$20 Tuesday - Room Rehab

 This post is a blend of two topics I have wanted to cover - rearranging rooms and using existing furniture in creative ways. Let me start out by saying that one major project I want to tackle this summer is transforming my mudroom into a cocktail room. Preparing for something like that takes planning and for me the starting point is removing furniture from that space. Many people would just take their furniture and put it on the curb (and I live for those people) but that is not me!

Instead I have started planning where those pieces are going and figuring out creative ways to make it work. One major item in my mudroom was my computer. Finding a new spot for that was hard. There was no room in the kitchen, I didn't want it in the basement, the living room layout would make it pretty impossible and I didn't want to do computer work in the bedroom. So that pretty much left 2 spaces, the closet or the guest room. Since the closet will eventually be our baby's room, I chose the guest room. Not to mention that the guest room is basically my favorite room of the house and will invite good energy and creativity!

The original layout was nice but there was absolutely no room for a computer! I forgot to take a before shot (which sucks) but I can tell you, there was no room. There was a hand me down T.V. stand (that everyone thought I was silly for taking) sitting in this room for a while, but did not have a T.V. So I decided to tackle this as my computer desk.

I started out by marking my space, something I have been doing for years and it helps immensely. I basically walk the room, count my steps by one foot in front of the other so I get the dimensions of the room. Then I do the same thing for my furniture. This allows me to create a rough to scale diagram. I use inches for feet and draw my room and then my furniture on a separate page.

Next I cut out my furniture pieces so I can move them around my room to find the best spacing option. This was one plan I came up with, but actually decided to go another route. I love making these diagrams, it helps create a space like you would not believe. It is not 100% accurate, but it is accurate enough to know what is going to work and not work.

Then I got to moving. It pretty much worked out the way I wanted with a couple of tweaks. The T.V. stand (although low) works for my computer and the existing chair (left by previous owners) is way more comfortable than the wooden chair I was using before. 

Now to get to the $20 I spent today. I knew that moving this room around would force me to put the guest bed up against a wall. I typically try to avoid that if all possible. But if it is absolutely necessary, then the feel of a day bed (in my opinion) needs to come into play. Which means I needed pillows! I went to ikea and bought 3 $4.00 pillows along with 2 new pillow cases (for some pillows I haven't used). It totaled $19.04. I felt confident I could make the bed look great pushed in a corner with a bunch of pillows!

Now that works for me. I could curl right up. It also let me display my awesome Wolf blanket. I basically got a whole new room today for $19.04 and I am loving it. So is Diesel…

Thrifty Tip: The key to really recreating and maintaining a home is to see the big picture. That is why my first post on this blog was about creating your palette. But it goes way beyond that. You have to be able to buy smart from the beginning. So many home owners buy things because they like it. There is nothing wrong with that! But if you are thrifty like me, you buy (or take) things because of their being. I am always the first to take hand me downs. Anything can be functional and beautiful by using creativity.

Sunny Sundays - Outdoor Welcome A

For todays post I am combining Sunny Sundays with $20 Tuesday. Since my last Tuesday project did not work out, I decided to try to make up for it.

I have 2 entrances to my house; one is the main entrance into the living room and one is a side entrance to a mudroom/craft room/dining room/cocktail room. This room has seen many faces but will eventually be my cocktail room. There is a small space right outside this particular door that needed some love. If I am to entertain guests in my cocktail room, I should absolutely have a cute outdoor space for guests to step outside or a place for me to wait and greet them. Furthermore I plan on transforming my sad side garden into a court yard that will add to the space.

I had $20 to spend and what I really needed were chairs. I didn't have any weather proof chairs sitting around the house. First I went to CVS (no luck), then Home Depot. Each were $9.99, for a total of $20.10. I probably could have found cheaper ones or gone to a yard sale. But I was up for the challenge of working with these….

Everyone's seen them. Everyone knows about them. Everyone probably has one. The good ol' plastic white chair. My first thought was to spray paint them. But I was sure the job would look terrible or not work at all because of the chairs plastic texture. Then a little light bulb went off. 

Sharpies!

I decided to do some cool patterns in bright colors. This does not match the indoors at all but that is why I have an outside - to play with bright fun colors. I just decorated the top, I thought it looked cool that way (plus this also took a long time). But doing all the way down the arms would probably look really cool.

For a little extra flare, I cut 2 runners for the seats from some old fabric I bought. I absolutely LOVE this pattern and the colors. I always keep scraps of fabric or old clothes with patterns I love. You never know when you could use them again.

It doesn't look fancy but it doesn't look bad either. To me it looks artsy, fun and creative. Totally different than what I originally bought! 

I wanted an outdoor rug to pull the space together but I had no budget for that. So instead for today, I used chalk! Made my own little "rug". I can make a million different rugs with chalk or write something fun for parties; "welcome ladies". 

I added a little side table thats been sitting in my guest room and a frame I painted a while back. Then there you have it - a little outdoor space for $20.10. 

Cutting Boards

When we first moved into the house I bought a pretty cheap cutting board from Kohls. It lasted me through this Spring when it was replaced by a fabulous butcher board (wedding gift). Needless to say, you know I didn't toss my old board! No. I don't trash things unless its absolutely necessary. 

