Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Design Dilemma: Awkward Mantle Space

My friend Jessica has a little design dilemma she asked for my input on. She has a very large and high shelf/mantle area that she isn't quite sure what to do with. She could put some greenery and iron stuff up there, but she wants something more unique with some pops of color. The tricky part is that the space is very large, so it could get quite expensive. I have never been to her house, so I don't have a good feel for the size, but I am guessing it is bigger than it looks.

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Here are some of my ideas, what are yours?

Blue or green glass. Both are pretty trendy and VERY easy to find at Goodwill and other thrift stores for a dollar or two an item. I think it would look cool to do all blue, blue and clear, green and clear, or a mixture of all three colors in various sizes and shapes. That way whenever you find more you can add, but there is no pressure to be uniform. Here is a inspiration photo.

 Love blue glass!

Blue & Green Glass

Glass bottles in shades of green and blue...

My other suggestions would be to decide on several colors and paint some clear glass. Go to a goodwill and pick up a bunch of random clear glass vases and containers and paint them. Here are some things I found on pinterest. I love the idea of taking the rubber bands and putting them around the glass and then spray painting for some added design. I would stick to three or four different colors so that there is a theme. Just make sure you get a good spray paint, that says it is made for glass.

Spray paint / rubber band mason jars

spray paint glass
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See the tutorial on spray-painting glass here.

Another idea would be colorful, empty wine bottles. Currently Jessica is pregnant, so I am not going to recommend drinking crates of wine, but wine bottles can be easy to come by if you ask your wine-drinking friends to stock up for a few weeks. Also if you check craigslist under "free" there is often a link for free wine bottles if you come and pick them up. There are a lot of people who know that they are trendy in decorating right now and are willing to help out! You could even spray paint them for real pops of color. These aren't the best pictures, but you can get the idea....


DIY centerpiece using empty wine bottles


My final idea would be to do some pops of color with artwork, similar to younghouselove's behind the couch artwork. Just instead of putting the big, square, white frames on the wall behind the couch, put them in a line in the shelf space.


You really could just frame plain colorful paper, or get more creative and add little prints of notecards or something like that. This way you could switch it out when you get sick of it. Like they did here. The only thing is that you would probably want uniform frames, so you most likely couldn't find them at a second-hand store. But Michael's has sales on frames a lot, plus they have coupons all the time.

Frames are ridiculously expensive, and one of the best things to buy at thrift stores. So, you could find a bunch of random frames at goodwill, etc., spray paint all the frames white and them frame colorful paper or fabric and just lean them on the wall, like this shelf. (but colorful)

Another idea would be to gather frames, spray paint them white, and paint the glass with colorful chalkboard paint.

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Can't wait to see what Jessica does with the space!! Any other ideas for Jessica?? Anyone else have an awkward space they don't know what to do with?

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Cleaning on the Cheap

Today I had a request for a blog entry about using homemade cleaning products. About 8 months ago I concocted a few different homemade cleaning solutions to test them out and I have stuck with almost all of them. The reason I decided to switch was
1. because I am super cheap and cleaning solution is fairly pricey
2. I was trying to reduce the amount of chemicals in my home

Here is a pretty comprehensive list where I got most of my "recipes".  The only non-homemade products I consistently use are a special "urine eliminator" carpet solution for when Mowgli has accidents, dish washing detergent, and Dawn liquid soap.  I also keep a container of Clorox wipes on hand in case of a rare instance where I feel like I need something strong to kill bacteria.

The one item I use and love the most is my homemade laundry soap. I have always used liquid laundry soap so the first homemade version I tried was a liquid version, but it was pretty messy to make. It worked good, but after I used it all up I tried the powder version. It was super easy to make and worked just fine, plus it is about a tenth of the cost of regular detergent.

I do realize that I  don't have kids and therefore don't usually have many tough stains, so if anyone tries this with heavy duty stains let me know the results. It works with high efficiency washers for those wondering about that. Here is the recipe:

1/2 bar Fels naptha soap (chop/grate very finely)
1 cup washing suds
1 cup borax

While I am chopping, I usually just do the whole bar of soap and double the recipe. Use one tablespoon per load. And I found all of these ingredients in the detergent section at Kroger.

As far as fabric softener goes, just use plain old vinegar!!

Basically what I have learned in making my own cleaning solutions is that pretty much anything can be cleaned using a combination of vinegar and water.

