Thriifty Decor Chick

Confessions of a self-made decorator.

OK, I need to come out of the closet with a few of my confessions when it comes to decorating. Flame me all you want -- BRING IT ON!! Nah, just kidding, it's late, I've had some wine, and I'm just talking smack.<br /><br />Here we go:<br /><br />1. Silk flowers/plants: Yessssssssss I have silk flowers and plants in my house. Actually, I think the only silk flowers are out on the front door, but really. I'm OK with them.******* (Notice the asterisks...) That is, as long as they look somewhat, close to, kinda REAL. You all know what I'm talking about -- there is surely a difference. (Imagine Dollar Store florals and Pottery Barn florals-- I'm too tired to dig up pictures.) I really am more on board with the faux greenery, but I have cut down on that quite a bit lately. I only buy what I think looks real and use it sparingly.<br /><br />2. I'm going to lose some friends here...but...I don't think Candice Olson is <em>the</em> Decorator God: Lord knows she does fantabulous work, and she is FAR superior of a decorator than I could EVER been in my WILDEST dreams and is amazing, no question, no doubt...but. I think if each time she decorated a room and stood back at that final minute and removed 20 percent of the stuff in the room, then I'd bow down to her. Hands down. I love what she does!! I just think it could be simplified a <em>bit</em>. (Like Candice Olson gives a .... anyway!) :)<br /><br />3. I don't think More is More: I work with some amazing women who can pull a gorgeous display together and it looks SO incredible. They have fabrics draping, layers of items, cascading pieces...you just stand there in awe. I envy their talent and try it on my own...and then it just looks <em>wrong</em> in my home. I have realized I am <em>definitely</em> a less is more kind of gal. I tried to force that on myself and finally understood I'm just not that kind of decorator. Heck, maybe it's just that I'm not good at that kind of decorating...very well could be. And that's OK with me!

Confessions of a self-made decorator.

OK, I need to come out of the closet with a few of my confessions when it comes to decorating. Flame me all you want -- BRING IT ON!! Nah, j...

7:32 PM

If I spend $10 I get $10 free?! YESSSS! Wait..huh??

I hate you, Bath and Body Works, with your thrifty coupons. Not so thrifty, really. I went in to B&BW yesterday, 21-month-old in tow, to use two coupons -- one for something free and one where I got a free $10 Halloween soap pump if I spent $10. So after 15 minutes of trying to keep the boy's hands out of the displays, I am desperately trying to find something for JUST $10 because I am DETERMINED to not fall prey to the coupon trap. I worked in marketing for ten years -- I know the deal!<br /><div><div></div><br /><div>Until I realized I was spending money to get a $10 soap pump I would NEVER spend $10 on at say, Target, if I saw the same thing. AND I couldn't find the coupon for the free item when I got into the store! Blasted Bath and Body Works!! They got me anyway...<br /><br /></div><div>I went in to get this:</div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249031643122401026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Sqshn2SE5m4GcUntsKfo6bG5FVhUo8UWDvf-Su_6IowHL7al4D8kEi3LHPi3KOA6x104n-ljTdDcwER8y6u9f3S93QaPhbyJ7tPVcbqCGYHFNZ_2DKchUYW-5fydUn0GHdiaIgLEKXk/s400/pBBW1-3860330dt.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /> They didn't have any left, so I got this:<br /><br /><div></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249031643372583138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cSLN0aP_Ro_JQn68pe-5Jq0KQgP_e0Tff5NkXH3ni2tqAx_F3MdWq5_p-b8FU66JhTBZAJavUZJnBzVEOO5rVYOOKgwM-eEtsf6M2ilI6UxwR0wozKP-RDf80HvZBk9uY0hFIfr-Ff4/s400/pBBW1-4821721dt.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />And spent my $10 to get my free $10 on these:<br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249031654136838578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLA_yEy5oM_NAn1NRvLpilKxyRC88SRLH_frhH-Nyz8-BwQ6Q6VkHjjrGOZ1dpj3Mps4mjkZCqzZ-XT82EdV8eJd5b6-DVQ0V7Ed8d0oWXSBiebtfnJhT-M63uA3o3UHr8Fo5lhfinwaY/s400/DSC04840.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div></div><br /><p>Yes, I took a picture of my feet while laying on our bed. Thank God for laptops. But really, aren't these the cutest things you've ever seen?? My husband just laughed at me, but I love them! They are soooo comfy and soft with little treads on the bottom so I don't wipe out on the hard floors. Brilliant! </p><br /><p>Who do they remind you of? :)</p><p></p><p><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249032683946179778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qlBjFpUct77iuw6j4wO5VbDWQCC-Yh5OAh0bA6LKnPJVZS-YyLR3u-z4Z1s9gqU-51M5toGIgG5qPRGoI80PVl0NwBmM17cLLP6IWB-e_llEKFJ3QrTp1qyL_HZ3z5oGnGNNl5-uzC4/s400/lambchop.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /></p><p></p>

