“I found a Winter Wonderland (for cheap)”

Finding a great deal gives me goosebumps! My two favorite days to shop for fabulous finds are the day after Thanksgiving (yes I’m that girl, the one out at 3am shopping) and Christmas. This year I got up at the crack of dawn to beat all the other crazies to the Target 50% off section and discovered a new reason to shop. Don’t get me wrong, I bought loads of a few items for next years’ Christmas season, but the gorgeous white, silver, and glitter gave me an idea: Winter Wonderland!  I didn’t have to be depressed as I packed away the red and green, I could simply replace it and enjoy the prettiness even longer.

The Buffet in the Great Room

 I found small silver and white bulbs at the Dollar Store and used them in the hurricanes. The super adorable gift boxes were found at the Kohls 75% off sale. I experimented with new holiday projects this year: DIY Icicle Branches,  DIY Mercury Glass Vases and  DIY Snow Globes. They ended up on the buffet as well.

The Piano Mantle

My favorite find for this spot is the large silver tree inside the trunk, only $10!

The Coffee Table

The beads in this apothecary jar are actually garland I found for $2.50 (for a huge bag).

The Fireplace Mantle

The fireplace mantle is one of my favorite spots to decorate. I found the flocked trees for $5.99 each, the silver hurricanes for $5 each, the silver birds for $2.50 each – YAHOO! The DIY Silver Wreath was something I made for Christmas, it fit this scheme perfect!

The Kitchen Hutch

I LOVE decorating for Christmas! The “Winter Wonderland” decor helps me feel like I can enjoy it for just a few more weeks!

Do you decorate for winter?

“DIY Chalkboard Cupboard”

“Mom, what’s for dinner”? It’s the same question every day at 3:15pm. Nevermind that I never hear, “How was your day, Mom? Do you need me to do anything for you?” It’s the same question and it always involves food (not that I take it personally or anything). I decided I didn’t want to answer this every day; I don’t know why, but it just started to bug me (lame, I know)! I came up with a solution: the Chalkboard Cupboard.

Step #1: Remove fingerprints and smudges from 4 children on cupboard door.

Step #2: Using Scotch Blue Painters Tape, tape off the area to be painted. (I have raised panels on my cupboard doors which made is super easy to tape off, I don’t think i would have attempted it otherwise; measuring is not my forte’!)

Step #3: Prime area with Kilz Primer using a small roller.

Step #4: Using a small roller, paint area with Rustoleum Chalkboard Paint. (I did 4 coats, it dries really fast!)

I apologize, I forgot pictures of actually doing Steps #3 and #4!

Step #5: Remove tape.

Here is a close up of the raised panels once the tape is removed.

Step #6: Write ‘what’s for dinner’ on chalkboard so your kids will quit asking every day!

I’ve also used the space for grocery lists, job charts, and love notes to the fam.

What would you use yours for?

“I am Woman Hear Me Roar?”

I think “I Am Woman Hear Me Roar” was some sort of song or slogan back in the 70′s. I’m not really sure, I should ask my mom. I don’t know what got me thinking about this phrase, but I knew it just didn’t sit right with me. I asked myself the question, what makes a woman strong? Is it that she can yell the loudest? Intimidate to get her way? Force those around her to walk on egg shells so they don’t upset her? Don’t get me wrong, I think a strong woman is a wonderful thing, I come from a really, really long line of them! But if that’s the definition of a strong woman, you can count me out.

As I thought more about this concept of the “strong woman”, I realized that my strength is actually my ability to practice self-control. It’s so much harder to bite my tongue, prefer others, and let ‘my way’ fall to the wayside. Self control can be a difficult thing and you know what, it takes a stronger woman to exercise those qualities, than one who yells and forces her way on others.

What would your world look like if your strength became your ability to zip-it, shut-it, or let others have their way? As a self-proclaimed strong woman, I often believe my way is best…and if I just raise my voice long enough, I can get everyone to just do what I want agree. Honestly, I don’t think there are many people who are attracted to the loud, pushy, “do it my way” gal. One gift God gave us girls is our beauty – beauty that starts from within. I can be strong and beautiful without “roaring” around the house.

