Two Carolina Nesters

Adding Color and Pattern in the New Year

2012-01-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

Floral Fabric - Wilmington Covington Multi; Lattice Fabric - Waverly Ellis Turquoise

Furniture, Fabric, and Falling for Pinterest...

2011-09-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

I am getting really excited about Fall and inspiration has been popping up all over blogland. In getting in the spirit, I recently changed around the furniture placement in our living room and added some new pieces to better suit our family. Before the living room layout looked like this when you walked in the front door - mantle to the left of pic, kitchen to the right...

It's a great layout - couch facing the fireplace with tv mounted above, chairs flanking the couch to create a conversation area, etc. Problem was, the flow from the living area to the kitchen was cut off and we never sat in the chairs. When we had company no one would use the living area because the couch served as a barrier. Here is the old layout again looking from the living room into our kitchen...

So, while I didn't mind this layout, I thought we could better utilize the space with some rearranging, much to my husband's dismay. Here is the new layout when you walk into our foyer...

Here is a picture taken from the kitchen into the living area...

The flow between the kitchen and living room is so much better and our living room feels so much bigger! Moving the furniture also allowed me to bring in a $22 thrift store table that I painted white and paired with some extra chairs I had in the attic. We eat occasional meals here and my son eats his breakfast and lunch here everyday. It may be my new favorite spot in the house! *blurry pic - sorry*

I plan to cover the seats of these chairs with a shower curtain I found at TJ Maxx. It was $15 and the perfect blend of colors for Fall. I plan on making a couple of throw pillows for the couch and put away the graphic green pillows until next summer...

I can throw in some red, orange, green, or blue pillows. Love that this fabric had all of my colors! I have been looking high and low for months now! I get excited about the little things around here - let me tell you.

And last, but not least, I have a new obsession. Pinterest. It has fueled my inspiration for Fall ideas, craft projects, fashion, new recipes, EVERYTHING! I find myself up late at night pinning away and wondering when I am going to find the time to do all these new projects. So, on that note, time to step away from the computer and start covering some chairs. I hope to get a post up once I have decorated for Fall. Next week I am on a mission to "desummerize" my house!

Sara

Summer Changes & Laundry Room Organization

2011-07-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so obviously blogging has not been tops on my list for the past few months, since I haven't posted since March! Sometimes this blog is a huge reminder of how fast time flies. Anyway, I decided to take some shots around the house of some little changes that I have made for the summer.

Nothing spectacular - just adding in some ferns and some touches of summer - starfish, shells, lanterns, etc. I also bought a big lumbar pillow from Target for $30 and took away the mountain of pillows off the couch. I just get tired of moving multiple pillows to another chair each time we need to sit down. In the end, practicality and simplicity wins.

In other news, I have talked my husband into making this today...

Here is the link - http://ana-white.com/2010/11/laundry-basket-dresser

I can't wait to get it set up in our laundry room that has no storage. I think it will make putting the laundry away much easier!

Sara

Spring Mantel

2011-03-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

Just let me tell you. It is really difficult to decorate a mantel that has a huge television hanging directly above it. Not our brightest design idea, for sure, but it's up there so what's a girl to do? Well, this girl stresses constantly about decorating her mantel without interfering with the TV screen and also not drawing too much attention to the TV at the same time. Make sense? Anyhow, here is my mantel decorated for Spring...

I placed some orchid stems in the shell and printed out a bee graphic from The Graphics Fairy's website, placed some rattan balls among my milk glass vases/candleholders and called it a day. Free and done in a jiffy.

Eventually, I would love to have our television on top of the cabinets to the left of the fireplace, but for now it's not moving, according to my husband.

I am getting excited about planning/planting our raised bed gardens and decorating our porch and deck as soon as it warms up outside. Hurry up, warmer weather!

Linking up to Centsational Girl's Fair Weather Forum!

Sara

Anthropologie Necklace Knock-off

2011-03-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, while perusing the entries at My Backyard Eden's Make It Yours Day, I came across a tutorial for the cutest necklace on Yellow Blackbird. Aubree is super talented and shared a wonderful step-by-step tutorial for an Anthro necklace that I LOVE. You can go here to check out her tutorial and her fun blog. Thanks for the inspiration, Aubree! I love my necklace and now I am going to buy more ribbon, jewels, and chains to make these for friends and family. Mine is a little different from Anthropologie's version, but their necklace retails for $278 and mine for just $6! Can't beat that!

Anthropologie's Accordion Necklace...beautiful, but REALLY expensive and way over my budget at $278...

My version...still beautiful (to me) and way under budget at $6...

I still need to fix one of the unfinished ends and I didn't add jewels to this one since it was practice.

Here is what it looks like on...

To say I love it is an understatement! I am ecstatic about the way it turned out - and it was only my first one! It took about an hour from start to finish, but I had to get the lacing technique down pat. I think I could knock the next one out in 30 minutes. So easy and so chic!

Thanks again, Aubree, from Yellow Blackbird, for the tutorial and inspiration!

Sara

Yummy Appetizer Recipe

2011-03-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

To switch things up a little, I would like to share an appetizer recipe that is a standby in my kitchen. I don't have any prep pictures or final product pics, only the recipe. Next time I make this I will take pics and post the process. It is so simple and super yummy!

You can microwave this for about 3 minutes, but I prefer to bake it at 350 for 20-30 minutes. I think the consistency is better. No, it's not healthy, but is any good appetizer ever really healthy? :) Serve with tortilla or pita chips and you have a quick and delicious appetizer ready to go! Enjoy!

Sara

Organizing the Kitchen Office Area

2011-02-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

When we were designing our kitchen, I knew that I wanted a small corner to be dedicated to an office space/mail hub. I am so glad we have this in our kitchen and it is an area of our home that is always getting tweaked and organized.

After living here for almost a year, I finally decided to organize the cabinets so I could easily find anything I needed. One side was organized for office supplies and the other for small tools, meds, and basically junk drawer material that needed a home. I hit up the dollar store and found cute little blue and green containers - 4 for $1.00! You can't beat that! I love the dollar store for organizational containers, and they have so many fun cute colors and shapes! Perfect for an organizing freak like myself. No before picture, because I am so impatient and just jump right into a task. So, here is the after!

This is the office side - extra envelopes, pens, markers, pencils, sticky notes, etc. are all stored in the left-side cabinet. I didn't get a picture, but I also have greeting cards and blank stationary in the top cabinet.

I printed out sticker labels and used a cute font from this website - Fonts for Peas . Amanda is super talented and so sweet to share all of these cool fonts. You can download them in a zip file - there are so many to choose from! She also has great tips for customizing your blog. I love her site!

Here is the right side of the cabinet. Nothing super exciting, just neater and organized...

Thanks for stopping by! I am going to be posting a couple of my favorite yummy appetizer recipes tomorrow!

Sara

Changes Coming to Our Blog...

