Obscured Flair

Our Second Christmas Tree Together. Christmas 2011:

2011-12-27T09:58:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my last post in here was about my 2010 Christmas Tree, and now I am posting my 2011 one!
It's all the same thrifty stuff, with some new additions here and there, including..... I am 28w 1d pregnant with TWIN GIRLS!! So talk about new additions, right?!

Our 1st Christmas; My 1st Christmas Tree in Over 14 YEARS!

2011-01-04T11:30:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share a picture of our tree. My ex didn't want us to get a tree while we were together, but I was determined to have one for 2010, regardless if we were in a relationship or not.
My tree was done on a budget. Basically I didn't buy anything but 4 ornaments from Dollar Tree, (total of $2.00) this season, and the tree was $35.00 I think. It was a REAL tree, no artificial tree for me, regardless of how messy the clean up is!
I got most of the ornaments from either Ollies on clearance for pennies, Goodwill, Cracker Barrel, and Dollar Tree clearance stuff from last season as well.
My boyfriend's ex joked about how flashy/ ugly my tree might be (cause she doesn't really know me), and I have to say, she couldn't have been further from the truth.
I saw a lot of trees posted this year and let me tell you, I think my tree was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
My pictures do NOT do it justice :( As always, you can click on the pictures to enlarge them!

The tree before it was decorated (below):

My mantle for the holiday season (below):

Fake SNOW! (below):

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Thrifty Find- Pier 1 Imports tv cabinet at Goodwill!!!

2010-07-11T13:48:00.008-04:00

I made my rounds through this store, had about $30.00 worth of items, and there she was! I first noticed her legs, the dark brown wood--- ohhhh it was real, then I saw a very convenient pull out drawer in the front, loving the design, I open up the doors.... okay, a few chips out of the real wood and some scrapes- but hey, it's character, price tagged glowed with $99.00... okay, you usually find pressboard stuff at WalMart for around this price. All over in very good condition, hmmmmm, let's just push it away from the window and see if there is a tag on it---- yeah right. Pulling away and.... "EXCLUSIVELY FOR Pier 1 Imports" and then the date!!!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!! I parked my cart in front of this! My cellphone dying in my hands I call my boyfriend and ask him if we can get it. I mean we just purchased a tv stand in November/ December that looks great in our home- from WalMart, but there was something about this Pier 1 piece. I got 'permission' to purchase it especially knowing I'd be spending $89.99 on it with my discount card! I told him I'd put everything else back and he said I didn't have to!! woo hoo! It took everything I could to walk away from it because everyone was eyeing it, and they didn't even know who had constructed it! I paid for it, had the woman put a "SOLD" sign on it because SERIOUSLY people were flocking to it! I had to clear my throat with a "eh hem it's SOLD" to some people. They were mad! LOL! It was mine! So I am waiting for him to pick me up and I am sitting super close to it. Watching ignorant people bust their carts into it, even watched a woman slam a handful of pictures/ picture frames into the side of it! I stood up, said, "EXCUSE ME!", pushed the pictures she was looking at back against the wall, smoothed my hand over the side of my entertainment console and she says, "Ohhh sorry" then goes back to looking through the pictures. I had to have the workers put it in the back or I would have had a stroke sitting there watching people abuse it and fondle it! As the girls put it out back, I heard a very large bang. To this day I hope it wasn't it, but I am sure it was.

So here she is!
It's not crooked, my house and apparently I am!
I am also thinking of staining the wood black with some IKEA stain that I got on clearance, and doing either an Oil Rubbed Bronze or a dark silver instead of the gold. It seems a little Moroccan to me or something. haha please ignore the short black curtains, I hope to find some nice long lighter curtains soon enough!

the sticker, I wish I could get a better picture, but I don't want to move it with our big honkin' tv on it.

the doors close, I just closed them over without latching them.

And this is the BEFORE:

linking to the fabulous: Debbiedoo!

Also linking up with Apron Thrift Girl:

Also linking up to Southern Hospitality:

Thrifty Finds 7/4- 7/11- Part 2:

2010-07-11T13:02:00.004-04:00

Starting off with another FAVORITE find! Black and silver distressed ship book ends for- $3.99 then 10% off! It made me feel so good to hear the people behind me wishing they had it! bwah ha ha! My boyfriend is making fun of me saying it looks like something my dad would have owned, but whatever, my dad was creative and very crafty!
PS no I am not keeping them on my kitchen sink, it was hard to find a nice surface considering everything in my house is dark.

Beautiful box for .99 then 10% off that! SCORE!:

This was an expensive purchase, a large skeleton key for $7.99. I hope it was worth it! There is that ugly satin ribbon HOT GLUED to it and I hope I can find a way to get it off. I want to sand this down then spray paint it Oil Rubbed Bronze. wow, what a bad picture, it has the pronged teeth on the other end.

Another Pier 1 box with a working locking key! $3.99:

Got this cross because it is scrolly and has orange in it $1.99, I honestly didn't even see it was a cross until I got home, but that's fine:

Got this to most likely put a bird on $1.99:

Basket for $3.99 then 10% off (a few weeks ago):

This little box gets me, it almost smells like it is covered in toothpaste or crushed Certs! It was $3.99 and I didn't even realize it was half off when I grabbed it! So I spent $1.99 on this minty smelling, pretty box!:

Linking up to Debbiedoo's! <-- go ahead and click on her link, she's fabulous!

Also linking up with Apron Thrift Girl!

Also linking up to Southern Hospitality:

Thrifty Finds 7/4- 7/11 ME & RI- Part 1:

2010-07-11T12:41:00.005-04:00

I'll start with my favorite find (awful photo) as usual [on both accounts]:

Latern. As I was swiping everything out of the large wheely cart that they put the stuff in to put on the shelves- the woman and I talk about how beautiful it is (my picture doesn't do it justice) and I asked if the price tag fell off, she said, "No, I marked it for $3.99". Well I started to put it down because I didn't see the tag and wasn't going to pay $3.99 for it. She saw me putting it down and quickly boasted, "2.99!! I can't let you not have that, just tell the girl upfront that so-in-so said $2.99!" cha-ching! That and my 10% discount made me a happy camper, and the candle smells sooo delicious!:

You've heard it before, I am a sucker for mugs $1.99 and then 30% off:

Bike to put outside $1.99 then 10% off (I almost bought a twin of it at Savers yesterday but they wanted $4.00 for it- yikes!):

Bad picture of a candle stick, .49 then $10% off that:

Shower curtain hooks, $1.98 then 10% off that. This would go great with the flower shower curtain I bought!:

Also a sucker for picture frames- I haven't even shown you all of what I've purchased over the last half a year. Mind you, we can't really hang things up in this house per the lease agreement- $1.99 then 10% off:

Cute giraffe- .99 then 1/2 off then 10% off (no idea where I am going to put him, but he was too cute to pass up!:

Flower candle holder $1.99 then half off, then 10% off:

Verrry heavy wooden/ glass box originally from HomeGoods with the $19.99 price tag on the bottom, I got it for $2.99 then 10% off! :

Ain't no party like a Debbiedoo party! LOL Just kidding, linking up:

Debbiedoo's!

Also linking up with Apron Thrift Girl:

Also linking up to Southern Hospitality:

Thrifty Finds- MA/ NH/ ME end of June, Beginning of July- PART 2:

2010-07-02T11:04:00.003-04:00

Part 2!
Another favorite find, this was very heavy and I was prepared to spend $3.99 on it, but then I saw it was half off as ~~SOME~~ little to no Savers offer a half off colored discount! $1.99!!:

Ikea Groto plant pot from Savers for $1.99 and then 30% off!:

None of the things I buy are crooked, I can promise you it's my wonderful photography skills bwah ha ha! This basket is too cute! $1.99:

A bag of very large eggs (my boyfriend calls them Ostrich eggs!) $1.99:

Target black and white flower shower curtain for $3.99! It was just put on display that day, smells like cigarettes- yuck- and has rust where the curtain rod hangers would have been- but that's all easy stuff to take care of. My bathroom is blue and brown and I don't see me changing it anytime soon, but am so happy I scooped this up!:

A picture of my butterfly that Debbiedoo also has!! 49 cents, Salvation Army- beginning of the year!:

large vase made in Italy- only $1.80!!!

