Keeping it in the Closet

Anyone with little kids knows that adult height closet rods are not a good thing. And when I say little, I mean a nearly 10 year old girl who looks like she is still in first grade. She is old enough to choose her own clothes and dress herself, but simply can't keep her closet straight because it was just not useful. Luckily, I finally found a solution.

With all of the new custom built-ins that DH is constructing, we have a few free standing shelves that really don't have a home right now. They will eventually make their way to my mom's basement (which is where all family surplus furniture ends up), but I had one that was still sitting in the dining room and, quite frankly, was just in the way. After freaking out one too many times over the mess in the floor of her closet, it finally dawned on me to get her things on her level.

A $29 bookshelf from Target (which earned all that money back over the 7 years we have already owned it) with a couple of holes drilled in each side to hold a stray wooden rod (no idea where it even came from), and voila, an organized closet.

Well, it is never that easy as DH had some struggles getting it into the closet as well as some irritation getting the old shelf out, but less than an hour later it worked perfectly.

It was basically a free closet redo. And you know "whatever's free works best for me!"

Go see what other fine frugalites have come up with. Go on -- scoot over to Life as Mom for Frugal Friday.

Coming Along...

One half of the kitchen is finally complete! With just a couple of projects left in the next couple of days, we hope to have a finished room very soon.

Like the light? It is a pendant fixture, but instead of a $20 glass shade, it's a $2 spring metal pail from Hobby Lobby. I simply used wire cutters to get rid of the handle and a Dremel to cut a whole in the top for the fixture to attach just like it would to the intended shade. Easy peasy! It was a 10 minute project, saved me about $18, and is unique, quirky and fun. Those little green pails on the window sill came from Target's dollar spot, and nicely hold sink stoppers and rings while the dishes are being done.

The only thing left is curtains for this window. I have no idea what kind to make, although I already have a beautiful citrus green linen. Any ideas?

OOPS!

Well, I was wrong. I was wrong on two accounts: 1) I did have to purchase a new appliance, since the dishwasher was beyond repair; 2) I went over my budget (thanks in part to the dishwasher), by about 25%, or $500.

I guess in the grand scheme of things, $2,500 to redo a kitchen, dining room, laundry room and hallway is still a pretty good deal. It's just not as low as I thought.

Oh -- and to make matters worse, we will have to redo the floors, which I thought we would not have to do. It's ok, really, since we have decided on hardwood floors, which should NEVER have to be relaid. They may one day have to be refinished, but not replaced. 

It keeps getting worse since the reason we have to redo the flooring is because we have to redo the guest/kids' bathroom, which has done some damage to the floor and it joins the dining room. We didn't notice it originally because the spot it damaged was under the china cabinet. It was on our "to-do" list, anyways, just not before we went on vacation! 

C'est la vie!

Clutter Busting Chaos

If any of you noticed, I was MIA for most of last week. I did not even get on the internet from Friday until Monday. Not. Even. Once.

I don't know if it is my new medicine or hours upon hours of watching Clean House reruns.
I spent hours upon hours filling bag after bag with crap and clutter from all around my house. Lala felt like she was worked to the bone on Sunday, when we spent 12 solid hours decluttering every nook and cranny that had attracted junk for months years.

I took a quick look at things, one box (or basket or bag) at a time and quickly assessed if it was keep or toss. There were very few donate things involved, but those left are going to Goodwill soon. If I haven't missed it in a year (except photos), then out it went. Old cords? If I haven't needed them, I probably won't. If I needed them that badly, they have already been replaced. Old magazines, papers and just general junk went out, as did anything that was broken or in complete disrepair. Ten big, black trash bags (you know the ones) later, it was neat and clean.

And what do I have to show for it? A clean house, from one end to the other! It almost looks like Niecy Nash and her crew showed up to help me out.

Now if I can just keep it this way....

Organize with Style

I cannot keep a resolution to save my life, so I didn't make any. Although I have not made any resolutions this year, I know that many of you have getting organized on your lists. Since you are trying to get your stuff together, think about making it pretty while you are keeping it organized.