2011-02-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

In an effort to make our blog more interesting, and have more to blog about, my mom and I have decided to broaden the topics we blog about and add in the occasional recipe, cleaning/organizational tips, posts on fashion, books, and more of our favorite things. While we love "playing house" and blogging about our decorating on a dime, it feels as though sticking to one topic is limiting us in the blog world. And let's be honest, being a mom of a 2 year old and running a household, decorating my house is not always on the top of my to-do list! I have a family to feed and a house to keep clean! In the next few days, the blog will change to reflect the different styles my mom and I have and you will start reading about other topics than just "house stuff". This mother/daughter duo loves to decorate, cook, clean, read, and find new outfits on the cheap! So, stick around (all two of you) and keep reading because this blog is getting a makeover!

Sara

Touches of Spring...Playing House...

2011-02-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

We have had a few warmer days lately and with that I have had a renewed energy to "play house". I have been hitting up the thrift stores more lately and changing up some things in the house here and there. Yesterday, I went to TJ Maxx and spent the good part of the afternoon perusing the store. They had a lot of spring items and some cute pictures (for cheap!). Here are some of my finds...

This picture was $14.99, which I thought was a steal for the beautiful frame and mat alone! The bluish green color goes perfect with my color scheme in my kitchen.

This print was only $12.99 and the mat is burlap (hard to tell in the picture). Can't wait to find a spot for it!

Found this straw pot a few weeks ago for $12.99. I had a heavy metal container here before and I liked the airy and lighter texture of the straw basket. The front has a silver tag on it that reads 'Fleurs".

And two more great TJ Maxx finds - some yummy smelling handsoap for the kitchen sink and this candle that smells like Spring. Little touches like this just make me happy. Yes, it's the little things...

I have also had the urge to put fresh flowers and plants everywhere. You can't beat a bunch of flowers in a pretty container for $4.00. These flowers last forever and my mom gave me the pitcher that I spray painted a glossy white. It instantly adds happiness to my kitchen...

A small pot of ivy was put in a basket I already had, along with a thrift store milk glass lamp and a platter from my everyday china. Can't believe my husband hasn't commented on the fact that there is now another lamp in our kitchen. I'm a lamp queen...

I have a small bookcase in my kitchen that I am always playing around with. I changed it up this time with a cloche that my mother in law gave me, a silver shell platter, and one of my birds. I found the silverware graphic from The Graphics Fairy and just tucked it inside the cloche.

So Spring is just around the corner and these are some of the changes going on around here. I can't resist opening the french doors and letting the fresh breeze blow through the house...

And on a completely "non-house" related note, these cute shoes were calling my name at TJ Maxx yesterday and I had to have them...

No, they have nothing to do with Spring - it just felt right...

Sara

Newly Painted Sideboard

2011-01-16T10:54:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY finished the sideboard on Friday night and was able to get some pretty good pictures yesterday afternoon and this morning so you can see the transformation! Before, it was painted red, which was nice but too dark for the dining room and a little too formal for my taste.

Here is a before picture of the dining room...

Red sideboard and red on the curtains with dark lamps. After repainting the furniture and putting the living room curtains in this room, and two new lamps from TJ Maxx, here is the after...

The rug isn't staying. I am hoping to find a cheap sisal rug to replace it and use this outside on our deck for the spring and summer. Here are some more after shots...

I love the bright white in here! It really helps to lighten up the room and is a great contrast to the dark table and chairs. If you read my previous post about painting the sideboard, I had decided to paint it blue. Well, after 4 coats of blue paint (2 different shades) I lived with it for a couple of days and decided to just prime it and paint it white. That way I can use it in different rooms if I decide to, and I am not stuck with a specific color scheme in the dining room.

Now I am going to start tackling my laundry room by adding shelves and painting the room a buttery yellow. Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!

Linking up!

Sara

Gahhh...And Some Changes in the Laundry Room

2011-01-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the dining room sideboard transformation is not going as planned. The blue does not look like I want it to and now I am second guessing even wanting it to be blue. Gahhhhh! So, today I went to Home Depot and bought some primer and white paint. I am painting it white and that's gonna be that. Not sure about distressing it yet - am a little scared of staining and feel out of my element doing it. Any tips would be appreciated! So, no pics of the sideboard, but I do have some changes to my laundry room!

Here is a before picture...

This room is sooooo bare. I had a major mistreatment (The Nester's term) on these windows for the first 6 months we have lived here while I have been deciding what color to paint this room, and whether I want to go ahead and just buy open shelves or wait (patiently) for cabinets. I am not patient so I think I am going to go ahead, paint the room, and just put up shelves. Cabinets can always come later...

The color is a toss-up between a creamy yellow or a pale gray. Yet again, can't make up my mind. On a positive note, I have been eyeing a pretty quilted sham at TJ Maxx for a couple of weeks and I knew I could make it into a window treatment for the room. Here she is...

I love the colors and pattern. Creamy yellow, pale gray, a little tan, and some white. Perfect. Especially considering my tile floors have tan and gray in them. For $9.99 you can't beat it. I cut the back panel off and am going to use that fabric for little touches around the room. I love the pattern!

I cut a slit in each end of the sham and slid it on the cheap-o rod.

For now I have just put it on the rod that is already up there but I am going to by a pretty brushed nickel curtain rod and hang it up so it looks classy - this is just temporary, and ugly on the sides...

I also pinned the bottom to the molding around the window so it look more like a roman type shade. Not sure if it does, though, but I like it.

I also bought a twin sheet set at TJ Maxx for $9.99 and used the flat sheet to make a skirt to go around my laundry tub sink, since (let's be honest) they are functional, but hideous. Added bonus - storage underneath. All I did was turn the sheet sideways and hot glue it around - gluing a little pleat every now and then. No measuring - measuring is for patient folks. Before...

Here is the after, once I cut off the extra fabric on the bottom...

I don't even care about hemming it. You can't see that it has a raw edge and it's the laundry room. I am the only one who usually even steps foot (practically lives) in there. But I probably should steam out the wrinkles...later.

I just took the mirror down from above the sink and am spray painting it silver to put some color on the walls, and then I need to pick out my paint and get to rolling!

I also bought a pretty yellow rug at TJ Maxx for $25.00 and it is so cushy underfoot that I had to have it! You can see it in the first picture, but it will look so much better in the final after shot!

So, there is the laundry room progress for now. Now, going to go attack my sideboard with the 4th coat of paint. Ugh...

Sara

Painting the Dining Room Sideboard

2011-01-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the dresser I painted red at my old house and am now using as a sideboard in my dining room in the new house. The full post is here...

I love the red and I thought I would love red in my dining room, but after living with it like this for 8 months, I realize I don't really like it for the space. My living room, dining room, and kitchen are all open with columns separating the rooms. Since I have mainly creams and blues in the kitchen and living room I decided to paint this dresser a dark blue. I started painting this weekend and used Benjamin Moore's Tranquil Blue.

I am not very happy with the color, so during my son's naptime today I am putting on another (and hopefully final) coat of blue that is a shade darker - Majestic Blue.

I can't wait to show off the final product! I got TJ Maxx gift cards for Christmas and used some of the money to buy two new lamps to go on the sideboard and brighten up the space. We use our dining room for dinner during the week so taking it from red to blue should cut down on the formality of the space, since we don't use it like a formal dining room.

