The Thrifty Abode

A Happy Birthday

2012-02-29T15:38:00.000-05:00

A couple weekends ago we celebrated Little Man's 2nd birthday! I still can believe he's 2! I kept things super low-key. I didn't do nearly as much stuff as I did for his first birthday. And ya know what? He didn't seem to mind a bit. We just had a fun day with family and ate a bunch of pizza and cupcakes. We even had great weather in the middle of February so we were able to enjoy most of the party outside.

I loooooved throwing a simple (low stress) party. I designed the invites, cupcake toppers, and banner, and I only spent money on getting the invitations printed ($6 postcards from Costco) and a stack of scrapbook card stock from Wal-Mart for my dot garland. Oh yeah, and I made these fantastic low-sugar, carrot and pineapple cupcakes from a recipe I found on Weelicious.com.

Speaking of birthdays, yesterday The Thrifty Abode turned one! It's hardly worth mentioning, especially since I've been blogging so irregularly for about three months now, but I figured I'd do it any way.

Hope everyone's having a wonderful Leap Day!

Shared Spaces and Playrooms

2012-02-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

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Y'all gave me such great advice about having a toddler and an exhausting pregnancy when I announced that I was expecting again, that I'm back for more words of wisdom!

We found out that baby #2 is a boy last week, and I'm seriously considering putting both boys in one room to sleep, and making our third bedroom into a playroom.

The thought of baby and toddler waking each other up at night worries me quite a bit, but Little Man slept in our room until he was six months old and we'll probably do the same with this baby. That way they won't really be sleeping in the same room until Little Man is almost three and baby #2 has established good sleep habits.

Have any of you other mommies had any luck with bunking your kids together or did it cause more problems than it was worth?

If I'm going to do this, I'd really like to get the playroom finished within the next few months. Right now the toy clutter is pretty under control, but we don't have any room for big things. I'd love for Little Man to have space for a little table and chairs or even a train table and we just don't have room for that right now and I can't see fitting that stuff into a room with a big crib or a twin size bed.

Until I make any decisions and fill y'all in on the plans I'll come up with, here are some shared space and playroom inspiration pics I've been collecting on Pinterest.

I've been looking at shared spaces, not because I'm going to completely overhaul my decor, but because I'm curious to see how other people have fit a crib and a bed into one room.

Isn't the first picture of that cowboy room adorable? I love the arrangement, but I think a crib and bed would fit better in our room if they're arranged like the ones in the picture below.

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I've come across some great playrooms and I'm almost 100% positive the the purchase of an Expedit storage unit from Ikea is in my near future.

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Valentine Tag/Cupcake Topper

2012-02-07T10:17:00.000-05:00

I whipped up this little tag for my niece yesterday and thought it would be nice to share with y'all.

We usually don't get too into Valentine's Day around here, but it might be fun to do some things for Little Man now that he's getting old enough to enjoy little activities and crafts.

What do y'all usually do? Any fun traditions to pass along? I'd really love to hear!

Click here to download the sheet.
P.S. For some reason the picture of the sheet looks terrible on Scribd, but it does not look like that once the PDF is downloaded!

Brown Bomb

2012-01-30T15:37:00.000-05:00

OK. So this is kind of embarrassing, but I'm gonna share anyway. I was hoping to have a beautiful, new, white chair that I got a great deal on to show off today. Instead, I have a brown chair that's being returned and I'm back to square one of my cheap chair hunt.

First off, here's why I thought I was getting a white chair.

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That is exactly what the listing on the Williams Sonoma website looks like. NO WHERE does it say that the upholstery is brown or "walnut". Oh, and when I ordered my chair the sale price was $479, so I was in a pretty big hurry to place the order before such a great deal was gone.

Here's the embarrassing part: I was so excited to get a chair at almost $1000 off the original price that I didn't even realize that the "walnut" in the description was referring to the fabric. No warning flags went off, no thoughts, of, "Hmm, that's funny maybe I should call about that and possibly cancel my order."

Please tell me that I'm not crazy and that I had every reason to be completely shocked when a brown chair showed up at my house!

After a short freak-out session and a chat with customer service (I kept the freak-out separate from the customer service call) I got them to agree to come pick the chair up and give us a full refund. Whew!

Anyways, I have definitely learned my lesson. From now on, every online order will be read and scrutinized a million times before I click "place order."

I'm a bit bummed that I didn't get the deal that I thought I was getting. The chair really is great and very high quality. It's comfortable and it's the perfect size and style I was looking for, just not the right color. Now I have to start searching all over again.

I'll let you know what I come up with!

A Liiiiiittle Bit to the Right

2012-01-18T08:00:00.008-05:00

As promised, here's the little bit of rearranging I did in my bedroom. Nothing big, just some shifting. The bed used to be in the left corner which left a huge open space on the right side of the room (picture here).

The last time I posted progress pics of my bedroom Andrea from Decorating Cents asked why my bed wasn't centered. At first I couldn't remember, and I thought, "Why isn't my bed centered?" I started poking around my room and I was reminded that the air vents are both right under the windows. That's why I hadn't bothered to try and center the bed, 'cause I thought that the bedside tables would block he vents.

Well, I got curious and pushed the bed and night stands to the center. Turns out the night stands fit without blocking the vents! (Thanks for the inspiration, Andrea!)

I love the new centered bed/sunburst focal point and that they're the first things you see when you enter the room. I also think it will be less expensive to fill two small-ish corners instead of one massive expanse that was almost the size of our living room.

The picture below is a quick break down of what I have left to do.

So I'm still looking at Craigslist everyday an making frequent visits to Home Goods and furniture discount places. I've got two big ticket items to buy and I'm hoping to find some good deals. I think it'll be a while before I come across anything at the right price, but when I do, I'll let you know!

Corner Inspiration

2012-01-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

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Real Simple did a feature on corner makeovers years ago and I never forgot it, especially that changing corner (swoon). Well, I did a bit of rearranging in my bedroom and now I have two corners to fill (pre-rearranged bedroom here). I'll share the rearranging later when I get the master nice and clean. Our bedroom was severely neglected in the weeks that I didn't feel too hot (I'm proud to say that the rest of our house stayed pretty clean, though).

One corner will be a little reading nook and the other corner will be a little changing area. I have a pretty short list of things that I need to buy in order to get these corners finished and have a mostly done bedroom. I still need a fairly inexpensive, but comfortable chair, a large leaning mirror, and an ottoman. I haven't figured out the best (cheapest) way to go about acquiring these things. I may try to make an ottoman (like this one), places like Home Goods usually have large, relatively cheap mirrors, and lately I've been scouring furniture clearance places for a chair.

There will be lots and lots of looking in my future until I find just the right pieces that are also the right price.

The hunt is on!

Big News

2012-01-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

So basically that's why I've been MIA lately. I was about 10 weeks along at the beginning of December and I thought I was going to make it through my first trimester without any symptoms, but then I just got slammed with nausea, heartburn, and exhaustion. Anything that wasn't essential to daily life went out the window. No Christmas tree, no advent calendar with cutesy activities, no baking (definitely no baking), and no decorating or household projects. Thank goodness Little Man is not even two yet and won't remember the Christmas that Mommy ruined!

I'm still experiencing some sluggishness and food aversions, but now that I'm 14 weeks, I think I can feel them starting to go away and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things!

How did some of you mamas deal with pregnancy, a small child, and everyday life? Also, any tips on having an infant and a toddler would be welcome. I'm so thankful and very excited, but I am kind of nervous about learning how to take care of a newborn and a toddler at the same time. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

I'll Be Right Back!

2012-01-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

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Please excuse my terrible blogging etiquette of just takin' a little break with zero explanation whatsoever. I've got a really good reason and I'll do some explaining when I start posting again next week. Until then, hope y'all had some great holidays you've had a great start to 2012!

Bah Humbug

2011-12-14T12:24:00.000-05:00

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I'm being a bit of a Scrooge this year. I still haven't put our tree up, I haven't made our Christmas cards, my advent calendar is no where near finished, and while I'm done shopping, I'm dreading the wrapping and making a trip to the post office.

I think I spent so much time cleaning and getting organized that I just don't want to make a mess...and Christmas decorations and wrapping paper make a mess!

I'll be spending the rest of today getting over it and getting stuff done!

Have a great Wednesday!

Dead Ringer: HDC Brookefield Table Lamp & JCP Linden Street Balustrade

2011-12-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

I love the look of balustrade lamps. So timeless!

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This one is from HDC and it's $129.

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This one is from JCP and it's $59!

Check out some other high-end versions of this lamp:

1. Ballard Designs: $219
2. Layla Grayce: $196
3. Anthropologie: $268
4. Pottery Barn: $200

Have a great Monday!

A Little Break To Do a Little Celebrating

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

We've had a lot going on here for the past seven days, so I decided to take a little break. My husband's family came into town, we had our 5th wedding anniversary, we completed round one of Christmas, and my husband turned the big 3-0! Little Man and I had cupcakes waiting on him when he got home!

I've been catching my breath for the past day or so and everything is slowly getting back to normal.

I'll be back on Monday with a regular post! Y'all have a good weekend!

DIY Mercury Glass....Kind Of....

2011-12-02T16:34:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit late with this, but here's my little ornament tutorial that's hardly a tutorial!

Ok, so I started working on ornaments for my advent calendar. I had planned to try and do some DIY mercury glass based on this little tutorial by Martha. Well, my "plan" was really just an idea and I hadn't really looked into the cost of that Krylon mirror spray paint or the places that it was available. Turns out, most people have to get it from Amazon and it's about $11 a can...and it's a small can. (Some people have been able to find it at Wal-Mart and I've read that it's available at Hobby Lobby, but we don't have one of those).

I had some liquid silver leaf laying around, so I decided that instead of paying $11 and waiting a few days for the mirror paint to get to me (I'm impatient!), I'd try out the liquid leaf to see what happened. I followed the steps laid out by Martha and put a little water into my clear glass ornament, swished it around, and got all the excess out. Then I basically did the same thing with the liquid leaf. I let it sit upside down for a while to get all the drips out and then I just turned it over to let it dry.

The result is definitely not as shiny as the mirror paint, it's more of a gunmetal color, but I kind of like it. I also have some gold liquid leaf, but the lid had dried to the bottle (dangit!). Maybe my husband can get it off. I'm curious to see what the gold looks like.

I might still order a can of the mirror paint just to have on hand 'cause it's so cool, but the liquid leaf is not a bad alternative, plus it's only about $5. I bet a combination of the two would look great.