Large NOEL candle podeum, I was prepared to pay $7.99, then I found out it was half off!:

Isn't this black and white plate so adorable?! It was even made to hang on the wall! $1.80:

Target candle from Goodwill, I bought it for $1.80 and yes, I lied- this is a tiny bit crooked :(

This is going outside! Isn't it lovely! It was $4.99 and then a 10% discount!

This was originally $5.99 from ROSS, Goodwill marked it $4.99 DUH! I told her and she gave it to me for $2.30! ROSS says it retails at $20.00, either way I love it!! It is supposed to be a papertowel holder from the looks of it, but I am going to use it as a towel rack in my laundry nook. The picture does NOT do it justice!:

This weird, creepy looking cat was expensive at $4.90, but it's unique. It says "Made in Japan". It has a candle in it's back:

And as you can see I am a sucker for coffee mugs too! .80!:

I am linking up to Debbiedoos party!
Debbiedoos

and Coastal Charm

Thrifty Finds- MA/ NH/ ME end of June, Beginning of July- PART 1:

2010-07-02T10:30:00.003-04:00

Success, as always. Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in our tiny home, but luckily it all has a place.

We'll start with a favorite find! A Pier 1 pillow for $2.99 then 30% off of that!! woo hoo!:

This was actually my first Pier 1 Imports pillow I found, it's smaller and more expensive and really doesn't fit into the decor, $3.99:

I love this lantern- $3.99 and then 30% off!:

Can't beat a good quote- $1.99:

You'll see me say it a billion times over, I love fall and Halloween- this was expensive at $4.99 but I loved the detail in it!:

Music note fabric for $1.99!:

A crab! I'm from MD and love crabs, LMAO! $2.99 and then 30% off!:

Brand new HomeGoods basket with the tag still on it, got it for $1.99 and then a 30% discount!:

An orange pumpkin to add to my collection! $2.99:

I thought this would be a cute car for Halloween, was thinking of spraypainting her, but I kind of like it green! $1.99:

Not too sure what I am going to do with this, I am guessing I will use it for outdoor purposes, everyone has one, LOL $1.99 AND THEN 30% OFF:

Bird candle holder $1.99 then 30% off:

Would you believe me if I said I despised the Fall, JUST KIDDING! $2.99 and then a 30% discount!

This was cute, it fits into my bathroom decor nicely! There was a dragonfly one too, but I don't have dragonflies in there, $1.99:

Very large Pier 1 Imports vase/pitcher!! It was originally $16.00 from Pier 1 and I got it for $4.99!:

Another favorite find! I have been looking for a Scrabble game for a long time to use the pieces for something. I can not believe I found this one with ALL OF THE PIECES ANDDDDDD IT'S FROM 1952! It even has the original paperwork with it. It's moldy inside the corners of the boxes so it sucks that I am going to toss it, but it was so worth it $2.99!:

Got this one the other day at Savers, and got a twin with a clear candleholder yesterday at Goodwill!:

Can't wait to start working on my bedroom- it'll have pops of orange in it:

well that was part 1!
I am linking up with the usual fantastic party holders!
Debbiedoos

and Coastal Charm!

Past 2 Weeks: Thrifty Finds MD/CT/ME:

2010-06-21T15:40:00.004-04:00

Here were my recent thrifty finds from MD/CT/ME (feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them)

I am a sucker for baskets. I am not even going to post all of the ones I have (atleast not today anyway).
Basket from Savers- pretty expensive but I liked it- it was $5.99:

cool looking porch swing that I'll decorate my patio with $3.00 Goodwill:

LOVE the detail in this plate/tray $2.00 Goodwill:

flowers from Goodwill $1.50 original pricetag $17.00. Bedroom is going to incorporate orange in it:

this too was expensive but I loved it- good thing I got it for $6.00 at Goodwill cause I saw a larger one for $15.00 at Mardens which that one was normally $49.00 at a major department store!

think I paid $3.00 for this at Savers-- LOVE IT!!!

she was staring at me when I walked into Savers, there was something about her. so I grabbed her for $2.99:

cellphone charger/ organizer docking station originally from Kohls for $49.99 I bought it for $5.50 at Goodwill!

CD holder box with working key originally from Pier 1 FOR $25.00!! I bought it for $6.99 at Savers shocked it sat there for 2 days:

I was hoping to put this tall rose box on my book shelf but it's too tall. originally from The Christmas Tree Shop, I bought it at Goodwill for $1.00:

I have been trying hard to find pillows for the couch, this'll do, it was $2.99 from Savers and looks handmade- it matched my livingroom and is slightly weird- it has "me" stitched on the front, and the pictures will explain it: (PS I live in Maine, as much as I hate it, the abreviation was all too appropriate).

a bag of stars for .80 Goodwill:

and now I am saving the best for last. I was cashing out with a budget of $28.00 (most pictured above from a specific Goodwill trip) and this guy was sitting on the counter. I asked, "Is he claimed, or is he for sale?" Lady told me he was for sale. I just knew I had to have him. I went outside and asked Gabe if I could go over my limit and buy him for $25.00 and explained that it was a black statue. He had a funny look on his face but said it was fine. I went inside, scooped him up, went to the girl and said, "I know this isn't a yardsale, but would you do less for him?" She said, "I can go $20.00 on him". I said, "SOLD!!" and thanked her a million times. This is a carved wooden statue of a black man with his jeans rolled up, and two things in his hands. The detail is INCREDIBLE! When I came outside with the ear to ear grin, he looked at me and said he thought it was going to be the little black guy holding the latern statue. My pup was scared of the statue for 4 minutes, growling and cowarding away from it, but then he gave it a kiss and I drove home happily with him between my legs for 13 hours!
He stands taller than my knees, and I am 5'4".

Thrifty Treasures party!!

I am also linking up to Debbiedoos! I couldn't get her cute button to work earlier a Blogspot issue occurred.

Also teaming up with Coastal Charm!

Thrifty Finds- Beginning of the Year 2010:

2010-06-21T14:57:00.005-04:00

cause I've dreaded uploading these one by one, I had decided to wait this blog out.... today I discovered the "collage" maker on Photobucket. I should be caught up by the end of today!

Here are my finds for the past few months:

* star with incredible detail- .99 Goodwill
* birdhouse picture with globe casing: $1.30 Goodwill
* Artificial ivy plant: $1.00 Goodwill
* Piggy bank- I was looking for one that didn't have a bottom opener: $1.30 Goodwill -he's getting painted
* The Black Sheep Kitchen Connection- retailed for $12.00 got it for .80 Goodwill
* flower candle holder- picture doesn't do it justice, Ballard Design lighting concept (I'll show you a better picture later) .39 Salvation Army
* Chalkboard drawer thing- $1.50 Goodwill
* large cute mug $.49 Goodwill

* IKEA rug from IKEA in their As Is section for $12.00 because it was a floor model
* Butterfly shower curtain turned into a curtain by me- $2.99 Goodwill
* Black rose plastic "china" plates- the cutest things ever! .80 all 4 Goodwill
* Bird pot holder that I turned into a framed picture- free from Salvation Army
* red heart mug .49 Goodwill
* red and black heart mug- .49 Goodwill
* Gray heart mug Mary Kay- Goodwill for .49
* Bird plate- .99 Goodwill (it was a lot less than .99 cause I used my birthday discount)

* flower candle holder- .99 Goodwill
* artificial lemons- Mardens .29 each
* artificial plant- $2.00 Mardens
* favorite find bird candle holder- $2.50 Savers
* black and white leaf picture veins have green running through it- $6.00 Mardens
* Gargoyle thing to add some manly-ness to livingroom- .49 Goodwill
* artificial plant from TJ Maxx originally for $15.00 I got it from Goodwill for $2.50; LED wrought iron candlestick holder .99 Salvation Army; "INSPIRE" Monarch Butterfly word- $1.99 Savers (you'll see a better picture)
* black white and red basket to left was $3.00 Mardens; playing cards $.99 Goodwill; Black and cream organizer from TJ Maxx on clearance for $3.00; Nintendo controller from friend's etsy shop <3
* vase thing on wall originally from WalMart or mail order catalog for $69.00, I bought it for $10.00 Salvation Army

Okay, I think I am going to start posting individual pictures, as this is still rather time consuming.

