Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Christmas Card!


Berry Merry Christmas
Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.
View the entire collection of cards.

Just stopping in to say Merry Christmas!  I'm really missing the Christmas decorating linky parties this year.  Oh, well.  I also wanted to share this great deal that Shutterfly has.  If you post your completed project on your blog they'll give you $25 towards your next purchase!  We did all of our parents' and grandparents' presents there this year and I love how they turned out. 

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

A VERY Easy DIY Fall Wreath and....

...a quick "Hello!"

First of all....hello!  It's been a while (eight months!) since I've posted anything and I'm hoping that my little one takes a nap that's long enough to let me finish this post in one sitting.  Second....we have all seen the "Sorry it's been so long since my last post" line on plenty of other blogs, and I have to say right off the bat that I am not sorry!  I have been busy!  I went back to work as a teacher seven weeks after I had my son and I've been keeping all the balls in the air ever since.  I might as well go a head and say that this blog is not another ball that I intend to start juggling any time soon.  I have some ideas and I may do some reorganizing to get this thing going in the future (perhaps sooner rather than later), but for right now I'm just stopping in to say hello.

One more thing before I get to my wreath...thank you to those of you who have started following in the last few months.  Maybe you accidentally clicked on the "follow" button before you discovered that I'd basically shut it down or maybe you were completely intentional...either way...I'm glad you're here.

And now....here is my super-simple, super-easy, (maybe a little too plain?) fall wreath:
DIY Fall Wreath

A couple of weeks ago the temperature really dropped for the first time and I was inspired to do a little fall decorating.  I looked and looked for an easy DIY fall wreath and just couldn't find one that I liked that really looked easy.  I am not good with florals, I'm not a huge fan of bows, and the DIY versions of wreaths like this just looked too time consuming.

Better Homes & Gardens

I made a little trip to Michael's to see what I could come up with and ended up spending $10 give or take a little for the materials for my wreath.  The 18" grapevine wreath was $3.99, the strand of berries was $2.99 and the bunch of dried leaves was $2.99.  I ended up getting two bunches of leaves, but I only used a very small portion of one bunch. I don't have a step-by-step tutorial because I didn't think I'd be doing a post about it, but the process was very easy.  I fastened the berries with floral wire then hot-glued the leaves where I wanted them.  Done and done.

I used the dried leaves because I liked the way they looked better than the fake ones.  They were also cheaper.  If you'd like to make this project a little cheaper here's link that tells you how to preserve your own leaves.  Gathering leaves for a wreath could also be a nice activity for kids. 

 Well, that's all I have for now.  James has been awake for about 15 minutes and he's starting to let me know that he's gonna need my undivided attention very soon.  Y'all have a happy fall!


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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

I've Been a Little Busy...

Last Wednesday evening I went into labor and by 1:45 a.m. on Thursday, February 18 my little James Brooks was born.  I've been settling into motherhood and the blog has been put on the back burner for now.   

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Nothing Says Happy Valentine's Day Like....

knock-off Jack Rogers Navajo sandals from Target!  This was actually not my discovery since I haven't shopped for clothes or shoes in quite a while since I'm about a week away from my due date.  I saw these on The Budget Babe's website yesterday and I couldn't wait to go get some...I didn't even wait for them to go on sale!  I almost dropped $100 on some real ones at Christmas, and I could not be happier that I didn't.  I've been hoping to find a cheaper version of the Navajo sandal for a while and these look almost just like the real thing for 1/5 of the price. 

Jack Rogers $96:


 Merona for Target $19.99:
 
This is the first post I've done that has absolutely nothing to do with home decor, but I had to let y'all know because they're going fast...even in February!  My Target was almost out!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Spotted at Big Lots:

I keep running into pieces that I love, but have no use for.  I went to Big Lots hoping to find a cheap lamp or two, but instead I left with a six pack of Bounty select-a-size paper towels for $6.50...not as great as a lamp, but still pretty good.
How cute is this little blue side table? And only 70 bucks.
 

