Guest // Spray Paint Transformation:: Jennie's Entry Way Display

Before and After

Jennie's entry way is painted and complete! What was once a plain wall niche is now a colorful bookshelf nook with lots of personality. And she did it all for less than $60! Wow. Here is what she had to say about how she made this thrifty and beautiful project happen...

This total look cost me $59.50 ($9.00 of it from a few years back). So it cost me about $50.50 now to do this. Below are my supplies and steps I took to achieve this great new look!

Bookshelf - As you may recall from my sneak peak post into what I'd be repurposing and sharing on ahomebeautiful, I scored this solid wood bookshelf from a local thrift store. I gave it an easy spray paint transformation by painting it black using two cans of $1 generic spray paint from Lowe's. Total cost:: $21

Artwork - I found this floral artwork for only $4.50 at my local thrift store as well. I purchased a new 50% off frame at Michael's for $20. Super easy makeover. Total cost:: $24.50

Candleholders - Another great thrift store find from a couple years ago for $1 each. I added new vanilla pillar candles from Dollar Tree for $1 each. Total cost:: $4

Birdcage  - this is actually leftover from our wedding decor so it is now repurposed as decor in our home and is a treasured memory. Total cost:: Free

White Ceramic Jug - I found this great vase/jug on Marshall's clearance rack a few years ago. Total cost:: $5

Wall Paint - Home Depot has a lovely little selection of paint called "Oops paint" that they sell for super cheap. Had I bought a new can of paint, even for this tiny space, it would have cost $30! This "oops" was a bold blue that complements our artwork. Total cost:: $5

Books - These are leftover from college and graduate school, books I want to hang onto but won't read regularly so they work great to store here and be on display. I'm not even going to think about the cost of some of these, so we'll say these are repurposed. :) Total cost (for this project):: Free

I love my new entry way nook! I have another great piece I'll be working on for this area and will be sharing once it's complete.

If you would like to be a guest DIY blogger, please contact me at: ahomebeautiful at gmail dot com.

Music Monday:: Feed From the Bottom

It's only fitting that on this particular Music Monday I dedicate this post to my husband's music blog. He is finally getting me to go to my very first Phish show today. No he's not a hippie! (Not that there's anything wrong with hippies...if you know me, you'd know it just wouldn't mesh.) He is simply a huge fan of really good music and Phish's infamous jam band vibes lured him in long ago and the rest is history.

Overall, I really love his taste in music and one of our favorite things we enjoy together is seeing live music. He is always on top of what's new and what's good whether it's in the jam, indie, or other obscure music scenes he's probably heard of it. I love the days when I can share a new song with him that he enjoys and hasn't already heard. If you like getting your music before anyone else and like good jams, follow his blog, appropriately named for one his favorite band's tunes. Visit FEED FROM THE BOTTOM, follow and enjoy!

Five of my Faves:: Laundry that's Fast, Fresh & Going Green

My five favorite laundry items to make the laborious laundry process fast while keeping your important wardrobe staples fresh. Not only do these items clean and steam keeping your clothes in top shape they can save you lots of money, electricity and even gas in your car, and they protect the environment. Now that's a lot of green savings!

I LOVE my new Home Touch Commercial Garment Steamer from Macy's. It completely eliminates the need to dry clean our business clothes or delicate materials with very little time investment. I just used it to freshen up and dewrinkle some clothes I had in storage. Two weeks worth of clothes were sanitised and wrinkle free in 10 minutes! I picked it up on sale but it is worth every penny full price.

A Dryel starter kit is a must to eliminate your laundry bill completely! If you don't have a steamer or even a good iron you should still use dryel sheets in your dryer. They are safer to your clothes and the environment than dry cleaning and they get the job done. I use them for all of my sweaters and other dry clean items. Just put a few items in the bag with a dryel sheet and heat for half an hour. Bam! No driving to the dry cleaner and no big bills. I pick refills up at Big Lots for $5 and you get 6 sheets which will freshen up to 25-30 items. The starter kit comes with a cleaning pen that works well on sensitive fabrics but you can always spot clean harsher stains on your own with other cleaning items. Then the dryel sheets do the rest.

Of all the irons out there I chose the Shark Rapid Pro Lightweight Iron (model G1468) I picked up at Target. It had a great price point but it also had all the features important to me. It has vertical and horizontal steam (a great substitute if you don't need the power of a full steamer to do lots of clothes and just need to hit up some items that are hard to flat iron from time to time). There are many temperature and steam controls that are very accurate. It has auto shutoff in any position - very safe! It's self-cleaning and anti-calcium buildup features make it an iron that will stick with you and never ruin your clothes. The disappointment of ruining your favorite top when you don't realize there is calcium or rust buildup in your iron is worth the extra $10 you might spend on this iron over a more basic option.