If I spend $10 I get $10 free?! YESSSS! Wait..huh??

I hate you, Bath and Body Works, with your thrifty coupons. Not so thrifty, really. I went in to B&BW yesterday, 21-month-old in tow, to...

6:55 PM

Look Ma, no cords!

I hate electrical cords -- hate em!! In my humble opinion, there is nothing worse than seeing a gorgeous room on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">HGTV</span>, and then seeing nasty, black cords hanging down behind a table or down a wall. It ruins the whole room for me! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Harumph</span>!<br /><br /><div><div>To prove my hatred, try to find the cords in these pictures:</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248650645098682738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56mlYJGQykq6L1ONtnq9MfxSwvKQkS2bd4Kq1JmoNCoSGJOMeV3xUimT8NUbNygYWeVjVHDRDCRtu170Beu6QR-F0S-yCb9hnIoFq7GadjdrI7F3tvpgEyUpW78WrP7gKob_s08M8WFE/s400/DSC04815.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248650653312712194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYpQECtWUyhbJZtemZqixIzmytzQ95m7DNDETYtHag-ZjnLR8AB99MI_NlkvgUW44ZEw18T8R4Yik0bsjlqvqVenzZnG2jxw3XVgUZB7Jt17PGm2XLs1wD3xP0KchhtaxVs9-8UPGHY4/s400/DSC04819.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><p><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248650659908853634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTxb-j5yVt45B5yeUgO_FqZk4YmjBD7zBgQ79G6FPIjs6dcbU9B-GfJ3PX-yJ8dgaOAZqYwmKeZJtOAEi5GtWgt742NxBO4XVqvKp-1gCvx3Kukdjl_lZX_KcjxJrtNwKhMDlXoDu5DA/s400/DSC04824.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></p><div><br /><br /></div><p>Yes, I know, you see them plugged into the wall, and believe me, if I could figure out a way to remove the whole stinking plug I would! </p><p>One of my favorite handy dandy trinkets is the cord cover, which I've found at home improvement and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">electronic</span> stores:</p><div><br /></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248651647386778802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pC2Es-4A3Kjf2UZqjkcw4Ch38w1PomIXVYHTixtrM4swoTM_87eQdAAJekfu613u0UL5jIhCotBCVXfcZDs1wa5EbbfoQwDm1DRZ9_QI-VG3m-lQP8G0R9UineHUyb5a34ocmQjhc4Q/s400/157379_300.png" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /> These little pieces of bliss are about $5 for four feet and they are so worth it! I put them down chair legs, along baseboards, even down walls (and then paint them the wall color). <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Looooove</span> them!!<br /><br /><br /><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248652212291205986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri60TurZNVH0k5Mcw4Wx4UKbeeAoQ_hs3eCcmcRepWsnqlJgQRAsToyeaiQEt1GRt30Yst16aRjiZl9oYGqKDwhIQsst2__arR2a6GVjgKSp0UG7LxT8ujhR43Rkcc8eFBOyfbRc7vXQ/s400/DSC04817.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248652204226441458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTddaNN9meuTQTtXrJM9Zdjno7rIiCiWFVDw44_4I6hGkmT60qST0uq5csRtfH9MHMoO8L-uzIqpPE0JMuo3uOcfI3ZrGmSe6EfusBtxAWDdTcwLrbYfMhrJv4LuZqP6J3DzQeY7wP8M/s400/DSC04821.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div><div></div><div></div><div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248652217188941410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTafxk8ylxkmAZOBgukHCH8gVe6Ik0cawaVlW2ecCHkUEYGeDsUizF1w1duio6kMh3wKhuEH9_J_obiSzydRjCSVVdXbb3nFBnvdDJvWmtba1W38zr0wIyo6Sxit-jv1iumiH1W3_aJU/s400/DSC04826.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></div><div></div><div>I hate cords so much, I made my own "charging station" in our dresser drawer. It was SO easy -- just drilled a large whole into the back of the dresser and the drawer. Now the cords are hidden behind the dresser but are easily accessible:<br /><br /><p><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248651655784151874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxRzt-Hq3rO6t1Es0eJjrpdGPw2sj729nARCFq8AG-gCSGmMNhDNuCcqARqyX5TErIR75JtTNpx-Abi2WuOhF2IhSIyNBhBy8ZXSXh4KAHX7QKD_INHEeVFz75115H7OjoUbntLaxI68/s400/DSC04827.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></p></div><p>And the sky opens up, the angels sing.........</p><p></p><p>P.S. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">guarantee</span> you that I would <em>never</em> notice this in other people's houses -- I swear to you. It's my own little obsession in my own home and I just expect a professionally decorated home on <em>television</em> to take care of that little detail. :)</p><p></p><p></p>