Pumpkins Goodwill, Savers (2) various inexpensive prices:

Ikea curtains- $3.00 Salvation Army:

Picture frame $ 1.00 Goodwill originally from Target and plant $1.00 and Old Navy sunglasses .99 Goodwill:

Birds .99 a piece at Mardens:

IKEA Curtain 25 cents at Salvation Army!

better picture of bird plate:

glasses from Savers $.49 both:

IKEA tray Salvation Army $.49:

FAVORITE FIND! black, white and gray scroll dish, tumbler and mug- Savers- $3.99 set of 3 (2 sets):

another FAVORITE find- chick glasses, they remind me of Chick-Fil-A! $1.00 for all 4 at Savers:

heart basket $1.50 Goodwill:

was looking for a small basket this size, will most likely paint it .49 Goodwill:

no idea what this is, but I couldn't leave without it, it was very Ballard Design feeling to me- .49 Goodwill:

Yellow bottle with black wrapped around it $.99 Goodwill:

Shelf $2.00 with original Marshalls pricetag on it- Goodwill; plant/ flower .99 Savers; bird picture from Savers- I don't like it but he did- so I got it to make him feel good- .49 Savers:

better picture of candlestick holder:

Linking up to the Thrifty Treasures Party!

Also linking to Debbiedoos party! woo hoo!

And linking up to Coastal Charm!

Holiday Maryland Trip- THRIFTY FINDS!

2010-06-21T12:54:00.006-04:00

This Winter we went to Maryland to our usual thrift stores, and even found a couple new ones.

Now in my collage, I have a few items from Savers in Massachussets, but they are still my holiday thrifty finds. I also have some Ollies and Cracker Barrel purchases in there too.

And here they are:

* brown and black balls: $3.00 total Salvation Army
* placemat 1 and 2: .39 each Ollies
* Halloween placemat: .69 Edgewood Thrift
* BOO candle holders: 2 different places one was $1.00 the other was a little more
* silver frame: Salvation Army
* Christmas Birds: Christmas clearance at Cracker Barrel .30 each
* my favorite find the tan bird: .49 Salvation Army
* Pottery Barn vase: marked .99 but half off: .49!

* Pier 1 mug: .49 Savers
* Tree picture from Target at Edgewood Thrift for $1.00
* Dominoes: Goodwill $1.99
* Counting Birds wall art- another favorite find! All 10 birds there for $1.99 retails for $20.00+
* gold tree: .49 Goodwill
* brass deer: another favorite find: $1.00 a piece! Goodwill

* Strawberry Shortcake glass: .49 Salvation Army
* lamp: $1.50 Goodwill (shade is currently on something else)
* Skull & crossbone comforter set at AJ Wright around $20.00 can't really remember how much we spent
* long box: $3.00 clearance at AJ Wright
* another favorite find: green chair: $1.00 at Goodwill! I was going to spray paint it ORB and change out the cushion, now I think I'll leave it the way it is!
* bell wreath: $1.00 Savers
* gold bird and PEACE sign: .20 each at Cracker Barrel on clearance
* Snow filled JOKE ornaments: .20 Cracker Barrel

* Tall wooden stand: $10.00 Salvation Army
* another favorite find! artificial Bonsai Tree! My picture doesn't do it justice, but WOW: $6.00 Goodwill
* again I am awful at taking pictures, the next artifical plant: $3.93 at Edgewood Thrift, I may have paid half of that... if you look in the Ballard Design catalog- you'll see the same exact one on their shelf!
* Laptop lap thingy: $6.96?? Edgewood Thrift
* Butterfly Mugs: $.99 both at Edgewood Thrift
* Mikasa LAL12 Botanique by Nancy Green gray and white china $3.94 4 mint condition plates- Edgewood Thrift (sadly will be selling these at my yardsale or may eat off of them- was originally going to hang them on my walls)
* IKEA long black candle holder: 1.00 Goodwill
Large red vase: .99 Salvation Army
* Black and White mug: .49 Edgewood Thrift

* thought this was a regular frame for $.99 got home and it was a digital frame that you plug into your computer!! Salvation Army

* Cool looking Christmas tree: not sure what it's made of, he thinks you put Hershey kisses on the nooks: $1.00 Goodwill
* Leaf candle holder: bought 2 not sure which one is pictured, $1.50 and $2.00
* Mirror with shutters: $3.00 Goodwill

And last but not least, here is our Forester packed all the way to the top. Ohhh did I forget to mention there were tons of car parts in there too from his local junkyard scavenging. I got to sit with my feet in one rim, and two in my lap for 7 hours, LOL!

I'll be linking up with some parties, just gotta figure out how to do it!
Thanks for viewing!

Okay, linking up with:

Thrifty Treasures every Monday!

Also linking up to Debbiedoos happenin' party!!

And linking up to Coastal Charm!

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- [Thrifty Finds]- New Sink(s)!

2010-06-06T13:49:00.006-04:00

The Plumber finally came and changed out our bathroom sink and our kitchen faucet!

We originally purchased a Peerless faucet from Goodwill, brand new never used for $7.00. Our Plumber insulted it at first because he heard how much we spent, then he saw it and was like, "WOW, this is a really good brand, this is normally really expensive!" We had this rusty circle thing on the kitchen sink that he said he'd put a sprayer in place of it. Well, the faucet we bought wasn't equiped to handle a sprayer, so he drilled a hole in it and ruined it. So he ran to the hardware store and picked up a cheap replacement- cheaper brand than the Peerless. *sad face* The faucet neck is not as tall as what we had chosen, but whatever.

Here's the Kitchen:

"after" faucet with sprayer:

Here's the Bathroom below:

Here you'll see a few transformations that I'll blog about in time.

This is the nasty "before" with the ugly rotting pink sink with nasty hardware on the sink.

getting better, still stuck with the pink sink. I changed out the hardware and put these funky placemats in the grate- this is an AWFUL picture of the placemats but we're just focusing on the sink for a moment, LOL

AND FINALLY! much better, just need to clean up the Plumbers ugly dingy colored caulking and get my green toothbrush out of the picture. Ewww, I just saw that my bar of soap is stained up cause the Plumber used it! LOL at him, cause he doesn't know what I use that bar of soap for!!

My boyfriend and I bought the faucet from Goodwill- never used, still in it's box, for $13.00! It has the words "hot" and "cold" on each handle.

Man I should have staged the set rather than quickly snapping a picture after he left. Normally my soap dispenser is faced out and toothbrushes and lotion are put away.

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Thrifty Finds- Ceiling Fan!

2010-06-04T09:57:00.005-04:00

In trying to keep with the color scheme of the kitchen and eliminate as much ugly wood as possible, I found a larger ceiling fan for $13.00 NEVER USED still in it's box at Goodwill. The pull chains will be painted and any of the GOLD screws to black, LOL, but it's still 100% better looking!

Old fan:

New Fan below:

PS The curtain and the curtain rod are changed out as well- it's so much brighter in the kitchen!
PPS We also need to find better energy efficient bulbs as the globe can not fit over it *sad face*

It's the Little Things That Make a Big Difference- [Thrifty Finds]: Salt & Pepper Shakers:

2010-02-05T00:05:00.000-05:00

I never thought to change out my salt and pepper shakers, they did the job, they fit into the decor, and they rarely got used. But we took a trip to Goodwill, and he tracked me down in one of the isles and said, "What do you think of these?" Well, they were a little weird looking to me at first, but they we .99 a piece and black, white and gray. I thought, "Suuuure, I can work with them".
Took them home, cleaned them out (just incase), and they look beautiful! Great find! (I'll post a better picture of it later this week).
After: (feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Before (below):

**SIDENOTE: The sign fits PERFECTLY in my home in more ways than one! Of course it is black and white (well creamy) and the flowers on it fit into what I am trying to achieve, and the saying "May all your weeds be wildflowers" reminds me of an old friend who decided to rid people of her lives then titled her blog, "Picked all my weeds and kept the flowers" and wrote about how insensitive she was. Weeds are beautiful, and when ignored can be even more beautiful when you let them run free. That was .99 cents from Goodwill... well spent!

