May 22, 2012

Trash to Treasure: Ten DIY Projects Using Old Jewelry

Apr27
costume jewelry 2

For years, I’ve walked by baskets filled with tacky, old lady  vintage jewelry at yard sales. Since I vaguely remember hugging my grandmother, and always having to dodge the metal objects that were pinned to her chest, somehow memories of [...]

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Trash to Treasure Spring Decor in Minutes

Apr6
creating tablescape

I’m not in my Spring Cleaning mood yet (I’m waiting patiently for that to hit), but when the spring air hit this week, it sure did get me in a Spring spray paint kind of mood. I went on a [...]

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Balancing the Budget with Pottery Barn Taste

Oct7
pottery barn table look alike

As we come to the end of the first week of Balancing Beauty and the Budget, we’ve tackled some thought provoking, and necessary topics, this week. While my favorite thing here on this blog is to encourage women with fun, [...]

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$8 + 60 Minutes = Perfect Yard Sale & DIY Treasures

Jul28
side table decor

Right before we left for Guatemala, I had a spontaneous party at our home. Inviting people over at the last minute is the key to stress free entertaining…seriously. I call it Spontaneous Hospitality, and often it’s the way I roll. [...]

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DIY Desk: Adding some Style to an Old Desk

May19
DIY-desk-finished

As part of my new blog design, I have added a “Submit Guest Post” feature at the top of my site. It offers readers the opportunity to submit an original DIY Project (as well as original recipes and frugal living [...]

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Spray Paint and Organization – Spring’s a comin’

Feb19
organizing shelves

Window’s cracked open, spray paint bottles dusted off, and storage bins pulled for a make-over…life is good. Spray paint sprayin’ definitely means springs a comin’. Forget the ground hog, this is a much surer sign. This $5 yard sale shelf [...]

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Odd Uses for Unexpected Yard Sale Items

Sep23
tray collage

Honoring our eldest son in a quick and creative pictorial way came in the form of a $1 yard sale find. This tray looked like trash, which was probably why it was still around at 11 am on a Saturday [...]

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Yard Sale Finds…for the yard

Aug30
greenery

Moving to the country was never a dream of mine, and I would have scoffed if anyone had tried to tell me this is where I’d be living when I was “all grown up.” I am a suburban girl, born [...]

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Trash to Treasure – Using Glassware to Decorate (vlog)

Jul15
spray painted glass bottles

In this last few years, my appreciation for all things “less than perfect” in home decor has grown. As a newlywed, I remember registering for glassware and looking at my perfectly matched goblets. They looked so perfect and symmetrical, but [...]

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Adding Fringe – Decorating on a Dime

May13
fort in room_opt

I have a love/hate relationship with fabric. The designer fashion fabric that drapes on my body for pennies on the dollar… I LOVE. However, the kind of fabric I buy in a bolt willing me to create easy masterpieces for [...]

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Painting a Laminate Cabinet Island

Apr7
painted laminate island_opt

For years, I dreamed of having an open kitchen with white cabinets. Envisioning it filled with family and friends was the goal. I knew that laminate cabinets were our option because the alternative was not in our budget, nor was [...]

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Simply Frugal Mantel Decorations

Mar18
word laugh_opt

Our mantel is the focal  point in our home. For me, that is not by choice, but it is what it is. When we first moved in, I really struggled with what looked “just right.” Often, we get so overwhelmed [...]

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Can you paint a metal tray?

Dec6

Buying an ugly, old, tray and transforming it into something beautiful brings me joy.

I love simple pleasures, and taking something that was heading for the trash and turning it into a treasure for under one dollar is simple bliss.

When I saw this old tray at a yard sale, I almost walked right past it. But then the “thinking outside the box” mentality kicked into full gear, found out it was one little quarter, and I snatched it with joy.

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Kid’s Stuf Creativity

Oct25

Years of my life have included some sort of acting/drama ministry, which you probably didn’t know. During the past three years, my husband and I have been involved in a multi-generational family worship experience called “Kids Stuf.”

For two years, we did a full length 50 minute production every week, but for the last year, that commitment is now only once a month. Whew!

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Easy Home Decorating Idea

Sep25

Slowly, very slowly, I’m frugally decorating my girls’ room. Picking up a dresser here, an end table there, along with lamps, pictures etc. has been a patient pursuit of hidden treasures. Ironically, the girls’ room will eventually be the school [...]

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