Look Ma, no cords!

I hate electrical cords -- hate em!! In my humble opinion, there is nothing worse than seeing a gorgeous room on HGTV , and then seeing nast...

6:18 PM

The master bedroom is done!! Pretty much. Almost. Close.

<div align="center"><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246825866709252578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kjs80VdjHGuV_Z-VlzksLNIZVIdNUXg-DccCKhZ3dKH9oQz2WTANkEl3QMI2kbf0nSN_wPEZ-Y7TPy55qCwvewfzYuyhlQpGVmXWxZjs9vpPoviXrNImt5cjFbpFHVrcNAHPvpxQMsk/s400/DSC04681.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">I have been working on our master bedroom for a few months and finished it a couple weeks ago. I redecorated the entire room with less than $350! We are thrilled with how it turned out. There are only a few tweaks left -- soon I hope to splurge on a big comfy chaise near the fireplace. I plan to add molding to the large wall above the fireplace and would love to have the ceiling painted (a couple shades lighter than the wall color) at some point. More pictures and details follow:<br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246826592120364626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrvC8deBz2scAbCXz5a4w2SXSnXfzrKmWwuYG5EUu1x3t8L8k_eLXc_vEKUqy-5iqjxOxUIDED-SFu9cSU44FMhXfdWykxNYm5SWL3IRFahEBf1zsEp0NF2T5qVRVF9vlHAzlKNK-jw8/s400/DSC04678.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">The art on each side of the bed are $3.50 prints from Hobby Lobby I cropped to the size I wanted. Instead of having mats made, I used foam board and painted it the color of the walls, then just placed the prints on top. I painted the wall behind the bed a couple years ago and did the stripes by painting the whole wall, taping off the stripes and then just painting a layer of shimmer paint. It gives it a beautiful tone on tone effect. I finished up the rest of the walls with the paint I had purchased for this room more than two years ago!<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">The bedding was from Ebay and I only paid $36 for the set, which included the duvet cover, small pillows and king shams. The throw pillows are from Home Goods. I was looking for a storage bench for the end of the bed and couldn't find anything other than leather benches. These storage bins are from Target and were $55 each on clearance! I may add to these in the future...we'll see.<br /></span></div></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56ScoOkW1-gi7LrXRYVFY9cO2Wr1yJqeLeCCRK94DoWjezp4vLtSxgtgzqHkQ38VXN7skn1BPW4yAu5Yl7me2p_RVX3URMCxLVGDZu2d-smVz4J0I-fBgyEnogEs2Gbu7y6svYxdYOkI/s1600-h/DSC04612.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246827151335697698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56ScoOkW1-gi7LrXRYVFY9cO2Wr1yJqeLeCCRK94DoWjezp4vLtSxgtgzqHkQ38VXN7skn1BPW4yAu5Yl7me2p_RVX3URMCxLVGDZu2d-smVz4J0I-fBgyEnogEs2Gbu7y6svYxdYOkI/s400/DSC04612.