Pick Colors You Love!

When trying to decide on colors to use to furnish and decorate your home, look no further then your own closet! It is likely that the majority of colors you choose for your wardrobe and accessories are the same colors you are most attracted to and would feel most comfortable with in your home. Here are a couple of pieces from my wardrobe to further illustrate this point.

This is one of my favorite handbags.

Here is a pair of shoes that immediately caught my eye when I was on my way to the restroom in Macy's. I wasn't even shopping for shoes, but at a clearance and coupon price of $17 and it being tax free weekend in Texas I couldn't pass these up!

And here is my "goes with everything" lipgloss.

Do you notice a pattern here? They all contain various shades of browns, beiges and golds - the same colors I have used to decorate most of my home (and my blog!).

Magnetic Chalkboard Art Project

At the beginning of this month, I posted this $7.99 frame from Hobby Lobby as the Bargain Find of the Week. At the time, I didn’t know how I was going to fill the frame or where exactly I would place it in the house. But I am a firm believer of letting things sit until you find some inspiration and have a clear vision of how you want a finished project to look and feel.

I found my inspiration for this project in several places. First, one day I walked in the front door and noticed the empty frame sitting on the easel. I hadn’t noticed it immediately after placing the frame and easel in that spot, but I noticed that day that it could be clearly seen when standing in my front entryway. That is when it occurred to me that I should make some sort of message board.

But what kind of message board? I had seen some great chalkboard projects done all over blog land, but I just never thought I could fit a black or dark grey chalkboard into my Family Room decor. Then I found a jar of BROWN chalkboard paint from Joann’s. Perfect! I still wanted to add a little sparkle to the chalkboard though. I found that inspiration over at Shanty 2 Chic’s Too Cute Magnets! If you haven’t done so already, please check out these two wonderful ladies’ blog. They have some terrific projects and I also won their most recent giveaway (I love my pink hammer!). Whitney’s project inspired me to use a magnetic paint primer under my chalkboard paint so I could attach some sparkly letters to the board also.

So I used the hardboard backing from this poster frame (I will be using the acrylic front in another project to be completed soon) and added so many coats of magnetic primer that I actually lost count. I think it was about 4 or 5 though. The instructions said that the magnetic receptivity increased with the amount of coats added and I wanted to make sure my magnets would stick. I then went over the top with 2 coats of the brown chalkboard paint.

I found the exact same letters Whitney used on sale for $5.99 at Joann’s last week. I spray painted and embossed them and added pieces of magnet sheets to the back of each letter.

That pack of punch out comes with tons of letters. So far, I have enough to spell out Welcome, Happy Harvest, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Easter. I plan to decorate all of these letters and change out my message board seasonally. I think this is another one of my most favorite projects so far. And to think it all started with a $12.50 easel and $7.99 frame that I thought was just too good of a bargain to pass up!

I am linking up to Kimba's Diy Day at A Soft Place to Land. Go check out the great projects!

Decorating a Sofa Table

I posted back in early September asking advice on how to decorate my new sofa table. Well I got a lot of good advice and this week it finally all came together.

I started with these three candleholders I already had from Hobby Lobby’s last 80% home decor clearance sale and I added these DIY embossed candles to them.

One of the most repeated piece of advice I received was to add a basket to the bottom shelf. So this was my very first new purchase for the table. This basket has come in very handy for storing newspapers and magazines until they are read and recycled.

My friend Latasha surprised me with this gorgeous Fleur de Lis platter that she knew would look terrific in my family room. I have gradually started picking up various Fleur de Lis pieces since then because it reminds me of home (I was born and raised in south Louisiana and lived there up until 11 years ago).

All of these glass pieces was found at the thrift store or the Dollar Tree. I posted about creating this mini cake stand here. I made those glittered/sugared pumpkins to add a touch of fall to them and added some ribbon and tassels. I plan to change the decor out to match the current seasons throughout the year.

On the top of the sofa table, I added this oval glass tray I picked up on clearance at Target. I placed these decorative balls I made on it. Since I don’t have the space to add tables to the ends of the sofa and this table is as tall as the sofa, I added a set of coasters to use when a place is needed to sit drinks down. Did you notice another touch of Fleur de Lis on the coaster holder?

And last, I added this decorative and functional storage box/book to the top of the sofa table. I use it to store family pictures and keepsakes and mementos. I love having them within easy reach and not stored away. That way I still get to enjoy them more often even if they are not on constant display.