Hope y'all are having a great Friday!

I'll be linking up to:

Advent Inspiration

2011-11-30T08:00:00.001-05:00

Can you believe tomorrow is December 1st!? I'd planned to have a complete, home-made advent calendar by well...tomorrow, but I haven't even started yet. I've actually had the plan for my calendar in my head since last Christmas. I have the ornaments, I just need to buy a few more things and get going. I really want my calendar to be a special tradition for my little man, and since he's still pretty young I think it's OK that we won't really be able to use it this year, but I'd hate for next Christmas to roll around and still not have a calendar. I think I'm going to work on the ornaments little by little over the next few weeks to get all 25 done. Hopefully I'll have a little ornament tutorial by tomorrow.

Since I don't have my own calendar yet, I figured I'd post some that I think are pretty inspiring.

1. Don't you love those little mittens?!
2. I like the idea of having a separate little tree for advent ornaments.
3. Love advent action cards that encourage children to do things for others.
4. So pretty!
5. Genius! Little magnetic containers that you could put on any magnetic board or even on the refrigerator.

Have a great Wednesday!

Ornament Wreath

2011-11-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

There are about a bajillion different versions of the ornament wreath out there in the blog world (I believe it all started here). I actually made the one below two years ago. I used a live wreath from Costco, which dried out and died, but I kept the ornaments strung on the floral wire, so all I have to do is go out and buy a wreath for this year. I didn't have time to go get one yesterday, but as soon as I snatch one up, my front door will be nice and decorated. I figured a post about my old wreath (which will soon be my current wreath) would be better than a post that included pictures of my Christmas decorations all over my living room floor, yes?

OK, so here's the process: first, I took off the metal tops of the ornaments and hot glued them back to the glass balls. Apparently if you don't do this they'll just pop off. Then I just strung the ornaments onto floral wire. (Other versions use a coat hanger, but trying to bend a coat hanger into a circle didn't sound like fun to me.)

Once the ornaments were on the wire, I just had to spread them out onto the wreath.

I used more floral wire to attach the ornaments to the wreath. I think I had to secure it in about ten different places before I could pick up the wreath and not have sagging ornaments.

So easy! And since I'm trying to spend as little money as possible, especially on Christmas decorations which will just come down in a few weeks, it's nice to not have to go out and buy new supplies. I can just reuse the string of ornaments I already have.

I'll be linking up to:

Who's Finished Decorating for Christmas?!

2011-11-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

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Not me! Not even close....haven't even started. Those beautiful ornaments above are from BH&G. My ornaments are still packed away in boxes.

I'm usually done decorating by now, but we've had more important things to do around here. More cleaning, more organizing, and taking care of a sick toddler.

I'm going to get started today, so maybe I'll have something festive to show off tomorrow.

Hope every one had a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Break

2011-11-21T13:40:00.000-05:00

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I'm taking an impromptu, early Thanksgiving break! We had such a busy weekend that I didn't get all of my cleaning and organizing done. The time is running out to get it finished, so the boring chores are going to the top of my priority list and the fun little projects and posts are going to the bottom. I may be able to squeeze a quick post in sometime this week, but just in case I can't, have a relaxing Thanksgiving!

Thrifty Inspiration

2011-11-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've got sort of a potpourri of inspiring projects for y'all today.

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Teryn at Vintage Romance made this sign out of wood she found on the side of the road! It looks awesome and don't you just love the stenciled wall behind it?

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Here's another treasure that was saved from the trash. Liz Marie at Liz Marie Blog gave this chair new life and a new burlap covered seat.

Note to self: do a little dumpster diving.

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Kim at Keller Creative gave her foyer a new look with some accessories and she painted her entry table a pretty gray color.

I'm going to take a break from cleaning to do a teensy bit of shopping today. I have to drive an hour to the nearest Hobby Lobby so hopefully I'll come back with something to show for it.

Have a great weekend!

Pre Holiday Season Cleaning!

2011-11-16T13:03:00.000-05:00

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I've been doing some really boring and not so pretty organizing for the past couple of days. I figured I'd post that beautiful picture of a bathroom cabinet from BH&G instead of the garbage bags of clutter that I'm getting rid of.

With family visits and Christmas decorating right around the corner, I better get it done now, right?

Hope you're doing something much more interesting with your day!

Laundry Room

2011-11-14T10:27:00.000-05:00

This little laundry room make-over is a bit more impressive in person. Maybe if I give a little reminder of what it looked like before that will help it not seem so "meh".

It's amazing how a little paint and a few accessories have completely changed how I feel about my laundry room. I used to get in and out of there as quickly as possible, but a little time and money have made it a much more pleasant place to be. I actually kept the door open yesterday instead of trying to hide it.

I ended up spending $80 to transform my laundry room. Cleaning it out was free...and I should have done it a long time ago. The laundry sorter was $60, but I paid $48 (if you missed it, here's the post that explains why I went with that sorter over building something myself) and the baskets were $32. I found them at Home Goods and they fit on that shelf perfectly. If I ever come across more of them, I'll have to snag them up. I think I could fit about 4 more of them up there. They're holding all sorts of odds and ends and the little one on the sorter is holding stain removers and dryer sheets.

I already had some of the supplies and accessories that I used. I already had the paint. It's the same shade that's in our powder room, I just added a bunch of white to it to lighten it up. I also already had the frames and the fabric that I put in them. I bought the fabric from a remnant bin months ago, I love it, and I'm glad I found a use for it. I made one of the frames into a chalkboard by just painting chalkboard paint onto the glass that came with it and one of them is a pin board. I just cut a cork tile to fit in the frame under the fabric.

There are still a few things that I'd like to add, but I'll just have to do it little by little as I get the money. Eventually I'd like to put new shelves in and add some kind of wall mounted drying rack. I also need two little trash cans, one for trash and one for cloth diapers (I like these). I may also add a new light fixture. There's a little chandelier at Ikea that would be pretty cute.

I'll update as I make changes or additions...well maybe not if I just get new trashcans, that would be pretty boring, but if I find and use any cheap organization products or projects, I'll let y'all know!

Hope you're having a great Monday!

p.s. The vaccuum and the hot water heater are still hanging out, fully exposed in the corner next to the dryer. Oh, well.

I'm a Cheater...

2011-11-13T17:26:00.000-05:00

....a big one. I completely scrapped my plan of using my own two hands to build that laundry basket dresser. I broke down and bought a laundry sorter from a store, because, as it turns out building one laundry basket dresser would have cost about the same, if not more, than the sorter that I found at Target.

Here's the whole story: I had convinced my husband to spend Friday evening working on the laundry basket dresser that I'd planned to make. I had convinced him of how easy it was going to be and that it was only going to cost about $30. I even convinced him to go to Lowe's and pick up the supplies. When he got there he discovered that it was going to cost a lot more than $30, but he couldn't convince me (shame on me).

I had to see for myself, so I went to Home Depot and found a very nice employee (who was very knowledgeable) to help me. I told him that I wanted to build the laundry basket dresser for as cheap as possible, I showed him the plans, and he pointed out the most inexpensive materials they had and sure enough, there was no way I was going to get out of there without spending $50. He wasn't just trying to over-sell to me either, he actually ended up asking me if I was sure I still wanted to make it and ultimately told me to look around and see if I could find something pre-made before I committed to making that thing.

So that's what I did. I drove across the parking lot, went to Target, and lo and behold there was the solution to my laundry mess. It's about the same dimensions as the laundry basket dresser, holds the same amount of clothes, and even has a lid to serve as a little counter top. I had $18 left on a gift card which made the original price of $60 come to about $48 after tax.

Usually saving money means making something yourself, but in this case it didn't. "Cheating" paid off. I have no idea how other people have made that laundry basket dresser for as cheap as $30. Maybe they already had some supplies on hand or they were just smart enough to figure out another way to get it done.

I was a little heart broken when I found out that I was not going to be able to build the dresser for as little money as I'd originally thought. That's how stubborn I am....heart broken over a laundry basket dresser...ridiculous. BUT, it was soooo nice to not spend a single second putting something together. My husband put the sorter together and it only took him about 20 minutes.

I'm writing all this, mostly as a reminder to myself, to say: do the homework before getting stuck on a plan or idea. I was shocked to find out that something store-bought was going to actually save me money and, maybe even more importantly, time. Thank goodness for that Home Depot employee that convinced me to go elsewhere!

I'll have my whole laundry room posted tomorrow morning!

p.s. I think it would make sense to build the laundry basket dresser if you need two of them, otherwise, because of the way plywood is sold and the amount you need, you end up spending money on more supplies than you need.

Happy Friday!

2011-11-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

No "Thrifty Inspiration" post today due to sickness at my house.

When I'm back to posting on Monday I'll have my laundry room reveal and it will look like this:

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Haha, not really....not even close, but I should be finished with it.

Y'all have a great weekend!

Clean and Painted Laundry Room

2011-11-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Who knew such a small space would take so long to paint?! We had a stomach bug visit my son Monday night. It was pitiful, but I'm happy to say that we survived our first one! Once I could get back to painting, I had to maneuver around the machines, the shelf, and the monstrosity that's hiding just to the right when you enter the laundry room.

Here it is:

The water heater. I'm pretty sure there's nothing I can do to cover it up because it would probably be some kind of fire hazard, but I'm gonna look into it.

So there it is, my blank canvas of a laundry room. I think I'm going to get started on some accessories and organization and try and get the laundry basket dresser (the space that's taped off in the first picture shows where it will fit) completed this weekend.

Hope you're having a great Wednesday!

So Embarrassing....

2011-11-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

Yall, that's what my laundry room looked like 24 hours ago. The door wouldn't open all the way because there was so much stuff behind it.

I have completely neglected this space for soooooo long. When I was working full time this room was definitely at the bottom of my priority list, and it just kept getting messier and messier. Since I've been home, I've been avoiding the mess that accumulated over the months when I was working. I'd pretty much throw clothes in and out of the machines, get out of there as quickly as possible, close the door behind me, and try to forget about what I had seen.

I faced the mess head on this weekend and got it cleaned out, but not painted. Womp, womp. I'm hoping to paint today and have more pictures tomorrow!

Do y'all have a space that's in need of some major cleaning/organization that you're planning on tackling soon? Any good ideas to pass on!?

