Thrift Store Score

Do you ever get the urge to just update your house? Buy all the good stuff, the pretty things, the practical (and not so practical) and make your house look like a magazine? And then you remember that you aren't, in fact, made of money and that you should probably reign it in captain crazy.

It happens to you?

Not to me. Not ever.

HA

It totally does. I get things just how I want them (for now) but then, a couple months later, I start looking around and think of ways things could be even better. And that is when I hit up the thrift store. Nothing calms my crazy like a good, old fashioned bargain.  The other day I was wandering the thrift store in the hopes of finding a piece of furniture to beautifully store/display my quilts. I saw these ideas:

source

source

And I just knew that with a  little determination I could find something similar that would work in my house. 

Well, this trip the thrift store didn't yield any of these finds, but I did find a cute little wall vanity for a steal!

We haven't had a something like this in our bathroom for a couple years. I ripped our old, 70's house original metal corner vanity down one day in a fit of fed-upness and so we've done with out one ever since because the wall is narrow and awkward and nothing we found would fit. When I stumbled on this cutie for only 8 bucks I knew it would be coming home with us! 

I'm not totally sure that I'm sold on it now that I have it hung up. It sticks out kind of far from the wall. I think it is mostly just going to be an adjustment. I love that our regularly used toiletries are up off the countertop though and everything looks neatly put away. Ahhhh!

I'm linking up!

Flaunt it Friday!

Frugal Friday

How to paint your cabinets: Part 2

So last I left off I had filled all the cabinet doors and drawers (and a few spot on the frames) and was getting ready to sand.

Sanding.

What a joy.

Not really. Safety first. That dust could kill ya. I actually don't know if thats true but it will give you a mad case of the sneezes if you're not careful.

Also, please not that when doing any sort of home project it is NOT acceptable to wash or fix your hair. Putting in contacts is totally optional.

Moving on.

I sanded those doors and drawers. Busted it out. It was Aw.Ful. Not fun. My whole arm was vibrating for like a day and I think my hips got a good work out. Also, sanding on the ground might have contributed to all those problems.

 Also, you must wear your grossest, worn out shoes when you do home projects.

So once the doors were sanded, I used some liquid deglosser/sander to wipe down the fronts and backs to get rid of any left over shine and/or grease and oil that might have been on them. I also used it to wipe down the edges of all the doors. Mine are slightly curved so I couldn't get to them with a sander. This just roughed them up a bit and helped clean them. And it made me feel better about not sanding them and that is the most important part.

Then I took on the super fun task of sanding down the cabinet frames and the lazy susans. I couldn't for the life of my figure out if it was even possible to take those darn doors off so I just left them on and sanded them along with everything else. It worked like a peach. Sanding the cabinet frames was only a little bit more awful than I was anticipating. I unloaded all the cabinets (which I might not have reloaded quite yet) and covered up the things I didn't want to get super duper dusty and went for it. It was gross. And the worst part was that our water was still shut off because we hadn't finished installing our dishwasher and so it was pretty hard to get everything cleaned up. And lets face it, the dishwasher has been hooked up and the water running for almost two days and I still haven't quite gotten all the dust wiped up. There's just that much of it. Anyway, it was about at this point:

that I really started to wonder what I'd gotten myself into. I mean, what if they turn out awful? What if they just look bad, or they don't hold up? I was talking to husband about it and he said "well the worst that can happen is that they turn out bad, but at least it will be something new to look at!" Stud. Right there. It seriously can't look worse than they were looking.

I've actually gotten farther along in this project and... I'm not going to give it away but I don't think I need to worry about it looking as bad as it did before ;)

I'm pretty excited about how its turning out!



I'm linking up to these fun parties:
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net
http://www.gingersnapcrafts.com/
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/
http://romanceonadime.com/
http://lilluna.com
http://adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com/
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com
http://ladybug-blessings.com/

http://www.allthingswithpurpose.com
http://www.houseofhepworths.com
http://www.firefliesandjellybeans.com
http://chasethestar.net

http://tatertotsandjello.com

Lets talk about caulk.

And procrastinating. Let's be honest, when it comes to home projects those two pretty much go hand in hand. (Laundry room make-over anyone?
Oh.
Wait.
You don't remember seeing finished pictures of it from OVER a year ago? That's because I still have caulking to do...)
Anyway. I swear. I walk in to Lowes or Home Depot and my money is just dying to be spent there. Seriously.

Ask me about the $40 I spent on tile last week.

No, don't. Thanks.

Back to caulk. So, oh, a year ago we bought some new toilets because our city was doing a rebate on high efficiency to-to's which made them free. Well we decided to remove the carpet from our master bath and put in tile (yay!). We got it all done and installed our pretty new baseboards which I was then responsible for patching, sanding and painting (I tried caulking but it really just turned out bad so that was up to husband.) I got that all done and then noticed my horrifying shower. I wish I had pictures to show, (be thankful I don't) because when we purchased the house the shower came with mildew-y grossness that WOULD NOT come off no matter what. Also the caulk was getting mildew-y mold-y gross too so while husband was working, I decided to scrape it all out. Husband was not pleased and let me know I was to fix the problem.

