Brief Hiatus

I recently started a new job and I am getting used to the hours....so I am on a brief hiatus until next weekend....Ciao Bellas!

TRYING TO SAVE SPACE?

If you're like me then you're struggling for any way possible to save space. Well our ironing board has been leaning against the wall for MONTHS and I finally got sick of seeing it....well my solution was to take some $1.88 over the door hooks from walmart and hang the iron on the back of our bdrm door...voila! No more ironing board leaning on the wall!

(Maybe I should do something about that door, it's not lookin too hot, lol)

If you're looking for something a little more fancy and functional, they have these at walmart for only $9.88 but it has to be mounted to the wall

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8810694

SOMEONE ELSE'S TRASH COULD BE YOUR TREASURE

The other night while I was driving home from dropping my husband off at the airport I drove past this little wooden chair on the side of the street. I have been looking for one like this for a while and what better price to pay than NOTHING! Needless to say I hit a u turn on 2 wheels and threw that badboy in my backseat.I cleaned it, painted it and used some left over fabric from my headboard to make a cutesy sitting chair for our bedroom.....

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I dont know why it looks so glossy, but it isn't

I guess those curtains could use an ironing, lol

JUST BECAUSE I LIKE EM

I just saw this backsplash and I really like it.....

This is a piggy back off of R. Marie's blog http://soulathome.blogspot.com/ an interesting blog to say the least....Loves it!!

OH BABY!

So during a convo between some friends and I about nursery decorations for Serita's baby, I got inspired. Although I won't hear the pitter patter of little feet for a while, I figured I would put up some nurseries for you mommies out there looking for ideas.

ONE DAY!!!

I love this room!! One day I will have a chandelier in my room....one day.

I AM IN LOVE WITH DAMASK

For some odd reason I love damask print anything. Maybe it is partly due to the fact that I had it in my wedding. So needless to say Im biased, lol....some hate it, some love it.......If you love it then here's some eye candy for you.

WALL DECALS

Although Im not incorporating these into my design right now I freakin love the look of them!! http://www.dalidecals.com/

MY BEDROOM PROJECT

This project was to make my bed fab and as you can see in the before picture, that bed left something to be desired.....so I took my left over wood from when I made my twin bed couch back to home depot to have it cut to the dimensions I wanted for my queen sized bed (20 in x 62 in) and they cut it for me for free. Next I got my fabric from Joanns with my 40% off coupon. If you havent signed up with Joanns online you should, they always e mail 40% and 50% off coupons http://www.joanns.com/. Anywho back to my project, I made a padded headboard and hung it exactly the same as I did my couch back (see below). I then added in our cutesy "sidetables" that I got from ross for $10 each and some knick knacks for ambiance. I also had a blank wall, extra wood and some extra fabric so I put some impromptu "artwork" on it. Enjoy!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

(I have more throw pillows but Im still working on the pillow covers for them)

10 STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL DECORATING

Just thought I would share something that was shared with me.

#1 Do not add something to your home unless it is useful and beautiful. 90% of items should be both. Recycling bins don’t have to be ugly bright blue messing up the décor of your kitchen. You can use an alternative container or simply pretty up the ugly blue crate. An easy fix is to get a simple cardboard box, paint or cover it in wallpaper or fabric, cut a whole in the bottom, flip it upside down and plop on top of that ugly crate. Voila! You now have a gorgeous, coordinated recycling bin!

#2 Pick a color scheme and delineate from it only when you are making a conscious statement. It doesn’t matter what colors you pick, just pick some! After you have picked 3-5 colors, stick with them whether it is the mundane things like soap and shampoo or the decorative items like towels and rugs.

#3 Every time you buy something, throw something (or give something) away.The worst thing in a well designed room is to have it ruined by clutter. Most people in America have too much stuff, rather than too little. If you make it a practice to throw something away, or donate an item, every time you buy a new one, you can begin building a successful design. If you don’t, your designing efforts will be in vain.

#4 Don’t buy items that aren’t essential to the way your family lives, even if everyone else has one. If you don’t drink coffee, don’t buy a coffeemaker. If you don’t drink wine, don’t buy a corkscrew. Many of the items cluttering up your space are for a lifestyle that you don’t live. Toss them out or donate them!

#5 Use what you love. Hide or throw away whatever you are apathetic about. If you love your precious moments figurines, display them in groupings. If you are keeping them because they are a family keepsake, put them in a box in the attic.

#6 Steal, Copy and Imitate, then Add, Delete and Finish.Steal ideas from magazines, copy color combinations in catalogs, imitate store displays and don’t hesitate to take inspiration from your friend’s homes. Once you have your inspiration, tweak it to make it your own. Add items that show your personality, delete items that create clutter, and finish your room with some personality and flair.