Thrifty Inspiration: Laundry Rooms

2011-11-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Very few people see my laundry room (mainly because I always keep the door shut to prevent the clothes from flooding our hallway) and it's tiny (slightly larger than the appliances themselves), but I've decided to put some effort into making it a more organized and attractive space. Plus, I have most of the supplies that I need and the ones that I don't have should be pretty inexpensive.

Here are a couple cheap laundry room projects that seriously have me believing that it's possible to create a pretty space out of the hole in the wall that is our laundry room.

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Tamsyn at Max and Me created this gallery wall for her laundry room as part of the Pinterest Challenge. I'm a big fan of gallery walls (here and here) and something like this would look great in my laundry room.

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Diana at Our Vintage Home Love has a fantastic laundry room. It looks amazing without fancy cabinetry or a front-loading washer/dryer. So inspiring! I love the shelves and the little counter top she created on the dryer. Anyone could achieve this look without spending a fortune.

I'll probably only have time to clean our laundry room out this weekend, but I'm gonna try really hard to get it painted. Of course I'll update on Monday!

Y'all have a good weekend!

Pinterest Challege: Complete!

2011-11-02T08:00:00.020-04:00

Happy Wednesday! Here's my quick little Pinterest Challenge post!

Both of the projects I've completed that were inspired by something that I pinned on Pinterest have found a home on the left side of my bed (which I'm sure some of you are so tired of seeing by now).

I kind of used to just forget about projects I wanted to complete, or at least forget where I saw them, but thanks to Pinterest I did not forget about this trunk that I saw at In the Fun Lane...

...and my trunk did not remain in this state...

Read the full post on my trunk here.

I also did not forget about this sunburst mirror I saw at Centsational Girl.

Read the full post on my version of this sunburst mirror here.

My trunk an mirror have made a huge difference in my bedroom and both projects cost less than $20 total! Amazing! Thanks again, Pinterest!

Back to:

Not Quite and Up Next!

2011-11-01T14:35:00.000-04:00

I didn't quite get the cute costume, Halloween picture I wanted yesterday. I think I'll cheat and try to get one another day. This is the best I could get:

Our Halloween was completely rained out, but it was kind of nice to just sit around on the couch all evening.

In other news: I think I've decided what I'm going to work on next. Here's a hint:

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I'm excited!

Hope you're having a great Tuesday!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T08:00:00.004-04:00

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I hope everyone will enjoy (or enjoyed) some super fun Halloween festivities. We weren't planning on getting dressed up this year because my little guy is still too young to trick-or-treat and we don't have a party or anything to go to, but then I realized that I would really regret not having a picture of him in a costume.

I mean, just look at the picture I got last year when he was 8 months old.

He literally had that costume on for about 20 minutes, but I will love that picture forever.

I will be spending a good portion of my day today combing through a very picked over selection of costumes just so I can get a good picture.

Wish me luck!

Thrifty Inspiration: Thrift Store Finds + Paint

2011-10-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

I haven't made any trips to thrift stores recently because the last time I made the rounds I came up completely empty handed....well, I guess not completely empty handed. I did find the nightstand that I slip-covered at the Salvation Army down the street.

That was kind of a fluke. Usually, when I go thrifting I spend way more time driving around than I actually do in the stores. Driving around wastes a lot of gas, and gas wasting seriously discourages frequent thrift store trips. I think thrift stores should be located in a mall-like space so you only have to get out of your car once. Who's with me?

These ladies have inspired me to give my local thrift stores another go. They've had a bit more luck than I have and created some fabulous pieces with their finds.

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Brandi at Blue Cedar Lane has a great eye. She bought a vase from Good Will and gave it a paint job that transformed it into a West Elm knock-off.

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Can you believe Dana at Crafted Niche paid $7.50 for that table? Amazing!

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Here's another thrifter with a great eye. Jeniffer at Contemporary Harbor found this clock for $3 and painted it white.

Maybe I'll do some planning and plot out the shortest distance to a few thrift stores and hit 'em up this weekend to see what I can find!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Booooooring

2011-10-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

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Not much is going on here. I'm doing a lot of mundane house-keeping lately. I've got loads of stuff that needs to be organized and sent to Good Will or sold on Craigslist...not very interesting, but necessary.

On top of that, I can't decide what to work on next. I'm in a bit of a rut. Hopefully my friend Pinterest will help me get out of said rut.

Y'all have a good Thursday!

p.s. Did you see this yesterday?

I Need Birds!

2011-10-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

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I saw this yesterday via Pinterest. I'm in love.

I was thinking about putting black and white pictures in the frames next to my bed, but now I really want to find some colorful prints....free ones of course.

I'm currently scouring Graphics Fairy and Botaicus.org, but I haven't come across anything that I love yet.

Any tips on where to find free prints?

DIY Sunburst Mirror

2011-10-24T11:50:00.000-04:00

When I started planning my sunburst mirror, my goal was to create one that was different from all the others out there. I tried using different materials and different patterns, but I just couldn't come up with something that was going to be as inexpensive as the sunburst mirror from Centsational Girl. So.....many trial and error sessions later....I basically ended up copying her sunburst.

Creativity FAIL, money saving WIN. My mirror is a bit bigger than hers at 31 inches and I used a few different materials. Here's a breakdown of what I used and what it cost:

- 12"x12" plywood board from Michael's: $2.80 with coupon (regularly $3.99)
- Pack of wooden shims from Lowe's: $3.50
- 8.5" framed circle mirror that I miraculously found at T.J.Maxx: $7.99

Total: about $15

The only big difference in my mirror and the one that I copied is the mirror itself. I experimented with a few different ways to make the edges of a plain mirror look finished, and I had settled on using a painted embroidery hoop as a frame when I came across a framed mirror that was the perfect size in T.J. Maxx. When I spotted it, it was like the sky opened up and angels were singing.

Because my frame was a bit different, I placed the shims onto my board differently. Instead of putting the mirror on the board first and just putting the shims up against the mirror, I traced the mirror onto the board and placed my shims about an eighth of an inch inside the circle so my mirror would rest on top of them.

The shorter shims are two inches shorter than the long ones. The nice thing about using shims is that they're so thin at the bottom that you can just cut off the end with scissors. No saw necessary.

Once I had the shims placed and glued, I used a bowl to weigh them down to make sure they were touching the board.

I attached the mirror to the board with wood glue on the edges and a big dollop of liquid nails in the center.

Another trial and error aspect of the mirror was figuring out what color it should be.

I only used paint that I already had and I settled on a color called Burnished Brandy by Sherwin Williams for the longer sticks and I used the same cream paint that I used on my trunk for the shorter sticks.

Here's the finished product once again:

It's not exactly original (I'm OK with that), but it fills that wall so nicely. I'm really happy with the end product and the fact that it cost so little.

I'll be linking up to:

Happy Friday!

2011-10-21T08:00:00.004-04:00

I'm skipping my regular "Thrifty Inspiration" post today because I spent most of my time yesterday trying to get a decent 20 months picture of my little guy. Photographing a toddler is one of the most challenging and frustrating things I've ever done. We spent 45 minutes at a park and I got about 3 shots that aren't terrible.

When I wasn't chasing my son around with a camera or editing pictures I was working on my niece's birthday stuff.

Hopefully I'll have all the birthday stuff and my sunburst mirror finished by the end of the weekend!

DIY Sunburst Inspiration

2011-10-20T08:00:00.004-04:00

It's official! I'm jumping on the sunburst bandwagon! I didn't find one tutorial that's exactly what I'm looking for, so I'm going to use pieces of different tutorials to make a mirror that will fit perfectly in our bedroom.

I even went out and bought a few supplies yesterday.

I'm kind of working by trial and error right now and I've already discovered that I need a smaller mirror. Once I figure out what I'm doing I don't think the process will take quite as long as I thought it would.

When I'm done my mirror should be 30" in diameter and cost between $15 and $20.

I'm really looking forward to getting started and sharing the process with y'all!

1. Crafty Nest
2. Momtastic
3. Addicted 2 Decorating
4. Third Floor Design Studio

Dead Ringer: RH Chelsea Column Lamp & Overstock Stately Crystal Table Lamp

2011-10-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

Apparently Restoration Hardware is a really popular brand to knock-off. Here's another RH look-alike with a much smaller price tag.

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Restoration Hardware Chelsea Column Table Lamp 30 1/2 inches tall $315.

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Overstock Stately Crystal Table Lamp 31 inches tall $82.99.

Master Bedroom Progress and Wishlist

2011-10-17T16:18:00.000-04:00

Y'all are probably so tired of seeing this angle of my bedroom, but here it is again in it's most up to date state.

Here's a quick rundown of the most recent changes:

I got my curtains lined and hung. I finally found four Wal-Mart sheets to line my curtains, and I made a quick stop by Ikea on my way to D.C. last Wednesday to pick up another $7.99 curtain rod to match the one that I already had. Where else can you get an "83 curtain rod for that cheap?

I hung some $3 Wal-Mart frames that I already owned on the left side of the bed and I recovered my lamp shades in a darker burlap. I used a coupon to Hancock Fabrics and it only cost $4.

I think the natural burlap looks so much better than the bleached. Once again, here's the tutorial I used.

Ok, now on to the wishlist portion of this post...please do not laugh at my attempt to use Photoshop...or whatever...go ahead and laugh. It's pretty ridiculous.

Filling the frames is going to be pretty easy once I decide what's going to go in them. I'll probably do some more free botanicals.

There are some amazing DIY sunburst mirror tutorials out there and I plan on copying one of them. This project shouldn't cost that much money, but all the tutorials I've seen seem to be pretty time consuming. (The mirror I Photoshopped into the picture is from Ballard designs and it's $529 and humongous.)

The biggest obstacle to getting our master bedroom "finished" is that "super cheap" chair. The one in the picture is actually from Pottery Barn. I just wanted to get a sense of what a chair would look like in that corner. I will probably be scouring Craigslist for months before I find anything that will work or that would be worth trying to transform.

Also, this is just one side of our bedroom. I'll probably get to work tackling the office area and the wall opposite our bed long before I find a chair to go in that corner.

So there you have it! Progress and plans all in one post.

Hey There!

2011-10-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

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Please excuse my absence on Thursday and Friday. I made a quick trip to the D.C. area to visit with a very special 5 week old and his mommy.

I left a bit earlier than I had originally planned and didn't get a chance to complete posts for the two days I was out of town. Oh well!

Hope y'all had a wonderful Fall weekend! I'll post again later today with an update on the progress of our master bedroom.