Then one day while thinking about 4th of July, I pondered what foods to make, where to display them, and how to present them, and so on… (the mind of an event planner). And it dawned on me that I had no boards for displaying cheese and crackers, or fruit, or anything for that matter. Well I have a board just begging for some attention. This is how it all began….

I looked at my paint supply and sure enough had red, white and blue acrylic pant. Plus I had plenty of foam brushes. I buy them in bulk whenever I am at Michaels. I love foam brushes and their so cheap.

Then step by step, I created my America Rocks Display board…

For a finishing touch, I super glued two handles to the sides. I bought these handles a while back at Home Depot when I wanted to re-do my kitchen. But that never happened. My kitchen grew on me.

There you have it. Right now it is being displayed on a shelf until I decide to use it in July. Its a perfect decor piece for the summer when not being used. It took me about 30 minutes to make. I didn't want it to look perfect, so I didn't spend much time making sure lines were straight and stars were matching. I am a big fan of worn, antique and homemade looks (if you don't already know). 

Other projects I considered with the board included wall art and a checker board. 

Thrifty Tip - Don't throw things away right away. People wonder how I have so much stuff on hand. I'm not a hoarder, I just don't throw everything away. If I haven't figured out how to semi use it within a year or so, I typically toss or donate it. I can't tell you the amount of times I used to say to myself, "I could really use a …. and I threw it away 6 months ago!". 

Free Fridays - Garden Accent

I decided to start dedicating certain days for certain projects to help keep things moving along. I have designated Friday as Free Fridays! Basically this means I have to do a project completely for free - I am not allowed to buy anything for this particular project. I almost snagged a vintage victorian door from someones trash pile yesterday for this project, but by the time I had gotten off work it was gone! Snooze ya lose.

SO instead I opted to work with stuff I already have and fix a long anticipated problem in my garden.

This….

Such an eye sore in my pretty, little (and only) garden out front. 

I was given this beauty a couple years ago by a good friend who found it in a trash pile. So this absolutely counts as free!

Never really had much use for it, nor did I ever take the time to spruce it up. It was a headboard for a little while, then a kitchen decoration….

First I wiped it down pretty good and spray painted the middle panels with a white gloss. This white gloss was actually left here by the previous owner. Free!

I only went over the surface about twice. I like that the spray paint bled through. It makes it look way more vintage which is what I always go for. Then I decided to stain the frame. The bottom picture shows one stained side and one original side. The wood stain was also left here by the previous owner -  you know it….free!

There are three random hooks hanging on my fence which, you guessed it, were put up by the previous owner. I have never used them honestly so I took them off the fence and gave them a good cleaning. Then I attached them to my panels for a little extra flare! Flare is free in this house. 

Next I finally took my box of lanterns out of my car trunk. Now I did technically buy these lanterns for some of my wedding decor BUT I was reimbursed by my father. So I am counting this as free :)

Viola! A little covering up goes a long way. The decor matches my palette perfectly. It has vintage cabin written all over it. The beautiful white antique spray paint job on an otherwise vintage piece speaks to me. Then the nice rich stain on wood with cute little lanterns makes this go cabin. 

The meter and box now sits peacefully behind my garden screen. You can still poke your head around to read the meter!

Overall I am very pleased with this project and the best part is, it was all free! I think it really perks up my garden (even if I was not trying to hide something). I am really glad I added the hooks because I love the hanging lanterns. I also realized that I can switch different things out depending on the season. During fall I might hang corn or mason jars and during Christmas I can hang wreaths or ribbons.

Join me in Free Friday! Post your creations here! And look forward to Sunny Sundays (posts on outdoor decorating) and Twenty Dollar Tuesday (doing a fabulous project for $20).

June Special - Project Fast House

There are hundreds of things I'd like to improve in my life; my health, my meal planning, my decor, my garden... the list goes on. We all have a mental list of these things. Some people are good at sprinting to action. Others, like myself see a hill to steep to climb, so we don't bother at all.  That's how baby steps were invented. I totally get the concept but still sometimes have a hard time following through. Anyone else with me?

So I've come up with a little system I am going to try out in June. Each week I will take $40 out of my checking account and put it into my wallet. I calculated that this about how much I spend on that Starbucks latte on Monday morning, or that # 5 at Wendy's on Saturday while running errands. The goal is not to spend it in this manner.

My biggest health goal is to eventually either grow most of my food and/or shop at local farmers markets, eating organically every day. This won't just happen tomorrow. A baby step in that direction is to begin by cutting out fast foods completely. So instead of spending that $40 on a fast meal, I'm going to hopefully drop all of it into a bucket at the end of the week. Then at the end of June, I'll have gone a whole month without fast food and have $160 (which I will spend on a house project). Sounds like a win win to me. I call this experiment Project Fast House.

I have 3 ideas in mind for my Fast House Project. Please post which one you would like me to complete! If you have other tips on motivating yourself or taking baby steps, please post them!

