Creative Planning at the Habitat Restore

Yesterday I ventured downtown to check out the the Habitat Restore. I've known about this store for a while now, but never actually been. Since I'm dreaming up craziness for my daughter's room, I decided to attempt to find a handful of resources at reasonable prices. I was very impressed. The store is huge and has a large selection. They carry everything from lighting fixtures, to toilets, to paint! If you are the least bit handy, it's a place to dream.

I wandered around the store thinking, "What could I turn that into?" and "What could that be used for?" So many possibilities! I snapped several phone photos to show you the goods.

This swing sang to me as I walked by. It was humming softly, "I'd look great in your daughter's woodland room! Doesn't she need a place to sit and read to her woodland friends?" I was definitely lured by the tune, but sadly, decided it was a little too wobbly to make the cut. 

 Aren't these fun? Oh yes, for $20 I'll take you home. I have no idea exactly your purpose, but I am certain you'll look great when I figure it out!

If shabby chic is your thing then this store is the place to be. So many old windows and shutters! Wouldn't it be fun to make a room divider or a headboard with these? I may be making a trip back for a few. I'd love to place them on each side of my daughter's windows as a nice little accent. Sure would have been smart to take measurements with me on the first go-round!

I always thought the treasures to be found in the Restore would be old and worn, but that's not necessarily true. There were sections of brand new items, like french doors and very pricey (retail, that is) front doors all to be had at great prices! 

These unfinished beauties were $1 each! I showed restraint because my room plans are not quite to the place I need them to be before I go hog wild and take full advantage of these bargains. There will definitely be many more trips to the Habitat Restore in my future.

Speaking of...Elizabeth from The Mustard Ceiling scored 3 solid oak doors at her local Habitat Restore and used them to make kitchen counter tops. Isn't that savvy?

What about you? Is this a place you frequent? Drop me a line and let me know your favorite find!

If you're interested in design services, I'd love to work with you. Big projects or little projects...they're all fun! Contact me, so we can get started.

Tricks and Trims

 Hey friends! I hope this weekend was a good one for ya. My family and I traveled to the coast for my brother-in-law's wedding and it was sooo cool! They were married in a Flight Museum. The ceremony and reception all took place in an airplane hanger...we were literally on concrete floors and surrounded by WWII planes. My first thought when I learned of their plans was "What in the world?" But honestly, it was very unique and so representative of them as a couple. I love it when people think outside of the box!

I'm hoping to have nursery pictures to share with you this week. We're down to the final touches. You can check out the plans here if you haven't seen our fun, vintage golf nursery plans.

While working on the nursery, I realized I should pass on a little tip that I've used numerous times in the past. Since sewing is not my speciality, I had to find a way around it and did so by becoming friendly with the hot glue gun and a little ribbon.

These drapes started out plain navy. They were a little blah so we added 3 inch white grosgrain ribbon. I knew if I had tried to sew this I would have a puckered mess! To avoid such a mess, we simply tacked the edges every 5 inches or so. The "tacks" actually show up more in this picture than they do in person. That's weird! 

I know, I know...I mentioned hot glue then preceded to tell you how I used a needle and thread. I couldn't use my hot glue trick on these drapes because I was using white ribbon. Oh, I tried, yes I did. It certainly would have been easier! Sadly, the glue showed through so my idea was nixed this time.

Moving on...when we moved into our house several years ago I was hit with the realization that our ceilings were much higher, which meant my shower curtains and drapes suddenly looked like they had shrunk! It was going to be quite costly to buy long drapes so I improvised. I purchased whatever I could find on sale then added fabric and trim. 

This is the shower curtain in our guest bath. Since my mother can sew (straight lines) she added the "extra length" needed to the bottom. Then, to cover the seam I hot glued the trim right on top! Super easy and it has held up for the past 3 years without a problem.

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Same story, second verse going on in my daughter's room. If you look close, you can even see some hot glue remnants living on the left side of the polka dot ribbon.

So what can you learn from today's post? There's always a way around something that seems hard! Just kidding. Sewing is only for patient people? Well, maybe...but what you should really walk away with is the knowledge that hot glue can work just as well as a needle and thread!

If you'd like to spruce up a room in your own house, contact me so we can get started!

DIY Art in less than 5 Minutes!

 We made it through another week, friends! Do you have any fun projects planned for the weekend? If not, I've got a quick and easy one for you to try.

If you look close at this picture you'll notice it's a dog-eared/ripped out catalog ad. Yes, it's archaic and before the days of pinterest! It's been stuffed in a drawer for years and I just ran across it the other day. I knew instantly why I hung onto it. Check out the cross art that I've marked with the blue arrow. I thought it would be a fun piece to try to duplicate. 

Soooo simple...only 3 supplies needed for this project.