Also...thanks to Kim at A Girl and A Glue Gun for giving my fall leaf initial a shout out!

Easy DIY Fall Wreath

2011-10-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

I've got another quick and easy fall project for you! I finally put a wreath on my door! I kept it pretty simple just like my mantel, but unlike the neutral fall decor in my house, I went with more traditional fall colors for my wreath. The reds and orange-y yellows look fantastic on my brown door, but they would not look so good with the color palette of my living room.

I had all the materials on hand, so I didn't spend a dime to make this wreath, but if I had spent money on it, it would have only been about $10.

I used a plain grapevine wreath from Michael's and a couple garlands of faux berries and dried leaves that I also got from Michael's. I attached the berries with floral wire and stuck the leaves on with hot glue. So easy!

Have a great Wednesday!

I'll be linking up to:

$7 Quick and Easy Fall Mantel

2011-10-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

OK. I'm so far behind the curve on this, but I figured better late than never, right? I decided to do a little fall decorating on my "mantel" (two wall mounted shelves over our TV) when I came across a couple of free and very cheap projects last week. I posted about them here last Friday.

Most of the stuff that was on the mantel stayed, I just made a few minor tweaks. I broke out the birch candles and brought in some sticks that I striped the leaves off of to replace the white flowers I had in the tall vase. I also put a strip of burlap around the vase.

Here's the whole mantel:

The only things I had to spend money on were the corn husks and the pumpkin on the left. It came from the dollar store and I painted it white.

As you can see, I kept things pretty simple, but it satisfied the itch I had for doing a little seasonal decorating.

2011-10-10T09:28:00.000-04:00

My weekend was so full that I didn't get a chance to get any decorating projects finished. I'm completing some fall decor and I'll hopefully have it posted by this afternoon.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Thrifty Inspiration: Fall Decor

2011-10-07T08:00:00.002-04:00

I've already mentioned this once this week, but I don't really have any fall decorations up because all of my hard earned Craigslist dollars are going towards more permanent items for my home. Thank goodness these ladies posted some incredible and practically free fall decorating projects this week. I may have to copy a few of them this weekend.


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Amanda at Girl in Pink made this lovely fall leaf garland from book pages.

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Erin at Stumbling Tongues made this adorable book page pumpkin.

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Courtney at A Diamond in the Stuff covered dollar store pumpkins with book pages.

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How cute are these corn husk pom-poms fro Centsational Girl?!

In other news that's completely unrelated to fall decor: I have three of the four Wal-Mart sheets I need to line the Ikea curtains in my bedroom. Woo hoo! I'm hoping to have plenty to share next week.

Y'all have a great weekend!

Completely Custom and Thanks!

2011-10-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday! I have a few random things to share today so here they are in no particular order....

I'd love to create a custom print for you if you don't see a particular design or the colors you need among those available in my Etsy shop. I've had customers request custom graphics and color schemes and I'm happy to oblige.

I created this dragonfly graphic for a customer...

...and this neutral color palette.

Ashley requested a print of a quote that she loved and gave me a picture of her little boy's bedding. Here's the print I designed for her son's nursery.

I know how important it is to find just the right thing to hang on a wall and I'd be happy to create it for you.

I've started designing paper wares for birthday parties. The first one I'm doing is for my niece and as soon as I have all the pieces put together, I'll make it available in my Etsy shop. Here's a little peek at the not-quite-finished invitation.

Thanks to Chic & Cheap Nursery for featuring my son's room yesterday!

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The site is packed full of great, budget friendly nursery ideas, so head on over there if you're looking for a little inspiration.

Fall Baking

2011-10-03T08:00:00.005-04:00

Since I don't have a stash of fall decorations and buying some would cost me money (which is currently going towards more permanent projects) I figured I'd do a little fall baking instead.

The first recipe I tried out was the gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They don't look very appetizing, but they taste great. My husband is currently trying out a gluten-free diet to see if he can resolve some stomach issues, so we had some almond flour laying around (it is not cheap!) and I wanted him to be able to enjoy some baked goods.

I've never tried gluten-free baking and I probably should have done a little research, but all I did was use this recipe and switch out the regular flour for almond flour. The cookies are supposed to have a cake-like texture and mine came out gooey and sticky. I like 'em that way, they just don't look very pretty.

The second cookie recipe I tried was one that I found on Pinterest and it's chock full of gluten. It was dubbed by The New York Times to be the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever and it very well may be. They are delicious. Crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Nestle Tollhouse does not even compare.

Last, but not least...and not pictured at all....I made some pumpkin pancake batter for my little guy and me to enjoy throughout the week. I simply followed this recipe and used canned pumpkin instead of applesauce.

How's your fall decorating going? Any autumnal recipes to pass on? I'd love to hear!

Almost Curtains

2011-10-03T08:00:00.003-04:00

I've run into a couple of issues with the curtains in my bedroom. I bought the Vivan curtains I found on Craigslist for $20. They're a teensy bit too sheer, so I'm planning on lining them with $5 flat sheets from Wal-Mart.

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Problem is...these sheets are nowhere to be found in the Raleigh area. What in the world?!

I also need another curtain rod and I only have about $7 to spend on it.

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Too bad Ikea is three hours away.

I might try to make it to a couple thrift stores to see if I can find what I'm looking for.

Have a great Monday!

Thrifty Inspiration

2011-09-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Can you believe it's almost October?! It's been in the mid 80's here and there's a cold front coming through this Saturday. I'm so excited! I'm also excited about getting my curtain situation worked out. I'll update on Monday!

In the mean time, have a look at the thrifty projects these ladies came up with this week.

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Natalie at Beach House In The City painted these old jars and bottles to give them a vintage look. Isn't that a pretty picture?!

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Lucy at Craftberry Bush made this adorable spider web orb from yarn and a balloon.

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Angie at Country Chic Cottage made her own pouf! The fabrics she used look so cute together and she only spent $18.

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Kim at Too Much Time On My Hands made this "old" farm sign from a pallet. She used a carbon transfer technique for the letters and numbers. So smart!

Have a great weekend!

Burlap Covered Lampshade and A Curtain Question

2011-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm gonna make this short and sweet OK? I finally covered my lampshade and I did it using this tutorial from Isabella & Max Rooms.

Here's a waaaay before:

and here's a regular before:

Like I've said in the past, there's a sheen on the white lampshade that you can't really see in pictures, but the burlap helps to soften it and I'm really loving the texture.

Alright, now on to the curtains... I sold a floor lamp and my old curtains (in the picture above) and now I have $45 to buy four new panels for my bedroom.

I found four unopened panels of the Ikea Vivan on Craigslist for $20. I think that they're pretty sheer, but I was wondering how sheer. Does anybody have these? If they're just kind of sheer, I'm definitely going to get them, but if they're pretty much like hanging a thin layer of gauze then I may have to pass and make a trip to Ikea and pick up two sets of the Ritva.

Another option would be to go ahead and get the Vivan curtains and line them, which would put me at $40. What do you think?

Either way I've decided that plain white panels are the way to go. I took a pair of the Ritva curtains out of our guest room to see how they looked in our room and I like them. That's what's hanging up in the first picture.

Any other suggestions on how to get 4 white panels for $45 would also be welcome!

Skirted Nightstand Un-Tutorial

2011-09-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

I'm calling this an "un-tutorial" because I did everything wrong. I bought the wrong amount of fabric, spent more money than I should have, and basically went about the construction of this thing the wrong way.

So instead of posting my "how-to" pictures I took along the way (which are all wrong) I'll try and share what I should have done.

Here is what I started out with. My $12 Salvation Army nightstand. I didn't paint it (even though it would have been cheaper) because I have it turned sideways. I bought it because of it's size. It just fits next to the bed really well and looks better paired with the trunk on the other side. I was inspired by Debbie's skirted table at Bungalow and decided that fabric would be a good alternative to paint.

One thing I forgot is that I'm not a great sewer. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type person and while that usually works out for me, it did not work for me on this project.

The first thing I got wrong was the fabric. The striped fabric was just too much to put next to our patterned duvet. I should have just gotten enough of it for the piping and gotten more of the cream muslin. I'm so sad to say that the striped fabric was $16.00 per yard (and that was the sale price!). I should have just gotten a fourth of a yard instead of a whole one. I ended up spending $35 on fabric when I should have spent $25. I realize $10 isn't that big of a difference, but since I'm only spending what I can earn from Craigslist on decorating, it's quite a hit.

Next, I should have been patient and followed this tutorial on how to cut fabric on the bias.

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That way my piping would have been cleaner around the corners of my skirt.

Then I should have watched this video on how to attach piping so that it makes corners.

This is probably the biggest mistake that I made. I didn't attach the piping to the top panel of my skirt before I tried to put the other panels on. The result was a whole mess of pins. Doing this the right way would have made the rest so much easier.

I managed to get the side panels attached (kind of) before I called in the help of a friend.

She was the doctor and this was the ER. She has way better equipment and a ton more experience than I do.

I tried to stay out of the way while she fixed the mess I had made. Thanks again, Becca!

Even though I made a ton of mistakes, I'm really happy with the end result and I think I could do it right if I had to do it again. Thank goodness I don't.

I'll be linking up to:

A Learning Experience

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is what the skirt for my night stand looked like about 24 hours ago. Almost done right? Not even close.

Once I put the skirt on the table I could tell that the piping was all boogered up thanks to my non-sewing skills and I decided that I didn't like all that striped fabric next to our patterned duvet (which you can't see because our bed isn't made). I ripped the front off and got ~~a little~~ a huge amount of help from a friend that actually knows how to sew. Thanks for showing me how it's done Becca!

I still need to hem the bottom and I'll post the finished product later today or tomorrow morning.

Happy Monday

Thrifty Inspiration

2011-09-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

I've got to do something with my Salvation Army bedside table this weekend. Hopefully I'll have a wonderfully re-done nightstand to share by Monday or Tuesday. Also, I sold the old curtains in my master bedroom so now I have some money to work with for new curtains. Yippee!

Check out these pretty and thrifty projects these ladies posted this week!

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Teryn at Vintage Romance made this adorable ruffled bunting out of burlap. She has a great tutorial that makes it look super easy.

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Pamela at PB&J Stories gave a fantastic how-to for stripping and re-finishing a piece of furniture. Can you believe that table cost $15?!

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Kim at Keller Creative got "antique" maps from a calendar and framed them to make a very pretty display in her master bedroom.