Caulk.
Procrastination.

Fast forward to November. I decided that we must remove our carpet and FINALLY use the laminate flooring I had ever so slowly been stockpiling in the garage. (Ever asked the flooring people to only order you one package of special order floor? They think you're crazy.) so we get 'er done and put pretty new baseboards up (my responsibility) and then nothing happens.

So! This weekend I'm pleased to say that I bleached the crap out of my shower, causing my house to smell like a pool, but effectively removing all signs of mildew, caulked the shower, patched, sanded and caulked the baseboards in the hall. Husband was so pleased and happy that he didnt have to do it. And we can finally shower in our master bathroom again!! The last caulking in the laundry is next and then I'm busting out the paint. Time for these almost done projects to be gonzo!

Bring on 2013!!!

a mini project

remember when I gave you a tour of my house, and I mentioned that I got a new piano? well that piano came with a bench that had AWFUL fabric cover it. I'm talking gross. Faux leather that was old old old and discolored and had weird looking stains on it.

well I decided that just wouldn't do. i needed something new up in here. so i went off to the fabric store to see what i could find, and this PERFECT fabric was sitting out on the cut table. and it was fifty percent off!

score.

i bought a yard of it and headed home. after rounding up the tools needed (scissors and a staple gun i borrowed from my father-in-law) i went to work!

now, i'll be honest. my first re-upholstering job i had only completed about 45 minutes before this (pictures to come) , so i'm still not entirely sure i know what i'm doing... but I'm pretty darn pleased with how it turned out!

see for yourself!

much better, don't you think?!

i really love the style of fabric and it looks so nice in my front room!

so here's how much it cost:

fabric- $0 (i actually bought this for a different project... and was hoping i'd have enough left over but wasn't sure.)
staple gun - $0

I love me a free project!!!

I'm getting that feeling...

...that itching, I need to fix something in my house, feeling. Its coming on strong. I have this laundry room. I hate it. Its boring and drab and nothing special at all. And I have to do work in there. Blech. I have been a-looking all over for something to do to this terrible space. I have found it! My inspiration! Thanks so pinterest and different blogs, I now know what I'm going to do!

This is my original inspiration

I pretty much have the same layout looking into the room. I already have cabinets over the washer and dryer and a shelf below them so a little different but essentially the same look. I'm planning on painting the cabintes and the shelf some shade of white.

I want a seating/storage/hanging area just like this.

Opposite my washer and dryer is a wall about four feet long. I really want a bench storage right there as well as something to hang coats over it. I found this on pinterest and the great thing is, she shows you how to make it step by step! I love that! I went to Lowes and found the same thing but the top cost over a hundred dollars and so did the bottom. I priced out the lumber and for everything, it would be about 50 to make. Guess which route I'm going to take?

I love love love this

Initially I was thinking that I would really love to do some beaded board around the laundry room. It's a small space so I could do it pretty inexpensively and I really love how it looks. Well I was bloghopping and stumbled onto a post about board and batten. I fell. in. love. I love it. And it looks soooooo doable. The wall space we are needing to cover in the laundry room is only about 16 feet. So small. I think I'm going to take the plunge! I just need to convince husband that it will be fun! (hahaha) I'll make sure to post pictures so y'all can see how it goes!

Wish me luck!



My Christmas House

I thought I would show off my little house today! I have it all decorated for Christmas and I'm very happy with it! I also realized, I haven't ever shown off my house so now that I'm done creating all my Christmas orders, I will clean and photograph everything!!!

Anyway, today is about the Christmas!

First up! this is over my stairs. My mom gave me the shelf and I've been trying to come up witha  cute way to decorate it when it isn't Christmas. So far, I haven't been very successful which is mainly because I'm too cheap to buy anything. Anyway, right now it has on it, starting at the left, a little wooden sign that says :"Rudolf with your noseso bright, won't you guide the sleigh tonight."I picked that up at a little party store that was going out of business. Then there are two metal trees (clearance, Joann) and those cute wooden  "JOY" blocks. The framed sign, I'm actually quite proud of. I bought the vinyl from some deal of the day site, and it says "Joy, hope, peace, believe, christmas." I looked everywhere for a cute frame to put it on. I was planning on just getting a picture frame and putting a cute peice of paper behind the glass and then sticking the vinyl straight on the glass. I couldn't ever find one that I liked that I was willing to spend the money on. I mean really, I can't just spend 30 dollars on a frame that will be out for about a month once a year. So I was at Hobby Lobby and I finally decided to get one that was okay. It was still 10 dollars but I decided to just do it. I kept walking around and found myself in the wood crafts aisle. I saw this frame that had an 8 by 10 opening and a big wooden frame around it. I knew I had some Christmas paper at home so I decided to make my own. I'm really happy with how it turned out. It ended up being about 7 dollars because I had all the other supplies already. Now I have a completely original frame that I love!