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /></span><p align="center"></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Here's another picture of the new fireplace tile! I LOVE it! The "artwork" above the fireplace was made with canvases, paintable wallpaper and paint. Total cost was $21! Even the candlesticks were a deal -- $10 for both at a consignment shop and I cut one down so they were different heights. </span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246827146154338850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0fRTxdfjm2__TjonoOVZi_Kl25PrFnVD6rjDUVNVJYpX0XZiOWXDWnoSLHw4EzLjsj5N08CecARy9AB_DBY-8yRHaSMHl_9GwC6DitL-c3OPpf9nhrP_6vhQWmibW8up750QqxrFOPk/s400/DSC04637.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /></span><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">I made the drapes a while back to match our old bedding and was going to make new ones in a chocolate brown, but now the purple has really grown on me. It looks so pretty with the green on the walls! We'll see if they'll stay once I find a chaise. The chair was a garage sale find for only $15.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgYDsxRidukaUybjWZQvUBzF1vE2M89A1TK_VWwmFtJJXb4KprMGw19saFKMA1XR9AyUWT8HdVbch29BaPcqvkPb3vjRWlFtQhFNWwimOCD5GqaJv2dy5rhQ3Rcjwf1is_pLU1IjDPpA/s1600-h/DSC04675.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246826600746128162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgYDsxRidukaUybjWZQvUBzF1vE2M89A1TK_VWwmFtJJXb4KprMGw19saFKMA1XR9AyUWT8HdVbch29BaPcqvkPb3vjRWlFtQhFNWwimOCD5GqaJv2dy5rhQ3Rcjwf1is_pLU1IjDPpA/s400/DSC04675.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></p><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">I printed pictures from the computer in black and white, painted foam board and placed the pics on top for this photo display. I had the frames so this project cost $1.50 for the foam.<br /></span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246826609866372434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVFHDijiDSaZgkBuHKWVWcquxxOO0qIIdP-I6OAwqkclTrTywECgqYLVza37sVNgdD8FsC1HQvO7EV-8fe8Otm2zr-6IbE4U8-vYwQlpJe_UjMrMS9SJT_eA5fBAFC2DfOwwZq8igK0j8/s400/DSC04687.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /></span><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">Most of this I already had, I just rearranged everything to this spot. The mirror was $10 a garage sale find and I repainted it.<br /><br /><br /></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246832214741458882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMgW3xunl7wwuoEsqrIhpUZwFGkl_fDFYkqZW2d4QSS8vktY9sQSzZdKD9MnTXLHIStNSEBkPfPQR6SXyLrSDETHeo_wzsA1dzmPUcrd3PluubHuMPU_TtcSQ2ZRhxgfvhNcGHhBW6ls/s400/DSC04686.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br />Here's the armoire I repainted, with the added stencils to the front. I'm not usually a fan of mirrors in high spaces but I like the way this reflects the candles. Not sure if it will stay this way or not. :)</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">I hope you get some inspiration from this room. I practice what I preach -- it doesn't take a lot of money to make your space brand new again! </span></div><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></p><div align="center"><br /></div></span>

The master bedroom is done!! Pretty much. Almost. Close.

I have been working on our master bedroom for a few months and finished it a couple weeks ago. I redecorated the entire room with less than ...

