a project in the party you will be entered to win a FREE 1 Year Subscription to Do It Yourself Magazine.

The party will run until Sunday. Random.org will pick a winner on Monday.

Party Rules:
1. One Entry per person
2. Grab the party button for your blog

How To Organize Blog Parties

2010-04-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

Let me just get this out there, I have a terrible (I mean terrible) memory and I am not very organized. There are so many great blog parties out there, and I needed a way to keep things straight.

I have been trying to figure out a way to organize all of the blog parties that I visit. I found a solution at Life Is Not Just Paper and Glue--a static page with clickable thumbnail pictures.

This is a screen shot of my Blog Party Link page

There is a tutorial on how to create this. It isn't that hard, just takes a little time. So far I only have Monday parties done, sooner or later I will get them all.
I did have to change the html code just a little to get mine to make rows and not just vertical columns.

I had to change all of the to . You may not have to, but just in case I wanted to share.

Now THIS is how you Re-Upholstery

2010-04-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across Design Intervention the other day through a blog party. I was amazed at the transformation of this old rocker.

The Before

Upholstery has been one thing that I have been afraid to try, but with Design Intervention Re upholstery 101 series I might have to give it a go.

Here are some of her other pieces.

Isn't she amazing!

Is My Blog Loading SLOW? Please let me know.

2010-04-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

I have switched to a Blogger in Draft template, and everytime I try to load my blog to check changes it is taking FOREVER! I was wondering if it was my computer or the new template.

If you can take a minute to let my know I would really appreciate it.

Thanks a bunch

Blog Maintenance

2010-04-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know I am working on the blog today so if things look weird that is probably the cause. I am trying out the new Blogger In Draft templates.

Office Chair Switcharoo

2010-04-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

I needed a metal office chair base for a project I have coming up, which if it works out is going to be so cool.

Back to the chair, I found this at the Goodwill for $6. The base is just what I was looking for, but after I took it apart I realized I liked the chair itself.

I already had a desk chair, but it was just a regular office chair that I got at the Goodwill for $5 and recovered--nothing special. I really liked the shape of this chair and it was in good condition except for the arms, nothing a little sanding and staining can't fix.

First I took the seat part off of my desk chair and measured to make sure the new seat would fit.

Here they are side by side.

And after the base switch.

I turned my attention to the arms. They were worn, but luckily they were wood so it was an easy fix.

I sanded the arms and applied a stain and poly in one. So much better.

On a side note, the picture above is completely unedited. I have no idea how it turned out like that, but I like it. I just leaned over the chair and snapped with my point and shoot. I have no idea why the floor isn't showing.

Here she is all put together and cleaned up. I think I love her. I might do a little something to the base just to break up all the black, but maybe not.

Where do you blog party?

2010-04-05T14:06:00.001-07:00

I know there are so many amazing blog parties out there.

I'd like to know where you party, when you party, and how you keep your party "invitations" organized?

This post is only relevant to those readers who blog, I'll be back soon with a more interesting post for those who don't.

Bud Vase Garland

2010-04-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

The other day a catalog called Napa Style showed up in my mail box. It is the first time I have every seen it. They have a lot of awesome stuff.

I saw this Piccola Vase Garland and thought it was amazing. I also thought, I already have everything I need to make one.

I scored these spice jars at the Goodwill last year for $2. I wish I had a thicker gauge wire so it would show up more, but I wanted to work with what I had.

I couldn't think of a place to hang them horizontal so I decided just to hang it vertical and spice up the entry for spring.

I still need to add a little something to get it "right", but so far so good.

Peg Board Jewelry Organizer for Kids

2010-04-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

I am back with another idea to help organize dress up stuff. I got the clothes organized with this little DIY project, this time I turned my attention to the huge box of jewelry that had turned into a giant knot. There was absolutely no way to reach in and grab a necklace to wear. Something had to be done.

Here is the finished product. So much better! If you want to see how I did it keep reading.

Collect supplies, frame, pegboard, spray paint, and pegboard accessories. I already had everything I needed except the peg board baskets which were $3 a piece.

Lets get started:

I got this frame from a garage sale last summer for $1, then I cut the peg board my mom gave me to size to fit in the frame.

Attach the peg board to the inside of the frame with Gorilla Glue and apply some weight.

Ready for some primer and paint. If you know you are going to paint your peg board a different color than your frame, paint each piece before you glue them together, but in true Fawn form I changed my mind after I had them together.

So I painted the pegboard first, and then covered it with some magazine pages, then painted the frame.

Now it was time to move on to my pegboard accessories, baskets and hangers. Of course I forgot to take a couple of pictures, but the baskets started out black and the hangers were metal. I primed and then spray painted them Watermelon by Kylon.

Here we are all painted and installed. There is a basket for rings, a basket for bracelets, and hangers for necklaces.

I also added a mirror that I spray painted to the space so Grace can admire her fancy self.

Of course Spiderman wanted in on the action, and yes he wears this almost everyday, all day.

This was such a cheap easy solution. I might embellish the frame a little, but for now I am happy.

Now if I can get them to use it. That always seems to be the trick.

http://cottagedreamers.blogspot.com/2010/04/whats-up-doc.html

Organizing Dress Up

2010-04-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today is Thursday, BEDROOM DAY on my chore chart. So I got up this morning and headed into Grace's room to get to cleaning--next thing you know it is major organizing time, with a couple DIY projects thrown in. She has a toy box in her room that was crammed FULL of dress up stuff. So full in fact that it was impossible to use.

Here is the picture after I pulled most of the stuff out of the dress up box (I love that Jake is feeding his baby puppy a bottle and borrowing G's flipflops).

It has to get worse before it gets better. Right?

So out to the garage and down to the basement I went to see what I could dig up to help get this mess under control.

First up I found this coat hanger, given to me by my friend Buffy.

Perfect for purses.