My other favorite thing is Dr.Bronner's soap. You'll notice many of the recipes call for it. It has basically 1,000 uses and a wonderful peppermint smell. I use it as Mowgli's shampoo and I also use it for hand soap. For the had soap I use 1 part of the soap to about 5 parts water. It is pretty potent stuff. I don't know if this is just luck, but we had previously bought the foam kind of hand soap. When I filled the empty containers with the homemade solution, it came out in foam form. Perhaps it is just the pump that makes it foam? Anybody know? I don't know why it happens, but I like it.

They have Dr. Bronner's at Target and at Kroger. You won't be able to find it at  target, because it is in the beauty section, so you will have to ask someone for help. When you ask someone for help they will say they don't have it. You must not accept this for an answer and demand they look it up on some sort of computer until they find it because I guarantee you they have it. This was my experience trying to find it at Target, hopefully you find someone more helpful.


The carpet cleaner I find to be most effective is to take a cup and put some baking soda in it, then SLOWLY add in vinegar and mix together with a tooth brush. Then rub into the carpet stain with the toothbrush. Wait about 30 minutes and vacuum it up.


I recently saw this recipe for dish washing detergent:
Equal parts Baking Soda and Borax mixed together
Use just like a commercial powdered detergent, approximately 2 TBS per load
 Each load will cost you mere pennies. (also use vinegar in the jet dry well instead of the expensive stuff)

I haven't tried it yet, so if anyone does please let me know how it works.

Hope you all switch to more natural and more inexpensive solutions soon!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

A spooktacular Wednesday night

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days, but I have a had a pretty busy week. Last night we hosted a pumpkin carving party. Here are some of our guests in action...

 
 
 
And their wonderful designs.....
 


It was definitely a thrifty, but more importantly very fun night!!
 

Thrifty Thursday: Diversity Thrift


Today I was lucky enough to go to my two favorite stores in all of Richmond!! First I hit up Diversity Thrift, and that is the store that will be featured in the blog today. If you live in Richmond and have any interest in redoing furniture you need to get here quick! They have a huge selection of furniture and amazing prices. If you are looking to donate, they will come pick up your furniture, which is an awesome bonus for those without trucks.
 
This was just a few of the  things that caught my eye today. I tried my best to remember prices, but I was so excited I may be off on some of them.
 
This cute little elephant rocker would look amazing spray painted a bright color in a kids room. I believe it was around $15-20.
 
For $10 this sign is so funny! Could be perfect in a modern room....
 
I think this desk was around $60 and was in good enough condition to be used just the way it is. So adorable!

 
 
 
I am pretty sure this highboy was only $20! 


 
This set of 6 chairs would be amazing if reupholstered in a modern fabric. The structure is great. I think it was around $80 for the set.

 
 


This cute little picture was worth the $7 price tag just for the cool frame.

 
This piece of wall are was HUGE. Like take up a whole wall huge. For less than $100 it would be a show stopper in the right room.

 
I love love loved this corner cabinet. I thought the doors were so cute. I just didn't have the right spot for it. 
 
 
I picked up a few things myself, but I am not revealing them, because
1. one may be used as a gift for one of you readers (this person better be reading or else they don't deserve my gift)
 
and
 
2. I may be starting an etsy shop this week and try my hand at selling some of my finds and I don't want to give away all my secrets.
 
 
Thanks for reading!!!
 
 
 
If anyone is interested in guest writing on my blog so I can get some new readers and if it could benefit you please facebook message me.


Sunday, October 21, 2012

Modern Day Treasure Hunting

Tom and I are both LOVE going to garage sales. I know they aren't for everyone, but I feel like I am on a treasure hunt every time I go to a garage sale.  I never grew up shopping at yard sales, my mom avoids them like the plague, but to me there is nothing better than getting up on a Saturday morning and scouring other people's junk for my new treasures. A lot of people ask me how I find good stuff at garage sales, when they tend to find junk. Here are some general tips for having a good yard sale experience.
  1. Stick to community, church, non-profit organization sales.
    • I never usually go to a single person's yard sale unless it is super close by, I know the person, or I am looking for something specific. It is just a waste of time to me to drive from house to house when they might not have much stuff. I prefer to go where I know there are many houses/families all having them on the same day so it is more worth my wild. Church and non- profit yards sales are also good because there is a large amount of stuff, plus since it is not the seller's personal items, they are usually much more willing to bargain. My all-time favorite sale is the one held by the Sierra Club at the University of Richmond every May.
    • An easy way to find these yard sales is to search the "garage sale" section of Craigslist and type in "community" "neighborhood" "church" etc.
     2. Go to your dream neighborhood
    • Not really that big of a revelation, but usually the best neighborhoods have the best stuff. Target your shopping in higher-end neighborhoods.
     3. Don't be afraid to haggle, but don't go crazy
    • Usually prices are negotiable, but do it within reason or else you are just going to insult the seller. I am not much of a haggler, but more of a "bundler". I will buy several items and ask if they will take a slightly less price than the price of the three items separately. If you have ever had a yard sale you know there is nothing more obnoxious than someone asking if you will take $1.00 for something marked $5.00 that you paid $75.00 for. Note: This is why I find it much easier to haggle at church/organization yard sales, they just want to make something for the organization, but have no emotional attachment to it.
       4. Use your imagination.
    • This may be the most important tip. It may be hard to see an items potential when it is covered in dirt, on a tarp, and surrounded by other junk, but you have to really envision what it could become with a little elbow grease and some spray paint.
Here is what our car looked like on Saturday...
 


