Christy's Thrifty Decorating

Thrift Store TV stand Makeover

2009-11-04T19:06:00.005-05:00

I wanted to remind everyone that this subscription to Lowe's Creative Ideas is a totally "free" magazine that comes to you four times a year. It's filled with some great ideas, tips, new products and more. If you haven't signed up, go here and start getting it free. This issue includes 7 quick room redos, tips for transforming your home for the holidays and new ways to work with lights. Every once and a while they include a $10.00 coupon for a $50.00 purchase.

Just thought I would remind you.

So this week I finished up the television stand that I bought at the Goodwill. It was $12.00 and looked like crap. I knew though, that this stand could be made into something nice enough to put into my den. I had been passively looking around at tv stands, but quite frankly they are expensive.

Looks terrible, right?

This is what I thought when I first saw it. I'll sand it down, add some trim to certain parts and re-spray it black. I really liked the idea of having those cabinet doors. I can hide stuff back there that I don't want to look at anymore like remotes (all 50 of them), movies and things like that.

I started by giving the stand a good cleaning then sanded it down and sprayed it black.

I used one of my favorite products, Rub & Buff to add some gold accents around the door and also on the handles. Use your finger to apply this stuff, it's great. You can read more about this product here.

I added two pieces of trim to the center shelves (they were kind of beat up), so it would hide the damage and add to the piece. These were glued and nailed with small tacks to the unit.

For 12 bucks, you can't go wrong. It serves a purpose, looks nice and even has some storage.

Ah.........the thrift store find!

Christy

Updating your Goblins

2009-10-29T22:03:00.005-04:00

Halloween

I bought these guys the other day-5 bucks each. Aren't they cute? But don't you think they need some fixing up?

Some cheapo eyeballs..........

They need some dental work and some lightening up. A little white paint perhaps? I'm going to seal them with a clear spray to keep them nice for the following year. Cheap and easy.

Oh, how much better we look with a little makeup. They will sit on two posts outside to welcome all the trick-or-treaters.

Happy Halloween folks!

New Thrift Store Finds

2009-10-25T21:37:00.010-04:00

I was in the mood for a thrift store trip the other day. Look what I found and you'll see what I do with all of it in the next few weeks.

Cute little pumpkin mosaic-.99 cents

Can work as a candle if you take the lid off or just a little home for small items.

A home for garlic-.99 cents. This I didn't need but the challenge of hand painting it was too tempting, so I took it home. I'll paint it and use it to store garlic in. Cute....

A brass base for one of my effusion lamp-.99 cents. I've seen these sold on the Internet for a lot more money than this one cost me. You don't need them, but they look nice.

This item was one of my favorites. It is made completely out of wire and joined with solder. Definitely hand made and certainly unusual. Needs some cleaning. Cost-3 bucks.

I just needed a clock and this fits the bill. 3 bucks. It's going into my shop. Perfect. Install battery, clean it up and hang it. It's that simple.

OK, so here is the best find of the day, but it will create some work for me. I really need a television stand. I've been looking around because the one I have now is a piece of junk. I'm pretty sure you think the one below is junk too, but don't be so sure. I've already started working on it. It really is the perfect size and the cabinet doors are a real plus for me. I have big plans for this one. I will post the before and after shortly. I'm anxious to place it into the room. FYI-it does have shelves in the center but they are not shown in the photo. I had already taken them out when the photo was taken.

Thrift stores can offer some great deals. Sometimes the items just need a simple cleaning and sometimes they need work. I got a bit of both this time around.

Christy

Thrift Store Headboard Makeover

2009-10-15T20:24:00.015-04:00

My first problem. My daughter needed to take her bed from home and move it to her apartment. That leaves me with one double mattress with no headboard, no frame and no box spring.

that stinks........

So now I'm faced with buying a box spring and a frame. Not relishing the thoughts of traveling around to buy a box spring (and they never let you buy that separately) , trying to cram it into my Mustang (yeah, right) and spending money that I don't have, I started searching around on the Internet for some alternatives. I found this new type of box spring and boy it is cool. It's fairly inexpensive, is a box spring and frame in one, gives you space underneath the bed, ships easily to your home and goes together fast. Take a look here. It's called Better Than A Box spring. I put together, tried it out and guess what? It's comfortable. So this saved me.

Now I just needed a headboard. Originally I was going to make my own using plywood and 2X4's, but I happened to find exactly what I wanted at the local thrift store for $9.00.

Below is the headboard I purchased. It's perfect for what I have in mind. Only problem is-this is a queen size and I need a double. Ok, so no big deal. I'm going to cut down the middle and remove enough wood to bring it down to size. I'm choosing the middle so I don't make any
mistakes that will screw up my sides. I don't want to have to remove the side polls and mess with it so cutting in the middle seems less complicated.

Below, I've cut down the middle and removed enough wood to bring it down to size. I'm going to glue it together and fasten straight brackets to it. This should hold it together just fine.

To the right, the headboard is glued and brackets are installed. I'll let the glue dry and then start to prime my side polls. My plan is to paint the polls dark brown.

Primed.

Below the polls are painted dark brown. My plan now is to cover the headboard with cotton batting, using spray adhesive to keep it in place. I purchased a few yards of microfiber fabric to cover and enough decorative brass upholstery nails to nail around the perimeter of the headboard once it's covered with fabric.