Stay tuned for new pictures that I can hopefully post tomorrow, since it is oil-based paint and takes 24 hours to dry completely.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sara

Dropcloth Curtains

2011-01-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone for the sweet comments on my guest bedroom post! It is awesome to read so many lovely comments from blogland! My mom and I have a lot of fun projects planned for 2011 and we are looking forward to all of the inspiration that comes from reading everyone's blogs!

Now that the Christmas decorations are down and the house is clean, I decided to make a minor change in my living room that has had much more of an impact than I thought it would! I knew my curtains were too bland for my den and I needed wider panels. Here are my curtains before. Not bad just a little too close to the wall color so they fade away...

So, I went to Home Depot and bought 5 dropcloths, ripped them right out of the package, and hung those bad boys right up! And yes, they need ironing. Here is the after...

I LOVE how they look! They were $9.98 per dropcloth and for windows this size, I would have paid a lot more than that for fabric, even cheap fabric! A plus - they are already hemmed around all edges and are a good weight for curtains. I can't believe it took me this long to jump on the blog bandwagon and do this!

I am now going to take the red out of the dining room. I thought I liked it, but I want to paint the sideboard blue like the hutch in my foyer and brighten things up in there. I like red accents, but the red is just too heavy with the dark furniture. Planning to get my paint tomorrow and get crackin'!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up to...

Sara

A Guest Bedroom Makeover

2010-12-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well, go ahead and call me crazy. My family comes to our house Christmas afternoon and spends the night every year for the past three years. So, wouldn't you know I get a wild hair the Tuesday before Christmas and decide to paint the main guest bedroom - something that has been on my to do list since we moved into our house. And, while I was at it, switched the furniture out between the two rooms. That involved moving the double bed and nightstands out and bringing the queen bed and huge nightstands in. All while my 2 year old looked at me like I was a crazy person...which I was, and am. Needless to say, the room was finished in a day and my family didn't even get to use the room because of the snow and had to head back home Christmas night. This room is begging for someone to come stay and enjoy it's beauty (at least I think it's beautiful).

No before pictures, but here is the room now...

The walls were painted Moonshine by Benjamin Moore. I used Ace Hardware brand paint and actually loved the consistency and will definitely use it again.

Duvet cover from Target, aqua pillows from HomeGoods, and damask pillow from Garden Ridge...

The lamps are from Old Time Pottery and the butterfly prints are from a free printable website - like vintage printable but different. I had it bookmarked and for the life of me don't know what happened to it. I'll keep searching because it is a great site.

I painted the iron headboard with a chrome spray paint and need to add the footboard once I get it painted. The nightstands were my first furniture painting project and the post is HERE. It was my first post and the pictures look horrible, now that I look back on them!

Anyway, here are a few more pictures and thanks to Centsational Girl, who takes gorgeous photos, I played around with my manual setting on my camera and got some pretty good pictures (for me anyway). She recently did a couple of posts on good picture-taking and I jumped in and experimented, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to...

The DIY Showoff's Project Parade

Dittle Dattle's

Sara

House at Christmas!

2010-12-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

Finally had a good rainy day to get some pictures of my house at Christmas! I will try to get some pictures of the outside up in the next couple of days. Sorry some of the pics are blurry and a ton are crooked - argh!

Starting with the tree... I used red, silver, and gold this year, with some bits of red geomesh and gold and silver willow stuck in random places. I didn't do a topper this year and I really kinda like it without one...

The mantel was kept pretty simple since we have the TV above it. I ordered matching stockings from Pottery Barn. They have the best selection and the quality is really nice.

I kept the coffee table simple this year to and I love it! Sometimes the simplest things are the best. I found this bowl in the clearance section at TJ Maxx for $7 and I spray painted it brushed nickel. Some red berry sprigs, a little greenery, and a candle and centerpiece is done!

I put mostly gold in the dining room since I had a lot of gold berries and needed somewhere to put them!

The candle holder were a dollar store craft, each one cost $2 to make and I made them a while back when the idea was floating around blogland...

Sprigs of greenery on sale at Michaels, dollar store balls, TJ Maxx placemats, WalMart chargers, and Christmas plates from my mom... Sorry for some of the blurry pictures!

I found this sign for $20 and I thought it was a splurge but I love it!

Next year we will probably get a tree for the foyer but this year I didn't want to have to buy any new decorations so the hutch got a Christmas makeover. The tree on the landing was given to me by my mother-in-law a long time ago - back when Martha Stewart had her line at K-Mart. Martha, please come back to K-Mart!

My nativity set...

Another little table vignette. Those pictures above are $4 Wal-Mart frames with pictures I printed out from Vintage Printable. I love that site! They aren't part of the Christmas decorations but I thought I'd share!

Another table...

And the kitchen. I finally made some roman shades for the windows using mini blinds and two shower curtains from Wal-Mart. The fabric is the perfect robin's egg blue to match the chairs in my living room...

Some berry sprigs and more of those dollar store hurricane vases, a few jars filled with balls and one with cookies, and of course you have to decorate around the beloved Keurig machine!

That's the inside of my house this Christmas! I have had a ball decorating and next year I am going to have a tree for my son and hopefully one in the foyer, but for this year, simple works for us!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Sara

Linking up to The Nester's Tour of Homes!

Bathrooms...

2010-11-13T07:39:00.000-08:00

On Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life, the showcase this week is bathrooms. So, here you go...

First up, is our son's bathroom. Still a work in progress because I need some more color on the walls, but I like it for now. I bought a plain waffle weave shower curtain from WalMart and then added gingham fabric and grosgrain ribbon to make it look custom and to make it longer since I hung the shower curtain rod pretty high. I used no sew hem tape for all of it...

Did the same thing with these towels to pull in some more color...

These pictures are from a book that I had. I always sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" to my son during bathtime so it was perfect for his bathroom.

Next up is the guest bathroom. This room is really plain - not tops on my list to decorate, yet. I want to paint it a light grey and bring in some aqua to tie in to the adjoining bedroom, which is decorated in aqua, white, and black.

And lastly, our master bathroom. Love it! I wanted seperate vanities with a cabinet in between the two and I love how it turned out! The toilet is in the separate room to the right.

Still need to finish the trim around the tub...

Eventually we will have a glass door for this shower...

Looking from our closet entry into the bathroom.

You can see our powder room in this post.

That's the bathroom rundown! It isn't easy getting good bathroom pictures, that's for sure! Hoping to post pics of my roman shades I made for the kitchen tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

Sara

In Love - New Hutch

2010-10-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

So, I have finally finished up my hutch project and couldn't be happier with the final result. I ended up putting it in my foyer and I love it!!!

Here is the piece before...my husband bought it for me as an early birthday gift, after I found it at one of our local antique/thrift stores. It was marked down from $180 to $90, and it is a solid piece from the 1930s.

The paint job was terrible - big globs of paint and wood showing through in some areas. It was a minty green color. I sanded it (forevah!), then painted it with 2 coats of Behr Paint and Primer in One in Bird's Egg (which is a Benjamin Moore color). I spray painted the hardware with Rustoleum Satin Nickel, and here is the after...