Proverbs 16:24 (MSG) says, “Gracious speech is like clover honey— good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body.”  In my opinion, a strong woman is gracious, kind, and practices self-control.

Maybe our new slogan could be, “I Am Woman Hear Me Purrrrr!”

“Dressing Up the Built-Ins” - Part #1

Last Monday I dressed up the kitchen hutch with some cute fabric. I also wanted to add something to my plain white built-ins. We’ve had them about 7 years and I had really never thought much about doing anything special to them. Then, one day sitting in my comfy blue chair, at hit me! I could add something to the back of the built-ins to add a little depth and character. The answer this time was not fabric, it was wallpaper!

This is how the sides of the built-ins started:

After removing the accessories, books and shelves, I cut out 2 strips of wallpaper and hung them in the back of the unit. Thankfully I had already purchased some Paintable Beadboard Wallpaper  (for another project), it was sitting in my closet screaming, “Use me for something cute”!  It worked like a charm and took less than 30 minutes.

Because I was too lazy to go to the store  impatient, I decided I had to use the paint I had in the house to complete my project. To get the slate blue I was looking for, I mixed 2  colors together. I had a tiny bit of gray paint left over from painting a bedroom and a quart of blue I had bought in the mis-tint section: PERFECT!

I taped off the inside of the built-ins and painted the wallpaper with a small roller and trim brush.

After allowing the paint to dry (about the time it took to watch one of my favorite movies, “The Help“), we put the shelves back in and began to accessorize. You’ll notice some white, silver, and snow; this is my winter mantel look!

Here’s the finished project and I LOVE the way it turned out! It really ties the blue in with the rest of the Great Room and looks especially pretty with the winter-scape!

Have you ever considered adding something to the

back of your built-ins?  If you did, what did you do?

I’d love to hear about all of your great ideas too!

Check back next Monday for “Dressing Up the Built-Ins” Part #2!

DIY Fabulously Cheap Accessories

It’s Friday which means I get to share my new “finds”! One of my first BIG projects for the year will be to take over my boys weight-room, decorate an office for myself.  One of my favorite ways to shop my local thrift store is to look for something specific. On my list (among other things) are items for my new office.  I already some things on hand, but need smaller items to fill the walls and bring it all together. I had a successful day this week and found a couple of cute accessories that can totally work. They just need a little DIY luv!

First, I found this pair of wall hangings (I have a thing for pairs). They were $3.99 but it was tag day so they were 1/2 half!

Enter the magic: Kilz Primer.

Now to  add the color, I choose Rustoleum Leafy Green *SWOON*.

One more step to make it “just right” ~ GLAZE!

I love how the refurnished hanging looks! Here’s a side by side for you to see the transformation!

I can’t wait to hang these cuties in my new office!

Feel free to leave me some love below in the comment section!

 I’m linked up over at a great blog: Whipperberry, head over and check it out!

Also linked up at “I Can’t Stop Crafting“, Jen has a great Head to Head Saturday Round-Up that’s totally worth the look!

 I was recently  shopping at one of my favorite thrift stores on a VIP 50% sale – YAHOO! I actually bought so many pieces they hardly fit in our van. It’s probably a good thing I didn’t have a trailer or I would have filled that up too! Being the smart gal that I am, I brought my hubby for self-control purposes.  One of my all time favorite finds from that sale was this old vintage radio that I got for $10.00. I bought it mainly because I liked the size and shape and because it was narrow I just knew I could make room for it somewhere in my house!

BEFORE // Vintage Radio

My first step was to remove the back so I could take the radio dialer and knobs off. Someone had apparently already painted it and did a pretty sloppy job  so it had to be cleaned and removed so I could paint behind it.

I decided to go with red and black colors to coördinate in my kitchen and hallway area. I cleaned, primed and spray painted it with Krylon Banner Red Spray Paint.  Often times red can be a bit bright, to tone it down and keep the” vintage feel” I used a black glaze over the entire piece.

Here is a close up of what the glazing looks like:

I then replaced the ugly brown fabric with a cute black & white gingham fabric I had on hand. I simply used Elmers Spray Adhesive to attach it to the board on the inside of the radio.

My hubby,  I screwed the board back in place, put the radio dialer in and closed up the back.  I apologize, I should have taken more pictures of how I took the back off and replaced the fabric. I was just too excited to see it finished!