The most difficult part of the entire project was nailing the upholstery tacks in straight, even and spaced out correctly. For this I made a small template with cardboard. They still didn't go in exactly straight, but good enough. I used a disappearing marker (found at Joann's Fabric store) to draw a line that I could use as a guide to hammer in the tacks.

To the right here, you can see how they look. I've found plenty of uses for these tacks. They have a nice look to them. Available in black, antique brass and shiny, bright brass. For this project I used the antique brass. I purchased them in Home Depot.

I wrapped the fabric around the headboard carefully and used staples to attach it to the back. The cotton padding added some dimension and the tacks added some design.

I've finally finished this up and placed it behind the bed. I like the way it came out, but better than that is the price.

$9.00 for the headboard

$12.00 for the tacks

$9.00 for the fabric

$6.00 for the cotton batting

The paint and primer I had at home.

The comforter set was purchases on the Internet at overstock.com because the price was very reasonable.

Another thrift store find turned into something worthwhile.

Christy

New Paint Product

2009-09-20T21:03:00.007-04:00

New Products Help Expand Creativity and Save Time

What if you could change the color of your pillows with the spray of a bottle? How about changing the color of a rug, comforter, bath mats or even interior of your car. It really sounds too good to be true but it's finally available.

I ran across this upholstery fabric paint called Simply Spray. To be fair, I really couldn't imagine that this would work, and work well. I was figuring that it would leave the fabric stiff and uncomfortable to be around. I was wrong.

I tried an pillow to start with. On the left is the "before" pillow. It has a textured fabric in gold. This fabric spray stays soft, is permanent and easy to use. Naturally it came with directions that I followed to assure that I did it correctly.

I used the color Hunter green for this pillow. Here is the photo of the pillow with "one" coat of spray.

I let this sit for a while before applying a second coat.

Can you imagine spraying a couch over? or the upholstery of a car? I'm not sure I'm that brave, but I bet it works. I was thinking about some other uses and came up with spraying my upholstered kitchen chairs. That saves a lot of work.

Here is the second coat. The fabric is all filled in and very rich looking. The color is solid but you still see the texture. Also notice that the color is a true hunter green, just like the bottle describes.

A truly amazing product with many uses. This spray is specifically created for upholstery.

You can check out their website here.

I found this product at Joann's but I've seen it at Michael's and Hobby Lobby.

They also make a stencil paint that you can use for fabric and

a spray for clothing. I'm going to give both a try and see what happens. This opens up a whole new realm of possibilities.

I have several sisal rugs that have gotten dull over the years. This spray would make them look like new. Many colors are available. If you need more info check out the site here.

Christy

Stained Glass

2009-09-14T22:23:00.008-04:00

I'm keeping busy these days working on some stained glass.

Stained glass isn't exactly "thrifty" unless you do it yourself and even that, isn't exactly cheap. It's a hobby I took up a long time ago and eventually turned it into a small at- home business. Thought you may like to see some pictures of some recent work.

Above is a piece that I finished a while ago for over a door in my kitchen.

The piece above is five separate panels that I placed above a french door. Not the greatest of photos. Looks much better in person. I just finished this last week.

I made five of these for my kitchen cabinets. Here is a photo of two of them. These cabinets actually had solid wood panels that I removed using a saw and router. This is a simple design that doesn't make the kitchen too busy. The frosted glass helps to hide all the items that are stored in the cabinets.

Below are four cabinets I just finished for a customer who has just put in a new kitchen. They will have lights behind them when they are finally hung.

Busy , busy................

Thrift Store Find

2009-08-25T21:22:00.003-04:00

I just love this. Goodwill...........$10.00..........and what is it? I'm not sure exactly what it is but I absolutely love it. It was in perfect condition and very clean. It appears that it was once attached to something (not sure what).

I decided it would work in my bathroom as a place to put a few important items.

If you can believe this, I totally forgot to take a "before" photograph. This is the cabinet all finished. All I did was add some decorative tissue with Mod Podge to the four little drawers. The handles are original and the center cabinet has glass. I wrapped the same tissue around the grid on the glass cabinet.

Done! I can't tell you how functional and nice looking this little cabinet looks in my bathroom.

It pays to shop at the thrift stores and put some effort into things. The end results can be delightful.

Christy

Changing is Simple

2009-08-15T20:17:00.006-04:00

Someone gave me this lamp about a year ago. It's very sturdy and well made. The center of the lamp is a light purple and so is the shade. I don't have any use for those colors so I stored the lamp in the basement, thinking that maybe I would need it in the future.

The future is here and my daughter needs the lamp for her den. She's 23 and is on a tight budget (and who isn't these days?) So how do you go about changing the lamp to "make it" match?

A few things come to mind.

*paint the center part another color

*decoupage the center with tissue or fabric

*tape off the brass carefully and spray paint the center part

Originally I wanted to use Glossy Mod Podge and apply newspaper print to the center, buy a white shade and hot glue a black beaded fringe to the bottom of the shade. The "kid" didn't like that idea and wanted something with green.

I decided to use tissue paper with shades of taupe and green. I cut up the tissue into 1 inch squares, used the Mod Podge with a paint brush and applied them until they covered the entire center.

Here is a "not so good" photo of the tissue I used. At least you can see the variety of colors that appear in the tissue.