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Victoria's project over at Vixen Made is not home decor related at all, but it is the epitome of thriftiness. She made jeggings for her little girl from an old pair of jeans she didn't wear any more. Amazing!

Have a great weekend!

Dead Ringer: Restoration Hardware Furniture Factory Cart & HDC Holbrook Factory Cart

2011-09-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

I really, really love these industrial cart coffee tables and I'm definitely not the only one. There are lots of different versions out there with price tags that vary greatly.

This one is from Restoration Hardware and it's $1095.

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This one is from Home Decorator's Collection and it's $391! Big difference! (In the price...not so much the look.)

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Full Disclosure: The Rest of The Master Bedroom

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Before I show you incredibly embarrassing pictures of the other 90% of our bedroom that didn't appear in Tuesday's post about my trunk.... I found a nightstand to go on the other side of my bed for $12 at The Salvation Army yesterday!

As much as I love the little $25 pedestal table I got from Wal-Mart, it just didn't fit. It was too small and looked dinky when compared to the trunk on the other side of the bed.

This baby is the perfect size. Since I'm trying to stay away from matchy-matchy I think I'm going to make a skirt for it instead of paint it. I actually have that night stand turned sideways and there are drawers on the right, but if I cover it with fabric it won't matter. All that matters is that it's the right size.

So...just to clarify...one side of my bed looks like this...

...and the other looks like this.

The rest of our master bedroom is pretty much just as awful. That nice picture of one side of my bed is a pretty inaccurate representation of the current state of our room.

In the spirit full disclosure...here is the rest of the master bedroom.

These are my rejected side tables that I still haven't moved out of the room.

I still have a few patches of wall to paint.

This is a completely random assortment of stuff that has found a home in a corner of our bedroom.

Last but not least, our office area is a disaster. Yes, there are two cups that haven't been put away on the desk.

So there you have it. One tiny, little section of my master bedroom is finished and the rest of it is a mess.

Just tryin' to keep it real!

Have a fantastic Wednesday!

Trunk Transformation

2011-09-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to have finally painted a piece of furniture. Does a trunk count as furniture? I guess it does when you use it as a bedside table. Anyways...if you remember last week's post, the trunk above used to look like the trunk below.

I guess this picture isn't all that helpful since you can't see much of it, but what you need to know is that it was a hot mess. The trunk originally belonged to my husband's grandparents and sometime in the 70's it got a very bad, dark blue paint job.

At first I thought about painting just the parts of the trunk that were blue and leaving the wood and black metal hardware the way they were, but the blue paint was kind of all over the place. Blue paint would have been visible on the wood and hardware, so I just decided to paint the whole thing.

I've posted this picture before, but Holly's trunk over at In The Fun Lane assured me that I could cover the whole trunk with paint and it would look good.

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I borrowed another one of her ideas and used mistinted paint that I found at Wal-Mart to paint my trunk. Ever since I read that she uses mistints on her furniture makeovers I duck into the paint aisle every time I visit a home improvement store to see if I can come across any good colors.

That cream color was pretty much perfect and since we already had primer, my little trunk transformation only cost $4.23 + tax.

This picture's not very good, but you can see more of the trunk.

And here's a gratuitous close-up shot of the accessories....

...which are totally staged. That's actually my husband's side of the bed and he does not read Jane Austen novels or House Beautiful, nor does he use that alarm clock. We have a big ugly digital one that he uses everyday. That silver clock just looked so much better in pictures.

OK, now let's go waaay back and see the difference new paint on the walls and a new bedside table make.

Before:

After:

It's coming together piece by piece. I still haven't sold my old curtains and made any money for new ones so I think I'll be covering my lampshade with burlap next.

Hope y'all are having a great Monday!

I'll be linking up to:

I got a little sidetracked...

2011-09-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

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....sooooo...instead of preparing a post last night, I watched the Emmy's. The dresses were mostly amazing (and red!) and the show was pretty funny.

Any other FNL fans out there happy to see the show get a little credit?

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Way to go, Coach Taylor!

I finished painting the trunk for my bedroom this weekend and I'll post it later today!

Thrifty Inspiration

2011-09-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

We had a cold front move in last night and it's practically chilly here today! I'm so excited about wearing jeans and closed toe shoes!

I hope it's cooling off where you are and you've got a great weekend ahead of you. Take a minute to go check out the thrifty projects these ladies whipped up this week.


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Jenna at SAS Interiors bought a lamp for $1 and transformed it into an accessory that looks like it cost way more than a buck.

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Alex at Hydrangea Girl created dust covers from paper and gold ink to cover up her collection of paperbacks and give them a cohesive look. So clever!

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Andrea at Decorating Cents made this fall wreath for a few dollars out of items she found at a dollar store.

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Last week I shared the mother of all meal planners. Well, this week Tiffany at The Nest Effect has taken organization to another level with her home management binder. A lot of her printables are free, so this would be a really easy project to replicate.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Fab Accessories at T.J. Maxx!

2011-09-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

I was not planning on posting anything today because I literally had nothing worth while to share...this may not be that worth while either, but I thought some of you might appreciate it.

Little Man and I made a run to the closest T.J. Maxx to find him some pajamas (we only came home with one pair) and of course I couldn't help but make a lap around the whole store to see what else I could find, even though I had no intention of buying anything but p.j.'s.

These first two things are not home related at all, but they're such good finds that I just have to share.

That is a Kate Spade clutch and I was $89.99! My awful camera phone couldn't really capture the silver logo on the clasp, but I promise it is the real deal. I didn't get a picture of the inside, but it was navy polka dot. So cute!

That is a Dooney Bourke bag that was on clearance for $89.99. I gave it a good look to see if there was anything wrong with it, but there wasn't. If I had been in the market for a new bag I might have had to ask for an advance on my birthday present and bring that baby home with me. I'm obsessed with that color leather. It goes with everything!

OK, now on to the few accessories I came across that would look fantastic on a mantel or bookcase.

The little gazelle (is that what that is?) head was $12.99, the pug was $14.99 and the clock was $24.99. I really love that pug and I'll probably regret not having it when I start accessorizing my guest room.

Last, but not least....

this little square pouf was just $29.99. I seriously considered bringing it home with me so I'd have it in case we ever have a baby girl.

Every T.J. Maxx is different so it's unlikely that you'll see these same items in a different store, but if you're trying to find some great accessories for your home or your wardrobe, it's a great place to look!

New Prints and Thanks!

2011-09-14T15:06:00.000-04:00

I just listed a couple new prints in my Etsy shop!

This one can be found here...

...and this one can be found here.

I'd also like to give a big thanks to the following blogs for giving my fall leaf initial a shout out! Click on the pics below to go give them a visit.

Here's the Plan

2011-09-13T08:00:00.003-04:00

Happy Tuesday everybody! It only took four days, but I'm finally done painting my bedroom. Painting was definitely the biggest and most time consuming job I had to get done in that room, and now that it's finished I figured I'd share a few other small projects I need to complete.

My original vision for my bedroom was a lot more fancy (is that the right word?) than I'd like it to be now. I didn't get very far in making my original vision reality, but I still have a few things I need to change in order to give it the casual feel I'd like it to have.

As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the first things I needed to do was switch out my night stands for ones that weren't so matchy-matchy. My $25 pedestal table should be arriving some time today. It will be on the left side of the bed and that old blue trunk (which was a gift) will get a new coat of paint and live on the right side. I'm also going to have to put some caster wheels on it so that it will be the same height as my new table.

That lampshade has a sheen to it that you can't really see in the picture, but I'm going to cover it with something like burlap to tone it down a bit. BTW I found that lamp for $30 at Marshall's a while ago so I got two of 'em!

I also need new curtains. I only have two panels of the curtains that I have now, and they're silk dupioni. I'm hoping I can sell those on Craigslist and get enough to make four new panels out of a less formal fabric....hmmm...drop cloth curtains?

So there you have it. Those are the projects I'm going to be working on for a little while.

Have a great day, y'all!

Still at it....

2011-09-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

...painting, that is. I decided to take my time, not rush, and I've certainly done that. I have one more small wall to do, but it will require me to move all of our "office" stuff so I've been putting it off. I better do it now before 3 months have gone by and I still don't have that wall painted.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and happy Monday!

Thrifty Inspiration

2011-09-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

It's been a pretty slow week here at The Thrifty Abode, but I'm getting my rear in gear this weekend. I started painting our bedroom yesterday and I really love the color. It's already made such a big difference.

The following ladies have had a much more productive week than I have and they've created some wonderful things.

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Kim at Cheap Chic Home made this burlap basket that was inspired by a basket at Pottery Barn. Her version is fantastic and I may have to copy her copy for my bedroom.

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Debbie at Bungalow made a skirt (with piping!) for her wine rack and it looks fabulous. A lot of the items in her lovely vignette are also home-made!

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Michele at Scrap Shoppe created the mother of all meal planners. Talk about organization. Check out her final product here.

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Kim at Keller Creative made no-sew pillows form napkins that she found at World Market. Isn't that fabric pretty!?

Y'all have a wonderful weekend!

If you have a thrifty project you'd like to share please contact me at aaron.thethriftyabode@gmail.com

Side Table and Paint

2011-09-08T08:00:00.006-04:00

This is the latest purchase I've made with the money I've gotten from selling things on Craigslist. (If you've just recently joined me...or maybe you've forgotten because I haven't mentioned it in a while, click here for my rundown on "Zero Dollar Decorating.")

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That table is from Wal-Mart and it's only $25! I'm getting ready to start making some changes in our master bedroom and the first step is changing out my bedside tables.

The second step will be painting. Here's the current state of our room:

Cringe. I've had those paint swatches on the wall for quite a few months and I've settled on Glass Slipper by Benjamin Moore. It'll be no time before my room is nice and blue and completely put together like the one below. Ha ha. Not really. It's gonna take me a long time, but I'm excited to finally make some progress.

House Beautiful via

Lovely Wreath

2011-09-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

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I think I may have figured out what I'm going to do with my fall leaf initial! It would look great in the center of a wreath like this. I spotted this pretty little thing over at BH&G. I might have to give it a try when the super markets start selling those little pumpkins.

What do you think?

Happy Tuesday!

2011-09-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm so not ready for this week to begin, so I'll just say, "WELCOME!" to my new readers that I've gained over the last few days. Thanks for stickin' around!

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Hope everyone had a good, long weekend. I'll be back tomorrow with a regular post.

