Weekend Warrior Project - Dresser Makeover, Guest post by Shanda Neighbors

I tend to be an all or nothing kinda gal. I'm either doing everything, or nothing at all. This weekend due to the weather and the time change, I was in do everything mode.   We bought a house a just over a year ago. It was a foreclosure and the task of making it home on  a tiny budget was frankly, overwhelming. For the longest time I did nothing... but complain. In the last few months though, the idea of starting small has gained momentum. I decided I'd tackle my "projects" one at a time. This weekend's project was to make a french mid century modern chest in the master bedroom reflective of the people that share that room. Sounds simple, but my husband taste is more like this:

Now doesn't that just scream MAN!!!! The problem is  my taste is more like this:

  

I'll admit it, this is feminine. So how do I make us both happy? How do I take this:

                            and make it reflect us both? 

 
This is what I came up with:

 

 

It was a lot of work, but I like the results. This dresser has a mate, any guesses what (God willing) this weekend's project will be?

Cherio!

Bad habits & a DIY - Guest Post By Shanda Neighbors

This weekend did not go as planned. Me thinks I may have over scheduled yet again. For the purpose of this post we'll just called that bad habit #1. I wanted to turn the soil in the vegetable garden, and address the weeds there. I also wanted to expand the garden 

area. That was the priority.

Instead, I worked on this dresser. Enter bad habit #2: the unwillingness to adapt focus to ever changing circumstances, and environments. Also known as inflexibility. What is started must be finished, so I finished the other dresser, the sister to this.

From that:

To this:
 

If you look in the mirror you can see its previously finished mate. Yes, our bedroom looks a hot mess! Now you know why I'm doing all of this DIY stuff. I'm hoping I'll have pics of my bedroom redo on the cheap, in a few weeks. Maybe I'll even be brave enough to share them. Anyhow, somewhere in the middle of the dresser redo, I decided the project wasn't living up to expectation. Bad habit #3: unrealistic expectations. I hate when the projected outcome is not the reality. For a number of reasons this dresser is the poster child. I decided, it's time I make my peace with disappointment. Besides, I like it better as it is now, than it was, so I'm gonna keep the dresser as is...for now.  I can't promise I won't cave and fix it later. :)

Cherio!

Feelin Blue Never Felt This Good!

 I've always had a soft spot for blue especially baby blue so when I came across these gorgeous examples of how magnificent the color can be in a space, of course I just had to share.  I am so inspired, hope they inspire you too.

Cherio!

Get Into The Spirit Of Fall With Wreaths!

www.countryhome.com

It's amazing how something as simple as a wreath can transform a home and make you feel warm inside at the same time.  Okay, well at least that's what wreaths do for me, especially fall and Christmas wreaths.  There is nothing like a wreath to add instant nostalgia, warmth and seasonal cheer.  Though I personally prefer all natural wreaths like the ones featured in this post, I appreciate them in all styles and mediums. Bring it on!

www.freshhomeideas.com

After such a grueling week with my dad suffering a health crisis, I really needed to relax and just enjoy being surrounded by beautiful things.  Making one of these gorgeous wreaths was a perfect distraction.  My wreath is not quite finished yet but it is coming along and it will be beautiful when it is done.  The good things about it is, it is made from dried natural materials so I can keep it for quite a while.  I decided to add cinnamon sticks to mine so could you imagine how great this will smell....   Well, without further ado, here are some wreath ideas I just had to share with you.  You just can't look at these and not smile or feel happy.  Am not kidding.

Now, don't you feel happier?  I bet you do!

Images featured are from:

www.countryhome.com

www.freshhomeideas.com

www.hottie-biscotti.com

http://robbiehoney.com

Cherio!

The Power and Glory of Craigslist!

Listed for less than $50.00 on CL

It is no surprise at all that I have become such a fan of Craigslist.   After all, this site is one ginormous garage sale, and I do love a good garage sale!  What's not to like?  You can find anything on Craigslist, and I mean anything.  Need to hire a clown for your kid's party? Craigslist. Mulch for your garden? Craigslist.......what about a specific style of furniture? done!  You get the picture.  From the refined and expensive to the down right dirt cheap and preposterous, you will find it all on craigslist.  And that's the beauty of it.   Craigslist is there 24/7 in all it's cyber glory churning out new fabulous listings on the minute, and some really strange and ugly ones too............ which makes the searching even more exciting to me.  Kinda like finding a brand new pair of Louboutin's in a box of miscellaneous stuff.  Oh. Happy. Day!!!