Dryer Balls! If you don't have these little guys, go get them. In fact, get several. I use four in my standard size dryer. They are about $5 at any home store like Target or online and are priceless when you see how much energy you save drying towels and other bulky items. I even use them with my regular clothes (not delicates - because I hang dry all of my delicates). They really help decrease your dry time and help makes towels and sheets super fluffy. Plus, you can eliminate your dryer sheets which are harmful to the environment, saving you money forever because these little guys don't wear out. Unless of course your lovely Boston Terrior gets ahold of them (Botti...) and chews holes in them. 

Simple Green Pre-Wash formula is the perfect green savings product. It's biodegradable and non-toxic so it's safe for the environment, it's super cheep (I found a 32 oz. bottle as cheep as $1.50) and a little goes a long way on stains. Simple Green's other products can be used as laundry detergent and all-purpose cleaners around the home and all of them are environmentally safe...but that's for another post another day. :)

Guest // Project:: Sharon's Easy Peezy Magnetic Makeup Board

Today we have another new guest blogger to introduce, Sharon. I met Sharon while working in PR. She’s a great writer and savvy creative so naturally we hit it off! Here’s Sharon’s fun and *easy peezy* DIY post to share with us::

When I moved into my apartment, I was excited that they allowed pets and there was a nice-sized kitchen. I was not excited about the tiny bedroom. I have very little wall space, too. Unfortunately, I have a lot of makeup and I prefer not to keep it in the bathroom because of the moisture. I stumbled upon a magnetic eye shadow board on Pinterest and thought this would be great to use for all of my makeup. It was the perfect way to go vertical! The original Pinterest item was a photo frame with a metal board cut to size. While I liked this idea, it didn’t work for two reasons:  a) it was too small for all of my makeup and b) I’m lazy and didn’t want to deal with the cutting of the metal and figuring out the assembly of the frame part. So I found a larger magnetic board from IKEA complete with holes and ready to hang!

Supplies:

Magnetic board from IKEA

Fabric to cover board (I just bought a full yard… this was more than enough. But remember, you need to be able to cover the sides.)

Spray adhesive

Scissors or razor

Hot glue and glue gun

Strip and circle magnets (Make sure they are strong and can stick to something through the packaging. This is VERY important. When you cover the board with fabric it will make it harder for the magnets to stick.)

Toilet paper rolls

Here’s how I did it:

1. Assemble the board:: Do a rough cut of the board on top of the fabric (if there is a lot of excess fabric it will be annoying to deal with). Lay the fabric on a flat surface that is covered so the adhesive doesn’t get on it. Spray with adhesive and let it get a tacky. Put the magnetic board on top of it and stretch it all the way to the back. Move quickly to get rid of bubbles. On the back trim the excess fabric and use a razor or sharp scissors to poke out the holes for hanging.

2. Magnetize the makeup:: Hot glue magnets to the back of your makeup. You will probably have to glue several magnets to heavier pieces. For flat, larger surfaces like compacts, I found that the strips worked best. I also would try to cover as much of the back as possible with the strips. You don’t want your makeup falling off all the time or easily getting knocked off. I also found that the adhesive backing on the strips seemed strong enough to stay on and you don’t need to hot glue it.

3. Make brush holders:: As I was in the middle of the craft I realized it would be silly to attach magnets to every tiny brush I had. I cut toilet paper rolls to size and then covered with fabric using spray adhesive. To close the bottoms I just folded the fabric on top of itself and hot glued it shut. Just don’t stick anything too heavy in there. You will need four round magnets to secure these.

Tips: Now that I’ve been using the board for a week or so, I’ve found that you don’t want to crowd your makeup. Otherwise when you go to put something back on the board you will easily knock something else off.  I also wouldn’t put anything that’s glass or very precious up there as things can get knocked off.

About Sharon: Sharon Fain is a freelance communications consultant (visit her professional site for more info) and professor of public relations and journalism. She does not consider herself particularly crafty—more practical, cheap and inventive.  Her proudest DIY creation is her $49 IKEA bed that she stained, made her own headboard for, and got a free box spring for it. You can see her style on Pinterest.


If you would like to be a guest DIY blogger, please contact me at: ahomebeautiful at gmail dot com.

Music Monday:: Cults

This new indie duo from out of no where has made a great start for themselves and is sure to appear again since they were recently signed to Columbia. I love the lofty but powerful voice of the lead singer on this track and the lovelorn 50s high school dance vibe paired with the rebellious chorus. Rather than the slow tempo and sad lyrics bringing you down the finger snapping sweetness about it makes it stick in your brain and I find myself humming the verses while swaying around my kitchen whenever it pops in my head. :)

Guest // Treasure Hunt:: Jennie's Furniture Steals

Our new guest blogger, Jennie, has some exciting furniture steals from her latest Treasure Hunts! Check out these great finds she'll be sharing soon on her upcoming DIY Project posts::

I'm most excited to refinish this solid wood hutch I scored for $65 at Goodwill. I also have a dining table in the works to create a matching set.