I drilled a small hole in the back (and yes, I plan on covering it with some type of dish so it doesn't stand out) so I could have a lamp inside and accessorized with my milk glass and pewter dishes. Close-up shots...

And some pictures at night...some are blurry, sorry...

Foyer before...

And after...

Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for my playroom makeover, that my mom and I recently worked on, and some new additions to my son's big boy room!

Sara

Linking up to Debbiedoos Before and After Party

Just a Girl's Show and Share Day

Met Monday at BNOTP

DIY Project Parade at

House of Grace's

My Kitchen

2010-10-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

This week at Kelly's Korner is Show Us Your Life Kitchens. So, here is my kitchen...

I seriously need to get some color up on the windows with some window treatments! Working on it!

Sara

Our Dining Rooms

2010-10-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Today on Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life, the topic is Dining Rooms. Since we have moved in I have really tried to fill in this space and put in some color. Here it is...

You can click on any picture to make it appear larger in a separate window...

And here it is on a cloudy day with the lights on...

And here is my mom's newly redone dining room!

Linking up to Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Korner!

Sara

Painted Powder Room

2010-09-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

A little paint can make a huge impact...

Before...

After, with two coats of Martha Stewart's Tobacco Leaf paint...

Ahhh, much better...

Linking up to...

Sara

Show us Your Life-Living Room and Master Bedroom

2010-09-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

So, I love Kelly's Korner blog and she is redoing a round of Show Us How You Live. Last week was living rooms and this week is master bedrooms. So, I need to catch up since I didn't do last week and show you my living room first...

Now on to the master bedroom...It is still a little bare since we only moved in 6 months ago. I need window treatments some kind of bad!

There is still a ton of work to be done in this room - more pictures on the walls, a sitting area where the toys are now, a rug, and window treatments...but all in good time.

Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Sara

Cute, Cheap, and Easy Halloween Decorations

2010-09-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

So, one of my friends and I have started getting together on Wednesday mornings to craft and pretend we are Martha Stewart while our kids play together for a few hours. It's a win-win, because we are enjoying the playgroup time as much as the kids! Anyhow, this week we made a few framed Halloween decorations and we did it on a dime. Here are some pics of the final product and then I will give a super easy how-to and supplies list...it really doesn't get any easier than this, people...

How cute are these?! The templates for the witch and frankenstein are from the bhg website. Click HERE for the link.

The owl picture in the middle is from The Graphics Fairy - love that site! The additional image gives us a little color in the middle to brighten things up!

The frames are from the dollar store and the silhouettes were cut out on black construction paper we already had. The project calls for cardstock but we thought the paper turned out just fine!

All we had to do was print out the silhouette templates on cardstock, and trace onto our black paper...

Cut'em out carefully and stick to a piece of white cardstock, insert in the frames and you are good to go! The owl image was just printed out and put right in the frame. Brainless, I tell you! Cute, classy, and cheap Halloween decorations for anywhere in your house!

I decided to display mine on the bookcase in my kitchen...

Total cost for all three projects - around $4.00!

Stupid camera glare! I guess you don't really need to glass but you don't really notice the glare except for in the pictures...

Participating in...

Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest

Thanks for stopping by!

Sara

2010-09-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

Go on and check out all of the different blogs out in blogland! A great way to find some new inspiration!

I am going to try and get a new decorating post up this afternoon!

Sara

A Big Boy Room!

2010-09-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, now that my mom has shown a few of her amazing room renovations, I am ready to show an exciting redo of my son's big boy room! I have been on the hunt for items in this room for months now, and it is starting to come together. The main part of the room is complete, but I am still on the hunt for a small chest of drawers (hopefully found at a thrift store) and some more artwork. For now, the essentials in the room are complete. Here are pictures to show you the process...

I started out with finding a set of twin beds at a thrift store for $30 for the pair! Great deal but they needed sanding and painting...the beds had a blue metallic paint on them and I used spray paint primer and navy blue spray paint to give them a new look!

I also bought some red duck fabric at Wal-Mart for $6.97 a yard - 6 yards and a couple of yards of blue rick rack and I had the new curtains done! With some help from my mom, we measured, folded, hot glued, and clipped and didn't have to sew a thing!

Now for the rest of the room and then details to follow...

The comforters were a great find online from Wal-Mart for $40.00 each. Here is the link http://www.walmart.com/ip/Prairie-Stripes-Quilt-Set/5902740

The bulletin board sign was repurposed from the nursery. You can see the nursery version here and a how to blog post here. I used a cheap quilting fabric from Wal-Mart in a pale blue and navy - $4 for all of it. The letters I already had and spray painted them red - Banner Red from Rustoleum.

The frames were $4 each from Wal-Mart. They were black and I spray painted them red. The art was a kit sticker kit found at the dollar store. It was a set that folded open and you could create your own scene. I added the stickers to the background, cut the set in half, and framed each piece. The theme is obviously pirates based on the art so I have been on the lookout for more pirate accessories and art.

The lamp was a thrift store find for $4.00. It was country blue and I spray painted it red. The lampshade was $10 at Wal-Mart - I added some ribbon and rick-rack to give it a custom look and brighten it up.

Breakdown for the room...

Beds - $30 (not counting costs of the mattresses and bed rails)
Comforters - $80
Nightstand - $60 from Big Lots
Lamp - $15
Bulletin board art - $4
Pirate art - $10
Curtains - $40
Spray paint - $25

Total - $264

Not too shabby! Once I find a cheap thrift store dresser and some more art I will show the rest of the room. Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Linking up to Make it Yours Day at My Backyard Eden!

Met Monday at BNOTP

and SNS at Funky Junk Interiors

TDC's Before and After Party

Sara

Closet Turned Craft Area

2010-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Time for one more redo at my house and then my daughter will be posting about decorating her son's big boy room!

This is a big walk-in closet that I decided to make into a craft area. It had become a holding space for all my decorating knick-knacks and over time it became unorganized. I wanted a space dedicated to my crafts - painting, sewing, wrapping presents, etc. So, here are some before pictures...

After cleaning everything out, I was left with a blank slate...

I made some cute panels for the windows with fabric I bought at a yardsale. The whole bolt of fabric was $5 and I knew it would be fun and whimsical for a craft space!

Next, I created a memo board with some extra scraps of fabric. This is how it's done. First, you need a bulletin board and scraps of two different fabrics. I tore mine into long strips because I like the raveled edges

Then, you take one set of strips and staple them to the board, making sure to pull the fabric taut and stapling it to the back of the board.

Next, take the second set of strips, staple and weave through the fabric already stapled to the board. Staple these strips just like the first set. I don't have pictures of this step, but maybe the finished product will give you an idea.

Now, here is the rest of the room!

So much better! Stay tuned for a big boy room reveal in the next few days! Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up to Make it Yours Day at My Backyard Eden

Wanda

Updating the Porch

2010-08-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

Before I redid the dining room, and before it was consistently 90+ degrees outside everyday, I tackled my screened porch to give it a more roomy feel and brighten up the space. It needed paint - floor to ceiling, and new furniture. Here are some before pics...one of the paint chipping and a few right before painting...