8:04 PM

Remembering.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU7gL_wqmcxFNF80NDMcP3BU792xzamyszMc76jaQUDcliIoGykZkYhnPkYrwK8oRnwsbMcBoBCzi1M3E2JBo6n99uf8pdK6uHtCLsdfxiE4KAmwcqAH_lnEBmy5FC5wMTr39WQuqx1w/s1600-h/Im000513.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244837434597715554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhU7gL_wqmcxFNF80NDMcP3BU792xzamyszMc76jaQUDcliIoGykZkYhnPkYrwK8oRnwsbMcBoBCzi1M3E2JBo6n99uf8pdK6uHtCLsdfxiE4KAmwcqAH_lnEBmy5FC5wMTr39WQuqx1w/s400/Im000513.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a><br /><div>Anyone who knows me knows how much I love New York City. We took my first trip there two weeks before September 11, 2001 and that is when I fell in love. We have been back so many times since, I can't count. And we got married there, not far from Ground Zero, in 2004. </div><div><br /></div><div>I had to honor my favorite city today with some pictures...(the picture above is from Ground Zero...there are some very moving quotes written on those walls and this is one of my favorites.)<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div></div><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244839071481129298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9J_A1a6Sebkrnbw8y5Poc0hTgDG0HwtAmL9psKNQTMsmfqpXRV-cQZsiI0U6W3aLqQznEQWgkp-86_H48hBicFIlXdDYFmTuO3tOcWJmd8YEZK-c1e92l0uMT7k5JTYdCH6MimMWGH80/s400/skyline.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244839548618372114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzWXof9pe-N-mNO2nkTCiUfJhPC5OerenvoaZhnU8wKsWjrDGGBNU-2vOG6InoQhPlb4cGjVqYE5GHn96wMzdYibeIY-UVc7M9jWaLaS3YjBG4envKWFYdAt_6Sckg7V2TUOZDId7RoU/s400/TS2.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244839072176696866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBj9AwvOmHRibBlXzxiR6ufahLvTnZvoypX5Goq3aJnES0sFtWIcLG9lwRI5LLvePMmB8AC9oxCo8b2G8kxpFiDnUcFenj-fAWQNEhzHn2ZW18q5r0qHKosfLkK6oj4GLvXmGLPZW0moA/s400/TS.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244841291705923538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeCn0oDhZMHhw8aq6_aBkazab8Cn2COmfwb2kYkZEu8njaV5paULlMDxFs1H7RaOlOHYgtpg71J-TelsqOZwd1EuoB4fXKwLizJXDGmZ9rhZtYejkysUvANzm-tdrP6v249sdkOyqDyk/s400/Im000505.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /><br /><div>These are not some of my best pics...but they will do. It's such a fantastic, alive, amazing city and I wanted to share a little bit of it with you today. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div>

Remembering.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love New York City. We took my first trip there two weeks before September 11, 2001 and that is when I ...

11:41 AM

This Thrifty Chick wants you to spend $20.

This Thrifty Chick wants you to spend $20.

Go to Lowes on your way home tonight, pick out an American flag and fly it proudly tomorrow, the 7th anniversary of September 11, 2001. God ...