A $19 bookcase from Goodwill I will be using in this unique entry way arch along with an antique gold mirror I found several years ago for only $10 or $15. By adding the mirror and some other fun decor touches to the shelf I hope to make this a beautiful entry way to our home.

This entry table has a classic design and with a little wear and tear it only cost me $25. I will be reconditioning this great piece to create a finished and elegant look in my entry way.

If you would like to be a guest DIY blogger, please contact me at: ahomebeautiful at gmail dot com.

Introducing Our New Guest Blogger:: Jennie

Jennie and her husband are recent newlyweds and have recently moved into their first town home together in our neighboring OC. Welcome to the wonderful adventure of starting your lives together and making your house your home! Jennie is excited to decorate her new home but as many newlyweds who are also busily working on their careers (oh and did I mention ambitiously obtaining their PhD), she is working her thrifty skills as well to make a home beautiful on a budget by shopping second hand and refinishing great furniture finds while adding her own crafty decor touches. Stay tuned tomorrow when we share a few of the pieces you can expect to see from her guest DIY Project posts!!

Ashley:: What are you looking forward to most about decorating your new home? 
Jennie:: I'm looking forward to the end product of having a comfortable, relaxing home that is full of things that my husband and I love. My husband and I both have large families and a lot of close friends, so we will look the most forward to sharing our space with others as much as we can!

Ashley:: What challenge are you facing in decorating your new home?
Jennie::  A unique thing is that I have to live with the bold colors that were in the condo, rather than repaint right away. We are on a tight budget since I'm starting a PhD program in August and will be transitioning jobs in the fall.  So that's a challenge, but a fun one since I'm finding that a lot of my things actually are coordinating! There are also some unique angles of the walls too so I'm trying to figure out how to place things. Finally, I want to create a few "me" spaces that will allow me to escape from my schoolwork and allow for some creative time without leaving visible messes everywhere. (Ooo, do I hear organizational posts?? ... I'm starting a new feature on this subject soon!)

Ashley:: Where do you hunt for great thrifty purchases?
Jennie:: I'm a total thrifty d-i-y-er! I'm also an ambitious furniture repainter and refinisher. I love looking for items to repurpose at Goodwill and Salvation Army and other clearance shops. I recently bought a shelf and a small table on sale at Salvation Army to sand down and repaint black for my entry way. After that, I'll focus on my dining room table and hutch, so that I can enjoy all of the fun wedding gifts that my husband Sam and I received earlier this year.

Ashley:: What do you look for when you choose furniture to repurpose? 
Jennie:: Every item needs to pass my 5 tell tale signs to know I've found a great piece.

1. I have to LOVE it! Meaning if I know I'll kick myself when I get home for NOT buying it right then...experience has taught me someone else will grab something good before I'm able to get back and get it.  (So true! I have sadly been there.)

2. It has to have GOOD BONES. I tend to gravitate more to classic pieces rather than trendy ones, and I also prefer solid wood. With classic peices and solid wood, you can always re-paint as color trends change. There is definitely a place for Ikea furniture, but solid wood simply stands the test of time.

3. CLEAN LINES are a plus. For instance, a lot of flat surfaces are easy to use an orbital sander to re-finish, versus lots of tiny grooves. Tiny grooves and ornate carvings can give pieces character and personality so if the piece is compellingly cute enough - meaning I love it - I'll spend the extra time sanding by hand. Otherwise, I'm lazy and prefer the power tools.

4. It has to FIT. By this, I am giving a public service announcement about carrying a tiny tape measure in your purse along with an index card of measurements for the spaces you're trying to fill. There will always be another peice of adorable furniture to find if it is too large, but thrifted furniture is rarely worth moving walls for!

(True story - when I was hunting for my baskets to "FIT" in our platform storage bed, I found these fantastic baskets, I had my measurements, but I had no way to measure them...when suddenly over my shoulder I hear the familiar zip us d-i-y-ers wouldn't mistake for a mere purse zipper and a very nice woman let me use her pocket-size tape measure!  I do keep measurements of things I know I need on a shopping list on my phone and now I have a ruler app too just in case!) 

5. The final question is "WILL SOMEONE ELSE LIKE THIS?".  As my tastes change, it's much easier to sell something on craigslist (for extra decorating $$) if it is not so unique that someone else will not love it too. A good example of this is the huge 40x40 coffee table I bought on craigslist 2 years ago for $20. I painted it black and loved it for 2 years, but it simply was too big to bring with us to our new place. I sold it on craigslist in less than 12 hours for $75 (more than I needeed to buy my recently acquired hutch).

These are fantastic tips, Jennie!!! We can't wait to see what you have to share with us in your upcoming DIY Project posts.

If you would like to be a guest DIY blogger, please contact me at: ahomebeautiful at gmail dot com.