Want a quick 5 minute lampshade makeover?

     I placed my order just a few minutes ago for the rug I chose.  You will just have to wait and see which one I decided on.  I know, I hate waiting too, but I'm hoping it will be worth the wait.  Now I'm thinking the chair might need a throw but since I have one on my bed already, I'm wondering if that would be to redundant?  What are your thoughts?

     The kids are off from school again, and my oldest is under the weather.  Not much is getting done, and that's fine.  It's good to take a break.  I did manage to do a quick and by quick, I mean less than 10 minute project to update a couple of lampshades that are going in my girl's room.  

I have 2 of these I purchased at a flea market years ago for $15.  I think I purchased the lampshades from Kmart, I did have the wiring checked.

Here's my tools, a pair of scissors, trim, and fabric glue.

Simple and cheap, and in less than 10 minutes I gave these plain white lampshades a little "pop" of color.

Here's another a little teaser....this box just came in.

Check back soon to see how the contents of this little box will transform a ho-hum dresser into something with a little more glam.

Hodge podge of half finished projects...

     I think I can say with certainty that not much in the way of decorating or completing any outstanding projects (like my entire house), is going to happen today.  The kids are home from school and, I'm lucky to just do a little post today. 

     Yesterday it snowed, and we just enjoyed listening to Christmas music and putting our tree up.  A funny thing happened after our tree was decorated though,  my husband and I turned to one another and agreed that our tree and ornaments were some of the ugliest we have ever seen.  This just made us all laugh and remember why it is we have a skinny looking artificial tree.  Last year, our artificial Christmas tree of 15 years, (allergies keep me from the real kind) met an untimely demise.  Thanks to one of our cats climbing the branches and toppling it over.  This caused it to snap and surprisingly, we only lost 2 ornaments in the accident.

     My children, said Christmas just doesn't feel right if we don't have a tree.  We kind of agreed, so off to Target we went. Of course this all occurred a week before Christmas.  I can tell you, the only trees left at that time are the expensive $300 plus ones.  In hindsight it's worth the investment, but with Christmas having been just a week away, we were in a rush to finish our Christmas shopping.  We passed up on the expensive ones, and as we were exiting the store a woman came in to return her Christmas tree.  

     With lightning speed, my husband followed the woman to the return line. (Not like a creepy stalker but more of a desperate Dad).
He stood behind her, while she made her return.  Her reason for the return?  "The tree is skinny and kind of ugly".  Yep, she said it.  My husband said he would take it.  The price was right.  Maybe a little too right?  We were desperate, and thought, "how bad could it really be?"  Well, it's bad but it's ours to laugh about each year.  I'll post pictures of it tomorrow.

     I am about 90% finished with upholstering the chair.  I just need to purchase some french gimp.  Thank you, thank you , thank you Miss Mustard Seed, for your post about your upholstered chair. The gimp is exactly what my chair needs.  I plan to pick some up this weekend, and finish! Here's what her amazing chair looks like.

     I'm also thinking the chair needs a nice little rug underneath it.  I am beginning to love the layered rug look. Here are some images I found on Google with this same look.

                                                    via

via

What I love most about this one is how they are all angled differently.

via

Here are the 2 I am trying to decide on.  Both are roughly 2x3 and I would purchase 2 and make them into a 2x6.  I have a large sisal rug in there now, but the rugs would really anchor the chair I have been working on as the chair is at an angle.

Furbish Studios is selling this one.  I like that it adds some color and another textual element to the room.

Urban Outfitters has this one.  It's actually a bath mat but with a rug pad and with it being under a chair, it shouldn't be an issue.  I am leaning more towards the cream colored one as opposed to this blush one.  Again, I would need 2 to make it slightly longer.  Sometime this week I'm going to make my decision.  What are your thoughts on the layered rug look?  Which one of these beauties would you choose?

Just another Saturday...

     Just another Saturday of craziness in my house.  We are blessed to live in a wonderful school district, with a very active Parent-Teacher Association.  There are lots of family social events, and this one in particular is my children's favorite.  It's the annual Winter Carnival, with lots of crafts for the kids to make, a kids only store to shop for little presents, donated pizza, hot dogs and popcorn, and this year a craft fair.  