Next up the dresses. Last summer I picked up a huge box of dress up stuff at a yard sale for $5, so the first thing I did was edit. A lot of the dresses were for WAY bigger kids. Then I made a dress hanger.

I hung it low enough for her to get them off, and hopefully put them back on.

I know it seems like it is in the corner, but this room is SMALL, 9' 5" x 9' 5" so I have to make the most of it. You can see the purse hanger is right by the door stopper and the dresses are in the corner, but at least now she can see what she has.

The toy box is now for hats, wands, and other random accessories. At some point I may paint the inside of the toy box, but not today.

None of the other bedrooms got cleaned, but at least dress up is organized. I can't wait to show you what I came up with to organize her jewelry. I should be done with it tomorrow.

Here is how I made the dress hanger.

I found a piece of scrap MDF in the garage. Cut it to size and then spray painted it white.

Next I spray painted some clothes pins with Krylon Ballet Slipper.

Next, I attached the clothespins to the MDF using Gorilla Glue. It says to clamp when gluing, but I just put a little weight on the clothespins with some glass spice jars (which are about to become something else)

Next I attached to the wall. I didn't have a stud where I wanted to attach it so I put a couple of drywall anchors in then screwed into those.

One Pretty Thing Feature

2010-03-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

A few of my projects were featured on One Pretty Thing. If you have never been there you must go. There is so much great inspiration from DIY to sewing to kids crafts.

The Art Supply Storage shelf was featured in Weekend Roundup

The Book Display Shelves were featured in Daily DIY

The Retro Chair Goes Modern was featured in Revamp Round Up.

So thank you to One Pretty thing for all the shout outs, seriously you need to go visit. There are so many awesome projects.

Our DIY Master Bedroom On A Budget

2010-03-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have yet to show any pictures of the master bedroom. I thought why not make today that day.

Our bedroom is full of cheap DIY projects (no surprise there). Here she is in all her glory, well actually this is the good half. I have an awesome project coming up soon soon for the "bad" half. And, yes, I just noticed that some of the frames aren't' straight. It might have something to do with pillow fights and kids jumping on the bed.

The paint color is Sable by Sherwin Williams.

I realize this next picture is blown out, but it was hard to get a good picture of this chair area because of the windows. The light spot on the floor is sun from the skylight.

Alright, let's talk budget and DIY projects.

I'll start with the headboard. The previous owners left a door/screen thing down in the basement which happen to be just the size I needed for a headboard. I purchased foam, batting, buttons to cover, and fabric from the discount bin at Denver Fabrics. My total cost was about $20.

The white quilt/coverlet I purchased from a yard sale for $3. The lady selling it said she thought it was a full, but I bought it anyway just being hopeful. Turns out it fits the king perfectly. The throw pillow on the bed was $5 at Walmart on clearance.

Next up, bedside lamps. I got the lamps from Goodwill for $1.99 a piece (the were brass), 2 wood plaques $3, and 2 shades to cover from Hobby Lobby at 40% off for $5. I painted the wood and lamp to look like pewter and covered with fabric I already had. Total cost $12.
The monogram art under the lamps were free. I used frames I already had and covered the mats with fabric I already had.

The "artwork" above the bed was also free. I had all those frames in the basement and repainted them with paint that I already had (I painted the bad side of the room with it). I decided to add a little extra to the frames and painted "peace and quiet" directly onto the glass of a few of the frames.
The brown chair I purchased at the Goodwill for $9. When it came to the windows I thought they needed a little texture. I found this great material at Walmart for $1.97/yard and made the curtains, then I found the crinkled shears at WalMart for $5 on clearance. So the total on window covering was about $20. Here are some close up pictures of the fabrics.

All in all, I am pretty happy with it, and for about $70 you can't beat it. I would like to make more throw pillows and I think the nightstands are primed for a makeover.

I am really excited to show you the "bad" side which can now almost be considered good.

I'm linkin up to the DIY Showoff's Project Parade.

Cheeseburger Joes-Recipe

2010-03-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Let me just get this out in the open--I AM NOT A COOK. I do not like cooking and/or grocery shopping. That is my hunky husbands department. He is a GREAT cook. Unfortunately he gets stuck eating my lame attempts at dinner during the week, on the weekends he takes over the kitchen and we are all much happier!

Back to the Cheeseburger Joes. This recipe is so easy and it is very good. The kids like it, the hubby likes it, and I even like it (I have been know to be a picky eater).

I found the recipe in Kraft Food & Family, a magazine that used to be free, but now you have to pay for a subscription. All the recipes are simple and good, and can also be found on Kraftrecipies.com

Photo Source

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
Hamburger buns
Sliced Cheese

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain.

ADD barbecue sauce and ketchup; mix well. Cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

SPOON meat mixture onto bottom halves of buns; cover with Singles and tops of buns.

Tip: I like to put the cheese on the bottom then the meat. It seems to melt the cheese better. Give them a try. You won't be disappointed--by the taste or the ease

Quickie Wall Art Makeover

2010-03-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

I have needed to do some sort of wall art behind my couch FOREVER. I finally broke down and got a nice wall grouping together, but a couple of the pieces needed a makeover.

A little spraypaint, a few stickers, a starfish and done. Much better.

Here is a close up of the leaf picture. This is the first time I have distressed something after painting it. I think it looks better with a little age on it, and it fits in with all the other frames.

I was pretty excited when I found the leaf stickers at the Dollar Store. They are made for the wall. I am like a lot of you out there and I am constantly changing my mind about what I like. That is why I have to keep my wall art cheap, and easy to change. I had these two pieces down in the basement so the total cost for this makeover was $1 for stickers.

I am excited about how the wall grouping is coming together. I just have to put a few more pictures in the frames and then I will be ready to reveal.

I think hanging and choosing what to hang is hard! It is one of my least favorite things to do so I am happy that this is almost done.

Mulch, Mulch, and More Mulch

2010-03-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

In honor of Spring (please stop snowing) I thought I would post a yard project we did last summer.