Here is the lamp before. Notice the lavender color in the middle. This is the part that must be changed to match up with the decor of the room.

Now you can see the difference! The purple is now green. The tissue I used had a variety of colors so the end result was a marble look. I like the variation that happens when you use tissue paper with a design in it.

Mod Podge can transform so many things. It's a quick way to change the look or color of something.

Below is the lamp, all finished. The lamp was free, the other things I had hanging around the house and the white shade was $11.00 at Walmart. Re purposing an old lamp and making it blend in. Easy and cheap!

Mod Podge with Fabric

2009-07-24T21:58:00.010-04:00

I use Mod Podge and tissue on so many items. It covers well, gives a new look to just about anything and is very user friendly. I've never used it on fabric, until now.

My daughter is going back to college to a new apartment. That means she is on the hunt for pieces of furniture to fill up the rooms. Last week she stopped at a garage sale and picked up a much needing side table for her bedroom. She paid $3.00 for it and brought it home......to me. It's very sturdy, but very beat up. Actually, I would not have picked this one up myself. It really looked like someone had taken a hammer to it. But she's a college student, on a budget so it seemed like a good buy.

Her bedroom is done in shades of green and orange-giving it a tropical look. Her bed comforter has large, tropical orange flowers with plenty of fern-like leaves. She wanted this side table to match.

Since the piece was so beaten up I decided to cover the top and drawer front with fabric. I picked up some striped green fabric and a bottle of Mod Podge-Hard Coat. Hard coat gives a tough and sturdy finish. So sturdy that you can sand it. It gives a great finish and covers all the sins.

Here is what I did. I started by standing it down to get it as smooth as possible. I didn't kill myself over this because I knew later it would be covered with the fabric. I then spray painted the whole thing brown. This matches all of her furniture.

Don't you just love the old colonial handle on the front? That's going.......

Above, I am applying a coat of the hard coat Mod Podge. This has to be done fairly quickly because it dries very quickly. The instructions on the bottle suggest painting the Mod Podge onto the fabric and then laying it out on the surface. I just founded it easier to paint it onto the table top. Since the fabric I used was a fairly sturdy cotton, it produced no air bubbles. Air bubbles can be rolled out with a roller.

The hardest part of this project is cutting the fabric straight. I used a straight edge to accomplish this, but it still wasn't easy.

Once the fabric is placed onto the table I applied three more coats. I used fine sand paper to sand out all the bumps and then applied two more coats. It goes quickly and the Mod Podge dries fast.

Here is the side table all completed. The piece on the bottom was an after thought, but my daughter thought it would look good. I drilled a hole in the center of the drawer and added the knob. The knob was plain wood, so I hand painted an orange flower (thinking this would look cute with the orange accents in her room) on it.

Three dollars-garage sale find-a little work and there you have it.

Someone gave me a pink and brass lamp last year, so I'm working on changing that up so it matches this table. I'll post that when it's done.

Christy

Inspiration

2009-07-12T20:30:00.009-04:00

Sure I go out to the thrift stores, Goodwill and garage sales looking around for bargains that I can do something with. I've been doing it for a long time. My daughter and her friends are starting to do exactly that.

Here are some great examples of turning trash to treasure. This young lady is moving into a new apartment and needs furniture. There isn't money in the budget to head over to Ethan Allen's and purchase full sets of furniture so she has used her head and current budget to do the best she can.

What a great job too.

Lets start with the microwave cart. Lauren needed one and this cost her $6.00 from a local thrift store. She lightly sanded it, applied a primer, painted it and replaced the handles. Looks great!!

Before:

After:

She purchased the items below in a thrift store. All she has to do now is clean them up and spray them white. Perfect, like new..........and very, thrifty.

Headboard $10.00

Side table $19.00

Without spending a lot of money and a little TLC, Lauren managed to get herself three very nice pieces of furniture. I'm glad to see that younger people are realizing they too can get creative without spending a ton of money.

Christy

Decorating with Matchstick blinds

2009-07-03T21:37:00.012-04:00

Matchstick Blinds

You've seen these in the stores. They were popular years ago and now are slowly slipping back into favor. Sold in Home Depot, Lowe's and other big box stores, they come in a variety of colors, sizes and also materials. They are usually made of thin wood but I've seen them now made of a more durable plastic.

What can you do with these blinds? The obvious is actually using them as blinds which is what I've done on my screened in porch. My porch gets very little sun but I hung them up anyway. They work for privacy, which I need when all the trees shed their leaves. I also just like the look they give to the porch-makes it looks sort of cozy.

This particular blind is "green tea". I have several of these hung in the porch. They go nicely with the wicker furniture.

Other Uses:

I have an entertainment unit in the den. Years ago I faux finished the exterior but decided it needed something additional. I purchased one large matchstick blind to provide an interesting background. I needed to cut the blinds to fit behind each shelf-not an easy task. The matchstick blinds are sort of fragile. I asked someone in Lowe's if they could recommend a good saw for the job. He told me to purchase a "bear saw". It's a hand saw with teeth that go in a particular direction. I think it cost about $15.00 which is a lot of money for a hand saw, but I knew I would use it in the future. The guy who suggested the saw was very skeptical.

I took the blinds home, wrapped them very tightly with a series of rubber bands close to the cut and sawed them very gingerly, but it did worked out fine! Yay!!

The photo above shows how these blinds add interest to the back of the cabinet without spending a lot of money.

