Monday, February 2, 2015

Quick Closet Redo!!!

I belong to a Facebook group called 365 Days of Eliminating Crap. They motivated me to do something I have wanted to do for a long time--identify the clothes I don't wear and remove them from my closet. My closet was mostly full of clothes I have to lose weight to fit in and items needing some kind of tweaking (as in sewing). This daily reminder of not being the size I want to be was just too depressing. Time to purge! (Bear with me--there is a redo!) I decided to document the event:




I gave myself a 40 minute time limit, which did not allow for trying stuff on or eenie meenie miney mo, or anything! Here is the result:

 
 
 
Seven bags of clothes, and later I added a bag of shoes and purses! All got donated!




After seeing the photo I took of my closet, I was pretty horrified! What a mess! Now that a third of the contents was gone, I decided it was time for a quick redo! I headed to Michael's and Bed Bath & Beyond, coupons clutched in hand. Here is the result:




Now, I smile when I walk into my closet! All it needed was some baskets and new hangers. I chose black for it's ability to disappear. The hangers are the flocked kind and don't leave little points sticking out the shoulder of all my shirts. You can buy them in bulk (packs of 50, seen here) and in several styles. I bought the suit ones, because you can hang either a shirt or pants or both on the same hanger.


The baskets came from Michael's. I have purses and hats in mine, but if you intend to use it for sweaters or lingerie, make sure you get a material that won't snag. These are made from a cloth webbing.

 
 
 
 
Simple changes, big results!
 
 


One more thing! I used a tension rod in the back of one side to hold scarves. So convenient to see them all at once when deciding which to wear.

 
 
I hope this motivates you to think about your closet. Have I regretted anything I got rid of? Quite the opposite--twice I've pulled something out and thought "How did YOU make the cut?"
 
I will be joining:
 
Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday 
Thrifty Décor Chick for Before & After





Monday, December 2, 2013

Faux Oil-rubbed Bronze!

I had been shopping for a quatrefoil mirror to put in my entry hall. I'm quite obsessed with that shape, and it's very trendy right now. I found one with a black frame at Hobby Lobby, and at half off, I could feel good about my purchase. Which I did, until I saw one I liked even better at Kohl's. I'm sure this has happened to you.

Priced much higher, the one at Kohl's had a beautiful oil-rubbed bronze finish. I got a good look at it, and headed out to find some spray paint. I'll walk you through what I did.


Here is the original finish. Black, shiny and (gasp!) plastic.

 
 
 
Here is what you need!
 
 
 
 
First step is covering up the mirror! I used left over packing paper.
 
 
 
Here is the miracle in a can!
 
 
 
But, this is what made it even better!
 
 
 
After the spraying is done and the paint dries (it only takes an hour), I put paint in one section of my tray, and filled the center with water. Load a small amount of paint on the sponge brush, and dilute with water. You can test it out on some paper towel. The trick is to go along each edge (and only the edge), adding a small line of paint. Have a paper towel ready to wipe off any areas that get too much paint. You are really looking for a subtle effect.
 
 
 
It helps to stand back every once in awhile. I hope you can see in this photo, the tiny lines of copper along the outside and inside.
 
 
 
You will wind up with a beautiful aged effect!
 
 
 
The after photo was taken under bright light, so is looking lighter than it actually is.
 
 
 
And here it is--gracing my entry hall! I couldn't believe how easy this was!
 
 
 
 
 
I will be joining:
 
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
 Before and After at Thrifty Décor Chick
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
You're Gonna Love It Tuesday at Kathe with an E
 
 
I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. I took them with my iPad.
 
 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

My Dream Dish Room!

When we first looked at the house we wound up buying, we came across a small room in the finished basement. It was just 8' x 10' with some odd cut-outs and a door giving access to the furnace and water heater. It was empty except for a large mirror. We have no idea how the sellers used it. Mr. Wonderful looked at me. "What are you going to do with this room?"



Behold.....the Dish Room!



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I'd like to tell you that everything fit in this one room, and I probably could have done it. But, it was important to me that I could move around comfortably. The solution was right across the hall!
 
 
 
 
There was plenty of room under the stairs for placemats, chargers, silk flowers, etc. AND all my Christmas decorations!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for visiting!
 
 
 
 
I will be joining:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch

Open House Party Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes

You're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an E

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday at Ivy & Elephants

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp

Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

  Sunday Blog Love at Cherished Treasures
 
 
 
 
If you enjoy my other blog, Elaine's Wonderful World, there's a new post with a Halloween theme!



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

All the Leaves are Brown...

This is my entry to the White Challenge--using only white dishes and one other color for stemware, linens, etc. I immediately knew I wanted to use brown. Mr. Wonderful will tell you I'm a little obsessed with brown right now. I find it very calming...and well, earthy! I thought the dark wood of my kitchen table would work best, so this is my first tablescape in my new kitchen. I am so anxious to get those white walls painted!



I hope you enjoy!
 





 
 
 
I fell in love with these bowls from Ross!
 
 
 
I used this runner to choose the different shades of brown I would use.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I filled each bowl with coffee beans before placing a painted pumpkin in each one.
 
 
 
 
Eddie relaxes on the half wall between the kitchen and family room. He thinks it was placed there for him! I only included him because he is keeping with the color scheme.
 
 
 
 
The dinner plates and glasses came from a thrift store.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for visiting!
 
 
 
 
I thought you might like to see my new home!
 
 
 
Be sure to check out the White Challenge this week at the CuisineKathleen's Let's Dish Blog Party!

I will be joining:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch

Open House Party Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes

You're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an E

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday at Ivy & Elephants

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp

Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

  Sunday Blog Love at Cherished Treasures
 
 
 

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

A is for Apple...T is for Tired!



Hello everyone! I am no longer MIA!

Please note:

This is the first tablescape I have done since February.

This is the first tablescape I have done in my new house.

This is the first tablescape I have done with this table.

This is the first tablescape I have ever done in a basement!


So, the theme is apples. As I looked back at the photos, I noticed that the walls, table and chairs, and carpet are very close in color. And, the table has a glass top. To me, it looks like my tablescape is kind of floating. See if you agree.

 
 
 
So, how do you ground things? Use black!
 
 
 
 
 
 And, what's more fun than plain old black? Black with white polka dots!
 
 
 
Because of my busy place settings, I went very simple with the centerpiece!
 
 
 
Yes, there are pears in there, too. But, apples love to share the spotlight with pears!





 
 
 
These dishes were in the "things I want to give away before we move" pile, but at the last minute I changed my mind!
 
 
 
 
 








 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for visiting!
 
So, T is for Tired because I've spent the last few months getting moved into our new home. To give you an idea of the magnitude, my dishes alone filled 22 boxes. The stemware was another 11 boxes. That doesn't include the three sets of china I own.
 
I bought the table and chairs in this week's post, so I would have a table to set in the basement, just steps away from my "dish room." I plan on painting them, and eventually the basement walls will get color, too.
 
Be sure to check out the apple-themed tablescapes this week at the CuisineKathleen's Let's Dish Blog Party!

I will be joining:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps On The Porch

Open House Party Thursday at No Minimalist Here

Let's Dish at Cuisine Kathleen

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes

You're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an E

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

What's It Wednesday at Ivy & Elephants

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp

Centerpiece Wednesday at The Style Sisters

Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper

Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove

Home Sweet Home Friday at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

  Sunday Blog Love at Cherished Treasures