 
This ottoman is pretty cute too.  

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Project Repost: The Look for Less Resoration Hardware Key Art

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I'm getting a little lazy, but can you blame me?...I'm 39 weeks pregnant.  I also just wanted another excuse to show off one of the projects I'm most proud of, and since it was one of my very first posts there's a good chance that this is new to most of you.


These are 18.5x18.5 and retail for $199. I saw some old keys at the flea market at the NC state fair grounds and did a similar piece of wall art with a shadow box I got from Michael's. If you go to the right guy you can get a handful of keys for $5 and if you go to Michael's at the right time or have a coupon you can get a shadow box for about $25 or less. Here's what mine looks like:


I tacked on the thicker ones in the center with thread and just hot glued the flat ones.

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Plan Ahead, Save Money: Part I

Wouldn't it be so easy to decorate your home if you had a huge budget for every room?  I would pretty much look in a Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware catalog, find a room I liked, buy everything and transplant it in my house.
 Ta da!  Done and done.

Having a small budget (sometimes no budget) has forced me to be resourceful and learn how to plan ahead.  I am not a planner, but I wasted enough money on things I ultimately didn't like that I finally learned my lesson.  I've also learned to be patient.  Planning forces you to figure out exactly what you want...then you don't buy a thing until you've found "IT".  Sometimes it only takes a few days of searching and sometimes it takes months. 

This was my kitchen wall for about the first eight months we were in our house:

Absolutely blank, blah, nothing.  I finally decided what I was going to do with it and came up with a plan.  I didn't have super fancy PhotoShop or any other kind of editing software, so I used the Paint program that's on every PC to sketch out what I wanted the wall to eventually look like.
 
Nice, huh?  I already had the small frames ($1 in the Target dollar spot bins years ago), medium frames ($5 at Michael's) and the clock (wedding gift!) so I knew what to draw on the wall.  I was missing the plates and the large frames.  I knew that I was going to get a large frame from Michael's for $10.00, but I didn't know where those plates were going to come from.  I got the frames and clock up and for about four months my wall looked like this:


Empty spaces with empty frames.  I was able to fill the frames pretty quickly with free botanical prints I got online, but plain, solid, plates (I decided on red instead of orange or yellow) were a lot trickier to find.   All in all it took me about a year to get it the way I wanted it.  


It didn't come out exactly how the first draft I made in Paint looked, but I didn't waste any money on stuff that I didn't like or that didn't work. I spent $10 on a frame, $10 on the plates and about $2 on the "R" that I stained myself.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Spotted at TJ Maxx

I love this lamp!  I don't have any where to put it, but it's only $39.99.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

One of My Ikea Finds

Who knew babies needed so much stuff?  I didn't until I was putting away the first batch of shower presents.  One of the things I didn't anticipate needing for the nursery was storage.  I found myself sitting in the floor with all this great stuff around me, but I had no where to put it.  Thank goodness for Ikea.  The unit was about 50 something dollars.  It's not one of the greatest deals, but it's pretty sturdy and should be with us for quite a while.  The blue hamper next to it was $3.  Perfect for tucking away in a closet and holding stinky, dirty baby clothes.  Speaking of clothes...I think my unborn child has more than I do.  There's a dresser full in addition to what's in the closet.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Did It Myself: Cornice Board

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I'm hoping my lack of posts doesn't become a trend, but I have been so busy over the past two weeks.  Last night Raleigh got snow and I'm trapped in my house for the next couple of days.  The timing couldn't be more perfect.  I have so many things to do to my house to get ready for this baby boy to be here.  I'm 37 weeks and I'm in full nesting mode.  My house is going to be spotless and everything is going to be in it's place by tomorrow evening (maybe).