I forgot to get a before picture of my favorite item, but if you look above, you can see the wicker-ish chair to the left. That is an outdoor lounger from Ikea I picked up for $6. Here it is after a wash and a coat of Rustoleum Oil-Rubbed Bronze spray paint.


This is Tom's favorite item. A "vintage" Pepsi cooler we picked up for $1.
 
Here is a HUGE trunk we picked up for $20. it isn't made from the highest quality of wood, but will work perfectly for storage in our closet or garage.
 

Here were a brand new package of place mats with 2 little serving trays for $5.
 
I also am in love with this item. It is some sort of old, large spool. I have big plans for it, I just don't know what they are yet. This puppy set me back $5.

I have been wanting a little tray like this for a while, so for $2 I picked it up.

 

I also got some clothes, dvds, a halloween costume, "Bingo" prize items for my work and a few beach chairs. All and all it was a very successful Saturday.

Did anyone else find some treasures this weekend?

*Again I apologize for the iphone photos, but coming off a depressing Bills loss I just didn't have the energy to take good pictures. At least I have the Gators.....



Thursday, October 18, 2012

2 for the price of 1!

Well I know all you deal-loving readers ear's perked up when you saw this title. I promised you ONE big reveal today, but I am bringing you TWO reveals. Hold on to your seats because everything is changing color around here!!

The other day I spotted this little beauty at goodwill.
 




I loved the lines and the intricate detail at the top, but not so much anything else. But for $10.25 I thought I would give her a little makeover. First things first. That seat was awful. The actual material wasn't that bad, but it was covered in a think yellowish plastic. Once I got that off the chair wasn't half bad. Than I proceeded to sand her down for about an hour with very fine sandpaper.

I decided to go with spray paint for this project. There are pros and cons to spray paint. Pros being super easy and quick. Cons being that it is more expensive (a lot of paint gets wasted) and that there are a few tricks. First thing to know is always keep the can moving. If you stop moving while spraying the paint will pool and drip and look hideous. You really need to do very thin, even coats, and TAKE YOUR TIME. The next thing to know is that I don't always use spray paint, but when I do I use.....


Rustoleum. The best spray paint on earth. This is not the time to be a total cheapskate.

Then I went down to a wonderful fabric store here in Richmond called U-Fab and picked out some fabric for the seat. After unscrewing the seat, all I did was staple the fabric around the existing wooden seat and batting. And here she is in all her glory....
 

Now for the second reveal. Today I went to work looking like this:
And I came home looking like this:
 
 
Ta da!! After 26 years of being a blonde I decided it was finally time to put down (and step away) from the sun-in bottle that has been the cause of my blonde hair for years. I have been wanting to go brunette for a while, but I could never bring myself to spend money on getting my hair done, hence the use of sun-in for the past 10 years. I finally bit the bullet when a groupon came up for cut, color and conditioning treatment. I wouldn't recommend the place I went, that is another story in itself, but I like it ok for now. It will definitely take some getting used to, but I know I can always change it if needed.
 
 
The name of this blog is Silly, Honest and Kind. So, in your "be honest" moment of the day, please tell me which makeover was a hit and which was a miss: hair or chair? And remember, "be kind" : ) 
 
 
I apologize for the junky iphone photos. Next post I promise to use my very nice Nikon, just didn't have time today.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Quick and Simple Seasonal Wall Art

How many of you have Pinterest? For those that do, what percentage of the projects you have pinned have you completed? If you are like me, it is approximately 0.01%. This is the once thing I actually did. And it is simple, quick and easy, just the way I like it!