Butterfly Wall Art for the Kitchen:

2010-02-04T23:38:00.000-05:00

I have been searching for artwork, and I don't know why, considering I am a heck of an artist, even so, I couldn't find anything I liked as of yet, so I made some pictures for the encasing part of my cabinets that surround my sink.

I purchased 2 identical stainless steel/ chrome picture frames for .99 a piece at the Salvation Army.
I used 4 translucent, reuseable butterfly stickers (the same style of the ones for the range hood)- From The Dollar Tree, and 2 different shades of yellow construction paper.

I alternated the dark yellow and light yellow rectangles that I cut out to slide behind the picture frame glass, one frame had dark yellow in the top square, one frame had the dark yellow in the bottom square. From there I stuck the butterfly decals on the glass, with the largest butterfly that fit onto the glass on the darker yellow.

This whole project cost me about $2.62 for two beautifully framed pictures that matched my kitchen decor perfectly!
Sorry AGAIN, for my poor photography, I will post better pictures this week.
(feel free to click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Thrifty Find- YELLOW Kitchen Curtains!

2010-02-04T23:17:00.000-05:00

I have been envisioning YELLOW curtains for the kitchen since I've embarked on this project.
I found the most perfect length, shade of yellow, and exact style at Goodwill. There wasn't a tag on them, but the woman said $3.99-- then I used my trusty Goodwill Discount card and saved 10% off of that!

Below I have a post titled: Inexpensive No Sew Kitchen Curtains, where I tried my crafty skills for the first time in a loooong time, and it turned out alright. I am happy to report that I took those curtains down, put my black panels back up from WalMart [on the large window] and popped these babies onto the rod! I LOVE THEM, LOVE THEM, LOVE THEM! The kitchen is so bright and sunny!
(PS I suck at taking pictures, so I'll have better ones up soon)

AFTER:

The faucet will be getting changed out very soon.

Before pictures are in the other curtain blog.

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Longer/ Higher Curtains:

2010-02-04T22:47:00.000-05:00

I've learned that you should hang your curtains higher to make your room appear taller. And let's face it, this tiny trailer needs all the help it can get.
Sadly I don't have a "before" picture of the short curtains attached right above the window sill, but I do have a picture of how silly they look with the rod placed at the more appropriate level.
[Nevermind the blank walls as they are a work in progress].

AFTER: These are actually 4 long scarves with the bandana "do-rag" type pattern, They are from Goodwill, brand new - Target rejects. Goodwill gets a lot of the Target merchandise that doesn't sell. These were $2.00 a piece, and I put them on curtain clips from Ikea. I love how flowy they are, they let the light in and it's a lot more clean and crisp looking. I do want to get more- hopefully there are still some left. I got this idea from someone I was following who made "Bohemian" style curtains with fabric that she cut into strips and then knotted around the rod. I thought it was so simple, so bold, unique and very pretty. If you ever see her blog- please feel free to tell me who she was so I can give credit where credit is due.

BEFORE: Yuck! WalMart Curtains.

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Kitchen Range Hood:

2010-01-06T01:41:00.000-05:00

SNEAK PEAK! Ideally I'd love to use appliance spraypaint on this and paint it either black or white, but I rent, and can only do so much. The range hood and the sink are the same color yellow, which inspired me to pull of a black, white, gray and yellow kitchen.

I found these removable, translucent decals from Dollar Tree (for $1.00) and had planned on using them on the wood over the sink... but they were too sheer. I popped one on the range hood, just playing around, and it really turned out cute! It would have been even cuter if the wood grain didn't come off onto the sticker, but you can hardly tell!

After: (PS See what a difference NEW HARDWARE makes on those cabinets?!)

Before: (never mind the walls they were a work in progress, as you can see [in the AFTER picture] the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works wonders)!

Close ups:

It's The Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Coat Hanger:

2010-01-06T01:17:00.000-05:00

Entry way... well sort of. This is our front door area, but we don't use the front door, so we use it for storage and a catch all.

My boyfriend has a habit of taking off his sweatshirts and putting them EVERYWHERE but on a coat hanger, and even still, we only had 2 coat hangers. I was on a mission to break him of that, and that I did.... well sort of (he's working on it).

I purchased a dual level, sturdy coat hanger from Marshalls on clearance for $4.00!
After:

The LAUGHABLE Before (below)!

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Pup's Toy Bin:

2010-01-06T00:53:00.000-05:00

My pup is SPOILED, plain and simple. Anytime we go somewhere we always buy him a toy or two. Our cars are packed full of toys, and his toy box was overflowing in the house.
His toy box was originally a small clothes hamper. He loves beating up toys that are bigger than him, so we decided to upgrade him.

(If you notice, I've been putting the "after" pictures first, because of how Blogspot displays the first picture as the main picture, and let's face it, it's NOT cute!)

Final Result:
I purchased 2 toile bins on clearance at TJ Maxx for $10.00 each.

The First BEFORE:
Laundry basket below- PS That is a plastic turtle in the background not a "present" left behind for me!

Second BEFORE:
Then I purchased (below) the brown basket with cloth lining for $18.00 at WalMart, it was of poor quality, located in the Arts and Crafts section. It didn't hold his toys much at all:

Then I saw these!!! Thank you TJ Maxx!
AFTER:

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Office Chair:

2010-01-06T00:34:00.000-05:00

sneak peak at the "office":
A few weeks ago we took a trip to Ikea and found this beauty in the "As Is" section because it was a floor model. There was the tiniest scratch on the arm, but you can't even tell.

After: Much more inviting, as it is pretty much the first thing people see as they walk through the door.

Before: YUCK! My before is a hand-me-down chair, I think because the one we had broke several years ago. I'm embarassed to even show this picture. It came from a place where dirt was EVERYWHERE, and ewww I guess I never scrubbed it down. Plus this chair weighed like a zillion pounds!

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Matching DISHES! [Thrifty Finds]

2009-12-25T01:31:00.000-05:00

I've been with my boyfriend for 13 years come January 17th. When I met him, he had purchased his own set of hunter green WalMart dishes about 2 to 3 years prior to us dating. Half a year into our relationship, we got some hand-me-down dishes from an ex friend, a few years into that we purchased some dishes from Mardens, some plastic bowls from a yard sale, and maybe a dish or two from a thrift store.

It was purely chaos in my kitchen cabinet with the colors. I wanted a set of dishes that not only matched, but matched my decor.
Here is my BEFORE- yes that's all of them, I've managed to break a few over the years: (don't forget to click the pictures to get a better close up!)

Here is my big find! YELLOW and WHITE Couture Styled by Mikasa
Accent Casuals in Jasmine #JH104 6 (SIX) piece setting which included:
1 serving plate, 6 dinner plates, 6 bowls, 6 smaller plates, and 1 serving dish.....
all for the price of........ $7.99!!!
Yes my friends, SEVEN DOLLARS AND NINETY NINE CENTS from Goodwill! Could you imagine if they would have sat around til the day they went on half off-- it would have been even crazier to get these at $3.99-- which I didn't, and that is totally fine!!!

Not a single chip, break, crack, etc!!! They are in PERFECT condition!!
Ready to see them in the cabinet?!?!

So much better!! I'd like to thank the previous owners of the dishes for keeping them all together and treating them kindly! And a big thanks to Goodwill for the incredible price!

The dishes aren't listed on the site, the stamp looks pretty old, so it's hard to tell if they are "antique" or if they just have an old time stamp. Again, all that mattered was that I have dishes that all match and are all there!

I packed up our dishes and ran them to Salvation Army the next day. It was sad seeing them go, but we'll find tranquility in these matching, unchipped dishes!

Inexpensive No Sew Kitchen Curtains:

2009-12-25T00:26:00.000-05:00

My kitchen is black, white, gray and yellow. I personally would love yellow curtains, and will get them later on, but for now I purchased 3 3/4 yards of this gray and black scroll material for $6.00 at Mardens.

This was EXACTLY enough to do my kitchen sink window and my large kitchen window.