Thrifty Inspiration

2011-09-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

Need some inspiration for a project to complete over the long weekend? Go check these out!

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Victoria at Vixen Made created these darling pom-poms for her daughters Pinkalicious birthday party. These are definitely going in my "If I Ever Have A Girl" file.

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Erin at How to Nest for Less made this fabric wreath....it's also going in that file.

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Emily (a fellow North Carolinian) at Crisp Interiors created this chalk board to display house rules from an old pull-down map.

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Shanna at Swoon Style recovered the seats of six cane back chairs. She got a really great deal on them and she made them look even more fabulous!

This week turned into a pretty busy week for us and I think this weekend is going to be busy as well. Between the coming and going we'll be doing, I'll be checking Craigslist every chance I get and hopefully I'll come across the perfect end table for our living room. Wish me luck!

Fall Leaf Initial

2011-09-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

Happy First Day of September! Fall is right around the corner. I'm sure we'll have another hot spell here, but it's been really mild lately and I'm looking forward to cooler days.

I started a bit of fall decorating in anticipation of those cooler days and the first little project I've gotten done is the transformation of my $5 Hobby Lobby "R".

That fuzzy brown stuff used to be moss. I left my poor moss initial in the sun too long and then stashed it in a closet so it was pretty sad looking and desperately in need of a make-over.

The best thing about this project is that I had all of the supplies on hand, so I spent zero dollars to remake my "R".

I used Elmer's Mounting spray at first and then switched to a spray adhesive for a stronger hold.

I had these leaves left over from last year. They're from Michael's.

As you can imagine, the process is really easy.

I sprayed the "R" with the mounting spray and I just laid the leaves out on the "R" the way that wanted them. I positioned them so that they overlapped. Once I got them all laid out, I sprayed the backs of the leaves with a more permanent adhesive spray.

So easy!

I'm still not quite sure what I'm going to do with it. Right now it's hanging on an old window over a bookcase in our living room, but I may attach it to a wreath...we'll see.

Any fall decorating in the near future for you!?

I'll be linking up to:

The Not So Fun Side of Home Improvement

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

No, not the show. That was always fun. I used to love Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor's shenanigans. (Sidenote: if you want a little chuckle, click on the "via" to go to the source of that photo)

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Dealing with issues like an odd smell coming from an outlet and water damage on wood floors is not so fun. That's what's been going on at my house for the last day and a half.

Thank goodness we haven't had to spend a significant amount of money in order to fix either of these, and we may not have to, but stuff like this (and this is not even that bad) kind of makes me wish we were renters.

In other news, I started a bit of fall decorating....just experimenting, nothing permanent. This was my moss initial:

It got all dried up from the sun plus it's been sitting in a closet for a couple months. Most of the moss fell off and now it's going to be getting a make-over for the new season!

I'll be back with a normal post tomorrow...unless we have to keep shutting the power off to deal with our stinky outlet issue!

Have a great Wednesday!

New Prints!

2011-08-29T14:35:00.000-04:00

I added a couple of new prints to my Etsy shop!

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I thought some people might like just a simple name print. This would be great for adding a shot of color to a gallery wall. An 8x8 is $7.

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This format is now available with a bird on it.

Thrifty Abode readers get free shipping for 20% off with the code FREESHIP or THRIFTY.

Don't you just hate it when....

2011-08-29T08:00:00.003-04:00

....you get the urge to go thrifting, go to about five different stores, drag your toddler and stroller in and out of the car over and over, and all you can find are big fat duds like this blue velvet sofa?

Me too!

On Friday my son almost knocked over my home-made jug lamp because it's currently perched on a wobbly TV tray that's pretending to be a side table in our living room. He's getting into that phase where he's into everything and I decided that it was finally time to spend a little money on a real table.

I was certain that I could go to a few thrift stores, find the perfect table for about $15, slap a coat of paint on it, and have a fabulous make-over to show off.

Well, that didn't happen so now I'm checking Craigslist about every 20 minutes for new listings. I'll keep you posted.

Thrifty Inspiration

2011-08-26T08:00:00.004-04:00

Check out the amazing thriftiness these ladies have been up to!

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Diana at Our Vintage Home stuck foam letters and numbers on old milk bottles and painted them. They look wonderful! Our Vintage Home is becoming one of my favorite blogs. Diana does some amazing projects and takes beautiful pictures of her home.

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Rinni at Rinnie's Playground gave an old triple dresser a beautiful blue paint job.

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Jennifer at Blissfully Ever After painted letters onto the fabric liners of her industrial baskets for a Restoration Hardware look at a fraction of the price.

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Speaking of chores...Anne at Hello Newman's came up with this clever and cute solution for keeping up with weekly chores. She used scrapbook paper and magnets.

All of these projects are fantastic and I'm definitely adding a couple of them to my to-do list!

Any thrifty projects up your sleeve this weekend?

Have a good one!

Affordable Chevron

2011-08-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

I love a chevron rug....like this one from the set of the Nate Berkus show...

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...and this one from Joni's nursery over at lay baby lay.

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A rug can be one of he most expensive pieces in a room and it could end up costing a pretty penny to get this look, but I came across a couple of chevron rugs that are reasonably priced.

This 5x7 is from Overstock and it's $80. It comes in black and tan.

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This 5x7 is from Urban Outfitters, its $74, and it comes in black, gray, and a fun aqua color.

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Of course you could always just paint a chevron pattern on a cheap-o rug.

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I think I like the painted rug. May have to try it sometime!

70x40 Mirror for $45

2011-08-24T08:00:00.003-04:00

I completely forgot to post this last week, but here it is: my finished mirror in our dining area! (I use the term "area" loosely, because as you can see, it's tiny. Our couch is practically in it. It's more of a dining nook.) It took me about a year of living in this house to realize that that big wall needed something flat on it like artwork or a mirror. Since our first floor is so small and only has one window, I thought that a mirror would help open the space up. My only problem was finding a giant, affordable mirror. I'd seen tutorials for how to frame a bathroom mirror all over the blog world, so I decided to try the same thing with a mirror that wasn't in a bathroom.

It took no time to find someone trying to get rid of a frameless bathroom mirror on Craigslist. I bought my 70 x 40 mirror for $30, and I had it hung within a couple days (I hung it with mirror clips just like you would hang a mirror in a bathroom). I wish I could say that it took me the same amount of time to get it framed. I'm so embarrassed to say that I had that mirror hanging for almost two years before I got around to getting it framed! I don't know what took me so long! It was just one of those things that kept getting pushed to the bottom of the to-do list.

When I finally got around to getting it framed it was soooooo easy. I bought $15 of molding and had my uncle cut it with his miter saw. I painted the molding with white semi-gloss paint so that it would match the rest of my molding and I used these materials to attach the molding to my mirror.

Double-sided duct tape, liquid nails, and spackle.

I alternated beads of liquid nails and strips of duct tape on the backside of the molding. The duct tape just held the molding in place while the liquid nails was drying.

After all the pieces of molding were on, I filled in the corners with spackle, smoothed them down, and painted over them.

You can't even tell that it's not one piece or that it didn't come ready-made from a store.

Here's a before shot...before my chandy update, before the table runner, before the framed mirror:

This mirror was the last big project on our first floor. All I really have left to do now is change out some accessories in our kitchen and I will be "done" with one whole floor of our house. Yippee!

I'll be linking up to:

Chore Check-Up

2011-08-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

It's been over a month since I first posted about this chore chart. I talked about my intentions of having a plan and keeping the house clean since I'm at home more and not teaching blah, blah, blah.

Well, I've only been really trying for about two weeks and I've done a not bad job.

Just because those boxes aren't checked doesn't mean I didn't complete the task either. If I hadn't done the dishes for three days our house could have been taken over by the public health department. I'm just not much of a stickler for checking the boxes for the things that automatically get done. It does feel really good to check off that bathroom box, though. I used to be very inconsistent about cleaning the bathrooms because they're so...well...gross. Now I've realized that if I take some of my time to do basic upkeep they are less gross. Whodathunk?

I used the chart from the Project Girl as a jumping off point and I tweaked it to make it more suited for my needs. You can click the blank copy below if you'd like to print one for yourself.

Even though I've already asked, I'd still love to hear any tips and suggestions for keeping a clean house!

Have a great Tuesday!

Pardon My Mess

2011-08-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

I apologize in advance if you see some weird stuff going on here over the next couple of days. I'm switching things up a bit and hope to have everything ready to go by Monday or Tuesday.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

2011-08-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

This is not the post that I had planned, but my computer and/or interweb was being uncooperative, so here's a pretty picture instead.

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Love the aqua, gray and yellow!

Have a great weekend!

New Prints at Lanie + Lola

2011-08-18T23:43:00.000-04:00

Shameless plug alert! New prints in my Etsy shop! Free shipping or 20% for off for Thrifty Abode readers with the codes FREESHIP and THRIFTY.

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Dead Ringer: Restoration Hardware Venetian Beaded Mirror & Z Gallerie Omni Wall Mirror

2011-08-18T08:00:00.003-04:00

If you've been following this blog for a while then you may be having deja vu right now. The reason you have the feeling that you've seen this post before is because you have....kind of. I first posted this Dead Ringer here, but the cheaper mirror quickly sold out. While I was looking at mirrors last week for this post I came across two different, less expensive versions of the Restoration Hardware Venetian Beaded Mirror. The first time I posted about his mirror I got a lot of questions so I figured I'd post the new look-alikes in case anyone's interested.

OK. So here's pricey RH mirror. 30"x40" $425

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This mirror is from Z Gallerie and it's a bit less pricey. 30"x40" $299

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Bonus: This mirror is from JC Penney and it's smaller, but it's way more affordable than the other two. 26"x33" $129

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Guest Posting at Keller Creative

2011-08-17T08:00:00.020-04:00

Second guest post this week! Today I'm over at Keller Creative, so click on over there and check it out!

Also, if you're not already a reader, you should be! Kim's blog is really cute and she does great projects like this restored bar cart.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

DIY Burlap Table Runner

2011-08-15T21:01:00.001-04:00

This table runner ended up being a lot more plain Jane than I had originally intended. I already posted a picture of my first failed attempt. Well, here's a picture of my second:

Not cool. I think I realized that it wasn't going to work as soon as I put the first stencil on, but I kept going and got about half way done. By that point it was really obvious that I should just keep it simple. Since our dining area is practically in our living room, it just didn't look right to try and put a different pattern in there.