Candy in boxes and bags is messy. (No, this candy is not mine -- it belongs to DH and the kiddos.)

Candy put into jars and glasses is neat and pretty. Remember that yardsale find that held wooden cranberries up until last week? 50 cents at a yard sale. The candy canes look cool hanging out in a water glass.

We all have to have this stuff everyday.

Why not wake up to a beautiful bathroom counter instead of a messy one? My toothbrush container is a small fish bowl, while a pretty cut glass candy jar holds my Q-tips.

These containers were all clearance rack, yard sale, thrift store or flea market finds. How do you keep it neat and pretty?

For more tips and tricks, see the fine folks at Rocks in My Dryer for WFMW.

Wall Washing Wonder

Off the bat I have to admit -- we are still smokers. Try as I may, I cannot give up this habit. I have come to terms with it. The only thing I cannot come to terms with is what it does to my walls (yeah, I know, my lungs probably look worse, but I don't have to wake up to see them every morning.)

I have tried a dozen ways to find the absolute easiest way to wash walls. I have tried the Swiffer (which worked pretty well), the old fashioned rag method, even a sponge mop. The other day, I noticed DH's terry-cloth car washing mitt. (These are easy to find and dirt cheap.)

So, I set off to try it. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! The heavens sang, as without soap, only the mitt wet down with water, it wiped every thing off so very easily, and in record time. Yes, my friends, it cleaned cigarette smoke tinged walls beautifully. If it will work on my walls, it will work on any walls.

I was happy to figure out a multi-use for a unitasker. Since it is washable, I have been using it for dusting, washing down any big items, even cabinets and large appliances. It soooooo worked for me.

For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, scoot on over to Rocks in My Dryer.

Pretty, Please???

I have found myself dreaming of "prettier" things lately. I know, I know, I have been all aflutter lately talking about it, but it simply is the truth.

Changing the habit is the simpliest way to make things better. My family generally eats off of cheap plastic plates (found on Walmart clearance, of course) seven days a week. We got into this habit when our children were much younger and accident prone. Now that all but one of our children are teens, and the baby is now way beyond being a baby, it was still just a part of our lives.

Lately, I have realized that we can certainly eat off of the nicer dishes. So what if one breaks? They are doing nothing but taking up room on my shelves. They are no more useful on that shelf than they are broken in the trash. But, as of a week later, the whole set remains in tact.

Simplisticly, changing from a plastic to a glass plate makes meals better. It means that we are actually taking the time to enjoy our meal, not just the food set upon the table. There is something so great about a Sunday meal, why not put that much attention on the table every day? No, the food may not take hours to prepare, it may only take 30 minutes, but the effort for using those same dishes is the same. It all comes down to a frame of mind.

Cheap and Easy vs. Elegant and Easy

It really is a no brainer! And yes, this really is working for me! For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, go on over to Rocks in My Dryer.

Beautiful Breakfast

Weekend meals to me mean more time to prepare and so this morning I decided to make it special. Even simple ham and eggs can be more beautiful with a little attention to detail.

Thanks to Meredith for the inspiration!

From the Inside Looking Out

I have strived for years to live as cheaply as possible. Coupon clipping, garage-saling, thrift store shopping, using it up, wearing it out, making it do, and doing without.

But lately I have found myself a little lack-luster. Although you can have a stylish wardrobe on a budget, it will not be very much so with only cast-offs from other people's closets (if it was a great piece, it wouldn't be a cast off.) And, yes, you can have a beautiful home with curb-side finds, but a flea-market filled casa is much more appealing to me.

No, I will not be running around shopping like a maniac, but I am trying to learn to replace those worn out goods with only things I love, versus whatever is cheapest. And for the things that are not in need of replacing, I am trying to make them more like what I want with minor alterations like paint and fabric.

I have spent so long watching and reading the lovely blogs and lives of some of the most beautiful and stylish lives. I am now inspired and enabled. I want to live with more style, but of course I want to do it on a budget.