I love that I can see out of the windows without having to move my curtain over (which is surprisingly what I HAD to do with my WHITE and blue curtains from WalMart). I also love that they allow for the light to come into the kitchen without having a glare.

(Here is a sneak peak of some of the BIG changes we are doing. This is the BEFORE with the OLD hardware on the cabinets.......

this is the AFTER with the NEW hardware on the cabinets! This is the OLD curtain...... )

the AFTER of the curtain that I made (daylight shot) [it's not that crooked- LOL) ....

the after shot (evening). Please excuse the mess.

the close up of the fabric.

MINI SPOTLIGHT!!

It's the little things that make a big difference!

BEFORE: The actual dish soap bottle is sitting on the countertop.

AFTER: Black, white and silver scroll pump bottle now houses the liquid. It's not only more functional, but a lot more appealing. I got it on clearance at Kohl's for $4.00!

~ I also changed out the papertowel holder from a white one to a more sleek brushed stainless steel one (that matches the new hardware). UPDATE: 2/7/10 I not only removed the new papertowel holder- but I've changed it's location entirely. Photos to follow soon.

~~ I also pulled the metal light cover around and faced it out to hide the bulb, where as before the bulb was exposed and not cute looking. By doing this, the papertowel holder matches even more and the light is more inviting and not in your eyes.

My kitchen is going through a major transformation with blogs and pictures to come. A lot has to do with updating it and making it a lot less dated and more cleanly. Other redecorating includes: much cuter outlet covers (I'm just waiting to finish scrubbing up the walls then I am putting them up), decorative shelf and artwork in the kitchen, a new faucet with sprayer to be purchased soon, and we have changed from buying decorative papertowels to purchasing plain white papertowels to match the kitchen better.

Material and Costs:

Mardens fabric- $6.00

Ikea DIGNITET curtain clips- $4.00 ( 24 quantity)

hem tape- had on hand

iron

Instructions for no sew curtains:

cut the fabric to desired length leaving about an inch around the entire side (I left them longer on the left and right sides to that I didn't have to cut them and risk cutting off more than I wanted). Place viewing side down (backside facing up) Crease about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch over and iron it. Rip hem tape to length of hem. Place the hem tape rough side down against the crease line and fold hem over to cover the tape. Press the iron for 3 seconds working all the way down. It is very important to make sure that you make sure your iron is free of hem tape glue as you are about to turn the curtain over to the good side. If there is any glue residue, be careful, grab a wet rag and wipe it down. Press the good side for about a second or two, working your way down.

These curtains (big window not shown due to placement of rod being moved soon)... were different than my first one, as I used the Ikea curtain clips this time.

When all of your sides are hemmed, Grab your curtain in the top middle and fold it evenly, and attach your first hook directly in the middle and work your way out placing hooks where you so much desire. I used 5 clips on the little window and 11 on the big window.

The total cost was about $8.69 for two windows!

It's the Little Things That Make a Big Difference- Mouse Pad:

2009-12-24T23:32:00.000-05:00

My "office" is in my kitchen, so I've incorporated the black, white, gray and yellow theme for the computer area.

It looks so much more sleek, clean, organized and mature. I will have a full blog about the office soon (sadly I don't have a before picture of the file cabinet or the desk).

Here's the old mousepad: (it's a deep red, NOT pink like the camera flash makes it appear like)!

Here's the new mouse pad. This was at Dollar Tree for $1.00! It is a picture frame/ 2010 calendar/ mouse pad!! When I saw it was black and white, I just HAD to have it!

AHHHH, so much better!
Truth be told: My boyfriend HATES it, he removes it and uses the red one because of the squishy wrist rester and he says the red one doesn't slide all over the place like the black and white one [boo hoo]. So, I will be COVERING the mousepad or spray painting it for him, LOL!

My New LOVE: Owls! [Thrifty Finds]

2009-12-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing a lot of owls lately, especially in the etsy blogs. I don't know what it is about them... but I really LOVE owls! So out with the old (my moose, black bears, frogs and turtles) and in with the owls!

I found this one at Goodwill for .99!!! I am sure he's an old earring holder, but now he's the perfect little guy for my stand in the hallway! I don't even mind that his color is coming off, it gives him character! He is a '70s Revere Mfg product!

(AS ALWAYS: Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge them!)

Then at another Goodwill I saw a black bowl on a picture hanger, flipped over faced down with a price tag of $1.99.
When I flipped it over, I couldn't believe my eyes!!!! An OWL bowl that was black and "yellow" (it's more gold- but it's PERFECT!)!!!! I mean it was a win in itself when it was just a black bowl on a wall hanger, but then to be my new found love--- EXTRA SCORE and to be in the color I need TRIPLE SCORE!!
I quickly put it in my cart!! <3
(haha, when I enlarged the one below, I noticed that he was cross eyed, oh well, LOL, I still love him!)

UPDATE: I found more info about the owl bowl: Someone is selling this same exact bowl- but the eyes aren't messed up like my owl's, LOL!

"Couroc is Unique"

(1970's label)

Phrenolic Bowl

Couroc of Monterey, California was founded in 1948 by the husband and wife team of Guthrie Sayle Courvoisier and Moira Wallace. Wallace was a gifted artist, whose early work included mosaic designs built from inlaid metal and plastic materials. Guthrie developed the technology further, and began Couroc company, which produced heavy, durable plastic trays with inlaid designs. Couroc set the trend of elegance in the 1940's and 1950's with their high price products for home entertainment in style. Alas the company stopped producing these products for the fashionable home in the lated 1970's and ceased operations altogether in the mid 1990's.

For the past week I've made it a mission to go to all of the Goodwills and other thrift stores in Maine (and some in New Hampshire and Mass). I guess I can officially use the term "thrifting".

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Livingroom Rug:

2009-12-24T22:39:00.000-05:00

I'm semi- spotlighting the new rug in the livingroom, that I purchased for $119.00 at Mardens.
I was in the market for a KITCHEN rug and saw this rug and fell in love with it for my livingroom! It has all of my colors in the livingroom and it beautiful (though my pictures don't do it justice- I'm sorry, I am an awful photographer when it comes to taking pictures of my interior).
There was NO rug there before, just the red carpet. The rug just ties everything together now.
Remember, I am ONLY spotlighting the rug, as there have been new changes to this room, including a SECOND overhaul on the bookshelf (wait til you see THAT before and after blog!!), a new curtain behind the hutch (blog and pictures coming soon), some new decorations for the season (though I am late- LOL), a plant (a.k.a. "element of life"), mirrors, a lamp on the hutch has been repositioned ontop of the tin to add balance, a new tablecloth for the beadboard stand, and the window frame behind the hutch has yet to be stained.
Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge them!

BEFORE: The rug isn't as BRIGHT as this is showing, it's more of a deep red or maroon.

AFTER: "Sammy" happy because there's a new rug so he's running around!

My Inexpensive Monogrammed Refridgerator Magnet Craft!

2009-12-24T22:04:00.000-05:00

I purchased a magnetic "C" from Target in the $1.00 isle. It was NOT the colors I was doing my kitchen in. My kitchen is black, white, gray and yellow. I wanted a simple pattern since my refridgerator used to be so chaotic with random magnets. I then found some scrapbook paper at Targe... 8 sheets for .99! I actually didn't think that many sheets were in there, as I fell in love with the first pattern I saw and grabbed it specifically for that one piece, so that was a BONUS! I then went to buy Mod Podge, as I had seen everyone use it around Blogspot. I priced it, wasn't too sold on the price, then decided to get the little bottle of Puzzle Mod Podge. I am glad I did! That stuff worked beautifully!

MAGNET SIZE IS: 6" TALL BY 5 1/2" WIDE- It's fairly large.