I cut them all to fit and fastened them to the back of the cabinet with small paneling nails.

Another Use:

We have a room with a built in desk (came with the house) that has countless wires hanging in front of it. There isn't much you can do about it. I bought some clear wire wrappers and tied up all of them, but the wire still seemed like such an eye sore. I hate wires! I toyed with the idea of using fabric to cover the opening (see photo below so this make sense) but decided that the matchstick blinds would work just as well.

Behind this blind is a bunch of ugly wires. Now they are hidden from view which is the desired effect. Oh yeah, as an added feature, you don't see legs and feet either.

So you can use these blinds around the house to add some interest. There must be other uses for them, but so far this is about all I can come with.

Christy

Wicker and Goodwill wicker

2009-06-21T21:46:00.008-04:00

Goodwill Find

I found this set of wicker ducks in the Goodwill the other day. They were in perfect condition and only cost me $2.00. I bought them home and cleaned them up with water and soap. After looking at them for a couple of weeks I decided they needed some additional detailing.

They are actually pretty nice left alone, as you can see from the photo above.

Below-my tools. The old CD is what I use for a disposable palette. I have a stack of these, so I use them for this purpose rather then throw then away.

Acrylic paints

thin, small paint brush

clear, spray varnish

Below are the results. I just painted some colorful details around the top of the duck. Painted the beak and head. The head I brushed on a metallic brown to highlight the texture of the wicker. Using a thin brush allowed me to just brush color onto each strip of wicker.

By just adding a little color I have transformed my three ducks and made them more attractive (or at least I think so). You can't beat the price though, only two bucks. I'm going to add some fabric to the insides and use them for chips, pretzels or nuts.

When they were all completed I applied a high gloss polyurethane to the outside and inside or each duck.

I have lots of wicker in my home. Wicker seems to go with any decor and always makes a nice addition to any room. Whether it's chairs, tables, shelves or baskets, wicker can really spice up a room.

Here are some things I do to keep my wicker in good shape.

Keep it dust free with your vacuum and wipe down with a soft cloth.

Don't be afraid to take your wicker furniture outside, once a year and hose it down.
I also spray my wicker once a month with a water sprayer to give it some moisture. Wicker can get dry and brittle. I do this with my furniture that is on a screened porch and is subjected to a lot of heat.

To keep wicker from yellowing, scrub it one a year with warm salt water. Dip a stiff bristle, paint brush into the warm water and give it a good going over. Do not rinse.

Don't expose wicker to direct sunlight or freezing temperatures.

Don't be afraid to paint wicker. Every piece I have painted comes out looking great. Just take it outside and spray it. It will look brand new. Try some decorative painting on your wicker. It's easy and can really change the look of a piece.

Christy

Alaska

2009-06-07T22:51:00.017-04:00

We just got back from a wonderful vacation in Alaska and I thought you may like to see just how wonderful God decorates our planet. He spared no expense when it came to Alaska.

It was a trip of a lifetime!

Just came back from the ultimate vacation. 14 days in the most beautiful place I've seen. I just wanted to share a few moments.

Me and my very own "hulk".

Christy

How You Can Redo Your Kitchen Cabinets

2009-05-04T22:00:00.021-04:00

When I first moved into my home my kitchen cabinets were painted a high gloss white. They looked very nice for a while, but I got tired of them. I'm not crazy about bright white in the kitchen and my tastes sort of lend themselves to earth tones. So about 8 years ago I painted them. At the time I thought painting them a beige tone and coating them with a darker beige tone, using lambs wool would be just perfect. Here is a photo of what they looked like when they were completed. The entire process took me 4 weeks. I have 44 cabinet fronts.

This process involved sanding each cabinet face, applying one coat of latex enamel beige (I used Behr paint) and then one coat of the a darker beige (applied with lambs wool). At the time I did plenty of research and found that most people felt that a coat of polyurethane would not be necessary, so I didn't apply one. The cabinets held up very well-lasting about 8 years.

Now, they are looking pretty scrappy. Most of the cabinets held up well over the years but the cabinets that were used the most really needed help. I decided to do the entire process over, but this time I changed the look completely. I liked the idea of an antique look and decided to go with that.

The Process

Each cabinet was sanded front and back using an electric sander, then cleaned with mineral spirits.

One coat of latex enamel was applied to the back and two coats to the front of the cabinet.

For this step I used a medium beige color (like the color of coffee with lots of cream).

I mixed a glaze (four parts latex paint + one part glaze). For this I used a dark chocolate brown. I brushed this onto the front of the cabinet and promptly wiped it off using cheese cloth. This glaze dried really quick, so I had to work fact. I then used a soft fluffy paint brush to blend it in.

When the glaze was all dried (I let it dry overnight), I flipped the cabinet around and applied another coat of beige to the back. Let dry over night.

Next day I sprayed the back of the cabinet with polyurethane. Let it dry. Then I applied using a brush, three coats of Minwax quick drying polyurethane sanding with 220 grit sand paper in between each coat, letting them dry completely each time.

I purchase all new hardware. Cost $195.00. Cost of glaze $20.00. Cost of latex enamel $20.00. Cheesecloth (and I went through a lot), $4.00 a bag. I went through 4. Sandpaper about $6.00. Polyurethane can and spray about $20.00.