     The craziness came from my son and his 2 friends we brought along.  Imagine 3, 10 year old boys and of course, my very active little girls with lots of candy in sight.  All for the gingerbread houses of course ;-)  It's such a great way to spend time as a family as well as catch up with friends and discuss upcoming holiday plans.

     

This was a sharpie dream come true for my girls.  I'm always yelling nooooooo anytime one of them (mostly the 2 yr old) nears the sharpies.  I still have a lesson learned example on a piece of furniture from said 2 yr old.  This is something the girls do every year and it's a fantastic idea.  A plain white tile, some sharpies and some imagination is all you need for this project.

   Here's our growing collection I keep up all year long. I love seeing how their artistic ability changes from year to year.

On a random and funny side note, I thought you all might enjoy this.

 Here's my attempt at decluttering which in fact, just cluttered up my dining room table.  My dining room is the first room you walk into, so really it's the catch all room.  I'll figure out a system another day, until then I need to shuffle the pile of clutter, I mean papers to another location.  

Happy Weekend!!

Dollar store vases transformed into faux mercury glass

     Yesterday, I told you all I would show you how I transformed dollar store glass vases into faux mercury glass to use as holiday decor.  My fireplace is just one big black hole, I really needed to transform it and give it some holiday life.  I love having a fireplace, but we really can't use it between my allergies and the safety concerns I have with little ones and pets. 

                      Here are the glass vases I purchased. 

I already had one in my stash, so I pulled that one out to use as well.  In total 5 vases, for $5 dollars.  Can't beat that.  I showed you how I turned this 25 cent punch bowl into a mercury glass lookalike and it's perfect for my little pine tree.

I used Krylon's looking glass to create this look as well as a spray bottle of water.  I washed the price labels off, ensuring no sticky residue left behind.  After that, I just flipped them over, and sprayed each vase with water.  Once I finished that, I lightly sprayed the looking glass all around each of the vases.  I went back inside and did some things, so they probably had about 30 minutes to dry before I repeated the steps of spraying with water and then immediately using the looking glass spray.

Here are the glass vases finished.

I'm really pleased with how they turned out.  My next step is to get some of those battery operated candles and place them inside for a cozy, warm glow.  I've also thought about maybe placing some holiday greenery in there.  What would you add to make this a little fuller?  Leave me a comment below.

DIY Picture Ornaments

     Today, I'm trying to catch up on some other stuff I have going on.  You know, the non-fun things, that one must do in order to have a functioning household?  I decided to take a few minutes off and write my blog as well as look for some great DIY projects involving family photos and Christmas ornaments.  I think it will be a great way each year to see just how much the kids have grown.  This is all part of my meaningful decorating plans, moving a little bit away from the commercial aspects of the Holidays.

Seriously, how cute is this?  I found this here on an adorable blog, full of great personal touches.  You can find the actual tutorial here.  What a great way to display school pictures, pictures used for Christmas cards or family vacation photos.  I found another great tutorial here.

I love the use of black and white photography on these.  So simple, and yet such an elegant touch.  You can see more here.  She also has a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, that is affordable, using dollar store snowflakes.  I think I know where I will be this weekend.

There are so many DIY ornaments here.  Great tutorials on how-to.

Talk about simple and sweet!! What a great way to use household items we all have to create such cute and memorable ornaments.   This one will be a great craft to get my kids involved with.

Check back tomorrow to see  how I transformed cheap dollar store glass vases into beautiful faux mercury glass display.

Part Deux....the little details

     Here's the second part to yesterdays post. Today's post is all about the little details that went into the bathroom.  Even though they might seem small, they really do add up and can contribute significantly to the overall feel of the room.  

     One thing that I did, for a more cohesive look was using all chrome fixtures.  It started with the vanity faucet that we purchased from a big box store.  

Which led me to the rainfall shower head by Delta, (also from the same big box store).

The shower is located behind the wall that use to have the small vanity and toilet.  One of the best things about the shower is the instant hot water.  That was another surprise from the hubby.  The tiles are porcelain right off the shelf.  I also have a great built in shelf for all my products.  The shower curtain is a plain white, waffle weave from Target.  I really wanted a calming look for my bathroom, and I think I achieved just that.