We bought our house as a short-sale, so needless to say the previous owners had other, more important concerns than yard work, the yard got pretty overgrown.

It is unfortunate because according to the neighbors, it used to be beautiful. There was a lot of good ground cover patches in there, but it was too mixed with weeds for me to save. I put an ad on Craigslist and some folks came and grabbed the big patches. Then we cleared it all out, oh ya and I ripped down the porch railing--it seems so much more open.

Then we brought in the fill dirt and mulch. You can see where the dirt settled and there is a big space between porch and ground. We needed to fill that. After the delivery from Dworak's Landscaping it was time to get busy. By the way, if you are in the Denver area and are in need of some landscaping services call Dworaks Landscaping. They were awesome to work with. I don't have a link to their site, but here is a link to the Better Business Bureau rating,which happens to be an A+, it has all the contact information.

I had to bring in the muscle for this project too. Thanks for spending your birthday and anniversary working on the yard. I really appreciate it.

After a full day of wheel barrow after wheel barrow we were finally done.

I really want to learn how to do the inter active picture where you can hover over the "before" to see the "after", so if anyone has a tutorial please let me know. Until then here is a side by side.

Retro Chair Goes Modern

2010-03-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

I was perusing Craigslist free section the other day, and I saw an add for free peg board. Heck ya, that is what I needed for my garage so the kids and I headed out. By the time we got there the peg board was gone, but what I found was a thrifty girls dream. An older gentleman cleaning out "38 years of stuff"--for free. I came home with as many treasures as I could fit in my car. One was an old chair that needed a little love.

I saw this chair, turned it over to see how easy it would be to take apart, and then tossed it in the car. I had one person in mind--my sister-in-law. She just bought her first house and needed a chair for her office. Her style is different than mine, she is pretty modern so I thought it would be perfect.

Here she is in all her brown and orange glory. Like I told my SIL look past the color to her shape.

She definitely has potential to be pretty hip.

So apart she came to get ready for spray paint. First, I sanded, cleaned, then wiped with TSP. Please excuse the mess in the background--my garage. You can see I did score some peg board (thanks Mom) so hopefully it will be organized soon.

After one can of Kylon Fusion for plastic, a coat of Rust-oleum Lacquer, a spray of polyurethane, and a recovered seat with Diversitex Harmony Turquoise Fabric....ta da
I am a little nervous about the fabric, I hope she likes it. But all in all, not a bad office chair for a modern girl. All for $6 in fabric and $4 in paint (I already had the poly and lacquer).

I thought I would look around google and see what I could find similar. Same shape, different base two chairs for just over $200.

Photo Credit for both pictures Design Shrine

P.S. to my Sister-In-Law in Nebraska, I wish you were closer so I could find something to paint for your new house.

A Few More Bathroom Projects

2010-03-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

I thought in this post I would just give a quick run down of the rest of the projects I did to finish off the bathroom

1. Install new vanity. This vanity is so much better. Not only does it have 2 drawers, but it is a lot skinnier so we now have 3 extra square feet that is usable. I know it doesn't sound like much, but in a 30 square foot bathroom it adds up. I used a jigsaw to cut a whole for the drain pipe, and of course a level and some shims.

One piece of advice, if your vanity is taller than the previous one be prepared to make some adjustments to your water supply lines and drain. My water supply lines came out of the floor so the actual line was too short! Not a hard fix just took a while to get all the right pieces.

2. Install new trim. This is the first time I used liquid nails. The kids were sleeping so I didn't want to bust out the compressor and nail gun right outside their doors. I purchased it for a different project, but didn't end up using it. I must say, I am not that crazy about it. I thought it was hard to get the trim to stay flat against the wall while it dried. I used a bucket full of water and a mini sledge hammer.

3. Caulk around the tub, toilet, and bottom of the new trim. I used this great product AccuColor Sanded Siliconized Acrylic Latex Caulk. It is so great, the caulk matches the grout. It gives it a very polished look. I taped so my lines would be nice.
Here is a close up of the caulk, the picture isn't great, but you can tell how it looks like grout.

3. Install new threshhold

4. Spray paint heating vent.

5. Hang new mirror. Turns out I had the perfect mirror hanging up downstairs. I just had to give it a little makeover and it works great, for free. See that knob on the medicine cabinet, I just noticed it is going to need a little makeover. Now it doesn't go with the other knobs.

The electrician is scheduled this week to come over and center the light above the vanity and then the hard part, accessorizing. I have mentioned before, but it is not my specialty. I think I am going to put a couple floating shelves above the toilet. Once I get those up and decorated I will post FINAL pictures--including a little DIY wall art.

See where that foot stool is, the old vanity came out that far!

I have to say I am pretty proud of this project. It is my biggest to date and I did everything by my self except when I had to bring in the muscle to help carry the vanity upstairs and hold the toilet up so I could line up the bolts.

How To Repair Knock Down Wall Texture

2010-03-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

This is knockdown texture and if you have it on your walls, you may know it can be a pain to patch a wall that is covered with it so the patch isn't hugely visible.

With the redo of our bathroom, I wanted to remove this HUGE mirror from the bathroom wall.

Luckily for me, my neighbor used to work at a glass company and had the big suction cup thing for mirror removal. He came over and popped it off for me in a matter of minutes, but I was left with a little repair to do to the walls.

First things first, I filled the holes with DAP Fast 'N Final Lightweight Spackling

Next step, sand.

Now the fun part, apply the texture. I used Homax Spray Knockdown Texture

I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of this step. Let me explain, see that bottle above. I bought it a while ago for a different project, for some reason my spray nozzle wasn't spraying correctly and it was making a HUGE mess, I mean everywhere. Luckily it is water based so clean up wasn't that bad, but I did forget to break out the camera.

The directions are pretty simple, set it to the texture thickness (fine or heavy), spray, let it dry a few minutes, and then knockdown with a spackling knife.