The ceiling was painted Atmospheric Blue by Sherwin Williams. I paid $10 for a quart of paint for the ceiling and a quart for the woodwork. I spent $6 for the cement paint.

After painting it was time to accessorize. The old furniture needed to be taken to the dump so I found this set at Bed Bath and Beyond for $299.

After assembling it all with an allen wrench (bleh) I had a porch full of new furniture that didn't cost a fortune!

I also bought this pair of panels from Big Lots for $15.

I added this fabric from Wal-Mart, which cost me $10.00. I added it to the bottom of the panels and made some cute throw pillows with the leftover fabric.

Here are some after pictures!

I love the feel of my freshly painted porch. Now I can sit out here and relax, when it isn't 100 degrees out, of course!

Linking up to debbiedoos Before and After Party

Domestically Speaking's PoPP

Make It Yours Day at My Backyard Eden

Wanda

Dining Room Redo

2010-08-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

When we first built our house in the early 90's, we painted our dining room red. Over the last couple of years, I have wanted to update it and I finally decided on painting it yellow. Here are some before pictures of the room when it was red...

Here it is with a yellow tinted primer on the walls...

And here it is, painted, but before the room was decorated. The paint color is Weston Flax by Benjamin Moore. The chandelier also got a coat of black paint and some new shades.

And here are some more after pictures! New curtains, freshly painted walls, and an updated chandelier make the space feel up-to-date and so much bigger!

Thanks for taking a look! Linking up to the Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming, Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

And Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors!

Wanda

We're Finally Back!

2010-06-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am sure we have been long forgotten by now, but my mom and I are back after falling off the bloggin' wagon for quite some time now! So, for our first blog in almost two months here are some pictures of my new house (the foyer, dining and living rooms, and the kitchen) because who really wants to read a blog - right? Pictures are much better ;)

Our foyer...would love a cute chest of drawers here instead of this table. I have been looking in the thrift stores for awhile now...

Our dining room - this is to the right when you walk in the front door...

Our living area and kitchen -looking straight ahead from the front door is our living area and the kitchen is to the right - all one, big, open space...

Next post will be a guest bedroom that I have finished and my son's big boy bathroom! Sorry to have been gone for so long! We are really back and in the swing of things this time!

Sara

Thrifting Steals!!

2010-04-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went to this little junk/antique/thrift store this past weekend and made out like bandits! Here is what we bought...

This table was $12...

Set of silver-plate flatware was $20...

Bench was $10...

This cart table was $10, too...

And the rest of these beautiful odds and ends...

All of this was only $66!! Yep, that's right...$66!! Everything in the store was 50% off so we were grabbing as fast as we could!

It is so exciting to find great deals like this - especially when it is an antique! Just had to share!

I will be posting new house pictures in a couple of days now that things are coming together and rooms are decorated! Sorry to be missing in action for so long!

Sara

Where Have We Been???

2010-04-08T10:30:00.001-07:00

We are still here! We have been moving into our new house for the past couple of weeks and I promise pictures will be up in a couple of days! It is a lot of work moving and it has taken up all of my time! Hope everyone hasn't forgotten about us!

Sara

New House Pictures!

2010-03-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

In a few more weeks we will be moving into our new house! Here are some pictures taken this weekend - pardon the dust and dirt!

These are just kitchen and living area pictures right now. More to come one all of the appliances are in!

Sara

Guest Room Curtains

2010-02-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

For some time now I have thought about changing the curtains in one of the upstairs guest rooms. These white tab-tops were just not adding anything to the room and I felt like they left it sorta cold feeling.

So, I found this pretty blue/green silkish (I know this isn't a word) fabric for $7.99/yd. at my fabric store.

Seven yards of fabric, and I had no earthly idea what I was going to do. After the fabric stayed folded up on the bed for a few days, I decided to buy some covered button kits and curtain rings. I've always loved the look of covered buttons, but had no idea how to do them. (By the way, it's very simple).

(For all of you professional decorators out there, please avert your eyes, because I had no idea what I was doing.) I started by laying my fabric right side up and folding over 13".

I then folded approximately 3" under and join this together at the top.

I added ring clips (which holds all the fabric together), hot glued the covered buttons (using the clips as a guide).

I didn't hem these curtains - just let them puddle on the floor. Because of the sun pouring in this room, I couldn't get a good picture of the full-length curtain. You can see in the picture at the window seat where the curtains just rest on the cushion. This was a new-sew project (love my hot -glue gun).

This is the room most of my children and family like to sleep in when they come. I've tried to make it comfy and cozy. Hope you like it!

Linking up to ASPTL's DIY Day!

And one more!
Wanda

New Projects - Coffee Table and Guest Bedroom

2010-02-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Today, I decided to tackle the coffee table on my to-do list. Here is the table I found a couple of months ago at Hotline for $50 - solid wood and just a little worn...

I have decided to sand and stain this bad boy a rich mahogany brown, and I am hoping and praying it will turn out okay. I have never stained a piece of furniture and am totally flying blind here!

So far, I have sanded with my DeWalt sander using 150 grit sandpaper and applied a coat of Dark Walnut stain. It was leftover from another project and I thought it would work. It didn't. I didn't like the color AT ALL. I only stained the top just to see if I liked it. See for yourself...

So, I headed to Ace and bought some Bombay Mahogany Stain and Polyurethane in One.

I resanded the table and so far I have one coat applied. The can says it will take at least 6 hours before I can apply another coat in the right conditions. Since it is FREEZING here and in my garage, I am going to wait to apply the second coat tomorrow. As soon as I do that, I will put up a picture! For now, here it is with one coat (please ignore all of the other items - our garage is a wreck right now, since we are in the process of moving)...

In other project news, my mom is mailing me her old white curtain panels (cotton duck material) so that I can add this fabric to the top to make panels for one of our guest bedrooms. I bought this at Wal-Mart for $4.44 a yard - what a steal!

I am going to use the extra to make a bedskirt and maybe a no sew pillow. This room is going to be white, black, and aqua. Here are some of the items I have bought for this room...

These aqua pillows from HomeGoods (LOVE THAT STORE!) $29.99 for two, big, down pillows!

A duvet cover, shams, and a pretty black and white pillow from Target...

Two lamps from Old Time Pottery in Wilmington - $30/piece...once again ignore the crap in the background - all of this is hanging out in my garage...

And this mirror from HomeGoods - hard to tell what it really looks like in the box but saving it for the move...note the lawnmower in the black - classy...

Hopefully the wind will slow down and I can spray paint the headboard I have been meaning to paint tomorrow. We are hoping to start moving into our house in three weeks so I better speed things up. New house pictures to come this week, too!

Sara

Curtains Finished!

2010-02-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a final picture of one of the panels we made! Sorry for the picture quality - we were eager to take pictures and the lighting was bad! Also, these aren't the windows or the hardware I am using for these curtains - just for the photo. The rope trim was $1.44 a yard and we found it at Wal-Mart...

I have 6 more panels to do for the living room and I am trying to decide if I want to buy more of this fabric or use this...