This runner was so easy that it hardly needs a step-by-step guide to explain, but I took the pictures so I'm gonna post 'em anyway.

(Here's the short version if you're crunched for time: 1. Cut a strip of burlap and hem it. 2. Put it on your table.)

I made a pattern out of poster board to trace onto my burlap. Our table is a 42" square and the runner is about 18" wide and 55" long.

I lined up the the poster board with the lines I drew and folded down the edges of the burlap and ironed them so my hem would be nice a straight.

I tucked the raw edges under to make the hem and pinned, then ironed again.

Then I sewed!

Done and done!

I know you're all probably amazed by my creativity and sewing skills, but try not to be too jealous. ;)

All joking aside, I like the way my runner turned out even though it's not original or fancy. I like the neutral color and I like the texture of the burlap. Now I just need to find some fabric to make some placemats...maybe I'll get a little facy with those.

I ALMOST FORGOT! I used a yard and a half of burlap which cost a whopping $4.39 and I have some left over. Way cheaper than this guy.

I'll be linking up at:

Guest Posting at Living on the Chic

2011-08-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm guest posting over at Living on the Chic today. Trissta asked me to share a chic tip so hop over there and check it out!

I failed at my second attempt to make a table runner last night, but I'm hoping to have it finished and posted later today.

Y'all have a good Monday!

What A Difference A Frame Makes

2011-08-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

The following picture is still an "in progress" picture of our dining area, but look! My frame is done...for now. I still think it needs to be thicker and I've heard that Home Depot has a miter saw that customers can use. Can anyone confirm?

It was really easy to frame the mirror and the molding only cost $15. If it's true that Home Depot will cut miters then I want to get all of my bathroom mirrors framed ASAP.

After I got the frame up I started working on my table runner and placemats only to be stopped dead in my tracks by a couple huge mistakes. I made the runner too short AND it was too matchy-matchy (double fail). I used the same fabric that I used for my throw pillows because I had a ton of it left over. I knew that there was just going to be too much of that print in the same space, but I made the runner anyway because I didn't want to spend my precious Craigslist dollars on fabric. As soon as I got the runner on the table it was obvious that it wasn't going to work even if I made a longer one. I had to make a trip to Jo Ann which took way longer than I expected and all of a sudden my afternoon was gone. I will be working on Plan B for my runner and placemats this weekend and hopefully I'll have a pretty tutorial for Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Check It Out: Pure Style Home

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

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Do you guys read Pure Style Home? I usually try not to be a bossy pants and tell y'all, my wonderful readers, what to do since I am no expert. I'll make an exception this time and tell you that you ~~have to~~ should be reading Pure Style Home by Lisa Liess (who is an expert).

She's an amazing designer (that's her in her living room above) in the DC area that creates spaces that are beautiful enough to be featured in Better Homes & Gardens. She just did two posts this week about family friendly spaces and what works and what doesn't that were really helpful. Her blog is like free design school.

The best part about Lisa's home is that she works on a real budget. Instead of buying brand new appliances for her kitchen reno she painted her fridge with chalkboard paint. Genius....and it looks fabulous.

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So basically she's my design crush and I aspire to have a home that's a little more like hers: traditional with an eclectic twist.

Beautiful, family friendly, and budget conscious design. Love. Get reading.

Mirror, Mirror...

2011-08-10T08:00:00.005-04:00

Can you guess what I'm working on? It only took me 2 years to get around to it. (That's probably why I look so goofy...I'm so happy to finally get this mirror finished!) When I'm done I will have spent $45 on a 70" x 40" mirror. Thank goodness for Craigslist, $15 worth of molding, and an uncle with a miter saw (thanks Uncle Jimmy!).

To help me appreciate my cheap-o mirror even more, here are some giant, beautiful mirrors that are waaaaay out of my price rage.

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I'll take two, please...oh wait...that would cost $1000.

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I have a thing for paned mirrors. Mine won't have them right away, but I may make the frame chunkier and add panes later on down the road.

This last one is not exactly paned, but it is super cool.

It would probably cost way less than $698 to recreate this look.

Have y'all done any mirror DIY? I'd love to hear about it!

Have a great Wednesday.

Currently Thinking About....

2011-08-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

...a burlap table runner...

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or placemats...


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...basically I have a yard of burlap that I didn't use on my lampshades and I've needed to make a runner or placemats for my square table for a long, long time.

Dining Room Chandy Update

2011-08-08T10:07:00.000-04:00

This not-as-thrifty-as-I-thought-it-would-be chandelier re-vamp is finally done! This project was supposed to cost about 10 bucks, BUT I had a few unexpected expenses. While the money I spent is still a lot less than what I would have spent on a new fixture that's similar, I'm borderline ashamed of how my $10 project turned into and $46 project.

Originally I was going to remove the ball and hoop thingy at the bottom of the chandelier (a picture of the non re-vamped chandy is below), spend $6 on a can of black spray paint, about $4 on some neutral fabric to re-cover some mini lamp shades that I already owned, and be done. Well, that didn't work out. Turns out, I got rid of the lampshades at some point and that ended up throwing my whole plan out of whack.

Here's the break down of what I ended up spending.
- can of black spray paint: $6
- extension chain and hardware (because I lost the original hardware): $10
- 6 new mini lamp shades : $30 (ouch!)
By the way, I completely stuck to my Zero Dollar Decorating rules and only spent money that I earned by selling stuff on Craigslist.

Now that that's out of the way, here's a brief history of how my chandy update came to be. Here's what the original chandelier looked like before we even moved into the house (that picture is three years old). It's your standard builder-grade, brushed nickel chandelier. It was also hanging no where near the center of our dining area.

I think my face says exactly how I feel about that light fixture.

I found some cheap shades and covered them with fabric to try and spruce it up.....once again, that's an oooold picture.

That fabric was just not working...neither were those shelves.... and the fixture was still not centered so my husband and I replaced it with a directional fixture that was on sale at Lowe's. I didn't get a picture of it while it was still hanging, but here's the picture I used when I posted the fixture for sale on Craigslist (It was originally $30 and I got $15 for it!).

As you can see in this recent picture of our dining area, it looks like there isn't even a light fixture there.

Now our little dining area is more defined. I used some extra chain and the chandelier is now centered.

Hopefully I'll post a picture of our completed dining area this week. I have a few more things to do in there, but I've got some momentum now that the light fixture looks the way I want it to.

Y'all have a happy Monday!

I'll be linking up to:

I'm So Excited!

2011-08-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

I will post my completed chandelier on Monday. It's the first project I've posted in a loooooong time and hopefully it won't be a total let down. Warning: it may be a total let down, but I'm just so happy to be finished with something that I could scream.

I also listed my first non-birth stats print in my Etsy Shop last night. Everybody loves owls right now, right?

Remember, Thrifty Abode readers get 20% off and free shipping with the codes THRIFTY and FREESHIP.

Happy Friday!

Gettin' It Together (Changes)

2011-08-04T08:00:00.002-04:00

***** I made some changes. The picture above is the new printable. *****

Still not pretty, but more functional.

It's not pretty because I didn't have any extra space for cutesy stuff.

I'm hoping that it'll help me get on track. Click here if you would like to partake.

Currently Having Some Time Management Issues

2011-08-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

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Have you ever sat down to work on a project that you thought would take about an hour and the next time you check the clock three hours of gone by?

I know I'm getting repetitive and those of you that are super organized and on the ball probably think I'm crazy, but I still haven't figured out my new not-leaving-the-house-to-work schedule. I'll get the hang of it, hopefully sooner rather than later. Any tips are welcome!

Cheap Eats: Oven Fried Eggplant Parmesan

2011-08-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted a recipe in a loooong time. I got in the bad habit of not cooking real dinners because my husband worked in the evenings (4pm-12am) and I usually just threw a meal together for Little Man and myself. We ate a lot of stir fry vegetables with rice, veggie burgers, and pasta with various sauces and more vegetables.

Well, yesterday was the fist day of a big change that's happening at our house. My husband started a new job with normal hours! (Yesterday was also the day I would have been back in a classroom teaching.) I cooked a real meal to celebrate our family being able to eat dinner together on a Monday.

This recipe is really easy, really delicious, and has the potential to be really low calorie depending on how you prepare it.

Here's what you'll need:
1 Large Eggplant
1 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese (exclude for low cal version)
2 Eggs (use egg whites only for low cal version)
1 Jar of Tomato Sauce
1 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella (use less for low cal version)
3 Cups of Pasta (nix the pasta for low cal version)

1. Slice the eggplant and lay it out on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Cover the slices in salt and let it sit for half an hour. This pulls out a lot moisture and gets rid of any bitterness.

2. While you're waiting, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and get the crumb mixture and eggs ready. Mix the panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese together and put them in a shallow dish like a pie pan. Lightly beat the two eggs together and put them in another shallow dish.

3. Pat the eggplant slices with a paper towel to remove the water. Stack the slices somewhere else and place a cooling rack on the foil lined cookie sheet. Spray the cooling rack with canola oil so the breaded eggplant won't stick.

4. Dip each slice into the egg then cover with the crumbs. Place it onto the cooling rack and spray the eggplant with canola oil.

5. Bake the eggplant for 30 minutes. Flip it once at the 15 minute mark and spray the eggplant with canola oil again. When it's done, both sides should be browned.

6. Layer the sauce, eggplant, and cheese in a dish. (I used an 11x7). Start by covering the bottom of the dish with sauce. Put a layer of cheese between the layers of eggplant. Cover the top layer of eggplant with sauce and cheese.

7. Bake until the cheese is brown and bubbling. Cook the pasta while the eggplant is baking.

Put the eggplant parm and pasta together and enjoy!

Home Again, Home Again

2011-08-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

We made it home! We had a great week with family, but we were sooooo happy to be back after our 15 hour drive turned into an 18 hour drive due to a wreck on I-85. Thank goodness we had a portable DVD player and many, many episodes of Nick Jr. shows. The Wonder Pets theme song is currently playing on a loop in my head. Count yourself lucky if you don't know what I'm talking about.

The pictures above are from some of the highlights of our trip. Little Man had a great time playing with his sweet cousin and posing for pictures with his grandparents and aunt outside of the old Louisiana state capital building. He also had fun at a Little Gym class and visiting LSU's campus.

I'm going to be settling back in and hopefully getting that stinkin' chandelier in our dining area done today (no promises though).

Before I get workin' I want to thank those of y'all who voted for my nursery over at Project Nursery. You helped meet my goal of not finishing last! Woo Hoo! Fourth out of six 'aint bad.