BEFORE: Preschool-ish ABCs:

AFTER: More Mature Decor:
(PS Usually I recommend clicking on the picture to blow them up and look at the details, I'd rather you not with this one, LOL, as this was my first attempt and I am incredibly rusty! LOL But from far back it looks GREAT! I mean, if you want to, there's no stopping you, LOL)

Supplies and Costs:

Monogram Magnet from Target's Dollar Isle- $1.00
Scrapbook Paper from Target- .99 for 8 pieces!
Mod Podge- $4 ?? from WalMart
Black Perminant Marker- had on hand for mess ups
Exacto Knife- had on hand

Instructions:
Trace around magnet onto the paper and cut with a knife (or scizzors)- it's alright to leave ends hanging off, as you can touch them up later... as a hairstylists rule of thumb: It's better to leave more than to take too much off and not be able to fix it. I FORGOT to go around the ends of the visible side with the black marker (incase I cut to close and exposed the blue--- and boy oh boy do I know myself, as I did just that)!
Rub your Mod Podge onto the colored side of the letter and position the cut out paper. Press on it, and cut around any edges that are hanging off.
I know people use Mod Podge and/ or a glossy sealant to the tops, but I didn't- and it's totally fine without it.

Total price was about $1. 14!
I am very happy with my results!!

One of Several Inexpensive Holiday Decorations! [Thrifty Find]

2009-12-20T02:34:00.000-05:00

Balls and bells in a vase.
I know we've all seen them, but this is my first time in many, many years that I've been able to decorate for the holidays. And this was my first time making something so easy, yet truly beautiful.

I bought a vase from Goodwill for .99!
I purchased 1 (15 count) pack of fairly small Christmas balls in velvet red and shiny gold from Dollar Tree.
I put them in the vase.... it filled less than half way up.
So I headed to about 3 other Dollar Trees, rather than the extremely clean and organized Newington, NH Dollar Tree, and the trips in Maine were all a bust.
I mean they didn't even carry the selection like Newington did.
I decided to add bells. I had 2 packages of matte and shiny silver bells. I picked through many packages to find undented, rust free, without many paint chips coming off from a Maine location.
After all that, I put them back. I actually put them back because I was looking and saw they had little stars on them. Well, I'm not really a star person (ever since those large stars have been displayed on everyone's house).
The next day I remembered that the Santa on display on our hutch [right next to the vase] has stars on him.
I went and picked out 2 packages of bells for $2.00

The total cost was $4.00! And it doesn't look "cheap"!!

I couldn't be happier with my results! (TIP: You can click on the pictures to enlarge them).

The hutch has changed in terms of 'decorating', but I wanted to show you what it looked like. I've since purchased a set of olive green scroll curtains which makes the whole area stand out [in a good way]. And took a tip or 2 (for now til I can find a certain element) from Angela Ingo over at Imagine Cozy. She is awfully clever and full of design tips! Her blogs are beautifully written and illustrated!

remember this is my BEFORE picture of Holiday Decorating, a new picture will follow in a few days!

PS Nevermind the unstained window frame in the background. We're working on that!

(The round red & gold scroll tin and the black & white square basket are from Dollar Tree)

NEW Hobby... Plate Collecting! [Thrifty Find]

2009-12-20T01:48:00.000-05:00

It all started with these gray mushroom plates. I can't even describe them, and have tried Googling with no such luck. I thought to myself that they were so ugly, no one's going to want to buy them (I spotted them at Goodwill). Then when I was thinking of my new color pallet for the kitchen: black, white, gray and yellow. I was thinking how great those plates would be as an interesting coversational piece of art. I was out of state and wasn't getting back til 2 days later. Mind you, there were only 2 plates, and 2 mugs. These weren't old timey, I'd actually be willing to put money on them being Urban Outfitters; Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel or some of the other trendy places.
Obviously, by the time I had gotten back, someone else must have had the same idea. They were gone. I was pretty bummed out because I had grown to love them in my mind.
I looked down, and saw the most beautiful plate ever. It had flowers and a rose, and it incorporated black and gray. I thought, "Hmmmmm, could I make that fit into my new decor? I MUST have them!" There were 3, all at .99 a piece and one similar but different. I snatched up all 4 plates, and the plate that doesn't match the rest had 2 bowls, so I grabbed them too.
I got home and typed in the China plate numbers on the back. The one that stands alone came up with Edwin Knowles. I searched for more information about him, and couldn't really find much. I don't see his stamp on the back, which makes me believe that it's a replica... which is TOTALLY FINE with me. I was just hoping I could be pointed in the correct direction of a retailer as to where I could purchase more.
So here they are. As stated, my photography skills aren't very good at all. And they really don't do these plates justice, but they are stunning!
I have seen people selling the Edwin Knowles plate on eBay, but I'm not willing to pay what they are asking.

This is the plate that has Edwin Knowles associated with it:

(don't forget to click on the pictures that are blown up, so you can see the detail and the colors!)

I originally wanted to hang them on the wall, but then I got this crazy idea to use my china cabinet for CHINA rather than a catch-all for DVDs, car parts, and miscellaneous stuff!
That's a whole 'nother blog (pictures included!)
The dishes are displayed in my china cabinet on $1.49 wooden plate stands from Christmas Tree Shops. Since then, I've found a handful of plate stands at Goodwill (I've decided that the WalMart and craft store plates stands seemed too cheap looking, and were more expensive).

I also want to point out that when I had the idea to hang them on the wall, I started reading around and A LOT of people my age have plate collections. My boyfriend jokes and says it's an "old lady" thing, but these plates aren't meant to be diplayed by old women! LOL

Custom Inexpensive Earring Holder!

2009-12-20T00:55:00.000-05:00

I was searching for inexpensive ways to organize, and one thing that desperately needed organizing was my earrings. They could have been found all over the house, shoved in the bathroom drawers, in various bags, even glove departments of the cars. Now of course this won't prevent the earrings from being stashed somewhere other than where they should be, but one never knows!
I saw a tip where someone suggested cross stitch fabric and a frame. Well I am trying to save my frames for other things, but was completely planning on going to the craft store the night of the find. I was surprised with a trip to my local Goodwill, where low and behold was a roll of cross stitch cloth for .99! It was half off of that, so I purchased it for .49!
I had been super busy organizing my bathroom drawers, so by the time it was 2am, I just wanted to head to bed. BUT, I wanted to finish what I started.
So I got my earrings together, donated what I couldn't see using anymore, trashed others, and got out the cloth. Now honestly, I thought I had A LOT more earrings than what ended up being displayed on the cloth.

Materials and Cost:
* Cross stitch cloth- .49
* Fishing line as sewing thread- on hand
* Plastic hanger- on hand
(later added--->) * no skid rug mat for backing- on hand

Basically this project was like 52 cents!

Here's what I did:
I unrolled the entire cloth, wrapped an end around the hanger, and sewed the end to the hanger for extra support. I displayed my earrings spaced out, in pairs. I later added no skid rug mat (which is pretty much the foamy drawer liner stuff). I added the backing because I have the earring holder on my bedroom door, and everytime I opened and closed it- the earrings would make scuffing noises til they settled down from moving back and forth.

Please excuse my sewing. It was my first time in like 6 years, and it was 3:30am, I was sooo tired. Plus I had half the earrings on right close together, all on one side opposite of where I was sewing- so it took all of my tension and messed up my hem line. LOL Had there not been any earrings on the cloth, it would have ran smoothly!

This makes my earrings so much more accessible and I can actually SEE what I have for earrings!
To attach the no skid quieter to the back, I cut it to the size of the cloth and attached it with safety pins.
I'm really not too concerned with the look of it, I was looking for the function it provided.

INEXPENSIVE, NO SEW, iPod Docking Station Dust Cover:

2009-12-20T00:24:00.000-05:00

This was so simple, a Caveman could do it!
I have a black iPod Docking station/ alarm clock for my iPod Touch and it collects dust like you wouldn't believe! I got tired of dusting it practically everyday, and put this together in a matter of moments.
I used my .75 fat fabric quarter from Mardens. Mardens is a discount store, with many locations throughout Maine. They carry closeout store items at a discounted rate.
I planned on using these as curtains in my kitchen, but my boyfriend didn't like that the backside was white while the front was black.
I loved the fabric too much to just let it sit there. Believe me, I have many projects in mind for it!