If you know me, you know that I am a pretty particular person (family members and close friends keep your comments to yourself). Especially when it comes to my house. I don't like a lot of clutter, or things lying around, but I do like decorating for holidays.  I partially feel the need to get into the holiday spirit because my mom always had elaborate decorations growing up, granted, this did include stapling our childhood holiday artwork along the wooden beams across our log home's ceiling, which was "interesting"(in the words of my grandmother) (sorry mom), but I loved the holiday feel to our home. Holiday decor somewhat stresses me out because a lot of holiday decorations are items you put on tables, counter tops, etc. that add some clutter. Here is a cool idea to add some holiday decor in a clean and classy way.

First,  I found this website on Pinterest. It is a bunch of FREE and easily download-able printables. Basically there is one for every month of the year, plus one for the in-between. Here is my current framed "Halloween" printable in my entrance way.

They print as an 8 x 10, than I picked up this 11 x 14 frame with a mat at Michael's for about $8.99. I think it is really fun to have a piece of classy looking holiday decor that can change with the seasons!

Along the same lines, here is my hallway art that I made basically the same way with my favorite quote, the one that this blog is named after.



These are also 11x14 frames that came with the mat. I believe these are from Ben Franklin. I bought some shiny, textured scrapped book paper for about $0.20 a sheet. I then played around on word for a while with fonts and colors, and then printed on my regular basic laser printer. I love these too, because if I get sick of them I can switch them out for less than a buck. Here they are up close....


So there you have it. What quick and cheap art or projects have you done lately?

My next blog post (which I am planning for Thursday) will include a BIG REVEAL!!! I am so excited for this project to be completed! You won't want to miss it. It will be the biggest reveal in the history of this blog! Alright, so that isn't too grand of a claim considering the blog is less than a week old, but still you will want to see it!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Good finds at Goodwill.

I have been wanting to go to "Tom's Goodwill" for a while. I call it "Tom's Goodwill" because he shops there at least once a week on his lunch break and about 80% of his wardrobe comes from there. So today when faced with the choice between going to the gym or checking out this Goodwill, I thought "hmm I could blog about Goodwill, but no one wants to read about the gym" so I sacrificed for my new blog and went shopping.

This Goodwill (on Chamberlayne Ave.) was AMAZING!! To say it nicely, it isn't in the best neighborhood, but I am pretty sure that it is why it was so great. The had tons of brand-new with-tags items from Target. I have heard Target donates a lot to Goodwill, but I have never really noticed many of their items there. I am pretty sure that this was because I was (stupidly) shopping at the clean Goodwills in the nice neighborhoods.So my advice to you is, if you are willing to live on the edge, grab your purses (and hang on tightly) and head to your nearest sketchy Goodwill for some amazing finds.

The minute I walked in I spotted this box, containing a brand-new Thomasville dark mahogany end table. It was marked for $30 but the manager came over and told me that it was half off....music to my deal-loving ears! This is a picture of the box because the resident furniture putter together is currently busy watching football.


This Goodwill had a ton of items for the house, and we all know things like tea cups are definetly my cup of tea! Right now green or jade glass is pretty trendy and they had quite a good selection.
I also thought these dishes were really simple and cute. The whole set was marked $25.50 but they were BLUE aka the color of the week, which means they were half-off!



Pretty much everyone has caught on to the owl trend. This little guy caught my eye, and was marked $5.25 so I quickly googled the artist, "Ray Harm" (yes I am the obnoxious person using an iphone at Goodwill)  and low and behold the same exact print is currently selling for here for $50 on ebay!!  I didn't get it, but I may be going back for him, just based on principle.



Next up were these cute little teal farm chairs for $5.25 each.







The are currently siting in my kitchen at the end of my kitchen table, I am going for a "farmhouse chic" look, can't you tell?


Next up was this little $2 target lampshade. I have been feeling that our bedroom was getting a bit of a blue overload.  I thought this would be a good little pop of color.


From further back (don't mind the messiness, do mind the cute dog)...


Last up were these awesome ikat-ish print shorts with the tags still on them for $1.99!! It helps that they are kind of Gator colors!

I got two other clothing items, a dress for $4.25 and black pants for $5, both Target brand.

There you have it people, that is what I call a good day at Goodwill. Now my mission is to find out what day Target drops stuff off there! If anyone out there knows please tell me! Did any of you get any good deals over the weekend? I had to force myself to stay away from my favorite store Class and Trash because I have found too many good things there lately.

On another note, any of Tom's friends in NY who are reading this post (which I can pretty much guarantee is 0) will be jealous to see our afternoon snack....Triscuit pizzas! Who says meat lovers and vegetarians can't get along?