Time to complete= six weeks. Yes, it was a massive project and took tons of my time but I am patient and able to see the end results so it keeps me motivated.

My research this time included three coats of poly. I hope this will keep my cabinets looking new, longer. I believe this time they will be more durable.

Originally my garbage cabinet worked like this. Open the cabinet and pull the can (on tracks) out. When I did this project I decided to change this. Now the cabinet pulls out a long with the can. I found the conversion kit online and the track kit at Home Depot. Now throwing away a piece of garbage is a "one" step process. I plugged up the holes on the side and moved the handle to the center. This all worked out great.

This cabinet glides out so nicely and there is less wear and tear on the cabinet itself.

Here are some photos of the kitchen cabinet redo. The stained glass that is added to five of the cabinets I made myself 8 years ago when I did the cabinets over. I cut out the five panels of wood and replaced it with the glass. I also added some decorative wood cut- outs to two of the cabinets.

Lots of work, very time consuming but worth it all. The kitchen looks completely different now and I am much happier with the way it looks.

I am very tired now of the whole project and need to take a break. I'm now outside working on the garden. In a month or two I will go back into this project and paint all the insides and do some touch up work around the desk.

Consider this: 4 coats latex, 1 coat glaze, one coat of spray poly and three coats brushed on poly X 44 cabinet fronts. Don't forget the cabinet bases too. Not a project for the faint of heart.

But just think of the money I saved!!!

Now that's thrifty.

Christy

Mothers Day Is Coming. Get Those Kids Building!

2009-04-27T21:26:00.003-04:00

When I was a kid, I used to create and build things. That's probably how it all started for me. I wasn't lucky enough to have home improvement centers that offered free building classes for kids. Years ago I took my kids to Home Depot on Saturdays so they could learn to build. I'm pretty sure they made a birdhouse, a bat house and a critter cage. They had fun and I enjoyed watching them.

Lowe's Home Improvement Center offers the same program. So if you have the time and want you kids to learn basic woodworking skills, sign them up for the Lowe's Build and Grow clinic. They offer it on the second and fourth Saturday of each month. Each kid gets a free apron, goggles and a project-themed patch and a merit certificate. To sign up at your local Lowe's visit Lowes.com/BuildandGrow

May 9th at 10AM your kids will build a planter (a great Mother's Day gift) that includes a free plant!

May 23, at 10AM-the kids will create a Ready-To-Go Kit. A handy project to help families prepare for natural disasters.

June 13, at 10AM-Putting Green. A desktop game for Fathers Day.

June 27th, 10AM-a pirate ship.

Don't miss out on an opportunity to spend time with your child and watch them grow and learn. I wish mine were little again.......

Christy

What The Damaged Aisle Has To Offer

2009-04-27T20:22:00.016-04:00

Many stores have small areas or aisles where they display all their broken, chipped and dented items. I make it a point to stop by and check all the items out also keeping one thing in mind-can it be repaired? ? How much work is involved and how much will it cost to make the piece usable again?

Last week I stopped at T.J. Maxx and picked up this little cabinet.

Judging by the amount of dust covering it I suspect it had been sitting there for a long time. That makes me wonder why. Do people not see the potential, not have the time or can't imagine how to go about repairing something. Maybe it's all of the above, but I wasn't going to let this cabinet get away. Originally priced at $100.00, the price was now reduced to $34.00. Most of these cabinets are made of MDF wood and are hand painted. MDF can be sanded or painted with no problems. This particular cabinet had some chipped paint.

Actually, that's all it needed. I mixed up some brown and black acrylic paint and touched up the areas.

By the way, old CD's work great as an artist's palette. Use and threw them out.

When it was all dry I added one of my favorite products, Rub N Buff (available at Michael's Craft Store, Hobby Lobby) to the edges. This particular color is metallic gold. Just adds some detail.

I also added a small shelf in the bottom part so it would be easier to store things inside.

A great bargain, with minimal work in terms of repairs. End result-like new.

Finding A Hidden Space

2009-04-21T20:52:00.012-04:00

A few years ago I needed a new wall microwave-oven combo. I noticed when the guys took out the old one, there was a small space above the microwave that someday may become a new challenge for me.

The time arrived last week and this space became usable. Here is what I did.

Above is the original cabinet. It is actually a stationary panel that has a great little space behind it. I started by removing the panel and installing a shelf. I purchased the wood at Home Depot, cut it to fit and mounted it inside the space. L-brackets work well for this, but with such a small space they were difficult to screw in. I did manage, but it was not easy.

Below I have placed some of things that I'm storing inside. Hey, I just love this-a new space that will serve a real purpose.

Look closely and you'll see the magnets that I installed. These keep the cabinet tightly closed when not in use. I've used these magnets before and they really work well.

My next step was to create a new panel for the front. My idea was to attach 2 brass hinges on the top so the cabinet would open and close easily. I think you can see them in the photo below. The panel was just a cut piece of wood that was sanded down. I attached "rope" molding all the way around just to add to it.

Below it the new cabinet stained to match with the addition of a handle that matches the rest of the kitchen cabinets. It opens easily and I can store flat pans, cookie sheets and cupcake trays in there. Actually the space has plenty of room because it is very deep.

I must say, a very satisfying project. I'm always looking around for hidden spaces in my home. Over the years I've managed to find lots of them. This one is a real treasure.