I have to say that I am very pleased with the results. Last time I didn't do as well. I think the secret was to put on more spray texture and wait longer for it to dry before you knock it down.

Here is a picture of the texture after it dried and before it is painted. I'd say its a pretty good match.

And here it is painted. The color looks a little off, but the texture looks good.

I know, not the most exciting post, but useful if you have some texture to repair.

The Winner Is

2010-03-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who left a sweet comment. The random.org winner is...

ghislaine

Send me and email with your mailing address and I will get it in the mail to you asap.

Let's Talk Tile

2010-03-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

I am not going to give you a how to on tiling, one because I am not a professional, and two there is Google. What I am going to do is show how I did it and give a couple of tips that I found helpful, and ladies I want you to know I did all of this by myself, from Hardie Board on up. Sure it is a little nerve wracking, but you can do it.

The first thing I did was cover the floor with Hardie Board. Here is a work in progress picture.

You can see that tile laying there. My next step was to cut the trim around the door so the Hardie Board and tile would fit under it. I don't remember where I saw the tip, but it said lay the tile on top of Hardie Board for the height and the cut with saw. It worked like a charm.

I got done cutting the HB then screwed it in with a million screws that are made specially for HB.
After I was done with that step I did I dry run with the tiles and spacers to see the best placement for the tiles.

Luckily for me I didn't have too many hard tile cuts, but I was still pretty nervous about them. The first cut was for the heating vent--a rectangle, I figured it wouldn't be too hard.

I did some measuring, and this is where I learned a valuable lesson. If you mark your measurements in PENCIL then head out to the tile saw--the measurement will disappear the instant the water hits it--use permanent marker.

To cut, I made a lot of cuts then "popped" the cut part out. I don't know if that makes sense, but this picture can help illustrate.

Not too bad, I was pretty proud of the results. Sometimes measuring isn't my strong suit.
I did all my circle cuts the same way. When I do the next bathroom, I think I will get a tile nipper so I can be a little bit more precise, but I am happy with the results.

My next cuts were a little different. The water supply lines were running right through the middle of a tile. Rather than explain I will let the picture illustrate what I did.

I found this tip from a book called 100 Things You Don't Need A Man For by Alison Jenkins. It is a really lame title, but it does have some good tips in it. I bought it from the Goodwill for $1.

That was my last cut, after appropriate time I was ready for grout.
I went to a tile shop to find grout that matched the tile, and I purchased Grout Boost which is supposed to make the grout stain resistant with no sealing--ever. The sealer was $24 and the Grout Boost was $26 so I went for it. It is too soon to tell if it makes a difference, but I'll let you know.

Then I grouted and wiped for days! Not really, but it does take a while to get all the grout off your tiles.
Here is a shot of the "tricky" cut after grout. Looks pretty good, especially since it is under the vanity.

I am very happy and proud of the results. So if you are thinking about it--do it. It wasn't that hard, and it makes a huge difference in the room.

Lets talk expense, our bathroom is 30 Square Feet:

Tile Sandyridge Taupe from Lowes: $48

Mastic: $31 (I got the pre-mixed stuff)

Hardie Board: $15

Hardie Board Screws: $8

Grout: $16

Grout Boost: $26

1/4 Inch Spacers: $4

Tools that I needed to purchase:

Trowel: $8

Grout Float: $5

Sponge: $2

Bucket: $4

Total:$163

I am FINISHED with the BATHROOM

2010-03-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

Finally Done

This was tonight while G was brushing her teeth. Finally the bathroom is finished and usable.

And just for fun. Here is the "first" before from when me moved in about a year and a half ago.

Don't for get there is still time to sign of for the giveaway. Just leave a comment about anything on this post.

SURPRISE GIVEAWAY WINNERS and A CHANCE TO WIN

2010-03-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

I want to celebrate reaching 100 followers (plus).

I loved how A Little Bit of Sanity and A Lot of Chaos did her giveaway, as a SURPRISE to her followers. I decided to do it the same way. I included Followers and Email Subscribers. I just wanted to say thank you for being interested in what I am up to and welcoming me to blogging with open arms.

My giveaway is from Nomadic Visions Art, who actually happens to be my Mom. She started out MANY (sorry Mom) years ago doing beadwork and has evolved into mask making. You may have seen her featured in Bead & Button or if you live in Colorado she just had a gallery show at the Creamery in Hotchkiss. Needless to say she is very talented and I have been trying to talk her into starting an Etsy.

For the giveaway she has offered up jewelry that she takes to her shows/craft fairs with her.

WARNING-I TOOK THESE PICTURES WITH MY OLD CAMERA

First Place

Here is a close up

The perfect necklace to bring on SPRING. The leaf is a glass bead and the "chain" is made from green crystals.

The First place winner is KJ from Let's Go Fly A Kite.

SECOND PLACE

Two pairs of earrings. The first pair is aventurine and agate, both semi-precious stones. The second pair is turquoise, which I thought was perfect since it is the color of the year.

Michelle-Your link wasn't visible

Now, I felt bad because I didn't know how to enter people who follow me through a feedburner so there is a third chance to win. Just leave a comment on this post and you are entered. It is the only way I could think to include EVERYONE for a chance to win. Followers and Email Subsribers are welcome to enter for another chance to win.

The prize up for grabs for the commenter's is a beautiful pair of earrings and a matching anklet made from citrine and glass beads.

So a HUGE thank you to everyone. I really appreciate all the comments and support!

The winner for the third place prize will be selected Saturday morning. Comments will be turned of Friday night.

Michelle and KJ please send me an email with your address.

Bathroom Update and Blog Love

2010-03-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Everyone,

I know it has been a while since I posted, but I have been BUSY working away on the bathroom redo. I am getting very close to being done.

I can't tell you how nice the water flowing out of the faucet feels. Of course, it wasn't as easy as it should have been. More on that later.