Vote!

2011-07-28T14:53:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm taking a quick break from my vacation to let you know that my son's nursery is one of this month's finalists over at Project Nursery. Voting has been going on since the 18th and I didn't realize that I was in the running until the 22nd and this is the first time I've been able to sit down and ask y'all to vote. I have a pretty unambitious goal and that's to not finish last. Right now that's where I am. While I don't think I should win (there are way cuter nurseries), I definitely don't think I deserve to be dead last. Help me out. I only need a few more votes and I have until the 31st. Thanks and click HERE!

15 Hours...

2011-07-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

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that's how long I'm going to be in a car today....with a toddler. Oh, how I wish we were traveling in a renovated airstream trailer like the one above. It looks so comfy.

We're going to spend a week with my husband's family in Louisiana and it's actually supposed to be cooler there than in North Carolina, thank goodness. I'm looking forward to some down time and fun with family.

I'll see y'all back here on August 1st. Enjoy what's left of July!

Randomness

2011-07-21T00:59:00.000-04:00

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1. Isn't that a cute white kitchen?

2. I will get my act together sometime soon, get into a routine and stop posting at odd times and skipping days (like yesterday). You'd think that I wouldn't have a problem with all this "extra" time on my hands since I stopped teaching, but some how the hours just fill up and slip away.

3. I still cannot find the shades I'm looking for or any that are similar for less than $5 each. I'm about to get $25 from some things I'm selling on Craigslist and I really don't want to spend it all on little shades. Any other tips on where I can find some are still very welcome.

4. I'm offering free shipping and 20% off at my Etsy shop for Thrifty Abode readers. Use the codes FREESHIP and THRIFTY.

Y'all have a fantastic Thursday.

Wanted: 3 Ugly Mini Lamp Shades

2011-07-19T18:30:00.000-04:00

I know! The lampshade pictured above is soooo ugly, but I'm planning on covering it with fabric. The problem is that I can only find two of the five that I already own. Those missing shades are the only thing holding up this little chandelier project now. There were a lot more hold ups, but I'll spare you most of the boring details and just say that I've had to make two trips to Lowe's and a can of spray paint back-fired and then broke on me and I've been walking around with little black splatters all over me me for two days.

I've also spent more money than I had planned, but I haven't broken my rule and dipped into our checking account. I spent $10 of my store credit at Jo Ann for a can of spray paint and fabric to cover the shades, and I sold a pair of candle holders and used that $10 to buy parts that I needed to hang the chandelier.

I've spent $20 and I really don't want to spend another $25 on five new shades. I'm afraid that during one of my organizing/purging frenzies, I threw out three of the mini lampshades. I got them at Michael's years ago, but I checked yesterday and they didn't have them. If you've seen these shades or shades that are very similar for about $5 a pop please let me know. I'd love to only have to buy three instead of five if I absolutely can't find the ones that are missing.

I changed my mind...

2011-07-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

...I'm going to try and make my builder grade chandy look a little more like this:

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I'm going to do shades with a neutral fabric instead of wicker.

Since I changed my mind at the last minute, I didn't get very far over the weekend. I'm going to try and get it done today and have pics up by tonight or tomorrow morning.

Happy Monday!

p.s. Have you seen this beautiful capiz pendant from Pottery Barn? I hadn't until I came across it while I was looking for the picture above. Gorgeous!

Update: Store Credit to Spend!

2011-07-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

I have some money to work with thanks to the return policy at JoAnn Fabrics! I returned a no sew cornice board kit that I never used in the nursery. I bought it almost a year ago and didn't have the receipt, but thank goodness they gave me store credit (a whopping $24). Now I just have to figure out how to streeeeeetch that money. They usually have some pretty good coupons, so I will definitely be using those.

chandelier via

I think my first project will involve spray painting. We had a nice cold front move in the other day and it's no longer too hot or humid outside to do it. I'm going to try and get our builder-grade, nickel chandelier to look a little more like the one above.

Technically I'm breaking my own rules by not using money I earned from selling things on Craigslist, but oh well. I've got such a tight budget now, I guess it doesn't matter where the money comes from as long as it's not our checking account or credit cards.

Maybe I'll have something to show off on Monday!

Y'all have a good weekend!

Marshall's Finds

2011-07-14T08:00:00.004-04:00

I made a trip to Marshall's today to pick up a shower curtain liner (fun!), and just like the trip I made to T.J. Maxx about a month ago, I was amazed by the amount of stylish pieces they had.

Look at that chair ($99)! There were two of them and they would look fantastic at the ends of a dining table.

This little wingback ($199) was too cute. It was a little more pink and brighter in person and even though it's not a rocker, it would look so sweet in a girl's nursery.

This tufted beauty was only $250 and with the neutral upholstery it could go anywhere.

This grey and yellow ikat cube ottoman was on clearance for $29. I looked up that fabric and it's $22/yard.

Mercury glass is not just for Christmas. These lamps were $40 each.

These black pedestal tables were $59 and they'd be great in an entry or next to a sofa or bed.

I think if I wasn't on a complete spending freeze I would have taken that tufted chair and one of those pedestal tables home with me.

Remember, inventory is different from store to store, but if you're in the market for something Marshall's is definitely worth a trip.

Beware....

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

....if you're planning on jumping on the book rack bandwagon like I did (inspired by this room), they could end up looking like this after a few tugs from a toddler.

Here's a reminder of what they looked like.

Look at them. Nice and low so he can get books whenever he wants. Little did I know that he would not lift up on the book to get it out, but rather pull it down.

This is actually the third time he's broken one. I thought that the wood glue from the last repair would hold, but the ledge broke along the other seem. Time to get out the clamps and glue again!

Weekly Chore Schedule

2011-07-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

Forgive me for my lack of projects and extremely short posts lately, but I'm still trying to get into a routine. Being sick last week really threw me off. I planned on having my house spotless by now. The first floor is almost there, but the second and third floors look like something from an episode of Hoarders, so that's what I'll be working on for the next couple of days.

When I get my house clean, I plan to keep it that way. When I was teaching and my husband was working in the evenings I had very little time to devote to chores that didn't absolutely need to be done. Dishes and diapers had to be taken care of, but I didn't vacuum or scrub the showers as often as I should have. Most of that stuff was saved for the weekends and whatever didn't get finished was put off 'til the next weekend, or the next weekend, or the next weekend...... I have no excuses now.

I'm gonna create a chore schedule and stick to it. I thought about making my own printable, but I found this one and figured that there was no point in reinventing the wheel.

This printable comes from The Project Girl. She has a lot of handy printables on her blog.

I just need to decide what chores I'm going to do on each day and I'll be on my way to a cleaner house!

Any other tips and secrets I need to know that'll help me keep my house straight? I'd love to hear!

Productive Weekend (Kind Of)

2011-07-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Good Monday morning! How was your weekend? I spent my weekend recovering from my cold. I didn't quite have the energy to get much cleaning done but I did have the energy to sit in front of a computer and open an Etsy shop!

I made the birth stats print for my son's room and decided to try my hand at making some more designs. I don't have much in my shop yet, but I'll add more over time and even start doing some stationary like birth announcements and birthday invitations.

Opening my Etsy shop took a lot of time. Coming up with a name was the hardest part. I came up with a few really cute names, but I was bummed to find out that they were already taken when I Googled them. I ended up landing on Lanie&Lola because I like the way it sounds and it's unique. No other significance than that. Then I had to design the banner and list items. All in all I spent about four hours at the computer.

I also began Phase I of Zero Dollar Decorating and listed some items on Craigslist. I haven't gotten any bites yet, but hopefully it won't be too long before I get a few items sold and I have some money in hand to get started on some projects.

In summary my house is still a disaster and I spent a ton of time in a chair staring at a computer screen. I hope your weekend was a bit more exciting!

Sick Days

2011-07-08T14:14:00.000-04:00

Well, my first days as a stay-at-home mommy have not quite been what I hoped they'd be. The head cold that I mentioned in my last post turned into a full blown sinus infection, coughing fits, sore throat, achy neck mess. I've spent every free minute on the couch for the past two days, so needless to say, I haven't gotten a single thing done. I'm starting to feel better so maybe I'll get caught up this weekend.

Since I'm such a mess and my house is still such a mess, let's just look at some pretty pictures, OK?

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via

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I think I have at hing for white and teal/turquoise. All of these are on my "For the Home" Pinterest board if you're interested.

Happy Friday!

Hi/Lo: Dutch Industrial Rolling Side tables

2011-07-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm still plodding along with my cleaning. I have a horrible head cold that's slowing me down. Until I have something to show for my work, here's a little challenge for you.

I love the mix of old metal and wood, plus casters make anything cool. My favorite is #3! The source list is below and the answer is in the comments.

1. via
2. via
3. via
4. via
5. via

Zero Dollar Decorating

2011-07-05T09:55:00.000-04:00

First, thank you so much to those of you that offered encouraging words when I announced that I had resigned from teaching to spend more time with my son. It certainly helps to know that there are plenty of others out there that have taken the same leap of faith and found that it was beyond worth it.

Second, Operation: Zero Dollar Decorating is about to commence. As you have already read, I do plan to spend some money on decorating, but that money will not come out of our checking, savings, or be put on a credit card. I will only spend cash that I can make by selling things on Craigslist.

That's the short version, here's a slightly more detailed breakdown of how I plan on doing things.

The first thing that I need to do is get this house clean! I put off so many chores over the last few busy weeks and our house is a disaster. While I'm getting things clean and organized, I'll also be pulling items that can be sold on Craigslist. I have a bunch of accessories that no longer go with our living room since I changed up the color palette. We also have plenty of items that haven't been used in years and it's time for them to find a new home and stop taking up space in my house.

While I'm waiting for things to sell on Craigslist, I'm going to start on some projects that I already have the supplies for. Here's a short list of the projects I can think of right now:
-paint the laundry room
-paint an old trunk for our bedroom
-paint the second floor hallway
-begin second floor hallway gallery wall
-make-over on builder grade chandelier for dining area

Looks like I have a lot of painting in my future.

Since it may take some time for me to get some cash in hand, you can expect a bit less decorating around here and a few more recipes and mood boards.

Today I'm going to be cleaning like a mad woman! Fun! That's not sarcasm, by the way. I'm genuinely happy to be cleaning my house rather than sitting through beginning of the school year work days.

Have a great Tuesday!