Listed for $25.00  on CL

If there is a down side to Craigslist though, it would be arranging the pickup of an item.  My simple rule is never go alone and never let the buyer come to your home.  Always be careful when you are dealing with strangers. It's a rule I practice with no exceptions.

Having said that, my experiences so far has been really good ones. I've even made a few friends in the process so I fully endorse Craigslist to anyone who enjoys garage sales or bargain hunting.  The finds are swwweeeeeeeeet!

All the Above for $500.00 on CL

 Check out the beauties I found today. What do you think?  Do you use Craigslist?

Listed for $100.00  on CL

Listed for $170.00  on CL

Listed for  less than $50.00  on CL

Fashion Forward Easy Fix For Bare Walls

 I saw this ingenious idea a few days ago and I am so excited to try it!  Who knew that framed magazine covers could look so amazing.  I am a bit of a magazine collector myself so I have lots of them.  Naturally, I am always on the lookout for innovative ways to preserve and display them. This is perfect!  

Months ago I wrote a post Tearin It Up Decoupage Style! in which I discovered 
how to recycle some of my magazines into Art.  I liked it so much that I made 
many pieces of Art, and now it is a real passion. Who knows what'll happen 
with this.... 

What do you think? 


Cherio!

Bring In Spring With Throw Pillows!

Spring is here and what better way to welcome the season than with gorgeous pillows alive with Spring motifs. Pillows are such a wonderful way to warm up a space.  Think of them as you would costume jewelry.  Although they seem like small details, they can have a big impact on a room... 

One of the things I like most about throw pillows is the fact that you can customize them to fit your personal style. And, if you make them yourself, you can save a bundle!   The sky is the limit here, you really can do anything you want. It never cease to amaze me how people are willing to spend $50.00 - $300.00 on a pillow when you can make your own in less than ten minutes for a fraction of the cost. 

The throw pillow is quite possibly one of the easiest DIY home accessories you will ever make.  All you have do is cut two pieces of fabric of equal size, sew 3 of the edges, stuff it, and close it up!  And contrary to popular belief and opinion, if you dont have a machine you can sew it by hand.  Hand stitching adds a very rustic and "made with love" quality thats hard to find.........and if you do, it may have a $300.00 price tag.  If you think about it, your great grandmother and all the ladies prior to the invention of the sewing machine managed to sew the most amazing things quite well without one.  Now if they could do that, then surely we can manage two little squares of fabric.  Yes we can.

Here are a few creative and fresh ideas for DIY throw pillows.   Be inspired! 

1.  Recycle your old sweaters into gorgeous pillows. If you don't have any old sweaters buy one at a thrift store, now that winter is over you will find them for next to nothing.  Have fun! 

Drab To Fab Bookcase Style

Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Zinn 

If you hate clutter and love collecting books the way I do, then you know how 

frustrating it is to maintain order in your bookcase.  It gets even trickier if you 

actually use these books on a regular basis.  So what do you do.... 

First of all a bookcase is a great opportunity to showcase your personality and 

style.  So with this in mind, go around your home and collect decorative pieces 

to display that represents your interest and hobbies.  It could be as simple as 

river rocks, plates or picture frames.  You decide. 

Photo courtesy of Southern Living Southern Living

Ready?  Lets do this! 

Bookcase Makeover Guide

1.  Sort your books.  Take out the ones that are torn or ripped. 

2.  Group books by size and subject matter. 

3.  Arrange books in both horizontal and vertical stacks to create visual interest. 

4.  Fill unused/negative spaces with beautiful momentos such as framed 

pictures, decorative storage boxes, vases and figurines.  (or whatever makes 

you happy) 

5.  Finally, vary the height of each stack of books and create layers. This could 

be done by placing one decorative element behind another to create depth and 

more impact. ( See photo below for example) 

Unknown photo source 

Photo courtesy of Delightful Dwelling

I absolutely love this idea and its so easy to do.  Just add wall paper of your 

choice as a backdrop and  bring on the wow factor! 

Unknown photo source 

Photo courtesy of Real Simple

Photo courtesy of Material Girl

Photo courtesy of Honey We're Home 

Photo courtesy of Honey We're Home 

Photo courtesy of Honey We're Home 

I just love the way these books were arranged by color.  Simple but very dramatic effect.

hoto courtesy of Honey We're Home 

And there you have it!  You're done.  See, now that wasn't so bad was it.....