Tile-Done
Vanity Install-Done
Faucet Hooked Up-Done
Toilet Repair/Re-install-Done
Huge Mirror Removal-Done
Trim-Done

All I have left to do is caulk and paint. It is looking pretty good. Hopefully I can finish today at naptime. I decided to keep the walls the same blue, I really like the color, and it won't be so much to paint.

Now on to the bloggy love.

The incredibly awesome Tip Junkie blog decided to feature my DIY Book Display! I am honored to be included on her site. It is so amazing. If you have DAYS to spend looking at stuff (blurffing) head over there and check it out. There is something for everyone!

The amazing blog Infarrantly Creative include my DIY Art Supply Shelf in her Loves Links. It is a very inspirational blog, I always look forward to what she is going to be posting about. She does a little bit of everything! Go check it out.

The Girl Creative blog also gave my DIY Art Supply Shelf a shout out on her Readers Rock post.Her blog is awesome so I feel very honored to be included. Go visit and get inspired.

Follower Profile Link or Subscriber Blog Name

2010-03-06T06:27:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone.

I am trying to visit all of my Follower's blogs, but some of you don't have your blog linked to your profile. If you have a minute can you link your profile. I would love to see what you are all up to.

Thanks a bunch.

Hubby and the kids are out, I am off to grout the bathroom.

Dry Fit-DONE

2010-03-04T16:04:00.001-08:00

Ya baby! Dry fit of the tile is done. Plan of attack for tomorrow--INSTALL. The color looks a little off. It is called Sandy Ridge Taupe.
I also wanted to give a shout out to my husband. He may not always agree with my decisions to tear apart the house, but supports me anyway. So thank you for trusting me to put it back together nicely. That means a lot. Oh ya, and hopefully soon I will have the toilet out of the master bedroom--love ya.

Basket Makeover

2010-03-04T06:55:00.001-08:00

While I am deep into the bathroom remodel I thought I would dig through my pictures to find something to share.

A great friend of mine was redoing her little boy's room and no longer needed these baskets. I was not about to pass them up. I just wanted to change them a little for my girls room.

Here is the before. Actually it is a different size, but it looks the same.

I spray painted the basket white and made a new liner.

To make the liner, if your basket already has one, take it apart and use it as a pattern. If it doesn't have a liner, I use this video tutorial from Curbly and it works like a charm.

I got the fabric from Joann's when it was %50 off for a couple of bucks, I already had the spray paint, and free baskets so all in all it was a very cheap project. Just like I like them!

Well, good news on the bathroom remodel. I got all the hardie board cut to fit now I just have to get it installed. It takes a while to do stuff since I can only work during naptime. My awesome neighbor has offered to take the kids on Friday morning so I can have a few more hours so that will be great.

On a completely different note I WON A GIVEAWAY from A Little Bit of Sanity and A Lot of Chaos. It was such a great surprise. She just entered all of her followers and pulled a random one. I have a beautiful bracelet from Echos Art on the way. Lisa, from Echos Art has a lot of beautiful stuff. Check out her Etsy shop.

Biggest Project Yet

2010-03-02T06:16:00.000-08:00

BEFORE NAPTIME

AFTER NAPTIME

Wish me luck! I'll let you know how things are going.

Goodwill Pedestal Table

2010-02-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

When my husband and I purchased the bulk of our furniture we were living in a rental. I have now discovered that is kind of a bad time to purchase big ticket items. The HUGE dining table and couches may not fit ANY OTHER house you live in.

So when we moved into the house that we live in now our humongous rectangle dining table was a tight fit to say the least. I really wanted a round pedestal table to fit the space better. Of course we had already spent our budget on a nice table so I had to find something affordable. That is where my favorite store the Goodwill comes into play. I found this table for $24, THAT IS RIGHT $24. There was no way I could not buy it. The only problem was it didn't have the leaf to make it as big as we needed. I thought I could probably make something.

Here is the space I needed to fill.

Here I am holding up what I plan to make into my "leaf".

You will notice there is a little bit of trim at the bottom. I looked all over for something to match, couldn't find it so I pulled it off.

I wasn't sure how to do it, but I just kind of had to wing it. Now that I have done a few projects, I probably would do somethings different. I would have used MDF and I wouldn't have used wood filler to try to make it look like there wasn't a leaf. It just made it incredible challenging and I think after all of the work, it might have looked better if I would have let it look like a leaf. A year later, and the wood filler has cracked and now it it looks kind of messy.

In the picture below you can see I filled the cracks to make it look like a solid surface.

I attached the "leaf" to the table using wood glue and brackets.

My next step was to borrow a router from our awesome Cousin Andy, and route around the whole table so the edges would match. Then I distressed it and painted it white.

Here you can see the routed edge, and the cracked wood glue. Speaking of a router I think it one is definitely going to go on my Christmas list. It was awesome.

It isn't perfect, but I really like it. Although now I am thinking I would like the table top be a nice dark wood so this might be an in-between makeover, ha ha ha.

Here is the only picture of the big rectangle table I could find. This was from Mother's Day 2009 breakfast, Mamosas and breakfast burritos (ya baby) so please excuse my all around look! It is funny to look at the stuff in the background and notice how much has changed--new mantle, tv, and layout!

Kind of funny story, last night as I was typing this post up my husband asked me what I was typing. My response "about the dining table". He shook his head, and I had to giggle--nothing like the excitement of a table!

Sheen on Sheen Wall Stripes

2010-02-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

WARNING-Bad Pictures ahead. It was very had to get a picture of these stripes!

Have you ever done a project and thought, hmmm, not quite the impact I was expecting? That is the result with my voyage into wall stripes.

I have previously mentioned the tan overload in my family room. I had considered doing some board and batten, but thought maybe it would be too much for the small space. I decided I would try some sheen on sheen stripes to add some interest.

Well, the interest added is VERY minimal. The picture above is in the natural light. The more I look at it the more I like it, but I don't know if I should do 1 shade lighter than the wall color. What do you think?