I purchased a 10 pack of these multi-faceted knobs from Target, all for $24.99.  I used them for the vanity as well as a cabinet I have hanging up.  I have 2 left over for a future project.

The frames all came from Target, but I had to order 1 online, as there were no more in stock. I took 3 of my favorite wedding pictures, and had them made into black and white.  Another  detail I added to the mats, was my initials in a beige color.  I get all my vinyl lettering and shapes from here.  The letters only cost me $5, and I love the added interest to the frames, it brings.

I should warn you. I would probably monogram everything in sight, as it's one of my most favorite touches to any room.  It dresses up the ordinary, like these Target baskets.

I use these to store additional toilet paper, face clothes and hand towels.

This bathroom storage tower originally came from Williams- Sonoma, and retailed for $325 (insert audible gasp). I found it on Ebay, brand new with the price tag still on it. I got it for $30, and shipping cost me just $20. It really pays to be patient and shop around.  You never know what kind of bargain you will be able to find.  I framed another wedding picture, and placed a silver tray from the dollar store under it.  I love the gold perfume bottle that adds just a little contrast to the room.   

This cabinet hangs just above the storage tower, on the wall that use to have the vanity and toilet.  I purchased it at Pottery Barn for my first home.  This cabinet is great because it keeps all those things that my littlest would love to get into, out of reach.

Here's a cheap and easy DIY artwork project.  I took 2 gold frames I had, and spray painted them white.  I then added gift wrap as my piece of artwork.  As my kids would say, easy, peasy, lemon squeezy.

Here's a look at my first ever no-sew curtain I made.  

This is an indoor-outdoor fabric made by Waverly.  Someone was selling this on Ebay,  4 yards of this for $30. SOLD! I found towels from Target called mint ash that look  just like the same hue of green in the curtain. 

Here's the tutorial for how to make this curtain in 15 minutes, from Young House Love.  It actually took me an hour as it was my first time.  I'm really happy with how my bathroom came out.  I started with a small room, and it helped me gain confidence to move onto other rooms in my house.  It was a process that took months to re-decorate, but in the end it was worth it.

Tell me about any re-do's you have in mind?

Taking deep breaths before jumping in....

     You know how one project leads to another, which leads to another and so on?  Well that's how this all started for me. One morning I woke up and decided to paint my bathroom.  It was a sunny yellow and I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.  
    
     So, off to the big box store I went.  I'd like to say I picked up a bunch of paint chip cards and samples to help me decide, but nope, I didn't.  In fact, I picked a color right then and there, and decided that would be the one.  Luckily for me, I actually love it.  See what I mean about being a flying at the seat of my pants kind of decorator?  

     Once the walls were finished, I realized the ceilings needed to be re-painted, and well you can't leave out the door and trim, right? I wish I had kept the actual paint chips, but some where in putting the room back together, that all got tossed.  This is how my whole house transformation has begun.  I started with just one room, top to bottom, addressing all aspects and issues to each room.    I do plenty of pinning for inspiration, as well as research and by that, I mean comparison shopping before jumping in.  Well, except picking colors of course.  

     I should mention that I have ZERO time frame for my projects.  They get done when they get done, and some things take longer due to cost and time factors.  That's okay.  I know, I'll get there eventually.  I don't plan a budget per se either.  In fact I can be kind of naive as to what some things will cost, then I make the decision whether or not to go forward with that option or if there is another alternative.  I also don't charge a single thing.  That's right, I never use a credit card to make any of my purchases.  I either have the cash on me or I save up.  This slows down the process, but it also gives me a chance to make sure this is what I want for a particular room.  

     I love Pinterest and I'm sure I have mentioned that about a million times here.  It's a great source to find new ideas, inspiration, and most of all tutorials.  I start out pinning everything that strikes a cord with me, and place them on specific boards.  For example, I have a board for ways to arrange art on your walls, flooring options, ceilings, etc.  It helps to take pictures of the room you are going to work on as well, and pin them into a specific board, for example I generally use the title of "updated bathroom", etc.  