My advice to anyone who needs to decorate a sofa table or another large piece of furniture is to don’t rush it. Let the decor evolve as needed over time. When you do buy something, place it on the piece and live with it a couple of days before you commit to it. Not everything I purchased for this table actually ended up there as time went on. I took a while to finally get a finished look to this table, but I am glad that I can say I honestly like every piece of decor that is there and that I am not just filling space.

Bargain Find of the Week

I think this may be my favorite bargain find of the week so far! I picked up this week’s bargain find at a local thrift store for $37.50. If you are reading this, thank you so much Shine for turning me on to this place. The fabric on this chair is in terrific condition. There is no noticeable wear and tear, stains or smells!

And the very best part of this find – It blends in perfectly with the rest of my family room. I don’t need to re-stain the wood or change the upholstery. After a good vacuuming and steam cleaning (just for good measure), I will have expanded my family room seating for under $40. Now, I am the lookout for the perfect side table!

I'm linking up to the Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday party. Be sure to check the other frugal finds and ideas over there.

New Sofa Table Decorating Dilemma

I am linking up to Amanda's Decorating Dilemma Party @ Serenity Now. I recently purchased this closeout sofa table at a local furniture store for $149 and I have been at a lost as to how to decorate it. It is very wide and very tall. I don't like its current sparse look but I also don't want to go overboard with accessories. I do like the set of candle holders I currently have on the top, so I will add some darker candles to it and keep them. I plan to get an small easel to display the framed cross, so I will keep that also. I am not tied to that vase that is currently sitting on the bottom shelf, so that will probably go. Unfortunately, I can't add any buffet lamps because I don't have any floor outlets and the wall outlets are too far away from the table and the cords would be a hazard. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Be sure to check out the rest of the party.

Price My Space Party at The Nesting Place!

Price My Space Party at The Nesting Place!

I have decided to join The Nester's Price My Space party and post my still a work-in-progress Family Room. Most of the items in this room was purchased over an extended period of time while I was still living in an apartment. I hoped that when I purchased my first home, I could pull all of the items together for a finished Family Room. I think it turned out fairly well.

This large picture frame was purchased at a local Dallas furniture store for $4o. The clock is a wall vinyl decal with mechanical hands that I picked up from Kohl's for about $13 with a coupon. The tall chest of drawers was also purchased at the same local furniture store for $20. The price was marked down because the finish is peeling on the top and there is a large chip on one of the feet, but I think it adds character to the piece, so I left it as is. After purchasing the item, I found it on the Internet selling new for over $500. The lamp was purchased at Homegoods for $50 and the two finials were bought at Hobby Lobby for $8 each. Total $139

I had to get real creative on this one. The "entertainment center" is actually a desk hutch that I flipped upside down and sat the TV on top of it. I only paid $99 for it in the Clearance Odds and Ends section of a local furniture store. The candle holders and candles were purchased on clearance/sale at Hobby Lobby for about $36 total. The 4 frames were on clearance at Garden Ridge for about $3 each. I'm still searching for some cute baskets to hold the Wii accessories and magazines. The large planter was also purchased at Garden Ridge for $25. In the future it will hold either a large silk tree or a tall dried arrangement. Total $172.

The large frame is a duplicate of the one used to frame the vinyl clock $40. I plan to use this frame to make a large framed mirror using beveled mirror tiles. The cross was purchased at Hobby Lobby on sale for $10. The decorative platter was found at Kirkland's for about $20. Four of the same finials used on the tall chest of drawers were also used on the mantle $32. I made the dried floral arrangement using materials from Garden Ridge for about $50. Total $152.

These faux silk 108" lined drapes were a steal! I purchased them at the Neiman Marcus Outlet Horchow Finale on sale for about $25 each. They actually ending up cost less than the price I was going to spend on fabric and lining to make some similar ones myself. The rod was purchased at Target for $40. The accent chair was purchased at a local DFW furniture store for $199. When I first purchased it, I thought that I would change the gold finish to a warm pecan finish, but it has since grown on me. The lamp is a duplicate of the one used on the tall chest $50. It is currently sitting on the floor until I find a suitable side table. Total $389.

The leather sofa and ottoman was purchased at the same local furniture store for $500 and $99, respectively. I made the pillows using a fabric remnant I found at a local fabric store and trim purchased at Joann's for around $10 each. I also recovered the ottoman in a gold chenille fabric found at another local fabric store for $22. I still have to finish adding the tufted buttons. The 9x11 rug was purchased on EBay for $149 including shipping. Total $790.

Total $1,642. I still need to put some finishing touches on this room (console table for the back of the sofa, an end table for the accent chair, something under the clock frame, a plant in the corner by the entertainment center and maybe some sort of wall art above the TV), but I think the majority of it is done.