Enter this $5 wall mounted letter organizer from Target.
Now, the buck mail stops here!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Mail Drop
If your house is anything like mine, the mail gets tossed wherever there is a flat surface. With three mail receiving adults in the house, we needed a place to put it so important letters and bills wouldn't get lost in the shuffle.
Enter this $5 wall mounted letter organizer from Target.
Now, the buck mail stops here!
Enter this $5 wall mounted letter organizer from Target.
Now, the buck mail stops here!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Drop Cloth Curtains Strike Again
I finally got around to creating another pair of drop cloth curtains for the living room. If you're having a similar love affair with this oh-so-textured linen knock-off, check out your local Home Depot or Lowes for what's called a "bonus" or "contractor pack" of the 6'x9' variety. It's literally 2 for the price of 1.
So for $9.97 in fabric and a $12.99 (86"-120") curtain rod from Ross, we now have a gorgeous, custom pair of curtains dressing our living room picture window.
But, before I reveal the new look, let's check out the totally blah old look.
And now, the dramatic after.
You'll also notice we added a storage ottoman to round out our living room furniture. It's great for keeping those throw blankets or quickly stashing items out of Millie's reach on the way out the door (she loves books).
I just have to add some tie back hooks, and the living room will be done (for now!)
So for $9.97 in fabric and a $12.99 (86"-120") curtain rod from Ross, we now have a gorgeous, custom pair of curtains dressing our living room picture window.
But, before I reveal the new look, let's check out the totally blah old look.
And now, the dramatic after.
You'll also notice we added a storage ottoman to round out our living room furniture. It's great for keeping those throw blankets or quickly stashing items out of Millie's reach on the way out the door (she loves books).
I just have to add some tie back hooks, and the living room will be done (for now!)
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Freebie Winner!
To determine the winner, I entered everyone's name on a spreadsheet in the order the comments appeared. I then used the random number generator on random.org to choose a number.
The lucky winner was in cell number 13, Sandy Walters!
She is also my mother, but I swear this was not rigged. I actually considered doing it again, but given that she has been my first and most active reader, I figured she did actually deserve the win despite how it may look.
However, don't fret! I will be doing more giveaways so stay tuned for your next chance!
The lucky winner was in cell number 13, Sandy Walters!
She is also my mother, but I swear this was not rigged. I actually considered doing it again, but given that she has been my first and most active reader, I figured she did actually deserve the win despite how it may look.
However, don't fret! I will be doing more giveaways so stay tuned for your next chance!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Holy Cheeseball, Batman!
I just made the most amazing cheeseball mix and get this-it's FAT FREE.
Now it's not really a ball, but more of a dip. To get a ball you have to use fat. So, too bad.
Get a bag of this from The Biltmore Estate Winery Shop (or online).
Mix it with an 8oz container of fat free cream cheese. Throw the "crunch" packet in there as well. Dip some graham crackers or fruit, and enjoy!
Now it's not really a ball, but more of a dip. To get a ball you have to use fat. So, too bad.
Get a bag of this from The Biltmore Estate Winery Shop (or online).
Mix it with an 8oz container of fat free cream cheese. Throw the "crunch" packet in there as well. Dip some graham crackers or fruit, and enjoy!
A Tale Of Two Corks
Remember when I posted about that totally awesome cork bath mat I came across? Well I just started mine, except it's going to be closer to a 4x6 area rug for the kitchen. As much as I'd love to wave a magic wand and reveal the finished product, I just can't today. So I figured I'd settle for showing you the start of what will prove to be a long term (but hopefully rewarding!) project.
My materials for a roughly 4x6 rug:
First you'll need to cut your corks in half (2 long halves). Do not take this task lightly as I almost amputated the tip of my best middle finger doing this. The corks dull the knife quickly. Hopefully your rug won't be as large as mine, but if it is...well just stay tuned until I discover a better way. If you have a really nice knife and are very careful-you can definitely go this route. I am a little clumsy, so I am halting here until I come up with a new plan.