I took this afternoon to finish a project I'd started Monday.  I was going back and forth between making a box valance or a cornice board for the nursery.  I'm usually not a fan of cornice boards, but for the nursery it seemed to fit and the best part is that I had to do absolutely no sewing.  I also didn't need any power tools.  I literally stepped back from the window when I was finished and thought, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe that worked."  It could very likely be on the floor in a couple of hours, but for right now I'm going to enjoy my success.  Here's the finished product:

I had all of the materials except the batting and fabric which cost about $8 total.  The board I used was that old foam board from my memo board.

I'm a little hesitant to show you how I did it, because it's pretty embarrassing.  I'm not a perfectionist, so to me, whatever can't be seen just isn't there.  Some people would be driven crazy by knowing that there is a mess behind that cornice board.

Here's what it looked like before the fabric was on it:
 
Not bad, but here's what the back looks like:
Yes, that is tape holding the batting on.  I was afraid I was going to run out of glue sticks, and I still had to put the fabric on.  I doubled the foam board and it's held together by hot glue.  The board was roughly cut with a box opener.  Luckily, the batting covers any less than perfect lines.  I hung a valance rod and attached the board with floral wire.  Like I said, it could be on the floor in a couple hours, but for right now it's up, and the only person who knows how awful the craftsmanship is is me...and you.

I can't wait to have the whole window finished with a faux Roman shade made out of this:


Sunday, January 24, 2010

Currently Looking For: Inexpensive Lamps

Why are lamps so expensive?  I'd like to replace the lamps in my living room so I can move them up to my bedroom, but I just don't want to spend the money.  I haven't done much looking, so there might be some super secret cheap lamp store I haven't seen, but so far I haven't run across it.  I'm thinkin' I'd like something like this:


Really simple, but not $150.
I'd also need a table top lamp.  This little tripod lamp is $39.99 at Target:

This little tripod table lamp is $329 at Target.


Friday, January 22, 2010

Cheap Faux Fruit Vase Filler




I've heard that faux flowers are a big interior design no-no.  Is faux fruit?  I'm not sure, but I like how it looks in a glass cake stand in my kitchen.  I also like how it looks in a natural wooden bowl...



....or a simple glass cylinder


The apples and the lemons are from Pottery Barn and they're $14.00 for 6.  Wal-Mart sells faux fruit for $1.00 per piece.  That's where I got my pears.  Here's a close up:


They look pretty real, huh?
 


Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ikea Fabric!

I completely forgot that Ikea sells fabric by the yard, and I was pleasantly surprised to find exactly what I was looking for Monday. 

Green and white stripe for $7.99/yard!

Other cute Ikea fabric:



I love those trees!
 

Monday, January 18, 2010

Takin' a Trip Down Interstate 85

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My husband and I are spending our day off driving to Ikea in Concord, North Carolina and working our way back home to Raleigh, hitting every fabric outlet, discount furniture place and Hobby Lobby along the way.  If I can't find what I'm looking for today...it doesn't exist...at least not in my price range.  Wish me luck!

One more thing....I'd like to acknowledge my husband for being a very willing partner in this excursion.  I'm sure that not one time during the day will I feel like I'm dragging anyone along with me.  That's probably not a very common quality among husbands and I'm pretty thankful for it.

I just thought this Ikea bedroom was cute.  Y'all have a good day!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Quite Possibly the Cheapest DIY Memo Board Ever

 I have a new blog!  Join me at The Thrifty Abode!
I actually did this little project when I was in college.  It looked great in my dorm and apartment, but it's been sitting in a closet since I've been married.  It hasn't quite matched my decor for quite some time now.  The only reason I've been hanging onto it is because I thought I could use it if we were having a little girl.  Well, we are havin' a little boy and it's just taking up space now so I thought I'd share it before I repurposed the materials or trashed them altogether. 
I dug this out of the nursery closet and set it up against the crib to take pictures, so they're not that great.  Forgive me.