Fresh Fall Look

I hope I don't confuse anyone by leaving out my trademark pink, but I thought I needed a new look for fall.

Things are changing quite a bit around my house these days, the pink that I have taken off my blog has made it's way to Bre-baby's walls. Yep, Barbie-inspired pink is now the color that my girliest girl gets to wake up to, once we finally get her room put back together. A white 12-inch border with pink gerbera daisies and pink polka-dots top off the walls. A pretty pink canopy (which is more like a tent) will soon surround her bed.

I hope to have pics up in a few days so that you can all see our transformation, along with ideas, a price break-down and tips on the painting techinques.

Deep Rooted Fears

I survived my first root canal today. And, honestly, it really was not that bad. I have a wonderful dentist, who has the sweetest southern accent you have ever heard. After seeing him for a while, he knows I do best with sedation dentistry. So with Valium in my system, and gas running through my veins, it was a breeze. I think it was far and away much easier than getting a tooth pulled.

Along with my dentist visit, I also got down to brass tacks with my contractor today -- who is better known as my dear father-in-law. If there is something that needs to be built at our house, he is the man with the plan. He already had acquired quite a lot of the wood that we will need to build brand new kitchen cabinets, so there is very little that I will have to buy in that department. However, I will still need: tile (for countertops), a new sink, new plumbing for the sink, a new faucet, and some tracks for all the drawers that my new kitchen will have. I am sooooooooo excited about the dozens of drawers. Since my pots and pans hang on a rack, the main concern is that it is so hard to pull things out of deep cabinets. My new custom cabinets will mean drawers that completely pull out, so I will be able to get to the very back of them, however they will be deep enough to house things like crock-pots.

So....Here is where I need your help! If you could completely redo your kitchen, what one thing would you add to make your life easier? I have some design aspects in mind, but I would love your input.

Chair Repair

My cat has somehow mistaken my favorite yardsale find for a scratching post. I found this chair in great condition a couple of years ago at a yard sale for $20. It was one of those from Cracker Barrell, so I knew it was worth $100 brand new, and I knew it would last for years to come. Or so I thought.

A few months ago we got a new cat, who instantly believed this chair was for his amusement, so it has not faired well. However, structurally it was still in wonderful shape. I have seen some great ideas in different places using belts or neck ties or ribbon to weave a new seat for chairs. I did not have enough of any of these to create a seat and back cover for my beloved chair though.

I do, however, always have lots of scraps of fabric. I am always finding a great pattern or texture, or maybe even a neutral shade, on clearance or on the $1 table at Walmart. I found these fabrics on clearance and buy a yard or two. So I pulled out my big ole crate o'fabric and dug until I found a great neutral one. I ripped it into strips and then washed it. I took another plain, cream fabric, and wrapped a piece around the current seat and back, leaving it in to give strength. When they came out of the washer, I wove them onto the chair, while they were still wet so I could get them as tight as possible. I put all of one direction on, then wove the other ones. I did the back first, and once I got to the seat I realized that I did not have quite enough to complete it, so I used the last of the cream colored fabric to help fill in the gaps.

I simply tied knots with the strips, leaving the tails showing, since I liked the look of it. This project took a total of about 2 hours. Ripping the strips only took a few minutes, and while they were in the washing machine, I sewed the "slip covers" onto the back and seat. My girls helped me untangle the mess of them and straighten them out.

They really enjoyed this project. I think The Nester would be proud of my "Mistreatment"!

Clutter -- The Constant Battle

I think I spend more time complaining about all my clutter than just about anything else. It seems like the more I work on it, the more it grows. I have tried the "hot spot" method, but obviously either A) I am not a good fire fighter or B) my family is better at starting fires than I am at putting them out. Hmmmm, if B is true, then so is A.