At night:

With Flash:

I already liked my wall color and wanted the stripes to be glossy. My walls were painted in a satin. The nice Gentleman at Home Depot suggested I use Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic.

I decided how wide I wanted my stripes then attached the laser level to the wall and taped along the line. Make sure to put your tape on the OUTSIDE of the stripe you are going to paint.

After your stripes are taped off, paint over the edge of the tape with your base wall color to seal it. That way if anything leaks it will be the base wall color.

Stand back and admire your work, try to determine if there is even a difference, ha, ha. While writing this post I have been repeatedly looking at the stripes, and I think they are growing on me. Now just to put everything back in its place and some artwork.

The Book Display is a hit--In Spanish

2010-02-25T16:22:00.000-08:00

I received a nice email from Kireei, a Spanish home decor/craft/photography blog, asking if they could review my DIY Book Display. Of course I went to check out the blog and then said yes.

Go visit, it is a very hip blog. It is in Spanish, but on the top right corner there is an option to translate to English.

Here is a link to my DIY Book Display, but you should also go check out the Kireei from the homepage.

Here is a screen shot of Kireei. I love the header--Cosas Bellas

Dollar Store Place Mat Wall Art

2010-02-23T07:04:00.001-08:00

I decide to do my little boy's room red and blue sports themed. I had a big spot of wall above the bed that needed some art. So of course off to the Dollar Store I went for inspiration. I found vinyl place mats that were 12 x 12. Inspiration struck.

I Googled free sports themed clip art and found six that I liked, taped the place mats with the clip art behind up to my window, then traced over it with this Elmer's Painters Opaque Paint Maker

To attach to the wall I used Velcro. A year later and they are still hanging on great. The only problem was all I had was black Velcro, it shows through a little on the red ones. Not too much to bother me, but if I was planning to do this again I would get a lighter color.

Hmm, actually it seems to show up quite a bit in the picture, maybe I am going to have to get some lighter Velcro after all, but for $9 I can't complain. $6 for place mats, about $3 for the paint pen, and I already had the Velcro.

Since we all like the keep it real pictures, here is his room this morning when I went to take a picture of the Velcro. Granted we have all been sick for about a month, but WOW what a mess!

I'm linking up to these fun parties. Come check them out and get inspired.

DIY Art Supply Shelf

2010-02-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

I am sure many of you have an area where you keep coloring stuff for your kids--here is mine

What a NIGHTMARE--something has to be done! What is it THEY say--you can't expect everything to be in its place if everything doesn't have a place.

That is when I walked into the garage and inspiration struck. I saw three pails that I used last Spring for flowers and a leftover piece of MDF--art supply shelf came to me, and even better it would be free because I already had everything I needed.

Here is how I did it:

Cut MDF to length, mine were 24". I used a 1x6 for the shelf and a 1x2 for the ledger.

Install ledger making sure it is level. Make sure you screw into studs or use drywall anchors.

Now it is time to cut holes in the shelf for the pails to sit in. Decide how big you want your circle, drill a whole for the jigsaw to fit through then cut. It was at this point I realized I still need a little work with the jigsaw. My first circle was a little rough, but they got better.

Clamp it to the workbench to hold it still for drilling and cutting.

Now it is time to install the shelf to the ledger. I just pre-drilled holes and then screwed it in. I found it a little difficult to get close to the wall to get the screws tight enough so I broke out the socket wrench-it worked like a charm.

Paint, and you are ready to organize.

I added a magazine holder to the wall to hold coloring books and paper. So far so good--now everything has a place now lets see if stuff makes it back in, and don't worry, I put outlet covers in the outlet after I was done using them.

Here are a couple of pictures of their little coloring nook.

The pails came from the Target dollar spot last year. Now I might have to spruce them like The Loyd Collection did to hers. They are super cute. If you don't have a magazine holder laying around check out Generally Creative she has a great post on a DIY option.

I'm linking up here:

It Is So Very Cheri- It' So Very Creative

I need a CHAIR CUT

2010-02-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

As I have previously mentioned in my kitchen/dining room there was WAY too much orangey wood. I painted the buffet, now it was time to move on to something else--the chairs.

I don't have a really great before picture, but you can tell the wood tone is BAD. What is hard to see is just how tall the backs were. In my dining nook it became pretty obtrusive and annoying.

Enter My Mom and Her Reciprocal Saw (sorry about the picture Mom, but I think it is funny)

There, I will put one of me too so it wont hurt as bad. Now we can both look ridiculous, and in case you are wondering she SHOULD NOT be using a saw with a long skirt.

We cut the top arch-thing off so there are now three instead of four. It is so much better.

A little paint and some new fabric and I now LOVE my chairs that at one time I couldn't stand.

and yes, that is a stain on the chair--we did this back in March and I have two kids--they didn't stand a chance.

I'm joining these fun parties. Come check them out.

See Me Here

2010-02-18T11:56:00.001-08:00

This has been a pretty amazing couple of days. My projects are being mentioned several places:

DIY Book Display is mentioned at

Project Nursery

BloesemKids

Butterflyfish -a German Site

My Board and Batten Entryway was mentioned at A Soft Place To Land

My Magnetic Art Display is a sidebar feature at Somewhat Simple

Thank you to all of these folks for the shout out. I really appreciate it. Visit their sites for some great inspiration.

Finding More Storage in My Kitchen

2010-02-16T07:01:00.000-08:00

We have what would affectionately be called a two-butt kitchen. Very small. I actually have only one drawer for the big utensils (spatulas, rolling pins, mixer parts, etc). I got my first set of "big-girl" (i.e. not plastic) measuring cups and spoons for Christmas. They were crammed in the drawer with everything else. Anytime we tried to get something out, EVERYTHING came out. It was driving me nuts.