Vote for one below…
1. Painting Kitchen Table/Chairs for a custom Cabin Vintage look
2. Spiffing up a bland hallway
3. Front Entrance Therapy

Pop Post: Meal Planner

I've tried tons of ways to stay organized with meal planning but it always seems to slip through the cracks. I decided to research some different ideas and came up with my own meal planner board. It took me about an hour to make. Enjoy !

First I took an old cork board that I was saving for something (but did not know what). I tend not to throw things like this away. I spray painted the whole thing black for a more vintage look.

Next I typed up the week and how I intend on cooking each night. "Crockpot" night is because its Monday and I don't want to cook. "Sit Down" Tuesday and Thursday is a night I want to actually make a nice meal and eat at a table, what a notion. Ryan, my husband, cooks on Wednesday. "Fun Friday" can be whatever but will probably be pizza. "Date Night", my husband and I eat out. "Home Style Sunday" is for a family style dinner with lots of casseroles and bowls and sides and rolls and anything thats totally bad for you :)

                

I cut my tabs out and taped (double sided of course) to recycled scrap paper I had leftover from my wedding programs. Now it is doubled recycled, ha! I placed the tabs along the side of the board for optimal spacing.

I decided to use the other million pieces of recycled paper as my recipe cards. The idea is for these cards to list ingredients on one side and instructions on the other side. Hopefully making meal planning super easy and grocery lists even easier.  I'm focused mainly on dinners right now as we have pretty standard breakfasts and both eat at work for lunch. When little ones come, I'll probably have to revise the board :)

I then made a recipe pocket holder out of scrap fabric. Basically I just cut a square and pinned it to the board with thumb tacks. I used thumb tacks for pinning everything to the board btw. I like the rustic look and if I decide to change the board, nothing is permanent. What will take a bit longer is writing different meals on my menu cards. I already wrote out our favorites and quick meals. My plan is to add a few more each week. 

I also made a "trending" column for any new recipes I want to try. I always find recipes in magazines or online. I'll pin it to my board and try it out - if we like it, then I'll make a recipe card for it and it will become part of the collection!

Final Product.

I added space for a calendar because they always help me out! The board itself is hanging in my kitchen, easily accessible. The board is not perfect and that's how I like it. It keeps my vintage feel alive and the recycled brown paper adds a touch of nature. Don't forget my house theme, Vintage Cabin in the Woods...

Thrifty Tip: find ways to motivate yourself. I am personally motivated by organization and fun, this board does both of those things for me. In the long run, I won't spend as much time looking up recipes and making grocery lists. 


Do you like my board? Have your own ideas or boards? Post away!

Spring Cleaning All Year Round

If you have not read my last post on, Playing House – Tips on Chores, you can find tips on weekly chores. This post however is going to show how I organize my “deep clean” that happens once a month. The purpose of a deep clean is to keep your house organized and hygienic. If you really stick with doing this once a month, you will never feel overwhelmed with clutter or grime.

First thing first is planning this weekend in advance. At the beginning or end of each month, take the time to plan your next deep clean. Choose a weekend that is totally open (or as open as it can be), and devote yourself to getting the job done!

Secondly, when it’s about time, round up all cleaning supplies. These are the products I use…

 

 

I also make sure to have a laundry basket which I haul all my supplies in throughout the day. Have trash bags ready and pull your trash cans to the front of your house for easy access.

Day 1

1st strip all beds, round up all blankets, bathroom rugs, table cloths, etc and put them in the wash. You will continue this all day.

2nd get the bathrooms out of the way. My least favorite rooms to clean. Remove everything from them and begin spraying/wiping. I personally do everything – tubs, toilets, sinks, and floors.

3rd closets. Medicine closets, linen closets, clothes closets, any closet. Take everything out, throw old stuff away then reorganize. This particular step will take up the most time today. Put aside clothes that don't fit or you don't wear, bag them up and put in your car to donate to charity. Put the winter coats and wrinkled shirts in a bag for dry cleaning. The key to doing closets before diving into real cleaning is having a spot to put things away. You'll tend to just throw things wherever if you don't have a solid organized closet to start with.                              

4th time to clean! I start in the basement and work my way up. But I always leave the laundry room for last since laundry takes all day. Cleaning includes wiping down all surfaces and dusting. I tend to spray with 409, then scrub with a Clorox cloth, and wipe dry with a paper towel. This seems to really work well! 

Day 2

5th reorganize. Now is the time to move that piece of furniture you've been eyeing or rearrange books on your shelves. Basically put everything the way you want it to be. I like this part :)

6^th Windows. Grab Windex and go to town.

7th sweep, vacuum, mop. Always save this for last because in the shuffle you accumulate dirt and trash. This includes your laundry room – don’t forget about that!

8^th Head to your car and drop clothes off at charities or thrift stores. Purchase any little things you may need, like baskets, boxes or new trash cans. Don’t forget to roll all your trash to the front for pickup!

For a finale, light candles in every room! Now enjoy your clean home!

Thrifty Tip: wear pants with pockets. I like to collect all the money around the house and see how much I made cleaning. Then I take it and spend it on something cute for the house. This month I made $8.00!

Do this deep clean in your own home and take before/after pictures. Post them here!