I wish that when they build houses they would use some "space" intelligence. That's why we need more woman putting more input into the building of houses. Every single square foot would make sense.

Christy

Saving On Electricity Where You Can

2009-04-16T21:16:00.010-04:00

Saving Money on Electricity

Three teenagers! Do I need to say more? Lights are left on........and on.........and on. Despite my ramblings, lectures and pleadings, the lights still do not get turned off. I now have something to fight the battle with.

Go for it kids, leave them on!!! It's not going to cost me much now. I have help.

I originally heard about money saving light bulbs for Clark Howard. He is our consumer guru here in Atlanta. Clark started a radio show here years ago that eventually went national. I'm a huge fan and listen to him on a regular basis. http://clarkhoward.com/ He is a fountain of information and you should check him out.

These bulbs are the newest technology and can save you a bundle. Clark says you can take them with you when you move (really?). They last that long. Annual cost of operate $0.38, 90% more efficient compared to incandescent and halogen bulbs. These bulbs give you a whopping 30,000 hours of life! Also, they contain no Mercury like those spiral bulbs that have been out in the stores for a while.

Pictured above is the package they come in -I'll admit they are a little funky looking. These particular bulbs pictures are for indoor track lighting or indoor recessed down lights otherwise known as high-hats. They retail for $14.95. Yes, that does seem very high for 2 bulbs but remember you are getting 30,000 hours of life. I've been picking up one package at a time at Sam's Club. That's the only place that seems to have them right now around here.

They also can be ordered online from the American company that produces them called Lights of America, Inc.

Now, I am going to tell you something important. These lights are not for everyone. They are very "blue" in color. I would not use them in any rooms where I would read or need very good lighting. They are very, very good for rooms where kids linger (they are after all, the culprits). I have a basement that has 8 high hats in the play area and 6 more in my son's room. I have replaced all of those 14 lights. I think I may save lots of money with the replacements. They also make them in candle-bulbs so I have replaced my front porch lights. They actually look very nice out there and can stay on all night for security. There are 3 hall lights in the basement that I have replaced as well. When the lights are put on, they look very much like "natural" outdoor light, almost as if there is a skylight window above. I won't use these lights in my den, living room, dining room or kitchen. They are terrific for the areas where lights tend to be left on. You can also use them outside as flood lights. That's a savings if you leave them on all night or they are motion activated.

.38 a year

wow

Those kids can leave them on now and I can afford it!

Remember, they emit a cool, blue light. Very different from what we are use to but they are very useful in certain rooms and outdoors. Shops, laundry rooms, closets, flood lights, motion activated lights, basements and outdoor lanterns.

You may want to check these out.

Christy

Handmade Soaps, lotions and more...

2009-04-07T17:29:00.011-04:00

All Natural, for Your Body

I have a good friend from New Jersey that started making soaps and lotions in her house ten years ago. Being the perfectionist that she is, she worked hard over the years to perfect all her

recipes. As the story goes, the more people that used her products the more orders she got. After placing products in local stores, doing some craft shows and taking orders from repeat customers, my friend Antoinette, is finally selling on the Internet.

I am a big believer in homemade items and start up businesses, so I decided to place an order and find out for myself why she has so many repeat customers.

The name of the company is Buena Vista Soapery and all items can be found on ArtFire.com

If you are not familiar with ArtFire, it's an online marketplace for handmade items. It's a great site to research the talents of various artists, not to mention buying some great things.

Antoinette's products can be found at www.artfire.com/users/BuenaVistaSoapery

All products that are listed have complete descriptions and ingredients. All ingredients are completely natural.

Pictured above are some great products that I ordered. Mango Face Cream, Skin Therapy Lotion and Fluffy Sugar Scrub.

Mango Face Cream

mango butter

kokum butter

rosehip seed oil

wheat protein

I love this face cream. I need the moisture (ugh.....old age) but hate the grease. This cream went on smoothly and stayed on all day. I wore it under my makeup and never had that greasy feeling.

Skin Therapy Lotion

First I noticed the smell. It's just so nice. I think a guy could use this as well. It doesn't clash with other colognes either. It's light and weirdly refreshing. I say weirdly because you don't expect that in a lotion. It actually cooled me down after putting it on........never felt that before. I like this stuff! I can only imagine using this lotion after a cool shower in the summer.

Fluffy Sugar Scrub-I haven't used this one yet, but check out the ingredients. Sugar, Olive Oil, hempseed oil, Soybean Oil and Soy Extract. These are not ingredients I have seen in the scrubs I've bought in Walmart. Ok, well I can't even pronounce most of those ingredients.

Above are the soaps...OMG. I won't be able to buy Dial or Irish Spring any more. These are delicious, all natural soaps that lather up a soothing blend of botanicals.

I especially love the Cucumber Aloe Sea Salt.

Ingredients:

Pure Sea Salt

Organic Yogurt (yum!)

Pureed cucumbers

Aloe Vera (oh, she grows this in her backyard, so yes, it's all natural)

Olive Oil

Shea Butter

So, the economy stinks. I get that. I clip coupons, shop at the Goodwill and same my pennies too but I do feel I can spend some money on myself sometimes.

Buena Vista Soapery is having a sale this month giving everyone 15% off all these great products. Take a look.....