Here's why this memo board was so cheap.  Instead of messing with a piece of plywood or something pretty solid I used a foam board.  They're about $2.00.  You'd think that it would be flimsy, but the board has held up for about six years and three or four moves.  The fabric I used was about $3.00/yard...I think I got half a yard...and it was from Wal-Mart.  Yup, Wal-Mart.  I had a chat with one of the employees in the craft section a while ago and discovered that Wal-Mart gets their fabric in remnants from high-end fabric stores.  I've seen the same stuff in Wal-Mart that I've seen in stores like Printer's Alley, and I've rarely seen fabric for more than $6.00/yard there.  Unfortunately, Wal-Mart doesn't sell fabric in their newer stores and finding good stuff is pretty hit or miss.  I used some quilt batting and just glued the fabric on with fabric glue.  The ribbons were also glued on and I sewed on the buttons.  The needle went right through the board.  Here's why I don't mind tearing this thing apart.  Take a look at this fine craftsmanship:
 
Yikes.  I used tape to keep the fabric down and keep the thread in place for the buttons then hung it with mounting tape...so classy.
 
The back is so sad, but it looked great from the front and did the job.

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Back to Funky Junk.



Thursday, January 14, 2010

New Nursery

This will be the last nursery post for quite a while.  I'm starting over at square one with the new DwellStudio for Target spaceship bedding.  Well, not square one exactly...luckily the blue in the new bedding matches the blue I just painted on the walls.  That would have been a deal breaker.  Even I would not have painted those walls a third time.  I love the colors in the new bedding and according to my husband (the one who spotted it)  it's definitely made for a boy.  


However, I have no fabric and the accessories I started making are getting scrapped.  I'm also checking target.com multiple times a day to see if they've put the bedding collection online.  I've come to terms with the fact that the nursery is not likely to be absolutely finished when the baby gets here and I'm OK with that....really...it's worth it to have crib bedding I really, really like (and it was $5 cheaper!).  Instead of making Roman shades or pillows I'm going to be cleaning and organizing like a madwoman...not as much fun, but it still needs to get done.  So once again I have nothing to show off.  Hopefully I'll make it to Ikea and Hobby Lobby on my day off on Monday.  For now I've got some cleaning to do.....

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Oh My Gosh, Y'all!

Dwell Studio for Target just came out with some new crib bedding that I love!  It's not online yet and they're only selling a 3 piece set and receiving blankets right now, but I think the Dot Fun is going back.  Here's a little picture:

A Couple Links and a Little Bragging

I'll start with the bragging.  Jane over at Finding Fabulous featured my throw pillows as a favorite among her Frugalicious Friday links!


Decor Mamma

This is my first time being featured on another blog so I'm pretty thrilled.  I've also gained some new followers today, five to be exact, the most I've gained in any one day...so once again...I'm pretty thrilled.  Welcome, y'all!

Now for the links...I've been back at work for a little over a week so most of my projects are moving pretty slowly.  Some of my weekend time is being taken up with lesson planning instead of being able to focus solely on decorating projects or whatever else I want.  (Does anyone else think it's weird/funny that I spent my entire day talking about Civil War weapons and the Battle of Shiloh only to come home and be excited about making a window treatment for my nursery? Oh, the life of a teacher...)


Once again I don't have anything new of my own to share, but I do have a great project that was done by one of my friends who's about to have twin girls.  She's got the cutest nursery and did her own version of some Pottery Barn Kids wall art.  Check it out here and here.

A project I hope to get finished tonight is a faux Roman shade for the nursery.  I'm planning on turning the drape that matches my bedding into the shade, so I'm going to be doing some light sewing.  I have not sown in a quite a while so it might take me longer than I expect.  I'm going to be using a similar method that was done by the Thrifty Decor Chick.  I spent an hour Sunday night trying to find a tutorial only to wake up Monday morning to see that she had re-posted hers that same night.  Very helpful.


  Hopefully I'll have something to show off tomorrow or Thursday!