This is a Joel Dewberry fabric - Lodge Lattice in Sky. This fabric is on Etsy for $7.99 a yard as opposed to the more expensive Waverly fabric. Plus, I think it would be cool to add one more pattern to the mix!

More projects coming up in the next week - gotta check off another to-do on my long, long list!

Dresser Redone as a Dining Room Sideboard and New Drapes!

2010-02-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

One project down and one meeellion left to go! If you want to see my project list, click here. So, the first project I tackled was our old bedroom dresser. I decided to paint it and change out the hardware, so that we can use it as a sideboard in our new dining room. Here is the before...

Here is a picture after one of the three coats of paint! I used Behr Paint and Primer in One in Cherry Cobbler. Click here to see the color.

And here is the after - sanding, 3 coats of paint, slight distresssing, and new hardware...

In other news, my mom and I are making new curtains for my dining room and living room. We started with a pair of cotton duck panels from Big Lots (for $15 a pair!) and a package of No Sew Hem Tape...

...and 2 yards of Waverly Damask Duet fabric - one yard bought from Calico Corners for $24.99 and the other yard bought from Etsy for $14.95. The fabric is the one to the far right. These other fabrics will be in my living and dining rooms...

We cut our fabric, hemmed it with our No Sew bonding tape, and then attached it to the top of the curtain panels to make longer, custom-looking panels at a fraction of the price. Here is us ironing our no-sew panels!

Even though it was a no-sew project, it was still tiring!

And here is the partial after. We are going to Wal-Mart tomorrow to purchase some inexpensive braid trim to add to them and then we will put up a final after, but here is what we have so far...

We are pleased with them so far and we figured that we made custom panels for about $30 a pair! Not a bad deal!! Be back tomorrow for a final curtain reveal!

Linking up to ASPTL's DIY Day!

And Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday!

Also participating in My Frugal Family's Talented Tuesday!

And Trash to Treasure Tuesdays at Reinvented!

And one more!!!

Wanda & Sara

In a Blogging Rut, New Project Before Pictures, and Some New House Stuff!

2010-01-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts since Christmas! With our new house being almost finished and a 20 month old running around on my hands, blogging has not been tops on my list! We are hoping to be in our house by the beginning of March and I have so many projects to do before then! Here is a rundown...

1. Paint our bed white and distress it to match the nightstands I did a few months back. This bed will be in a guest bedroom in our new house since we are getting a king-sized bed. Here is a picture of one of the nightstands...

Here is the bed I have to paint. I am thinking about spray painting it since there are so many nooks and crannies on this thing!

2. Paint our bedroom dresser red to go in our new dining room and serve as a console/hutch for our dishes. I am painting it Cherry Cobbler by Behr - the primer and paint in one - I can't wait to try this paint! Here is the dresser and the paint color.

I also want to change out the hardware to an oil-rubbed bronze and change a couple of the pulls to knobs.

3. Paint the headboard for our second guest bedroom black. I am planning on spraying it with Rustoleum Canyon Black to go with a pair of nightstands that look like this...

I spray painted these back in the summer and added new hardware. Right now they serve as our end tables but they will be in a bedroom in our new house.

Here is the headboard and also a pic of our guest bedroom now. Had to add this pic because I have always loved this room and will miss it!

The new guest bedroom will be decorated in white, black, and aqua and I am really excited to show final pics once we are in and settled!

4. Paint this console table a pretty blue color and change out the hardware to go with our new chairs. I am posting our new furniture styles and fabric colors near the end of this post...

5. Strip and restain this coffee table I found at our local thrift store for $50 - and it is solid wood! It looks like there is only one coat of stain and no poly on it so it should be a fairly easy job. I am planning on staining it a dark mahogany color. Here is the table...

6. And my last project (that is a beast of a project!) is this hutch.

It was recovered from a beach house that went under in a hurricane so there is a lot of damage to the wood and it needs a ton of work. Ugh. I might have to wait on this one for a while. I need to take the glass out because it is paper thin and fragile. New molding and trim and a paint job and I think it will be beautiful. It is a really old piece...

Those are the projects I have to complete in the next month and I am starting first thing next week! We are having a huge snowstorm this weekend so the projects have been put on hold for now!

I also wanted to share some other new house "stuff". We went and picked out our kitchen countertops yesterday and here is a sample...

The cabinets are going to be white with a charcoal gray glaze and we will have white subway tiles as the backsplash. This is quartzite and I love it because it looks like marble but has the durability of granite! So excited about these countertops now that we have them picked out!

Here are the colors I am using in the living and dining areas...

The couch is going to be this neutral beige fabric on the far left and the style of the couch is this below...

The multi-stripe fabric will be accent pillows for the couch. The solid blue fabric (it is a robin's egg blue and looks more green than it really is) will be on the two accent chairs that are in this style...

The fabric is more of a duck material than what is in this picture. The furniture is made by Four Seasons.

The fabric on the far end in the picture above I bought from Calico Corners. My mom found curtain panels in a beige duck material for $15 a pair at Big Lots! Thanks, Mom! We are going to take the Calico Corners fabric and add it to the plain panels for a custom look. I am also going to make a couple of accent pillows with the leftover fabric. I am hoping to incorporate a red fabric as well, since it looks so good with the robin's egg blue.

Lastly, here are two lamps I bought at HomeGoods yesterday. They were $40 apiece, but it was worth it, because I am in love with these lamps! Ignore the surroundings - these are stuck in my garage until the move!

So, that is all for now! I am looking forward to being busy with these projects on my to-do list and I will be posting pics from those next week!

Sara

New House Pictures!

2010-01-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Here are pictures of our new house!

Add black shutters and paint the front door red and the front is almost finished!

This is the view from the front door looking into the living area and the kitchen to the back left. The dining room is immediately to the right and I would have posted pictures but it is a little confusing to see what the rooms are like until lighting is put in.

This is our kitchen - the knee wall has been put up for the island with a bar top and my sink will be in front of the bay windows.

And here is the back of the house - it is still in the process of being painted but should be finished this week!

Not sure why I am having so much trouble with the last pic being so small but it won't let me make it any bigger! More inside pictures will come as soon as the sheetrock is finished being patched and sanded. We are hoping to be in by the first of March and I am beyond thrilled to decorate a clean slate!!!

That's all for now! Thanks for taking a look!

Sara

Some Winter Decorating (not really)...and a Peek at My New House!

2010-01-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Well, in my attempt to decorate my bare house after Christmas, I was planning on making my house look wintry. Turns out, I just put out some accessories I don't usually have out, pulled in some new items, and just made do with what I have. With the move coming in late February (fingers crossed!) I really didn't feel like doing a decorating overhaul. So, here are some of the things I have done to get me through until we move...

Changed out a couple of pillows on my couch - the center pillow is the leftover fabric from this chair. Right now the fabric is just wrapped and tucked behind the pillow - need to get my Stitch Witchery out and make it a permanent pillow...

I brought out my starfish and used a white platter for this table - I felt like bringing in more cream and white for winter..

.
I went out in the yard and found some sticks, spray painted them Rustoleum Heritage White and stuck them in this vase. Placing those sticks so they looked right was a pain in the butt - and I was trying to strategically place them so no one loses an eye when they walk by them...