Buena Vista Soapery

Happy Shopping

Christy

Wrought Iron Everywhere

2009-04-01T19:57:00.017-04:00

Wrought Iron In The Home

The beauty of wrought iron is its great when it's new, old and also used. There is so much you can do with it. More and more I've been seeing it in the retail home stores, garage sales, thrift stores and salvage yards. You can change the color of it or leave it just like it is with the rust on it. Along with prints, paintings and other wall art, wrought iron can blend in and add details to any room.

If you get a piece that is rusty just

scrape it down with a wire brush, prime and paint using Rustoleum. You can even clear coat it for extra protection.

One of my favorite products to embellish wrought iron is Rub-n-Buff, which comes in several colors. You can find it in craft stores like Michael's or Joanne's Fabric Store.

Below is a wrought iron piece that I purchased at Kirkland's for under $25.00. Originally it was red but changes were made in the den recently so I decided to spray it green. I'll be adding some gold Rub-and-Buff to the edges.

The photo below shows door frame corners. Frames out the door and adds some detail.

Below is another piece purchased for under $15.00 at Kirkland's. It sits between two windows.

Below a wrought iron medallion hanging in a bathroom.

Oh yes.....wrought iron furniture.

Sconces

Here is something a little different. Wrought iron under glass and framed.

So if you are getting sick of prints, paintings, plates and photographs, look in the direction of wrought iron.

Christy

Building a Library around a Window Box

2009-03-09T18:00:00.027-04:00

I recently showed you the window box that I created in the perfect space. A cove in one of the bedrooms that was too small for furniture but big enough to create the perfect window box with surrounding shelves. Don't you hate areas that are useless? Now that it's all finished I'll show you how this useless area became very functional.

Above is the window box. There is plenty of space around the window and above the box to build a small library where there is plenty of room for books, photos and other little items.

The front of the box has bead board on it. This I glued on and then reinforced with small nails and trimmed out.

Below is a photo of the area that is available on either side of the window for the shelves.

The area that I have decided to build this library is painted a different color than the rest of the room.

I used all MDF wood for this project. I love this stuff. It's sanded for you, easy to cut and is never warped. I planned out what I thought it should look like on paper first and then took some measurements. I measured at least three times so I get it right before making my cuts. I cut all the wood with a miter saw, used power screws to anchor and pre-drilled all screws. I made all the holes that a screw would fit in, bigger. All those holes were plugged with wood buttons. This hides the screw and gives a finished look.

Here you see the finished look.

The shelves and trim are painted with high gloss white.

Photos of work in progress.

Notice the right side is yellow? I decided to switch the background to high gloss white. I was thinking this would make it look more "built in". It's all coming together now.

This is what the top looks like.

Three long shelves.

Above you'll see a hinged box that I added to both sides of the shelves on the very bottom. I used a scroll saw to create the curve, added little brass hinges so it opens and closes. The wood piece on the top was purchased at the craft store. This box serves as a little hiding place for special items.

Some suggestions:

This entire unit was caulked with white caulk before it was painted. This gives a finished look. All screws were hidden.

Always measure three times and use a level. There's nothing worse than crooked shelves.

Use all your space. The shelves went to the very top of the ceiling.

Be creative and add some fun stuff.

In my case the shelves are fairly narrow. Paperback books will fit fine on here.

I bought a piece of foam and covered it for the seat. I matched up some fabric and sewed up some curtains. Not all of the books and things are up yet, but it will happen. You'll notice at the very top of the unit I added some wood scroll work.

I still haven't had an opportunity to add things to the top shelf.

The cat loves it!

Here is a closer look at the box and below you can see the hinges that allows it open and close.

They come in handy and add some interest to the shelves.

The comforter above is what I used to inspire all the colors in the room. I got this on Overstock.com for a very good price. I took one of the shams to the fabric store and matched it up for the curtains and pillow cover.

The entire shelf unit cost under $150.00.

Happy Building!

Christy

Wood Cut Outs from The Craft Store

2009-02-27T18:19:00.007-05:00

It really amazes me how many new, innovative crafts are available these days. If you like doing crafty things around the home then the craft stores of today are a regular field trip filled with ideas for creating.

I found these wood cut outs. They cost less that $1.50 and come with a small package of markers. I suppose these are geared for kids to work on, but I couldn't resist them. I thought they would look cute posted up on my kids doors. Although they are probably too old for this kind of thing I think they'll enjoy them.

This is basically "paint by numbers" with the craft company placing all the lines in it for you to paint. I used mine to put up on the kids bedroom doors, but there are so many other uses for them. There are so many to pick from and some are already painted for

you. Some cost as little as .25 cents. You can't go wrong there. They work well for wall decor or even as a border.

Monkey man pictured below is going on my son's door (he's almost 18 years old). This guy is "not" painted. Look how easy they make it.

He's kind of cute. You can see how easy it will be to paint this guy.

The two above are all painted. I used acrylics and finished it up with a high gloss finish. The fun part is that each girl is painted to look somewhat like the kid who lives behind the door.

I'll admit that this is just fun for me!

Christy

Another Faux Finish For Your Walls

2009-02-10T20:22:00.008-05:00

Frottage

Another Faux Finish

My last post showed a faux finish where a whisk broom was used to create texture on walls. This next one makes use of large pieces of plastic. Frottage comes from the french verb "Frotter" which means to rub and that's exactly what you do to create this look. This beautiful finish is fairly quick and easy to accomplish. You can do this alone, but a second person is an asset and naturally makes the job go faster.