That is when I found COMMAND WIRE HOOKS

I put them inside one of my cabinet doors--TADA more room in the utensil drawer. Please ignore the color I my cabinet. As previously mentioned I hope to one day paint these.

It does takes a couple days to go used to them and not scream every time you open the door because you think something is going to fall on you. Must be some sort of post traumatic issue with everything being overstuffed!

My cleaning products were also a MESS under the sink. I could never find anything unless I pulled everything out. Then I found this, the Rubbermaid Stick and Store.

There we go. All my cleaning products in one easily accessible place. The really cool thing is you can just grab the handle and it travels to your cleaning destination with you.

I will have to do a post on these great cleaning products soon. Those spray bottles are all I need to clean ANYTHING and they are GREEN!

So go forth and find some more storage space in your kitchen.

Craftzine Feature

2010-02-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Wow!

My DIY Book Display has been featured at Craftzine. com. Very cool.

I can't believe I have never heard of this site. It is like the craft/DIY mecca, all things craft---inspiration, patterns, shop, and community. It looks awesome. So thank you to the Craftzine folks for the shout out.

Oh man, It's Valentines Day

2010-02-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

So I had a chance to sleep in this morning, but of course at 6:30 I am wide awake and then it hits me; OH MAN IT'S VALENTINES DAY. You see, I had this plan to make the kids some valentines from a giveaway I won from Kelleigh Ratzlaff Design.

A little while ago I won a giveaway at A Soft Place To Land DIY day. My prize was from Kelleigh Ratzlaff Design, amazing papercrafting. Now, let me say this, I WISH I was an amazing papercrafter, but alas I am not so I was a little nervous about winning something papercrafting.

I went to her site and found a lot of stuff I liked. My plan for Valentines Day was to make the kids this mailbox

and this candy dispenser

but, since it was the day of, I was really worried. I have been under the weather (sinus and ear infection) for a couple of weeks so I didn't have a chance to make it to the store for all of the cute embellishments I had in mind.

I headed downstairs to the craft room/storage/laundry room/dungeon/ basement to see what I could find. I found the bare necessities to get the mailbox made and kind-of embellished. I guess the candy dispenser is going to have to wait.

After my trip downstairs I decided I just had to jump in, I didn't have long before everyone would be back. This is where I have to say thank you to Kelleigh for an easy to understand template. Even a papercrafting novice like myself was able to complete the mailbox in just a few short minutes.

Before I post a picture of my work I just want you to know in my mind I had them looking way cuter--kind of like Kelleigh's!

I put some chocolates in them the kids loved them. So embellished or not, the mailboxes were a hit.

So thank you Kimba and Kelleigh. I can't wait to do some more papercrafting.

Finally A New Rug

2010-02-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

I have wanted a new rug for my family room ever since I realized that burgandy, mustard, and olive weren't my true design identity. Also, I wanted one that was bigger.

You can see in the picture below. The rug was WAY too small for the space and the colors weren't doing it for me.

Ahhh, much better.

I found this rug on Walmart.com and used Site-To-Store. It only took 3 days to come in and only cost $70. That's right a 8.9ft x 12ft rug for $70. Now let me say this, it is a very thin rug, not very plush, but with a 2-year old, a 3-year old, and dog it is just what I needed. Easy to clean.

The following pictures are from FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY NIGHT where we get to have popcorn, drink, and movie in the family room. You will notice the rug is getting broken in right away.

Every Saturday morning, I feel like cancelling Friday Night Party Night, but they love it so much it is worth the mess.

Magnetic Kids Art Display

2010-02-10T21:54:00.001-08:00

I have a wall leading down to the family room that was begging for some decoration. I have tried a photo collage, but it seemed like the pictures kept getting knocked down and broken. See how narrow it is and what a big space to fill it was.

My refrigerator was covered with kids art.

Time to come up with a new plan to take care of both problems.

Enter, Rustoleum Magnet Latex Primer. I got mine at Home Depot for $20, more than I would normally pay for something, but I didn't see another alternative.

I measured how big I wanted it to be, painted it with a zillion coats of the magnetic primer, then painted over it with my wall color. I framed it in with some molding and I thought I was done. That was until I looked at a huge bare rectangle that looked odd.

I decided I needed to do something to dress up the inside of the rectangle. I bought a stencil, but it didn't work very well because my walls are textured. Time for plan B, figure out how to paint the harlequin diamond pattern without a stencil. I started Googling and found this. A detailed tutorial with a harlequin diamond calculator. I have to give a big thank you to Silverspoon Murals, who knows how long it would have taken me to figure this out without the tutorial.

I taped it all out and then went over the edges of the tape with the wall color. Don't skip this step. It keeps the tape from leaking to give a nice clean edge.

I took some of my wall paint and added some craft paint until I got the color I wanted for the other diamonds. Painted, then done. Much better.

Now I have a place for the kids art and that huge bare wall is no longer.

Linking Up Here:

Remodelaholic's Anonymous Meeting

Lit & Laundry Finished For Friday

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Nite Special

DIY Showoff Feature

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have to give a huge THANK YOU to Roeshel from the DIY Showoff for featuring me today. Her blog is packed full of awesome DIY projects and I am honored to be included.

Go check it out.

How To: 3 Column Blog

2010-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Want a 3 Column Blog here is an excellent tutorial. If you have any issues make sure and read the comments, that is where I found my solution.

There are also other helpful tips. Check it out.

How To add A Signature To Blog Post

2010-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would share how I figured out how to add a signature to my blog posts.

First, I had to create a signature. I made mine in Photoshop Elements with this tutorial from Jacks Tech Corner. It was very easy to follow.

Then I had to add it to Blogger. I found an awesome tutorial here at Kevin and Amanda . It was also very easy to follow.

I am not sure if I love the signature I made, but I LOVE the fact that now I can do it.

DIY Fireplace Mantle and Surround

2010-02-08T08:26:00.000-08:00

So as I have said before I live in a 90's house with no built in character. My next project to add a little character was building a fireplace mantle and surround.