Basically I cut the fabric to the size I wanted to cover it. With the back of the fabric facing up, I folded the edges, ironed the crease, got out my trusty hem tape, put the hem tape rough side down up against the crease, and ironed down the crease for 3 seconds sealing the tape. I flipped the fabric over (and did NOT clean off the glue on the iron so I did get some glue on the nice side of the fabric--- ALWAYS make sure your iron is free of glue residue before ironing the nice side of the fabric). Then I ironed the sides to lay flat to each side of the docking station, and viola! A custom cover with beautiful fabric for not even 22 cents!

It's the Little Things that Make a Big Difference- Pet Dish Area:

2009-12-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

I have an almost 4 year old Chihuahua/ Manchester Terrier. He's had the same water and food dishes for about a year now. They're great, but they didn't really match what I am transforming our kitchen decor into.
So, we went to Ikea in Stoughton, Mass. Not particularly looking for pet dishes, infact, I was looking for everything- but!
Let me just say that this Ikea makes the one in Baltimore look like a little market. This Ikea is ENORMOUS and has this unbelievably insane parking garage underneath and around it.

As mentioned before, my kitchen is going to be: black, white, gray and yellow.

Here's "Sammy's" before:

I purchased the bamboo placemat from Dollar Tree, which I loved!...
Here are the Ikea Pet Bowls, I think they were $3.99 (I'll have to check my list):

I loved the bamboo placemat because it made his area appear more mature. BUT.... Every day when I'd pick up his bowl to rinse it out and change the water, I was noticing water marks underneath. I didn't rinse out his waterbowl for 2 days, and on the 3rd day, I picked it up, and there was mold on the mat. I was saddened, but thought, "Hey it was only a dollar!"

So then we went to Christmas Tree Shops and I saw the most perfect placemats for him!! Not too girly or kitchen-y, and they were the correct color scheme (minus the yellow)!

These placemats were marked at like .69 a piece, but when they rang up, they were 3 for $1.00! Had I known that, I would have gotten more than 4!
I LOVE THEM!

My 1st NO SEW Curtain Ever!

2009-12-19T23:27:00.000-05:00

I had been looking for inexpensive ways to decorate, and found results on "no sew curtains".
Sounds easy enough... in fact, there's even easier ways than I have done it! (which I'll blog about later)

I purchased some beautiful black and white heart fat quarters for .75 a piece, with my heart set on them being kitchen window curtains. My boyfriend didn't like that the back of them was white while the front was black. WHATEVER, LOL.
So, I went out and found some fabric that would match my Jacobean. Again, another fat quarter for .75 cents.

I was targeting just the front door window.
Here is the before- hunter green, too long, too short curtain with a questionable stain on it from it's previous life as a tablecloth. NOTHING in our home is hunter green anymore.

And here's the after- cream and black trial curtain.

Here I've made the slot that the curtain rod goes through, so that it has that decorative lip at the top like a curtain.
As you can clearly see, I really didn't do much measuring, but have learned to measure better since.

Materials and Cost:
* 1 fat quarter- .75
* roll of hem tape- $2.20 (I barely used any of the roll)
* iron [had on hand]
* scizzors [had on hand but totally need fabric cutting ones]

So I basically made that panel for 83 cents!

Instructions:
Select the fabric of your choice and measure your window. My window is a unique shape and size. Make sure the fabric selected has atleast 1 inch extra on each side.
I put the fabric front side down and folded the right side in first. I folded it about 1/2 an inch, pretty much the width of the hem tape. I ironed a crease all the way down. This provides for an easy line up and crisp edge.
I placed the hem tape rough side down and placed the iron over it for 3 seconds- moving my way down.
You want to be careful here because you may get hem glue on the iron and if it accidentally gets on the visible side of the fabric, you may as well call your project history (as I am CURRENTLY trying to fix that exact situation with a new curtain).
At this point if you have glue on your iron, wipe it off with a moist rag, then turn the curtain over (when there is NO glue present on your iron) and press for 1 or 2 seconds all the way down the curtain.
Repeat this with the other side.
Next I did the bottom, where I did a double hem. I am sure there is a more technical term for it than that, but I am a "newbee" and that's what I am calling it.
I did the hem at the bottom as I did with the sides, but then I folded it once more, and repeated the process.
I double hemmed it to give it more stability and to make it more pleasing to the eye, should someone lift up the curtain.
The result was a nice and not too thick bottom part of the curtain.
For the top part of the curtain, I folded it down in the length of THREE hems. I ironed it to give it a good line to follow, and placed my hem tape at the very part of the crease, all along the top. I adhered the tape as I did before. * The top of the fabric was the factory cut, so I didn't do any extra hemming.
I then left a gap the size of the hem tape width (or curtain rod) and adhered the hem tape along the bottom of the folded hem to the spot of which it matched up. This gave it the pocket for the rod to slide through, and sealed the bottom.

Then Comes the "NEW" Stove!!!

2009-12-19T22:23:00.001-05:00

We've been here for 7 years, and have had 2 stoves prior to the new one. The 2 previous stoves were old, refurbished stoves. My ladylady had all the best intentions by keeping with the almond type color, and providing us with a working stove. Well, the 2nd one stopped working almost immediately, but she's such an incredible landlady- that I didn't want to burden her.

When I'd use the stovetop, the burners would stay very hot when turned all the way down, which would burn my food, it would take forever for water to boil, and I once tried baking a 38 minute cake, only to continue baking it for over 4 hours with cold batter throughout the cake.

My boyfriend, Gabe, started looking on Craigslist for a stove, and we hit the jackpot!

Here's Ol' Unreliable:

And here is the new stove (below):

Nevermind the walls, that's a work-in-progress that definately has some before and after pictures to share! I'll be getting to that soon! Actually the stove is the only focus, nevermind anything in the picture, as I will be blogging about what you may or may not see, LOL!

I have never had a glasstop stove before, but let me just say: LOVIN' IT! I have NOT burnt any food (which was by way of the old stove- certainly not an error on my part LOL), water boils in a matter of seconds, and food actually COOKS in the oven! The first time I made chicken tenders and they came out sizzling, I was in awe! The food seriously tastes better too! Our first weekend with it, I whipped up a batch of brownies, and they were just the right consistency, baked all the way through, and over all delicious!

At this point we weren't so much concerned at getting an almond color stove or the like, considering the fact that last year she purchased a white fridge for our kitchen. Our only concern was that it WORKED! Of course it didn't hurt that it looked good too *wink*!

This inspired my kitchen color pallet: black, white, gray and yellow. Rather than making the yellow sink and range hood stick out like a sore thumb, I've decided to incorporate them into the color scheme (there really was no style or anything before, things were just slapped together).

The Jazzy Jacobean wall graphic that got the decorating started!

2009-12-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

I've been renting a trailer (constructed around the 1950s) for 7 years. The trailer has original real oak paneling, laminated sparkly gold and white kitchen walls, and some weird textured bathroom walls. We aren't able to make many changes to this place, so I started brainstorming on what I could do to make this house our home.
I ran across RoomMates Peel and Stick wall decals when looking for peel and stick wall border.

I saw the Jazzy Jacobean and fell in love with it!
The peel and stick wall decals do not have a sticky residue, are removable, you can wipe them down, and more.
I called customer service and asked if they truthfully had complaints about them NOT sticking to wood panel walls, and she gave it a glowing review. I also read online reviews, and the reviews were great as well.
I was SOLD!
I called my local Lowes because the RoomMates site said they were a local dealer. It wasn't something they had in stock, but could order it and send it to my house UPS Red with NO SHIPPING CHARGE what-so-ever! It showed up within in a couple days... and I let it sit.

I finally got the ambition to put it together, because each flower, stem and leaf are individually cut to where you can place them how you please. I loved how RoomMates had their display set up, so I went for it!
I was very happy to see that there was more brown and gold in it than pictured, it blended with the wall very nicely, even though the Jacobean looks pretty white in my picture, it really isn't.

I was afraid this wouldn't stick to my wood paneling with the grooves and all, but it stuck better than expected!

Several hours later, LOL, and here's the final result! I think it says it'll take 40 minutes to put up... WRONG!! LOL

The total cost was $20.00 even, they don't even charge tax! I am very happy with this purchase!

(you may click the picture to enlarge it and see the detail, but I must warn you, that light switch is being changed out or covered very soon).

I plan on getting different graphics for other rooms!