1) Canvas

2) Jute

3)Tape

I had every intention of adding paint to this list, but once I got started I decided I really liked the simple and clean look. Literally, all you do is wrap the jute around the canvas in the design of your choice, then tape the end of the jute to the back of the canvas.

I love the texture brought in through the jute. The best part is that when I'm ready for a change or decide to paint a masterpiece, all I have to do is unwrap the twine and I still have a perfectly good canvas.

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One day I may decide to add in some color, but for now I think it looks pretty snazzy just the way it is!

So there ya have it...a piece of art that's quick, easy and cheap. Does it get any better?

I'm headed out of town this weekend for my brother-in-law's wedding. Any big plans on your end, friends? 

Remember, I'm available to help create a fun and awesome space of your very own, all you have to do is contact me!

Linking up to:  C.R.A.F.T.

Random Act of Kindness #19

Okay, friends, it's time to bust out your cooking skills for today's RAK challenge. This may be easier for some than others. If you read this post, you'll recall that cooking is not one of my passions, but in the name of kindness, I'm willing to do it!

RAK Challenge #19: Prepare a meal for someone in need.


Take a second to think of a person in your life who needs a little break. It might be an expecting mom, a friend struggling with an illness or maybe just someone who seems overly stressed. It doesn't necessarily have to be someone with something major happening in their life. I don't have anything major going on and I'd welcome any meal that I didn't have to prepare! Just having that simple daily task off my plate would make me smile.

So, in hopes that you guys will embrace this challenge, I'm going to make it simple and give you the menu!

This is my go-to menu because it's not time-consuming yet it's still tasty.

Ham and Swiss Stromboli

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Taste of Home

• Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min.
• Yield: 6-8 Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated crusty French loaf
• 6 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
• 6 green onions, sliced
• 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

• Unroll dough into a rectangle on a greased baking sheet. Place ham over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle with onions, bacon and cheese. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Pinch seam to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on baking sheet.
• With a sharp knife, cut several 1/4-in.-deep slits on top of loaf. Bake at 350° for 26-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

I've varied this recipe with numerous different ingredients. I often like to take two, one ham and one turkey. Green chilies are a great add-in with turkey.

My plan of attack: Prepare the stromboli and wrap it in foil. I typically deliver it uncooked and add a little note with cooking directions. This way my friends can pop it in the oven when they're ready or even freeze it for a later date. I purchase a bag of chips, a bag of salad then make a plate of cookies and/or brownies to make the meal complete.

At this point I hope you have your recipient in mind! Now it's off to the store you go. Just think about the joy you're about to spread in the life of another person...all because you took a little time to be kind! 

Other opportunities to be spread some love here, here and here!

Childish taste with a tween vision

I just signed a contract with my best client yet...my 9 y.o. daughter! She's hired me to redecorate her room and she has very specific needs/wants. I think I'm up for the challenge and I'm inviting you along for the ride. 

 At our first meeting, we sat down and poured over color schemes. She has very unique taste and is not your typical girly-girl. Something I love about her! So far, we're leaning towards these awesome colors that come straight from nature, a.k.a. Macaw feathers.

Oh yes, you read that right, a woodland room. My daughter has an intense love for little creatures. She would have a room full of rodents if we'd let her. So instead of buying the stinky real deal, we've reached a compromise and decided to bring in her passion through her decor. Hence, the little mouse fabric shown above which will more than likely don a special little pillow.

Only three purchases have actually been made towards her room redo thus far, so the end result might end up looking nothing like the picture above. It'll be fun to look back when the big reveal is made and make a few comparisons. 

The design challenge I'm facing is creating a room that will "grow" with her. This woodland room could very quickly turn into a nursery if we're not careful with our selections. I'm hoping to avoid this design dilemma by only accenting with the "little girl" items and keeping the main bones of the room something that could easily transition into her tween years. 

I've got a few over the top ideas floating around in my head! I cannot wait to get started. You'll be happy to know that my power tool skills will be stretched greatly during this project. 

So friends, what do you think? Are we headed in the right direction or does it scream nursery?

Do you need someone to create something unique and different in your home? Contact me. I'd love to help you!

Tipful Tuesday

I didn't get a chance in yesterday's post to thank Kate, from Centsational Girl, for featuring our diamond wall. Can you believe she posted it as part of her Best of the Blogosphere series?!!! I was so surprised when I went to her blog for some good reading and BAM!...there's our house! It was kind of a funny (yet, amazing) feeling! Thanks again, Kate.

So, let's talk kitchens today. There are so many beautiful options when it comes to designing your kitchen. Here are a few of my favorites that have been floating around Pinterest recently.

 The floors got me in this picture, as well as the backsplash. I love the oversized light above the table too. So often, because of price I'm sure, people buy lights that are too small for their spaces. I notice this with rugs also. These are two areas where, if money allows, it's okay to buy BIG and make a statement!