I checked out several books from the library to get inspiration and lo and behold in one of the books there was a plan for the above mantle, with a few alterations. I decide just to jump right in.

Check the bottom of the post for a link to the book I used.

Here is my living room before. The previous owner was using this as a pool room, that explains the low hanging light fixture in the middle of the room.

After, with a new light fixture, new arrangement, and new mantle.

As you can tell, I still have a lot to do with accessorizing. I really have a hard time with that. It seems like I can usually get the "bones" down like I like it, but to finish it off with accessories is always really challenging for me.

I thinking I want to do some type of board and batten to the lower part of the wall to break up all the TAN, but then the other day on Color Splash they showed a small living room and David's advice was to match the furniture to the walls to make it seem bigger. So now I might be reconsidering.

Here are few work in progress pictures:

I built this by MYSELF, so ladies if you are thinking about it DO IT. It wasn't that hard and it only cost me about $100.

Now just to paint the ugly brass!

Here is the book I got the plan out of.

I'm linking up here. Visit everyone.

Shanty2Chic I Made It Without My Hubby

Between Naps On The Porch Metamorpasis Monday

Cottage Insticts Make It For Monday

Making The World Cuter Monday

The Persimmon Perch Made It Mondays

Twice Remembered Make Your Monday

The Girl Creative Just Something I Whipped Up

Sumo's Sweet Stuff Market Yourself Mondays

A Soft Place To Land DIY Day

Blue Cricket Design Show and Tell

The Thrifty Home Penny Pinching Party

My Romantic Home Show & Tell Friday

Quote Wall Art On The Cheap

2010-02-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

The colors look a little funky thanks to my ancient point and shoot camera.

It was time to re-do my little girls room from baby to big girl since she was getting her big girl bed. Even though it was probably only a few months before when I finished her baby room (I wasn't quite thinking when we moved in).

I painted it the PERFECT shade of pink thanks the the advice from Making It Lovely. She is a lover of all things pink and has a nice list of her favorite paint colors. I tried a couple of samples and settled on the Wild Aster, and it did not disappoint. It is a gorgeous color.

There is a pretty big wall that need some decoration. I wanted a quote, but I didn't want to pay for vinyl. I thought about painting it on the wall, but I thought when I get tired of it in about 2 seconds then I will have to repaint. That is when inspiration struck thanks to an email from Lauren at Lauren Urban Photography. She sent me a link with cute ideas. Of course I can't find the link to the exact project, but it came from here

(If you have seen this picture and remember where please let me know so I can credit)

I was on the look out for some flashcards for a while, but I didn't find any. I decided to make my own.

I set up a template in Word, printed, and cut apart with my Xacto knife. Purchased some mini clothespins from Hobby Lobby, spray painted them white, and hung on some pretty pink ribbon for $1 from Walmart. In total I think it probably cost me about $5--not bad.

Now you will notice the letters are kind of curling up. I printed them on a flimsy, clearish cardstock. That was a mistake. After a couple of months the curling was really bad so I re-did them on white cardstock, same result without the curling. I also hung them a little high so there wouldn't be little fingers pulling them off!

Piece by piece her room is coming together. The next project in here is a canopy for the bed.

I'd be happy to share the Flashcard template I made just let me know.

I'm linking here. Come get some inspiration.

http://decormamma.blogspot.com/2010/02/frugalicious-friday-giveawaysodderbug.html

Painted Buffet

2010-02-02T20:58:00.001-08:00

Last spring, I was sitting in my family room looking up towards the kitchen and all I could think was OH MY GOD LOOK AT ALL THE WOOD (Had I known this was going to be on a blog I would have staged it a little)!!

While I was looking around my house I was also looking at DIY magazine. See that blue dresser. Looks so bright and spring like it was all I could think of.

I turned my attention to this nice buffet my Dad gave me that my Grandfather built.

Off to Walmart I went. There just happen to be some spray paint on clearance. Notice the color? I thought it was a sign.

I bit the bullet and painted it.

I loved it for about 2 weeks then I had to paint it again, this time white. I added some new knobs that I got from Hobby Lobby when they were half off. Now I love it. Again, I am so thankful for all the beautiful blogs that have helped me find my style. By the way, I don't actually keep the buffet in the middle of my kitchen, I moved it so I could take the picture in some good light.

It is funny to go back and look at pictures. These pictures are from March of 2009, almost a year ago, and six months after we moved in. The only thing that is the same from these pictures are the cabinets (which hopefully as soon as it warms up will also be different) the lamp has been painted, different table, different chairs, different window treatments, and different spot for all the crap on top of the cabinets--thank God because that was BAD!

I'm linking to these great places:

Domestically Speaking Power of Paint Party

I Found My Dream Kitchen

2010-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

If I could have any kitchen in the world this would be it, the Gianetti's from Velvet and Linen I am in love, the floors, the cabinets, the lights, the island, the ceiling, need I say more. Beautiful! Stunning!

Photos Credit

I found this beautiful space on Making House A Home .

One Neighbor's Trash is Another Neighbor's Treasure

2010-01-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

I saw these two chairs sitting out for trash day at a neighbor's house. I couldn't let them be thrown away, so home with me they came. Truth be told, the neighbor put them out hoping that someone would take them. When she saw them outside my garage so stopped to tell me how happy she was that I grabbed them.

I removed the stuff wrapped around the arms, cleaned, and spray painted. Ta-Da!

Add a basket from the Goodwill for 50 cents, glass from a table you already own, bucket for $1 from Target with flowers and you have yourself a comfy little place to sit on your horrible, in need of a makeover deck all for about $10.

My First Feature-Craftify It

2010-01-29T06:59:00.000-08:00

I was pretty excited to see this morning that my Board and Batten post was going to be featured over at Craftify It. Go check her out she has lots of neat stuff.

Thank you Staci for being the first to feature me. I really appreciate it.