#7 Choose a style, choose a sub style, and keep those in mind whenever you add a piece to your home. Rather than defining your style by a time period such as Victorian or Modern Country, define your style based on a few key factors. Do you prefer bold or safe looks? Do you prefer simple or complex design? Do you prefer warm or cool color schemes? Do you prefer thick or thin furnishings? Once you figure out those preferences, you now have a style. For example, I am a bold, simple, warm, thick so I like heavy furnishings in warm colors, simple lines and bold accessories.

#8 Learn the difference between what you like and what can work for you.There are new trends coming in and out of style almost weekly! Determine the difference between what items you like in the store, and which items will actually work in the design style you have established in your home.

#9 When you want to change your style, start small and start cheap.There is no reason to spend a fortune reworking a room or reinventing your style. Start cheap with gallons of paint, garage sale finds, clearance purchases and items found dumpster diving. Once you determine you love your new style, then you can start spending more money to complete your rooms.

#10 If something doesn’t seem quite right in your space, take a picture, evaluate it, then remove something from the space. If you must, add something.

NOW THIS IS A SERIOUS DIY PROJECT!

My friend Faithe sent this to me and I HAD to share this....to do that takes some serious dedication and creative vision, I never would have thought of something like this!

IT'S GOTTA GO!

I made a decision and the table MUST GO!! It has turned into a junk collector so I will be posting it on craigslist pronto!!!

MINI PROJECT

I got this key hanger/organizer for free from Craigslist.com because I got tired of seeing my husbands wallet, keys and change on top of the TV. It was a light wood but that doesnt go with my living room decor so I spray painted it black......didnt do much to it but it matches my decor now...it's not as glossy as it looks, dont know why it photographed like that.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

TWIN BED COUCH PROGRESS

I got the back of the couch mounted to the wall and I must say it was fairly easy with the hooks that I bought. It's a good thing I used my imagination while at Home Depot because they sure didnt have what thought I needed. These are the hooks that I used:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100058482&marketID=3&locStoreNum=233&categoryID=501182

and

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100021232&marketID=3&locStoreNum=233&categoryID=501182

HOW TO TRANSFORM A THRIFT STORE PICTURE FRAME

As you know by now Thrift Town is my place to find hidden treasures for dirt cheap and bring out their inner beauty. Well I found this picture frame for $1 and decided to make it a project of mine.

My first thought was to cover the template with my patterned fabric and spray paint the frame black, but that just looked TOO busy and like pattern overkill to me, so I decided to cover the board with some fabric (with my glue gun) and center one large picture......I must say for $1 I think I got my money's worth plus some! Woo Hoo!!!

NOT REALLY A DIY POST

But I just wanted to say how much I LOVE http://www.craigslist.com/!!! I just got a bed frame for free!!! This is absolutely the best website ever!!!!

MY TWIN BED COUCH

I have been working on this ALL day...It is not completely done because I couldnt hang the couch back since it's late...dont wanna upset the neighbors, lol...I think I will hang the couch back lower than what it's at now....now all I gotta do is cover the mattress and I'll be done with this project!

HOW I MADE MY COUCH BACK (PADDED HEADBOARD)

Pretty much what I did was laid out my material with my "cushioning" I didnt want to spend over $30 for the foam and batting needed so I just used an old comforter that I dont care about. I then pulled as tight as I could and stapled it with my staple gun. I started on one side, went to the other and then did the ends last. I plan to mount this on the wall with heavy duty picture hangers that hold up to 50 lbs each. (pictured below), they were about $3.50 all together at Home Depot.

SHOULD I KEEP IT OR NOT?

I got this table for free from craigslist and Im not sure if I should keep it and paint it black or just pass it on to someone else. I need a table for my living room but I fear it will be too crowded with the table....maybe I'll paint the table and see how I feel about it afterwards....

GETTING STARTED ON MY "COUCH

I got started on some of the smaller stuff to transform my bed into a couch......here are some pics of my progress. Im using the wood to make a "couch back". I got the wood from Home Depot for $8 and they cut it to size for free!! I also got all the scrap pieces along with it..what to do with those, hmmm, maybe I'll make a headboard for my real bed in my bedroom....who knows but I'll be sure post it....I am tre excited to get this done!!!

BEFORE:

Terrible I know, LOL

PROGRESS SO FAR:

So far all I've done is put on the bedskirt that I made to cover the box spring and frame, but it already looks a little more "couchy" to me...WDYT?

WOOD FOR BACK OF "COUCH"

Im not sure the name of this wood, but I do know it is 3/8 inch

DOWN PILLOWS

Ok, this is just an informational post for all of you out there like me who didnt know this. One of my bright ideas for throw pillows was to get them from the thrift store, wash them in hot water and bleach and then cover them with cute pillow covers. Well 2 of the pillows were down and the first time I washed them they mildewed because it took over 3 days for them to airdry..so I rewashed them and then put them in the dryer for an hour...well they're still damp and although they're not mildewed they have an "animaly" smell to them....well my good friend Faithe just sent me this link on how to wash and thoroughly dry down pillows so I thought I would share....Enjoy!!

http://blog.worldvillage.com/home/how_to_wash_down_pillows.html