Introducing the NEW ME!

2009-12-19T01:28:00.000-05:00

Well, these past few weeks have been phenomenal!
We have been reorganizing (or shall I say ORGANIZING) our house; redecorating; incorporating style; resurrecting my crafty side [that has been hidden for YEARS]; and truly turning our house into a home.

It all started when one of my boyfriend's new friends came over, Mike from his car club, and I felt so uneasy with how cluttered my house was. Honestly, he was the first guy that I respected, to set foot through our doorway. I was mortified at what he may have thought- with the first impression of our home. He was super nice and kept reassuring me that it was fine, and that his house looked the same, but with as nice as he was, I just couldn't believe him. He was truly heaven sent. His presence was exactly what we needed to get our lives in check. I hope to tell him how much he's changed our lives for the better.

Then I realized we have lived here for 7 years!! For a few years now I've been telling everyone, "Oh we've been living here for 4 years".
Just like my obsession with shopping for clothes: having too much of everything, but couldn't find a thing to wear.... I quickly learned: I HAD TOO MUCH OF E V E R Y T H I N G, and what's worse... I was NOT using it!
So, out with the old, in with the new.... in moderation.

I have been complaining for YEARS that we didn't have enough cabinet space, to the point where I'd be in tears sometimes, only to JUST NOW LEARN that I've had the cabinet space all along, I've just been storing useless stuff in it!
I even found receipts from 2003 in little boxes, and No Bake Cheesecake mix that expired in 2006... yummmm- NOT!

We have tackled the living room, the kitchen, the hallway, the "office", and the bathroom.
The bathroom was so rewarding. The bathroom was so dated, and cluttered.
I had a girl over and was foiling her hair, and she walked out of my bathroom and said, "It looks like a CVS in there!" She was referring to the 35 or so hygiene products: soap, shampoos, conditioners, hair sprays, toothpastes, etc. that were OPENLY displayed and taking up space in there.
My cabinets just had things shoved in there, and I rarely used anything that I kept stored in the drawers.
It was a HUGE eye opener as well.

Last, I owe a big thanks to my friend Amanda, she runs Scribbled Sentences. She introduced me to a few posts on here, which got my gears turning, mostly about redecorating on a budget and incorporating style into your life. I have known her since she was like 4 years old. Even with our age difference, she was still one of my best friends. Her mom and dad had a gorgeous house, and she takes after them with an even cooler style. If it wasn't for her dabbling in her crafts, and posting her blogs, I don't think I would have advanced this much these past few weeks.

Our home is no longer drab. It actually has a STYLE, where before things were pretty much thrown together.

I will be posting the stuff I've done soon.

Here's some things listed (pictures will accompany the blogs!!!):

* Made my own NO SEW curtains! (A few pairs actually!);
* Rearranged my book shelf, only to rearrange it again by REMOVING the paper book covers from the hard cover books. By doing this, there aren't many books that clash with my interior now (before there were tons of pink/ hot pink/ purple covers!) this way they don't stick out like a sore thumb;
* Made affordable holiday decorations;
* Started a plate collection... was going to hang them on the wall, but decided to UTILIZE the CHINA CABINET for CHINA rather than to house DVDs and awful eye sore items that greeted visitors when they first entered our home--- yuck;
* Actually decorated for the holiday season!;
* Made a very inexpensive earring holder;
* Inexpensive organizing tips;
* Customized a monogram project;
* My EXCELLENT finds at Goodwill, Salvation Army, Marden's, Target, WalMart, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Dollar Tree, Ikea, Christmas Tree Shops, Edgewood Thrift, Ollies, Savers and the likes;
* Made an iPod docking station dust cover;
* Learned how to decorate shelves;
* Developed a love for OWLS!;
* and made simple changes that made a world of difference!
Something I haven't done, but can't wait to do, thanks to all of the blogs, is SPRAY PAINT! Yup, that's right, I want to jump on the makeover bandwagon with spray paint! Spring can't get here soon enough! I already have a huge list of items to paint!!

Stay tuned!
Thank you for reading!

(PS This blog is now for crafts, decorating, cooking, baking, tips, cleaning, organizing, style, discount shopping, thrift store finds, etc. This will no longer be dedicated to my personal relationship).

101 Things to Do in 1001 Days LIST:

2009-10-23T10:56:00.000-04:00

The list is COMPLETE!
When I first started typing out everything that I had written down, I thought for sure I had over 50 items. NOPE: I only had like 30.
Of course now I look at it and want to add some stuff, but I am pretty content on where it's at.
Here is the link:
101 Things to Do in 1001 Days

Bacon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!!

2009-08-26T17:31:00.000-04:00

I know what you are thinking... BELIEVE ME, I've been there myself!! "Bacon Cupcakes, HOW DISGUSTING!!" Our thoughts couldn't be more wrong! After looking online, these really started taunting me, to the point where I'd salivate just thinking about what they could taste like.
When you want something sweet and salty, this will hit the spot. I'd call 'em "Comfort Cupcakes".
Now I've typically seen these made with chocolate frosting, but I decided to tone it down on my first try, and went for Betty Crocker's version of 'cream cheese'.

Okay, so I didn't have a lot to work with, and in all actuality I felt like a makeshift Paula Dean with the amount of "butter" used.

I used the Hallmark Party Express baking cups... they are so cute.

I cheated and sadly used all prepackaged ingredients- even so, these were a hit!:
* Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter Recipe Yellow Cake mix
* Oscar Mayer fully cooked Bacon
* Betty Crocker Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
(all I had to do was add 1 1/4 cup of water to the mix, a half cup of softened butter -I just used Country Crock Light, and 3 large eggs.)

I buttered the insides of the cups, that's why they don't look as uniformed/pleated now.
I microwaved the bacon to make it extra crispy, then I poured a tiny bit of batter in 12 cups.
I left 4 pieces of bacon for garnishing the tops.
I broke up the bacon in tiny pieces, put them in the partially filled cups, then poured the remaining batter and filled them practically to the top. (I rinsed the rest of the batter down the drain).
I baked them for 12 minutes, turned the pan around so that they could bake evenly, and baked them for an additional 14 minutes.
They turned out perfectly!

I let them cool for a bit, but then decided to eat them during dinner along with our Shepherd's Pie (homemade mashed potatoes, a layer of creamed corn, 1 1/2 pounds of cooked crumbled ground beef, and another layer of mashed potatoes on top- bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees).

The cupcakes were semi-cool, and I decided to put the icing on them.
Here is where I wish I would have made homemade, as the icing tasted very commercially. I chose "cream cheese" because I thought "breakfast and bacon".
I would make my own cream cheese frosting next time.
I did mix a tiny bit of Sugar Free Maple Syrup in a tiny bit of the frosting, but decided against it, as it didn't taste much different- except for tasting a little too sweet.

Result:
THEY WERE INCREDIBLE!
They actually emulated the flavor of a McDonald's McGriddle [breakfast sandwich] to a "T"!
I am not even disappointed in the warm commercial frosting on the top.

Well, here are the pictures, please remember I am NOT a Photographer, so I am sure they are awful, but I wanted to prove that even the simplest ingredients can make for an unusual sounding, but amazing cupcake!
I'd encourage you to click on the pictures and enlarge them, to get a look at the baking cups!!

Coconut m&m's (limited edition):

2009-08-25T00:24:00.000-04:00

Yum.

Great packaging, very cute.

I love the designs on the m&m's.

They are larger than normal m&m's.

Not too coconutty, and the flavor is nice, however I think one more splash of coconut, and they would have been great!
They should have made ones with almonds in them.

m&m's usually smell like ass, but these didn't- which of course was a PLUS!

I even had a "dud"!

I would get them again.

My Lack of Photography Skills:

2009-08-19T15:49:00.000-04:00

Not only do I despise getting my picture taken, I'm not too fond of taking pictures either. I know, call me "Crazy"! Thing is, I'm just not good at the whole focusing thing. But, I managed to take these pictures, and I am super proud of myself and how they turned out.

I took these first, which I wasn't too impressed with:

So then I zoomed in.
My favorite pictures that I have taken thus far:
(IF YOU CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

THEM,YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN!!)