Let's analyze this picture a little. It's fun and eclectic. Check out how many different finishes are going on in this kitchen. Four different colors of wood and 4 different metal finishes. This definitely adds interest to the space. So often, people get wrapped up in making sure everything "matches." If you're not careful, matching can lead to a very boring room.

I love the subway tile backsplash in this shot. The peek-a-boo windows up top are an added bonus as well. Add in a fun, unexpected element by adding red knobs on the stove...too cool!

So now that we've been kitchen dreaming for a little while, let's get back to reality. We haven't lived in our house for very long and I've already noticed my cabinets are taking a beating. One way I tried to "preserve" them is by adding hardware. This has definitely helped but my problem lies in knicks and scratches on the door panels. This would have absolutely nothing to do with a little 7 y.o. boy climbing onto the countertops to reach the faucet or the cups! 

I found a solution! Well, the solution would be to have a son who doesn't climb on the counters and who takes the time to get out the step stool in order to reach things, but since the damage has been done, here's the other solution...touch-up markers.

It's as easy as coloring a picture! Just buy the shade that matches your cabinets and color in the knicks. You can find these in any local hardware store and they're really inexpensive. No need to replace an entire door, just color it!

If you'd like help creating something fun in your own home, contact me, so we can get started!

Oh, Fiddle!

Hey friends! I am so excited. Want to know why? I have been dying for a certain little tree to come live in my house for well over a year now. I've seen pictures of these trees all over gorgeous design magazines and I've even posted about it.

I've searched high and low for one of these trees and finally found a source.

I was in last week picking up a plant and I just happened to ask if they stock Fiddle Leaf Fig trees. The guy said they "sometimes" carry them so I left my contact info. and asked if they'd call next time they received a shipment. Two days later, I got the call! They had ordered some just because I asked! How awesome is that?! I trucked my hiney down there yesterday and picked up 2 trees, one for me and one for a client! If you're close by and interested, they had 4 others. Run quick...They don't stay around long!

Supposedly, they're easy to care for. I don't have the greenest of thumbs, so let's hope I can keep it alive! Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I've tried and tried to think of a smooth transition into this next part, but I can't! When I read someone's blog I find myself wanting to know more about them as a person. Because of this I've come up with some random facts about myself so those of you interested can "get to know me" a little better.

Things about me you may or may not care to know...
*I don't like the lingo "followers"on blogs. I'm not worthy to be followed, just be my friend!
*I have naturally curly hair that I've fought most of my life. I've just now, over the last few years, started wearing it curly most of the time.
*My face looks like I have chicken pox when I cry.
*I'm strangely drawn to homeless people.
*My degree is in Recreational Therapy. I worked in a Psychiatric Treatment Center for kids right out of college up until my kids were born.
*I have a need to be different. Not the "I need attention" type different, just a little "out of the ordinary" type different.
*I love trees.
*I love adrenaline inducing activities...roller coasters, bungee jumping, sky diving, you name it! check, check and check.
*I was on a gymnastic team that was offered to train with the Hungarian Olympic Team for 2 weeks in Hungary. My parents didn't let me go. Can't believe they wouldn't send their 10 y.o. to a communist country with coaches they didn't trust...geesh! (They definitely made the right decision!)
*I ran the Olympic torch for the 1984 Olympics.
*I only cook because I have to. Not my favorite thing to do!
*Chocolate, Olive oil and coffee are my top 3 favorite foods/flavors.
*I started running with I turned 30 because I was terrified of my metabolism slowing down.
*My birthday is on Valentine's Day.
*I was not physically attracted to my husband when we first met. (don't worry, he'll confess the same truth about me!)
*I tried out for cheerleader at Texas Tech University but I didn't make it.
*I cry when I get frustrated or mad.
*I knew next to nothing about computers until I started blogging. (still don't know as much as I want to)
*I want to take my family on a mission trip when my kids are older.
*I think everyone has a story and I want to know it!
*I'm a very impatient person.
*I can't stand helping my kids with their homework. Hope their teachers don't read my blog!
*I'm a one or two "close" friends type person.
*There are less than 5 items in my closet that cost more than $40.
*I feel guilty spending money on clothes for myself.
*I love to talk to God while I'm running and taking showers.
*I'm in bed by 8:30pm on most nights.
*I can't stand sleeping in hotel beds or walking barefoot in the room. Can you say germs?!
*I have a warped sense of humor. When people fall, run into something, etc. I laugh uncontrollably.
*I'm terrified of screwing up my kids!
*I am real. My life is not perfect, but I am perfectly made.

So, are you surprised about anything you just read? I'm off help my daughter finish her science fair project. I'll be glad when that's off our her plate!

I'd love to help you create something fun in your house, contact me if you're interested!