So this is just a shot of my stairwell. I was really excited to have a banister to put a garland on. And I could go all the way around it because we don't go downstairs!



This little advent calander is hanging on the closet in my entry way. My dads mom gave it to me and I think it is just adorable. I think next year I'll try to find a better location for it though.

These stockings are also hanging in our entry way. Somebody gave them to us as a wedding gift (great idea!) and they have our names embroidered on them. We don't have one for Liam yet, I figure he won't care so I don't want to spend the money.

This is our Christmas tree. It looks just like it did last year, except this year there is a baby to pull the ornaments off!! I kind of love it though. I though about putting the ornaments up higher so he couldn't reach them but the tree is so darn short that if I did that, there would only be decorations in the top foot of the tree. For the most part he just ignores it though, he is more excited about walking everywhere.

Now this is something I really love. I decided this year that I wanted to start collecting a Christmas village. I was going to buy one piece a year and seee where I got with it. Well I told my mom this and one night, while she was helping my grandma put out her nutcrackers, my grandma asked if she would like her village. My mom said no but she I would! So instead of my one little house, I started off my collection with six!!!! There is a train station, four houses and a church. I love it! I love that I have things that belonged to my grandma.

Here is my mantle. This year I decided that one of the things I really really wanted to get was a nativity. I don't have one and, hello! Christmas is about Christ! So I found this Willow Tree nativity on a killer sale and had to have it. It isn't the full set, but the most important parts are there. I told husband that he as welcome to give me the rest of the nativity as Christmas gifts in years to come. On here are a couple more things my grandma gave me. I have one of her many nutcrackers and then the figurine of Santa with the kids is a little music player. It spins and plays toyland. I think its super cute! There is another metal tree and the sign in the background says Joy to the world multiple times. The picure frame is another one that I made. I really wanted a frame to put Santa pictures in but, once again, couldn't justify spending 15 dollars on a holiday frame. This one cost me 3. The paper chain I made in activity days. I'm over the 8-9 year olds. They are so cute!

OHOHOHOHOHOHOH!!! I never posted a picture of this BUT I GOT A PIANO!!! I am so beyond thrilled. I went to Bonnie's recital at the piano store and I saw this little beauty on sale for a KILLER deal. I went home and consulted with husband and after finding out that they would drop the price even lower, I bought it the next day!!!! I even got two students that pay for the darn things with their lessons. I'm so thrilled to have a piano in my home!!!

The second picture is probably my favorite Christmas item I own. My mom has a this same tree and it plays silent night. It has always been my favorite decoration that she has. I remember being so excited to unpack it from the decorations every year and twisting it up an playing it over and over. Well when I was going through the things that my grandma gave me, I found it!! I have my very own Christmas tree!!!! I don't even have words to say how happy I am to have one of my own! I love it!

Well, there you have it. My holiday house!!! I'm so excited to spend time with my little family and to see our even bigger families too! Merry Christmas everone!

some bad and some good

i feel as if i should be freaking out right about now.... however, i'm cool as a cucumber.

story time:

last thursday at about 6 in the morning, baby boy woke up (a little unusual, that kid can SLEEP!) and wanted a bottle. I went into the bathroom and turned on the hot and nothing. just luke warm water that was getting colder as the water kept running. so in my half awake state i trooped on into the kitchen and had the same thing happen. so i just heated the water in the microwave and took care of baby. as i was getting back into bed husband's phone made the text sound and i looked and our renter downstairs said she had no hot water. fantastic. i'm thinking to myself "it can't be the water heater going out" because that isn't one of the things we know we have to fix. the furnace, the ac, the roof, the windows, the water softner... yes. not the water heater. well husband went down and checked a little later and water was leaking out of the heater all over. doom. so he had a sick day and we replaced the water heater. (luckily we somehow had the cash. what? blessings.) so life is good. we have hot water. today we wake up and i say to husband, "its really chilly in here." so he looks at the thermostat... it says 61 degrees and our house is set to 68. problematic? yes. its FREEZING in here. its like 19 degrees outside.we need the heat. i'm seriously hoping that it just magically turns on here soon. i reaaaaalllly don't want to come up with the money for that sucker. but here is the funny thing. the idea of being responsible for taking care of a house makes me excited! i kinda like it.

in other news: my grandma green gave me her ceramic snow village! my parents were helping her put out her nutcrackers for christmas and my mentioned to her that i was starting a collection of my own and she asked if i wanted it!!!!! i am so thrilled. i love it! its special to have something like that from her. also, growing up my favorite decoration that mom had was this christmas tree that spun in place playing the first noel. i loved it. i couldn't wait to get it out every christmas. guess what my grandma included in the snow village? yup! THE VERY SAME TREE!!! I am so excited to have a tree of my own!!!