AFTER // Vintage Radio

The icing on the cake is the radio actually works! My kids plugged it in and were so happy to hear their favorite radio station playing loud and clear. Not bad for $10.00!

This and other cute projects linked up at DIY Show Off!

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I Have a Confession to Make…

I have a confession to make. I am NOT perfect. *GASP* Ok, I got it out, now you all know and I can stop pretending. Last Wednesday I talked about “The Comparison Game”. It’s the game we play with other women. In it, we are continually comparing ourselves to others, mostly in our thought life.  I’m trying my best to stop comparing myself to the Victoria Secret Angels, I mean, my friends. I’ve discovered that while I try my best to stop,  I still struggle with negative thoughts. Lots of them.

Thoughts like, ‘you don’t keep the house clean enough … you yelled at the kids today … you spend too much money … you don’t excercise enough … you are not a good enough wife.‘  The list goes on and on. I feel like it can be difficult for women to think positively about themselves,  usually because of that dumb game.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5 (MSG) it says, “…we use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.”  There’s good news for us ladies! We can take those negative thoughts and we can change them to line up with what the Word says about us. We can “fit every loose thought to the structure of life shaped by Christ.” A life shaped by Christ, isn’t a pefect one, it is simply one that lives by GRACE!

Let me wrap it up by saying, we don’t have to be perfect! We can take those negative thoughts and stack them against what the Word says about us. Psalms 139:14 says, “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.  I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation!”  God says we are marvelously made and who can argue with God?

I can hear Billy Crystal right now,  “You look mahhhhvelous”!

For an amazing book on changing negative thoughts to positive ones, check out this book by Joyce Meyer: Battlefield of the Mind Devotional: 100 Insights That Will Change the Way You Think.

In my attempt to stop thinking I have to be perfect, I’ve decided it’s good to just laugh at myself!

I found this old record cabinet on Craigslist one day for FREE! EEEEKKKK! My wonderful husband picked it up for me right away.

BEFORE // Old Cabinet

After taking the back off, we removed the “guts” getting rid of the old record player and radio. I cleaned, primed, painted and glazed the entire piece. Last,  I replaced the side fabric panels with adorable black and white toile fabric.

AFTER // Beautiful Buffet

I love how beautifully this piece turned out!

“Cutie Patootie Cherry Chair”

I love chairs because they’re inexpensive, easy to makeover and I seem to find them everywhere.  This chair was discovered while helping at my friend’s garage sale; I picked it up for $5. I should probably go on a chair diet.

I choose it because I LOVED the back!

I didn’t love the color of the wood, I didn’t love the fabric, *BLAH* Time to get to work!

Step #1: Prime chair with Kilz Spray Primer.

Step #2: Spray paint with Rustoleum Heirloom White (2 coats).

Step#3: Glaze chair using Valspar Clear Mixing Glaze mixed with black paint. Think “Karate Kid” – glaze on, glaze off!

Step #4: Cut cherry fabric (ok, you don’t HAVE to use cherry fabric) a little larger than the size of the seat cushion, giving yourself enough extra to wrap around the edges.

Step #5: Pulling fabric as tight as possible, staple underneath the seat.

Step #6:  Attach seat cushion back onto chair.

Step #7: Take a seat in your adorable Cutie Patootie Cherry Chair!

DIY Silver Wreath

If you are anything like me, I drool over the beautiful wreaths I see everywhere during the Christmas season.  In my opinion, they are usually overpriced, especially when they are so EASY to make. After blog stalking wreaths for a few weeks, I decided to make my own DIY Silver Wreath.

Step #1: Gather supplies: wreath form (straw form from the Dollar Store), silver tinsel, various sizes and textures of silver bulbs (Goodwill $1.99 and $.99) and hot glue gun.

Step #2: Wrap the silver tinsel around the wreath form and hot glue in place.

Step #3: Add bulbs: start by hot gluing them around the inside of the wreath, the outside and last in the middle. Alternate various sizes and textures of bulbs.  Do you love my feet in the picture?

Step #4: Add a beautiful glittery word, such as PEACE.

Total cost of my DIY Silver Wreath was less than $10 and I love it!