Those books under the vase I found at our local thrift store yesterday. I also scored a coffee table and some milk glass - once I can get my husband to help me get the table out of my car I will post pics.
The tree used to be here - now replaced with a chair from another room and my shell picture. It may look a little summery but we live at the beach so I think it fits - plus it matches my sofa perfectly!
The console table is going to get painted blue as soon as it gets a little warmer - we have been in the 30s for over a week now! Ugh! This Carolina girl doesn't like for the temp to drop below 50! Anyway, I am thinking about painting it blue with distressing and oil rubbed bronze hardware. The look in my new house is going to be a little different and I want to refinish some furniture for it.
Printed this egg picture from Vintage Printable - LOVE that sight. Click the link to check out tons of cool images to print! I am addicted and pretty soon every framed picture I have will be from there!

And one last small touch on the end table - some white balls and a pretty candle put on a saucer from our everyday dishes - that's all for now!

Oh, almost forgot about pics of my new house... here is the front...
Since this picture we the trees out front have been removed and it has been painted white...will get new pics up ASAP!

And the back - now there is a deck below and above up on the 2nd story on the left...hard to explain without pictures...

In a couple of days I will post the coffee table and hutch that I am going to redo - Hopefully this cold-snap will break in a couple of days!

I am linking up to the Friday Winter Party at The Inspired Room!

Sara

After Christmas Decorating...

2009-12-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

Well, the Christmas decorations are down at my house and everything has been deep-cleaned. We are moving into our new house in a couple of months so I am struggling with whether or not to pull out a lot of decorative accessories or keep things to a minimum, since I will have to pack it up again anyway!

My mom and I were talking over Christmas about how this time of year can be kind of hard for decorating. She wants to keep it looking wintery in her house without it looking like Christmas. Anyone have any good, simple, winter decorating ideas that aren't cheesy looking?

On another note, I think I am going to tackle a small bookcase for my son's room this week and a hutch that was rescued from my in-laws old beach house that was destroyed in a hurricane. That hutch needs A LOT of work...pics to come!!!

We're Still Here!

2009-12-28T18:19:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to send out a quick update to let everyone (ok, really just the handful of people that MAY read our blog) that we will be putting up some new posts this week now that the Christmas season is winding down! So stay tuned for some remodeling projects done on a dime!

Sara's House at Christmas!

2009-12-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

You've seen my mom's house at Christmas here, so now it is time to take a look at my Christmas decorations! Since my living and dining areas are one room there are not quite as many rooms to decorate and our house is small, so here goes...

First we will start in the kitchen...The sink and a small part of the counter were really the only spots to decorate in here, because we have very little counterspace in our galley kitchen! The ornament hanging from the mirror over the sink says "hope" and I found it at Wal-Mart for $1! I found another one that says "peace" and I hung it in front of another mirror that you will see shortly- I think they are so cute!

Now, into the living room...

I now see that the swags above my entries are soooo not level...nice...

The "Peace" ornament is hanging in front of the mirror above...

We don't have a mantle so I had to get creative and hang our stockings from the console table by the tree...
Now the dining table and foyer...

This is the mirror on the wall above the dining table - for the life of me I couldn't get a good picture without the flash so it looks awful in this pic!

So, in a nutshell that is it. Next year in our new house there will be a lot more to decorate and I will have more than one tree! I can't wait! Hope you enjoyed the tour!

I am linking this post to all of the same parties that my mom's post is linked to... click here and you can see all of the linky parties we are a part of at the bottom of that post!

Sara

Wanda's House at Christmas!

2009-12-09T12:05:00.001-08:00

Well, it's time for the Christmas Tour and my house is all decorated! Let's start in the kitchen...

I painted these Santas many years ago, but they are classic and get displayed every year. This year they are in a hutch in my kitchen...

The kitchen tree - I put old cross-stitched ornaments on it...

Here are some small touches on the kitchen counter...
Now, on into the dining room...
Next up is the foyer...the tree is done in white and crystal...and white accents in the bookcase...
And last, but not least, the living room...the tree is done in traditional colors but this year I added in lime green ornaments...

Merry Christmas to all!!! We are on tour with The Nester this year! Go check it out!
Also linking up to the Holiday House Tour at hookedonhouses.net

and Home for the Holidays over at Southern Hospitality - go check out all of the beautiful homes!

And one more link over at Holiday Linky Friday at The Inspired Room!

Wanda

Some More Before and After

2009-11-25T05:30:00.001-08:00

I put up pictures of our deck makeover a while ago and I promised pictures of the rest of the house before we moved in, so here you go! Living/dining room, powder room and master bath for now. Hopefully I can finish my bedroom furniture before we move and put those up, too.

Sorry for the pictures ahead of time. I have a really hard time taking pictures in my house - the light is never right, it seems!

The old living room...

The living and dining rooms are one big room...

Living/dining room after...

The powder room... Doesn't everyone love 80's wallpaper?

Powder room now...

The master bathroom...Ewww, is all I have to say.

The master bath now...

The kitchen - white tile floors with white grout is NEVER a good idea...oh, and white countertops...

The kitchen now...

Overall, the makeover has been mostly cosmetic - painting and changing out hardware. Since we knew we wouldn't be in this house for more than a few years, we didn't do any big structural makeovers. We are so excited to be moving into our new home in a few months, but we have made this house a home and we have a lot of great memories here.

I am participating in Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

And at DIY day at A Soft Place to Land

$5 Table Makeover

2009-11-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a simple makeover I did the other day - it only took 10 minutes!

I started with this $5 table from Dollar General. The bottom tile was broken, so I decided to redo the table for my laundry room. Here is the table before...

Here is the piece of tile on the top that was still intact.

I took the tile and made a template out of cardboard. Then I wrapped the tile and the "cardboard tile" in a cute, polka dot fabric I got for free at a yardsale. I spray painted the table with one coat of Wal-Mart brand, black satin spray paint. I replaced the tiles and this is the table after...

It really adds a special touch to my laundry room!

Linking up to Kimba's DIY Day and Reinvented's Trash to Treasure Tuesday!

Also linking to The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday Party!

And...Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday!

Junky Bookcase Made Beautiful!

2009-11-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have accumulated a lot of dishes. You know, the usual odds and ends and many items that I bought at Goodwill. The problem is they were all hidden in the cabinets.

Soooo, the other day I had this crazy idea. You see, for the last 15 years there has been an old dilapidated bookcase in the garage which held my gardening stuff, paint cans , tools - you know, just general junk. The interesting thing is no one seems to know where it came from - it's just always kind of been there. Well, after clearing all the stuff off I pulled that bookcase out and boy was it UGLY!! I started second guessing myself at this point. Well, look for yourself - you can see why. But at this point I figured I had nothing to lose.

I sanded it with my trusty sander. Sanded, sanded, and sanded some more. It had quite a lot of cracks and holes, so I used wood putty to fill them. Then I primed it with Kilz primer and painted it two coats of black.

Here it is in my kitchen with all its accessories. I think it turned out okay and as my sister would say, I've had fun "playing house" with it. (Any time I move furniture -which is quite often- or change things around she says I'm "playing house" again.)