1:58 PM

$1.50

Ohhhh...how I can make $1.50 go on and on and on! I picked out a bronze glaze (that cost $1.50 for the bottle) for the hardware on the armoire I repainted a few weeks ago. I loved the way it looked so much, I ended up using all over the place! Here are some examples:<br /><br />The hardware on the armoire was black, but I needed them to pop off the new black color:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9tliQQdT4mxWE5RLoOZy_P92D0IqAyawFt7P3sKXWNSdru9RPQ-gimD5c1GVzFeKoedSAW14KYD6l8tK_gB40cCc1tUtmSHW43NBMfkLg_St-YZVj4LR1jwNo9B071htBQmHRM42mRk/s1600-h/DSC04705.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243364675831745906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9tliQQdT4mxWE5RLoOZy_P92D0IqAyawFt7P3sKXWNSdru9RPQ-gimD5c1GVzFeKoedSAW14KYD6l8tK_gB40cCc1tUtmSHW43NBMfkLg_St-YZVj4LR1jwNo9B071htBQmHRM42mRk/s400/DSC04705.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a><br />I used stencils I already had, with the glaze, to decorate the armoire doors:<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzkouz7r75P6WN4AKAK8B7OnqOQrxWL8GWsyHSOG6IerKRWCCrC-fIrUdJ-i9I6M5LPdlxpNDdbvp24MyUYj8wtsT0tgsY7HUJTxeqy9QQ95qvutGrwc2vtkLwu4b69TeIM2xYsAgsGo/s1600-h/DSC04709.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243364679038639234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzkouz7r75P6WN4AKAK8B7OnqOQrxWL8GWsyHSOG6IerKRWCCrC-fIrUdJ-i9I6M5LPdlxpNDdbvp24MyUYj8wtsT0tgsY7HUJTxeqy9QQ95qvutGrwc2vtkLwu4b69TeIM2xYsAgsGo/s400/DSC04709.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> </p><p>The is the artwork I made for over our master bedroom fireplace. I used the bronze glaze to highlight the texture:<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj217s1SEedJoDHqw5VQsfAG7414e-PHokPgKgmvmYy8zkd6xFdaXEshr3hD0Deox_DXj5blKpjyFpQ14rcp7DMPF62TurofKMhAQGRNvkCYGIPru6Oi_0qEmAhWAQbFMBl3Jd0RGA0b_E/s1600-h/DSC04713.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243364689544837154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj217s1SEedJoDHqw5VQsfAG7414e-PHokPgKgmvmYy8zkd6xFdaXEshr3hD0Deox_DXj5blKpjyFpQ14rcp7DMPF62TurofKMhAQGRNvkCYGIPru6Oi_0qEmAhWAQbFMBl3Jd0RGA0b_E/s400/DSC04713.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a></p><p>I used another stencil with the glaze to add to the wainscoting in the powder room:</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY2shOUQ-vNkvus7iof4O6_AVAWW91WtzVfDyPyCZNy1tUvyqry3GWkfcDuXHTiD24lTesz1AVKPIkyZVo02c0qfedNiGRAbIOg8ZJllN9ENBBRZLxDw-erNB22qOSaQt5n_MujHgoog/s1600-h/DSC04715.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243364694869068514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY2shOUQ-vNkvus7iof4O6_AVAWW91WtzVfDyPyCZNy1tUvyqry3GWkfcDuXHTiD24lTesz1AVKPIkyZVo02c0qfedNiGRAbIOg8ZJllN9ENBBRZLxDw-erNB22qOSaQt5n_MujHgoog/s400/DSC04715.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> </p><p>And used the glaze to repaint the textured parts on the powder room walls so they would pop. (I also used the glaze for the mirror!):<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXB-R64GlW6YB5LCWTjeslmgYCHxF4-qMo_KgRh5RoWbjdx27DeU0XemlzhlWVr6UU8O8TyUPWbMkTwJZorZrew2zbkjYU9fw58vRnnk3okabf2V0fGmuE9Dqd3B8CRV6lxeEqmBhM9w/s1600-h/DSC04717.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243364702873264258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXB-R64GlW6YB5LCWTjeslmgYCHxF4-qMo_KgRh5RoWbjdx27DeU0XemlzhlWVr6UU8O8TyUPWbMkTwJZorZrew2zbkjYU9fw58vRnnk3okabf2V0fGmuE9Dqd3B8CRV6lxeEqmBhM9w/s400/DSC04717.JPG" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" /></a> </p><p>There are so many different options available -- tons of different metallic glazes and hundreds of colors at the craft store. I was going for the bronze look and this turned out to be just what I wanted. AND I still have some left. Believe me, I've tried to find more places to use it but I just need to put the bottle AWAY. :)</p><p></p><p></p>

$1.50

Ohhhh...how I can make $1.50 go on and on and on! I picked out a bronze glaze (that cost $1.50 for the bottle) for the hardware on the armoi...

12:32 PM