I have no idea how it all happens. I basically only shop for coupon-related purposes. It is really hard for your husband to complain when you are filling the pantry. Also, I found the best way to save money is to not spend it. This can sometimes be a down side, because I find that occassionally I don't have something that I really could use. I rarely ever shop for clothing for myself, instead inheriting hand-me-downs from my 22-year-old sister, who is a college student (can't ya see me running around in "Smokey Joe's" t-shirts???)

However, I have found that somehow things just seem to accumulate. It is aggravating that people want to be friendly and donate items to me and my household, but sometimes people do not realize that thier gifts are cumbersome and inhibiting. Which, in turn, has made me realize that I will never "gift" anyone else with a box of items that they might could use. If I couldn't use them, what makes me think someone else can?

Ok, back to my clutter. So, the eternal question is: Do you donate or yard sale it? I yard sale/flea market so much these days, I honestly don't know if I have the energy to squeeze one more in. In the short time that I am off I will be having 5, yes five, sales. three yard sales, two flea markets = five days out of my short time off. So I am thinking donating may be the way to go.

What do you do with your clutter cast-offs? Donate, Freecycle, Craigslist, Ebay or Yardsale? Any other ideas? Do tell!

All Outta Ideas

I have the world's ugliest couch. Ok, well not the couch -- the pattern on the couch. It has great bones, really it does. It is a wingback style, and I love the shape of it. However the color is soooooo out of date. It is hunter green and burgundy. I really wanna cover it up somehow, but I just don't have the time to slipcover it.

So should I just live with it, or try to do a mistreatment? I sent an email to Nester -- maybe she can share some of her super-hero powers and help a girl out.

Just in case she is too busy (someone might have a bigger emergency in the mistreatment arena), anybody out there have any ideas? I'm begging!

WFMW: Curtain Call

Sometimes in life we just need something new. New haircut, new shoes, new dishes. We just feel like a change, and anything different is a good option. It never fails, if I take a trip down the kitchen gadget aisle in Target and find a newfangled something-or-another, it instantly makes me want to go straight home and clean my kitchen top to bottom, including inside the refrigerator.

Luckily, though, today it was not me who was hankering for new-ness.It was my daughter, La-La. In all her 14-year-old glory, she decided she needed "something different". YEAH!

Quickly I threw on my frugal-hat and decided to finally do the project that I had been putting off. About a year ago, I bought a shredded duvet cover. It had beautiful fabric, that reminded me of a sari, but several of the seams were ripped open, and it needed quite a bit of repair. I bought it for $1, lugged it home and washed it, which made the seams shred even more. So, disgusted, I put it in my pile of fabric and left it alone.

Fast forward to today. I get home from work, and she had her urge. I finally decided to drag out that sari-inspired duvet. I cut it in half, along with one of the seams. I (by I, I mean La-La) set up the sewing machine, and then I set to mending the seams. Then, I turned it inside-out, and run a seam to enclose it like you would a pillow case. I left about six inches at the bottom to turn it out, then sewed it shut. After I closed it, I then made tabs at the top with some found-around-the-house ribbon, that matched very well. I put screws in the top of the molding and hung the loops of ribbon around the loops. (We did not have curtain rods, her previous curtains were up with thumb tacks -- bad, bad, bad, I know!)

So, for a measley $1, I got two beautiful curtains. The part that thrilled me the most is that she got a "new" look without leaving the house, spending a penny, and it was all done in less than 30 minutes. Works for me!

Run, don't walk, over to Rocks in My Dryer to see what the rest of the gang has to say on Works for Me Wednesday!

Back to Decluttering

I joined Chile's decluttering challenge earlier this month. Even though I have worked at it, I haven't really talked about it too much, honestly because I had not done a massive amount of it. I did a little here and a little there, but never a massive session. It seemed like I didn't have that much time, then I realized this was something my home needed desperately.

So, I got a ton of work done today. I started with general paper clutter that easily overwhelms my home. It seems to be attracted to any flat surface of my home. First I got that all sorted out. Next I moved on to the shelves of games that we have collected over the years. Although we love to play board games, who really plays "Friends Trivia" or the "Magic Tooth Fairy Game"? Sure, I love Friends, but only a handful of people I know could even play with me, and that small amount of time that I get to spend with them is not worth the price of real estate that it laid claim to. So, all in all, 7 games said good-bye to our family today.