I am linking to A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day

...and Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch!

Go check them out!

New Banner!

2009-11-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to Stefanie over at More Than a House for creating a new banner for us! It is perfect - so much better than the basic, boring banner we had before! Go check out her fun blog!

Thrift Store Chair-Before and After!

2009-10-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share my newest project! I found this chair at our local thrift store the other day for $25.00. I snatched it up and ran to the register - with my 28 lb child on my other arm. I am sure I looked like a lunatic in the store, but I was so excited to find it because I knew I could make it beautiful! Here it is before...

I brought it right home, took the cushion off, lightly sanded it, and spray painted it with Rustoleum American Accents Heirloom White. It took about three light coats of paint.

I had to order fabric online, so I patiently (not really) waited for a few days for my fabric to get in. I found a GORGEOUS yard of Anna Maria Horner fabric on Etsy for $9.25. I absolutely love this fabric!! I am excited about incorporating all of the colors in this fabric in our new house!

I took off the old, nasty cushion and padding and replaced it with a much fuller cushion and stapled on my new fabric.

Here is the after... Sorry for the horrible pics ahead of time! We have had rainy, gray days and so I had to use the flash and I am too impatient to wait for the sun to come out -which could be later this week :(

I love the details on this chair and the fabric is PERFECT!! I HEART this chair!! Can't you tell?!

I am linking this project to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, Furniture Feature Friday at Mustard Seed Creations, Reinvented's Trash to Treasure Tuesday , Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch and on Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party...check them out!

Linking up to The Nest's Frugal Friday Party!

Sara's Touches of Fall...

2009-10-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Deck Transformation!

2009-10-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well, as our family is planning to pack up and move to our new house in a few months, I have been thinking about all of the transformations the house we have lived in for almost 5 years has undergone. I have worked super hard trying to make our home comfy - indoors and out. I thought I would share pictures of our deck before and after while I am looking back on the past (almost) 5 years...

The deck when we moved in... I don't think the previous owners were outdoorsy people...just a wild guess...

The deck now - I love decorating indoors AND out!

I will be posting more before and after pictures of the rest of our house soon!

Wanda's Touches of Fall...

2009-10-26T05:08:00.000-07:00

Plates as Art

2009-10-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hi! This is Wanda - the mom part of the team! I am excited to share my first project with all of you out there in the blog world. So, here goes...

I've always liked the way plates look on a wall. So after months of living with a blank wall in my guest room, I headed out to my trusty Goodwill store and found the perfect plates. The most I paid for any plate was 79 cents.

Here is my "before" picture...

I wanted to paint my plates white and for some unknown reason, there is NO Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint anywhere in my "neck of the woods" - so I settled for Rustoleum Porcelain. Well, I spray painted a couple of coats and was all excited about hanging my plates, when it occurred to me that I didn't have any plate hangers. Not wanting to get back in the car and drive another 30 minutes, I racked this old brain trying to figure out a way to get those plates on the wall. Then I remembered that I had some ring hooks that are used to put on the back of picture frames to hold wire to hang your picture.

Got those out, applied some good ole Gorilla glue, let them dry for about an hour, and hooray!!! It worked!!

Here is the "after"...

If you'll notice, two of the plates are pale blue. I had some paint called "Ocean Blue". Well, needless to say, it was hideous, so I just sprayed over it with a little Porcelain. Happy to say, I'm quite pleased with the color.

Now I know you're supposed to hang odd numbers - it just looks right. But in this case, because of the lamp being at the bottom of the plates, I think it turned out okay. Does that make any sense?

I'm happy with the way this turned out, and I've just hung some more plates in my dining room. I'll post that later!

Update! Linking up to the Gorilla Glue Party at Shanty 2 Chic!

Check out Kimba's blog where we are participating in DIY Day!

Bulletin Board to Wall Art!

2009-10-20T08:59:00.001-07:00

This project was completed over a year ago, but I had to share because it is one of my faves! When my mom and I get together we come up with the BEST decorating ideas on a dime! I was trying to find a cheap, but cute piece of art for my son's nursery. It had to be pretty big because I needed to cover up the electrical box in his room. So, my mom came up with the PERFECT idea. First, we went and bought a cheapo bulletin board at Wal-Mart for $5. This is just an example of the one we bought, but you get the idea...

Then, we took leftover fabric we bought at the $2.99/yard fabric store - LOVE that store!! Here is a closeup of the fabric - my mom made beautiful curtains with the fabric from the deal of the century fabric store. Here is a shot of one. Isn't it gorgeous!?!
We took the two fabrics and ripped them into strips. The edges look raveled but I like that look. We then took the tan fabric and stapled the strips to the bulletin board side-by-side until the board was covered. We made sure to pull the fabric tight before we stapled it to the back of the bulletin board.

Next, we took our blue toile fabric and wove it through the tan fabric stapled to the board. It reminded me of weaving potholders with a little kit I had when I was a little girl. After weaving and stapling the rest of the fabric, this is what we had...

We took a little ribbon and stapled it to the back of our "art" and then we hung our masterpiece over the ugly electrical box! Here is a close up of the box - you really have to look to see it when you are in the room...

Here is a close-up of the fabric. You can see the frayed edges...

I couldn't be more pleased with it! Total cost was around $10 for the board and the fabric! The perfect solution to my "cheap but cute wall art" for my son's nursery!

I will be linking this project over at Kimba's blog for DIY Day- check it out!

Nightstand Redo-From Ugly & Ornate to Shabby Chic!

2009-10-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! SO excited about our first blog post! My mom and I will be sharing our DIY projects on a dime and we can't wait to start! With that said, I already have a big project that I have begun and am ready to start sharing.

My husband and I received a bedroom set of furniture when we got married 6 years ago. It was given to us, so at the time we were really happy to get it. Over the years, we have looked at it and thought, "Eh, it's just not our style". We are in the process of building a house and we are planning to buy a nice, new set of bedroom furniture for our new master suite (cannot WAIT to get that big king size bed!).

Anywhoo, our current bedroom furniture is going to be in a guest bedroom and I have taken under the laborious task of painting this beast of a bedroom set. Figured if it is going to stay with us it at least needs to look good!

Here are some pics of the furniture before...

The first picture of the nightstand is missing some drawers because I got ahead of myself and started the project without taking pictures - just a little too eager... The bed redo will be a separate post later because I am just not quite ready to face it.

So far, I have completed the first nightstand. After taking off the hardware, sanding with my power sander, painting it in two coats of creamy white paint, sanding the corners to distress and adding new hardware (with Gorilla Super Glue), this is what I have so far!

I played around with the drawers and decided the one with the medallion looks better in the middle - kind of balances out the piece.

One small piece down, only four pieces to go! I had to use super glue for the pulls because when I tried to drill the new holes for the hardware, they were too close to the original holes and they kept opening up, so super glue I did! I think it looks fabulous and can't wait to see what the complete set will look like. Stay tuned for more!!

I am linking up to Kimba's DIY Day and Trash t o Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented- check it out!

Update! Linking up to the Gorilla Glue Party at Shanty 2 Chic!