Once all your corks are cut in half, you can begin laying out your pattern. I love a nice standard brick, heck you could even try something more advanced like herringbone or zig zag!
Ultimately I decided that a 2x2 alternating pattern would look neat and require less measuring/cutting.
I began applying hot glue to each cork half and laying them in my pattern. You'll want to be sure you lay down an old sheet or drop cloth because some of the glue will seep through the holes (this is the reason I didn't glue them to one of those mats that hold rugs in place-wayyyy too holey). It's pretty easy to peel your rug-in-progess off the sheet after you lay down some corks.
My 32 corks yielded me this:
I guess I have a lot more work to do...but eventually it will be such an awesome conversation piece. Bonus points for the posh use of Biltmore Estate corks (from my brother's job in the wine tasting room). I could run tours through my house and giggle as the out-of-towners squeal with delight when they recognize our city's most famed attraction. Ok maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself now, but I can't help it! It will look super cool when it's done, and the cost will likely be under $15 (by the time I use up all my glue sticks and need more...). Plus, it's totally eco and feels like a spa treatment under foot.
Sweet!
My materials for a roughly 4x6 rug:
- 2 rolls of 20'' x 72" squishy taupe contact liner ($3.97/ea)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks (already owned)
- A boatload of corks, cut in half (free, but labor intensive)
- Sheet/drop cloth
First you'll need to cut your corks in half (2 long halves). Do not take this task lightly as I almost amputated the tip of my best middle finger doing this. The corks dull the knife quickly. Hopefully your rug won't be as large as mine, but if it is...well just stay tuned until I discover a better way. If you have a really nice knife and are very careful-you can definitely go this route. I am a little clumsy, so I am halting here until I come up with a new plan.
Once all your corks are cut in half, you can begin laying out your pattern. I love a nice standard brick, heck you could even try something more advanced like herringbone or zig zag!
Ultimately I decided that a 2x2 alternating pattern would look neat and require less measuring/cutting.
I began applying hot glue to each cork half and laying them in my pattern. You'll want to be sure you lay down an old sheet or drop cloth because some of the glue will seep through the holes (this is the reason I didn't glue them to one of those mats that hold rugs in place-wayyyy too holey). It's pretty easy to peel your rug-in-progess off the sheet after you lay down some corks.
My 32 corks yielded me this:
I guess I have a lot more work to do...but eventually it will be such an awesome conversation piece. Bonus points for the posh use of Biltmore Estate corks (from my brother's job in the wine tasting room). I could run tours through my house and giggle as the out-of-towners squeal with delight when they recognize our city's most famed attraction. Ok maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself now, but I can't help it! It will look super cool when it's done, and the cost will likely be under $15 (by the time I use up all my glue sticks and need more...). Plus, it's totally eco and feels like a spa treatment under foot.
Sweet!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Freebie Giveaway: A Custom Knit
Hey all you readers, I want to know who you are! To coax you out of hiding, I'm prepared to offer a free custom handmade knitted item of your choosing (either a neck cowl, pair of handwarmers, or coffee cozy) to a lucky winner!
How to enter?
Comment on this post or any other by midnight tomorrow, be sure to include your email in the form. The winner will be selected at random from all of the entries. Comment as much as you like, but only one entry from each email will count. I will announce the winner on Sunday!
How to enter?
Comment on this post or any other by midnight tomorrow, be sure to include your email in the form. The winner will be selected at random from all of the entries. Comment as much as you like, but only one entry from each email will count. I will announce the winner on Sunday!
Tea Time
I love the idea of a sweet little tea station, complete with mugs. I think it would be neat to put some of my most used spices on display also (which would also free up cabinet space!). Check out this project on Design*Sponge!
I got this great set of black and white damask mugs at Ross for $4.99 which will be perfect for my shelf. I may even do two shelves since I have a ridiculous amount of spices. I can't wait to try out some loose leaf tea!
I got this great set of black and white damask mugs at Ross for $4.99 which will be perfect for my shelf. I may even do two shelves since I have a ridiculous amount of spices. I can't wait to try out some loose leaf tea!
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