Along with all those games, went several other things that had been sitting around waiting for someone to attend them: a lamp, some books, toys, shoes, clothes. While I was at it, I sent the high-chair out to the storage shed. I decided to keep it but get it out of my sight. I just didn't need the reminder.

This is just the tip of my iceberg, but at least I got rid of the tip!

Holding On While Letting Go

While holding on to all the sweet memories that I have of my precious Emma, I am now realizing that I had quite a lot of things gathered up for her arrival home. A beautiful high chair, clothes, blankets, snuggli, so many things. They were not all acquired at once, a yard sale find here, a thrift store score there......they added up.

It appears that it may be quite a while before we are blessed with another grandchild. So, should I hang on to these things or let them go? When we purchased them I thought of the wonderful memories they would create, and now sometimes the sight of them makes me sad.

Do you hang on to these things? Or let them go? I feel like letting go of them may mean I am letting go of her. Can you hold on to the memories and let go of the material things?

Smashing Substitute!

Sometimes the beauty of my home takes a back seat to frugality. Case in point is the fact that nearly a year ago, we upgraded our bed from a full size to a king size. Ohh, let me tell ya, memory foam ROCKS! OK, so in the last, oh 11 or so months, DH and I have used two different blankets, because we did not have a king size, and I kept waiting to find a good deal.


So, after a year of half hearted attempts, we were Christmas shopping in Target and found the most beautiful comforter. We both fell in love with it, since it was in my aqua blue/chocolate brown scheme and not too girly. But, we decided that it could wait until the beginning of the year, because $172.99 was just too far a reach with all the holiday hullabaloo. We truly intended on purchasing it though, because we both liked it so much.

Then......my frugal fairy was with me yesterday! While I was out cruising the clearance sales, I found this beautiful quilt. It was originally $99.99, marked down to $59.99, and had a 50% off lowest price sticker on it. So I got this for $29.99 -- Saving myself almost $150 (once you count the extra tax I would have paid on the higher one.) The colors are the same, but the pattern different, yet still very pretty, and again, not too girly.

OH! And, while I was there, I got all of the wrapping paper, a 2-pack in the perfect colors to match my living room, for .75 a pack, so less than .38 a roll. Not too bad of a deal, considering that I paid .66 a roll for it this year. I bought 6 packs (12 rolls) so one less thing I have to buy.


Other good deals I found included 75% off on toys at Target (I have a good jump on next year's presents already), and some cute summer clothes for me at Kohls (where I spent $14 and saved nearly $150 off "retail" prices). Bring on warm weather, cause I got the cutest pair of pink and black flip flops that I have EVER seen!


I just love a good bargain, can't ya tell? What good finds did you find on the After Christmas Clearance Sales?

I Wanna Be a 50's Style Housewife

It all seemed so simple then...I wanna go back to that space in time when things were neat-o and casseroles were the mainstay of the dinner menu. Wait....casseroles are the mainstay of my dinner menu! Maybe I am not too far off the mark. I have a black and white checkerboard floor in my kitchen, I like to wear an apron when I cook, and I can make a mean cherry pie from scratch -- including using fresh cherries.
I just need the little black and white polka dot dress, oh, and a better figure to fit into it!
Seriously though, I wish sometimes that morals and values of nearly 6 decades ago were still intact today. It would be a refreshing change of pace. Hmmmm......I gotta find some books written about housekeeping at the time so that I can get a better perspective.
Got any suggestions?

Windows to My World

These window frames were once in a trash pile in a back alley in my very own small town. There are the same odd-pale-green paint they were when I found them. It did not take long for me to decide just what to do with them.



Once upon a time I was a photographer, and the photos, taken in black and white, are simply taped into place with invisible tape on the corners.

They are now place on either side of my double windows in my living room. I think they add a very eclectic and beautiful touch to my home.