     I then start addressing every thing in a room.  I always start with wall colors first, trim and ceiling are the same color throughout the house.  I look through the room I am re-decorating, and start pulling things out that I just don't love.  These are things that I either sell, or donate.  I try and get this done fairly quickly as I don't need things piling up in another room.  I also look at what is working and what isn't, and coming up with new solutions. Again Pinterest is great for this as well as some of my favorite blog sites.  

     Once I find something that I think will work, I start to comparison shop for it to find the best deal.  I have a handful of stores that I love, and usually tend to find what I am looking for and what I am willing to pay.  Shopping my own home can be a great resource as well.  Try and look around your own home and imagine a frame in a different color, or even a knick knack painted to compliment a room.  I've done this on more than one occasion.  

     Okay, let me give you a little bit of background and pictures to show you my house before, and where it is now.  Starting with just one room at a time.

     Before moving into our home, we gutted both bathrooms, right down to the studs.  We replaced a lot of the wiring as well as the plumbing in both bathrooms.  I remember when we went to see our home, (before it became ours) for the first time.  The shower then had duct tape holding up the tiles and something funky growing on the toilet...talk about eww.  But even in all of that mess and in serious need of a cosmetic overhaul, I could see the charm and what it could be, rather than what it was.  It just took a lot of convincing and begging on my part to get my husband on board.  

Here are some before pictures, sorry I had to take a picture of a printed out copy.  

Check out that scary shower under the ceiling eave.  There was no way to stand up normally.  The tub was from a 1940 remodel of the house.  Beautiful art deco cast iron tub, that we moved, (well not me) to the downstairs bathroom.

I can't change the view to my neighbor's chimney.

This was to the left of the shower and really just a useless space.  It was deep but narrow and it would have been a hassle to use as storage.

No way was I taking a picture of what was growing on the toilet. There are some things best left to the imagination, and that is just one of them.   The vanity was in good shape, but just too small for us.  

     We took out all the radiators and installed central air and heating.  We also discovered one day being up in the attic, that a previous owner had built another wall and covered up 3 additional feet to make a smaller bathroom.  Who does that?  Down went that wall. Now we had some additional space to work with.

     Everything was demo'd and the only thing saved was the tub.  I'm not a tub person, so it went to the main floor bathroom.  I decided I just wanted a stand up shower but a bigger vanity was a must.  This also gave us some wiggle room in the upstairs bathroom to reconfigure everything.  

     Here is my updated upstairs bathroom as it is today.  I call it my bathroom as I am the only one to shower up there, and I have carved out most of the real estate in there for all of my stuff.  I do have a lot of stuff, as I came to realize, when it came to re-organizing everything.

This is the wall that use to have the shower and tub. I spent real money on Kohler's Memoir toilet.  It's pretty, that's all I can say.  The seat cover is a quiet close lid, which closes itself with a slight touch.  It cost around $30 which seems high, but I no longer am awoken from my children slamming the lid.  It was worth every penny and my sanity.  The floors are travertine in a large tile.  I want to say 18 x 18, without physically getting off the couch to go measure them.  We purchased them at a big box store for $4 a tile. Can I get a woot, woot?  We had all the tile work done by a professional.  Picture a big, muscular, Russian guy who brought his lap top every day to show me pictures of his cats.  He has children but not as many pictures of them on his computer. My husband surprised me with radiant flooring in both bathrooms.  

This wall found here, became my inspiration for the ceiling.  You will see this wall again, some day soon, I hope.

He had never done something like this before, but he did an amazing job and it only took him an afternoon.  I did all the painting of the wood.  This project costs less than a $100.  

Here is the larger vanity to the left of my pretty toilet.  We purchased the vanity at the same big box store, but had a custom granite counter top made.  It was pricey but we saved a few bucks because it was a remnant piece left over from someone else's project.  The mirror came from Pottery Barn.  

The sconces were one of those, we have to save up for kind of details.  The good news was my husband installed them himself. You can find these same sconces at shades of light.

We have 2 of these ceiling mounted light fixtures.  They are the Heath Flushmount from Restoration Hardware, chrome finish in 13 inches.  They retail for $219 a piece, but I managed to score both of them on Ebay saving myself a total of $75, and 1 trip to the hardware store for a $2 missing piece. 

Come back and join me tomorrow for the second half of my bathroom make-over.  Please leave any comments or questions below, and I will get back to you quickly.