I chose to do my dining room walls using this technique. I was looking for an "old" wall look that would resemble leather. This finish accomplishes the look I wanted. I picked two colors very similar to one another. That's the key. If the paint colors are very different the look is too dramatic. Similar colors blend well, so that's what I recommend. Pick a color and find another one at least four shades darker or lighter.

Prep your walls first. Spackle up the holes, sand and clean all walls before starting. Apply a base coat and pick the finish that you want-eggshell, flat, satin, etc. Get good coverage and let it dry.

Purchase large pieces or rolls of plastic (like cellophane). I buy the plastic drop clothes from Home Depot. They are very large, very efficient for this task and cheap. Purchase one gallon of glaze and mix 4:1. Four parts glaze and one part paint.

Roll on your glaze quickly, working a 6 foot by 6 foot section at a time. If you have a second person, quickly roll the entire wall. Now, have your plastic ready. Apply the sheet of plastic to the wall, use both your hands and "smooch" it around, all over. Now leave it for a few minutes. Pull the plastic off and let it dry.

This technique works the best with a dark color under and a lighter color on top. The lighter the color, the more dramatic the results.

Subtle, but very beautiful when done.

Below the same technique, different color scheme.

This happens to be my favorite faux paint finish and yields great results.

Christy

How About a Built In Window Seat?

2009-02-03T20:35:00.006-05:00

How About A Window Box?

So I have an area in my daughter's room in front of a large window that would be great for a window box, but how do I do that? Well, I think building a large box would do it, so that's what I did. I measured out the area and figured out exactly what height and length I needed. One problem hits me almost right away. The room is wall to wall carpet. Do I cut the rug out and build the box on top or leave the rug and build the box over it? I'm leaving the rug there because it's easier-plain and simple.

I have also decided to be practical. My window seat will have storage in it. That just makes

sense! This space, in front of the window is not really functional either. It's too small for a bed so creating a "space" where you can sit and read, and enjoy the scenery makes more sense.

I 've decide to use 2 X 4's to make a simple frame (including a center support for weight), cover the front with bead board, install plywood on the top and add a piano hinge for my opening.

The frame went up in no time. I actually carried my trim saw upstairs to make all my cuts so I wasn't running up and down for every board. The important part for me was making sure the seat was level, which it was.

Above is a not-so-great picture so you get the idea. Unfortunately, the glare from the window didn't give me the best photograph.

The front of the window seat is bead board which was simply nailed onto the 2 X 4's. The top opening is fitted with a piano hinge (available at Home Depot), so it opens and closes easily. The piano hinge works well here because it is very long.

There is plenty of space in that seat for storing stuff. The entire

seat was painted with high gloss white. I added floor trim to the base to blend in with the rest of the trim that surrounds the room. I've since purchased a long piece of foam rubber that I will cover with fabric so the seat is comfortable.

The seat is all done, but not really. I've decided to build a small library all around the box and window. I started that several weeks ago (it was a big project) and it is almost done. I'll post that next.

This may seem like a complicated project but it was actually very simple. Thinking it out, measuring accurately and being creative gets the job done.

Some of my tips:

counter sink nails and screws so you can put in some wood putty for a smooth finished surface.
Use liquid nails to install plywood and bead board-but always use small nails too so it holds together
Trim hides everything and also gives a finished look
Caulk, caulk and caulk. Placing caulk where the wood meets gives a nice finished look when it's all painted
Always think out the project and take measurements twice

Christy

Faux Finish

2009-01-27T20:13:00.012-05:00

For years it was wallpaper and now it's faux finishing. There are certainly pros and cons to each. The one thing that bothers me most about wallpaper is that it just doesn't do well in humidity which always prevails in the bathroom. I have drifted away from wallpapering in bathrooms for that very reason. Inevitably the edges curl over time and all your hard work starts to look pretty bad. I've turned to faux finishing my walls using paint. I'm pretty sure that I've tackled every faux finish technique that is possible. My latest faux was in my daughter's bedroom. It came out looking like a basket weave print or even more like grass cloth.

I selected two paint colors. The base coat was beige and the faux (mixed with glaze) was a medium brown.

The first step is always preparation of the wall. Filling all the holes and sanding to a smooth finish and any repairs your wall may need. I painted my base coat (one coat) beige. Then I mixed one quart paint to four quarts glazed-4:1 ration. I used a roller and a whisk broom. Yes, a whisk broom. Working very quickly I rolled across the wall, horizontally with the paint from the ceiling to about 24 inches down, took my whisk broom and dragged it across the glaze. If you can get help from someone, it really makes the job a lot easier. One person rolls and one uses the broom.

After the horizontal work was done, then I repeated the step working vertically. Pictured above is a very close up shot of the paint effect. Pretty cool, huh?

The above photo is taken from further away. The look is a lot more subtle. Although I really wanted to do this in blue (the daughter would have no part of it) I do like the way it came out. However, done in blue this technique would make your walls look just like denim. A great look for a teens room.

Materials:

Two closely matching colors of paint.

a hand whisk broom

a gallon of glaze

and some help if you can get it

I managed to do it alone (but that's how I operate) and it came out fine. Remember this-when working with glaze you don't have much time until it dries. You must be prepared to move quickly with no interruptions.

Christy